Our good friends Beth and Seb organised a bunch of keen adventuring cyclists to go to Albury and ride back to Canberra via the Hume and Hovell Track. (The route taken by early explorers William Hume and Hamilton Hovell)  It turned out to be quite the adventure and I learnt a lot of valuable lessons!!

Lesson 1- Don’t eat seafood when you cannot see the ocean. I soon regretted not listening to the older, much wiser adventurer Lee who heeded me that warning when I ordered the Prawn Risotto.
At 11pm the prawn belly hit and I proceeded to spend the next 3 hours being up close and personal with the toilet bowl and the bin with some rest breaks lying on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor. It was not pretty and made worse by the fact we were sharing rooms so I did a good job in keeping everyone else awake until 2am. Before I went to sleep I drank a bottle of PureSport banana workout!

Up at 5, I was feeling surprisingly better (thanks to the PureSport I drank at 2am), I think I was just stoked to have survived the night as the thought that I may not see morning definitely came into my head!! I decided I would join the others on the journey to Tumburumba.

An epic day, I clocked 10.5 hours riding time, which included a fair bit of hike a bike up a couple of ridiculously  steep mountains, up and over and under fences, it was a real off road and even off trail adventure that brought us 4 seasons in one day including sunshine, rain and sleet. With 40km to go we were stoked and thought it would be a cruise into town, how wrong we were, epic climbs all the way. Thankfully Jess was tracking us via Seb’s SPOT and found us with 40km to go with water and salad rolls, legend!!  Al had had a couple of mouthfuls of my dinner the night before and the dreaded prawn belly hit him in the last 20km, stopping for a quick spew here and there we were both surprised and elated we had both made it through the day. I got through the day simply by drinking my PureSport drinks. I was unable to hold any food down and the only reason I got to the end was from the energy provided by PureSport workout. It was a great sense of accomplishment that I had made it through the day! Had a Recovery drink before bed and a great nights sleep.

Day Two saw us leave Tumbarumba and make our way to Tumut, a pleasant 90km trip proved abit harder than initially thought as pine logs had crashed and blocked the track. Initially we ventured up and over the logs, taking about an hour to get to what we thought was the cleared track. A congo line of people passing their bikes up and over huge logs, scrambling losing balance in their cleats sure was a sight! We then had to turn back and congo line the bikes back as it became apparent there was no clear track. A few big climbs in today’s ride, I found if I rode my own pace I felt ok, it was when my heart rate would go up that I would feel as if I was going to be sick.  6.5 hours riding time with an upper body workout meant for some tired adventurers rolling into Tumut. A few of the adventurers partners had been enjoying a lovely day out and had everything unpacked for us in our cute B & B we were staying in, out for dinner where we were all trying not to fall asleep!! Thankfully I had my appetite back and did a great job in refuelling!!

I decided not to ride from Tumut to Canberra as I am preparing to race the Scott next weekend. The other guys rode 120km home over a massive amount of climbing and finished off with a hot lap of Stromlo. I had such a great time riding with the 8 other people I had met and it was a real adventure. The navigators did a wonderful job, and I honestly believe the sections where we had to ride fast from the bull, got chased by the farmer, lifted bikes up and down and over logs, climbed fences, rode back the way we came and pushed bikes up the steepest mountains; all those bits that people said were a stuff up; THEY WERE THE BEST BITS!!! They made it an adventure and they are the parts that make me laugh when I think about the trip.

A big thanks to PureSport as I wouldnt have got through the weekend without the awesome Workout and Recovery drinks!!

Sunday morning was an early start due to the change in time from daylight savings. As soon as we woke you could hear a strong wind, but at least the skies looked clear.

I got set up in transition and got into my Skinfit Plasma Trisuit, which I’d decided to wear for the first time in a race longer than Olympic distance. It was a wetsuit swim so I into my Speedo Wetsuit ready for the swim start. I wanted to come out near the front but be a little bit conservative at the beginning of the race since it was the longest raced I’d entered.

I can out about one minute down on the leader and with a few minutes lead on most of my other major rivals. I quickly threw my Rudy Project glasses and helmet on and I was away quickly. Everything else like my nutrition was already on my bike including my PureSport Workout which would be important for me to get through the long bike and onto the run in good shape.

I started out comfortably at my own pace and then Tim Berkel caught up to me just before the first turn around. This was perfect for me because it gave me someone to help pace my race that had a wealth of experience in longer races. I was fortunate the my Token Wheels weren’t too deep and the crosswinds didn’t cause as much havoc to me compared to others I saw getting blown around.

We managed to keep it at a good pace until just before the 90km mark on the bike where a larger group caught us. The pace the increased and I knew this was going to be make or break for my race with the group getting unsettled a split formed and I managed to make the five who were in the group. This gave me some confidence because I entered this race to work on my bike and test where I was at on the bike.

I arrived in transition two in fifth with a limited loss to the next couple of guys. I had a fast transition. My Saucony Kinvara’s are well padded and don’t require socks even in longer races. This meant I exited transition in third and wasn’t far behind second.

I set out in the early stages of the race to try and catch second. I was feeling good but I didn’t want to overdo it early in the run and then invite other athlete back into the race for the podium. For the first 10km I managed hold the gap to second pretty well, but unfortunately he then began to get out of sight in the later stages in the run. I started to struggle around the 16km mark but with a minute plus gap to fourth I slowed down to get extra nutrition in and I was then on my way back towards the finish.

I was really happy to come across third in the longest race I’ve entered. I’m in no hurry to enter an Ironman now, but I’m not going to say never. My Skinfit Plasma was great in the longer race. I didn’t even notice that i had less padding for the bike and it was far more comfortable for the run leg. So, I won’t be going back to the two piece kits anytime soon.

Thanks to all those giving us a cheer out on course and thank you to my family, friends, supporters and sponsors. I couldn’t do it without you all!

By Sara Finch

Everyone has been telling me how exciting it is to be going to Kona, and I know it is but this week I’m actually starting to feel it! A week and a bit left at work makes it feel real as I try to get everything under control and into a holding pattern so my work colleagues don’t have to cover for me too much. I’ll have plenty of time on my hands to repay favours when I’m back and I’m sure they’ll be called up! This week I’ve been really excited and celebrating having got through the training. That’s an achievement in itself. I’ve made it!!!!! Whatever happens from here is whatever happens from here. I can guarantee I’ll be giving it my best on the day and whatever that is and whatever outcome that produces is fantastic!

This week is still fairly solid and then it drops off over the next 2 weeks. I’ve been playing around with my PureSport nutrition over the last few weeks during key sessions and have got it sorted. I’ve done my last big brick session and although I felt pretty unenthusiastic about it I ticked it off and managed to hold my pace pretty comfortably. I realised after Busselton that bricks are a pretty important part of IM training. They’re easier to do as a quality session when you’re training for shorter races because.., well, they’re not as long. I did them in prep for Busso but, to be honest, was happy do just do them and tick them off rather than worry too much about pace or quality. Going back through my training diary for Busso I can see I’ve written down how long I rode and ran but that’s it – I didn’t record my pace or HR which means I didn’t bother. This time I’ve made them a key session and really focussed on holding the pace I want to be holding in Kona within my HR zones. The diary has a lot more info in there! Hopefully, having done that consistently over a few months I’ll be able to slip into that pace on the day. We’ll see.

I’ve done absolutely everything I can do to prepare. Swim, bike, run, weights, core strength, nutrition, mental strength, focus. The rest is out of my control. I can’t predict my time over the course – any other course yes, Kona no. The big unknown influence is the weather. If it is windy and super hot I reckon add on 30 – 60 minutes.

An event that only took us 35 minutes to get to!!! For once we weren’t having to pack up the car, spend hours in the car and then camp the night, we were able to sleep in pack a few drink bottles and some food, load the bikes and get to the race 45 minutes before the start. It was rad.

Last weekend a few of us had spend a few hours clearing the tracks at Nowa Nowa as some recent windstorms had blown loads of trees all over the track. Awesome effort by Mick and Jac to get the tracks in tip top shape, with a few improvisations and additional log rollovers that made the course even more fun. With 50 or so riders it was a great local event that attracted riders from Melbourne and Mt Beauty, all finishing with massive smiles on their faces and praising how fun the course was.

We spend the first half of the lap climbing, with a steep fire road pinch at the top to really get the legs going, and the second half the lap was mostly downhill.

As excited as I was to be heading to a local race, I was a tad apprehensive as my cornering skills aren’t my strong point and this course has that many corners that I was started to feel dizzy towards the end! As much as I was out of my comfort zone with all the corners I knew it would be doing wonders for my skills and as they say practise makes perfect. By the end of the race I was much more confident and comfortable tearing down the descent. The weather was awesome at the beginning of the race and at the 2 hour mark I was feeling pretty cooked with the garmin reading 30 degrees, but 30 minutes later the clouds came over, the wind picked up and the temperature dropped considerably making the descent a tad chilly.

Managed to get in 7 laps for the win, was hoping for 8 and came in with enough time that I could have left for the eighth, but thought better of it as I had been fighting off a cold and exhaustion all week. (Week 10 Term 3 every year I fall into an exhausted state) And with holidays now upon me I have plenty of riding to do over the next 2 weeks!

A great day out, a big thanks to Jac, Mick and the Gippsland MTB Club you guys always put on awesome events. A big thanks to Liv/Giant for your support, I was most excited to be wearing a new kit that is uber comfortable and looks pretty schmicko too!! Thanks PureSport Nutrition, I would have been in trouble without the workout drinks during the race when it was heating up.

There were many reasons to be nervous about Melbourne Triathlon Club’s Kew Boulevard Duathlon this year. The strong line-up, which included the likes of Luke Whitmore, my training partner and age group rival Steve Hadley, several of the Triathlon Victoria junior athletes, and as I would later find out, triathlon royalty – 2000 Olympic Games bronze medallist Jan Rehula. Furthermore the course is a beast with terrain of a horizontal nature being scarce. And finally, to compound matters, being a member of the host club, there would be plenty of witnesses out on course if I wasn’t travelling so well.

The start is always frenetic as runners attempt to ‘seed’ themselves in the first few hundred metres before the course becomes a rough single-track. Luke Whitmore took the ascendency early, with Steve Hadley not far behind. Eventually Luke was able to pull away – and stay away for the duration of the event. Behind him was where things were getting interesting. A small pack of five had formed – Hadley, Bondarenko & Bushkiell (TriVic Jnr athletes), Leigh Stabryla and I. The pace was on and there were multiple lead changes, with one athlete surging to the front, only to be replaced by another as he tired. Eventually it would be Bondarenko that led from a tight group into T1 – not even slowing when I (accidently) dislodged his shoe as our feet clashed.

I was blowing so hard in T1 that I was feeling lightheaded, and I botched my uphill bike mount and fell off sideways. I sensed Hadley doing the same somewhere beside me. Very quickly though, the aforementioned five were all in contact out on the bike course. The bike panned out much like the first run, with plenty of lead changes, but everyone keeping it legal which was nice. Early on Stephen Lane, cycling TT extraordinaire, who was competing in the team’s event, blew past at a speed barely fathomable. Jan Rehula would perform the same feat a little later. Throughout the bike I was finding myself hitting the front of our group on the longer uphills, but never being able to ‘part company’ with Hadley or Bondarenko. Bushkiell and Stabryla may have dropped back just a touch in the later stages.

Out of T2 and Bondarenko & Hadley may as well have been fired out of a cannon as far as I was concerned, such was the pace at which they hit the hilly final 3km run. I managed to pick up Rehula as we approached the first ascent of the largest hill. Just when I was thinking that the best I could do was hold my current position, I got the sense that I was gradually coming back at Hadley on the steepest section (think stairs) of the course. Pulling up beside him a little past the top of the hill he asked me if we had one more lap to go. It took all my effort to answer in the affirmative, cursing my audibly strained breathing for betraying my desired racing ‘poker face’! As I took the lead I could feel him breathing down my neck as we made a steep descent, followed by a flat trail. But then as we hit the stairway for the second time a little gap opened. I snuck a peak, realised I had created a gap and then just tried to engage the by now impotent afterburners all the way to the line.

Crossing the line in 3rd overall and winning my age group was very satisfying in such a hard fought race. Full credit to all of the guys mentioned above, not to mention the other 140 or so competitors who took to the race with full vigour. MTC did a sensational job putting on what I consider the best duathlon in the country (not that I’m biased at all), and were proudly supported by a number of sponsors including PureSport. It was great to have PureSport on standby – I used them like a field hospital, limping over to the tent after the race to literally stand under the drink tap whilst letting the Fruit Punch recovery drink gush down the hatch. The legs are all the better for it this week.

I also owe gratitude to Sean Foster and the coaches at Fluid Movements, and to the fellas at CBD Cycles in Melbourne for their ongoing support. Happy racing and training to everyone, and good luck especially to those in their final preparations for Kona and the Auckland World Championships in four weeks’ time!

With only four weeks to go before the big day I’m pleased to say I’m starting to feel fitter than ever before. After a messy few months of training I have certainly grasped the ‘training effect’ and my recent results speak the rest. Gold Coast Marathon 10km was the first race back and I surprisingly managed sub 38mins off pure base training. Just over a month later I was most pleased to easily take more than a minute off my time at Sunshine Coast Marathon 10km. Next was the Triathlon Queensland Development junior time trials where I ran my first 5km time trial in 17:50 then shortly after managed a decent 1km swim.

Morton Bay Olympic distance triathlon was the perfect practice before Auckland. I was happy to back up a good week of training with a blistering race result today finishing in 2:07 placing me 1st in my category 20-24 and 4th overall female.  I surprised myself with my slick transitions, and for one of the first times I didn’t collapse at the finish line! Credit there has to go to my hydration plan with PureSport. It was good to finally put the last few months of work all together and has given me some more direction for training focuses for the last few weeks of preparation. I definitely need more practice swimming in the open water in a straight line!

My last hit outs before Worlds will be Raby Bay Gatorade triathlon and the Aquathon in Auckland. Can’t wait! And thank you so much for your on-going support Pure Sport.

By Sara Finch

I have one big speed bump next week but otherwise it’s all downhill from here.

This week there’ve been some good signs. I’ve backed it off to let my body absorb the big training load of the last few weeks and it’s amazing to see what happens when you take some of the load off – speed and power increase. Loving it!!! With any luck that will happen on race day … we’ll see.

I’ve been interstate with work for a couple of days which is always disruptive but managed to get my training in other than one swim. No point trying to make it up or the whole thing collapses – best just to keep going. Next week is a pretty solid week and then it’s basically a 2 week taper. One of those weeks will be here in Brisbane and the other over in Kona to settle in and go over the course and acclimatise. They’ve had a few good years of racing weather wise and I’m told that this year the locals are saying it’s going to be very hot and very windy. Great! It’s all very well to say it’s the same for everyone but that doesn’t make it any easier on the day! So long as I manage my pacing and nutrition I’ll be right. That’s the key. All the training is done and the question throughout the day is not ‘am I going hard enough’ but more ‘how am I going – am I on pace, is my cadence ok, is my HR ok, am I drinking / eating enough … etc’. Checks and balances the whole way.

There’s lot of activities in race week and I’ve got to be a bit selective so I don’t try and do too much, but I’ve registered to attend the women’s masters breakfast on the Thursday before the race to listen to Julie Moss and Kathleeen McCartney Hearst talk – it’s the 30 year anniversary of their ‘crawl’ to the finish line and they’re racing again this year. I’m looking forward to their insights. Not sure I want any of their race tips though!!!

Recovery is an integral part of any training program. How your body recovers from training and racing can directly affect performance in subsequent sessions, as well as attainment of the overall goal. There are many factors affecting your ability to recover both mentally and physically. This article explains the science behind recovery and discusses how and why these known recovery techniques will help you get the most out of your training program.

Generally you train in order to be able to perform at a level higher than you are currently. However, training initially causes a lull in performance levels as the body is fatigued. Then, as you recover, your body adapts to training and you see improvements. How you recover during this period of fatigue, significantly affects the effectiveness of your training and how quickly you are able to adapt. This theory is known as the supercompensation affect and can be explained by figure 1 below. Supercompensation is the physiological adaption that takes place following training, and sufficient recovery; that is, getting fitter!

 
[Figure one - supercompensation]
Source: Sports Training Company

Further exposure to a training stimulus will result in adaption and improvement only if you are in a state of sufficient recovery. Addition of a new training stimulus without adequate recovery can often result in further fatigue, injury and burnout. This phenomenon is commonly described as overtraining.  It is also important to understand that fatigue comes in many forms. Emotional, mental, neural and hormonal stress and fatigue can occur from training, and are often added to the stresses of everyday life as well as physical fatigue. Consequently, your recovery strategies should be chosen accordingly. Inadequate recovery may mean that you are underprepared for your next session, and, in this situation, the session will have a negative affect.
There are some situations, such as overload and training camps which are designed to cause excessive fatigue. In these cases, the prolonged period of fatigue should be followed by a prolonged period of overcompensation and supercompensation to allow for adaption and improvement to occur.

Recovery techniques can be active or passive in nature. The advantages and goals of post training recovery include the breakdown and removal of lactic acid, replenishment of ATP-PC (the most basic unit of energy, required for every movement) stores; refuelling and restoration of glycogen stores; rehydration; and the repair and regeneration of damaged muscle tissues. Let’s explore some recovery techniques, both active and passive, than you can employ:

Cool down

Recovery starts as early as the cool down. A cool down should include some low intensity activity, immediate following a training session or event, such as a 10min easy jog, or 200m easy swim. The cool down initiates the recovery process by allowing the body time to break down and remove the harmful by-products of intense exercise, such as lactic acid. This process also helps prevent blood pooling. Another form of active recovery might be a gentle walk later on in the same day or in the 48hrs post event/strenuous session.

Nutrition and hydration (for more detail please see Nutrition for Triathlon and Performance – Issue 4)

As discussed in Issue 4, nutrition and rehydration play an integral role in replenishment of muscle glycogen stores, fluid and electrolyte levels and in the regeneration of muscle fibres.  Aim to eat a mixture of CHO and Protein based foods or drinks such as PureSport Recovery in the 30min window immediately following training, and replace fluids to 150% of their deficit. That is, if you know you have lost, 300mL of fluid, you should aim to drink 450mL. Low fat flavoured milk or smoothies are also choices.

Compression

There are now a wide range of compression garments available to everyday athletes. Such garments increase the blood flow to muscles which assists in the removal of waste products and delivery of nutrients. This also increases venous return, reducing the risk of venous pooling and muscle soreness. Furthermore, some evidence exists to suggest that compression garments reduce the movement of the muscles, which can also reduce the risk of further damage or strain.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is one category of regenerative therapy, and simply involves the use of water to aid both physical and psychological recovery. The aqua environment provides buoyancy, and reduces stress on the joints. Numerous researches have also suggested that hydrotherapy has a great mental affect for athletes, i.e. – athletes that perform hydrotherapy, often feel rejuvenated following their recovery session.

Cryotherapy

Perhaps the simplest method of hydrotherapy, Cryotherapy involves the use of cold water or ice in recovery. This reduces blood flow to a joint or tissue, and hence reduces the chance of swelling and fluid retention. This is especially effective in treating micro traumas in the soft tissue, and injuries. One such example of this form of therapy is cold water wading/emersion.

Contrast therapy

Contrast therapy involves alternate use of both hot and cold water, generally in the form of plunge pools or showers. The protocol used by the AIS uses 30sec hot/30sec cold, seven times through. The exposure to cold water causes vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels), whilst exposure to hot water causes vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels). Together, they causes ‘shunting’ or a ‘pumping’ action, which increases blood circulation. This is effective in waste removal and nutrient delivery.

Spas

The use of spas and mineral springs has become increasingly more popular in sports science. Known as balneotherapy, such methods promote recovery, as well as, facilitating the healing process. Bathing in a spa or spring increases hydrostatic pressure on the body. This stimulates blood circulation, and, in turn, leads to the dissipation of waste products from cells. Furthermore, thermal water has been shown to increase metabolism and stimulate the process of digestion, so could aid in the replenishment of fuel stores if coupled with a good post exercise recovery strategy. This method should not be used if you have sustained a new soft tissue injury. Heating the troublesome area within the first 36-72hrs may have a negative affect, by increasing swelling and inflammation.

Stretching

Many athletes report feeling stiff and sore after a solid week of training, a big session or a race. Post training / activity training has been shown to reduce this affect. Both scientific and anecdotal evidence has said that recovery stretching helps reduce the risk of injury, prevents muscle stiffness, maintains/promotes joint mobility, and also promotes recovery. Static stretching should be used as part of the cool down and in the hours and following training.

Massage

Massage can be beneficial at various stages of the recovery process. It is a regenerative therapy, which can be employed for its relaxation and stress management qualities as well as for its physical benefits. Massage stimulates blood flow, which aides in the removal of the by-products of exercise, reduces stiffness and soreness, and reduces the risk of cramping. Immediately post exercise, massage can also be used to relieve swelling caused my micro traumas in the muscle fibres. On other occasions, massage is also effective in injury management and prevention. It is important to note that deep tissue massage should not be employed within 36hrs following a big session or race, as it may exaggerate fibre traumas or soft tissue damage.

Passive Rest

Initially ‘passive’ recovery should be avoided. That is, it remains important to take some time to practice the methods discussed above in the first 1-2 hours following training and racing. However, passive rest is probably the most important form of recovery. Sleep is the best form of recovery because it allows recovery from physical, neurological, immunological and psychological stressors. 7-10hrs per night would be considered ideal. Furthermore, following a session or race, and active recovery methods/nutritional intake, a short nap of between 30-90mins can allow the body the best opportunity to recover physically and mentally, and will leave you feeling refreshed. If a nap isn’t possible, try complete rest and relaxation. Some methods include watching a DVD, or lie down with your feet elevated. Recovery days and even weeks, whereby, training is drastically reduced are critical to improving performance over time, and to allow the body time to adapt to training! They also provide an opportunity for psychological, neural and emotional relaxation.

The best recovery techniques to employ depend on a number of variables, including; the type of training you complete and what stage of training you are in. The above content provides a brief description of a number of recovery techniques available to the everyday athlete. Generally, a combination of two or more of these techniques would be most effective.
The content and information in this article should be used as a guide only. For more information on the recovery methods discussed above please contact an ETPA coach directly. For previous issues please see the Journey Library.
Acknowledgements:

- James Marshall, Sports Training Company
- David Smyth et. Al., Live It Up 2, 2nd Edition
- Joe Friel, Triathlete’s Training Bible, 3rd edition

The Australian race season is just about to kick off and now is the time to start fine tuning your transition and practicing regularly. Especially the sprint and Olympic distance athletes.

If you observe triathletes in the transition area of an event during proceedings you may get the impression that many use the transition as a place to rest and regroup or a place to celebrate the completion of one leg of the race and prepare for the next.

How many hours of swim training or run training would it take to shave two minutes off your swim or run time? The answer is a lot!! How many hours of transition practice would it take get those 2 minutes back in transition – a lot less than the former.

Many triathletes are so focused on swim, bike and run splits, that they forget the clock is still running in the transition area. Every second counts. Transition practice isn’t as fun as running, but it is a good investment of your training time.
Triathletes looking to win need to shift their entire mental focus and integrate the transition seamlessly into their race. The transition is not a rest area but a place to speed in and out of, in the fastest time, with the least energy.

Have a plan and practice it

Have a plan of exactly what you are going to do and practice it over and over again until you are fast with no mistakes. Practice it physically several times in training and then rehearse it mentally several times on race morning. By the time you are in transition on race day, you should be moving on autopilot. Never try something new on race day.

Keep it simple

The fewer things you have to do in the transition area, the faster you will go. Forego the socks and get rid of anything you don’t absolutely need. Clutter will slow you down.

Cycle shoes in the pedals

Coasting down the course at 25km/h while you put your feet in your shoes will move you far ahead of your mate sitting down in T1 doing the same thing. Set your bike up in the transition area with your shoes attached to the pedals and rubber bands looped between the heels and frame, holding the shoes horizontal. On leaving T1, pedal with your feet on top of your shoes. Once you are cruising at speed, coast and slip your feet into your shoes. Keep your eyes ahead on the road, not down on your feet. On the return, slip your feet out of your shoes before you reach T2. Learn this skill first on a windtrainer then the skill on a grassy area or empty car park before taking it out on the open road.

Run with your bike

The distance from rack to mount line can be considerable at large triathlons. By running safely and quickly with your bike, it is easy to fly over this distance. Run upright with good form on the left side of your bike, holding your seat with your right hand. Your left arm swings by your side. Hold the bike upright to go straight and lean it to the side to turn. Practice in an empty parking lot or field.

Speed over the mount/dismount line

Learn a cyclo-cross mount and dismount to cruise over this line without losing any momentum. In the race you will be doing this in bare feet but initially learn and practice this skill wearing running shoes.

Attach your gear to your bike

Handling small items wastes time. Everything you need on the bike course should be attached to your bike. Tape gels to the frame, water bottles should already be on board, sunglasses looped to a cable, spare tube in a seat pack and CO2 cartridge taped to the seat post.

One outfit for all occasions

Start the swim with your full bike/run outfit under your wetsuit (if needed). A one piece tri-suit is ideal. Any clothing changes will add lots of time.

Navigation

Note where your rack spot is and how to find it from the swim exit and bike entrance. From your rack, know where the bike and run exits are and the quickest route to them.  I like to practice the swim exit pathway to my bike once the bike is racked (possibly the day before the event) then do again at least once when the area is full.  Count how many racks along the bike is and how far along the rack it is.  If you can line up with some object outside the transition so you can run to that once racing.

Elastic laces

Use elastic laces rather than tying your running shoe laces. To help your feet slide smoothly into your running shoes, prime them with a sprinkling of baby powder.

Grab and go

In T2, grab what you need and go. Put on your hat and fuel belt while you are running. It is always faster to complete your tasks moving down the course rather than standing in front of your rack.

Good luck.

Core stability is defined as the ability to control the position and movement of the trunk over the pelvis to allow optimum production, transfer and control of force and motion to the terminal segment in integrated athletic activities (Kibler, Press & Sciascia, 2006). According to their study, core muscle activity is best understood as the pre-programmed integration of local, single-joint muscles and multi-joint muscles to provide stability and produce motion. Furthermore, conditioning programs should include training of the core itself, but also include the core as the base for extremity function.

Triathlon involves moving in a straight line, that is, using our arms and legs to move forward as efficiently as possible. Our core strength couldn’t affect this, right? Wrong.

Throughout all three components of our sport, forces created and applied by our extremities must pass through the abdominal region, lower back and hips – the core. Thus, if these areas are weak some of the force will be dissipated and lost. Training the core strengthens these muscles which allow forces that are applied by the arms and legs to be efficiently transferred – thus increasing efficiency of body movements. Functional adaptations result in increased synchronisation and recruitment patterns (Friel, 2009).

Such conditioning is effective in increasing strength and efficiency in swimming and cycling, by improving body position and recruitment abilities in these positions. For example, a stronger core allows one to adopt a flatter body position (on top of the water, with higher hip position) thus decreasing drag and increasing speed at a given intensity. Core strength is most effective in reducing injury risk in running. One such example is the effect of a strong core allowing the neutralisation of the pelvis (Friel, 2009). A neutral pelvis means correct form can be maintained and likelihood of overuse injuries decreases.

Endurance athletes must be able to generate large forces whilst maintaining a high range of motion. Perhaps of most interest to triathletes, a strong core will result in increases to power output and muscle efficiency – thus improving power: weight ratio – which along with a high VO2max, is a key characteristic of elite level triathletes (Sleivert & Rowlands, 2006).

For more information on core conditioning contact an ETPA coach. Alternatively contact Evolution Cycles to enrol in their triathlon specific strength and conditioning program. The key to you swimming, cycling and running faster may stem from your core!

Here are some exercises to get you started:

Single Leg Kick – 3 x 10 on each leg – lying face down, bend knee to lift foot off the bench, bringing the knee to about 90degrees; from here push upwards, lifting the entire knee off the bench; hips should not move; utilise gluteus only; keep rest off body still and relaxed

Single Leg Squat –3 x 10 on each – balance on one leg, keeping head up, shoulder and hips level and straight; knee should track over little toe; aim for a smooth movement; keep body still and straight;

Prone Stabilisation into V position – 4 x 8 – start in prone stabilisation position (aka: plank, prone hold), then push hips upwards into a V position keeping shoulders and elbows still; hold for one sec at the top and one sec at the bottom

Prone front raises with hip extension –3 x 12 – lying on a bench, extend legs upwards using the gluteals and raise arms from the shoulder using very light hand weights; hold contraction for one sec

Alternating arm and leg raises – 4 x 12 – lying with your back on the floor start with knees up (in line with your hips) and your arms straight up; lower one arm behind your head whilst lowering the opposite leg until both are parallel to the floor; as you bring them up, lower the opposing arm/leg; all movements are slow and controlled; small of your back must remain on the floor (remove arch)

These exercises should be used as a guide only. Please complete them with extreme caution or under qualified supervision. For more information contact Jamie at ETPA.