Fit Mom's Blog

Dear Readers, I am lucky to come from a family of athletes. My dad started doing triathlons when I was 9 years old and my brother, Rob, has completed numberous Ironmans. My brother and I have both been blessed with enormous amounts of ability and drive in the area of athletics. Rob was kind enough to write an article for you, readers, on the basics of triathlon training.

Written by Rob Connelly

Seasons greetings!

Well here we are after our seasonal binging on all those holiday goodies, and with the new year to put those resolutions in place, there’s no better time to get set for a new fitness program. Throughout my 15 year, 14+ Ironman triathlon career, including 5 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed the winter off-season. The season gives you the time to unwind from the hectic pace of summer and focus your energy on improving your fitness and nutritional habits. I thought I would share with you some of my thoughts on the post-holiday season.

First off, it’s important to think of triathlon, cycling, or running, as a means to build your body – and that compliments your mind and spirit. I’m an absolute firm believer that the improvement of your body fitness also improves your mind and spirit. In other words, fitness makes you smarter and leaves you with more energy to share with your family. That said, it’s important to always maintain an appropriate balance between the time spent working out, and the time spent with your other commitments. I always recommend activities that improve your fitness while helping you accomplish your other needs. For example, runs with the baby jogger, commuting to work by bicycle, or attending a gym where your kids enjoy the childcare are great. I aim to commute to work by bicycle twice a week which – a 80 mile round trip with 1000 feet of elevation gain (an early start is an absolute must – I refuse to cut short my family time). Maintaining a balance with your life is crucial to your fitness program; it’s tempting to dive in the deep end to your training, but too much can leave you struggling through nagging joint, muscle or foot pain at the time of season you should be at your peak fitness. And of course, missing out on time with your family can’t be one of the choices. So how do you know how much training time to fit in?

Answering the question of volume – “how much?” – for me has always been left to my intuition. During my triathlon career, I generally have thrown out the technical volume calculations found in expensive training programs because I work at understanding where my boundaries were – both physically and emotionally. If I head out with aspirations of an extensive workout only to start the workout with little energy or a strange new tinge of pain somewhere, I generally packed it in. My triathlon success didn’t happen overnight. I recommend letting your body build its fitness over months of consistent, enjoyable training – and follow your intuition for answering the “how much” question. That said, the volume of your fitness program is likely to follow some cyclic patterns which should match your body’s abilities and your life’s commitments. Incorporating weekly schedules to help motivate you and expand your comfort zone – as a guide – answers the “what” question.

What workouts should be on your schedule? This is the fun part, and I’ll share with you the ingredients to a successful fitness plan. The question of volume – total hours – was roughed out above. The question of intensity, or exactly ‘what’ workouts fill those hours is the second important question. I answer this question with specific key workouts peppered into a low-intensity program. Key workouts are workouts in which you hold your intensity just below your aerobic threshhold for an extended period of time. My recommendations for triathlon training – be your aspirations to qualify for the Hawaii Ironman, or a local sprint race – are to include these key workouts at your aerobic threshold. Am I confusing you? Your aerobic threshhold is the intensity you can hold for an extended period of time – in other words your race pace. I generally have only two types of running workouts – long, low intensity trail runs, complimented with key runs at my aerobic threshold. Treadmill runs are great, because you can watch your heart rate and your pace and adjust it so that you maintain the pace just below that threshhold. It’s important to remember your threshhold will change each week of training (your race pace will be different in the middle of winter versus the middle of summer, for example). I recommend including 3 to 4 key workouts per week (one or two each for swimming, cycling and running). The number of key workouts should decrease in the winter, and increase as the season progresses. Remember to keep your workouts fun, and don’t overdo it – always watch your energy level to make sure you maintain that ever important balance.

In addition, to the run/bike/swim workouts, every person – at any age – will benefit from a low-stress weight training workout. Weight training compliments the sport workouts and help maintain your joints. Although the content of the book may be dated in some areas, I still think of Dave Scott’s Triathlon Training book as a great resource for simple, effective weight training.

There’s a few other comments I feel obligated to make. One is nutrition. Nobody is perfect here, but it’s important to make an effort. The simple answer to nutrition is to think of food holistically. I hate to say it, but remember, you are what you eat. The calories of energy you consume, in more ways than one, will be the calories you expend. Sometimes, I can almost see the Jack in the Box and Taco Bell meals laying “around” a person who has been neglecting their nutrition. To me, the simplest meals are the best meals. If you’re actively exercising in a triathlon plan, there’s no need to be on a low-fat diet. Just make sure the fats you consume are from simple sources (oils, vegetables, nuts, etc.). Avoid at all costs hydrogenated fats, and limit processed fats.

I wish you a healthy, happy holiday season. The winter is a great time to build your efforts to improve you body fitness, which I believe, will make your mind and spirit healthier as well. Triathlon training is a great way to accomplish this. I recommend complimenting your low-intensity training with key workouts just below your anaerobic threshhold. Always follow your intuition when planning the volume and intensity of your workouts – you are the best coach. In addition this, be sure to include some weight training during portions of your year when your commitments allow. Good nutrition is found in simple foods. The easiest nutrition plan is to just consider the sources of your food – If your food has been heavily processed, it’s not likely to provide you with very good energy. Enjoy your pursuit of a healthier lifestyle, I know it will help you evolve as a person leaving you with increased energy and health.