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Performance in Ironman – small changes to success

March 14, 2017

Home, ironman, Training

When we stop seeing the challenge of Ironman as finishing and start looking at how fast we can get to the line the dynamic of our thinking and training changes.

The biggest challenge when we start thinking like this is accepting that failure or a long walk to the finish line is a BIG and real possibility. The training commitment and expense of the racing itself can make this too much of a risk for most of us especially when it is likely we can only commit to one Ironman race in a given year.

To have gotten to the stage where we are looking at times and performance we have likely been successful and performed well in previous races and have followed a plan to get there, the biggest mistake I see made is assume to get faster we need to be pushing much harder in training or doing much more training – both recipes for disaster!

First step in taking on this challenge is looking at previous training and races, have you steadily improved performance over a number of years with a similar training volume and intensity? If you can answer yes to this then you are still getting stimulus and adaption to this training load and there is no reason to increase as it would follow that the improvements will continue to come.

In this circumstance we want to look at our races and see if there are any small areas of weakness we may need to improve on, by this I mean if there are certain things that we always struggle with in races. For example we may tighten up or start cramping towards the end of the swim or we may find it hard to cope with small changes in gradient or accelerations during the bike section.

Once we highlight these points we can look to integrate fixes into our existing program – small changes in interval set up for example can elevate these issues in future race’s yet the stimulus from sessions is not too different and not risking a total change in stimulus. Let’s look at how we could fix the 2 issues highlighted above.

Tightening up or cramping towards the end of the swim

The Ironman swim is a long swim and places a big demand on the body that is very hard to replicate in a pool, we will all struggle to hold good technique for a full 3800m, small things we would not think about can lead to big determinations on technique when swimming open water. We all feel fatigue in shoulders and lats when swimming and assume the increase of this fatigue as the race goes on is simply due to fatigue in hugest muscles but our core strength or lack of it can be the real reason for increasing fatigue. Even though we are supported by the water to an extent we still need to have a strong core in order to hold an optimum position for an effective pull, as our core fatigues we lose this position and usually to a significant extent and this leads to more drag and the swimming muscles have to work much harder for the same speed hence the feeling of increased fatigue. As most of us can’t regularly swim open water we never get to see this fatigue come into play as the small rests we get as we turn in a pool are enough to prevent this fatigue kicking in.

The most common areas of cramping when swimming long distaste are gluteus muscles and hip flexors – the hips play a huge role in swimming and body position and if they are not strong problems will arise when racing. A small core routine incorporated into your weekly training can lead to a significant change in performance.

When I say set up a core routine to strengthen hips I am not talking about heading to the gym and spending an hour working out – a hip strengthening routine can be done at home or at the pool before or after a swim session or as a complement to your bike and run training, I find using the exercises as your warm up to be the most effective use of time.

HIP ROUTINE
HIP EXTENSION
PLANK
LUNGES
MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

Go through the following exercises twice working for 30 seconds and resting for 15 seconds. See videos for how to do exercises.

Start adding this in now twice a week and you will feel the difference on the race day as you fatigue less at the end of your swim and also head out fresher and stronger into the bike!

Bike accelerations or gradient changes

In Ironman while drafting is not allowed riding legally paced groups is inevitable and even if we want to ride to our own effort or power we have to be aware of the group dynamic in order to avoid penalties and optimise our performance. One thing that always happens in such circumstances is the pace will suddenly increase or decrease and also the need to increase power for small inclines will be needed in order to maintain position and avoid penalties if riding in a large group. These small accelerations and spikes can really hurt your performance if you are not used to them as they can rapidly burn through fuel and if you can’t recover quickly and get back to normal heart rate your endurance will suffer.

If this is something you suffer from then we can change the dynamic of one of your interval bike sessions to incorporate a similar stress and allow the body to get used to going above comfort zone and then coming down again many times, the more we do this the more your body will get used to the stress and come back to normal faster.

Having looked at power meter data from athletes racing these small spikes in power tend to be between 20 and 60 seconds in duration so we want our sessions to be similar, an example of a session to simulate this is:

Warm up for 10-30mins easy

Perform the following routine 1-3 times through

1min very hard / 1min moderate x3

10min race effort

3min easy recovery and then repeat desired number if times.

The first times you attempt a session like this you will find it very tough and breathing will be stressed more than anything but you will find over a number of weeks breathing becomes more steady and recovers rapidly after the hard efforts.

This session would replace your normal race intensity session in your weekly plan, for example this could be the classic 2x20min hard session that is used by many athletes.

So if you have decided to see just how fast you can go and really race your next Ironman resist the temptation to increase volume and intensity rather look at the small changes needed to address your weakness when racing. When race day comes it is all about executing your fitness and taking the risk of blowing up!

Enjoy your training

Coach Alun “Woody” Woodward

ironguides is the leading Lifestyle Facilitation company for athletes of all abilities. We provide coaching and training services, plans and programs, as well training education, health and fitness products to help you learn and live a healthy lifestyle. Come get fit with one of our monthly training subscriptions, event-specific training plans, coaching services, or a triathlon training camp in an exotic location! ironguides also provides Corporate Health services including Corporate Triathlons, Healthy Living retreats and speaking engagements. At ironguides, your best is our business!

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Women’s coaching: psychology & physiology

March 8, 2017

On the International Women’s day (8^th March) ironguides Head Coach Vinnie Santana has compiled his observations and experiences as a coach and professional triathlete on the main psychological and physiological aspects of triathlon training for women. He has trained or worked closely with female athletes of all levels, from helping women finish their first triathlon to attending a training camp with four-time Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington and 2012 Olympic Champion Nicola Spirig.

It’s clear that the number of women athletes in our sport has risen significantly in recent years. In some countries women-only races and race series are appearing. And the industry has picked up on this trend with an increasing number of items specifically designed for women from shoes to wetsuits to bikes.

The depth of the elite women’s field also has deepened in the past few years. We have watched as Chrissie Wellington has raised the bar again and again in winning the Ironman World Championships in four of the last five years (she missed one Kona due to illness). Chrissie also has lowered the world record for Iron-women several times, most recently to 8:18, which she did at Challenge Roth in July 2011. As a result, most of Chrissie’s rivals also have stepped up their games, in training and racing. There has been a slew of Sub Nine hour Ironman finishes by women, inspired by what Chrissie has achieved.

When it comes to performance, women may use less glycogen and tap more fat for fuel than men in longer, lower-intensity types of exercise, such as long-distance triathlon, which possibly gives female athletes a relative advantage to their male counterparts. Chrissie has previously indicated that she believes that it’s only a matter of time before women beat men in Ironman and who can argue with her; Chrissie, the reigning world champion, has placed in the Top 10 overall in most of her Ironman races, and she has crossed the finish line ahead of many high-profile world-class male triathletes.

When it comes to coaching, the two sexes require different approaches. Despite the health benefits of being an endurance athlete, psychology and physiology are very different between women and men. Women have menstrual periods, and they are in general more vulnerable to stress fractures.

This article is a compilation of my observations and experiences as a coach and professional triathlete on the main psychological and physiological aspects of triathlon training for women. I’ve been fortunate enough to train or work closely with female athletes of all levels, from helping women finish their first triathlon to attending a training camp with Chrissie.

Psychology

When it comes to goals, men and women are different. Men tend to be more concentrated on the result, while women are more focused on the process. This has an impact on the way a coach should motivate his male and female athletes. Women benefit from an approach that is aimed at building confidence, making them feel good about themselves and helping them believe they can achieve their goals, while men perform very well when they are challenged. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule and that’s the value in having a perceptive coach.

These key differences also explain why the personal relationship between some athletes and coaches—the relationship they have outside the sport—has a big impact on their performance. We have seen many successful athletes who are coached by their husbands, fathers or boyfriends including Olympic champion Emma Snowsill and seven-time Ironman champion Natascha Badmann.

Of course, these relationships aren’t limited to triathlon. The Williams’ sisters—Venus and Serena—have long been coached by their father. The closer the relationship between athlete and coach, the easier it can be to gauge whether constructive criticism or encouragement is the best option for the coach on any given day.

Being able to “read” one’s athletes, in particular the female athlete, is a skill that takes time to develop.

One former ironguides athlete had a three-colour swim-cap system for her swim coach: green meant “all’s good, critique away”, yellow signalled “warning: could go either way”, while red alerted the coach to “watch out, not open to feedback!”

Physiology

Once the coach has established a solid understanding of the athlete’s level of motivation, it is time to reach for improved physiological performance.

Let’s start with body type. There is a fundamental difference in how much training an individual athlete can handle, regardless of gender.

Heavier or muscular athletes tax their bodies more when training and tend to need longer recovery periods after intense workouts, especially with running. In contrast, a skinny—leaner—athlete often can train at a very high intensity and yet require less recovery time. This reflects one’s level of testosterone, which can vary widely from athlete to athlete and is not necessarily a requirement for success for women in triathlon.

Understanding both body type and testosterone levels are important to understanding the differences between training loads for men and women.

Many age-group women are training for hobby and lifestyle, and a coach needs to be aware that training can impact their periods. Again, the impact varies significantly by individual. Some women can, at a very high training load, get skinny and still have their periods, while others find the smallest change in body fat can interfere with the timing of their period or suppress it altogether.

Some female athletes may use the pill in order to keep their estrogen and progesterone at the levels they should be. However this also has a downside, especially because of hormonal swings. It’s important to check with your doctor if you have any concerns and to keep your coach in the loop too.

A woman’s diet may also be different to a man’s. Some observers believe a higher intake of red meat helps to prevent anemia and, while doing heavy training, calcium intake is also believed to help sustain bone density which, if not looked after, could lead to the stress fractures I noted earlier. Asking a doctor for advice is advisable if you have any concerns, while keeping in mind that fatigue can also be a normal side effect of adjusting to training or to a higher training load.

For these reasons, it is important to understand the true goal of each female athlete, as the details do have an impact on performance, health and lifestyle.

Enjoy your training.

Vinnie Santana, ironguides Head Coach
–

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Alun ‘Woody’ Woodward, Certified ironguides Coach – UK/Hungary
http://www.ironguides.net

* * * Your best is our business.™ * * *

Triathlon Race Day – When Things Go Wrong

March 1, 2017

We would all like to have everything go perfectly leading into a race but there are times when this simply does not happen and we need to have coping strategies in place.

Not all problems that arise mean you have to give up your race. I saw a great example of this from former World Champion Spencer Smith when racing an ITU points race and qualifying event in Funchal, Madeira. During the bike section Spencer had a major mechanical issue with the rear brake coming clean out of his bike frame, rather than give up the race Spencer jumped off his bike and quickly found a way to secure the brake to the frame to stop is jumping around and causing a major hazard and then got on with the race just taking a little more care on descents and corners due to having only one working brake. Not only did Spencer finish the race but he had one hell of a story to tell after and just further enhanced his reputation of never stopping the fighting!!

There are 3 main issues that can come up before or during a race and these can be pain due to injury, mechanical issue or nutritional issues.

While some injuries simply mean we cannot race, some smaller issues can be overcome using over the counter pain killers. An example of this can be a strained back which is very common for all of us and usually results from something unrelated to our sport. Simply moving wrong getting out of bed or picking something off the floor can lead to a sore back due to muscle spasms. I would always recommend you see your doctor to determine whether any permanent damage could be done by racing on pain killers before following this advice.

With pain killers we have 2 main over the counter pain killers paracetamol and ibuprofen. When we are looking at these two drugs we need to know when to take them and what they do.

Paracetamol kills the pain response BUT only if it is taken before the pain starts, so if we are racing and wait until the pain comes on it is too late and nothing is going to help. Once the brain starts signaling pain, the process has started to try to get you to stop moving and it can’t really be switched off. So if you have a pain that you know is not going to cause permanent damage by ignoring, you need to be looking to take paracetamol before the pain starts.

During a day you can take 3 times 1g of Paracetamol so if you are racing Ironman you might want to take one dose with your breakfast, another starting the bike ride and then one more before just before the end of the bike.

A lot of pain is caused by inflammation and ibuprofen is designed to take away this inflammation and can be very effective. I would tend to limit the use of iboprofen though when racing as it is very hard on the stomach and that is the last thing we need on race day. If ibuprofen is needed, I would take with breakfast and then leave until after the race.

Other stronger pain killers are available from your doctor but please make sure you explain to your doctor what you are doing as the demands of ironman will effect what you should take, for example Voltaren, a commonly used pain killer is processed by the kidneys and this could be very damaging during an ironmen race when the kidneys are already under a lot of stress. A safer choice for endurance sport would be Codeine which is processed by the liver.

Remember always get your doctor’s advice before taking any pain medication.

Nutritional issue on race day can be numerous but one big one is losing your own special nutrition. I am sure you have been racing and seen nutritional products all over the road, when we hit a bump in the road it is easy for our products to fall off the bike or also we can simply drop them when trying to eat and drink. While we should have our own products that work well for us we need to be aware of what is on the course and how much we need to take in to satisfy the energy demands of the race. Most races have aid stations with various products to give us a choice so we can take solid bars if we don’t tolerate gels and vica versa. Always have a backup plan in place so you can simply move to it if the worst happens and then you don’t panic and can still have a great race.

A lot of races also have a special needs area where you can place a bag containing spare nutrition or emergency foods. I would always recommend you utilize these on race day as you never know what might happen and after all your hard work preparing for your event it is better to be safe than sorry.

Mechanical issues are a huge factor for many people on race day and one of the leading causes of athletes not finishing their races. Make sure you have basic supplies with you on the race course so you can fix minor issues yourself. A basic allen key set is essential as you don’t want your race ending due to a loose bolt that would only take a few seconds to tighten. Also carrying a spare tube and pump to fix a flat are essential, I would always prefer a manual pump over a CO2 canister as these do notoriously fail on race day. On the bike I like to have the following and secure them to your bike using a strong tape such as duct tape.

allen key set
manual pump / dual Co2 pump
spare inner tube
tire lever

So a little forward planning and preparing for possible problems on race day can make any issue that comes up a lot less stressful to cope with and still lead to a successful completion of your race. Plus when things do go wrong and you overcome them it leads to a much more entertaining post race story to share with your fellow athletes and friends!!

Enjoy your training

Coach Alun “Woody” Woodward

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Swimming and Ankle Bands

February 21, 2017

Pullbuoys feel great because they help you float nicely in the water. Paddles immediately let you know that you’re working harder and increase your distance per stroke. Everybody is happy to use these 2 tools because they enhance the feel for efficiency in the water.

But everybody hates swimming with an Ankle Band.

Just try getting a class to strap on ankle bands and many swimmers feign ignorance, “What’s that? What’s it for? What does it do? Where can I get one?” or conveniently ‘leave them at home’ – every single week.

The humble ankle band is easily the most under-rated and unloved swimming tool out there because swimming with an ankle band is tough. Many athletes don’t even get to half way across the pool before deciding ‘That’s not for me.” That’s because swimming with a band feels crap at first, and may continue to do so unless you take the time and put in the effort to appreciate how it’s supposed to help you swim better. So read on…

The first time you try one on you’ll feel as though you might drown because tying your legs together makes you drag your legs and bum around like this:

But forcing you into a counter -intuitive position of poor body balance is good for you. Here’s why:

1) Increased awareness of body position –

When you start swimming with an band you will find your bum and legs trawling through the water. It feels TERRIBLE and INEFFICIENT and a total waste of energy. This is because by binding the feet together, you have effectively removed the propulsive and counter balancing effect of your kick. This causes your lower body to sink deeper into the water putting you in the worst possible position for swimming.

After struggling through the 1st few laps and realizing that you’re not going to drown, keep an open mind and start to experiment with ‘pressing the T’ into the water. The “T” is the the cross junction formed by the vertical mid-line of your torso and the horizontal line that runs across from shoulder to shoulder. To swim even a little efficiently in the water with an ankle band, you really need to exaggerate the pressing of your chest and shoulders into the water. It is an unnatural sensation that takes getting used to, but once you get a feel for it, you’re well on your way to achieving a better position in the water. Once you are able to apply pressure ‘into’ the water with your upper body, replicate this sensation when swimming without the band and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much better balanced you will be in the water.

2) ‘Syncs’ the upper and lower body –

Secondly, using the band regularly engages the core muscles in the trunk to ‘connect ‘ the upper and lower halves of the body so that you learn ( out of necessity ) how to rotate as one single and united vessel. If you pay attention to the feel of swimming with a band, you’ll start to understand what it means to drive the rotation ‘from the hips’. In order to rotate in even a slightly efficient manner with the band on, your trunk and hips, bum and legs all need to turn at the same time and at the same speed, kind of as if you were a chicken on a satay/ lamb on a spit.

The simple ankle band does a great job of making you more aware of your balance and rotational inadequacies. So unlike the other above-mentioned tools, that you just stick on and let them do the work for you, the ankle band requires more focus on the ‘feel’ of how you are moving through the water AND the willingness to experiment with the smaller details of your technique to get them just right.

I find that the band has helped significantly to sync the timing of my rotation with the pulling arm so that I am moving more as a single and powerful unit through the water and displacing more water with each pull as a result of that. This ‘connection’ between your upper and lower body will also reduce the amount of side to side ‘snaking’ from the rear end.

3) Improves strength –

Finally, the increased resistance that a sinking bum and legs produce is a fantastic but totally crude way, of swim specific strength training. Try it!

So PLEASE, make an ankle band up from an old goggle strap or punctured inner tube and leave in your kit bag as a permanent resident. You will struggle and wrestle with it at the start but persevere and keep an open mind, pay attention to the ‘feel’ and you will be rewarded with an intuitive awareness of your body position in the water and the skill to fine tune your overall swimming technique.

Getting started:

1) Use the ankle band with a pullbuoy to start with.

2) Don’t worry about your speed, focus on keeping the effort easy and finding that sweet spot of balance. This should be your 1st priority

3) Only build intensity after you have gotten comfortable with the band. This will come naturally if you are paying attention to 2)

4) A good place to introduce band work is right at the start of your swim session as part of your warm up. It could be as simple as 5 x 100 easy with pullbuoy and band.

5) Progress to longer continuous intervals with the band as your ability dictates.

Enjoy your training!

Coach Shem Leong
–

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A Beginners Guide to Triathlon Run

February 15, 2017

As triathlon is viewed largely as an endurance sport, many beginner triathletes like to cover the distance of the run portion of their triathlon at an easy steady pace. While there is definitely a place for the LSD ( Long Slow Distance) in every triathletes schedule, the best thing to do with the other run training slots is to mix up the your effort levels in a structured way so that the other physiological systems of the triathletes body can be developed as well.

If an athlete currently run 3 times a week – 3km , 5km and 10km, all at the same easy to moderate pace then yes they will indeed develop the endurance to simply cover the distance. However, this ‘safe’ approach to training will not work as the athlete wants to improve their speed.

The ONLY way to improve run performance is to develop the other important physiological systems of strength, leg speed and tolerance.

Strength – Simply put, “Stronger is stronger”. A stronger athlete will be able to hold their form later into the race. This means they will be able to running efficiently for longer. A stronger athlete will also be able to take longer strides, covering more ground with each step. This translates to a faster run. Stronger athletes also typically hold up better to the rigours of training. As they develop strength, they are able to push harder without getting injured. An athlete can build strength in a number of ways;

a) Hill Repeats: After a full warm up of 20 mins easy building to moderate running, run up a steep hill as hard as you can for 40 seconds. Your legs should be burning by the end of that effort and our heart may feel as if it is about to jump out of your chest. Turn around, walk back down and repeat 10 x. Cool down at the end with a very easy 10 min jog.

b) Static exercises: Squats and Lunges are the basic exercises that build run specific strength. They develop Gluteal and Quadricep strength. After learning how to execute them correctly, advanced versions include single leg variations, weighted variations, Swiss Ball Variations and more explosive plyometric exercises. However, the simple squat and lunge combo is a great way to build strength in the legs.

Leg Speed – Leg speed refers to the ability for a triathlete to turnover a high stride rate while running. Efficient running starts at a stride rate of 90 steps per minute and this is a key factor that will allow one to run off the bike well. Typically, athletes who are not aware of their stride rate, especially taller ones, may come in anywhere between 78 – 86 steps per minute. To measure your stride rate, simply count the number of times your right elbow drives backwards in a 30 sec window while you are running at your regular pace. Then multiply this number by 2.

As a drill, I get my runners to focus on driving their elbows back and forth at an exaggerated higher rate while running for short bursts. Performing this drill once week will develop their stride rate:

A) Jog 20 minutes to a nearby track as your warm up. Run with as fast a stride rate as you can for 60 – 80m along the straight. This is NOT an all-out sprint. You may end up running quite fast, but remember that top end speed is not the goal of this drill. Focus instead on running tall and driving your elbows quickly. Your may find that your stride naturally shortens and becomes more compact – this is fine. You are also retraining your feet to strike the ground under your hips, which is another important trait of efficient running. At the end of the effort, jog back easy to the start and repeat the Fast Strides 15 – 20 times. Finish with an easy 10 minute jog to cool down.

B) Doing this drill on a treadmill is also very useful because the treadmill at 0% gradient actually drives the leg turnover. You will need to master the skill of jumping off on to the side platforms to take your rest though!

Tolerance – This refers to the ability to hold a moderately hard effort for an extended period of time – a useful skill to have at any distance of race! Here is simple tolerance set that you can try out on the road/ at the track or even on the treadmill.

A) At the track, after warming up, do 12 – 15 x 400m with a 30 – 45 sec rest after each lap. Do not go flat out. Instead, aim to run all of these at the best possible pace that you can sustain over all the repetitions. Your goal is to run the 1^st one, middle one and last one at the same speed. Be warned, this session is designed to get tougher and tougher as you progress through the reps. You may need to take an extra 60 seconds at half time to catch your breath. It will take a few weeks to master this set but by the time you nail it, you’ll already be running better!

B) You can easily replicate this session on the road by running moderately hard for 2 mins with a 30 – 45 sec walk break after each one. Aim to keep the same ‘best average’ pace for all reps.

So there you have it, this should be plenty to get started on. The next time you head out for a run, I challenge you to do any one of these sets and mix it up! Stick with it for 3 -4 weeks and you’ll feel the difference in no time at all.

GOOD LUCK & ENJOY YOUR TRAINING.
Shem Leong
–
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Too Many Toys Spoiling the Fun

January 4, 2017

Home, Training

Triathlon really should be a simple sport about being outdoors and enjoying nature while getting fit but it has become all about gadgets in recent years. At ironguides we have taken the gadgets away from many athletes and allowed them to come from a dark place of stagnated and frustrated performance and seen them not only start to really enjoy the training with renewed motivation but also see performance developments they never thought possible.

Why do the toys cause problems?

In triathlon right now the GPS watches are the latest toy that can record every aspect of our training and rather than see groups of athletes out training together we see groups running stagnated along the road with each athlete trying to maintain some perfect speed for optimum improvement – really there is no such speed and if anything the body knows much better than a watch what is right in any given moment!!

The upcoming Ironman South Africa is a great example of a course that will really interfere with athletes who have trained using such gadgets – the run course for example while flat is typically very windy and past experience has shown it is impossible to run at a steady pace as the headwind will significantly increase effort for pace and a tailwind will have us running much faster than planned for a given effort which can really interfere with our head game on race day.

Part of the sport has always been the challenge of pushing our bodies to the limit and that brings with it a real sense of achievement on the finish line – compare this to racing looking constantly at numbers and staying within set limits and allowing numbers on a watch dictate your race. A watch can’t tell you if it is windy out or you’re going up a slight incline, a watch can’t tell you if you’re in need of food and could do with slowing down for a short time to absorb some calories.

Being in touch with our bodies is an extremely valuable skill and one not often utilized these days but we do see time and time again that the athletes who have mastered this are normally at the pointy end of their respective races.

Swim performance is something that really has suffered through bad use of toys especially the metronome to dictate stroke rate – we have removed the focus from feel of the water and changes in the environment to simply bashing the arms over and hoping the technique remains good. When we swim open water we need to be aware of our environment and if racing a sea swim such as in South Africa we need to be adaptable without stroke rate to take advantage of waves coming back to shore and also to navigate better in rough rolling conditions. Who would you follow into the water on race day, the swimmer with the biggest watch making sure all his settings are right or the guy standing looking out to sea studying the course and and simply looking at home.

Our bodies really are the most amazing computers and watches, I have trained with athletes who do not even use a watch yet will know pretty much to the minute how long they have been out, how fast they have been going and what I notice more than anything – the smile on the face!!

If you’re feeling frustrated and performance has stagnated then maybe its time to throw away your toys and start to get back in touch with how your body really feels and works.

Enjoy your training.

Coach Alun “Woody” Woodward

Train with ironguides!

Personalized Online Coaching: Starting at USD190/month

Monthly Training plans (for all levels, or focused on one discipline): Only USD39/months

Event based training plans:

Sprint Distance (USD45 for 8-week plan)

Olympic Distance (USD65 for 12 week plan)

Half Ironman (R$95 for 16-week plan)

Running Plans (10k, 21k and 42k – starting at USD40)

A Toast to New Year’s Resolutions

December 28, 2016

The New Year can bring out the best in athletes such as new focus and better habits—but it can also lead to a very quick breakdown and loss of motivation. Athletes love to make New Year’s resolutions. We are always thinking about every possible way to get more from our bodies so we can perform better.

A popular resolution is to stop drinking alcohol. I always find this interesting as athletes believe it to be a magic bullet: if they stop consuming alcohol, surely they will be leaner, fresher and faster—no question!

I remember hearing that before the 2004 Olympics Ivan Rana from Spain, one of the favorites in the triathlon, had decided to completely forego alcohol for one year leading into the Games so that he could focus everything in his life to his one goal of winning Olympic gold.

Instead, Rana had one of his worst seasons ever.

While we can’t say that his decision to stop drinking was the only reason for his slump, it for sure played its part. Many people have said that beer (in moderation) is one of the best recovery drinks.

Taking away what was once a source of calories and some nutrients can wreak havoc on the body.

We must also take into consideration that there is a social aspect to having a drink. Maybe we find the easiest way to forego a beer or a glass of wine by avoiding the events where we usually have a few.

This lack of contact with friends and colleagues can also have an important consequence, and it is not necessarily a positive one. We put such a big focus on training and our goals that it is good to socialize away from the sport to relax a little.

I would always advise that, instead, we look at reducing consumption. Everything in life should be balanced—we should always aim to be good 80 per cent of the time. I like to plan one of two “naughty” days every week. That’s when you can go out for a drink and eat your favorite foods without worrying about getting fat or what effect it will have on your training the next day.

Other typical resolutions include:

* Sleep more

* Improve nutrition

These, too, are big lifestyle changes and they are generally implemented overnight. The human body loves routine. If we change something, it will react and in almost all cases it will react negatively.

When people stop smoking they do not feel great, healthy and happy the next day—they feel horrible for a long time. For sure the benefits are there in the long run but in the immediate time after stopping things are not going to be rosy.

The same goes for pretty much everything: the body will not like the change and will rebel, and we tend to feel depressed and unmotivated in these times.

I will always tell my athletes that resolutions are great but they need to be implemented brick by brick.

January is a stressful time for most people as we tend to ignore many normal daily tasks through December as the festive season takes hold and other events take priority.

Reality always hits hard in January with piles of paper work, house work, office work and other things that have to be done. This is a time when we need our normal structure to help us stay on top of everything, making sure we are doing what is familiar to our body.

Let’s look at what happens when you decide to change your nutrition. You go to work with different food in your body, which in turn reacts different from the way it usually does. Your energy levels might be lower for a while. You may feel hungry or bloated all day. As a result you cannot concentrate on your work. You do not get as much done and the stress builds up. You need more time for work and slip out of your normal routine very easily.

I will always aim to implement resolutions brick by brick through January and February. For performance, consistency of training is the key and this is the focus of an ironguides program.

Coming into the first weeks of January it is important to not change training routine, making sure to get a couple of consistent weeks training in now that all the distractions of the holidays are behind us.

Once back into your full routine, we can start implementing changes.

We should also have a good look at the resolutions to see if they are really going to make a difference.

The most important thing for athletes is not only to come up with these resolutions but to talk about them with their coach and family. Sit down and think how the changes will impact your life.

For example, while going to bed earlier may leave you more rested for training the next morning and fresher for work, consider the impact it might have on a partner. You may be taking away the only time they have with you.

Living with a triathlete is not always easy as we tend to be pressed for time constantly. Remember to think about others in your life and how your changes will affect them.

For training to be effective we need to be balanced, we need to be healthy and we must have the support of our friends and family. I want athletes to keep this in mind. Most athletes consider the weekend BIG training time. I always ask them to make the sacrifice of waking up very early one morning a week to train so that one day at the weekend can be dedicated to family/ partner time.

You can still do a short training session on this day of the weekend but giving most of that day to family will make them so much happier and you will also find their support for your triathlon lifestyle will grow.

To make 2011 your best season, implement your resolutions over the next few weeks brick by brick

AFTER you’ve considered carefully how any changes impact not only your training but also those

around you. Remember balance!

Alun ‘Woody’ Woodward, Certified ironguides Coach – Austria.
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Alun ‘Woody’ Woodward, Certified ironguides Coach – UK/Hungary
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New Year resolutions: key to success

December 20, 2016