<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Simon Lessing - Tri247</title><link>http://www.tri247.com/index.html</link><description>Latest articles submitted by Simon Lessing on Tri247</description><item><title><![CDATA[More Ironman Q&A]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2895.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Simon Lessing and Richard Allen had a mailbag of Ironman-related questions this month. Don&#039;t forget, you can get your questions answered by the duo by just emailing them to q_and_a@tri247.com and we will pass them on to Simon and Richard for their answers. Please note, they can&#039;t promise to answer individual Q&amp;amp;A questions personally.



When racing Ironman does your food intake vary depending on the weather conditions; ie, if it&#039;s very hot or very cold?
Neil Dyson - Leatherhead

During an Ironman it is important to try to keep your calorific intake constant. This varies due to many factors but a very approximate guide is 300-400 calories per hour on the bike and 200-300 calories per hour on the run. The form in which you do this may vary because of the weather conditions. If it is very hot then it is generally more difficult to consume solid calories such as energy bars and easier to consume liquid calories such as energy drinks or the more liquidy gels. If it is cold then it may be easier to consume solids. There are guidelines as to how many calories and how much electrolytes/sodium you should take but with exactly what you consume this is a very individual area and down to personal preference.
 


What do you guys eat when you&#039;re on the bike and doing an Ironman other than the usual powerbars, gels etc?
Stuart Foster - Sydney

This is a very individual area. You say other than the usual gels etc, but I&#039;m afraid most of the top pros including ourselves tend to stick to the usual gels, energy drink/electrolyte drink and the occasional bar. Coke may be consumed in the last third of the run. I know a great deal of age group athletes who consume sandwiches, pizza and even pork pies!!! It is whatever you are comfortable with in a race environment.
 

 
How much fluid do you think you need to take on board during a whole Ironman, I&#039;m 5ft 7in and weigh just over ten stone?
Mary Allen - Swansea

This is a difficult question to answer exactly without doing a test under lab conditions. If you have a fairly high sweat rate as many athletes do then you should probably be looking to consume one small cycle bottle of electrolyte/sodium/carb drink per hour (bike and run) and supplementing this with half to one small bottle of water per hour. Do not just consume lots of water or just energy drink and no water. 
 

 
I swim twenty minutes for 1500m, I&#039;m planning on doing an Ironman later on this year, how much more swimming will I need to do on top of my 3 x 3000m sessions per week that I already do for my Olympic distance training?
Barry Wiseman - London 

To be honest that is a pretty sharp 1500m time which means you are already a very strong swimmer in Ironman terms. The Ironman swim is not too important in the scale of things and one should exit the water feeling fairly fresh having not lost too much time to competitors. If you are in this kind of 1500m shape you would manage this already. I would not suggest swimming anymore but would consider doing one of these three swim sessions as a specific Ironman swim set. This could be 3 x 1000m as one swim, one pull buoy, one pull buoy and paddles. You have the fitness and speed but you need to get used to that heavy arm feeling that you get in the last 1k of the swim. By swimming long and putting paddles (and possibly a band around your ankles) you will get used to this. Don&#039;t worry you will do great!
 
 
 
Have you ever experienced sea sickness whilst racing? Last year I got really sick whilst swimming in my first Ironman (Nice), is this something you&#039;ve heard of before and, if so, what solutions are there?
Sally O&#039;Brian - Cambridge

Oh my God yes! I have (Richard) for many years and I have not really found anyone else with the same problem. I though I was nuts! Actually, I did seem to cure it though by just swimming with a slightly higher head and looking forward more under the water. This minimises head movement when breathing and sighting and stabilises the motion control, so reducing sickness. Keeping your head low in the water just makes it much worse.
]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lessing & Allen December Q&A]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2753.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Simon Lessing and Richard Allen are running a series of monthly Q&amp;amp;A sessions which will allow readers to ask them questions relating to triathlon and duathlon each month.

To get your questions into the mix just email them to q_and_a@tri247.com and we will pass them on to Simon and Richard for their answers. Please note, they can&#039;t promise to answer individual Q&amp;amp;A questions personally.



I have a big problem in more ways than one. Growing up in South Africa and spending the majority of my 20s in the gym and on the track bulking up and building short distance speed, I am now a little on the heavy side for triathlons. I wouldn&#039;t consider myself overweight (as in fat) as at 6ft2 I am around 90kg. I have managed to get my weight down to around 88kg mid season with heavy training and very disciplined eating habits and have a PB of around 2:30 over the standard distance. I believe that to get my PB under 2:30 and even further down I will have to get my weight down to around 82-84kg.
 
Have you any tips on how I would be able to lose the excess bulk I carry and still maintain hard training? Will hard training not build more muscle and bulk me even more?
 
Any ideas would be most helpful, especially now over the off season.
Anton

Being a big guy is something you may just have to accept. I am not sure what your natural body weight is, but I do know that if you try and loose too much weight it can be detrimental to your over all performance. However, there are a few things that you can do to try and eliminate any excess bulk.

I would suggest that you try and get into a routine of longer runs. Start with one hour twently minutes and build your run up by five minutes each week until you are able to run one hour forty five minutes.

This run should be in your aerobic zone starting out really easy for the first few miles. You can do some faster miles in the middle of your run, twenty to thirty seconds faster than your average long run pace.

I am not sure if you are lifting weights, but I would also avoid doing any heavy lifting with your upper body. Concentrate more on a light weight high repetition program and include free weight core exercises.
Simon


 
I was wondering if you could help me. I am currently doing a project on designing a triathlon suit and set for Zoggs. Right now I do not know much about triathletes but I was wondering if you could help me here. Can you tell me which factors make a good triathlon suit and what makes a bad triathlon suit? I am also looking for any suggestions on how these can be improved to your advantage. Any other information which you can provide me with will be very much appreciated.
Kayli Gee

Zoggs sponsor some of the best triathletes in the World including Tim Don. I am not really sure why you are not working with them? They would not only be able to advise you but also trial the suits for you. Thanks for asking us but I think this would be your best approach.
Simon


 
I would appreciate some thoughts on the following information I have come across. I have only ever come across this once, the article being written by someone called Mark Allen, but basically he was saying that the body&#039;s physiology can be broken down into three hour training blocks. For 
instance, if you are training for a five hour race then you need to train in the second block, ie, three to six hours. For an Ironman drop down into the six to nine hour training block, so a six to six and a half hour bike ride or a four hour bike and two hour run will get you into the right physiological area. Can you add anything to this from your personal experiences, and how often 
would you train in the six hour plus block?
Steve Hope

I have never trained more than 5:30 in any given workout. I feel that most Ironman athletes concentrate too much on long slow volume which ends up making them well, just slow! This is what I would suggest in a twelve week Ironman training block.

Over this training period build your long run up to 20 miles. I would suggest that you do around three to four long runs at this distance. The 20 mile runs do not have to be all in consecutive weeks, alternate weeks based on time (being a shorter run) and distance (being your 20 mile run) and make sure that you complete your last long run at least two weeks before your competition.

Take the same approach for your bike training, building your long bike up to 100 miles with the intent of doing about four 100 mile rides over this training cycle. All your other rides should be based on time (eg, four hours). Remember that the long workouts should be done in your aerobic zone but I would also suggest changing pace a little during the run / bike and do not hesitate to push it a little towards the end. I am not a firm believer of doing back-to-back long workouts, try and break your long run and long bike up by a least a couple of days.
Simon


 
I&#039;m interested to know how your back problem is. I have been a big fan of yours for years and was looking forward to seeing you being crowned 70.3 World Champion. I saw you at the press conference but then you didn&#039;t start the race?
Rupert Perry-Jones

My back is doing great and I am absolutely pain free. A few weeks before Clearwater I strained my hamstring. I took a bit of time off running but it did not seem to do the trick. I tested my leg the day before the race and it pulled up tight after about fifteen minutes of running. For this reason I decided not to race.
Simon


 
This is a question for Richard Allen. You retired from the sport because of a bad knee, how is it that you are able to run but not ride a bike?
Phoebe Blacksmith

I get asked this a lot and yes, it is very strange. I twisted my knee falling over a curb whilst running at the Lanzarote Ironman. I had an inflamed tendon which became very painful when I pushed down on the pedals very hard. I could feel a dull ache whilst running but nothing too bad. When I was racing Ironman UK later that year I was out in front and my knee just went again. I decided that it was just not worth it any more. All that work for nothing and it was time to move on to other things.
Richard


 
I once heard of a pro-ironman who, when preparing for a race use to sit in a sauna for two hours whilst staring at a black dot on the wall. Do you think this is true and have you ever done anything similar? 
Gary O&#039;Brian

No, I have never done this. Most athletes would not do this, but I am sure there have been athletes who have done. Psychology is very important to elite athletes and this will have been their way of learning to focus. I would suggest just trying to focus on the road in front whilst on a long bike ride. Much more fun and you won&#039;t sweat as much! 
Richard.


 
Do you think that people who race in Ironman races are less intelligent because they don&#039;t think as much as athletes that take part in shorter races? Or do they just have a more vivid imagination?
Lucy Radcliff

I am not sure quite what you are getting at, although it is my understanding that most short course athletes do not have enough respect for the Ironman guys!
 Simon.



Simon, what&#039;s happened to your website, it hasn&#039;t been updated for ages?
Dan Knobber

We are in the process of launching two other web sites: www.challenge-coaching.com and www.challengetricamps.com

My personal site will be incorporated into these two sites.
Simon.


 
Is it true you&#039;ve applied for American citizenship?
David Gray

Yes, I have now become an American citizen, although here in the United States they do not require that I give up my British citizenship.
Simon.


 
Can you help me? I have really bad pre-race nerves. I&#039;m fine up until the night before and then I gradually get so worked up that by the morning of the race I really don&#039;t feel like I want to race any longer. I train really hard and I love triathlon, but it just seems also pointless when I get so nervous!
Mary Watson

There are several things you can do. Firstly what are you nervous about? You really have to pinpoint this first in order to put things right.
 
Is it failing in the race? If so, then you have to remind yourself that it really does not matter when you put it in to perspective. It&#039;s just a triathlon! Also break the race down into six to ten little sections and have goals for each part. Take one section at a time so you are dealing with smaller objectives. One big objective is very daunting. Be confident by reflecting on your training. If you have done the training, you can do well in the race.
 
Is it that things might go wrong? If so, you should write a list of everything that might go wrong. Goggles falling off, flat tyre, etc,... Practise dealing with them all and write down how you will deal with them. When you start the race you will know how to deal with things and if they go wrong you can put them right in a few minutes. 
 
Maybe there is one particular part of the race you are nervous about? For many this is the swim start. If so, you should practise and practise that particular area in training. You are only scared of it because it seems alien to you. Practise your weaknesses - the more you practise the more confident you will be.
 
Finally, really focus on the things you enjoy about racing. When you start getting nervous think about what you enjoy and focus on them. I also listen to music. Start with relaxing music two to three hours before the race and build up to faster music an hour before.
Richard.


 
I really only enjoy triathlon when the swim is pool based, the more controlled start and swimming area means I don&#039;t get myself in such a pickle, I raced last year and I found the swim start and first half of the swim so frightening and claustrophobic that I didn&#039;t really recover from until about half an hour after I finished the race. I can&#039;t really recall anything about the supposedly beautiful bike ride in and around Great Windsor Park! The lads I train with are all racing 70.3 this year which I also want to do, but I don&#039;t think I will be able to cope with the swim, do you have any advice?
Mark Streaker

I am sure you find this frustrating but there are a few things that you can do to combat your fear. Try and do as much open water swimming as possible, never on your own but with a few friends. Get in the water the day before the race and familiarize yourself with the natural surroundings. The water temperature, clarity of the water, race course, beach obstacles, etc. This will definitely ease your anxiety and help put your mind at ease.

On race day, warm up in the water if you can and start on the side of the mass start away from the majority of your head bashing competitors. Allow your self ten to fifteen seconds after the gun goes off before you enter the swim. This will help you to settle down at your own pace without anyone swimming over you and intimidating you. Swim the race course a little wide, this will allow the faster age groupers behind you in the next wave to swim by without any interference.

Open water swimming can be a lot of fun, but for some people this is the most dreaded part of a triathlon. Like anything, the more you do of it the more at ease you will feel down the line.
Simon]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lessing & Allen Q&A: Ironman]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.tri247.com/article_2512.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Simon Lessing and Richard Allen are running a series of monthly Q&amp;amp;A sessions which will allow readers to ask them questions relating to triathlon and duathlon from a different subject each month. This month&#039;s subject is &amp;lsquo;Ironman&amp;rsquo;, appropriately timed with the Ford Hawaii Ironman World Championships taking place later this month.

To get your questions into the mix, November&#039;s topic is &quot;Sports Psychology and how it can help age group athletes&quot;, just email them to q_and_a@tri247.com and we will pass them on to Simon and Richard for their answers. Please note, they  can&#039;t promise to answer individual Q&amp;amp;A questions personally.


 
I&#039;ve been doing primarily standard distance triathlon for a number of years and improving consistently. However now I want to do Ironman - what are the main differences you would suggest I incorporate to my training schedule to be successful?
John Wright

It goes without saying that for Ironman you must train long. It&#039;s a good idea to build up distance over time and peak at approximately the full swim distance, 100 miles for the bike and 20 miles for the run. I prefer to peak on time with 6 hours for the bike and 3 hours for the run. You should be peaking in volume two to four weeks prior to the Ironman depending on your fitness level. If you try to train any longer, particularly on the run, you will get massive muscle fibre breakdown and this will affect your training routine. On top of the long easy training it is also important to train at standard distance pace as this will condition your muscles to glycogen depletion and lactic acid removal. These factors may still occur in an Ironman and you should be conditioned to deal with them; this helps replace muscle glycogen quickly and turns lactic acid back in to glycogen.



I&#039;ve never run a marathon before - do you think I need to do one before doing an Ironman?
Emma Churchill

It is not necessary to complete a marathon race before doing an Ironman. Not many of the top Ironman pros have ever done a pure marathon race. The pace you will be running in an Ironman is far slower than you would run a marathon. It is more important to train consistently over time. The pure volume of your training will condition you to run a marathon in an Ironman. Do your long run in training nice and slow and build up to approx 20 miles.


 
I am looking to start training for an Ironman next year and just wanted to know if I should be looking to cover the full individual distances in training? Should I be looking to run a marathon beforehand or is it more advisable to just do lots longer triathlons in the build up? I haven&rsquo;t yet run a marathon but I&#039;m planning to run one this year so I know how that feels.
Robert Mansfield

Robert, see the answers above!


 
Do you recommend including events such as cycle time trials and half marathons as preparation for an Ironman?
Tom

When you compete in an Ironman it is so very different to any other event that other races just do not replicate it. The long slow training is really the best way to replicate it. However, it is still good to include these shorter events in to you build up as you will be going hard, depleting muscle glycogen and producing a lot of lactic acid. If you are not conditioned at these short fast speeds then you may find that if you go up a hill too quickly you will suddenly deplete your muscle glycogen and you will not have trained your body to replace it quickly. Muscle spasming may occur. Also lactic acid will just build up in your body.


 
Due to work and family commitments, I struggle to fit in training for much longer than 45 mins during weekdays - any suggestions as to how I should structure my weekends to fit in the necessary longer sessions?
Alistair Hill

You would be amazed at what you can fit in to 45 minutes. During the week you can do turbo bike sessions and run intervals. Over the weekend you can do your long session on a Sunday. Alternate a long bike one Sunday, a long run the next Sunday and then an easier weekend. On the Saturday you could perhaps fit in two or three shorter sessions and do some back to back.


 
Who do you think will win Ironman Hawaii this year?
Andy

Chris McCormack? Craig Alexander as a rookie long shot?


 
From your experience, what would say is harder between finishing an Ironman or going sub 2:20 on an standard distance?
Gareth Raydon

That&#039;s a tough question! Going sub 2:20 is potentially physically harder, but finishing an Ironman takes massive mental strength, guts and determination. It has to be finishing an Ironman. So much can go wrong in an Ironman too.


 
Which Ironman event would you say is the best for getting a personal best?
Paul

Austria is famous for being fast. If you can cope with 40 miles in a straight line and not getting out of the aero position then Florida is pretty quick. I would always go for enjoyability as you are out there for such a long time; Lake Placid or Canada are great.



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