Preparing For Your First Ironman Triathlon (IMWA), Part 2

Leadership Lessons From: Kevin Siah, Perth-based Acountant and talented triathlete.

Kevin (in blue) races just ahead of Kona-finisher Wong Ah Thiam.

Hi Enrico, very honoured to give some input.

IMWA 2012 will be my 6th Ironman, and 3rd one on the same course. The swim being – out and back – along the jetty is relatively straightforward. However from previous experiences, there are not many buoys to mark the course and there can be some pretty big swells in the water. First-time participants just have to keep calm and keep swimming, gauge their distance from the jetty every now and then, to ensure they're swimming in a straight line.

The bike course – although very flat – is not an easy one, as it is open to winds; and, the constant pedaling and posture can take its toll later in the course. A good strategy will be not to get too excited and go out too hard in the beginning. Also keep your nutrition topped up. If it is the same as last year, you can only access your special needs on the 2nd and 3rd lap. But there are plenty of food/drink stations every 20km, or so.

Kevin is highly disciplined to do his preparation, and thus performs very well.

The run course is along the coast so, again, could be impacted by winds. There would be food/drinks stations every 2km or so, but no sponges though. The local crowd really embraces the event – they'll set up tents with music to cheer you on; some even use their garden hose to cool you down. It's always been said ‘It all comes down to the run.’ Whatever discomfort or fatigue you experience, the key is to keep on moving. If you have to slow down or walk, do so with purpose i.e. when going through a food/drink station, preventing a cramp, etc. Remember, the faster you get moving, the earlier you will finish!

10 Tips For Preparing For Your First Ironman (Western Australia)

1)    Be clear about what you are signing up for. It is 226K of triathlon with a 17-hour dateline, and at least three months of dedicated, and family-approved, training.

2)    Be committed to your training and the discipline behind it. If you must, train in small groups (of aspirants for the same race) for motivation and safety reasons.

3)    Train for the full distance (at least) except for the marathon (32-34K will do as your longest run). Accustom your body to the lengthy duration of each discipline. Do race in the same attire and equipment that your trained in. NO NEW STUFF ON RACE DAY!

4)    Do a ride-run brick each session. Run off the bike (within a short transition of 3 minutes) for 2-3 kilometres. On shorter rides, follow up with a longer run of 10K.

5)    Over-distance for swimming (more than 3.8K) and riding (do at least two 180K, minimum as your longest rides). A 200K ride or eight-hour ride (indoors/outdoors) would be a bonus.

6)    Eat as you would in racing as in training (bring your own food supplements, if you won’t risk what is given out). Accept only water from the friendly volunteers at the aid-stations, progressively and generously positioned in Busselton.

7)    Pack your additional race nutrients in the Special Needs bag. Pack only powders, not liquefied forms as they may spoil in the heat.

8)    Study the race-course, on the map as well as on the ground. Do a recce for part of the courses a few days before the race.

9)    Get your bike fully serviced (and parts replaced; brake-cables, tyres, brake-pads) close to the race, but not too close as bike-shops get jammed with anxious first-time entrants. Get new tyres. You risk it all with used ones. Keep your existing training tyres as spares on your bike/Special Needs bag. Learn how to change your tyres, at least once, from your bike- mechanic.

10) Talk to recent graduates of the race (2010, 2011) and tap on their experiences of completing the race. Learn more about exigencies and crises that emerge, and how they managed them.

Pre-Race Preparations for An Ironman Triathlon - By the Fox

Editor: This was posted sometime ago, and I felt it warrants a reprint, as there is a large group of participants for Ironman Western Australia 2011 and IM New Zealand 2012. I requested my Coach, Craig ‘Fox’ Holland to share his pre-race preparation with fellow participants of Ironman Western Australia 2010. This year’s race falls on 4 December, in Busselton, Perth. Fox, 50 years old – who finished the World Championships in Kona in 2005, will be racing again in Busselton – secured two sub-11 finishes last year. He is an international consultant, and online triathlon coach. We posted an interview of him last week.

Much has been written about taper time. However, all athletes respond differently. As with coaching individual athletes, I believe there is no one solution that will suit all. Every one reacts differently depending on your genetics, athletic ability, recovery time, work/life priorities, and the way you handle stress.

However if you are in doubt, don’t do it! REST UP…!

Tapering allows the body and mind to recover and freshen up, replenish glycogen and motivation levels. Enjoy the moment and start visualising yourself succeeding on race day.

I do not recommend doing nothing. Past experience indicates most athletes will benefit from a reduction in training volume in the last week by around 50-75%. You may feel frustrated but, realistically, you don't need to do much except keep the system alive and sharp. Some short sharp intervals will be sufficient. Cramming in extra sessions now will be detrimental.

If you can, have a sports massage and stretch as often as you can. Stay relaxed.

Maintain normal sleeping patterns, and get quality sleep. In the morning before race day, take your bike for a last short spin/check out incorporating a few surges to lift the heart rate.

Rest and get off your legs for most of the day. Do not stand around all day at the expo or do a tourist adventure, mountain climb, etc. with your loved ones. Save it for post-race activities.

Do not do anything in taper week in terms of diet and fluid intake that you do not do normally. There are no special supplements or drinks that are going to increase your performance, except for a little increase of carbohydrates.

Stick with what your body already knows. Race-week is not the time to be experimenting.

Essay & Photo-credit: Craig Holland & Mel Chan

Inform, Educate and Entertain

The above title is a minimalist mantra of major newspapers. There is a large degree of truth to that, with caveats.

KISS: An acronym for 'Keep it simple, stupid'! Or, was that ‘Keep it short and sweet’? Either way, I was being cheeky and irreverent, or was I being lazy and lackadaisical? To use big words could mean referring to a dictionary, and that would amount to education. Wishful thinking on my part, I suppose…whimsical and willful me.

A club-member of mine, asked me on Saturday how I continue to post one blog a day, everyday for the last year and a half – my answer was simple, but not easy. I have, successfully, maintained my one blog/day average, although I have gone AWOL whilst on sabbatical (aka vacation, overseas races). I assure you I have been suitably concerned about not sustaining and delivering on my journalistic duties. Meeting datelines was and is, my occupational hazard (four years in trade journals and lifestyle magazines).

I hope that this blog meets the criteria of edutainment – catchphrase of the education business: interviews with excellent people, announcements, critiques, referencing, wisdom, expert advice, cartoons, and the occasional gossip. To educate and entertain: should there be a balance? In my experience, and my educated guess would be, there should be a priority of education over entertainment. There can be entertainment value in learning; focusing on methodology that engages, excites and integrates the enhancement of skills and acquisition of experiences. The learning needs and approach for Gen-X and Gen-Y are narrowing in its perceived margin. Adults want to learn, provided it impacts them positively and with direct relevance. Still, whenever they can, they appreciate a good time while learning. 

*****

11 Days Out to the Big Roll at the Finish Line: Recent weather report for Busselton, Perth: It was 37 degrees Celcius in Western Australia today. Winds are expected to hit Force 5: about 29-38 kilometre per hour next week. If it does descend upon us participants of Ironman Western Australia 2010 next Sunday, I hope it will be erratic instead of ‘head-on’. I intend to brave and embrace the day ‘full on’.

John Cooke posts on his blog some major considerations for Ironman Race Day. I urge you to read it.