The new IMWA Bike course report

I had the pleasure of being in Busselton at the weekend and had the opportunity to try the new bike course first hand. Conditions during the ride were around 25 degrees Celsius and a strong sea breeze at about 25 knots from the south/west. This would be a typical wind direction after midday in Busselton during December when bikes are still out but probably not expected to be quite as strong. It is worth noting the new sections of the bike course are not guarded by the large trees within the Tuart Forrest and the road surface is no where near as smooth as old sections. The new sections include Coast Road, Ludlow road north and Stirling Road.

This is now a two lap 90km course and the first change is Coast road (see turnaround point below). Coast road extends the length along the ocean in a north east direction. It is quite exposed without any shade or cover. This turn around will give you an immediate idea of what is to come for the rest of the lap as up until this point, the wind could have been only from behind.

The course is not quite finished as I had it on good authority from locals the first 1500metres along Ludlow road north (which was very narrow and challenging because of the surface holes) will be resurfaced prior to race day. Pink tags showed the preparation for work along this section.

This road then widened all the way to the turnaround at Peppermint Grove road (below).

 



It is then back to another new road - Stirling. This is more farm land rather than forest and as such the trip out along it was very fast from the tailwind but lookout when you turn back near Bussel Hwy as this is directly in to the prevailing wind with no cover.

 

It is then back to Ludlow road north (see surface pic below) before returning to the course from last year along Tuart Drive.

Overall expect this to be a slower bike course to previous years and more challenging with a rougher road surface (on the additional roads) and more exposure to the sun and wind. It will be a great test for strong riders and those that can hold a TT position for the entire 180km with crosswinds. I was also lucky enough to get a training session in along the run course which remains the same 4 laps along the beautiful Busselton coast line! The jetty sometimes never seems to get closer :)

 

 

The second in the set of Pro interviews is quite timely as many of them are preparing for events around the world! 

Their expertise is also great information for us to use. The first question we asked them this time is:

What is the one tip you would give a first time Ironman athlete?

Don’t have any expectations to your first Ironman experience. It is a tremendous task to do an ironman, and you should really just try to enjoy the whole thing. (MJ)

If you’ve done the training, you should be fine on race day. No matter how fast or slow you go its hard work. (TI)

Before any race and event, don’t be overwhelmed by nerves. The only one putting the pressure on you is yourself as those close to you, friends and family, will love you regardless of the outcome. (MB)

Embrace the day, your first IM is special. Aside from that I’d say have a nutrition plan that you have practiced. Nothing new on race day. I.e. find out what nutrition the course provides and try it out to see if it sits well with you, or carry your own. My coach said to me before my first IM - “It’s just a catered training day” - people handing you coke, bananas, gels all day whilst you get to bike and run :) (LB)

Don’t set your goals to high as your first one is a guaranteed PB! (MW)

The training is harder than race day... There will be a roller coaster of emotions going on ...enjoy every moment. (LM)

A tip Id share for a first time Ironman athlete would be to truly just have fun.  It is a no pressure race, you have nothing to prove other than finish, and it is a day you will never forget, make it one to remember.  I always think about my first Ironman, it was honestly the best race I can remember, all of it felt special and beautiful from start line to finish line.  They are never easy, even when you win, so respect the distance, keep humble, but have fun because it is possible to enjoy 140.6 miles. (BW)

A simple and consistent routine is the key to building foundation and development. (RH)

Control the controllable's. Don't worry about what you can't change. (GC)

There are no shortcuts. You will get out what you put in. (KD)

Be organized! (MD)

Don't forget the all-important 4th Discipline of Nutrition! You can be the most physically fit you have ever been, but if your nutrition is not right, it is going to be even tougher than it should be!! A quick addition would be to slow down and walk that finish line!! Doing that first Ironman is the BEST! I wish I could be an Ironman virgin again because it is an amazing experience! After the first one, you begin to have high expectations and want more! That first time is something you can never get back again!  (KB)

Don't take for Gospel everything you read and hear. Take it all in with open mind, then extract only that which you feel applies to you and your own personal situation, lifestyle etc. Everyone has their take or spin on something and a lot of that which you will read is written by professionals and just isn't applicable or transferable to a first timer or general age group athlete. Suck and see if you're unsure, but just because 'Craig Alexander' may have said so, doesn't make it necessarily 'right so' for you. (BH)

The day is not a stand-alone event but a celebration of the Ironman Journey you started many months before. For this reason, enjoy the day and look forward to your chance to show what you have accomplished with your training. (YIG)

What food do you look forward to in the 24 hours after an IM as a reward?

No specific food…..simply, going home and relaxing. (MJ)

I really enjoy ice-cream and fruit salad post-race. It's the first thing I go for in the recovery tent. (TI)

Honestly just look forward to sitting for a coffee. Food varies as ironman can mix your bodies needs in regard of nutrition so not any specific cravings. (MB)

I’m usually very much over sweet stuff and craving savoury. Pizza, burger, chips. (LB)

Fish and Chips (MW)

 Ice cream, chips and mc Donald's (LM)

I love Chinese!!! (RH)

Burgers and Beer!!! What’s not to love about that combo!! (GC)

The body craves salt! So firstly it's salty hot chips, usually accompanied with pizza :) (KD)

Pizza, party pies, chips (hot and crisps), fresh cinnamon donuts. The list is long. (MD)

I hate to admit it…..but McDonalds and Ice cream is the normal post Ironman Treat! But normally not until the next day! After an Ironman I really struggle to eat much that night! The stomach does not feel awesome after all the gels! But by about 2-3am the grumblings begin and I am ready to go for it! Pancakes for breakfast are always AMAZING!! (KB)

Nothing really, I'm fully treating myself as I go. That's the beauty of IM training - you can shove just about anything down your neck and it doesn't matter. I train so that I may eat. (BH)

I am not a sweet tooth so cakes and donuts are off the menu. Usually I crave something savoury and salty so hot chips or a steak sandwich. The pizza/ice-cream option that is traditional at Kona isn’t my best option but when in Rome….. (YIG)

YOURIRONGUIDE has had 12 exclusive interviews with some fantastic pro athletes (and add to that a couple of AG athletes) connected with our home event in Busselton to give great information for any improving Ironman. Instead of running each interview individually, we thought it would be better to blog a couple of questions and get different responses from each pro to compare them. We like to call it a “vertical interview”

More interview questions will follow in upcoming blogs (including some very personal questions on body shaving with some interesting answers!) so stay tuned. 

##Don’t forget to have a go at the pole question on the left of the page (rank the 6 parts of IM). The pros will give their answers to this question in a couple of weeks. We hope you enjoy reading their responses.

To keep it short and sharp on blog #one – we reveal two questions that you can consider on your next training session. So that you can keep an idea of which pro said what, here is our stunning pro line-up:

Martin Jensen (MJ), Todd Israel (TI), Matt Burton (MB), Liz Blatchford (LB), Matty White (MW), Lisa Marangon (LM), Bree Wee (BW), Rebecca Hoschke (RH), Guy Crawford (GC), Katy Duffield (KD), Michelle Duffield (MD), Kate Bevilaqua (KB), Brad Hosking (BH), YOURIRONGUIDE (YIG)

“Do you have a motto or saying that you live by with your Ironman training/racing?”

I try to have fun everyday in training and enjoy the lifestyle. Triathlon brings me so many amazing experiences, so that is pretty easy. (MJ)

If it was easy everyone would be a champion. (TI)

May be somewhat cliché though run by a few thoughts…

"Get it done"

"When you’re not training someone is to beat you" (MB)

Train hard, race easy. (LB)

When I first started racing as a professional my motto was "If I don't win prize money I don’t get to eat this week"! Now it’s "what beers are they serving at the after party"! (MW)

Don't think just do. (LM)

I don’t have a motto or saying that I live by, but life has taught me not to take anything for granted so I just try and appreciate my moments, the people in my life, and whatever it is I am doing at the time. (BW)

Maximise the moment with what you have to work with.  Expect nothing, prepare for anything, and the future will take care of itself. (RH)

Not really but when I start to feel bad and you will at some stage, I repeat the same thing over and over again: "you feel good, you feel strong" you say something enough and you start to believe/feel it. (GC)

The ironman motto pretty much sums it up - Anything is possible (KD)

Not so much a motto or saying. I do pick a race 'anthem' for each of my Ironman races. It started when I first registered for an IM and they asked the question about which song you would like to hear when you cross the finish line. From then on each race has a song dedicated to it which will "gee" me up during any session.   (MD)

I don't have one particular saying or motto. More like key words that I like to draw on. For example when swimming, arm turn over, rhythm, pull. On the bike, STRONG, Aero, FAST, on the run, high cadence, relax the shoulders, 1km at a time! 

When I am racing I always remember and remind myself of great, successful, tough training sessions that I have been through that have prepared me for that event! Those days give me confidence! (KB)

The 7 P's. Prior Preparation and Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. (BH)

What we have is based upon moment-to-moment choices of what we do. In each of those moments, we choose. We either take a risk and move toward what we want, or we play it safe and choose comfort. Most of the people, most of the time, choose comfort (YIG)

As we should all now be in to a fairly set routine with training – it seemed a good opportunity to ask the pros this question:

What is your most dreaded training session? 

I dread all sessions on a turbo trainer. So basically I hope for good weather during all my race build-ups... (MJ)

I love training the most, but the one session I find hard to get excited about is a 2km swim time trial.  (TI)

Again I don't want to sound cliché though I dread no session. I tend to get nervous with session of importance, so most days, but after training with the thought that no 1 day is as important as the next there is not time to dwell just look to improve. (MB)

4.5 h bike including 4 x 20 min TT and finishing with 1 hour at best effort. Straight into 60 min run off at 3h marathon pace. (LB)

Time Trial sessions, hitting target numbers after a big training block is crucial, and not hitting those gives your confidence blow (MW)

I actually don't have one...I love every session I do! (LM)

My most dreaded is pool swims alone.  I can handle a bike or run or ocean swim solo, even a challenging one.  But something about being alone in a pool just drives me to tears, it really is not fun for me and if you aren’t enjoying it its difficult to keep focused. (BW)

Lactate threshold sessions.  (RH)

Hard Long Run. It’s left a few soul scares!!! But it's also left me feeling very confident. (GC)

Max power ergo intervals. I always have a rough night sleep before hand as I think about the pain and suffering to come. They hurt like nothing else, and I usually feel a little sick afterwards. But when I come good, I know it's taken me to the next step. And for that reason I 'enjoy' them. (KD)

My program is full of surprises. I never know what's coming and it's rare that I repeat sessions, so I don't really have anything to dread until its over and done with - then I know how hard it was. I have had a couple of 14 hour training weekends though, seeing the back of those (until next time) makes me happy.  (MD)

I love going long and slow so 6 hour rides and long runs excite me and I love them! But…doing a shorter hard 4 hour ride at race pace with a hard run of the bike….I know that is going to hurt!! Yes…I definitely get nervous thinking about it!  (KB)

ERGO 5 by 5's. i.e.  90min session incorporating 5 x 5min at Maximal sustainable effort to exhaustion on a 5min recovery. The bucket is always on hand with this one :) (BH)

An hour of power……riding in a tight group with very similar ability people who all know they are there for just one reason – to put the hurt in to every other person. By the same token – these are often also the most rewarding! (YIG)

Feeling the strain of training? We have a great remedy! YOURIRONGUIDE has interviewed not one but 14 pro athletes to give tips and information specific to IM athlete needs. Take a look at this line-up! We were not scared to ask the hard questions. All of these athletes need our support as they have offered a great insight into a tough sport all in the name of helping first timers and hopeful improvers. The first interviews wll hit the blog Friday night (tomorrow) local time, just as we are gearing up for a big Saturday morning session – don’t miss it!!

i

Training Nutrition

A lot of blogs and sites will tell you what to eat on race day. THEIRONGUIDE wants to help with a few simple rules for nutrition for the weeks during the IM training program. First, the disclaimer - while this is a guideline that has proved successful for me, remember that every person is different and any change to diet, training load or technique MUST have precautions. A dietician should be consulted before any dramatic change to diet. This list has been produced from many articles, some of which are linked at the bottom of the post.

1)      When to eat? Many studies outline the importance of eating when the metabolism is at its highest function. To this end, I always attempt to eat immediately after exercise (within the first 40minutes). This takes preparation before the session but will pay dividends afterwards.

2)      Eat well in advance of going to sleep. As a general rule, I eat by 7pm. This lets the food digest while I get everything ready for the following day. It also means that the stomach is not turning over while lying in bed trying to get to sleep.

3)      Recovery food following strenuous exercise needs a higher percentage of protein. It has long been accepted that, “beneficial effects such as reduced muscle soreness and markers of muscle damage become more evident when supplemental protein is consumed after daily training sessions” (Sports Med 2014). Follow link below for further information. Recovery therefore needs protein in the first 40minutes.

4)      I do NOT eat prior to training sessions in the morning. Some journal articles have determined that there is very little carbohydrate loss in the body from the night before (apart from a small amount in the liver). This also extends to NOT eating prior to an Ironman event in the morning. Common practice is to get up and eat at least 3 hours before the event to allow for digestion and not draw blood to the stomach as it will be required for the large muscle groups during exercise. I am not prepared to get up and eat at 3am when there is minimal loss if the Carb-loading is completed correctly. A word of warning – this does take practice and may not be for everyone. See cyclo-fuel dietary guide link below for more information.

5)       NO SUGAR. Actually, this is not quite correct as glucose is fine however the other parts of sugar including sucrose, dextrose and fructose are out as well as any manufactured sweetener. Fructose as part of fruit is fine. Glucose is processed in a different manner to other sugars within the body. For this reason I make my own sports drink out of glucose powder, branch chain amino acids and electrolyte tabs. Sugar is also detrimental to tendon and ligament health. Most sugar is hidden within processed food including breads, drinks and sauces so these are avoided. In addition, avoid mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Animal fats are ok (and olive oil is also a better option)

David Gillespie’s book “Big fat lies” has these two main recommendations (see link below) and I have been a supporter of this now for 2 years and enjoyed good health and energy levels throughout my training.

6)      Embrace the “super foods. Super foods are a label developed by marketing companies; however choose foods high in nutrition and fibre e.g. berries, oats, beans, dark green vegetables (e.g. spinach, broccoli etc.), walnuts and salmon.

7)      Simple, unprocessed foods are the best sources of nutrients. It is a simple rule of thumb but food around the outside of any supermarket is the unprocessed food we should seek out. Fruits, vegetables, simple grains, dairy etc. The inner isles hold all of the heavily processed and additive foods which should be avoided.

8)      In any training session up to an hour, sports drinks are not required. I would recommend an electrolyte tablet to water or just plain water depending on the intensity.

9)      Supplements are just that – supplemental. 99% of your vitamins and minerals should come from natural foods. I take supplements but only as a back-up, not a primary method of intake.

There you have it – the 9 simple YOUIRONGUIDE guidelines to diet and eating during a training program I follow. It goes without saying that what you get out of each session relies heavily on the fuel you give to your body (and when). To have the most energy and focus – have a look at your diet and see if any of the 9 guidelines will help you. As a final thought, remember to train like you race. Don’t change any intake on race day that you have not trialled well before the big day.

 Quick and easy recovery shake

Links

Protein for refuel

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20048505

Eating before exercise

http://www.cyclo-club.com/products/item73.cfm

Big Fat Lies (David Gillespie)

http://www.penguin.com.au/products/9780670076024/big-fat-lies-how-diet-industry-making-you-sick-fat-poor

A great link also added on Dave Scott's (a true legend of Ironman) thoughts on Nutrition which also supports the YOURIRONGUIDE principles: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Nutrition-Tips-Updated.html?soid=1101535532710&aid=VdclH_zeUrM

The first post on the new blog and where do we start - with the basics of course, the video we believe best shows the REAL Ironman journey