Swimming
The swim is the most dreaded element of a triathlon for most people. It is often in open water, such as a river, lake or the sea, so there is nowhere to put your feet down and take a breather, and no direct course to follow.
Open water novice?
There’s no specific technique required to swim in a triathlon, although you sometimes need to lift your arms higher if the water is choppy. But you do need to look where you are going. “Lift your head every few strokes to check your course,” advises Helen Tucker, current world champion. “It’s good to be able to breathe on both sides too, so that you can switch sides if, for example, you keep getting someone’s elbow in your face.”
If (or when) you get hit, elbowed or swum over, try to take it in your stride. “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t get slightly anxious about the swim – but prepare yourself for the fight mentally,” says Helen. “If you’re really panicking, get out of the way, turn on your back and tread water while you get back to normal breathing. It doesn’t matter if you lose a bit of time, or swim a bit further.”
The plus side of being surrounded by other swimmers is that you can “draft.” “Find someone of a similar pace to you and swim right on their feet. You can practise this with a few friends in the pool,” says Helen. “This really saves energy.”
When it comes to the race, Helen says it’s good to make a fast start, to escape the “washing machine” as quickly as possible. “But bear in mind you still have two more events to get through, so don’t overdo it,” she says.
While most competitors will swim front crawl (or freestyle) it is perfectly acceptable to swim breaststroke. And there are swim and triathlon clubs across the country where you can get coaching and participate in structured training sessions to improve your stroke.
Gear guidance
Along with waves, currents, cold water and the unnerving proximity of hundreds of competitors, you have to contend with wearing a wetsuit. “A wetsuit aids buoyancy, but it can also feel restrictive,” says Helen. “So it’s a good idea to practise swimming in one before the day.”
A good-fitting wetsuit is essential. It should be snug but not overly restrictive. It is particularly important that you can move your arms and shoulders properly, so that your stroke is not hampered.
Cycling
The bike ride is the longest part of a triathlon, so it’s the leg in which you can make the most improvements. That’s why more time is dedicated to cycle training than to the other two sports.
But before you even climb into the saddle, you should get your bike set up correctly. “You don’t want a completely straight leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke,” says Team GB triathlete Will Clarke. “And you don’t want to be overreaching for the handlebars.”
Will strongly advises getting clipless pedals, which your bike shoes clip on to via cleats. “They give you much better speed and power,” he says. Plenty of beginners do their first races on a mountain bike, but if you are in the market for a new set of wheels, a standard road bike is a far more versatile choice than a triathlon-specific bike and you can always upgrade it by buying clip-on aero-bars to get a more aerodynamic position.
The more you get out on the bike, the quicker you’ll improve your handling skills and the more comfortable and confident you’ll become. Build up your mileage gradually – ideally aiming for at least a couple of rides longer than the distance you’ll be doing on race day.
Try to keep an eye on your cadence (the number of times the pedals turn per minute). Studies have shown that pushing heavy gears exhausts the muscles more quickly, leaving you less fuel in the tank when it comes to the run. The ideal cadence is around 90 revolutions per minute. And you don’t need a fancy cadence monitor to check yours – simply count the number of times one foot reaches the bottom of the pedal stroke in a 30-second period, and multiply by two to get your cadence. Practise doing this at different speeds, and using different gears to see how your cadence varies – the elites are able to maintain a steady cadence across different gears and terrains.
It is well worth trying to schedule in some training rides with others before your race, as riding in close proximity to hundreds of other riders can be intimidating. That said, in most non-elite races it is illegal to draft (ride in another cyclist’s slipstream by staying very close to their rear wheel). This can conserve as much as 30% more energy than riding singly. That’s why you’ll incur time penalties if you do it in a race – so keep your distance.
Gear guidance
Mount your bike on a turbo trainer so it’s stationary. “A turbo trainer was essential for my bike training last winter,” says European and world junior champion triathlete, Hollie Avil. “It was dark when I’d finish school, so having the turbo set up in the garage enabled me to get my training done.” The fact that there are no downhills to take a break on means you get a more intense workout, minute for minute – and it’s great for practising drills.
An hour’s riding should be plenty. Remember to have water close by – the lack of air to cool you down can raise your body temperature quickly.
Running
No matter how good your swim and cycle are, triathlons are won or lost on the run. The challenge is not so much the distance, as the fact that you have take it on in a state of exhaustion, having just completed a cycle and swim.
Find your legs
The bike ride will have used many of the same muscles as running, but in a slightly different way (for example, the quadriceps have been contracting concentrically for more than an hour, and now have to contract eccentrically).
To make matters worse, after having your weight supported on the bike, your joints now have to contend with the impact of carrying it from foot to foot. This makes you question whether your legs actually belong to you when you take your first steps on the run. And it’s not all in the mind. Research shows that the energy cost of running in a triathlon is higher than that of running without the prior bike ride.
Training is key
But there is something you can do to minimise the pain and maximise the speed of your triathlon run: training.
There are two important elements of triathlon run training for newcomers: the first goal is simply to get comfortable running the required distance, whatever your pace (build up to it gradually – the running programmes in yesterday’s guide should help). Once you can do that, add in some faster-paced work to improve your technique and speed.
“My run training is similar to that of a half-marathon runner,” says Olympic triathlete Tim Don. “It includes track work, fartlek and interval training as well as long and steady runs. A bit of variation is important. You don’t want your body to get used to one pace. Perhaps once a week, open up your legs a bit with a faster session.”
The second important thing to include in your run training is a bike-run brick session. Any training session in which you practise two disciplines is known as a brick session. The more times you practise the transition in training, the less challenging it will be in the race.
How to do a bike-run ‘brick’ training session
The object of a “brick” session is to get used to that feeling in your legs of “oh my gosh, I’ve just cycled 40km,” as you start to run.
Warm up, and then ride for 15 minutes on the bike. Immediately after, run 2-3km. Try to focus on good form and posture, and pick up your cadence (the number of foot strikes per minute) to avoid overstriding. Now repeat the bike and run sessions again. Initially, just get accustomed to the sensation of the switch. But as it gets more familiar, increase your pace to the speed at which you plan to cycle and run in a race.
A turbo trainer (a stationary device with a fly wheel, to which you attach your own bike) is great for brick sessions, or you could even use the exercise bike and treadmill at the gym.
As an added practice session, simply tag on a 5km jog to the end of your weekly long bike ride. Tim Don
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