The Pros and Cons of Using a Time Trial Bike in an Ironman Event As a triathlon coach, one of the most common questions I get from athletes training for an Ironman event is: "Should I invest in a time trial (TT) bike?" It's a great question, and like many things in triathlon, the answer depends on several factors. Time trial bikes, also known as tri bikes, are designed for one thing: speed. But is that enough to make them the best choice for your Ironman race? Let’s dive into the advantages and disadvantages to help you decide. Advantages of a Time Trial Bike in an Ironman 1. Aerodynamics and Speed The biggest selling point of a TT bike is its aerodynamic design. The frame geometry, along with aero handlebars and wheels, is built to minimize drag and help you cut through the wind. In an Ironman, where small gains can add up to big results over the 180 km bike leg, this could be the difference between hitting your target time or not. By adopting a more aggressive, aerodynamic position, you save energy and can maintain higher speeds for longer. For elite athletes, this advantage is crucial, especially in flatter, less technical courses. Even age-group athletes can see significant time improvements by using a TT bike in the right conditions. 2. Efficient Power Transfer Time trial bikes are designed to make the most out of every watt of power you produce. With a more aggressive geometry, you’re able to push higher power in the aero position without wasting energy on unnecessary body movement. For long-distance races like Ironman, where pacing is critical, this efficiency can help you conserve energy for the marathon ahead. 3. Built for Long, Steady Efforts Ironman bike courses are often long and rolling with the occasional climb. TT bikes excel in flat and rolling terrain where you can stay in an aerodynamic position for extended periods. If the course doesn’t feature technical descents or sharp turns, a TT bike is perfect for maintaining steady efforts over time, helping you lock into your target pace. Disadvantages of a Time Trial Bike in an Ironman 1. Comfort Over Long Distances While TT bikes offer aerodynamic benefits, they can come at the cost of comfort, especially if you’re not well-adapted to the aggressive position. Over the 180 km Ironman bike leg, the forward, low posture of a TT bike can lead to discomfort in the lower back, neck, shoulders, and even hamstrings if your fit isn’t dialed in perfectly. For those who prioritize comfort, or if the course has a lot of climbing and descending, a road bike might be a better option. In Ironman, conserving energy for the marathon is essential, and a bike that causes discomfort could lead to excessive fatigue before you even start the run. 2. Handling in Technical Terrain Time trial bikes are designed to be stable at high speeds, but they don’t handle technical corners, descents, or turns as well as road bikes. If your Ironman course features a lot of technical sections, descents, or sharp turns, a TT bike could slow you down. You might lose time in corners and feel less confident descending, especially on steep or windy courses. 3. Higher Cost and Maintenance TT bikes tend to be more expensive than road bikes due to the specialized components and design. Additionally, maintaining a TT bike can be a bit more complicated, as the integrated parts (like brakes and cables) are harder to access. For athletes new to triathlon, or those on a budget, a TT bike might be a significant financial investment without a guaranteed return in terms of performance. When a Time Trial Bike is Worth It - Flat or Rolling Courses: TT bikes shine on flatter Ironman courses where you can stay in an aero position for long periods without technical corners or descents. - Experienced Triathletes: If you’ve spent time training on a TT bike and are comfortable holding the aggressive aero position for hours, you’ll likely see a performance boost. - Targeting a Fast Bike Split: Athletes aiming to qualify for Kona or set a personal best time often choose TT bikes to shave minutes off their bike leg. When to Stick with a Road Bike - Hilly or Technical Courses: For Ironman races with a lot of climbing, descents, or sharp turns, a road bike may offer better handling and comfort. - If Comfort is a Priority: If you’re new to long-course triathlon or find it hard to stay in an aero position for extended periods, a road bike may save you discomfort and energy for the run. - Budget Concerns: Road bikes are typically more affordable, and you can often make them more aero with clip-on bars and adjustments without the higher cost of a full TT bike. Conclusion: The Best Bike for Your Ironman Choosing between a time trial bike and a road bike for an Ironman comes down to your personal strengths, course demands, and comfort. A TT bike offers a clear advantage in terms of speed and aerodynamics, but if you can't stay comfortable or confident for the full distance, those gains could disappear. The best choice is one that balances speed with comfort, allowing you to execute your race plan and still have energy left for the marathon. As a coach, I always recommend trying both options in training to see what works best for you. If you decide to go the TT bike route, make sure to invest time in a proper bike fit, and practice riding in the aero position so you can maximize the benefits come race day.

The Power of Recovery and Sleep in Triathlon Training: A Coach's Perspective As a triathlon coach, one of the most overlooked yet crucial aspects of training that I emphasize to my athletes is the importance of recovery and sleep. While intense workouts, meticulous nutrition, and mental preparation are key elements of a successful triathlon performance, recovery—particularly sleep—plays an equally vital role in optimising performance and preventing injuries. The Science of Recovery Recovery is where the magic happens. During training, you’re essentially breaking your body down. The stress of swimming, cycling, and running causes micro-damage to muscle fibers, depletes energy stores, and strains your cardiovascular and nervous systems. Recovery is the process by which your body repairs this damage, replenishes energy, and adapts to the training load, making you stronger and more resilient. There are several components of recovery, including nutrition, hydration, active rest, and most importantly, sleep. Each of these elements contributes to the body’s ability to bounce back and improve. However, sleep stands out as the cornerstone of effective recovery. Sleep: The Ultimate Recovery Tool Sleep is not just downtime; it is a highly active period for your body. During sleep, particularly deep sleep, the body engages in critical repair and growth processes. Growth hormone, essential for muscle repair and growth, is released predominantly during deep sleep. Additionally, sleep helps to restore energy levels, repair tissues, and consolidate learning and memory—important for mastering the complex movements required in triathlon. 1. Muscle Repair and Growth: Sleep is the time when muscle repair and growth are most active. Without sufficient sleep, you risk not only halting progress but also increasing the likelihood of injuries. Muscles that are not adequately repaired can lead to overuse injuries, which are common in endurance sports like triathlon. 2. Energy Replenishment: Sleep is essential for restoring glycogen levels, the primary fuel source during endurance activities. Athletes who skimp on sleep may find themselves running out of steam during training sessions, leading to suboptimal performance. 3. Hormonal Balance: Sleep helps regulate hormones such as cortisol (the stress hormone) and insulin. Lack of sleep can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which can hinder recovery, increase fat storage, and even suppress the immune system—making you more susceptible to illness. 4. Mental Recovery: Triathlons are as much a mental challenge as they are physical. Sleep helps the brain process the day’s activities, enhancing problem-solving skills and decision-making, which are crucial during races. Mental fatigue can be just as detrimental as physical fatigue, impacting your focus, motivation, and overall performance. Practical Strategies for Optimising Recovery and Sleep As a coach, I encourage my athletes to prioritize sleep and recovery just as they would a key workout. Here are some strategies that can help: 1. Prioritise Sleep Hygiene: Establish a consistent sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Create a sleep-friendly environment: a cool, dark, quiet room, and avoid screens before bedtime, as blue light can interfere with melatonin production, the hormone responsible for sleep regulation. 2. Nap Smart: If you have trouble getting enough sleep at night, short naps (20-30 minutes) during the day can help. However, avoid long naps late in the day, as they can interfere with nighttime sleep. 3. Monitor Training Load: Pay attention to the balance between training and recovery. Overtraining can lead to chronic fatigue, burnout, and injury. Using tools like heart rate variability (HRV) can help monitor your body’s readiness to train, indicating when you might need more rest. 4. Nutrition and Hydration: Post-workout nutrition plays a crucial role in recovery. Consuming a mix of protein and carbohydrates within 30-60 minutes after a workout helps repair muscles and replenish glycogen stores. Staying hydrated is equally important, as dehydration can impair sleep and recovery. 5. Listen to Your Body: While following a training plan is important, it’s equally important to listen to your body. Fatigue, mood changes, and persistent soreness are signs that you may need more recovery time. It’s better to take an extra day off than to push through and risk injury. The Coach’s Role in Recovery As a coach, my role extends beyond designing workouts. It’s about educating athletes on the importance of recovery and sleep and helping them integrate these practices into their daily routine. I often tell my athletes that every time they go to bed early, they’re not just sleeping—they’re investing in their performance. Incorporating structured recovery periods into a training plan is essential. Periodization, which includes cycles of loading and recovery, allows the body to adapt progressively while minimizing the risk of overtraining. Additionally, I encourage open communication with athletes about how they’re feeling—both physically and mentally—so adjustments can be made to their training plan as needed. Conclusion In the pursuit of triathlon excellence, it’s easy to focus solely on the hours spent training in the water, on the bike, or on the run. However, it’s the hours spent resting and sleeping that often make the difference between finishing the race and setting a personal best. As a coach, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of sleep and recovery. By prioritizing these elements, athletes can unlock their full potential, reduce the risk of injury, and enjoy the journey toward their triathlon goals. Remember, recovery isn’t just something you do—it’s something you master.

Swim is a vital part of the Triathlon and the one discipline most struggle with. It can also be the one that most struggle to improve with. If you have not come from a swim background it is very easy to overlook how important the swim is. It can be very difficult to improve swim times, It can take hours of training and coaching to improve. Are there ways too cheat this and improve easier, the simple answer is no. Only hard work will pay. However we can become more efficient and this will help later in the triathlon. The less energy we can use in the early parts of the Triathlon means that use will have more to expend later (as long as you fuel correctly). A good way to think of this is energy is a match, If you only have 10 to matches to burn and burn 5 in the swim then you have limited left, however if you can reduce the amount you burn by being more efficient then you have more to burn on your stronger disciplines. So how is best to improve your technique. The best way it to seek a coach in your area. A local Triathlon or swim club is the cheapest way to get the expert advice and support you need you will also work on your endurance as well. You could also pay for private 121 coaching but this can be a lot more costly and time consuming. A good video analysis can also really help as you get a good understanding of your own stroke. All of these are good ways to improve. Watching videos around different drills can also help as well so you have something to practice but the feedback on what you are practicing is important as well. What ever route you decide it is important to be consistent and develop, remember you may not get quicker but you should at least work on efficiency.

When I speak with athletes one of the biggest reasons why they don’t invest in a coach is cost. This is something I can relate to. When times are difficult the luxury of a coach is one of the very first things to go or be discarded. The question is, does a coach have to be a luxury. To start with it is important to understand the costs of a coach. It is easy to think that coaching is easy, an hour session at the track 1 on 1 is actually more like 3 hours for the coach, there is the prep work and planning travel time and the actual time with you, before you start adding in any costs such as fuel, petrol, insurances and anything else you can think off. So that £20 for a 1 on 1 session doesn’t actually go far and possibly works out well below the national living wage hourly rate. So with that in mind, why does a coach actually coach, as it certainly isn’t for the money. Well for me it is seeing the athlete get better, beat the barriers in their way and improve, seeing that development is a massive reward to me. This itself is satisfying and rewarding. So how does a coach actually make a living? Well this is where some are far more successful. I’m sure you have seen the big brand coaching companies and these look great to join and offer a great service and the more popular they become the more they can charge and be selective on who can afford and they want. Then when it comes to awards, who is going to win it is likely to be the large company not the small independent coach or club coach that does this for nothing, so again with the recognition comes exposure and then more demand. So with these big coaching companies charging a lot of money monthly or per session it is clear to see why people think they cannot afford a coach. The big conception is that the coach with the big website and client list is better placed to coach you, and yes this may be the case, if what they are offering is right for you. Most are only qualified to the same standard as the smaller independent coach, do they have more experience? Possibly but most smaller coaches have a long history coaching and especially in clubs and voluntarily. In conclusion, you may not need to go to the big coaching company, or the online plans, an independent coach can offer you that and give you a better more personal service and tailor plan directly for your needs rather than meeting the needs of a business plan and all for a much smaller fee. So the cost of a coach does not need to make a second mortgage or selling a kidney. If a coach is what you are after then contact a few see what is on offer and be open with what you want and can afford. Taking the time to ask questions and get to know the coach will create a great relationship to start the journey, and maybe save some pennies toward that new wetsuit or bike. Good luck in your search for a coach.

Ive been doing some research around ‘Fasted Training’, this is something I know I get asked about a lot so Id thought Id share a little information. This is a term many of you will of heard but probably don’t know much about. In a nutshell fasted training (FT) enhances the mitochondrial adaptions the occur during aerobic training. In easier terms this improve the way your body uses fat to fuel exercise, sparing the muscles store of Glycogen for when we really need it. Now obviously this benefits those that are training for endurance events such as the longer distance events we do. All of us have enough fat stored to fuel us through and event, even the most lean athletes, so to help the body adapt too using this is important. To do this it is normally a session early in the morning before eating, this ensure that the body has to use fats rather than carbs that have been stored. As a result session will normally be shorter and feel harder than normal, although this can depend upon sleep and how you ate the night before. It's important to inform someone of where you are training and have a phone with you, good practice for any training. There is a word of caution with this training, it should not be the only sessions you do, too much can cause the body to become in a state of imbalance and the body then start using muscle protein to fuel, which obviously isn’t good. Most of us are use to training after breakfast. It is possible to eat prior to this session something along the lines of a coffee and plain 3 egg omelette would be perfect and the high protein would help prevent the muscle break down as well. It's also important to hydrate to a low calorie electrolyte drink could also be consumed. Before changing any routine or adding session its important to talk to your physician or Doctor and discuss with a coach. I hope this helps shed some light on this type of session you could be doing.

In the strange world that we are currently living in, people have found themselves with either more, or less time to train depending on jobs. For those of you with less and keeping the country running well down and thank you, you're time to train will come and we will be back to normal. There are a lot of people with time on their hands and although it is a great opportunity to train and get fitter its important to remember not to over train. It is great that in these times we have online training capabilities with the likes of Zwift and Sufferfest (others are available), these are enabling us to keep active which is important not only for our physical health but our mental health as well. These online portals are also a good way to keep racing with many events being put out there for you take part in. I have seen many athletes posting about how much time they have to train but its important not to ramp up training too much, this will lead to injury or overtraining, both of which will ruin the season (when it starts) you should only be upping training load by about 10% weekly and resting regularly. With restriction now being eased slightly and the weather great its a good time to get out though and away from the virtual world. Just remember social distancing. There is lots of training that can be done in the comfort of your own home and looking at how difficult it has been to purchase anything fitness wise everyone has had the same thoughts. So enjoy this time but be sensible and ensure you don't over train, the effects of over training can take its toll on your body and make things difficult far beyond this. Stay safe and thank you to all the key workers.

We all have things that pull us in all directions, family, work other commitments. These all impact is on what we can and can't achieve as an athlete. There are however several easy wins we can make as an athlete and a coach. Time management is vital to not only make the most out of your training but maximising the time you can devote to other areas of your life. A lot of athletes that I see try to put in big hours, but it is about being more sensible with the sessions rather than the amount of sessions, we have all heard the term 'junk miles' and it is these that not only can ruin a season but also stop you having that valuable down time, or feeling stressed at work. Having a good training plan is vital to make sure that you are able to balance all the stressors in life and be happy and fit to race as well as you can. A plan from a reputable trained coach doesn't have to break the bank and the time you can save is more important than anything. The big thing is having a plan or catch that works for you, and understands what you have going on in your life. Its important to be honest with your coach and yourself and what time you have and how you can utilise that time. Good luck and safe racing.