General Triathlon tips
Nutrition tips for Triathletes
May 19th
IRONMATE SPORTS NUTRITION
Truths & Myths about sports nutrition.
Athletes who fail to eat a replacement meal then every 2 hours after that before bed time will have lower liver glycogen levels the next day –True
Should I always rely on carbohydrates when I exercise? False
No you should sometimes 1-2 a week train on your own or easy below 70% heart rate and learn to use up fats
How much carbs should I have?
Consume 1.5g of carbohydrates for every 1 kilo of body weight-True
75kg athlete needs 112 grams. True
What happens if an athlete drops their sports fuel (bar or sports drink) their body cannot cope because it has always relied on energy intake during exercise? True
Never go low on carbs during exercise if you will then be in a place with lots of people (shopping schools airports etc) . True – Your immune systems can be lower from exercise and reduced nutrition so practise lower carb intake on days that this is less likely to happen.
The more I eat the night before the longer I go before I hit the wall – False
A correct taper and finishing eating 12 hours the night before the following breakfast will give you the most calories – True
If you have a good sports nutrition strategy then you will achieve the best in your race – False
Sometimes you need to reduce the amount of food during a long run or bike so the body learns what is like to be low on energy. The body over compensates rather than just rely on food every time during exercise. True
Sports nutrition
Why?
To maintain the blood glucose concentration and body fluid levels to maintain hydration and avoid dehydration. True
6-10 % sports drinks between 35g and 80g depending on body size intensity etc is what is required per hour on the bike. True
Isn’t alcohol and sugar quick energy because I feel good after. False
Alcohol & Sugar have no nutrients Alcohol should not be consumed before or during exercise
I am always hungry? False
Don’t confuse tired sensations with being hungry they are not the same.
Just drinking water will make me stronger?
Once a week is fine but those in heavy training it is not advisable. It can also lower your immune system. True
Those limited to training can get the improvements by only drinking weak sports drinks 3% or water and training much slower to use up fats for fuel. True
Without correct carbohydrate feeding before and during blood glucose levels will decline. True
Post exercise recovery protocol
Speeds up recovery when the body is most ready and able to absorb and store nutrition in the muscles and liver. True
What & When
1.5g of carbs for every kilo of body weight. For example
60kg athlete 90g of carbohydrate / 65kg athlete 97.5g of carbs 70kg athlete 105 grams of carbs & 75kg athlete should have 112.5 g of carbs.
This should be consumed within 30 minutes then every 2 hours after 0.5g of carbs per kilo of body weight
2 hours later consume the following
60kg athlete 30g of carbohydrate / 65kg athlete 32.5g of carbs 70kg athlete 35 grams of carbs 75kg athlete should consume 37.5 g of carbs.
To further increase muscle glycogen storage repeat this every 20-30 minutes.
This is particularly important for the athletes who train more than once a day.
A 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein after exercise speeds up recovery. Unknown.
I have not seen any scientific evidence to prove this either way.
Daily training
If you train once twice or even three times a day then it is necessary to maintain regular calorie intake.
Hunger pains
Occasionally wait for hunger pains before eating.
Few people in the western society go hungry sugar levels may drop from not eating on a regular basis (habit) but this is not the same as going hungry.
Benefits from reduced calories while training.
While it is beneficial to experience low energy from reduced calories this style of nutrition should not be practised more than twice per week.
The body can over compensate and learn to experience these dips in energy level but during times of mental stress lack of sleep little calorie intake for multi sport or multiple daily trainers should be avoided at all costs.
You may also need to increase water intake during the ride to be able to improve using fats for fuel.
Calories during a cycle ride
Having carbohydrates during a cycle ride will replace depleted glycogen reserves which may be getting gradually lower and lower each day from training.
A 90 minute to 2 hour ride
A good breakfast within 90 minutes of starting your ride will be enough. Just ride with an electrolyte or 3-6% sports drink without any foods (Bananas Sports bars-sandwich)
How do I know?
I have successfully finished over 400 triathlons including 30 iron distance Triathlons 2 x double Iron distance and 1 x Triple Iron distance.
I have spoken to many elite professional triathletes who also believe the same.
To date I have not found any evidence to prove mine and others experiences to be incorrect.
Summary
Variety foods is your key to a long healthy life.
Change you’re eating habits during exercise otherwise during a competition when you don’t eat as normal your body soon becomes quickly fatigued.
Trained triathletes and endurance athletes need to improve their ability to metabolise intramuscular fat during exercise. This can be achieved by once a week reducing carbohydrates during easy training sessions but replacing it straight afterwards.
Mistakes to avoid
Reduced calories during exercise.
This type of diet should not be to lose weight. The secret is to eat more when not training.
If you lower your immune system due to low calories you can risk being ill for many weeks if not months. A lack of consistent training and being unable to string together
Timing of nutrition is vital for peak performance.
Athletes who have been world class on low amounts of calories during training.
Sarah Coope finished 5th in the Hawaii Ironman only eating 2 bananas during the bike ride
Siegi Ferstl gets most of his nutrition from drinks and eats very little during training 25-35 hours of training a week as a professional triathlete.
Siegi Ferstl is a friend of Mark and has an Ironman best time of 8:07:00.
He has been German Long distance Triathlon champion many times & 5th in ironman Langkawi
http://www.siegiferstl.de/news.htm
Holiday Tips for Triathletes
May 19th
Most athletes hate Holidays because they worry about all that hard training will be lost while on holiday.
A break can revitalise you, avoid staleness and prevent injuries.
Think of the new surroundings to go and investigate and explore.
Remember we improve while we rest and recover, give yourself some thinking time evaluate what you have done and what you want to achieve, and then plan your next training for when you return home.
Take a book or our magazine and learn more about Triathlon Swimming Cycling and running, it will make the time pass by quicker at the airport & on the plane.
Now is the time to use that grey matter.
If you have a heart rate monitor or GPS take the instructions with you and learn how all the functions work?
Fear not as long as you plan your training before and after and more importantly avoid the Holiday mistakes all will not be lost.
Not taking your bike but can swim and run while away do more cycling emphasis before and after your holiday.
While on holiday have a swim run focus week.
If you put on a weight you may experience a detraining effect and lose some fitness, we sometimes need to lose a little fitness otherwise our performance plateaus.
Holiday Mistakes to avoid.
If you eat an extra 3,500 calories more than you burn up while away you will put on a 1lb in weight. (7,700 calories will put on a kilo)
An extra 500 calories a day will put on one pound (almost 0.5 kilo) in 7 days!
Not the end of the world but put on 2-3 or 4 lbs and it could take you a month to get back to pre holiday weight fitness.
Total inactivity and you will lose some fitness, a week away can take up to 10 days when you get back to return back to full fitness while 2 weeks on holiday with little activity and you can take 3-4 weeks to return back to normal.
To avoid a loss of fitness see below the pitfalls of a holiday.
Holiday hidden calories. Just one a day x 7 = Ouch!
50 g Croissant contains about 180 calories x 7 = 1,260 holiday calories
A traditional English breakfast – 1 fried egg, 2 slices Bacon, 2 sausages, I Tomato, 2 slices Black pudding, I mushroom, 2 slices of Toast and marmalade can be as much as 1,000 calories x 7 = 7,000 holiday calories.
A total of 100g of nuts during a week will contain 500-600 calories
Ice Cream 100 grams = 200 calories x 3 a week = 600
Dessert 400 calories x 7 = 2,800
50 g of Cheese 215 calories & 2 digestive biscuits 148 twice on holiday can contain 726 calories
180 calories in a packet of crisps x 7 = 1.260
Drinks
Can of 330 ml coke = 139 x 7 = 973 holiday calories
Alcohol has 7 calories per gram so it is easy to put on weight.
A 175ml glass of wine each night 119 x 7 = calories = 833
Drink
Did you know if you drank 32 glasses of wine during your holiday you would put on 0.5 kilo!
Champagne 133 calories per 175 ml glass x 3 glasses 399
Low cal Lager has around 57 calories while a normal one has 160+ x 2 a night x 7 = 2,240 calories
= 10,431 calories for 7 days extra
For moderately active people we need our weight in lbs x 14 and for active athletes we need our weight x 19 in calories per day.
For example an active person who weighs 140 x 19 needs about 2,660 calories a day
Drink natural mineral water with food for the healthiest drink possible if you must have lots of yummy things when you are away.
See how easy it is to put on 3lbs (1.36 kilos) in weight over 7 days!
Ironmate Holiday Tips
Holiday food is usually different, see if you notice if it gives you more or less energy? You may have been lacking something in your diet at home.
Avoid running injuries by not running on the sand for 3 consecutive days.
The soft sand puts a strain on the Achilles and the camber can at the very least cause sore calf muscles or long term injury.
Marbled pavements by the sea kill your calf muscles because they are so hard, much better to run on the side road pavements as they are more forgiving.
Spend more time on stretching after your body core has warmed up.
Complete core exercises often not done at home because you are too busy with life and training.
If you find your performance plateaus during the season a holiday break from routine and training will reward you with a higher level of fitness once you return to your training schedule, due to variety extra recovery and sleep.
Walk as much as possible rather than drive. Most of us sit at work, sit in front of the PC, sit in our cars and sit at home on the sofa, walking is under rated and is demanding.
A 180lb person will burn up about 100 calories for a mile.
The good news is you improve your fat burning ability while you walk on holiday. If you found it hard running below 65% of your maximum heart rate now is your chance to exercise at a low heart rate.
Use the lift rather the stairs.
Sometimes take 3 steps at a time for strength other times take one step at a time for endurance.
If you are not training complete stretching every day and see how much you improve a short tight muscle hinders performance so stretching can help you when you return back home.
Choose salads for starters rather than desserts & sweets.
Have plenty of local fresh fruit and have a fruit salad instead of a pudding which can be 400+ calories x 7 days = 2,800 calories
Run early in the morning, it is usually cooler, the air is cleaner and you can investigate places to go, you will be surprised how far and how much you can see when running.
Explore and check out restaurants and places of interest while you are training to visit later with the family.
Find out beforehand if there is a race going on and the route, many places have the kilometre signs painted on the roads use these for training pace or intervals.
Ask at the hotel do they have a jogging route you can follow?
Swimming and running kit does not take up a lot of room and weighs hardly anything something to consider when air lines have weight penalties if you are over.
Improve other swimming strokes, learn to breath on both sides practise tumble turns and being streamlined as this is what makes us go faster thru the water.
Improve open water skills in the sea including getting in and out using the waves.
Hire bikes or do something active, are there any sports classes? like spin classes or fun exercise classes that you may be able to join in?
Swim 2 or 3 times a day, swim around the pool rather than push off from the sides, practise treading water then starting.
Do swim drills that you ignore because you have not got the time to do them.
Remember it’s NOT training that causes a loss in fitness but the extra weight gained when on holiday.
Try some family swimming relays.
Hold an Aquathon swim & run with friends, let the younger ones do less laps swimming and running.
Holiday tip
Ultraviolet rays (UV) are invisible part of the energy from the sun
Positive effects is they help our bodies make vitamin D (bones & Teeth) and are helpful to prevent rickets and colon cancer
Negative affects of UV they can burn our eyes hair and skin if not protected.
UV can microwave the skin including our scalp, also chlorine and sea water can change hair colour
Holiday tip – Use products specially designed for the hair or skin or scalp to protect you.
Preparation for a Sprint Triathlon
May 19th
Preparation for a sprint triathlon.
The following things will help you in a sprint triathlon.
Evening Meal.
Avoid any red meat the night before your triathlon because it can take up to 18 hours to fully be digested. Best to eat pasta and white meats like chicken and fish, which are easier to digest.
On race morning you will then be able to eat your breakfast without too much problem.
Try and eat your last main meal before 7pm the night before so you can fully digest it for the next morning.
The night before avoid drinking alcohol because it is high in empty calories; it boosts your appetite, it can also reduce your body’s efficiency to burn fat. Alcohol will affect your body’s ability to keep cool during the triathlon. You could wake up on race morning already dehydrated from even small amounts of alcohol and this will impair your performance.
Alcohol can stay in your system for more than 36 hours; if you have to drink alcohol reduce the chances of dehydration by drinking at least 500ml of water before you go to bed.
Drinking just plain water in the 2-3 days before your event can flush away vital minerals and salts and you could get cramp early in the event. To avoid this drink 50/50 fruit juice/water or electrolyte drinks, these are a much better choice than plain water.
Snack on fruits in the 2 days before and avoid going hungry.
Race Morning.
Have breakfast 2-4 hours before Triathlon.
It is normal to not feel hungry on race morning if you feel full on race morning just snack small amounts of fruit apples, bananas or energy bars up to 90 minutes before you are due to start.
Preferred pre race breakfast meal.
Toast butter with jam or honey (carbohydrate small amount of fat and simple sugars)
Banana for carbohydrate and potassium to help prevent cramping.
Cereal with milk (i.e. porridge slow releasing energy with milk for protein)
Orange Juice with water 50/50.
Have a spare snack and extra drink should the start be delayed.
The Transition area.
A bright coloured towel laid on the ground below your bike helps you find your bike in the transition area. Try to remember where your bike is in the transition area by solid fixtures like a wall, a sign, a banner etc. The bright yellow coloured bike next to yours could be gone by the time you arrive back. Your own bright towel helps you find your correct place when you return from the cycle section.
Lay helmet upside down or hanging from bike so it is easy to get on.
Shoes laid out for easy access to get into, save minutes by using either camping toggles or elastic shoelaces rather than tying them up.
If you are wearing socks roll them down to the ankle to help get them on easier, wet feet can make you take 4 times as long to put them on.
The Triathlon.
15-10 minutes before you need to drink 330ml of either plain water or a weak carbohydrate or electrolyte solution (1-3%)
Sip this drink just before the triathlon, your kidneys will almost shut down while you compete, so you should have no need to go to the toilet and you can then use this fluid in the Triathlon.
Swim
If you are unable to warm up for the swim section do arm swings 10 of each forward and backward. 10 arm shrugs and 10 punches trying to avoid hitting anyone or anything. If you do not warm up for the swim you can take the whole triathlon to get going.
Swim goggles will leak for the following reasons.
If you tighten them up just before the start too tight, they may have never leaked before.
Making them too tight is no extra guarantee that they will be water tight, being too tight can change the way they fit on your face, which will result in allowing water to get inside them.
If you put goggles onto a wet face this can cause them to not seal properly as your skin needs to be dry to cause proper suction and also overlapping your goggles over the swim hat stops a proper seal.
Bike
Cycle in an easy gear high cadence (90-100rpm) when you start the cycle this allows the blood to be diverted from your swimming muscles to your cycling legs. Wait 2-4 minutes after starting the bike section before drinking because as soon as anything enters your stomach blood is diverted from your much-needed working muscles in your legs. Allow yourself time to get use to cycling before drinking
Being in an easy gear (high cadence) keeps the chain at full stretch and should stop the chain from coming off when you run with bike out of the transition area and start cycling.
For events lasting 60-120 minutes you need to drink 600-1000ml. It is much easier to drink on the bike. Plain water is harder to absorb so it is much better to have a carbohydrate or electrolyte drink for fast absorption even a tiny amount can help with performance rather than plain water.
Avoid drinking as you approach a hill. When climbing hills aim for more than 60 rpm that is more than one per second if you do not have a cadence sensor on your bike.
Spin your legs on down hill sections to keep the legs from seizing up, this will help you for climbing the next hill and running afterwards.
In the last 5 minutes of the bike section before the run increase your cadence by 10rpm to reduce the likelihood of dead leg syndrome.
Run
Start the run with a short shuffle stride, if you try and over stride with tight hamstrings caused by the cycle leg your muscles will almost certainly remain short for the whole duration of this sprint distance triathlon.
Your legs will be tired from the run so you will need to use your arms to keep going.
Short arm movements help with shuffle strides while longer backward and forward movements improve your stride length.
Anything you drink in the last 10 minutes of the run will generally not be absorbed until you cross the finish line.
Save time by preparation.
Before the start do these few little tricks to save time.
Walk from swim to your racked bike before the start and recall where it is, pace yourself from where your bike is to the bike exit.
Know where you enter the transition area after the bike and where the run exit is.
You will be surprised how many people spend hours training to go fast only to lose minutes going the wrong way on race day.
To make events safer with one-way traffic and stop people bumping into one another often there can be 4 different places for entry and exit.
Use elastic shoelaces or quick release camping toggles much quicker than doing up shoelaces can save 30 seconds a shoe with wet hands from the swim.
One-piece tri suit quick drying to swim bike and run. Number elasticised belt and pin number on much quicker than putting on a top when you are wet.
Mistakes to avoid.
Do not wear anything different that you have not tried before in training.
Do not change your position on your bike in the last 7 days before the triathlon because your body will not have time to adjust to the changes.
Preparing sports drink with twice the strength hoping this will make up for lack of training.
Training with a Power Meter
May 14th
IRONMAN POWER
From using a power meter myself in many ironman triathlons and coaching cyclists and triathletes to train and use a power meter and studying numerous power data I have come to the following conclusions.
I have no doubt from the information I have observed
I believe that very few coaches have personally used and have coached Ironman athletes more than me.
Here are my observations
Even power watts throughout the 180km (112 miles) is paramount to great finish time.
Just an extra 20 watts average during the Ironman can lead to a slower overall of time of 15- 30 minutes. The bike ends up being 10-15 minutes quicker but the run can be 25-40 minutes slower. You don’t need a calculator to see you get an overall quicker time by holding back.
I know some who have lost an hour in the run due to trying just a little too hard on the bike.
If you are just looking for a fast bike then hammer it and waste energy fighting the wind.
If you hold back too much you may not be able to have a super fast run as your anaerobic threshold speed will be your limiting factor.
I have spoken to many Triathletes about power who have recorded a 6 hour Ironman bike split.
The power needed to take exactly 6 hours for the ironman bike split varies form 160 watts for a 60kg person to 180 watts for the 70kg person to 200 watts for the 80kg person.
Of course many other factors are related to power from hills wind road surface an aerodynamic bike and aero position to name just a few also plays an important part regarding speed and time taken to cover 180km
Functional Threshold power (FTP) = the highest average power you can maintain for 60 minutes. You can keep going much longer when training just below your FTP>
The fitter you are the closer to 80% you can maintain and still run well after.
I have found that the best age group athletes who have good nutrition and even pace bikes can manage an average power of 75% of their FTP
My FTP power for 60 minutes is 260 watts.
RECOVERY TRAINING.(<55% of FTP)
Active recovery below 143 watts. And below 110 beats per minute
Perception of effort = Easy spinning and light pedal pressure. Automatic cycling.
Breathing – slightly more than normal.
ENDURANCE TRAINING (56-75% of FTP)
Mine is 146 to195 watts and between 112 and 134 beats per minute.
This is almost all day training (5-8 hours) with fatigue towards the end or during a tough climb.
Breathing-You should be able to hold a full conversation without any problems while breathing.
TEMPO TRAINING (76-90% OF FTP)
198 to234 watts and between 136 and 152 beats per minute
Hard cycling intervals and hard cycling up hills.
Breathing – unable to hold a full conversation without laboured breathing
LACTATE THRESHOLD TRAINING. (91-105% OF FTP)
Mine is 237 and 273 watts and between 154 and 170
Threshold one hour anaerobic sports test (TOAST).or Functional Threshold power (FTP)
This type of training will help you have excellent fitness for the Ironman triathlon. Lactate threshold training tests are a very good indicator of potential performance.
Training is just below or above the red line of your time trial effort.
Breathing – Deep fast breathing making talking very difficult.
AEROBIC POWER (106 -120% OF FTP)
Mine is 276 to 312 watts and above 170 beats per minute
Talking impossible.
ANAEROBIC TRAINING. (119% + OF FTP)
Mine is above 310 watts
Short sharp bursts of power
Hammer head athletes who continually push their VO2 max will under perform by not training at different levels.
POWER WATTS THRESHOLD SESSION.
15 Minute warm up at 40-50% of 60 minute flat out pace power watts.
15 Minute @ (91-105%) of FTP
5 minute easy spin @ below 55% of FTP
15 Minute @ (91-105%) of FTP
15 minute warm down dropping from 60% of watts max to recover
AGE
Muscle strength can be maintained with improved training technique up to the age of 50 then it decreases more dramatically.
Female V02 Max declines at a much slower rate than men after the age of 50.
POWER WATTS AND RACING.
Before considering the watts you need to generate for an Ironman triathlon you must be aware of the watts you need to generate for an even paced event and how this will impact on your Ironman marathon. Going hard from the start of the bike and slowing down will give you a different average watt power compared to an even paced ride which will considerably increase the chances of a faster Ironman marathon.
Large athletes
Larger athletes have to overcome greater aerodynamic drag on the bike. Hold back on the bike and gain more time with saved energy from the cycle leg.
The only time this fail proof strategy does not work is if it’s above 95 degrees and heat then is your limiting factor more on the run than the bike.
Small athletes
Smaller athletes go faster overall in the ironman with a more balanced bike (hold back) faster run (more energy). They are smaller on the bike but most lack the necessary power and tend to use their fitness more.
We all have a limited number of calories available for the Ironman going too hard will use them up much quicker just like fuel consumption in a car. Out bodies are perfectly designed for using fat as fuel all day going slow, not ideal if you want to race an Ironman.
You can only ride at the top end of your limit providing you consume 350 calories per hour fluids and solids any less then you will slow down towards the end of the bike or melt down in the first 10km of the run.
Power summary
Most fit Iron men and women can bike hard run slow or bike easier and run fast getting the combination correct is vital for a best time.
The faster you are (create more bike drag the quicker you go) the wiser is it to hold back on the bike for a faster overall Ironman time.
Aerodynamic drag is = The square law = The resistance increases with the square of the velocity. Whatever that means, all I know its feels more than 20% harder for going 10% faster.
Mark has finished over 400 triathlons including 31 iron distance two double distance and one triple Iron Man triathlon.
Prevent cycling injuries
May 12th
PREVENT CYCLE INJURIES.
I have listed below the most common cycle injury problems that can be avoided
Correct bike position must include the following
Remember our bike does not change while stored away over the winter but we may change. We may not be as flexible in the spring as we were at the end of last season.
A tight back or hamstring can mean that the bike position when we get out our racing bike may wrong for early season cycling.
ASYMMETICAL cycling is vital for preventing cycling injuries. We are all different no problem make sure one half is a mirror image of the other side.
BIG RING -Always cycling in the big ring – What about the all important warm up warm down and spinning to improve blood flow without creating large amounts of lactate.
BIKE FIT -Caused by an ill fitting bike – Don’t assume you can use your existing measurements for a different bike that has different geometry.
Have a professional bike fit it could save you lots of money in Physio treatment.
BIKE SIZE – Most people have a bike too big for them or a handlebar stem that is the right size then they fit triathlon bars on and end up over reaching.
BODY POSITION – A relaxed body position is the safest way to prevent injuries, being aerodynamic helps you go faster but you often you will not be able to stay in the tucked position for long with aches and pains.
BODY SIZE – Bike type is vital for injury prevention so consider your size then look for a suitable bike rather than just a brand of bike. Handmade bikes are much better for small and tall people and far more comfortable
BOILS OR LUMPS – these are caused by chronic sweating or standing around in your shorts after cycling. No matter how often you wash bacteria can establish it.
CADENCE – always cycling at the same cadence then changing rather than learning to spin faster.
CHAFING – is caused by friction rubbing against the saddle when the legs and thigh move up and down. Use chamois cream that reduced friction and can also contain antiseptic. Baby oil or petroleum jelly has also helped me, rub it onto the skin before cycling… Don’t use it all the time otherwise you wont toughen yourself up either when you do a longer event or competition.
Tenderness or hot spots can be from poor bike position.
Triathletes tend to need it more possibly because of the time trial position most ride and that they don’t cycle as often as single sport cyclists.
CRANK LENGTH – arm length will determine the size of the pedal circle. Crank arm length can injure the hips knees if the wrong length for the rider.
Size of the crank length should be based on leg length.
Less than 5ft Tall cyclist should use a crank length of 165 mm
Under 5ft 5” Tall cyclist should use a crank length of 165 or 167.5mm depending on leg length in relation to body size. Females should opt for 167.5mm.
5’5” to 6’0 cyclist should use a 170mm crank length
6’0 -6’2” cyclist should use a 172.5mm crank length
6’2 -6’4 cyclist should use a 175mm crank length
6’4” plus should consider a made to measure bike with either 180mm or 185mm.
Long crank arms are good for pushing big gears and low cadence but can out a strain on the knees.
Short crank arms are good for easy gears and fast cadence.
Myth – crank length should not be based on height of rider.
CLEAT POSITION – Should be dictated by our individual antimony.
Injury prevention tip is use float cleats to take up any differences we may have rather than fixed cleats with very little movements.
Bow legged (varus alignments) cyclist should consider adding spacers between the pedals and the cranks
DISMANTLING AND RE-ASEMBLING Not taking accurate measurements prior to dismantling it and putting it into a bike case before your training camp or competition…
FEET SIZE – Cyclist with a shoe size smaller than 8.5 should consider moving the cleat (ball of the foot) slightly behind the axle. Cyclist with feet size 11 or more should consider moving the cleat slightly forward of the pedal axle to lengthen the lever arm of the axle from ankle to pedal.
FOOT POSITION – The widest part of the foot is called the metarsal and should be directly over the pedal axle.
If the ball of the foot is in front of the lever arm of the ankle is shortened while if the foot is behind the axle This will however cause less force to control the foot on the pedal and therefore put less strain on the Achilles tendon and calf muscle.
Consider this injury prevention tip if you have an Achilles tendon problem. Alter your position just 1 or 2 mm forward but then you must cycle alone slowly to first get use to the new position before cycling with others.
HANDLBAR WIDTH – too wide or too narrow will cause shoulder and neck ache.
Correct handlebar width should be the same as the width of your shoulders. Measure the distance across the front of your chest from acromion to the one the other side.
Myth – too narrow does not reduce oxygen intake
HARD TRAINING ONLY -Cycling hard or racing on a brand new bike without getting in some base miles for your muscles to learn to adapt
INCREASING volume intensity or both will speed up an injury occurring. Sudden increases can cause tight calf muscles which then cause Achilles problems.
KNEE PAIN – Orthotics can prevent knees from becoming sore due to supporting the foot arch when pressing downwards during the push down phase. Orthotics prevent supination and pronation not just in running but also cycling. –
LEG LENGTH – Leg length difference.
The difference can be either the femur or tibia.
The reason this is a problem on the bike is because we are in a fixed position. and the high number of movements we make per minute.
What to do.
Only make adjustments if the shorter leg is more than 4mm different the ankling when cycling.
You must fit the bike to your longer leg and then make alterations to the shorter leg by orthotics or plates in the shoe or pedal or a shim between the shoe and the cleat to make up for the shorter leg.
Final tweaking can also move the cleat form the shorter leg back on the pedal (1.0-1.5mm)
If your leg touches the top tube then add a spacer between on the pedal.
1mm spacer at the ankle can make up to 8mm difference at your thigh.
NEW BIKE a BIG MISTAKE is to pay and play. Buy the bike then hammer your first dozen sessions because you bought it to race didn’t you.
You need at least 12 sessions on a brand new bike before you even consider going hard or racing.
Don’t even consider going out with others. Listen to your body be safe and get use to how the bike brakes steers & corners.
Even a new frame same size and make may handle differently.
OVER STRETCHING – If your reach is too far from sitting on the saddle to reaching the handlebars expect sore neck and shoulders.
SADDLE HEIGHT – Raising your saddle just because it’s a racing bike, will cause problems with the knees and the Achilles.
SADDLE TILT – Your saddle should be level using a carpenter’s spirit level, placing it along the saddle from front to back.
Don’t forget the bike has to be on level ground when checking that the saddle is level.
Males may prefer a saddle where the tip is raised slightly but this can cause numbness and penis problems.
Females often prefer to have the saddle tilted slightly downwards (hardly noticeable).
Men prefer to sometimes have the saddle slightly upwards from the level neutral position.
My preference is to have a level position to avoid saddle soreness.
STEM LENGTH – when riding on the tops arms should be bent 65 to 70 degrees.
Stem height to saddle height should be 1-2 inches for a small cyclist and 4 inches
STRETCHING – the more you train the more stretching you should do.
TOO MUCH TOO SOON – Build up from your winters base to faster cycling under resistance otherwise you learn poor technique and end up not progressing throughout the season
TRAINING STRUCTURE– No training structure always training hard 11 months of the year.