Coach's Blog

March 27, 2023

Great ROI for Free Speed
Improving your transitions may be the easiest way to gain speed in your next triathlon. Many coaches refer to this as “free speed” – a great Return on Investment (ROI). If you are looking to take 3-5 minutes off your overall race time, this article is for you.
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March 24, 2023

Biomechanics of Swimming Overview
As a Playtri coach, I believe that one of the best tools for helping triathletes become better swimmers are swim lessons in our Endless Pool. Unlike working with an athlete at a lake or a regular pool, we can make adjustments to an athlete’s form and give feedback quickly since the athlete and coach are always within a few feet of each other.
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March 24, 2023

What gear do I need for Open Water Swimming
With the triathlon season fast approaching, now is the time to take stock of your open water swim supplies and plan any replacements or upgrades. Here is my gear list to help you get started.

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March 24, 2023

Why you need to train in the Open Water
Every triathlete needs to regularly include open water swimming in their training routine. (Unless, of course, you are only going to be doing triathlons with pool swims.) Why? Because the vast majority of our races take place in open water.
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March 14, 2023

Best Bike Upgrade for Improved Speed and Endurance

The two most common cycling related questions I receive as a coach are: “How do I get faster on the bike?” and “How can I ride longer and sustain my speed/power?” With deference to the great Eddy Merckx, who said “Ride up grades, don’t buy upgrades” when he was asked about improving as a cyclist, here is my list of upgrades that will help you improve your overall bike speed and endurance as a triathlete.

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March 14, 2023

Open Water vs. Pool Swimming
If you are like most triathletes, swimming is arguably the most challenging part of both training and racing. Most athletes will wake up early and hit the cold water of their local lap pool before the workday starts, and we all know the hardest part of the day is gathering up the courage to jump into a cold pool.
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March 14, 2023

Why Strength Training Matters for Triathletes
Triathletes, in the experience of this coach, often consider strength training as an unnecessary aspect of successful triathlon training. It is often the first workout dropped from the schedule if a triathlete is pressed for time.
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March 14, 2023

FINIS Smart Googles Powered by Ciye
Many triathletes rely on an assortment of pools to get their training done. Sometimes the pools are not set up for pure swimming, so clocks are not optimally placed. I found that these goggles provided me a clock in the heads-up display (HUD) that I could rely on to get my workouts completed.
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March 13, 2023

Athlete & Coach: What We Have Learned This Season
Brian Shiels and I started working together on his goal of completing an Ironman last year. Brian came to this goal with no previous triathlon experience, a lot of experience in rucking and running, a full time job that requires travel, and a supportive family of four. As a coach with a young family and who regularly competes in Sprint, Olympic, and 70.3 distance triathlons, I had a good understanding of what Brian’s training was going to look like; early morning or evening workouts and bigger miles on the weekends
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