Each of us approaches this sport with different backgrounds, priorities, and goals. It is our job as coaches to meet you where you are and help you be the best athlete you can be. Because of this, there is no one-size-fits all program and definitely no one-size-fits all advice. With …
Everyone has their definition of ‘off-season.’ My definition of the ‘off-season’ is a time of planned unstructured training that can last anywhere from two to eight weeks (depending on the athlete). The purpose is to take a break from the formal, structured training program and allow for a mental and …
I am a ‘big picture’ guy. I’ve been preaching the importance of identifying your two ‘BIG DEALS’ in life and constructing a lifestyle that allows you to go after them. But it is easy to get overwhelmed by the enormity of these BIG DEALS. Sometimes, when we dwell on the amount of …
Most folks dread hilly workouts. And for good reason! Running up a hill is hard!! Your run pace slows down, your legs and lungs burn, and sometimes it seems that you will never reach the top of the hill. But what goes up must come down, and the reward for …
Any race requires that you get from the starting line to the finish line as fast as you can. In triathlons, this involves swimming, biking, running and TRANSITIONING between disciplines. Races can be won or lost in transition. In fact I can identify two races I WON because I transitioned …
We obviously train so that we can get stronger, faster, and fitter. As you have learned, the way we do this is to stress our bodies and then allow them to recover. This balance of stress and recovery allows us to adapt and continue improving. The goal as we lead …
We just wrapped up the 2018 ECo EPIC weekend. From my perspective, it was a great weekend. The athletes had their fair share of challenges, but each person dealt with it in their own way and came out the other side stronger. During the weekend, I happened to read a …
I attended a meeting a couple of years ago where we spent two days discussing how to apply science and technology to lead to improved athletic performance. This meeting highlighted the vast array of tools that are currently available to collect and analyze data. But the meeting also stressed the …
Exercise, as it relates to physical activity, is defined as “a particular movement or series of movements done to become stronger and healthier.” In 2015, over 54 million people enrolled in fitness centers in the U.S., and there are around 34,000 membership-based exercise facilities in the U.S. Despite that, people …
The original version of this article was published on my first website, gojoeco.com in 2006. It summarized my thoughts on ‘necessary elements of successful Ironman training.’ I thought the since a high percentage of us are training for a longer race this fall, it would be appropriate to resurrect this article. I modified …
