Cycling Advice

Not all events are created equal! Research your event carefully and check the distances match what you can do. Some triathlons are essentially half-ironman events, but not named as such, so always check. Going somewhere sunny may sound attractive, but spending the whole day above 30 degrees when you’ve only trained in the UK (in significantly cooler conditions) could seriously affect your ability to perform. A shorter, ​‘sprint’ triathlon, based in a location you are comfortable and more familiar with, is best to start with if you’ve never competed before.

I always look at these events in terms of efficiency; just doing more is rarely a great way to train. Maximise your training by structuring your week around your work and life commitments rather than trying to fit in more training than you can handle. In the beginning, you should be looking at two runs per week, two cycles per week and two swims per week. Split these into a longer session - possibly on the weekend if your schedule allows it, and a shorter, more intense session. Adding extra training sessions that aren’t hard enough to tire you out in an hour, are considerably slower than your race pace, or don’t work on a specific technique, like the transition, for example, won’t make you any fitter and will, unfortunately, increase your risk of injury.

When you start training, you should be attempting to have as much quality protein and carbohydrates as possible. When you increase the demands on your body, you are at most risk of illness or injury, and without adequate carbohydrates for energy or protein to regenerate muscle damage, you put yourself at far greater risk. Psychologically, restricting calories at this point can have a large impact on your mood and motivation, so unless you are practised in training hard on a lean diet, it’s best avoided in the beginning. Day-to-day, I would front-load my meals on light training days, eating a large energy-fuelled breakfast and always thinking one day ahead of a big training day, so ensuring I am hydrated and eat a high-carb meal the night before. For specific guidance, I recommend employing the help of a Nutritionist.

This is definitely where you want to be doing specific movements and conditioning your body to be able to perform these three disciplines well. So a random or unstructured plan simply won’t cut it for Triathlon training. Movement efficiency and strength in the right areas will allow you to use less energy to do the same movements, keeping you running, swimming and cycling for longer. This is where you want to see a Physiotherapist or, more specifically, a Strength and Conditioning coach who can create a sport-specific, individualised training plan that will include simple but effective exercises to boost your performance considerably. They can also then tweak and change your plan as you build strength, resilience and increase your physical ability so you’re always getting the most out of your workouts. In terms of time efficiency, one or two gym sessions per week, even at home exercises, can have the greatest impact on your time and risk of injury from any intervention. It is also worth adding soft tissue therapy to your training to avoid injury and aid recovery. Read more about the benefits of soft tissue therapy for Ironman training here.

Of course, but just the same as with running and cycling, you need to prepare. Work on your ability with swimming practice, and build strength through your gym and workout plan. Many of us learned to swim at a young age, but have let our technique rust over the years, and the thought of swimming in open water is daunting. Simple technique lessons can iron out flaws in your stroke and make the swim section a far easier challenge. Given that it is so technique-driven, improving your stroke can dramatically affect your energy levels when getting out of the water. Also, if your event is in open water, such as a lake or the sea, make sure you prepare accordingly, as not being able to see in the water and having waves is very different from swimming in a pool! For more information on swimming, read our blog Medical and Injury Considerations for Swimming.