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.

Being Careful

It’s really getting to the business end of my World Champs preparation now. I developed a good, solid base of fitness, increased my strength and now I am working on some speed before adding in some more race specificity. However, I have been tinkering with my final training plan, for the next 5 weeks, before flying out 8 days before the event on September 7.

I have felt the need to re-arrange my training as I have noticed some signs of overtraining such as; general feel of lacking some energy, a slight head cold a couple of weeks ago and, now, another infection which has affected my chest and sinuses but almost gone, feeling poor during some sessions and not feeling properly rested after my normal amount of sleep.

My plan to combat this while ensuring I complete desired sessions before flying out, will be to have an extra recovery day between my hard rides and runs. This simply means that instead of performing two hard rides and a weights session each week, this will be spaced out over about 10 days. This will be similar for my running. My swimming will be focussed on the days where I don’t have any hard rides or runs and a couple of easier swims on the harder days. I will continue with easy riding and running for active recovery on easy days, also.

An example of this new layout will look something like this:-

·         Day 1: Ride 3 – 4 hours with several 8 – 10 minute hill repeats and an easy 2 – 3km swim.

·         Day 2: 60 minutes easy spin and Run 2 hours – long endurance run with a few above race pace efforts in the last half an hour. Core strength.

·         Day 3: Ride to and from the pool (approx. 90 minutes total) and swim 4km with a strength focus.

·         Day 4: Ride 90 minutes – 2 hours with a lot of short, high cadence efforts. Then, a leg weights and core strength session.

·         Day 5: Ride to and from the pool and swim 3km with a speed focus.

·         Day 6: Ride 60 minutes easy. Track run session working above race pace for various length intervals building the speed throughout the workout. Core strength.

·         Day 7: Run 45 minutes easy with some drills. Swim 3km with race pace focus and practice sighting.

·         Day 8: Ride 4 – 6 hours with the last 2 hours practicing race pace over extended periods and simulating race day nutrition. Run up to 30 minutes off the bike at race pace.

·         Day 9: Ride to and from the pool and swim 3km using drills and focussing on technique and kicking.

·         Day 10: Ride 60 minutes easy and run 60 minutes easy. Core strength.

The aim of spacing out my key sessions further is to ensure I am well rested prior to key workouts in an effort to produce the best possible sessions. Also, to prevent the possibility of overtraining so close to my goal race, I will take extra rest on non-key workout days where necessary by excluding a swim, light ride or easy run and ensure adequate sleep is not sacrificed.

With only 4 and half weeks of training left before leaving and beginning my taper, I will be more focussed than ever at ensuring I am in peak condition.

Be sure to follow me on Strava and check out some of the longer sessions I have done and will do from now on.

Happy training folks.

Lincoln.

Race Weight - Timing is Everything

I am 179cm tall and currently weigh 76kg. 5 months ago, at Ironman 70.3 Geelong, I raced at 75kg. I was hoping I would trim down further for the World Championships in order to be faster. However, I have not seen my weight go below about 75.5kg for the entire time I have been preparing since April.

I feel fitter and stronger than before, my training results and numbers suggest this, so I am not worried about being slow on race day but I don’t know how much effect my weight will have on performance compared to other athletes on the undulating Mont-Tremblant course.

First of all, now is not the time to try and lose weight. With only 8 weeks until the race, trying to lose weight would do more harm than good. By cutting calories, I would not be able to train as hard because my energy and recovery would be compromised, leaving me at risk of illness and poor training output. There is simply no room to let up in the quality of my training at this point.

Also, the best time to try and reduce weight would have been in the initial phases of my preparation, approximately 3 – 5 months before race day. Unfortunately, I didn’t focus as much on my diet during that time, so, although my body began to lose a little body fat and gain some lean muscle mass, I didn’t lose any weight.

In these final two months, I am going to be as strict as I have ever been. I am going to cut out any sugary snacks which I was treating myself too previously. Except, in the event that I require something quickly after a hard workout and am desperate. I am now going to focus particular hard on consuming more vegetables and using fruit for snacks if necessary, on top of those that I already eat on a daily basis.

The objective behind this is to hope that I will lose a little excess body fat and become lighter because of it. Therefore, not sacrificing lean muscle mass or energy and supporting my immune system better with the important nutrients in the extra vegetables and fruit.

I’m sure some of you are wondering what difference this will really make.

In comparison to the top long course triathletes in the world, like those who will be competing for overall honours in Mont-Tremblant, they tend to be a lot lighter than me. For example, a top pro athlete of similar height will weigh somewhere between 68 – 72kg.

Jan Frodeno, 2008 Olympic Gold medallist, and arguably the best 70.3 athlete in the world at the moment, is 194cm tall and weighs in at 76kg. He is full of lean muscle mass and has very little body fat and after winning several major 70.3 events this year with half marathon run splits of 1 hour 12 minutes or faster, along with matching it with the best cyclists in the sport, he is a terrific example of an all-round athlete. Let’s not forget his incredible full Ironman debut recently at the Ironman European Championships, in Frankfurt, where he had the fastest marathon run split, at 2 hours 43 minutes. This was after leading out of the swim, experiencing 3 flat tyres on the bike leg, falling 17 minutes behind the leaders, struggling with cramps during his first ever marathon and gaining back over 10 places to finish 3^rd.

But how will I benefit from being lighter?

It’s a lot to do with power-to-weight ratio on the bike, whereby, if I can produce the same amount of power at 74kg, as I did when weighing 76kg, I could go faster with the same energy expenditure OR use less energy to go the same speed.

With running, carrying less weight produces less stress on your joints and less muscular energy is needed to produce the same speed. Each step would have greater responsiveness off the ground and reduce the contact time of your foot on the ground, which is one of the major points of improving run speed.

Some people would suggest to me that I don’t need to lose weight and from a health perspective, this is very true. However, I assure you, this has nothing to do with the way I look or to improve any aspect of my health. I truly want to make it to the top ranks of triathlon and I believe my weight is one aspect which will contribute to helping reach that goal. Also, when done right, it shouldn’t have any negative effects on my health.

The Ironman 70.3 World Championships will give me a much better indication of how close I am to an ideal race weight. I will closely assess my performance afterwards to determine what I will look to do to continue my progression. However, as my next race will be Ironman 70.3 Ballarat, just 10 weeks after the World Champs, it is unlikely I will make many changes during that period.

Tell me, when have you tried to drop down to a lighter race weight? How did you do it and did it help?

I look forward to your stories.

Lincoln.

Changing Things Up

I have reassessed my training format and made some significant adjustments which I started last week. This was prompted by the continuous inability to train properly while working early shift, as well as a need for separating key sessions better for more effective training output.

Previously, I had worked on a 3:1 training weeks to recovery week ratio. I would build up over 3 weeks before having a significantly lighter training week to absorb the hard work and refresh the body, regardless of what shifts I was working. However, during my most recent week of early shifts, I was increasingly frustrated with the inability to get to sleep early enough, the constant state of grumpiness and the illusion that, I didn’t have enough time to complete all of the desired sessions, this caused.

I have now changed my approach to a 2:1 training/recovery week ratio. My early shifts, which come around every three weeks, will now be considered my recovery week. The 14 days of hard training, which actually starts on a Wednesday for me, then takes place on days of late shift and days off only. I find I can get my 8 – 9 hours sleep consistently during those two weeks and I feel much better when training in the morning, before work.

Also, with only having two weeks to build up before recovery week, I now add extra volume to the last 4 days, of the 14, by doing the following:

Day 11: Add an extra swim after my regular long Saturday 5 hour ride/30 minute run session.

Day 13: An extra 4 hour ride with hill repeats in place of my leg weights session, and;

Day 14: An extra 2 hours of easy riding and a swim to add to my 2 hour, long aerobic run.

The other adjustment I have made is to the general layout of key sessions. Previously, I was performing a 2 – 3 hour strength ride on Tuesdays, a 90 minute+ high cadence ride on Thursday which preceded my leg weights session and a long ride on Saturday. These were my key bike workouts. However, I was finding myself being too sore from the weights on Thursday to have a good ride on Saturday.

As I am now extending my long rides to 5 hours and adding in some key efforts in those rides, I want to go into them as fresh as possible. Therefore, I will now do my leg weights on Monday and push even harder. On Wednesday, I will do a 3 hour+ strength ride using really big gears and staying around 60RPM. This will leave 3 days to recover before my long ride on Saturday. I will still ride another 2 – 4 times per week but for commuting purposes or as warm-ups and active recovery.

My running has taken a similar adjustment as I have three key sessions. Long run on Tuesdays pushing up to 2 hours and using some inclines. My new addition is a track session on Thursdays where I am currently doing 8 x 800m at approximately my theoretical 5km race pace, with a 400m jog in between. This pace currently equates to 3:20-3:30mins/km and I am hoping to be on sub 4:00mins/km pace during the run in Mont-Tremblant.

Finally, I do a tempo (race pace) run on Sundays. Previously, I was running tempo for 40 minutes but I have now pushed this up to 60 minutes. I did my first 60 minute tempo this past Sunday and was very happy to average about 3:55mins/km while maintaining a very consistent 92 – 94 RPM leg turnover.

Other runs will include short 20 – 30 minute runs off the two main bike sessions and I do plenty of drills during warm-ups for the key run workouts.

My swimming structure remains the same with attempting to get in the pool 4 – 5 times per week. However, I am starting to up the volume and I’m now seeing some good aerobic fitness in water.

I feel much more comfortable with this new approach. I feel I can train even harder during the two training weeks and stress less during the recovery week. All aspects are improving and that’s very important as the world champs are now less than 10 weeks away.

Are you ready for the world champs? Tell me below.

A Big Month Ahead

I have begun a big phase of focused strength building in my training. In doing this, I will be looking to increase overall volume while being smart with how I break down my sessions to get the most out of each key workout.

This week and next week have an all-round focus on volume for each discipline. Following these initial two weeks will be 9 days of focus on bike and run strength endurance. In those final 9 days, swimming will be backed off to allow for harder work to be completed on the bike and run as well as trying to fit in some extra recovery work, including, essential chiropractic sessions with Dr David Riordan at Holistique Health + Spa (http://www.holistiquehealth.com.au/), in Ballarat.

I have a particular tendency to get very tight hamstrings, glutes and lower back through lots of hard riding in the aero position, among other things, and Dr David puts those areas back in working condition very nicely. Holistique Heath + Spa are tremendous supporters of my triathlon endeavours and I’m very grateful for their services.

One interesting change to my bike training during this phase will be reducing my ‘key’ bike workouts to 2 per week, down from 3. I will perform one long ride up to 5 hours in length with some hill work and race pace efforts. The other session will be 3 hours of predominantly low cadence strength work. I will still ride another 2 – 4 times each week but only at low intensities and mainly for commuting purposes. This will allow me to recover better and put greater emphasis on those key workouts. Not forgetting my weekly leg weights session which is, essentially, like a third key bike workout.

My run training will follow a similar tone with greater emphasis put on key workouts and extra sessions being about active recovery and technique. My key workouts will now be a long run of 90mins+, a 40 – 60min negative split tempo run and, new for me, a track session. The track session is going to focus on 7 – 8 x 800m repeats, above race pace, with a 400m jog recovery in between. I tried it out for the first time on Wednesday and was hitting 2:40-2:45mins per 800. That is about 3:20-3:30min/km pace but I will be looking to get my 800m splits down to around 2:30mins over the next few weeks.

One important factor, I will need to keep an eye on during this phase, is my recovery through nutrition and sleep. Sometimes I get lazy and don’t take in enough protein, fruit and vegetables or good carbohydrates. Or, I procrastinate too much meaning I miss out on valuable hours of sleep. As I draw closer to the race, in September, I must continue to improve each of these areas.

I know I can be smarter with my recovery nutrition, so I went and visited my supporters at Evelyn Faye Nutrition (http://www.completehealth.com.au/) in Bourke St. Melbourne, where I had the opportunity to have a great discussion with one of the resident Sports Nutritionists. I provided an outline of my usual diet and mentioned my recent fluctuating energy and periods of extended lethargy, so, it was suggested to me to increase my protein and complex carbohydrate intake. Other aspects of my diet, including, fruit and vegetable intake, meat sources and supplementation all seem good but as my training increases further, so will the need for protein and energy consumption. I will now try to use my protein powder at least twice a day and eat a sizeable portion of rice every day instead of a couple of times per week.

I’m looking forward to putting all of the above training and nutritional changes into action and anticipate seeing some improvements in overall strength and endurance at the end of this phase. Having that improvement in the bank will put me in a great position going into the next phase where I’ll be training my power and speed.

Please comment below and tell me how your diet changes during different periods of training.

Holistique Health + Spa http://www.holistiquehealth.com.au/ - located at 10 Errard St. North, BALLARAT.

Evelyn Faye Nutrition http://www.completehealth.com.au/ - located at 360 Bourke St. MELBOURNE.