Why Heart Rate is a Useful Metric for Triathlon

INTRO 0-5:30

Funny coaching stories about team enemas and wearing two left shoes!  YIKES!

Why Heart Rate is a useful metric with Triathlon Training 

We lump running all together but a 5K is not a marathon is not an Ultra is not running off the bike.  Triathlon is a sport unto itself - it’s not “three sports” so we train the swim / bike / run differently than just swimmers or just bikers or just runners.

Heart Rate is a metric telling us about how hard our body is working.  This matters because our body can only work so hard for so long before it shuts down in both training and racing. 

To develop a frame of reference for your own heart rate, just watch your heart rate as you run. It doesn’t need to be complicated.  

Heart Rate on Swim vs Bike vs Run

The technology for heart rate while swimming is advancing and will be used more and more. 

What makes our heart rate go up is how hard our muscles are working.  For this reason, the heart rate on the bike is often a bit lower than the run (unless you are a trained cyclist) simply b/c the run is naturally so much more physically demanding. 

Heart rate often isn’t the limiter on the bike meaning usually the legs wear out before the cardio OR athletes run out of energy because of lack of fuel.  

The run off the bike is not the same event as stand alone running.  Many factors impact the run on triathlon that are not factors for stand alone run events such as the heat later in the day, you’ve been exercising for hours, core temperature is higher, fuel and hydration is burning hot.  It’s easy to get off the bike and run super fast without realizing it - our legs can feel surprisingly good at first. We need a metric to hold us back and heart rate can do that. 

Use the heart rate in training so you are familiar with it and can sense when something is off and how to troubleshoot.