ETU European Long Distance Champs (4/120/30)I seem to be blessed with racing in beautiful parts of the world thisyear. I have never been to northern Spain before and have been bowledover by how spectacular the area is.So the journey began by sitting for 90 mins on the tarmac at Stansteadairport from 7am thanks to a French air traffic control dispute. Thepoor cabin crew did not know what had hit them, they filled the timebusily feeding and watering the hungry triathletes on board….we musthave cleared the on board supplies!Eventually we got underway and 1 hour 40 mins later landed at Bilbaoairport where we were met by our travel hosts, Nirvana travel. As thecoach wound its way up through the hills surrounding Bilbao I got myfirst look at the beautiful countryside of the Basque region.We arrived at the hotel and settled in, got some food (eating seems tofeature alot I remember). When I am away on trips for competing themost important things for me to sort are getting food and water,putting the bike together and registering for the event,pretty much inthat order. Managed to get the first two done and took the bike out tocheck all was in order. The city of Vitoria- Gastiez is a cyclistsdream, it is full of cycling lanes with their own traffic lightsintegrated into the road traffic system - makes for very safe andstress free cycling.With this event T1 and T2 were in different places, with T1 at thelake 17km away from the main race venue so we knew that we would haveto be organised to get bikes racked at the lake before  race day etc.All this stuff is normally sorted out at the race briefing. We weretold that the race briefing had been moved from the main race venue,at the stadium, to a building in the old town, which was about 30 minswalk away. We got a lift with nirvana up there but then had to walkfor quite a way through the old town to where we were told thebriefing was to be held. It was a team bonding moment as many of uswandered about in the heat trying to find the venue. No signposts, noA boards outside a building..in fact …nothing! Eventually we found atiny doorway into a church type building that had an A4 piece of paperput in the window declaring athletes briefing. Our poor team managerand several of the team did not manage to find it atall.Fortunately the meeting was not too long and we all got back to thehotel tired, ready to eat and get some sleep. It had been a long day.Friday, day before race day dawned warm and sunny and I got out earlyto do my pre race session. There were several things that needed toget done on friday, the most important being registering and gettingthe various race bags to T1 and T2. both transitions needed to be setup on Friday. The race organisers had detailed how we were going to betaken up to t1 on coaches then brought back to set up T2. we had beentold that we would not be able to get into T2 on race morning soeverything we needed for the run section had to be left in transitionon Friday.Registration was easy and straight forward and I decided that I wouldgive the lake reccie that had been organised a miss, choosing to getmy feet up for a few hours instead. It is easy to get carried a way atteam events doing too much before the race. I figured I would see thelake when I racked the bike in the late afternoon!After a restful afternoon we assembled at the stadium with our bikesand colour coded transition bags to be dropped off. I am not sure thecoach drivers had been told they were taking a load of people withbikes on their coaches and I watched with horror as they opened thebaggage holds up! We actually travelled with our bikes on the coachwith us! The journey up gave us a chance to reccie a bit of the bikecourse, which seemed mainly up hill and twisty turny.The lake was very spectacular and racking the bike was sorted prettyquickly. However we then found ourselves waiting for the coach to takeus back for ages…an hour later we were told that the coaches werenot picking us up where they had dropped us…aahhh. We agreed thiswas turning out to be a trip that was training us to be a good atwaiting. So, having walked to where the coaches now were, back to T2we went and laid out our yellow run bags.Back at the hotel I put together my last minute bits for the morningand tried to get some sleep. I cannot say that the pre race care ofthe athletes had been perfect but I had got everything done as Ineeded to and just needed to go and race.Race day promised to be another scorcher and the excitement wasbuilding as we all got ready to race. It was brilliant to see theelites with us in transition. We had Jodie swallow competing and thecurrent Xtrerra champ, Eneko Llanos was also there.Before we knew it it was race start time, a beach start. The klaxonwent and I launched myself into the lake. A few fast strokes and Ifound clear water. The lake temp was perfect, in fact the lake wasperfect. I settled into my pace for the 1 x 4k loop. I had acompletely clear swim and was out of the water in 58 mins, I had hadan amazing swim leg and couldn’t wait to get on the bike.Through T1 and out onto the bike course. It was 2 loops of anundulating, rolling course, twisting up and down and through thebreathtaking countryside. The support from the locals in the villagesthe course passed through was brilliant. The support of people passingin cars was brilliant and also of the many groups of cyclists. Itoccurred to me how sad it is that we cycle in our country where thereis not such a deep love and culture of cycling. The marshalls wereexcellent both in directing and on the feed stations. On long courseevents it is essential that there is enough fuel and water for everyathlete and as we females were last to go there were concerns that bythe time we got to the feed stations supplies would be low or run out.Not so…I was really impressed with the support on the bike course. Ifelt great cycling, at Bala two weeks before I had struggled on thebike…this was very different. As I went past T2 on the first loopthe crowds were cheering like mad and the atmosphere was awesome. Thesecond loop was quieter but I felt strong and came into T2 with a timeof 3 hrs 56. I was delighted.Through T2, I organised my gels and drink for the run…they wereabsolutely baking, having sat in the sun all day!My electrolyte drinkwas like tea! The run consisted of 3 x 10k loops through a park andthe local streets, with no shade. The temps were hitting 30 plusdegrees and I soon realised I was more dehydrated than I had thought.I adopted a run/walk strategy for the fist loop to rehydrate and getmyself together. The second loop was better, the sun went in and itwas hot but cloudy and the respite from the sun was welcome. The thirdloop was tough,the heat was brutal, alot of people were walking bythis point. I went back to the first loop strategy and dug in to getfinished. I was very grateful to see Jimmy at the start of each loopgiving me good encouragement and keeping me focused!And finish I did. The team manager handed me a Union Jack to wave as Icrossed the finish line. I was very pleased to stop!! I had done it in8 hrs 06, a time I was delighted with.I would like to mention a French competitor, an older man, probably 60plus who completed the course in 11 hours 59. he had cramped on therun course and was in agony but he carried on and finished. We were atthe stadium to see him cross the line and I found it so inspirational.The human spirit is an amazing thing… after he had had a moment tocollect himself they led him over to the podium and helped him up…hehad won his age group!!It was a totally brilliant moment, very movingand one I won’t forget.I was very proud to stand on the podium to receive my silver, and Ishall treasure it.All in all a great race, in a beautiful part of the world, supportedby lovely people.Paula

We are experiencing weather that I am sure would test the patience of the patron saint of training(whoever that may be!). Just as most of us were thinking that with Christmas and New Year over, it was time to get back in the pool, saddle and hit the running trails,the worst British weather for a while hits us!

Whilst I definitely prefer to be training outside there are some very valuable things that can be achieved when training indoors too. Whilst on the turbo and the treadmill I have been amazed at how much I do not have to concentrate on. There are no roads to negotiate,no other pavement/road users to think about or avoid.There are no weather conditions to consider!

If we can get through the thoughts of boredom when on the treadmill or turbo we can focus on many positive aspects of the performances we want to execute in our races.

It can be helpful to use past performances or training sessions that went really well to concentrate on and recall what it looked like, what it sounded like, what it felt like. You can mentally step right into that experience and use it to focus on what you want to feel like for future races. It has been proven that visualisation used in this way can help to improve how we feel about future events.

You can also practice positive self talk in indoor sessions. We can control those emotions in an event by controlling the inner voice.What do you say to yourself when you are feeling tired? If it tends to be negative then take time on the turbo to change this into positive statement. eg. “I am too tired to carry on” could become” I am tired here, time to think about good technique”.

I also have a bank of words that can be used like a mantra…some work for cycling, some are better for running. They should be rhythmic words that can be repeated with each pedal revolution or footfall or can be timed to your breathing. Different words will work each of us.If those words are repeated in training positively, it has been proven that when those words are used in competition they will act as a positive trigger and can raise performance.

The mind is a very powerful tool and we can train it to work in a really positive way for us. So next time you get on the rollers or the turbo or treadmill have a think about the mental training you can do too.

Here is the 220 first look at the Victory TT bike. The frame is our sample and the parts will have been changed once we launch VO2 Cycling in July.  220_235_first_look_final.pdf

As the weather deteriorates and the light becomes limited we British triathletes have a lot to contend with as we get into base winter training. If we are to get to race day 2009 in one piece we must think about how we are to keep safe as we train.

Some things to consider are:-

1.Visiblity

Often in the winter we have to fit training in before or after work, which inevitably means training in the dark. Whilst we may feel we are sensible on both bike and running it is imperative that other road users can see us clearly. There is a large range of hi – vis clothing available for both cyclists and runners at all price ranges and it is worth investing in a hi vis jacket and tights with reflective markings. In addition, arm bands, reflective gloves/overshoes and hats are useful.

Lights are also a must for both runners and cyclists in the winter. It does not have to be dark to use lights, remember a motorists’ visibility can be restricted on gloomy overcast or foggy days too.

Even with the best of highly visible clothing always remember hand signals on the bike and we should let road users know what we are about to do whether running or cycling.

2. Warmth

I am sure we can all recall a time when we have got cold on a long winter ride and been utterly miserable! It is sometimes tricky to pitch the clothing right, especially on sunny days. Don’t be fooled by the winter sun, the cold chill air can be biting on early morning rides. General rule of thumb would be too many layers rather than too few. Layers can always be removed but it will feel horrible 20 miles from home with no more layers to put on. A shower-proof gilet tucked in the back pocket on winter days, however bright, is a good policy.

As with the visibility there are many shower-proof, windproof, thermal tops, tights, hats, gloves, socks and overshoes out there on the market.

It may seem like a lot to pay out for but a worthwhile investment that will see you through many winters if cared for.

3. Food!

In the winter months our basal metabolic requirements go up as we require more calories to simply keep us warm. It therefore makes sense that we are probably burning more calories than our Garmins/Polars etc are showing us. This is not a licence to eat pies all the way round the lanes but it is important to have a small stock of healthy snacks (easily digestible) on sessions of 90 mins or more. A whole article could be devoted to nutrition requirements but for the purpose of this article which is general advice – don’t leave home without some fuel!

It is also possible to still dehydrate in the winter (some rain jackets are very dehydrating!) so hydration strategies still need to be employed. The body is still producing sweat as part of the heat exchange mechanism and fluid/salts have to be replaced.

4. Equipment

Safety checks on equipment is essential in the winter months as running shoes get muddy and worn; bikes get muddy and salt and grit get into components.

Check muddy trainers for signs of wear as damp and mud can lessen the life span.

Essential bits for the outdoor bike sessions include 2 tubes, a pump, tyre levers and a multi-tool A phone and some change is also useful.(Make sure the phone has the ICE number in it).

The following should be checked before setting off on the bike– brakes, cables, tyre pressure and state of tyres and all nuts and bolts.

Keeping the bike as clean as possible also gives us the opportunity to check these things (!). A dirty bike will have components that deteriorate quicker than a clean one!

In the last article we looked at the importance of adequate rest and recovery and how the improvements take place if the rest and recovery is timed accurately.

This article will look at how we can accelerate the recovery process using some simple but effective methods.
There are of course two major areas that contribute to an athletes recovery sleep (together with other natural modes of recovery) and correct nutrition are both vitally important and both of these will be covered in consequent articles.
Different forms of training will require different recovery needs; for example the primary recovery need of an endurance athlete will be nutritional i.e. adequate replacement of fluid and nutrients whereas an athlete training for speed would need to focus firstly on recovery of the nervous system (see previous article). We will look at a few physiological recovery methods here to aid recovery of sore muscles, helping them to relax and increase blood supply to them.

Relaxation of muscles is beneficial in promoting a sense of well being. It is also important that muscle length be returned to optimal to ensure good range of movement around joints; imperative for an injury free training process.

In increasing the blood supply to the muscles we enhance the process of removal of accumulated waste products as a result of training as well as supplying oxygen and glycogen to depleted muscles.

It is generally found that most regeneration/recovery methods will have a positive effect psychologically too, promoting relaxation and a sense of well-being.

Here are a few examples of the ways we can help the recovery process along: -

1.Cold therapy
Anyone who watched the Olympics last year would have seen and heard of the wheelie bins full of ice cold water that our athletes plunged themselves into following training or competition! The theory behind this seemingly mad thing to do is as follows; exposure of the muscles to the cold will increase the blood flow, as the metabolism is increased in response to the stimulus. This will help with the clearance of waste products such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide and by increasing the levels of oxygen to the muscles. There is evidence that the incidence of muscle spasms is reduced with this form of treatment too. For the best results it is recommended that the cold stimulus be applied immediately following the activity for approximately 15 mins or so.

2. Contrast baths
If the thought of sitting in a cold bath post workout does not fill you with joy there is hope; it can be combined with exposure to heat too! It is thought that alternating between the two stimuli will cause a pumping action within the muscles and can help treat muscle spasms.
Saunas and steam rooms or whirlpools can be used in conjunction with cold showers. The heat exposure should ideally last three times longer than the cold exposure and the alternation can take up to twenty minutes. The treatment should begin and end with a cold exposure. In general, the larger the recovering muscle groups the longer the treatment.

3.Heat therapy
Steam baths and saunas affect the nervous and endocrine systems. Approximately 10 minutes in a warm shower can be generally relaxing and will increase circulation of blood. Being warm also improves the muscle/brain communication as the nervous system responds to the warmth. The psychological effects of being warm are important too, resulting in improved sleep and feelings of relaxation. Notes of warning here however, if muscle damage/trauma is suspected avoid heat treatment till a few days following the incident. Again the time in the sauna/steam should be interspersed with cold blasts.
A towel that has been immersed in cold water can also be placed over your head whilst in the hot environment.
It is also important that dehydration does not occur when being immersed in a warm environment and the written safety rules of saunas and steam rooms should be observed at all times.

4. Massage
Massage has been used for thousands of years as a means of inducing deep relaxation, rebalancing the body and aiding the removal of waste products.
Different forms of massage will induce a different physiological response. It has benefits before, during and after exercise.
Post workout massage will increase circulation, therefore increasing effective removal of waste products from the muscles and supplying oxygen to them.

Massage will also help reduce and remove knots (adhesions) within the muscles. The effective treatment of these adhesions will often require a deeper style of massage.

If a person is consistently training, regular massage should be considered as an essential part of the training process as microtraumas sometimes caused within the muscles as a result of training can result in a strain if not treated.

In 1989 Athletics Weekly claimed that massage was a means of obtaining optimum athletic performance by:

• Allowing the athlete to compete with lower levels of stress on their body and at the same time perform more effectively and increase the workload of their muscles. It can also change moods or minimise pain.
• Improving the metabolic rate, i.e. improving cellular nutrition and toxic removal
• Help reduce pain and swelling after injury thus speeding up rehabilitation
• Help prevent injury, aiding recovery after training or competition and making the athlete less prone to stiffness.
• Enhance the cooldown period, cutting down the delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) and fatigue

The Sports Massage Association explains the benefits as follows: -

IMPROVES TRAINING

• increasing blood flow through the tissues can improve the recovery process allowing the athlete to train more effectively and safely
• it assists the removal of waste products and helps supply the tissues with essential nutrients to aid recovery
• increasing the knowledge of the deep tissues means advice can be given on specific stretching, training and equipment to help improve performance

PREVENTS INJURY

• imbalances and damage in deep tissues can be detected earlier and potentially corrected before an injury develops

IMPROVES SELF AWARENESS

• through deep tissue massage, an athlete can learn to monitor their own condition and adjust their training accordingly

IMPROVES PERFORMANCE

• pre-event sports massage can stimulate circulation, calm nervous tension and help prepare the athlete for optimal performance

In conclusion, there are many forms of restoration that can be applied; there are many variables that have to be considered by a coach/trainer when recommending forms of recovery. Each individual will have different needs and will respond differently. Ideally a recovery and regeneration diary should be kept alongside a training diary for feedback. This will give feedback as what methods are most useful.

Enjoy your rest!

Refs:
EPTS Programme Design and Integrated Periodisation System Work book
Periodisation: Theory and Methodology of Training Tudor O Bompa, PhD
Accelerating Adaptation to Training Angela Calder
Sports Therapy Theoretical and Practical Thoughts and Considerations James Briggs

Have you ever wondered how improvements in performance take place? Is it by doing longer length training sessions or working at a higher intensity?

When does the improvement take place? During the sessions?

The answer to the above is no! Your improvements come during your rest and recovery periods!

Taking rest and building rest days into your training program is not the same as skipping a workout and there should be no guilt attached to taking planned rest days.

It is during the rest time that your body rebuilds and grows. It is here the improvements or adaptations take place. Muscle growth occurs in the recovery periods, as do other training adaptations. A general rule of thumb is that periods of high intensity/duration training should be followed by periods of planned rest. Now given adequate rest and recovery time the body will actually compensate (where the improvements take place) from the stimulus by repairing tissues. Given adequate recovery time the body will actually surpass former levels of strength, speed etc.This process is known as supercompensation. There are obviously other factors to take into consideration here too such as age, sleep, lifestyle and other stressors.

Without rest and recovery the risk of over training becomes an issue. Any form of training stimulus is recognised by the body as a stressor and the bodys response to any stress is to burn stored energy resulting in fatigue at some level.

Fatigue may take many forms:-

Lets look at muscular fatigue. Muscular fatigue occurs every time a micro trauma occurs within a muscle and can occur when there is an excessive volume of training or training of intensity where the client reaches failure. Signs of muscular fatigue might be soreness and stiffness up to one to two days after a work out.

This phenomenon is known as DOMS or delayed onset of muscle soreness. Taking a day or two off from working muscles that are sore might be adequate recovery but fitness professionals need to be aware that clients may be suffering form fatigue of the central nervous system. Recovery of the nerve cells takes up to seven times as long as muscle cells to completely recover from a training stimulus.

Nervous system fatigue can occur on two levels - in the central nervous system and within the peripheral nervous system: the first causing a change (a decrease) in the rate and speed of nerve impulses sent from the brain. The second, peripheral, occurs when the chemical bi products of high intensity training cause a decrease in the function of nerves in the muscles which then affects the twitch causes of this fatigue can be excessive volumes and intensities of training (adversely affecting the volume/intensity relationship) and inadequate recovery periods.

Signs to look for would include decreased motivation, decreased quality of movement and co ordination when exercising, difficulty sleeping and decreased focus or concentration.

There can be another form of fatigue in addition to the above-mentioned two; fatigue at a hormonal level, or endocrine fatigue. The central nervous system (CNS) breaks into two afferent and efferent; the first carrying messages from the receptors in the skin and muscles to the CNS, the second is the nerves carrying stimuli from the CNS to the muscles. The efferent further breaks into two the somatic and the autonomic nervous systems. The somatic system innervates skeletal muscle; the autonomic innervates smooth and cardiac muscle glands. The autonomic system further divides into sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. In general it has been found that chronic endocrine fatigue associated with overtraining is caused by over excitation of the sympathetic system for prolonged periods. Put simply this form of fatigue is a result of the bodys inability to cope with prolonged hormonal disruptions as a result of physical (and other) stressors.

Symptoms here might include lethargy, depression, fatigue not helped by sleep, decreased focus and memory, increase in blood pressure and resting heart rate,increased incidence of injury and increased irritability.

Fatigue can also be caused by underactivation of the parasympathetic system; however this is found to be much harder to detect or diagnose.

Making sure that the balance of work and recovery is important to ensure that improvements will take place and that fatigue does not set in. Working out the optimum time of rest and recovery to ensure supercompensation can be difficult especially if a personal trainer or coach is not planning training. The keeping of a training diary can provide good information to help tailor the programme to suit the trainees needs. It should be recognised that each individual will recover at different rates and therefore training programmes should always be designed to suit the individual.

There are various techniques used to enhance rest and recovery not covered here that will be touched upon in subsequent articles.

Some of the signs and symptoms listed above can also indicate other conditions and as such professional medical advice should always be sought if an individual is experiencing unusual symptoms or is unsure of their health status.

Paula Derwar - Part two next month!