RACE INSIDER
2017 winner and Kona podium finisher Lucy Charles shares her top course-completing tips for one of the toughest Ironmans on the circuit
How to smash Ironman Lanza
Ironman Lanzarote has a mass
beach start, which can be daunting. In order for this to go as smoothly as possible, practise running into the sea with some friends or teammates. Running in shallow water and sand can be difficult, but you don’t want to dive too early into shallow water especially with crowds of people around you. See sessions 1 and 2.
The bike is notoriously tough and
hilly with over 8,000ft of climbing. The good news is that most of its climbs are gradual with a couple of exceptions. Experiment with climbing in the aero position – the Timanfaya climb is a good example of when this will pay off as you climb into a headwind. However, when you climb into Soo village from Club la Santa you’ll have a tailwind, so climbing sat upright is much more efficient. See session 3.
Lanzarote is windy. There are
some key points on the course to look out for, especially when changing direction from a tailwind to a crosswind. If you know the crosswind is coming you can handle your bike much better. In normal wind conditions, when you reach the roundabout from Famara to turn left up to Teguise, you’ll be hit by a crosswind from your left.
It’s likely to be a warm day
especially during the latter part of the bike and run. An effective way to heat adapt is to turbo or treadmill run in the heat at home (see session 4). Thankfully Lanzarote is a dry heat so there’s no need to bike in your steamy bathroom. Just crank up the heating and get sweating. Don’t forget to keep hydrated.
The marathon is likely to be warm,
so you must prepare your body before the race start. From the moment your alarm goes off, start drinking but make sure it’s not just water, get those electrolytes on board. Don’t start the run dehydrated! See session 5.