Posts tagged ironman triathlon
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.
Triathlon thoughts
May 14th
Triathlon.
If we learned to swim when we were young we probably already have swam cycled and run during each week.
Triathlon is not just about swimming cycling and running but combining all three sports into your lifestyle then one after the other continuous in a triathlon competition.
Swimming is the most technical of the three sports. If possible get some expert swim coaching. Distances in triathlons vary from sprint races of 200m in the comfort of a swimming pool to 3.8 k in open water for the Ironman event. For wetsuit and open water swimming confidence log onto www.ironmate.co.uk.
Cycling during most triathlons takes up about 50% of the time to complete most competitions. Correct cycle fit is most important. To allow you to be comfortable yet powerful to ride then run afterwards. If you are considering buying a new bike then contact us for help. Therefore aim to spend 50% of available training time cycling.
Running – Learn to run over distance so if considering a sprint triathlon that has a 5km run then cover 50% more distance (i.e. 7.5km) in a single run session.
You must run regularly after cycling to get use to dead leg syndrome. This can be done in many ways including hard cycle rides easy relaxed runs. Easy longer cycling then harder runs, then race pace cycling with brisk to hard running straight afterwards. When building up running training time aim to run when not tired or before cycling. Poor form heavy weary legs can lead to injuries.
Learn to have even energy levels throughout your triathlon by training weekly locking into your own personnel pace for swimming cycling and running. This will be more race specific for a much better performance.
Motivation is important to be consistent, as this will give you improved fitness levels. Divide your time training in all three sports it is much better to do two sports if you have 90-120 minutes than one sport when building up fitness.
Transition training is vital even for seasoned triathletes. Practise slick quick but relaxed and rehashed smooth movements from swimming to cycling then to running. You will not reach your true potential without spending time that can save minutes
Learn to travel home from a triathlon having learnt something new about the sport of triathlon and yourself.
Ironmate training tips
All the gear and no idea.
Here to help you buy only practical triathlon kit you need.
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.
Weight training for Triathlon
May 10th
WEIGHT TRAINING FOR TRIATHLON
Weight training can improve absolute strength and short bursts of sport power but this will not always transfer to improved endurance performance. Weight train suggestion. 2 sets of 15 repetitions. Emphasis on a light weight, slow and not fast movements to improve endurance. A good warm up before weight training include 10 minutes of running and/or rowing. Good form when weight training includes slow controlled movements rather than fast forceful movements. Avoid gaining weight from to much muscle mass. Increasing muscle and becoming leaner will help you burn more fat.
New to triathlon.
New to sport then weight training is beneficial. Athletes have shown much better results in our experience, as this is better progression than suddenly increasing sport volume from nothing. People new to sport can also lack strength. Reduce the chance of overuse injuries by mixing up exercise, little and often and vary training including circuit core and weight training. Suggestion.
Triathlon competitor for 1-3 years.
For athletes in sport for more than 3 years work on sport strength specific during the racing season. Complete weight training or resistance work during the winter as an alternative to some of your training.
Triathlon competitor 3-10 years
Train more on triathlon sport specific strength. Swimming hand paddles Cycling mountain biking. Run off road on tall grass muddy and sandy conditions. If you feel you have plateau in performance consider 3 sets of 25 repetitions after 12 sessions increase weight and reduce to 20 repetitions.
Elite Triathlete.
The need to work on economy and exact sport fitness is far more important than weight training. Highly trained athletes already have Swim Bike Run specific strength.
Only if you fade towards the end of races then work on economy and better technique than absolute power.
A common mistake is to include weight training for elite athletes who slow down in the latter parts of a triathlon.
Cool down in Triathlon
May 4th
COOL DOWN
Cool down [also known as warm down] think of this as helping you recover ready for the next training session.
The objective is gradually slow things down. This achieves improved removal of waste products that can cause soreness.
Reduces the likelihood of blood pooling especially to the working muscles. Provides better supply and for longer of blood rich in nutrients including oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide. Lack of proper warm down can result in short tight muscles.
A cool down should be 5-20 minutes below 65% of maximum heart rate [HR] for that particular sport [max HR can be higher by 30 bpm compared to swimming]
Cool down static stretching is a good time as muscles are warm, being wary at first as muscles may have tightened after the workout.
Aim to hold the static stretch for 15-30 seconds and repeat twice, see if you can stretch a little more each time without any pain. If short of time complete at least one for each muscle used or aim to stretch once for 30 seconds rather than twice for 10 with 10 seconds break.
You may feel that the cool down takes up too much time, try and see how much they help with better recovery and improved muscle length.
Heart Rate Training Zones
Apr 30th
HEART RATE TRAINING ZONES.
Training zones all depend on your current fitness type of training you do and what you are training for. If you train hard all the time you may find that during the easier training levels you become tired or lethargic afterwards.
This is because you have not trained in these heart rate training zones and have not learnt to use different types of stored energy. The by-product of energy production is Lactic acid, these levels at rest can be as low as I unit and after very high intense exercise have been measured up to 25.
High lactate acid levels accumulate in the muscles causing a burning sensation causing us to slow down. Training will teach the body to cope with higher levels so we can train and race at greater intensities. Another part of training that is ignored is recovery.
Active recovery after training in level levels 2-5 is known to speed up lactic acid removal. Basically the slower you go after finishing training during your active warm down the quicker you can recover. You need to promote blood flow without causing any lactate acid so aim for around 20 minutes of easy exercise.
Training Zone 1 [TZ1] Heart rate 50-60% – Fat Burning Zone
This easy recovery training that is at 50-60% of maximum heart rate in that chosen sport. Running tends to be higher than cycling. For example if your maximum heart rate is 160 beats per minute (BPM) then train between 80-96 bpm.
It is important to learn to replace energy after any type of training. Expect to find that it is sometimes difficult to stop being hungry even after eating straight afterwards. Training in this zone will use up fat so expect to feel hungry for many hours afterwards.
You should be able to do this effort for 5 hours plus providing you have a carbohydrate drink, solid energy food optional. Training between 50-60% heart rate is difficult unless you have a good level of fitness. Use this type of training for building fitness slowly. Perception of effort would be walking fast. This is low level training at its easiest.
Training Zone 2 [TZ2] Heart rate 70-75%.
Train in this zone the day before intervals, not so easy that you lose any fitness but easy enough to be able to work harder tomorrow. This is a 3- 5-hour effort. This is low to medium level training.
Up to 40% fat is used for this type of energy. You will recover quickly from this type of training within 36 hours depending on age fitness and uninterrupted years in sport. A 20-35 minute work out three times a week will help you keep fit.
Base work training. Perception of effort would be breathing much quicker but able to talk in short sentences. Experienced marathon runners can hold a heart rate 70-75% for the 26.2 miles.
Training Zone 3 [TZ3] Heart rate 75-85%
This is where the majority of endurance of training should be. This is not easy or very hard training. This type of training is perfect for medium length training. Too hard for easy endurance but lacks any real top end quality.
You are training just under the intensity that you can only maintain for 50-70 minutes. Do this type of training during a long training session. Complete a thorough warm up then build to 75-85% for up to 45 minutes then slow down heart rate to 65% for 15-25 minutes.
Threshold efforts at intensities that you can only maintain for up to 60 minutes. At this higher heart rate you will be using carbohydrate. You will feel tired and will be creating stress. Perception of effort would be able to keep the same average heart rate going for up to half marathon.
Training Zone 4 [TZ4] Known as Anaerobic training
Often your heart rate will be above 85 %
This type of training is where the lactate acid caused by hard training begins to build up and accumulate in the blood. By training correctly the better you become at raising this level the greater your performance. High intensity training that takes less than 5 minutes with all out efforts.
Also when you are competing in short running races and sprint triathlons or the end of a marathon or middle or Ironman distance triathlon when you are pushing hard to the finish. Expect your appetite to be suppressed for a while after racing and training in this hard zone. Ignore not feeling hungry and replace with carbohydrate protein and fluid as soon as possible and for the next 3 hours.
You will need at least 73 hours to recover from this type of training, more if you have gone into this session tired.
Training Zone 5 [TZ5] also known as Redline training.
Often your heart rate will be above 90% to 100% after good warm intervals up to 30 seconds will get you above 90%. Perception of effort running 800- 1500 meters. During training in this zone you will be using your ATP system. The Glycolitic system uses glucose and is used for hard anaerobic efforts lasting up to 2 minutes. This system does not use oxygen so you soon get into oxygen debt causing you to slow down or stop.
The above is for your information only. Seek medical advice before starting any training programme.
Also see your doctor if you have heart disease in your family or have not exercised for more than 12 months for a thorough medical check up before starting an exercise programme.
How to put on a wetsuit
Apr 29th
The following tips are listed below by Ironmate to help you put on a wetsuit and reduce the risk of damage. It can take up to 15 minutes to get a wetsuit to fit properly.
Put on your wetsuit properly you do not want it to leak.
For easier fitment and faster removal use a product called bodygilde, or baby oil as Vaseline can destroy the glue used to join the seams on the wetsuit or the stitching
around the neck nipples and under your arms. Also use a lubricant around the wrists and ankles; this helps with a much quicker removal of the wetsuit. You can remove your wetsuit much quicker when you have just exited the swim, the longer you allow water to seep out the harder it is to get the wetsuit off.
Putting on a triathlon wetsuit.
1.The body should be dry.
2.Use soft gloves to avoid cutting the rubber with your nails.
3.Nails should be evenly cut and not sharp, damage can still be caused by wearing gloves.
4.Pull on the legs as high up the body without straining, ensure no folds or air pockets and no creases behind the back of the leg as this will cause chafing when kicking in the swim.
5.Pull up wetsuit from the waist and remove any space or air pocket from the groin area.
Some athletes get a taller person to actually lift them from the waist to ensure the legs are in and the groin are a snug fit.
The wetsuit should be 5-14cm above the anklebone for easier removal also neoprene around the ankle inhibits flexibility when kicking.
6.Close one hand or clench fist and put one hand in at a time so as not to damage the inside of the suit with your nails or accidentally pull a finger back.
7.When you are putting on your wetsuit make sure that that your clothes worn underneath are neither crumpled or zips are flat so they do not cause rubbing.
8. Before zipping up the suit make sure that the suit is over both shoulders. Then push both shoulders back, not out and get a fellow competitor preferably with the same style suit or a friend who knows what to do to zip you up. Make sure that you do not have folds at the back of the knee this can cause chaffing.
9. Allow 10-20 minutes for the first time you do this and 10-15 minutes before an even if could take you less but you want to get the fit perfect and then concentrate on the swim rather than something rubbing.
10 .If you are able to practise in a swimming pool wash out the suit thoroughly as the chlorine can destroy the seams.
Things you need to know about a Triathlon specific wetsuit.
1. You will often feel more buoyant so you could over roll more when breathing this you want to avoid. Forward motion is required not sideways resistance movement.
2. The wetsuit will help you glide by being more streamlined and buoyant so use this to your advantage by doing long slow strokes, a comparison would be cycling down a hill you can push a bigger gear.
3.Wearing a wetsuit often the recovery phase is minimised due to less flexibility in the shoulders and concentrate on this so you can recover fully ready for the next powerful stroke.
4. Wearing a Triathlon wetsuit will feel tight almost claustrophobic to some people. On dry land and you may get hot putting it on, once in the water after practise you may not even notice you are wearing it.
On hot days do not put on your swim hat until you have completely fitted your wetsuit as you may get too hot and over heat unless of course it is a cold day or you are concerned about the cold water.
3. Less kick is needed to keep you buoyant, often shallow kicking is the best option.
4. A swim session in the pool wearing your wetsuit is advisable before your triathlon in familiar territory but you will need permission, as some swimming pools do not allow you to use a wetsuit in public session. Often though a Triathlon club may have permission for their training sessions.
How to run fast in a Triathlon
Apr 28th
How to run fast in a triathlon.
By now you have completed a few races and developed good strength and fitness. However if you are not going as fast as you had hoped, don’t worry, it is easy to adjust things slightly and improve. All your winter and pre- season training is still in the bank. Improving in each race is all about learning and tweaking what you do. So this month our ‘Racing Fast’ topics include:
1. Running Fast off the Bike
2. Improving Pace Judgment
3. Hydration
***Running Fast off the Bike***
You must continually self analyse. Any of the following can be attributed to a poor run split.
Are you kicking too much in the swim?
Are you cycling too fast in the race?
Are you pushing the big gears too often?
Are you keeping up your energy levels with food and liquid?
Are you doing any swim to bike sessions?
One of the biggest errors is not training at your triathlon run pace. If your triathlon run pace is 7.30 per mile but your training pace is either faster or slower than this, you will not adapt your body to run at your triathlon pace. It is so important to have sessions specific to your race pace to adapt the different muscles. The longer your selected event the more important this will be.
The ability to run fast off the bike is also determined by how efficient you are at swimming and cycling. It is often not the fastest runner on paper, who has the fastest run split. An efficient cyclist can often run close to their ability, while good runners are fighting the gears on the bike, wondering where they run legs went. A swim to bike session is often overlooked for bike to run workouts. Don’t forget this very important training session.
If you compared two equal runners time in a 10km and then 2 weeks later they both did an Olympic distance Triathlon, often their run times would vary by several minutes. It would not be the stronger athlete who runs quicker but the most economical one.
Any improvement in your body movement efficiency whilst in the swim and bike disciplines will help your run; sounds simple but how?
In the Swim
Being more streamlined by doing regular drills saves a huge amount of energy.
Swim long and tall, avoid too much rotation sideways.
Work on powerful strokes, you should be swimming strong by now.
Aim for an efficient stroke with good length; keep up a constant high pace, with long recoveries including easy swimming.
Aim to swim quietly with less noise, avoid crashing, slapping and bubbles.
Concentrate and learn to recover in the recovery phase.
On the Bike
Interval work sessions at race pace or above. Take half to the same amount of the interval as recovery time e.g. 4 min effort with a 2 min – 4 min recovery.
Concentrate on pedalling technique. Always be in control of your gear. Practise in the gears you plan to use in the race; in your event you may be tired at the bottom of a hill, so you may need an easier gear to climb the hill than you would normally use.
On the Run
Build up pace throughout run. Make sure you have sufficient back-to-back training in the bank.
Cadence running helps. Length of stride stops you running fast off the bike so overcome this by increasing your cadence with a shorter stride. Training drills should include fast feet drill, high leg turnover with short strides, It takes a while to get good at them, but not many people do them, just like one legged riding on the turbo to improve economy.
***Improve your Pace Judgement***
Better pace judgement comes with experience. You must learn to spread your energy evenly all the time for the duration of the event. Not flat out at the beginning and then hanging on. You are fooling yourself by going out hard and toughing it out.
Make your training specific and relevant to the course and speed you anticipate competing in. In other words ensure sessions are at your triathlon race pace.
Using a correct taper will definitely produce a faster result.
Are you able to lock onto your lactate threshold for the whole duration of the race?
If not, do this session in training – cover half the distance and break it into smaller segments with active recovery whilst hydrating and refocusing.
Your endurance should be good. If not, you are racing too much and not training to rebuild your stores. Make sure that you do an endurance session for each discipline every 2 weeks. If you are tired keep these sessions steady; if feeling good, keep a good pace but make sure you finish strong and fresh. This is not to be a ‘draining’ session.
***Hydration***
With the warmer weather, hydration is an important topic.
Ironmate is always amazed how little is drunk by racing triathletes and how little thought has been directed to what their consumption of liquid during a race would be.
Your intake will be more than in any training ride or run. Plus you cannot drink during the swim discipline, which will be undertaken at a higher effort than your regular pool swim.
Each of us has a different sweat rate, be that due to fitness, weight or genetic. Plus the way our body deals with salt concentration is varied; hence we all react in our own way to changes in temperature. Some of us love the heat, whereas others suffer.
So think through and analyse what your summer sweat rate is. How much are you drinking? How often? What effect is this having on you?
Pre weight and post weight after training in the heat will give you an idea of how much fluid is lost.
The symptoms of dehydration include dizziness, confusion, heart rate elevation, dry lips, extreme thirst and dry tongue. Headaches are common and cramps can occur. Skin looks dry in certain instances if there has been salt depletion. Diarrhoea & vomiting can also lead to dehydration including a loss of salt.
Generally the fitter you are, the much better you perform. You can cope with the heat better partly due to learned training in the heat and the improved fitness levels allow you to cope more easily.
Importantly, if the weather is warm for many days, you could find yourself gradually becoming more dehydrated if you fail to take in enough fluids regularly. Make a habit of always carrying a bottle of liquid with you.
Staying hydrated helps with full blood volume. Blood close to the skin helps you cool down. Drinking also assists in flushing away waste products.
You CANNOT stay hydrated by drinking just plain water – you need a sports drink. An electrolyte drink contains similar electrolytes concentrations to the body for proper hydration. NEVER WAIT until you are thirsty, this signal is nearly always a sign that you are already dehydrated.
If you found this information useful remember to tell a friend.
Open Water Swim Tips
Apr 27th
OPEN WATER SWIM TRAINING.
Put on your wetsuit properly you do not want it to leak.
Think positive staying calm uses up less energy.
Wear a neoprene hat and ear plugs, this prevents heat loss from the head.
Alcohol will lower your resistance to the cold so refrain from drinking any in the 48 hours before cold open water swimming.
Never train alone and let people know on dry land how long you will be and give them a signal if you are in distress i.e. one hand in the air. Swim together practise swimming behind a friend.
Wear a brightly coloured swim cap not black or navy.
Don’t panic take deep breaths and try to relax.
Get acclimated to cold water swimming then use only a thin swim cap build up the time you go into cold water will help when in a race you use thicker neoprene hat.
Cold showers and sitting in cold bath waters help but there is no substitute for being totally immersed in water.
Warm up for cold-water swimming with general gentle arm swinging. In circular motions 10 forward 10 back windmills on either arm.
Cold water constricts blood supply when you try and swim this will have the opposite effect. Start off swimming slowly and build up your pace.
Wetsuit Tips.
Depends on temperature of water shortie or full long legs or long arms or sleeveless long johns.
Provides buoyancy.
No gaps in body or arms
2-5 ml in thickness.
Thicker they were the more buoyant, but now modern triathlon wetsuit versions are much thinner and some even have built in air pockets.
Fit is vital, good range of motion, not too tight
A windsurfing wetsuit will keep you warm but will not give you range of movement and are often too tight around neck for breathing when swimming front crawl.
Always use lubricant i.e. baby oil or body glide a wetsuit specific
Vaseline can destroy neoprene wetsuits so use instead baby oil, non-protelum or vegetable oil in a spray can.
Rub this around wrists and ankles and neck will reduce chaffing and help with easier removal of wetsuit.
Earplugs keep out bacteria and cold water.
For effective sighting always use two objects like tall trees brightly coloured buildings or shapes are especially important if the sun is bright and reflects of the sea. If this is a problem use tinted swim goggles.
Open water swimming tips.
Do not stand up when exiting until you can touch the bottom with both hands on several swim strokes because you may be swimming over a higher bar.
Clothing
One-piece Triathlon suit hybrid can be worn under a wetsuit or for a pool based swim Triathlon.
Race clothing moves with you and holds you in place.
Comfortable not too tight or lose. Any excess movement will cause chafing.
Quick drying so you can swim bike and run in same clothing.
Swim goggles
Seal style much better visibility
Ironman Triathlon Training Camps
Apr 26th
Training camp ideas
Ever considered going away Swimming Cycling Running & preparing for a Triathlon then look no further than Tri-Topia in France.
Ideal place to cycle on very quiet country lanes away from the traffic. Swim in the National park which has over 1,000 lakes streams and rivers. Run on road or off road.
Don’t know anyone then no problem they have plenty of people to train with of all mixed abilities
I have been there and believe its has the best facilities I have ever used, for more information click on
Don’t forget to mention I told you but don’t tell everyone as I want to be able to go back again.