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Worried about the 2% but have you done the 98%
By Sergio borges

In the triathlon world, everyday we see something new; a super aerodynamic bike, gadgets (powermeters, GPS, HR monitors, etc), a nutrition supplement that claim it will improve your Vo2 Max, running shoes that can make you run faster, etc. The powerful marketing behind all these products, make us believe that everything we see, is a must buy product that will help us in improving our performance. If all they say is true, How much will the these products really help you ?

The answer is: Maybe 2%... A very small percentage that should only be a concern if you have done the 98% first!

Training for triathlon is actually much simpler than you think. You don't need any expensive equipment or the latest gadgets, all you need is to swim, bike and run while developing the proper skills, strength, speed and a bit of endurance as well. Everything else is about how you live your life (proper balance); the quality of sleep you have every night, your daily diet, how you deal with stress (physical and emotional) and commitments, level of fitness (body weight and percentage of lean muscle mass) and the training consistency. I guess now you can understand what I mean about the 98%.

As you can see, to achieve the 98% is not easy and it will require a lot of effort and commitment, making it rarely achieved for most athletes. So here are a few things you can work on before you spend the extra two grand on a new bike.

Nutrition: Make sure you eat healthy, pay attention to your pre, during and after training nutrition and control the amount and timing of your sugar (simple carbs) intake. If you are a little bit over weight, focus on getting the extra lbs off and you'll see how much faster you can run! You can probably find the one or two pounds you want to save on a new bike, on yourself :)

Recovery: Focus on getting a good night of sleep, even if it means cutting the workout you have planned next morning, short a little. Sleep is the best recovery strategy. To increase your recovery between workouts, you need a training plan that focus on the order and structure of the workouts, on balancing the systems and hormones.

Training consistency: Also directly related with recovery, is the most important aspect of any endurance training. You need to build the "foundation" of your training first and to stay as consistent as you can. A good training plan is a plan that you can follow with a minimum need for break or day off! If you're tired all the time, training too much or too hard, you might not be getting the right mix on your training plan.

Have fun: Probably the most important part of the triathlon training, but be careful!! It can easily be forgotten if you develop an obsession for all the "control" factors of your training like : heart rate monitors, gps, powermeters, zone training, etc. Make sure you have a few days on your training where you can go out and do whatever you want! Go ride hard with your friends, take your dog for a nice trail run and turn around whenever you feel like it, etc.

Working on the 98% is also good for your pocket, not a bad idea with the actual economy we're in right now.

Be smart, stay safe and have fun!