BREAK YOUR OLYMPIC PB

Got a couple of seasons of Olympic-distance racing under your belt and want to go faster, then further? Here’s our coach’s advice for a time-pushed triathlete looking to do just that

HONE YOUR SWIM TECHNIQUE

Our second case study, Jon, manages to swim twice a week when possible, and has started to add more structure and technique.

Technique is incredibly important for swimming. So if you’re a timelimited athlete like Jon, and towards the middle or back of the pack, make sure you allocate some time to improving this area of the swim – small tweaks can equal big gains.

While you can of course work on this on your own, getting swim technique advice from a coach is a great way to improve your swim times. They can then help you to progress to working on key physiological improvements.

If you do go down the coach route, make sure you take on board the feedback you receive and continue to work on it during the harder swim intervals. This should allow you to maintain good technique when under race pressure.

FOCUS ON BIKE GAINS

Jon’s bike training is the discipline that’s most affected by his unpredictable work schedule and shift patterns as a crime scene manager. Often he lacks the time for longer rides and neglects his turbo trainer. With the bike leg taking up around 50% of the duration of a standard-distance triathlon (a little more for most middle-distance races), bike training is a top priority for all triathletes, whatever their level.

To ensure this work gets done, I’d advise Jon to do a longer, aerobic (steady) ride on his days off and aim for a turbo trainer session with high-intensity intervals when he’s able to fit them in at home.

If possible, this training should be done first thing in the morning, when he’s on later shifts, to ensure the session gets done and in case his working day is extended.