SWIM

1. Race (R) Starting off on your race, concentrate on a slow relaxed inhale. Exaggerate the depth of the breath by looking up at the sky.
2. Race/Training (R/T) Wiggle your fingers in the recovery phase to “teach” yourself to relax the shoulders and arm muscles during this phase of the stroke.
3. Training (T) Push your armpit downward on the entry to enhance the body roll- rather than concentrating on extending your arm.
4. (T) Don’t purse your lips as you lower your head underwater. A relaxed face is a relaxed swimmer.
5. (T) Practice alternating laps of the pool, breathing to one side – left for a length, right for a length. This will enhance your rhythmic breathing.
6. (R/T) Slow down your arm stroke during the recovery phase. This will allow you to relax and inhale slow and deep.
7. (T) Keep your chin tight. Practice swimming with a tennis ball between your chin and sternum. This will keep your eyes focused downward – ultimately elevating the hips. Also, focus only 5 feet ahead.
8. (T) Use the tennis ball during training. Grab them lightly during freestyle. This teaches you to feel your forearm during the pull. Your nerve endings in the palms of your hands will be stimulated after releasing the balls.
9. (T) Lift your heels up to the surface rather than emphasizing a deep downward kicking motion.
10. (R) “Sighting” before the race, check out the fixed landmarks. i.e. trees, telephone pole, a building, or a hill that lines up with the buoys. Use these fixed objects for sighting during the race.
11. (R) Racing – accelerate around any buoys to drop your competition.
12. (R) Dorsi-flex your ankle several times over the final 50 yards of your race. This will stretch out your calf muscles to prevent cramping.

BIKE

1. (T) Do not grip the bottom of your shoe. Relax your toes – particularly the big one. Push with the ball of your foot on the down stroke from 3 to 5 o’clock.
2. (T) Practice dropping your heel (just slightly) at 3 o’clock during your pedal stroke. This will engage the glutes, hamstrings, and vastus medialis (the muscle on the inside of the knee).
3. (T) Wait until 5 o’clock during your pedal stroke to bring in the power of your big toe.
4. (R/T) Stand up within 10-15 minutes of beginning all rides (during competition also) to stretch out your hips, lower back, and most importantly to change the muscle recruitment.
5. (T/R) Practice with your aero bars on your bike for at least 6 weeks prior to competition.
6. (T/R) Move your butt slightly forward and back during your training and competition to alleviate the “hot spots” and to change the muscle recruitment.
7. (T) When cornering, always look ahead then turn – don’t watch the pavement. EYES UP!!
8. (T) Cornering – stay low, do not sit up, break lightly on the front break – not the back. This will prevent fishtailing.
9. (T) Increase your “sustained strength” by lengthening the out of saddle time on the flats. Shoot for 30 minutes continuous. How long can you do this drill?
10. (T) Do not just dawdle on your longer rides. Include 2-3 reps of 30-55 minutes at race pace or above.
11. (T) Include Bike-Swim-Bike, or Bike-Run-Bike Bricks. Try to elevate the intensity on the second bike segment.

INJURY PREVENTION/STRENGTH & STRETCHING

1. (T) Practice streamlining – arms extended, biceps squeezing your ears and arms on all push offs during the swim.
2. (T/R) Stretch your low back and mid back before stretching other body parts. Lie on your back, legs extended. For both of the following exercises, cross one leg over your body. Keep arms extended to the side. 2nd stretch – Bend at the knee and allow legs to flop side to side.
3. (R) Swing your arms in circles and include subtle side twists to stretch shoulders and torso before you race.
4. (T) Tight calves quite often cause knee problems. To alleviate: use weight bearing (i.e. wall stretch) and non-weight bearing. Sit down with a bent knee and grab the ball of your foot.
5. (T) If your neck and upper trapezious muscles are sore, make sure your sunglasses allow you to look forward (on the bike) without hyper-extending your neck. Buy bigger glasses – seriously!
6. (T) Put a stretch band around your ankles and walk around for 2-5 minutes as if you have wet pants. This strengthens your glutes and surrounding muscles of the hips.
7. (T) Maintain an injury prevention routine year round for your glutes, hips, back and rotator muscles – even during your race season.
8. (T) Hold multi-joint stretches for 90 seconds – 2 minutes. If you’re extremely tight, pulse the stretch 6 – 8 times for 2 – 3” then hold.

NUTRITION

1. (T) Do not eat after 7:30 pm and do not skip breakfast.
2. (T) Eat 25%-30% of your total daily calories in your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack.
3. (T/R) Orange juice and a piece of toast are primarily carbohydrates; include a protein source for breakfast.
4. (T) Kashi and Amaranth are two cereals that have 8-13 grams of protein per serving. Look for cereals that have these protein levels.
5. (T) Eat a mixed nut combination (1-3 small hand fulls per day of almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, peanuts, dried cranberries or cherries, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds).
6. (T) Do not eat any foods that have hydrogenated fats, practically hydrogenated soy, palm, corn, coconut oil, or palm oil.
7. (T) Limit foods that have high fructose corn syrup.
8. (T) Yes, you can indulge in moderation. All desserts should be able to fit in the palm of your hand.
9. (T) Do not wait – get in your carbs and proteins within 15 minutes after exercise a 4 to 1 ratio is ideal.
10. (T) If you have GI distress when you exercise, consider eliminating wheat, soy or milk for 3 days prior to your exercise session. These are the top 3 foods that may cause stomach issues.
11. (T) If you are prone to upper respiratory tract infections, colds and or your muscles fatigue quickly, boost via supplement MAP (Bodyhealth.com). This is the most abundant amino acid in your body found in your lungs and skeletal muscles.
12. (T) Take 50 Mg of Alpha-lipoic Acid daily. It’s the super scavenger of antioxidants – crosses the water and fat-soluble membranes and keeps your mitochondria (energy store house) happy!

NUTRITION BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER EXERCISE

1. (R) Drink 4-7 ounces of fluid replacement drink, 10 minutes before your race. The calories and electrolytes will be utilized for your race.
2. (T/R) Eat or drink a minimum of 80-120 calories before you’re a.m. exercise session. These calories “top” off your blood sugar and liver glycogen, which are low after a nights sleep.
3. (T/R) Fueling before exercise limits muscle breakdown and spares muscle glycogen, enhances your immune system. Consider taking a Fluid Replacement Drink with carbs and protein.
4. (T/R) Having a fueling plan during exercise will allow you to maintain the highest energy output for the longest period of time.
5. (T/R) Put a couple of drops of H2O in your gel flask to lightly dilute the gel. (It will squeeze out easier).
6. (T/R) Do not increase the concentration of Fluid Replacement Drink in your water bottle. Mix it at the appropriate levels.
7. (T) For moderate intensity exercise above one hour, an athlete will burn between 400-800 calories per hour. During exercise, try to replace approximately 25-33% of the total calories burned.
8. (T/R) Mark your water bottle with a permanent marker at 3-4 ounce increments. This will remind you to drink “to the line” every 12-15 minutes during your exercise session.
9. (T/R) The window of opportunity post exercise is 15-45 minutes. Your body wants and needs the simple sugars and protein from a Fluid Replacement Drink, or a concentrated recovery drink. Fuel up during this time and continue for the next 2-3 hours post exercise.
10. (T) A chicken, tofu, black bean, rice, tomato, avocado burrito is perfect for the hour after exercise to replace protein and carbohydrate stores.

TRANSITIONS

1. (R) Exiting the water, take a few deep breaths to reach back and unzip your wetsuit, pull it down to your waist – all while running.
2. (T/R) Pre-lube your skin to prevent chaffing around the neckline.
3. (T/R) Pre-lube your wrists and ankles, tongues and heels of both shoes, to allow the wetsuit to slip off easily and your feet to slide into your shoes.
4. (T/R) Rehearse the order of clothing and equipment changes prior to the race.
5. (R) Your bike should be a lower (easier) gear as you exit the transition.
6. (R) Consider putting some lubrication on the inside of your shorts – right where the contact points are during your ride. Do this before the start!
7. (R) Start your run with short strides and use your arms to bring up the leg speed.
8. (R) Over the last 6 miles of the bike slightly increase, the intake of your Fluid Replacement Drink. Your sweat rate goes up during the bike-run transition. You will need the extra fluid and electrolytes to begin the run.
9. (R) Do not drink anything in Transition -1 or Transition –2. Wait until you are 10-20 minutes into the bike segment and 4-8 minutes into the run before you consume Fuel Replacement Drink, allowing your breathing rate, muscles and sweat rate to readjust to the discipline.
10. (R) Do not wear socks on the bike or run during competition (unless you are blister prone). Every second counts in the transition!

RUN

1. (T) Keep your chin down and eyes focused ahead, but not directly down.
2. (T) Practice squeezing your shoulder blades together then relaxing. Hold this relaxed upper body.
3. (T/R) Tighten trapezious muscles that run from your shoulders to your upper neck. Run like a “waiter or waitress”. Open your hands as if you are carrying a small cocktail tray. This drill teaches “soft” shoulders.
4. (T/R) Try taking baby steps to begin all runs. Do not force your stride length.
5. (T/R) Upon foot contact “think” very light heel strike and immediate roll to mid-foot.
6. (T) Concentrate on a light strike, “running on egg shells”, then lifting. Use your ankle; do not emphasize a thrust with your big toe.
7. (T/R) Relax your lower back by softening the arch of it. Keep your hips up and forward.
8. (T) Knees are always forward while running. Draw an imaginary line form your chin to your kneecaps. They should intersect.
9. (T/R) Periodically drop your arms and shake them out – relaxing your upper arms, shoulders and trapezious muscles.
10. (T) While running hard downhill, open your hands up as if you were holding saucers, at shoulder height. Keep your arms at about 140 degrees elbow bend and run while making large windmill like circles. It really works!

T = Training tip
R = Race tip