slow!

I believe the key to getting faster is something quite counter-intuitive: going slow.

Common sense tells us that the path to cycling, running and swimming at a higher cadence during a race is to train at or above these high cadences. Need to comfortably hit 100 rpm on the bike? Spin at 110 rpm or higher. Training is, at least partially, about increased ability through repetition. The more we train at higher cadences, the more naturally it will feel come race day.

While speed work is certainly an important part of training, a crucial piece to increasing the body's ability to move quickly is through slow and deliberate movements.

The natural reaction to this is: "How can I expect to go fast by training slowly?" This certainly holds a fair amount of merit. A classic pitfall of endurance training is having too much of a focus on building volume with long distances. "If you train slow, you'll get really good at going slow", is a quote that comes to mind for most triathletes. And so there seems to be this distinct separation between volume training and speed training.

The problem, as I see it, is that these things end up becoming mutually exclusive. Volume workouts end up being done solely to improve volume, and speed workouts end up being done solely to improve speed. What are the results of this? Essentially, proper form becomes an afterthought:
1.) There is rarely a focus on the mechanics of our form when doing long distance training sessions - We find "the zone" and shut off our brains. We buy indoor trainers for our bikes, which let us watch TV while we ride, and not even worry about staying balanced.
2.) Slow and deliberate movements aren't practiced when speed training - We try to go as fast as we can, paying no attention to our form. We don't employ the things we learned from our volume training to speed train with efficient, effective form.

In order to overcome this, I try to reverse my natural reaction to slow training:
"How can I expect to go fast if I can't go slowly, properly?"

Uttering these words during training sessions forces me to regain focus. I try to focus in on my form in the middle of long runs/rides. I try to step outside of my body and evaluate my gait to see if I'm letting my arms/legs/torso just sort of flop around. I try to maintain as much control as possible when I'm doing speed workouts. It's so easy to just explode with all of your energy to gain a little more speed, but the cost at which it's done is really not worth it. Sure, there are some times where you need to just empty the tank, and push yourself as hard as you can for as long as you can, but that is separate from speed workout.

For me, it's not just about going fast. It's about going fast deliberately. No movement should be left to chance. Every foot placement, every down-pedal, every flutter kick should be done because you decided to do it, not because momentum helped to move things along.

Once form has been mastered at low cadences, speed can slowly be added. This way, you'll ensure that when you are training fast, you're training correctly. You've left nothing to chance. Every move you make is deliberate.

An interesting drill to do is to train in slow motion. How slowly can you move and maintain a proper, fluid form? It's a lot tougher than it seems.