Sport Beans Presents: Tips From The Pros

The winter can get long, especially if you live somewhere cold, and you’re forced to do the majority of your training inside. To alleviate the boredom my husband Todd and I have created what we call the “aerobic shuffle.” The short version is 60 minutes of aerobic exercise using three different indoor machines. For example you can train for 20 minutes on a rowing machine, an indoor bike, then a treadmill. Move quickly between the machines to simulate a mini-triathlon. As your aerobic base and the winter progress, the workouts get longer. I have done as much as 4 hours of “aerobic shuffling” without getting bored. Keep trying different machines in different combinations to keep it motivating, challenging and fun.

Most of you are a good way through your aerobic base building phase of your training. This is a great time to build some sports specific cycling strength. One way to do it is to perform muscle tension intervals on a stationary bike trainer. Warm up a good 20 minutes to progressively bring up your heart rate. Start with 2 to 3 repetitions of 5:00 in a hard gear that simulates climbing a steep hill where your cadence would be about 60 rpms (you may have to start with an easier gear if you are in the first 2 years of training, you have sensitive knees, or if your bike strength is very limited). Take a very easy 5:00 spin between intervals. Your heart rate may not get too high on these but your legs should feel quite challenged. Over time you can build the length of these intervals so you can eventually do 2-3 x 8-10:00 repetitions. Do NOT do this workout more than once per week or for too many weeks in a row as it is a highly challenging training session. Remember that strength training is actually like speed work in disguise --- the stronger you get in training, the faster you will go during your races.

Like many enthusiastic triathletes, I am a bit on the A++ side when it comes to personality. I try to cram way too much into a given day. Family, work, training - I can do it all, right? Well, my mad rushing around has resulted in disorganization and even embarrassment at times. More than once I have gone to the YMCA in my workout clothes and discovered that I forgot to pack undergarments to wear to work (by the way, drying out your swimsuit can work in a pinch for that one). I have also forgotten my swimsuit and used a jog bra in combination with my husband’s swim trunks to swim. Okay, I was really desperate to get that workout in. My all-time favorite was the time I dressed in the dark for an early morning indoor ride at the fitness center. I started getting hot during the ride. So, I stripped down to what I thought was my jog bra. Strange looks from several men got me to look down in horror at my lacy, everyday bra. Now I always pack my workout bag the night before, including all my water bottles, Sport Beans, and post-training recovery food. That not only saves precious minutes in the morning and allows me to maximize training time, but it also prevents me from missing any essential workout gear.

Nerves tend to be heightened a bit on race morning and unexpected delays, problems with equipment, traffic, and inclement weather can certainly cause more anxiety than the race itself. Plan accordingly and give yourself "built-in" extra time to ensure you can go through your race morning routine stress-free. Also, keep track of time once you arrive at the race site and get things situated in transition. Two years ago, I lost track of time pre-race at California Ironman 70.3. As a result, I rushed to get on my wetsuit. In the process, the zipper jammed. While a friendly volunteer was trying her best to get it working, I watched in dismay as the pro men organized themselves at the start. Boom! The cannon fired and there I was standing on dry land! The cold swim was made even chillier with my wetsuit completely open in the back as I took in water throughout the 1.2 mile effort. So, plan ahead and be sure to give yourself the time you need on race morning!

I know some athletes who absolutely dread the track as though an evil monster lurks within the long jump pit. I find track workouts to really give me a boost even when tired or not feeling 100%. There is nothing like the feeling of floating over the 400 meters of the spongy surface. Here is a great session from Dave Scott’s track group, with whom I train in Boulder. Note the harder efforts should be done at your threshold or just above, but not at your max. Warm-up 2 miles and stretch. Main Set: #1 - 1600 (800 cruise/400 hard/400 cruise) then 1200 (400 cruise/800 hard). #2 - 1600 (400 hard/400 cruise/400 hard/400 cruise) then 800 hard. #3 - 1200 (400 hard/400 cruise/400 hard) then 400 hard. The rest interval is 15 seconds after the cruise efforts and 30 seconds after the hard efforts with 1 minute between each main block. Cool down 1-2 miles.

We invest a great deal of time, energy, and resources into our sport. One area which I believe is often neglected by athletes is the training of our minds for peak performance. All too often I have seen well-prepared athletes lose it on race day. In general, focus your mind on things within your control. If an obnoxious, beyond-Type A athlete is creating drama in transition, don’t expend your energy worrying about or trying to change him/her. If the swim appears rough or dark clouds loom above, remind yourself you are prepared and stay calm. I have found using positive self-talk and simple mantras to be helpful on race day. Phrases like, “Slip through the water”, “I am strong” or “Light as a feather” can be used as mental prompts to keep you focused on what really matters. There are plenty of highs and lows during a race and having confidence in your preparation along with the ability to calm your mind can make the difference between a great race experience and one filled with frustration.

No matter how long you’ve been competing in triathlons, it’s always a good idea to know the layout of the transition area. How many times have you seen frantic and confused athletes running through the transition area trying to find their gear? We look quite silly running back and forth trying to figure out where we put our belongings. But, if you take the time beforehand to know where you are going, your race will be easier.

On the morning of the race or, preferably, the day before the event, I will “walk the race.” Here’s how it works. I begin at the swim start, visualize the swim, and then walk to the swim exit (if in a different place than the start). From there, I walk the path that I will take to the transition area, making mental notes of land marks along the way. When I reach my transition spot, I take a moment to look around to make sure I will remember where my gear is stashed. Are there any trees around? How about a certain flag? A trash can? Sometimes you can even count how many racks back you are from the beginning of the transition area; although if you happen to be in rack 23, I’d pick another landmark instead of trying to count that high after the swim; oxygen-debt, if you know what I mean!

Once I’ve picked my landmark, I proceed to the bike exit, where I quickly visualize the bike portion of the race. I then walk to where I will enter T2 from the bike. If you are entering the transition area from the opposite direction you entered when you finished the swim, you might have to find another landmark from this direction. Once you are back to your transition spot, find the run exit and walk there. Lastly, make sure you know where the run finish is, as that’s the best part!

This “walk the race” exercise only takes a few minutes to do, but will save you minutes during your race! Good luck!

I used to swim with an age group team whose members ranged in age from 12-17 years. These kids swam circles around me, but I was determined to try and hang with them at every practice. One of the workouts that I found to be not only fun, but one that I could work as hard as I wanted was a workout called “Beat the Clock.” This workout incorporates both endurance and speed training and consists of 100s on increasingly-faster intervals. They start out easy and continue to get faster. Make sure to get in a proper warm-up prior to doing this workout and cool down after. Depending on your level of swimming, the starting interval time should be one that is easy for you (the beginning interval below shouldn’t be too hard for most people, but you can adjust it to your ability level as well as the number of 100s you put in the set). When you can no longer make 100’s on the specified interval, drop a 25 and do 75s. When you can no longer make the 75s, drop a 25 and do 50s. Ideally, you won’t have to drop distance, you’ll just swim faster. A workout like this can be incorporated once a month. You can monitor from one month to the next how many 100s you were able to get in before dropping a 25, or if you are able to make all of the 100s, then try to get faster with shorter rest. Here’s the workout with sample interval times:


Beat the Clock

6 x 100 on 2:00
5 x 100 on 1:50
4 x 100 on 1:40
3 x 100 on 1:30


For your next swim workout, see if you can “Beat the Clock!”

Growing up swimming, I always assumed the first leg of a triathlon would be the easiest to figure out. Come to find out, there are more strategic nuances than I originally imagined. I now feel much more comfortable with open water swims and have compiled a few tips and suggestions that I hope you will find useful.

Let’s begin with the start. Where you line up completely depends on your comfort level. If you fear the impact of eager elbows when the starting gun goes off, or the occasional kick in the face leading up to the first buoy, you may want to start somewhere behind the crowded front line (rest assured that the pack will string out after the first buoy). If you feel confident that you are one of the top swimmers in your wave, then by all means line up at the front. After all, you do not want to lose the chance of hitching a free ride in a top swimmer’s wake. Keep in mind that bridging a gap will expend much more energy than you'd think.

Once you’ve figured out how to begin the swim, your next challenge is sighting. I normally try to practice sighting in the pool a week before the race so that it can be done smoothly and as part of my stroke. Maybe two to three times a lap, I'll lift my head to look straight ahead at a fixed object and then turn my head to take a breath in the same stroke. This practice will also help prevent some of the neck soreness that might be associated with open water racing, since most of us train 100% of the time in a pool. Even with good sighting technique, seeing things from water level while you’re swimming is difficult, especially in waves or chop. So, it’s a good idea to count the number of swim buoys and note their position BEFORE the race. Then, count them again as you pass or round them during the swim. You’ll be able to keep a mental picture of where you are on the course and will know better how much farther you have to go.

Don't forget that even if you elect to draft a faster swimmer, you still need to be aware of where you’re going. If you see your draft swimmer going off course, veer away before you too find yourself swimming to China. At the Ford IM 70.3 in California this year, the front pack of male pros (10-12 guys) turned around at the wrong buoy - one buoy too early. Luckily, some paddleboarders were able to herd us back on track. After the whole pack reversed its direction, we'd not only lost valuable time, but also lost any advantage we'd built on the second group.

Finally, sighting often goes hand-in-hand with goggle color. If you face the rising sun on a leg of the course, you can save yourself the discomfort and time by wearing a dark pair of goggles. I hope the above tips help in your overall swim strategy!

I really can't count the number of times I've been asked about starting the bike leg with your shoes clipped into your pedals. It's a popular subject, but one laden with fear about trying it for the first time. But, what strikes me as odd, is that no matter how much it's talked about, it's done much less in practice. I'm guilty as charged!

Here’s a painful race memory from my first ITU format, draft-legal event. I'd read as much as I could, asked around as much as possible, and then decided it was my time. So, running into transition I grabbed my bike and ran it out of T1. I jumped on, and put my bare feet atop the shoes. We pedaled up a slight incline and suddenly, in a split second, my left shoe unclipped and proceeded to roll down the embankment back into T1. I stopped, left the bike on the side of the road, and ran my way back to retrieve the shoe. "Whooooosh!!!!!" was the only sound I remember as the whole pack left me in their dust while I scrambled back. Needless to say, it was a lonely ride as I soloed along for the first few laps until another pack of riders gobbled me up.

Part of being ready for the rigors of Ironman or other long distance triathlon involves having a plan for the potential bonk. Whether high winds keep you from eating, you drop your Sport Beans on the bike, or one of the myriad other problems arises and you just don't get in your ideal nutrition, make sure you know how to cope with a bonk. Research shows that training in a glycogen-depleted state raises levels of interleukin-6, which in turn makes it harder to bonk the next time you go long without enough food. I like to incorporate one workout every two weeks where I intentionally underfuel to stimulate my body's adaptation. Remember, research shows that training with proper nutrition yields very important benefits too, including the ability to handle bigger training loads and recover more quickly. So, don't overdo it!

Balance is key; there are no miracle supplements or foods out there, just a natural healthy balanced diet.

Slow and steady wins the race: (when it comes to food) Eat regularly so as to never over stuff oneself with huge meals, and to never starve oneself with long periods of fasting.

When training and racing, EAT! when it comes to a workout, you need energy, eat for anything over an hour long, something like Sport Beans with electrolytes and minerals lost in sweat, and simple carbohydrates for fast energy.

Here are a few basic Nutrition points for you:

Finish your pre-ride meal 2.5-3 hrs before you get on the bike.

Have 2 packets of Sport Beans and one bottle of water or sports drink for every hour of the ride.

If you’re working on losing weight, DON’T cut calories on the bike. This will cut down the quality of your ride, and you’ll burn less than you would have if you were properly fueled.

Focus your diet on what you should eat, not what you can’t eat. For example, set a goal of eating one salad every day, or a large serving of fruits and vegetables. If you do that, you’ll find yourself cutting down junk food anyway, but you won’t feel as restricted.



Training Tips:



Make sure your training simulates the efforts you’ll make in your race or the event you’re targeting. There’s no reason to ride 25 hours in a week unless you’re planning to do a stage race that long. It would benefit you more to do sprints or intervals the same length as the climbs you’ll race on.

If your hours are limited, make up for it with intensity, with hard endurance work and intervals.

The morning of a big race I always eat 2-3hrs beforehand and it's usually a combination of some type of protein and carbs. Typically not anything that you can taste for a long time afterwards.

My typical breakfast is oatmeal, scrambled eggs and toast 2-3hours before.

Usually if it's a typical road race I'll warm up by riding around before the race to get the blood moving. If it's a late start in the evening I'll do a 1-hour spin in the AM and then get in a nap before I get back on the bike for the race that night.

A typical non-racing day usually consists of me catching up on all the things I put off while I was training and racing hard. If it's not a typical day off, I'll spin for an hour to get the blood moving through my legs.

I always train with Sport Beans as well as one bottle of sports drink and one bottle of water. I usually take a swig of water after each of the other products.

While I'm training I like to eat small portions, and eat frequently. Sport Beans and sports nutrition bars are great for this, as they are small in size and high in energy. I also drink the sports drinks, but also take some water, as too much sports drink is not good for your stomach or teeth.

In the morning of competition, I try to keep it simple. I take more calories in for a longer race and obviously less for a shorter race. In the morning of a shorter race I will eat granola, toast and eggs, and in a longer race I will add pasta. If it is a very long race, I will add in a pre-race sports drink.

On my non-training days I never eat a large meal, but eat smaller meals and more often. The body can process smaller meals better, to replace all the calories you used in the days training prior.

Another thing I always do is have a sports recovery drink when I get home from training or finish a race. It is important to get calories into your muscles the minute you get off the bike.

Nutrition tips:

Eat and eat often, food is the body’s fuel and during stage races you can't get enough.

On the bike during a race I try to get down one bottle of liquid an hour (the body can't absorb much more, on hot days you can dump more on your head, but if your supplies are limited it is best to drink it even if it feels good to pour it on yourself). Also, I try to eat an energy bar or two in the first couple hours, then after that I use Sport Beans the rest of the way, especially if there are climbs. Sport Beans will get to your muscles much faster than a bar, making them ideal right before big climbs and the second half of the race.

3 hours before a race I usually eat a bowl of oatmeal with almond butter and a banana, a piece of toast with olive oil and a big glass if water. This is a meal that is easily digested and easy to make when traveling. It is best to be consistent - stick with a meal that feels good to you.

Wait to eat again until near the start of the race - I have a bag or two of Sport Beans just a few minutes before the race gets going.

Don't try any new pre-race food or race nutrition without testing it in training first.



Training tips:

Listen to your body. If you know you are tired then rest. If you are strong then train hard. It's not rocket science.

Set up training blocks and follow a plan.

During the winter I do long base rides and as the season approaches I being to add intensity to get ready for race speeds.

Training and racing require specific and well thought-out nutrition to maximize performance on the bike and recovery after. To this end I am conscious of all my food intake. Before races I prefer to eat three hours before competition to allow me to digest properly, and also so I can eat the most amount possible without suffering stomach distress. On the road it is difficult to consistently find the same foods to eat on each race day, so I try not to be too fussy and just do the best with what I can find around me. Before a road race I would ideally eat about 8oz of pasta (~800 calories) with two eggs on the side or perhaps on top if there is no sauce to be found.

If we are lucky enough to be staying with a host family, this meal is easy to prepare and is what I will eat the majority of the time before an event. However, if this is not the case, my teammates and I will usually look up what is around us and pick whatever option is least offensive to our sensitive palettes in franchise and fast food-overrun America. Usually a good sandwich would be the first choice for most, but personally I prefer a big breakfast from Denny's or Ihop (pancakes, toast, eggs, sausage, hash browns - the works). A proper race meal like this will provide me with a foundation of energy to last me throughout an event.

However, this is not enough to guarantee that I will have energy all day; it is still important for me to maintain food intake during an event. Ask any rider how much he ate during a race and the correct answer should always be: not enough. This is because the amount of calories burned will always exceed the amount you are able to take in. Therefore ideal race nutrition is to eat as much as you possibly can without suffering stomach distress, and to eat the foods that work best for you. Timing is also important, as it takes 5-20 minutes for food to break down into glucose to be used by the muscles.

I try and eat one or two packages of Sport Beans an hour as well as a sports performance bar, along with one or two bottles of either water or mix. If the race is drawing to a close I look forward to my Extreme Sport Beans more than anything else in my jersey; the kick from the 50mg contained in each package can make a big difference when my legs are tired from all the work they have done all day. In fact, it’s a big enough difference that I won't roll off the start line without a few packs in my pocket.

For training, my calorie needs are less dramatic than in a race, but it is still very important for me to be conscious of what I eat. Typically I eat a big breakfast of about 600 calories along with a cup of coffee before heading out the door an hour or two later. On the bike I eat plenty of Sport Beans and energy bars, but I will also throw in some regular food like sandwiches and pastries just to mix things up.

Bottom line is that you have to find what works for you; take the time and put in the thought to figure out just what this is. There's nothing wrong with experimenting, and the best time for that is in training. Try different foods, eat them at different times, and listen to how your body responds to the intake. Eating the vast quantity required to stay truly topped up doesn't happen overnight, so don't go crazy and get sick, but certainly try to eat as much as possible. There are lots of great sports nutriton items available to try out, not the least of which come in the form of delicious and electrolyte-packed jelly beans! Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of being an athlete; if you take the time to find what works best for you, you will get much more success and pleasure out of whatever sport you take part in.