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