Well Prepared

It’s all starting to become reality now. Less than two weeks until race day and only a few days until leaving Australia, to first head to LA for a 3 night stopover, then onto Mont-Tremblant, Canada, for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships.

There is always that little bit of doubt in your mind wondering if you’ve really done everything you can to be in the best possible shape. Have I put in enough effort? Have I been disciplined enough? Could I have done more? With only two weeks to go, the answer is – What’s done is done! I can’t go back and change it.

However, as with previous races and preparations, I can always learn something. So, what have I learned this time around that I will be able to use in future race preparations?

Ø  I don’t need to do long, tough sessions as often as I have previously. This means sessions like long rides and runs. Previously, I have felt the need to do them each once a week but in the last 5 – 6 weeks, I have spaced them out to be up to 10 days before doing them again and found I have been able to perform better during those sessions with fresher legs. This also applies to other hard sessions like a track run or hill repeats on the bike.

Ø  The sessions in between big, long sessions are just as beneficial and provide far more bang for my buck than I used to think. Incorporating track sessions into my running has been a major benefit. Not only has it provided greater speed but my technique and strength to be able to run fast when fatigued has improved immensely.

Ø  Core training – I haven’t done as much as I anticipated but I have focused on it in recent weeks and I have noticed the difference. It’s something I can do anywhere too. There is no reason why I couldn’t do core training as much as I want to. I just need to be a little more creative sometimes.

Ø  I need to work on my swim more. I lacked focus on my technique for an extended period a couple of months ago, where I was just trying to challenge myself with different speeds and different length efforts. I have given far more focus to my technique in recent weeks, which has given me some confidence. Even though, I feel slightly more comfortable in the water than before, I haven’t showed any particular improvements in speed overall. I am hoping that, during the race, my endurance and focus on my technique will help me to swim a satisfactory time and not allow me to lose too much time to my competitors.

Ø  My diet needs to be better from the start. I didn’t give anywhere near enough focus to my diet during the early months of this 5+ month preparation. I had intentions of losing a couple of kilos, believing it would be an advantage, but this hasn’t happened. Mainly due to a less than ideal diet to achieve that at the start. As with some of the above points, I have been far more disciplined in the past month or so and this has allowed me to become leaner and I feel my digestive system has been in great shape. I have been far better at getting sufficient vegetables and lean meat in my diet and it has paid dividends to my training output. Despite being leaner, I am not lighter but this doesn’t bother me because my performance is good.

Ø  There is no substitute for hard work! When I needed to work hard and really test myself, I would say 95% of the time, I have succeeded. What I mean by this is, when I had particular efforts in my sessions or certain time splits I was aiming to hit and I knew it was going to be hard, I was mentally tough enough to push myself to those limits. This has got me to where I am now, which is being in the best shape of my life.

Ø  Weight training has been a great part of my preparation. I did plenty of strength work in the initial couple of months, before backing it off to focus more specifically on swim, bike and run, but I have brought it back in over the past 6 weeks for purposes of power development and core strength. I am very pleased with how this has contributed to my progression.

Ø  My mind is strong. I used my mind to conquer hard training and eventually, not succumb to sweet cravings too often to achieve a leaner physique. I’m particularly happy with what my mind has achieved.

Whatever happens on race day, there will be lessons to be learned.

My previous two 70.3 races have raised questions about my race day nutrition and training specifically for a race course. This has come in very handy for this preparation. I’m sure one thing I will learn from this race is how to ride on the opposite side of the road.

I would like to make special mention to a few people and businesses.

First of all, special thanks to Dr David Riordan, Stacey and Mandy at my major sponsor, Holistique Health and Spa. Without the expert regular treatment from Dr Riordan, my body wouldn’t have remained in such good shape for this entire preparation and allowed me to push so hard. I can’t speak highly enough of his chiropractic treatment and how beneficial it can be for anyone.  They are located at 10 Errard St. North, Ballarat and don’t forget to check out their website - http://www.holistiquehealth.com.au/ - Thanks so much guys. You’ve contributed so much to this race preparation.

I would also like to make an honourable mention to Cycles Galleria - http://cyclesgalleria.com.au/ - who have looked after me with various bike products, along with expert servicing which has my beloved Focus Izalco TT bike in tip top order for the big race. They have 3 stores now. I am a frequent visitor to the original store in the Galleria shopping centre, corner of Bourke and Elizabeth St. They also have their larger store at QV shopping centre on Russell St and the brand new shop at 475 Riversdale Road, Camberwell. Do yourself a favour and go check them out. Awesome staff too!

Also, Evelyn Faye Nutrition - http://www.completehealth.com.au/ - at 360 Bourke St, Melbourne, is where I have picked up most of my nutritional supplements and their expert advice has made a big difference to the way I have fuelled and recovered during training. They have an amazing range of products and some highly knowledgeable staff who are only too glad to help you.

I can’t wait to get on the plane with my beautiful wife. There is no other person who I would rather take this journey with. She will always be my number one supporter and I am truly lucky to have her.

I look forward to updating you all while on my travels.

Make sure you have me on Twitter @Ironman_Lincoln and Instgram @ironman_lincoln.

Rules for Triathlon Success (An outsider's view from the couch)

Here's the second weekly installment from Mrs Ironman Lincoln. It's a witty understanding that, we athlete's, sometimes need things to be just so. 

As well as liking to display our passion in more ways than just the training and racing, we don't tend to see things in the same way that as others. Of course, we're the normal ones, right?

So, here's some very true observations from my beautiful wife. Enjoy and please add your own in the comments section. We've all got our own weird ones, I'm sure.

1.                   Respond with a look of pure disdain if anyone mentions a heated pool or a 25 meter pool as a potential training location.

2.                   It is entirely reasonable to service a bike more often than a car, and, although it has no motor and fewer wheels, it is perfectly acceptable that the service cost hundreds of dollars.

3.                   In any given situation, at least one item of clothing on your person MUST communicate to others that you are a Serious Triathlete. Try a competitor’s T-shirt, compression tights, wraparound sunglasses, or, in a bind, Fancy Watch which Beeps Incessantly and is the Size of a Chicken Breast.

4.                   Muesli is not just a breakfast food. It is perfectly acceptable to eat muesli four times a day. Buying it ready-made in small packages is laughable; buy the ingredients in bulk and store it in a large bucket or clam pool.

5.                   Play to win. This also applies in everyday life. Your wife may think it’s over the top, but she’s a whiny loser who should have put houses on Park Lane when she had the chance.

6.                   After an ice bath, it is common sense to place the multiple large bags that held the ice in the tiny bathroom bin. Be sure to close the lid so they can’t escape!

7.                   Get the following message printed on a T-shirt to save yourself hours of explanation: “No, the Ironman on the beach with the paddle-boards is different. I do the other kind. The kind with a bike.”

8.                   Food is fuel. Taste is immaterial. Sardines, anyone?

9.                   Stretching can (and should) be done anywhere. Take every opportunity. Stuck in a meeting? Sit on the floor and stretch out those legs. Comforting your wife after an episode of Offspring? Stretch out your neck as she mops up those tears.

10.               The shower is a convenient place to hang your wetsuit to dry. Just remember to warn your wife it is there, so that when she goes to the toot in the middle of the night she doesn’t think a headless floating zombie is about to eat her brains.

Triathlon Spouse

You don’t get far in triathlon without some serious support. I am no exception.

Particularly in my first few years of competing, I must have been the worst possible person to be around on race morning but, my now wife, Mrs Ironman Lincoln, has done an exceptional job at absorbing those moments. Especially, the times when we were on our way to a race at 5:30am and half way there I remember something that I had neglected to get before leaving home. I’m quite sure she regretted getting out of her nice warm bed sometimes just to stand in the cold, usually on her own, and cheer for me in the fleeting second that she caught me going past on my bike and then as I entered the finishing chute.

I think I have improved my race morning attitude a lot since then but I still struggle when I don’t fit in every second of training or can’t find exactly what I want to eat.

Of course, there are other family and friends who have been wonderful support but my beautiful wife has attended nearly every race I have ever done. She’s a real trooper.

Over the past 5 and a half years of triathlon gradually creeping further and further into our lives, Mrs Ironman Lincoln has discovered many traits of the obsessive triathlete. You may be familiar with some of these but you may also be missing the crucial signs. Don’t worry, she’s here to help and over the next few weeks, as I build towards the Ironman 70.3 World Championships which is less than one month away, I will post some blog pieces from her which will provide you with a detailed account of what life is like with a triathlon junkie, like me.

Are you a triathlon spouse?

By: Mrs Ironman Lincoln.

How many water bottles and backpacks do you have in your home?

A. Well, I don't live with any primary school aged children or camping fanatics, so, zero.

B. I have my old high school backpack that my friends graffitied in year 11, but that's it.

C. At least eight backpacks and a dozen water bottles. I’m quite sure they are breeding in the night.

Which of the following is standard behaviour for you on a Sunday morning?

A. We sleep in, tidy the house then wander around Bunnings eating sausages and arguing about whipper-snippers.

B. We relax with a coffee while sharing the Sunday paper, then we head out for a walk or a jog.

C. We get up at 4am to hunt for a car park, then I lug around two backpacks, a bike pump, sunscreen, umbrella and folding chair whilst trying to catch a glimpse of familiar Lycra as it whizzes past.

Your partner wears stockings, and he's a man. What is your reaction?

A. I guess it’s time for the, “It’s not you, it’s me,” conversation.

B. I hope he's not wearing my heels, too. He'd stretch them out.

C. They're not "stockings"; they're compression tights. They aid recovery.

How expensive/ difficult is your partner to feed?

A. He eats what I eat, so not hard at all

B. Men eat a lot, don't they? He eats about double what I eat.

C. It's like having eight husbands. He eats constantly and he can never just eat what the rest of us are having. It has to be balanced and contain low GI carbohydrates. (Is it just me or does wholemeal pasta taste like the box it comes in?)

Where does your partner get most of his wardrobe?

A. I buy his clothes and he gets gifted socks, jocks and hankies.

B. He shops for himself - he wears suits to work and trackies or jeans on the weekend.

C. He gets given all of his t-shirts at sporting events, and then teams them with whatever else appears in his wardrobe.

Does your partner have a bike?

A. No.

B. Yeah, its main function is providing shelter for a family of Daddy long-legs in our garage.

C. Yes, it is part-bike, part- the other woman. It cost more than his car and he can't use it to commute anywhere because he is afraid someone will steal it.

What happens if your partner can't exercise?

A. Nothing, he just gains weight like the rest of us, but it doesn't bother him.

B. He gets super cranky and restless.

C. This has never happened.

What does your partner say when you suggest a holiday location?

A. Sounds good, babe.

B. Can't we go camping instead?

C. They have a great triathlon course there! They have transition in the park near the beach and it’s the best tri in the region and my mate did it two years ago and got stung by a jelly and we should go in February cos that's when it is...

How did you go?

Mostly A's: Your partner is perfectly normal with little to no interest in participating in triathlons. If you are happy with this, be sure that your spouse doesn't train for a triathlon, 'just for fun.' He or she will love it, become addicted and you will lose your Sunday mornings.

Mostly B's: You and your partner have a great relationship where neither party participates in triathlons and both of you are happy about this. Nip any dangerous behaviour in the bud by prohibiting Lycra items and restricting the number of runners he can purchase in one year.

Mostly C's: You are a triathlon spouse. Your loved one is psycho for swimming, bonkers for bikes and raging for running. Oh sure, he loves you, but better not ask if he loves his bike more. Be happy that he keeps so fit and try not to worry about him finding dead bodies when he's out running.