Below we have listed a selection of top tips from Zone3 athletes to help keep you on top in the run up to the London Triathlon:
Cat Benger
1. Week
leading up to the race, reduce the overall swim volume but ensure an element of
intensity remains to spike the heart rate / rev the engine!!
2. Tailor
your swim sessions so they are specific to the race
3. Start
to visualise what a successful race looks and feels like
4. Try
and get an o/w swim in and practise race specific skills:
- Race starts, turning round a buoy,
drafting, sighting, emptying goggles if they fill up
5. Write
a kit list and ensure all equipment is in good working order, take a set of
spare goggles with you is also advisable
Kit Walker
Top
tips for final 2 weeks are:
1.
Don't do anything crazy! It's unlikely anything you do now will have a drastic
effect on race day. Stick to a plan and routine you know and avoid temptation
to try anything new.
2.
Train as you would race. Use the kit and nutrition exactly as you would on race
day to avoid any nasty surprised.
3.
No heroics. 2 weeks out the majority of the work is done, keep the body and
mind ticking over and moving but avoid the temptation to put in that last huge
training session.
4.
Keep it simple. The more complicated things are the more likely they are to go
wrong. Take only what you need into transition and keep the layout
simple.
5.Practice
transitions. Putting on shoes and helmets with wet hands under pressure can be
very different from going out on a normal training session. Try and
simulate this where possible.
Alistair Rogers
These
points look specifically at the race and not pre race or training!
1. Picking your start positions - It is massively important to pick the best
place to stand on the start line of an open water swim however it's
not always easy to pick due to the many different factors that can
effect racing. Of course the shortest line is a big factor,
why would you want to swim extra? But then don't forget to take in to
consider where the fastest moving water is if swimming in a river or moving
water and try your best to stay clear of it. Also it can be helpful
to start near fast swimmers to allow you the best chance of getting on fast
feet and being towed to the front. Do you want clear water to get away
from people and go at it alone? All these factors make it hard
to find your best start position however I would never suggest
just starting where the masses go as they probably have not given the
matter much if any thought!!
2. Starting - Whatever start you are doing be it a run in,
deep water, standing or dive there is always a debate as to what is the
fastest method. My advise you be whatever you are going to do practice at least
twice where you plan on starting if possible. With what technique I can
only say whatever you end up doing, do it fast.
3. Last 50m - Lastly at the end of the swim you can see the exit
and temptation is to start swimming as hard as you can to get out the
water as soon as possible. Understandable and I have made that mistake
many times before however I believe you're better off swimming at your
consistent race pace or even slowing down a little if you're at the
front. The reasoning for this is that you might swim the last 50m 2 or 3
seconds faster however then when you run through T1 you run 10s slower due to
being knackered from pushing on in the back end of the swim. Its
often far faster overall to swim steady and run fast than to swim hard and
run slowly especially if T1 is long or hilly!!
Best of luck and most of all enjoy!!
Paul
Hayward
From
a non athlete perspective:
1.
Put all of your kit across the living room floor. Think about what you need at
each stage and line them up for those in three sections. Sounds mad but
visually seeing it all will help you think what you need.
2.
Do not forget to check your tires on your bike the night before / morning of
the race. Do not pump them to their max capacity - they are more likely to
explode, but make sure you are happy with them.
3.
Take two pairs of swim googles if you can. One pair can break or you may fancy
the other pair come race day, you have the option if you go prepared.
4.
Try not to muck about with your diet or food intake leading up to the race.
Stay away from anything new or exciting and stick to foods that you like, give
you energy and you eat regularly.
5.
Take someone with you if possible - they will distract your nerves and they
will be there at the end. They can carry your kit and most importantly are
there for support. Don't forget to buy them a drink later though!
Louise Fox
So
my top 5 tips on nutrition would be:
1.
In the week leading up to the race, eat your normal diet. Don't try anything
new if possible - although not always easy when racing abroad!
2.
From personal experience I find no benefit to carb-loading; if anything I eat
slightly less while tapering, due to the lower energy requirements.
3.
Some athletes cut down on fibre pre-race, but if your body is used to a lot of
fruit and veg (I aim for 7 portions a day!) I find no need to reduce this until
12-24 hours before the race.
4.
Night before the race my favourite meals would be either sushi or seafood
risotto. A nice mix of complex carbs and protein, nothing too processed,
nothing too high in sugar that might make sleep more difficult.
I
find it best to eat early - this requires planning and probably self-catering
in some countries like Spain, where restaurants rarely open before 9pm. I always
take a travel kettle abroad so I can make hot drinks, cook pasta, and even boil
eggs in it if necessary!
5.
Morning of race I always eat the same! Boiled egg, or OSMO recovery shake for
my portion of protein. Bowl of porridge with dried fruit and cocoa (my new
discovery!) for carbs. Green tea. Beet-it shot for nitrate, washed down with a
lot of water! An hour before the start, coffee preferably with butter or
coconut oil. In hot weather I will have an additional drink of OSMO preload 30
mins before the start.
It's
taken me 7 years to refine my routine, but I know if I follow all the above I
will never have GI issues on the day (I never mess around with caffeine
tablets, immodium or the like which has been the downfall of some of my
friends!) I think this is a good basis to keep things fairly natural. But
everyone is individual and often it's a case of trial and error to work out
what suits you best.
Tyler Butterfield:
Top 5 tips for the last 2 weeks:
1, rest - the work is done.
2, make sure your race gear is ready
3, test any new race gear
4, don't push any training too hard.
5, relax & enjoy
Jessie Roberts:
My top 5 tips for two weeks before a race are:
1. Sleep- try and get plenty of sleep in the lead up to the
race!
2. Don't panic train- trying to get in a few extra session's in the lead up to
a race never ends well! Be confident in the training you have done :)
3. Hydration- make sure you stay hydrated in the lead up to the race. The
common misconception is that you only need to think about being hydrated the
day before- this is not the case, you should start to think about it now!
4. Kit preparation- test out your wetsuit (Zone3 one preferably!), bike and
shoes before the race to make sure they are in race condition.
5. Race planning- being familiar with the race schedule, venue and course
details will save you panicking on the morning of the race. There is nothing
worse than arriving at the race not knowing what time transition closes and
where parking is etc. Be organised!
Simon Gill:
OK here is my top 5 tips in last two weeks before a race:
1) Include some speed work especially two weeks out - helps race pace feel
easier and also preps you for the frenetic start
2) Don't increase volume or try and/or swim significantly more frequently -
you're trying to peak and you're not going to get fitness gains this late on
3) In last week - significantly reduce swim time - do this by reduced the
duration of the sessions not the number of sessions themselves
4) Still keep a technique component to the sessions - but just focus on one or
two elements that are key for you - to keep the feel and focus
5) Mentally rehearse - rehearse how you want to feel on the start and how hard
you want to hit the first 200m and establish just one or two phrases that are
you going to use during the rest of the race to keep your focus on
someone specific for you - "long and smooth" "push right to the
thighs" "relaxed recovery" or whatever you feel you really need
to concentrate on to hold your form
Daniel Crowe:
My top 3 tips are:
1. Stay relaxed just enjoy the experience!
2. Warm up well e.g leg and arm swings
3. Take on board plenty of fluid pre race to avoid cramp
Sam O'Shea:
1. DONT try anything new
2. Write down a check-list
3. Check all your equipment a week out to make sure everything
works, so you have time to get anything and its not too last minute.
4. Try your race clothes
5. REST!
David Robertson:
In terms of tips, there are several that I assume you
probably already have, but here are some of mine:
1) Check kit is functioning in good time so it can be sorted
2) Don't try anything in the race you haven't done before,
important for nutrition e.g. gels and also trying to jump on the bike without
having done so in training.
3) I use vaseline on particular parts of my feet such as on
top of my toes, heel and on bony parts so they don't rub in my cleats and
running shoes.
4) Most importantly is know the transition really well,
especially as the excel centre is massive. So know the swim entry, bike in/out
and run out in relation to your spot in transition and the fastest way towards
them. Also look for a marker so you can spot your bike e.g. 3 stands down on a
particular rack, then walk it all through so in the race you're brain already
has the mental image. Saves time and less chance of going wrong
Phil Wolfe
5 tips for final two weeks
1. practice transitions changes
2. make sure you allow your body to recover before the
race
3. make sure you've got all the kit you need for race day
4. eat well prior to race
5.simulate the course as best as you can when training (i.e if
course is hilly, get used to riding hills!)
