Austin Fit Magazine, January 2003

Find Out How Fit You Really Are. Triathlete Testing

by Sarah Scott,MES, CPFT.

Sarah Scott, President and Founder of Ironsmith, believes in triathlon performance testing before a competition. Not once. Not twice. But continuously.

Ideally, Triathlon performance testing provides frequent snapshots of training improvements. It simply shows both triathlete and coach where his or her race fitness levels are at the time of testing. More importantly, performance testing done regularly provides feedback on how effective the athletes training program has been to date!

In other words regular run, bike and swim testing provides a great check and balance for both triathlete and coach. Frequent testing allows training adjustments to be based upon test results. When someone commits their time and money to triathlon training, I highly recommend they look for a program that provides a regular method of quantifiable "progress reports".

This is also why in our Tri Fit USA training programs, we prefer performance testing that more closely simulates the realities of actual outdoor racing. For example, I prefer our triathletes do a bike time trial at the Veloway versus a Bike Graded Exercise Test indoors on a Computrainer. Or a run graded Exercise Test on the track versus a run graded exercise test on a treadmill.

Although testing variables are more controllable in a lab, they do not simulate the unpredictable outdoor racing experience nearly as well for the athlete. Not to mention lab tests are typically cost prohibitive to perform on a regular basis! The outdoor tests performed at the local pool, Veloway and track are inexpensive and with proper instruction are easy to self administer.

It has been my experience over the past 14 years that it is critical for the novice triathlete to experience realistic race day stresses prior to the actual race!

For example, the swim graded exercise test is a series of increasingly faster 100 meter-yard repeats with 20 second recovery intervals. The bike graded exercise test consist of a series of half mile laps at 1 mph increases per lap, until you are forced to stop because you cannot go any faster! Similarly, the run graded exercise test on the track is a nonstop succession of laps run with 3-5 second speed increases every half lap until you cannot go any faster!

With each of the above tests we record heart rates, times and rates of as the perceived exertion as effort & intensity increases. These same tests also allow us to estimate the triathlete's lactate threshold. Lactate threshold, or anaerobic threshold occurs when the body reaches between 85 and 90 percent of your maximum heartrate. For simplicity's sake lactate threshold occurs somewhere between the time your body shifts from light breathing to labored breathing. As triathlon specific fitness improves the athlete will be able to swim, bike and run faster at lower heart rates and resist fatigue at lactate threshold for longer periods of time.

It is particularly important to determine that the novice triathlete is race ready, as well as, race safe! Far too many people enter local triathlons before they are well prepared enough to psychologically and physically navigate 800 meters of murky water that is well over their head.

Regular monthly testing also provides important clues for the novice triathlete to assess whether race day will be a positive or negative experience. Therefore, race testing is as necessary for personal safety assessment, as much as, performance prediction!

All in all, the best reasons to performance test are to provide insight into daily training effectiveness and future race performance.

Note: Tri Fit USA is a trademarked triathlon-mutisport training program and a subsidiary of Ironsmith-The Fitness Doctors. For more information on Tri Fit USA or Ironsmith-The Fitness Doctors please visit FitnessDoctors.com, TriFitUSA.com or call 454.4766.

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