{"id":4344,"date":"2016-05-31T07:00:37","date_gmt":"2016-05-31T06:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/?p=4344"},"modified":"2016-05-31T08:21:12","modified_gmt":"2016-05-31T07:21:12","slug":"top-tips-for-triathlon-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthylivinglondon.com\/fitness-in-london\/top-tips-for-triathlon-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Tips For Triathlon Training"},"content":{"rendered":"
The AJ Bell London Triathlon is back again this year in August, but where do you start if you\u2019ve never participated in a Triathlon before? Healthy Living London\u2019s Hannah Cox headed to an event in London that shared practical tips and insightful advice for triathlon training.<\/h5>\n

Preparation – Nutrition and Exercise
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Lindsay Holden<\/a> shares her seven commandments for maintaining a healthy body. These tips can be used everyday, but are invaluable whilst training for a triathlon.<\/p>\n

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Lindsay Holden leading a warm-up<\/p><\/div>\n

1.) Keep hydrated<\/strong> and drink at least 2 litres of water every day. If you’re dehydrated, your body can mistakenly think it’s hungry when in fact you just need water!<\/p>\n

2.) Go to bed before 10pm. A regular sleeping pattern<\/strong> is important to rest your body so that it can, \u201crepair, recover and come back stronger\u201d. (Lindsay Holden)<\/p>\n

3.) Move more to keep your circulation going. Man was not made to sit down all day, so try to incorporate movement<\/strong> as much as possible, even if you have a desk job. Attend exercise classes regularly such as Pilates or hit the gym.<\/p>\n

4.) Use single ingredient foods<\/strong> to make your meals \u2013 Shop in the fruit, veg, dairy, meat and fish aisles. Ignore packaged food that has lots of unhealthy added ingredients.<\/p>\n

5.) Switch off, calm down and have 20 minutes of you time<\/strong>. Stress has a huge negative impact on your health, so create a healthy internal environment. No distraction, so put your phone down! Meditate, breathe.<\/p>\n

6.) Avoid fizzy drinks, juice and alcohol<\/strong>. All of these contain high levels of sugar, which will prove useless to your training. \u201cAlcohol prevents your body from metabolizing any other fuel until you clear the ethanol from your system therefore completely switching off your body\u2019s ability to burn fat.\u201d (Lindsay Holden)<\/p>\n

7.) Kitchen Maintenance \u2013 Preparation<\/strong> is key. Stock your cupboards with healthy foods and snacks.<\/p>\n

Don’t mow your lawn when your house is on fire. Lindsay Holden<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Swim <\/span><\/h3>\n

It is essential that you take time to prepare for open water swimming. Ray Gibbs from Swim Canary Wharf<\/a>, shares his advice and training techniques in his five essential things to think about when triathlon training.<\/p>\n

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Ray Gibbs shares swimming techniques<\/p><\/div>\n

1.) Sighting<\/strong> \u2013 There are no lanes and no helpful lines to keep you heading in the correct direction when swimming in open water. Swim in open water as much as possible whilst training. You can also practice in a pool by closing your eyes and seeing how straight you can swim without sighting. Start building up your sighting training.  Lift your head up and look where you are going, before turning your head to breathe. Find your focus point. You should aim to sight about every six strokes, but maintain your breathing to the side. This keeps you streamline.<\/p>\n

2.) Mass swimming<\/strong> \u2013 Practice with a group of friends to see what it feels like to be immersed amongst a group of people. The benefits can save energy if you learn to draft and swim together, but you may get a few knocks on the head!<\/p>\n

3.) The race start<\/strong> \u2013 You will have to jump off the pontoon and wait in the water for the klaxon to sound. Learn to feel comfortable in open water, ideally in a wet suit. The best way to prepare is to get your body into a horizontal position and scull with your palms facing forward. This means that when the whistle blows, you are already in the correct position and no wasting energy trying to contort your body to get going.<\/p>\n

4.) Wetsuits<\/strong> \u2013 These are compulsory, so you might as well get used to them! Wear one and practice with it on as the movements will feel different and may be more restrictive. You\u2019ll also need to practice taking it off when wet, so you don\u2019t lose any precious time!<\/p>\n

5.) Cold temperatures<\/strong> \u2013 Your breathing may become more rapid when met with cold water, so take time to prepare and make sure you get a little water into your suit, to help keep you warm. Work on breath control.<\/p>\n

Learn to swim well, then learn to swim fast. Ray Gibbs<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bike<\/span><\/h3>\n

Practicing cycling outdoors is advisable whilst training, but what if you are short on time? The Wattbike <\/a>is an indoor training bike that accurately measures over forty parameters to help train each rider and inform them about their technique. The user can then focus on what they can do to improve. Wattbike shares their simple six step beginners\u2019 guide to triathlon training.<\/p>\n

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Healthy Living London’s Hannah Cox trialling the Wattbike<\/p><\/div>\n

1.) Set goals and identify your challenges<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t focus on ranking or results, but set an achievable goal for you. Familiarise yourself with the course so that there are no surprises.<\/p>\n

2.) Know your current fitness level<\/strong> \u2013 Know your baseline so you can improve. By using the Wattbike, you can complete a test to see your key metrics.<\/p>\n

3.) Identify areas of weakness<\/strong> – Once you know what you need to work on, you can set attainable and realistic goals to improve your speed and performance.<\/p>\n

4.) Training Plan<\/strong> \u2013 Follow or create your own training plan. Stick to a structure and then you can monitor your progress!<\/p>\n

5.) Keep It Balanced<\/strong> \u2013 Train equally on all three aspects of the triathlon. Don’t overcompensate on one, as you’ll neglect another.<\/p>\n

6.) Don\u2019t overdo it<\/strong> \u2013 Follow a plan, but make sure you schedule in some rest time! Your body needs time to rest and recuperate.<\/p>\n

Run<\/span><\/h3>\n

Running coach, PT and author, Laura Fountain<\/a>, shares her top tips to training.<\/p>\n