Just when you thought you had it all figured out, it all goes to pot! When you “train,” you need to ask yourself, “do I really train to race?” I know that you swim, bike and run throughout your training program, but do you ever put yourself through extreme conditions? It’s fairly easy to wake up in the morning, schlep all your swim gear to the pool, and put in a couple thousand yards. The same goes with the bike. You wander out of the garage, take your bike down from the rafters, and cruise around the hood. And for your run, you throw on your running shoes and jump on the treadmill, or hit the local running trail.

Now, I am not saying that any of these above workouts are simple, but you need to put yourself in “race conditions” from time to time. So, let’s take you out of your comfort zone and mix things up a little:

1. Transition Training – Practice a mock race day transition at home. While soaking wet, carry your wet suit in your hands (have someone strip it off you like you just came out of the lake). “Sprint” about 100 yards to a make shift transition area (in your driveway). Run into T1, dry off your feet, throw on your socks and bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, and take off riding. Oh, and let’s have you do this on a nice cold Saturday morning too, while your hands and feet are ice cold. I’m sure you’ve experienced this by now, if you’ve raced before. It is hard to put on your gear while in an anaerobic state, wet and cold. Practice this a half a dozen times in a row or until you get it down.

2. Bike/Run – As many of you know, “brick” training (bike to run) is extremely important. But sometimes we take it too easy on ourselves. Again, you are going to take yourself out of your comfort zone by finishing a ride in “sprint” like conditions. Make sure that you don’t take a 10 minute break before your run. Come in off the bike (after at least a 10 mile ride), with your T2 set up in your garage. Rack your bike and take off your bike shoes. Put on your running shoes, hat, race belt, etc. as fast as you can and then take off running. You need to get used to the feeling of a fast transition without a lot of resting in-between.

3. Extreme Weather – Not that this is a whole lot of fun, but train once in a while in either very cold and/or very warm temperatures (as a disclaimer, make sure you dress appropriately and also have proper hydration with you). In the dead of summer I purposely run at noon time at least once or twice a week. Why? Well, most Olympic distance races start around 8 a.m,.and there is a good chance that you’ll finish the race between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Depending on where you race, the temperature can be in the high 80’s to 90’s by the time you finish your run. And if you’re racing a Half or Full Ironman race, you’ll be racing during the hottest times of the day!

Now remember, I am not suggesting that you do this for every workout. But it is wise to come out of your comfort zone once in a while. How often do any of us experience the “perfect race?” Train early, mid-day, and even at night once in a while. Don’t get too used to doing the same routine day in and day out. You need to mix things up so you can be prepared for race day!

Happy Training.

David Pruetz
Owner/Coach, In Training, LLC
davidp@intraining.com

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