Training Tips by Coach Nick Croft

*Nick Croft is a former professional triathlete and has been coaching now for over 18 years.  A two time winner of the Noosa Triathlon and three time Australian professional Team member at the World Champs and the owner of an 8.26 Ironman personal best.  In 2005 Nick was named the Triathlon Australia Ironman Coach of the year. He provides online training programs for athletes of all ages and abilities through the website www.mscsport.com.au and organises training camps all year round in Noosa Heads Australia.  

RACE DAY NUTRITION – with MSC Sport Head Coach Nick Croft 

If you are racing in an upcoming triathlon or other endurance event it would be expected that you have trialed and practiced your planned race day nutrition over the past weeks and months to see what works for you and fine tune to make sure you can get the most out of yourself on race day. Keep the 5 p’s in mind– Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.  Don’t let the hard months of training fall to pieces race week or race day by neglecting to follow some of these guidelines and or others that you have found work for you. 

The general acceptance is that athletes can absorb between 60-90 grams of carbohydrate per hr.  Everyone is different of course.  Many sports nutritionists work off suggesting 1 gram of carbs per kg of body weight per hour of racing.  I have found this to be about right for the bike portion of a triathlon, but you can get away with less during a run.  So for a 70kg athlete doing a 3hr IRONMAN 70.3 bike split this is 210 grams of carbs made up from various sources – including gels, energy bars, sports drinks etc.  For the run that same athlete could get away with 40-50grams of carbs.     

I will assume you have your race nutrition plan sorted , but some general things to go over would be: 

1. Three days before the race your main priority is to get enough carbs and fluids in.  
2. For breakfast – cereals that are not too refined or contain too much sugar, fruit with plenty of fluids.  
3. Lunch and dinners – again high in carbs with some protein.  Meals like pasta rice and veggies, lean meats such as chicken or fish.  
4. Avoid fast food or highly processed foods.

To further breakdown the general rules above, please read the below detailed information regarding race day nutrition: 

Day Before:

• Make sure your diet is very clean and that you don’t eat anything that is new or your body isn’t used to.  Make sure you are drinking plenty of water (including electrolytes) leading into the race especially the day before so that you are hydrated.  The day before the race - your largest meal of the day should be earlier in the day or to midday.  Then ‘graze’ for the remainder of the day, still have dinner but don't over do it.  

Race Morning:

• Race morning meal ideally needs to be consumed 3hrs before race start. Complex carbs should be consumed – personal preference of what to eat is the way to go, so things like cooked oats, or some toast with banana, jam, honey + a high carb drink that will ensue you get the energy and fluid needed to start the race all fueled up.  You should be aiming for 2.5 to 3 grams per kg of your body weight for you pre-race meal. 
• Make sure your breakfast is something that you have tried out before in long training sessions.  Also avoid simple sugars before the race as these can cause blood sugar issues before you even start.  Include carbohydrates that are more complex, which will allow a slower breakdown and release into the blood stream.  Continue with water until the last 30 minutes prior to the race. You should be fully hydrated by that point.  The last 25 minutes before the race- consider an energy gel for a final boost prior to the swim start.

During the Race:

• If during the race you are getting an upset stomach it best to go back to water for a bit to help dilute the concentrations of carbs in the gut.  Once this settles that you can start to resume calorie consumption.  Don’t forget to also take in water – (a combination of too much sports / carb drink and gels will be too much concentrated sugar). Remember that eating on the bike is recommended rather than trying to do in on the run, as digestion is much better during the bike.
• Before starting the the run – drink up (not over doing it) in the last 20min of the bike.  Once you have started the run and settled in take a gel in the first 3km.  One every 30-40min will get you home.  Try to stay off coke (if desire) till the second half of the run if possible as while it gives you a kick, you will have about 50min to 1hr before you go through a sugar low.

For more training information from Coach Nick Croft, please visit: www.scta.com.au

LEADING INTO RACE DAY – with MSC Sport Head Coach Nick Croft 

Some Training Pitfalls Before Race Day

• More is not always better. Be realistic the fact your goal is to finish the event and set sights higher perhaps next time. Keep in mind the fact you have to fit the training in a round a full life and some recovery is also need to get the triathlon benefits of stressing the body.  
• You generally better to go into your race a little underdone rather than have done too much. There are many people who line up on race day feeling more than a little jaded by over doing it in the lead up – this is where your own self confidence comes into play and belief that the program you have followed has done the job.  The actual race day excitement will lift you to greater heights as long as you are tapered going in.   
• Pacing oneself in the training is just as important as race day.  Many hyped up beginners go too hard in the first 2 weeks of a program only to tire by week 3 or 4!  You are better to complete a week or most sessions feeling you have a little in reserve.  The key to this sport is recovery and backing up to training again the next day.   
• Make sure you also look after yourself post training with getting some carbohydrates and some protein back into the system.   You only have a small window of 20-30minutes to rehydrate (ideally with a sports drink) with some carbohydrate and protein to assist in the system recovery from the session you have just completed.  

Race Day Tips

• Have a light pre-race meal, at least 2 hours before you start.  Top up the carbohydrates in the last 40 minutes or so with some sports / carb drink / gels or energy bar (test in training what sits best with you).  For sprint distance events you should only need fluids during the event due to the short duration so make sure you have a full water bottle on your bike and take drink at each aid station during the run.  
• Walk out and visualise the entrance and exits of the transition areas before the race.  Do this once you have racked your bike.  This will help find your bike after the swim.  Walk through then jog through the pathways.
• Check out what you will need to do next before you enter and exit the transition areas.  In the first transition area, arrange your clothing and equipment left to right or bottom to top in the order in which you will grab them.
• Remove your swim cap and goggles as you run from the swim area to the first transition.  If a wetsuit swim, make sure you have the torso free of the suit also and down to the waist by the time you’re at the bike. 
• As you ride out of transition have your bike set to a lower gear to help get blood flow back to the legs a chance to warm up.
• If you can do so safely, loosen your shoes and slip your feet out (but keep the shoes clipped on) as you approach the bike finish line.
• Consider using elastic laces for your running shoes to save the time of lacing up.
• Use a number belt for your race number and put this on as you run out of the transition area. Start the running leg with a shorter stride to help your legs get momentum and work on landing on your mid foot to keep momentum high.

As with your previous events.  Don’t lose sight of the fact what attracted you to the sport in first place and what your goals were at the start.  Keep it fun and enjoy the ongoing process and the race day just like you did in your first event.

TRIATHLON RUNNING - with MSC Sport Head Coach Nick Croft 

Running, more so than swimming and biking is the one that most people find cause them the most injuries. Therefore it’s crucial to build up gradually when starting out or coming back from injury. 

Remember the 10% rule – that is when building your running mileage don’t add more than 10% a week of volume to allow the body to gradually respond to the stress being placed upon it.   

Running is also the most natural of the 3 triathlon sports. Styles differ, and for the most part there are parts of your style that you may not change easily, no matter how hard you try.

As far as triathlon run training goes the run training should concentrate more on graining aerobic strength – gained through running your longer runs over hilly terrain – letting the terrain work you rather than you busting yourself, week in week out at the track, running intervals that are being run at speeds that you will usually never do during a race.

Not all of us can win running races but we can learn how to run as smooth as some of the top runners that do. Learning proper running form will eliminate wasted energy, achieve an optimal running posture and coordinate your arms and legs in one fluid motion. Below is an outline of broken down portions of the body and lists what we should be aiming to do to strive to have optimum running form.

Head – Your head should be upright, not buried in your chest or cocked back as if your looking at the sky. An upright head ensures that air has a clear passage in and out of the lungs.

Shoulders – Should hang loose and low, not be hunched up around your ears. As a small pre run loosener do 20 ‘windmills’ with both arms together – forward and back.

Arms – Your forearms should be at 90-degree angles to your upper arms and should stay roughly parallel to the ground as you run. Keep your arms close to your body, so your hands and forearms almost clip the top of your shorts as they swing. Pump your arms from front to back, with your hands coming only slightly across your stomach. 

Torso – Concentrate on running tall with your torso perpendicular to the running surface. Some runners lean to far forward. Leaning too far forward keeps your legs from extending properly. Being hunched over will also put extra pressure on your lungs and diaphragm. Leaning too far back will restrict forward momentum. You can aim for a slight forward learn but working to have your shoulders hips and ankles all aligned as your feet strike the ground. 

Hips – Touch your hips directly under your torso. Generally is your back is upright and your running tall then your hips will follow.

Hands – Your thumbs are the keys to keeping your hands loose. Rest your thumbs lightly on your index fingers with your palms facing each other. Two tried and true tips are – imagine you are holding a smiths crisp in your hands without breaking them or pretend you have a handful of sand and let it run through your fingers. 

Feet – With each step, you should land lightly on your mid to fore-foot. Heel - toe foot strike will slow you down and you foot will be on the ground for too long. Life you foot of the ground rather then push off with your toes. You should be trying to get you heel to lift up ender your hips during the recovery phase. 

Stride – Aim for a short light stride rather than a big one. Over striding will actually slow you down. Each foot strike of the ground should land directly under your body – not out front of you.

Cadence – Look for a fast turn over where you aim to hit the group (both feet) at 180+ hits per minute. 185-190 is better. Aim to do this cadence even in easy runs.

Running Drills

Have been used by generations by great coaches from around the World.

Age group triathletes, unless they have been training with a organised running or tri group may have never come across running form drills. These drills specifically develop the lower leg muscles – the quads, hip flexors and improve running reflexes. As your legs get stronger, they support more body weight and allow the ankle to maximize the power of the leg muscles.

• Like swimming drills running drills can isolate a certain area which needs attention.
• It may help to have a helper / coach to look at your form during these drills. You may no pick some of these drills up straight away – so don’t be discouraged.

Make sure you have warmed up for at least 15 min prior to doing the drills. The best time to do these is at the start of a planned run or just prior to your easy warm down.

Ease into them at the start. Only do 2-3 of each. Building up to 50-100m once a week.

These shouldn’t be done very strenuously, if you are having a problem doing them than you may be doing them wrong or you may not be up to ready for them just yet.

Quick knee lifts

• Strengthens lower leg muscles, quads, hip flexors, gluts, & helps improve running rhythm.
• Taking short quick strides, lift knees to waste level.
• Stay forward on your feet.
• Be quick and light.
• Avoid long strides & don’t go down the course fast. This is for knee lift and quick reflexes.

• Develops ankle action and good leg motion.
• First walk through it.
• Lift knee to waist level, bringing foot up to back side – almost touching it.
• Kick lead foot out in front.
• As kicked out foot reaches about 45 degrees, bring it down directly under your body.

• Develops more quadricep strength and driving power.
• Bounce off one foot and lead into air lifting lead knee.
• Hang in air to the last second.
• Very quickly bring the leading leg down for a landing, and spring off with leg almost straight.
• Never let the push off leg be perfectly straight. Keep the knee slightly bent.
• Start with a few and gradually work up to 50-80m