3 Training Tips For Aspiring Triathletes

One of the biggest challenges you will have while preparing for a Triathlon is needing more time in the day, followed closely by questions about how to “balance” life with work, family, and triathlon training. These are common pain points that triathletes of all levels deal with. Here are some key hacks for you:

Rest Is Vital

A rest day is a complete rest day, especially if you are getting ready for a long-distance race. Put the feet up. Binge-watch something on Netflix and enjoy the downtime. This means you shouldn’t mow the lawn, sneak in a long walk or wash your car. You should rest! A rest day is when the body repairs itself along with rebuilding the immune system. If we don’t take full advantage of it, it may be a little bit harder to get motivated for the next day, and eventually, we won’t see the gains we want.

Make Work Out Fun With Family

The best tool on your phone is either the iCal or Google Calendar. You can organize your schedule (work, training, etc.) with your family’s schedule. Bring the family together and help each other instead of getting frustrated at the schedule. We all have full schedules ranging from the kids to the job to the spouses, doing fun training sessions will not only make training more fun, but also get your family closer.

Your Mental Being Is Equally Important

Last but not least, listening to your body is crucial when it comes to your training. You truly need to figure out what is going on physically and mentally, as triathlon training can put a toll on your body, especially the long course training. Take some time to regroup and adjust your training schedule until things calm down. When you feel rested and give your body the care it needs, your body will thank you for it.

5 Effective Tips To Sprint Faster

You want to get faster. Who doesn’t? But in order to supercharge your sprints, you need to get the basics down first. One of the main factors is form. Sprinting isn’t exactly just a sped-up version of your regular form during an easy run or jog. It’s similar, but different: The movement patterns of running and sprinting are similar in that you still need to put one foot in front of the other, but different in that sprinting is a much more dynamic version of running—more explosive, to be precise. Here are some tips to burgeon your speed-:

Arm And Leg Coordination

Hold your arms in a bent position at 90 degrees, and drive your elbows backward to create momentum. The position helps ensure that your movement and force travel in the same direction. It’s a more exaggerated arm swing than a jog, where your arms move through a wider range of motion with your hands coming up as high as your chin and backward toward your butt.

Curtail Knee Lift

Athletes who show less knee lift in the first step turn out to be faster in sprints. Less knee lift means a faster step, which means more steps within the same distance.

Land Swiftly

Land on your forefoot, and focus on pushing off from your toes to propel yourself forward and keeping your feet flexed upward toward your shins. Running softer and landing quieter might help reduce injury, too

Imagine That You Are Cycling

Think like a cyclist and move your feet in a circular motion, raising your thighs up until they are parallel to the round, and driving your knees up and down. Think of it this way, rather than an ovular or reaching-out motion.