Written by Paul Moore and Richard Hoad

What Is Your Motivation?
This is probably the single most important question you will have to answer again and again about long distance triathlon: Why do you want to do it? Why do you want to hurt yourself like this? Why? And the simple fact is that only you know the answer. And you do have an answer. Whatever that answer is, that is your motivation.

This is an extract from The Ultimate Triathlon, available on Amazon.

Hold on to it. Because when it’s pouring down with rain and you’ve been cycling on your own for five-hours, that’s when you need to remember it. When it’s 6am and cold outside and your body aches but you know you need to swim, that’s when you need to remember it. And when you’ve run for two and a half-hours under a hot sun and you can hear your heart beating in your ears, that’s when you need to remember it.

Remember it. Hold on to it. And use it to your advantage. Because that is the motivation that will get you to the finishing line of your first, third or even thirtieth long distance triathlon. The why is absolutely essential.

Identify Your Major Goal
This is as important as motivation. Simply completing a long distance triathlon is a goal in itself. But perhaps you want to take it a step further? Maybe you want to set yourself a target time? Maybe you want to set target times for each individual leg?

If you have little experience of competing in triathlons (and more specifically middle or long distance triathlons), setting time targets can be difficult. But it is by no means impossible. After some training you should be able to figure out roughly how quick you want to go. But be realistic. There is nothing worse than watching your time slip-by on race day.

Once you know what the goal is, write it down and stick it somewhere visible. This is a simple process, but can act as a powerful reminder about what you are trying to achieve. What’s more, write down why you want to do this. Again, these are the things to hold onto when your motivation begins to wane.

Set Monthly Goals
One of the UK’s top long distance triathletes, Scott Neyedli, sums this up perfectly: “It’s important to have some sort of target race or main goal at the end of each month. It doesn’t have to be a race. It could be a time-trial in the pool or on the bike, doing a half-marathon in a certain time, it can even be weight-orientated towards the race.”

If you are only aiming at one thing in, say six months time, the midpoint of your training period can be quite a challenging period. If, however, you set yourself monthly goals and aim to complete a middle-distance triathlon (or similar goal) a few months out from your race, then you have real, measurable targets.

Training goals can also be used as an incremental process to the long distance triathlon. Setting a goal of doing a 100 mile ride three months from the start of your plan is something you can aim for. Running two-hours non-stop after two months is something else. Set a goal of swimming 2.5km by the end of month one. These are just examples of the kind of things you can use throughout the training process to help keep your overall motivation intact. There is nothing like seeing some progression in your training to keep you going.

Paul Moore and Richard Hoad are authors of The Ultimate Triathlon: A Complete Training Guide for Long Distance Triathletes available on Amazon

The addition to the team is Australia’s Rebekah Keat. Keat, who also recently announced that she will be coached by Siri Lindley in 2012, was formerly a member of Brett Sutton’s TeamTBB.

Fraser Cartmell (SCO), Joe Gambles (AUS), Chris Lieto (USA), Matt Lieto (USA) and Paul Matthews (AUS) will return for their third year on the team. Lesley Paterson (SCO) will enter her second year as a Trek/K-Swiss athlete.

“The team going forward is a tremendous opportunity for two brands to work together and promote the sport,” said K-Swiss’ Bryan Ogle. “We continue to seek out the finest athletes that fit into that model.”

Another addition to the Trek/K-Swiss team in 2012 is the presence of Campagnolo. The Italian manufacturer of high-end bike parts will work with the team as part of its push to enter the triathlon market.

2012 Trek/K-Swiss Triathlon Team Roster
Fraser Cartmell (SCO)
Joe Gambles (AUS)
Rebekah Keat (AUS)
Chris Lieto (USA)
Matt Lieto (USA)
Paul Matthews (AUS)
Lesley Paterson (SCO)

The appointment as official Travel Partner means Sports Tours International will be able to offer guaranteed entries to a number of the TriStar events and give all levels of triathletes the chance to take part in a sporting format which is brand new to the world of triathlon.

Sports Tours International Chief Executive Chris Bird said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us; Star Events is continually introducing new events to their calendar and is becoming increasingly popular amongst the tri community.”

A number of the TriStar events consist of the new 111 Triathlon format -1km swim, 100km bike and 10km run – and a good way to introduce Triathlon beginners to the sport.

Chris added: “Over the last few years we have seen many cyclists, both amateur and ex professional, that have tried their hand at Triathlon. With the heavy emphasis on biking the 111 format is a perfect introduction for any cyclist wanting a new challenge.”

Star Events is keen to show that its sports events are accessible to everyone with the desire to participate.

For more information on Sports Tours International visit www.sportstoursinternational.co.uk

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Challenge Kraichgau (10 June 2012) is Europe’s largest half iron distance event and will host the 2012 Kraichgau ETU Challenge Half Distance Triathlon European Championships for Elite and Age Group athletes over the 1.9km/90km/21km distance. Challenge Roth (8 July 2012) is renowned as the home of European triathlon and is the largest iron distance race in the world. Roth will host the 2012 Roth ETU Challenge Long Distance Triathlon European Championships for Elite and Age Group athletes over the 3.8km/180km/42.2km distance.

ETU’s Eugene Kraus and Denis Jaeger said the proven quality of Challenge Family events ensured the European Long Distance Championships would be delivered to a high standard. “Challenge Family races are renowned for their quality and we are delighted to enter into an agreement between ETU and Challenge,” they said.

Felix Walchshöfer, CEO of Challenge Family, is delighted to deliver the European Championships and said Challenge was looking forward to a long-term collaboration. He said, “We are extremely happy to be working closely with the ETU in delivering the European Championships in 2012 and beyond. Europe is home to many of the world’s best long distance triathletes and linking the European Championships with Europe’s two leading long distance races, ensures they will receive the high profile they deserve.”

The president of the German Triathlon Federation (DTU), Martin Engelhardt, said he was delighted the concept of a partnership between ETU and Challenge had come to fruition. “Together with the General Secretary of the DTU, Matthias Zöll, we have talked about this topic at the European Presidential Meeting in January and now we have Germany hosting two European Championships at two of our iconic races,” he said. “This provides us with a great opportunity to show the international triathlon community how well Germany delivers world class events.”

The first-ever Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote will take place in and around internationally renowned sports resort Club La Santa, located on the north-west side of the island. The race will lead athletes on a 1.2-mile (1.9k) swim, 56-mile (90.1k) bike and 13.1-mile (21.1k) run in and around one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, boasting year-round sunshine and a diverse and extraordinary landscape.
Registration for the 2012 Ironman Lanzarote was full within two months of opening registration, showing a growing number of athletes want to race the picturesque landscape. Niels Feerup, General Manager of Club La Santa said, “We are very pleased with the continued success of Ironman Lanzarote and look forward to the addition of this new race. We will work hard to ensure athletes will have the best possible race experience while racing in this fantastic environment and are honored to organize a second Ironman race on the island.”

All athletes who register for the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote will be offered the opportunity of a guaranteed slot for the 2013 Ironman Lanzarote race with a discounted registration price. Athletes must register for the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote before June 1, 2012, to be eligible for the offer.

The Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote swim takes place in a safe, confined saltwater lagoon outside Club La Santa, where spectators will have the chance to cheer the athletes on at close range. The participants will then be challenged by a one-lap, hilly bike with the possibility of strong winds. Cyclists will pass through quaint villages with beautiful views and take on a 6.2-mile (10k) mountain climb halfway through the course on the northern coast. Athletes will finish with a two-lap run under the heat of the afternoon sun, staying close to the spectators at Club La Santa and La Santa village with live music and entertainment.

One of nearly 60 events in the global Ironman 70.3 Series, Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote will award 30 age group qualifying slots for the 2013 Ironman World Championship 70.3, taking place at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev. Professional athletes will compete for a prize purse of USD $25,000.

Registration for the 2012 Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote is now open online at www.ironmanlanzarote.com.

The event was shortlisted after a rigorous steering process involving more than 40 key figures from across the industry and 50 hours of intensive judging – fully overseen by Deloitte, the Official Independent Scrutineer of the Sport Industry Awards, to ensure absolute transparency and impartiality – the list of nominees represents the best the industry had to offer in 2011.

The Dextro Energy Triathlon London presented by Tata Steel was staged in Hyde Park on 6 and 7 August 2011, and has in just three years, firmly placed itself as one of the ‘must do’ races for novice triathletes in the UK with 4,550 competitors aged from 17 to 74 racing.

The event offered a unique opportunity to compete in the same event as the elites, whilst taking in some of London’s most iconic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Queen Victoria Memorial and Wellington Arch. With elite races taking place on the same day, mass participation athletes had the opportunity to experience world-class support and infrastructure, whilst being supported by huge crowds that lined the route.

British Triathlon and Upsolut Sports UK, developed the event together and managed to create an environment of strong public partners including UK Sport who funded the elite event. London & Partners secured support from the City of London and helped establish the event as a major player in the busy London event market. Royal Parks enabled the event to take place in the scenic Hyde Park and used it to showcase the various activities the Royal Parks stand for: swimming, cycling, running, – all of which are environmentally friendly.

British Triathlon and Upsolut Sports UK worked in partnership with the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic Games to ensure the event delivery model used in the 2009 and 2010 events was once again delivered to world-class standards in 2011, whist allowing the additional event infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympic Games to be tested.

Ian Braid, British Triathlon Director for Major and National events was delighted with the news commenting: “British Triathlon is delighted that the Hyde Park event has been nominated for the ‘Participation Event of the Year’ on behalf of everyone involved in making it happen. The continued world-class delivery of major events has played a significant role in raising the profile of triathlon, a sport that appeals to everyone seeking a sporting challenge. In this special year we hope the sporting public will come to Hyde Park in August to support our elite athletes in their quest for Olympic success.”

The shortlists will now go forward for consideration by the main Judging Panel, who will decide the winners in each category. The results will be announced at the star-studded Sport Industry Awards ceremony on Wednesday 2 May 2012.

The success for triathlon didn’t stop there with British Triathlon’s Elite Team Partner, GE has also been shortlisted for ‘Best Sponsorship of a Sports Team or Individual’ after their promotion of the GE Great Britain Triathlon Team. Outside of the Sports Industry Awards, GE has also been nominated for the Sport Sponsorship Award, in the Hollis Sponsorship Awards, in addition to GE Capital being nominated for best ‘Corporate Sponsorship Award’.

‘Would you like to do the Lisbon Triathlon, it’s sometime in May’.

I assumed that it would be a sprint or Olympic distance and also that it would be at the end of May. It became apparent that I’d actually committed to a 70.3 in 13 weeks time, which given my history in the sport was going to be a bit ‘grippy’ to say the least.

Last July I did the Geneva sprint triathlon on three weeks training which included three swims. During the swim I had to hang onto a kayak three times to stretch my cramped up right calf – more on this in a later instalment. Bike and run were OK.

Prior to this my triathlon career ended in 1989 with a shoulder injury having failed to get into the Northern Ireland team for the demonstration event at the 1990 Commonwealth games. I say ‘failed’ to get in the team, what this clearly demonstrated was an overall lack of any discernable talent for triathlon.

However, that was then and this is now and on the 5^th May 2012 I will be completing a 70.3 after just 12 weeks training. I know this because I have some knowledge of training methods, nutrition strategies, mental skills, I’m fit and healthy and also because I’ve already decided that I’ll finish.

Over the coming weeks I hope you enjoy the journey and pick up some useful tips. To give you a lowdown on my starting point, I want to be 4kg lighter for the event and my first swim session consisted of 10 x 50m. That was it – a total of 500m, in little chunks. I’m an active road cyclist and mountain biker, I run off-road quite slowly a few times a week and am actually looking forward to the challenge. Apart from doing a 100km Ultra marathon (after 5 weeks training), I’ve never ran marathon or half marathon distance.

This weeks wine: 2007 Marques de Valido Rioja – wonderful bargain, very smooth and fruity.

My coaching philosophy is that of applying the minimum effective dose – meaning that if you get the desired training response from 2 hours, don’t do 3. If you can breathe to one side and have 12 weeks to progress from 10 x 50m to 1900m, don’t waste training time on developing an ability to breathe bilaterally.

I envisage a weekly total of less than 8 hours training, with just three sessions per discipline. No heart rate monitors, no power meters, just feel, instinct and wine. Neck on the block, I’m aiming for a sub 5’30” finish.

Next week: what training I’m going to do, and why.

Bio: Dave Smith, aged 45, is a sports consultant for Zipvit Sport advising their sponsored teams and athletes on nutrition. He’s a former Olympic cycling coach, published author and coaches recreational and professional athletes from cyclists to polo players via his ffflow.com consulting business.

P2
For 2012, the P2 and P3 remain unchanged in terms of the actual frameset. The P2 is a complete triathlon machine, with aerodynamic carbon fiber frame, fork and seat post. The price increased for 2012 to $2800 (from $2400 in 2011). The main upgrade that led to the price increase is in the cockpit. The 2012 model comes with a one-piece integrated carbon aerobar, the 3T Aura Pro handlebar with alloy extensions. In terms of fit, the Aura Pro will likely benefit many triathletes with a higher pad stack height than the Vision TT clip-on bar that was previously included on the 2011 P2. Carbon TRP brake levers complete a very nice package up front on the 2012 model.

P3
The P3 is still a refinement in many ways of the P2, with lighter weight and a stiffer ride. For 2012, the P3 actually had its price decreased in each of the two versions available this model year. The Ultegra bike is now a very compelling $3350, with the Dura-Ace model now coming in at an even $4000. The P3 Ultegra is now delivered with the same Aura Pro handlebar with alloy extensions that is seen on the P2. The P3 Dura-Ace comes with the Aura Pro with an upgraded carbon fiber extension. The wheelset that comes stock on the P3 Dura Ace, the Shimano RS30, is a step up from the R501 that the P3 Ultegra gets; however, most competitive triathletes will likely roll on race day with a race-specific wheelset of their choosing.

P5
The most anticipated triathlon model of the year from Cervélo, if not the whole industry, is the P5. The P5 represents a departure from many constants over the years from the brand. Gone is the trademark rear wheel cutout that was so iconic on the P3 and the P4. A massive gusset at the junction of the seat tube and top tube now defines the silhouette of the marquis Cervélo. The P5 is also available in two versions: triathlon-specific and UCI-legal, dubbed the P5 Six and P5 Three, respectively. The triathlon-specific bike gets a massive, non-UCI-compliant front fork. This fork includes a shroud that shields the front brake from the wind, although reported time savings over the UCI-compliant bike are not earth-shattering. At $6500 for the P5 Six frameset and $10,000 complete with Shimano Di2, the triathlon-specific P5 is competitive with other super-bikes. Triathletes who might find themselves toeing the line at a Master’s TT event might want to consider the less-expensive UCI version of the P5 ($4500 frameset, $6000 Dura-Ace), since they’ll be unable to race the triathlon-specific version of the P5.

The Future
The most radical change that comes with the arrival of the P5 is its geometry. It is tall in the front end, a departure from the Cervélo triathlon lineup from years past. This is fueling speculation that the P2 and P3 might be due for a revamp. As it stands, the bikes don’t really make sense. Starting with the P2, front-end height is probably average for a tri bike. Moving toward the P3, the front end drops, and could arguably be called aggressive. Then looking toward the new P5, the front end is the tallest of all, downright conservative. Surely Cervélo will be looking to make its tri bikes aimed at those athletes buying their first triathlon bike, the P2 and P3, more rideable than the P5, aimed squarely at a more advanced athlete. In the immortal words of The Big Lebowski, slightly altered: “This aggress[ive bike geometry] will not stand, man!”

Cervélo has firmly planted itself at the top of the Kona bike count recently, and 2012 should be no different. The old standbys, though potentially due for a reworking, are still class leaders in their own right. With the introduction of the P5, Cervélo has once again put the triathlon world on notice that it doesn’t intend to give up ground to anyone.

Written By Joanna Zeiger
Despite the well-known benefits of strength training,you’ll rarely find triathletes who make time for a 30-minute strength session in the gym. According to Chuck Wolf, an exercise physiologist specialising in biomechanics, Masters athletes in particular need strength training to counteract the effects of ageing and the accumulation of repetitive forward motion.

Strength training can help develop stronger muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments and bones, which in turn can prevent common injuries such as shin splints or hip problems. Stronger muscles also increase power, improve exercise economy (the ability to swim, bike or run faster over a given distance due to reduced oxygen consumption) and boost your metabolic rate.

The studies examining strength training for endurance performance have generally focused on two types of workouts: explosive training (i.e. plyometrics) and resistance training (i.e. lifting weights).

Studies examining explosive training showed an improvement in the 3K and 5K time of well- trained endurance athletes, and concluded that this was due to increased running economy. A 2005 study showed similar results with cycling: explosive training increased sprint and endurance power in well-trained cyclists due to enhanced exercise efficiency and increased VO,max.

Resistance training has also shown benefits, mostly linked to improved running and cycling economy. Another measurable gain is increased time to exhaustion, both for cycling and running.

Want to get the most out of your training? Integrate a strength programme that consists of a combination of explosive and resistance workouts. During the off-season, do three to four strength workouts per week and during the season focus on a maintenance programme two days per week.