JV to Varsity Triathlete

Welcome to our JV to Varsity Triathlete page!

One of the best parts of our sport is the ability to consistently work on improving. You can focus on a discipline, on your body composition, on race execution, on your equipment, on your mental game…the options are almost endless.

Most triathletes will, at some point in time, draw the line and make a concerted push for being their ultimate best. Some folks rise to this challenge early in their tri careers; others take a long time to warm up before deciding that this year is going to be the year to reach their potential.

Having coached thousands of age groupers to ironman and half ironman finish lines, with multiple-hour personal bests to sub-10 hour performances, we have built an understanding of what steps are required to reach your personal level of peak triathlon performance without having to quit your job or get divorced.

If you’re in your first year of triathlon: Click here to read our Triathlon 101 guidance

Varsity Triathlete Overview

Start by read the original article to understand where we are coming from with the JV to Varsity concept. The biggest thing to consider is that you have to have at least one solid year of Iron- or Half Iron training under your belt. Not because “Rich and Patrick said so” but because you learn such a great deal about yourself as a triathlete: what training works, when it doesn’t work, how you race, where your limiters are. All of this information is critical to have before you can begin to modify what you are doing to seek further improvements.

>> The Article That Started It All
>> The Annual Planning Process

It Takes Hard Work…So Make the Hard Work Fun

Achieving excellence in anything we do requires time, patience and…wait for it…hard work. There are no short cuts when working to improve your bike speed, for example. The best way to get faster on the bike is to get out on your bike, and ride as fast as you can as frequently as you can sustain without compromising your other training. Same goes for running. Even though swimming is predominantly an exercise in the application of the proper technique, the focus can be harder than just pushing your physical limits.

>> Stop Shopping For Speed
>> Don’t Do a Winter Marathon
>> Stop Running Long on Sunday
>> How To Improve Your Swim Technique

Body Composition

There is a body type in our sport, and it’s pretty clear when you do (or don’t!) fit into the stereotypical mold. It’s no secret — carrying extra weight on race day will absolutely slow you down. You’ll notice it most on the run, but if you are riding a hilly course you’ll be suffering the consequences as well. While there’s no one way to best lose weight, we have covered this topic before…so ready up!

>> A Practical Strategy for Improving Body Composition
>> Paleo Diet, Modified for Triathletes

Get Fast When the Competition Isn’t

One of the best ways to move ahead of the competition is to get faster when they aren’t! Forget trying to out duel your local training partner in the last six weeks to race day; instead focus on putting in the quality work that will guarantee you are faster when it’s time to hit the open road.

The vast majority of triathletes turn either to low-intensity “base” training in the winter or a long-distance run focus. Neither one of those options mesh well with an in-season focus on volume (as is required by the Half Iron and Ironman® distance events. Instead, you’ll train smarter and make serious gains on the competition.

>> Off Season Guidance
>> Time to End the Endurance Myth
>> Endurance Nation vs Traditional Coaching Approaches
>> The EN Fast then Far Approach

Consider Purchasing A Powermeter

Having instant access to how hard you are pedaling, at any given minute of your workout or race, is a distinct critical advantage. Your training will become insanely focused, as you’ll be able to not only benchmark every workout with every single previous session (and your current tested fitness), but you’ll do a significantly better job of pacing your entire day. We’ll go as far as to say that having a powermeter on the race course is almost cheating — you’ll actually feel sorry for the men and women who are literally self-destructing in front of your eyes.

>> What is Training With Power?
>> Power Zones for Ironman® Training
>> Racing with Power
>> One Year of Bike Fitness Inside EN

Thank you so much for your interest in the Endurance Nation JV to Varsity Triathlon training message and all of our free resources. Be sure to say HI on our Facebook Page. We’ll definitely respond, and we look forward to seeing you online or at the races.