Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2015 i Triathlon Plus

“My love of running took me completely by surprise. I took it up grudgingly at 19 to stay in shape, and even after staggering home dizzy from my first five-minute effort, I was hooked immediately. Through long periods of injury when I wasn’t able to run, I must have been unbearable to be with. That time off led me to triathlon though, and a whole new passion. Even better, once I’d recovered my fitness with swimming and cycling, I could just about run again. Perfect! The only trouble was that on the day of my first Olympic-distance tri, running – my first love – let me down. I got off the bike and... well, you probably know how it felt. My legs wouldn’t obey. I’d forgotten that I wasn’t there…

Now that the outdoor swimming season is just about upon us in the UK, it’s time to start reacquainting yourself with your wetsuit and practising getting it on and off. Start stockpiling plastic bags or shoe covers from your local pool: putting them over your feet before putting your wetsuit on will make it much quicker and easier. And don’t forget to apply wetsuit lube liberally to your calves, shins, wrists and the back of your neck. You should use a specific wetsuit lube if you’re worried about preserving your suit, but Vaseline or baby oil work fine if your suit is getting old anyway. CHILDREN’S AQUATHLON ADDED TO LONDON TRIATHLON WEEKEND…

1. Sort your gait out OK, so some people really are naturally better runners, and that’s down to biomechanics. Have a running assessment with a physio to check for areas of weakness; they will be able to prescribe functional strength exercises that will help you avoid injury 2. Drop the watch For one session a week, take yourself to somewhere beautiful and run without a watch. Just enjoy the setting and the uncomplicated joy of pushing yourself forwards. Learn to associate running with relaxation and tune into your body. 3. Drop your weight If you’re carrying extra weight, you’ll really feel it on the run and this could be contributing to muscle soreness and joint pain. There’s no need to follow a drastic diet, just make sure you cut out…

1. Resistance training Have a coach set you a short session to do once or twice a week to build functional strength for running. All you’ll need is your own body weight and perhaps a couple of dumbbells and with simple exercises you can improve your strength for running. 2. Pilates Most of us aim to do some core strength work but just don’t get round to it. Attending a Pilates class regularly will not only force you to work on the muscles that help stabilise you during runs, but will benefit your swimming and cycling, too. 3. Yoga There’s much debate about whether stretching is good for runners, but as a targeted dynamic stretching workout, you can’t beat yoga. You don’t need to do heated or power yoga –…

Q: I’ve just started running to train for a triathlon but my heart rate goes right up – over 200bpm, even when I’m not running that hard. Should I be worried? When I run within my heart rate I end up stupidly slow...? It sounds as though you might be jumping in too quickly. You need to set yourself some training zones and stick to them – yes, even if it feels stupidly slow. Over time, you’ll be able to run faster for the same heart rate. Most heart-rate monitors include a self-test function so you can work out personalised training zones, which is handy if you have a high maximum heart rate (which it sounds as though you do). Most of your training should be done well below this…

1. The mini brick This is a great session for shorter races. Use a gym bike and treadmill, or a turbo set up in your garage with a short circuit around the block, to complete three or four mini bricks in a row, cycling hard for 15 minutes before running hard for five. 2. The long brick The length of your run isn’t especially important in a brick as you’ll have adapted to the run after about 10 minutes. But the length and intensity of your bike does matter, so after your long ride each week aim to hop straight off and run a mile or so. 3. The build brick Do a 30-minute ride as a 10-minute warm-up, then build your intensity by 5-10% every five minutes until you’re…

Q: Eating and drinking really upsets my stomach when I’m running. How do I deal with this in a race, as I need to keep my energy levels up? In short, try to get as much energy as you can on the bike rather than on the run. When you’re riding, your heart rate will be lower and you’ll find it easier to take on and digest food. For anything up to an Olympic-distance race, you shouldn’t really need to take any fuel on at all during the run as long as you’ve had plenty of gels and drinks on the bike (and assuming you’re not planning to be out running for over an hour in the 10km). You can also train your body to deal with this in your…

Notes and key The Race List AT THE TIME of going to press, some race details were yet to be confirmed. Before entering a race, or if you can’t find your favourite event here, please contact the organisers for the most up-to-date information. Distances given are: for triathlons, swim/bike/run; for duathlons, run/bike/run; and for aquathlons, swim/run. Swim distances are in metres up to 999, then kilometres. Bike and run distances are in kilometres unless otherwise stated, with ‘M’ denoting distances are in miles. APRIL SATURDAY 25 APRIL AMMANFORD JUNIOR AQUATHLON Distance 8-14 years, 50/600; 9-14yrs 200/2 Venue Ammanford Leisure Centre, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire SA18 2NP healthylifeactivities.co.uk GO TRI – GREEN PARK Distance 3/300 Venue Green Park, Aston Clinton, Bucks HP22 5NE eventbrite.co.uk GO TRI BURY ST EDMUNDS AQUATHLON Distance 200/2 Venue…

“TEAM TALK: STARTING OUT” “Sculling is a surprisingly difficult skill to master when you’re new to swimming. The key is to relax in the water, don’t thrash about and take your time to find the right action – this can be frustrating at first and some swimmers even find themselves going backwards. Keep your hands tilted slightly down and you should be fine.” KEEP YOUR ELBOWS HIGH A high elbow is essential to front crawl and this drill is a good opportunity to practice. You need to keep your elbows high, pointing to the surface FACE FORWARDS The slow speed of this drill makes it ideal for finding a good head position for front crawl. Keep your eyes below the surface, turning your head to breathe gently when you need…

At this time of year we triathletes like to start pushing ourselves that little bit harder and further in training. This has one unfortunate consequence: the sight of troubled looking age-groupers slumped over coffee and cake at roadside cafes, as they succumb to the dreaded ‘bonk’. Bonking isn’t as much fun as it sounds, in triathlon or cycling terms (runners more often call it ‘hitting the wall’). It describes the moment when you suddenly run out of fuel to ride or run, resulting in immediate loss of power and an overwhelming desire to stop. This is usually accompanied by a crippling drop in morale, only solved by consumption of sugar. Your body can store around 2,000 calories in glycogen, stored in your muscles and your liver. This carbohydrate source is…

ELIZABETH HUFTON Editor Liz completed her second Ironman in 2014 and is currently considering her tri goals for the coming season – probably something short… In the meantime, to ‘tick over’, she’s entered the Granfondo Stelvio Santini. Gulp. GUY KESTEVEN After years of testing metal over the potholed lanes of Yorkshire, our gear guru at large must have been relieved to see the introduction of carbon fibre as a mainstay of bike manufacture. This issue he’s found four top-value carbon rides. PHIL MOSLEY Coaching editor Phil has coached dozens of athletes to success over every distance and competes as an elite athlete himself. This issue, he’s showing you how to take half measures with a faster 70.3 run (see Training Zone p12). STEVE TREW A leading triathlon coach and commentator,…

IRONKIDS INVITED TO RACE Racing Ironman in Britain this summer? If you have children aged 3 to 14 they can join in the action with over 6,500 places available in Ironkids events this year. It’s double the number of entries that were available in 2014, thanks to growing demand both from adults entering UK Ironman events and parents wishing to involve their kids, and means that there will be Ironkids races at all four Ironman UK events this summer. Don’t worry if your children aren’t water babies: there’s no swim or bike element, just a run of between 500m and 2.5km depending on the age of the child. Visit ironkids.co.uk to find out more. BLENHEIM JOINS UP WITH ENDOMONDO Blenheim Triathlon is offering free Endomondo premium membership to all participants…

Venturing out on your first long bike rides? Much as we’d all like to think we won’t get a flat tyre, it’s bound to happen one day – and usually the day you’ve gone out without any puncture repair tools. As a minimum, carry one spare inner tube, tyre levers, a pump and a multitool to solve problems out on the road. If you struggle to carry everything then invest in a saddle bag or top tube bag to stash your spares, or try this: find an old bike bottle and cut top off. You can then wedge your tools and spares in the bottle and carry it in one of your cages, saving valuable space in your jersey pockets for more important things, like food.…

As someone who has been running for 15 years, I’m always surprised to meet people who think they can’t run. Stand on a train platform seconds before the doors closed and you’ll see that most people can put a sprint on when they need to. Yet the myth persists that some of us are natural runners, while others just shouldn’t bother trying. Both groups can be in trouble when it comes to running for triathlon. BORN TO RUN? The idea that some of us are ‘natural runners’ is not surprising. Running is a high-impact sport and even a 10-minute jog, to someone without the conditioning to cope with it, can leave the runner aching and fatigued for a couple of days, dealing with mysterious twinges that they suspect are the…

Q. I want to push my distance but am worried about injuries – how do I know how far I can push it without injuring myself? The answer is both incredibly simple and infuriatingly difficult for some people): take it slowly. You shouldn’t increase either your overall weekly distance, or the distance of your longest run, by more than 10 per cent each week, even if you feel good. Make sure you’re disciplined about this. Keep an accurate training diary noting how long or how far you ran for every session and adding up your weekly running volume. Plan your routes ahead of time so that you’re not being too ambitious – even adding a few blocks around your home to the end of a run is a good way…

Remember the joy of sprinting after your friends as a child? The great thing about building up your fitness for triathlon running is that you get to recreate that feeling once you introduce speedwork. Nothing beats the high of feeling you’ve run as fast as you could, especially when you use that newfound power to push yourself right to the limit in a race setting. Even burning thighs and dizziness will start to feel like fun. You do need to be careful when adding speedwork to your training though, especially if you are new to triathlon. Even with weeks of diligent conditioning work behind you, piling on effort too quickly can lead to disaster, so do pay attention to your body as you increase intensity. It’s normal to feel general…

You know that pained expression you see on the faces of people running at triathlons? Ever wondered why people at running races don’t look quite so distressed? It’s all down to the very special feeling of running off the bike. It’s this problem that most troubles seasoned runners who turn to tri. They will often expect to be able to hop off the bike and run at their usual 5k or 10k pace, but after even half an hour on the bike their bodies will have other ideas. You might think that cycling is a good warm-up for a run, and in terms of getting your heart rate up gradually and your legs moving, it is, but in every other respect it’s very different. On the bike, you’re placing more…

Q: I’ve been thinking about changing to minimal running shoes as I think they’re more natural, but I’ve always worn control shoes. Will I be OK? Natural or minimal running shoes have been growing in availability and popularity over the last few years and plenty of runners and triathletes enjoy using them, saying they are lighter and allow the athlete to run in a more natural and efficient style. However, any change in running shoe should be approached with caution, especially if you’ve never had problems with your control shoes. Presumably you were given those shoes based on an assessment of your gait which showed up problems. If you’re planning to run in minimal shoes then you will most likely need to address those problems, and that’s not a bad…

Q: What’s the deal with stretching after running? I’ve heard mixed reports, but I do feel better when I’ve done it. Evidence on the effectiveness of stretching after running is sketchy at best, but plenty of triathletes and runners feel better for stretching out after a hard session and there doesn’t appear to be any harm in it. As with any conditioning exercise, how you go about it is key, so if you can, see a coach or physio to run you through a sensible stretching programme and show you how to do it safely and effectively. Stretching will improve your flexibility and up to a point, this is a good thing, increasing your range of motion and enabling you to maintain a better knee drive and leg cycle as…

Bikes on test BOARDMAN TEAM CARBON £999 13 INTUITION ALPHA £1,000 LAPIERRE SENSIUM 100 CP £1,200 VITUS VENOM £1,215 Tech talk BB30 Oversized axle standard using an alloy 30mm diameter axle rather than a steel 24mm diameter axle on the chainset. Braze on Front mech (or other mount) stuck directly onto the frame. Bike to work Government scheme allowing subsidised, employer backed purchase of sub-£1,000 bikes. bike2workscheme.co.uk Clamp on Front mech (or any other mount) that uses a hinged and bolted clamp around a frame tube to secure it in place. Compact bar Handlebar with less forward reach and a shallower drop than a conventional dropped bar. Compact chainset A chainset using a 50 tooth large ring and 34 tooth inner ring rather than a full size 53/39 tooth pairing…

On the day of your first triathlon race, there are plenty of things to worry about, like remembering all your kit and trying not to drown during the swim. You’re probably looking forward to the bike section as a time when you can have a bit of a breather and really get into your race. But plenty of people make simple mistakes during the second discipline that are easily avoided. Here’s how. 1 AVOID KIT CATASTROPHES Just as it is in training, the bike is the most kit-reliant aspect of triathlon during your race, so you need to make sure you have everything in order, from your puncture repair kit to your bike bottles and – more common trouble makers – your race number and helmet. If you remember anything,…

This six week plan will help you run your best ever half-marathon at the end of an Ironman 70.3. It will train you to cope better with the intensity and distance involved in the 21.1km run, while keeping you in shape for the swim and cycle. But success at 70.3 is about more than fitness. The two main factors that will influence your race are race fitness and pacing. Research conducted on Ironman 70.3 race data indicates that the ideal cycle power output for age-groupers is between 75 and 83% of your one-hour time trial power. If you use our Training Zones (below) this would mean riding at the low end of Zone 3. This will feel surprisingly easy for at least the first 20 miles. You’ll have to be…

CHOOSE YOUR SPOT Before you even get in the water – at least 10 minutes before the start – head down to the start to suss out your first sighting point, see how the crowd is behaving and choose your start spot. If you’re fast, head for the front and the quickest line to the first turn; if not, just choose the outside of the pack (away from the turn) or the back. GET WARM Get in the water and give yourself time to acclimatise to the cold. Allow water into your wetsuit and splash your face, have a quick warm-up swim if you can, then stake out your spot. 1 GO FLAT OUT Wherever you’re starting in the field, start as horizontal as you can to clear a space…

NEW GEAR PUT THROUGH ITS PACES 1 GIRO SELECTOR £239.99 Tested weight: 454g (size M) giro.com; zyro.co.uk It’s been around a few years, but the Selector is still a high-performing helmet. The low, flexible side panels not only make it easier to put on, but also create an enclosed, streamlined helmet that feels like it’s slicing through the air. Its vented visor allows in just the right amount of air to keep your head from baking, although it is one of the hottest here. Affected quite a lot by wind buffeting during our testing, it is also the heaviest helmet on test, however. OVERALL 2 KASK BAMBINO PRO £299 Tested weight: 359g (size M) kask.it; velobrands.co.uk The Kask not only exudes quality (leather chin strap, anyone?) but also matches the…

We asked: Tell us your favourite open-water swimming spots – looking for inspiration! Bala lake & Borth Y Gest beach which has a strong current running along the shallow beach, just like an endless swimming pool... great practice Melanie West Any where there is water is good with me. Races are every where all different styles lakes oceans river don’t matter Richard Rubino Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake) is good, especially from the far side, plus many other lakes in Snowdonia. The River Dee above Chester is a little piece of calm and a view you can get no other way. The beaches along the North Wales coast – but mind the jellyfish! Tim Burnett Sfanta Ana Lake, Transylvania, Romania. This is a volcanic lake in the mountains, surrounded by pine…

Q: I get pain in the heel when I run but it seems to go when I’ve warmed up – should I be worried? In a word, yes. It sounds as though you have the beginnings of plantar fasciitis, a condition which involves inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue running from your heel to the ball of your foot. If you keep trying to run through it, you’ll find it progressively worsens until the initial relief from warming up doesn’t happen and you’ll even be in pain from walking. The best treatment is rest for a week or two. You can relieve pain by freezing ice in a cup and rolling your foot over it. Meanwhile you should seek to treat the cause, which could be…

1. Simple stopwatch For no more than a fiver you can buy a cheap stopwatch to start pacing your sessions – instant motivation. 2. Heart-rate monitor Heart rate is a great way to monitor your fitness and to determine effort level when you’re running. Simple heart-rate monitors start at around £50 but spend more and you’ll be able to track your training in detail. 3. GPS watch For accurate speed and pace measurement, and usually heart-rate tracking included, you can splash out from £100 upwards for a GPS running watch. Don’t become to reliant on them for pace information though, as when you lose signal you’ll get frustrated. 4. Smart phone Carry your phone when running anyway? Use it as a GPS running monitor for free with apps like Strava,…

Q: I’m worried about my Ironman run – I want to do it in under four hours but in training I’m incredibly slow. How should I approach it? Unless you’re Chrissie Wellington, incredibly slow is a good pace to be hitting in Ironman training, assuming this is your first Ironman. The fact is that you don’t know what kind of state you’ll be in by the time you reach your run; certainly have a dream finish time in mind, but make it your primary goal to complete the race having enjoyed it. That will mean a conservative pace throughout, including and especially during the run, when your fuel reserves will be gone and you’ll probably start to stiffen up. So in training, forget about how much distance you’re covering and…

Neoprene Wetsuits use different grades of neoprene, with their own thickness and flexibility properties. Thinner neoprene is used for easy shoulder movement and most suits are coated to help you slip through water Cuffs and calves It’s no good having a fast wetsuit if you can’t get it off in transition. Look for ‘easy off’ cuffs at the wrist with silicone coating, and either coated or tapered lower legs so the suit is easy to whip off in a hurry Buoyancy Wetsuit companies use thicker, more buoyant neoprene to help lift you nearer the surface of the water, lowering drag and helping you swim faster. Some suits have more buoyant legs for athletes’ heavy legs Catch panels Some wetsuits use technology on the forearms designed to increase feel on the…

It’s been a busy few weeks for me. I attended two triathlon coaching courses in the space of a week. My head has been buzzing with all the new information ever since. The first three days were spent practicing underwater swim video analysis with Swim Smooth. Day four was with British Triathlon at Loughborough University, learning more about Training Peaks software. It got me thinking about how triathlon has changed over the last 20 years. Now there’s so much information available that there’s almost no excuse for repeating the same mistakes in your racing and training. It makes me look back and wonder if I’d have done better in certain races if I’d known then what I know now. I can think back to several triathlons where I went far…

When you’re sitting at home watching a major athletics competition, the running track looks like the coolest place in the world to be. Stepping on to one in real life, though, can feel intimidating – the trackside seats are usually empty but you still feel as though your running prowess is about to be publicly tested. It’s a shame that tracks aren’t more well used because they are truly built for purpose. The surface is perfect for running fast, with a slight bounce that helps to spring you along and protects your body from the higher impact of running fast. Of course, your distances on a track are pre-measured so it’s much easier to do complicated interval sessions. And then there’s the psychological effect of stepping over those white lines:…