Triathletes spend such a large portion of their time pounding the pavement, in the saddle, and submerged in the water that other types of training can be overlooked.  When simultaneously training for three different sports, why add another, right?  Recent trends have shown many different competitors, including triathletes, adding Yoga to their workout plan.  Often seen as just stretching, Yoga can also add strength and balance, as well as flexibility which can improve body function and dynamics.  By allowing muscles to be both strong and flexible, they can perform at peak levels even when pushed to their limits during a race.  Another valuable aspect of Yoga is mental strength and focus.  The practice of concentrating on and isolating muscle groups, while also relaxing the mind is a valuable skill that can be applied to races of any distance.

Yoga can be an added element to your workout routine to break up the monotony of training or just to bring calm and peace to your body.   Whether it’s used for focus and breath control, building strength and stamina or just relaxation, there are many different types and forms of Yoga, so the key is to find a good balance and the program that best suits you.

If you’re training for a race right now, planning to start soon, or just bored with your usual workouts then maybe it’s time for something a little different.  There is a wide variety of programs that can get you started, either on your own at home, or with group and even private classes.  Whatever your preference, consider giving Yoga a try, you might enjoy the change in your routine and could be come a better triathlete in the process.

This Friday, the biggest news comes from the ocean and pool.

Surf: This El Nino season has brought no shortage of swell for big wave surfers.  Starting with The Eddie, then Mavericks and now massive surf for the Todos Santos big wave event in Mexico.  Hawaiian Mark Healey won the event by paddling into some of the biggest bombs this winter.  On to the ASP world tour, Taj Burrow defeated Kelly Slater and Jordy Smith to take home the first place prize at the Quicksilver Pro Gold Coast.  It was a tight final heat between Smith and Burrow, but Taj edged out a well deserved win.

Swim: Two of H2O Audio’s Ambassadors will be in the competition pool this weekend.  Natalie Coughlin already swam one of her qualifying events at the Austin Grand Prix of Swimming.  She finished first in the 100 fly, saying she was happy with her first competition swim since Beijing.  Michael Phelps will also be swimming for time this weekend at a local meet in Annapolis.  He is scheduled to swim the 400-meter individual medley, the 200 IM, the 200 butterfly and the 500 freestyle at the Maryland Swimming Championships.  Best of luck to them both!

Today’s grab bag is all about interesting things on water.

First up, due to an unusually high tide, a rare swell swept through the Severn river in the UK, drawing hundreds of surfers to try and see who could ride the wave the longest.

Next, adventure Kayak magazine published “a completely arbitrary, shamelessly biased and utterly made-up list of the 10 best places to live for sea kayaking“.  Even though it might not be a comprehensive list, at least it’s got a few suggestions on where to go for good kayaking.

And one last thing to get you through to Friday, a piece of news from Orange County, California.  The Dana Point Harbor has taken action to keep Stand Up Paddlers safe by producing a sticker showing the best routes for boats and human powered vessels to navigate the waterway safely.  With the growing popularity of SUP, I’m sure this will be something we’re seeing more often in waterways around the world.

Training for a triathlon is no easy feat.  Balancing three sports and most likely a job and family as well takes organization, discipline and quite a bit of planning.  How do you squeeze everything in and still improve your race times?  The answer is strategic training.  Done correctly, fewer quality miles and minutes can be more productive than high volume as well as help to ward off injury.

These 7 tips can help you create a flexible and productive training program, so you don’t have to neglect your work and family in the name of Ironman.

When you do carve out a block of time for your long run of the week, how far should you go?  It may be shorter than you think, read more on how to determine your long training run for any triathlon distance.

Although training in three sports is inherently cross-training, USA Triathlon recently suggested that adding yoga to your workout plan can increase your form, efficiency and power to make you an overall better triathlete.  Give it a try in the off-season and see if you recognize improvements that make yoga worthy of adding to your routine year-round.

Have you seen this bike?

Sad news!  Ironman and H2O Audio Ambassador Craig Alexander has had his race bike stolen during a string of break-in’s in his neighborhood.  Among other items the thieves took Crowies black 51cm Orbea Ordu bike (pictured at left).  The bike is one of only a handful in the world, and is the only one in Australia.  If you’re reading this from down under, keep an eye out for this bike and report any information you may have.

H2O Audio Ambassador Natalie Coughlin is scheduled to compete in the 2010 Austin Grand Prix Swim Meet that starts this Thursday in Texas.  This will be her first meet back in the competition pool since her record breaking performance in Beijing in 2008.  We know she’s been training hard and wish her the best of luck!

Also, married triathletes Greg and Laura Bennett will no longer be the only couple on the team H2O Audio roster, as long time  H2O Audio athletes and whitewater kayakers Samantha Brunner and Boyd Ruppelt recently got engaged!  Our congratulations goes out to them and we hope there’s at least one kayak involved in the wedding.