Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

With so much focus on improving your swim, bike and run fitness, it’s easy to neglect what happens in between each discipline on race day......the "Transition" area. Transitions are unique to triathlons as you will need to move from one sport to the next as you make your way from start to finish. The transition area is the place where you keep your race day gear/equipment/nutrition and perform skills like putting on your bike helmet and running shoes. The transition area can be stressful and chaotic but it’s not an area for rest or socialization. It’s important to remember that your race time includes everything that happens from the start of the swim until you reach finish line. Most triathletes will experience their highest race day heart rate in the first transition area. After exiting the swim, the rush of running to your bike can make even the most experienced triathlete feel a bit winded. Exhaustion, rapid breathing, and nerves can have your fumbling your wa...

While you’ve likely run at some point in your life, triathlon running is very different than running as a standalone exercise. During a triathlon, by the time your feet hit the pavement, nearly 70% of your race duration is already complete. As a triathlete, the swim and bike will exhaust your body, making your legs feel like heavy bricks by the time you start running. As a triathlete, it ’ s not uncommon for your normal running mechanics to change due to fatigue. Oh, and there ’ s also the physical and mental struggle of having to run with depleted energy stores and slight dehydration. To properly prepare for a triathlon, you can ’ t train like a distance runner or track sprinter. Even if you are already an experienced runner, transitioning to triathlon may not be an easy adjustment – mentally or physically. But with the right training, you can feel excited and confident for the triathlon run. Becoming a better triathlon runner is much more than training for speed...

Sandwiched between the swim and run, the bike portion of the triathlon is the longest discipline in both time and distance. With nearly 50% of your race time spent on two wheels, insufficient skills and not enough time in the saddle will cost you valuable time and energy on race day.   Proper bike training will not only help you get faster on the bike but you ’ ll minimize the effect of cycling on your running legs. When it comes to triathlon gear and equipment, cycling is by far the most expensive discipline. Plus, training outdoors has its hazards, especially when you are sharing the road with cars, pedestrians, and nature. For these reasons, many triathletes don ’ t train properly, or spend a considerable amount of time cycling indoors. At the end of the day, preparation for the bike portion of a triathlon is about having the right equipment, doing the right training, and constantly working to improve your bike handling skills. The cycling culture may look intimid...

Triathlon swimming is much more different than swimming in a pool. The training, swim stroke and demands of triathlon swimmers is very different than that of the competitive pool swimmer. Inefficient stroke habits in the pool will come at a cost in the open water. Recognizing the challenges of the open water triathlon swim (rough water, crowds, no lane lines), triathlon swim training should emphasize technique, strength, stamina and power. If you lack a swimming background, you may notice that your current fitness level doesn ’ t translate easily to swimming. Unlike the experienced swimmer, who has a fishlike ability to slice through the water, if you are inexperienced and try to swim fast, you ’ ll quickly feel exhausted and out of breath. And since improvements are slow to make and getting yourself to the pool can be a logistical challenge, triathlon swim training is usually the first to go for the time-crunched triathlete. The most basic swimming skill to master...

It's National Triathlon Week! National Triathlon Week is a nationwide USA Triathlon initiative to celebrate the sport of triathlon and all of the members of the multisport community. From June 22-28th, 2020, National Triathlon week is focused on education, celebration and participation in the multisport lifestyle, with each day having a theme . National Triathlon Week, or #TriWeek, is a celebration of triathletes and all members of the multisport community — including officials, coaches, race directors, families and friends of triathletes and so many more. Why Tri? Training for a triathlon adds purpose to your exercise regime. As a way to improve health, boost self-confidence, overcome a fear, stretch physical limits or be a role model, there’s no escaping the obvious of being drawn to the challenge of participating in a three-sport event. Despite your nervous energy, excitement and curiosity, it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed by a new multisport endeavor. For examp...

You may be able to get away with haphazard fueling and hydration strategies in the cold winter months but if you are experiencing warmer temps, now is not the time to "wing it" when it comes to utilizing sport nutrition during your long workouts. If you've ever struggled with understanding your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid needs during a long workout, you've likely experiences several pronounced, uncomfortable and performance-limiting symptoms related to underfueling, overfueling, dehydration and overhydration such as headache, no urge to urinate, sleepiness, lack of appetite, nausea, bloating, fatigue, muscle aches, moodiness and dizziness. Proper fueling during intense or long duration exercise helps you sustain a desirable effort to maximize training adaptations. You can also practice fueling strategies for competition and train the gut to tolerate nutrition while exercise at various intensities. Contrary to the opinion of other nutrition experts, I...

I want to believe that there is diversity in the sport of triathlon. I wish I could say that triathlon is an easy-entry, welcoming-for-all sport. Across the nation, public discussions about race and racism have increased in volume and intensity. Looking away and remaining silent will not change the real-life consequences that others experience. The conversation has become too loud to ignore. While uncomfortable to many, the current state of our nation requires us to no longer ignore these tough conversations. There's a sense of responsibility and urgency to bring these topics to the forefront within the triathlon community. Yes, deep discussions about race, gender, gender identity, class, sexual orientation, religion, and culture may be uncomfortable and conversations may bring feelings of anger, guilt, discomfort, sadness, and ignorance. But if we can all engage in constructive dialogue and learning, we can all work together to shift the conversation into something positive...