The fall race season means different things for different athletes. Some of you may be wrapping up your season at the beginning of October with Playtri Fort Worth or Waco 70.3, while others may still be ramping up to a late-season 70.3 of full Ironman. Either way, training and racing in the fall can leave you feeling a little flat, especially if you started your season in May or April. So if you are still looking to peak, or you are looking to finish strong, here are a few tech upgrade ideas that can put a little pop in your step and help you finish the season strong.
Refresh your bike fit. Bike fits are not a one-and-done thing. Our bodies change as we age and as we gain fitness. Refreshing your bike fit toward the end of your season can unlock more comfort and power on the bike as you head into your last races.
Refresh your tires and tubes. These are the first points of contact between your bike and the road surface, and if you have been riding a lot this year, which I hope is true, then getting new tires and tubes before race day can give you more speed on the bike by cutting down on rolling resistance. For tires, I’m a fan of the Pirelli P Zero Race tires, which have low rolling resistance, low weight, and decent puncture resistance. And for tubes, I highly recommend TPU tubes from Tubolito, they are cost-effective, offer low rolling resistance, and allow you to run a lower tire pressure, which improves handling and comfort.
Swim Smart. Form Smart Swim Goggles are excellent training tools if you feel like your swim form (especially your body and head position) has stagnated. Using the Head Coach function along with the heads up display is an excellent way to improve your pacing, distance per stroke, and head position. Although Form Goggles do work well in open water and have an excellent navigation function, I do not recommend them for racing, as the lenses do not have a strong enough tint to handle bright sunlight.
Be seen, be safe. Safety is important while we are training for our favorite sport. And retreating to the bike trainer is not the best option if we want to maintain real-world bike handling skills. The Garmin Varia RCT715 is the best rear safety light out there right now. It functions as a powerful taillight (daylight visibility with a 220-degree range), as a radar device that provides visual and audio alerts to warn of vehicles approaching from behind up to 140 meters away, AND a camera that will record any car passing you.
Mix It Up! Specificity in training is great, but so is plain old fun! Mixing it up can be helpful. Need to get an open water swim workout in while supporting an excellent cause? Try Swim Across America! Bike rallies are a great way to get a long ride in. And doing a 5k is an excellent way to work on maintaining a high cadence when you are spending most of your time doing aerobic-based running.
If you have any questions about anything in this article or want to learn more about our different coaching options, please feel free to contact me at jim.rowe@playtri.com. Happy training and racing!
Jim Rowe is a Playtri Level 5 Coach and Coach Education Lead, a USAT LI Certified Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and an Ironman and 70.3 World Championship Qualifier who works with adult athletes looking to qualify for a World Championship, get on the podium, or set a PR. Learn more about Jim at www.playtri.com/jim-rowe