Triathlon Europe

Dirty Tactics

In order to keep the competitive edge and help build some strength over the winter I have been heading off-road to do some cross country running races and cyclocross races.  The common theme with these races is that the courses require bursts of extreme effort and you will most likely get very muddy!

 

Cross country races vary between 6k and 15k in distance and the terrain is some combination of grass, gravel, mud, small sections of tarmac, leg-searing climbs and frightening downhills.  In terms of equipment you may be able to get by with trail shoes if conditions are good.  However, getting a pair of cross country spikes is a good idea and they can be picked up for under £30.  Spikes are essential for hilly and/or muddy courses without tarmac sections.

 

Cross country running is fantastic for strength due to the hills and is quite gentle on the knees as the ground is usually quite soft.  It also gives you a killer core workout.  Unlike road running where you can pretty much run without much thought to where you place your feet, cross country is often on unstable ground and requires constant balance adjustments throughout the whole body.  I’m always surprised at the places that ache after a race.  But in the end, it’s just plain fun and the races have a great atmosphere.  Cross country meets tend to have a carnival feel with a series of races beginning with under 13 year olds and ending with the seniors/veterans race.  At the end there’s always an abundance of homemade cakes and treats available as a reward for your hard work.

 

I’ve been keen to try cyclocross racing for some time as I’d heard it is not only great fun but is very accommodating to novices.  For those that may not be aware, cyclocross started over 60 years ago as a way for road riders to train during the winter.  Cyclocross courses are around 2k to 4k long and will comprise of grass, dirt tracks, mud and sometimes sand, but will usually include some short asphalt sections.  Each lap will include forced dismounts where you have to dismount and carry your bike over obstacles making mountain bike shoes a must.  There may be other sections such as steep up- or downhills and dead turns where it may be quicker to run with the bike on your shoulder than to ride.  The majority of participants ride dedicated cyclocross bikes but many ride mountain bikes which adds to the accessibility of the cyclocross racing.  

 

So what is a cyclocross bike?  They look pretty much like a road bike but have a few subtle differences: slightly more relaxed geometry, higher bottom bracket, greater tyre clearance to accommodate knobbly 30mm to 35mm tyres, cantilever brakes and smaller chainrings (generally a 46/36 or 46/39 setup).  ‘Cross bikes are easily converted to a road machine by putting on a 50+ tooth outer-ring and road tyres and so make great training/winter/commuter bikes.  Interestingly you’ll see the top level ‘cross racer using deep section carbon wheels similar to what you’d see at a triathlon.  The theory is that these wheels cut through the mud with less deviation than a shallow rim wheel.

 

Cyclocross races go for one hour and require the racers to complete as many laps as possible.  So once a race gets into swing your position in the field is hard to determine and that makes it a more relaxed type of race for newbies.  You can go at your own pace and no one knows if you are coming dead last.  Another interesting feature is the pit area.  Serious riders have spare wheels and even a spare bike in the pits in case of mechanical issues.  Riders have been known to drop off a muddy bike in the pits and take off on their second bike and by the time they complete a lap their no. 1 bike will have been cleaned by their pit crew, ready for the rider to swap back. 

 

 

‘Cross races are a great way to practice dismounting and mounting the bike which is obviously a valuable skill in triathlon.  Each lap may require two or three dismounts, so you’ll be repeating this anywhere between 15 and 30 times over the course of a race.  You’ll also pick up some great bike handling skills from the constantly changing terrain. 

 

 

So if anyone is looking for some fun and interesting ways to race over the winter I highly recommend some off-road racing, whether it be on foot or bike.  I’m hoping that it will translate into some faster triathlon times come summer.

  

 

Looking back, looking ahead...

  
My tri season is now well and truly over so I thought I’d give a brief synopsis of how it went.  This season was my first “real” tri season as prior to this year I had only raced one open water sprint tri.  I also made the step up from sprint distance to Olympic this year.

Best Result – Bedford Classic, 2:21:50, on a slightly long bike (43km bike) and weedy river swim.  This race was a last minute addition to my schedule due to…

Biggest Disappointment – Snapping my chain in the ITU London Olympic race which was an “A” race.  I’d done a p.b. swim and had put in a solid 21k on the bike when disaster struck.  Luckily I didn’t crash and it was only my pride that was hurt.

Most Fun – Racing with my Triathlon Europe colleagues at the National Team Triathlon Championships and the team taking 2^nd place. 

“Why am I here?” Race– Getting into 12° water at the Grendon Sprint (with a head cold) I realised early May is not the time for open water triathlons.  

 

After my last triathlon I had a four days cycling in the Pyrenees which was incredible.  I climbed Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin, Col de Menté, Luz Ardiden, Hautacam and Port de Balés as well as many smaller Cat. 3 and 4 climbs.  The weather was lovely but the descents were freezing and I wouldn’t recommend going any later than mid-September.

 So looking forward I shall continue to follow Fiona’s training plan over the winter.  I’ll race a few cross country events and a couple of half marathons to keep the competitive edge.  I am contemplating doing a middle distance race in 2011 so that will bring a new set of challenges....

 

The tri season so far....

My tri season is now well underway having completed the Grendon Sprint, Ultra Fit Challenge ³/4 Olympic and the Blenheim Triathlons. 

A lesson learned for 2011: early May is not warm enough to be doing open water tris.  The water temperature at Grendon was a painful 12^o and the air temperature a brisk 9^owhich meant for a very cold, numb race.  In fact, this caused me a major shoe problem in T2 and added minutes to my finish time.  To make matters worse I was suffering with a cold on the race day.  I was quite disappointed with my 1hr 24min time but pleased that I braved the elements and competed.  This race was a World Championships qualifier so it was great to see some top quality triathletes flying past me. 

Next up was my first foray beyond sprint distance, the Ultra Fit ³/4 Olympic at Dorney Lake.  The weather for this one was amazing, 27^o and not a cloud in sight.  Luckily I had spent some time in Australia in March in similar conditions so I felt right at home.  I managed a solid swim and bike with some good transitions.  My run, which is usually my strength, was not as good as usual, and maybe the 3pm heat had started to get to me.  Relatively though my run was pretty good and I managed to get 4th in the 35-39 age group and be 12th individual across the line, finishing in 1:41:20.

My most recent race was the Blenheim Tri, a huge event in an amazing setting.  Once again the English summer didn't disappoint and the temperature was up around the mid to high 20s.  I found this to be a bit a runner's race given the straightforward swim and overcrowded bike leg that would hold back the strong cyclists (which ain't me!).  Overall I got around in 1:17:04 which I was pleased with, almost managing to crack the top 100 males (out of about 3,000) and getting 31st in age group in a field of 660.

 

Next up......

Steel Man Olympic, Dorney Lake, July 4

Dextro ITU Olympic, Hyde Park, July 25
 

10k Regents park PB and Big Cow Duathlon race report

 This is my first update since Fiona became my coach in November.  In 2009 I completed my first couple of triathlons after a few years racing duathlons (a non-swimming Australian??  It was embarrassing to admit.).  I had a couple of good results in 2009: 9th in my age group at the London Duathlon and 13th in AG at the Dextro ITU Sprint triathlon in Hyde Park (my first open water triathlon).  However, I knew if I wanted to improve and race longer distances I needed to be coached.  I had attended one of Fiona's training days in 2009 and had a great day so there was no question who to turn to…

Despite a pretty harsh winter I was very committed to the training schedules Fiona presented me with each week and on many occasions found myself running and cycling in the rain and even snow.  I soon realised how I had been doing too much of the same type of training.  I had to teach myself to run slowly which was a lot harder than it seemed.  Eventually I managed to achieve this and my 90 minute runs are some of my favourite workouts now.

After three months of training and some good improvements in field tests (8% increase in FTP on the bike) I finally got to test myself in a race - the February edition of the 10km series in Regent's Park.  I had set my 10km PB in the October race finishing in 38:25 but lining up for the race in February I was a little apprehensive.  I had done lots of nice, easy 20km runs, plenty of 800m to 1600m intervals but nothing at 10km pace for nearly 40min.  I thought lets just see how it goes….

I got into a nice rhythm for the start and was feeling pretty good, even keeping relatively close to a fellow Serpie who consistently runs sub-38s.  I passed to 5k point in 18:43 which was 4 seconds ahead of my PB.  However, in the past this is where my race starts to unravel; I never had the endurance to finish off the last 5km strongly but this time I felt great.  I was able to keep my pace high and run strongly to the finish covering the last 5k in 18:56 for a 37:39 10k.  A new PB by a 46 seconds!

 Last weekend I headed up to Milton Keynes to do the first of the Big Cow duathlons.  Conditions on the day were great, nice and sunny, although the already short bike leg had to be shortened further due to flooding and there were some nasty icy patches on the run.  I ran strongly on the 4.3km first run leg (listed as 4.5km) coming in to T1 in 15:35.  A somewhat sluggish transition later and it was on to the insanity that was the bike leg.  This involved 12 laps around "The Bowl" which has very narrow roads.   Throw in a reasonable downhill section followed by a chicane at 50km/h and it felt more like the Monte Carlo Grand Prix than the bike leg of a duathlon.  I was lucky not to hit the pavement on the third lap when I was hit by a careless competitor overtaking me on the left.  I managed to stay upright and finish the 13.2km in 22:33 before heading out for the final 4km run (not 4.2km as listed).  A solid 15:39 finishing run gave me a time of 55:35, pretty much what I was looking for going into the event.

Paul finished just outside the top 10 in the senior men category, and will be looking to improve on this result going into the next event on the 27th March, at the Milton Keynes bowl. Having the benefit of course experience, and a few more brick sessions between now and then, he'll be capable of delivering an even stronger race! One to watch.

Powerful Training results!

Training with power

Adding the science of power and wattage to his cycle training, Paul has seen progressive improvements over the winter. Paul signed up for personalised triathlon coaching late last year, seeking a periodised approach to his training at the beginning of the winter. He is training for a number of duathlons and triathlons this season, including the headline Hyde Park event this Summer. 

Pauls' training week is nicely balanced across the 3 disciplines with a good mix of swim, bike and run sessions around his full time job in London. He has the benefit of training in the expansive Hype Park and being able to run or cycle to/ from work during the week. This makes it convenient to incorporate some weekday training with purpose, subject to the recent snowy weather when the turbo has been a much safer option!

Having a power meter to train with over the winter has led to impressive progression in power / strength gains, and the ability to sustain higher efforts for longer. Paul has also seen improvements in his swimming and running the last two months, with regular benchmark testing and consistent training. It should be a great 2010, with Paul's early season races seeing him off and running next month. More from him soon!

 

 

Adding the science of power and wattage to his cycle training, Paul has seen progressive improvements over the winter. Paul signed up for personalised triathlon coaching late last year, seeking a periodised approach to his training at the beginning of the winter. He is training for a number of duathlons and triathlons this season, including the headline Hyde Park event this Summer. 

Pauls' training week is nicely balanced across the 3 disciplines with a good mix of swim, bike and run sessions around his full time job in London. He has the benefit of training in the expansive Hype Park and being able to run or cycle to/ from work during the week. This makes it convenient to incorporate some weekday training with purpose, subject to the recent snowy weather when the turbo has been a much safer option!

Having a power meter to train with over the winter has led to impressive progression in power / strength gains, and the ability to sustain higher efforts for longer. Paul has also seen improvements in his swimming and running the last two months, with regular benchmark testing and consistent training. It should be a great 2010, with Paul's early season races seeing him off and running next month. More from him soon!