John Dahlz- Iron distance swim set

John Dahlz recently lead out of the water at Ironman Arizona with a 46:56 swim. In talking to John post-race, we asked him to share his favorite swim set for 2.4 mile prep. John says, "My favorite workout for ironman training is 800 repeats on a tight interval (ideally your threshold base interval)."

4 x 800 on 9:20(short course yards) descending 1-4 with 2 x 100 IM on 1:30 as recovery after each 800, so it's really 4 x broken 1k's.

"I like 800s because they are long enough that you can get into a rhythm, but short enough you do not get bored. The 2 x 100 IM's break up the set both mentally and physically, but still maintain your aerobic heart rate throughout the set. I think descending the intervals is key for the 800s because it gives you the confidence that you can get through a 4k main set feeling strong. Plus with the IM thrown in, the set goes by pretty quickly and with a w/u and c/d you can get a 5-6k workout in in less than 1.5 hours."

Brownlee named Brit triathlete of the year

In from Competitor magazine.

Alistair Brownlee ( blueseventy ) and Helen Jenkins named British triathlons Olympic athletes of the year.

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2011/11/news/brownlee-jenkins-named-british-triathlons-olympic-athletes-of-the-year_43234

Helen Jenkins and Alistair Brownlee were named joint-winners of the 2011 Olympic Athlete of the Year award.

See the complete press release below:

The prestigious award rounds off exceptional seasons for the two athletes who both finished the year winning their second career world titles in Beijing.

Helen Jenkins also celebrated winning the GE British Triathlon Female Elite Triathlete of the Year award, following a season which has seen her win the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship London presented by Tata Steel and finish second in Beijing, Kitzbuhel and Madrid.

Helen was also a member of the ‘Dreamteam’ in Lausanne that saw the GE Great Britain Triathlon Team win gold in the ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships in the Olympic Capital of Lausanne.

Upon receiving both awards, Helen commented: “I think it’s the third year in a row and it’s so nice that people keep voting for me.”

PHOTOS: A Look at the Lives of the Brownlee Brothers

She added: “It’s great to be in a sport that is growing so much. It’s an honor to be in such an amazing team, there are so many people doing well at the moment, it’s amazing to be part of the sport at this time.”

On an evening aimed at celebrating Britain at its best, Alistair Brownlee was also awarded the GE British Triathlon Male Elite Triathlete of the Year for the fourth successive year.

Alistair won the Madrid, Kitzbuhel, London and Beijing legs of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series and like Helen was a member of the GE Great Britain Triathlon Team that won gold in the ITU Triathlon Mixed Relay World Championships.

When asked about the upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games he commented: “I believe I can be there, and that gives me the best possible chance to win that medal on that day.”