Going into this race I have to admit that I was more nervous then I've been for a race in a long time.  Without a doubt, it because I've struggled a bit this season with my own results.  Season started great with Salty Dog, but quickly got challenged.  With a DNS at Oliver, then a DNF at IMCdA, I was feeling less like a finely tuned machine and more like a UFC fighter fighting up a weight class.  That makes my season sound kind of crappy, when actually this season has been one of the most rewarding to date! As a coach, I was rolling all six's!  Watching my athletes crush race after race was such an incredibly cool thing!  Trust me when I say, I could go on and on about my athletes this year!  Just awesome!

Illustration by Andy Mora
Most road cyclists are just a turn of the screw away from a new tri bike.

In the sport of triathlon it is easy to get caught up with the latest bike trends. Many purchase tri bikes just because their friends have one. The fact is, to get into a perfect tri position you don’t necessarily have to be on a tri bike. Your perfect tri position conforms to three points in space: hands, pelvis, and feet. The way these three points are oriented for your optimal position is specific to you, not the bike you are riding. It’s about the bike conforming to your body rather than your body conforming to the bike. To get into a good tri position on your road bike is easy. Of course, getting your bike into a tri position starts with proper road position.

Step One: Aligning the EngineResearch shows that, compared to road position, the tri position should be slightly more forward over the pedal axle. An ideal road position should have the muscular stress evenly balanced between your glutes and your quads. A tri position will shift that delicate balance forward. Consequently, your quads will bear slightly more load and your glutes less. The research has shown that shifting forward helps triathletes adapt to the run more easily. The question is, how much do you move your seat forward on the rails? This varies from one athlete to another, but generally the move is no less then one centimetre and no more than three centimetres. A word of caution: moving too far forward will only make you slower and less powerful.