In typical Sydney form, the beautiful harbour city provided a stunning, sunny backdrop for a weekend’s worth of exciting triathlon action during the event from April 13-15. A veritable who’s-who of elite, local and international triathletes came out to show the world just how well they could swim, cycle and run on the Saturday of the event.

And indeed, the world was watching! With this being an Olympic year, the cream of triathlete crop was keen to shine brightest, and show selectors they had what it took to represent their respective countries in the London Games. After all, this was the most valuable event for earning Olympic qualifying points.

But with three months to go until the Olympics, the international triathlon community can still look forward to a delectable array of events to spectate and participate in throughout the lead-up. The ITU World Triathlon Series is among the most well-reputed and heavily attended on the planet.

A set of seven, world-class triathlon events, held in seven of the world’s most iconic locations, the ITU World Triathlon Series attracts top-tier triathletes who recurrently compete with each other throughout the series. Closely following Sydney was San Diego in May, then Madrid, Kitzbuhel, Hamburg, Stockholm and Yokohama.

First, second, third: Erin Densham, Helen Jenkins and Andrea Hewitt just as they approach the finish line.

It all culminates in a breathtaking grand final – held this year in Auckland from October 14-22. This pinnacle event sees the crowning of the 2012 ITU male and female World Champions.

Now in its fourth year, the series has grown considerably – with increased athlete prize money (a total prize pool of $2 million), and wider media coverage all amounting to heightened excitement and greater awareness for the sport itself.

The Dextro Energy Triathlon Sydney is a fitting start to the series, with memories of the 2000 Sydney Olympics evoked each year the ITU event is held here.

“Sydney is such an iconic place to hold a triathlon,” said Aussie triathlon star and Olympic hopeful Emma Jackson. “This is where triathlon was raced for the first time in an Olympic Games. There are a limited number of major triathlon races around the world, so it is great that Australia can continue to have a major championship race in this location.”

Indeed, many athletes at Saturday’s event harboured Olympic dreams. Among them was winner of the women’s elite: Australia’s own Erin Densham. This 26-year-old NSW native outran two of the sport’s leading ladies: ITU World Champion Helen Jenkins (GRB), and ITU Grand Final winner Andrea Hewitt (NZL), in a crowd-pleasing victory. Both Jenkins and Densham went on to win first and second place respectively in San Diego.

Having already competed in the Beijing Olympics, and following a harrowing four years riddled with injury and illness, Densham attained a podium finish. She now has London firmly in her sites, with an undefeated elite ITU season (she also won in Mooloolaba), putting her fourth in line for Olympic contention.

Erin Densham after her win.

Fittingly for naming rights sponsor Dextro Energy (a German brand distributed in Australia and New Zealand by an Australian-owned company) the winner of the elite men’s race was German.

Stefan Justus was visibly elated as he sped past Richard Murray (RSA) and Laurent Vidal (FRA). The Aussie males didn’t fare as well, with home-grown triathlon superstar Chris (Macca) McCormack, finishing first of his countrymen in 34^th place.

Unfortunately, fellow top Aussies Brendan Sexton and Brad Kahlefeldt pulled out of the contention early, with Sexton exiting on the second lap of the bike, and Kahlefeldt on the second lap of the run. Kahlefeldt has already been pre-selected for the Olympics, however.

And what a course it was! The 1,500km swim saw 70 elite men and 68 elite women plunge into Farm Cove waters, just beneath the Sydney Opera House, powering to complete the two laps.

From here they slid onto the bikes, racing along an eight-lap, 40km course, peppered with some of the city’s best vistas. The pack cycled past Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Royal Botanic Garden, all the way up to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and back down to Hyde Park, where they transitioned into the run. Beneath the majestic spire of St Mary’s Cathedral, the athletes commenced the 10km run course, consisting of four laps.

Dextro Energy branding appeared all along the swim, bike and run courses – emblazoned across kilometres of strip banners, huge inflatable arches, hundreds of teardrop banners and even a colossal inflatable Dextro Energy Liquid Gel!

Complementing this, the brand also had a prominent presence in the Sports Lifestyle Exhibition – running over the three days in tandem with the event. Advantageously located opposite the registration tent and right next to the bike-run transition area in Cathedral Square, the Dextro Energy booth was well populated with customers throughout the weekend.

Attendees converged at the booth, not only to learn about and purchase the full gamut of Dextro Energy Sports Nutrition, but also to partake in several activities the brand had organised.

People seeking professional nutrition advice could make an appointment with 220 Triathlon Magazine sports nutritionist Rebecca Hay. In a dedicated area within the Dextro Energy booth, Hay chatted one-on-one with athletes of varying abilities – discussing and advising on their sports nutrition needs.

If you fancied yourself as a bit of a cycling champion, you could put your pins to the ultimate test on Dextro Energy’s Wattbikes. Pedalling as fast as they possibly could for 400 metres, the fastest contestant of the weekend won a trip to the ITU Grand Final in Auckland. With flights, accommodation and a start in the big race up for grabs, it wasn’t surprising that the bikes themselves got a good workout over the three-day event.

Dextro Energy products were not only available from this booth; they were also on-course. Athletes slammed down the Carbo Mineral Drink in the transitions, and replenished their bodies with the After Sports Drink and Carbohydrate Bars in the recovery.

On-course nutrition was provided to both the elite athletes, and the age groupers – the latter of which competed on the Sunday.

Age group winners celebrate on the podium.

The Olympic distance age group course also took-in those iconic Sydney landmarks, with the added bonus of a cycle route over the Sydney Harbour Bridge! For many age-groupers, the chance to ride across the famous “coat hanger” was the main selling point for the race.

The Dirt N Dust Triathlon held in outback Queensland is one of my favourite races and one that I usually use to kick-off my season (this was my fourth year racing at the event).

It is a really unique event with great press coverage as well as past winners such as Brad Beven (arguably Australia’s greatest male triathlete), Loretta Harrop (Olympic silver medallist), Aaron Farlow (2011 Ironman UK winner) and this year, Olympic hopeful and my training partner Emma Jackson.

Soaring to new heights with Emma Jackson.

The race is held in the small town of Julia Creek which is located between Mt Isa and Townsville, and it really is the middle of nowhere. After winning the event in 2011 I was invited back as defending champion and really wanted to keep the title for 2012.

This year I was lucky enough to have Emma Jackson, coach Stephen Moss, his wife Leesa and their son Charlie come out to the event with me.

Race day showed conditions typical of the event, with scorching heat and a nice little headwind on the cycle leg to make the race just that much tougher.

Sam on the bike.

The 800 metre swim is held in a muddy creek with surprisingly cold water then it’s onto the bike for the 25km back into town. Once you’re off the bike its just three laps on the run, totalling 5kms, which coupled with the outback heat and winds, made for a much tougher race than it seems!

I attacked the race hard from the start, putting-in a fast swim and strong bike (averaging just over 42kph) on my new S-WORKS SHIV which was crazy fast out there, even with having to ride into the head wind.

On the run, I ran within myself, knowing that I had built up a big lead on the swim/bike.

Running his way to victory.

I really enjoyed the support from the crowd down the finish shoot as I walked the last hundred meters or so to take my second Dirt N Dust Triathlete win in as many years.

Number one again.

For more from Sam, visit his blog: sambetten.blogspot.com.au.

We arrived in Hervey Bay on Wednesday to perfect sunshine and 30+ degrees. Despite the temptation to relax and soak up the sun, I found myself torn between being in race mode and holiday mode, and it was tough trying to get everything in.

On a few course recon rides though, I had pretty much decided that the Hervey Bay Triathlon course was going to be seriously HOT and even faster! Plus, this race had a pretty hot field with Pete Jacobs (second place in 2011 Ironman World Champs) and Tim Reed (Australian Long Course Champion) headlining.

But that didn’t mean I’d abandoned the opportunity for some RnR. When in holiday mode, Hervey Bay is one of the most beautiful places I have been. We went stand up paddle boarding, walked along the Urangan Pier (and saw a guy catch a two metre shark!), tried my hand on a “stationary wave” and spent much time on the beach. The biggest downside to this was when I jumped on a submerged rock and sliced my foot open!

As you may have guessed, my ambition for this race was modest. I was using it as a bit of fun before getting stuck into the winter training and races, plus I could hardly even walk on my foot, let alone run. Despite all this, it’s always nice to do well.

So there I was on race day, about to embark on another Olympic distance course (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run). And then we were off.

I began to feel a little flat over the swim (which was definitely more than 1.5km). I lost around one minute on
the pack in front, and about two minutes to eventual winner Joey Lampe and Pete Jacobs.

I hopped on the bike – confident of a strong ride - and that’s exactly what I had! I reeled in a few guys and only lost a little time on the front few who were riding together. I got off the bike in sixth place and began the run.

A little tentative at first, my run was slightly hampered as the strapping I’d used to hold my foot together became
unstuck.

Over the next 10km, I wouldn’t say I ran super-fast; it was more just holding things together until the finish line. In the end, my foot was in agony and I was glad just to make it through the race in ninth place.

I was relatively happy with this little hit-out and am now looking forward to getting stuck into the big miles I have coming up. Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Ben Hammond
For more Ben:

Twitter: @BennyHTri

Blog: bennyhtri.blogspot.com

The Dextro Energy Triathlon, held in the heart of Sydney, is by far the most iconic and spectacular race I have ever competed in. The city is literally shut down, making way for thousands of athletes to compete. For this race, we got to swim in the waters surrounding the Opera House, ride over the Harbour Bridge and run through the heart of the CBD, right up to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair at the opposite end of the Sydney Harbour.

The race was held over the Olympic distance and attracted approximately 2,500 competitors. I was racing in the open males, with hopes of a podium finish.

It was an early start and a wetsuit swim; I managed to get out in about 10th place and around one minute down (definitely a step in the right direction) from the first guys.

The Men's Age Group race

Onto the very hilly and scenic ride, I felt pretty comfortable. I listened to my coach Matt Koorey’s orders and “rode within myself” (rode conservatively). Despite saving energy where I could, I managed to pass a number of guys to enter T2 in fourth place, along with two other athletes.

Michael Murphy had around a two minute lead on me, while second and third place were about one minute up the road. Onto the run and I knew it was going to be hard to pull back Murph and Foxy (Michael Fox), but was confident that I could catch young Matty Williams who had torn past us on the bike.

I ran fairly consistently and felt I achieved a solid performance, considering my current form.

It did however come as a surprise to see the two guys whom came off the bike at the same time I did, outrun me in the end.

Still, I remain proud of my result: finishing up in fifth place.

Just two weeks ago, I began training under Matt Koorey, a Team TBB coach whom I met while working for Cannondale Bicycles a couple of years ago. I’m very excited about the future with Matty by my side and am looking forward to some big performances over the coming months and years.

Next up, I’m competing in Hervey Bay on April 22 against some very tough competition. I’m looking for another solid result to finish up the Australian season before getting ready to attack the winter.

- Ben Hammond

Follow Ben on Twitter: @BennyHTri
Read more of his blogs here: bennyhtri.blogspot.com

Over the last few years there have been many whispers and much dreaming of the day the Ironman Triathlon would come to the city of Melbourne. Many prayers were answered when it was announced in mid-2011 that Melbourne would play host to the Ironman Asia Pacific Championships. When entries to the race sold out in less than five minutes – making it the fastest selling race in Ironman history – punters knew that this event would be world class.

I was one of the “lucky ones” who managed to get and entry. And so began the journey to my Ironman debut. I have often been told that the atmosphere surrounding Ironman events was nothing short of amazing, but the inaugural Ironman Asia-Pacific Championships exceeded all my expectations.

The week leading into the race was one of the longest I have ever experienced, as training had been reduced to nearly nothing, there was a lot of spare time to ponder what was to come. It was great to have my brother-in-law, Gene, who has plenty of experience at competing in big events and a vast knowledge of how to prepare for them, also racing with me.

To pass the time in the lead-up, I busied myself with final preparations, ensuing all of my equipment was in order and finalising my nutrition plan for both before and during the race. The only thing that worried me was whether the new-look Dextro Energy tri suit would be ready in time, and if I would get a chance to try it out before race day.

Friday arrived and it was time to register. It was real now! I was actually going to attempt to complete this crazy event. I couldn’t help but be blown away by the expo that had been set up in St Kilda. It was a good thing I didn’t have a credit card with me as I may have left in significant debt! It was great to see fellow athlete and Dextro Energy ambassador Cam Perkins flying the Dextro Energy flag at the Footpro stand. From what he reported there was plenty of interest in the product.

Once the waiver board had been signed and race pack collected, it was time to find more food to continue our carbohydrate loading. The afternoon seemed to fly and before I knew it, it was time to head back down to St Kilda for the “Carbo Dinner” and the official welcome show, to be held at the Palais Theatre. The atmosphere in the Republica restaurant was electric with athletes, surrounded by family and friends, trying to distract themselves from what lay ahead. This atmosphere intensified as everyone piled into the Palais for what proved to be a spectacular welcome show.

With the show over, the only remaining job for the day was to pick up the race suit, which Cam had left waiting for my collection. I was a bit worried when I got home and couldn’t fit into it. It seems I’d eaten too much at the carbo dinner! I soon stopped trying and went to bed.

On waking very early Saturday morning I opened the curtains to find that the wind was still blowing strongly, and it became clear that my worst fears may be realised – a gale-swept race day. I closed the curtains and began packing all my race gear into its specific bag, ready to be placed into the transition area later in the day. I packed all of this into the car, and we were ready to hit the road.

Upon arrival, we quickly checked-in – mounting our bikes and placing our gear bags on transition, before heading back to the Frankston apartment we had rented for the evening. There was too much nervous energy floating around the transition area, and up until now this had eluded the two of us.

4.15am. It doesn’t matter what you have on that day – this is not a pleasant time to be awake, especially when you have spent most of the night awake with nerves. We shovelled down a bowl of half cooked porridge and a very good coffee (courtesy of Gene bringing his percolator). After a final food and drink check, it was off to the start line.

The scene on arrival at the transition/start area will stay with me forever! It was a still, cool autumn morning – pitch black, with flood lights shining over the transition area. Athletes were going through pre-race checks, some excited, some nervous and some (myself included) didn’t know what to feel, although there was some relief that the suit fitted!

It was still dark walking onto the beach, and everyone had suddenly become very serious, yet there was a collective calm. As soon as my feet entered the water, any nerves disappeared! A final hand shake with Gene and it was show time. I treaded water to the muffled tones of the national anthem and time seemed to stand still.

The swim was great! I got myself into the front group, found a comfortable rhythm and cruised. I had no idea of anything happening around me, but there was something comforting about this. The plan was to conserve energy through the swim leg. I normally like to swim on the front in “clean” water but decided to just sit on the feet of the leaders and let them set the pace. It was a long day ahead!

Into transition I was feeling good. I calmly got out of the wetsuit and loaded my pockets with food. I got a small fright when I cramped putting on my shoes, but it disappeared quickly. The Eastlink road surface provided an amazing ride, with not a bump in sight. I found myself in the lead pack of age groupers that were setting a great tempo and I soon got comfortable.

Now was the time to start putting my nutrition strategy into action! My plan was to consume a minimum of 80 grams of carbohydrates per hour. This equated to one Dextro Energy Isotonic Sports Drink, one Dextro Energy Carbohydrate Bar and one Dextro Energy Liquid Gel each hour.

We also included a cheese and Vegemite burrito and leftover Christmas cake. These were intended as options if we found ourselves not being able to stomach sweet food.

The nutrition plan was working to perfection throughout the bike, and there was no point where I found myself with the dreaded “hunger flat”. I used the un-caffeinated Dextro Energy Orange Liquid Gels throughout the ride, as the plan was to save the caffeine (in the Lemon flavoured Gel) until the run leg. I also supplemented the Isotonic Sports Drink with plain water to help keep fluids up.

Coming off the bike and onto the run, I was feeling great, and energised by the knowledge that I was leading my age group. I settled into a comfortable pace, but one that I doubted I could hold for the entire marathon. I had armed myself with eight Dextro Energy Liquid Gels (four orange, four lemon and caffeine) with the plan of having one at every second aid station.

I was passed at about 5kms in by Alex Houghton (eventual age group winner) who was setting a blistering pace. I let him go, knowing if I tried to stick with him I would blow-up before the half way mark. Alex was also making his Ironman debut and I hoped he was going to hard and would come back to me later in the race.

At 22kms the race really began! The flat Nepean Highway faded into a lumpy bike track beside Beach Road, with every change in gradient being another blow to my already tired legs. Rounding the corner to Black Rock, I saw that Alex was struggling like me and I had made up ground. This lifted my spirits but I was unable to lift my pace. I was also buoyed by the support from friends at the “Live Site” at Black Rock. Coming through the Brighton “Live Site”, Stef Hanson gave me a big announcement that I was only just behind. I couldn’t go any faster, but I was still feeling relatively good and was yet to “hit the wall”.

Coming into St Kilda, Alex had gained a good gap which I could not close. Despite this, the final 2kms will go down as the most enjoyable I have ever run. The noise coming from the finishing chute seemed to inject some much needed energy into my legs. It was also amazing to have family and friends scattered along the finishing chute to offer high-fives as I ran past.

The time displayed as I ran under the clock was 9 hours, 33 minutes. I could not have been happier! I hadn’t qualified for the Ironman World Championships as I had hoped, but I was elated with how well the race had gone. Plus, I had learnt so much!

Now it’s back to the drawing board to apply my knowledge as I set new goals for next season.

I would like to thank the team at Dextro Energy for its support; I could not have accomplished this dream without you! Special mention goes to Cam for putting up with my often crazy ideas, and somehow getting the suit ready. It will be great to have a race with him at the Dextro Energy Triathlon Sydney in a couple of weeks.

- Gerard Wild

Despite being a very difficult word to say, “specificity” is such a vital element of training and programming. A simplified way to define specificity in training is to be as specific to the particular race and race distance in training as possible.

More technically, it means being specific to the athlete’s strengths, weaknesses and experience with regards to programming and training. This latter point is often misunderstood.

During this time of year, with many of us preparing for events, there is so much talk in the triathlon community surrounding how long one’s rides and runs are, how many hours per week one trains, which swim sets one performs and commonly, how many kilometres one does each week.

People are often looking for the “magic number” or “correct” way to train for an event. But there is no “right way” for everyone. Every athlete is different, has different weaknesses and has varied experience and time in the sport. Therefore, what they focus on should be different to other athletes.

With Ironman for example, the race contains long distances. Therefore the major limiting factor for most athletes, especially those new to the sport, is endurance. It is a bloody long way.

Performance endurance is both central (lungs and heart) and peripheral (muscles, tendons and ligaments). If you haven’t done tens or hundreds of long rides and runs through previous years, you really need to develop this endurance, and focus most of your weekly energy there.

It doesn’t mean going out and doing crazy kilometres in one day off the bat, or having a big jump from one week to the next. But it does mean that one’s “key sessions” – those you need to ensure you do well and are fresh for – are long, sustained and evenly-paced. This needs to be built over a period of time through consistent training.

One size doesn’t fit all

It is very common that first time athletes are either given programs by a coach or a friend that a “pro” or elite person follows, believing this will give them the recipe for success.

However, almost always, they are following a program that is well above their level and will result in them working at higher intensities. You really should be focused on building your endurance and length of single sessions, which is essential for any athlete to finish an Ironman well.

Another common mistake is to follow a generic plan, which may only contain half the specific training needed for a specific athlete.

Try to focus on what YOU really need to be doing as an individual, not what the ten other people around you are doing. This does not mean training alone, but it does mean being specific to your needs.

You should also try to avoid constantly counting weekly kilometres. Who cares how many kilometres you put in your log book every week? It’s those athletes who are as specific as possible and who absorb the most knowledge that will come out on top.

This could mean doing less kilometres, and remaining rested for the key sessions, rather than filling every single minute of spare time with workouts.

Mental training

When preparing for a big event, it also helps to change your mentality: just because you are doing ironman does not mean you need to devote your every waking moment to preparing for it. Train smarter, not harder!

When completing a training plan, I always ensure the programs are built
around other parts of the athlete’s life. Sure, when trying to achieve
something extraordinary, certain sacrifices must be made. But it’s not worth jeopardising
other key aspects of your life and time.

Keeping things in perspective will ensure a far more enjoyable experience in the lead up and more support in the process. Try to not put the “Ironman blinkers” on – where all that matters is that next training session.

Where the focus should lie

As a general rule, the ironman first-timer should really have their weeks built around increasing the distance of their long ride and long run. It is also vital to be good at running off the bike – after all, we are training for a triathlon, not a swimming, riding or running race! This should be done conservatively over a period of time. This will mean reducing the intensity, which introduces other forms of fatigue, and really keeping at an expected ironman race-day pace.

This is typically a lot lower, especially in the run, than most people train at. It may also mean having a really light day before and after these sessions, so that you can get the most out of it. Above all remember, the three disciplines are very long, so you need to be prepared to be riding and running for a long period of time come race day.

ALEX PRICE is an elite level triathlete, a sports physiotherapist and an ambassador for Dextro Energy. You can read more of his blogs at ap10.com.au.

I have been fortunate enough to work with Sydney Sports Nutritionist Rebecca Hay. She is very experienced in working with high-level athletes and has also done several Ironman triathlons herself.

We’ve also been working together as part of Team 220 Triathlon – a project of the eponymous magazine which involves its journalists tracking the progress of myself and a pair of other athletes for six months in the lead-up to Port Macquarie Ironman. Rebecca is the nutritionist for the team and Dextro Energy is the official nutrition sponsor.

During the race in Busso, with the hot weather and winds, it was very obvious I became dehydrated early in the bike. This then lead to a reduction in sweat rates, which obviously then lead to an increase of core body temperature. When this happens, the show is pretty much over, as it is very difficult to absorb any calories and even more difficult to replace lost fluids.

I know that I have been susceptible to this in the past, and after I had the melt down in Busso, it prompted Rebecca and I to do some more investigation.

Gathering background information

First step was to produce a very detailed fluid balance chart. This involves recording:

- Pre training weight

- Fluid add food consumed while training

- Post training weight

We also recorded temperature and humidity.

I found this to be an invaluable exercise, as it taught me a huge amount about my sweat rates and what is required during different conditions. I now have a template of my sweat rates in different conditions, which I can refer to just prior to a race, to acurately determine how much fluid I need to maintain.

As a general rule, ou want to maintain no more than a 1-2 per cent loss, as higher than this will cause a reduction in muscle contractibility/power. Moreover, it can cause cramps, rising of body temperature and many other race-ending symptoms!

Many people think their slowing down during a race is due to a lack of fitness, when often, it is caused by a lack of nutrition or fluid.

What’s in my sweat?

The next step was a sweat analysis test. This involved doing an hour of hard training on an indoor trainer, in a lab situation. I had several patches attached to my arms throughout the workout, which absorbed the sweat. These patches were then put into test tubes and sent to the AIS, which has high- tech analysis machines that analyse the amount of sweat per hour and the electrolyte content of the sweat.

This was very interesting and produced several usable results:

- I have a sweat rate which is on the upper edge of the normal range: 1l/hour of sweat

- Very importantly, I have a higher than normal sodium content in my sweat: 1.5g/hour. This value is quite high and means that I need to pay close attention to this prior to and during races, trying to replace as much as possible to avoid cramping, reduced GI function and dehydration. This means supplementing my intake during a race with extra sodium. It will also mean supplementing during the run with salt tablets in long races.

With Rebecca’s help, I have been able to use the unfortunate race in Busselton to really learn from the experience. I now have a much better understanding of my sweat rates and sodium loss in different conditions. This is a vital element of racing well over long distances, especially in hot conditions.

How YOU can use this information:

Key for people doing any length of triathlon, especially when competing for longer periods of time, is focus on fluid intake. A great way to keep track and gather good and accurate information with regards to your sweat rates is to:

- Weigh yourself prior to a training session – ideally not wearing many/any clothes and ideally after going to the toilet.

- Weigh yourself straight after training – in the same attire as before

- Take into account how much you ate and drank and any toilet stops

Now work out your sweat rates per hour:

The difference in weight pre/post training + amount drunk/food ate) ÷ hours of exercise = Sweat rate per hour.

This will then give you two very valuable pieces of information:

- How much you sweat per hour (approx.)

- How efficient you were in that session at replacing your fluid

You can then use this information to work out how many bottles of fluid you require per hour in a training session and in a race. (Most bottles are 700ml.)

Why should YOU pay attention to this?

- A loss of over 2 per cent fluid will cause a big deterioration in performance. That’s about 1.5kg for a 75kg athlete or 1kg for a 55kg athlete.

- Many people think they are just getting tired towards the end of a longer or hot session and often notice an increase of heart rate. This can very often be attributed to inadequate fuelling, rather than actual fitness. It is VITAL on race day as well as in training sessions to get adequate hydration and nutrition.

- Come race day, you will be much more aware of what it takes to maintain you fluid levels in different climates and perhaps it may be the missing link to really achieving those PB’s!

Warming up is an essential part of triathlon, whether it is prior to a race or just a typical training session. This not only helps to reduce injury risk, it will also greatly help your performance in both training and racing. A good warm up involves easing into the sport – swim, bike or run – by slowly starting each discipline and gradually increasing the intensity.

This assists in three major ways:
• Increases blood flow to the muscles and tissues
• Improves joint range of movement
• Prepares the central system (heart and lungs) for exercise

Many of us do this in training, often without realising. It is rare however, to see athletes do a proper warm up prior to a race. That’s despite the fact that it’s actually more vital to warm up prior to a race, as the intensity is usually much higher.

You may have heard of static vs dynamic stretching, few would have a good understanding of the difference.

Static stretching is the typical way to stretch, when we may lean against a wall to stretch our calves or stretch to touch our toes and then hold the stretch for a period of time.

Dynamic stretching is when we are taking our joints through their full range of movement, with a short or no hold at the end of range. A good example of this is when you see swimmers doing big circles with their arms, runners doing bum kicks or lunging to open their hips up.

There’s been a bit of coverage lately on how bad stretching is for you, with the media claiming it actually causes injuries. As they say, don’t believe everything you read! The articles out there have typically cited two research papers. One where they have looked at power lifters and the effects of stretching on their lifting, and the other looking at whether a single static stretch, on a single muscle group, helped military recruits reduce injuries.

Both have nothing to do with triathletes and we should pay very little or no attention to these. However, it is known that prolonged static stretching immediately before exercise will slightly reduce power output.

So what’s the solution?

Warm up: Ease into your training, going through the full range of movement to open up joint range and increase blood flow. This should typically last 10-20 minutes and progress slowly in intensity. Follow this up with some dynamic stretching exercises or drills (not long static stretches, as they will hinder) which will further assist with improving your range and will typically help, especially in swimming and running, with performance.

Make sure you do this in a race! So many people limit their potential by not warming up before a race. With the athletes I work with, I recommend a short, 15-20 minute easy jog, then a good warm up in the water, which ends with some short race pace efforts. This ensures your body is 100 per cent ready to when the gun goes.

Static stretch: This is the perfect way to really work on your flexibility. During training and racing, we tend to tighten up slightly, the degree of which increases with the intensity of the exercise. Therefore, so we don’t start the next session tight and with reduced flexibility (reducing performance and increasing risk of injury) it is vital that we work on areas that need attention.

Paying attention to this will pay dividends, not only for avoiding injury, but you will be surprised how much better you recover and therefore absorb from your next session.

Hold a stretch for 30 seconds to a minute if you are trying to get a change in length, or 20-30 seconds if you are just doing it for precaution following training. Repeat 2-3 times each side.

Not everyone needs to stretch the same areas. Everyone is put together slightly differently. Thus, your stretching regime will vary from the next person in your squad and following instructions from a tri mag is better than nothing, but definitely not ideal.

Identifying the areas that are tight or stiff with you is vital to unlocking your performance potential. I see this so often with people working behind a desk, who have super tight hip flexors. This then greatly reduces their ability to achieve a good leg drive with running and switches their glutes off, which are vital for both riding and running.

Additionally, they will also be increasing their drag in the water, as their legs will be dropping down while swimming. In order to identify what you should be working on as an individual, talk to someone who understands triathlon, not just sport in general, as triathlon is a complex sport. This could be an expert coach or a health professional.

Read more of Alex’s blogs here: http://ap10.com.au/tag/alex-price

Compression and ice recovery have been hotly debated topics for many years. Dextro ambassador and elite althlete Sam Betten shares his insight into these techniques below.

My experiences at an elite level have taught me that the benefits of these techniques as recovery tools can help decrease recovery times and boost performance.

Having worked with the Australian Institute of Sport and the Queensland Academy of Sport, I know that both of these organisations actively promote the idea and get athletes to make use of these recovery methods before and after training and competition.

The idea behind compression wear is that it improves circulation, which in turn flushes lactic acid from the muscles and therefore shortens recovery time.

Running with compression gear.

Ice recovery is something that both increases blood circulation and is also a great tool for reducing your core temperature. If you do not have access to a full ice bath, then a medium sized plastic garbage bin filled with water and a few bags of ice will suffice. I have used this makeshift method in the past.

Experts recommend five minutes in an ice bath is usually sufficient, however you can vary this with one minute in, one minute out, repeated five times through if you prefer.

Taking an ice bath.

You sweat more than most
You need to replace those salts to prevent cramping so simply drinking water will not be enough – especially on a hot day. Make sure you put some Dextro Energy Isotonic or Hypotonic sports drink in your bottle to replace sodium – they contain 344mg per serve! Also, you can get extra magnesium by chewing on some Dextro Sports tabs as you go.

More calories are needed
If it is early on in an ironman or on a long, lower intensity ride try some Dextro Energy After Sports Drink. It contains a bit of protein which will make you feel more full and give you great energy; presuming you are working at low enough intensity to break down the protein and use it. When you are exerting yourself more, I would tend to favour an isotonic sports drink coupled with some Dextro Energy Carb Bars or Dextro Energy Liquid Gels to maximise calories without giving your stomach too much work to do.

It’s hot outside
A hypotonic solution like the Dextro Energy Carbo Mineral Drink has slightly less sugar and salt in the solution than your blood/cells, so water will be transferred into your system more quickly. This is ideal for really hot days where fluid loss exceeds energy consumption and hydration is a priority.

It’s cold outside
Perhaps you don’t need to drink as much fluid in cold weather, but you still want energy. Dextro Isotonic Sports Drink is perfect for this. Being isotonic, it gives you the maximum amount of sugar and salt without compromising the fluid absorption too much. It’s high energy per volume, so you can drink a little less liquid. Alternatively, Dextro Energy Liquid Gels are a great source of energy and don’t require you to drink loads of water like most sticky gels.

You’re losing energy late in the race
Try some sports tabs – they have simple sugars that you don’t need to break down, so you are able to get an instant hit of energy. They also contain magnesium. A Dextro Energy Liquid Gel also contains some simple sugars and the lemon flavour has caffeine, so these are also a good option.

You need a boost
Try Dextro Energy Lemon Liquid Gel with Caffeine. Containing 50mg of caffeine, it gives you a boost when you need it and helps with concentration.