SMASH THE RUN

BUILD AN ENGINE

11 You should build the engine in all areas. You need to have completed long runs so you can get through the distance with ease and your base stamina is in place. You should add tempo runs to build strength, which can be done on the hills or the flat, and performing some interval sessions way above your race pace should be added in the mix as well. If you can’t fit all that in in one week, then you should periodise it so that you’re covering all bases in the run-up to an Ironman 70.3 event.

RECOVER STRONG

12 I’m a big believer in [mixed intensity] Fartlek running for 70.3 racing and above, but I still like to keep the recovery fairly strong so there’s a strength element to it. So a simple session I like to do is 4mins, 3mins, 2mins, 1min intervals twice through, with recovery runs of half the interval duration between them (2mins, 1:30mins, 1min, 30secs). I’d run a session like this at 3mins per kilometre, but the recovery would still be around 4:10min pace, so you’re actually finishing the run with a very good average speed and you’ve also got some pretty fast running in there. Obviously adapt it to your own pacing levels.

NEGATIVE SPLIT

13 Always at least try to even split the run or, even better, produce a negative split. As tempting as it may be to run out fast when you’re fresh after T2, it usually doesn’t end well and it’s a painful way to run a half marathon. Once you blow up the legs it’s hard to come back from that. Save something for the last lap so motivation is running high and you have the options to pass people, rather than fighting them off!

OPT FOR CAFFEINE

14 I run out of T2 with three Vifit caffeine gels. I take one straight away then one every 30mins. Remember to wash these down with water out on the course, otherwise you can get a bad gut. If I’m feeling the pinch once halfway, I start drinking Cola. If that doesn’t bring you back to life, nothing will!

world champion advice HAVE FUN!

15 The main thing people forget these days is to have fun. It’s a pleasure to compete in middledistance triathlon and, while you need to focus and race well, it should be about having fun and that’s easy to forget. Patrick lange, 2017 IRONMAN WORLD champion

“As tempting as it may be to run out fast after T2, it usually leads to a painful half marathon”