Beginner Triathlon by Richard Hoad

About The Challenge Guides If you’re anything like us you sometimes sit down and reflect on life. Where am I going? What’s the point of what I am doing? What am I actually achieving? Living in London, we often found ourselves thinking about this when sitting on the train into work: doing the same journey at the same time and sitting at the same desk while all the time dealing with the same set of issues. Often, weeks merge into months and the years start to tick by at an alarming rate, with time seemingly passing you by. One of the keys to happiness is often cited as taking control of your life and setting achievable goals. This allows you to dictate areas of importance and learn how to progress in some way within those areas. Whether these are emotionally related, financial or physical – the act of setting goals can be a powerful motivator. Back in 2004 we decided to take on a physical challenge and set some goals: first to complete an Olympic triathlon; then to run a marathon; and, finally, to compete in an Ironman triathlon. For each of these challenges there were plenty of highs, many lows and frequent can’t-bebothered moments. Sometimes training took over our lives a bit too much and we had to learn the importance of leading a balanced lifestyle. Sometimes we met out targets and were ecstatic, while at other times we failed and had to try again. What we discovered, though, is that through the pain and the commitment on the journey to realising our goals we reached levels of satisfaction and feelings of achievement that everyday life cannot give. We had taken control, broken the daily routine and achieved for ourselves. It has been a powerful lesson in highlighting what is important in life, and that is a lesson that is continuing today. Writing The Challenge Guides series is our attempt to help you take on a challenge and feel that sense of personal achievement. The path can be a tough one, and we hope the guidebooks can take you in the right direction. It’s up to you, however, to make sure the goal is a worthy one, and then to make it happen! To help classify the level of challenges we have coded the books as follows: Gold Challenge: some of the toughest challenges out there. Requires maximum commitment and effort to achieve, don’t take these on lightly! Silver Challenge: hard but much more achievable. Still requires a huge amount of effort but won’t completely dominate your life Bronze Challenge: a good place to start if you’re not used to training or just don’t have much time available. A great achievement in itself. Whichever Challenge you choose, give it your best shot. And Good Luck! © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

15 Steps To Becoming a Triathlete

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

The Olympic Triathlon Swim: 1.5km

Bike: 40km

Run: 10km

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 1: Why Should I Do A Triathlon?

Step1: Why should I do a triathlon? Rephrase That: Why Shouldn’t You Do a Triathlon “Every morning I take a giant suck-it-up pill, and wash it down with a refreshing can of hard” - David Goggins, endurance athlete Why should you do a triathlon? That’s a good question. After all, you’ve survived perfectly well up until now without doing a triathlon. Which is why you have to ask yourself: what’s your motivation? Maybe you want a new challenge? If that’s the case, rest assured: triathlons are a challenge. A tough one, too. And the more you put into them, the more they will take out of you. To simply complete a triathlon you have to have attained a high level of physical fitness. And not just a high level of physical fitness in one sport, but in three. Three sports that, individually, are tricky enough to master. But when placed one after another are guaranteed to take you on an exhilarating ride of physical and emotional pain. And it really is exhilarating. Because triathlon is a fantastic sport. Not only is it an opportunity to push yourself both mentally and physically, but you do so in an immensely supportive, reassuringly friendly, and yet fiercely competitive sporting arena. There is an unspoken air of respect at a triathlon that is rarely found in competitive adult sports. Everyone who competes in a race – regardless of their level – understands what it takes just to make it to the start, let alone the finishing line. Everyone who makes the effort to dive into a murky pond or river at stupid-o’clock in the morning understands that the person waiting for the gun next to them is going to do their absolute best. And everyone who crosses the finishing line in an endorphinridden blur of painful ecstasy understands that the person still out on the course is driven to succeed, and driven to be the best that they can be, whether that best is qualifying for a place on the National squad or simply hitting their target time. Every triathlete understands. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 1: Why Should I Do A Triathlon?

After all, how often do you get clapped off the Sunday League pitch by Beckham? Or saluted as you close out match point by Federer? It happens in triathlon. The very best in the sport will often stick around to salute us mere mortals as we stagger across the line. Why? Because they ‘get it’. They understand the dedication and the focus required to do the sport. They understand the drive. Triathletes are, by their very nature, driven individuals. The best of the best – like any great sports person – live, breathe and occasionally die because of their sport. But seldom will you witness age-groupers (that’s what us non-elite athletes like to be called – rule one of triathlon: never, ever, ever call an agegrouper a fun-runner) so wholly dedicated to a single pursuit. Triathlon is a sport that will, if you let it, consume your life. From hours spent swimming, cycling or running, to the food you eat and the socks you wear (we’ll get on to that later), it slowly consumes everything you do. It becomes a lifestyle. A very sexy lifestyle. Think about it: you’ve got beautiful people in skin-tight clothing riding beautiful bikes and getting all sweaty; triathlon is a sexy sport. Admittedly, when you’ve got snot splattered across your cheek after 40km on a bike it doesn’t seem that sexy. But the people watching you don’t see the snot (and by that point you probably won’t care). What the people watching you see is some fantastic physical specimen doing something that they can only admire. To them it is sexy. And for you, this will be just the start of an addiction. Once you start doing triathlons, you’ll find that it is very, very difficult to stop. You see, once you’ve crossed that finish line and the dull ache in your legs has subsided, you look at your splits. You analyse them. You should have swum at least a minute faster. What were you doing in T1? A few more track sessions and you would have smashed that run to pieces. So you analyse. Then, while you’re analysing, you take a wander down to your local bike shop. There’s a nice new bike in the window. ‘That would look great with me on top of it’ you think. You take it for a little test run. It’s half-a-kilo lighter than your current steed and feels a little like a skittish colt. You buy it. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 1: Why Should I Do A Triathlon?

And so it begins. You are a triathlete. It is in every sinew of your being and infiltrates every aspect of your life. You understand. Just like ‘they’ understand. And you are driven to push yourself harder and faster than you’ve ever gone before. So why should you do triathlon? Well, if you’ve read this far then you should do it because you’re genuinely interested. If you’re skipping to this bit of Step One and are undecided then go back and read it through. And if you can’t be bothered to go back and read it through, don’t do a triathlon. Like everything that is worth having and doing in life, there’s no corner cutting in a triathlon: it’s all or nothing. You either want it or you don’t. But if you want it, we can guarantee that it is something worth having.

Step 1: Why Should I Do A Triathlon?

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 2: What Triathlon Should I Do?

Step 2: What Triathlon Should I Do? There Are Plenty Out There, But Which One is Right? “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!” Henry Ford Triathlons come in many shapes and sizes. From the short (Super Sprint) to the long (Ironman), they are designed to push you to your limits – whatever you decide your limit is. There are five standard triathlon distances. These are:

So what sort of triathlon should you do? Well, to a large extent that really depends on the size of the challenge that you want to undertake. It would arguably be unwise to attempt a long- or even middle-distance triathlon without having previously competed in a shorter race. Saying that, there are people who do launch straight into long-distance triathlons and live to tell the tale. For the purposes of this guidebook, though, we are going to be focusing predominantly on the most popular form of triathlon (Olympic), with reference to it’s shorter counterpart (Sprint). Olympic Distance Triathlons (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run) Thousands of Olympic distance triathlons take place throughout Europe during the year. The largest of them all (The London Triathlon) accommodates 15,000 triathletes over the course of a weekend (not all in the same race). London, however, is the exception. Most triathlons are much smaller than London, although they are often just as popular. There are various places to look for triathlons (we’ll get onto that in the next chapter), but needless to say at some point in the year there will be a race near you. It might only have a handful of people competing in it, but it will be there. Olympic distance triathlons are tough. They’re the equivalent of running 800meters on the © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 2: What Triathlon Should I Do?

track: lung-busting, balls-out and painful. The swim is long enough to be beyond the realms of most casual athletes. The bike is a mentally and physically tactical affair: go too hard and you blow up on the run; go too slow and, well, you’ve blown it. And the run is…there’s no easy way to say it: it’s going to hurt. And despite the distances involved in each of the disciplines you’re still expected to go fast. Yes, the Olympic distance triathlon is very much a quick race. To give you an example, the top athletes in the world (in a triathlon race they are called ‘The Elites’) can swim 1500m in around 17-minutes, cycle 40km in under an hour and then run 10km in under 30-minutes. Doing those kind of splits, a pro will aim to complete a race in something like 1:50 (one hour, 50-minutes). But they are professional athletes. The really scary thing is there are age groupers that come pretty close to hitting those times while holding down a regular job. Some of the best age-groupers will mix it up with the pros and come in under 2:05. 2:30 is a benchmark of a really strong athlete and anything under 2:50 shows you’ve put in the hard yards. But whatever time you finish the race in, once you have completed your first Olympic triathlon you’ll be riddled with exhilaration…and pain. They are great races. Physically, they are very demanding. Mentally, they are tough. But to finish an Olympic distance triathlon is one hell of an achievement and nobody can take that away from you. Sprint Triathlons (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) The baby brother of the Olympic triathlon, Sprints can be one of two things: a really good, challenging introduction to a tough sport; or an all-out smash-fest of speed and stamina. Quick and challenging, Sprints offer an excellent introduction to the world of triathlon quite simply because they are not as demanding as an Olympic. Because the distances are that much shorter, triathletes do not need to spend as much time building up core mileage (a concept we come to later) and can focus on other things (speed, or a social life, for instance). But Sprints are by no means easy. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 2: What Triathlon Should I Do?

Like Olympics, the best in the business are freakishly fast. They can quite feasibly rattle off a sub-10 minute 750m swim, a sub-30 minute bike and 15-minute 5km. If you can do a Sprint in under an hour you really are going some. The best age groupers usually come in at around 1:05. If you can come in under 1:15 you’re doing really well, and a sub 1:30 time shows that you’ve put in the effort where it counts. Great from a spectator’s perspective, Sprint triathlons are lung busting races that ask a lot in a very short space of time. Do one, and you’ll definitely feel it. A Few Words On The Other Distances Super Sprint (400m swim, 10km bike, 2.5km run) To be honest, there’s not a lot to say about the Super Sprints. Very short and very quick, these are often a basic introduction to triathlon for someone unfamiliar with all three sports. Middle-Distance Triathlon (1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run) Tough, long and you need to be strong. Middle distance triathlons are becoming increasingly popular amongst age groupers and elites alike for two main reasons: 1. They demand an exceptional level of fitness and dedication 2. Unlike long-distance triathlons, the body can recover from a middle-distance event quickly and efficiently, meaning athletes can enter multiple races over the course of a season.

Middle distance events are dominated by the Ironman 70.3 Series (a re-brand of Half Ironman) and are fiercely competitive. The best athletes regularly post times in the subfour hour range, and can throw together a race comprising of a 20-minute swim followed by a two-hour bike and a 1:10 half-marathon. ©Janick Jenkins

Long-Distance Triathlon (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run) When a group of Hawaiians decided to settle a dispute about who was fitter (the swimmer, the © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 2: What Triathlon Should I Do?

cyclist, or the runner) by combining three of Oahu’s toughest events in one day, the Ironman was born. Long-distance triathlon – or Ironman, as it is popularly known – is fast becoming the Zenith of the triathlon world. In fact, for some of the more popular races simply getting an entry slot is actually more difficult than finishing the thing! If you set your sites on a long distance triathlon then be prepared to give up your life (if you want to do a decent time, anyway). Because for the six to eight months leading up to the race you will, quite honestly, live, breathe, eat and sleep triathlon. It impacts you, your loved ones, even your work colleagues. It is all encompassing. Simply putting in those hours is an achievement in itself. To finish the race…it’s an experience you will never forget. To give you an idea of times, the pros can be out of the water in around 45-minutes, spend less than five hours on the bike and then run a marathon in sub 2:50. That’s less than eight hours. Age groupers are often not too far behind, with competition for one of the elusive Kona slots (the Ironman World Championships) fierce. The ©Anya Woolliams last athletes come in to an impressive fanfare before the cut off time of 17-hours after the start, but there are usually some people still oncourse following that cut off. Long-distance triathlon is the ultimate challenge. Physically debilitating, mentally exhausting, an Ironman will take you from the highest highs to the lowest lows and play with every emotion in between. But when you complete it…wow. A note on Ironman At this point it is worth noting that the term Ironman is generally used to describe what is, in fact, a middle- or long-distance event. Ironman itself is an incredibly successful global brand that dominates middle and long distance triathlon. However, there are plenty of very good middle- and long-distance races that are not ‘Ironman’ races. Not carrying ‘Ironman’ in the name of an event simply means that the organisers have not paid for the privilege of using that particular moniker. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 2: What Triathlon Should I Do?

Which triathlon should I enter? Okay, so you know what sort of triathlon you want to enter, but which one should you do? The first thing to do is look at all of the triathlons in your area that are still accepting entries. This is very important because the most famous triathlons sell out in days – and sometimes hours. If you want to get in to one of the ‘big’ triathlons, find out when entries open for it and make sure you enter on that day. If you are desperate to do one of the ‘big’ ones and it transpires that entries are closed, another route to explore is charity entries. Charity entries work in exactly the same way as they do for marathons – you agree to raise a certain amount of money for an affiliated charity. In return you get an entry slot, incredible support on the day (charity runners always get the biggest shouts) and the knowledge that you are doing an impressive deed for a worthy cause. But there are, quite literally, hundreds of triathlons a year. So how do you find out about them? Probably the best resource is the website activeglobal.com (just so you know we have no associations with this - or any other - company, they are genuinely a good source of this kind of information) or the BritishTriathlon Federation (britishtriathlon. org) which lists all triathlons in the UK officially registered with the Federation. You can also check triathlon magazines and various other websites such as racediary.co.uk. Once you’ve found a list of the triathlons that are accepting entries it is time to make some decisions. Decisions that will be based on two major factors: logistics and goals. Your primary logistical considerations are: 1. Is it close to where I live? No, we’re not just being lazy. Because of road closures on the bike leg most triathlons start early in the morning. If you have to drive an hour to get to a race that starts at 6am you’re going to be getting up at 3am (and probably still only giving yourself an hour onsite before the race – which isn’t really long enough). © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 2: What Triathlon Should I Do?

2. Is it easy to get to? If you’ve got a car, no problem. If you haven’t, can you get there on public transport? Even if it’s early in the morning? One of us once had to cycle 25kms just to get to the start of the London Triathlon because there was no public transport at that time in the morning. Needless to say it’s not the best way to start a race.

Your goals are just as important. Things worth checking out are: • The layout of the course. They may all be the same distance, but there are lots of ways to skin a triathlete cat. A swim is a swim so there’s not too much to worry about there, just note whether it’s a sea swim which may not suit everyone. But the bike? Is it one big loop? Is it twelve small loops? If it’s the former, fine. If it’s the latter, bear in mind you might get very, very bored and will find it hard to get any sort of rhythm going on race day. It’s exactly the same with the run. •

The profile of the course. A lot of races will have a course profile on their website. Check it out. You might find you’re about to enter a race with a climb akin to the North Face of the Eiger. Fine if you really want to push yourself, not great if you want to set a fast time.

Finally, see if there are any reviews of the race online. Online forums such as tritalk.co.uk provide feedback on races and give you an opportunity to ask questions and get advice from other forum members about different events. Some races have good reviews, some not so good. It’s always worth checking out previous competitor’s comments as a badly organised race can ruin your big day. Do remember, though, that one bad review doesn’t mean a bad race. Opinions are subjective and triathletes generally like everything to be spot on. It’s not a race organizers fault if someone gets a puncture or gets disqualified for drafting. It is, however, an organizers fault if courses aren’t clearly signposted or bicycle routes are dangerous. If there are a few accusations pertaining to that kind of thing, maybe look around for a race elsewhere. Once you’re happy and sorted, all that’s left is to pay your money (and then train your butt off). Triathlons can be expensive – anything up to £100 for an Olympic distance race. It seems like a lot, but when you turn up and race you’ll (hopefully) see where the money goes. Closing roads isn’t cheap. Nor is getting clearance from the environment agency. And then there’s the © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 2: What Triathlon Should I Do?

big, shiny medal you get at the end of the thing (that’s got to cost a few quid!!). But if you do the right research and get the right information, you will be part of a race that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Oh, and you get a ‘free’ T-Shirt too!

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

Step 3: What Kind Of Kit Should I Buy? How, What and Where. Gear for Everyone “I’m tired of hearing about money, money, money, money, money. I just want to play the game, drink Pepsi, wear Reebok.” Shaquille O’Neale Ah, now this is the bit where triathlon gets interesting, fun and expensive. Obviously, the amount of money you spend on kit is wholly up to you. Some people spend hundreds of pounds; some quite happily fritter away thousands and thousands of pounds. The point of this chapter is to outline the bare necessities of kit buying: what you need, where you can buy it from, and how to make sure it fits well. What you will find is that a lot of tri- and sportspecific shops will happily measure, weigh and tickle you to make sure the kit you are buying fits like a glove. Obviously, their intention is to make a sale, but you’re under no obligation to buy a pair of running shoes just because someone has spent twenty minutes looking at your foot strike on a video. If you’re looking for really cheap kit, obvious websites like ebay always have good stuff on them, and you’ll frequently see a gem of a piece of kit going cheap (for instance, bicycle saddles and tri bars on ebay are often much cheaper than in the shops). If, however, you don’t fancy buying a wetsuit that someone has peed in a few times, simply go onto Google and type in triathlon wetsuits. Wiggle.co.uk and chainreaction.co.uk are always a good place to purchase new kit, while online-specific bike retailers such as Planet X offer big discounts because of their low overheads. But there are hundreds of online shops that cater for triathletes so have a trawl around cyber space. Searches like ‘Cheap Asics’ and ‘Discount bicycles’ invariably return good results that can save you a lot of money. What’s more, don’t be afraid to buy last year’s model. A 2009 bike or shoe will, in a lot of cases, be exactly the same as the 2010 model. All that usually differs is the colour (which most © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

people don’t care about if it saves them a couple of hundred quid). Occasionally there will be more profound differences between newer and older models, but that is not usually the case. So what exactly are you searching for? The Swim: Essential shopping list: Goggles, Swimsuit, Wetsuit The swim is the easy bit. The Goggles Obviously you need a good pair of goggles. And at the end of the day, goggles are goggles. The most important thing about them is that they fit well and don’t leak. You can spend anything from £5 to £25 on a pair of goggles and they pretty much all do the same thing. Yes, some have tinted lenses for certain water types and others have wider fields of vision, but at the end of the day when you’re in the midst of a churning cauldron of white water and people keep kicking you in the head (we’ll explain that in a while), all you really want is the ability to see roughly where you’re going. The Swimsuit The swimsuit is down to you. You can buy a triathlon-specific swimsuit, a pair of budgiesmuggling Speedos, or you can, if you really want, wear a pair of boardies. One thing you have to remember is that no triathlon allows nudity. Therefore, what you wear under your wetsuit at the start of the race is what you will be wearing at the end of the race. Triathlon-specific swimsuits come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are full on tri-suits (covering bottom and top), others are just lycra shorts. So what makes a tri-suit a tri-suit? Tri-suits contain a shammy (the kind of thing you use to clean car windows) that protects your nether-regions on the bike. It’s just a little bit of padding that makes the whole cycling experience a lot more comfortable. They’re also quick drying to avoid unnecessary chaffing and are flexible enough to run in. But they are not compulsory. In all honesty you can wear what you want to wear in a triathlon. But you should test-run it first. If you’re going to wear non-tri shorts make sure they dry at a decent speed otherwise you’re going to be really uncomfortable for a couple of hours.

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

The Wetsuit Most UK races demand triathletes wear wetsuits on the swim. If, in the unlikely event, the water is above 21C wetsuits are often banned. One very important thing to remember, though, is that triathlon wetsuits are not the same as surfing wetsuits. In fact, they are very, very different. Triathlon wetsuits are much more flexible and have better buoyancy than surf wetsuits. A triathlon wetsuit is designed for swimming, a surfing wetsuit is…you get the idea. You can, of course, use your surf wetsuit if you want to. But you’ll expend a lot more energy getting from A to B and your shoulders and neck will take a while to forgive you. There are plenty of triathlon wetsuit manufacturers out there. Some of the ones you see more commonly at races are: Foor, Orca, Zoot, 2XU, Sailfish, Blue Seventy, Speedo and Ironman. But this is just a random selection. There are others, and all of them produce a range of high quality products. If you do decide to get a triathlon wetsuit, you have two options. Rent or buy. A lot of triathlon shops will happily rent wetsuits for anything from a weekend to a couple of weeks. The wetsuits are always a decent quality and renting is a good way of dipping your toe in the water, so to speak. If you decide to buy, it’s important to make sure you get a suit that fits. I once wore one that was slightly too small (in my first race) and after 1km of swimming I thought I was about to suffocate and was pretty confident that I would never father a child. As for making the purchase, that’s down to you. Most wetsuits start at around £100 and can go up to well over £500. How much of a difference does it make? Well, that’s subjective. If you bought a wetsuit for £100 and spent £400 on swimming lessons would you go quicker than if you spent £500 on a suit alone? Yes. As with anything, the more you spend the better the suit. The neoprene will ‘do’ more and the suit will work more efficiently. But if you can’t swim, none of that matters.

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

Key considerations when buying a wetsuit are:

The Bike Shopping list essentials: Helmet, Bike, Pedals, Bottle Cage, Water Bottles Optional extras: Cycling Top, Lycra Shorts, ‘Bento’ Box, Saddle Bag, Tri-Bars The helmet One non-negotiable at a triathlon is a helmet. No helmet, no race. In fact, if you’re stupid enough to cycle on roads without a helmet, you shouldn’t be doing a triathlon in the first place.

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

The bike The bike is probably the single most important, single most fun and single most expensive thing you will buy for triathlon. The sky is, quite honestly, the limit when it comes to purchasing your steed, and you will see some amazing pieces of kit when you arrive on race day. But you don’t have to spend the earth. In fact, you don’t have to spend anything. Most – not all – triathlons will allow you to use any kind of bike: mountain, hybrid, road. If you don’t want to fork out for a new bike, dust down your mountain bike and use that instead. Admittedly, you won’t win a race on a mountain bike, but you can test the format out. If you are intending on using a mountain bike, double check with the race organizers that that is okay – some of them don’t allow non-road bikes on the course. Essential additions to your bike are:

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

If you want to use a road bike, then the fun stuff really begins. There are so many makes out there (Trek, Specialized, Giant, Condor, Boardman, Planet X, Kuota, Felt… the list is endless) and all of them produce really nice machines. Like wetsuits, you can often rent a bike from a shop for the weekend. But if you want to buy a new bike, well, how much money have you got to spend? Wait, before we look at that, how do you know what size bike to get? It’s pretty easy, really (unless you have abnormally long limbs). Road bikes are measured in centimeters. The smallest frames are usually 48cm, the largest 60cm. There are, of course, XS and XL frames but they are less common. To work out frame size, measure your inside leg in centimetres. Once you have that measurement, multiply it by 0.65. That number is more or less the size of frame you need (we say more or less because as you might imagine that is hardly an exact science). So as a rough guide:

NB: This table refers to road bikes. Mountain bike frames are different. These sizes pertain to the length from the base of the down tube (where the pedals are) to the seat post. The length of the top tube is always different and can vary (quite dramatically) between bike companies. Because of that, it’s always worth testing a bike before you buy it. If you’re buying a bike from the internet that is a bit more difficult, but shops will be honest with you if you ask them (tell them how tall you are and they will know roughly what size frame you should be getting). What we really, advise, though is to get a proper bike fit, which most decent bike shops will provide as part of your purchase. This will ensure you get the right size frame, correct handlebar height and seat adjustment putting you in the best cycling position for speed and comfort. So what bike should you buy? © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

Ah, the fun stuff. It really depends on how much money you have to spend. Up to £750 That’s a lot of money, right? Yes, but not if you’re a connoisseur of road biking. An entry-level triathlon bike will generally be made of aluminium. A stiff and rigid material, aluminum is comparatively heavy (but still very light when compared to, say, a mountain bike or steel road bike). The real thing to look out for on bikes at this price is the groupset. The groupset is the components that make a bike a bike: the gears, the chainset (ie. the cogs where the pedals are) and the chain. You might not think so, but the groupset is where a lot of your money is spent. There are three major groupset manufacturers: Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM (the latter being a new company on the scene). While there are subtle differences between the manufacturers, few but the real connoisseurs of the sport can tell the difference, so your main consideration should be the quality.

NB: The models are not ranked directly against each other, the table represents the range of models from each manufacturer. Which groupset to choose is entirely subjective. Needless to say, most people won’t notice the difference between Shimano Ultegra and Dura Ace or the Campag Chorus or Record. Purists will. The rest of us just care about dropping into a lower gear when we want to stretch the legs out. Most entry level bikes have Shimano 105 or Campag Mirage. These are fine, robust systems. However, if you can get a bike with Shimano Ultegra or Campag Centaur then that represents good value for money. £750 to £1500 © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

Oooh, now you’re talking. In this price range, not only are you looking at top-end aluminium bikes but also carbon fibre and the odd titanium bike too! Carbon-fibre bikes are very light, very stiff and very fast. If a bike is stiff / rigid, it is more responsive when you really start to push it. Needless to say, carbon bikes are a lot of fun to ride. Titanium is bulletproof. But titanium bikes are not as stiff as carbon bikes and so not quite as responsive. They are, however, more comfortable and exceptionally light. Despite many positives, it is rare to see a titanium bike at a race. Carbon fibre and aluminium bikes are the norm. In this price range, you should be getting a good groupset with your bike. £1500-plus Bicycle porn. The best of the best. In this price range you’re predominantly looking at carbon and titanium bikes. In this price range everything becomes a consideration. You should automatically have a good groupset on there. What’s more, you should have some pretty good wheels on there too. Maybe you’ll have a carbon seat post and carbon bottle cages. Push your luck: ask for extras (pedals etc). But be prepared: if you’re going to roll out on a £1500+ bike, you better ride fast! Remember we said triathletes are driven? They’re also envious beasts who like nothing better to eye-up other triathletes. And you can guarantee that if you’re riding a better bike than the triathlete riding beside you, they’re going to go balls out to ride faster than you are. Even if they are commuting into work. Sure, they might have just won a pyrrhic victory, but it was a victory nonetheless. Pedals Okay, so you have your bike, but it doesn’t have any pedals! A lot of road bikes come without pedals these days. Why? Well, it’s a good way of making you spend more money. Unfortunately, pedals aren’t optional (you won’t go very far without them unless you’re at the top of a hill). You can either get the usual flat pedals, pedals with toe straps or clip-in © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

pedals. The latter are by far the most popular at a triathlon as they facilitate the most effective execution of power from all the major muscle groups in the leg. If you opt for the latter, you need specific cycle shoes too. Once you have the shoes, you’re ready to go. Just make sure that if it’s your first time in clip-in pedals you don’t ride home from the shop like this. Practise clipping in and unclipping against a tree or a wall. Every cyclist at some point ‘forgets’ to unclip when coming to a standstill. What generally ensues is a panic-wobble as you fight both gravity and your clip-ins and you will usually lose. The fall itself doesn’t hurt, but it is embarrassing. Added extras Bear in mind that when training, you need to drink. Unless you have one of those H20 backpacks, bottle cages are a good idea. A puncture repair kit helps, too. Probably the best thing to do is buy a saddle bag from somewhere like Bike Hut or Evans. This attaches to the rear of your seat, and carries all of the kit that you need if you get a puncture (a spare inner tube, a few tyre-levers, and usually an allen key). A Pump. There’s no point in having a puncture repair kit if you haven’t got anything to pump up your tyre. Portable pumps, which fix onto the bolts of the bottle cage, are relatively inexpensive and an important purchase. Cycling shorts. Remember what we said about the shammy on triathlon shorts? Well, the shammy on cycling shorts is even bigger! Once you’ve cycled a good distance in cycling shorts, you’ll never go back to wearing your boardies again – they really do make a difference. Then there are tri-bars. Triathlon bars are like an extra-set of handle bars that stick out from the front of your bike. They allow you to cycle in a more aerodynamic position. They are not compulsory and take some time to get used to. But when you feel confident on a road bike and if you truly get the triathlon ‘bug’, they can be a good investment. It might seem like you have to purchase a lot, but by the time you have all of this you’re going to have a shiny new steed that will be the envy of every person on the road. You are going to look the business and everyone will be checking you out. Maybe. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

But be proud! You’ve just purchased a significant ‘other’ in your life. A new ‘baby’. Your pride and joy. And my god she (or he – whatever you decide) looks good! The run Shopping list: Shoes Ah, the run. Agony and ecstasy. Everyone can run. Some can run bloody fast. Others pootle along. By the time you reach the run in your first triathlon you’re going to be tired. With that in mind it’s important to make sure you have a good pair of shoes to run in. The most common mistake people make is just to buy any old running shoe (or trainer for that matter). Yes, they do the job, but what are they doing to your legs? Your legs are oxymoronic: sturdy but fragile. They carry you through 80% of the race so you need to look after them. A good pair of running shoes is probably going to be your single most important purchase. Go to a shop and ask them to look at how you run. There are lots of different running shoes on the market and ones that correct over-pronation or supination are no more expensive than neutral shoes. Hang on, over-pronation and supi…what? Okay, in your running shop they’re going to talk about your pronation. Pronation is basically the distribution of weight through your foot. Everybody is different and there is a pair of shoes out there that will suit someone with your pronation. Just so you know what the person in the shop is talking about: • Neurtal pronation: As the outside of the heel hits the ground, the foot rolls in evenly without any adverse affects. When you push off the ground, you do so evenly. This is the effective distribution of weight and is neutral (or normal) pronation. • Over-pronation: When the heel strikes the ground, your ankle and lower leg rolls inwards, putting a lot of weight on your big toe. When you push off, you do so on the inside of your feet. It is common in people with low foot arches. • Under-pronation (supination): The opposite of overpronation, your ankle does not roll in enough when your heel hits the ground. Your weight is on the outside of the feet. It is common in people with high arches. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?

One quick way to see what type of a runner you are is to have a look at an old pair of running shoes. Where are they worn? On the inside, outside or evenly across the entire shoe? But this is a very basic guide. What you need to do is wander down to a running shop and get them to have a look. It’s free and it’s what they like to do. They might look at you run on a treadmill, watch you walk, or simply look at your weight distribution. But they will recommend the correct pair of running shoes and it will make a huge difference to your entire running experience. What’s more, you are less likely to pick up an injury because your shoes won’t be doing all sorts of strange things to your legs. You’re going to be asking your body to do a lot, all it asks in return is that you give it a little bit of TLC. That’s a fair trade-off, no?

Step 4: Should I Join a Club?

Step 4: Should I Join a Club Or Get a Coach? The Benefits of Training With Other Triathletes “The difference between failure and success is doing a thing nearly right and doing it exactly right.” Edward C. Simmons, Author Yes. But we can’t really pass that off as a chapter (neither you nor our editor would buy it). So let’s take a look at the role of clubs and coaches. Having someone who really knows what they’re talking about analysing what you are doing is obviously going to have a positive impact on your performance. But coaches can be costly, and how do you know what kind of coach you need? If most people were going to pick a sport to be coached on, it would be the swim. And it does make sense to focus coaching on that area of your training (unless you’re already a good swimmer). While it is possible to get running and cycling coaches, swimming is a very technical sport and it’s also a very difficult sport to self-analyse. Which is why you see so many awful swimmers in the pool. Next time you go to your local baths watch some of the front-crawls that go on. Admittedly, the chances are some of them will be good. But there will also be people whose weaker arm simply collapses into the water, those who never extend their arm to full reach, and those who thrash around frenetically as if they were hoping to be rescued. But the chances are, these thrashers haven’t got a clue. Nobody has ever taught them to swim properly, and because their gaze is fixated firmly on the verucca plasters drifting idly along beneath them, they will never know. And that is where a coach will be able to help you out. They will deconstruct your stroke, give you tips and techniques to help you be more efficient, and in so doing will help you increase speed and save energy. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

©Janick Jenkins

Step 4: Should I Join a Club?

Not a bad trade-off, eh? So yes, a swim coach is a good idea. But then, so is a triathlon coach. But only if you really want to nail it. And how do you know if you want to nail it until you’ve done your first one? If, however, you’ve already made up your mind that you are going to be the next Brownlee or Moffatt (if you have, you should know who these two are) then a tri coach isn’t a bad person to have on board. Generally they are pretty hands-off. They may do some early training sessions with you, but then they will send you through a training schedule that is tailored to you and what you need to work on. Depending on how many hours you want to spend training per week and what your overarching goal is, this program will probably range from pretty punchy to very aggressive. But it will help you out. In all honesty, though, getting a triathlon coach for your first race is a touch excessive. Do the training plans in this book (and if they’re not enough have a look on the interweb – there are plenty on there) and see how you find the sport. If you decide this is the thing for you, get a coach. The same cannot be said for joining a Tri Club. Triathlon Clubs can be invaluable, particularly if you’re starting out in the sport and you haven’t got anyone to train with. Aside from being very sociable and catering to individuals of all shapes, sizes and abilities, they are great for honing your bike skills. Most triathlon clubs will go out on at least one training ride per week (usually on a Saturday morning). And depending on what your goal is, there will be a ride that caters for you. It makes cycling (which can be an otherwise solitary pursuit) a little more enjoyable, and you can keep track on your progress by seeing what other people are doing. What’s more, it’s a great way to motivate yourself. Nobody in a cycle group minds when someone bonks or has trouble keeping up (honestly, it’s true), but you will mind. And that makes you work harder. Add to the cycling some solid run sessions and (usually) swim sessions, and a triathlon club can be a really good way to find fellow triathletes. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 4: Should I Join a Club?

To find your nearest triathlon club, log on to britishtriathlon.org. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll quickly find that there are hundreds and hundreds of them. In recent years, some of them have become so popular that there are waiting lists to get on. They are the exception though. So just to reiterate: is it useful to join a triathlon club or hire a coach? Yes.

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 5: How Do I Manage My Training?

Step 5: How Do I Manage My Training? Getting Your Life in Order “Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it.” T. Alan Armstrong, Author. Warning: Triathlon can damage your health. Well, not your health (unless you fall off your bike or twist your ankle or something). But triathlon can certainly damage your social life. It can, and it does (for a surprisingly large amount of people). Because triathlon training can easily become an allencompassing pursuit. We’ve seen it happen too many times: you decide to skip a night out in case it messes up the cycle you’ve got planned for tomorrow. Fancy a few beers in the evening? How’s that going to sit with your 6am swim! Want to go wakeboarding? No way! Have you seen the ligament damage wakeboarders sustain when they catch an edge. Why is this? Well, for a start, there is an obvious relationship between the training that you do and your performance in a race. And triathletes tend to be competitive beasts by nature, meaning that they want to perform above and beyond their race-day expectations. And so they have to train. And train. And train. In fact, they train so much that it turns into an addictive activity. A triathlete might start to feel down if they miss out on a session, or get frustrated if other commitments prevent them from meeting their goals. So they train harder. They put their body under more stress. They get tired. Physically and mentally exhausted. This makes them a little bit irritable. And all of a sudden, triathlon stops being fun and starts being a chore. And that’s no good. So how do you avoid this spiral into the depths of despair, waste and sorrow? Well, the first thing to do is regularly take a bit of time to reflect on what you are doing (you have enough time on the bike to do that). How does the quantity and quality of training that you are doing compare to the goals that you set yourself at the start of this process? How is triathlon impacting on the other areas of your life? If it’s all positive, fantastic! If, however, you’re noticing that your goals are starting to slip or that important relationships are suffering, things need to be changed. We can’t tell you how to change them – only you can do that. But © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 5: How Do I Manage My Training?

remember: this is something that is supposed to be fun; you should never lose sight of that. Preferential Training For the purposes of this chapter, we’re going to put away our life-coaching manuals and presume that you have attained a happy equilibrium where you maintain an excellent home and social life. But how is the training going? The likelihood is that at the start of this process, you had a preference for one of the sports in particular; either swimming, cycling or running. The danger is that you slip into a habit of concentrating on the area that you know best (and feel most comfortable with) and pay lip service to the other sports. This is where a training plan becomes invaluable. Because in all honesty, if you’re a lightning fast runner, you need to be working on the swim and the bike. The same if you’re a swimmer or a cyclist. Triathlon is about combining each discipline effectively. Yes, there are disciplines which are arguably more important than others in a race day scenario. But to be good at triathlon, you have to be good at all three sports. Use the fact that you can’t swim, or that your bike is weaker than the guys at your local club as motivation. This is where you can learn. And you will learn if you give yourself the opportunity. Every athlete – regardless of their sport or ability – spends hours working on their weaknesses. They identify and then they rectify. Sure, they continue to hone their strengths, but they are always trying to improve on the things that they do worst. Make sure you don’t fall into the all-too easy trap of sticking with what you know. Staying Healthy But all of this means nothing if you are not giving your body the tools to deal with the stress and strain that you are putting it under. In particular, you have to put good things in to get good things out again. Step 12 takes you through the nutritional demands of triathlon and how to fuel yourself, and this is one of the single most important things to get right. By maintaining the right diet, by keeping hydrated and by allowing your body to rest, you can continue to execute a quality training plan, avoid illnesses and keep yourself in a positive state of mind. All of this aids motivation, something that tests every triathlete at one point or another. Having © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 5: How Do I Manage My Training?

strong goals and a clear structure for achieving them can help maintain motivation – but ultimately it all comes down to you pushing yourself through the troughs. Pulling Together Your Training Plan So it’s time to put together a training plan. After reading this section of the book, have a look at the training plan at the end of this guide. Even if you decide to ignore all of it, it will give you an idea of how a training plan can be structured, and what level of training you should be doing on a week-by-week basis. But before you get your pen and paper out, there is one key concept that it is worth explaining. Perceived Effort Unless you’re an idiot, you’re not going to hit every training session at 100% of your maximum effort. Do that and your body will quickly burn out. Successful training, where you see a gradual and sustainable level of improvement, involves completing a number of sessions at varying levels of intensity and effort. For example, if you do a hard run and haven’t fully recovered the next day, doing another hard run or a hard cycle means you will perform below your maximum ability and place undue strain on legs that are in recovery mode. That is how injuries happen. Varying your efforts by doing a hard session followed by something easier gives your body the opportunity to recover, setting you up perfectly for another hard session. As your fitness builds, your recovery time will reduce and so it becomes possible to add in more hard sessions to your training plan and so continue your improvement. That is where perceived effort comes in. Using a scale of perceived effort helps you manage your training workload. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution – perceived effort is an individual thing, and even a daily thing. If you are tired, your perception of effort changes from when you are rested. One great way to measure your perceived effort is through the use of a heart rate monitor. How to use a heart rate monitor and manage your training with one is beyond the scope of an introduction to traithlon. However, if you do decide to invest in a heart rate monitor, there are plenty of resources on the web to help you get the most out of it. The scale below uses a qualitative assessment of how you are feeling, but as your training © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 5: How Do I Manage My Training?

continues you should begin to have a better understanding of how your body feels and the recovery it needs. Perceived effort, scale 1-5: Ideally, you will use this scale as a general guide, and adapt it to suit your own development and performance during the training week. So if you are starting from scratch, when you have built up base-fitness by training at Levels Three-Five for a couple of weeks, you can then start adding in bursts of Level Two and eventually Level One training. Eventually, your aim should be to include a mixture of all levels, with the higher perceived effort you put in leading to improving your performance coupled with slower training for recovery and for building an endurance base.

Perceived effort levels are key to the training plans in Appendix II. But doing a triathlon isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just about writing down a plan. You have to do the work, too. And to make sure you are in the best shape to do the work, you need to prepare your body.

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down? Giving Your Body a Bit of TLC “If you spend too much time warming up, you’ll miss the race. If you don’t warm up at all you may not finish the race.” Grand Heidrich For many of us, fitting in a good stretch and warm-up / down is a bit of a pain. After all, not only is it just another thing to do, it doesn’t appear to have any ostensible impact on your training. It doesn’t appear to, but it does. Warming up, warming down and stretching is crucial to your long-term fitness. The easiest way to view it is as a bit of TLC for your muscles and bones. It’s like sticking oil in your car or on your bike: you can’t really see what it does, but you know that it does something good (and you know that eventually the machine will stop working if you don’t do it). But what should you do and how much? It’s an interesting question and one that nobody really knows the answer to. What makes it allthe-more fascinating (if, like us, you’re a bit of a geek) is that there are diametrically opposed opinions about it all. On the one hand, there are boffins out who have argued that you should stretch for 50% of the time that you have exercised (ie. if you run for an hour, you should stretch for 30-minutes afterwards). However, there are also boffins who argue that you don’t really need to stretch at all. Now, I personally hold the belief that in cases such as these, science can be manipulated to prove what the scientist wants to prove, at which point it’s much safer to find a comfortable spot on the fence and sit firmly on top of it. Because it’s safe to say that stretching is good for you. As is warming up and warming down. What’s more, when I take the time to give my body that bit of TLC both pre- and post-exercise, I feel a hell of a lot better than when I don’t. So what should I be doing? © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?

Well, the first thing to do is to briefly explain what we mean when we talk about the difference between a warm-up, a warm-down and a stretch. Warm-up: This is the first 5-10% of your training session. It will involve a gentle period of exercise at Perceived Level Four often interspersed with a few stretches. Warm-down: This is the last 5-10% of your training session. After working hard, it allows the muscles to gradually return to a resting state. Stretching: As well as being incorporated in the warm-up and warm-down, this is a series of positions that facilitate both the preparation and recovery of muscles, cartilage and bones. Warming Up During the early stages of a training session, warming-up and stretching is essential. As well as providing muscles with the ‘heat’, elasticity and ‘bounce’ required to do what you want them to do, a warm-up also releases lubrication from the cartilage that gives muscles increased flexibility and stops your bones from grating. Added to that, a gentle warm-up facilitates a more effective flow of blood, and helps the cardiovascular and respiratory systems prepare for stress. Basically, it’s a pretty important process to go through. An effective warm-up incorporates a short period of activity that gradually increases in intensity. Obviously, this will differ from one sport to the next, but the same basic principles apply: you should be devoting between five and ten per cent of your training session to doing a gentle warm-up, and maybe slightly longer if you are planning a session at Perceived Level ©Janick Jenkins One or Two. For instance, if you were going for a swim and planning on doing forty laps of your local pool, you might do two laps to start off with a Perceived Level Five and then another two laps at Perceived Level Four. This will help your shoulders and body prepare for the stress you’re about to put it under. It’s exactly the same for the bike and the run. Following on from this gentle period of initial exertion, it’s then time to do a few stretches. Now, obviously, the stretches that you should be doing when swimming are somewhat different from those you should be doing when running. It is also worth noting that you do not necessarily need to get off your bike and have a stretch at this point. By spinning your legs out gently, you © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?

are giving them a good warm-up and stretch. If you feel tight, you might want to stretch, but otherwise a spin is ample preparation. Despite the difference in the stretches you should be doing for swimming and running, the same principles again apply. Elasticity is the key in a warm-up, and you’re trying to get the ‘bounce’ in your muscles so you feel loose and ready. With that in mind:

Do not hold the stretch for too long. 10-20 seconds is the absolute maximum. Do not over-stretch. Push to what feels comfortable. Do not bounce into the stretch, extend in a slow and controlled way Repeat a stretch between three and five times.

A guide to which stretches you should be doing is at the end of this chapter. Warming Down Warming down is just as important as warming up, as it helps your body return to its resting state. Most importantly, it allows your cardiovascular system to return to a relatively normal state, and so prevents it from going into overdrive while everything else is slowing down. The warm-down is effectively the warm-up in reverse. It’s a period of five to ten per cent of the training session where you allow your body to return to its resting state (again, you may want to extend the warm-down if you are completing a session at Perceived Level One or Two). For an effective warm-down, you should be exercising at Perceived Level Four, and should feel your cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems gradually returning to their normal states. Following on from your warm down, though, it is time to stretch. Warm down stretching is different to warm-up stretching. Instead of trying to achieve elasticity and bounce, now your goal is to maintain flexibility and expedite recovery. Again, the principles of how to stretch between the different disciplines are similar when it comes to warm down stretching, even if the goals are different. These basic principles are:

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?

Stretches are held for longer. A minimum stretch should be held for 30-seconds, but no more than one-minute. It is important to push the stretch. Spend ten-seconds at a comfortable stretch, then try and go a little lower or push a little harder for the next ten-seconds, and then do the same for the third ten-seconds. The goal is to elongate the muscles (which will otherwise shorten). It is important to be sensible, though. If something feels really uncomfortable, the chances are it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doing you much good. Repeat each set a minimum of three times. One very important thing to note is that if at any point during your exercise routine your have tweaked or strained a muscle, be very, very careful when stretching it afterwards. If you stretch too much or too hard, you will simply exacerbate the injury. A guide to stretching different muscle groups is below. Stretching So how and what should you stretch? Well, the key is to make sure you stretch all of the major muscle groups for the particular exercise that you have done or are about to do. To give you an idea: Swimming: Abdominals, Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders, Gluteals, Hamstrings. Cycling: Gluteals, Thighs, Hamstrings, Calves. Running: Gluteals, Thighs, Hamstrings, Calves, Abdominals, Tibialis Anterior (on the front of your leg)

As you can see, cycling and running use very similar muscle groups. However, they use them very differently. Because of the different nature of these exercises, it is important to ensure that you always make sure you stretch your lower body well. This is the area that bears most of the brunt of the exercise, and is also most likely to pick up injury (see Step 11: My Knee Hurts for injury prevention). Below is a guide to stretches that will help you in your triathlon training. We have separated swim stretches from cycling / running stretches due to the obvious differences.

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?

Needless to say, there are a thousand and one different ways of stretching, and everyone is an expert on how to stretch and the best way to do it. This is a pretty standard guide, but it is not definitive. A physiotherapist can provide you with a tailor-made stretching routine if you wish to do something a little more structured. If not, this will certainly suffice. Swim Stretches Shoulders / Upper Chest

1. Lock your fingers together with palms facing outwards. Raise your arms above your head, feeling the stretch in your shoulders and upper chest.

2. Take one arm over your head so your palm is touching your upper spine. Using the other hand push gently down on the elbow. You should feel the stretch in the shoulder.

3. Put your arms behind you with fingers interlocking. Raise your arms upwards feeling the stretch in your lower shoulders.

4.Keeping your arm straight spin it slowly around in a full circle, repeat 3 times forward and 3 times backwards and then change arms.

Chest Muscles

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?

5. Have your torso perpendicular to the wall and your feet parallel to it. Reach your arm back with palm out stretched facing the wall. You should feel the stretch in your shoulder and upper chest.

Lats 6. Start with your hands flat one in front of the other with fingers touching. Reach up with your hands above your head and arms straight. Keeping your legs and waist still, lean your hands over to the right hand side, repeat for the left hand side. Leg Stretches Hamstring / back

1. Keeping your legs straight, reach down slowly to your toes with your fingertips until you can feel a gentle pull. Never push down further than what is comfortable and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bounce on the stretch, move slowly down and up.

2. Sit on the ground with one leg out straight and the other bent in with the sole of the foot touching your inner thigh. Stretch for your toes with right arm going to right leg, feeling the stretch in your hamstring. Quads

3. Pull your foot towards your buttocks, keeping your upper body straight an in line with your upper leg. Feel the stretch in your quad.

Calf / Achilles ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?

4. Lean against a wall with your hands, keeping one of your legs straight and stretched out behind you. Gently push forward, stretching out the back of your straightened leg. Bending the knee of the straightened leg will stretch the Achilles.

5. Keep your front leg straight and rear leg slightly bent. Feel the stretch in the calf and Achilles of your rear leg.

Inner Thigh

6. Sit on the floor with your legs apart and the soles of your feet touching. Using your elbows, push the inside of your knees towards the ground feeling the stretch in your inner thigh area.

ITB Stretch

7. Lie on your back, put your right ankle on the opposite knee. Put your right hand on the inside of the knee putting pressure to feel the stretch on the outside of the thigh / hip. Repeat with the other leg.

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?

8. Sit down crossing the right leg over the left. Put your left arm down the outside of the crossed leg with the push twisting the body in the opposite direction to the leg. The stretch should be felt down the outside of the right thigh.

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

Step 7: I Can’t Swim! A Beginners Training Guide “Swimming is the only sport in which you go from point A to point A and work like hell to get there.” Unknown Athlete That’s not true, you can swim. What you’re saying is that you can’t swim well. That doesn’t matter. The chances are you can’t run brilliantly either (we’ll tackle that little issue in Step 9). But the thing you need to remember is that you can swim. And that fact alone gives us a fantastic platform to build on. Maybe you don’t feel comfortable in the water. Maybe you can do one length of the pool and that’s about it. Maybe the life guards mistake your flailing front crawl as being the final throes of a desperate person. All of those things are rectifiable. Admittedly, you’re not going to learn how to swim just by reading this book. And if you are really struggling after going through these tips it might be worth looking at getting a few swimming lessons (they aren’t that expensive when you look into them). But how do you get comfortable in the water? Get in it, for a start. If you are truly aquaphobic, then maybe triathlon isn’t your thing; duathlon, however, might well be. The majority of triathletes opt to swim front crawl. Why? It’s the quickest, most efficient stroke (to give you an idea, breaststroke uses about 2.4 times more energy than front crawl over the same distance). But front crawl is not compulsory in triathlon. You can swim breaststroke, backstroke, even doggy paddle the thing if you want to. Basically, as long as you can get your body to the end of the swim leg without any aides (outboard motors, flippers, that kind of thing) within the allotted period of time (which varies from race to race) then you can do what you want. But swimming 50-lengths of your pool front crawl isn’t that easy. Sometimes, swimming one length is hard enough. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

The thing you need to remember here is that stamina is something you have to build. Nobody ever got into a pool and bashed out 50-lengths front crawl at their first attempt. If someone says that they did, tweak their nipple and call them a liar. So what if you can’t swim more than a length? If that’s the case, your goal for the end of your ©Janick Jenkins first swim session is to do one length front crawl followed immediately by one length breast stroke. Try and do that five times in one session. If you can’t, try and do it three times. Simply by doing that session you’ve taken the first steps to building up your stamina. But stamina is just one (albeit important) element of the swim. Technique is just as crucial, arguably more so. Technique Developing and honing a good swim technique is difficult, but not impossible. I always think one of the hard things about it is that you’re staring at the floor rather than watching what you are doing. After all, you can’t swim into a mirror (unless you have a very decadent swimming pool). However, there are a few ways of getting round that. As we have already said, a coach can be an invaluable resource for tips and advice. But if you can’t afford a coach, get someone to film you swimming up and down. You don’t need a video camera, most digital cameras and even mobile phones do the job these days. And you can tell a lot about your stroke simply by watching how your arms travel through the air and enter the water. Whenever you are in the water you should always be thinking about your technique. Thinking, thinking, thinking. How are your arms travelling through the water? Are your legs dragging you down? Are you getting enough ‘pull’? Swimming isn’t a forum for zoning out; it’s the most technical sport in triathlon, and you need to approach it like a technical sport. But what exactly is the technique you should be thinking about? For a start, we’re going to assume that you know the basic idea behind the front crawl (one arm comes out of the water while the other pulls you through it). If you don’t, it really would be a © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

good idea to invest in a swim coach. For now, let’s assume you are in the water. Now, we’re not about to get all periodical-table on you, but swimming is about as scientific a pursuit as sports get, so it makes sense to follow some basic scientific principles. 1. A body submerged in a liquid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced - Archimedes What we’re basically trying to say is think about your buoyancy and body position in the water. The more streamlined you are, the less resistance you will create and the faster you will move through the water. There’s a very good swim-specific book by Terry Laughlin called Total Immersion that champions the idea of ‘slippery’ water. When you are swimming front crawl you want to be in as streamlined a position as possible. You need to keep your head in line with your body, your eyes should be looking down and out (at about a 45-degree angle), and the water should be flowing above your hair line. Most novice swimmers find that their legs start to drop in the water, almost acting like anchors. If that starts to happen, lower your head a little more into the water and push your chest towards the bottom of the pool. That will naturally improve the buoyancy of your legs. 2. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction – Newton What we’re getting at here is that you should be looking to pull (or, if you prefer, push) the water backwards, rather than pulling downwards or sideways. Your upper body accounts for 80% of your propulsion through the water; it is your engine. To make sure you are getting the most out of this engine, there are some basic principles to follow that will help ensure that you have an effective pull / push. Your hand should enter the water about a foot in front of the head and in line with the shoulders. The elbow should be higher than the wrist. After the hand enters the arm continues forward until fully extended.

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

With fingers closed and hand cupped as if placed over the knee, begin to pull. This is also called ‘the catch’. Following the catch, the arm is pulled back towards the hip. The elbow is almost at a 90-degree angle with your hand close to the centreline of your body. The hand continues to pull until fully extended behind you, and the thumb has brushed the top of your thigh.

The elbow exits the water first, followed by the rest of the arm, this arm is now entering ‘recovery’. This is when you breathe, turning your head slightly to the side in the bow wave created by your propulsion

The palm should remain facing backwards and the elbow high so the shoulder clears

the water.

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

As you can see, there’s already quite a lot to think about. But there are two other aspects to swimming that are as crucial as buoyancy and the movement of the upper body. Breathing: This is key for those of us who want to avoid a nasty case of death. As your hand exits the water your body will create a natural bow wave. Turn your head into this bow wave (ie. beneath the arm that is in recovery) and breathe. As this arm re-enters the water, you can begin a phase of exhalation. Kicking: Although they do not provide as much power as your upper body, your legs are still crucial for propulsion and stability. Your leg kick should be relatively straight, with some knee bend at the start of each kick, and toes pointed and ankles relaxed. The thigh muscles control the kick, which should not go deeper than the body line, with toes just breaking the surface on the upward kick. Do you see what we mean about the technicalities of the swim? Fortunately, some clever people somewhere took a bit of time out to develop a series of exercises that allow you to focus on – and hone - specific aspects of the swim. Drills There is absolutely no point in swimming backwards and forwards ad infinitum if you have bad swim technique. If you do that, it doesn’t matter how hard you try, the twelve-year old girl in the lane next to you with better technique will always swim faster. There are many different types of drills, below we have listed some of the more popular routines, but if you get a coach or join a club you will see plenty of other examples. Single arm swimming Keeping one arm straight out in front of you, concentrate on front crawl using just the other arm breathing every 2-3 strokes. Do a length then swap arms. You may find one arm is a lot stronger than the other, so focus on improving the weaker arm. Hand drags On your recovery phase, focus on keeping your elbow high and palm facing backwards as it travels across the water. Let your fingertips drag the surface of the water until your arm is fully extended and you enter the water again.

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

Catch Ups Do not pull through on one arm until the other arm has “caught up”, in effect both arms will momentarily be pointing straight forward together. Kicking practice Holding a float out in front of you, use just your legs, kicking from the hips not the knees, to propel you. Using a pull buoy This allows you to focus on using just your upper body to build strength and focus on arm technique. Putting a float between your legs (to help float your legs/hips) keep your legs still and swim using just your arms. Swimming Training As with all three triathlon sports, there are various training sessions that will help to improve your speed and efficiency in the water. Focusing purely on distance work will not necessarily help you swim faster or more efficiently. Equally, solely focusing on drills could mean that come race day you do not have the pre-requisite stamina or speed to complete the swim course (even though you might have a really good stroke). The key is to mix up these sessions, and so facilitate the continual development of your strength, technique and speed. Drills: As outlined above, drills can help you focus on weaknesses in your swim stroke. People usually incorporate drills into their warm-up programs, although it will help if you can do one drill session during the week. Interval Sessions: Interval training is essential to help you build speed and stamina. There are some sample interval training sessions in Appendix II, but to give you an idea, an interval training session might involve doing 10 x 50m at Perceived Level Two with a 30-second break. The purpose of these training sessions is to keep your heart rate high and get your muscles used to working under stress. Time trials: Time trials are an effective way of measuring your development over a period of time. Choose a distance that you are comfortable with and once a month swim at race pace over this distance. Hopefully you will find that the time it takes to complete this distance reduces as you swim more and more. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

The Long Swim: Another important session. This is the one that prepares you for the race. The long swim session is exactly what it says: an over-distance swim that gets your body used to being in the water for extended periods of time. You do not have to swim at race pace during this session, but it is important to maintain a regular (preferably quick) tempo. Swimming in a Wetsuit Unless the temperature of the water is above 21C, the chances are you will be required to wear a wetsuit for the swim. As outlined in Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy? There are big differences between triathlon and surf wetsuits. But whichever wetsuit you choose to wear (and we’d strongly recommend you wear a tri-specific suit), you need to make sure you practise swimming in one before race day. This is crucial. Swimming in a wetsuit has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include greater buoyancy and speed through the water. Disadvantages include slight alterations in your swimming style (which can lead to fatigue) and chaffing around the neck. Don’t wait until race day to discover all of this! Instead, go to your local pool and swim in your wetsuit. Find a lido and swim in your wetsuit. Jump in the nearest pond / river / ocean and swim in your wetsuit (but be conscious if you are swimming on your own that open water can be a dangerous beast). Whatever you do, just swim in your wetsuit! And do it a couple of times before your race. That way, when the gun goes off you’ll know exactly what is going to happen and how it is going to feel. Sighting And The Open Water Swim Most triathlons do not take place in a swimming pool. Admittedly, some of them do. But the chances are you will be swimming in a river, in the sea or in a lake. While each of those environments present different challenges to every triathlete, they all share one thing in common: the need to sight. Sighting – or lack thereof - is one of the most common problems a new triathlete will face. Sighting is basically © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

©Janick Jenkins

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

involves lifting your head out of the water to see where you are going. Lots of people forget to do it, and it’s not uncommon to witness athletes swim an extra few hundred meters as they zig-zag up and down a swim course (and add plenty of minutes to their final time). So how can you avoid this? First, remember that you cannot rely on other swimmers in a race because for all you know they might not be sighting either. The only thing to do is to sight for yourself. It’s actually quite difficult to practise sighting in a pool. One reason is that there are nicely defined markers on the bottom of the pool and you have to turn around every twenty-five- to fifty-meters. So ideally you’ll find an area that is used for open water swimming. If you find it difficult, contact your local tri-club and ask them. Most triathlon clubs will have somewhere that they practise open water swimming and you may be able to go along with them to get the best out of your session. However you decide to get involved with open water swimming, there are techniques you can use to help you sight (and we don’t mean stopping and treading water): Use your arm strength to bring your head up and out of the water to see where you are going. Find a landmark and focus on it. In a race there will be giant inflatable buoys in the water. You can use them to guide you through the race but you need to get used to using objects to help you swim in a particular – preferably straight -direction. Finally, one of the best things about open water swimming (aside from the fact it isn’t as monotonous as swimming up and down in a pool) is that when you swim in a pack, you get a ‘drafting’ effect. It’s a bit like being on the bike: the person at the front of the pack ‘punches’ a hole in the air and makes it easier for everyone behind him or her. It’s the same in the water. If you swim on the feet of someone going at a similar or slightly faster pace, you will find that they ‘drag’ you along. You © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 7: I Can’t Swim!

will save energy and if they are a bit quicker, you will go faster. Drafting in the water isn’t easy, though, and to make sure you get the best out of it, it is worth trying it out with friends (in an open water environment) before race day.

Step 8: How Do I Learn To Cycle Fast?

Step 8: How Do I Learn How to Cycle Fast? Speed and Endurance Training on the Bike “Everybody wants to know what I’m on. What am I on? I’m on my bike busting my ass six hours a day. What are you on?” Lance Armstrong, Tour de France Winner Nice bike. She’s a beauty. And I bet she (or he) is great to ride. Quick, huh? Smooth, eh? Good choice. Did the bike shop check that you have the handlebars and seat in the right position for your height and body shape? That will increase your power output and general pedalling efficiency and so has a direct correlation to your cycling performance. But you know all of that from Step Three: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, have you had your bike serviced? You might want to think about doing that if you bought it second hand or are dusting it down after a stint in the garage. It’s not essential, but it’s good to have someone who knows what they are doing giving it the once over just to make sure that everything is ship-shape when you take her out on the road. Don’t Ride Like an Idiot Everyone knows how to ride a bike, right? But you’d be surprised (or you may have witnessed first-hand) the number of people who don’t know how to ride a bike well. Just like when you’re driving, there are a lot of idiots on the road. There are a lot of cyclists who listen to their iPods, ‘forget’ to wear a helmet, ignore basic traffic laws – we’ve all seen them and there are various adjectives that describe them. Why do they make us so angry? Because people who do this kind of thing put the people who don’t at risk. I’ve watched a pair of £2000 carbon wheels get trashed when someone got hit jumping a red light. I’ve worked with a guy who spent plenty of days in hospital with a compressed skull fracture and broken cheek bone when - through no fault of his own - he was knocked off his bike and wasn’t wearing a helmet. And I’ve seen people hit because they can’t hear the cars and trucks driving around them. It doesn’t matter how good a cyclist you are – or even you think you are – there © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 8: How Do I Learn To Cycle Fast?

are other people on the road, and unless you follow the basic rules of the road you are putting yourself, and people like me, at risk. So what kind of things should you remember on the road? Wear a helmet. Yes, you look vaguely ridiculous – we all do. Who cares? Concentrate on your cycling and impress people that way. Don’t listen to music. You just can’t hear enough of what is going on around you and if you get tangled up with a car, the car will always win. It’s just not worth it, and you can’t use them in any races either. Don’t jump red lights etc. You wouldn’t do it in a car so why would you do it on a bike? You can’t be in that much of a hurry! Don’t weave. If you weave in and out of traffic, the chances are you’ll come across – or into - someone who isn’t weaving, and at that point you might get bashed. Use lights! Just because you can see other people, that doesn’t mean they can see you. Light yourself up like a Christmas tree over the Winter months and fingers-crossed you’ll be fine!

Sorry, lecture over. Having cycled in London for years and seen the best – and worst – of the action on the road, we always err on the side of caution. And accidents do happen, even to the most safety conscious. Just make sure that if you do get tangled up, you give yourself every opportunity to ride away relatively unscathed. Master Your Kit As well as the road basics, there is something else you need to get on top of before hitting the road: clip-in pedals. There’s a good chance you might have bought a bike and got some clipin pedals with it. These are great for increasing your speed and efficiency on the bike, but not so great when you get your foot stuck at a traffic light. Most of us have done it, even if we’ve used them for years. The thing to do is find somewhere traffic-free and just practise clipping and unclipping. It sounds simple, but it’s definitely worth getting used to your equipment before hitting the roads. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 8: How Do I Learn To Cycle Fast?

You may have also bought a pair of tri-bars. Again, these are great for efficiency, but can take a bit of getting used to. When you first use them, make sure you find a relatively quiet, long, straight road to practise on. Unless you have a specialist time-trial bike, your tri bars won’t have easy access to your brakes, so you need to get used to cycling in the ‘tuck’ and reacting to the conditions on the road around you. They are great once you get used to them, though, and are a good way of squeezing an extra few kilometres-per-hour out of your bike. Finally, you might have bought a bike computer. You know the things: you stick a magnet on your spokes and a little computer on your handlebars and it tells you how far you’ve gone and how fast. The more you cycle, the more important these become. Not only are they a good indicator of basic speed and distance, but they can help you track your progress throughout your race preparation. The more expensive ones can also do ©Janick Jenkins things like measure your power, cadence and calorie consumption (if you want to go into that much detail). If you don’t have one, it might be worth investing in one (even the basic ones should tell you the information you need). Maintaining Your Bike Sure, your bike looks nice and shiny now, but after a couple of outings she might not be looking so shiny and new. The thing is, bikes are actually pretty easy to maintain. Sure, they need technical tweaking every now and again, but to keep them purring on the road there are a few easy steps that you can take: Invest in oil. Oil comes in all shapes and sizes, from the basic stuff you used to have as a kid to spray-on Teflon lube. The more you spend, the better it will be for your bike, but the key is to keep the chain and mechs oiled. Not dripping in the stuff, just nicely lubed-up. Get a track pump. Road bike tyres are designed to be inflated to 110psi and higher (some even go up to 145psi). You simply cannot get that kind of inflation from an ordinary hand pump – that is what track pumps are designed for. To get the best performance out of your wheels, you need to be riding at a higher psi (although you’ll feel a lot of the bumps and stones in the road). © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 8: How Do I Learn To Cycle Fast?

Wipe down after use: if it’s wet or there’s a lot of spray from the road, just give your bike a wipe down after you’ve used her. It’ll make her feel loved (and will stop key components from starting to rust).

Changing a Puncture: It’s actually very simple – and is an essential part of triathlon racing (most of us will get a puncture at some point in our racing careers). If you don’t know how to change it, that could easily be game over. If you’re not sure, here’s a quick refresher: 1. Turn your bike upside down and take off the punctured wheel. 2. Ensure the tyre is fully deflated and unscrew the ring of the valve which holds it in place on the wheel rim. 3. Insert a tyre lever next to the valve, hooking the tyre over the rim and clipping the lever on to the spokes with the opposite end.

4. Move 5cm or so down the tyre and repeat the process with your second tyre lever. 5. You should now be able to use the third tyre lever to edge the rest of the tyre off the rim and remove the inner tube. 6. Feel inside the tyre and look on the surface to see if there are any ‘foreign objects’ embedded in the tyre (glass, nails, squirrels etc.). Looking at where the tube has punctured will help locate it if it’s still there. Make sure these objects have been removed. 7. Take out the new inner tube and pump it up a little to give it shape, insert the valve © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 8: How Do I Learn To Cycle Fast?

into the hole on the wheel rim and put the rest of the tube inside the tyre.

8. Using your hands roll the tyre back over the rim in place. Do this for as much of the tyre as possible and then use the tyre levers to finish off. 9. Check the tyre isn’t pinching the tube before inflating.

10. Pump the tube up (remembering to screw the valve back down on the inner tube when you’ve finished).

What To Take On Your Ride Unlike running, going out for a decent training session on the bike isn’t as easy as just strapping on a pair of shoes and some little silken shorts. You need to be a little bit prepared. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 8: How Do I Learn To Cycle Fast?

After all, nobody likes being an hour from home on some far-fetched country road with the wind in their hair and a wheel that is everso-gently deflating underneath them. It’s not the end of the world if you have the right kit, but an hour on the bike is, well, it’s a long walk, and even further if you’re in clip-in shoes. What’s more, you can’t ride on a puncture because you’ll destroy the rims of your wheels (which can get expensive) and if you forgot to take your phone nobody is going to come to your rescue. In short, you’re in trouble. But that doesn’t have to happen. With a bit of basic preparation, deflation becomes elation (sorry, there’s a poet in us all) and within minutes you’re back on the road. So what should you be taking on every cycle? • Puncture repair kit. Usually this entails tyre levers and at least one spare inner tube. • A hand pump that can be attached to your frame. • A bike tool (or collection of allen keys). • Food and drink (see Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy for more on that). • Some money in case the wheels well and truly come off and you need either food or alternative transport home. • A phone. Just in case you get a bit lonely (or need rescuing). Planning Your Route The nice thing about getting on a bike is that you can get away. You can see parts of the world that you ordinarily wouldn’t see, and you can get some fresh air in the process. All of that is true if you don’t live in a city. If you do, then a good strategy is to see if there are any decent parks to cycle around, or simply find your quickest exit route onto country roads (which may entail taking the train or car out of the city limits) What you’re looking for on a route is a nice loop that generally has a good quality road surface, a mixture of flat and hilly sections, and as little traffic as possible. Obviously, it might not be simply a case of rolling out your front door onto freshly laid tarmac, but there are some roads that are better than others out there. That’s the beauty of the bike – you can explore a little bit. Sooner or later you will find a route or two that you feel comfortable with and all of a sudden you start time-trialling. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 8: How Do I Learn To Cycle Fast?

If you’re really not sure about where to cycle or don’t have the inclination to do a bit of exploration, it might be best to speak to your local Tri- or Cycling Club (maybe even see if you can hook up with them for a ride or two). You can even look online at resources like mapmyride.com – they often have pre-planned routes on there. Group Cycling Cycling in a group can be a good way of eliminating the sometimes solitary boredom of solocycling, and can also be a way of pushing yourself harder. However, don’t make the mistake of only ever cycling in the pack. The benefits of drafting in a group are massive. Riding at the back of a pack can save you up to 30% in energy. But if you only ever ride at the back of a pack, that means you are doing 30% less exercise and will be 30% ‘weaker’ on race day than the guy that sits at the front. What’s more, it’s just bad etiquette. If you’re riding in a group, make sure you take your turn to ‘take the wind’ at the head of the pack. If everyone does their bit then there’s no resentment. If, however, someone leaches off the back the whole time, people notice. When in the pack, always be conscious of the people around you. Don’t make any sudden or erratic moves as people may not be ready to react that quickly. And bear a few of these things in mind: • Only ever pass on the right. Do not undertake people. • Don’t brake suddenly. You need to remember that there are people behind you and if you brake suddenly they’re likely to pile straight into your back wheel. • Make clear signals on direction. • Let your fellow riders know if there are obstacles in the road (parked cars, pot-holes, a troop of monkeys – that kind of thing). Training Sessions Training for the bike is much like training for the run and the swim (okay, there are some obvious differences). But if you just do the same thing over and over and over again you’ll © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 8: How Do I Learn To Cycle Fast?

get very good at doing that same thing, but probably won’t get any faster. You might even get a little bit slower. And you’ll probably get bored eventually. But there are some easy ways to avoid falling into this trap. Because like running and swimming, it’s possible – and advisable – to mix your training sessions up. This will help you develop a stronger, faster riding style that will ultimately make you quicker on race day. Interval Training: Much like swimming and running, interval training involves introducing a set number of intervals at a target pace within a training session. For instance, during a ride you might do five sets of five minutes hard riding with a minute recovery between each set. Unlike with swimming and running, though, during this recovery you can just spin the legs out rather than stopping all together. Interval sessions improve your cycling speed and your overall cardiovascular conditioning. Hill Repetitions: Again, very similar to run training, you need to find a relatively steep hill that is at least 150 meters in length and do 10-20 repetitions of it. Cycle hard up it, and freewheel back down again to recover. One benefit of this is that it gives your cardiovascular system a solid workout. However, it’s also great for leg strength. If you have a race with a number of hills in it, this training will help prepare you for the grind that will inevitably come. Tempo Riding: Replicate your race speed over a route that takes you up to race distance (when you feel like you can push yourself that far). This will help you to understand what kind of pace you can – and will – do in a race, and get you used to faster paced cycling. What’s more, if you regularly practise time-trialling over a setroute, you can use it as a useful indicator of your training progress. Long Rides: Cycling is all about getting miles in the legs. With that in mind you should make a solid, long ride the bedrock of your training week. A long ride can be anything up to a couple of hours in length, and the goal is to tick over at Perceived Level Three. As well as helping build up leg strength and endurance, this kind of riding makes you a more confident bike handler and allows easy practice of drinking and eating as you cycle. All of these training sessions are incorporated into the Olympic Training Plan in Appendix II. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 9: 10km Is a Long Way To Run!

Step 9: 10km Is a Long Way to Run! How to Be a Better Runner “Learn to run when feeling the pain. Then push harder.” William Sigei, former 10km World Record Holder. Forget your preconceptions about being a fast runner. You might be brilliant. You might be able to knock out 10km in 26-minutes or your name might be Haile Gebrselassie. But your flat-out 10km doesn’t mean a thing on triathlon race-day. Because running off the bike is unlike anything you will have experienced before. The best of the best run the 10km (6.4 miles) in under 30 minutes – that’s lightning fast. If you can do that, get a coach because you might be in the wrong career. For us mere mortals, though, staggering out of T2 with jelly legs probably means that our goals will be a little more modest. A personal best can quite easily become a personal worst as you spend the first five minutes running like a knock-kneed John Wayne and the last 5km struggling to keep the legs turning over as tiredness kicks in. But the run section of a triathlon doesn’t have to be that horrible. Sure, it’s going to be tough, but that’s part of the reason you’re doing it. The key to throwing down a good run split is to recognise that you’re not going to find it easy. Go into the run expecting to do a PB and you’ll be disappointed. Go into the run and recognise the limitations that running in triathlon places on the human body and you might have a good race. So how do you approach the triathlon run? What Are Your Targets? Putting together a strong run leg for a triathlon requires some targeted planning of your training. First of all, you need to make an honest assessment of your level of running fitness. There’s no point ‘hoping’ that your fitness is up to scratch. Be honest about it; determining your existing level will help you work out how long you need to train for and what your triathlon goals should be. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 9: 10km Is a Long Way To Run!

To give you an example, it’s safe to suppose that your triathlon 10km time will be between tenand thirty-percent slower than your straight-off 10km time (so if you run 10km in one hour, expect to do up to a 1:20 10km). With that in mind, is your current level: Low run fitness: you can’t run 10km straight-off, and need to walk some sections. Intermediate run fitness: you can run 10km but it’s a struggle and takes you over an hour. High run fitness: you can quite comfortably run 10km in under an hour. Before doing your first Olympic distance triathlon, your minimum goal should be to run 10km comfortably. Ideally, you also want to be running that distance in about an hour before attempting the race. What is Good Running Technique? Everyone can run, right? But not everyone can run well. As with any sport, a good runner has good technique. And technique can be taught. Which is one of the reasons you might want to have a look at Step 4: Should I join a Club? Any club with a run coach - or even just experienced runners – should be able to watch you run and offer some advice. Failing this, you could always ask someone to video you running. This will allow you to watch your technique and see how and where you can improve. When running, you should be: • Landing on the balls of your feet when your foot hits the ground. This increases forward momentum and avoids the heavy landing of the flat footed runner. • Standing up tall. Don’t run with hunched shoulders, stand up tall with your shoulders back and your chest pushing out. •

Keeping your head upwards with your eyes focusing 15 metres in front of you.

• Focusing on your arms: Your arms should swing in a relaxed effortless rhythmic motion aiding your forward momentum. Your legs will ‘keep up’ with your arm movements, so if you’re tired - and particularly when you’re running uphill - make sure they are swinging well. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 9: 10km Is a Long Way To Run!

• Your running stride should feel natural and smooth. When you speed up it is easy to start over-striding which increases the impact on your joints. •

Staying relaxed. This allows you to control your breathing and maintain a consistent and efficient technique. As with any sport, learning new techniques is difficult. Your muscles work on memory so will naturally revert to doing what they know as soon as you let them. The only way to ensure your technique improves is to really focus on it. If you feel it start to slip, stop. Rest. Try again. It is exactly the same as with your swimming. Structuring Your Training Plan As with everything in triathlon, building time into your schedule to incorporate these Sessions can be tough. While it is impossible to state unequivocally that every triathlete should do X number of training sessions per week, it’s safe to say that in an ideal world you would run three- to four-times a week. This would enable you to see a significant improvement in both your speed and endurance. But before you strap on your new shoes and pull your running vest out of the cupboard, wait. There are a few key points you need to bear in mind before you hit the track (or the pavement, ©Janick Jenkins or path, or treadmill…you get the idea): • Build-up Slowly: Jumping in with both feet is always tempting, but the chances are that doing so will result in an injury. Start with steady runs incorporating some faster spells and gradually build up length and intensity of these efforts. • Rest To Recover: Always make sure you give your legs time to recover. If they’re feeling exhausted, don’t run. Interval and hill running sessions are particularly tiring on the body, so don’t do these back-to-back. One interval and one hill session a week is plenty with a couple of days rest between the two. • No Pain, No Gain: Seriously: if you’ve got an injury, running on it is just going to make it worse. Too many people say “I’ll just run it off” and end up doing long-term damage that kills off their triathlon career before it’s even started. Ensure you have your shoes fitted correctly (See Step 3: What Kind of Kit Should I Buy?) and visit a physio if any pain persists. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 9: 10km Is a Long Way To Run!

• Warm-Up, Warm-Down and Stretching: This is vital, particularly if you are doing a tougher session. A warm up and down could include 5-10mins of jogging followed by a number of stretches (see Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down?). This will assist in avoiding injury and being able to run to your best in the session. What Kind of Sessions Should I Do? It’s all too easy to let your run training become a boring, mechanical routine. You know how it goes: you have a lap of your local town that takes roughly 30 minutes. So you run it. Again and again and again. You never mix it up (although sometimes, if you’re feeling ‘edgy’, you might do a reverse loop) and you always stay at pretty much the same pace. No matter how often you do it this route always takes about 30 minutes and it’s beginning to get a little bit de-motivating. Why aren’t you improving? Re-read that paragraph and you’ll see why you aren’t improving. Because you’re just doing the same thing over and over and over again. If you want to improve, you need to mix it up. We provide you with a training plan in Appendix II, but there are a variety of different sessions you can do when running: Endurance Runs: Go 20% further than your regular loop. Don’t go too hard; just take it nice and slow to start off with. This will enable you to build up the required stamina for racing. Tempo Running: Spend periods running at your race pace. Start by including a few minutes in your normal loop at race pace and gradually increase this time as it feels comfortable to do so. Interval Training: A really tough but a very effective way of improving your aerobic fitness and speed. Find a running track (or a field) and run a set number of distances with recovery after each effort. For example, a session might involve running 6x400m with 60 seconds recovery after each 400m. But remember: each 400m has to be between 80-100% of your flat-out speed. You’re not jogging here. Fartlek Sessions: these are tough. Do your loop, but instead of maintaining a steady pace, you’re going to incorporate fast surges in there. You might do a warm-up run, followed by five minutes hard, then five minutes gentle, then 6x100m sprints © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 9: 10km Is a Long Way To Run!

interspersed with 6x100m jogs, then another five minutes hard and then a warm down. Like interval training, these are great for building up speed and stamina. Hill Running: if you live near a hill, great. If you live in the Fens, ignore this. Hill running is great for building strength and giving your core muscles a work out. Find a hill with a testing gradient that is at least 100m in length, and run up it hard. At the top, don’t stop, but turn around and gently jog back down. Depending on the length and the gradient of the hill aim to do between five and ten repetitions. The Time Trial: a flat out run over perhaps 50-75% of race distance to track your training improvement. Doing this run every 3-4 weeks over the same course hopefully allows you to see your progress. If your times are not improving based on similar run conditions (weather, how you’re feeling, training you’ve done that week) then it provides an indication that you may need to change your weekly training sessions. Running is like Marmite: you either love it or hate it. If you’re in the former category, then great. If, however, you’re in the latter, then persevere. Because like every sport you persevere at, it gets easier and more enjoyable with time (and effort). It is also a fundamental part of your triathlon experience, and is the portion of a race that hurts the most.

Step 10: How Do I Pull All Of This Together?

Step 10: How Do I Pull All of This Together? The Brick Session “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” Yogi Berra, Baseball Player If only triathlon were a sport where three individual pursuits could be pursued individually. Unfortunately, it’s not. Somewhere along the line you have to bring all of these sports together and package them into one, vaguely exhausting whole. Ideally, you won’t be having your first bash at doing that on race day. If you do, get ready for an unpleasant surprise. Instead, you need to incorporate Brick Sessions into your training plan. Nobody really knows why Brick sessions are called Brick Sessions. Some say it’s because that’s how your legs feel, others blabber on about some Kiwi fella. Whatever the reason, a Brick Session is basically where you practise doing two triathlon disciplines back-to-back. The most common Brick Session us triathletes do is bike to run. Logistically it’s the easiest, the transition between the two disciplines is the toughest, and these two legs of a triathlon also happen to be the longest. Some people will go for a swim to bike Brick, and it’s not going to do you any harm. But if you’re going to build one Brick into your training schedule, bike to run is the way to go. But be warned: Brick Sessions are tough. They put your body under a lot of stress, you have to force yourself through a mental barrier, and they take a lot out of you. And that’s why you need to make sure that you’re properly prepared. Before you do any Brick Session (swim to bike or bike to run) make sure you have fuelled properly. Not just on the day that you do the session, but on the day beforehand. Also make sure you have enough fuel with you. You’ll need plenty of fluids and gels to make sure your body has enough in it to push on through the various pain barriers you’re going to hit along the way.

Step 10: How Do I Pull All Of This Together?

And, most importantly, do not do a Brick if you’ve got any niggles or are already feeling fatigued. Because of the stress a Brick places on your body (particularly if you’re doing a bike to run session), you will merely exacerbate any problems that you already have. If your legs are in any way feeling the strain of your weeks of training, then give them the break. That will do you far more good in the long-term than any Brick Session. What Sort of a Brick Session Should I Do? Realistically, it’s a little ambitious to be knocking out a 40km bike followed by a 10km run in one training set. Most people would not recommend doing full distance Brick sessions as part of your pre-race build-up. What you can do, though, is half-distance (20km bike, 5km run) or, if you’re feeling punchy, a three-quarter distance Brick (30km bike, 7km run). The goal with these sessions is not to go out and smash up the pavement in a bid to register a PB. You’re trying to get your legs used to the feeling. You want them to know what they’re about to go through and not be totally shocked by it. And you want to find the buttons in your head that you can press that will help you break through that pain barrier. Equally, we’re not suggesting that you go easy in a Brick. Far from it. These sessions are supposed to be tough. Your Perceived Effort within these sessions will be at Level Three at the minimum. Ideally, you’d be looking at Level Two (check out Step 5: How Do I Manage My Training? if you’re not sure what we’re talking about). But this is where perceived levels come into their own. You will notice straight away that you aren’t running as fast as you normally do. And it hurts a lot more. Just don’t stop. Keep going. You are looking at the perception of effort as opposed to your normal time checking. Just go hard. How Often Should I Do Them? Not very, is the answer to this question. Feel free to do a quick ten minute jog off the bike every now and again just to give your legs the opportunity of getting used to the feeling, but you shouldn’t be hammering out a Brick Session every week. If you do, you are likely to get injured. Try and build one or two Bricks into your training schedule in the latter half of your 10-week plan.

Step 10: How Do I Pull All Of This Together?

And remember, effective training is about quality sessions, not just quantity. Bricks are pure endurance sessions. The likelihood is that if you are doing a Brick your technique will suffer somewhat. Don’t think that by hammering them out you will miraculously get faster. You won’t. Certainly use them to become accustomed to the feeling, but do not use them as a regular training set in themselves.

Step 11: My Knee Hurts!

Step 11: My Knee Hurts! A Guide to Injury Prevention “Advice after injury is like medicine after death.” A Danish Proverb Getting injured is rubbish. Well, let’s be honest, it is. Quite often, you’ll find that you pick up an injury just as things start coming together. That is called Sod’s Law. And quite often, the temptation will be to try and ‘train through it’. We’ve all done it, and we’ll all do it again at some point in the future. But deep down you know it’s not the right thing to do. The simple fact is that ‘training through’ an injury it isn’t going to make it better. Usually, it has quite the opposite effect. Because of the nature of triathlon, niggles and injuries are pretty common. You’re putting a lot of stress on your lower body in particular, and things like your lower back, knees and feet bear the brunt of it all. What’s more, because you’re suddenly expending all of this energy, your immune system weakens making you more susceptible to bugs and illnesses. You can easily do something about the latter. Negotiate remote working with your boss, buy a hyperbolic chamber and don’t come into contact with another human being until race morning. Or eat well, rest well, look at taking Vitamin C supplements and make sure you build recovery days into your schedule where you do nothing. NOTHING (a quick swim – even if it’s only 20-minutes – counts as something). Avoiding and resolving muscular and skeletal aches and pains is a little bit more complicated. You can help yourself by looking at Step 6: How Do I Warm Up and Warm Down. But the best way to deal with injuries is not to get them in the first place (‘prevention is better than cure’, that kind of thing). And this is particularly the case when embarking on a new training schedule. With that in mind, there are a few basic things that are mentioned in this book (and that we are going to reiterate at this stage) which might help you avoid inuries: Stretching, Warming Up and Warming Down: However easy it is to ignore or forget, the guidance in Step 6 is crucial in achieving a pain-free build-up. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 11: My Knee Hurts!

Good Running Shoes: Getting the right fit and support of a trainer with the help of a running specialist should avoid some of the common problems mentioned below. This is one area where you really will reap the rewards of spending a little more on the correct model. The Right Bike Fit: Not only will this help your overall bike speed, but it can also be crucial for avoiding knee and back pain. Get a proper set up from experienced professionals at your local bike shop. Adequate Resting: Your body needs rest to recover from the stress it is being put under and to allow for the muscles to rebuild and strengthen. Listen to your body and be sensible when it’s telling you to take some time off! Build Up The Training: Jumping in feet-first to a tough training regime is a recipe for exhaustion and injury. Follow a sensible training programme with a gradual build up to higher volume weeks when you are ready for it. Healthy Diet: Coming up in Step 12 is some advice on eating healthily. Giving your body the right fuel will help keep it in top form and ready to take on the challenges you are giving it Ride Sensibly: Although there is no accounting for the actions of other road users, if you stick by the rules of the road and develop your bike handling skills you can at least reduce the chances of an accident happening

However, this is still no guarantee that you won’t pick up an injury. The variation of triathlon injuries is so widespread and a

so specific to the individual that it is almost impossible to offer diagnosis and a cure in the pages of a book (if we could, we’d be sending a lot of physiotherapists out of business).

However, there are a few injuries that are more common amongst triathletes and which can be easily treated. Runner’s Knee: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome accounts for almost 20% of all running injuries. You’ll know if you have runner’s knee. It starts with a dull pain below the kneecap which gets progressively more painful the more you run on it. If you try to run through it, you may find that the pain is not just limited to running, but can also be felt when resting, too. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 11: My Knee Hurts!

Runner’s knee is a controversial injury as nobody really knows what causes it. And when you don’t have a definitive cause, it’s difficult to come up with a definitive solution. However, the consensus when it comes to runner’s knee is that resting it and icing it three times a day will help. If stopping running is absolutely not an option, you can go for light runs until the ache starts. But at that point you must stop unless you’re keen to aggravate the injury even more. Achilles Tendonitis: Your Achilles tendon is pretty important when it comes to running: it’s what helps you to push off the ground. And Achilles Tendonitis is a pretty common running injury (accounting for something like 11% of all injuries). Caused by a swelling on the Achilles Tendon, you will experience pain either above or around the heel when you begin exercising. This pain might subside during exercise but that doesn’t make it okay. It will merely inflame it further resulting in the onset of Chronic Tendonitis. As with runner’s knee, a period of rest and icing will help relieve symptoms (you may notice a trend developing here). If you try and run through it, the injury can inflame and cause problems in any sort of movement (ie. get ready to hurt when walking). Shin Splints: Shin Splints are annoying. They can occur anywhere along or around the shin bone and you’ll know when you have them: they cause an ache or a pain that remains constant throughout exercise. A little bit like runner’s knee, nobody is 100% sure why people get shin splints. There are various theories that range from the inflammation of the muscles and tendons around the shins, to a stress reaction from the bone itself. You might get them because you’re suddenly pushing your lower legs harder than you have before, or your running shoes are not correcting any problems with your technique. How do you treat them? Have a guess! Yep, rest. And ice. Shin splints can get quite nasty if you don’t give them the rest they deserve so it’s best to lay-off running for a while and when you start again, run on softer surfaces (rather than the pavement). Also, check your shoes – are they causing you to run badly? Swimmer’s Shoulder: Yes, even swimming can cause you problems. Think about it: you’ve done very little swimming until recently and now you’re flying up and down the pool as if you were Flipper. That’s a lot of strain to place on your poor shoulders. You will feel a repetitive strain on your shoulder when you try to rotate it. It does go away in the pool, but that merely causes the pain to worsen as time progresses and can eventually impact on your shoulder movement altogether. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 11: My Knee Hurts!

And yes, to treat it, rest it and ice it. Swimmer’s shoulder can be caused by a rapid increase in the distance that you are swimming. If it is causing you discomfort, after a period of rest reduce the amount that you are swimming, and build up the distance slowly. It’s that annoying ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ thing. You may have noticed that there’s a certain similarity in the way these injuries are treated. In fact, the nature of treatment is so similar amongst these injuries that some clever person invented an acronym to describe it: RICE. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. The first two are pretty self-explanatory. Compression involves the reduction of swelling through the application of support to the affected area. And elevation involves raising the affected area above the level of the heart – again, to reduce swelling. The latter two are definitely worthy means of helping to cure an injury, but resting and icing are the two key ingredients. When training for a triathlon you put your body under a lot of stress. So visiting an expert in body stress is never going to do you any harm at all. If you have a persistent strain or injury that isn’t going away despite rest and ice, go to a physio or your local GP and they will probably be able to offer more advanced cures. But try rest and icing first. Why? Because if you go there and haven’t done that, the chances are they will charge you £50 and tell you to... rest and ice it. Remember, you’re asking a lot of your body when you take up triathlon. And your body will usually be more than happy to respond. But you have to give it the right equipment and a little bit of TLC to make sure that it is able to do what you want it to do, and well. Niggles and injuries are annoying. But they’re not (normally) terminal. Just remember RICE, and if that isn’t working, then it’s time to call your local physio.

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy. Keeping Fuelled “Triathlons are so physically demanding that the final result ironically comes down to who is the smartest.” Peter Reid, Former Ironman World Champion The fun-bit. Well, the bit I like the most anyway. Because when you really start training for triathlon, you get to eat. A lot. In fact, not only do you get to eat (a lot), you kind of have to. Because your body needs that food and drink to recover. If you don’t give it that food and drink, you’ll become more susceptible to injury, the risk of fatigue and exhaustion increases and, if you’re of the ‘leaner’ disposition then it’s possible for you to lose too much weight. All of this impacts on your performance (not to mention your personal life). So much so, that arguably fuelling is as important as training. After all, what good is it being able to run a 29-minute 10km if, when you get off the bike, you haven’t taken enough energy on board to muster up anything more than a delirious stagger? It’s not easy. And, unfortunately, there are no ‘set’ plans. For the most part you have to figure out what works for you and in what quantity. And it takes time. Even then you might not always get it right (watch an Ironman World Championship race and see how many of the top athletes pull out / bonk because they don’t get their fuelling quite right). It’s trial and error. But through that trial and error you will eventually find a formula that works for you. In this chapter we’re going to get you going on the trial side of things (and hopefully you won’t make too many errors!) Your Diet Be honest, what is your diet like at the moment? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? It doesn’t really matter at this stage. What is important is how your diet develops moving forward. Now, we’re not about to suggest a strict regimen of boiled lettuce leaf, raw chicken and seaweed to get you going. But if you’re going to ask your body to get you around a triathlon, you need to give it the right fuel to do so. And it’s not that difficult. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy

Just as a little refresher, we’re going to outline the most important food ‘types’ you need in your diet, what they do and where you can find them: Carbohydrate: What is it? Carbohydrate is basically sugar that your body converts into glucose, which becomes your main source of energy. There are two types of carbohydrate: simple and complex. Without getting too excitable about it all, simple carbohydrates are quick and easy to digest, while complex carbohydrates are more difficult. This means that simple carbs get into your system much faster than complex carbs (which are generally considered to be a form of slow-release energy). Why do I need it? It’s your main source of energy; where the fuel comes from. So it’s pretty important. Where can I find them? Everywhere! You can get simple carbs in apples, oranges, strawberries, biscuits, cakes, chocolate, soft drinks, sweets…think snacky, sugary stuff. Complex carbs, meanwhile, can be found in: pasta, potatoes, brown rice, brown bread, bagels, wheat-based cereals, oat-based cereals, peas, beans, porridge…think the kind of stodge you look for at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Protein: What is it? In layman’s terms protein is the stuff that builds you. Without going into the insand-outs of amino acids, protein makes up your muscles, hair, skin, bone…you get the idea. And the body doesn’t find it easy to store protein which means it needs to be ‘topped-up’ regularly. Why do I need it? When you are training, your body breaks down the muscle tissue (which is one of the reasons why you feel stiff). Protein rebuilds that muscle tissue and also helps optimize carb storage. It is also a secondary source of energy. Where can I find it? Boiled lettuce, monkey brains, seaweed…only kidding. Eggs, milk, chicken, fish, cheese, yoghurt, meat in general (in varying quantities). Fat: What is it? Good for you – in limited quantities. Now don’t go and suck on a bar of lard (unless that’s your guilty pleasure), but don’t try and cut it out. Pretty much everything you eat that is grown on mother earth has some sort of natural fat in it. It’s when you start munching on deep-fried chocolate bars and that kind of thing that cholesterol and heart disease becomes a problem. To give you a basic overview of the fats out there: • Saturated fat: Natural fats that are okay in very limited doses. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy

•

Unsaturated fat: Natural fats that are good for you.

•

Trans fat: Man-made fats that aren’t great.

Why do I need it? First and foremost, fat is really important for keeping your organs healthy. But with regards to energy, it is your single biggest pool of energy. Particularly when it comes to endurance events. And while carbs are key to give you energy, fat helps you access them. They’re intrinsically interlinked. Where can I find them? Pretty much everywhere. Saturated fats are found (naturally) in things that come from animals: meat, eggs, milk, cheese, butter. Unsaturated fats are found (naturally) in: avocado, nuts, olive oil, fish, and also in meat. Trans fats aren’t really found naturally. We’ve just dipped our toes into a very, very deep pool with this. And if you’re interested in learning more there are hundreds of books and thousands of resources on the web that will take you through things like vitamins and minerals. The most important thing to take away from all of this is that there is no one thing that you should focus on as a triathlete. You need a healthy balance of it all. If you train hard for your triathlon, you will find that you eat into a lot of your fat stores. You’ll burn through a lot of carbohydrates. And you’ll need the protein to be able to continue training effectively. Remember, you’re going to be taking a lot out of your body, so you need to make sure you put things back in effectively. When you get into serious training, it is recommended to eat little and often. With that in mind, your daily diet could be: • Breakfast: cereal and fruit •

Mid-morning snack: Bagels

•

Lunch: A good mix of carbohydrate and protein

•

Mid-afternoon snack: Cakes! Well, that’s just us. Bagel? Fruit.

•

Tea: Fruit

•

Supper: Carbohydrate and protein

But remember, this is just a guide. You have to figure out what works for you, but with the goal of maintaining a balanced, binge-free diet. A word on alcohol: There are a thousand and one different opinions about alcohol and athletic performance. Recently, there’s even been a group of scientists who have claimed that it’s actually a good source of energy. That might be the case, but in reality, alcohol dehydrates you, © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy

impairs your reaction time, impacts your body’s ability to process amino acids and generally makes you feel a bit rubbish. Now, we’re not suggesting you go tee-total (unless you want to, then great). We’re not tee-total by any means. But you will find your body is a lot less tolerant of alcohol the more exercise you do, and if you’re serious about performing well in a triathlon you need to be conscious that the more you drink, the more you harm your chances of doing that. Fuelling for training: As we said at the start of this chapter, fuelling when training is as important as training itself. Put simply, if you don’t fuel well you will bonk. Most of us have experienced a bonk at some point and it’s a pretty harrowing thing to go through. The most common place to bonk is on the bike or on the run, and it can get so bad that you can barely keep your head up and you genuinely feel like you can’t turn the pedals or your legs over any more. Why does it happen? Because your body hasn’t got any energy left. The carbohydrate is gone and water doesn’t quite cut the mustard. While it’s common to see athletes bonking during an Ironman, there really is no excuse for it in an Olympic distance triathlon. Especially given the number of products on the market to help you through the race. Step into any good triathlon – or bicycle – shop and you will be met with a dizzying array of sports nutrition. From powders to gels to bars to sweets and simple drinks, it’s quite a bewildering experience at first. But they are the one of biggest training aids you can have. And they’re not going to turn you into a meathead. A lot of people think that these kind of supplements are simply for people who want to cover themselves in baby oil, stick y-fronts up their bottom and prance around in front of a mirror. They aren’t. They are scientific sports supplements designed to help you train harder for longer. Sure, you can get things like protein recovery shakes which give you a hit of protein and carbohydrate to help you recover after a big session, but you should not need those when training for Olympic or Sprint distances. Hydration: As this is the most important part of fuelling, it makes sense to start here. 70

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy

The importance of keeping hydrated is obvious and will make a significant impact to your training. As a basic guide, when you are peeing clear, you know you are hydrated – when it comes out yellow you know you need to drink more! Keeping topped up during the day at work is a good routine to get into and investing in a couple of water bottles for the bike or to take to the pool is also advisable. In addition to taking water when training or racing, the other option is to try one of the many sports drinks on the market that give you a mix of carbohydrate and electrolyte replacement. These drinks replace what you lose when sweating, and can make a noticeable difference to how you are feeling during a training session. There are plenty of sports drinks manufacturers in the market, the most common being the likes of Lucozade, Powerade and Gatorade. However, brands like SIS and Powerbar produce training-specific powders that are designed specifically for the type of training and racing that you are doing. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and it is worth trying out a few different varieties before the race itself. During any training session or race, it always makes sense to take two bottles with you on the bike. However, your stomach might appreciate it if you make sure that one of these is sports drink, and the other is water. Too much of these synthetic products can be quite uncomfortable after a while! Gels: Ah, gels. Some people love them, some hate them. There are a few different brands out there, but the common ones you see are Powerbar, SIS, GU and Lucozade. They are all remarkably different in taste and constitution, so it makes sense to try a few out before you get into a race day scenario. Taking a gel is like taking a shot of energy. Most contain between 450-500kj of energy - some of them also contain caffeine - and the mix usually gives you a quick ‘hit’ followed by a slower release of energy. Gels can be miraculous, particularly during longer training sessions or races. As with all of these things it makes sense to listen to your body when working out if – or when – you are going to take a gel. However, as a guide you might look to take two gels during the bike leg of your triathlon, and if you need it one more on the run. 71

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy

Bars: Much like gels, bars are designed to give you an energy hit, albeit over a longer period of time. There are loads of brands out there, with SIS, Powerbar and Cliff three of the leading manufacturers. The advantage of the bar is that you don’t have to eat it all at once. A lot of people will open a bar and just take regular bites from it to keep the energy coming. If you are going to eat a bar on race day, it’s generally best to take one 45mins before race start to give the time for it to start working. Make sure that you have tried it before though; like all foodstuffs bars can mess with your stomach so stick with what you know on race day. ‘Non-Synthetic’ foodstuffs: The best fuel. In an ideal world you’d get all of the energy you need for a triathlon out of food of the non-synthetic variety. Unfortunately, in terms of effective energy delivery, ease of use, and practicality, specifically designed synthetic products offer several advantages. But there are some things which are worth sticking in your back pocket. Bananas are always a great source of energy on the bike. So are hot-cross buns (or anything stodgy and sweet) or muesli bars. Chocolate, however, is not. Chocolate delivers a sharp spike in energy and can be great if you’ve hit the wall. However, it isn’t sustained. That spike is just that, and it will quickly drop away and your body will be looking for another fuel source. Pre-race fuelling How you fuel your body before you race is essential to having a good race. There are three key phases when it comes to fuelling before the race: Three days prior: You need to be drinking plenty. Dehydration is a cumulative thing and to make sure your body is adequately hydrated going into your race, make sure you are taking on plenty of fluids. At this stage, you also want to begin to increase the carbohydrate in your diet, for example by eating a few pasta based meals. Your body needs the time to convert the carbs into glycogen, and the more you have of that on the start line, the better you will race.

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy

24-hours prior: These are the final stages of carb-loading. You want to be taking on a lot of carbohydrate, and plenty of liquid; you’re going to be doing a lot of exercise tomorrow! Race day morning: A few hours before the race you want a big breakfast of something like porridge with bananas, fruit or yoghurt. And it won’t do any harm to be sucking on an energy drink as you get yourself ready. It will help your body be fully prepared for what lies ahead. But remember: you’re going to be swimming a long way. It’s no good having a couple of bananas or a bagel just before you jump in the water. That’s a great way to get stitch and ruin your race within minutes. Approach the race as you would a really tough brick session and you’ll be fine. The key thing is to have a breakfast you have practiced during training, so it is not going to have any adverse effects during the race. Now is not the time to try something new! During the race We’re on 100% synthetic foods during the race. We don’t have time for bananas. We want quick fixes of energy without any fuss. In fact, we’re in such a hurry that we might as well forget the bars, too. This is about gels. You’ve eaten enough in the last 72-hours to give yourself plenty of carbohydrate, and now you want to concentrate on smashing this course up. But to do that, you need to be sensible. This is where your fuelling matters. Do not, sorry for the sake of emphasis I’m just going to capitalize this, DO NOT let poor fuelling ruin your race. It can – and does – happen to too many people. But you have to take control of it. When you come out of the water you’re going to be tired. You might not want to, but within the first five minutes of the bike take a drink. A good drink. You need it. And if you’re feeling punchy, take a gel too. Throughout the bike drink little and often. Remember: you’re going to have to run when you get off this thing so you don’t want a bellyful of water slopping around. You should know by now how much time the bike should take you. Reduce fluid intake 15-minutes before coming off the bike. Don’t stop fluid intake, just reduce it. And as you reach the end of the bike leg, if you need it, take a gel. It’s tough to eat or drink on the run. There should be feed stations handing out water, often they give out food and other drinks as well. Listen to your body. Even if you’re flying, if you feel © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy

like you need water then you do. Slow down, take some on, pour the rest over your head and get back into the rhythm. Better a quick pause than a terminal collapse. If you have a spare gel and you feel your energy is spent then take it. Whatever your body needs to get you to the end of the race, let it have it. After the race Whatever you want. You’ve just finished a bloody triathlon – have a bowl of chips, suck on a bar of lard, see if you can drink a couple of beers and not feel tipsy. You’ve worked hard enough and put in enough miles to treat yourself. So do it. (But if you want to be healthy, a little protein shake won’t do you any harm for recovery.)

Step 13: Transitions: The Fourth Discipline

Step 13: Transitions, The Fourth Discipline. What You Need and What You Should Do “If you think you have things under control, you’re not going fast enough.” Mario Andretti, Racing Driver Whether you’re racing against the clock or against a person, there are many occasions during the course of a triathlon when you can – and will – lose minutes. Maybe you’ll ‘bonk’, get a puncture, cramp up…or all of the above, or maybe you won’t. But one area where a lot of triathletes do ‘waste’ time is in transition. Transition is often referred to as the ‘fourth’ discipline. But while it is a fundamental part of the race – crucial, in fact – it is also the one part of a triathlon that most people don’t even bother to think about. And that is why they lose time. Now, we’re not suggesting that you spend as many hours practising your transitions as you do in the pool. But you do need to go into each transition knowing exactly what is waiting for you, what you need to do, and how you’re going to do it. In short, you need to be mentally prepared. And that’s where this chapter comes in. Transition starts in earnest before the race begins. Your first taste of transition will come when you rack your bike, and that’s when you need to start thinking. Bike Racking Before you rack your bike, there are two things you need to know: •

At 99% of triathlons only competitors are allowed in the racking area.

• Because of the above, transition areas are remarkably safe places. Organisers know how much your bike is worth (actually and emotionally) and as a result security is always impressively tight around transition areas.

When you go to rack your bike, the single most important thing to remember (apart from all of the other ‘things’) is where your bike – and kit – actually is. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 13: Transitions: The Fourth Discipline

Sounds simple, eh? You’d be surprised. Transition – especially T1 – is a hive of activity, with people running anywhere and everywhere. You’re tired from the swim, you’re a bit lightheaded, you’re struggling with your wetsuit and your mind is focusing on the bike. But where is your bike?! Most – not all – triathlons will have clearly numbered rows and a specific place for your bike. But you need to remember there will often be hundreds and sometimes thousands of bikes in what is a pretty confined area. And unless you are a pro, the likelihood is someone else will have a very similar-looking bike to you. So regardless of whether you have a number or not there are two things to remember as you begin the transition process: • If you can choose where to rack your bike, do so near to the ‘Bike Out’ sign. It means you have less running to do with your bike – particularly important if you are wearing cleats.

• Always look for a landmark of some description (a tree, a pillar, an instantly recognisable feature on a building). Something that, in the middle of all of the chaos of transition, you can look at and say ‘me’. It makes a massive difference. Transition checklist: But what exactly should you take into transition? Obviously, the answer to that question is largely race-specific. However, here is a checklist of things that you will need in most – if not all – races. Necessities: • Big plastic box (to put things in) •

Bike

•

Helmet

•

Top (if you’re not wearing a one-piece tri-suit)

•

Bike shoes (with Velcro loosened)

•

Inner tubes

Step 13: Transitions: The Fourth Discipline

•

Tyre levers

•

Pump

•

Drink

•

Nutrition (gels)

•

Running Shoes (untied if that is your preference)

•

Number belt (with number attached)

Optional: • Towel •

Socks (un-folded)

•

Sunglasses

•

Bike Gloves

You can see already that there are quite a few things in that list and they’re all pretty obvious. But you’d be surprised what kind of things people forget to pack in a race. If you have to rack your bike the night before the race, you should be allowed access to it the next morning. In that case, bring your food and drink down then – there’s no need to leave them out overnight. Also, a track pump is also useful in the mornings just in case you have any last-minute blow-outs. When you do get to your ‘spot’, you’ll see straight away that it is pretty confined. You don’t have the space to lay things out nicely in transition. You have a small, compact zone and everything you need for the duration of your race has to fit in it. But it’s not actually that difficult. The first thing you need to do is rack your bike. Most triathlons provide you with a rail to rack your bike on. Hook the saddle over this rail with your front wheel facing out. Your pump and puncture repair kit will be attached to your bike, as will your drink bottles. At this point your tyres should be inflated to the pressure you’re racing at. Beside your bike, you want to lay things out in the order in which you need them. Bicycle shoes are obviously more important than running shoes at this point because you’re going to use them first. So place your bike shoes by the front wheel and your running shoes by © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 13: Transitions: The Fourth Discipline

the back wheel. Next, socks. If you have trained without socks then this won’t be an issue. If you haven’t, it’s probably unwise to start in a race scenario. Un-fold your socks and place one in each bike shoe. Finally, lay your towel over your shoes (you’re only going to use this on your feet – you don’t have time for a proper towel down). The helmet is a big thing. Rest it on your handle bars. If there is a way that it can be secure without fastening the chin strap then do that. If not, fasten it around your handlebars.

Finally, your triathlon top and belt. If you do not have a number belt, you’ll need some safety pins to attach the number to the back of your top (try putting it on once you’ve done this though to make sure they don’t fly off). If you do have a number belt, loop it over the handlebars and drape your top over your top tube. Any nutrition will probably be in the back pockets of your top – just make sure it doesn’t fall out!! Finally, gloves and sunglasses. Gloves are optional and in all honesty you don’t need them in an Olympic distance race, just be careful when starting the cycle with wet and slippery hands. Once you have laid that stuff out, you’re there. If you’re anything like most of us, you’ll then gaze at your bike, fidget a bit, double check some things, gaze a bit more, get a sick feeling in your stomach and finally admit that that’s as much as you can do and leave. Don’t worry about it – everyone does the same thing and has the same thoughts. What you need to start focusing on now is the swim. Your bike is racked, your stuff is there. It’s going to be fine. The next time you see transition it will be something like this: T1: Swim to Bike © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 13: Transitions: The Fourth Discipline

You’re out of the water. People are cheering. But they’re just faces. You’re too spent to pick people out in the crowd. You’re wrestling with your wetsuit zip and you know you need to start running. Your heart rate is up around 180bpm and the guy just ahead of you has inexplicably stopped. You force your legs into a stumbling run, getting out of his way. Suddenly you feel a bit light-headed, you steady yourself, and then run again. All the while, you’re still wrestling with that bloody wetsuit, now trying to get it over your heart rate monitor and off your arms. Welcome to T1. It’s fun. So much fun, in fact, that your single goal is to get the hell out of there as fast as you can. Yes, you feel tired and a bit light-headed from the swim. But don’t, whatever you do, look at T1 as an opportunity to have a ‘breather’. You’re going to have plenty of time for that on the bike. Remember all of that practise about removing your wetsuit in training? Now it matters. Start pulling the bloody thing off. Now, where’s your bike? Remember the landmark? There it is. All around you people are changing, wrestling, running. Ignore them. All that matters is you. And your bike. Find your bike! Kick the wetsuit off. Dump it in the box. First thing, top. On. Number belt, on. Sit down (but not in the way of other people getting their bikes out). Towel down feet. Socks, on. Shoes, on. Fasten them. Helmet. On. This is crucial. You have to, have to, have to put your helmet on before you remove your bike. People have been disqualified for not doing it and the marshals are always strict about it. You’ve got your helmet on. Do a quick check. Has anything fallen out? Does everything look right and feel right? Good. Unhook your bike. Run. Well, totter. Remember you’re in cleats so tottering is probably the best you’re going to do. But by god can you totter quickly! © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 13: Transitions: The Fourth Discipline

Remember, you cannot get on your bike until you pass a sign that says ‘Cyclists Mount’ (there will be people shouting at you when you are allowed to start cycling). So totter. Totter like you’ve never tottered before. And finally, mount. Take a few seconds to breathe as your legs start to spin. Keep left in case someone is trying to cycle by you. And then cycle like you’ve stolen something. We’ll be seeing you again in 40km time. T2: Bike to Run Welcome back. You’ve had a great ride. You’ve kept your heart rate within the zone and you feel good! You know what, you’ve just done two thirds of your first triathlon! Congratulations! Dismount the bike. Where’s the landmark. Where’s the bloody landmark?! This is when the landmark is really important. Because finding your bike isn’t that complicated. Finding your shoes, on the other hand…

You’ve found them? Great. Hook your bike back up in the same spot that you picked it up from (remember, other people need to rack too). Helmet, off. Cycle shoes, off. Running shoes, on. Make sure they’re comfortably tied. Spin your number belt round and go! What?! Your legs feel tired all of a sudden? You don’t have the spring that you normally have in your run. That’s where the Brick sessions help. But they don’t cure. You’ve got a long way to go yet – remember, you’re not even out of transition. If you need to, walk (quickly) a bit. It sometimes helps. But start to move and do it quickly. This is your race and you have to run it. It’s going to hurt, but what’s that saying? Pain is temporary, glory eternal.

Step 13: Transitions: The Fourth Discipline

You’re nearly there – go and get it!

Step 14: It’s Race Week And I’m Nervous

Step 14: It’s Race Week and I’m Nervous. How To Prepare In The Lead-Up To The Race “The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can’t do.” Dennis Waitley, Speaker Taper week. The best week in the life of a triathlete. Sure, you’re a bit nervous and there’s less than seven days to go before you put yourself through hell. But it’s taper week. And taper week means eat lots, rest lots and do very, very little. You’re scientifically not going to get any fitter from here on in. The hard work is - or should be - done. Any exercise you do at this stage is simply going to fatigue your muscles even more. Basically, you’re as fit as you’re going to be before your first triathlon. So make sure you have a good, relaxing week. One Week To Go With a week to go, you should have finished up your training. Say your triathlon is on a Sunday, your last big training session should be the Sunday before. After that, it’s time to rest. As we said, you really aren’t going to add any fitness at this stage. All you will do is use up your energy reserves and fatigue your muscles even more. Give them – and yourself – a break. To keep your body moving, it’s a good idea to do a very gentle sessions in all three sports. But when we say gentle, we mean really gentle. If you feel embarassed at how slow you are going, then you are going about the right speed. But while your body relaxes, sometimes your head goes into overdrive. A lot of people find tapering difficult because all of a sudden you have time to think and dissect the training you have done. Why didn’t you throw in that extra Brick session? What’s that ache in your knee? Can you really do this? It happens to everyone and is pretty much unavoidable. It’s human nature to question things, particularly the things that you have, or haven’t, done. Just don’t tie yourself up in knots about it. You have done what you have done and you are © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 14: It’s Race Week And I’m Nervous

going to finish this triathlon. Even if you haven’t done quite as much as you would have liked, you’ve made the effort to get to where you are now. And that’s a lot further than you were when you started reading this book. So give yourself a pat on the back and put your feet up. You’ve earned it. Three Days to go Nervous energy. It’s a brilliant thing. And so is eating. Now’s the time you kick on. You want to be eating plenty. But don’t eat rubbish. You want a solid mix of carbohydrate and protein. And you don’t want to be thirsty. Make sure you’re taking in plenty of fluids. Yes, that might mean that you need to wee more than usual. But your body needs the fluids. It needs to be fully hydrated. Admittedly, don’t drink so much that your liver shuts down, but you should be drinking a minimum of 2.5litres a day by this point (5.5 pints) of water. Now is also a good time to go onto the race website. Do you know where, when and what you need to register? Is bike-racking on the day of the race? Have you been assigned a number and timing chip? Do you know what time your wave starts? Do you know the course? These are all pretty basic questions but you’d be surprised at how many people forget to take five minutes out of their day to find the answers. Finally, do you have everything you need for the race? Have you got gels? A spare inner-tube? A pump? Now’s the time to check through the list of equipment you need (we outlined that in Step 13: Transitions, The Fourth Discipline) and make sure you have it. If you don’t, it’s not a disaster. If all the shops are miraculously closed, usually there will be an ‘expo’ at the race itself where you can pick up the things that you need for race day. The Day Before It’s getting close now. You might have a few butterflies in your stomach (equally, you might be completely unfazed by the whole thing). For the bigger races, you normally rack your bike the day before the race. You should know when your registration period is and what you need to register. Usually you need some sort of ID: a passport or driver’s license. You’ll also usually need to know your race number or provide proof of entry. You’ll pick up a pack that contains your race numbers, swim hat, safety pins, instructions and a whole lot of marketing material. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 14: It’s Race Week And I’m Nervous

Make sure you don’t lose any of that (apart from the marketing material). Next, rack your bike. Don’t worry, you’ll have access to it in the morning. When you go in, there will be various security checks, they will check your helmet meets safety standards and that things like the brakes on your bike work. Then it’s just a question of finding the place to leave your bike. For more information on this visit Step 13: Transitions, The Fourth Discipline. But, the key is don’t panic: your bike will be fine. Take a plastic bag to cover the seat (some people cover the entire bike) and leave it at that. You will be given access to Transition in the morning so now’s not the time to be worrying about water bottles, which shoes to put where etc etc. Everything you leave out over night will probably pick up some condensation so the key is to leave as little as possible. The rest of the day is yours (almost). Take a wander around the expo. Do as little as possible. Have an enormous dinner. Drink plenty. Relax. You might have moments of panic that things aren’t right. You still have enough time to pick up things you need. The only other thing you need to do today is make sure you have all of the kit you need for tomorrow’s race. Check it, then be anal and double-check it. There’s a check-list in Step 13: Transitions, The Fourth Discipline, but you should also have your own check list. Lay it out so you can see it all, triple-check it (for good measure) and then rest assured you have everything. Race Day It’s an early start. Usually a very early start. And the best way to start any day is with a hearty breakfast. What you should be eating is outlined in Step 12: I Keep Running Out of Energy, but today is not the day to be experimenting with food you haven’t eaten before. Keep it plain, keep it stodgy and keep it coming. Just make sure you leave enough time for your body to digest it all. You also need to be drinking. Sure, have a cup of tea. But follow it up with an energy drink. Do a final check of your kit and load it in the car. This is a good time to put your timing chip on – at least then you won’t forget it! © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 14: It’s Race Week And I’m Nervous

Make sure you leave plenty of time to commute to the race venue. If it’s early, will public transport be working? Will they accept bikes? If you’re driving, you need to bear in mind that there may well be a few hundred or thousand people trying to get there as well. Leave yourself plenty of time (you have enough to worry about without worrying about being late for your debut). Transition on race morning is a very different place to Transition the day before. It is a hive of activity and everyone – everyone – is focused. Go in, find your bike. Check your tyres and pump them up. If fate has it that you have a puncture, don’t panic. You have enough time to change it. Just stay calm. Lay your kit out around your bike as described in Step 13: Transitions, The Fourth Discipline. Double, triple, quadruple check everything. Stare vaguely at your bike, give her a little pat on the handlebars and then walk away. You’re done (apart from the racing bit). The next time you see your bike you will have completed the first third of your first triathlon! The period before the race is always nerve-wracking. The queue for the toilet is horrendous, and the toilet itself (if you’re patient enough to wait for it) is usually even worse. Have a snack – an energy bar or something – and finish off that drink. Whatever you do, don’t take an energy drink or bar that is being handed out if you haven’t tried it before. Pre-race routine is about routine. Stick with what you know; you can enjoy the freebies after. With 20-minutes to go you’ll usually be expected to head over to the start. There might be a quick briefing and there will be lots of men and women in wetsuits. Some will be stretching, some pumping themselves up, some looking like their toilet-break just arrived. Everyone is focusing and it’s your time to do that. This is the time for mental preparation: visualise what you will do at each transition and think of all the hard training you have put in to be in this position. Then it begins. Unless you have a land start (which is rare), you’ll jump into whichever pond or river you’re swimming in and swim out to the startline. You’re going to be nervous. Your arms will ache. You’ll feel lethargic. It’s okay, it happens. Your heart rate is probably up around the 180bpm mark. Try and relax. Unless you’re running late there’s no hurry. Stay calm. Find your spot and © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 14: It’s Race Week And I’m Nervous

wait for the inevitable ‘Oggy, Oggy, Oggy’. Your about to experience a different kind of swimming…

Step 15: The Race

Step 15: The Race. The Things Every Triathlete Wishes They Knew Before Their First Time. “My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you’ll win... channel your energy. Focus.” Carl Lewis, Olympian The Swim “Oggy, Oggy, Oggy…” my heart feels like it’s about to explode. “Oi, Oi, Oi” that’s just adrenaline. Are you ready? “Oggy,” not really. That turn point seems a very long way away. “Oi,” it’s okay. You have swum that distance before. In fact, you’ve swum that distance plenty of times before. You can do it. “Oggy,” what is all of this Oggy nonsense anyway? “Oi,” nobody really knows. It just seems to happen. Love it or hate it, it happens at pretty much every single triathlon around the world. “Oggy, Oggy, Oggy…” well at least I’m in the middle of the pack. “Oi, Oi, Oi…” Oh dear, you didn’t read this Step did you? You’re in for a baptism of fire. The start line for a triathlon is (usually) in the water. It’s between twenty to thirty meters wide and is a key element to your swim. Why? Because get your position on the start line wrong and you’re going to get bashed. Get it right and you’ll get bashed…just not as much. When it comes to getting in position on the swim you have to make an honest judgment on how good a swimmer you are. If you are fast (and you genuinely are fast), push yourself towards the front of the pack. If you’re average, either get in the pack (if you fancy a bit of fisty-cuffs) or hang to the side of the main group. If swimming really isn’t your thing, hang back – it gets pretty brutal in there. Open water swimming is a full-on contact sport. It all happens. Pushing, shoving, kicking, dunking. Everyone is desperate to get to the course turn point in as short a time as possible, and they don’t like it if you get in their way. Unless you’re superfast and can get away from the pack you never really get used to it – it’s always quite unpleasant. But you have to deal with that and not let it disrupt your race (too much). Your goal is to find and © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 15: The Race

maintain your rhythm. Which is why you have to pick your spot. What invariably happens in a triathlon swim is that a bunch of swimmers go off at warp-speed and blow themselves up after 250m. So prepare yourself to have a bit of a battle both at the start and a few minutes into the race. Once you’re out of the way of these guys, it should settle down. Concentrate on your stroke and on your rhythm. But remember: this isn’t a training swim. Don’t get too relaxed. And sight! The most common error on the swim leg is a failure to sight. There aren’t nice lines guiding you in the right direction. There are just buoys stretched up to 200m apart. Watch them. Make sure you follow them. Otherwise you could be swimming a lot further than 1,500-meters. The good thing about open water swimming is that you can cheat (a bit). The fastest way to complete the swim is drafting on someone’s feet. That means you stick right on their tail, almost touching their toes all the way through. Their propulsion will drag you through the water. In the last couple of hundred meters of the swim, start to kick. You need to be getting blood into your legs, and if you’re not a big kicker the majority of it will be elsewhere. Get the kick going and keep focused. Finally, you’ll get to the ramp. Usually someone will grab you and help you out of the water. Let them help you. And take it easy. The temptation is to run out of the water like you’re running 100-meters. You can, but you’ll probably feel a bit dizzy after 20-meters. What counts now is that you’ve completed probably the toughest part of the triathlon – and you need to get your wetsuit off!

Step 15: The Race

The Bike You’re out of T1 and life feels a little bit odd. You’re still a bit light-headed, water is trickling down your face and you’re still soaked from the swim. What’s more, you’ve got a bloody long way to cycle! Don’t worry about that right now. For the first 5 minutes concentrate on warming your legs up and getting into a rhythm. People can – and will – go flying past you. It happens on the bike. But that is their triathlon and is this is yours. Concentrate on you. If you try to catch someone from the outset you’ll probably end up bonking and that’s no fun. Make sure you stick to the left of the road to let faster people come by. Sometimes triathlons take place on small, windy roads. Always be conscious of the cyclists around you. There are some really fast people out there – you might even be one of them – and it isn’t pleasant hitting the hard stuff at 40km/h. If you’re overtaking and the space is tight, shout at someone (nicely) to let them know you’re coming. And always be conscious of how you are cycling – don’t weave about, don’t suddenly lock on your brakes if you see your family. Always be aware of who or what is around you. For the first couple of minutes you want to be fuelling: take a gel and plenty of water. You maybe don’t feel like it, but your body is dehydrated from the swim. Take on some fluid and give yourself an energy boost. And now you start to work. You know how hard you can go. You know what effort you should be putting in. Don’t throw all of the training out of the window and put the hammer down too soon. But don’t be too conservative - this is when all the training comes in handy. You’ll know when you’re riding at a tempo you can sustain. Listen to your body and go with what you know. Most triathlons are non-drafting events. This means you cannot sit behind someone on the bike. British Triathlon rules state every cyclist should have an invisible box around them that is seven meters long and three meters wide. Anyone entering that box has 15-seconds to pass otherwise they will get a warning. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 15: The Race

Three warnings and it’s game over. The last thing you want in your first triathlon is to get a DQF next to your name. But it is amazing how much bad cycling goes on. Some people might try to draft you or cut you up. Try not to get involved – it’s their problem. Keep calm and stick to your race plan, never get annoyed with someone and get into a silly race against them, this will only make it harder for you later on. As the kilometres tick by keep concentrated on the task in hand, it’s easy to let your mind wander or to start looking at other competitors or the scenery. Don’t. You’re in a race. Focus. And keep pushing. It’s you against the clock here and the clock is winning. A couple of kilometres before the end of the bike leg, start taking some pre-run nutrition if you need it and take on some extra fluids. You want to start the run leg fuelled up and ready to go. Use the pedals to stretch your legs out and start to mentally prepare yourself for the final push. The Run This is the fun bit! Welcome to world of jelly-legs and people running like they’ve got a seat post stuck up their butt. The chances are that coming out of T2 you are beginning to feel tired and your legs are starting to complain. This is the time to be strong mentally and ensure you are getting into a good run technique. Don’t go off too fast, a consistent pace throughout the run is often the best way to optimize your performance. Find your rhythm, focus on your technique and make sure you take drink from the feed stations if you need it. The support you’ll get on the run is a great motivator. The crowds will be cheering you on, your family and friends will be shouting louder than everyone, and you’ll be surrounded by hundreds of athletes in pain. But the focus here is you. Concentrate on what you are doing and keep to your race plan – 10km is a long way to run so don’t go off too hard. But more importantly, try and soak up some of the atmosphere. The atmosphere around a triathlon is amazing – enjoy it. After all, this is what you’ve put all that work in for! If you’re going for a ‘time’, you should roughly know what splits you need to be doing to achieve that. There are kilometre markers throughout the course – use those to help you time © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Step 15: The Race

your run. There are also timing mats set at random locations throughout the run course. This is to stop people from accidentally ‘missing’ part of the race. Yes, it hurts on the run. In fact, it hurts quite a lot. But you’ve come so far and you don’t have too long to go now. Just grind it out. The Finish Isn’t it amazing how far the last kilometre feels? Keep pushing. Yes, you’re exhausted but you’re so close. So very close. Keep pushing. This is your chance for a grand stand finale. See that guy ahead of you? Pick him off. You know you can catch him. Just push a bit harder. Soon you’ll be coming into the finish area. 200 meters to go. The crowds are getting thicker, there’s music everywhere and you just got past that guy ahead of you. Keep going! You’re looking good and you’ve just ©Janick Jenkins done your first triathlon! They always take a photo of you crossing the line so make sure you wipe any snot / spit off your face and are as good as someone who is physically exhausted can look. And enjoy it! You have done it! You have become a triathlete! Bloody well done! Post Race Knackered. Exhausted. Adamant you’ll never do it again. We cover that in the next Step. After you’ve spent some time taking it all in, telling anyone and everyone about it and generally feeling like you’re amazing, there are a couple of things you should do. First off, make sure you are drinking enough, chances are high you are dehydrated and you’ll feel better the next day if you are conscious of it now. Next, if you have the inclination, have a stretch otherwise you’ll be as stiff as a plank the next day. And once the dust has settled, pick up your stuff from transition. You may have to wait if there are other waves racing, but someone will be able to tell you what to do. What a day! You’ll sleep well tonight!

Conclusion: I Did It!

Conclusion: I Did It! But What Are You Going To Do Now? I am never going to do another one. I’m not. Ever. Probably. Because it’s too late. You have become a triathlon addict. Sure, 2km from the end you might have been adamant that this was your first – and last – race. But two minutes or two days after you’ve crossed that line you realise its best not to make any snap decisions. After all, you put in all that training and it would be a shame to see it go to waste. What’s more, when you look at your splits you realise that you really can swim faster. And how did you lose so much time in transition? What about the run? You were way off your normal 10k pace. You know you could have gone quicker. How? Well, maybe you could have fuelled better. If you had thrown in a few more wetsuit swims you might have saved yourself a couple of minutes in the water. You could have – should have – gone harder. And you need to learn how to run off the bike. That is the beauty – and the beast – of triathlon. Because you can always go quicker. It doesn’t mean you always will. But you can. It’s just a question of working out how. Which is where post-race analysis comes in. One thing you’ll find as you dip your toes into the murky waters of triathlon is that not only do you become uber-fit, you also become a hideous geek. Well, not hideous. Just a geek. Because throughout the race you have a personal battle with time. Admittedly, time always wins. But you fight it. You push yourself to beat it. To realise your goal. And it’s only in the hours following the race that you see where you lost – and found – time. Race splits invariably appear between 24- and 48-hours after a race. They’re always on the website and usually that website crashes (if the race is a big one). But you will get there © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Conclusion: I Did It!

eventually. And when you do, it’s time to begin the analysis. Have a look at your splits. How did your swim time match up to your expectations? What about the bike and run? How much time did you lose in transition? Have a look at some of the guys around you. How did your mates do? Where did they beat you? What about the winners? How much faster do you have to go to be one of the best (don’t worry, some of us have resigned ourselves to never going quite that fast). It’s all about analysis. It’s about delving into the depths of your physical performance and working out where to target your training next. And that is what every triathlete does. Even the best ones. Because there are always things you can do better. Maybe you smashed out a 35-minute 10k. But can you go faster on the bike? Or in the swim? That’s what you need to work on over the Winter. Obviously, work on the run, too, but focus on the areas of the race where you can make significant gains. Because there are always areas where you can make gains. If there aren’t, you’re the World Champion and it would be great if you could endorse this book for us. Would you mind? If you’re not the World Champion, be honest. Your strength might be on the bike or in the water, and you might hate running or swimming, but you can get better at them. And if you work a bit harder you’ll find that even the sport you don’t like that much becomes tolerable, and sometimes even enjoyable. ©Janick Jenkins

So sign up for another race. Do you want to go further? Quicker? Both? Determine what you want to achieve. And spend the Winter working to achieve it. Because that is the next step in your triathlon career: progression. And with progression comes satisfaction, and satisfaction walks hand-in-hand with achievement. And everyone likes to achieve. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Conclusion: I Did It!

So what are you going to do now? You’re going to put this book down and go out for a jog. I know you’re stiff. We’re all stiff. We’re always stiff. But it’s a good kind of stiffness. Because you know you’re doing something that few people know and only those who have done it understand. You’re a triathlete. And that’s one hell of an achievement.

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Appendix I: Core Strength Training

Appendix I: Core Strength Training Training for the triathlon will result in you building up a solid base of endurance and strength. Muscles will become more defined and any excess fat should gradually be a thing of the past. Simply training for the three disciplines in itself is sufficient for putting in the race performance you are aiming for. However, they can be further enhanced by core strength training. The core refers to muscles deep in your back and abdominals, attached to the spine or pelvis. Core strength is important as this area is your body’s centre of power, where movement originates and the source of our stability. Aside from being good for overall muscle development and health, core strength can help triathletes through: Swim: ensuring your body is kept in a streamlined position for the duration of the event, with any movement being directed to forward propulsion rather than rocking from side to side Bike: keeping your body stable allowing better pedalling efficiency. A weak core can mean using the lower back which can become sore and uncomfortable when riding Run: maintaining your good running technique, keeping your back tall and straight, allowing a long stride length and efficiency in forward momentum

It’s understandable if trying to fit in any extra training on top of your swimming, cycling and running programme is a struggle and at this stage of your triathlon career you do not want to substitute these sessions for other types of training. However if you do have a spare couple of slots in a week then doing some core strength training can be an excellent way of improving your triathlon speed and help in avoiding injuries. The below simple exercises represent a good way to get started, as always you need to see what works for you and chose the exercises that will provide you most benefit, don’t try and do them all. As general guidance aim to do 10-15 reps of each exercise you chose from below to complete a set, do 2-3 sets of this twice a week. Push Up Great for the chest, shoulders, triceps and abs. Place your hands shoulder width apart, with the © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Appendix I: Core Strength Training

balls of your feet on the ground. Raise yourself with your arms into the plank position, keeping a straight line from your head to you heels – this is the start / finish point of the push up. Lower your torso to the ground and then push up using your shoulders and chest until you arms are almost straight (but not locked). Finish in the plank position.

Hip Raises Great for the front abs. Lie on your back with your arms extended, palms down next to your hips. Lift the head and shoulders 1-2 inches off the floor. Extend your legs forward and just off the ground with your feet pointing to the ceiling. Bring your legs up and your hips a few inches off the ground, hold for a few seconds and then bring the legs down to the original starting position straight in front just off the ground. Make sure your back is kept flat on the floor at all times, with the control and movement maintained in the abs. Oblique Crunches Lie on your side with your legs one on top of the other and both bent at the knees. Hold one hand behind your head and the other resting on your side. Raise your upper torso and head with the power coming from your side muscles. Try not to fold forward, but bend up moving your elbow towards your feet

Standard Crunch Bicycle Lie on your back with your legs just off the ground in front of you and your shoulder blades off the ground. Rest your hands behind your head to help stability, but don’t put any pressure on your neck. Keep one leg straight and bring the knee back on the other leg until it goes past the hips, repeat in a pedalling motion. Movement control should be through the abs but you might feel pressure on your hamstrings as well.

Appendix I: Core Strength Training

Side Dips Lie on your right side with your right forearm on the floor facing away from your body. Place the other hand on your hip. Keep your body straight, touching the floor on your forearm and the side of your right foot. Moving just the hips, lower to just touch the ground and then raise again into the straight position. Repeat on the other side.

Leg Raises Lie in the plank position with the balls of your feet and forearms in contact with the ground. Ensure you body is straight from head to heel. Raise one leg at a time as high as you can and lower for one repetition. Repeat for the other leg.

Heel Taps Lie flat on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your shoulder blades off the ground, reach to touch the heel of your foot on one side and then again on the other with the other hand. Keep your heels far enough away that you really have to reach to touch Half Up Twists In the sit up position where you can feel your core muscles engaged, fold your arms and twist to the side using your core for stability and control. Repeat on the other side for one repetition.

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Appendix II: Olympic Triathlon Training Plan

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

Appendix II: Olympic Triathlon Training Plan

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

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Appendix III: Glossary

Appendix III: Glossary Age Grouper: If you were racing in a marathon this person would be called a fun runner. But you’re not racing in a marathon, and in a triathlon you’re called an age grouper. If you bandy around the term fun runner it’ll be painfully obvious you’ve never attempted to complete a triathlon (and you won’t be popular). Age Groups: Triathlon races are often split into age groups who are regarded as your competition for prizes. Age groups typically range from under-20, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 4549 etc. Bento Box: This is a box that is strapped onto both your top tube and handlebar stem. They’re useful for longer races and training rides where you need to carry food and / or extra equipment. Bonk: Tee hee. Also known as chucking a whitey, hitting a wall, passing out. Basically, it’s when you dig deep into your energy reserves and find you’ve got nothing left. It happens to everyone and is particularly unpleasant. Brick Session: A Brick training session combines more than one discipline, for example a swim followed by a bike or a bike followed by a run. Carbon Fibre: Carbon fibre (polymer or reinforced plastic) is a very strong, very light (and quite expensive!) material used to make middle to top end bikes. For the same strength, a carbon fibre frame weights a lot less than its steel or aluminium equivalent. Catch: The point in the swimming stroke when swimmers apply pressure to the water to help them move forward. Check In: The time / place where you need to pick up your race packet (containing number, race chip, swimming hat) and / or take your bike to rack in the transition area. Cleats: Clip in pedals require a cycling shoe with a cleat fitted to the sole which locks into the pedal and is removed by twisting the foot Clip-In Pedals: Are designed to accept cycling shoes with a cleat, locking the foot into the pedal and allowing for greater efficiency in the pedal rotation © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

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Appendix III: Glossary

Drills: For swimming, a number of different exercises to improve your stroke Elites: aka the Professionals (or the very best age groupers) Energy Gel: A small packet of gel that contains concentrated, syrupy carbohydrate providing a surge of energy. Fartlek: A Swedish word meaning “speed play”. A steady run is interspersed with slower and faster efforts, which can vary in length and speed. Good for making training more interesting and getting used to running at variable speeds or a faster speed. Intervals: A set number of repetitions run with a rest between each repetition. The rest might be active or a complete stop. Interval training is used to improve speed endurance and work the aerobic system. Isotonic Drink: An Isotonic drink has the same salt concentration as the normal cells of the body and the blood, allowing the replacement of fluid and minerals lost during exercise. ITB: Inter-tibial band. The muscle that runs up the side of the thigh, from the kneecap up past the hip. Pronation: The distribution of weight through the foot. You could be a neutral, over or under pronator which should in part determine the running shoe you buy. Pull-Buoy: A swimming float that is held between the (non-kicking) legs to allow full concentration on the arm stroke. RICE: Rest Ice Compression Elevation – the solution to many common triathlon injuries. T1: Transition One (swim to bike) T2: Transition Two (bike to run) Tempo: Training at a pace that isn’t quite race pace, but still a fast pace designed to increase your speed and speed endurance. The Fourth Discipline: Also known as Transition. © Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

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Appendix III: Glossary

Timing Chip: Given by race organisers (for a refundable deposit) the chip is wrapped in a velcro band which goes around the ankle. Records your split times as you run / cycle over timing mats. Track Pump: A large pump (too big to carry whilst cycling) that can pump up a tube in a small number of pumps and to a high pressure. A worthwhile investment! Transition: The area where you go to change between the disciplines. Tri Bars: Also know as aero bars, these can be clipped on to the handlebars of your road bike allowing you to get into a more aerodynamic position. Alternatively you could have a tri specific bike that has integrated aero bars as part of the bike. These bars have the gear shifters at the end of the bars and more accessible brake levers. Tri Suit: An all-in-one or separate shorts and top suit, with a shammy in the shorts to aid cycling comfort. Made of fast drying material that wicks sweat from the body. Also designed with rear pockets to carry gels and a long zip to aid keeping cool. Triathlon Wetsuit: The triathlon wetsuit is made of a thinner neoprene than a traditional wetsuit, with more flexibility particularly in the shoulders and arms, allowing easy swim action. Waves: If a triathlon has a large number of entrants it is often impractical for everyone to start together, so competitors are split into start waves (often by age group or previous finishing times) going off every 15 minutes or so.

ÂŠ Paul Moore and Richard Hoad 2009

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