YOUR QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS

I’m finding that I’m very slow to warm up on the run. Any advice?

Try this… start with a 10min jog to get the legs moving. Follow with 5mins of hip mobility exercises, including sending your right leg forward with your left leg back but straight so hip flexors are stretched. Drive arms up in air 10 times before swapping legs. Complete your run warm-up with 5 x 70m strides on a slight uphill if possible, increasing effort through the reps. Now, crack on with your session…

I appreciate there are many factors, but, roughly, how much time do a tri bike, aero wheels and aero helmet save me over an Ironman distance?

There’ve been studies into this.

Let’s start with the tri bike. With its curvaceous seat tube and teardrop profile, there’s around an 8.46% reduction in drag compared to traditional tubing, which would results in an Ironman time gain of 9mins. As for aero wheels, 60mm-deep aero wheels placed on the road bike has seen a 2% drop in co-efficient of drag to standard wheels, leading to a 2min Ironman bike saving. Finally, replacing a vented lid for a tear-dropped aerodynamic helmet can lead to 3min gains over 180km. Just bear in mind you’d have to balance streamlining with comfort and breathability, both of which might outweigh aerodynamic benefits over such a long bike ride, especially in the heat.

Q How can I measure my swim stroke rate?

A There are numerous DIY and more technologically advanced ways of doing this. The more parochial but still accurate way is to swim for 15secs or 30secs at goal race pace and have a mate to time you on a stopwatch – social-distancing rules allowing, of course! You then multiply the respective figures by four or two to determine your stroke rate per minute. Do this several times, resting between to eliminate fatigue and take the average between the two. Alternatively, purchase a swim tool that measures your stroke rate for you. One from Garmin, Finis or Polar should do the job nicely.