Make this Winter your "Bike  Improve" goal 

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There are so many tools available now to coaches and athletes -that the bike being the longest and often hardest part of your triathlon can now be improved with a dedicated plan.

Of course it needs operator focus just like all the other sessions  do,.to maximize  improvements over time 

So ......what is around and what works .....when you can't get out on the road 

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• Stationary Wind trainers - always great. The secret here is using  workout specifics  (long ride, sprint day, skills day, aerobic or threshold, recovery ride ) 

• More advanced stationary trainers --REVbox, Wahoo,Wattbike  etc all give you more feedback on your power and efforts to ensure more accurate feedback

• RPM --always a great standby with a group at a Leisure . Centre or Gym

• SPRINT - The advanced 30 minute max it out version of RPM 

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  So your coach has given you a set but its too wet and hazardous so indoors it is today for the same set. What a lot of athletes tend towards (uncoached) is just spend an hour riding watching a video or movie and consider that training.

Plus the error of putting a super hard session on top of the just completed hard session cos someone on the NET had "do this and improve" tag on their workout 

Golden rule is : hard followed by easy -for longevity and injury avoidance especially in your early Novice days 

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All bike sets should aim to have:

1. Warm up of some sort

2. A Build (intensity or skills) 

3. Specific main set with an aim 

4. Cool down to bring HR back 

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Of course the variations are huge ---from being course specific though Trainerroad, Zwift or Strava .... or simply a run off the bike for transitions or even a partial race bike intensity simulation straight out of the pool set.

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 Put some thought into your bike training sets over winter rather than consign the bike to the shed and enjoy your bike fitness improvements when spring/summer returns together with plenty of daylight.

Obviously there is no substitute for  enjoying riding outside  on a Perth clear sunny winters day -as that invokes all your bike skills, reactions, mental well being and vitamin D input

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Brian Kempson is a Professional Performance Triathlon Coach 

He first started his coaching in 1997 here in Perth & has since completed and coached internationally 

Currently  -  Head Coach for efs triathlon cl

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Is your Season Plan Ready 

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No matter what area you are targeting the aim should be to really plan ahead .Think of these as building blocks... so that you can perform them at your best and be organised in both training and racing.

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In training you can work on skills, or smooth out weaknesses and increase your fitness levels, get nutrition and recovery right for you.

So these then can be part of your season master plan

And......

(1) Begin the season getting some fitness up over about 6 good weeks +

(2) Move into skills & race abilities maybe 4 good weeks + 

(3)  Proceed to starting with those lower level events 

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Now this is where it all gets interesting in your season planning prep.... 

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After this base level build up - then you should have now selected all of your A, B, C races

  

A - being  the 2 or 3 important main races for the season

B - being the lead in races for A 

C - being the testing in some races before you progress to the B Level 

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EG:

You have decided the Key A events maybe are going to be ---

Rotto Team Swim , Busso 70.3 , Perth Marathon 

 

Rotto Team -- (C) Swim Squad & (B) plenty of longer OWS prior for the ocean wave & current differences or some Swim WA Ocean series races 

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Busso 70.3 - (C) Distances in training with  (B) 2 x Olympic Distance lead in races to smooth out any performance /mechanical /nutrition issues

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Perth Marathon - (C) distance runs with (B) some trail series / longer fun runs/half marathons for intensity and developing mental skills

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Why ?? --nobody ever went into any sort of Grand Final (a key race ) without training, testing, retraining & playing in some lead up games --no different for triathlon /multisport goals

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Simple to follow when you break it down and easier to keep up focus

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Brian Kempson is a Professional Performance Triathlon Coach 

He first started his coaching in 1997 here in Perth & has since completed and coached internationally 

Currently  -  Head Coach for efs triathlon

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