Total Racing Inc will be staging a 1/2 Ironman race in Keswick the last weekend in June 2009. The race will be 2XU’s main sponsored race in the UK as well has having Genr8 as nutrition sponsor.

The race will take place in one of the most beautiful areas in the UK, with the 1.9k swim in Derwent Water, the 90k bike taking in lakeland passes and a challenging 13 mile run taking in the beautiful views around Derwent Water. This will be quite a tough race hence the ‘Hell Of The North’ name!

Entries for the race will be opening soon in July and will be available at Total Racing Inc
There will be special offers on sponsor products for those who enter before November 2008 as well as discounts on familiarisation training camps.

If you are interested in taking part in the event, you can pre-register an interest by mailing Total Racing Inc at info@totalracinginc.com.

Time to get training!

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If you haven’t ever raced at the Relays, you really have missed out. One of the most exhilarating and fun events on the UK calendar the Relays revolves around teams of four using a tagging format where everyone swims, everyone bikes and everyone runs in race that looks like a mixture between competition and chaos.

Now in its 17th year, the Relays really is the focal point as well as the vocal point of the season for many teams who look to a real club event to bring them together and where camaraderie and teamwork really pay off.

With a 500m swim, a 15km bike and a 5km run any four triathletes can get together and make up a team and race in one of the range of team categories available. But don’t think it is just one big laugh, with British Triathlon National Honours at stake there will be some serious racing out there on a completely closed course over which your teammates can see you (and shout at you) for the duration of all three disciplines. Ever fancied racing a triathlon in an arena, well this is as close as it gets.

Date: 02 August 2008
Location: Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham NG12 2LU
Competitors: 1600+
Relay x 4: 500m Swim - 15km Bike - 5km Run

You can enter online here.

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During a 10k road race earlier in the year I stumbled over what was maybe half an inch of paving stone and fell to the ground holding my ankle. For me this is quite a regular occurrence. Often when I’m competing or training, and not necessarily on uneven ground, I quite regularly experience the feeling of the ankle joint wishing to ‘give way’. In the past I have ignored the issue to a certain degree, rested for a short while and then returned to training a couple of weeks later. Following the last sprain in April I received a more intense range of therapy from my local physio involving friction massage and ultrasound, and also performed additional rehab strengthening exercise using a wobble board as well as other stability aids. So far so good, as the extra rehab seems to have done the job.

The information below will hopefully provide you with more of an understanding into the common ankle sprain and hopefully get you back to full fitness a little quicker than normal.

An ankle sprain is a common injury and usually results when the ankle is twisted, or turned in (inverted). The term sprain signifies injury to the soft tissues, usually the ligaments, of the ankle. Ankle sprains can range from mild, to moderate, and severe. Type 1 ankle sprain is a mild sprain. It occurs when the ligaments have been stretched or torn minimally. Type II ankle sprain is a moderate level of sprain. It occurs when some of the fibers of the ligaments are torn completely. Type III ankle sprain is the most severe ankle sprain. It occurs when the entire ligament is torn and there is great instability of the ankle joint.

What part of the ankle is involved?

Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that help connect bones together. Three ligaments make up the lateral ligament complex on the side of the ankle farthest from the other ankle. They are the ‘anterior talofibular ligament’ (ATFL), the ‘calcaneofibular ligament’ (CFL), and the ‘posterior talofibular ligamen’t (PTFL). The common inversion injury to the ankle usually involves two ligaments, the ATFL and CFL. Normally, the ATFL keeps the ankle from sliding forward, and the CFL keeps the ankle from rolling inward on its side.

Why do I have this problem?

A ligament is made up of multiple strands of connective tissue, similar to a nylon rope. A sprain results in stretching or tearing of the ligaments. Minor sprains only stretch the ligament. A tear may be either a complete tear of all the strands of the ligament or a partial tear of only some of the strands. The ligament is weakened by the injury; how much it is weakened depends on the degree of the sprain.
The lateral ligaments are by far the most commonly injured ligaments in a typical inversion injury of the ankle. In an inversion injury the ankle tilts inward, meaning the bottom of the foot angles toward the other foot. This forces all the pressure of your body weight onto the outside edge of the ankle. As a result, the ligaments on the outside of the ankle are stretched and possibly torn.

A severe form of ankle sprain, called an ankle syndesmosis injury, involves damage to other supportive ligaments in the ankle. This type of injury is sometimes called a high ankle sprain because it involves the ligaments above the ankle joint. In an ankle syndesmosis injury, at least one of the ligaments connecting the tibia and fibula bones (the lower leg bones) is sprained. Recovering from even mild injuries of this type takes at least twice as long as from a typical ankle sprain.

What does an ankle sprain feel like?

Initially the ankle is swollen, painful, and may turn bruised. The bruising and swelling are due to ruptured blood vessels from the tearing of the soft tissues. Most of the initial swelling is actually bleeding into the surrounding tissues. The ankle swells as extra fluid continues to leak into the tissues over the 24 hours following the sprain.

People who have sprained an ankle often end up spraining the ankle again. If the ankle keeps turning in with activity, the condition is called ankle instability. Athletes who have ankle instability lose confidence in their ankle to support them, especially on uneven ground. They often have swelling around the ankle that doesn’t go away. Pain and swelling in a joint can cause a reflex where the body turns off the muscles around the joint. This can cause times when the ankle feels like it is going to give way, meaning it may have a tendency to twist again very easily.

People who have had several mild ankle sprains or one severe sprain are prone to impingement problems in the ankle. The ligaments that were sprained may become irritated and thickened, causing them to get pinched near the edge of the ankle joint.

What can be done for the problem?

Nonsurgical treatment options depend on whether your problem is an ankle sprain or ankle instability.
Ankle Sprain

The best results after an ankle sprain come when treatment is started right away. Treatments are used to stop the swelling, ease pain, and protect how much weight is placed on the injured ankle. A simple way to remember these treatments is by the letters in the word RICE. These stand for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

Rest: The injured tissues in the ankle need time to heal. Crutches will prevent too much weight from being placed on the ankle.
Ice: Applying ice can help ease pain and may reduce swelling.
Compression: Gentle compression pushes extra swelling away from the ankle. This is usually accomplished by using an elastic wrap.
Elevation: Supporting your ankle above the level of your heart helps control swelling.

Your doctor may also prescribe medications. Mild pain relievers help with the discomfort. Anti-inflammatory medications can help ease pain and swelling and get people back to activity sooner after an ankle sprain. These medications include common over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen.
As treatment progresses, it is helpful to gradually begin putting weight through the joint.
Healing of the ligaments usually takes about six weeks, but swelling may be present for several months. Your doctor may suggest that you work with a physical therapist to help you regain full range of ankle motion, improve balance, and maximize strength.

Ankle Instability.

If the ankle ligaments do not heal adequately, you may end up with ankle instability. This can cause the ankle to give way and feel untrustworthy on uneven terrain.

Small nerve sensors inside the ligament are injured when a ligament is stretched or torn. These nerve sensors give your brain information about the position of your joints, a sensation called position sense. For example, nerve sensors in your arm and hand give you the ability to touch your nose when your eyes are closed. The ligaments in the ankle work the same way. They send information to your nervous system to alert you about the position of your ankle joint.

Many people who have ankle instability have weakness in the muscles along the outside of the leg and ankle. These are called the peroneal muscles. Strengthening these muscles may help control the ankle joint and improve joint stability.

What will it take to make my ankle healthy again?

If you don’t need surgery you still may need to follow a program of rehabilitation and exercise. Doctors recommend that their patients work with a physical therapist for two to four weeks. Your therapist can create a program to help you regain ankle function. It is very important to improve strength and coordination in the ankle.

Swelling and pain are treated with ice and electrical stimulation. If swelling in the ankle is severe, therapists may also apply massage strokes from the ankle toward the knee with your leg kept in an elevated position. This helps get the swelling moving out of the ankle and back into circulation. Your therapist may issue a compression wrap and instruct you to wrap your ankle and lower limb and to elevate your leg.

An effective treatment for ankle sprains is disc training, which uses a circular platform with a small sphere under it. Patients place their feet on it while they sit or stand and work the ankle by tilting the disc in various positions. This form of exercise strengthens the muscles around the ankle, and it improves joint sense (mentioned earlier).

When you get full ankle movement, your ankle isn’t swelling, and your strength is improving, you’ll be able to gradually get back to your work and sport activities. An ankle brace may be issued for athletes who intend to return quickly to their sport.

The physical therapist’s goal is to help you keep your pain under control, improve range of motion, and maximize strength and control in your ankle. When you are well under way, regular visits to the therapist’s office will end. Your therapist will continue to be a resource, but you will be in charge of doing your exercises as part of an ongoing home program. 

Don’t just think rest itself will repair any ankle ligament injury. It is very important to seek medical advice from a physio or sports therapist as soon as possible, in order to make the quickest possible recovery and prevent any further occurances.

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What with the good old British weather and the fact training time is of a premium, it can be quite difficult to fit in those all important bike sessions. Worry not, get on the turbo. Cycling on a turbo trainer is very useful and should be considered an integral part of any triathlon cycling programme regardless of the time of year.

Next time you can’t get outdoors to cycle, try this short but effective turbo power session.

1. In an easy gear, warm up for 10 minutes.
2. Increase the gears until you feel as if your struggling, then cycle for 45 seconds all out in this gear(which should feel very hard). Your cadence shouldn’t drop below 70 rpm. If you don’t have a fancy turbo with onboard computer you can check your cadence by dropping one elbow to knee height and count how many times your knee hits your elbow as you cycle. Time this for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
3. Find an easy gear and do an active recovery for 45 seconds. Your cadence should be around 90 rpm.
4. Repeat this a further 8 times.
5. Do a 15 minute warm down in an easy gear and focus on cycling in circles, i.e. pushing your feet forward and backwards as well as up and down.

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You know the part of the race when you feel you’ve hit the wall?  Maybe you are on a hill or the flattest section of the course. Your mind is telling your legs and arms to drive, but your muscles are crying out for mercy. We are demanding them to perform at a rate at which they are not conditioned. Our body cannot supply the blood and oxygen that our hip flexors (in particular) are requiring to meet the demands of our heads. Hip flexor muscles or iliopsoas consist of iliacus and psoas major muscles. These enable you to move your thighs towards the stomach area and are also some of the most important muscles for cyclists, recruited during the pulling up phase.
At least you’ve done your mental homework. But have you neglected working regular hill drills into your routine?  Perhaps you do them but don’t know why. Do you vary the type of workouts?

One of the best ways to strengthen those hip flexors and in turn improve the power of our swing phase is to do hill repeats. As we gain strength, our chances of getting injured are diminished.  Not only will we finesse our charges on inclines and finish line kicks on flats, but hill repeats also increase our mental confidence. Once you’ve done 15 X 2:00 of a tough hill, one minute of climbing a similar incline in a race will feel easy. It often surprises people that running hills improves speed.

Actually, running hills is speed work in disguise.  Your effort will increase as you run up a hill, even if you reduce your pace.  Moving your body up the hill requires more work than moving it along a flat surface.  Hill running is equivalent to throwing in a surge on the flats. So, in a race, the best way to run a hill is to maintain effort and forget about pace while on the hill. Steady effort is the surest route to a faster time. Trying to maintain pace on the hill is like surging and varying the body’s perceived effort, which will only tire you prematurely.

As runners, triathletes need to recognize the importance of strengthening our hip flexor muscles. Strong flexors help us maintain a grueling pace, attack a hill, kick with speed on the flats, and protect our bodies from injury. They are an integral piece of training year round that, with variation, can make us more efficient runners and cyclists.

Take to those hills, happy running!!!

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In one of the oldest running world cups on the circuit it was triathlon veteran Andrea Whitcombe of Great Britain to top the podium for the first time since 2005. Whitcombe’s time of 2 hours 2 minutes and 48 seconds bested her closest rival Felicity Abram of Australia by 46 seconds in the hot and dry conditions. Abram’s silver medal today comes off a second place finish at the Hamburg BG Triathlon World Cup one week ago. Beijing-bound Mariana Ohata of Brazil rounded out the podium in third a further 33 seconds back.

From the starter’s horn it was Sarah Groff of the U.S. taking an early lead in the swim, exiting the water with local Margit Vanek of Hungary 23 seconds ahead of a group of four including Abram, Ohata, Whitcombe and Helle Frederiksen of Denmark.

After going out on her own for the first six kilometres and losing Vanek, Groff wisely sat up to wait for the group of four behind her rather then testing the mid-thirty degree temperatures solo. Once together the lead group of five immediately put a commanding two minutes on their chasers by the end of the first of seven short and technical laps through town. The lead grew to almost four minutes by the end of the 40 kilometre bike course leaving no doubt the medalists would come from this front group.

As temperatures continued to rise, the women hit the 10-kilometre flat and fast run course through the centre of town. As with the swim and bike Groff led out early in the run but was quickly passed by a charging Whitcombe and Abram. With recent personal best performances, early on it looked as though Abram would get her first world cup win.
This was not the case however as Whitcombe stormed away after the first of four laps to lead out on her own, putting time into her chasers on each lap.

Waving to the thousands of spectators gathered, Whitcombe crossed the finish line comfortably in first place for her third career world cup win. Although not selected for the British Olympic team, Whitcombe shows she is a contender for the remaining four BG Triathlon World Cup titles.

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Great Britain’s Bella Comerford and Stephen Bayliss both took silver medals at the weekend’s Ironman Austria in Klagenfurt.

Comerford lead for much of the race, however was overtaken during the marathon by Germany’s Sandra Wallenhorst who clocked an impressive 2:54 run split for the 26.2 miles to register the fastest Ironman time for a woman in history (8:47:25). Comerford finished in a time of 8:51:15 to take the British record away from Chrissie Wellington who finished the European Championships in 8:51:24 last week.

Stephen Bayliss also a racked up a personal best time for the distance as he finish in 8:13:52, to finish in second behind Marino Vanhoenacker of Belgium. His clocking is thought to be a British record, but is to be confirmed.

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How often do you see people in gyms, pre race or even at work (?!?!?!?) reach for their bottles of isotonic sports drinks and guzzle them down. I wonder how many of them actually need an isotonic drink for the exercise session they are about to do, or even understand why an isotonic drink actually is actually called ‘an isotonic drink’?

So, why is an isotonic drink called ‘an isotonic drink’?

Osmolality is an index referring to the number of particles present in a solution. Blood plasma has an osmolality (or tonicity) of around 280 – 300 mOsm/kg. Drinks with a tonicity of 270 – 330 mOsm/kg are classified as being in balance with the body’s own fluids and are referred to as isotonic. These products provide a faster rate of absorption and contain the necessary electrolytes lost through increased sweating during intensive exertion. The tonicity of Lucozade Sport for example is 280 mOsm/kg, making it compatible with that of blood.

Next time you reach for an isotonic sports drink, just pause for a second and ask yourself, do I really need this for the session I am about to do?

Isotonic drinks should only be taken during exercise or competition if the session is longer than a hour, certainly if a race is longer than 90 mins or if a pre-exercise meal is not possible (such as early morning intensive training). If an adequate pre exercise/ race meal has been consumed, there is really no need to take an isotonic sports drink on board as carbohydrate (glycogen) stores should be sufficient for the mean time. If you feel the need to drink something, why not sip on good old H20, at least this way you’ll keep yourself hydrated for the session or race ahead.

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Just one month to go until the 2008 Olympic Games opens in Beijing. The greatest prize in sports awaits two triathletes in Beijing this summer. Olympic gold will be up for grabs for the third time in triathlon’s history on August 18th and 19th on a challenging Olympic course. The women’s triathlon will be contested on August 18th while the men’s triathlon will be staged on August 19th.

The Ming Tomb Reservoir, also known as Shisanling Reservoir and the roads around have been designated as the competition venue for the Triathlon, which are located in the Changping District of Beijing. The swim leg will be held in the Shisanling Reservoir which is in the the Jiu Long Amusement Park.

The Transition Area is set on a purposely built platform at the base of the dam. The platform will also hold the Cycling and Run legs both of which lap through this point before continuing behind the dam. A large Spectator stand, to hold 10,000, is set on the slope of the dam above the Platform to give views of the Swim, Transition, Lap and Finish.

A 360 view of the dam area of the course is available on the BOCOG website.

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Chrissie Wellington, Britain’s current World Ironman triathlon champion, won her fourth straight Ironman distance title and became the European Ironman Champion in the process, whilst just missing out on the world record by 31 seconds.

Supported by thousands of fans that were packed all around the historic German city of Frankfurt, Wellington won in a time of 8:51:24, the second fastest clocking in history and some 26 minutes ahead of second place Nicole Leder from Germany.

Having lead from start to finish, Wellington exited the 2.4 mile lake swim in 48:34; she then embarked on the two lap bike course featuring the aptly named hill, ‘The Hell’. Wellington completed the 112 mile bike in 4:57:17.

Cheered on by the ever growing crowds, Wellington set out on the run with a determined look on her face only allowing herself her trade mark smile towards the end of the four lap 26.2 mile marathon run. As she approached the finish line the emotion showed on her face as the Frankfurt crowd rose to their new champion.

This result reaffirms Wellington’s position as the worlds leading female Ironman triathlete and bodes well for the defence of her Hawaii World Championship crown.

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