The ultimate swim, bike, run and fuelling advice to have you fighting fit in 2017!
THE HAZE OF CHRISTMAS HAS FINALLY LIFTED AND THE RACE SEASON IS HOVERING ON THE HORIZON. SO NOW’S THE TIME TO GET RACE READY. HERE TOP TRIATHLETE AND COACH NICK BEER PROVIDES HIS PROVEN ADVICE TO HAVE YOU TRI FIT AND READY TO RACE IN JUST 12 WEEKS…
The month of January has finished and the triathlon season is drawing ever closer. With the main bulk of racing beginning in May, the next three months are crucial in ensuring you hit peak fitness at the right time. From February to May, it’s paramount that you start to make your training specific to your racing goals. With the goal to improve aerobic capacity over the winter months, the steady aerobic miles and the sessions can be quite general. But now it’s time to use your newly-developed aerobic fitness, focus it into race-specific training and, consequently, achieve a stronger-conditioned body for the races ahead.
Tri-specific training consists of a combination of water and land-based activities. These include open-water swimming (when the weather and water are warmer); open-water swim drills (in a swimming pool); swim-to-bike and bike-to-run brick sessions; and transition practice. Alongside this, it’s important to continue gym sessions focused on maintaining strength and preventing injuries, as well as focussing more attention towards nutrition to hit your target weight.
When including race-specific sessions in the training plan, it’s important that you build-up gradually and not push yourself too much, too early. After the winter months of aerobic training, increasing the intensity too quickly can shock the body and cause unnecessary injuries. By slowly upping the work rate, you enable your body to adapt to the extra training demands and allow enough time for fitness developments to take place.
Consistent practice of race-specific workouts will help to take away any overwhelming feelings and the fear you may have on race day. Experiencing these new physical challenges in training and creating different racing scenarios will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the way you view the race. By preparing meticulously and constantly practising racing skills, your confidence in your own ability will go from strength to strength.
The aim of February and early March is to gradually introduce tri-specific training variables without putting too much training stress on the body. By the end of February, a strong idea of any weaknesses will be identified and an appreciation for the demands of racing will be recognised.
SWIM
Now’s the time to introduce open-water swim drills in the swimming pool. For example, swimming with your head above water and practising sighting in order to increase upper-body strength and awareness. Also aim to increase the swimming volume and shift to faster-paced efforts in the pool.
BIKE
Focus on developing strength and endurance. This can be achieved by adding Over Gear (big gear, low RPM) and Under Gear (light gear, high RPM) sessions into the training plan. Also introduce threshold (just below race pace) efforts on the turbo and practise riding hard in your bike position.
RUN
Adding a short run off the bike will help get you used to the ‘jelly leg’ sensation, before the brick sessions can progress into focused race-paced reps. It’s important to start off steady and build the duration until you feel comfortable and confident with the change in discipline.
GYM
Now that the work rate has stepped up, keeping your body in good condition is imperative in order to remain injury free. A continued focus on core exercises (plank and side plank), upper (press-pressups) and lower body (squats and lunges) exercises are essential in ma aintaining consistent training.
“Practise riding hard in your bike position. And focus on developing strength and endurance by adding Over Gear and Under Gear sessions into the training plan”