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Why "Hard" Courses are Easier....

Wednesday, 10 February 2016 00:10

A smart strategy for finishing a hilly bike leg with energy left for the run.

By Scott Fleigelman (triathlon.competitor.com - July, 2014)

Last September I brought 15 athletes to Madison, Wis., ready to unleash their hard-earned fitness upon the Ironman Wisconsin course. On Friday morning of race week, however, several of them chose to attend the pro panel and had their confidence shaken by tales of a “brutal” bike course that would surely “chew you up and spit you out.”  ...

Most triathletes are familiar with the dire warnings about the Ironman bike courses at Coeur d’ Alene, Lake Placid and Lake Tahoe; while races like Arizona and Florida are known for being “easy” and “good for first timers.”

Thankfully, my athletes had 36 hours to rein in their concerns and seek confidence in their training. Courtesy of tools such as GPS, cadence and power meters that most of these athletes had onboard, I was able to conclude afterward that the Wisconsin bike course was actually no harder than Florida or Arizona. For many it was even easier!

How is that possible, you may be asking, given the never-ending hills through dairy land? The answer resides in two pieces of advice:   READ MORE