Triathlon Training Articles
Long-form articles on training, race execution, and the decisions that move the needle for age-group athletes. No supplement reviews. No marginal gains theatre. Just the stuff that actually matters when you're training on limited hours with a real race on the calendar.
New here? Start with these guides:
• The Time-Crunched Triathlete: Maximising Limited Training Hours
• Why You’re Not Getting Faster: The Forgotten Role of Technical Skills in Triathlon
• Full Distance Race Strategy: Calm Execution Beats Chaos
• Strength Training for Triathletes: Build Strength and Crush Races
How Many Hours a Week Do You Really Need to Train for a Triathlon?
You almost certainly need fewer hours than you fear. Real weekly training ranges for every triathlon distance, and why what you do inside the hours matters far more than the total.
Alanis Siffert Won Roth With Principles You Can Use
Alanis Siffert switched off her power meter mid-race and won Challenge Roth on feel. As a Trisutto-trained coach, I expand on what her win confirms about effort, mechanics, and the principles built to survive a limited training week.
Dehydration: What's Actually True, and What's Just Sold to You
Most of what you believe about dehydration came from a marketing department. The real science on fluid loss, sodium, and why a sweat test might be solving a problem most age-groupers don't actually have. Read this before your next hot race.
Triathlon Run Technique: What Holds Under Fatigue
Most triathletes work on run technique when they're fresh. The version that needs to hold comes off the back of a long bike, with inhibited glutes, shortened hip flexors, and a posture already primed to collapse. This is what the mechanics actually look like in that context, and how to train them accordingly.
Brick Training for Triathletes: How to Do It Right
Most age-group triathletes either skip brick sessions entirely or treat them as punishment. The bike-to-run crossover is a coordination problem, and it has a specific solution, but only if the sessions are structured with that in mind. This article covers the physiology, the formats, and the audit that tells you where the real problem is.
Triathlon Transitions: The Fourth Discipline
Most age-groupers lose two to five minutes in T1 and T2 every race. Here is the physiology behind why both transitions feel disorienting, the order of operations that removes the wasted time, and the training that makes it automatic.
Your Race Week, Done Right
Most athletes taper too long, cut too much, and arrive at the start line flat rather than sharp. This is what race week preparation actually looks like when the structure is right: why volume holds through mid-week, why intensity stays in until the final days, and how the seven days before your race either confirm the training or quietly chip away at it.
Structuring Your Season: The Science of A, B, and C Races
Racing without a strategic structure is biological trauma without a plan. How to use A, B, and C races to organise your season and peak when it matters.
Run Off The Bike: Fix The First 10 Minutes
If you want to run off the bike well, you don’t need more suffering. You need less chaos. The first 10 minutes off the bike are a messy handover: your body is switching movement patterns under load, your pacing brain is overexcited, and your legs feel heavy after cycling even when the pace looks “easy”.
Form Under Fatigue: How To Keep Moving Well When It Really Matters
Form under fatigue is the difference between racing well and falling apart. This piece shows how to keep your swim stroke, bike position, and run mechanics intact when you’re tired, and how to train it without turning every week into a survival test.
Big-Gear Done Right: A Triathlete’s Guide to Low-Cadence Strength
Many triathletes benefit from low-cadence strength training, which involves pedaling at a lower RPM in a higher gear to build muscular endurance and fatigue resistance. This training enhances power, efficiency, and neuromuscular coordination, helping athletes perform better during races, especially in challenging conditions. Consistent, structured workouts are key to gaining these advantages.
After the Finish Line: A Coach’s Guide to Navigating the Post-Race Period
Finishing a triathlon is a significant accomplishment, but the post-race phase demands attention. Athletes often face emotional lows, physical fatigue, and uncertainty about future goals. Effective recovery involves acknowledging feelings, reframing perspectives, avoiding common mistakes, and planning wisely for upcoming training cycles. Prioritizing recovery leads to long-term athletic success.
Challenge Roth – What Racing There Is Really Like
Roth stands out as a unique triathlon experience, drawing athletes for its festival-like atmosphere. However, the race week can overwhelm with distractions, making planning essential. Success relies on discipline, adaptability, and avoiding the temptation to expend energy too early. Athletes must balance excitement with strategy to perform well.
Triathlon Training in Your 40s, 50s, and Beyond
Triathlon is not exclusive to the young; athletes aged 40 and above can excel by understanding age-related changes in endurance performance. This article explores how to adapt training strategies, emphasizing continued fitness through strength training, managing intensity, prioritizing recovery, and maintaining proper technique. Embracing a growth mindset and redefining success can enhance performance at any age.
How Fitness Actually Builds: Recovery, Adaptation, and Timing in Triathlon Training
Fitness is built during recovery, not during the session. Why the lag effect, supercompensation, and recovery timing matter more than training load alone.
Heat Adaptation Strategies for Triathletes
Triathletes from cooler climates must prepare for hot racing conditions to avoid health risks and poor performance. Heat adaptation enhances endurance by improving body cooling efficiency. Key strategies include gradual heat training, hydration, smart pacing, and effective cooling techniques on race day. Monitoring symptoms and adjusting effort is crucial for safety.
Full Distance Race Strategy: Calm Execution Beats Chaos
Full distance racing rewards discipline, not drama. This piece covers pacing, fuelling, and the on-the-day decisions that keep you steady when the wheels start to wobble. Start here if you want a plan you can execute.
Ironman Training the Sense Endurance Way: Maximise Gains in Minimal Time
Training effectively for an Ironman doesn’t require excessive hours; instead, focus on structured, quality workouts that build endurance and strength efficiently. The Sense Endurance principles emphasize purposeful training, consistency, and strength work while avoiding junk miles. Proper planning ensures athletes manage fatigue and perform well without overwhelming their lives.
Sense Endurance’s Approach to Triathlon Periodisation: Smarter Triathlon Training
Most periodisation models look clever on paper but fall apart the moment real life intervenes. This article breaks down the Sense Endurance approach to triathlon periodisation: simple, time-crunched friendly blocks, clear priorities, and a flexible structure that still gets you properly strong and ready to race when it counts.
Simplifying Triathlon Nutrition: The Myths and Realities
Triathletes often face nutrition myths that complicate their diet. The article clarifies that expensive products are unnecessary, real food can meet protein needs, and consuming too many carbs during races may hinder performance. Simple strategies, like homemade sports drinks and familiar snacks, are emphasized for effective fueling in endurance events, promoting efficiency and cost-effectiveness.