The Tri Town Times: 8/29/22

• Posted on 29 August 2022
• By Antonio Gonzalez
• Posted in the tri town times
• 0

This Week: Long vs Sprint Intervals. There is more to life than increasing its speed.

Image: Idaho backcountry.

Hi all,

Here is your weekly Tri Town Times newsletter: 

Weekend race report: 

Exciting racing at the World Triathlon Cup in Bergen, Norway. Three Olympic medalists started the men's race, with Kristian Blummenfelt taking second in his triathlon-crazy hometown race. 

Events I'm looking forward to: 

Thousands of riders will converge on Sun Valley for Rebecca's Private Idaho this Thursday through Sunday.

Shop Ops: 

The shop will be closed Monday, September 5th for the Labor Day holiday. 

Training thoughts and updates: 

An interesting meta-analysis looking at short, sprint intervals (i.e. 4x 30s w/ 4min recovery) vs high intensity interval (i.e. 4x 5min w/ 2:30 recovery) training. Both types of intervals were effective at improving VO2 max, with the long(er) intervals improving cardiac function, and the sprint intervals improving muscular function. 

The key takeaway is that there are benefits to both types of intervals. For the long-distance endurance athlete, integrating "strides" at the end of a training session is an effective way to maintain muscular function throughout the season. High-intensity intervals are best integrated into training after a solid aerobic base has been established, and 20-30min of hard intervals is enough. 

Further reading of interest with excellent insight on interval training is Out of Thin Air (notes here) and Swim to the Top (notes here).

Quote that struck a chord: 

An appropriate reminder from Mahatma Gandhi to pair with any discussion on interval training: 

"There is more to life than increasing its speed."

If you have a moment to spare: 

Slightly off topic for this newsletter, but here is a fascinating visual representation of all the people who have lived in the past, present, and future. 

Train smart, and have a great week! 

Antonio Gonzalez

Tri Town Bicycles

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