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December 2008/January 2009
PREPARING TO TRAIN..TRAINING TO PREPARE?
Our training can achieve many results, some good and some bad. It can be adequate leaving us to perform ok but struggling on the day……it can be perfect, and the day goes so well…it could be , for varying reasons, totally inadequate resulting a DNF. On the other hand, go to the extreme and overtraining, injury, and illness are all waiting for you with open arms and boxes of tissues!
We are all after that balance, the nirvana of a perfect build up for our particular goal. Unfortunately for us…as ultra-distance athletes…not a great deal of information is available as to how to go about our training, although one thing is for sure, it is not simply a case of more is better….that is soooo 1990’s.
Many books exist on marathon training, with suggestions of months of progressive build up, nutrition advice, injury advice…everything u could possibly need to know….yet where are the good performers, the steady increase in good times? With the exception of a few exceptional female athletes, the past few years…decades…have seen our athletes’ results deteriorating….the average marathon time as a nation is rising, not falling, and this goes for the elite as well as the masses. What can we deduce from this? That no one is reading and absorbing this available info..? People are reading it but ignoring it..? People are reading it, but are not really willing to put the work in required..? Or do we really have no world class performers out there..?
Personally, I do not feel the last reason is correct…and just sense that no-one wants to really put the effort in…humans are getting lazy.
But…we are not marathon runners…we want to go further and we want to swim and cycle a great deal first.
Ultra- training is still in its infancy. For the past 20 years it has been evolving…if at all… at a snails pace. I am aware of no dramatic breakthrough or advances in methodology to improve performances at these events….double iron, triple iron, deca iron etc. I have not come across any proposed structure or rationale in approach to fully understanding the demands placed on the body and mind that these events make.
As an example, I have had a very brief and basic analysis….all you statisticians out there, don’t shoot me down just yet!.....of all the results from the legendary Triple Iron distance race at Lensahn, Germany. The past fifteen winners times are as follows:
The times have been rounded to whole hours…………
36-34-34-33-36-35-37-35-34-39-31-35-38-34-34
Take the first 8 times…..averages out at 35 hours;
Take the latest 7 times…averages out at 35 hours…..!!!!?????!!!!
I feel a different approach is required, and would actually use the term preparation as an adjunct to training. We can all swim, cycle and run, and I do agree that to some extent we do need to simply increase the distances we train at to attain a basic physiological development…this is where the training ends though, and preparation begins.
No one really needs to be told how to swim, bike and run further..we can just do it…but all that does is give us the ability to replicate these training sessions. None of this will properly prepare you for the middle of the night, after 20 miles running with legs shot from 200 miles cycling, and your core muscles wasted and unable to coordinate that lovely 6 hr plus running motion u have so lovingly perfected over the past few months.
However, I firmly believe a solution exists to prepare better, and lay down the foundations for a huge improvement in ultra performances and finishing times.
This is how I view it. We begin with three blocks, a swimming block, cycling block and a running block…on their own we cannot build much with just three bricks, so we up our training volume and end up with many bricks….and up the intensities, so we now have small and large bricks….and soon we have enough to construct our base and build upwards. Over time our training increases and we have the beginnings of a mighty swim tower, tall cycle tower, alongside an impressive run tower. Three tall..mighty mileage-heavy towers …but the taller they get, the more unstable they become, as no one ‘ thing’ is holding these towers together, anchoring them as a ‘whole’. Any injuries, overtraining issues within each structure will bring that individual one crashing down, unsupported by any others, and have to be built back up again. As nothing is interwoven between these training structures…neither can support any other. This results in an extremely fragile training environment.
We need links…support…stabilisation..something cohesive between our three training towers. These links need to be constructed from something pretty strong…and in my opuion can only be built from x-training…high intensity, prolonged cross training. My feeling is this is the key to ultra success, progression and durability.
Whole-body, endurance and resistance based x-training. Most triathletes will say they x-train all the time as they have three disciplines to play with, but in reality they train as a swimmer, then train as a cyclist, then train as a runner….maybe the odd bike-run session thrown in along the way somewhere. The problem is, the one common thread…you, your bady….is only being challenged in the specifics of one sport at any one training session. This most definitely does not represent x-training. We need to be making demands of our body as a whole over and above our three sports.
These demands need to be varied and progressively increase to a degree at least equal to the time and effort we spend on our swim-bike-run sessions. And….we must not stop there…this x-training effect needs to be challenging to our mental as well as physical sides. This Preperation, alongside any and all base foundation work , is what will hold it all together, and is, as I see it, the key to successful ultra performances.
As with any work, it has to be effective…too many athletes just go through the motions conning themselves they are working hard. The intensity of the x-training has to be high, right up there. We need to constantly keep hiting the body..as a whole…differently all the time. Make it hurt, ache, challenge and test it in as many ways we can; let it recover and challenge it again. Never the same way twice- always change, always test. Keep mixing it all up…cardio….resistance…free weights, bodyweight…anything and everything..each session throw it all in the bag and pick it out differently every time. But make it count, make it hard….work at it.
Swim bike and run by all means, they are essential, but don’t stop there if success and progress, and durability at ultra distance triathlons is your aim.
View your body as awhole…train it, work it, and then prepare it. It is a lot more than a core with arms for swimming and legs for cycling and running!
If anyone is interested in any specific personal advice, please contact me at….ultra.coach@live.co.uk
Happy new year!! Jules.
November 2008
‘’Living on the edge?..only because it’s too hectic in the middle!’’
Training and equipment….quality, quantity, carbon wheels, periodisation,intervals, junk miles, miles in the bank, over-distance, hill reps, stretching, injuries, nutrition, cadence rate, neutral footplant, over pronation, compression tights, training zones, rest, over-training, tapering, body fat levels, fartlek, heart rate monitors, gps, ………where on earth do we begin to make sense of it all?
Triathlon and multisport is now big business having evolved into a equipment and knowledge ..both extremely heavily marketed…dependant sport. And why not..have a look around any transition site at any local race and there is plenty of evidence how much disposable income is around, and hey..this is their hobby so that’s where their cash goes…but the decisions to be made as to who gets the cash , wow, there is soooo much of the stuff, way too confusing and distracting.
The gear available now to joe public is nothing short of phenomenal, five or six years ago all this was the sole preserve of world class level athletes…the bikes and kit WE can buy now was used in the Tour De France…the swim wear only available to Olympians..and the technical progression in footwear and clothing is amazing- and it is all there at the swipe of a card.
I feel we need to step back a bit tho…look at all these advances and remind ourselves where and why they originated from.For example, bike frame design..a continually evolving process..so lets be a pro rider for a moment supported by a global manufacturer with unlimited resources. Everyone working for you to push design and fit to enable you to be the fastest possible; and when some bright spark has a brainstorm for some subtle modification, it happens, and you get another frame to speed you up and on…you are always riding the best possible for your ultimate performance. All that has gone before now filters down…via the marketing depts….and is now there for us to purchase..but the pro had it easy here, he just rode the best ..there was no choice and he had no need to make one, we have a real difficult job here.Presented with literally hundreds of aero framed machines to choose from, what can possibly be our basis for preferring one to another?
The same can be applied to wetsuits, tri-bars..( I know, I know..he always goes on about tri-bars..well to be honest they fascinate me immensely. The best ever bars I have used are Syntace C2’s..and they cost around 60 quid..and I’m currently trying to source another set..but I find it frankly astounding that there appear so many options out there costing well in excess of 2-300 pounds, it’s just bloody incredible, stupid even..aaarrrghhh!!! Save your money folks…just train harder! Loose some fat…these will make you fitter and faster! )..running shoes etc. This is one part of triathlon training we need to be slowing down, the head in the sand consumerism. Lets simplify matters.
Put down your copy of 220, forget what you’ve just read- after all it’s exactly the same as last year just with different ‘photo’s- and take a trip to your local specialist running shop. Give ‘em a run down of what you’re after and let them do their job…I guarantee you will leave with the shoe that suits you(sir). And whilst you are there, invest in two pairs the same, and swap them about. Midsoles collapse in time..this way they recover more between runs..last longer…if you run in the rain or snow , you will always have a dry pair for next day..and best of all , never having to go through that mid-season hunt for a new pair …excellent!
Now a reality check…does your bike actually fit you? Was it a ‘good purchase’ because it was reduced, tho maybe a size too large…but you’ll make do with a bit of adjusting? The right size, but do you always moan about the lower back pain..(did you ever actually bother to look up and do those back strengthening exercises? Some times a bit of effort is needed, rather than cash….)..how’s the neck after 200 miles on the tri-bars? And the tri-bars..(here we go again…), too low…too radical but they looked good in the photo of thingy at kona, maybe they just plain come loose all the time..( learn how to care for your bike…turn the telly off, get a maintenance book, basic tools and have a go …it’s real rewarding to know your bike inside out and all is well…).
If it’s the cash that’s loose, invest in a bike fit session..many retailers are now offering these invaluable services, but if you don’t live near one, some are also on-line…send ‘em your measurements and details and your ideal position comes flying back right at yer.It will pay dividends in a way a bank never could…or is ever likely to in this climate!
Whoa…stop emptying the kid’s piggy bank now, no need to stoop to such measures…stooping causes back pain anyhow, and we don’t need that. Many articles exist on the internet to help set your bike up..all you need is a bit of patience, a turbo trainer, spirit level and tape measure…because the basics are , well…basic.
Ideally go for a smaller frame than you may be used to; I used to ride a 54cm ..i’m about 5’9’’..and my tri bike is a 50cm…but then it is so much easier to get every thing else to adjust and fit accurately, you don’t have to compromise when starting off with a smaller base….hey, less drag as well! The three main areas? Saddle height and distance to the bars, correct frame size for the purpose, and..yep..comfortable tri-bars.If these three things are good to go and your bike is well maintained …well, pretty much sorted then.
Technical advances in wetsuits have really slowed down the last
couple of years .. esp. any that are going to have any impact for
us….look at the swim times in an ultra ..they are pretty slow, so the
wetsuit for most is to keep us warm and for the poorer swimmers provide
some much needed buoyancy, these are your factors when purchasing,
not speed.And don’t forget the size!..if buying now, end of season
bargain..are you planning on bulking up or shifting some fat by next
season..think ahead when sizing up your purchase!
Ok, where have we got to so far.
Found an ultra to do?........check
Time to train?.....check
Fit and well?......check
Got the gear?......check…hey, cool, fantastic..off you go then and train, good luck!
Er…hmmmm…how exactly are we going to go about this ?Flicking through some old..and not so old..tri mags, it’s actually quite confusing—and to put all you read into practise would require a bunch of full time coaches, a pad in the Pyrenees, the lucky box on Deal or no Deal, and the lifestyle of a pro athlete..face it, it ‘aint gonna happen. Ironically, as the level of knowledge increases..so does the size of the athletes…some should be told, do not wear lycra! People are not getting any faster, quicker or stronger..they are getting fatter, slower..and just like climbing everest has become, they are buying their way to the finish line with all the hi tech gear and nutrition (..in the vain hope that six power bars and two full bottles of electrolyte will get them through the next 400mswim..20k bike and 5k run and make up for the last six months of eating shit) they can get their hands on.
Ok…major generalisation , but I have been racing this sport since the early ‘80s, and it is true…people liketo read about training but not so many are actually willing to do the work. Many multisport publications are really lifestyle quick-fix mags, no real meaning for grass roots ultra athletes, they left us behind years ago along with the fun race reports, the piss-taking profiles of our good athletes, articles that had some relavence to joe public who actually bought the things..oh, and a bit of training thrown in. Now its oh so serious , but looks good on the coffee table .Ten, fifteen years ago Triathlon-the-sport was a lot fitter and healthier than it is today.
So I’m glad Ultra races are around and attract the type of athletes they do, for they bring us back down to earth not with a bump but a bloody great thump, and a reminder that (ultra) triathlon is about us- the athletes- what we are capable of, what is in our hearts and how far can we truly push ourselves.
I love the international Ultra distance community..some of their gear is ancient, they may not swim very fast, and running would not be an accurate description of the third discipline at a triple ironman for most…but they can do it, and they love it and their fellow competitors. The same names pop up all over the globe ..for most it is a lifestyle; doubles, triples, x5’s, deca’s…for all it is a journey of personal discovery that begins each time they stand on one of those start lines.
Somedays on the way into work, I pass an old guy out running, shuffling really—but I have seen him also many , many miles away from home—the weather just is, he always wears a grey vest and black shorts, and for want of a better word, pumps! Old school black pumps, no camelback, no ‘energy belt’,nothing..never seen him carrying anything. Reckon he must be 60-70 tears old, and I always wonder if he can swim and bike because he would be awesome at an ultra. I can sense that moving, out in the open, is a joy for him.No training method, no structure, he’s just there, or here so obviously at one with himself and his running and happy with life. For me, this guy sums up the spirit behind ultra distance racing, even tho he has nothing to do with it.
Don’t worry how you are going to get there, fit enough for an ultra. Don’t worry so much about what equipment you may or may not have. Work with what you have. If you can swim, cycle, and run…then keep it up, a bit further…bit more, maybe a touch faster…definitely a lot further…but keep going, always keep going and you will always get there, just remember to enjoy the journey.
Ooooops…..will focus on the actual physical side of things next, honest!
Stay healthy everyone, there’s a lot of nasty bugs about right now….ride safe, jules.
October 2008
'How far do you want to go...and how are you going to do it..?'
A leading question for many.but for the majority of the population it will be the corner shop on a Sunday for the bacon and papers, the friday night crawl thru town, walking the dog, playing with the local soccer squad...not too far at all, eh?
A couple of decades or so ago some one had the bright idea to add a fairly hefty swim on to a pretty decent ride, and hell...why not, lets tack a marathon on to the end. And behold, the once holy grail that is Ironman was born . The decades have now past, and 3.8-180-42.2 pervades the planet. Everyone has heard of someone or someones friend, or some weird exercise junkie who has done or wants todo before they die, an ironman-distance race..it's become the norm..the masses have devoured the extreme and tamed it. Time to move on...........
Ultra- triathlons ....traditionaly multiples of iron-distance...have been around for some time now, esp. within central-eastern europe, and used only to be known about through the early version of the ITU...the International Triathlon Underground!! A small widespread group of die hard, hard as nails, hars to track down, tough as they come triathletes who revelled in pushing ever further the limits of triathlon.
Thankfully the internet has made these evnts and this increasing band of amazing athletes availible to all...and still groups of madly enthusiastic people such as Accelerace and Endurancelife dream up ever more excessively enjoyable races for us all to play at. They are without a doubt the future of our sport, but be wary..they come at a cost...and that cost is time!
Time to earn the money to pay for all the gear and to live and compete, time to spend with family and partners, time to train , time to plan, each exacting a pull on those increasingly short 24hrs in every day..tho i swear, some days must only be about 16-18 hrs, as there just is not enough of them. However, we have chosen the way and for most there is no going back..so..how can we minimize the impact?
The money one is easiest..stop spending it! Most of us have all we need and a bit more.Unless you are seriously contemplating a podium finish at a double, triple etc, crossing that finsh line is numero uno , the one factor above all, for the respect you gain from finishing alone lasts a lifetime. So sell those aero wheels..they are no good below 20mph anyway, cancel the carbon trinkets, but get a good basic comfortable set of tri-bars.Image is nothing at these events..no one looks good 60 km into a run and no one cares what your bike looks like at 3am in the pissing rain..but i do know mudguards would be good! Stop spending, and if you absolutely cannot help yourself, then throw your cash at a swim coach or a bike fit session, that is money wisely spent.
Life- training balance with work/ partners/ family can be trickier..but can be rewarding, actually increasing time spent together, as there are suprisingly many ways to combine occasions. I would suggest though that a less-pressurised, less-blinkeres attitude is essential. The effort in these events is at such a reduced intensity....so RELAX. Swimming..? Take the family along and play with them..enjoy splashing about..then excuse yourself for the last 30-60 mins and get some long reps in. Three to four 1000m reps, with short ''family visit recovery '' periods to break them up and to say hello..everyones happy, all is well.
Cycling is a good one. Ok..so we are all going to have the odd lonely strong session ..we need it, it's necessary.RELAX. Long sociable, enjoyable rides are all miles in the bank, and when consistancy is maintained a wicked way to get those steady rides in..after all, who actually manages to ride steady when we really should be?...put your hand down at the back, i dont believe you!! And kiddy trailers, child seats...WOW..what a god send! Load 'em up and embrace the extra training effect...coz remember folks, this is training, not racing...put the watches down. Get yourself a decent second hand mountain bike and set the dimensions up the same as your race position on the posh bike..use this for the commute and transporting/ training with the kids. Fit some mudguards, puncture proof slicks..permanantly fasten some decent LED lights ( ..no excuse not to go out 'coz you cant find them eh?)..and bingo, bring on the winter. Take the kids out training with you for a few hours...let your partner have that lie in...stop a some distant park to play with the kids, then carry on whilst they fall asleep in the trailer..whoa..things are falling into place here! Clean and lube the race bike, then stah it away , forget it for now. It does the soul good to enjoy cycling and being ona bike to just travel...quality of the ride, not quality of the machinary.
Running....COMMUTE..it's brilliantly simple. Do all those little chores a few miles apart on the hoof..takes a bit longer but boy, does it get the miles in..and RELAX..this sort of running is real steady. Have the camel back ready at the door always..windproof, bit of cash, tub of dried fruit, and an empty waterbottle..NEVER ever have to carry a full bottle, how many garages, cafes do you pass that will shove some water in for you? More than you think i reckon..personally have not run with a full bottle or drinks bladder for a very long time now...grab, drink, carry on. Going to visit friends? Run and get a lift back..or run both ways..or drive, partner drives back and you run..easy.Too far to run to work...well, park half way and run the rest, no one at home need ever know you sneaked in an extra 10 miles.
I feel training for Ultras need never be a chore or an intrusion...by adopting two simple tactics..RELAXING about how you train, and by ADAPTING situations to enable training with a minimal impact, it can actually get easier and more fun. It does work.
Myself....? 2009 will be 10 yers since my first Double ironman-distance race, and as such will be a fitting time to better my previous best...24:46 hours, 4th place...how much better will continue to be a closely guarded secret! Training knowledge and experience is so much improved since those early days, tho i continue to be a guinea pig for my new regimes and programmes...but a very healthy guinea pig !
Ok...we've now all decided on THE race and to a degree how to schedule all the training in. Think a bit of planning is in orde now. What exactly is your training going to consist of, and how are we going to stucture it..? This will be the very broad subject for the next installment...stay tuned, and stay happy and healthy.
Jules.
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