Newbie's must read this... - Triathlon Week

Mr. Richard · 08-28-2005, 01:17 PM

In the past decade my business has focused on working with triathletes and improving their performance. Of all the issues a new triathlete faces poor energy management and faulty bike skill represents the largest challenge. If you have been at this game you most likely have read much about the importance of using a heart rate monitor, aside form this no-brainer, what is more important is proper identification of what intensity to train with the monitor and relative ability within the task specific effort, eg. bike, swim or run. Most newbie’s I have worked with share some undeniable truths.
1. They share strong aerobic potential (that’s why they are attracted to the sport)
2. They tend to have poor motor skills on the bike and exhibit a leak in energy, which causes them to suffer during the run segment of the race.

I have found through having tested several hundred athletes a difference as much as 30-40 bpm difference between thresholds (AT) on the bike vs the run. The bike generally being the lower value. In that the bike always represents the bulk of time in a race, racing above "AT" holds serious consequence during the run. It's a problem that is easily remedied provided you take the correct steps;
1. Have a dual assessment of anaerobic threshold determined
2. Get yourself a good indoor trainer (cycle) to work on your motor skills.
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