“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day”. (Edith Lovejoy Pierce)
Best wishes for 2010 and may all your races be good ones!
For many of us, drinking alcohol is a rare but enjoyable social activity and with the Christmas party season just about upon us what better reason do you need to enjoy a little tipple. However, excessive drinking over the festive period can have a negative effect in terms of your body composition and weight and here’s why.
As most of you will know alcohol is made from the yeast fermentation of different fruits or grains including grapes, hops, apples and barley. Spirits are distilled and contain no sugar, while beers and wines have various amounts of sugar still remaining. Alcoholic beverages contain almost no nutritional value other than sugar, but they do contain calories. The list below will give you an idea of the approximate calorific value of each drink.
1 pint of draught bitter – 172 kcal (2 units)
330 ml can of premium lager – 196 kcal (2-3 units)
I pint dry cider – 207 kcal (2 units)
1 pint sweet cider – 241 kcal (2 units)
1 brandy, gin run or whiskey – 56 kcal (1 unit)
1 125 ml glass of wine – 85-100 kcal (1 unit)
1 125ml glass of port – 196 kcal (1-2 units)
From the numbers above you can see how easy it could be to rack up a massive amount of excess calories by having a the odd few pints or glasses of wine and before you know it you could have an extra couple of pounds on board!
There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy alcohol in moderation. The Department Of Health recommends up to 4 units a day (or 28 per week) for men and 3 units a day (or 21 units a week) for women as a safe upper limit! The daily limits are intended to discourage binge-drinking which is even more hazardous to health.
What happens to alcohol once in the body?
When we drink alcohol, about 20% is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach and the remainder through the small intestine. Most of the alcohol is then broken down in the liver (it cannot be stored as it is toxic). However, the liver can only carry out this job at a rate of approximately 1 unit of alcohol per hour. If you drink more alcohol than this, it is dealt with by a different enzyme system in the liver (MEO – microsomal ethanol oxidising system) to make it less toxic to the body. The more alcohol you drink on a regular basis, the more MEO enzymes are produced to deal with the increased levels of alcohol, which is why you can develop an increased tolerance to alcohol.
As we all know too much alcohol causes hangovers; headache, thirst, vomiting etc. These symptoms are partly due to dehydration and the swelling of the blood vessels in the head. Congeners, substances found mainly in darker alcoholic drinks such as red wine and rum, are also responsible for many of the hangover symptoms.
Research has shown that that alcohol drunk in moderation can reduce the risk of heart disease. The exact reason and mechanism for this is not certain. However scientists believe that this may be true because of the increased HDL cholesterol levels (the protective type of cholesterol in the blood). HDL transports cholesterol back to the liver for excretion, thereby reducing the risk of it sticking to artery walls.
Red wine, in particular, may be especially good for the heart. Studies have shown that drinking up to two glasses a day can lower heart disease by 30-70%. It contains ‘flavanoids’ from the grape skin, which have an antioxidant effect and help protect the LDL cholesterol from ‘free radical’ damage.
Remember prevention is better than cure, so make sure you follow sensible drinking guidelines over the coming festive period. If you feel like you’ve had too much to drink once you’ve returned home from your Christmas party (or parties!), remember to drink plenty of water or even a sports drink before you go to bed, at least 500ml/2-3 units. That way you’ll help increase blood sugar levels and dilute some of that alcohol floating about in your body. Avoid coffee or tea as these will make dehydration worse. Do not attempt to train (or race for that matter!!) with a hangover as you’ll be doing yourself no favours at all.
After all that please remember to enjoy yourself and have a wale of a ball!
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The latest subscription of ‘220 Triathlon’ landed on Saturday morning with great excitement as inside it had a full review of this years IM World Championships from Hawaii. The review of the race battles and various athlete profiles was great, along with the stunning Kona imagery.
However, what really caught my attention in the magazine was the editors choice ‘letter of the month’. To cut a long story short this guy wrote an interesting piece on how the achievements of the GB triathlon medal winners this year have been somewhat overlooked by the British media.
This is something that I’m also very disappointed with and something that needs to change. I’m sure most of the media out there still class triathlon as a ‘minority sport’. Triathlon is one of the fastest growing sports within the UK at present and with more and more regular members of the public taking up the sport I would say it’s growth maybe goes beyond the predictions of the British Triathlon Federation itself. This taken into consideration though, how many of the British media would rather write about triathlon instead of the ‘majority sports’, such as football, rugby and cricket? Get my point?
A recent response on the BBC’s site made comment on how the success of an individual in ‘minority sports’ should not be given the same status in awards ceremonies than people in ‘majority sports’. This comment came from a subscriber to the site and not one of the writers and went onto say that this was because it is much harder to excel in a sport which many people compete in, than it is for something like Ironman. Tell me you’re not shouting out loud at your PC screen at this point!
Yes, lots of people play and compete in the ‘majority sports’, like football, but most will play to a mediocre standard because these type of sports are easier to participate in, unlike the efforts involved in triathlon. Don’t get me wrong, I love football (as well as other sports) and played for the Army at a high standard so I’m not showing disrespect for any other sport here.
Perhaps this subscriber does not understand the commitment that triathlete’s make in order to excel in the sport. To compete at the top in triathlon takes a hell of a lot more than turning up for a mornings training on the football pitch and raking in ten’s of thousands of pounds per week for it. People maybe don’t realise that for most pro triathlete’s it’s more of a lifestyle choice, rather than just a job.
Another fault of the British media is that our sport of triathlon does not get as much live TV exposure as it should. I ended up watching this Octobers Ironman World Championships in Hawaii via a streamed feed from an American channel on the net. Now why couldn’t the UK broadcast this event live rather than airing a pre-recorded version four weeks later? Only recently have more of the ITU world cup events been broadcast live, however in my opinion this is still not enough.
I believe that all sports should be represented whether they are classed as ‘minority sports’ or not, and where true greats such as Chrissie Wellington emerge, they should be rewarded accordingly for their achievements. I wonder if the achievements of Chrissie will again be over-looked when the shortlists are finalised for this years BBC’s sports personality of the year?!?! What does this girl have to do to be recognised and nominated?
Well done to all GB triathletes for your achievements throughout the year, your efforts ‘do not’ go un-noticed by the fans, followers and competitors of triathlon. It’s just a shame the media don’t hold so much regard!
No further questions your honour!!
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If your stuck for something to do this weekend and can make it down to London, go check out ‘The Cycle Show’. It takes place at London’s Earls Court, this weekend from 9th - 11th October and is the UK’s most prestigious Cycling Event with a host of exciting highlights for you, your friends and all the family.
MEET the experts behind the brands
TRY out 2010 commuter and mountain bikes on the test tracks
PARTICIPATE in the new indoor time trial
EXPERIENCE the TfL Cycling Revolution
BUY clothing, helmets, shoes, sunglasses and new for this year cycle lighting, in the Cycle Store
WATCH spectacular aerial displays on the BMX street course and catch up with top cycling celebrities including Victoria Pendleton, Eddy Merckx, Jamie Staff, Nicole Cooke, the Atherton Family plus many more.
This cartoon sketch was on the show’s flyer I received and my favourite by far.
BOOK IN ADVANCE AND SAVE £’s
There are two easy ways to buy your tickets…
1. Book online at www.cycleshow.co.uk
2. Call the ticket hotline on 0844 848 0132
Why wait for your tickets to be posted out to you? Simply book online at
www.cycleshow.co.uk and print out your uniquely bar coded tickets at home.
Prices shown include VAT and show guide that can be collected on the day. If you’d like to order more than 45 of any type of ticket, please call the hotline.
* A £1 booking fee will apply per transaction in advance.
Group Bookings (over 10): ** Group ticket discounts are calculated on adult tickets only. Discounts do not apply to child tickets or any other discounted ticket type. Group ticket discounts are only available when booked in advance.
OPENING HOURS
Friday 9th October 10.00am - 6.00pm
Saturday 10th October 10.00am - 6.00pm
Sunday 11th October 10.00am - 5.00pm
Adult Ticket £11.50 £14.50 Adult advance ticket
OAP (Over 65’s) £9.50 £12.50 OAP’’s over 65′’s
Child Ticket £5.75 £7.25 Children under the age of 14
Under 5’s FREE FREE Children under the age of 5
Student Ticket £9.50 £12.50 Students with NUS ID number
Family Ticket £32.00 £37.00 Two adults and two children
Group 10+ £10.35 N/A 10% discount**
Group 20+ £10.35 N/A 10% discount** & 1 free organiser ticket
Group 45+ £9.50 N/A 15% discount** & 2 free organiser tickets
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Triathlon Plus magazine tested one of these Special Edition Ribble Aero TT bikes back in their July edition. Compared against a Trek, a Giant and a Scott the Ribble received the best of test Gold Award.
“The Ribble offers wheels and componentry that smashes others tested”
The Verdict: “The surprise, though, is the Ribble. You just can’t ignore its incredible value. The frame stands up to comparison with the others here and it boasts wheels and componentry that drops the others off the pace.
But make sure you can live with the aggressive ride position. If you can, you’ll get yourself a sparkling, super-quick bike that keeps on giving.
You may still be scratching your head, looking for the catch. But there isn’t one.”
12K Carbon monocoque frame and forks with high quality components from Ultegra, Dura Ace and Dedacciai. The Ultimate in design, aerodynamics, stiffness and performance.
- Carbon 12K monocoque frame and forks
- Shimano Ultegra 10 speed Double groupset
- Cane Creek carbon time trial/triathlon brake levers
- Dura Ace 7900 bar end shifting levers
- Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLR Wheelset
- Ribble headset 1 1/8″ Hidden (ITS) 45×45
- Aero TT carbon seatpillar
- Selle Italia SLR T1 saddle in white
- Deda Crononero handlebars and Deda Parabolica Uno extensions
- Deda Quattro Stem
- Continental GP4000 Tyres
All this for a unbelivable £2,199.99. Which in comparison to the Trek TTX at £4000+, is not that bad a deal!
Another great contender for my bike of the year 2009!
Next time you’re out on your casual solo cycle ride spare a thought for these bemused guys, who’ve been caught up in French prankster Remi Gaillard’s latest stunt.
He staged a Tour De France victory for some randomly chosen chaps out for a leisurely Sunday pedal -complete with motorcycle outriders, breathless television interviews, wildly enthusiastic crowds mobbing the ‘victors’, and (for no apparent reason) a man running around in his pants.
The cyclists, naturally, react with a mixture of cautious pleasure and complete bemusement. ‘I’m not part of your race,’ one insists, as a reporter with a microphone asks him what this victory means to him.
Gaillard has been a reliable source of entertainment for some time, inlcuding previous feats such as driving a real-life MarioKart on the road, dressing up as Pac-Man and running amok in a supermarket, and most recently re-enacting the Normandy landings on modern-day Normandy beaches, much to the consternation of sunbathers.
He reminds me of an early days Dom Jolly, but much funnier. Prepare to laugh out loud at some of his work!
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Celebrate & Rehydrate
Congratulate your self no matter how you did, because you did the best you could on race day. Make sure that you take time to catch-up with other club members of friends who have also completed the race as well as your travelling supporters. Rehydrate as soon as you’ve finished by replenishing those lost salts and minerals as well as your all important energy reserves.
Recuperation
Continue to have something to eat or drink every 2-3 hours after your race. Consider going for a short walk to help loosen off those muscles and remember to perform a thorough stretch of all the major muscle groups. Not only will this make you feel better immediately following your race but will also help avoid the delayed onset of muscle soreness a day or two later.
Review Your Race
Did you prepare sufficiently for your race? If not, why not? Did you achieve your goals? If you did then congratulate yourself, however if you didn’t then what obstacles can your way? Were your gaols too ambitious? Did you face unexpected mechanical problems out on the course? More importantly what went well during the race that you could take with you to future races? What would you do differently to improve your future performance?
What Next?
With race weekend over and the race completed, you can congratulate yourself on the positives that came from your race and take a short break before you take the next steps in determining your next race and another multi-sport triumph!
Happy Training!!
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If you somehow have failed to read an article relating to cyclists risking infertility then I bet one of your work colleagues or a family member has mentioned this at some point in your triathlon/cycling career!
As with most stories of this nature, people have been quick to jump on the negatives. In a recent documented study, 15 triathletes with an average age of 33 had less than 10% normal looking sperm, compared with the 15-20% seen in the most fertile man.
The figures became significantly worse when distances of more that 186 miles were covered per week. The proportion of sperm that was the correct size and shape had fallen to 4 %, the point at which men may struggle to conceive without fertility treatment. How many triathletes do you know that ride in excess of 180 miles per week? Unless there going for Ironman, or full time pro’s!
Suggested reasons for this result are the heat from being in lycra, pressure and fiction on the saddle and the levels of cellular damage caused by the high levels of training. The choice of subject group were significant as triathletes, like time triallists, tend to sit lower and further forward on the nose of the saddle to achieve the aero position.
This position may add to the heat and the friction, and the group spent more time like this than a casual rider or a standard road racer. The other potential flaw in the study was that you don’t know what the subjects’ fertility was like before they took up competitive triathlon, so without knowing this significant figure it is impossible to place the blame on the sport.
There are steps you can take to improve your own fertility without having to give up cycling. Even reduced mileage doesn’t necessarily mean reduced performance if you are training correctly. A healthy diet high in antioxidant-rich fruit and veg has been shown to aid fertility. And, of course, your lifestyle off the bike is a major factor.
A healthy weight and not too much boozing (and smoking) will all contribute to keeping you in the best reproductive health!
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It is a simple fact; the more buoyant you are the faster and easier it is to swim. This is because the drag of our own bodies slows us down. The less buoyant you are, the more your body is in the water and the more drag you create. You may have noticed that you feel more buoyant and faster in salt water. That’s because salt water helps us float better due to the higher salt content.
If it were only as simple as swallowing more air, or adding floatation strips to our tri suits, however there’s not much we can do. The more heavy boned a person is the more the person will sink. The lower percentage of body fat someone has, the more that person will sink. In general, women float better than men since on average they are 5 to 10 percent higher in body fat.
More fat may help you swim better but your VO2 max is in direct proportion to your body weight. For most of us heavier is not healthier and that extra weight makes everything on land much harder, like biking then running! Some of us with the right proportion of body fat and light bones will float easier than others. Some ‘densely’ boned mortals with a low percentage body fat are just ‘sinkers’!. Not to worry though as many sinkers(myself included) can more than make up for their lack of natural buoyancy by improving their swim technique, developing core strength and generally getting their body in a more streamlined position.
If all you do is swim open water events then you have an immediate advantage in the only practical way to increase your buoyancy, by wearing a wetsuit!
Indeed the only way to instantly reduce your bodies drag, but not so legal in a pool based triathlon and you’d look a bit crazy!!
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As you stand there at the start of your long awaited event what goes through your mind? I very rarely make conversation with those other hopefuls around me as I like to prepare myself mentally for the race ahead regardless if it’s a triathlon, duathlon or half marathon.
Last Sunday, May 31st was no different in terms of my silence on the start line, the ‘only’ difference surrounding the event this time was the fact that I was venturing into the unknown by running my first marathon, in Edinburgh. I’d trained for the distance before up to about 18 miles or so but never had I attempted the full 26.2 miles.
My focused to succeed meant that I was following a fairly strict marathon training schedule. I only ran 3-4 times a week and cycled on my ‘cross-training’ days to keep my aerobic capacity on the up.
All my training was completed without too many hitches and I felt prepared enough to get myself round. The only variable that gets me mentally is how quickly I could get round. I managed 2hrs 41min for a 20 mile training run and my training schedule was aimed towards an average 8 min/mile pace which would get me round in 3:26.
So there I was standing among another 15,000 or so other mortals waiting for the starters orders. We were all there for a million different reasons but all our goals were the same, to finish the race.
The most difficult part of any long-distance training programme is getting to the starting line. Many obstacles have to be confronted and there are so many things that could go wrong. However, I was there with the sea of others ready to roll out of Edinburgh on the 26.2 mile journey.
The day itself was amazing, with clear blue skies as far as the eye could see and a slight early morning cool breeze. The crowds were out in there thousands around the start area and the atmosphere was electric. The announcer on the PA system kept everyone entertained with the usual countdown to start wit until the moment of waiting arrived, bang, we were off. I was in the ‘pen’ behind the elite guys so within a minute or so I was over the start line and my journey had begun.
Mile 1was really emotional, the crowds, the runners, the event and the anticipation of seeing my family in the crowds meant it was a one to keep with me for the rest of the race. A quick toilet stop in mile 1 as well as the crowds of runners meant that it was a slow opening 8:38 mile, but thoroughly enjoyable none the less. Miles 2-8 were pretty uneventful; everyone was getting into the swing of things and settling into their running. What did strike me early on in this period was the rate at which the early morning temperature was increasing. The weather forecast for the day was due for a hot one but little did we realise how hot it was going to get.
Mile 8-9 brought us to Mussleborough racecourse area where the first leg of the marathon relay folks would change over, something different to take your mind of the running for a brief second before we were out on the open road again. My pacing was spot on averaging 8 min/mile. Through 8 mile in 1:04.
Throughout my longer training runs I’d been practicing eating drills on the move, which were four jelly babies and four gulps of Lucozade sport every half hour. On race day I was wearing what I’d been wearing in training, a hydration belt which held two 10oz bottles and a little pocket to house the jelly babies.
My eating an drinking drills were going well during the race. I was even more conscious of ‘fluids on board’ during the race due to the weather, so every water stop I made sure to sufficiently rehydrate.
Miles 8-13 took us along the sea front on the out-and-back section of the course, some love it, some hate it. Personally it wasn’t very exciting for me, through some dreary villages and heavily overgrown roadsides meant that whatever sea breeze we had, just disappeared. During this period of the race you’d start to see the odd competitor by the side of the road, tucked in the shade accompanied by paramedics, all the more reason to eat and drink, I though. From mile 11 or so an annoying niggle in my left hamstring appeared, nothing serious enough to stop me from running but certainly enough to play on my mind a little.
Through 13 mile in 1:45. At this point I was now down on my schedule but not too concerned as if I was able to continue at this pace I may still break the magical 3:30.
All of a sudden miles 14 -20 seemed to become fairly demanding. The country roads narrowed and the large hedgerows blocked the sea breeze. During this phase of the race it felt as if there were nowhere to escape the heat. I noticed more runners sat by the side of the road wrapped in silver blankets with paramedics by the side of them and again thought to myself, keep hydrated and fuelled.
I started to see the elite athletes coming into view further down the road on the opposite side and these boys were flying. The winners time was around 2:18 and no wonder, the stride length on the front two boys was awesome and there was us mere mortals just trying to focus on placing one foot in front of another.
I hit mile 16 and decided I needed a little motivational support and luckily I had paced my ipod into my waist belt for this reason. The music went on and I went into a trance, the music blocked out the patter of feet on the road as well as any other distractions from the road side and I managed to tap out a steady tempo. The turning point of the out and back section took us around a large country house, some country house on the coast surrounded by overhanging trees which offering a little rest bite from the searing heat.
This didn’t last long and before we knew it we were back on the same road going in the opposite direction with the same high hedgerows and lack of breeze. Fluids were now being taken on board at an alarming rate. At each water stop I was taking two small bottles of water and a Lucozade sport drink and boy were they well received. I was through 20 mile in 2:45, down on my 20 mile training run by five minutes.
I was now down to an average pace of 8:15 per mile, however things started to deteriorate come mile 21. I read numerous articles relating to hitting the ‘wall’ but never really thought it would happen to me, but boy did it ever. In my years competing I have never experienced anything as strange a feeling as this. It felt as if I was carrying a refrigerator to the finish line. I knew I had to move my legs quicker than they were going but just couldn’t. I felt like I had the energy but they just wouldn’t move quicker. One quote I read before the marathon sums the whole race up and is apparent at this point in the race. It goes; ‘A marathon is 20 miles of hope and 6 miles of truth’.
My time for mile 21 was 9:48, yes that’s right 9:48!! Never have I run such a slow mile in my entire life. The mile markers could not come quick enough, my body felt like it was going into melt down but in my mind I knew one thing; that I would never walk at any point. I wanted to come through this experience and be able to say that I ran the entire 26.2 miles. After mile 21 my pace lifted some what but not quicker the 9 minute miles. The pace varied between 9-9:25 to mile 25.
During mile 23 I managed to tag along side a chap that was running at a similar pace. We didn’t make conversation, make eye contact at any point, or even acknowledge each others existence. The thing we did do though was to keep each other going. Our foot strike seemed to hit the ground at the exact same time which exaggerated the mental trace I was in. We took on water at the last station and passed mile marker number 25. The pace lifted for a brief period due to the thought of finishing the race but again slipped slightly. It didn’t help that my new ‘running buddy’ decided to take off, however only to suffer in the final stages. The sight of the finish at the racecourse seemed to take an eternity to reach. I was running on auto pilot and was just about finished my journey.
I ran into the racecourse area I noticed a type of floor matting underfoot that was covering the grassed area. This played havoc with the legs as I was unable to determine whether there were any uneven ground under the matting that could cause any potential problems. My legs we tired enough without any extra variables to worry about. As I continued through the finish area the crowds really were amazing, shouting and screaming words of encouragement as I made my final steps. I was conscious that my family were waiting among the crowds on the left of the finish approach, so I tried to keep left, look out for them as well a watching my footing.
There they were. The family were going berserk and it was such a welcoming sight. I was mentally and physically drained but the sight of them gave me a massive boost and I made it over the finish line. 26.2 miles in 3 hours 44 mins and 26 seconds of running. A little disappointed I wasn’t able to keep to my schedule of 3;30 but pleased with my achievement.
Everyone who crosses the finish line has earned and deserves the medal. Some complete the marathon in 3 hours, some in 6 hours. The differences between us all aren’t related to paces. The differences are related to genetics, the decisions me make and the priorities we have. The accomplishment however, is identical.
Race Stats;
Miles 26.33
Time: 3:44:26
Avg pace: 8:3/mi
Avg Hr: 86% Max
Calories Burned: 3,792
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