If this is your first time racing Ironman Hawaii, it’s likely you don’t know what to expect. Yes, you may have watched every Ironman race on TV since 1978, but seeing it and experiencing it are completely different things. We hope the following advice will help shed some light on the race and have a great race in Kona.
Do’s and Don’ts:
All the basic don’ts apply:
* Obviously don’t go out fishing, snorkeling, etc. Do that afterwards!
The Do’s:
* Do the pre race swims from the pier. There can be a current at the beaches, so be careful. Drive the course! It’s rolling and it’s good to know what’s ahead on race day.
* Do run in the Energy lab: You can’t drive into the Energy Lab, but it’s good to either ride or run in there to get a feel for it.
* Do ride on the course. In the past, I have driven out to Waikola and ridden miles 30-50 or so.
Race Day Tips:
Swim: It’s a bit of a crapshoot like all the other IM’s. Remember, everyone there is pretty fast. On the way out you can kind of sight off the Body Glove boat and on the return trip you can sight off the Gatorade Bottle.
Bike: The first 10 miles of the bike are in town, bumpy and crowded. Keep your speed in check. After going up Palani Rd. you hit the Queen K. It rolls with a few good climbs. Stand up a bit on the rollers and stretch your back out. You have go easy going out. The wind won’t kick up until after the airport, about mile 15. There can be brutal cross winds for the rest of the course. We’ve had 2 good wind years, so we’re due for some tough conditions. Keep focused on your own race. With the heat and humidity, you have to stay on top of your hydration/nutrition.
After the turn onto 19 and head to Hawi, it can be brutally windy and there is an uphill grade. Even a guy who bikes 4:55 will be going 15-17 MPH on this section. Mentally this part sucks. After the turnaround there are the Special Needs bags. Then it’s back the way you came. The first miles are downhill and tend to be fast. It’s a great time to get in some extra calories and let the HR come down. Turning Right back on to the Queen K the rollers seem harder, longer and steeper. Typically there will be a cross winds get worse as the day goes on. Mentally you have to focus. The last few miles seem to go forever, but there is a mile or two of easy flats to finally relax a bit.
Run: The run starts pretty flat on the out and back on Alii. There is some shade and people cheering. Don’t burn too much energy on this section, you will need it later. At mile 10 you climb up Palani. It’s short, but STEEP, and most walk this. On the Queen K you seem to always be on just a bit of an uphill grade and there is no shade or people other than aid stations. In the days before, drive out and park on a side road and run some on the Queen K and into the Energy Lab. This will give you a great idea of what it is really like.
Turning left into the Energy Lab is nasty. It’s a slight downhill, but there’s usually a headwind that will slow you down. After a mile, you turn right and it’s flat, HOT and no breeze. The Special Needs bags are here as well. It’s mile 16, so plan accordingly.Climbing a bit out of the Energy Lab is only a slight uphill, but it hurts. Making the right back on the Queen K it’s you’re headed back to town. This last section is deceiving. You think you will descend, but I swear it’s uphill both ways. Again it just rolls.
This is where holding back in the first miles will help you out. If you go out too hard, this section will be torture. When you make the right turn at mile 24 it’s down Palani. This is steep and it hurts the quads. Once you make the left turn it’s flat and you’re only 1.5 miles from glory! The final stretch down Alii is lined with folks and you’ll have no problem running your mile fastest of the day here!
Post Race: Get hydrated, get some food, take an ice bath and get a massage. It’s been a long season and you’ve completed the toughest Ironman out there!
Coach AJ Johnson is a USAT Certified Coach and can be reached for personal coaching at AJ@D3Multisport.com his IM Hawaii PR is 9:12.
A general rule of thumb for writing a comprehensive training plan is that it should encompass progressive overload, be specific and take into account the individual needs of a specific athlete. Scientific approach to designing a training plan that follows such parameters is called periodization and has been initially introduced to the world of sport in ancient Greece. In 1940s eastern Germans and Romanians elaborated the methodology therefore it is them who are considered the modern fathers of periodization.
Periodization TheoryThe basic idea behind the periodization is that training stresses vary throughout the year as opposed to staying constant. The type and amount of stress is determined by the athletic events that require peak performance from the athlete. In a periodized plan the year is divided into several periods, each a couple to several weeks long. Periodization plan begins with transition and preparation stages, followed by the base training, build period, peak and race; training progresses from general to more [sport] specific. The training schedule begins by emphasizing volume over intensity and reverses as the race day approaches.
Periodization stages: Base/Late baseBase phase is broken into base 1, 2 and 2, each 3-4 weeks long. The main goals of base training are building endurance, muscular endurance, force and working on speed skills. Late base or base 3 differs from the previous two in that the training volume reaches the maximum and in that is beginning to shift from general to more specific. In addition, intensity increases somewhat in the late phase as more force and higher loads during muscular endurance training are added to the schedule. The purpose of higher intensity is to prepare the athlete for the next stage ? build ? during which anaerobic endurance training is introduced.
Understanding the terminologyEndurance in other words means to become fatigue resistant. The main goal of endurance training is thus not only to lessen the effects of fatigue but also to delay the onset of it, which is achieved by training the slow-twitch muscle fibers. Endurance training is also important from nutritional perspective by training the body to utilize fat as a fuel of choice while sparing the carbohydrate and glycogen reserves. The best training to build on endurance are long duration swim, bike and run workouts.
Force, by definition, is the ability to overcome resistance. For a multisport athlete the ability to generate force means success in battling with rough conditions such as tall waves, head or cross winds and hills. Like endurance, the force relies on the slow twitch muscle fibers. An adequately trained slow twitch muscle will generate higher speeds at higher intensities without drastically affecting the heart rate. The later is particularly important in sparing the glycogen resources while relying on fat as the main fuel for the activity.
Developing speed skills is necessary for the economy of movement. Economical movement is effective and efficient and as such necessary because it spares energy, particularly at high velocities. Speed skills are achieved by incorporating drills into the training routine.
Muscular endurance defined means maintaining a great force load through time and it therefore requires muscular adaptations that result from both, force and endurance training. Muscle tissue that is trained for endurance is capable of resisting fatigue and greater lactate threshold levels. In a multisport event the most importance should be placed on muscular endurance in running. By developing muscular endurance in running an athlete will be able to keep the targeted pace without fatiguing even after the hours from previous effort (swim and bike) begin to take their toll. The best training regimen to work on muscular endurance is sustained efforts at higher heart rates (anaerobic) and with aerobic intervals, which are introduced in base 2 but get longer during base 3. The purpose of the increasing work length is to prepare the athlete for the next level ? build-at which steady state efforts of 25 + minutes at higher heart rates are quite common.
Putting it all together, the workouts:
Workout 1: Hill repeats to improve muscular endurance and force Find a moderate, about 1 mile long, hill. Pick a gear that allows for 70 RPM and the Heart Rate in Z2, drifting into Z3. Ride down the hill for recovery. Repeat the hill by gearing up and sustaining the cadence of 65-70 RPM. Keep climbing and gearing up until you can no longer sustain the effort for the whole climb (you have to slow down or gear down). HR in higher zones (at or above the lactate threshold) is allowed for the last effort as long as the effort remains constant.
Workout 2: Muscular Endurance Find a flat stretch on the road. After a thorough warm up (you have broken the sweat) ride as hard as you can for 10 min in a gear that will allow 85-90 RPM. Repeat 4 x and spin easy for 2 minutes between sets. Cool down.Workout 3: Speed SkillThese will be all out efforts and can be done on the trainer or a flat stretch on the road. To warm up spin easy at 85-90 rpm; the work interval should be done as follows: find a gear that will allow you to pedal at 80-95 rpm and at which the ?burning? feeling in the legs develops within 30-45 seconds. These intervals should be ridden 10-12 times by taking 90 sec to 120 seconds recovery. The focus of the workout is to increase lactate tolerance while maintaining a good form. To increase the tolerance for the lactate, maintain the effort at the onset of the burn at least for a few more seconds.
What else can you do?Taking into consideration that most of the base training falls into the winter months, cross training can replace some of the swim, bike and run routines. Cross-country skiing has been proven to have the best carry-over to cycling by working out the quads and challenging the balance. Other great sports to challenge the cardiovascular system are snowshoeing and winter hiking. Especially hiking should not be underestimated due to its aerobic nature: sustained effort over a prolonged period of time will teach the body to utilize fat and spare the glycogen.
A Closing thoughtBy using the example workouts in this article you will be off to a great start to of your season. Good Luck!
References:1. Friel J. The Triathlete?s Training Bible. Boulder: Velo Press; 2004.2. Bompa T. Periodization: Theory and Methodology of Training. Champaign: Human Kinetics; 19993. Matheny, F. Winter Wisdom: seven smart ways to become a fitter cyclist this off-season. Bicycling. 1993; 34n11:70(4)
Martina Young is a USAT Certified Coach with D3 Multisport , ACE certified personal trainer and licensed clinical massage therapist. She can be reached for coaching at Martina@D3Multisport.com
With the holiday season behind us we can focus on the upcoming race season. Many athletes jump into training during the winter without really having a road map of where they want to go. I have listed some easy to remember tips that will help you get back on track and set yourself up for a good race season this year.
Get a Plan!
The most important thing you can do to get training back on track is to have a plan! It doesn?t matter if you use something from a magazine, on-line, or from a book ? have a plan and commit to it. The old adage says, ‘It’s easy once you commit.” This has never been truer then once you are on a plan. Tell your friends your plan, write it down and post it up so you see your workouts every day. If you do these things, you are much more likely to follow the plan.
Set Attainable Goals!
Following up the above, don’t take on a twenty hour training week if you have only been averaging five hours for the last two months. Implement a plan that lets you slowly build up your hours and let’s you reach your goals. Setting attainable goals that you can reach will allow momentum to build and you’ll feel more confident as the race season gets closer. If you set a goal that’s unattainable then you’ll be disappointed in the first month of the season. And that’s not a good way to start the training cycle.
Weight Train!
Adding in a weight training program will let you not only increase strength and help avoid injury but it will help raise your metabolism and burn some of those holiday calories off. What a triple bonus. If you have been out of the gym for a while try some basic functional strength exercises such as: standing squats, one leg squats, lunges, side lunges, step ups, push-ups, dips, pull-ups, and or crunches. If you can learn to be creative, no matter where you are, you can always get in a good strength training session. Who needs a gym anyhow!
Get a Training Partner(s)!
‘Misery loves company’ goes the saying, so find yourself some friends to join you in your training. Having other athletes to hold you accountable for showing up is a strong motivator. This is a great way to push yourself to new limits and to make you show up in general. There are always athletes looking to train with a group, so form your own and keep the training going even on the days you don’t want to. . Knowing that Master’s swim is every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7AM helps you to make it to those dark, cold winter workouts which you would otherwise miss.
Get Flexible!
Learn a new sport ? but not an aerobic one. Taking a yoga class or stretching class will increase flexibility, improve recovery time and promote lengthening of muscles. It will also help you relax and allow you to sleep better at night. As we get older we lose pliability in our muscles and keeping them supple with yoga or stretching will help us avoid injury.
These tips, while good for getting you untracked from the holiday rut can also be implemented all season long. Good luck this season!
Michael Ricci is a USAT Level III certified coach. He can be reached for personal coaching at mike@d3multisport.com. Please visit his website at www.D3multisport.com.
By using your powermeter and correlating it with your heart rate you can really gain some insight into your fitness and recovery.
The most important factor is that the power meter you use, is reliable and consistent day after day. Like many athletes I know, we often ride different bikes including a trainer throughout a week or training phase. The z2 heart method is just 1 way to detect variance among power meters without doing full on threshold testing on each bike or trainer. This simply gives you an estimate of significant differences between different powermeters.
From here you can determine the percentage difference, or a good estimate on how many watts difference there Is between power meters and give a guideline to creating zones based on specific bikes/ power meters.
Calculating your threshold from Z2 is not always accurate in that we may be aerobically fit but lack threshold endurance due to where we are in our training cycle. Use this method sparingly.
Using a power meter is just one tool that can give a lot of current and post ride feedback, but this tool becomes even more valuable when tied in with heart rate and perceived effort to really give good guidance and can show specific weaknesses and strengths.
With experience, you'll know your race power and your race heart for different intensities and durations. This is extremely valuable when you start your race and your power meter either does not work, or is not calibrated and giving wildly unusable power numbers. Because you've ridden so many miles, with so much power:heart rate data correlation, you'll be able to stay within your power zones by, (blindly) using your heart rate instead.
Lastly, the more you ride the more you know. Using power can help give you some analysis on your aerodynamics. A better bike fit, better aerodynamics, the faster you can go for the same or lower power.
In August 2021, I raced my first half Ironman on home turf in Boulder, CO. Among my friends on
the CU Triathlon Team, doing a 70.3 after graduation was something of a rite of passage. So, in
the months leading up to the race, I felt both proud that it was finally my turn and a bit uncertain.
I’d spent four years training for short-course races – either redlining for an hour in sprint
distance races or riding the edge of my comfort zone in Olympic distance races. But this felt like
a new beast entirely.And I made it even beastlier by setting the goal to qualify for 70.3 Worlds at that race – even if it
meant seeing stars at the finish line.
All goals and silliness aside, I learned a lot during the build for that race. One of the most
important tools I added to my training toolbox was understanding how to hit the right zones,
power numbers, and paces in workouts. I was lucky to have an incredible coach – D3’s very
own Brad Seng – guiding me physically, mentally, and emotionally (because let’s be honest, we
all shed a few tears chasing big goals!). Through plenty of trial and error, he taught me how to
train and race smarter.
About three weeks out from race day, Brad dropped a daunting run into my TrainingPeaks
called “Half Marathon Tempo – Mile On/Mile Off.” It totaled 14 miles: 2 miles to warm up, 10
miles alternating pacing in an over/under format, and a 2 mile cool down.
The main set went like this:
● Odd miles at open half marathon pace (the pace you’d run for a standalone half
marathon, which is usually faster than your off-the-bike pace).
● Even miles 30-45 seconds per mile slower – not quite a recovery pace, but enough to
shift gears without letting up.
The challenge? There’s no built-in recovery. But that’s the beauty of it! The workout teaches
your body to keep running under fatigue, which is exactly what happens when you start a half
marathon after biking 56 miles.
I’ve since repeated this workout in other half Ironman builds, and I now use it with my own
athletes (but all kudos to Brad!). Here's the structure:
The Workout
● 2-mile warm-up – Include some strides to elevate your heart rate and prep for intensity.
● 10 miles alternating – Odd miles at open half marathon pace; even miles 30-45
seconds slower. I based my paces on a 5K time trial from earlier that summer.
2-mile cool down – Run this very easy. No shame in shuffling here, or yogging, as I like to call it!
Tips for Success?
● Nutrition.
● Water.
More nutrition. Bonus points if you use your race-day plan to practice fueling and train
your gut!
● Pacing discipline. Don’t burn all of our matches out of the gate. If you crush the first few
reps, you’ll likely end up in the pain cave and miss the targets in the second half – which
defeats the purpose entirely.
This workout is best done with a GPS watch and heart rate monitor. I used both to stay within
myself and avoid overrunning. If you're a coach, prescribe pacing and HR zones based on
previous testing – it makes a big difference!
The Takeaway
The real key to nailing this workout – and any big training day – is discipline and belief in
yourself. It was the hardest run I did in my Boulder 70.3 build, but it showed me what I was
capable of. There’s nothing more empowering than realizing the strength within yourself to do
hard things and chase big goals!
Way back in winter and spring you dreamed about all the races you wanted to do in the coming race
season. Motivated by the upcoming race season, workouts seemed like fun and starting your training
bouts was no problem.
Now it’s getting toward the end of the season, and, even with maybe one or two more races on the
calendar, maybe your motivation is not quite as sharp and keen and juicy as it was pre-season.
How do you reconnect with that fun, bright, juicy motivation that propelled you forward some months
ago?
Step 1. Put yourself back into a specific incident a few months ago when you felt very strongly
motivated. When you put yourself back to that time, make sure that you can actually powerfully feel
what it felt like to be motivated. Make sure that you can feel that feeling of motivation right now.
Step 2. Hold that motivation feeling and now picture your upcoming race. Let the motivation feeling
soak in and sink into your picture of your next race.
Step 3. Whenever you think about your next race, recall that motivation feeling and connect those two
things, your next race and that feeling of motivation.
That will reconnect you to how jazzed you felt last spring and refresh you for the rest of the season.
A few years ago, a video from Jim Manton of ERO Sports, ushered in a brief era of triathletes and time-trialing cyclists racing with water bottles down the front of their jerseys. Aero testing was showing results of a shocking 5-7 percent reduction in drag. Follow up testing by others found up to 9 percent reductions! This quickly became a trend with triathletes–arguably the biggest aero-gain bang-for-your-buck ever. I set my fastest ever 70.3 bike split with a bottle down my jersey on a course I’ve raced multiple times. I was sold!
Then, the practice was banned for safety reasons. What next? Triathletes will not be held down by the letter of the rulebook! Between the arm (BTA) setups, which had been popular for years (typically with a single bottle cage zip-tied between aerobar extensions or with a “torpedo” bottle on a platform) began to get bigger and bigger!
A significant part of the advantage of the bottle down the jersey and then BTA setups is that the space between the rider’s chin/chest and the top of the bike is filled. The airflow then goes around, rather than through, creating less drag. So the less open space in the area below the rider’s chest, the (theoretically) faster the bike can go.
The new solution was to mount multiple bottles to the handlebars or stems. Of course, triathletes took this to extremes so World Triathlon announced new rules (as of April 15, 2025) that define and restrict stem/bar-mounted hydration systems. Ironman has adopted these rules as well.
If you are thinking about building your own BTA hydration system, be sure you read the rules carefully to assure compliance. (https://cms.triathlon.org/assets/ec5a81d9-93e9-4c46-a23a-0d16e51c1c87/Fairings.pdf)
But know that they allow you multiple options for building a high-mounted one or two-bottle setup.
In addition to the aero advantage of having bottles up high (and not in the main frame triangle), my experience is that it’s a lot easier to grab a bottle and drink (or sip from your straw). Further, while you are not allowed to rest any part of your body on your BTA setup, it is a great cue for me to hold aero position (with my chin just above the top bottle). Finally, building my BTA setup gave me a great place to mount my computer–out front where I can see it without changing my head position (and far enough away from my face that I can read it without glasses…).
There are cons as well. Safety comes to mind immediately. I’m not sure how building towers of bottles attached to the steering column of a bike is safer than a bottle down a jersey, but here we are. Related to safety, your bike will definitely steer and handle differently with a few pounds of liquid mounted up high and on a rotating axis. Curves, corners, and crosswinds all hit differently! Finally, price may be another deterrent. The market for BTA setups is just opening up and some of the solutions are expensive. I’ve seen a lot of athletes using custom, 3D-printed setups. This gives a lot of flexibility to build something that perfectly meets your needs, but I question the safety and durability of some of these solutions.
In the end, I always recommend experimenting with new ideas and determining what works best for you. I’m very happy with my setup. Am I faster because of it? It’s impossible to know without specific wind-tunnel testing. Do I feel faster? You bet I do!
We all know that friction is bad in endurance sports. Wet suit collar—chafing. Heels and toes—blisters. Tri shorts rubbing in the wrong places—chafing again—all bad.
Mental friction, though, can have some very positive uses. Let’s look at mental friction and how to use it for good.
Friction makes things more difficult. Some things are easy for us, little mental friction, some things harder. So, why would you want to make things mentally harder by increasing the mental friction?
Let’s just say that you are spending more time than you want on social media. One click and you are in, more clicks lead to more clicks and there goes minutes (hours?) that you could have used more productively. It’s smooth, fast and easy to get in and then get sucked in. It is, by design (not your design), frictionless.
What if you made the whole social media process rugged and studded and strewn with friction? If it became difficult to log in in the first place, and difficult and chafy and blistery to stay logged in? Not easy, not smooth. Friction-y.
How would you make it difficult to log in? Hmm, let’s see…could make the settings so that FB or whoever does not remember me. So that you have to go and mechanically log in. And set a password that no one could ever, ever remember, so that you have to look it up. And hide that passcode in an inconvenient place so that it’s annoying to go find it . And maybe set your browser so that it automatically deletes your browsing history, which makes it all that harder to get back in to where you were on your preferred social media platform. All these things, tiny as they are, add steps, irritating steps, to the process, and the more irritating the more friction.
Mental friction can work in the opposite direction also. There is something you want to do more of or initiate more easily. Say, getting to the pool as your workout prescribes. Then you can add lube to reduce or remove the friction to make it easier to get in your laps. The night before your swim workout, get all your swim gear together and put it by the front door. That removes one source of friction and makes it a little smoother to get out the door. You might also tell a few folks that you are going to swim in the morning and imagine what they will say afterwards when you tell them that you did your swim workout. More lube, less friction. List the things that cause you friction from getting to the pool, and lube them.
Here is your assignment:
If you find yourself forgetting to do this, no problem, just reinstall the friction.
For inspiration, if you have trouble coming up with ideas for creating friction, recall the last time you had to renew your driver license, file an insurance claim or apply for a mortgage—
all massively high-friction experiences. That should give you more than plenty of ideas.
But for mechanical friction (wet suit neck, tri shorts) don’t be stingy with the lube.
Will Murray is a USA Triathlon Level 1 Coach with specialties in mental conditioning, trauma resolution and youth coaching. Will is an eight-time Ironman finisher and is co-author with Craig Howie of The Four Pillars of Triathlon: Vital Mental Conditioning for Endurance Athletes, author of Uncle: The Definitive Guide for Becoming the World’s Greatest Aunt or Uncle and co-author of three scholarly books on psychology.
Mobility isn’t just for yoga lovers—it’s foundational for endurance athletes. Mobility work plays a vital role in keeping your body moving efficiently, powerfully, and injury-free. Mobility is the ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion with control. It’s not just about being flexible (that’s passive). True mobility requires strength, stability, and motor control throughout that range. Unfortunately, mobility is one of the most overlooked aspects of endurance training. Athletes often default to more volume or intensity and skip the small stuff—until something breaks down. But without proper mobility, your body won’t move the way it’s meant to, and the consequences can pile up over time. After all, your joint position dictates your muscle function, and the goal is to have our muscles function the best they can!
It’s best to understand your own body when it comes to mobility. Some athletes are hypo-mobile (tight/stiff) who have limited range of motion due to tight muscles or restricted joints. They often feel “tight” in the hips, calves, or back. Some athletes are hyper-mobile (loose/unstable) having excessive range of motion. You might pass a sit-and-reach test easily or feel “bendy”—but that doesn’t mean your movement is efficient. Some are in between! Mobility is not a “one-size fits all”, and knowing how you move is the first step to creating a mobility program that works for you.
Mobility isn’t one-size-fits-all. Knowing whether you’re more hypo-mobile or hyper-mobile can help you train smarter and stay healthier. A personalized mobility routine can be the difference between holding strong through a long season—or breaking down halfway through it.
So next time you’re tempted to skip mobility work, remember: it’s not extra—it’s essential.
Marek is a highly accomplished long-course triathlete, competing in the 45-49 age group.
He resides in Turisalu Kula, Estonia, situated on the Gulf of Finland. When I began coaching
Marek in 2021, he often recounted his early-morning swims in the chilly Gulf waters, often
without a wetsuit, as temperatures frequently dropped into the low 40s. Initially, he was an
average swimmer, cyclist, and runner; however, his determination and mental toughness, a
hallmark of many champions, set him apart. This relentless drive to overcome challenges fueled
his progress. As Marek continued to focus on his training, his swim times improved, his
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) and fatigue resistance increased, and he became significantly
faster as a runner. Consequently, Marek now consistently finishes at the top of his age group.
A typical year for Marek involves competing in four to five Ironman triathlons, as well as
several 70.3 triathlons and endurance swim events. In 2024, he completed the Ironman Busselton
in Australia and, just two weeks later, participated in the 70.3 Ironman World Championships in
New Zealand. This year, he has set his sights on completing the Ironman Tallinn on August 24th,
immediately followed by the Ironman 70.3 Tallinn in Estonia on August 25th.
With such a demanding racing schedule, sufficient recovery is a vital aspect of Marek's
annual training plan. Marek listens to his body, and when he needs to take a rest, he does. We
typically begin the year with a substantial amount of volume to build his fatigue resistance, a
strategy that prepares him for his first long-course race of the year. By mid-year, our focus shifts
to securing a qualifying spot for Kona, a goal that Marek is working towards. This involves
increased intensity while maintaining our base volume. Marek typically ends his season in late
October.
Ironman and endurance sports are often deeply personal journeys. The reasons athletes
choose to challenge themselves and commit to rigorous training are often unique to each
individual. Marek exemplifies hard work and dedication. I’ve never felt the need to ask him why
he is so committed; instead, I recognize him as an Ironman with the warrior spirit of desire,
dedication, and discipline, and it is a privilege to coach him. Marek’s first race of the 2025
season is Ironman Hamburg. Please join me in wishing him the best on race day.
Triathlon, at any level, isn’t an easy endeavor. It requires dedication, sacrifice, a willingness to be
challenged and face failure and investments mentally, physically and financially. With that comes any
pressures we inevitably place on ourselves and may also feel from coaches, family and friends. Usually
we have big goals we are chasing and when we don’t accomplish them or face hiccups along the way,
it is very easy to feel frustrated, discouraged and lose sight of the reason we decided to pursue this
sport in the first place.
The world of professional racing is very hyped up on social media - earlier start times, less crowded
courses, press conferences, sponsorships, prize purses. It is easy to get sucked into the excitement
and forget about how you got to that point and where you want to go now that you are there. In the
summer of 2023, I earned my elite license and made the jump to race professionally at the end of that
season. I will openly admit that when I initially found out, I was so stuck on what it would be like to get
all of those hyped up perks that I failed to realize the bigger picture: I was choosing to make a jump to a
higher level that would require a lot of sacrifice in order to really hone in on the small details that make
a good athlete a great athlete and help you successfully race with the big dogs.
Through the conversations that would unfold about whether or not I should take the leap, my coach,
who is a retired pro triathlete, helped me to work through the road map of what having a pro card would
look like. We talked about the sacrifices I would have to make in day to day life and the dedication I
would need to give to little details like recovery and nutrition. But something else we talked about (and
in hindsight the most important thing) was coming up with my “why”: the real reason I wanted to move
up to racing at an elite level and what I hoped to get out of it. All of the boujee things we see on social
media weren’t sufficient reasons; it needed to be something that would keep the fire lit in me when
things inevitably got tough. Which is a fact of both life and sports - we can do everything right, but
things won’t always go as planned.
Ahead of my first pro start in April of 2024, after a winter spent locked into the process, I crashed my
bike on a course recon ride and took a nasty hit to my head and shoulder. The damage sustained to my
shoulder ended up requiring season ending surgery to fix.
The mental battle that followed this was tough. But I had my “why(s)” written on a piece of paper that
was taped to the inside of my bathroom vanity cabinet door, a place I look at everyday when I reach for
my toothpaste or deodorant. They got me through the tough moments, forced me to reflect on what I
had accomplished and where I wanted to go after I was healthy enough to race again. Most importantly,
they kept me hopeful and in a positive headspace when I wanted to quit and give up on getting back to
where I was pre-surgery.
As the 2025 race season begins to unravel for many of us, I encourage you to find time - it doesn’t have
to be a lot - to sit down with a pencil and piece of paper or the notes app on your phone and jot down
the reasons why you do this sport. Everyone’s “why” will be different and there isn’t a right or wrong,
but challenge yourself to find reasons that go beyond earning finisher medals and standing on a
podium. Because when things get tough, it can be a lot easier to keep the faith and dig into the mental
toughness if you have a reason to keep showing up that is meaningful.
Happy journaling!
In triathlon, the warm-up is when the body and mind prepare for the upcoming training or racing activity. A typical warm-up includes a short, low-intensity aerobic activity often associated with a sport-specific activity. A pre-activity warm-up increases muscle and tendon suppleness, blood flow, and muscle temperature, lubricates joints, and improves coordinated movement. A quality warm-up can also improve performance and lower the risk of injury. The warm-up is essential in physically and physiologically preparing the athlete for the upcoming training, racing intensity, and volume.
One primary benefit of a warm-up is facilitating effective muscle contraction and relaxation through enhanced neuromuscular activation. This ensures that the athlete's muscles can respond more efficiently and powerfully to the demands of the sport. A good warm-up can help establish the athlete's psychological readiness, creating a focused and determined mindset crucial for peak performance.
Two warm-up strategies available to the athlete are active and passive warm-up. An active warm-up incorporates an aerobic activity while slowly increasing intensity. A passive warm-up can increase body temperature without physical activity. Examples of a passive warm-up are overdressing, increasing room temperature, or running the car heater on high on the way to the race. Wearing a wool hat, gloves, and a down jacket while setting up your transition area on race mourning is an excellent example of a passive warm-up strategy. Passive warm-up alone is not commonplace in training and racing preparation. However, a passive warm-up strategy can assist the athlete in maintaining body temperature after an active warm-up when the athlete is waiting for their start time on race day or on the way to the training location. Also, incorporating passive and active warm-up can be very beneficial on days with a low ambient temperature. A passive warm-up strategy is essential to maintain body temperature after an active warm-up, especially if there are delays between the warm-up and the planned activity.
Proper warm-up has several vital physiological benefits. One crucial element is vasodilation or the widening of the blood vessels. Many tiny blood vessels that supply blood are inactive or constricted during rest. A proper warm-up opens blood vessels, delivering oxygen and nutrients to active muscles and aids in removing metabolic waste products. It also increases neuromuscular activation, preparing the body for complex movement patterns during training and racing.
It's common among time-crunched athletes to skip the warm-up or drastically reduce the time needed before starting the bulk of the training. This is a mistake; research shows that an improper warm-up diminishes performance and may increase the risk of injury.
The duration of the warm-up is a subject of debate. Several factors, including age, gender, and ambient temperature, influence the duration. Since the primary objective of a warm-up before training and racing is to increase body temperature, a general rule of thumb is to start with a low-intensity activity and gradually increase the intensity until the athlete begins to sweat and maintain the activity for some time. Generally, the higher the intensity of the workout, the longer you want to warm up. On race day, the motto “the longer you warn-up, the faster you will go” is sound advice.
The warm-up can also improve athlete readiness, mentally preparing the athlete for the upcoming tasks. During the warm-up period, it is a good time to engage in positive self-talk, which calms fears and increases confidence for the activity ahead. Athletes often find that a comprehensive warm-up routine helps alleviate pre-race anxiety and promotes a sense of control and confidence. This mental preparation can be just as necessary as the physical benefits, setting the stage for a successful training session or competition.
Athletes should understand the importance of incorporating active and passive warm-up strategies into their routines. When executed correctly, these strategies can improve the athlete's physical and mental readiness, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury. Additionally, tailoring the warm-up to the specific conditions of each training session or race is beneficial, ensuring that the athlete's body is optimally prepared for the demands ahead.
In summary, a well-executed warm-up is a multifaceted tool that primes the body and mind for the challenges ahead. By combining active and passive strategies, athletes can be fully prepared to perform at their best, regardless of their conditions.
Martin and I began working together in March 2024. Within the course of our initial phone call and conversations, I could tell this young man had a passion for health and fitness. Little did I know just how far he had traveled within the past seven years. From 300 pounds to completing his first triathlons across multiple distances (sprint, Olympic and 70.3), Martin continues to be an inspiration to me, his family and friends. Please enjoy learning more about Martin and the insightful advice he has to offer for anyone looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle…
You have been on an impressive journey with your health. Tell us a little about this experience and how you became interested in triathlon.
My journey with my health really started in 2018, when I was 17 years old and weighed around 300 lbs. I cannot say I wasn’t active, sport was always a big part of my life, however, with my weight as big limiting factor, there was only so much I was able to do. At seventeenth everything changed, since I finally decided it was time for a change, and a drastic one. I started going to the gym everyday (something I had never done before). Nutrition-wise changes were made too, and probably this was the key player in this. After 4 months I had managed to cut over 100 lbs. It has been 7 years since the turning point. There is not a single sport I haven’t tried since.
Triathlons caught my eye a little over a year ago. I had been working out for 7 years straight, almost never missing a training day at the gym. I felt as the routine of hitting the weight room was making me lose interest, so I researched different sports that involved more then just the weight room. That is exactly how I found triathlons.
2024 was an exciting year for you with several milestones - graduating from the University of Colorado last December and comxpleting your first triathlon across multiple distances. What did you find most notable about these experiences and what were a few of the keys to your success?
Consistency. It may sound cliché, but consistency and a routine were key to be able to achieve my goals. Having a clear structure, training times, study times, and school made everyday tasks to become achievable.
The most important factor is my family and friends. People around me have supported me since day one, training, working, and having a social life can be challenging, however, with the right support and motivation it is possible to find a balance and put all the work needed.
In January you completed your first 70.3 distance race in your home country of Chile at 70.3 Pucon. Describe that experience overall for you and what did you learn?
The 70.3 in Chile was one of the most incredible experiences in my life. Having raced my first Ironman in my home country is just incredible. Having my family be there with me, support me, bear with all the training and travels, and wait at the finish line was life changing.
The race taught me about grit and perseverance, after my watch stopped working I knew it was all in my head. It wasn’t me against the clock, but me against my own thoughts. I learned that the most important thing is to enjoy the race, the people around you.
What is one of your favorite workouts?
My favorite workouts are the long bike rides. I tend to join groups for their Saturday group rides, and something about sharing the love for a sport with like-minded people motivates me every time.
What advice do you have for anyone looking to make lifestyle changes for better health?
There are two main pieces of advice that helped me the most, and I think are imperative to achieve health changes. First, no amount of exercise will ever outperform a bad diet. It is crucial to make enough changes to have a better diet, not a restrictive, but a better one. Second, it is important to know that any exercise is better than none. Don’t like the gym? No problem! Go for a walk or run, play racquet sports, or maybe go bike. It is not about efficiency, when getting started, it is all about consistency.
What are you most excited about for your 2025 race season?
Last season was one of the first times for me, and this season will not be much different. I am planning on racing Ironman 70.3 Boulder and my first full marathon.
Base training in the winter is to build a strong aerobic foundation that supports higher-intensity training in the spring and summer. You’ve hopefully already been building your low-intensity volume, working on form/technique, strength training, and mobility. As the winter months are coming to a close, your race schedule is starting to come together, and you’re ready to start incorporating higher intensity, here is a great workout to include in your training.
Brick workouts are designed to mimic running off the bike in a triathlon. These two should be done back to back. You can even practice your T2 transition from bike to run.
Brick: Strength-Endurance Bike + Tempo Run
Bike: 1:10-2 hours
15-20 min warm up easy spinning into endurance pace
3 x 5-12 min at Sweet Spot (88-94% of FTP) on 5 min recovery
10-20 min at Tempo, low zone 3 effort (76-81% of FTP)
15-29 min cool down
Run: 25-45 minutes
10-15 min warm up
5-20 min build to zone 3 (aim for 60% of this interval to be zone3)
10 min cool down
This type of early season workout helps introduce the body to higher intensity efforts, re-familiarizes your muscles to running off the bike through neuromuscular adaptation, and builds confidence in your ability moving into the race season. Always make sure to adapt the time and intensity to what your body needs. Too much intensity early on can lead to overtraining and injury. Not enough intensity can make racing tougher since your body won’t be adequately prepared for your efforts on race day.
It’s not always easy to move into race fitness, but with simple workouts like these, you can get a headstart on being ready for the start line!
Coach Darbie Allen is a USAT Level 1 Triathlon Coach
Her approach to coaching is holistic, integrating training efficiency, injury prevention, mental resilience, and proper nutrition to ensure sustainable success. I tailor each plan to the athlete’s unique needs, incorporating strength training, form analysis, and race preparation to address every aspect of performance. Whether you're overcoming injuries, breaking through plateaus, or aiming for a personal milestone, I’m here to guide and support you every step of the way. Together, we’ll focus on building confidence, celebrating progress, and achieving results that reflect your hard work and commitment.
Over my lifetime as an athlete and a coach, I’m sure I’ve spent cumulative years of my life on a pool deck and in the pool. I’ve observed that most everyone knows the basics of circle swimming, but there are additional nuances to group workout etiquette. When I coach or swim in a group, I want everyone to be able to hit the goals of the workout. At the risk of sounding like an old man shouting at clouds, here are my top five gripes about group workout lack-of-etiquitte, and how to be a better group swimmer.
Off-Season Reading List
By George Epley
As the racing season winds down for many endurance athletes in the Northern Hemisphere, it's
the perfect opportunity to shift focus from race-day efforts to building a stronger, more resilient
body for next season. To help you make the most of the off-season, I’ve compiled a list of my top
book recommendations on prehab, strength, and conditioning specifically tailored for endurance
athletes. Winter is the ideal time to target strength, improve movement patterns, and prevent
injuries, and these books will give you the knowledge to optimize your training. I’d love to hear
about your own favorite reads on endurance training and performance. Train hard, train smart,
and here's to a productive and injury-free winter season ahead!
Becoming a Supple Leopard: Dr. Kelly Starrett with Glen Cordozza
The updated edition of Becoming a Supple Leopard makes it easier to understand and apply the
principles of human movement. It provides step-by-step guidance on improving key exercises
like squats, deadlifts, and kettlebell swings, along with techniques to address mobility restrictions and movement faults.
Ready to Run: Dr. Kelly Starrett with T.J. Murphy
Dr. Kelly Starrett adapts his movement and mobility philosophy to the world of running, offering
twelve performance standards to help runners of all levels optimize their performance. The book
covers techniques to prevent injuries, improve mobility, and strengthen weaknesses, while also providing strategies for faster recovery and enhanced running form.
New Functional Training for Sports: Michael Boyle
This book offers a comprehensive approach to maximizing athletic performance with functional
assessments and tailored training plans. It focuses on developing balance, stability, strength, and
power through progressive exercises for the lower body, core, upper body, and total body.
Sample programs help athletes customize their training to enhance physical performance and excel in their sport.
Functional Training: Juan Carlos Santana
A three-tier approach integrates functional movements into an existing strength program, helping
athletes assess and analyze the specific movements and muscles required for their sport. By
selecting the right exercises based on performance goals, athletes can target key skills with quick
sequences or develop more comprehensive programs to address broader athletic needs and objectives.
Born to Walk - Myofascial Efficiency and the Body in Movement: James Earls
Combining anatomy, body reading assessment, and technique, this book provides bodyworkers,
physical therapists, and movement professionals with new research on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.
It offers a clear model for understanding movement complexity and gaining deeper insight into the physiology and mechanics of walking.
Movement, Functional Movement Systems: Gray Cook
Movement bridges rehabilitation, conditioning, and fitness by focusing on basic human
movement principles. Gray Cook teaches how to assess movement quality, identify dysfunctions
using the Functional Movement Screen, and apply corrective strategies. The book emphasizes
movement as a behavior and offers a comprehensive approach to exercise and rehabilitation, addressing modern dysfunctions from sedentary lifestyles.
Athletic Body in Balance, by Gray Cook
While other books focus on maximizing strengths, Athletic Body in Balance emphasizes
identifying and overcoming weaknesses to build a strong foundation for long-term progress. It
provides a comprehensive assessment tool to guide your training, helping you maintain and build
on your gains while preparing and repairing your body for peak athletic performance.
Olympic Weightlifting: Greg Everett
A comprehensive guide to learning and instructing the Olympic and related lifts. Includes
sections on teaching progressions, lift analyses, error correction, programming, competition,
supplemental exercises, warm-up protocols, nutrition, and sample training programs.
Starting Strength: Mark Rippetoe
This book is a comprehensive guide to barbell training, covering key lifts like the squat, deadlift,
and bench press. It focuses on the stress/recovery/adaptation model for building strength and
health, with updated instructions and programming for long-term progress. It's an essential resource for anyone starting strength training.
As we close out the race season and transition to the off-season, it's a great time to evaluate our strengths and weaknesses so we can work on them during this period. For many of us with limited schedules, finding time to fit everything in can be challenging. I'm here to tell you that you don't need to log more running miles, swimming yards, or time on Zwift to improve your triathlon performance. In fact, you’ll likely see better results by reducing those activities and spending more time in the weight room.
Why is this important? As we age, we don’t necessarily lose endurance—in fact, our endurance can improve. What we do lose is strength and speed, which is where we should focus our efforts. I’ve been an advocate for incorporating skills and drills year-round since I started coaching in the 1990s. For swimming, consider fast 25s and 50s for speed work. For cycling, incorporate hard 30-second to 1-minute efforts once a week, and practice pedaling at high cadences—handling 120 RPMs will make 90 RPMs feel much easier. For running, include fast 30-second repeats or hill repeats lasting 30 seconds to 2 minutes; hill work is essentially speed work in disguise. Mixing in these workouts during the off-season will undoubtedly benefit you. When you transition to interval training as you begin your build, your body will be primed to absorb the fitness gains from longer efforts.
Where Should You Spend Your Time in the Off-Season?
Hands down, it should be the weight room. This is especially important if you’re over 40. Strength training enhances balance, aids in weight management, increases bone density, and helps prevent injuries. Stronger tendons and ligaments are less susceptible to injury, contributing to overall longevity. Being stronger and more balanced gives you a significant edge as you age.
Injury Prevention:
Stronger connective tissues allow you to run, bike, and swim faster, longer, and harder while reducing your risk of injury. Through weight training, you’ll become more efficient and faster—strength equals speed! When you’re stronger, your muscles become more fatigue-resistant, making climbs on the bike or swimming through rough water feel less taxing. Additionally, overall strength accelerates recovery between workouts, helping you bounce back quicker from intense sessions. All of these factors contribute to injury resistance, faster recovery, reduced fatigue during hard workouts, and increased speed.
Key Exercises:
What are the best exercises to become a stronger triathlete? Focus on push, pull, hinge, and squat movements. Incorporating these exercises a few days a week can make a significant difference in your performance. At the bottom, I’ll include the link to our D3 FREE 4-WEEK STRENGTH PROGRAM.
Squat Exercise: Squat / Goblet Squat / Thrusters
Hing Exercises: Deadlift / Romanian Deadlift / Good Mornings
Push Exercises: Pushup / Bench Press / Dumbbell Press / MilitaryPress
Pull Exercises: Pullup / Lat pull down / Rows
What Does an Off-Season Weekly Plan Look Like:
2-3x per week of lifting – sessions can be 30-60 minutes.
Typically, one circuit will be about 10-12 minutes.
Sample warm up:
3-way lunges – 2x10 reps
SquatRows – 2x10 reps
Plank to Pushup – 2x10 reps
Main Set 1: 3x10 of all exercises
Main set 2 3x10 of all exercises:
Dead lift
DBPress
V-Ups
Main Set 3 3x10 of all exercises:
Alternate Lunges
Bench Press
What does a Progression Look Like:
3-4 weeks of 3x 10-12 reps
*Add weights as the last few reps get easier
What does a training week look like:
Monday – Easy Swim / Strength
Tuesday – Run with strides / Recovery / Bike
Wednesday - Quality Swim / Strength
Thursday – Bike with 30” efforts / Easy Run
Friday – OFF or Easy Recovery Swim
Saturday – Tempo Bike/ Run w/ Strides
Sunday – Long Run / Core work
If you want a FREE 4 Week Strength Training plan that you can download into your Training Peaks account use this link. I’m happy to answer any questions on strength training – send me an email mike at D3 Multisport dot com
This winter, Get Strong!
As a long time coach of many sports, I know there comes a time in the season, when we need to mix things up to keep it fresh. I call this routine, "Picking Apples", as I like to give my athletes this routine in the Fall each year. We spend so much time during the season moving linearly, I think it's fun to mix things up with some varied movement patterns.
This session is best performed on infield of a track or turf field for a softer surface.
Activation exercises - leg swings, knee hugs, etc.
WU 15' easy and then complete the following sequence 2 x's through. Goal here is to focus on good form while initiating some lateral movement. Absolutely no concern for speed/intensity.
-->20'' bounding + 40'' easy running
-->20'' high knee skipping + 40'' easy running
-->20'' lateral shuffle w/left leg leading + 40" easy running
-->20'' lateral shuffle w/right leg leading + 40" easy running
-->20'' karaoke to your left + 40" easy running
-->20'' karaoke to your right + 40'' easy running
-->3' easy running
Remainder of run light & easy with focus on good running mechanics.
Bounding drill
High knee skipping drill
Lateral shuffle drill
Karaoke drill
Enjoy the variety and if you have any favorite drills you'd like to share send me an email - Brad@d3multisport.com
Five weeks ago, a journey that you could say started over 25 years ago, ended with a
second knee replacement in my left leg (first, right, was done 5 weeks before that).
About 25 years ago I had my first injections of Hydraulic Acid to help lubricate my
knees. At the time if you had told me I would/could do 30 IronMan races I would have
said you are nuts. I have leaned a lot about this affliction and hope this short story will
help if you think you are heading in the same direction.
First up and I think important, Arthritis is not caused by excessive use of the joints.
There is an underlying condition. It could be genetic, an accident, of something
abnormal about your joint. In my case it was genetic helped along by a very painful
skiing accident at 14, with non release bindings, and 6 years playing rugby.
I am convinced that the best thing I did to prolong my knees was keeping a low body
weight and running. Every winter for the past 25 years I would gain 5-10 lbs, a good
thing, but my knees would hurt more. On the few occasions when I could not run for
over two weeks done to an accident it was painful getting back to my usual routine. I
asked one of my orthopedists 10 years ago what would have been worse for me, all the
running I had done or walking around with an extra 20lbs, without hesitation she said
weight gain.
Hydraulic Acid injections and Acupuncture kept me going through over 200 triathlons.
The last two years I added PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Injections and HA. The
Acupuncture was not your typical session. It was a technique developed by Whitfield
Reeves, who used to have a practice in Boulder and was taken over by Lindsay Long.
Whit has trained acupuncturists all over the world. His method stimulates the knee joint
with e-stim attached to the needles, it works especially well after HA injections.
I knew a time would come when I would need knee replacement. I got notification that
that time had come at the 2021 IM World Championship in St George. I was walking up
the last hill late at night on a quiet trail when I heard an odd noise, it had a rhythm to it. I
stopped, it stopped, I started walking again and the grinding noise restarted matched to
my foot steps. Amazingly it was not painful, but I got the message and when I got home
started researching my options.
I had already had knee x-rays several years earlier. I knew that I might be a candidate
for partial knee replacement, a better choice for a runner if you are a good candidate (at
the end unfortunately I was not). My litmus test for a surgeon was one who showed on
their web site that they did both total and partial replacement. Many do not. I also
wanted a doctor who felt that you can run on artificial knees. Again many, indeed most,
do not. That required more digging.
The problem with running is not that you can not do so but but there is a worry that
longevity of the joint will be impaired. There is no research on the longevity of the knees
with a runner. Very few people want to do this, they tend to be old, like me, but not all.
Most are happy to be able to do other sports pain free. With such a small population of
people who continue to run I could find no studies of the longevity of those knees. It
logically makes some sense that running would/should increase the wear rate you
would think. But one doctor I met argues that running strengthens the bones making for
a stronger bond between the prosthetic and bone reducing the chance of it getting
loose. Wear of the plastic insert still could be a problem.
There is also one important key to running on knees that are reaching the point where
replacement is being considered or are replaced. That is good running form, something
I have focused on in my training for many years. If foot lands mid to forefoot you have
the added cushion for your knees. I got this from ChatGPT.
When running on the forefoot, the primary cushioning comes from the
metatarsal heads (the ball of the foot) and the fat pads located beneath them.
The arch of the foot, specifically the medial longitudinal arch, also helps to
absorb shock and distribute the forces during forefoot running. Additionally, the
muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the foot contribute to shock absorption,
helping to reduce the impact forces on the joints.
I do think that if you have been an active runner, have good muscular strength around
the joints and are lean you can continue to run.
Here are my suggestions if you start to have joint pain in any part of your body.
Get a through evaluation as soon as you have decided it is more than just a
niggle. Don’t wait until you can’t run.
Get a second opinion if trouble is brewing and do this with a doctor who does
believe you could run again after treatment.
Follow up periodically as you would with overall health.
Don’t start masking the pain with NSAID pain med. If it hurts that bad that you
need this stuff you need more than pain relief. If you do always mask it, you will
not know when you have waited too long. I only used NSAID’s once, it was to get
me thru a race. The internal consequences were not pleasant.
Try HA treatments to start, this is covered by some insurance plans.
Treatment these days does not have be limited to knee replacement.
Advancements in treatments such as PRP and rebuilding the meniscus with
grafting are getting better and better. Unfortunately, these treatments are covered
by insurance yet. When I first considered PRP 10 years ago the success rate
was not worth the high cost. Now you can get both knees done for around $1,000
with improved success rates, it worked for me for 4 treatments.
Search long and well in advance for the best possible surgeon you can afford.
Some of the best do not take insurance of any kind some are not in the US.
Be sure to have some good support around you for a couple of months after
surgery
I would be happy to chat and help anyone facing the problems I have had to deal
with.
I hope to prove with this study of one, me, you can get back to running and finish the IM
World Championship in Nice next September. The marathon will be a run/walk affair, but
it has been so for most of my career in IM. See you out there on a racecourse.
