By Dean Hughes
Race season is fast approaching for the majority of UK based age group athletes so hopefully you’ve all had a consistent winter training period and you are looking forward to dusting your race kit down and smashing your PB in the early season, local pool based triathlon!
You will soon be reaping the rewards of months of wet winter miles in the saddle and in those sorry full looking weathered running shoes, cold & dark turbo sessions in the garage, squeezing in early morning or late evening lane swims, weaving in & out of those casual swimmers. All that juggling training time around family and work commitments will soon be all worth it when your are standing on the start line, feeling better prepared than last season and in the best shape of your life!?
The races that you agreed with your coach and family and entered before Christmas that seemed so far away are now just around the corner so training should be specific to those races ahead: below are some ideas that will hopefully help fine tune your preparation for race season.
Brick sessions – stacking 2 disciplines in the same session.
Most athletes will have practiced running off the bike but not many will practice running before you ride. This is essential in duathlon preparation to ensure you are dialled into the pacing of the 1st run, in order to complete the bike and 2nd run…
Park runs are great for these race prep specific sessions and more importantly combining family time with training. Try these sessions below and you will have improved pace management and the rest of the day to spend with family knowing that you have completed a quality, race specific session – everyone happy!
‘Many a good runner has been humbled when they get off the bike’ Dave Scott, multiple Hawaii Ironman winner
*If you haven’t tried these sessions before they can be very demanding, so you will need to plan ahead and think about this a few days before and achieve the right balance of training and also allow your body enough time to recovery afterwards. Frequent running or cycling on tired legs will lead to poor technique and developing bad habits and the increased risk of injury and illness. These sessions will also give you a good idea on what clothing you need to wear for race day and what nutrition works for you before & during the race.
Swim to bike
Most athletes will practice running off the bike but not many will ride straight after swimming. If you haven’t raced much it’s a weird feeling when you change body position from swimming horizontal to running vertical into transition – especially in open water swims! The planning of this may be a little more challenging but most pools will be ok with you setting a turbo or rollers up outside the pool exit or if you are lucky enough with the weather get straight out on your bike in your race kit! These are great sessions for transition practice too and if you haven’t been cyclo crossing this winter, then chances are your flying mounts are a little rusty! You don’t have to be the fittest in the world to be fastest in transition and getting on and off your bike so get practicing and see those overall times improve!
Race Bike
For those who are fortunate enough to have a race bike and a training bike don’t leave it until race day to get your fast bike out. Amongst the wet weather and floods we have had some relatively mild sunny winter days that gives you an ideal opportunity to practice on the bike you will be racing on race day and get used to possibly a more aero position? It won’t do the bike any harm if you get it out on a cold, wet day either – it may be cold & raining on race day! Make sure you clean it as soon as you can after your ride – preferably when you have eaten and warmed up! Using your race bike early in the year will also remind you to get it serviced, new cables for slicker gear changes and possibly new tyres for the season ahead. Don’t leave it too late to get your bike serviced get in booked in now leaving enough time before your race to get any parts repaired and have a few rides afterwards. Having confidence in your machine on race day will help you relax and focus. Turbo sessions are a good alternative but there is no substitute for handling the bike against the wind and terrain.
Course Recce
Planning a visit to the race venue will help you with travel arrangements and timings for race day and ease a few nerves, helping you familiarise with the surroundings – car parking, registration, transition – in/outs, bike & run route etc
Plan ahead and check out the pool times before you leave, ideally when there is a lane swim. All pools are different in terms of depth, distance, direction, lane ropes, etc so swimming in the same pool you will be using on race day before the day will be a great help and you will be one step ahead of your rivals! Practice your turns (free speed) and how you exit the water while you are there too and familiarise your self with the swim exit. If time permits, get on your bike and ride the bike course and while you are there you may as well use the time to recce the run course too. Ensure your run kit is ready before you ride, if not you maybe tempted to get in the car and drive home if the weather isn’t great! Doing this a couple of months out of your race will give you a good indication of where you are at with your riding and how you feel running off the bike. Sessions should be specific to the course profile and distance from now on in. You may find it more or less challenging than the reviews, either way you will be more prepared and confident for race day…
Pre Race Routine – a course recce will also help you rehearse your pre race routine.
Your previous race performances and what worked well for you in those races will help you design your routine. A good routine will ensure you get to the start line ready to race and can prevent uncontrollable factors having a negative impact on performance, ensuring things do not go wrong in those all important few hours before a race.
Your routine could start as far out as 3-4 weeks out with a bike service and a course recce?
1-2 weeks out: Tapering
This really depends on how long and how important your race is and how experienced you are. If this is your first race, then you should reduce the volume considerably during the last week or so and increase the intensity slightly. If you are seasoned triathlete then an early season race maybe classed as a ‘C’ race, meaning you can train through as normal without tapering. ‘A’ race being the main goal for the season…You will have more time on your hands with the volume reduction so use this time wisely to confirm travel, race timings, preparing your meals and checking the functionality of your kit.
Night before the race – kit check, pack all kit from your kit list. Prep nutrition for the morning
Morning of the race – eat normal breakfast etc, travel, timings
Pre performance routine – 90 min before the race, 60min, 45,30, 20, 5, 1min.
What will you do from 90 min out to last minute before your next race?
How many times have you seen athletes rushing around on race morning because they haven’t thought this through and practiced before hand?
Be prepared and you will – Enjoy racing!
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"I think the concept behind the Masters Programme is excellent. I find the sessions easy to follow, particularly the swim sessions." Masters Year 2 Athlete