Three Essential Triathlon Workouts With Pro Triathlete Judith Corachan Vaquera

May 10, 2021

Judith Corachan Vaquera is a professional triathlete from Spain, and she recently kicked off her 2021 racing season with a stellar result at one of her home nation’s biggest events. She is also a coach and trainer, and she’s offered up some tips for new triathletes to consider as they wade deeper into the wonderful world of multi-sport racing. For those curious about how pro triathletes train—and for those who are looking for inspiration on how to take their own training efforts to a whole new level—Judith has shared some of her favorite workouts. Check them out below. Note that these workouts are geared for long-distance triathlon racing, and are some of the preferred distances, durations, and intensities of a professional athlete. We always recommend consulting with your physician before starting any new training regimen or engaging in strenuous exercise.

JUDITH’S FAVORITE TRIATHLON WORKOUTS

1. Mixing some high-intensity efforts into your long bike rides. For me, it’s important to develop good habits in training, and being able to transition between harder and easier efforts will pay off on race day, especially when you need to modulate your intensity against your competition. Focusing on these types of workouts will give you confidence in knowing that you can increase your intensity should the race situation demand it. For example, I like to do a long bike ride—say, around 5.5 hours—with some competition pace mixed in. So I’ll plan to ride for that duration, then incorporate something like 4 x 40-minute efforts of competition pace (whatever that may be for you and the needs of your goal event) interspersed with 40-minute segments of riding at a comfortable pace.

2. Longs runs with some high intensity. I utilize the same philosophy in my running just like with how I approach some of my cycling workouts: long, endurance-oriented efforts that include some high-intensity segments. Again, this helps build confidence in yourself by being comfortable with increasing your race day intensity should the situation demand it. For running with this goal in mind, I like to go for a long run—maybe two hours over 27 kilometers or so—and incorporate a block of high-intensity pace. For example, that could be 2 x 20-minute hard pace efforts).

3. Endurance riding for building a solid fitness base, and for a good mental health boost. If you’re not already doing so, consider incorporating some long bike rides into your training routine. Consider distances like 180-200 kilometers. Don’t worry about hard efforts all the time. For these types of rides, you’ll want to get away, so to speak, and enjoy the scenery without looking at your watch or computer. Just enjoy the ride, and stop somewhere with some charm to enjoy a meal. Make sure you plan a good route, and ride with some good company to make the whole thing more enjoyable.

CLICK HERE TO READ JUDITH’S TOP TIPS FOR BEGINNER TRIATHLETES.

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