Heavy legs after cycling are primarily caused by muscle fatigue, glycogen depletion, and lactic acid buildup in your leg muscles. This sensation affects nearly every cyclist at some point, from beginners building endurance to seasoned triathletes pushing through brick workouts. At Nautica Malibu Triathlon, our coaching team has worked with hundreds of athletes dealing with … Read more
When I first started tracking my running metrics, I noticed my cadence hovered around 165 steps per minute. Fellow runners told me I was overstriding. After three months of focused work, I brought it up to 175 SPM and my knee pain vanished. Optimal running cadence explained simply means finding the step rate that lets … Read more
Running cadence is the number of steps per minute (SPM) you take while running. It is one of the most important yet misunderstood metrics in running form. Our team has worked with hundreds of triathletes at the Nautica Malibu Triathlon over the past three years, and we have seen how understanding cadence can transform both … Read more
Here is something that might surprise you: I used to pump my road bike tires to the maximum pressure printed on the sidewall before every ride. I thought higher PSI meant less tire flex, less rolling resistance, and therefore more speed. I was wrong. After testing different pressures over hundreds of miles and reviewing data … Read more
There is nothing quite like the burning sting of post-race shower water hitting chafed skin. I learned this the hard way after my first half-Ironman, when I hobbled to the showers only to experience what felt like molten lava cascading over my neck and inner thighs. That was the day I committed to never letting … Read more
Chafing is skin irritation caused by repeated friction between skin and skin or skin and clothing, resulting in a painful rash or raw skin that can ruin your race day. Every endurance athlete needs to understand what causes chafing during a race because the combination of repetitive motion, heat, and moisture creates the perfect conditions … Read more
If you have ever wondered how power meters work, you are not alone. I spent my first year as a triathlete glancing at the mysterious watt numbers on my training partner’s bike computer, completely baffled by what they actually meant. A power meter is essentially a device that measures the force you apply to the … Read more
The optimal cycling cadence for triathletes falls in the range of 70 to 90 revolutions per minute (RPM), with most athletes finding their sweet spot between 80 and 85 RPM. This range maximizes pedaling economy, reduces muscular fatigue, and sets your legs up for a strong run off the bike. Unlike road cyclists who often … Read more
A bike fit is a professional service where a trained fitter assesses your body measurements, flexibility, riding goals, and current position on the bike. They then adjust various components to create a position that maximizes comfort, efficiency, and power output while minimizing injury risk. Whether you are training for your first sprint triathlon or logging … Read more
An aero position is a semi-horizontal cycling posture where your elbows rest on the arm cups of aerobars with your arms extended forward on aerobar extensions. This position reduces your frontal area and lets air flow over your body instead of pushing against it, which is why triathletes call it “free speed.” When I first … Read more