Perhaps you’ve recently finished your triathlon and you’re unhappy with your Ironman results. Perhaps you just signed up for an Ironman and you want better results. No matter what your level of triathlon experience is, these three crucial keys for the swim, the bike and the run will surely get you better results.

Get Ironman Results for the Swim: Swim With Attitude

Let’s face it – the emotions and experiences you have during the Ironman swim can significantly dictate your mental performance for the remainder of the entire race. If you put yourself into a swim position that allows you to become frustrated, you could set-up a damaging cascade of decisions that stays with you during the bike and the run. It may seem illogical, but you can find yourself riding above your goal bike pace by 1-2 miles per hour and destroying your ability to run off the bike simply because you swam 100m off course on the swim and you’re attempting to “make up time”.

So not only do you have to have an attitude during the swim that allows you to shrug off any frustrating experiences that come your way – such as getting kicked in the face, elbowed in the goggles or drafting off course – but you also need to make sure that you position yourself in the swim to decrease the chances of these events occurring. For example, you can swim to the inside of the marker buoys (most people swim to the outside), sight off stationary landmarks on shore (most people try to sight off buoys, which is much more difficult), and draft on the hips of the swimmer in front of you rather than their feet.

Make the proper swim decisions, and you’ll drastically affect your Ironman results for the rest of the race.

Get Ironman Results for the Bike: Gearing & Cadence

There’s nothing like mashing gears for 112 miles to leave your legs feeling like J-E-L-L-O for the run. But at an average Ironman event, 90% of the competitors are spinning at 60-70RPM or lower as they climb the hills. This is either the result of not knowing how to use the bike gears, not having the mental awareness to use the bike gears, or not having the correct bike gears. Don’t fool yourself – you may be able to do a sprint triathlon with a chain ring the size of Kansas and the cassette of a Tour contender, but that might come back to bite you 80 or 90 miles into the Ironman bike ride.

So in your practice rides leading up to the Ironman, attempt to ride a course that simulates your race course, and bring a cyclocomputer. Watch your cadence. It doesn’t matter whether you’re training based on heart rate, power, or “feel” – your cadence should be at least above 80RPM, and preferably 85-95RPM, even on the hills.

Get Ironman Results for the Run: Nutrition

If you’ve done Ironman before, then you know the feeling. About 6 miles into the run, each aid station becomes a blur of cookies, Coke, soup and gels – and you can’t remember what you already grabbed, why you grabbed it, how much you stuffed into your mouth, what time it is, or where your pace is at.

The truth is this: during the Ironman run you have to *own your calories*. This means that every bite of fuel that goes into your mouth is coolly calculated and stored in your mental computer that tells you exactly how much fuel you’ve consumed. There’s nothing like being doubled over with gut pain halfway through a marathon and not knowing whether it was because you ate too much, ate too little, mixed the wrong foods, or somehow grabbed a cheeseburger while you weren’t paying attention.

During your long runs, practice adding total calories consumed and maintaining a running tally of your fuel – the mind can be trained to do math during exercise, and if you do this step, your Ironman results will
rock.

With a proper swim attitude, smart bike gearing and cadence, and attentive run nutrition, you’re guaranteed to get better Ironman results.

The author, Ben Greenfield, is also the author of the highly successful Ironman training program, Ironman Triathlon Dominator.  You can click here for more information about Ben and his Ironman Triathlon Dominator Package.

Most, if not all women who have run a triathlon know the feeling of butterflies just before the big event. Sometimes it does not matter how much you test your nutrition during training for a race, when it comes down to it on the day a lot of triathletes cannot seem to hold down solid food.

So is a liquid meal the answer before a race if you are having trouble keeping anything solid down because of nerves?

First of all, it is absolutely essential to have a meal before a triathlon, no matter what distance you are competing at. Your stomach may feel like someone is doing the tango inside of it, but you still need to find the right nutrition for the race that you can take on-board without throwing the lot back up, to provide the fuel and prevent problems like cramps during the race.

The right way to go is purely personal, you know your body and how it feels, but whether you consume liquids or solids, as long as it is quality nutrition, it will feed your muscles properly and they will not know what you ate or drank.

There is a difference however, when it comes to tricking your stomach and your brain into thinking that you have had a good meal when you have only drank liquids. Liquids will not fill your stomach like solid food does, and you will still feel hunger pangs which may break your concentration, especially in the later parts of a race.

If you really cannot stomach solids, then there really is no choice but to drink liquids, but the good news is that this is not all bad. There are many athletes who like doing it this way, liquid meals help with hydration and are easy to take with you from home, they digest much quicker than solid food, and this allows you to drink them much closer to the race start.

You do have to be aware of the content of the liquids that you are drinking, they should be made up of a small amount of protein, also be low-fat and have a high carb content. This fuels your muscles and keeps up your energy levels and helps to keep the hunger at bay longer by filling your stomach, which also stops it emptying too quickly. You need to keep well away from anything high in fiber, and keep it simple, if you can stomach solids then make sure you take on the right amount of liquids to make up for the much smaller amount that you will be drinking compared to when you are using liquid nutrition.

Here is a ball-park figure to give you some numbers to work from, the right amount of calories or carbs that you need obviously depend on how much you are going to consume during a race. For every Kilogram of body weight you should be taking in around 1.5 to 4 grams of carbs, you also need to work out the best time for you to take them on-board.

If you start with a window of 1.5 to 4 hours before the race, you should be fine, if you really get bad nerves then go for a time closer to the 4 hour mark, before the nerves have had a chance to take over. If you do opt for an earlier time then you can go for a bigger meal, but if you do not go for an earlier time then your meal should be smaller, and you will probably need to take on extra fuel throughout the race.

If you are up to Ironman distance then you will need a lot of extra fuel, both before and during the race, and you may have to face the fact that only solids will do. You can do a combination of solids and liquids however, and many women do this for Ironman and Olympic distance races. Try something like a muffin and a bottle of sports drink that has a 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein, then about 60 minutes before the race take in some sports formulated gels, this should help with your endurance and also help with your recovery on the other end of things.

These methods require testing during training, because you do not want to eat or drink too much before a race, but race nerves on the other hand are hard to re-create if there is no race, so try some of these tips and hopefully you can refine them over time until you get it right for you.

Bad nerves are such a race destroyer for many ladies, so if none of the nutrition tips help then you need to look at the source of those nerves and deal with them directly so you can display your full race-day potential instead of just displaying the contents of your stomach just before you start racing.

First of all make sure you have a good warm-up before the race, go off and do a 10 minute jog, concentrate on your form and breathing, this sometimes helps to take your mind off of the nerves. You can also try stationary deep breathing exercises and relaxing, get the oxygen pumping to your brain and muscles, breathe in through your nose and out of your mouth and stay focused.

Be a loner, you do not have to be rude but avoid other triathletes and do not talk to them, always get to the race early and make sure your transition area is ready to go, check out the swimming course and avoid stressing yourself by mingling and listening to the other competitors. You should also scope out the best bathrooms early, and make sure you empty your bowels, but this should be no problem.

Get a small mp3 player and fill it with uplifting music that you like, this will block out all the trash talk going on and leave you to relax, run your race without being upset by the rumors and lies usually discussed by other competitors before a race.

Looking through the many triathlon magazines available, plus the wealth of information on the web, you will see that there is a great choice of “Triathlon Training Camps” both at home and abroad. They range from weekends based at your local pool, to week-long, hardcore Ironman beastings somewhere hot and sunny.

So how should you choose the right Triathlon Camp for you?
Decide what you want and need most from the camp. Make a short “ideal” list. It could include things like:

1. I would like to have a good coach on hand throughout
2. I would like to feel more confident on my new road bike and improve my bike handling skills, especially when descending
3. I need them to help me with my bike set up
4. Can they help me understand how to use a heart rate monitor properly
5. I want them to cook great healthy food for me
6. I would love to be somewhere scenic so I enjoy cycling
7. I also want to be able to relax somewhere nice
8. I need to hire a good road bike, as I don’t feel confident packing mine
9. They should offer good value for money

Then you can simply use your list to find somewhere that ticks most of your boxes.

How do I know if the “Triathlon Camp” is any good?

Does this camp come well recommended, by other triathletes? Do they seem to have lots of happy athletes, some of whom have similar profiles to you?
For example maybe you can read what their clients have written on-line. Or maybe they could even put you in touch with other novice triathletes that had been on their camps already.

In your correspondence with the camp organizers, do they seem interested with your particular needs as a beginner triathlete and are they professional. All this should help you build a picture of the experience you could expect.

So how much should it cost?
Costs vary enormously, as do people wallets, but a higher price does not always mean that you will come away a stronger fitter and more able triathlete, but it may mean that you have a spa, Jacuzzi, endless pool, etc.

Most places that offer camps (where you are staying) will offer different food options i.e. B & B, Half Board or Full Board, but some may only offer self catering. If you really want to self-cater, make sure that it is possible to get supplies easily and affordably and don’t forget to cost this in when you are making your comparisons.

Refer back to your ideal list again, and prioritize what you choose to spend your cash on. Put simply does the camp represent good value for money?

What benefits should I expect from going on a Triathlon Camp
A good camp will teach you how to become a complete triathlete by bringing all the necessary components together, they will cater for your needs. They will explain when and how to train, and recover, identify your weaknesses and give you focus for when you return to training on your own or with your local club. They may also be able to give you nutritional advice and support.

Make sure there is a reputable, experienced triathlon coach on hand, they can offer you their knowledge and expertise, helping you to fast track your learning process. A good coach will motivate you to train, give you a kick up the bum when you need it but also know your limits. They may have been a high level athlete themselves which can also provide a personal insight and an additional level of understanding

The camp should provide technical and analytical advice, and provide a program that caters for your needs. So it is important that you have a dialogue with the organizers of the camp to discuss these, to make sure that your level of athlete will be catered for.

In short a good Triathlon Training Camp should provide you with the tools to progress as a fitter and more capable athlete, increase your motivation towards the sport and make you want to re-book!

What time of year is best?
Traditionally many camps are run from February through to May, but a few are open all year round. The general idea being that the majority of athletes have not done quite as much as they should have done in November, December and January and their first race is fast approaching!

To be honest for a novice triathlete a good camp will really help you, whatever time of year it is. For example if you go in November, you will have the whole winters training in front of you, but you will have improved your technique and understanding of “how to train” during the camp, so you can build on that when you return home.

Or you may have chosen your first big race in the middle of July, so in order to be race specific the middle of June would be great. The camp organizers should be happy to advise you on this too.

What ever you choose, make sure that it really suits your specific ideals and needs, is on a budget you can afford and will ensure that you come away a happy, fitter, more informed and motivated triathlete.

We like to think that we can tick most of your boxes and have spent the last seven years doing just that in our “Triathlon Training” base in the South of France…Where full time Coach Richard Laidlow (BTA and British Cycling Coach) can offer you just such attention, knowledge and expertise, at an affordable price. For more on Richard Laidlows coaching services and all year round training camps visit: http://www.sancture-sportifs.com

What do I need to do to train for a triathlon?  This is a very common question for anyone who is starting out in Triathlon, and is the cause of great anxiety for beginners. You need to remember that there are different distances to suit all abilities. To start with I would not suggest going beyond your comfort zone too much. Admittedly, even just completing a Triathlon might be quite a challenge so start with the smaller distances and then work training and distance up from there. The worst thing you can do is trying something that you are not going to be fully ready for. This can end in a feeling of disappointment, dissatisfaction and overwhelm.

Having said all this,I have seen an 83 year old Grandmother complete an Olympic Distance Triathlon which consists of a 1500m swim, 20km bike ride and 10km run. That’s pretty amazing, but the key to her success and the key to your success is training. The more prepared you are, the more confidant you are going to be and the better you are going to feel and race. What I am saying is that if she can do it, you can definitely do it too!

So with this in mind, please remember another suggestion… you will need to train to be ready for your first race. Some say that it is a good idea to just sign up to your first event so that you are 100% committed to completing it. This is a great idea, however, when you do this you must make sure that you allow yourself enough time to get ready for it. I suggest leaving at least 6 weeks training for a small Triathlon, otherwise classified as the “Mini Tri”. These “Mini Tri’s” are a good starting point. The distance consists of about a 200-250m swim, 10km bike ride and 2-2.5km run.

Something else that you need to remember…

When most people start Triathlons they feel as though they may not be able to finish the distances. My advice is to just relax. You must remember that even though it is called a swim, you are allowed to do a dog paddle, you can cruise on the bike and even walk part of the run. If this is you I would, on the run for instance, have run/walk intervals. I would run for 2mins and then walk for 2mins. When you get fitter, you will be able to decrease the walk time and increase the run time. The key to your success is building upon your training so it is manageable and eventually you will be able to run the whole distance.

I know that you will be able to compete in a Triathlon near you very soon, so good luck.

Over my years of Ironman racing I’ve come to realize that attention to detail can have serious impact on how your Ironman race turns out.

Diet is no exception. There are lots of mistakes you can make in the final week, and during the race, that can lead to disaster.

Personally, I could never understand how people could train hard all year and stay with a proper training diet for months and then come to the race and stay in a hotel and eat restaurant food everyday. Especially in the final 2 or 3 days leading up to the race.

I’m all for supporting the restaurant industry of the host city, but usually restrict visiting restaurants to 5 or 6 days before the race and of course anytime after.

Every race I’ve ever done, including Hawaii, I made sure I had a motel with a kitchenette. My first day there I would go shopping for the week and cook all my own meals without straying from the diet I’d been on for the past 6 months.

I just can’t put into words how important this is. Its absolutely vital that when that gun goes off for the swim-start that you do not have a queasy stomach from screwing up your diet in the last few days.

Know “exactly” what your menu plan is before you even leave home. Know “exactly” what you plan to eat the day before the race and the morning of. Also know what “time” you plan to eat these meals. Personally, I always finished my last meal on race eve by 4 p.m. I always finished my race morning breakfast “3 hours” before the race start. This worked perfectly for me over and over again and I never had any sort of digestive problems when I stuck with this program.

Also, be careful at the carbo pre-race dinner. Choose your food carefully. In the later years of my career, I just stuck with salads and rolls and bottled drinks or else I didn’t go to the dinner at all.

Early in my career I had the misfortune of not paying attention and having pasta with a different looking sauce at a pre-race dinner. I didn’t realize that it was a “clam sauce” and I am allergic to shellfish. Needless to say, I became very ill and my race was ruined after training for an entire year.

So in case you feel I’m being a bit paranoid, I learned my lesson early and believe me, it never happened again. Don’t let it happen to you.

That final week, be aware of what you’re consuming.

That also applies to the race course itself. When you get to those aid stations(especially on the run)you will find cookies, oranges, power bars, power gels, grapes, chicken soup, cantaloupe and any number of things depending on the location of the race.

When you start running out of energy and feel you just can’t go on, the natural instinct is to try everything at the aid stations in search of the right combination that will make you feel better and give you some much needed energy. This is a recipe for disaster. usually the opposite happens and you just end up feeling ill, and in the worst possible scenario, can’t keep going and drop out.

My suggestion is to stick as close as possible to what you trained with. Go with what got you there. If you took power bars and gels on your bike and run training days, then stick with them.

It’s a misconception anyway that you have to keep eating all the way through the entire race. I believe the most important time to eat is at the start of the bike leg with the idea of keeping a steady balance of fuel for the entire 112 miles.

If you’ve done that, eating during the marathon isn’t really that important.

In my best ever Ironman marathon, I kept a steady pace without walking for the entire 26 miles and “never ate a thing.” All I took was 5-6 ounces of water at every aid station. That was it. My marathon time was 3:34 and I never remember feeling better out on the run course.

Ultimately, thinking through your diet leading up to the race can prevent any last minute problems, and ensure you feel great when that gun goes off.

In triathlon and ironman, mental toughness is one of the key criteria for success. All competitors will make mistakes, have unfortunate or even unfair things happen (for example bad referee’s decisions and opponents’ gamesmanship) and have disappointments. That’s part of the fun! Without them, how would we grow and learn? How would we truly savour the taste of victory?

This is the first a series of articles for coaches and players/athletes, regardless of the sport you play or the level you play at, on developing Mental Toughness in sport.

Why Develop Mental Toughness in Sport?

Apart from the reasons mentioned above, being mentally tough will help us perform better under pressure, and make it more likely that we will win, or at least perform well. Also, we can often replicate the mental toughness skills in other areas of life, especially work, so that they become resources we can draw upon whenever needed. Remember, “It’s not what happens, it’s how you deal with it that counts.”

The Main Types of Disappointments in Sport

Here are some of the main types of disappointment and challenge in sport where mental toughness is useful:

1. Defeat, especially when it is unexpected
2. Poor performance and/or mistakes
3. Injury, especially long-term injury
4. Difficult relationships, for example with coaches and team-mates
5. Poor decisions by officials

The remainder of this article will touch on some tips on dealing with points 1 and 2. Future articles will deal with and expand on these, and cover points 3, 4 and 5.

Dealing With Defeat and Poor Performance

There are several approaches. Probably the simplest is to treat it as a learning experience. Often the reason athletes struggle to overcome defeat or poor performances is that they become emotional about it.

Rather than remain upset, it is more useful to step back (mentally) and ask ourselves, “what can I learn from this situation, such that if I learned it and incorporated it into future situations I would improve my performance?” If that is too difficult, the athlete can ask themselves what advice they would give someone else who was experiencing the same situation.

It is probably also useful to do some mental rehearsal, seeing themselves in that future situation doing it perfectly. The subject of mental rehearsal, a major element of successful sporting performance, will be covered in another article.

Whether you are a player, athlete or a coach. Regardless of your sport and your current standard. Find out how your can make massive improvements in your sporting performance and results.

For free resources and all the information you need, go to: http://www.WinningAtSport.com

Recovery is an essential part of any triathlon training program. Far too many triathletes do not give enough emphasis on their recovery a phase, and it is costing them considerable improvement, injury and fatigue. So I guess the real question is; what is the best way to recover? but first I’d like to look at the definition of recovery:

Recovery is the overcoming of the effects of fatigue caused by activity and restoration of the body to its full performing potential.

Active VS Passive Recovery. Which is better?

Passive recovery is mostly used for short events e.g. 100m, to replenish energy stores( PC stores). If you use a passive recovery for long events, you would eventually recover but it would take a lot longer.Therefore for Triathlon Training, an active recovery is best. The problem with a passive recovery for Triathlon, is that after training there will be a lot of metabolic by-products such as lactic acid which have built up. Active recovery maintains blood circulation which gets rid of these by-products, i.e. venous pooling (see another article posted in the recovery section for explanation) and all the other nasties. The increased oxygen that is used in active recovery is great for recovery. Also, this type of warm down includes muscle contractions which tenses the veins and capillaries to get rid of your body’s waste products.

Warm down should be at low intensity, but continuous. It should last long enough for your heart rate to lower itself to around 100beats per minute (BPM).

HOT TIP: Good Test. If your heart rate is not under 100 BPM in 5minutes then you may be training too hard or you may even be coming down with a cold. When you are unfit, it will naturally take you longer to get your heart rate down after exercise, however, if it is taking a very long time to get your heart rate down and you are not feeling the greatest this could be an indication that you need to take a day off training.

Warm down should be assisted by stretching. Stretching helps reduce muscle soreness.

For long endurance events e,g a triathlon it can take 24-48 hours for you to fully recover and get your fuel stores back to normal. This is because most, if not all of your stores will have been depleted by the event. Your recover time will depend on the intensity of the event and the length of it.

Active Recovery:

Heart rate is between 40-60% of heart rate maximum or 30-40% of Vo2 Max

Passive Recovery:

Heart rate is less than 40% of heart rate maximum or less than 30-40% of Vo2 Max