Get Race Ready In 12 Weeks

The haze of christmas has finally lifted and the race season is hovering on the horizon. So now’s the time to get race ready. Here top triathlete and coach nick beer provides his proven advice to have you tri fit and ready to race in just 12 weeks…

The month of January has finished and the triathlon season is drawing ever closer. With the main bulk of racing beginning in May, the next three months are crucial in ensuring you hit peak fitness at the right time. From February to May, it’s paramount that you start to make your training specific to your racing goals. With the goal to improve aerobic capacity over the winter months, the steady aerobic miles and the sessions can be quite general. But now it’s time to use your newly-developed aerobic fitness, focus it into race-specific training and, consequently, achieve a stronger conditioned body for the races ahead.

Tri-specific training consists of a combination of water and land-based activities. These include open-water swimming (when the weather and water are warmer); open-water swim drills (in a swimming pool); swim-to-bike and bike-to-run brick sessions; and transition practice. Alongside this, it’s important to continue gym sessions focused on maintaining strength and preventing injuries, as well as focussing more attention towards nutrition to hit your target weight.

When including race-specific sessions in the training plan, it’s important that you build-up gradually and not push yourself too much, too early. After the winter months of aerobic training, increasing the intensity too quickly can shock the body and cause unnecessary injuries. By slowly upping the work rate, you enable your body to adapt to the extra training demands and allow enough time for fitness developments to take place.