SMASH YOUR 2018 GOALS

How to supercharge your training and transform your tri, whatever your ability level or goal race distance

You’ve trained through the wind, rain and snow during this most bracing of 21st century winters. But now the rewards for the many hours of swim, bike and run graft are within sight with the start of the 2018 UK triathlon race season.

Yet plenty of training, tapering, nutrition and psychological questions remain on the approach to race day. How do you tackle your first open-water triathlon swim? Break out of that Olympic-distance speed plateau? And take on that monumental endurance challenge that is the Ironman for the first time?

Here Andy Bullock, the multi-award winning coach from Endurance Sports Coaching, takes three 220 readers and using them as examples, shows you how to smash your 2018 goals – whether it’s your first super-sprint, an Olympic-distance PB or your debut Ironman you’re hoping to conquer.

CONQUER THE OPEN WATER

Tri newbie Michelle has bravely chosen to do an open-water swim as part of her first tri, the Cotswold Women Only event in June. This comes with several challenges, such as swimming in colder water, mass starts and navigation.

Michelle has the opportunity to swim at the race location several times before the race, so this will allow her to get familiar with the place, the course and the likely water temperature before the actual event itself. This is a very useful exercise for all athletes before their races as familiarity can help build confidence. If possible, I’d advise all athletes to practise around the course looking at fixed objects beyond the likely turn points to help with navigation.

For the mass start element, aim to recruit friends to swim close to you in the pool to help replicate the sensation of being surrounded by other athletes while swimming.

HIT THE OPEN ROADS

The bike section of the race is 20km on open roads. Training for this has so far been limited, as Michelle doesn’t have her bike with her at university. Instead she’s been attending spin classes at her local gym, which means she’s relatively confident about her physiological ability to complete the 20km race distance.

Now the clocks have changed to British summertime, it’s the perfect opportunity to ride outside and become comfortable with the bike skills needed for triathlon.

Michelle intends to use an online beginner training plan (head to 220triathlon.com for a range of options) that contains plenty of bike training time. I’d encourage Michelle to ride with her friends to enhance the social aspect of training. Training with others means you’re less likely to skip on the session. Just make sure that it’s at a pace that’s manageable for you.

SLOWLY BUILD RUN PACE

Michelle has previously taken time out of sport due to a serious foot injury, which might highlight a lack of strength and stability in her lower limbs. Her previous rehab included working with a local physio, and I’d continue this relationship to ensure that her progression is as smooth and injury-free as possible.

I’d suggest increasing run volume in manageable steps alongside some basic strength and conditioning exercises. Establishing a plan that first sees Michelle covering the distance of the run (2.5km) on a frequent basis, then works on increasing the speed at which she can complete the run should be added to her run schedule.

Increasing the speed is usually best accomplished by running shorter duration efforts at a quicker pace before running easy to recover. Repeating this in one or two sessions per week will be sufficient to gradually increase pace.

THINK ABOUT KIT CHOICES

For the swim at the Cotswold Women Only Tri (and the vast majority of UK open-water races), Michelle will need a wetsuit. To find a suitable wetsuit, start with a sensible budget and then try out a few different brands, ideally in a store or at a sports expo. Find the one that fits the best and offers as much flexibility around the shoulders as possible.

For the bike section, Michelle currently has a hybrid bike with flat bars but has already, with the help of a knowledgeable friend, put on smooth tyres and is considering trying clipless pedals. While clipless pedals aren’t essential and will need practise and confidence, keeping the foot attached to the pedal allows the athlete to pedal for more of the pedal cycle and, therefore, go faster.

Finally, wearing a tri-suit for the whole race (as Michelle has opted to do) will limit kit changing time in transitions one and two.

PICK THE RIGHT EVENT FOR YOU

Michelle has chosen the shortest option of the races available at the Cotswold Women Only event. This’ll increase the likelihood that the majority of the women in her race will be first-time athletes.

Races directed at a specific population group, such as womenonly events, means an atmosphere that’s suitable for the population they’re targeting. So for this event, Michelle should expect to feel at ease and a real sense of camaraderie because the majority of the entrants will be in a similar position.

Although the swim is open water, the distance is short and the course straightforward. The 20km bike course is longer than most supersprint races, but it’s easy to navigate and on quiet country roads.

There’s also plenty of opportunity for friends and family to see the action and support athletes, which is always a bonus at any race but especially for a beginner one.