(relaxed, chillhop music)
- Welcome back to the Triathlon Training Explained show,
powered by TrainingPeaks.
This week, I'm going to be looking
at what can make or break your race performance.
And then, more importantly, addressing how best
to prepare to make sure you get
a successful performance in your next race.
The adrenaline of race day
can easily make you a little overambitious.
And this is where it could go disastrously wrong.
Admittedly, if you've trained hard
and you've had a successful taper,
you're gonna feel great at the start of your race,
and then, it's tough not to go off too hard.
But try and stick to your numbers now,
'cause you can always increase your pace later on,
and that will definitely beat having to walk home.
Talking of numbers, use them.
Admittedly, it's gonna be hard for the swim.
But even if you've got something as basic as a wristwatch,
it's still at least gonna help you
when it comes the the bike and the run
for knowing roughly how long you've been going.
But if you've got something more advanced
such as power on your bike,
then give yourself a cap for your maximum power,
and also, obviously, have an average
your time is in for the 112 miles.
Heart rate isn't quite so accurate,
but it can still be really useful,
especially on the run where you're unlikely to have power.
Just make sure that you've used it in training
so that you know how your heart rate should correlate
to your race pace efforts.
And consider the fact that adrenaline from race day
as well as maybe extra caffeine will affect it,
but it's still a very useful guide.
There's only so much you can train
and prepare for when it comes to a race,
and one of these things that you can't control
is the weather.
Obviously, you're gonna have a fairly good idea
of what the normal conditions are
for the race that you've entered,
and then hopefully,
you've managed to prepare for those conditions.
But just make sure you always pack kit for all eventualities
and do a last minute check of the forecast.
If, for example, you're racing somewhere like here in Kona,
then you're pretty sure it's gonna be hot, humid,
and as you can see, pretty windy.
So make sure that you try to prepare as best you can at home
for the environment that you're going to be racing in.
Again, have the right kit.
And also check the forecast a few days prior,
'cause you'll see if any fronts are coming through.
And just remember, you could be racing anything
from eight to 17 hours,
and within a day, conditions can change dramatically.
And one of those being the sun, and the angle of it.
So have a think about your goggles
and which direction you're gonna be swimming in
to make sure you've got the right tint,
so you can spot the swim buoys.
And when it comes on to the bike,
whether you want to have tinted,
or clear-lens glasses, or a visor.
And also for the run,
just think about what type of protection you might want.
Take conditions into consideration as well
when you're making your pacing plan,
'cause if, for example, you're racing somewhere really hot,
or, on the other end of the spectrum, cold and wet,
it is going to affect your effort levels
for different reasons.
So make sure you're prepared to adjust your pace.
Listen to your effort.
Listen to your heart rate and your body.
And remember, everyone else is in the same boat as you,
and you've gotta think about the bigger picture
of actually being successful in the race overall,
rather than just sticking exactly to your watch.
And going back to daylight hours and sunshine,
it's worth noting the actual time
it gets dark while you're racing,
as you might even want lights for the finish and the run.
And it's a good idea to always pack a head torch,
just in case, for transition.
The wind can play a significant part in your race as well,
especially if you're racing somewhere like here
that's got large, exposed areas
that really give the chance for the wind to build up.
So consider this,
especially if you're riding to pace or speed,
and you're not using power.
Say, for example, you're riding out into a headwind,
and you're trying to stick
to that average pace you've planned,
you're actually gonna be working much harder
than your predicted race pace effort, and vice versa.
So consider that.
And also, if you're gonna have crosswinds,
just think about what rim width
you're using on your bike as well.
This links both of the previous points,
unless you're racing somewhere that's pan flat
like IRONMAN Florida, hills are going to affect your race.
There's actually an app called The Pacing Project
that takes this into consideration for you.
You put in your target time, and then it will tell you
at what pace you need to be running or riding
at different sections of the course
to meet that overall target time.
But admittedly, it's only for a few races at the moment.
So if you're lucky enough to use power,
that can be really helpful.
But if you are racing somewhere that's really hilly,
consider this when you're looking at your overall goal time.
And final point, look at the surface
when it comes to the cycle,
'cause this will affect what tyre pressure
you'll want to run in your tyres.
(energetic surfer rock music)
Again, it's all about the planning.
And it's not just for race day,
but pre-race day nutrition is just as important.
So stick to what you know.
If you're travelling, then try and take some food
that you're familiar with with you.
And the day before the race,
reduce your fibre intake, up your carbohydrates.
The same goes for your race day breakfast.
And just make sure you don't try anything new on race day.
And then on to the actual race.
Have a plan of what you want to eat and drink, and when.
Some people even set an alarm on their watch
to remind them when to take on fluids or take on fuel,
or even have a little plan stuck on their top tube.
And a good benchmark is to try
and take something on every 20 minutes.
And if your race is a long time
after you've actually had your breakfast,
it's worth considering topping off your carbohydrate levels
with a gel or carbohydrate drink before you start as well.
Do bear in mind the conditions,
because if you're racing somewhere hot,
then you're going to need to take on more hydration,
but you'll also be losing more salt and electrolytes,
so bear that in mind.
And you might even want to consider getting a sweat test,
which will measure the amount of sweat you lose,
so you can have an even more structured plan.
And then on the other end of the spectrum,
if you're racing somewhere cold,
you're not gonna need quite as much hydration,
so you don't wanna be forcing it in,
and then needing to stop to have a pee
'cause your bladder's really full.
But also bear in mind that the cold
can suppress your thirst too much,
so make sure you consider that and you've got a good plan.
It's also worth noting that some long distance races
actually allow you to have a special needs bag
for the bike and sometimes even the run,
and you can put spares in this.
But more importantly, you can also put your own nutrition.
So if you don't like the course nutrition,
or you've not had chance to practise with it,
you've got that as a great backup.
I feel like I can't reiterate enough the importance
of not trying something new on race day,
unless, obviously, it's out of your control.
And that might seem obvious for nutrition,
but the same goes for equipment.
Trainers, for example, need to be worn in
so you don't run the risk of getting blisters.
So an ideal situation would be to buy two pairs,
one that you're going to train in,
and another pair you're gonna keep for racing
that you just wear in a few times
so that they're comfortable,
and then you put them away, and bring them out on race day.
It is tempting to go shopping
at the race expo the day before
when there's so many great things on offer.
But not only will this tyre your legs out
if you're spending hours wandering around,
you also don't wanna be tempted to buy something
brand new to use on race day,
unless it's something that's not so personal,
like a water bottle, for example.
Talking of preparation,
we can't ignore those final few hours before your race.
Make sure you do a thorough warmup.
Obviously, the amount you need
will depend on the conditions.
But do something that you've practised in training,
you know what you're doing,
rather than copying what you see a fellow competitor trying.
I think by now you've probably gathered
that preparation is key to a good performance,
so have a think about all of these factors
when you're planning and preparing
for your next long distance race.
Now if you wanna make sure that you get all
of our videos at GTN, just hit the globe to subscribe.
And that video that I spoke about that Mark did
looking specifically at pacing of an IRONMAN,
you can find that just here.
And if you wanna find out what the pros do
the night before they race,
we've got an ask the pros video just here.