Sprint triathlons are often the stepping stone for many triathletes to get involoved in the sport. Sprints are also races that you can do more often through out the year VS an Ironman.
The coaches at the rock star triathlon Academy have put togeather some things you can do to enhance your sprint triathlon training and make racing fun.
1. Avoid Your Facebook Ironman Friends. If you just got back from an explosive 2 mile run, then log-in to your social network to find that yourfriend just slogged out 12 miles, you may be discouraged. It is very important, however, for you to realize that the individual who is training for Ironman is actually making themselves slower when it comes to sprint triathlon training. So don't be discouraged that you're not "fit enough". For sprint triathlon training, you should pursue speed, and not slow endurance.
2. Consider Nutrition Supplementation. There are many nutrition supplements that can assist you with explosiveness, power, speed and recovery. A few of the tried and true aids that are easily accessible to enhance your sprint triathlon training include: creatine, nitric oxide, CoQ10, branched chain amino acids and glutamine. Don't be afraid of supplements! All those listed here have been researched many times and found to be both safe and effective.
3. Include Overspeed Training. Despite popular belief, overspeed training
does not mean that you go out and swim, bike or run faster than you normally
would during your sprint triathlon training. Instead, this term refers to
neuromuscular training - teaching your muscles how to contract quickly and
repetitively. For swimming, this could include practicing with a metronome.
For running, you can include treadmill efforts at a pace that makes your
legs turn over faster than they would while running outside. And for
cycling, you can simply choose an easy gear and perform fast spins at 100+
revolutions per minute.
4. Do Plyometrics. Jumping, hopping, bounding and leaping exercises, also
known as "plyometrics" can significantly enhance your sprint triathlon
training performance by teaching your muscles to recover quickly between
contractions and also produce faster and more forceful efforts. An example
of plyometrics would include perform a series of 3x10 jumps up onto a bench
or box before you go out for run, or chest passing a medicine ball against a
wall for 8 explosive reps. Doing a single plyometric session at least once
per week for eight weeks leading up to your sprint triathlon will make you a
quicker athlete.
