How making incremental gains will help you reach your triathlon goals

When you first got started in triathlon, you might have seen big jumps in your performance on multiple occasions. You were new to the sport—perhaps new to all three—so it only makes sense that you would have seen massive improvements after consistent training. As you have continued to improve and get faster, though, you have probably seen those developments become smaller and smaller. It is of course nice to see huge improvements, but now that you’re a seasoned triathlete, it’s time to focus on the small, incremental gains in training. These are what will elevate you to the next level.

Small improvements lead to big changes

We have all heard some version of a quote about how even the longest of journeys begins with a single step. That is what you face in triathlon. No matter the distance of race that you are planning to tackle, training for a triathlon is a big undertaking—a long journey that requires small progress and consistent forward momentum to reach the finish.

Triathlon training can be frustrating at times because you cannot always see the improvements that you’re making in real time. You could go months thinking that you’re stuck at the same level, but in reality, you’re stronger and faster than you ever were before. Sometimes it is not clear that we’re making progress until we take a look backwards and see how far we’ve come. Just because you’re no longer shaving minutes off of your PBs doesn’t mean you aren’t improving.

Making small gains

If you have reached a plateau in your training, it means that you are going to have to get micro with your focus. You need to look at small details that, if modified correctly, will help you make small gains. Things like form in the pool and on the run. Maybe your hand is entering the water too early in your swim stroke. This will shorten the stroke overall, making it less effective.

Lengthening your stroke might not seem like it would have the biggest of effects since it is such a small change, but once you make that adjustment, you will become more efficient in the water, meaning you will be able to conserve more energy and/or swim faster.

It can be the same on the run. Many people keep their upper-body tight while running, but it is ideal to be loose and relaxed. It’s not necessarily an easy switch (you will have to focus on staying relaxed until it becomes more natural), but when you get it down, your newly relaxed running form will help you save energy and therefore allow you to go faster and longer.

On the bike, incremental gains can be made in the form of aerodynamics. Something as simple as where you place your bottle can make you more aero, meaning you’ll be faster between T1 and T2.

Not everything has to be a drastic change to help you improve. Sometimes it can be as slight of a change as loosening your shoulders or moving a piece on the bike and you’ll see your times drop.