The off road marathon that takes competitors to the summit of Ben Nevis

Long-distance racing has grown in popularity over the last couple of years and events sell out quicker than tickets for Take That concerts. It’s no surprise then, that new long-distance events are being added to the triathlon calendar every year to cater for the rising demand. Rat Race City To Summit is this year’s hottest new addition and is being billed as the toughest long-distance event in the UK – after all, it’s not every day you’re asked to run up a mountain during a marathon when you’ve just completed a 112-mile bike ride and a 2.4-mile swim.

With just two weeks to go until the monster event, its important that you take your foot off the gas and rest your body so that your performance peaks at the right time – on race day. There’s certainly no point bashing out another 20-mile run or a 100-mile bike ride since it will make no difference to your fitness and will just fatigue your already-tired muscles.

Less is more at this stage and so you need to cut down the hours and just do a few high-intensity workouts. These will help remind your body what it has to do on race day, as well as burning off some of your nervous energy. Click the link below to download our 2-week countdown plan to your computer to help you with your planning:

Rat Race City To Summit Countdown Training Plan

Aside from training, there are lots of other things that you need to do during these two weeks. Here are our top 5 tips:

• Get plenty of sleep – you’re going to need every ounce of energy to power you to the summit of Ben Nevis.
• Keep eating healthy – don’t fall off the bandwagon just because the volume of your training has dipped and indulge in nutrient-poor foods such as chocolate and pizza. It’s really important that you eat plenty of protein to help repair any muscle damage as well as lots of carbohydrates to help build up your glycogen stores.
• Stay calm – You’ve trained for months and missed out on social events with family and friends to be on that starting line. Freaking out before the day itself won’t help and is just wasted energy. Save that adrenaline for your big day and use it positively.
• Don’t panic about new aches and pains – it’s normal to feel new aches and pains during the tapering period as your body relaxes and repairs itself. Just let it do its job and try not to panic.
• Pack carefully – The weather in the UK is unpredictable so make sure that you have a wide array of suitable clothing that includes plenty of waterproofs! Check out the kit list for the event here.

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Eating a palaeolithic diet seems to be all the rage these days, with many blogs and internet sites dedicated to it, and a fair few books as well. The general principle is to eat like we would have when we were hunter-gatherer Neanderthals or cavemen. During this time we’d potentially have only eaten meat, fish and vegetables, and we certainly wouldn’t have been able to walk to the shops and buy a quick burger and chips, or pop to the supermarket and buy a microwave meal.

The scientific argument for a palaeolithic diet is made on some significant circumstantial evidence around studies of other primate diets, fossils, anthropology and understanding our own metabolic pathways. So, if you were to eat like a caveman, what would you need to do?

Well let’s start with those foods that aren’t on the list. These include anything pre-prepared such as pasta, rice and quinoa, as well as other cereals and whole grains, like porridge; dairy; legumes such as lentils and chickpeas; bread; sausages; most sandwich meats; alcohol; and even the humble potato.

What can you eat? Meat, fish, nuts, fruit and vegetables. But not any old meat and fish – just those that are organic and grass-fed. No tinned fish, just those caught naturally out in the ocean. So pretty simple really.

If you make these changes to your diet what’s likely to happen? Firstly, you’ll reduce the carbohydrate content of your diet, while increasing your protein and fat intake. Most of the latter is likely to come from healthy fat sources though. The carbohydrates you do eat will be slow-release ones, which is generally a good thing, as research suggests it would be good to have the majority of your diet coming from these types of carbs. Alongside this, you’ll certainly eat more fibre, which again is seen as a good thing in terms of health. You’ll also consume far more micro-nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, as well as increasing your potassium intake and decreasing your sodium intake.

So far, not too bad. However, the word health has been mentioned a lot, with not much mention of performance. We know that restoring and maintaining muscle glycogen after exercise is key to recovery and optimal performance. We know that if you remove carbohydrates from your diet and replace them with fat then your endurance improves, but your time-trial performance doesn’t change and you lose the ability to go fast. Is salt also that bad for an athlete? We certainly lose a lot during training, so maybe we need to replace some in our diet too.

The paleo diet idea is based on significant circumstantial evidence and as such isn’t based on too much science. There’s good evidence that low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets aid weight loss, but not much about the long-term adherence to them. I’d also question the idea that the humble potato isn’t a natural food – if a caveman saw a potato I think he’d have eaten it. We also know the Incas ate quinoa.

So is the paleo diet a good thing? Certainly some of the principles are. The protein intake is good too, as eating protein in every meal is essential for athletes (research shows that 20g in each meal is optimal). However, there are times when you’re going to need a more carbohydrate-based meal like pasta or bread, such as after a long bike ride or during periods of really heavy training. It can sometimes be hard to achieve this when following a paleo diet.

So in conclusion, eating fresh, good quality food is essential, but don’t get too obsessed – I don’t think our caveman ancestors would have done.

Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news.

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Spring is the perfect time to work on your running speed. Hopefully you’ve managed a reasonably consistent period of running over the winter months. This is important because it provides a springboard for the next block of training. Sports scientists and coaches recommend periodisation – organising training periods and workouts so that they build upon each other. You should aim to hit peak condition for the summer. Here are five ways to go about it.

1 Rev the engine hard 

Aerobic capacity (or VO2 max) represents your maximal ability to process oxygen to meet energy demands via aerobic metabolism. For triathlons, this attribute is very important because it is almost entirely fuelled by energy derived from aerobic metabolism. One way in which we can boost it is by including a weekly dose of VO2 max stimulus over the next four to six weeks.

Example  Run 800m at 95% max effort. Note the time it took and then allow yourself the exact same time to recover. Repeat this three to four times or until you’re no longer able to maintain the pace of the first set. Add one set per week as progression.

2 T2 transition tuner 

Going from riding in a crouched aero position straight into hard running is very challenging. Your breathing frequency, oxygen consumption and lactate production all rise for a given pace off the bike, while running efficiency is also reduced. You can train for this – it’s known as brick training. What underpins a really good brick is performing the bike-to-run transition as fast as you would in a race and then immediately accelerating up to target race pace. It’s the changeover from bike to running and the race-pace running that you need to focus on.

Example  Set your race bike up on the turbo trainer and do three to four repeats of seven minutes cycling at moderate intensity, into five minutes running at race pace from the off. For progression add one more set per week.

3 Skip for speed 

Finnish researchers have shown that just four weeks of plyometric training can improve running economy by as much as eight per cent. Including a series of hopping, bounding or skipping movements (skipping is especially effective) once or twice weekly before an easy run will do the trick.

Example  Single-leg hops. Hop on one leg at a time but aim to really cover some distance with each hop. World class runners can cover about 25m in seven hops. The key is to minimise ground contact time and to land as softly as possible. Repeat no more than three times on each leg.

4 Race testing 

The best training data always comes from races. This is because racing provides an environment that allows us to dig deeper than when training. This is a really powerful tool when used sparingly. The idea is to insert a few shorter distance run races than the distance you’ll encounter in your triathlon, around three to six weeks out from your A-race. Recover properly after each and you’ll get a significant boost in fitness and general race readiness.

Example  Add one or two pure 5km run races at six and three weeks out from your Olympic-distance A-race. A 10km race would be ideal preparation for a half-Ironman.

5 Dietary Spring Clean

If you still find yourself somewhat heavier than you’d anticipated for this stage in the year, don’t despair. By simply knuckling down to clean eating and cutting out alcohol, excess sugar, fat and processed foods for the next six weeks, you’ll shed some of the excess. This matters because research shows that we can gain as much as two to six seconds per kilometre per kilogram of body weight lost.

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Thinking of entering the ultimate triathlon endurance challenge? Our My First Ironman training plan will help whip you into shape in just 12 weeks.

There are two versions to choose from: one will take between six and 11 hours per week, while the other will take anything up to 15.

Click here to go straight to our My First Ironman training plan. You can check out loads more triathlon training plans on our Training Plans homepage.

Becoming an Ironman is the ultimate accolade in triathlon and the event itself pushes even the most hardened triathletes to their limit. Completing the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26-mile run is tough enough on flat terrain – but it’s even harder when the course is hilly. Rat Race City to Summit is the hottest new addition to the UK long-distance triathlon calendar and will see competitors race to the top of Ben Nevis during the 26-mile marathon!

For those of you that have entered this beast of an event, you need to tailor your training to the demands of the race – after all it’s not every day you’re asked to run up a mountain during the final leg of an Ironman. Considering you will be running off-road for most of the 26 miles, you need to make sure that most of your training also takes place off-road so that you can get used to the different demands this type of running places on your body.

Off-road running is tougher than road running but it has a whole host of additional benefits that make the extra effort worth it for any triathlete – whether you’re racing this years event or not:

• Builds endurance safely. Though many roadrunners fear the trails and see a sprained ankle round every corner, the soft ground helps you build endurance without battering your body over tough Tarmac. In fact it’s best to do some of your long runs off road all year round, even if it’s just sticking to a level but soft towpath or park trail.

• Builds muscular strength. Squidgy mud absorbs some of the energy you’re powering into the ground, meaning you have to work harder with every push-off. Add that to tough off-road climbs and you have the perfect muscle-conditioning programme.

• Improves core stability. Depending on the trickiness of your chosen trail, you’ll need to work much harder to stay balanced and upright than you would on the road. That balance comes from engaging your core muscles in your abs and back. Take that new-found strength back on the roads and you’ll be better protected from injury and have a more powerful foundation for each stride.

• Makes you more efficient. The more easy-going surface off road means you can wear pared down footwear, helping develop your feel for the ground and meaning you’re more likely to run with a mid-foot or forefoot strike. Steep off-road descents also help develop high leg turnover and quick ground contact time, both useful traits to take back onto the roads.

Off-road running is very different to road running and you need to make sure that you adapt your technique accordingly. Here are our top tips:

• Learn to fight uphill battles
  

Off-road hills tend to be steeper than road based ones – and you don’t get much steeper than Ben Nevis so you really need to make sure that you nail this technique if you want to make it to the summit on race day. Run as upright as possible to keep your diaphragm open – if you run too hunched over, it’s difficult to breathe deeply – and shorten your stride length. Think about activating your glutes as much as possible to give your run more power and lift your body up the gradient as quickly as possible.

• Control your descents
  

Running downhill is a tricky skill to master and takes a lot of practise; there is a fine line between running fast and being out of control. Depending on the conditions, changing direction too quickly can result in falling over, so it’s essential to look ahead and plan your steps 10 or 15 footfalls in advance. Use your arms to balance yourself; it doesn’t matter if you are flailing them around, do what feels natural in order to keep your feet on the ground. The more off-road running you do, the more confidence you’ll have in your foot placement, and a better feeling of whether your foot is going to stay where it is or not – and with 17km descent to tackle at the end of Rat Race City to Summit you really need to make sure that you feel confident with this section of the race. Lean into the hill, and try to land on the mid part of your foot. This will help your shoe grip the ground with the largest surface area possible.

• Deal with technical sections

Similar to running downhill fast, you’ll need to look ahead and quickly assess any particularly tricky technical sections. These could come in the form of rocks or roots, steps, or even fallen trees or river crossings. The first thing to do is not panic over or rush; the gains made are far outweighed by the risk of falling over or, even worse, getting stuck for the sake of a few seconds – you’re here to complete one of the toughest events in the country don’t let a rash decision ruin your chances. You’ll more than likely have to adjust your stride length; rather inconveniently, fallen trees don’t happen at even intervals. Do this gently and pre-empt it to avoid cramping from putting yourself in an awkward position.

• Cope with mud

In the UK, a fair helping of mud is inevitable – especially on Ben Nevis. Find a deep enough puddle and it will take the shoes straight off your feet! To avoid this happening, ensure your shoelaces are done up tight, and that you are using regular laces rather than the elastic ones used for racing in the summer. Try to reduce your contact time with the mud. Practise fast feet: as soon as you’ve placed your foot on the ground, think more about lifting it up and driving it forwards rather than pushing off with the opposite leg. The less time your foot is in contact with the ground the less time it has to get stuck.

• Perfect your proprioception

Use the force! The constantly changing conditions that off-road running presents means that no path will ever be exactly the same as last time you ran it. Proprioception is your brain’s ability to read where your body is – it’s what helps you find your way through awkward gaps and tricky terrain. You can improve it using specific exercises, but the best way is to run off road more. The more off-road running you do, the more you will be able to feel the terrain, it sounds silly but you’ll start to pre-empt the changes, and implement all of the other skills highlighted above. Whatever you do, once you’ve made a decision on an action, commit yourself to it.

• Free your mind

You need a different mindset for running off road. The changes in terrain mean constant changes in pace so you can’t daydream, and you shouldn’t panic when you’re not on schedule. Take your first off-road runs as they come, leaving your watch at home, so you can learn to race by feel rather than by a set pace. It’ll make the training much more fun, too and help you be much more relaxed come race day in June.

What kit do you need for off-road running?

• Shoes:  Any running shoe can be used to run off road, but if you’re serious about doing so you’ll need a trail shoe. Gait problems such as overpronation are not such an issue when running off road thanks to the uneven surfaces, so concentrate on finding a shoe with a good, comfortable fit. A thin sole will help to lower your centre of gravity and to prevent you from rolling your ankles. The sole will vary depending on the brand you buy; a well-spaced taller tread will be grippier in the mud, while tighter packed shorter studs will provide more grip on rocks and roots. Trail shoes vary from well-cushioned, bulky shoes – often ‘winterised’ versions of popular on-road models – to stripped down racing slippers that offer more feel for the trail. Your best choice depends on the kind of running you’ll be doing. Race organisers can offer advice on the right shoes for their event.
• Clothing: Usually off-road runners take a less-is-more approach – witness the old-timers in vest and shorts at any fell race. The thinking here is that anything you do wear is likely to pick up mud, sweat and rain and just weigh you down. However, the Rat Race City to Summit is a different affair. You will have been racing for a long time and could already be cooling down. You also need to be prepared for prospective changes in weather conditions, which can come fast on a mountain. Make sure you’ve got all the kit on the mandatory kit list and practise running with it a few times before the big day in June.

Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news.

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The UK may not always have the best weather for cycling, but one thing it does have over warmer countries is a thriving time trial scene. For the triathlete, these solo against-the-clock races can be worth their weight in gold, often providing the best 30 minutes of cycle training you’ll ever do. Cycle time trials replicate the type of riding you do in a triathlon, where it’s just you versus the clock, without the advantage of being shielded by a peloton. So it makes perfect sense to do them in training.

They’re very low-key events. The race HQ is usually a car park or a village hall, and the route tends to be one single road – out and back. Each competitor is set off at one-minute intervals, and you’re not allowed to draft by riding directly behind the other cyclists. The races are given codes rather than names, and they’re not advertised like triathlons are. You can enter some time trials on the day for around £2, known as club events, whereas others require an entry form to be sent two weeks in advance, known as open events.

The simplest way for a triathlete to race their first time trial is at a club event. These are often held mid-week during the summer at 6 or 7pm. The most common distance is 10 miles, which is ideal for most triathletes’ needs. You turn up, pay £2, pin on a number and then start in number-order. What then follows is 20 to 35 minutes of sustained high-intensity cycling while someone times you. You finish, get your time and go home. It really is that simple.

The more 10-mile time trials you do, the more you learn how hard to push yourself and the better you pace each subsequent race. It’s a good idea to wear a heart-rate monitor to give you an idea of just how hard you’re working, and then compare it every time you race. You’ll soon learn what you can and can’t sustain in time trials and triathlons. A power meter is even better. It’s likely that your times will improve quickly in the first few weeks of regular racing. Beginners often report that they’re able to sustain a higher heart rate at every race during the first four or five weeks, before it begins to plateau.

Some cyclists complain of a short-lived chesty cough after their first time trial of the season, known as pursuiter’s cough. After you’ve raced a few time trials, the bike leg of a triathlon will never seem so gruelling. That’s why some of the best cyclists in triathlon are keen time triallists, such as Triathlon Plus contributor Phil Graves. While there are many benefits to time-trialling, there are also a few things to watch out for:

Intensity

Ten-mile time trials are over in a flash. Even so, they’re very stressful for your body. Do them once per week at most, and only in blocks of six weeks leading up to key races. Then have a few weeks off before the next block.

Competition 

Don’t get too caught up in competing with other cyclists. Many will have tapered, shaved their legs and spent all their spare money on aerodynamic kit. Keep your eye on the ball and only use time trials as training for your key triathlons.

Conditions

Don’t get depressed about your results. Times are very dependent on weather and course conditions. Cold days, hot days, windy days, calm days – it all makes a big difference to your speed. You can’t always compare one race to the next.

FIND OUT MORE

In England and Wales the main source of information for cycle time trials is cyclingtimetrials.org.uk. Each district also has a website with details of local events – links can be found here. Information on time trials in Scotland can be found on the British Cycling website.

Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news.

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Completing an long-distance triathlon, let alone one like the Rat Race City to Summit, means taking on the ultimate

The gruelling run up Ben Nevis, the final stage of the City to Summit

endurance event. You test every fibre of your body, pushing your performance beyond what you think you can achieve. You surrender to the unknown. This is why the training is so important. Miles matter you’re tackling an event like this. Long miles build physical and psychological competence and confidence. For the most successful long-distance triathletes, century rides (of 100 miles), mega bricks (long bikes followed by long runs), endurance runs and super swim sets are the mainstay of their racing armoury. If overnight success or quick-fix fitness is what you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Whether it’s your first or your fifth Ironman, these sessions will help you as you prepare for the biggest physical challenge of your life. Before having a crack at these nine killer sessions, you should have been working towards your Rat Race City to Summit goal for a couple of months and built up your swim, bike and run volume. The sessions are designed to take place at the end of a structured and progressive 10-to-16-week build phase and to see the City to Summit hopeful into the race preparation phase of training. The workouts aren’t for the faint-hearted, but then neither is the challenge of a 2.4-mile sea swim, 112-mile ride through Scotland’s stunning mountain scenery, and a 26.2-mile off-road run up Britain’s highest peak. Get to it!

KILLER SESSION 1 SWIM

Open-Water Race Simulation

Time needed

• 1 hr 15 mins

Equipment needed

• Wetsuit, goggles, swim cap.

Coaching tip

The point of this session is to get in the lake or, ideally, the sea and practise starting off fast then settling into race pace swimming. Practise sighting every three to five strokes. Do this session well and you’ll be more likely to catch the feet of faster swimmers and stay there.

Warm up

• 400m (approx) steady swim. Focus on faster stroke final 100m.

Main set

• Deep-water start or land start as chosen IM race
• 30 strokes flat out – approx 300m at race pace – 20 strokes easy
• 30 strokes flat out – approx 300m at race pace – 20 strokes easy
• 30 strokes flat out – approx 300m at race pace – 20 strokes flat out
• Tread water 60 seconds 30 strokes easy – approx 300m at race pace – 20 strokes flat out
• 20 strokes easy – 30 strokes flat out – 300m race pace – 20 strokes flat out

Warm down

• 400m (approx) easy + wetsuit removal practice on exit.

Total

• 3,000m

Make it easier

Only do the first three repeats of the main set.

KILLER SESSION 2 BIKE

The Solo Century Ride

Time needed

• 5 hrs +

Equipment needed

• Bike, helmet, nutrition.

Coaching tip

Complete a 100-mile ride. To ride the tonne is a mainstay of long-distance success. It builds muscular and aerobic endurance and gives you the confidence that you can nail the distance. The City to Summit course includes 2,500m of climbing so make sure your long practise rides include a few inclines.

This ride encourages you to be disciplined with your bike speed and effort in the early stages of your ride. It trains your body and your head to focus fully on the task at hand and not to lose concentration. Ride to effort level as opposed to trying to hold a set average speed.

Main set

• The century ride should be done on 4×25-mile loops.
• Ride the first lap at an easy pace (below race effort). This should feel controlled. If you’re puffing, you’re going too hard! Focus on nutrition.
• Ride lap two focused on your bike position. Ride at your target City to Summit race effort. Use your aerobars. Keep your upper body still.  Concentrate on efficient, smooth, strong riding.
• Ride the third lap below your target race effort. This should be a marginal drop in effort and not a significant reduction from applying yourself to gentle spinning. Keep the momentum of the ride going. Focus on nutrition.
• Ride the final lap at an effort level that’s greater than your bike target effort.

Make it easier

Remove the changes in intensity during the ride and set yourself the challenge of covering the distance.

KILLER SESSION 3 RUN

Triple 20

Time needed

• 1 hr 30 mins

Equipment needed

• Running kit, trainers, shorts, vest/top, socks, cap, glasses, nutrition/energy belt.

Coaching tip

This run session avoids you spending weeks in your race build-up just plodding around. It reminds you what it’s like to pick up the pace, keeps your mind alive, provides physical stimulation and keeps you feeling fit. Accelerate your running speed each 20 mins for an hour. This session should be run on a flat out-and-back course to enable distance and progress to be measured over time, though ideally you’ll tackle it off road. It can be run using heart rate, effort level or running speed as the measure of intensity increases.

Warm up

• 15 mins easy paced

Main set

• 20 mins at steady pace – 20 mins at threshold pace – 20 mins at fast pace

Warm down

• 15 mins easy paced.

Make it easier

Cut the main session down to 3×15 mins and reduce the warm up and warm down to 10 mins each.

KILLER SESSION 4 SWIM

Pool 500s

Time needed

• 1 hr 15 mins

Equipment needed

• Pull buoy, fins, hand paddles, kick board, goggles.

Coaching tip

This session develops the ability to surge and control swim speed under pressure. Complete this session and you’ll be able to hold your race pace from start to finish.

Warm up:

• 100m freestyle (FS).
• 50m kick (with kick board).
• 100m FS.
• 50m kick on back (with board).
• 100m FS bilateral breathing.
• 100m FS (with fins).
• 100m FS bilateral breathing.
• 100m FS (with fins).

Main set:

• 4x100m (20s rec) as 1. pull buoy, 2. paddles, 3. pull buoy, 4. paddles
• 1x500m FS build speed each 100m (3s increment each 100 – final 100 at sprint pace)
• 1x200m recovery – FS
• 1x500m FS at IM race pace
• 1x200m recovery – FS
• 1x500m FS build speed each 100m (final 100 at sprint pace)
• 1x200m recovery – FS

Warm down

• 200m easy as 50m FS – 50m kick – 50m FS – 50m kick on back.

Total

• 3,400m

Make it easier

Drop the 500m efforts to 300m efforts.

KILLER SESSION 5 BIKE

Turbo Charged

Time needed

• 2 hrs

Equipment needed

• Bike, turbo trainer.

Coaching tip

This ride can be based on heart rate, power output or effort level. It might seem as though indoor cycling and Ironman don’t fit well together, but they do. In the UK, triathletes frequently have to wrestle inclement training conditions and sometimes have no option other than to hop on the turbo trainer. This shouldn’t be seen as torture, but as of great benefit. It breaks up your training, is good for motivation and provides variety. There’s nowhere to hide on the turbo. There’s no stopping at lights, waiting or coasting on descents. There’s no wind behind you or in your face to contest with. It’s just you, your bike and the session.

Warm up

• 20 mins at easy pace. Cadence 90rpm.
• 10x (30s right leg only spin – 30s both legs spin) at 90rpm.
• 10x (30s left leg only spin – 30s both legs spin) at 90rpm.

Main set

• 3×20 mins at target IM race pace effort (5 mins spin recovery).
• 10 mins at threshold intensity up to 85%effort level. 80rpm.

Warm down

• 10 mins at very easy pace

Optional run

Run off the bike for 10-15 mins. Relaxed, easy and familiarising your legs with running after riding.

Make it easier

Do 3×10 mins as your main set instead of 3×20 mins.

KILLER SESSION 6 RUN

The Long One

Time needed

• 3 hrs +

Equipment needed

• As a mountain run, the  City to Summit course has its own mandatory kit list including full windproof gear, gloves and head torch. Find the kit list here and do this long run carrying the kit you’ll need on the day. You’ll find more advice on where to buy the right kit for City to Summit here

Coaching tip

Long run at realistic race pace, off road and with plenty of climbing. Unless you live in Fort William, the chances of you being able to practise on the race course are minimal, but you should at least get used to changing pace and cadence over varying terrain and gradients. You should already have been doing at least some run training off road and on steep hills and uneven ground. For this run, keep it up for three hours – even if the pace is slow.

Main set

• 3-hour run on hilly, off-road tracks.

Make it easier

No way – this one’s for everyone.

KILLER SESSION 7 SWIM

The Big Aerobic Booster

Time needed:

• 1 hr 30 mins

Equipment needed:

• Goggles, pull buoy, kick board.

Coaching tip:

This session really builds your aerobic swim strength and stamina. As the session progresses, concentrate on holding your race pace after the effort sections.

Warm up:

• 100m FS – 100m pull – 100m kick
• 25 scull – 25m catch up – 25m fists – 25m FS.

Main set:

• 1,600m FS as 25m fast – 150m at IM race pace – 25m easy (60s rest).
• 1,200m FS as 50m fast –125m at IM race pace – 25m easy (60s rest).
• 1,000m FS as 75m fast – 100m IM race pace – 25m easy.

Warm down:

200m easy swim.

Total

4,400m

Make it easier?

Drop the distances in the main set to 1,200m

– 1,000m – 600m.

KILLER SESSION 8 BIKE

• 80-8 Mega Bike Brick

Time needed:

• 5 hrs +

Equipment needed:

Bike, helmet, nutrition, running kit.

Coaching tip:

This is a race simulation ‘bike to run’ brick session. Focus on the miles on the bike and the cruise intervals incorporated into the second half of the ride. This will help develop your threshold, cycling endurance and replicate fatigue leading into the brick run. Don’t run hard. The run off the bike is where the training intensity damage can be done. Don’t compromise consistency for intensity.

Main set:

BIKE

• 40 miles steady paced riding (easier than or at race effort level).
• 5×6 miles cruise intervals – focus on lower cadence, larger gear and strong, smooth riding position. These should be ridden on a flat course at faster than target race pace. (4 mins recovery spin between each, sit up, rehydrate and refocus).
• 10 miles at IM race pace effort back to transition.

RUN

• Quick change into running kit and cover 8 miles at a very controlled pace. If it hurts or you’re breathing hard, then you’re going too fast. Try to make this run off-road and on rolling hills, learning to control your effort level as the terrain changes.

Make it easier?

Ride 50 miles easy paced into 4×5 miles cruise intervals and 10 miles easy paced to a 6-mile run.

KILLER SESSION 9 RUN

50-15 Mega Run Brick

Time needed

• 5 hrs

Equipment needed

• Bike, helmet, running kit, trainers, shorts, vest/top, socks, cap, glasses, nutrition/ energy belt.

Coaching tip

This session is all about the run off the bike. It allows you to practise both pacing on the bike and run speed afterwards. Nutritional strategies should be put in place right from the start of the bike. Think: pace and energy on the bike fuels the run. Do the run on an out-and-back course (7.5 miles each way) or on 3×5 mile loops and preferably one that replicates the City to Summit route as closely as possible.

Main set

BIKE

• 35 miles ridden at an effort level marginally easier than IM race effort. 15 miles at IM race pace.

RUN

• Run off the bike: 15 miles. First 5 miles at target (flat ground) run speed. Second 5 miles increase the pace to marginally above target flat-terrain running speed, final 5 miles settle back into and hold race pace run speed.

Make it easier

40 miles bike followed by 12 miles at constant and controlled race pace.



Front crawl is the stroke that all triathletes aim to master, but Masters, swimmers, swim coaches and triathlon coaches support the idea of swimming the other main strokes too. These will bring in variety and technique that can transfer from one stroke to the next. Swimming all four strokes can also build a more balanced shoulder and back musculature, which may lessen your risk of overuse swimming injuries. However, some coaches will not teach anything other than front crawl, arguing that if this is what you’re going to do in the race then this is all you need in practice.

Integrating other strokes into your swim session is easy. You could add simple repetitions of individual medley of anything from 25m of each through to 100m of each. If you’d prefer to practise the individual strokes, it’d be useful to learn some drills for each and add them into the warm-up of your swim session.

If you find that working through the other strokes is challenging, there are steps that you can take to make it easier. Fins are an easy addition to your session that will help give you basic propulsion and an improved body position while you learn the arm technique for backstroke and butterfly. Pullbuoys aren’t used in all strokes and should be avoided for butterfly and breaststroke but could be used in backstroke.

If you’re completely new to these strokes, the time to start adding them into your swim training is during the off-season. At this time it’s easy to work on technique if you fancy a more relaxed swim session, while some cardiovascular training can still be achieved. As you approach the race season your front crawl technique needs to be at its best and your fitness needs to build to a peak. During this build-up you should reduce the volume of other strokes within your sessions.

Are there downsides of swimming other strokes? Maybe. Many age-group athletes won’t have had the same intensity and hours of swimming as they’ve grown through their teens as other swimmers have done. In fact, many will not have even been in a pool during these years, so they’ll have to play catch-up and will need more time practising front crawl to ensure a good technique. You may argue that, in these circumstances, swimming other strokes is wasting time that could be spent on developing front crawl.

QUICK TIPS

• Breaststroke

Timing is very important when swimming breaststroke so say to yourself as you swim: “kick, glide, pull, breathe.”

• Backstroke

Flick the water with the top of your feet as you kick and maintain a good body roll to both sides, getting each shoulder out of the water.

• Butterfly

Undulation of the hips is key and is controlled by your head position – lift your head to drop your hips and drop your head to lift your hips.

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Sugar is the cause of all health problems. Sugar improves performance. Sugar is essential for athletes. Confused? I’m not surprised. There are so many mixed messages out there about sugar, and what it does for the body. In this article I aim to present the facts about sugar and its role for triathletes and exercise.

‘Sugar’ is the generalised term for sweet-flavoured carbohydrates. There are many different types of sugars, depending on the molecular structure. Sugars can be simple monosaccharides such as glucose or fructose, through to disaccharides such as sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar). Sugar is found naturally in many foods, particularly fruit and vegetables. The processed versions we add to our cup of tea in the morning come from crops such as sugar beet and cane sugar. Sugar has been available in the human diet since ancient times, but prior to the 19th century it was an expensive luxury. Since then it has become cheap, spawning a huge industry.

So is sugar good or bad for you? As with most nutritional research there is no conclusive answer from the evidence we currently have. If you search, you will almost certainly find evidence that sugar is a terrible thing that we should all avoid, as too much of it can lead to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s.

There is also good evidence that blood sugar control is essential to allow the body to function effectively and maintain a healthy weight, and if eaten to excess sugar will lead to fluctuations in blood sugar, particularly if the individual does not exercise regularly.

In terms of peer-reviewed evidence, when sugar is substituted for other carbohydrates in a calorie-controlled diet, there seems to be little evidence of a negative health effect. However, if sugar is added on top of your normal diet then there is increasing evidence that the sugar can indeed have a negative impact on your health and lead to weight gain – but we all know that eating too much is bad for you.

What is undeniable is that sugar only contains carbohydrates and is therefore seen as an ‘empty’ – ie nutritionally poor – food. Where possible it is more effective to consume foods that also contain vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutrients. In other words, if you need a sugar hit, go for fruit.

While the effects of sugar on health are inconclusive, the effects of sugar on endurance performance are most certainly conclusive – sugar keeps you going. Some seminal studies from the University of Texas in the 1980s showed that fatigue during endurance exercise coincides with a drop in blood sugar.

However, when blood sugar is maintained, endurance performance improves. The simplest way to maintain blood sugar is by taking on board a simple sugar-based drink during exercise. Most of the research is based on the use of glucose, a simple monosaccharide. Most research would suggest a two to five per cent improvement in performance lasting longer than one hour when you ingest a simple sugar such as glucose.

However, not all sugars are created equal. Glucose is used by the body most effectively, where it has been shown that the body can use approximately one gram per minute of exercise as fuel. Fructose is used at a much slower rate, approximately 0.4g per minute of exercise. The real magic happens when you combine the two, and you can increase the use of the sugar as fuel by 50%, which leads to an eight per cent improvement in performance over three hours of exercise when compared with glucose alone.

So the evidence clearly shows that sugar improves endurance performance over one hour in duration, with a mixture of glucose and fructose being most effective. Outside of using sugar during exercise, the evidence for its use or harmful effects are inconclusive. However, as a triathlete you need to get as much quality nutrition as possible and simple, refined sugars come with no other nutrients. So it’s a much better idea to stick to fruit when you need a sweet hit.

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I don’t believe that you need to do a huge volume of run training in order to run fast. Aerobic conditioning is aerobic conditioning no matter what the activity. Through cross-training, you develop a great engine that is still there when you switch sports. In triathlon, this gives you an opportunity to directly improve your race performances without overloading in one discipline. I had my most successful season thanks to the benefits of cross-training.

I ran faster than ever in 2012, but without doing much run training for half the year. Last winter my goal was to be a pro cyclist, so I spent most of the winter logging 18-19 hours on the bike every week, while taking a gap year from studying. After my rides I would nail my recovery by stretching to loosen my muscles and by refuelling within 30 minutes – known as the carbohydrate window.

Aside from the more focused recovery, I benefited from turbo sessions. The hardest thing to do is set it up and get on; it’s easy from there. I swear by the Pete Read session of 25mins at 75%, 20mins at 80%, 15mins at 85% of max heart-rate. It’s especially good as it gives you double the benefit of the equivalent time on the road bike would.

Having focused on cycling all winter, and run for about one hour per week, I turned my focus to duathlon, and my running volume shot up from to four or five hours by mid-spring. Looking back I’m surprised I didn’t get injured, as my cardiovascular engine was ahead of my running muscles in terms of fitness. I quickly adapted though and this led to some good 10km times. I knocked one minute and 41 seconds off my 10km PB within the next six months (with a time of 30:28). This form helped me win the European and world junior duathlon titles, somewhat unexpectedly. I even ran the 10,000 metres at a Diamond League international track and field event.

As my running mileage increased, I started swimming for three to four hours each week to prepare for joining the Loughborough University high performance triathlon squad at the end of the season. I had to cut back my biking significantly but I had confidence from all the cycling I’d done throughout the winter, so I just tried to hold my cycling form, regularly gauging where I was by racing in local time trials.

My success last year shows that training is not an exact science. I’ve experimented with various training principles; some helped, some hindered. It’s important to implement what you’ve learnt. You should only make a mistake once before you correct it and move onwards and upwards.

MY SEASON OF SUCCESS: Horton’s surprise rise to the top

25 March 2012

British elite duathlon championships (Horton’s first ever duathlon)

Result: 3rd in senior race. 1st in junior race

29 April 2012

ETU European junior duathlon championships (Horton’s second ever duathlon)

Result: Winner

21 September 2012

ITU world junior duathlon championships (Horton’s third ever duathlon)

Result: Winner

Triradar.com is the online home of Triathlon Plus – the best source of triathlon training advice, triathlon gear reviews and triathlon news.

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