Triathlon Coaching Blogs

Battling the elements to take on the Gauntlet Triathlon

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 16:41:02 GMT

Luke Davison takes on his first middle distance triathlon

I decided to enter the Gauntlet as a B race ahead of another 70.3 later in the summer. Given how close is it is to me and the timing it seemed like a good opportunity to get some race practice at the distance and to test the training at a tough course.

Prep went well, I had taken part in the sprint here over the last two years so I had experience in the lake and I knew the bike route.

The morning of the race went smoothly. I had checked the weather forecast pretty extensively and knew we were in for a soaking at some point. I took plastic bags to cover shoes/socks for T1 & T2 that many others had forgotten. I also knew that the run course would be largely off road and trail shoes were likely a must.

Swim

The rain came hard before we set off and we walked one by one off the end of the logia jumping into the water to get going. Immediately one of my lenses filled with a little water and I spent the first few minutes working out whether I could cope with the small splashing in my eye every time I turned my head to breathe. I decided to stop and tip the goggles but ended up putting up with this annoyance for most of the swim. The course is a fantastic single loop with the second half through the river back to the exit. At points the river is very shallow and your stroke is easily knocked out of rhythm when hitting the bottom. All things considered I felt good and exited the water in a little over 34mins - a good few minutes ahead of plan and a great start.

T1 was uneventful. It's a relatively long run on the exit from the water and I grabbed some nutrition before mounting the bike through the sloppy mud.

Bike

Immediately I got off to a bad start. The bike exit leaving Hever grounds involves navigating 3 or 4 speed humps. Over #1 I felt the rear bottle shoot out and #2 the front bottle flew off. I made a split second decision not to stop and spent the next 10minutes deciding a backup strategy as 2/3 of my nutrition was now rolling back to transition.

The bike course at Hever is just relentless climbing through two loops. I settled into my power target and hitting the descents as fast as possible given the rain and wet roads. Relying on a couple of gels before getting some water at feed station 1. It wasn't until feed station two half way around that I could get some carb drink to replace what I'd lost.

I started the second loop to more torrential rain but great support from family. The legs started to tire a little 50miles in and I was conscious of the run still to come. I couldn't wait until T2 for the toilet so stopped at the side of the road a few miles before re-entering the grounds. Bike course completed in 3hr20 which was a little behind schedule and power but a solid enough effort given conditions.

Coming into T2 my left cleat had jammed in the pedal and I had to rip my right out at the last moment to save an embarrassing dismount. I then made the mistake of shoving half a pack of jelly babies down whilst transitioning out to the run.

Run

For the first mile the legs felt reasonably ok but I started to feel my quads cramp up from the bike elevation and I developed a bad stitch from the recently devoured sweets. Soon the wheels came off, pacing strategy was out of the window and I spent the next 2hrs+ navigating what was essentially a tough mudder course on some tiring legs. The steep hills reduced many to a walk and the slip and slide downs resembled a ski slope. I used every feed station to try and get some energy back and I crossed the line with very heavy legs, but very pleased to have finished my first middle distance event.

Overall I completed in around 6hr25 having been humbled on the run. There were some great learnings that I can take forwards and build on. For anyone thinking of entering the Hever Gauntlet it is a very well run event with beautiful scenery and location. It is however one of the toughest 70.3 courses you're ever likely to experience so keep that in mind when setting any expectations - especially if you're new to the distance!

Racing Outlaw X

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 13:53:03 GMT

Stefan was due to take on the Outlaw Half until the race was postponed causing a refocus of attention towards the Outlaw X scheduled for later in the year. In what was one of the only races to take place in the UK Stefan faced not only the bad weather that often accompanies later season races, but also the restrictions imposed by the Pandemic, all in his first ever Triathlon. Read below to find out how his race unfolded

Having never trained or competed in a triathlon, I entered the Outlaw Half in May 2019. Well, that didn’t happen but I deferred to the Outlaw X 70.3 in September instead.

The reason I entered a triathlon was to beat a mate, who had put up on Facebook he had entered the Outlaw half and full. That was my motivation. I tried to do the mass training thing with online coaches looking after hundreds of athletes, but that was not for me; I had too many questions and knew nothing about triathlons (it’s just swimming, cycling and running, simple! How hard is that?!). I found Richard and he started coaching me. I needed a plan that fitted around my work as a contractor, and family life. So far so good. I borrowed a TT bike for the turbo trainer, and bag full of swimming paraphernalia, and off I went just following the TP plan and reporting back. Ideal. Then came the news that the event was to be postponed and/or cancelled. My mate decided to pull out, and so my reason for competing was gone.

So, now my focus changed to getting a decent result. The training plan had to alter as I had peaked for May but had to peak for September. Richard sorted that out via TP, no fuss.

Race day came around, and there was a northerly wind which was blowing bikes around on the racks, and the temperature was a little chilly. The organisers shorted the swim to 750 m. I can tell you diving in, almost stopped my heart as it was that cold, instant ice cream headache. I just focussed on the first buoy and thrashed around until I got a little warmer, no technique just survival. I got out of the lake and my hands and feet were numb. The transition point was 500 m across a grassy field, and on arriving at my transition area, it must have been hilarious watching me struggle to get the suit off, socks and shoes on and a top, with useless fingers.

Off onto the bike course, and to keep warm I had to go a bit harder than planned. The bike course is open Lincolnshire countryside, with low hedgerows and a constant up or down gradient. There was hiding from the wind anywhere. It was a war of attrition, and no easy bits; constant pedalling to keep the power profile happy. By the end my legs were starting to cramp a bit despite eating and drinking according to my well executed and practised plan, thanks to Richard!

T2 was better, faster affair, but my feet were still blocks of ice. Stopped for the toilet and set off. Garmin watched crashed and just starting beeping and buzzing, so no idea of time or pace. I had to ask people what pace they were on as I went by them. Seemed to work. I managed the cramp really well until the finish line, just as my photo was taken, I totally seized, not a great photo, but I had done it. From zero to finisher in 10 months, 14th in age group and almost made the 10% cut.

That was the hardest 5 hours of my life, and I have vowed never to do a full iron man. Despite the feeling of being totally and utterly spent, I have now entered some standard distances and another 70.3 for 2021, just to see if this result was a fluke, and much to the annoyance of my wife.

Richard played a big part in my success. His enigmatic style and laid back, unflappable approach worked for me. Thank you, Richard! I must also thank my wife, family and friends for putting up with my training schedule, and feeding me.

Luke Davison takes on Hever Castle Sprint Tri

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 16:18:15 GMT

The current situation meant that while racing felt a little different this year the weather conditions were very familiar.

I signed up to this years Hever triathlon once it became clear that they could still hold the event in this strangest of years. I started working with Rich in July with a view to longer term goals and the build up and training was considerably more structured than previous. I felt comfortable on race day that the legs would take me through the next (hopefully sub 90 minutes) of intense racing.

I arrived at 7.45, the designated 75min pre-start arrival and realised just how much colder the air temperature was compared to even the last couple of weeks. The watch showed a balmy 10degrees. We waited at the initial check in point until t-minus 60mins where we walked to check in. Entering transition I was rack C. Ideally placed near the bike and run out areas and easy to remember location. This year they fed people in and out through transition without crossover to keep everything as socially distanced as possible. There were three bikes per rack giving plenty of space to lay out kit and leave bags in the same spot.

The first swimmers from the sprint plus were out of the water and running near us and a few made comments as to just how cold the water was. It was then that it was announced that the swim had been reduced from 750m to 400m as the water temperature was somewhere around 13 degrees. It didn’t really faze me as everyone was in the same position and less time in the water wasn’t bad as my weakest discipline. At this point we were t-minus 45 minutes and had 30 minutes to suit up and prep.

T-minus 15 minutes and we were called to the swim. We were told to enter the water one by one every 10 seconds and proper form was to sit and slide or jump feet first into the water - no diving. I was about three quarters of the way back with no ambition or need to get any closer. The timing chip started on dry land but gave you 10 seconds to get in so no delays.

Race time! I was so relaxed that I almost forgot to start the watch and only remembered in the last 10 seconds. Off I went and plunged into what can only be described as freezing water. The first dozen strokes I spent focusing on the large orange buoy and keeping a straight line. The next few minutes I spent thinking just how much colder this was than anything else I’d been in - it really took your breath away. Around the buoy and it became clear that the current from the water was against us swimming in and pushing people towards the bank. I was conscious of keeping my eyes on the orange exit point and sighting a little more frequently to stay straight. I realised how shallow the water was as on more than one occasion I was put off by my hand hitting the bottom.

Out of the water and looked at the watch to show 10minutes. Quick math left me a little disappointed but I didn’t have time to digest anymore. My girlfriend and her mum were there to cheer me through transition and I think they understood just how cold it was after seeing numerous competitors struggle to get their bearings.

The transition run to T1 was long and stoney in parts but only a slight fumble with a sock to mention and I was out onto the bike leg.

I knew from last years experience that the first hill 1km in is the longest. I was conscious of keeping cadence high but not pushing too hard too early and tiring the legs. I was confident of using others in-front to pull me forwards. About 5km in and I spotted my dad on the roadside cheering me on - a nice boost to keep pushing. The roads aren’t closed around Hever so there were a couple of moments where cars get stuck between cyclists and cause a very brief slow down. The course is very rolling and I continued to keep an eye on my power output to ensure I was in the right zone. Back into the wind towards Bough Beech and I was only thinking about staying in the aero position to keep speed up. By this time I had a lot of open road with no one around me and the next moment my dad appeared in his car to my outside giving me a second wave of encouragement. I made a joking remark about needing some slip stream before making the last small ascent back into the event grounds.

Off the bike and I was pleased to see an improvement of close to 1mph on last years effort and a good couple of minutes shaved. I again realised just how much longer the transition to T2 was and I tried to use this to bring my heart rate down whilst steering the bike over the grass and back up to my gear. Realising at this point that I hadn’t and wasn’t about to take on any water for the entirety I grabbed my gel to see if it would give me a boost. My new greeper laces went on very quickly although it was at this point that I realised my feet still hadn’t warmed up after the swim.

I headed out onto the run and quickly remembered the first slow gradual winding incline that makes up the first 1km or so - not pleasant. My only thought was to try and keep the legs turning over as well as possible and to get the running memory into them. The Hever run is quite undulating and is essentially cross country so I quickly tempered expectations of a fast time.

The run went without incident - slow uphill and quick the other side. Strangely, although not uncommon for me I didn’t once look at my watch until late into the second lap. I knew I was working at 95% of what my body would let me so no point in worrying. I played a pace guessing game and I wasn’t surprised to see myself around 30 seconds per mile slower than usual as I knew both the run and bike were tough. One last push up the final incline and I stopped the watch at a little over the 5k distance in 24:24 which I deemed a reasonable effort. More importantly I could now feel my feet and take on some much needed fluid and sugar in the form of coke and (finally) some water.

Looking back on the results I finished 40th out of 300+ competitors and barring my mediocre swimming I was in or around the top 50 for all other splits. Particularly pleasing was being 21st fastest on the bike.

Hever is a fantastically well organised local event for me and a lot of others. With a plethora of distances and disciplines to choose from there is something for everyone. They did a great job keeping competitors socially distanced without ruining the flow of the race.

For me, 2021 has one focus, my first Ironman in France and a revised training schedule that focuses on building a bigger aerobic engine!

Ironman 70.3 Les Sables d'Olonne

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 22:18:52 GMT

In one of the only European Ironman 70.3 races to take place in 2020 Thomas Mary was aiming to complete the race in under 5 hours. In an insight to what racing may look like in the near future read how Thomas' day unfolded.

Back in February, I started training toward breaking 5 hours at the Ironman 70.3 Sables d'Olonnes.

Looking back at the 2019 season, I knew I had to improve my training plan, quality and consistency. That's where I contacted Rich, to start working on my new training plan.

Flash forward to the last month.. After months of a consistent build up in training, I got my final touch of training in the French Alps. A one week training camp with my friends who also took part in IM 70.3 Sables d'Olonnes. On the menu, riding the mythic roads like Alpes d'Huez, swimming in mountain lakes to catch up on the almost no swimming due to pools being closed, and also touching up on my running speed, being with two fast runners.

As much as that week was amazing, I also came back with a sharp pain in my shin. A week away from race start.

We arrived on Friday in Les Sables d'Olonne, just enough time for a quick swim in the ocean, an easy ride on the race course and to enjoy the beautiful town, mostly known to be the start of the sailing race Vendee Globe.

Night of the race, when all the athletes were thinking about the head wind forecasted for the end of the bike course, or the stream on the swim caused by the tide getting out of the harbor, ...

For me, my shin was the only thing on my mind. I haven't been running since the training week in the Alps, and even though the pain was mild, I could still feel it walking to take my bike to transition. Should I take a painkiller before / during the race? Should I run with my compression band? What if it hurts while running to the bike in T1?

5am on race morning, while having coffee at the window looking at the still, quiet ocean, I decided to go how I trained to race, no pain killers, no compression bands. Just take them with me and see how it goes as the race unfolds.

Ready to go, mask on, in the dark with 1500 athletes on our way to T2 to set up and get the last details sorted. This was followed by the 20min walk along the marina to get to the starting line, time to rehearse one more time the plan of the day: pace, hydration, nutrition; and for a last stop to the toilet.

It then all goes like a flash: put on the wetsuit, hear the pro race start and not even time to warm up! The sun had only just started to appear, when I'm the next one to go and a member of staff thankfully reminded me to get rid of my mask!

3, 2, 1, Gooo!! Walking slowly down the slippery steps going down the water. A different start than the previous year which started by a 100m sprint in the wetsuit on the sand.

I got quickly into a good rhythm, swimming away. Two things I kept in mind: stay calm and swim straight!

After about 300 meters, first and second turn, to head back into the Vendee Globe canal. Took 1/2 second to admire the sun rising finally. Now into the narrow channel, with lots of spectators standing on the marina cheering us on and the swim ended between the race boats in the harbour.

Out of the water, swim done in 35min: job done for the first part. Now running on the floating pier to T1, where I knew where I had to go. Even if I knew where to go, I also noticed there were 4 or 5 bikes almost identical to mine on the same rack. Thankfully, I managed to get to mine directly. As I had practiced taking off my wetsuit a few times, this part went smoothly. What I didn't foresee was to put on my socks (with wet feet), but finally managed to put those on before running out of T1. That's where I happily realized that I've been running in T1 without pain!

Now onto the bike course, for a single lap in the beautiful Vendee countryside. My main goal was to be faster than last year, complete the bike leg in less than 2h35min but most importantly, be fresh enough for the run, which was a bit of a let down last year. So for the first 1h, I averaged 36.4km/h. On track with the target and legs feeling good, but still very cold which keeps my HR lower than expected. But I keep on going, until about halfway through, when in a struggle to open a gel with my teeth. I rip it in half, end up with the whole gel on my face, my arms and the handlebars. After few minutes going through multiple phases, anger at the stupid move, then scared thinking that my nutrition plan being compromised for the rest of the race and I'll pay for it during the run, I finally calm down and focus and realise I can get some replacement at the next help station. So I pull myself together and carry on. Passed the second hour on the bike course, averaged 36.8km/h. So still on target, still cold, but still got something in my legs. Even with the few power surges I couldn't resist to push in some villages where the support from people on the side of the road was just amazing. So I got the last caffeine gel in, which had been very helpful during the practice brick runs, and just cruised until the end.

Back into transition, happy with the time I've done: 2h29min. I know the most important part is yet to come. I quickly rack my bike, put on my running shoes and even though I don't think I was over hydrated, I had to take a quick detour by the toilets. So far the pain in my shin has been slight, so run out of transition confident, as fresh as I wanted to be, and ready to start the half marathon ahead, starting with 3k along the marina, followed by 300 meters on the sand to get to the 3 laps loop along the promenade and around Tanchet lake.

The first kilometers I was in agony the year before, but not this one. Legs were fresh, started to overtake a few athletes while keeping an eye on my watch to make sure I stick to the 4:30m/km. Get to the beautiful beach, where luckily the first half the sand was quite wet, so not so bad to run on, followed by the iconic dry sand where the struggle was real. Luckily, it wasn't long before I found myself on the promenade where thousands of people were cheering along. That was where I found another athlete going at the same speed, with the word "coach" written on his trisuit. So I thought, because he's a coach, he must be capable and focused enough to keep a consistent pace, which I knew will be very valuable as all those people which included my 7 months pregnant wife would likely push me to run too fast. So I complete the first loop, keep the gels going and the pace on point while I still feel relatively easy. All went well until I got to the 10km mark, where fatigue started to creep in, and I took my first coke and water at the aid station. The pace that used to feel easy was now harder and harder to keep, and every 3km I felt the need to get something at the aid station, and a second to catch my breath. Pace goes dow\n, 4:35, 4:40, 4:45, 4:50... as the pain in my shin starts to rise, but the kilometres keep on passing by and I complete the second lap. The final lap is a bit of a roller coaster, and as I run past my wife I get a boost for a few minutes until I hit the wall again, and boost again when I see my friends and wall again and again. As the mental battle unfolds kilometre after kilometres the boosts are slower and walls are deeper. Until I run past the last aid station, to the finish line where the crowd noise and the idea to be done running gives me wings to give all I had left to end where I only realised that I've clearly broke the 5h, and so pass the finish line on the red carpet 4h52 after I first put my feet in the water.

I then quickly get given a mask to put on, before I can grab my own and well deserve a medal. The mask was a great reminder of the luck we had to be able to be racing, in an amazing location, great conditions and such a well organised event. And the medal is a souvenir of all the effort done over a full year of training the body and mind for this special event toward a personal goal: break 5h.

Stefhan Lewis You Are An Ironman!

Sun, 29 Sep 2019 16:09:18 GMT

Stefhan's account of the Ironman Race that he has worked so hard for

This was the moment I became an Ironman. The day started very early, I was up at 4am having very little sleep. Your mind won't rest so sleep is difficult. Feeling exhausted I got myself together and made my way to transition with 3000 other athletes. It was cold and dark as I made all the last minute checks to my bike and transition bags. Feeling like a little fish in a big pond it was a relief to see a welcome wave and smile from Laura. We sorted ourselves and made our way to the beach as the sun was rising. We placed ourselves in the pen with our expected swim time. I went to the 1h30m Pen.The atmosphere was fantastic, loud music, cheering crowds and commentary as the athletes entered the water 6 at a time every 5 seconds. Before long it was my turn and I ran into the water. we had to wade out a long way before we could swim as it was quite shallow to begin with. once I was chest deep I started to swim out to the first buoy. I had clear water in front of me so was able to start swimming without any problems. I had to buy new goggles the day before as I had lost mine during my practice swim. I hadn't tested them and they started to leak! I stopped, emptied them out about 6 times during the swim which was annoying. The swim went really well as I passed each buoy I knew I was making progress. The time flew by as all of a sudden I was turning at the last buoy for the last leg back to the finish. I was aware of one off the paddle boarders blowing their whistle. I stopped and sighted and realised I had been swimming the wrong way, I was a long way from the rest of the swimmers. Quickly I changed direction and swam back to join them. Back on the beach I jogged to transition to start the bike section.

Transition went well, stripped off wet-suit, hat on, walked to collect bike. I walked all the way through transition (about 300m to the start of the bike leg) I felt good after the swim and now had to do the ride. I kept telling myself to stick to the plan, take no chances and have a sensible ride basically play it safe as I still had a run to do. I kept hydrated and fuelled throughout the ride which I had practised many times. Most of the course was long and flat so I could stay in the aero position without worrying about covering the brakes. All the cyclists were well spread out so there was no chance of drafting. Part of the course there is a welcome climb into a pretty hilltop village where the crowds were very supportive. My reward was fantastic views of Italian countryside and a fast decent. We did this twice. Apart from working against a head wind at times the bike section went well. I had been monitoring the time and knew that I'd easily made the cut off's.

Back in transition I sat down and changed shoes. I still had around 7 hours left. I've got this now I thought. I really don't know how I'm going to run a marathon, even if I have to walk I'm getting that medal! There were 4 laps to do, made myself run the first one. the second was more of a walk/run then on the third and forth I could hardly move my legs, so I can only describe it as a shuffle. It was lovely to see Laura a couple of time that really helped my morale knowing that we were in it together. Even after a slow marathon I knew it was in the bag! I ran on to the wooden boards that lead to the red carpet. The noise is incredible, the music, the crowds cheering, the lights, the cameras flashing. Its your moment as you run the red carpet to the finish and hear those words......."Stefhan Lewis You Are An Ironman"

I was so determined to complete this event, not just for me but for everyone who has helped and supported me through the training right up until the finish. I didn't want to let anyone down. For my first Ironman it went like clockwork. It was hard at time during the day, but I can honestly say I enjoyed the whole experience. Who knows, I might even do another one.

Race report: Ironman Austria 2019

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 20:07:56 GMT

Reacting to the changing weather conditions.

A European wide heatwave in the lead up to the race saw temperatures rise into the high 30s, with an inevitable knock on effect to Ironman races. The previous weekend saw Ironman Nice shortened due to the likely very high temperatures (risk to health) and Ironman Frankfurt being declared a non-wetsuit swim. It was announced early on that Ironman Austria was also likely to be a non-wetsuit swim and seemed a certainty when a practice swim in the beautiful deep blue Lake Wörthersee confirmed that the water was more like a bath than a lake. The confirmation of a non-wetsuit swim in the race briefing prompted silence and provided the first take home bit of advice: practice open water swimming without a wetsuit. Many competitors were mentally unprepared for this despite the higher temperatures being experienced. The lack of wetsuit will make most swimmers slower, but it is the same for everyone and is essentially the same as every other pool swim that has been completed in preparation. In fact, the higher water temperature would have made for a very uncomfortable swim and a real risk of overheating if they had of been worn.

The swim course was one of the best that I have completed with clear blue water that is apparently drinking water quality (although I would not like to test that with 4000 over hydrated competitors in the water) and a backdrop of mountains providing beautiful scenery. The rolling swim start is self-seeded with a number of swimmers being set off every five seconds and meant that there is a lot of clear water to swim into. The swim heads out, across the lake, and back, before heading towards transition through a fairly narrow land canal lined with spectators and supporters cheering you on towards transition. The second turn point meant swimming into the rising sun making tinted goggles essential and sighting very difficult. To combat this it was necessary to sight off fixed landmarks on the shore of the lake (when they could be seen against the sun) and using the channel that the safety boats and kayaks form as confirmation that we were on track until the next buoy came into view. The narrow land canal also created a bit of congestion and highlighted the need to practice swimming in a group as the narrow swim channel created contact with other swimmers.

Into T1 and the long run into the bikes meant that there was no time for hanging around, with around 4000 competitors walking transition the day before was vital to orientate yourself and locate your racking position in the sea of bikes, thankfully I had a good straightforward racking position near the bike out.

Out on to the new 1 lap bike course and the roads were silky smooth and the scenery spectacular, where you were distracted from the tough climbs by the lake and mountain views and had to have your wits about you on the fast descents. The real focus here for me was to combat the high temperatures by ensuring I was adequately hydrated and taking on adequate nutrition. All was going to plan until the sky darkened and it started to rain first of all lightly making the fast descents slippery before the lightening started and the heavens opened creating vast rivers across the road that made conditions treacherous as carbon wheel braking became largely ineffective (disc brakes seemed quite appealing at this point) and the heavy winds turned the focus to just finishing the bike split in one piece. Frustrating as this section of the course was fast with descents back towards the lake and eventually T2. The weather then added hail into the mix, as it first of all pinged off my aero helmet with loud pinging noises and then the wind changed its direction so that it went directly into my eyes. The arrival of this weather meant a temperature drop from 30 degrees to around 11 degrees and created a real need to get the bike split done so that I could get running and warm up. The weather changed so much that I spotted a competitor on his TT bike and full aero helmet wearing a rain poncho handed to him by a race official, the number one priority had become to stay warm. I also spotted a competitor on the run course wearing a foil blanket a bit like a superman cape in an effort to remain warm.

The weather changed so much that the biggest piece of advice from the bike leg is that it is important to have experience cycling in a variety of different weather conditions, do not just cycle in favourable conditions.

Into T2 and I was surprised by how the sunny and warm transition area from T1 had been transformed with the pros bikes taken from the racking and placed on the floor for safety and to avoid damage to the bikes and the carpet that lined the transition area having been blown all over the place.

On to the run as quickly as I could to try and warm up, I was struck by how cold I was and how I felt a little lacking in energy. It is important to stick to fuelling strategies during the race, the high temperatures earlier in the day had created real difficulties in hydrating enough and the treacherous cycling conditions for the last hour of the bike meant I had not taken on enough nutrition during the bike phase of the race. The run course consisted of two laps that took you by the lake, and up towards Klagenfurt centre. The run for me becomes a bit of a mental battle, where your mind always tries to tell your body that you are more tired than you are. To combat this, I tried to break the course down into smaller sections to keep me going. Seeing my family on the run gave me a massive boost that lasted a good couple of KM’s and proved the valuable role that supporters can play in moving competitors along.

Despite feeling nauseous I managed a fairly consistent Marathon split proving the importance of mental strength in keeping you going even when you are feeling pretty empty. There is also nothing like the buzz of an Ironman finish for giving you an extra wind and getting over that finish line. I had missed my overall target time for the race (to go sub 11), but I had an OK race in the circumstances (11hrs 37)

Things out of your control often happen in an Ironman, but it is how we react to these situations that counts. A focus on the race time is not always the best approach, courses vary from race to race and elements out of our control can affect the execution of our race, in this case the weather first of all meant that the swim was non-wetsuit and combating dehydration was a real issue and then conversely the thunderstorm meant getting off the bike in one piece became the priority. In these situations it becomes important to focus on the factors that we can control, we may not be able to control the water temperature or the weather, but we can practice open water swimming without a wetsuit or practice sighting technique (especially in situations where a rising sun is obscuring your view). In a similar vein practice cycling in a variety of weather conditions to practice hydration strategies in hot conditions or getting around safely in inclement weather. Consistent progressive training and mental preparedness become important to see us through the run when we are not feeling the best. It is about having the best race we can in the circumstances.

Race reflections from coached athlete Stefhan Lewis

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 12:01:18 GMT

Putting the training into practice at Holkham Half 2019

We have been working with Stefhan since December 2018 as he builds towards Ironman Italy, as part of these preparations Stefhan returned to Holkham Half (a race he previously completed in 2018) and returned with massive 53 minute PB.

Read below for Stefhan's account of the race:

6.50am...standing in my wetsuit by the lake. In silence we all start to walk into the water ready for the 7.01 wave.. making eye contact with other athletes we exchange nods and the odd few words of encouragement. All the fast guys getting to the front. I notice how big they all seem compared to me. I see a gap near the bank... so I creep forward. For some reason this area is empty. All of a sudden I'm at the front and the horn goes off and we start. Its mayhem as swimmers plough forward through the water. I've still got plenty of room around me so I start to swim. There is zero visibility so I'm holding my head up to sight... sticking near the bank, I knew I was OK. All of a sudden I make contact with someone... an arm has come across my head and dislodged my goggles. The right side has filled with water. I swim on for a few strokes but realise I need to sort out the problem, as I can't swim with one eye shut. Swimming with one arm I left and empty out the water and replace. All's good and I can see again. I manage to swim on. Bumping into a few swimmers, but mostly I can swim on without any trouble. We swim around the island and then the long swim back. Everyone has spread out and I've got plenty of space. I relax and concentrate on swimming.. all's good, I feel I'm doing well. About a third of the swim to go, a swimmer appears from nowhere and I get kicked. It didn't hurt but the shock made me stop and tense up. My right hamstring cramped. I thought... NO! This is game over. If I showed any signs of distress, I know the safety guys would have pulled me out . My options were to flip over and put my arm up for help or carry on. I decided to carry on with one leg, trying to relax the cramped leg. It worked. Although painful, it did ease off and go after about 5 minutes.

I climb out of the lake.... swim completed! I'm feeling great... I'm on a high. I can't wait to get on the bike... This is my chance to make up some time. I shoot through transition. I decide to take it easy for the first mile or two... fuel and hydrate. I'm feeling great. I'm in my comfort zone as I start to peddle. This is the easy bit.... my confidence is sky high. I know the course from last year and the TT bike is like an old friend now, after all those hours we've spent together. I start picking of riders one by one as its safe to do so. The conditions are perfect. Signage is good, marshals at road junctions. The ride is mostly interrupted as I ticked off the miles. We all got caught in some traffic at times but it was mostly clear. Fuelled and hydrated regularly throughout the ride.

Riding back to transition, I thought through what I needed to do to get through as quickly as possible. Racked the bike, changed shoes and got on with the run. Had a gel. The first mile is up hill, so ran/walked it. Once at the top I was able to start running. Got to first drink stop and hydrated. Then ran to the next, walked for 100m and hydrated. I followed the same routine for the 3 laps. On the last lap, i was aware of the time and knew if I put in a final push I'd get to the finish in under 6h15m.
Lessons learned..
I was really pleased on the whole but think I pushed a little hard on the ride which left my legs tired for the run. I should have managed a 2h10m half.

Race reflections from Weymouth 70.3

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 18:51:09 GMT

Learning to cope with the conditions that race day may bring.

Following a long hot summer, I looked forward to the Weymouth 70.3 to be held on Sunday 24th September 2018 to end an enjoyable summer of training and racing hopefully in some great weather. As the race weekend approached, however, the weather forecast looked ominous with 40mph winds and torrential rain predicted. Whilst, it was not as windy as forecasted the weather was as wet and cold as predicted and the sea swim was shortened to 950 metres as it looked like winter had arrived early.

The testing character building weather whilst not ideal to race in provided a number of useful lessons. Namely:

Be Prepared: The weather had been very good throughout the summer, with only occasional days of rain. This meant that on the day of the race many athletes were under dressed contributing to a large drop out rate. This was compounded by a delay to the start of the swim, which meant that the athletes were very cold before the start and were not able to warm up as the race progressed. It is important to wear kit suitable for the conditions, many of the athletes were dressed for the great summer weather that we had experienced on so many days rather than the torrential rain, wind and cold that we faced on the day. Sleeved Tri suits, arm warmers and putting on a gilet may cost a couple of seconds in transition to get ready for the bike leg, but may mean the difference between a DNF and finishing the race. Similarly, it is amazing the positive impact that a dry pair of socks in T2 can have on your run.

Do not shy away from training in less than ideal weather conditions, whilst we do not need to head out in bad weather all of the time. Experience of training in less than ideal weather can reap benefits when the weather takes a turn for the worse on race day. Training in these conditions teach us what kit works and what doesn’t when it comes to keeping us warm, it also enables us to find how our bike and wheel choice handles in cross winds, especially when encountering gaps in hedge rows on the downhill. Windy conditions meant the need to select lower profile front wheels rather than the deeper section wheels that many athletes had been racing on throughout the summer. The bad weather meant that lower tire pressure was beneficial to provide better grip and hard-wearing tires were more desirable as the prospect of changing a flat in the weather was a race ending experience for many athletes who were so cold in the conditions that they were being wrapped in foil blankets rather than continuing to struggle with changing their tyre. The main learning point here was to prepare for the weather conditions that the race may bring so we are to better cope when the weather is less than ideal.

The bad weather meant a delay to the start of the race and a long wait in the cold for the athletes, the best prepared had handy coats over their wetsuits to help keep them warm. If no spectators are available to take your coat an old jacket or even a disposable rain cover would have helped to keep warm. Similarly, at the 70.3 in Staffordshire where the start of the race was delayed by fog, the better prepared athletes had a drink and some extra gels to ensure that they did not go hungry or thirsty before the race as the delayed start threatened to interrupt fuelling strategies.

Finally, things happen, race starts get delayed, portions of the race cancelled, or wetsuits get banned as the water gets too warm. Try not to let this phase you, you can waste a lot of nervous energy fretting about whether wetsuits will be allowed. Be prepared for all eventualities and try to control the variables that you can (the ability to swim without a wetsuit, swim in choppy water, ride in cross winds) and not worry too much about those that you cannot control (wind, rain or the temperature of the lake).

The Importance of rest and recovery

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:16:34 GMT

Give your training an extra edge

As athletes try to cram in ever increasing amounts of training in an attempt to be ready for their long-distance triathlon great emphasis is placed on increasing load and intensity. Long distance Triathletes are often very focused and dedicated to their training so much so that the idea of a rest day or a recovery session is often seen as a wasted opportunity. Endurance athletes can be prone to overtraining, which can result in fatigue, burnout, injury or illness. In addition, life often gets in the way of our training, work commitments, family life or social commitments, which can lead to athletes compromising their sleep to fit everything in compounding the effects of over training.

It can be difficult for the dedicated athlete that is looking to improve their performance, it can be a fine line between maintaining sufficient volume and intensity and over reaching. This is where a coach can help you by creating a training programme that sufficiently challenges you to ensure improvement, whilst ensuring that recovery periods are included within an athletes training schedule to allow recovery and adaptation. It is important to understand that not all sessions need to be of large duration or high intensity, a coach will create a balance in your programme to ensure that you improve without over reaching.

A coach will also get to know you as a person, your motivation and time available to train to ensure that your training fits into your life rather than trying to fit your life around your training. We understand that life can get in the way of our training, it can be demotivating when we cannot keep up with off the shelf training plans and it can be difficult to know where to restart following a break. This often leads to athletes trying to cram in missed sessions, which compromises their rest and recovery. A coach will adjust and amend your training program to get around these hurdles, whilst still progressing your training towards your goals and objectives. Whilst working with a coach can help ensure rest and recovery is factored into the athlete’s training schedule there are a number of steps that the athlete can take to monitor and improve their rest and recovery, namely:

Go to bed early, training for a long distance is demanding on your body getting enough sleep is vital to ensure recovery from the long sessions that you are completing. If you are finding your workouts hard look first of all at the amount of sleep that you are getting. Keep a regular early bedtime, avoid alcohol and caffeine after dinner, which can disrupt sleep.
Get to know your waking heart rate, a raised heart rate in the morning may mean tiredness, illness or a sign that you need to reduce training. Get in tune with your mood and general feeling of wellbeing, listen to your body. If you are feeling exhausted it maybe time for a rest day. Feedback to your coach who will amend your training to ensure that you continue to improve whilst ensuring sufficient recovery.
Nutrition is key to fuel your sessions and help your body to recover post exercise. Avoid junk food and sugar to replenish energy stores, you get out what you put in! A natural diet full of healthy foods will help aid performance during your sessions and help to ensure repair and recovery afterwards, a mix of carbohydrates and protein in the 30 minutes following a session will help to replace glycogen stores. A diet full of antioxidants will help to promote recovery following a strenuous session
Stretch and foam roll on a regular basis to help maintain flexibility and mobility, ice areas of your body that are tight or inflamed.
Get organised; know what session you have coming up and organise your kit so that it is ready to complete your sessions and enable you to get some extra sleep. Meal prep so that you have the food that you need in that vital post exercise window.

The benefits of working with a Coach

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 00:06:23 GMT

how the right coaching relationship can be the smart choice.

Training for a Triathlon can be daunting, particularly a novice athlete unsure of how they should approach their training to ensure they successfully complete their race. Add a long-distance Triathlon into the mix and the uncertainty increases. In a similar vein the ‘self coached athlete’ who has completed a few longer distance events now wants to get faster faces a similar uncertainty, they successfully completed their chosen events, but they now need to try and adapt their approach to make some gains. There are a number of ‘off the shelf’ training plans, but are they for everyone? People are unique and often a one size fits all approach will not work for everyone, so how can a coach add value to your training?

A coach will be invested in your goals, they want you to succeed as much you want to, they can help you set challenging, but achievable goals.
The coach will provide guidance, direction and structure to your training to ensure your sessions are purposeful and
The plan is tailored to you the athlete; athlete profiling is carried out so the coach understands you, your athletic history, motivation for participation and time available to train. The training is tailored to fit your lifestyle, taking into account your commitments in way that ‘off the shelf’ training plans cannot.
A coach removes the guess work from the process. The athlete is keen to push on with their training to get faster, the coach is there to take an objective view of when to push the athlete on and when to hold the athlete back to avoid over training, fatigue and injury. A coach will balance your programme to ensure you are devoting the appropriate amount of time to each discipline. In moments of doubt or uncertainty will act as an objective sounding board helping you to make the right decisions
Working with a coach helps to create accountability, which in turn creates motivation; you are less likely to skip workouts when there is someone reviewing your sessions and a coach will ensure you are completing the sessions that you need to improve rather than the sessions that you enjoy.
Sometimes life does not go to plan, sudden work trips, family commitments and illness can derail training. A coach will help you to resume training at the appropriate time and adapt your training to ensure that you continue progressing to your goals and objectives in a way that ‘off the shelf training plans’ cannot.
A coach can help develop technical skills in each of the disciplines to ensure that the athlete is not only fit, but is also race ready.
We lead busy lives, planning our training can take a significant amount of time and analysis, which in turn creates stress. A coach will be focused on your programme removing this stress.

Getting the balance right

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 15:50:16 GMT

You have signed up for an Iron distance race so what's next?

You have signed up for a mid-distance / Iron distance race and the enormity of the task has just hit you, alternatively you have completed a couple of Iron distance races and are now looking to get faster. The sheer scale of the challenge can create an impetus towards training longer and harder, which in turn can lead to burn out, fatigue and friction with loved ones as we head out for another 6-hour bike ride followed by a recovery which involves lying on the sofa for the rest of the day.

It is, however, important to get the balance right and retain perspective, so how much training is enough? Walking the line between not doing enough at the required intensities and doing too much can be difficult. This is where a coach can help you by removing the guess work and this begins at the very outset of the coaching relationship with athlete profiling to understand the athlete’s motivation for participation, athletic history, commitments outside of triathlon and most importantly the available time to train. This means that training is structured around the athlete’s life, we understand that life can get in the way, a coach will adapt your training to ensure that the athlete successfully negotiates these hurdles whilst moving forward towards where they need to be come race day. Your training should fit into your life, you should not be trying to fit your life around your training.

The coach will help you to set goals and objectives that are challenging, but not out of reach to ensure that the athlete is working towards an achievable goal. A coach will introduce structure and direction eliminating junk sessions that have no purpose other than to rack up extra mileage. Consistency is key to success a coach will balance your training to ensure that you are not working too hard all of the time targeting a number of key sessions each week. A coach will plan and periodise your training to ensure that you are making the required gains, whilst allowing your body to adapt to the training load.

We live busy lives attempting to juggle family, career and social lives on top of that completing an Iron distance race is a significant commitment in terms of your time and energy. You will require the support of your friends and family if you are going to successfully negotiate all that training and racing involves. To this end it is important that they are on board with your goals, whilst a coach will ensure that you are training effectively there are a number of steps that you can take to help mitigate the effects of all the training you will undertake. Namely:

Explain to your family the commitment and time that your target event is likely to take up, it is going to be a significant outlet for your time and energy for the next few months, you are training a lot at the moment, but it won’t be for ever. Sit down at the beginning of the week with your family to run through that week’s training, placing a copy of your training diary on the fridge will ensure that everyone knows your training commitment for that week. This means that the family are aware of the times when you will be out of the house and can plan other activities avoiding surprises and potential conflict.

Try to make your race or training a family event, a running buggy is perfect way to get a run in whilst your child gets some fresh air. Involving your family in your goals and objectives is a perfect way to create interest and support in what you are trying to achieve. If you are travelling to a destination race schedule a couple of days post event at your race destination for rest and family time.

Get the balance right; retain perspective, it is easy to become all consumed in our desire to get fitter and faster. Commitment to our training is important, but it is important to remember that there is life outside of triathlon. Devote quality time to your significant other / family outside of training time and to that end try not to be grouchy following a particularly hard session, you may want to just sit on the sofa all day, but your family want to see you too. Again your coach will help you here, you will be tired with all your training, but your progression should be gradual and you should be able to still function post training session. Consistency in training is more important than one very hard session (although there will be some tough sessions).

If you have a family train early if you can when everyone else is in bed, freeing you up for social engagements and family time later in the day. This way you are present for your family and your training is less likely to be side tracked by life and other commitments. Similarly try not to become a Triathlon bore, whilst your latest Vdot test results and bike gearing is important to you it may not be to your significant other.

Be organised; get your kit ready the night before your sessions and know what your session involves so that you are prepared for what you will be doing. Schedule your training into your daily routine like you would plan your work appointments so that you know when you will be training and maximise any available time. Training during your commute to work will productively use previously unused time, the key here is to be organised taking a bag of work clothes and wash kit (for the sake of your colleagues) in at the beginning of the week so that you do not need to keep lugging your work clothes with you.