Shorts

Fast, myth-busting explainers pulled straight from TriForward's research — watch here or on YouTube.

Walking the aid stations doesn't have to cost you time

Myth: any walking in the Ironman marathon costs you time.

The Ironman marathon is lost to durability, not just speed

Myth: fading in the marathon means you need more speed.

You don't need a lab to set your run zones

Myth: accurate run zones need a lab test.

There's no magic 180 cadence

Myth: every runner should hit 180 steps a minute.

The 500 km shoe rule has little behind it

Myth: replace your running shoes at 500 km.

The 1% treadmill rule is a default, not a conversion

Myth: set 1% and the treadmill is exactly like the road.

Swimming and cycling don't protect your bones

Myth: swimming and cycling protect triathletes from stress fractures.

Run power is an estimate, not a measurement

Myth: run power measures your effort like a bike power meter.

Your Ironman long run doesn't need to be a marathon

Myth: you need to run the full marathon distance before an Ironman.

Race cramps usually aren't about salt or water

Myth: cramps mean you need more water and salt.

Humidity slows you down, even at the same temperature

Myth: if you can handle the heat, humidity doesn't matter.

A dead leg on hard efforts isn't always a muscle problem

Myth: one leg dying on hard efforts is just a tight muscle.

You don't slow down steadily every year after 30

Myth: you get slower every year after 30.

Feeling fine after an Ironman isn't the same as recovered

Myth: if you feel fine after an Ironman, you're ready to train.

A good taper cuts volume, not intensity

Myth: tapering means resting up and doing almost nothing.

A short off-season break costs less than you fear

Myth: take a month off and you'll lose everything.

Being fit doesn't protect you from menopause symptoms

Myth: endurance athletes sail through menopause.

Creatine won't make you a faster endurance athlete

Myth: creatine will make you a faster endurance athlete.

Bicarbonate is proven for short efforts, not long races

Myth: bicarbonate will boost your Ironman.

More caffeine isn't more speed

Myth: more caffeine means more speed.

Feeling tired isn't a reason to take iron

Myth: feeling tired? Take an iron supplement.

Extra sleep isn't a proven performance hack

Myth: sleeping more is a proven way to get faster.

Swimming and cycling don't build bone

Myth: all that swimming and cycling keeps your bones strong.

Foam rolling is a warm-up aid, not essential recovery

Myth: foam rolling is essential recovery.

The swim isn't automatically the worst use of your hour

Myth: skip the swim — it's the shortest leg and barely moves your result.

Non-drafting doesn't mean the group is irrelevant

Myth: it's a non-drafting bike, so who you exit the swim with is irrelevant.

The kick isn't wasted effort — it's a support system

Myth: don't kick — save your legs for the bike.

You'll lose less swim fitness than you fear

Myth: miss a few weeks of pool access and your swim fitness is gone.

Swimmer's shoulder is a load problem, not a flexibility one

Myth: swimmer's shoulder is about flexibility — too loose, or too tight.

Strength training probably won't fix your swim split

Myth: get stronger in the gym, get faster in the water — same as the bike and run.

Video shows the fault — it doesn't fix it

Myth: film your stroke, spot the fix, swim faster next session.

45 focused minutes beats 90 unfocused ones

Myth: if you only have 45 minutes, you're stuck undertraining.

Critical swim speed isn't an all-day pace

Myth: critical swim speed is a pace you could hold all day.

Fitter isn't the same as faster in the pool

Myth: swim more laps and the speed eventually comes.

Your cycle isn't secretly wrecking your training

Myth: your cycle and the pill are quietly wrecking your performance.

Most triathlon research was never tested on women

Myth: triathlon research applies equally to everyone.

Your watts aren't fading from an empty tank

Myth: late-ride power loss is just an empty fuel tank.

Durability and fatigue resistance aren't the same thing

Myth: "durability" and "fatigue resistance" mean the same thing.

Your durability test is mostly noise

Myth: a 1-minute all-out effort after a long ride tells you your durability.

Riding above threshold costs you twice

Myth: a smooth average power number means you rode smart.

Every surge costs more than you get back

Myth: a couple of easier minutes after a surge counts as recovery.

You don't need a 4-hour ride to expose fade

Myth: you need a pro's 4-hour monster ride to expose real fade.

Your aero position can start taking watts back

Myth: lock in your aero position — the trade-off is settled.

Heat cuts your power even when you're hydrated

Myth: stay hydrated and heat won't touch your watts.

Good fuelling doesn't stop you from fading

Myth: fuel enough and you shouldn't fade late in a long ride.

Train low, race high — the honest picture

Myth: train on purposely low carbs, then race high, to force the adaptation.

Your hour-four FTP isn't your FTP

Myth: your fresh FTP number holds for the whole race.

Two strength sessions a week beat more running

Myth: running volume is what actually builds durability.

Salt tablets won't stop hyponatremia

Myth: if you're cramping or feeling off late in a long race, take more salt tablets and drink more.

Stop copying the 80–90% swim rule

Myth: swim at 80 to 90 percent effort to save your legs for the bike.

Smooth pacing beats surging, watt for watt

Myth: surging on the hills and easing off on the flats evens out to the same effort.

Rest isn't fixing your Achilles

Myth: rest and stretch your Achilles until the pain goes away.

The 10% mileage rule is dead

Myth: never raise your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent.

The most aero position isn't always fastest

Myth: the most aero position is always the fastest position.

16°C isn't the safe number you think

Myth: above 16°C, open-water swimming is basically safe.

Don't copy the Norwegian running plan

Myth: copy the Norwegian double-threshold plan and get their results.

Your FTP test is lying to you (a bit)

Myth: your fresh FTP test tells you your real race power.

Training harder isn't always the answer

Myth: if you're not improving despite training hard, you just need to train harder.

Plyometrics won't save your knees

Myth: add jumps and get a faster run, guaranteed.

Myth: more race-day carbs always means more speed

Myth: more race-day carbs always means more speed.

Your FTP number is a guess, not a law

Myth: your FTP is a precise, fixed number.

"Just race by feel" vs what the science says

Myth: just race by feel — ignore the data.

Myth: 'just relax' fixes open water panic

Myth: just relax and the open-water panic goes away.

60g/hour is outdated. Here's why

Myth: 60 grams of carbs an hour is still the right number for everyone.

The stroke rate myth costing you time

Myth: a longer stroke is always a faster stroke.

Myth: a strong stomach is something you're just born with

Myth: a strong stomach is something you're just born with.

'More gym time = better' is mostly false

Myth: more gym time always means better results.

Stop static stretching before you run

Myth: stretching before you run prevents injury.

Why your friend's super shoe result won't be yours

Myth: the same super shoe gives every runner the same boost.

Sauna vs. training outdoors in the heat

Myth: you need to travel somewhere hot to prepare for a hot race.

Stop reading your HRV score every morning

Myth: let today's HRV score decide today's training session.

More bricks isn't always the fix

Myth: doing more brick sessions makes dead legs off the bike go away.