Triathlon Tips – Top 10 Tips For Beginner Triathletes

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Triathlon Tips - The Best Triathlon Advice From Land HeintzbererThinking of trying your first tri in 2012?  There might be more to it than you think! Triathlons are very different from just signing up for a local 5K.  There’s a lot of equipment involved, there are safety issues for those who aren’t strong swimmers, and there are transitions from swimming to cycling and cycling to running to navigate.  Feeling a little overwhelmed?  Here are a few triathlon tips from Land Heintzberger, former pro triathlete and USA Triathlon certified coach, to help you train smart, be healthy, and have fun reaching the finish line in your first race!

 

Triathlon Tips #1.Do your homework.  Sounds obvious, I know, but I’ve seen a lot of people show up for their first race completely unaware of what they need to do.  They don’t know about checking in, setting up their transition area, warming up, getting to the swim start on time.  Don’t know what I’m talking about here?  It’s not a bad idea to go watch a race or two before you take the plunge, or consider volunteering for a local event!  You can learn a lot about what to expect on your first big day.  Take the time to prepare and educate yourself a little and you’ll avoid potentially awkward pitfalls.  You’ll also help to ensure a fun and anxiety free race.

Triathlon Tips #2. Don’t cut corners.  You’ve signed up and committed yourself to your first race, you’ve put the training in to prepare yourself, now don’t sabotage your day by showing up with cheap equipment that will fail you.  I once bought a bargain bike on an internet close out sale, and I was thrilled with the price I paid.  But the first time I rode it the seat fell off 7 miles from home and I had to ride all the way back to my house standing up, with my seat jammed in my jersey pocket.  I took the same bike to a race a couple of weeks later, and the aerobars broke right in the middle of the race.  Both of these situations were dangerous and could have caused a serious crash.  If you’re going to give this sport a try, invest in safe and functional equipment. That doesn’t mean you have to spend thousands of dollars, but at the very least, get a good tri suit, a safe helmet, some good sunglasses, and a decent pair of running shoes.  And of course, take your bike to the shop and make sure it’s safe to ride.  Taking the time to get the right equipment isn’t just about looking cool, it’s also about protecting your health and safety.

Triathlon Tips #3. Respect your limitations.  Are you a former collegiate swimmer, or a high school football star?  Or do you just enjoy an occasional jog around your neighborhood?  Whatever your athletic background is, you need to take it into account when you select your first race.  If you’ve never swam outside of a pool, it isn’t wise to sign up for a half ironman with an open water swim.  Triathlons should be a fun challenge, not a life or death situation.  If you’re not a confident swimmer, consider a short sprint race with a pool swim.  If you’ve never ridden a bike more than 10 miles, don’t sign up for an Ironman.  Start with realistic, attainable goals, and then gradually challenge yourself to go faster, or go further.  Don’t set yourself up for failure by taking on a race that you won’t be able to finish.

Triathlon Tips #4. Set yourself up for success.  When you go to your first race, take the time to sit down and establish some goals.  Even in a short race, you’re going to hit a point where you’re tired and you’re going to ask yourself why you ever came up with this crazy idea in the first place!  Setting some goals will help you stay focused on what is motivating you to go out there and race.  Be sure to set not only objective goals, like how fast you want to go, or what place you’d like to come in, but also some subjective goals, like having fun, getting fitter, and experiencing something new.  That way you will have some different ways to define what success is, and how you will achieve it.

Triathlon Tips #5. Keep it fun!  One of the most important reasons to participate in any sport is because it’s fun.  I’ve always believed that fun can be defined in many ways, and while some people might think that spending hours and hours swimming, biking, and running would be uncomfortable and boring, I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend a day.  But it all depends on how you go about it.  If your training is all about just checking off another box on a list of things to do, then it’s going to feel more like a relief than a joy to complete your workouts.  But if your training is creative and challenging, and if your goals are affirming and inspiring, than you’re going to be looking forward to getting out the door for every single workout.  One of the best ways to keep training fun is by training with friends or joining a club or group.  Try to find a good local ride, join a masters swim club, or look for a good local running group.  These are available in almost all communities, and there’s nothing like a great group of fellow athletes to keep your motivation high!

Triathlon Tips #6. Learn the value of rest.  Sounds strange at first, isn’t triathlon supposed to be all about super human endurance?  But the best triathletes all know that the best training means nothing unless you recover from it.  Think of it this way, your body is actually weaker immediately after a hard training session than before it.  Then, as you rest, your body recovers, repairs the damage and reacts to the stress that’s been placed upon it, and responds by rebuilding a little stronger than it was before.  Without sufficient rest and recovery time, your body is getting continually broken down, getting weaker and weaker, and eventually injured or sick.  So don’t overdo it.  Start with a manageable training load, and then never increase it by more than 10% per week.  You can help to speed your recovery by stretching, icing, getting massage, and getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night.

Triathlon Tips #7. Control your eating.  I’ve spent many years working as a personal trainer, so I’ve spent a lot of time in gyms.  Something that I’ve seen over and over is people who come in and drink a 32 ounce sports drink to “fuel up” before their workout, then they run 30 minutes, drink a recover shake, and hit the showers.  Their 30 minute run may have burned in the ballpark of 300 calories, but they probably took in 500 calories or more to meet their perceived caloric needs.  My point is this: most people overestimate the number of calories that they burn.  Our bodies are very efficient at using fuel for food, and most of us have enough fat stored up that we could run several marathons back to back.  Unless you’re training session is going to last over 60 minutes, you don’t need to take in any calories at all, and beyond 60 minutes, a good rule of thumb is one calorie per pound of body weight per hour.  A good way to track the calories you burn is using a site like TrainingPeaks in conjunction with a Garmin, that will give you a much better idea of how much your actually burning, which will help you estimate how much you need to take in.

Triathlon Tips #8. Get a decent bike.  I touched on this one earlier, but if you’re at all interested in becoming a triathlete, the best investment you can make is getting a bike you enjoy riding.  You don’t have to spend a fortune here, there are some great bikes out there at affordable prices.  Just get something that is functional, comfortable, and safe.  Riding a cheap, uncomfortable bike is not going to be fun, you won’t enjoy your training, and there’s nothing more frustrating than spending the entire bike leg of your first race watching people flying by on their shiny new machines.  Get something that you’ll be proud to show up to the group rides with, that’s comfortable to ride, fits well, and works for your budget.

Triathlon Tips #9. Find a coach. If you want to find someone who can help you put together a good training plan, guide you through all the confusing information about equipment and nutrition, and make sure you show up to your first race prepared for success, there are many qualified coaches out there to help.  I would highly recommend working with a coach who is certified by USA Triathlon, which is the gold standard of multisport coaching cerfifications.  USA Triathlon coaches have to meet strict standards of knowledge and professional behaviour, and they are prepared to help you deal with all the challenges of getting for your first race.

Triathlon Tips #10. Stay balanced.  The excitement of training for your first triathlon can be a bit overwhelming, and it’s easy to get consumed with your workout to the point where you can neglect other parts of your life.  Most triathletes tend to be type A, goal oriented people, and once they focus on an objective, they don’t like to be distracted.  But don’t let that focus get so intense that you show up to your race feeling burned out, or like you’ve ignored other important parts of your life to achieve triathlon success.  Keep your priorities clear, stay flexible with your training, and do the best that you can with what you’ve got each day.

I hope you enjoyed reading these triathlon tips for your first race, and that they may help you find success!  Good luck, and happy training.

We Guarantee You Will See Improvements when you stick to These Triathlon Tips

Triathlon Tips for Beginners

Beginner Triathlon Tips: Triathlon Swim Workouts and Drills for Winter Training

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January is a great time to be a triathlete.  Athletes are beginning to plan their seasons and ramp up their training with triathlon tips and tricks, the whole year stretches out before us with new opportunities to challenge ourselves and to take steps towards reaching our goals and realizing our full potential.  For most athletes, the area in which they have the most room to improve is the swim, and this is the perfect time of year to get in the water and build the endurance that will help you to use the swim to position yourself for a strong performance on the bike and run.  In triathlon, your fitness in the first half of the race directly impacts your fitness in the second half of the race, meaning that no matter how fit you are for the run, you won’t be able to use that fitness effectively until you are strong enough to attack the swim and the bike without accumulating an excessive amount of fatigue.  Here are some swim sets that I’ve used over 15 years of coaching swimmers of all levels, from beginners, to age group champions, to Ironman triathletes.

1. 4×400 with a 1 minute rest interval.  Swim the first 400 with paddles, the second 400 with paddles and a buoy, the third 400 with just a buoy, and the fourth 400 with no equipment.  Depending on your fitness, you can alter the distance of the repeats to as short as 100 or as long as 800.  Switching the equipment up provides varity and also changes up the workload on your muscles.

2. 8×100 with a 15 second rest interval.  On the first 100, swim with a paddle on your right hand only, on the second 100 swim with a paddle on your left hand only, on the third 100 swim with paddles on both hands, on the forth 100 swim with no equipment.  Repeat this sequence twice.  For a longer swim, you can swim 200’s instead of 100’s.  You can also swim this set substituting fins instead of paddles.  This is a great way to improve your bio-mechanical awareness and your feel for the water.

3. 10×150 with a 20 second rest interval.  For each 150, kick with a kick board for the first 50, then swim the last 100.  For the kick, really go for it and kick hard!  Get your legs going and get your heart rate up, then cruise the 100 swims at a comfortable pace, concentrating on long strokes and perfect technique.  These swims help to simulate the feeling of triathlon swim starts, where your heart rate goes sky high and your way out of your comfort zone, and you need to settle into a steady pace while you swim.

4. 5×300 with a 45 second rest interval.  Swim the first 50 as right arm pull, the second 50 is left arm pull, the third 50 is catch up drill, then build over the last 150 (think of it as 50 easy, 50 medium, 50 fast).  This set was a favorite of my club coach, and I’ve been using it for years.  It starts you off with some drills to get you thinking about technique, then you have to go right into a progressive 150, so you’re also building speed and endurance.

5. 8×200 with a 30 second rest interval.  For each 200, swim the first 50 breathing every 2 strokes, the second 50 breathing every 3 strokes, the third 50 breathing every 4 strokes, and the forth 50 breathing every 5 strokes.  This one challenges your breath control and bilateral breathing skills.  Both of these are extremely important for triathletes!  When you’re in the open water being able to breath off both sides is a great asset when you’ve got a swimmer to one side of you who keeps splashing you in your face.  Also, having good breath control can help you to stay calm if you miss a breath when a wave hits you in the face right when you’re trying to breath.  It’s no big deal when you have the confidence to take another couple of strokes and get back into your rhythm.

Give these sets a try and have some fun!  Also, make sure to have the proper swimming gear when you train and race, check out my blog post on essential swim gear right here.  Thanks for reading, please come back soon for more of my beginner triathlon tips!

Ironworks Multisport Training Plans Available Online!

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If you’re interested in doing a sprint distance triathlon this fall, be sure to check out my 12 week training plan available at TrainingPeaks!  I designed this plan for athletes with some experience in swimming, cycling, and running, who are interested in a plan that will help them get ready for their first race.  This is also a great plan for athletes how may have done a triathlon or two and are looking to improve their performance.  To begin this training plan you should be in good health, and should be able to swim 400 yards, bike for 30 minutes, and run 3 miles.  Please feel free to contact me with questions at land@ironworksmultisport.com!

Tales of Endurance: Eagleman 70.3

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Some times just getting to the starting line is the hardest part.  Before the start of Eagleman last Sunday I sat on the grass near the swim start with the events of the last few years rolling through my mind.  Starting with a bike crash in which I tore my rotator cuff and labrum, it seemed like Murphy’s Law was firmly in effect.  I struggled to regain fitness after a long recovery period following surgery to repair the injuries from the crash.  Then when things started to come together last fall and I was feeling ready to race again, I crashed at 34 mph during a time trial and broke my elbow.  Forunately that didn’t require surgery too, but I was out of training for quite a bit of the fall.  Then in January when I was beginning to ramp up my base training for Eagleman, I was on my way to meet some friends for a ride, and got hit by a woman who ran a stop sign.  My car was totaled, and I suffered some pretty painful injuries to my neck and back.  I couldn’t run again until March, and my first run back was an exercise in pain and frustration.  I looked back at the results of that workout on my Garmin right before Eagleman: 2 miles, averaging 8:39 per mile.  I was in so much pain after the run that I think I lay on the floor for 20 minutes before I could move again.  But after all those set backs, there was no way that I was letting anything stop me from racing at Eagleman.  So I pushed the training, always remembering the old saying “Do the best you can, with what you have, where you are.”  My results actually were surprising in that they were fairly decent.  Certainly not what I would have hoped for, but better than I expected.  As race day drew closer I was feeling optimistic about a good result.

As the sun came up on race morning, it wasn’t quite as hot as the previous days, but it was still hot.  The water temperature was 82 degrees, and air the temperature was quickly climbing into the 90’s.  Still, I had my plan for fluids and nutrition and felt confident.  Soon enough we were all the in water, lined up for the swim start.  When the gun went off it was the expected chaos, but despite a few years off I felt right at home.  The currents going out were tough, there was a bit of wind and some pretty good chop, making it difficult to sight the buoys.  I actually had to breaststroke a couple of times the get my bearings.  But about 800 meters in a found a good draft and settled in.  I decided to play it safe on the swim and keep my heart rate low to conserve for the run, and finally came out of the water in just over 33 minutes, quite a long ways off my best time, but I felt good and was ready to focus on the bike.

T1 went smoothly, and once I hit the roads I started trying to get some fluids down.  My stomach hadn’t felt great for the couple of days before the race, and the fluids weren’t going down too easily.  Looking back, I should have switched to water and just gotten some fluids down, but at the time I was caught up in the race and trying to keep my speed up.  The roads were as flat as a pool table, but after 10 miles the winds started to kick up.  Some pretty big packs formed and at about mile 30 I sat up to stretch my back and got passed by about 20 guys.  I hadn’t even realized they’d been on my wheel.  I yelled at one of the guys that it wasn’t a team time trial, and he just laughed and said, “It’s not?”  So much for non drafting rules.  My one complaint about the bike was that there didn’t seem to be any effort to break up the packs.  By the end of the bike I saw pelotons of 20-30 riders flying along at 25 mph, and not a single draft marshal in sight.  I just tried to stick to my plan, and came in at about 2:34.  Again, well off my best time, but pretty close to the target I had set of riding 2:30.

So it was on to the run.  Off the bike my legs felt great.  I was picking up guys in my age group pretty quickly.  I drank a cup of water at the first aid station, and about 10 steps later it all came back up.  Then I definitely knew it was going to be a tough road to the finish.  I would guess that the actual temperature on the road was close to 100, and running 13 miles with no fluids was looking like a tough proposition.  So I slowed down and just tried to get lots of water down, without much sucess.  I think that I didn’t hydrate enough on the bike and my stomach was starting to shut down.  I slowed my pace even more, filled my jersey up with ice at every aid station, and just kept putting one foot in front of the other.  By mile 10 even that was getting tough.  My timing chip was rubbing my ankle raw and I stopped and reached down to adjust the strap, and my hamstrings totally locked up.  I started running again and they loosened up, so I just decided to keep moving slowly to the finish.  I knew that no matter how tough it got I could finish three miles.  The volunteers and the aid stations were awesome, I don’t know how they had so much energy out there in the heat, but they really kept me going out there.  The thought of ice and water was the sweetest thing in the world over the last mile.

It’s hard to sum up the feelings I felt as I approached the finish line.  On one hand, I was disappointed that my time was so slow, I was over an hour off my best 70.3 time.  But on the other hand, I couldn’t help but feel proud of having overcome some major obstacles on the way, and of finally reaching the finish line again.  I remembered a quote from an interview with Mark Allen, when he mentioned Luc van Lierde’s withdrawl from Ironman Hawaii just a day before the race.  Luc van Lierde had apparently dropped out because of having some difficulties getting products from his sponsors, and Mark Allen had talked about how sometimes just getting to the start line was the most difficult challenge in a race, and how he thought that Luc would have a very tough time racing again if he had really dropped out for such a trivial reason.  Now, I really can’t compare myself to Luc van Lierde, and I don’t mean to take anything away from his amazing career, but you can see that even the greatest champions are sometimes overwhelmed by the difficulties of balancing life and sport.  I may have been slower than I hoped, but I did the best I could, with what I had, where I was.  And I learned some important lessons along the way for the next race!  Thanks for reading these triathlon tips and stories, now turn off your computer and go for a run!

Tales of Endurance 2/15/11

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Okay, so last year I started a series of blog posts called “Tales of Endurance”, which was going to be the ongoing story of my return to racing after three years off following shoulder surgery and, um, let’s just say “life”, which is, to paraphrase John Lennon, what happens while we’re busy making other plans.  Since my last post I’ve started my own coaching business (which you may have noticed, since you’re visiting this website), and more recently, had a bit of a car crash. The crash happened two weeks ago; I was on my way to meet some friends for a ride, and a woman ran a stop sign and broadsided my car, totaling it in the process and sending me to the ER in the back of an ambulance on a stretcher and in a C collar.  Fairly scary stuff, and also not the best development with my first A race of the season looming just around over the horizon.  Still, I’m hoping that I’ll have enough time to get healthy, and fit, before Eagleman 70.3 rolls around on June 12.

In the meantime, I’ve had plenty of time to think about some things, mainly the importance of gratitude.  Seems like a funny thing to be thinking about after you’ve nearly been crushed by a 4000 pound SUV, but all the same, not being killed by said SUV does give one pause for thought.  As I was laying in the ambulance, staring at the ceiling (I couldn’t stare anywhere else because my head was immobilized), the one thought that kept going through my head was “Don’t give up, no matter what, don’t ever give up.”  I knew that no matter what, I was going to find a way to get back on track and keep working towards my goals.  Now, that may sound completely melodramatic considering that I didn’t end up in a wheelchair or anything like that.  But still, one’s mind races when being wheeled feet first into the ER.  Fortunately, my injuries, while painful, weren’t life threatening, and didn’t require surgery.  Well, not that I know of at this point.  

Which, in a roundabout way, brings me to gratitude.  I think that many triathletes, and people in general, tend to look at a lot of things in life as just one more chore.  Like working out.  We think to ourselves “Oh no, it’s cold and I have to go ride now”, or “I’d really rather just sleep another hour instead of going to the pool” (I’m especially guilty of this last one).  We rarely stop to think about how incredibly fortunate and priviledged we are to be able to do what we do.  I remember quite a few years ago at the World Championships in Perth, Australia, a friend of mine attended a seminar on women in sport.  She told me about a group of women from India who were racing and about the hardships that they’d endured in their training.  It was frowned upon in their community for women to participate in sport, and so they had to train in the middle of the night, often meeting at 2 or 3am in order to run or ride.  Just think about how much triathlon meant to them. Would you be willing to go run in secret under the cover of night if you had to?

So perhaps, instead of feeling like training is one more commitment, one more thing to check off of the day’s to do list, look at it as the priviledge that it is.  Next time you’re swimming, biking, or running, try to take a second to remind yourself how good it feels to be moving through the water, or to be sailing along the road with the wind in your hair and the sun shining on your face.  After my car accident, when the EMT’s were finally able to get me out of the wreckage of my car, the first thought that went through my mind as they loaded me onto the stretcher was how incredibly good it felt to be in the sunshine again.  So appreciate every single moment you have when you’re moving, breathing, and sweating.  You never know how long it will last.

Be safe, and train happy!

Triathlete Height to Weight Ratios for 2001-2010 Men’s Ironman Hawaii and ITU Olympic Distance World Champions

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For some of you guys who have already been following my blog, you may have seen my highly unscientific survey of height to weight ratios of male and female elite triathletes.  Since those blogs posts took random samples from across the sport, I didn’t think they really said much about specific height to weight ratios for Ironman and Olympic Distance triathlon.  I thought a much more interesting survey would be to take the men’s and women’s champions from Hawaii over the past ten years, and compare them to the men’s and women’s ITU Olympic Distance World Champions.  So here are the men, and I think this does make a fairly interesting comparison.  Surprisingly, Ironman athletes appear to be slightly taller and heavier than their Olympic Distance counterparts.  I would love to have people comment on this and possibly share some viewpoints on why this is the case.  Also, it would appear that if you want to find your ideal Ironman weight (at least according to the height to weight ratio that on average has been most successful over the past decade), you’d need to multiply your height in inches by 2.25.  I’m 6’2″, so in my case I’d multiply that by 2.25 to find that my ideal Ironman weight should be about 166 pounds.  So, four pounds to go before the season begins, then!

MEN’S IRONMAN HAWAII CHAMPIONS 2001-2010

Tim Deboom: 5’11”/155 lbs=2.18 pounds per inch of height

Peter Reid: 6’3”163 = 2.17

Normann Stadler: 5’11”/167=2.35

Faris al Sultan: 5’10”/158=2.26

Chris McCormack: 5’11”/171=2.41

Craig Alexander: 5’11”/150=2.11

Average: 2.25

MEN’S ITU OLYMPIC DISTANCE WORLD CHAMPIONS 2001-2010

Peter Robertson: 5’8”/132=1.94

Ivan Rana: 5’8”/135=1.99

Bevan Docherty: 6’2”/154=2.08

Tim Don: 5’8”/142=2.09

Daniel Unger:6’1”/165=2.32

Javier Gomez: 5’9”/151=2.19

Alistair Brownlee: 6’0”/154=2.20

Average: 2.12

*Please remember that this is for informational and entertainment use only!  All the information that I’ve listed here was found on the internet, which doesn’t necessarily guarantee its reliability.  I’ve only put this together as a fun project that I thought would be interesting to read about, please don’t go and do anything crazy to lose weight to get to your “ideal” height to weight ratio, as I don’t believe that there really is such a thing.  If you notice, there’s a pretty wide varience even between the pros.  Be smart, be healthy, and train happy.


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Beginner Triathlon Tips: Single Leg Drills for strength, balance, and stabilty.

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Here are a few triathlon tips to make each run a little more productive.  By performing these simple drills, you can improve functional strength in your feet and ankles, and improve your stability. These drills also prepare your body and mind for the workout to come, and help make your workout more effective from the very first step! Here’s the routine:

Before your run, do two to three sets of the following drills:

  1. One Leg Hops: Balance on one leg, then hop 12 inches forwards and 12 inches backwards 10-15 times. Then on the same leg hop 12 inches right then 12 inches left another 10-15 times. Repeat the drill with the opposite leg. Take 30 seconds rest interval (RI) between sets.

  2. Square Hops: Balance on one leg, then hop 12 inches forward, 12 inches to the right, 12 inches backwards, and 12 inches to the left. Go around the square three times, then switch legs and perform the drill with the opposite leg. Take a 30 second RI between sets.

  3. Forwards and Backwards One Leg Hops: Balance on one foot, then take 10-15 hops forwards. Then, still facing the same direction, immediately take the same number of hops backwards. Do the same drill with the opposite leg. Take 30 seconds rest between sets.

Take a 2-3 minute RI between exercises. For all drills, strive to stay light on your feet (or foot, as it were). Your foot should strike the ground slightly behind the ball of your foot, and the ball of your foot should land directly beneath your knee. Try to let your foot stay on the ground only for the shortest amount of time possible, like you’re jumping on a scorching hot pool deck in the middle of summer. These drills are great for improving balance, foot and ankle strength, and secondary supportive muscles throughout your lower body. Include these before each run and your form and strength will be sure to improve!

Height and Weight for Elite Female Triathletes

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Okay, so as promised here’s part two of the comparisons of height and weight for elite triathletes.  I’ve taken the old rule of thumb for runners that they should have two pounds of weight per inch of height, and in the last blog entry I calculated the height to weight ratio of some of the top male triathletes.  So here are the height to weight ratios of a few of the top female pros:

Chrissie Wellington:  5’8″, 133 lbs: 1.95 lbs. per inch.

Natasha Badmann:  5’6″, 115 lbs: 1.76 lbs. per inch.

Desiree Ficker:  5’7″, 125 lbs: 1.86 lbs. per inch.

Michelle Jones: 5’10”, 133 lbs: 1.90 lbs. per inch.

Mirinda Carfrae: 5’3″, 114 lbs: 1.81 lbs. per inch.

Yvonne Van Vlerken: 5’3″, 125 lbs: 1.98 lbs. per inch.

Emma Snowsill:  5’3″, 105 lbs: 1.66 lbs. per inch.

Vanessa Fernandez:  5’6″, 126 lbs.: 1.90 lbs. per inch.

Laura Bennett:  5’10”, 125 lbs.:  1.78 lbs. per inch.

Erin Densham:  5’6″, 112 lbs.:  1.72 lbs. per inch.

Michelle Dillon: 5’8″, 146 lbs.: 2.14 lbs. per inch.*

(After I posted this, it was brought to my attention [Thanks, Jackie!] that Michelle Dillon’s correct weight is 125 lbs, which puts her ratio at 1.83.  That’s a lot lower, but still very slightly higher than Laura Bennett, so I think that my comment below still has some validity).

Some interesting things that I noticed were that the lightest athletes weren’t necessarily the best runners.  And also, some of the lightest athletes were the best swimmers, for example Laura Bennett, one of the leading swimmers on the World Cup Circuit, has a height to weight ratio of 1.78 lbs. per inch, while Michelle Dillon, one of the leading runners on the World Cup Circuit, has a ratio of 2.14 lbs. per inch.  So I guess the conclusion that I would draw from this information (and please keep in mind that this is only based on information I found on the internet, which is in no way guaranteed to be completely accurate, at best this is a rough impression) is that there are many factors that are more important than weight as determiners of performance.  So rather than starting your new year with goals of weight loss, maybe a better way forward would be to consider improving your strength, perfecting your technique, and improving you mental skills.  I’ll be writing more about all that later!  Until then, be safe, be healthy, keep smiling, and above all, never give up on your dreams!  Train happy!

 

Height to Weight Ratios of Elite Male Triathletes

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People often ask me what they should weigh to race their best.  I’ve never really had an exact answer to give, but the question got me thinking recently.  There are a lot of reasons to try to optimize your weight, and the off season is a good time to lose a few pounds in preparation for the upcoming season.  I’ve always found it much easier to lose weight when I don’t have to worry about staying fueled for my big workouts.  Why should you lose some weight?  Here are some of the best reasons:

1.Less weight means a higher VO2 max.  When you have less body mass, it’s easier for your body to transport oxygen to all your cells. 

2. Less weight also improves thermodynamic regulations, which means that your body can cool itself more efficiently in hot weather.

3. An old rule of thumbs says that you can improve your mile pace by 3-4 seconds per mile for every pound that you lose, so if you loose 10 pounds that means up to 30-40 seconds per mile (this is not a scientific rule, however, so don’t hold me to this one!).

So, what’s the best weight?  I’ve always heard that an ideal weight for runners is two pounds of body weight per inch of height, so I decided to do a little research to find the height to weight ratio of some top elite triathletes.  Here’s what I came up with:

Craig Alexander: 5’11”, 150 lbs.: 2.11 pounds per inch

Chris Lieto: 6’0″, 160 lbs.: 2.22 pounds per inch

Michael Lovato: 6’0″, 170 lbs: 2.36 pounds per inch

Andy Potts: 6’2″, 175 lbs.: 2.33 pounds per inch

Andreas Raelert: 6’0″, 159 lbs.: 2.20 pounds per inch

Michael Raelert: 6’2″, 163 lbs.: 2.20 pounds per inch

Matt Reed: 6’5″, 180 lbs.:  2.34 pounds per inch

Dave Scott: 6’0″, 162 lbs.: 2.25 pounds per inch

Average: 2.25125

So it appears pretty consistant that the height to weight ratio of the top male pros is about 2.25 pounds per inch of height.  Keep in mind that this is an informal survey and that I relied on information found on the internet, which is not guaranteed to be accurate, but I think it’s reasonably close.

So, now you can take a look at your own height to weight ratio and see if any improvements can be made!  Good luck!  And lest you think that I forgot all about women, check back next week and I’ll put together a list of some of the top female triathletes.

Happy Training!

Welcome to Ironworks Multisport!

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Hello, and welcome to Ironworks Multisport!  This is a new project that I’m beginning, the latest in a lifelong journey in endurance sports.  I’ve been training, racing, and competing in a wide variety of sports ever since I can remember, and over the years I’ve had the time, mostly during those long, solo bike rides, to develop my own personal philosophy of training.  The name Ironworks Multisports reflects that philosophy.  My father is a blacksmith and I’ve spent many hours in his shop helping him to create beautiful things at his forge, and to me the process of training is very similar.  You take raw material and through hard work, imagination, vision, knowledge, and artistry, you can shape it and mold it into something better, stronger, and more beautiful.  The work is hard in both instances, but the results, whether it be the creation of a piece of wrought iron or an Ironman athlete, are enormously satisfying.  Of course there are also great differences in what can be asked of a piece of iron and of a human body, and through the years of my own training I’ve learned the value of rest, recovery, patience, and consistancy.

I am currently training to resume my own racing career next year after prolonged time off from competition due to a torn rotator cuff.  I will be racing with the goal of qualifying for the 2011 70.3 World Championships, but I will also be coaching a select group of athletes.  I offer only one package, and due to the time I spend on each athlete’s training schedule I only work with a small number of athletes.  My coaching is all inclusive, without different tiers and different levels of contact allowed.  My coaching is also full access: I send you all your workouts, which I design individually for each athlete, and you can call me or email me with any questions you have.  It’s that simple, really.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ironheintz@gmail.com.  I always enjoy talking about training and helping people with their fitness and racing goals so don’t hesitate to get in touch!  Please keep checking back with this page too, I’ll be posting lots of workouts, recipes, training advice, and news from the world of Ironworks Multisport!  Thanks for reading; now wouldn’t you rather be training?  Turn your computer off and go for a run!