A DAY IN THE LIFE OF Michelle Dillon, triathlon coach and former world champion
I’ve coached some of the best athletes in the world, and currently coach Emma Pallant, 70.3 Silver medallist at the recent Ironman World Champs, as well as my husband Stuart Hayes, who is winding down his career due to injury, but still competes at a high level. Then I have a range of athletes, from top Age Group triathletes who have won Gold at World Championships, all the way through to total beginners. Morning – swim coaching then breakfast and athlete catch-ups. I like to set goals with all of my athletes – it’s so important that both coach and athlete are on the same page. Since I’m still very active and train at least once or twice a day, my training now doesn’t differ too much from my professional days in terms of energy output, however I have to be more organised and prioritise my athletes. Last year, for example, I came 2nd to my pro athlete Emma Pallant in the National Duathlon champs, and went on to compete at the World Duathlon champs at the age of 43! Now I’m injured again, I think age is catching me up. If I’m sending the athletes out on a steady long ride and I’m not riding myself, I’ll go for a short run and that’ll be my workout for the day. We use power for athletes that want to use it for their cycling; some athletes do and some don’t. We assess our athletes’ technique across all three disciplines and make corrections if we need to so that they’re getting the best out of their training, and also to prevent them getting injured. My coaching philosophy is to ensure I pass on all the knowledge I learnt thorough my own career as a world class athlete and ensure my athletes get the most out of their training, not just physically but also mentally as well – a strong mind builds a strong, robust athlete!
Benefits For The Busy Triathlete
As a starting point, I’ve shown Figure 1 from Jeukendrup & Wallace, which takes various studies to show nicely the different factors that influence the relative degree of carb and fat oxidation with exercise intensity. The most important point that we usually take from these examples is that which is shown from the textbook example above; that calculated fat oxidation becomes negligible at high exercise intensities, reaching zero it seems once exercise intensity reaches values ranging from 75-90% of VO2max. We’ll skip a few details to get to the heart of the matter, but basically, because the oxidation of those substrates have different O2 and CO2 inputs and outputs, it winds up that the CO2 you exhale relative to the O2 you take in, gives us a ratio number from our metabolic cart data ranging from 0.70 to 1.00, termed the RQ, or RER. When that ratio number reads 0.70, it tells us we are burning pure fat. As you’ve probably gathered, the higher lactic acid-induced production of CO2 has a large influence on the calculation of carbohydrate and fat oxidation. The fat oxidation, at those high exercise intensities, was nearly 3 times greater in the well-trained runners compared to the recreationally trained. Something happened with training it seemed to allow more fat oxidation at high exercise intensities. Fat oxidation didn’t just explain HIT performance. Check out the fat oxidation line for both groups of runners as they progress through their interval session. Notice their negative fat oxidation values, especially during the recovery phases, as bicarb buffers the sugar-burning acid release. So fat oxidation at the muscle level is likely higher than what we report here.
How to Make Time for Triathlon Training
Ryan Muir: There’s so much wasted time in the evenings and early morning you can put to training. Gregg Coull: Doubling up your training and your commute is a great way to utilize your time. Schedule ahead of time, let people around you know that you have time scheduled in for your triathlon training and organize things around that. Use weekends to get your volume in, double training day or long brick sessions can make the most of your weekend time. If you are looking for results, hire a coach and help them schedule your training around your work and life commitments. Oh, and eat WELL. missitaly13: If you want it bad, you will make the time for it! Early mornings, lunch time, put all the training for the week on your calendar, pack bags the night before, hang your registration on your fridge or desk at work for reminder of what you have signed up for, include friends in parts of your training and a coach to guide you and report to through the journey. Laurentiatorrealba: My biggest savior was to invest in a indoor trainer, I did all of my cycling training for my first full and half-distance races on that, that way I can get training done before I have to leave the house while my family is still sleeping. World: Hire a coach so you don’t have to worry about creating your own training plan, cook in bulk! And get up early for those morning workouts! Joining a local triathlon team is also helpful for moral support, camaraderie, motivation, and good ol’ social time. Ty vallario: Never making a training schedule that’s too rigid. Truck to triathlon: I’m a truck driver… with a wife and two kids and I’m training for IRONMAN 70.3 Switzerland this June.
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