TRAINING TO GET FASTER ON A FLAT TRIATHLON COURSE
Are you salivating at the prospect of racing a flat course that offers a chance at record fast times and PRs?
Many folks have felt your same excitement and anticipation, only to have their dreams disintegrate on race day as the promised fast run slides into a cramp-filled walk. In almost every case, this comes down to lack of proper preparation for the real demands of a deceptively difficult racing environment.
The good news? You can change course and find success and speed through proper preparation.
Let’s start with some context:
A flat bike and run course can provide very fast racing conditions - but maintaining speed is not as simple or easy as you might imagine.
Going fast on a flat course - and staying fast - requires strength training.
Fast courses are strength courses, not speed courses.
What makes the lack of terrain such a deceptive challenge in IRONMAN and 70.3 distance races? There’s several answers:
Riders end up sitting on the bike in the same position for extended periods, rather than encouraging natural periodic shifts in position and pedaling.
The extremely narrow range of positions, power, and cadence amplifies muscular fatigue for both bike and run. You become over-dependent on a single set of muscle groups — creating prime conditions for early fatigue.
Extensive running on flat terrain, especially on pavement as is common at most races, creates muscular damage (particularly in the quads).
Many riders are not equipped with the strength (or bike handling!) to handle the brutal headwinds, tailwinds, or crosswinds that often accompany open, flat courses.
So what’s the answer? Train to equip yourself for the unique conditions and challenges of flat terrain.
We’ll be sharing a deep dive into our Go Fast toolbox, with exclusive education and free workouts, via email in the coming week. But let’s start with a quick overview of what’s inside:
1. Lots of end-of-range riding.
Strength-endurance (low RPM) work on the bike.
There is no better antidote to the quad-busting brutality of flat terrain than high-torque, low-cadence work. Strong intervals above race pace, at 40 to 60 RPM, are incredibly high value - so much so that we call them the “special sauce” of our Squad triathlon training program. Here’s an example session:
5 x 8 minutes at a very strong effort up a hill of 4-8% grade, under 65 rpm
Descend and recover for at least 5 minutes between each interval
Low-RPM training equips you to push a bigger gear on race day, especially if you are met with headwind sections of the course. It also expands your range, giving you the opportunity to shift cadence even on a flat roal. This helps reduce muscular fatigue on the bike, and sets you up for stronger success on the run.
High RPM intervals at or above race pace.
Should you get pushed along for long stretches with a strong tailwind behind you, power will be harder to come by. It shouldn’t be chased, but the natural and correct inclination will be to sit at a higher cadence when tailwinds come. For those who have failed to prepare, long periods at 90+ RPM will create great distress and fatigue. You can improve neurological conditioning by including weekly to biweekly intervals at the high end of the cadence range. Here’s another example:
4 x 15 min at race effort (if 70.3 distance or below, then easier than race effort), ALL at 100-120 RPM
10 min smooth endurance between each interval
2. A true endurance-focused strength training program.
When it’s designed correctly, a strength and conditioning program is not simply an injury reducer - it is a powerful performance enhancer that allows you to go faster and stay fast for longer:
Specific, progressive strength work extends the time to fatigue for working muscles, while also strengthening the all-important supporting and stabilizing muscles. This helps you retain good form and stay comfortable while maintaining a position for an extended period of time.
Strength ensures athletic movements are as efficient as possible, delivering maximum power to the pedal or pavement instead of having it “leak out” through holes made by instability or imbalance.
A well-designed functional strength program incorporates mobility and self-care work. This helps maximize the range of motion and tissue health necessary for the pounding your body takes when cycling or running on flat terrain.
3. Variable terrain running.
Good posture and leg speed are critical on race day. What’s the best way to maintain those on a flat run? Improve the strength-based features of your run training. Hill work, along with trail or soft-surface running over highly varied terrain, is extremely high value.
You heard us right: to prepare for a flat course, you should run hills. Crazy, eh?
There’s a method to the madness, of course. On variable terrain runs, you’ll focus on strong running uphill (maintaining posture and pushing off the big toe to activate the posterior leg muscles), then run lightly downhill to develop great foot speed. This builds critical strength and neuromuscular connection that translates to faster running at higher power. Hill repeats are also highly effective for cardiovascular conditioning. Don’t be afraid to inject a walk break here and there to reset posture and power on your uphill intervals, either - in fact, we strongly encourage it.
We’ll be sharing a free sample hill run session this week via email. No hills nearby? You can also replicate hill work on a treadmill set to a 3-4% incline.
This is just a preview of our keys to getting faster on flat courses - you’ll be recieving additional exclusive education and sample sessions all week long via email.
Want to jumpstart your journey to fast? Join Purple Patch Squad today.
You’ll get PART TWO of our Go Fast secrets, where we dig into tips for execution on race day. But those tips are, well, just the tip of the iceberg.
Squad is a powerful, holistic training program designed to empower time-starved athletes to integrate sport into life. With Squad, you’ll get:
Proven, full-season, structured and progressive multisport training designed by IRONMAN master coach Matt Dixon - including integrated endurance-specific strength
Access to live, interactive remote coached cycling sessions so you can nail those low-RPM rides and get real-time feedback on your technique (and high-quality on-demand replays if you can’t make the live classes)
Free live interactive events with coaches and experts from across the field of performance
Access to our vast Education Hub of articles and videos on all aspects of racing and training, endurance, nutrition, recovery, strength, mindset, and life performance
A place in our community of global athletes, which spans nearly 40 countries and welcomes aspiring novice triathletes and Kona-qualifying pros alike