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Home - Sports to choose from... - Triathlon - 101 Terrific Tri Tips for Tip Top Training
101 Terrific Tri Tips for Tip Top Training
Wayne Goldsmith   
  1. Clean and service your bike regularly
  2. Get five swim coaching lessons before summer starts
  3. Look at your shoes and buy new ones if you need to
  4. De-stink your old running shoes
  5. Start training now!
  6. Learn to listen to your body
  7. Rest when you need to: train hard when you have to
  8. Plan to have one day off each and every week to rest and recover
  9. Eat more fresh fruit
  10. Eat fewer Take Aways
  11. Drink more water
  12. Stretch before and after every session
  13. Practice transitions at least once every week even early in the season
  14. Get more sleep - an extra hour sleep each night is one night extra sleep each week
  15. Learn to ride in a bunch
  16. Learn to sit a wheel
  17. Improve your bike cornering skills
  18. Wear deodorant after each training session - people notice
  19. Practice swimming with a wet suit if you are likely to be wearing one in competition
  20. Practice swimming in open water (river, creek, ocean, dam) often. It is different to pool swimming
  21. Use conditioner on your hair after every swim session
  22. Dry your swim cap and put a little baby powder on it to keep it dry after each session
  23. Have a cycling coach or cycling professional set your bike up correctly for you (bike fit)
  24. Go riding with a cycling coach or top cyclist and have them look at how you sit on the bike
  25. Use lunchtimes effectively. Eat a good lunch, have a light training session, stretch, read, relax, sleep - don't waste them by sitting in the office stressing out
  26. If you need a Pizza fix, try vegetarian with extra veggies and half the cheese
  27. Just for once, buy training clothes that aren't colour co-ordinated
  28. Improve your mental skills
  29. Set goals that are specific, measurable and realistic
  30. Revise your goals regularly
  31. Set new goals
  32. Clean out your swim bag and clean (or throw out) the mouldy stuff
  33. Arrange to have a massage every second week
  34. Count your strokes when swimming. Aim to cover the same distance with fewer strokes and with fewer breaths at a faster speed.
  35. Learn to take your own heart rate accurately
  36. Learn to "spin" on your bike with a relaxed easy efficient cyclic action
  37. Identify your weaknesses and work to overcome them
  38. Keep a training diary. It helps you identify what training and racing techniques work well for you and allows you to repeat them.
  39. Lubricate your chain regularly
  40. Learn to change a tyre!
  41. If you find a pair of running shoes that fit well and you enjoy wearing, buy a second pair and rotate using them
  42. Check your bike helmet for wear and tear. Take no chances - if it is even slightly damaged, get a new one. It's easier than getting a new head.
  43. See a sports medicine doctor and get a blood test done at the beginning of the season. This will establish a normal profile and
  44. See a sports physiotherapist and get a musculo-skeletal screen. This will identify possible injury problems before they happen.
  45. If you are planning to drink a sports drink when racing, try it first in training rides to see how it effects you and what is the best concentration for your needs.
  46. When swimming with a squad, allow five-ten seconds space between you and the swimmer in front of you. No tail gates!
  47. Have a drink bottle with you at all training sessions and drink from it regularly
  48. Finish every lap in the pool on the wall
  49. Improve your gear changing skills
  50. Save your race wheels and tyres for race day
  51. Drink less alcohol
  52. Train regularly
  53. Always carry a drink bottle filled with water
  54. If training in the morning, get your training gear ready the night before
  55. Eat less fat
  56. Stretch every day - even if you are having a day off
  57. Practice kicking
  58. Drink less soft drink
  59. Carry spare parts for your goggles
  60. Carry a spare set of goggles
  61. Get even more sleep
  62. Watch less t.v.
  63. Don't wear your heart rate monitor as a watch when you aren't training - I think you know why!
  64. Don't share drink bottles
  65. Have something light to eat or drink (fruit, juice, sports drink) immediately after training when your body really needs it.
  66. Do sit ups and push ups at home by yourself everyday - Start with doing 5, then do one extra every second day.
  67. Learn five motivational sayings that can help you get through tough times
  68. Never, ever quit
  69. Learn from losing
  70. Believe in yourself
  71. Eat more fresh vegetables
  72. Have your medications checked by a doctor to make 100% certain they don't contain banned substances
  73. If travelling long distances to a meet, carry your first two meals with you so you are less likely to resort to junk food
  74. Be confident
  75. Take your own nutritious food to events so you are less tempted to buy junk food
  76. Don't smoke
  77. Have an interest other than triathlon
  78. Wear sunscreen at outdoor training sessions
  79. Don't spoil yourself with junk food or presents every time you do a PB or have a good race result - Do things better because you want to.
  80. Learn to enjoy longer training sessions - Endurance work lays the foundation for great speed and increased recovery ability.
  81. Learn to tumble turn in swimming
  82. Don't look for short cuts
  83. Learn to train slowly when you need to
  84. Always warm up
  85. Always warm down
  86. Take your gym and strength training as seriously as you take swim, bike and run training
  87. Work on weaknesses - strengths can take care of themselves
  88. Cut back on lollies, chips, chocolate and cookies
  89. Edit your own music tapes with your favourite music to listen to before your race
  90. Enjoy running hills. They make you stronger.
  91. Take toilet paper with you on early morning runs!
  92. Tie a little knot in the cord in your swimming costumes (men) so you don't pull them through
  93. Wear a hat when training in the daytime all year round
  94. Have an ice pack (or a packet of frozen peas) in the freezer to treat minor injuries quickly
  95. Learn to ride your bike for fun sometimes or as a mode of transport - every ride is not a training ride
  96. Treat blisters and other foot problems as soon as possible
  97. Stretch hamstrings and lower back so you can relax comfortably on your aero bars
  98. Stretch calves and hips to improve your swim kick
  99. Feel free to swear at people who smash bottles on the road!
  100. Be creative - experiment with different combinations in training, e.g. swim/bike/swim or bike/swim/run/bike/swim sets
  101. Be a tryathlete - try to remember the first 100 tips!

 


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