TRIATHLON IN IRELAND is currently enjoying a real boom with more and more people donning lycra and neoprene in the name of fitness.
It’s quite an addictive game, not only because of how quickly and easily improvements can be tracked, but also because there’s a real social element to it too.
Like anything, it’s easier to enjoy when we do it well and here, (with the help of Triathlon Ireland High Performance coach Lynne Algar) we’ve outlined three very simple ways to make you go faster.
1. Know the route
“Having a knowledge of the route is one way to go faster and something we try to emphasise,” says Algar, herself a keen triathlete.
“There were one or two athletes last year who took a wrong turn, or weren’t expecting a hill or a bend or expecting the water conditions to be as choppy or the swell to be as bad. That can be costly.
“So doing a bit of homework in advance of the race, checking out the course route, even asking a few people who’ve done it before, will help. They can give you a heads up.
“Some people like to go in and not know what’s ahead but ideally, if you’re racing to get on the podium, having a good knowledge of the environment and the race course is something I’d push.”
2. Practice a good warm-up
“Some people take ages to warm up. They underestimate how long it actually takes to get their blood lactate* up to a race level.
“You don’t want to be halfway down a river or in the middle of the sea and only reaching your threshold heart rate*, so doing a warm-up that gets your blood lactate up to a level you’ll be racing at is another one.
“And to practice that in training is important, to know how long it takes to get there. Is it going to be sitting on the rollers for half an hour? Going for a run in the morning? Don’t wait until race day to find out.”
3. Familiarise yourself with your kit
“Simple things like having a wetsuit that isn’t going to squeeze you around the neck and shoulders is crucial. If you’re spending hours in the pool training but then not put on your wetsuit right you’ll restrict your range of movement.
“Or working on your transitions, your T1 and T2; your swim to bike or your bike to run transition. Struggling to get into your runners could cost you an extra 10 seconds. Those things can be the difference between getting on a podium and not.”
* Blood lactate – The formation of blood lactate allows for continued metabolism of glucose.
* Threshold heart rate – This is a pace you can maintain for half an hour or so without feeling like your legs are on fire. It’s a key part of pre-race preparation.