In one respect the Norseman is no different from any other Ironman. Its a big event that takes a lot of preparation and then a lot of effort on the day, both mentally and physically. On finishing it therefore takes a lot of recovery.

The start of Post race recovery

One definitions of recovery is “a return to a healthy or normal condition. That means getting back to where you were before the event.

However, the stress induced by a hard race, and which you need to recover from, includes muscle soreness/damage, energy depletion, dehydration, stress to the endocrine system, central and peripheral nervous system, not to mention mental fatigue. Each of these systems will repair at a different rate.

It’s easy to gauge when muscles are repaired as the soreness disappears but how can you tell if the CNS is recovered?

So how long does recovery take? I’m not sure you can put a time limit on these things. A lot will depend upon the individual. Not only on how long they have been in the sport, the depth of their initial fitness etc but also on their lifestyle, diet, age, gender, body size and a whole lot of other factors.

Personally I like to take at least 4 weeks of what I call “active recovery” training. Finding the right balance is important. Do too little and there isn’t enough circulation to remove waste products from the muscles. Do too much and you slow down the process of healing the muscles and joints. Low stress activity such as swimming and biking are fine at low levels of intensity and I like to add in other activities that I don’t get time to do when training such as kayaking or hiking. More importantly I don’t have much of a structure. I just do what I feel like doing and if I don’t feel like it then I don’t do it. A typical 4 week recovery programme might look something like this….

Week 1 – Just stay active. A bit of swimming cycling as commuting to work and definitely no running but lots of walking

Week 2- More swimming, still commuting to work by bike and maybe some running towards the end of the week (actually this time I was roped into racing at the National Relays – 14 days after Norseman – and boy did that hurt my legs for days afterwards!) I don’t know how OR why AG athletes want to race that soon after an Ironman and I certainly won’t be doing it again

Week 3 & 4- Back into my normal swimming programme still cycling as commuting and running regularly but only for 30 minutes per time and never on back-back days.

Also during this time I relax my eating & drinking habits, but never so much that I completely let go, and try to get as much sleep as my body tells me it needs.

What happens at the end of the four week period is still pretty fluid. I try not to put pressure on myself by entering a race in advance as I know that this will just force me to set a schedule for my body rather than letting my body set its own schedule. So I just play it by ear. This year we have a week in France and then 7 days later I go to Kona to work at the Ironman expo for CompuTrainer. This means that a full-on training programme will be interrupted anyway. Its more than likely that I’ll just be ticking over until the beginning of November and trying not to get to fat or unfit in the process. One thing is for sure, I’ll be chomping at the bit to get back into training, which is just how it should be.

Stay healthy & have fun.

Until next time

S

I set off out of T2 with a sort of limping shuffle as I tried to free up a tight hamstring/glute combo. The first 25k is pretty flat and circles around the lake. My goal was to run @ 10kmh pace – OK racing snakes, I know this sounds slow, SO, if you haven’t already, please read the Black T shirt Strategy posting to find out more about the race plan – At this pace I’d easily make the cut off times. At this stage I still had 5 1/2 hours to get to the 32k check point. Fortunately I’d taken enough “PowerBar Ride Shots” and water to last 8k because that’s how long it took Fi & Andy to catch me up. Fi had been waiting to support one of the other riders at the top of the final climb, then had to wait for a lift to T2 to hook up with Andy.

In the meantime I focussed on running. After being passed by a  couple of “racing snakes” I actually started to catch someone. My running is usually so crap this is a novelty so I was revved up. ‘Orange T shirt’ was about 400m ahead but I could tell I was closing in on him. The increase in speed must have caused so much friction that my foot started to burn. I had to stop to put out the flames – actually the laces were too tight – and ‘Orange T’ slipped away. Then guess what. ‘Popi’ passed me while I was just getting started. Time to teach him a lesson! “I’ll draft him for a while and see how he likes it” Trouble is we had a bit of a tail wind so actually I was sheltering him…again. Doh! Never mind. he stopped for a pee and I passed him. Then ‘Orange T’ came into view – game on! I inched my way back up to him until I could read the writing on the back of his shirt. OK it was large lettering & he was a big guy, but it was a start. Then my support arrived so I eased up again to change water bottles get more Ride Shots. ‘Orange T’ lived to fight on. He didn’t know how lucky he was. I never saw him again!

Now I was 8k into the run and hitting the 6min per km markers and feeling OK. Fiona joined me to run the next 5k and then Andy came back in the car picked her up to take her further along the road so she could prepare my next lot of fuel. I started to catch ‘Orange T’ again and then ‘Popi’ passed me – must have been all the energy he saved earlier!! -”Kort & Kont!”

15k and I  was still on target when I caught up with Fi again. This time I just chucked the water bottle in the car, took the next one and we started to run together. By now my adductors were tightening up and it was becoming painful to run. I tried the 8 mins run/2 mins walk strategy for a bit and this was OK, while I was running. It was the getting started again that was more painful. The I passed another guy. He looked worse than me and so I gave him a pat on the back and said”Come on mate,this is Norseman, not effing TinMan! Keep moving”. It must have worked because he passed me 5 mins later. Bastard! Should have kept my mouth shut!

We ran alongside the lake which featured in the aforementioned film – The scene where they sink the ferry -  and slowly shuffled towards the 25k mark, which is where Zombie Hill starts. I had slowed a bit below my target time but we were still only 12hours into the race so plenty of time.

It was about this time that the EIT kicked in – Exercise Induced Tourettes! At the check point, one of the organisers, who I had been speaking to the day before, was taking photos. “How are you enjoying the race?” “Its  f*****g brilliant! I’m f*****g loving it. Got any Coke on this aid station” “No, only water” “Bollocks! OK see you at the top then” and off we went.

I’d told Craig during our pre race conversation that I’d practised running up the Chevin (10% grade) and so that was in my race plan. No wonder he fell around laughing. “No one runs up there Simon. That’s why they call it Zombie Hill, because everyone walks like a Zombie!” Oh well,if you can’t beat them join them so I walked too. It was 10% all the way to 32k. It seemed to take forever. The hairpin bends and the 2km markers provided light relief as did conversation with passing athletes – “Hi How are you? Are you enjoying the race?” “Yes, are you?” “Yes” – as you can see it wasn’t a stimulating conversation. Onwards and upwards, upwards and onwards etc, etc. I had a blister developing on the ball of each foot from the walking action. I did so want to stop but at the same time it wasn’t that painful so I kept moving. We got passed by a “speed zombie” – show off. “There’s no prizes for coming 99th” I wanted to shout but I just cursed under my breath “Kort & Kont” “F**k, why did I have to see that sign. I knew it would be bad news. EIT is very dangerous”

I felt like I was in a bit of a twilight zone. I wasn’t in any pain (apart from the blisters and I’ve had worse – MDS 2001 – 6 on each foot. Hard as nails, me!!) but I couldn’t go any faster. Maybe I had turned into a zombie and I couldn’t feel anything! The all of a sudden there it was, the 32k checkpoint. Well inside the cut off we sauntered up as if out for an afternoon stroll. Actually I lie. But that’s what I was imagining in my head – like a scene in a TV comedy where the main character wants to tell his boss where to go and actually imagines himself doing it but in reality he meekly agrees to his bosses demands.

I have to say I was expecting something a bit more grand but they just marked me off on the chart and I was free to go. By now we were on the road which passes directly under the summit. I mean that in the loosest possible way as we still had about 1000m to ascend and another 10km and it still looked an awfully long way. At this point 2 things happened. Firstly it started to rain. Normally I prefer sunshine but on this occasion i was happy because the change made it seem like a different run – a 10k run in the rain. Secondly I realised that when Henry (another member of our party) had done this race the year before he was delirious. He clearly stated that the next 5k were flat and it was possible to run it. Technically, if you’re Jos Naylor carrying a small lamb back to its mother then running maybe possible. But, I’m not and it wasn’t! And neither was anyone else.

Checkpoint cut off time at 37km was 15hrs 45mins and I had about 2hrs to make it. Plenty of time. Even walking like a zombie. So we walked and so did everyone else. It was a bit like walking in a procession to a football match. Imagine a few stragglers heading to Elland Road. No one was passing or even trying to pass. Now it was all about just getting to the top of the mountain, which still didn’t look any closer. Then the road did go down hill. I tried running…for 50 steps, then went back to the zombie walk. Fi got a lift with Andy up to 37k and I was on my own. Actually, I wasn’t but no one else was talking so it felt like it. I started on the last resort, counting footsteps. 100 left, 100 right then have a quick drink then repeat. The past the 34k marker. Only 3k left of the 10k rain race. 100 left, 100 right and so on. Still the mountain loomed over us. Everyone is in the same boat, Si, just keep moving. 100 left, 100 right then the 36k marker. OK 1.5k to go. Then  something new; a sign for the tourist information centre in 500m. Great a new game. Lets see if it really is 500m. My steps must be about 1m long so it’ll take me 500 to get there. Start counting 50, 100, 150 round the corner and some car come into view, then a car park then the tourist info place, then I see people heading up the mountain. This is it. I’ve made it! 350, 400, focus on the tourist centre. Walk straight past the checkpoint table and Andy. Then a voice shouts “Simon, STOP” Its Andy. I’ve been so focussed that I never even saw him. Wow, I wish I could get into that zone more often.

Again nothing grand. A quick tick on the list and not even the once over by the doctor. “Are you sure you don’t want me to see him? I have EIT” “No I just need to check your mountain bag and you are good to go” Andy had already done it so that was it. A quick change into some warmer clothes and we were ready for the last leg.

Heading on to Gausta

The Black T shirt strategy had worked. I was inside the cut off by a long way and now all I had to do was wander up the remaining 5k (5-600m of ascent) and it would be over. The race rules are that you either have to ascend with your support crew (Fi) or another athlete. Fi was dead keen to go as she planned to do the race in 2010. We set off. She the shepherd striding away and choosing the route and me the faithful, knackered, sheepdog trying to keep to heel. Actually the mountain path, although very rock, was a welcome change from the tarmac. I felt much better than i thought and we made good time – meaning that no one overtook us – apart from 1 cheery Norwegian girl who was running with her support team struggling to keep up. The weather had closed in quite a bit so the top was now no longer visible. I’m not sure whether this was good or bad. All of a sudden I felt a bit light-headed. Time for some food. Then I realised that I hadn’t eaten for sometime. I munched on a PowerBar as we continued to climb and then I felt sick. I resisted the urge to chuck up although it would have been something different to do. Lost of support crew were descending, having got their athlete to the top, and there were even some with race numbers

“Duurrrr, why didn’t you just get the lift down? Have I missed something? Is there a Gold T shirt for walking back down again. I don’t like gold anyway, so I’ll take the lift”

The we reached the false flat. Still not there but the top was back in view…and still some way. “Keep going. You’ve got the T black shirt but it’s not over til you reach the top” A few more steps. “Athletes to the  front, athletes to the rear, but I’m stuck in the middle with you” No one racing now, all just engaged in their own personal battle with the mountain. The some descending comedians approach. “Hey, doing well. Its only 15 minutes to the top now! Nearly There”. So I think “Does that mean it’s taken you 15 mins to get down to here or it’s going to take us 15 mins to get up there” In my tired state I could still smell a rat! We pressed on. Then more comedians “Only 10 mins now. Keep going”. Same question! Then another comedian but on with a different clock “15 minutes to go now” “Oh fffff….. Stop he’s only trying to help. The EIT seems worse at altitude! Right, getting bored and tired now, so back to counting steps. 100 then look up, no nearer, 100more then look up, a bit nearer. 100 more, I can see the sign, 100 more I  can hear clapping, 100 oops no didn’t quite get there. I’ve made it. NO we’ve made it. I couldn’t have done it without Fi or Andy or the rest of the support crew that helped me during training (I’ll write a special article about the value of a support crew later)

The end. A fantastic journey of 10 months. I’ve enjoyed every bit of it and now I’m standing on top of the world (metaphorically) with a great sunset and my best friend. Life doesn’t get much better than this. And then we had tomato soup.

One problem with having a great swim and being an average cyclist is that average swimmers who bike well are always going to catch you at some stage. I didn’t expect it so soon but after about 10k they started to pass me. I did have to do a double take and check my position against the rocks to see if I was rolling backwards. No I wasn’t, so I guess they were just a lot stronger  than me. Now in this situation you can do 1 of 3 things – 1) stick to your plan and ignore them, 2) start thinking your rubbish and go home, 3) give thanks for being a good swimmer and start a campaign for the IM swim to be 10k long. #3 isn’t going to happen anytime soon, or ever, so initially I went for option 2. Well the first part anyway. I couldn’t really go home. After a few minutes of thinking I was rubbish and making a check list of things to do better next time, I came to my senses and remembered the “Black T shirt strategy”. Finish the bike in around 8 hours! It was a little childish to throw the toys out of the cot this early on so I just got comfortable with 34 x 27 and got spinning (no, make that grinding).

Finally I got to Dyranut and met up with my support crew Andy & Fiona who handed me a gilet and leg warmers and top ups of food & fluid. The I set off for the first descent to Geilo… except that it wasn’t much of a descent. Remember the wind that I thought had disappeared. Well it hadn’t. It was just hiding up high on the plateau. I stayed nice & relaxed, enjoyed the view and tried not to get lulled into “Tommy tourist” mode. Eventually I reached Geilo by which time the temperature had started to rise so it was off with the arm & leg warmers, gilet and on with more fluid.

Next we were faced with 3 hills all of about 20minutes climbing at 7% and each with an equivalent descent. There weren’t so many passing me now and I did start to feel a little better. I’d been “chicked” several times now so I didn’t worry when a GB girl called Claire passed me but I did get excited when I caught and passed her back. “Yes I’m moving back up the field”.. then she passed me again on the next descent. “Stick to your own game Si” I kept reminding myself and so i went back to spinning. I kept seeing signs for elk and then I passed the sign we had noticed on the drive to Eidfjord – Kort & Kont – a gas station of some sort. I had a few chuckles as I twisted the name around (I’m sure you can guess!). Finally a long descent and not into the wind. The drop down to the start of the final climb is fantastic and I got my head down and just turned the pedals over ready for the final push.

Imingfjell is a 7k climb at an average of 10%. I picked up more food & fluid and set off for the top. Some kind soul had marked the km’s and I kept up a good rhythm passing a few more riders until we reached the summit. There was quite a bit of headwind and as I wen round one of the corners I noticed someone sat on my wheel. At the Norseman you are allowed to ride up the hill together but NOT drafting. I was a bit pissed off that he was sitting on my wheel (He was called Popi – I remember that bit – either that or he’s lost some letters from his kit!) but I was too knackered to do anything about it “Kort & Kont!” ”That was quick. So now we must have that 30k descent” then I saw the 140k marker. I didn’t want to believe that they had marked the route correctly but then a kindly Norwegian said we still had the Telemark Plateau to get over – “Kort & Kont!!!!”.

You’ll recognise this plateau if you’ve seen the film “The Heroes of Telemark”. There’s a scene where the British agents ski across the bleak snow covered terrain to meet with the Norwegian resistance at a safe house. Let me tell you that even in the summer, into a 30kmh gale it’s just as bleak. This was the missing 10km and it certainly kicked me for forgetting me about it. At this point I got totally demoralised. I wasn’t making and headway (at least that’s how it seemed). I was in the 34 x 27 again on a 1% incline. To the mind games – make it to the next crest then you can have a rest (I didn’t), make it to the next crest and the downhill must start and so on through a never ending series of false hopes. 100 pedal stroke on the drops, then 100 on the tri-bars, 100 on the hoods, take a drink and repeat.

Eventually I caught up with Andy who was waiting at the side of the road. I was quite cold so along with the fluids and gels I took my gilet. “Andy – I think this is the top, Simon. The descent starts just after that crest; 20k downhill all the way to T2″ “Me – Ha,ha – yeah. Nice one (Kort & Kont)”. I set off with my hopes high and…… “blimey, he was right!” “Here we go, but don’t forget the warning about the new tarmac on the hairpin” Here it is, so nice and slow and whoosh on my inside a blur of white. Popi had obviously forgotten the pre-race warning about the greasy tarmac. It didn’t seem to matter affect him as he sped off down the hill. Right then! Andy Schleck descending position; sit on the cross bar, extreme tuck and go, go, go! Another white blur and Popi was history – What goes up must come down! ”ha that’ll teach you to be skinny!” Anyway they weren’t kidding. It was a great descent, but as with all things enjoyable it came to an end far too soon. I rolled into T2 just before 2pm – 8hrs45minutes into the race and 15 minutes inside my target. Now I felt better about my pacing! Only 1 thing left..42km of running

After setting out my pre race goals a few posts ago I managed to achieve all of them, even the managing of stress level (here they are again just in case you didnt see them the first time)

• Extra rest
• Careful eating (I’m at 77k right now, just above my target weight but I’m feeling healthy & strong)
• Clear the little niggles that have been bothering me – tight hip, ITB tenderness, tight hamstring
• Minimise stress (no matter how well training has gone I’m convinced that this is a major factor in how well athletes perform on race day…more of this in another post)
• Mentally prepare for the event
• Feel like Tigger!

Having our kit transported to Norway in advance was a definite bonus. The trip to Stansted and flight on Thursday to Norway all went without a hitch (with Ryanair – maybe they’re not as bad as people make out!) . Even the arrival of the hire car – VW Polo BlueTooth….. for 5 adults!! didnt phase me (actually that was quite good too). All was  going well until we arrived in Eidfjord. Then came the bombshell…our accomodation for the 2 nights before the race – THE HARDEST IRONMAN IN THE WORLD -  was to be a gymnasium floor, with just a sleeping bag & NO mattress. I dont think so! Fortunately in a town with less bed spaces than our local prison, Brian, our trip organiser, managed to find 2 rooms in a nearby hotel. OK, so 4 people in a double room was a squash but better than the rock hard floor.

Friday – registering, packing kit then a bit of training. A short bike & run to check the legs were still working after 5 hours in the BlueTooth the day before was followed by a dip in the fjord to check on the rumours of the ice cold water. After a few minutes, the ice cream headache wore off and actually it was quite pleasant….if you were a whale. After that it was into the race briefing to have our worst fears comfirmed – the race would go ahead. So that was it. No going back now. The only thing left was 10 hours of  panicking. After an early tea everyone went to bed at 8pm. Not me. Well I did but I lay there and listened to my iPod. I can never get to sleep easily the night before a big race, so I dont see the point of going to bed earlier than normal to lie awake for even longer. First I listened to “Pirates of the Carribean” sound track and went through my race plan. Sometimes I can drop off before the end of the swim. Not this night. I made it to the end of the album having finished the race. Onto REM. Started the race plan again, got to “Losing My Religion” then started to think of my first Ironman Canada where they played this song before the race start. Got to the end of IM Canada and then decided that I’d have completed my life goal of 50 Ironman races before sleep so ditched the iPod and spent the next hour lsitening to the everyone snoring. Eventually I dropped off and then all of a sudden it was time to get up.

Race Day

2am – get up & have breakfast.

3am – walk down to the jetty to rack the bike & sort out my kit.

3.45am board the ferry – much bigger than the one I had expected.

4.10am – ferry sets sail. It only takes 20 minutes to get out to the swim start but then the captain spends an extra 30 minutes circling like a plane on a holding pattern above Heathrow. Eventually, the ramp was lowered and it was time to get on with it. I wander up to the edge of the ramp, look over and think ”F**k me thats much higher than I prepared for”. Now, they did have a chicken door but there was no way I was going out of that, especially with the big jelly fish waiting just below. The first 4 guys jump in and then I’m on the front line, with plenty waiting behind me. “Oh well if I dont jump now someone will push me anyway”. 1, 2, 3 weyhayyyyyyyyyy, splash – “cor its dark and cold in here”. I wait for a few seconds as the bouyancy of the wetsuit takes me back up and “phew, hello world”. Then it’s on with the goggles, find my bearings and then start swimming over to the edge of the fjord where the kayaks were waiting.

Swim – Lets get ready to rumble. I position myself to the front of the bobbing swimmers trying to find someone I can draft off. I find a guy who says he’ll be swimming 55 minutes. Sounds promising so I stick next to him. Then I think we’re swimming INTO the tide so 55 mins could be the fastest swim. Mmmm. is that such a good idea. Anyway too late now. the horn goes and we’re off. I get into my rhythm quickly and soon I’m on my own. I’ve passed the buffoons who can swim fast…for 100m (tip – position yourself behind the faster swimmers, otherwise they will swim over you!!) and I’m only just behind the lead kayak. I can see the splash of the swimmers ahead but they are slowly pulling away. Then I’m really on my own.  There’s a strong head wind and it’s quite choppy but it doesnt feel as though we are into the tide. I’m feeling very comfortable and decide to just cruise at this speed. I soon catch and pass a lone swimmer who seems to have dropped off the back of the front group. He latches onto my feet and every now and then I can feel him tap my toes. I head into the corner of the fjord towards a flashing light. I’m sure this is where they said the big boat would be but I can’t see it. Anyway the kayak to my left doesn’t correct me so I continue. As we round the boat with about 500m to go I roll to the left and can’t see another sole or herring ( but I do spot lots of jellyfish).  Anyway I’m going to be a Norseman so they dont scare me and I head towards the beach. I still feel brilliant as I stagger and slide over the seaweed and onto the sand. A large crowd of 10-15 people cheer me up the slope and into T1 and as I look out to the water there’s only the guy whos been tapping my toes for company. Then I look at my watch – 55mins – Not quite Jan Sibbersen but good enough for me. I mistakenly turn down the opportunity of having Fiona undress me in public and do it myself. Apparently the lack of change tents has been sponsored by the citizens of Eidfjord – sadly for them the water was quite cold and so their sponsorship was largely wasted. I didnt wear cycle kit under my wetsuit this time as I figured that the climb up the valley would be quite cold in wet kit. So that’s why I had a slow T1 time if you were wondering!! Onto the bike………

In a previous blog I think I said that I wanted to stand on the ferry ramp on Saturday morning and ask myself if there was anything else I could have done to prepare better. As it stands at the moment the answer is no. The cake is made, looks great and ready to eat (see the previous blog if you don’t follow)

However that doesnt mean something can’t go wrong. I have a back up crew for mechanicals and I have a plan for pacing.

Rule #1 – Stick to the plan. I’ll be aiming for the Black T shirt cut off which is actually 14 1/2 hours not 13 1/2 as I previously wrote. My race strategy has plenty of wiggle room if I slow down but the key is to pace the ride & first part of the run and stay fuelled & hydrated. I wont be chasing other Brits or other guys in my age group early on in the race. Mentally I’m treating it as an adventure race

Rule #2 – Deal with the pain. A race of this magnitude does come with some pain built in. I have to deal with it. The run has been a weakness for me in the past but as Julie Dibens (thanks JD) pointed out, when the demons enter my head I have to say “Shut the door” and keep them out

Rule #3 – Eliminate the negative thoughts. Once I have shut the door I have to replace any negative thoughts with a positive one immediately…

Rule #4 – Take strength from others – Most of the other guys around me will be suffering at some time. Knowing that I am not the only one will give me extra energy and eventually if I keep going I will feel better again.

Rule #5 – Enjoy the Journey – Its a beautiful place and I might never come back so I will be enjoying the scenery. I’ll also be  reminding myself that I chose to do it.

So thats the mental strategy. All that remains is to thank everyone who has sent good wishes and remind you that you can log in to race updates from 6am Saturday morning on www.nxtri.com

Next update is the race report

Read on to see why…

1. First I had to decide which cake to make (Choose the event and enter – The Norseman) in my case it would be a chocolate cake, just in case you are wondering
2. Then find a recipe (the requirements of the race – distance, terrain etc) and get the ingredients together (how much training to do for each discipline) and then the cooking instructions (how long to prepare for the race)
3. Start to mix the ingredients (start the training – lest call this the general conditioning phase)
4. Next put the mixture in the oven at the right temperature (training at the right intensity, volume, frequency – call this the specific conditioning phase) and check regularly to make sure it is actually cooking (keep a training diary & monitor progress with test sets)
5. When it’s been in the oven for the right length of time, remove and allow to cool (peaking)
6.  The the cake is now ready to ice (this is the tapering phase) – This is where I am at now. I’ve almost finished icing the cake but even when that is done I won’t be quite finished
7. Just before you eat the cake you have to put the candles on ( travelling to the race, registering, racking etc.) This is what happens on Friday
8. Finally, light the candles, blow them out and start eating – I’ll be doing this on Saturday, starting at 5am

I don’t know about you but I’m feeling quite peckish after that? I’ll resist the temptation to eact the cake before Saturday ( do too much training  in the taper).

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your cake. I know I’m going to enjoy mine.

For regular updates from the race please visit www.nxtri.com from 6am Saturday 8th August

The optimum duration for a taper seems to vary from athlete to athlete and event to event (Olynpic distance or Ironman). Even the same athlete following an identical taper for each race can get different results depending upon external stress factors.

This time I have chosen a 2 week taper. Research has shown that swimmers & runners who reduce their training by about 60% for 15-21 days show no losses in Vo2max or endurance performance. So why do athletes like to train harder for longer coming into a race? Maybe it’s the desire to try & gain that last little bit of fitness (could be possible up to about 10 days out but you run the risk of still being fatigued on race day), a fear of losing fitness (research shows this won’t happen with the right training in the taper) or maybe it’s the worry of gaining weight when they ease off the training (You do have to adjust the eating in line with the training – a bit of a problem for some triathletes with big appetites!)

So the optimum taper is one which works for the athlete and their own personal circumstances. The 3 points that the scientists do agree on is this

1. Reduce the volume
2. Keep the intensity high
3. Maintain the frequency of training

So here is my taper plan for the next 2 weeks, coming off the back of 2 x 18hr weeks. It’s just an outline as the sessions could change depending on how tired I feel.

Week 1 – 8-10hrs training inc Swim 3-4sessions (approx 2k ea), Bike 3-4 sessions (1-2hrs), Run Wed,Fri,Sun – 30-45′ ea, Wts 1 x 30′ circuit

Week 2 – 4-5 hrs training Swim 3 sessions (20-30′ ea), Bike 3 sessions (30-45′ ea) Run 2 sessions (20′30′ ea) – No Wts

Above all I’ll be aiming for the following

• Extra rest
• Careful eating (I’m at 77k right now, just above my target weight but I’m feeling healthy & strong)
• Clear the little niggles that have been bothering me – tight hip, ITB tenderness, tight hamstring
• Minimise stress (no matter how well training has gone I’m convinced that this is a major factor in how well athletes perform on race day…more of this in another post)
• Mentally prepare for the event
• Feel like Tigger!

Next posting is about my mental prep for Norseman

Thanks for reading

Stay healthy & have fun

Of course I’ll be asking myself the same question in 2 weeks time, However at this moment the answer would definitely be a yes. Now I don’t think that there are many athletes who get to a start line thinking that they couldn’t be a bit fitter. However, it’s a bit like the horizon; once you accept that you are never going to reach it you learn to be a bit happier where you are.

As with all of my recent postings I am happy that i am swimming better than ever, my cycling feels very strong and importantly I feel good climbing. Most importantly I have managed to string together a few good weeks of running and mentally I feel much stronger in this part of my training. Over the next few days I’m going to tot up the training volume for the last few months and put that into my next posting. This time though I thought I’d share with you something else I ask of all my athletes – a race strategy.

Norseman race Strategy

Swim

Jump off the ramp as soon as possible and start warming up in the water -(a lot will depends upon the water temperature, which I will find out the day before. If its very cold I’ll warm up on the boat and jump in last) One in the water i want to make my way to the fornt of the wave. I ususally expect to swim under the hour and finish in the top 10% so all being well I’d hope to be in the top 20 on reaching dry land. There may be a current against us but either way I’ll just be 3 stroke breathing and staying relaxed.

Bike

Out of the water I plan a reasonably quick  T1 although again a lot depends upon the weather. I’ll have warm & cold weather clothing in my bag just in case. The good thing about Norseman is that you have a support crew so I wont have to carry too much foo. The first climb is approx 2hrs @ 7-8% grade but with no support, so I plan to carry enough to get me through this stage and then take on more (+ gilet) at the top. After that I’ll hopefully get a visit from the support crew every hour or so (No radio for us, not like those TDF girls!!(lol). I’ve ridden the Etape du Dales in just over 8hrs and whilst the metres of ascent are similar the climbs are longer here but so are the descents and you can make up some time (not like in the dales with sheep, gravel on corners & dry stone walls!) So I’m thinking 8hrs riding should put me into T2 at 9hrs. Again a quick change T2 and off…

Run

Previously my weakness. I’m not going to be fast but I’ve got to be mentally strong.

• Stage 1  – 25k road (flattish) – I’m aiming for 10kmh so making the turn in 2.5hrs (11hrs 30 total time)
• Stage 2 – 12k road (uphill) – if I’m on target then I have 2hrs to finish this bit. Even allowing for some walking on the steep bits that is very manageable, but I hope to be there sooner
• Stage 3 – The Mountain (very uphill) To get the black T shirt you have to reach the checkpoint by 13.5hrs. Once past this point it’s just a slog to the top. I’m under no illusions about having to walk. In fact if I’ve made the cut off I wont care then about the time, just about getting to the finish

In my head I am clear of 2 things

1. I’m not going to win
2. I don’t want a white T shirt (which happens if you reach the check point after 13.5hrs)

These 2 facts make it more like an adventure race. Pacing is the key to achieveing the goal. So I’m prepared for a long cold day out and on race morning I’ll be able to stand on that boat and say I’ve left no stone unturned to make it happen

Since the last posting my Achilles problem cleared up but developed into a calf problem on the left leg. Unusually it didn’t feel like the normal calf tightness from previous problems. In fact it felt more neural. The sciatic nerve does reach down into the calf and it felt very much like this ( a sort of toothache like pain) but only in my calf. I experienced no problems with my back or any pain in the glute or hamstring of the left leg which you might expect with sciatica. After a few days rest from running (it seemed like a running related injury) I was able to start back again. Then after a 6 hour ride last Friday (10 July) the tightness reappeared in the calf but also as a small knot in my hamstring. I haven’t yet discovered the cause – it seems to come from cycling, but whether it’s a saddle height or technique issue I can’t say – but there is no injury to the calf (good news). I think that as long as I keep stretching the hamstrings every day it will be fine. I ran last night for 60 minutes with no problem and I have only general leg soreness today.

Just to keep you up-to-date with my mileage. I’ve been averaging about 12k per week in the pool and about 10-12hrs per week on the bike (made up of some quality CompuTrainer sessions and a long ride). Running has been hit by the aforementioned problems but I havent seen any drop off in fitness. In fact when I ran last week my pace was quicker and easier than before the injury. I think the main problem in the race – if I have any (if!!!) – will be a lack of miles and so I’m expecting my legs to tighten up at some stage on the run. In contrast to my early triathlon days I don’t feel the need to know the exact mileage of my training runs/rides (just in case you were wondering why it all seems vague – maybe that’s for another posting too?)

If you’ve raced Ironman then you probably already know that having a great race is about more than just swim/bike/run fitness. While I’ve been unable to run I have worked on several other areas which I hope will help me on race day.

1. Circuit Training – at least 2 x 30 minute session per week (equivalent of a 30 minute run each time). I also feel that physically I am much stronger than for previous Ironman races which is important for this event

2. Weight Loss – as I write I’m down to 76.5kg, only 1.5kg above my goal race weight. This will definitely help with the power:weight ratio for the hills on the bike and run BUT I am hoping it doesn’t get too cold on race day

3. Psychology – I feel much more relaxed and mentally well prepared for this race than I have done in the past. Either I am or my memory is fading!

So, with 3 1/2 weeks to go, what’s left in my training? 10 days of hard stuff ( another 25k of swimming, 200 miles of cycling, run every other day and 3 wts sessions), then 2 weeks of tapering. Another 1.5-2kg weight loss, lots of stretching, lots of sleeping plus all of my pre race planning (which I’ll show you in my next post).

Until next time,

Stay healthy & have fun

S

In general the last month has progressed as I would have wanted. I feel as though I am still making progress in my swim & bike fitness. This is evidenced by the 29m24s 2k Swim TT I completed on June 10 (an improvement of 20s in 3 weeks - although I was tired in the previous effort) and a new CP30 best on the bike of 301 watts on June 16. ( In fact this is only 7 watts off my best ever – maybe I’ll beat this before I go to Norseman!). I’ve also been putting in some really good sessions. Last night I swam approx 3.6k steady in just approx an hour. This is very approx as I didnt time it (I know I got in just after 7pm and they stop the lake swim at 8pm) and it’s only a guesstimate that the triangular course in the lake is 450m. In my mind this was about the right effort level for an IM swim and on race day I would probably be happy with that sort of performance.

I’ve also been posting some great bike sessions on the CompuTrainer. For instance the day after the CP30 I held 243 watts for 90 mins on an undulating course. This is very accurate and I’m actually more pleased about this than the CP30. Why? Because the ability to maintain a sub max effort for long periods of time is probably more indicative of fitness for ultraendurance events than having a high threshold. For example Derek Clayton, one time marathon world record holder, had a Vo2 max which was much lower than his competitors. However he was able to race at a higher percentage of his Vo2 max and ultimately his velocity was higher than his competitors!

At the beginning I said I was generally happy. So what is wrong! A couple of months back I did a 2hr hilly run and since then I have been having slight Achilles niggles. Although these have cleared up, favouring the other leg has now led to very tight calves and a reduced running programme. I am still able to run, which I guess is better than in previous years, but from a position of confidence about my running, I am now starting to have a few doubts. However I still have 6 weeks to go and if I can run every other day, although I won’t get much fitter my confidence will grow.

On the plus side I now have my race head on and feel a momentum growing. This means I’m eating well so the weight loss is happening. I’m getting at least 8hours sleep a night and stretching most days. I’ve hardly missed a (planned) training session for 6 weeks. It feels as though I’m really peaking not just in terms of training volume but mentally as well.

Far from feeling as though it is a complete drudge, I’m actually getting goose bumps every time I think about the race. On one hand I can’t wait for the day and on the other I know there is still a good 6 weeks of training to be done before then. The best way to manage this is to stay focussed on “the now”; just doing what I have to do at this moment and trying to avoid the future stuff until it gets here.

Stay healthy & have fun,

S