In a large pack of riders, a cyclist can motor along barely touching the pedals and, perhaps, at speeds much greater than would be sustainable under their own power. Drafting not only takes minutes off the bike split, it leaves the legs nice and fresh for the run.

You don't want to forget anything on race day. This checklist makes sure you won't.

So, what can an athlete do to alleviate the pain, or prevent ITBFS?

Not everyone is an athlete, but we would all like to be in better condition. For those with more general goals in mind we have added custom general fitness plans.

After consultation and evaluation a fully custom general fitness plan is created. The plan incorporates your favorite activities and allows you to monitor your diet using our online nutrition software. The same principals we use to coach our athletes are applied to our general fitness plans, such as goal setting, accountability, fitness progression, heart rate training, and proper intensity.

The longest period we go without hydration is when we sleep. It is not unusual for the average individual to go 10 hours or more to the next fluid intake; which may be a cup of coffee. We may wake up in a dehydrated state and begin our work outs with a strike against us.

The impact forces and eccentric contractions associated with running stress muscles, ligaments, and tendons to a point that requires greater recovery than the other sports.

The long sets with short recovery are designed to tax the muscles and build the strength endurance necessary for swims beyond sprint distance.

The peaking process dictates that the closer you get to a goal race, the more specific and race-like your training must become.

Joe Flenniken and daughter cross the finish line at the Florida Half Ironman