Triathlon: Start to Finish

Drills and Workouts

It's now time to talk about the drills and workouts specific to each discipline. Since we're assuming you have a solid triathlon background, most of this should be review.

Swimming

Swimming is the most challenging discipline of the three in the area of technique. As we mentioned earlier, the best favor you can do yourself before launching into this program is to learn how to swim correctly. Swimming classes, triathlon camps, seminars like Terry Laughlin's "Fish-like Swimming" workshops, and Masters swimming programs are almost necessities for those coming into long distance training without a good swimming background. Videos are another option. Check the Resources chapter for information.

The race clock is not the only thing to be concerned with when finishing the swim at a long-distance triathlon. For most of us, performing well in the swim means getting out of the water having used as little energy as possible. With lots of hard biking and running on the to-do list, every calorie spared is precious. Greater efficiency is your goal when it comes to swim training.

When in doubt, favor technique over speed. Throughout the 24-week program, we'll ask you to continue to drill yourself on the basics and to continue to monitor your form. Here's a description of the basics:

Swim Drills

1. Kick with your arms at your side. Focus on keeping the body in one plane of water. press the chest forward to help keep the hips up, keep the head down (do not bury the chin, however). When you need a breath, roll to one side or the other, take the breath, and then roll slowly and smoothly back to your stomach. For most people, this is the hardest of the freestyle drills to master.

2. Kick on your side. Keeping your chin, cheek or ear into your shoulder and your right arm outstretched in front of you, kick on your right side. The left arm rests on your side, with your left hand on your hip; your left arm will break the surface of the water. Follow the same pattern on the left side of your body.

3. Kick from side to side (S2S). Starting on one side, do a series of 6-9 kicks with your legs, then recover the arm resting on your side to the top of your stroke and meet the other hand (known as catch up) and pull through to the other side.

4. Catch-up (C/U). Without any pause at the back end of the stroke, pull one arm through a complete stroke cycle and have one hand meet the other prior to starting the next stroke cycle.

5. Cheating Catch-up, also called FREESTYLE or SWIM - The actual swimming style we want to see. the end result. Just as the left hand passes the head, start moving the right side of your hip to the other side, and begin pulling with the right arm. The left arm should enter the water before the right arm is more than one-third of the way through its pull.

It's important to maintain horizontal body positioning in the water while rolling from one side to the other. Breathe to the left as you pull your left arm, and to the right as you pull your right arm. If you need additional breaths before rotating from one side to another, that is fine. Just try not to breathe as you recover one of your arms.

Focused drills need to be part of every swim workout, because it's more important to swim efficiently than to swim fast. Every bit of the energy you save in those first 2.4 miles will be needed later. Masters Swimming programs and workshops like Total Immersion will help a lot.

Swim Technique Checklist

Head

Looking down and slightly forward. Water level between center of head and forehead.

Hips

Up close to the surface and rolling completely from side to side during each arm stroke.

Feet

Up close to the surface with heels slightly breaking the surface while kicking.

Kicking

Gentle kick of one to two feet in width.

Kick should start from the hips with slight bending of the knees and ankles. Toes pointed and relaxed.

Body

Long straight body all moving as one unit.

Length

No bending at the waist or independent twisting of the upper and lower body.

Body Roll

Roll from side to side as one unit. Hips and shoulders should start to roll at the start of the pull and roll completely to the side by the end of the pull.

Layout Free

Best Drill for practicing body roll and getting used to swimming on your side. Four seconds on each side while fully catching-up between strokes.

Catch-up Free

Continuous free with catching up of the arms in front before pulling. Do not pause at the finish of the stroke. Three second catch with proper roll.

Cheating

The fastest and most efficient freestyle stroke.

Catch-Up Free

Smooth exchange of the arms in front with an almost catch-up. Full body roll and long body position.

Cycling

The bike training in the program is divided between easy rides, long aerobic rides, and high-intensity sessions on a turbo-trainer.

Turbo: When we say turbo-trainer, by the way, we're referring to an indoor cycling resistance machine attached to your bike. Computrainers are our favorites, but there are many others available. A bike computer and heart rate monitor, teamed with a magnetic resistance trainer, can turn your bike into an amateur exercise physiology lab. Turbo trainer workouts develop power, a good pedal stroke and speed endurance. If you don't already have the equipment you need for a turbo workout, now's the time to acquire it, even if you have to beg, borrow or steal.

Intensity Workout Terminology

Most of the bike workouts in the program are self-explanatory, but the turbo sessions are a bit cryptic. Here's a primer.

Sample workout:

• 15 minutes warm-up

• 4 x 40 seconds SLD (Single Leg Drills), 20 seconds recovery both legs

• 3 x 5 minute Big Gear Intervals at HR#2 as:

  • 2 minutes in big gear < 80 RPM

  • 1 minute in smaller gear >100RPM

  • 2 minutes back in big gear < 80 RPM

  • 2 minutes recovery

• 4 x 30 seconds fast spin, 30 seconds recovery

• 10 minutes cool-down

In English:

After warming up for at least 15 minutes, roll right into the single leg drills. "4 x 40 seconds, 20 seconds recovery both legs," means you will spin with one leg for 40 seconds, 20 seconds with both legs, then 40 seconds with the other leg followed by 20 seconds with both legs again. This is one repetition (1 x 40 seconds on each leg).

"3 x 5 min Big Gear Intervals at HR#2 as 2 minutes in big gear < 80 RPM/ 1 min in smaller gear > 100RPM/ 2 minutes back in big gear < 80 RPM, 2 min recovery" entails 3 sets of 5 minutes as follows: the first two minutes are in a bigger gear (higher resistance) at a slower leg turnover (less than 80 RPM) followed by 1 min in smaller gear (lower resistance) at a faster leg turnover (greater than 100 RPM), and then back into a bigger gear (the same as the first two minutes). Throughout the entire five-minute effort, your heart rate should stay in Zone 2. After each 5 min effort, you have a two-minute recovery in which you should keep pedaling at a cadence of 80-100 RPM but with a low enough resistance to allow your heart rate to recover down into Zone 1.

"4 x 30 seconds fast spin, 30 seconds recovery" means 30 seconds of fast spinning in a smaller gear with low resistance while keeping the RPMs as high as possible and maintaining smooth pedaling (no bouncing butts). The 30 seconds recovery is back down into a normal RPM of 80-100. Finish the session with 10-15 minutes of easy spinning at your own pace.

Cycling: The triathlon Position

The biggest difference between effective road and aero positions is the point of contact between the cyclist and bicycle. A road rider contacts the bike with his feet, butt and hands, while a triathlete (aero position) contacts the bike with his feet, butt, and elbows. In order for a...