The term 'marginal gains' or, the unedited version, 'the aggregation of marginal gains' - is a term that was popularised by Team Sky, which was stolen from British Cycling, which, if the story's true, was probably stolen from former England Rugby Union Coach Clive Woodward. (Who more than likely borrowed it from someone else.)
Whatever you call it and wherever it's derived from, the well-known idea is that you enjoy myriad small wins for one big win. When it came to Team Sky, those small wins included sleep kits, warming down on turbo trainers and fasted sessions. For you the triathlete, well, you'll have to read on in search of minor multisport improvements.
Before then, we implore you to not sprint before you can jog; in other words, before actioning the following, make sure your maximal foundations are in place. This strong base should cover the full gamut of tri performance including training, gear and nutrition. To that end, the biggest improvements will come from consistent training; a mix of long, slow sessions and short, high-intensity efforts - an 80/20 mix is a good start; a professional bike fit's one of the best expenditures for more speed and a reduction in injury; your wetsuit must be neither too loose nor too tight but just right; and ensure that 80% of your nutrition is good with 20% treats.
Tick those off and you'll be ready to sharpen your race form further with these marginal gains. Prepare to shift into the next level of performance...
10 TIPS TO TAKE YOUR RACING UP A NOTCH
From fish oil and fans to laces and Lycra, here are some simple tips and tricks that you can add to your training and racing repertoire to make you a faster and more efficient triathlete...
01 KEEP IT SLICK
Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av 220 Triathlon.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
"I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE THE GROWTH OF TRIATHLON"
British Triathlon CEO Ruth Daniels talks Paris, her plans to grow tri and her own personal goals... knees allowing
ZWIFT RIDE
£1,199.99 Zwift's new Ride is an indoor bike that might help you break your PB... but won't break the bank
PARIS SHOWED THE VALUE OF OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE
With the spotlight on triathlon like never before at these Games, debutant athletes talked about being overwhelmed by the unique environment
THE OLYMPIC CHAMPION
On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...
GAMES AT THE GAMES
After watching and enjoying the Olympic triathlon events, Brunt amused himself by playing the 'guess how far into each event I would die' game...
WHERE EAGLES DARE
With little heat prep, the wrong gear choice and a course-recce mistake, would experienced extreme triathlete Sean McFarlane soar like an eagle or drop like a stone in Italy?
HOW TO INCREASE RUN PACE WHEN FATIGUED
The ability to dig deep in the latter stages of a race helped Alex Yee achieve Olympic gold. Here Ben, a member of Team GB's coaching staff in Paris, explains how you too can find that extra gear...
HOW TO CARB LOAD
PACKING YOUR WORKING CELLS WITH CARBOHYDRATES IN THE BUILD-UP TO YOUR BIG RACE IS A PROVEN STRATEGY TO RACE STRONGER AND FASTER...
BUYER'S GUIDE: BIKE COMPUTERS
Log your rides, find your way and monitor your multisport training with a quartet of impressive bike computers...
POLAR GRIT X2 PRO
\"You can't be anything other than impressed with the GPS, whose design is one of the significant changes to the V3\"