RTA Triathlon

Two riders. Same road. Same effort… completely different outcomes.

One’s spinning smooth at 90 rpm. The other’s mashing low and slow — grinding every pedal stroke like it’s a leg press.

Here’s the problem: low cadence = more force per stroke = more muscle fatigue = jelly legs on the run.

High cadence (~90) shifts the load to your cardiovascular system instead of your quads. You save your legs for where it matters — mile 1 of the run, not mile 1 of the bike.

Elite triathletes don’t ride like cyclists. They ride like runners who happen to be on a bike.

Check your cadence today. What’s it sitting at? 👇

You bought a power meter to get faster. Instead you got a number you stare at and don’t understand.

Sound familiar? You know your FTP. You glance at watts mid-ride. But when the race gun goes off for an Ironman, most athletes have no idea what number they’re actually supposed to hold — or how to tell if they paced it right until the marathon falls apart.

Here’s the number that matters: Normalized Power. Not average power — NP accounts for every surge, coast, and hill so you get your true physiological cost of the ride.

Your target for a full Ironman: 68-72% of FTP.

Some athletes will sit slightly outside that — stronger bikers protecting a big run can nudge higher, first-timers or bike-limited athletes should stay lower. And how your FTP was tested matters too: different tests can hand you a higher or lower number, which shifts what that percentage actually means on race day.

Then check your Variability Index. Under 1.05 means you rode smart and even. Get up near 1.15+ and you were surging — burning matches you’ll need on the run.

This is exactly why having an experienced coach in your corner matters. A third party who knows your data, your test history, and your race-day tendencies can dial in the number that’s actually right for you — not just a range you found online.

Know your numbers. Use your numbers. That’s the unlock.

What’s your FTP, and have you ever actually checked your VI after a race? Drop it below. 👇

Watch her turn at this buoy. 😳 This is not an accident.

Instead of muscling through a flat 90-degree turn, she rolls belly-up as she comes around — using her back to carve the corner instead of fighting the water with her arms.

**SAVE & SHARE** so you can refer back to this.

Here’s what’s happening:

1️⃣ She sights the buoy early, well before she’s on top of it

2️⃣ She stays tight to the line — no wide, wasted arc around it

3️⃣ Right at the corner, she rotates onto her back momentarily, letting her body roll drive the direction change instead of a hard arm-pull turn

4️⃣ She rolls back onto her front and is back to full stroke rhythm immediately, no lost momentum

That small belly-up roll is the difference between fighting a turn and flowing through one.

😎Have you ever tried rolling through a turn like this? Drop a 🙋 below if you’re trying it on your next swim.

Technical Note:
The belly-up roll works because it swaps a resistance-heavy arm turn for a body-rotation turn — same principle as a flip turn in the pool. Dropping onto your back for a half-second lets your hips and core redirect your line while your arms stay relaxed, instead of using a wide sculling pull to yank your body around. It only works if your sighting is already dialed — you need to know your exit line before you roll, since you’re briefly not watching the buoy.

Swimmer: Erica Parriott

You’re at the start line. Gun goes off in 5-15 minutes. So why are so many athletes standing on the beach?

Get in the water before the race starts. It’s time to warm up. Get wet, take some deep breaths above AND below the water and swim a bit.

Warming up primes your body, settles your nerves, and if the water’s cold, you won’t shock your system when the real race begins. You’ll swim faster. You’ll feel calmer. Win-win.

Those preliminary minutes in the water can be the difference between a GREAT SWIM and a miserable experience.

What’s your pre-race swim warm-up look like?

Happy Valley 70.3 did not disappoint. It was our first 70.3 Team Race of the year and everyone did well. Congrats to Team RTA and all of our friends near and far who raced. 😎🤙

Shout out to the race organizers for putting on an outstanding event! IRONMAN Americas

You’re swimming extra yards you don’t need to swim.

Most age groupers do. Not necessarily because they’re slow, but because they don’t sight well.

🔷SAVE this post. LOTS of good stuff below🔷

GOOD NEWS:
You can easily practice your sighting in the pool. Practicing in the pool will enable you to focus on your technique and avoid being distracted by open water swim nerves.

GOALS for SIGHTING:

1. See what you need to see,… so you don’t swim extra
2. Do it while keeping your body on top of the water (don’t let your legs drop!)

SIGHTING Technique TIPS:

- HOLD LEAD ARM OUT IN FRONT while lifting your head to sight
- Sight first, THEN rotate to breathe (Pop up head up - think: “crocodile eyes”)
- STRONG STROKE when sighting,… this will help keep you UP in the water & give you an extra split second to see what you need to see
- STRONG KICK when sighting to help keep your legs up and allow more time to sight

REMEMBER, sighting in the open water isn’t just about lifting your head. It’s about doing it without tanking your body position. The moment your hips drop, you’re fighting drag for the next three strokes. That adds up over 1.2 miles.

🤙FOLLOW US for more helpful triathlon and run related training and racing tips.

Chef RD has always been into fitness, but he was never a runner … UNTIL his friend challenged him to run the NYC Marathon and raise money for charity JAR of Hope.

Meet Ryan - he’s a family man, renowned New Jersey Chef and owner of multiple restaurants.

He’s the kind of guy that makes things happen. When he sets his mind to something (anything), he delivers!

Be sure to check out his restaurants including our #1 favorite, in Jersey City, NJ

We hope you find his story inspiring.

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