Strategy for racing an Olympic Distance Triathlon

From our coach in 2008 when I was on Team USA. You can adapt it to a sprint as well.

Breakfast 3 hours prior to wave send off, if you can get up early enough.


1 gel prior to swim 15 minutes before

2 bottles on bike - 1 w/at least 300 calories and one bottle of water (not as much needed for a sprint)

1 gel with 3 miles to go on bike (not necessary for a sprint)

Water or Gatorade at every run aid station - take something! - and 1 gel at about 3 miles, before aid station so you can wash it down



HR: wear it so we can see the numbers later - good information for next year and this will be GREAT data to compare. Look for HR to be around LT or +



For Experienced Racer Strategy should be:

Swim flat out TT speed - maintain, form, but swim upper steady effort (just below TT effort), back off last 200m, and ease into the end of swim.



Bike - start out in a gear you can maintain at 90 RPMS, warm-up for at least 3-5 miles at a steady effort, and once you feel your breathing is more regulated you can start to push the pace a bit. Ride steady to moderate hard until 15 miles and then after 15 miles, you can drop the hammer. This should be about 85-90% of LT effort- hard but not so hard your legs are getting fried or that you can't run.



Run - easy out of T2 - grab some water, slow down and get your HR down - ease into the run. You want to run the 2nd half faster so pick up the pace ever so slightly, check your splits/effort the first two miles, and if you feel comfortable then pick up the pace. At the halfway mark, time to GO! Let it fly just like you were running a 5k. If you paced the race right, here is where you can make up a lot of ground and just go by people like they are standing still. It's only a short period of time so push for all you are worth.



For Beginner/Intermediate Racer Strategy should be:

Swim easy for 2-500 yds. and then maintain form, but swim steady effort (way below TT effort), back off last 200m, and ease into the end of swim.



Bike - start out in a gear you can maintain at 90 RPMS, warm-up for at least 3-5 miles at a steady effort, and once you feel your breathing is more regulated you can start to push the pace a bit. Ride steady to moderate hard until 20 miles and then after 20 miles, you can drop the hammer. This should be about 85-90% of LT effort- hard but not so hard your legs are getting fried or that you can't run.



Run - easy out of T2 - grab some water, slow down and get your HR down - ease into the run. You want to run the 2nd half faster so pick up the pace ever so slightly but not until after the 5k mark, check your splits/effort the first three miles, and if you feel comfortable then pick up the pace. At the halfway mark, time to GO! Let it fly just like you were running a 5k. If you paced the race right, here is where you can make up a lot of ground and just go by people like they are standing still. It's only a short period of time so push for all you are worth.

Let us know how you are doing and enjoy the race season.