Planning with a Triathlon quiz

Sticking to your plan

In Scubadiving, we say "Plan your dive and dive your plan" because you could die otherwise.  While death is less imminent in triathlon, there are serious hazards you should prepare for.  Planning your race and racing your plan is the best approach when you are doing long-distance races.  But I think it is good advice for any race distance, although the hazards are fewer in shorter races, they still exist.  Check below the planning section for some of the hazards you might want to know about. 

While this blog today isn't only about swimming, your swimming ability will be affected by your stats and your nutrition planning so this pertains to swimming training as well. 

Planning: Training and Racing 

Today I've put together a quiz.  I get calls from athletes asking me questions about altering plans, signing up for races etc.  Sometimes they don't call.  That's when it's the most dangerous for them.  I put together a quick quiz (10 questions, 2 mins) that gives you feedback on your selections and a score.  I hope you find it helpful!  QUIZ #1

In this quiz, you'll learn how to calculate your Max HR, what VO2Max is and how to alter your FTP.  You'll also learn a few things about race nutrition and training plans.  You won't walk away knowing everything, but you'll certainly know enough to prevent some serious errors in your racing future. 

So here are some links for more education about these various things:

VO2Max https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/what-is-vo2-max-how-improve-vo2-max

Max HR https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/how-to-calculate-your-training-heart-rate-zones

FTP https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/fitness-and-training/what-is-ftp-and-why-it-matters-for-cyclists/








How to train for your first Ironman https://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/how-to-train-for-your-first-ironman

Race Nutrition Calculator http://www.tri-talk.com/TriTalkNC/TriTalkNC.htm

Race Nutrition Planning https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/race-fueling-how-many-calories-should-i-eat/

Hazards to know about 

Overtraining   When it comes to exercise volume, there is a “dose-response relationship,” which means that the more you work out, the more benefits you will achieve, but there is a tipping point beyond which the amount of exercise you perform can do more harm than good. This point can be reached by one or both of the following two ways:

• Too much exercise without enough recovery
• Chronic underfueling

This tipping point is known as overtraining syndrome (OTS) and, in short, leads to a decrement in fitness level and possibly injury. Whether you are male or female, you are equally at risk for OTS, so recognizing the early signs and combating them can prevent detrimental fitness and health outcomes.

Stress Fractures Stress fractures are tiny cracks in a bone. They're caused by repetitive force, often from overuse — such as repeatedly jumping up and down or running long distances. Stress fractures can also develop from normal use of a bone that's weakened by a condition such as osteoporosis.
Stress fractures are most common in the weight-bearing bones of the lower leg and foot. Track and field athletes and military recruits who carry heavy packs over long distances are at the highest risk, but anyone can sustain a stress fracture. If you start a new exercise program, for example, you might develop stress fractures if you do too much too soon.

Panic Attack  A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying.


Heat Exhaustion Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that can occur after you've been exposed to high temperatures, and it often is accompanied by dehydration.
There are two types of heat exhaustion:

• Water depletion. Signs include excessive thirst, weakness, headache, and loss of consciousness.
• Salt depletion. Signs include nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, and dizziness.

Heat Stroke Heatstroke is a condition caused by your body overheating, usually as a result of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures. This most serious form of heat injury, heatstroke, can occur if your body temperature rises to 104 F (40 C) or higher. The condition is most common in the summer months.

Dehydration Dehydration is a condition that can occur when the loss of body fluids, mostly water, exceeds the amount that is taken in. With dehydration, more water is moving out of individual cells and then out of the body than the amount of water that is taken in through drinking. Medically, dehydration usually means a person has lost enough fluid so that the body begins to lose its ability to function normally and then begins to produce symptoms related to fluid loss. Although infants and children are at highest risk for dehydration, many adults and especially the elderly have significant risk 

Hyponatremia Hyponatremia occurs when the concentration of sodium in your blood is abnormally low. Sodium is an electrolyte, and it helps regulate the amount of water that's in and around your cells.  In hyponatremia, one or more factors — ranging from an underlying medical condition to drinking too much water — cause the sodium in your body to become diluted. When this happens, your body's water levels rise, and your cells begin to swell. This swelling can cause many health problems, from mild to life-threatening.
Hyponatremia treatment is aimed at resolving the underlying condition. Depending on the cause of hyponatremia, you may simply need to cut back on how much you drink. In other cases of hyponatremia, you may need intravenous electrolyte solutions and medications.
Sodium Deficit Calculator 

Rhabdomyolysis is a serious syndrome due to direct or indirect muscle injury. It results from the death of muscle fibers and the release of their contents into the bloodstream. This can lead to serious complications such as renal (kidney) failure. This means the kidneys cannot remove waste and concentrated urine

SIPE Symptoms include: Shortness of breath out of proportion to the effort being expended. Crackles, rattling or 'junky' feelings deep in the chest associated with breathing effort – usually progressively worsening with increasing shortness of breath and may be cause for a panic attack.