Are long, hard group rides useful?

Today we take on your questions about triathlon training, strength training, Ironman, swimming, cycling, running, and other bits and pieces. We also briefly review our recent race experiences, and what’s next on our schedules. Hosted by Scientific Triathlon coaches Mikael Eriksson and Jack Hutchens. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

• How to make your bike commutes as effective as possible from a training standpoint! 
• Essential strength training advice for Ironman athletes
• Can you simulate the effectiveness of 4+ hour rides when all you have is 2.5 hours to ride? 
• How do you know that your actually responding to and adapting to training?
• Are long, hard group rides beneficial in preparation for Ironman races and other long-distance triathlon events? 
• Using the Finis Tempo Trainer to improve your swim training and swimming performance
• Are supershoes still worth it on hilly courses? 
• Big discrepancies between heart rate zones and pace zones, and how to deal with it
• Rapid-fire questions on hypoxic training, starting out in triathlon when overweight, and more…

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

• We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode. 
• The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts693/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

• Triathlon Base Training Series 5 – Strength Training, Nutrition & Diet, and Listener Q&A - further details to the strength training question asked in this episode
• Metabolic cost of level, uphill, and downhill running in highly cushioned shoes with carbon-fiber plates - Whiting et. al 2022
• Dustin Joubert, PhD & Dr. Amol Saxena, DPM | EP#383 - the importance of gradually building up use of super shoes
• Shallow Water Blackout - by Swimming Canada 
• Effects of Swimming-Specific Repeated-Sprint Training in Hypoxia Training in Swimmers - Camacho-Cardenosa et al. 2020
• Repeated Sprint Training in Hypoxia Induced by Voluntary Hypoventilation in Swimming - Trincat et al. 2016

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:

• Q&A on swim training | EP#377 - Jack’s first ever appearance on That Triathlon Show (back in 2023)
• Triathlon Base Training Series 5 – Strength Training, Nutrition & Diet, and Listener Q&A - already mentioned above, a recent Q&A with Mikael and Jack related to Base Training
• Q&A on middle-distance development, training load and overtraining metrics, cadence, and more | EP#463 - a solo Q&A with just Mikael
• High intensity, running power, suffering capacity, bias in training prescription (Q&A) | EP#447 - a Q&A with Mikael and Tobias Haumann (also a coach for Scientific Triathlon)

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: 

• The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
• Contact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
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• Learn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals. 

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? 

I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. 

• Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.
• Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far! 
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SPONSORS: 

• Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.
   
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• Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.

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