ED's Exploits - March 2010

Questions…Questions?

I did my first triathlon back in 1985, before tri-bars, fancy wheels and wet suits. The must have accessories in those days were a Leary pair of shades and a suntan, (skin cancer had not been invented back then). Which begs the question, when do you start wearing shorts on the bike? Too early and your knees get too cold, too late and you look like a bottle of milk in the transition area! Two years ago I wore shorts in the second week of February, but usually it’s the end of March or early April. And of course, once you start, you cannot go back. Seriously though, the weather can change quite a bit on a 4 hour ride so it is probably sensible to wear longs well into May or June. The pros will train in Longs all year round, to keep the muscles warm, especially round the knee. I don’t notice the cold so much on my legs, but stop to mend a puncture and all of a sudden it’s chilly. What seems like a dilemma in April though, is forgotten by June, when it’s factor 15 and wearing a pair of pink Briko’s!! When do you shave your legs though?? That really is a dilemma, but we can talk about that another time.

Its early season, you probably have a few races in your legs; the change from training intensity to race pace can take more out of you than you think. As the season kicks in the temptation is to increase the training as well. Experience has taught me to do the opposite. Let your body adjust to racing, cut your training load back, just for a couple of weeks. It’s a long season, go 100% now and it’s easy to come down with a cold or virus. As you become used to a higher effort, you will be able to return to your usual schedule and be stronger for it.

I worked as part of the massage team recently at the Mad March 20 mile. Race director Lawrence Downs and his crew (mostly Zoom Tri Club members) put on a great race, good atmosphere, enthusiastic marshals, plenty of tea and cakes, we worked very hard but it was good fun - it almost made me think about taking up running again!

Running or cycling, spice up your distance work with some quality tempo intervals. Within your long run, try 3x 10mins, at a good intensity, so you have to concentrate but not too fast. It has to be aerobic, but it has to be honest. On the bike, make them 15 or 20mins - it should feel hard, but not too hard. Quality base work will make you bomb proof.

My own season has kicked off and the good news is the winter training seems to have worked, which is always nice! Some points on the road, a bit of prize money from time trials and the glass is definitely half full. The older I get the better I was!!

See you up the Road…

E D

What's in a TBCUK Training Camp...?

Last week we had our first UK long course training camp at Sandy Balls in the New Forest. Camps like this can provide a real platform to boost your training, add motivation and train with like minded people that are focused on a key goal.

To give you an idea of what's involved at a TBCUK camp, here's a quick run down of the highlights and the sessions we covered. To kick off its always interesting to hear athletes goals for the season and check out where they are in their training. Our group had a mixture of experience, with almost all but one looking to attempt their first Ironman or Long course race this summer.

We met up on Friday evening to outline the weekend ahead and share our goals and expectations of the camp. Sports psychologist and Head of Sports Science at Southampton University Candice Lingam-Wilgoss gave an insightful and interactive session on goal setting. She told us about one of her Olympic athletes and how drilling down into each goal helped to create meaningful milestones in their training. This was a great example of how to maintain motivation and keep us on track.

Saturday morning and it was a 7am start with Swim coach Steve Barratt and a technical stroke session with video analysis, followed by breakfast and a rather wet 45 mile ride round the Forestman bike course. Although it rained, it was good practice to train in those conditions - after all, on race day, we get out and do it whatever the weather. Following lunch the first of the afternoon sessions was taken by TBCUK Senior coach Will Newbery. He gave a practical session on core strength for long course athletes, the importance of which was quickly realised - these simple exercises really demonstrate the need for developing core stability and strength, to keep race form together as fatigue sets in - on both the bike and run.

After a short break, it was time to get back outside for our hill run session. Although the group were pleading with me for a little longer (not!) we headed back to the comfort of a shower and another fuel top up. In the the final session of the day nutritional coach Tony Derbyshire shared valuable insights on the critical issue of getting your recovery and nutrition right for the big event. This proved to be one of the most talked about sessions - especially over dinner an hour or so later; thoughts had turned to macro and micro nutrients - where lean meat and endless portions of fruit and veg became our best friends.

Sunday morning provided the second opportunity to work with Steve on that swim stroke, before heading out for a long bike-run brick. The groups were split, with group leaders leading the pacing. The bike element was supported by a refuel and repair TrainingBible Van. It was a long ride, varying between 56-70 miles and thankfully the sun came out, bringing the beautiful New Forest to life. I filmed a section of the bike ride to show you the kinds of roads we ride on, which I've posted on You Tube. Off the bike and onto what must be one of the toughest off road, long course marathon routes. The groups ran between 6 and 9 miles over the undulating terrain. Tired but happy we tucked into a late afternoon lunch before heading home.

All the athletes that came along worked hard and were buoyed by their achievements over the weekend. Some athletes seemed to get physically stronger, and all will have benefited from the sharing and learning. If you have not tried a camp approach before then it may be worth considering one to enhance your training - it can be a real confidence booster to know that you can go the distance and best of all you can look forward to a real step up in your performance levels a few weeks later.