GalleryWelcome to Ironmate Newsletter March.
This month Ironmate have some great tips and advice for those having a break in sunnier climes. For those staying at home use our sessions like our Pick ‘n’ Mix” at weekends or over the Easter break.
1. Training Camp preparation
2. "Pick ‘n’ Mix"
3. Adaptation
4. March Question
***Ironmate Training Camp Preparation***
1. Be well rested prior to the camp then take a few days off when you get back this way you reduce your chances of injury and becoming ill.
2. Find out what sessions are planned, accommodation and transportation; be flexible but at least have an idea.
3. Build up each day, do not do too much intensity or volume, or both, and end up taking complete days off because you are too tired. Every day consistency is the key for training camps - not just one big day.
4. High intensity is only beneficial if it fits into your own training phase and you have a good solid base. So if your base work has been erratic keep the volume up during the camp.
5. Do not get sidetracked by other distractions -like late night-clubbing otherwise you will not benefit from the training. Enjoy yourself but a tired mind makes for a tired body.
6. Schedule in power naps and get more sleep. An afternoon power nap will pick you up- remember to finish your sleep before 4pm otherwise it will effect your evening’s sleep because you will not feel tired.
7. Nutrition is even more important with all this training. Do not think that you can eat lots of sweet things because you deserve them. Your body needs more of the right things not more of everything and anything.
8. Time out, get some time on your own especially if you are sharing with someone you do not regularly spend 24/7 with.
9. Ask others for their experiences rather than advice - you will often get more information that way. Go to the coaches’ seminars, you can learn a lot from these and then ask questions.
10. Always carry a local map, it is amazing how many athletes go out on the first few training session get lost and end up coming back hours later!! Lost, hungry, tired and exhausted end up missing the next organised session or worse a meal.
11. Monitor your body and your mind. Think about how you are feeling, the stresses and strains. External stresses are physical training with others. Internal stresses are sharing a room with someone, the build up of fatigue and the mental tiredness that comes from difficult training when you have to dig deep. Do not be worried about some solo training or going out with an easier group the next day and having fun. You can learn a lot mentally and physically by backing off then building up again.
12. "Pick ‘n’ Mix". Mix up days when you train with the faster groups, the next day train with a slower group, alternate days for variety. Going hard every day only causes mental and physical burnout.
***"Pick ‘n’ Mix" sessions***
Mix which sessions you choose to do.
Hard swim in a faster lane - Hard Bike with a better group maybe doing more work at the front - Hard run all on the same day. Remember you will have quality time to recover not fit around work.
Extend yourself in a fast group for one session a day either in swim, bike or run.
Are you strong on a bike and weak on the run? Go out in a slower bike group and then do a back 2 back run with faster runners.
Are you able to keep up on the bike initially but then find you get dropped? Save yourself, eat, drink sensibly and sit in on the bike then work hard on the later run session.
Remember you will have the time and opportunity to do things that you cannot normally do. Work on your weaknesses - sounds simple but few actually do it. When you are at home you are rushing to fit it in sessions - training camps give you time to stretch, rest, recover, have massages, all between sessions rather than work. Also spend quality time eating as this improves your digestion, which results in better recovery.
***Adaptation***
Adaptation occurs much better when planned progression training is done. Limit increases to 10-15% in cycling; 5-10% in running.
Recovery is not always adaptation. I.e. you may have recovered from an 80-mile bike ride by the following weekend but because your body has not adapted means if you did it again, a week later, you would have a lesser performance as your stores would be depleted.
Too much of an increase often shows poor physiological changes and slow adaptation. Think about how you are increasing your training i.e. an increase from a 2-hour ride to a 3-hour ride is a 50% increase – too much.
***March Question***
I am running these sessions LSD 75-90 minutes, a 30-minute tempo run plus 2 other easy sessions depending on time commitments. I have been following your advice about keeping the pace steady and I am feeling fitter but not faster than last year. I completed a recent 10km-running race where I felt fitter but ran slower how best should I adapt my sessions now?
Ironmate says:
Don’t get hung up on times at this time of year as +/- 10% can be due to weather conditions
Reduce your LSD run to 75 minutes and pick up the pace by in creasing heart rate by 3 –10 beats per minute. See how your body adapts. If you find you adapt well with no major fatigue, aches or pains after two of these sessions THEN change your 30 minute run – after a 10 minute warm up run no slower than your 10km race pace for 10- 15 minutes finishing with a good slow cool down. This is designed to raise your anaerobic threshold. This type of training, regularly, will help you find this pace easier.
If you found this information useful remember to tell a friend - more next month.
Remember to log onto and look at the Ironmate website www.ironmate.co.uk for regular updates on Base Training -Injury Prevention -Preparation -Training and Nutrition- Racing Tips.