While there are so many cool things out there that look fast and are expensive and make my heart go fast when I see them, there are very
few gadgets that you actually NEED to be fast.
While I have my own opinion about that list, it would be great to hear others.
Here is my small list of things that really make you fast…
A bike that fits you and your style of riding.
(not aero tubing, lightweight…just fit, and well maintained)
a decent wetsuit (I don’t know how much a new wetsuit would be better than an old one. mine is 7 years old and I don’t think a new one will make me much faster, maybe a minute? But here I’m not sure)
aero wheels. a good race-wheel on the front should do most of the gain but a rear wheel sure looks cool. Front first, rear secont.
nutritional systems, like jetstreem, racebelt…just stuff that makes YOU think about getting those calories and fluids in. It’s very individual but nutrition is the bigest source of mistakes I see at long races!
everything more than those four things are cool but will not make you much faster, by much I mean a minute or two ower an IM.
I’m sure many people will disagree but that’s what I want to hear!
I would say that the #1 gadget for speed improvement is an HRM. I proved the old adage of “Go slow to go fast” yet again to myself when I blew up on the run at WF because I didn’t pace properly. Went too hard on the swim, and went too hard on the bike. I chose to listen to RPE rather than the HRM and paid the price. Many will say that they can pace themselves better using RPE, and maybe they can, but this clearly doesn’t work for me.
Going fast is mostly about the engine. #1 on that list is the only thing that is important in that regard. #4 is also important but it is not the system so much as EXPERIENCE that improves that aspect of racing.
Work on the engine. The rest is fine tuning. just check out the IM times in the days before all this other stuff.
While there are so many cool things out there that look fast and are expensive and make my heart go fast when I see them, there are very
few gadgets that you actually NEED to be fast.
While I have my own opinion about that list, it would be great to hear others.
Here is my small list of things that really make you fast…
A bike that fits you and your style of riding.
(not aero tubing, lightweight…just fit, and well maintained)
a decent wetsuit (I don’t know how much a new wetsuit would be better than an old one. mine is 7 years old and I don’t think a new one will make me much faster, maybe a minute? But here I’m not sure)
aero wheels. a good race-wheel on the front should do most of the gain but a rear wheel sure looks cool. Front first, rear secont.
nutritional systems, like jetstreem, racebelt…just stuff that makes YOU think about getting those calories and fluids in. It’s very individual but nutrition is the bigest source of mistakes I see at long races!
everything more than those four things are cool but will not make you much faster, by much I mean a minute or two ower an IM.
I’m sure many people will disagree but that’s what I want to hear!
.jpg)
.