I stick to a principle that a poor run performance (relative to a realistic goal) means a poor bike. You did not have a good bike if you didn’t meet your run goals. On rare occasions there may be other factors, but when I see a poor run performance I consider the following 5 options in order of priority:

1. Bike pacing – more than likely the bike was just too hard.
2. Bike nutrition – possibly there was insufficient feeding on the bike. This relates very closely to pacing issues (hard to digest at higher pace)
3. Run Pacing – it may be the athlete simply went out way too hard on the run and didn’t reign it in
4. Run nutrition – again tied to pacing, but possibly a poor nutrition strategy was used on the run
5. Run fitness – very occasionally it’s simply inadequate run fitness for the goal pace.

It’s important to remember the relationship of pace and endurance. The harder the intensity of work the shorter the duration you can sustain it. You know the duration of an Ironman and all pacing choices need to ensure you can sustain that intensity for this time. Whilst you may have marginal declines in effort the best races come when these are minimised.

The Ironman bike needs to be a stable transition from swim to run. You’re looking to keep perceived exertion, heart rate and power quite controlled. Inevitable you’ll experience some fatigue, but with correct pacing there should be minimal negative impact.

A useful concept for understanding pacing is aerobic decoupling the relationship between heart rate and power or pace. As fatigue grows the heart rate required for a given level of exertion rises. Aerobic decoupling expresses the degree of change over a ride, the fitter the individual the smaller the change in heart rate. If the initial pace is a suitable aerobic percentage of threshold the resulting change in heart rate should remain small.

If you see a significant increase in heart rate for the same power or exertion it’s a sign you were working too hard. Similarly a drop in power or exertion for a heart rate is effectively the same situation. What you’re looking for is heart rate and exertion to remain largely in line with themselves. Achieve that and there’s a good chance you’ve paced your bike well.

Considering averages and overall trends can hide certain issues. Whilst a stable heart rate and effort level is ideal terrain, climate and fellow competitors can all change the nature of a course. There are bound to be periods where you’re working harder or easier than planned.

Moments above your Ironman pace are expected, but the key is to manage and minimise them. Spend too long or go too far above the appropriate effort level and the impact will is the same. Excessive surges can significant hit fatigue and reserves effectively further limiting race pace.

You need to monitor and control how hard you push when it comes to challenging conditions. It may make sense to push a little harder, but it’s important you don’t take yourself well outside your race pace. The longer you spend above your ideal Ironman bike pace the more challenging the run becomes.

I’ve produced a few heart rate and power/pace graphs from my previous races to help illustrate some of these points.

Ironman Austria 2007

Overall it looks like my pacing wasn’t too bad in my first Ironman. Power and heart rate trend together dropping slightly. It’s clear I struggled to sustain the power on the second lap and notably there’s a significant drop in the last half hour. This probably relates to periods of higher heart rate in the preceding hour when I was working hard trying to lose a drafter.

The run that followed was a disaster in many respects. In part I believe I went slightly harder than I should have on the bike and also had that fade at the end, but also I fell into run pacing and nutrition errors. Running three hour marathon pace and not eating enough does not make for a good run.

Ironman Western Australia 2008 and 2009

A chance to compare and contrast on the same course all be it with slightly different conditions. In 2008 I had a good all round race and felt I’d performed well for my level of fitness. Heart rate drops, but pace remains largely constant. I went out a little hard, but fortunately pulled that in quickly so the impact was minimal overall.

Then in 2009 I’ve the advantage of power. There’s a clear coupling between the two, though an unfortunate decline in power. I definitely went out too hard and know that I struggled to maintain the intensity as the laps went on. There’s a notable fall off in power during the last 20 minutes. The general trend hides the fact I’d pushed too hard at points earlier in the race.

Challenge Roth 2009

Whilst I’ve spoken of maintaining a consistent power I didn’t pay much attention in Roth. I was in great shape and those power spikes had minimal impact on my heart rate. Roth was a solid training day and I ran well off the back of a bike with a lower average heart rate and power than I might anticipate. Whilst I’d had moments pushing too hard they’d been short-lived and part of a generally easier ride.

Ironman Hawaii 2009

What the two flat lines don’t express is the last two hours in Kona were spent riding into a headwind. To sustain that pacing required harder work on the return. This lines up with my feeling that I under performed in the first half of the bike. It’s one of the rare occasions I elevated my heart rate as the race goes on. I ran well off the back of this ride though did have a brief low patch about four miles in.

Ironman New Zealand 2010

I had a good day in Taupo and felt it was one of my better bikes. This shows with the rise in power over the ride. Heart rate largely remains consistent whilst exertion increases. Just like Kona I felt I under performed early on and came into my own on the second lap. The return leg was into a headwind which helped keep the power numbers up.

Notably all my racing in 2010 shows a similar pattern of initially not quite hitting the levels I want with an increase in exertion during the second half of the ride. It can be a frustrating experience as I’ll be passed in the first half, but generally take back places later on. How well I run seems to come down to weight and run fitness after this.

ITU Long Distance Worlds 2010

A final graph from a very different course with a continual stream of challenging hills. This made it difficult to stick to any kind of pacing strategy and my approach was to cap my heart rate on the first lap. I then aimed to push harder on lap two and I think you can see that whilst heart rate is declining overall there are solid periods of work. I may not have achieved the highest speeds of lap one, but I was consistently working at a higher pace over the course.

Conclusions

Variability in conditions and courses can make it hard to judge the correct pacing for an Ironman. My graphs show the variety of approaches and how well they worked. In some cases I seem to have broken some fo my own guidelines (Roth) and yet ran well.

When planning your Ironman pacing strategy it’s worth taking the time to look at your previous races or key training sessions to see how you paced them. Global trends and aerobic decoupling will give an idea how you handle the effort, but also look at the details. Periods of over-exertion can have significant impact without changing the averages much. Check for that drop off in the last hour too, it can be a sign you’ve over cooked things.

Ultimately you want to be well informed and clear in your approach on race day. Keeping controlled and smart will help ensure a good bike performance. Then with good nutrition and a sensible run strategy to follow all should go well.

I used the event as a chance to test my recently purchased Kodak Playsport video camera. Overcast conditions meant poor lighting, but the rest is down to the cameraman! I list athlete, coach and web developer on my CV, but it’ll be a while before I add video production!

Hopefully it gives some sense of the triathlon mass start. The lake will see this on a larger scale with the Reading Triathlon on Sunday 12th. Entries have closed, but there’s still one more swim trial on September 30th. The water will be cold, the skies grey, but it’d be a great way to finish the open water season (I’ll be enjoying the warm seas and sun in Hawaii mind you!)

Now to come up with my next video project to practice those film making skills. Open to suggestions on that one. I’m sure there’s a director somewhere inside me!

I had a moment of inspiration out on my long ride yesterday. Following further discussion of what’s required to go sub 10 at Ironman I was considering issues of pacing. What are the paces needed to manage sub 10 and how they relate to training paces. The apparent disconnect between pace during training and those achieved during racing fascinates me. There’s always a little bit more in the tank on race day.

Is this really true though? I realised I had partial data for the 2007 season when I went sub 10 at Ironman Austria. My bike had an Ergomo so I routinely trained and raced with power. I kept paper records of swim and run training and events throughout the year too. Taking this data I can look at pace and power and perhaps learn more about how I trained for the sub 10 result.

The BIG caveat is this doesn’t tell you how to train for a sub 10 Ironman. It tells you what worked for me in 2007, but without appreciating what happened in 2006 or the exact weekly training structure it’s hard to apply to yourself. It gives guidance and hopefully more to consider if you’re aiming at the sub 10 goal.

If you’re planning a sub 10 Ironman you need to break down the times required. Exact numbers will vary depending on personal strengths and weaknesses; I’ll work off the times I’d consider as an example. Firstly put aside ten minutes to cover transitions and for a small buffer. From there I’d aim at a 1:00 swim, 5:25 bike and a 3:20 marathon to comfortably come under ten. I think that’s reasonably balanced, you might need to adjust times to favour different disciplines.

Knowing these estimates enables you to determine pacing for each stage of the race. It’s theoretical of course, but you can take this to your training and use as a metric for testing and performance. If you can’t ride the pace in an Olympic or Half Ironman then you know that it’s not going to work for an Ironman. On a more positive note perhaps you’ll find the required pace easy – that’s exactly where you want it to be.

Swim

For my hypothetical sub 10 Ironman I want a one hour swim. That gives a pace of just under 1:35 per 100m so I need to be able to swim 1:34s, but more importantly I need to hold that over distance. Wetsuits and the draft complicates matters as they’ll normally give you a faster swim so perhaps you could get away with holding 1:38. For recent races I’ve liked tests of ten to twenty 100s on short rest to see if I’m comfortable below 1:35.

In 2007 I was actively involved with my local Masters squad and went to some meets. This gives some long course race data for the early part of the season. My 1500m time suggests that I might be around one hour for the swim with the benefits of a wetsuit and draft (but not without). Clearly I had a disastrous time at the open water swim event close to Austria itself. I was a long way off pace and would have eaten into the buffer for my Ironman.

I strongly believe that whilst the Austria swim felt relaxed and I was very lucky. The time was the result of some excellent drafting occurring by chance. With a large field the potential for drafting is huge, but requires good positioning at the swim start. There was nothing strategic about my first Ironman swim though! I happened to start centrally and up the front of the faster swim group and from there got carried along.

Bike

IHypothetically I want a 5:25 or an average speed of 33.2km/hour (doesn’t seem fast when you type it). Speed and pace on the bike is heavily course and condition dependent though. I’ve worked with power as my primary means of pacing since late 2006 and used heart rate as a fall back. Ironman is about being as fast and efficient as you can within conservative intensity zones. For sub 10 we’re looking at achieving that speed at a low level of exertion.

One of the surprises of looking back at this data was how low the power was for the Ironman! I weighed about 71kg on race day so less than 2.5W/kg averaged (for reference I’ve averaged 3.2W/kg these days). Taking the sample threshold sets to indicate my FTP was around 255W at the time (sorry data is sketchy back then) I rode Austria at around 65% effort. If anything I was potentially under-performing.

That 65% effort level is the key – at that intensity if I got my nutrition right I’m setting myself up for a good run. I currently race at a higher intensity than that, but I was new to the game then and if your main goal going under ten hours there’s something to be said for holding to that.

I was interested to note that some of my long rides were very comparable to the Ironman effort. This isn’t typical of my training now where the trend I see is normalised power from long training rides as a good indicator of Ironman performance (assuming I’m well rested and putting in some effort on the day).

The important metric is the capacity to perform at the 65-70% effort level whether based off heart rate, power or feel. Other races or some testing training sessions to trial paces in this area are definitely worth using. Outside of this the other focus has to be nailing your nutrition at that work level.

Run

For my 3:20 marathon I’m looking to be running 4:44 min/km (7:37 min/miles) not fast by running standards. The main factor in developing this is running lots. You need good aerobic endurance and conditioning for the Ironman run long before considering speedwork.

I’m aware of arguments favouring speedwork for run economy and efficiency I’d point to how poor this is for most of the field anyway! The problem for most athletes isn’t just about run economy it’s a matter of having the conditioning to maintain good form late in the race. You may improve form on the track, but you only achieve the fitness to sustain it in an Ironman through aerobic conditioning.

If you really feel the need to work on economy and speed I’d have to advise a dedicated run focus for a while. The impact of hard run sessions on training is potentially too high for their return. Frequent running isn’t so tough on the body and as conditioning improves you can increase duration and add hills to progress further.

Unfortunately I have less metrics for running. I’ve data logged digitally, though plenty on paper. I work off pace and feel these days so heart rate doesn’t mean much to me, but it would have been useful.

I didn’t have the run I wanted in Austria thanks to a classic combination of pacing and nutritional errors. I didn’t eat enough on the bike or early in the run and set out at three hour marathon shape when I was no where near that fitness. My training diary notes I slowed after 10km, but at 30km the wheels came off with stomach issues and loss of energy. The final 10km were a painful mix of run and walk that cost a lot of time.

In training my long runs were roughly at the Ironman pace I would have wanted (though this wasn’t planned) I was generally running easy at 3:20 marathon pace. What you do in your regular long run is a good indicator of how you can perform in an Ironman marathon. Though these days my long runs tend to be slower than my Ironman pace – I still run at a similar pace to 2007, but I race faster when in form.

Run race and duathlon results give some indication of the run conditioning I’d carried through into my tri career. I wasn’t doing speedwork in 2007, but I was still able to run a lot faster when I raced. Perhaps the fact I had a hard run race or event at least once a month substituted for track sessions. I’d carried through a lot of economy and form from my years of run training (when I had done speedwork). Either way speedwork wasn’t necessary to run a 4:53 min/km paced marathon.

Whilst comparing my training data to the race it’s worth bearing in mind that I wasn’t targeting sub 10. It was my first Ironman so I just wanted to finish (and get a decent time of course!) The idea of sub 10 occurred during the bike and transformed to sub 9:30 for a while on the run. That soon disappeared though when nutrition and pacing reared their heads! I may have some records on that which I’ll have to dig out too.

Whilst this is a little rushed and doesn’t give all the data it could I hope it gives some insight into the kind of training that lead to a sub 10 Ironman first time round. Feel free to ask any questions you have below.

Inspired by a recent thread on the Tritalk forum I thought I’d look at what was involved in my first sub 10 Ironman and see what could be learnt from it. My initial memories were of long hours of training around work and a commute. In fact my recollection was of 20-25 hour weeks as the norm. Digging through old files I found a spreadsheet of training volume for 2007. The average was a little over 12 hours with peak around 18 hours in the lead in! Significantly less than expected.

I logged everything in WKO+ from 2008 onwards and soon discovered my recollection was of my second season of Ironman racing where I increased the volume and weekly training load. Even then the average was a 17-18 hour week, but with peak weeks typically around the 25 hour mark. Also notably were some training camps consisting of major volume – Epic Camp Italy represented a 45 hour training week!

Given it took a lot less training than I assumed it makes sense to consider what kind of athlete I was at the start of 2007. I came to triathlon from a couple of years running with a marathon PB of 2:50 at Taunton. At that time I was very light, around the race weight I aim for now. Running was a strength and I took advantage of this in tri by doing minimal training to maintain it. I’d learnt to swim as a child, but not to a high level so much of my training time was about becoming a reasonable swimmer. Similarly I’d only owned a road bike for two years and was still developing as a rider.

The pie chart shows the division of training time leading to Austria. You can see how little running was emphasised. I really relied on that run history to carry me through. The time I saved there was ploughed into trying to improve my swim mostly via a Masters Squad and drills during my own time (in a horrible 20m gym pool). The vast bulk of training time was spent on the bike though.

In terms of swimming the main thing I needed was to be no slower than 1:10, but the faster the better. By the time Austria came round I was at best a one hour Ironman swimmer, but very reliant on a draft for that. During the race I happened to get that draft and got dragged round to a good swim time. I’d had about 18 months of decent swim training as that point based off at least knowing correct technique from my childhood.

I had the ability to run well on very little training. A typical week even at my peak consisted of a long run of 90-120 minutes, a 30 minute brick run after a threshold session and one more easy 30 minute run. I did no speed work or focussed sessions during this time. However I regularly raced throughout the season and my regular training pace would represent a 3:25 marathon at its slowest.

Biking was where I really focussed time. I knew it was a weakness and like many runners found it hard to deal with the ‘pain’ involved. I could race a hard 5km run without concern, but something about biking as hard hurt. The importance of a good bike was obvious so I worked at it. The typical training week contained a long bike at the weekend, a threshold or interval session mid-week, a tempo ride and possibly a fourth easy ride.

My long rides were dictated by feel and I never felt I worked that hard during them. Tempo and interval sessions utilised power (once I had a power meter) or heart rate and I tended to be very strict in my numbers. Aside from those two sessions any further intensity came during races.

Effectively I had four sessions a week in each sport. For swimming two were squad based and intense and the rest were easy. For cycling I had one endurance ride up to and occasionally beyond Ironman distance and one properly hard session a week. Running is the odd one out as I only ever ran hard when I was in a race, the rest of the time I’d be close to my expected Ironman pace.

Scattered throughout the year were a couple of big training weekends. Where I went away and did much higher bike volume usually. Running remained on the back foot and with swimming outside of the squad I just ensured frequency. I think these small blocks of over reaching were significant in helping my Ironman bike performance.

When I came to the race I didn’t go in planning to break 10 hours. I was aware of the possibility, but was aiming for 10:30. I was lucky with my swim performing to the best that could be expected and getting the perfect draft. The bike felt far too easy, though perhaps I pushed the pace a little and recall feeling it a bit by the end. I have some power data (from an Ergomo) which I’ll have to compare that with recent results. I recorded a 5:12 on the bike and left myself with 3:45 to complete the run. Easy!

It turned out the run would be where I’d make my big mistake. Thirty kilometres at three hour marathon pace worked well until the wheels came off. There was a lot of walking in the last 10km and had I not given myself a huge buffer I’d not have broken ten hours. As it was time was with me and I ran a 3:26 with about 25 minutes walking in the final quarter. I finished the race in 9:46 comfortably under the 10 hour mark.

Considering the path I took to Austria I consider a few factors particularly important. Firstly I’d achieved a level of fitness or performance in each of the sports that meant I was comfortably able to race suitable splits for the sub 10 hour mark. It’s also worth mentioning that Austria is a fast course and helped me along the way. I’d not planned sub 10, but had trained for it whether I knew it or not.

I had a big advantage being able to suffer to a 3:26 Ironman marathon on an average of 2.5 hours running per week. This freed time to focus on improving bike and swim so I worked harder in both those areas. Being very focussed in most of my bike sessions helped and this is something I’m working to improve in my current training. Clearly swimming lots with a squad paid dividends too that sort of short, intense work built the speed I needed.

If I take anything away from this it’s just how important those last two points are – squad swimming (at the least quality pool work at high intensity) and focussed bike work. You don’t need lots of it, but what you do have has to be good. I’ll certainly be more focussed in ensuring athlete’s I coach for long course racing are able to hit their hard sessions hard. Hopefully some of them read this and will appreciate the benefits to be gained from the turbo sets they’ll have over the winter!

This isn’t to say there’s nothing to gain from increasing volume, but rather to emphasise whatever volume you use you need to have a portion of hard work in there. I’m going to revisit this area to look at the data from 2008 and 2009 where I trained a lot more at times. It’s a demonstration in diminishing returns, but also the need to keep control of the details and the benefits of a cumulative training load.

Before you plan you need to determine some goals whether they are performance or pleasure focussed. Goals will shape your year both in terms of the major races you pick and any others you do along the way. As they’re personal there’s only so much advice that can be given. Be a little ambitious it’s good to stretch yourself, but be realistic. An unachievable goal leads to frustration and disappointment instead of providing motivation.

I’ve just taken on an athlete whose initial goal revolved around performing his best in an Ironman 70.3. Knowing the time he had available and his track record I immediately encouraged him to be more ambitious and set his sights on Clearwater. We’re targeting the UK Ironman 70.3 as the A race to take him to the 70.3 World Champs in November.

I’ve been aiming to go under 9 hours in an Ironman ever since this blog began. Each year I’ve edged closer, but haven’t yet hit that target. My ambitious, but hopefully realistic goal for 2011 is to finally break 9 hours. Ironman Austria was an obvious choice for my A race – midseason giving plenty of preparation time and a fast course which helps!

You might have more than one goal and more than one A race. Targeting sub-9 in Austria was aiming for a Kona qualifying time so if I achieved it I could go again. A second goal of returning to Kona and performing there naturally followed. Qualification is a great motivator!

With at least one key race in the calendar you can start hunting for other events to fill out the schedule. It’s good to have a few races to help you prepare specifically for your goal. The obvious example is a half Ironman four or five weeks out from an Ironman. It’s an opportunity to make sure equipment, nutrition and athlete are on the right path. A spread of events through the season provides a routine test of training.

For my 70.3 athlete we’ll find some early season run races and sprint or olympic tris on route to the UK half. I’m considering various UK half events or perhaps a suitably timed European 70.3 for my preparations. Racing is an excellent way to keep motivation and focus and provides effective training at an intensity you’d not normally achieve. Living on the Gold Coast I regularly entered the local Super Sprints and 5K races for the short sharp workouts they gave.

With qualification goals a single A race means putting your eggs in one basket. Where possible I like a backup of some form. For Clearwater qualification we’re looking at using Antwerp 70.3 in case of issues in Wimbleball. My athlete shouldn’t need it, but it adds security and is still good training if he qualifies as planned. An alternative is to have a backup goal for example should we miss Clearwater my athlete could consider ITU Long Distance Worlds.

Most races are picked for pleasure because the location looks great or friends have entered. There are too many good races and not enough time or money! I’ve an addiction to racing that I try hard to keep under control. When someone describes an event to me I want to enter, the harder the event the stronger the urge! As the US Ironman Tour demonstrates it doesn’t take long for a challenge to take hold.

Earlier this week I considered 2011 and formed an idea for a mini-European Tour. A month on the road, travelling, camping and racing. Starting in Austria, then heading to the Alps for the Alpe d’Huez Long Distance Tri and then finally over to Ironman Regensburg (as Kona qualification backup). It sounds fantastic, a small scale adventure based around some exciting races. I got as far as plotting another map in Google.

Which leads me to the pitfalls of season planning and the dangers of entering too many events. I’m like a child in a sweet shop with races. Given the chance I’d enter them all without thought to logistics or my own ability to physically hold up. My Euro Tour seems a great idea, but has broad implications for both race goals and plans beyond that.

I’d travel to Austria with the additional burden of packing and planning for a month of travel. Immediately the logistics and stress of the event are significantly larger. In 2009 I raced Ironman Australia halfway into a road trip from the Gold Coast to Sydney just before flying back to the UK. Combine packing your life into two bags and driving over 1000km and it was the most stressful taper I’ve experienced. I didn’t race well.

Whatever happens Austria I’d be committed to driving across Italy and into France. Then a few weeks camping whilst trying to train a tired body in a tough alpine environment before throwing myself into another event. It may not be an Ironman, but the Alpe d’Huez Tri is a challenge in its own right. I’m unlikely to perform well in the circumstances and it has no bearing on any of the year’s goals.

More travel to Regensburg which dependent on my performance in Austria could be a key race. I’m not setting myself up to perform with a tough event and a lot of travel in the week before. It’s not relevant to the sub-9 goal, but it doesn’t fit with the aim of qualifying for Kona again.

When season planning it’s easy to pile races into the schedule, but really consider how they fit your goals. Avoid adding stress to your key races, allow time to recover so you can continue the season to the best of your abilities and remember the importance of consistent training and how racing interrupts that. My 2009 season may not support my advice here, but it also doesn’t show how tough it was to manage that race volume.

I also had to consider the impact of a European tour on my life plans. Next year will be a period of consolidation as I return to the working world. Important as my race goals are it’s vital I take the time and effort to properly establish my coaching and triathlon business. I want to make my triathlon lifestyle sustainable and I can only achieve that with some focus on the business.

The urge to travel and have adventures is there, but I’m tempering it with common sense. Taking time over the next year for personal development, keeping a strong focus on work and being fully available to my athletes will pay off over the long term. If I get this right then I will have a job I love and many opportunities to go on adventures in the future.

That fun Euro Road Trip would be a serious dent to my time during the busiest part of the season. Racing at home will reduce overheads and logistics and allow me to spend more time on my other projects. Having spent two years racing abroad it won’t do me any harm to raise my profile on home soil. It could be interesting testing myself back in the UK again.

To that extent Alpe d’Huez Tri and Regensburg are leaving the plans to be replaced with a trip to Bolton and Ironman UK in 2011. It doesn’t hold quite the same excitement for me, but it’s a little bit of the realism I mentioned earlier on.

There’re still questions for 2011. Is the UK 70.3 too close to Austria to consider entering (realism is saying yes)? What about the potential Henley based Challenge race? It’d be a first opportunity for my family to see me race, but if I get to Kona there’s no chance! Realism and priorities once again. As it stands key races aside 2011 is a blank slate and I’m open to suggestions.

Race Day

Once you cross the finish line recovery begins. Your priority has to be fluids and nutrition you’ll be dehydrated and depleted and the sooner you deal with this the better. Find the food tent immediately and eat whatever you can stomach.

I know many find it difficult to eat after a race, but it’s essential you take something on board. Fluid replacement is particularly important so start drinking – soup is a great option if it’s available. Don’t get worked up over quality, eat what appeals. At ITU Worlds last weekend I had some of the fruit then sampled every cake on offer!

On a couple of occasions I’ve showered and had a massage first only to find myself light-headed or on the verge of fainting. Not a pleasant experience so eating early is my preference. Eat a little before you clean-up then come back for a proper feed.

Event massage is a mixed bag and I don’t always use it. It will be light with a focus on improving blood flow to aid recovery. If you use massage I think it’s better to arrange a session with your regular therapist following the race. They’ll have a much better idea of what you need and be more willing to work on you.

For the rest of the day enjoy yourself, eat whatever you like and however much you want. Drink plenty and if you’re disciplined about anything make it rehydrate. I know I’ve done a good job if what little sleep I get that night is interrupted by several trips to the toilet!

The Day After

You’re lucky if you get a good night’s sleep following a race. I rarely last four hours from a combination of physical soreness and mental energy. The mind is buzzing from the excitement of the day. There’s no point worrying about the first night’s sleep you can catch up over the coming week.

I continue to allow myself to eat and drink what I like figuring I’ve earned a day of unhealthy eating even if it is the time to be more focussed on nutrition. After weeks of strict dieting I need the mental break. Usually my appetite is still in overdrive and I’ll eat lots. Despite not having rules I’ll ensure there’s a mix of fruit and veg in there too you can’t live on cake alone.

Keeping active boosts recovery. I may not rush out on a training session, but will ensure I walk about a lot at least. It’s a matter of keeping muscles gently moving and getting the blood flowing. Good options are swimming or an easy spin on the bike. The impact is low and you can do these without significantly pushing the body. One of my best recoveries came after Ironman Western Australia with a long ride to an ice cream store.

The Week After

This is where I tend to get derailed and what I describe here hasn’t always happened! The week after an Ironman is still entirely about recovery. Even if you feel great this is not the time to be testing your fitness. Exactly how you approach recovery comes down to where you are in your season and future plans.

If it’s the end of your season things are much easier. My advice is simply chill out, relax and enjoy yourself. Keep active to help the recovery process, but don’t even think about training. Go out on the bike or go for a swim if it’s what you want, but the only plans you should have is where the coffee stop is. It’s worth tapering back the excesses as the week goes on or your risk a tougher start to the next season.

On the other hand if you’ve got more events lined up you need to bear this in mind. I still advise no structured training, but you definitely have to taper back excess consumption. I’ve been weak on that point and the result is a tougher time preparing for the next event (or worse failing to be well prepared). My rule now is a treat each day, but otherwise return to my regular diet. By the end of this week I expect to be off the processed foods entirely.

Whilst I say no structured sessions, if the next event is close you need to increase active towards the end of the week. Typically I’ll be swimming and cycling at the least and there’s a possibility I’ll have run. Be cautious with the latter as the potential for injury is huge. My first runs are easy to the point that I expect to be passed by old ladies on their way to the shops! Any faster and I’m working too hard.

The Month After

Once again if the race brought your season to a close you can take more time to recover. Just continue the behaviour from the first week. Allow yourself the odd treat, but keep it in moderation. Slowly introduce more activity into your day, sticking to easy sessions and a focus on fun. As the month passes you can start to consider going longer and perhaps genuine training. My aim is to be swimming as normal, regularly cycling and back to short runs by the end of the month. Not my usual volume, but daily training none the less.

With more events ahead I aim to bring structure back into my life in the second week. From that point on diet and weight are monitored and I start scheduling workouts again. The focus is still easy sessions of shorter duration, but I’ll drop anything I don’t feel up to. The body is still recovering and doesn’t need testing yet.

You may feel great a couple of weeks after your race, but you’re not there yet. Don’t be lured into testing fitness you’ll get away with a hard session, but likely find the impact on your body is huge. Recovery from going too hard too soon can take a while.

The third week is when I aim to return to normal. It will still be quite relative and the rule about dropping workouts you’re not up to still stands. However I’ll try and have a full schedule in place with more sessions comparable to my basic week. Of course if you do something silly like race Roth and Ironman UK with only three weeks between them this is a taper week!

By the final week I expect to be entirely back to normal training both in volume and mix of intensity. The process to get me here has been gradual and always focussed on ensuring that I was physically and mentally in good shape. Trying to do too much earlier in this month can lead to mental burn out or injury. I always remember that I want to return to training with a real desire to work and without niggles or injuries to manage.

Ultimately how you work your recovery will come down to your future goals and the speed with which your body repairs itself. Whilst my past schedule hasn’t always given me much time for this process I do recognise its importance. My five week break after Ironman New Zealand was the result of too long a period of mental and physical focus. I simply couldn’t take the intensity anymore and had to step back.

Well managed recovery periods minimise the risk of burn out and ensure continued enjoyment and development in the sport. They also help to avoid excessive loss of fitness or growth of the waistline.

The goals for this race were a little unclear in my mind. Look at my Schedule page and you’ll see I stated ‘aiming for the podium in this one.’. Follow the blog over the past few weeks and you’ll also know I didn’t plan to taper at one point. A counter-productive choice to the original goal.

As chance would have it fatigue and poor time management resulted in one of the more extreme tapers I’ve taken. By race morning I’d logged 40 minutes cycling, 20 minutes running and no swimming in the previous four days! To say I felt poorly prepared as I floated at the start line would be an understatement.

Race morning begins with breakfast kindly laid on early by the hotel. Cold meats, cheese, honey, nutella and German rye bread formed the back bone of mine. As with the day before nerves drove me to eat more than I needed and I finished feeling stuffed! All I could hope was three hours was enough to digest it!

After that it was a couple of final checks of gear and in to town to rack up. The GB Team was there early and as is always the case transition setup took no time. Not that you want to leave it to the last minute and chance having problems. In civilised fashion a large cafe was open right by race start. Rob and I sat on comfy chairs and enjoyed proper coffees as we waited for our race to begin. A relaxing contrast to the nerves I was feeling.

I’d shifted my priorities back to tapering and performing and as a result race anxiety had built up. I wasn’t just turning up loaded with excuses for an average performance. I knew I had a very large block of quality training behind me and this was the test. Whatever else came of the day I wanted to know how my Kona prep was going, particularly with the run.

Well fed and suitably caffeinated I entered the water five minutes before the start. For a warm up I was going to take a long route to my start point and be done with that. As planned I lined up in the middle of the field just one row back. This would prove to be a terrible choice and result in the biggest race start dunking I’ve had.

When the gun went the guys in front of me spent a couple of seconds starting their watches. As we were off I was suddenly pushed under. At first a little surprised I assumed it was just a bunch of swimmers piling into me. When I didn’t resurface immediately I became increasingly concerned. Attempts to swim revealed that the low hanging rope that marked the start line had got pulled down into the water and I was under it!

I extricated myself from the problem, surfaced, caught a breath and got on with swimming again. By now I wasn’t with any of the swimmers I’d hoped to be with. The long 1800m to the first turn buoy opened up the field quickly and there was plenty of opportunity for me to make up ground through clear water. Other than those initial moments the swim was an uneventful affair.

Returning to the shore was a challenge with the sun full in our faces. Small groups of us inefficiently zig-zagged between buoys all the way back. I managed to build into a very comfortable pace and found a few small groups to draft of us. Overall I wasn’t too disappoint with the swim time of 1:04 for 115th. It tells me what I already knew – go work on the swim more.

Damp grass made transition slippery. I ran past my bag, skidded to a halt and had to dash back. From there I made a more cautious ascent up to the change tent and quickly got my wetsuit off. I’d brought along the 2Toms Sportshield to help with the process and just like in New Zealand a liberal application to arm and legs made a big difference.

Out onto the bike and I felt surprisingly good for this early in the race. We weaved through the town until we hit the first big climb of the day. It was a nasty one too leaving you under no illusions about what was to come. The 27 cog was quickly in use and soon I was out the saddle too grinding my way up. Five minutes into the bike and there were some athletes walking the hill!

Much of the first 30km of the lap continued the steepness theme. We’d switch from nice fast downhills and flats to sharp inclines in a matter of moments. This was a race that required good use of all your gears. I didn’t get any easier the further you went either. Perhaps the steepness declined a little, but there was plenty of climbing to do.

Tim Bishop drew up besides me during one of the early climbs and we briefly chatted about our training since Lanzarote, how hard the hills were and the incredible pace some people were attacking them with. A lot of people would be paying on the run today I thought. Not being a great technical rider and generally nervous around descents Tim lost me shortly after that.

I’ve spoken about the importance of pacing before and build my race plan around a sensible pacing strategy. I’ll be honest that there were times I doubted it. As rider’s came hammering by I repeatedly had to remind myself they’d pay for over doing the hills early on. Maintaining the confidence in your performance and abilities is tough when the current evidence suggests otherwise!

With such a consistently varied course the key was not pushing the hills too hard. Using the lowest gear and maintaining a steady pace up them. Not always easy, but I strived to keep my heart rate under 150BPM on each climb. The rule was no attacking on the first lap, but if you feel good on the second push. I was relying on feeling stronger as the bike went on.

Sure enough it happend and as I returned to Immenstadt on lap one I felt strong. The last 15km into town threw in a bonus with a more rolling profile and headwind it was prime time trialling territory and I pushed. I carried the momentum back into town and straight up that steep hill at the lap start. This time crowds lined the road cheering you on noo chance to hold back the heart rate!

The second shorter bike lap took in the earlier tougher portion of the first lap. Plenty of nasty little climbs which were clearly starting to bite. As I’d planned I was feeling stronger and started powering up the climbs and worrying less about heart rate. A little voice in the back of my head reminded me that you could still blow things at this point in the race. A second voice reminded me if I wanted a chance to podium I needed to be pushing.

Despite the early doubts all the riders who passed me earlier came back again and I was able to push even harder on the rolling section into town. It was satisfying to have ultimately stuck to the pacing plan and to have got a decent result off the back of it. I hit transition with a 4:09 bike about the 62nd fastest bike on the day. Certainly not a bad performance on a tough course, but an indicator that the bike needs attention pre-Kona.

I dashed through transition nervous that maybe I’d overdone it on the bike, perhaps I’d not be able to run that well. The run was the big test, this was where I wanted to see the results. Had the weight loss and miles paid off? Shoes were on in no time and I grabbed a Biestbooster from my bag to give it a try.

Whilst they say nothing new on race day I’d decided it’d be the perfect time to test out this product from one of my new supporters. It’s a combination of colostrum with a lot of guarana designed to give you a lift during racing and training. After that bike and with 30km of running ahead I figured a lift was just what I needed. It’s a little bigger and chalkier than I’d expected, but with some aid station water went down fine.

I pushed out onto the course and was soon feeling good. When I hit the 1km mark I was startled by the time 4:08 was faster than expected, but felt easy. I lectured myself about the pacing plan and tried to settle into a more conservative pace. I felt good though and the going wasn’t too hard. I made the choice to stick with things and see how I felt.

I’d counted four GB athletes ahead. With no age group markings it was impossible to judge my race position so I set myself the target of moving up the GB ranks. I knew at the least Tim Bishop would be a challenge, but that’s what this run would be about.

Somewhere on the first lap a pro coming to the end of his race went past. I stuck with him and soon found myself rapidly turning over the kilometres. It was a pleasant surprise to find I could so easily hold this pace. The lack of fatigue in my legs and the ease of running was something I’d not experienced in a long time. Whilst I was nervous that at any moment this could go I was building confidence that my recent training had done the job.

One thing I became very aware of was I was not focussing enough on nutrition. Not wanting to risk a mistake over the distance I ensured I grabbed some gels at the next aid station and started to top up energy levels. Despite passing through 14km in 1 hour I didn’t really feel I was going that hard and similarly didn’t feel that depleted. I made a conscientious effort to feed as I knew the feeling could turn at any moment.

When I hit 15km I was in a little bit of a lull. For a while another athlete had sat on my shoulder agitating me by keeping pace. I’d worried he might push me to the line until I heard how hard he was breathing to keep up. One small rise and he was gone, but I’d been unfocussed during that period and felt I’d eased a little. I remembered my plan to push from 15km and feeling the need to live up to my advice pushed.

At first it wasn’t too impressive I don’t think I can claim I pushed properly until the final 10km loop. Something about having the last lap band helped urge me on and I picked up the pace. Despite growing stomach discomfort (I’d definitely eaten too much the day before!) I forced down a final gel. I was a little concerned I’d not eaten enough by now and afraid of bonking before the line. I should have more conviction in my own plans!

I’d successfully moved up the field with my run so far and whilst I still had no idea where it placed me in my age group I moved up to second placed Brit in the last four kilometres. Just Tim up the road and I knew the chances of catching him now were largely gone. It was all about a good finish time I kept building the pace taking places and always surging past competitors desperate to avoid a battle to the line.

Right in the last 500m I passed one final competitor, grabbed a flag and dashed round the stadium determined not to be caught. I crossed the line in an overall time of 7:27 good for 27th overall age grouper and as it turned out 6th in my age group. There was some impressive competition out there from the Germans in particular. It’s amazing to see how strongly they bike. I was pleased to have made second Brit over the line and even more to discover my 2:08 run was the 9th fastest age group run of the day

Overall it was a great result. I did want to medal, but I wasn’t at the standard necessary. I pushed myself hard all day and had a good race. From the perspective of Kona it’s a great sign that the training is working. I felt great on the run and think I can progress a bit more by October. More importantly I can see that it’s time for more bike focus now and to try and raise my standards there.

I always enjoy racing for the GB Team there’s a good sense of camaraderie even if sometimes when you say ‘Go Team GB’ you’re also thinking ‘but not too fast’! This is the first time I’ve raced on the team and actually felt I’ve put in a performance worthy of the team and event. Hopefully I’ll have more opportunities to race like that in the future, there’s still that medal to chase.

It started on the bus using what would otherwise be dead time to put the plan in writing. A key objective in the last couple of days is getting tasks out the way and maximising how much I can relax tomorrow. The day before the race is the time to be as chilled and calm as possible.

Let’s get straight into the plan

The Day Before

• Get a swim and bike out of the way first thing. Focus is easy with a little bit of race pace thrown in.
• Big breakfast, but stick to typical paleo eating.
• Check bike over and last minute spin – nothing hard!
• Get through all the day’s events efficiently and get off your feet.
• Race day kit and bags all prepared and laid out for the morning
• Early light dinner again stick to what you know
• Relax and go to bed early as you can. Nothing more to do now.

Something to note is as there’s a race on the Saturday too we don’t get to rack until Sunday morning. It simplifies some of what needs doing the day before. The main objective is to ensure I’m getting everything that needs to be done out the way and can just chill out as much as possible.

This isn’t a time for real training, sight-seeing or shopping. This is a time to get off the feet, eat sensibly and mentally prepare for the coming day. Ideally by midday I’ll be done and can kick back and do what I like, but you never know. Whatever happens I’ll try to keep calm and on top of it.

I try to eat my biggest meal early in the day and gradually reduce portion size as the day goes on. It just gives everything a little more time to work through the system before the race. I’ll not be eating particularly high carbs or anything different to normal. The body’s digestive system works best with what it knows.

Pre-Race

• Race kit on and ready to roll
• Breakfast 2.5 to 3 hours before race start (5:00am) focus on a good amount of protein/fat and a moderate amount of carbs.
• Get to transition early, rack and set-up efficiently, double check details and be done.
• Get in the portaloo queues! Don’t forget the immodium!
• Take a gel 1 hour before the swim start and a second gel 30 minutes before.
• Wetsuit on 30 minutes before race start, take time getting comfortable. Lube well!
• Simple warm-up if possible and it won’t impact starting position.

However relaxed I may feel or early I go to bed I don’t anticipate the greatest of sleeps the night before the race. This is fine. When the alarm goes I’m up and getting myself into race kit and ready to go. It’s about keeping ahead of the game again, no last minute rushing. As I’ve set everything out the day before I should literally just need to put it on and I’m done. Bags, nutrition and anything else I might need is ready to go.

Once again breakfast is about sticking to the things you know work for you. It’s not the time to experiment, at least not if the race is a priority for you. If you’re looking to test something out for your major goals well now is the time then! This time round I’ll stick to eggs, meat, cheese, processed breads and a little something sweet (honey or jam and yes I do combine with the meat!)

At transition I just want to get myself set-up and out of there. Again I want to be ahead of the game, ready to race with time to gather my thoughts and focus mentally.

Swim

• Position self forward and relatively central. Not front line, but one back.
• Go out at a solid, but maintainable pace.
• Look to settle onto some feet and hold a firm stroke throughout.
• Keep a mental focus on technique and what you’re doing – remain alert!
• Finish strongly and knowing you’ve worked the swim well.

Always a tough part to plan, especially when I’ve still not seen the lake we’re swimming in or the start area. I know I need to be bold in my positioning to give me a chance to grab faster feet and get a tow. This has worked in New Zealand and Lanzarote and whilst there might be a little more rough stuff it’s no worse than elsewhere. The key is not getting boxed in by slower swimmers there’s nothing to gain drafting off them.

I want the swim to be measured, not easy. A good draft helps deliver a faster swim without taxing me so much. If I’m not getting that draft then I need to be prepared to work a little more and be vigilant for packs. Mentally I try to keep my focus on technique, rhythm and the feel of my catch through the water. I also know that as an athlete I build into my sessions I will be going strongly in the second half of this swim.

Transition 1

• Wetsuit down to waist straight out of the water (remember to lube the arms up!)
• Solid pace throughout transitions, but keep calm and measured.
• Swim gear off, bike gear on. Keep momentum, but don’t rush yourself
• Grab your bike and go.

Some people are capable of flying through transitions. I’ll be honest it’s an area I struggle with to this day. As a child I was always the last kid to be changed after swimming! My main focus is always on being efficient, keeping momentum going, but not allowing myself to forget something. I’ll take being slightly slower if I don’t make mistakes!

Bike

• Expect your heart rate to be high at first, don’t worry. Go by feel.
• Moderate effort to begin, don’t push yet. Take on nutrition ASAP.
• Look to build effort over time, take hills easy at first, but build on them later. Work the climbs without going over threshold.
• Push the second lap harder, this is where you move through the field.
• Have confidence in your pacing strategy, all those who rushed ahead will come back to you.
• Keep nutrition simple and consistent, take regular swigs of gel.
• Finish with a strong last 10km to carry you into the run

Adrenaline will set me off with a high heart rate, but I’ve come to expect it. Rather than taking deliberate action to lower it I’ll focus on perceived effort and allow HR to gradually lower. As mentioned the other day I’ll start eating early, it’ll have been 90 minutes and 4km of swimming since I last fed. Fuelling begins early and is little and often keeping on top of this is key to maintaining performance.

During the first lap I’ll expect plenty of athletes to pass me with lots of pushing up hills and harder efforts. I’ll not be surprised just trust in experience and the plan. Come the second lap those hills will bite and they’ll come back to me. As the field fatigues and slows I’ll be getting stronger and pushing on. As always the aim is to be working my hardest by the end of the bike.

I’ve yet to experience the course though have seen the jagged profiles and GPS data. I’m not letting it worry me. Bail out gears are present if required and I know I can handle tough days. I’m not usually a fan of courses that constantly change pace and effort, but have to admit they’ve worked for me before. My endurance and strength helps me in the later stages when it gets tougher.

Transition 2

• Shoes off on the bike into transition.
• Solid pace throughout, but no rushing.
• Socks and shoes on (calf compression too if allowed)
• Get up and get moving!

Nothing special here, the rules from transition 1 still apply. I need to check the ITU rulings on compression calf guards to see whether they’re allowed. If they are I’ll hopefully be able to wear them under the wetsuit and not need to worry otherwise they go on as early as I can. I may even opt to wear them for the bike they can take the edge off rougher roads. This being Germany that shouldn’t be a big concern.

Run

• Hold back to start you’ll be faster than you think anyway!
• Watch pace on your watch, monitor and adjust
• Keep on top of nutrition, gels every 20 minutes of so.
• Look to push pace from 15km mark.
• When it gets tough, recall your training, you know how hard you can go.
• Last 5km dig deep, build to the finish.

I’m always like a rocket out of transition! I might think otherwise, but with my legs warmed-up they go off faster than planned. I’ve just gone with it in the last few races and at least mentally suffered trying to maintain pace later. The plan here is to watch pacing closely and stick to a slightly reserved effort for the first 3 – 5km before settling in to my race pace.

Once out there again I’m looking to keep on top of nutrition and balance that off against intensity. It’s going to be a case of racing a fine line as I particularly want a good run. That means pushing things and testing my limits. You’ll notice I plan to try and push the pace from 15km out, so half the overall run!

It’ll be hard, but it’s what I need at this point of my season. I hope to come away with a solid result and some confidence heading towards Kona. If not that then I want to discover my weak points and areas to focus on in the final couple of months before Hawaii.

That’s the plan!

Unsurprisingly an Ironman places huge energy demands on the body. At Ironman New Zealand I’d estimate I expended 500 calories for the swim (I’ll admit I struggle with estimating calorific expenditure of swimming). My powermeter records around 4000 calories burnt during the bike (that was on the high side). A crude estimate of 100 calories per mile would add at least 2600 calories from the marathon. Over 7000 calories down in 9.5 hours of racing!

The body’s most readily available store of energy is its glycogen and we hold 2000 calories in reserve at most. On race day I’m using 5000 calories more than is readily available. Fat provides longer term energy storage for the body and is easily capable of covering the deficit, but access to fat is a slower metabolic process heavily influenced by intensity of activity.

With limited supply of immediate energy what does an athlete need to do in order to ensure they race successfully? Firstly any nutrition strategy is a personal thing, you have to discover your optimal solution during training and practice races. Underlying metabolic pathways are the same and during a long race you need to take in carbohydrates. It’s details like palatability and what you can process at race intensity that need refining.

What happens if you don’t eat enough?

I guess the answer is obvious. As the race progresses glycogen stores are emptying. The available energy fuelling you drops and the body attempts to make up the shortfall by releasing fat stores and converting them into glycogen. The process is slower and limited by intensity so at race pace the amount of fat burning can vary. If fat isn’t meeting the shortfall the deficit will grow.

Well trained individual aim to be efficient at utilising fat stores at Ironman intensity. This metabolic efficiency is a limiter of Ironman pacing. Our objective is to get from start to finish as fast as possible, but we don’t set out at sprint pace. The body can’t support the intensity for that long, metabolic requirements are too high. Long distance endurance racing is a balancing act between intensity and our metabolism.

At low enough intensity the body will cope on stored glycogen and body fat reserves. That’s not to say it’ll be comfortable, but the reserves are easily there. It won’t give you your best Ironman time though. As you up the pace fat metabolism can no longer keep up with the constant energy demands. Which is where fuelling comes in to bridge the gap and ensure there’s available glycogen to keep at our current pace.

A sure sign of insufficient nutrition is a drop in performance or increase in heart rate and perceived exertion for a given effort. The race becomes harder than you expected, the initially easy bike pace is a struggle and you know you’ve worked harder in training! Pay attention to your mood as low blood glycogen can lead to mood swings and negativity. This one is a clear sign to me during races and acts as an early warning.

It’s hard to distinguish this from fatigue over a long day! Try to compare with your longest training sessions, how did you feel towards the end of them? One of the reasons I like finishing endurance rides with harder efforts is the sense of performing when fatigued. You get a real idea of the impact of nutrition and fatigue on the body. Focussed training sessions with race pace simulations will make actual race performance easier to judge.

Why not eat as much as you can?

It might seem the sensible way to deal with the issue. We know we’ll be in deficit and we know that eating is a means of getting those calories. The ability to absorb nutrition decreases as exercise intensity increases. Diversion of blood to muscles along with increased levels of dehydration limit the activity of the stomach. Race intensity prevents us absorbing all the calories we’re expending. You will be in deficit.

First time Ironman athletes often go overboard with food. It’s a perfectly understandable reaction to the day ahead and the knowledge of the energy it requires. We’re more aware of the dangers of bonking than the distress of over eating. Getting the balance right is essential to a successful race. Much as we need more energy part of a smart fuelling plan limits the intake of nutrition.

Reactions to over eating are individual. Common symptoms include bloating and nausea with plenty of athletes who’ve been sick during a race. If you’re in this situation back off the intensity and take on water. The biggest issue is you’re not absorbing nutrition properly anymore. You probably aren’t keen to consume more and at worst you may empty your stomach of the fuel you have. Ironically eating too much results in an insufficient carbohydrates intake.

Back the intensity off and there’s a chance for your body to catch up. Flushing some water through the stomach can help to clear the system. There’s no guarantee and if you find yourself here I’d advise a cautious approach. Easing up and trying to get on top of the situation will pay off in the long run. Stomach issues at their worst have major impact on race time, but dealt with early and it can be a matter of minutes.

My approach to race day fuelling

I’ve refined this over the past fourteen Ironmans. In my first race I was bloated and nauseous, had stomach distress and walked a fair bit in the last 10km! Recent races haven’t involved those issues and I’m happy I’ve found a strategy that works for me. I’d not advise adopting this wholesale, but it’s something you could trial before your next race.

Following the principles above I aim for 250 to 300 calories an hour on the bike. This is the primary opportunity to absorb nutrition as relative intensity is lower than running and there’s less stomach agitation. Once I’m on the run course I drop down to around 200 calories an hour as it becomes difficult to handle more.

Race day starts with a reasonable breakfast that’s quite high in protein and moderate in carbs. My glycogen stores won’t be that low thanks to the tapering and I find a higher protein content keeps me feeling full. I’ll top this up with a gel taken 30 minutes before the swim start. I can’t say how much that’s psychological, but it gives me confidence I’ll not have an energy dip in the swim!

The entire race day fuelling strategy is built around gels. Early on in my Ironman career I decided that you have to accept race day food sources won’t be overly appetising. I opt for brands of gels I know work well to maximise palatability, but nobody chooses gels over real food in everyday life!

I fill a standard 750ml water bottle with gels and slightly dilute as necessary. I’ll usually chuck in a bar or two in my transition bag or on the top tube. I find having a little bit of solids helps fool my stomach that it’s full. This should be all I need to eat for the bike, aid stations are there for water and alternative food in emergencies only.

There’s common advice not to eat in the first 30 minutes of the bike so the stomach settles. I ignore it. Eat as soon as it’s comfortable, the swim has started the build up of calorific debt the earlier you deal with it the better. Once you’ve started keep a regular intake and a rough mental check on how much you’ve eaten. Always watch for signs of over or under eating and deal with it as early as possible.

I’ll stop consuming solids at least an hour before the run just to ensure there’s nothing sitting in my stomach. I stick to the gel based fuelling right to transition with a bit more water in the last few kilometres. Avoiding gulping down too much as it’ll slosh around whilst running. All being well I’ve kept around the 250-300 calorie mark and my stomach is still feeling settled.

Running is a continuation of the gels at regular intervals theme. I’ll time it around aid stations if they’re spaced well. Taking a gel on approach then grabbing water to flush it down. Usually I alternate taking a gel at one and then just water or a sip of energy drink at the next. With my stomach I have to avoid flat coke as it usually isn’t flat enough and leads to real GI distress!

Regular feeding continues with a gel every 25 minutes or so until that last 10km. As I’ve described this is where I want to push the pace and raise intensity. We’re back to the absorption issue anything I consume will sit uncomfortably in my stomach. Nutrition take time to absorb so the easiest approach is to sip aid station energy drink at most.

Once you’ve crossed the line feel free to fuel as you want!

A pro can’t afford to have any true area of weakness. Amongst pro results you often see tactics coming into play. Ironman Western Australia’s course should have some blistering times, but typically pro bike splits aren’t exceptional. On such a flat course too much effort is required to put a significant gap into the field. The run is similarly flat and that’s where the race happens. Pros watch each other on the bike aiming to conserve as much as they can for the real work on the run.

As an age grouper with podium finishes to my name I’ve never been involved in such cat and mouse games. That’s not to say I don’t have a race strategy. In fact as I mentioned last time I write a race plan out the day before and commit it to memory. Generally the strategy is simple, but shares some elements in common with a conservative pro race.

The Swim

Your approach to the swim obviously varies according to ability. The fastest and slowest swimmers have simple choices, but for the rest of us stuck between things are a little trickier. There are plenty of athletes capable of swimming an hour for 3.8km.

My approach is to place myself confidently going a little further forward than my actual swim pace might dictate. I try to go to one side of the field or the other on the principle that there’s room to escape should things get rough or I get blocked in. The aim is to be pulled along by swimmers around me and achieve a slightly faster time for it.

Positioning can backfire as in Kona when my section of the field was herded into the middle resulting in far more crowding, a lot of blocking and a fair few blows to the body. Worse was my mistake in Ironman Australia where I held position behind the line as the field crept forward. Expecting them to be pushed back before the start instead I began two or three rows further back when the cannon fired. The important lesson is move with the field!

I adopt the attitude that I need to work the swim. It’s a balancing act of course, but I have to feel my arms have worked and can enjoy a rest on the bike. I’ll go out hard, but avoid sprinting I’ve learnt the error of that one! Everything turning to treacle 400m in is not a pleasant experience. Throughout the focus is on my stroke. For the next hour I’m aware of every stroke and if it’s moving me forward successfully. I’ll typically find myself counting or humming a rhythm to help with timing and pace.

Whatever the outcome when I get out of the water the time on the clock is what it is. Under the hour I’ll take a confidence boost and I’m set for a good race. There’s nothing I can do if I took longer, but the key is it doesn’t change my race plan. I have work to do and success comes down to that plan.

The Bike

Bike pacing is the backbone of a good race. Too easy gives away time, too hard can destroy your race. Far too many athletes can tell you what a great bike they had only to admit the run fell apart. Looking back over a race if the run went badly, or you had stomach and nutrition issues one of the first questions you ask is ‘did I bike too hard?’

I like to use a combination of perceived exertion, power (when available) and heart rate in that order of priority when racing. Ultimately how I feel decides how I keep going. Power and heart rate values act as spurs to push me more – if I see them drop I want to go harder. If perceived exertion warns otherwise I need to heed the warning or potentially pay later.

There’s a golden rule that when a competitor passes you it means they’re either faster or they’re going to hard. If it’s the former there’s nothing you can do for now and if the latter you’ll be seeing them later. It’s an important rule that stops you wasting energy over longer distance events. You can’t try to respond to the actions of others round you surging is significantly tiring.

I’ll add a little caveat here. When someone passes you make an honest assessment of your effort. Is it where it should be? Have you eased up? If you’re feeling good and think there’s a little more attempt to keep pace. Don’t put in a large push to hold on, try to use them to motivate just a few more watts out of the legs. If it’s too much back off.

This is a mentally challenging aspect of the race. Letting competitors pass you early on is unnerving. You’ll start wondering if you’re weaker than you think? Am I really a top age grouper? You have to accept they’re pacing is bad because 99% of the time it’s the truth.

Take Lanzarote this year the first half of the course was tough and I seemed to be endlessly losing ground. It was a real challenge to keep pushing, but I reassured myself I knew my body, my pacing and the island. Sure enough by Mirador del Rio people were slowing and coming back to me. Over the latter half I reclaimed numerous places by being fresh enough to push hard in easier terrain.

Throughout the day remind yourself why you’re there. The choices you’ve made and sacrifices involved. When the going gets tough and it always does I consider how I’m doing what I love. I wanted to do the race, I put all those hours in and I’m lucky to be here racing. I can hurt in the present because the longer term rewards far out weigh a little discomfort.

Think back to the toughest training sessions and how you coped. I’ll be remember running sub 4:30 kilometres for the La Santa half-marathon after four days and 90km of run training. If I can do that in training then I can do it tapered in a race. There’s real value in having some truly challenging blocks in your training cycles just to help mentally push through the hardest parts of endurance events.

If the strategy works the back half of my ride will be of a higher standard than the first. Relative pace will pick up, I’ll move through the field and I’ll draw lots of positive energy from this. I tend to push hard in the final 10 to 20km. Perhaps being more conservative would be better, but I feel good and want to carry that momentum into the run.

The Run

Head out on the run comfortably. I can almost guarantee you’ll find that whatever you think your doing your initial pace will be faster than you plan. Watching that pace is key. Take every split you can and be guided by it. I rely purely on perceived effort at this point. Every kilometre I’ll check my pace and aim to keep to my race goal. If perceived effort is shooting off the chart I’m forced to back-up.

In the early phase of the run if you’re passed it’s best to let them go. You need to be cautious pacing off others early in the game. The potential to go beyond your limits chasing a faster athlete is obvious, but also you can be subtly slowing. My first time at Ironman Western Australia I paced a couple of laps off a competitor and felt great. Suddenly he broke into a walk and I realised we’d been slowing over the last 5Km! No wonder it seemed so good.

Those pushing hard early in the run will generally come back to you. Sometimes not till the last 200m as in Ironman New Zealand this year. The cost of pushing the first half of the marathon can be massive, as bad as over cooking the bike. Unplanned walking at any point in the latter part of the day will have a devastating affect on your finish time. I can’t emphasise pace awareness enough. Know your race pace from training, wear a watch and monitor pace then respond and adjust your effort.

I’m going to add a caveat again. Much as I emphasise this conservative approach you may need to make a call. If you’re 10km in running kilometres five seconds faster than expected and feeling great I’d stick with it. Sometimes you have to take the chance and if you’re being consistent, not surging and its working that’s great.

Be aware when you reach the final 10km and be mentally prepared to respond. If you’re there without significant slowing or walking the game has now changed. Focus on run form and start to dig deeper it may not translate to faster, but effort levels have to rise.

I go from a comfortable conversational aerobic run pace to a laboured breathing pattern. From this point on nutrition will not sit well in my stomach, make sure you fed before hand. I should at least be at my standalone marathon pace, ideally faster by the last kilometre. This is about getting to the line quickly and efficiently.

If someone goes past you now go with them. Even if they’re a lap behind you use them. If they’re on the same lap that’s a finishing place you don’t want to give up. Latch on, focus and push. It may be hard, perhaps it’ll be too much, but you’re closing the final kilometres. When you reach the line it’s over and you know you can make it.

I’ve latched on to faster runners in a number of races. In Kona 2009 I ran with a guy for most of the final 6 miles. We helped push each other along. As we approached the return to Palani Drive I surged uphill trying to drop him. It backfired as the hill proved longer than expected and he blew by over the top!

Sometimes those surges work. In Ironman New Zealand with 10K to go two competitors came by at pace. I latched on, took the lead, threw in a couple of small surges and suddenly they were gone. Too hard too soon in their cases. Later I worked with another competitor and we pushed each other for the next few kilometres. With 1km to go he cramped and I went hard to build and hold a lead. It was one more place in my age group after all!

Finally the finish line. From two or three kilometres out it should be the hardest effort you can sustain and just keep pushing for more. Even if you have images of Julie Moss in your head you will make it. Hard as you can may be slower than you hope, but aim to finish strongly and perhaps gain a place or two. The race isn’t over until the line and I’m not afraid to take places in the finish chute.