Chrissie Wellington

2011 is nearly over and it’s at this time of the year where we can reflect on great sporting achievements. Ok, so the All Blacks winning the World Cup after 24 years was quite an achievement, but that is a team sport and this is a triathlon website, so who deserves special praise? There is only really one standout performer and her name is Chrissie Wellington.

Chrissie burst onto the professional triathlon scene in 2007 with an emphatic Ironman World Championship Kona win in Hawaii.

Four years later (apart from 2010 where she was unable to race due to personal illness) she has owned that race completely and practically every other one she competes in. She remains undefeated in Ironman races having a record 12 from 12 first places. I remember reading an article about Chrissie just before this years World Championship race. It was stating that it wasn’t a question of if she would win Kona, 2011 but by how much and this proved to be very much the case.

How does one perform at the highest level over and over again with such consistency? Chrissie would be the first to admit that the physical and fitness side is just one part of her success. The other key part is her mental strength. It was interesting to read about her early training days. Before she turned professional she worked in Kathmandu, Nepal and used to cycle regularly in the high altitude mountains for fun. Now that would certainly give you a good base for mental strength.

Any long distance endurance athlete will always mention the mental barrier that you have to push your body through and Chrissie seems to be well versed in this area. There is no doubt she pushes her physical body to the limits and the flip side for this to work is that when she is not racing she is also very capable to switch off and relax, rest and meditate.

I admire her extraordinary determination, motivation, and smile during and after every race. Keep up the fantastic work Chrissie and all the best for 2012!

Triathlon Wetsuit

Here is a quick “5 feature” check list to view before you make your purchase.

Also visit http://www.triathlon-wetsuits.org.uk to view a wide selection of recommended triathlon wetsuits.

1. Triathlon Wetsuit material

Neoprene is the most common triathlon wetsuit material.  Top brands coat their more expensive wetsuits with a silicon coating skin (SCS or SXS) that cuts quicker through water helping with your glide and propulsion through the water.  The “nano” coating on some wetsuits helps trap air between the silicon and the suit to increase buoyancy.   The important part to remember about the material is the thickness.  It should have varied levels of thickness with the shoulder panels and arms thinner than the chest and legs.  The arms and shoulders are thinner to help with extra movement and flexibility, while the thicker material around the chest, torso and upper legs help with stability and floatation.

2. Right size and wetsuit construction

The wetsuit needs to fit snuggly and not allow any water flow.  The wrists, ankles and neck should have a comfortable firm seal.  The wetsuit construction itself should have a mixture of stitching and glue between the panels to increase the life of your wetsuit.  Wearing a wetsuit will generally feel tight and hot when you are out of the water.  Once you enter the water it will start to feel more comfortable.  Choose the correct size by using the height and weight size guides found on most online retail websites.   As a rule of thumb if your body type is tall and thin then be guided more by the height and with short and wide body types go with the weight size guides.

Triathlon wetsuits should have a zipper that draws all the way down the back, so the end is level with your hips.  This makes it easier to put the wetsuit on and ensures an easier transition when taking off your wetsuit from the water exit.  You can also use a water-soluble lubricant around your ankles to make it even easier to take off your wetsuit.

4. Propulsion panels and speed strakes

Top of the line triathlon wetsuits can also offer rubber panels on the bottom side of the forearms.  They act as paddles when swimming.  This helps the pull stroke and creates faster propulsion through the water.  Another new feature for top brand wetsuits include speed strakes along the chest panels and the legs.  The strakes help with hydrodynamic stability.  They also ensures you keep an effective, straight line swim.

If you are buying online, always check that the retailer has a warranty and exchange policy in place.  Buying a wetsuit is an expensive investment, so it’s important to have piece of mind if it is damaged due to manufacturing error.

I hope these 5 features helps with your purchase decision and please remember to view http://www.triathlon-wetsuits.org.uk to view some of the best value and performing wetsuits in the marketing today.

This article is written by Mike Kirkman. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on training tips and creating a winning mindset to achieve your triathlon goals, please visit http://www.triathlon2win.com

It was warm sunny evening back in August 2010, when I sprained my ankle.  Playing touch rugby on the uneven surface of Regents Park in London, I rolled over in pain.  Right there and then I started RICE recovery straight away.  That’s Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (RICE) treatment.  I had an x-ray at Accident & Emergency the next morning to confirm no broken bones.

I thought after a few weeks of rest and I should be back up running and training in no time.  Unfortunately after two months, I still had swelling around the joint and my physio treatment (with ultra-sound) wasn’t helping with my recovery.  I tried another sports physio who had over two years of football physio experience.  He had seen a lot of sprained ankle injuries and said that physio treatment may not help fix this type of injury, because there was so much instability and movement in my ankle.

To get to the bottom of this I needed to get an MRI scan and the results indicated that I had a complete tear of the ATFL and partial tears of both the PTFL and CFL ligaments.  Having decided not to choose the operation route, I’ll be sticking to a rigid physio plan of daily exercise to slowly build up my muscle strength and proprioception, through ankle movement and balance exercises. 

After six months of research and talking to professionals, I have discovered the five main techniques to strengthen and improve ankle balance.  Once you have finished the RICE recovery method, try using these five exercises to improve recovery time to sprained ankle.  These exercises can also help prevent ankle injuries:

1. On one foot slowly raise up and down bending the knee x 15 times.  If required use wall for balance.
2. On one foot slowly raise on to your toes and hold for 5 seconds x 15 times. Use wall for balance.
3. Walk on tip toes back and forth for 1 minute and then on your heels for 1 minute.
4. With no support, balance on one foot and try to keep steady.  Try the same exercise and close your eyes.  Hold for 1 minute.
5. Use a wobble board or balance board with slow movement back and forth for 2 minutes.

There is a lot of work to be done before I can start playing touch rugby again, but hopefully I’ll be back up and ready for when the season begins.  The same applies to hockey, tennis and squash or any sport where there a sudden switch in movement is required.

Merry Xmas

While the southern hemisphere triathlon season started off this month, here in London the cold weather and snow has well and truly put an end to the triathlon season.

Now is a good time to reflect on your achievements for the year and also a great time to put a plan in place to reach your triathlon goals in 2011.  My good friend Sanjib recently asked me to conduct an interview about staying motivated for his www.mywisdomclub.com subscribers.

The interview lasts for about 25 minutes and highlights key areas on staying motivated in preparing for a triathlon.  We discuss how to create goals and the importance of having the right, like minded people around you.  We also talk about why it helps to have a mentor or coach and share the value of motivating others and holding each other accountable.  What can do when your motivation drops and how to adapt to everyday challenges.

If you would like to hear the interview, please click on the link below and remember to enter your name and email in the form on the right to continue to receive future article updates.

01 Improve Your Motivation

Enjoy the motivation interview, Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Best wishes,

Mike Kirkman

A lot of newbie triathletes are very excited about starting their first triathlon, only to find that after jumping in the pool they struggle to complete 25m and after 50m they are completely exhausted.  Breathing is very difficult and they have a hard time getting into any smooth swim rhythm.  Does this sound familiar?

Don’t worry, you are not alone.  This feeling is very common when you are first starting out.  It’s the same feeling I had just before entering my first sprint triathlon.  You are all pumped up and ready to take on your first ever triathlon only to discover you have a mountain to climb and that mountain is Everest!

Help is on hand.  There is plenty of great advice online.  Research and view some youtube videos showing basic rolling and balance drills for swimmers.  Use bilateral breathing, which means turning your head both sides.  Be patient and initially breathe as often as you can and practice.  The more you practice, the more comfortable and relaxed you will feel in the water.  This in turn will help you use less energy and be more efficient when gliding through the water.

My best advice is to hire a swim coach for a few lessons.  You can read as much as you like online, but until you have someone actual look at your overall swim stroke, it will be very hard to perfect your technique by yourself.  Your coach will be able to break down your current swim style and address any flaws you have.  They will then be able to help you to focus on different areas of your swim technique.  Once you have the right technique in place, it is then a matter of putting it into practice, over and over again.  The types of swim drills a coach will use include, arm stroke, bilateral breathing, body roll and kicking sessions.

Remember what it was like when you first starting running, your heart rate increased and you probably felt tense and uncomfortable during the run.  You probably thought, how can anyone actually enjoy running?  This is exactly what it can be like when you first start to swim.  If your body is experiencing something new and different, it will start to feel uncomfortable.  Once you get used to swimming in the water your body will love you for it.  And I promise you will actually start to enjoy it too!

If breathing is the main problem, you may also want to consider using a snorkel.  This will mean you can practice every other area of your swimming style without having to worry about the breathing part too.  Once you become more comfortable, you can then slowly integrate the turning of the head (with the snorkel on) to imitate the breathing method side to side.  Your breathing will become more natural once you have a good balanced swim stroke and body roll.  This will make the transition easier once you remove your snorkel.

Finally, the mental state of mind should not be underestimated.  Having a relaxed mind is a very important part of swimming.  Visualise yourself as a great swimmer and having a calm mind will also help you conserve energy and make your performance in the water more effective.

Good luck and make that call to the swim coach today!

This article is written by Mike Kirkman. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on training tips and creating a winning mindset to achieve your triathlon goals, please visit http://www.triathlon2win.com

If you haven’t ventured to Wales, I can thoroughly recommend their range of spectacular, world class mountain bike trials.  We managed to pick a sunny weekend to get away with friends to Glyncorrwg located in the Afan Forest Park.  After trying out the flat “Afan Rheilffordd” trial, which covers 14 miles of disused railway and forest road links, we stepped up a few levels to try out “The Wall” bike trial.  This was certainly a big step up with some places leaving you a little exposed on the steep-sided slopes.  While not for the fainthearted, the great views of the Welsh valleys and coastline made it all worthwhile.  The trial provides some of the best single track descents in the UK, offering a fast and technical ride.

It was on this trip that the subject of cycle cadence came up.  “What is the point of measuring that? I just want to know how fast I go.” my mate asked.

It is a valid question for triathletes, as the cadence measure is the number of times your legs rotate.  Or the actual number of times the crank turns over per rpm (revolutions per minute).  Most triathlete coaches will suggest 80-100 rpm  as a good optimal target range.  Each individual will have their own cadence preference, depending on the terrain and triathlon length.

Learning how to pedal at a higher cadence has other advantages like easier gear changing when transitioning into a hill climb.  It’s not a great feeling hitting the wrong gear and having to stand on your pedals to get up the hills.  This is a sure fast way to use up glycogen energy stores.  If you are riding against the wind or in wind gusts then you are also less susceptible to muscle fatigue at higher cadence levels.

London Triathlon 2010

Are you considering booking in your next or even your first triathlon? I can recommend visiting the www.trifinder.co.uk website to find out the latest upcoming triathlon events in your local area. Or visit www.trimapper.com for global events. Here in the UK, I must say we are spoilt for choice. We really are in the middle of the triathlon season with still plenty of triathlons taking place over the next two months. Some of the popular ones are of course already booked out, but there are plenty of the smaller, local events to keep you entertained.

I have no triathlon booked into my calendar at the moment and I’m sitting here asking myself why not? I do have a reasonable excuse, as I’m injured. I sprained my ankle last week playing touch rugby. It was no-one’s fault – well apart from the uneven grass surface at Regents Park. I just happened to be running down the sideline chasing my team mate with the ball when all of a sudden my right foot decided to roll over, causing me to slide and hit the ground in a sorry heap. A visit to A&E the next morning for an Xray highlighted no fracture and only a bad sprain.

I’m certain I’ll be fine in a couple of weeks time, but what other excuses will I have then. No doubt the following statements will be going through my head:

I’m not ready to commit to my next race yet. I’m sticking with my injury excuse for the moment. When I am ready, I know what I have to do to make it happen. Otherwise, procrastination kicks in and before you know it the season is over and another year disappears. The question is how can we break this procrastination cycle and start achieving our goals, like competing in one more triathlon before the year end.

Don’t forgot to put a reward in place after you have achieved the goal. Book in a holiday for a job well done.

Sherry McLaughlin, President and Founder of The Michigan Institute for Human Performance (MIHP) has put together a dozen exercises specifically targeted for triathletes of all abilities from beginner to Ironman level.  The institute studies human movement and biomechanics.  The training solutions help prevent injury and promote lifetime athletic participation.

I’m pleased to be able to recommend a downloadable PDF, available to order online via the MIHP website. The “Triathlete’s Daily Dozen” PDF is an easy to use chart using both written comprehensive descriptions and pictures to describe each of the twelve different activities.

Click here to download the Triathlete’s Daily Dozen PDF priced at $9.95.

Remember how you play is just a reflection on how your prepare!

I like to add touch rugby and hockey as part of my fitness schedule and every now and then I like to mix it up with something different.

A friend of mine introduced me to the sport of kiteboarding a couple of year ago and he regularly visits the Princes Club, located just west of London to hone his skills by going wakeboarding.

I had never heard of the Princes Club, so I was very interested in taking up the wakeboarding opportunity when the invitation arose.  To my surprise, the venue allows open water swimming on the weekend mornings between 6am to 8.55am and Monday evenings between 5pm to 8pm.  Perfect for triathletes, this location is ideal to practice long distance, open water swims.  However, on this occasion, we weren’t there for the swimming.

It was a very professional service with helmet, wetsuit, lifejacket and wakeboard hire available.  Beginners also view a briefing and safety video to ensure you know what to when you inevitably fall into the water.  Overall it was a very enjoyable afternoon and at £20 for two hours plus £12 board, helmet and life jacket hire makes it value for money and a fun training session too.  The location is conveniently placed very close to Heathrow airport and only 14 miles from central London.  For west London based triathletes, cycling to the venue is also a good option.  The return leg with a wet wetsuit on your back would make for a tough journey home.

This article is written by Mike Kirkman. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included. For more information on training tips and creating a winning mindset to achieve your triathlon goals, please visit http://www.triathlon2win.com

(11 July 2010) London turned on the charm for the 10th anniversary of the 10km race that has grown strength to strength in size and popularity.  Almost on par with the size of the London Marathon there was a record number of nearly 25k runners along with 40k spectators scattered along the route to give support.

There was a light patch of rain at the start of the race, but that soon gave way for for blue skies, sunshine and perfect race conditions.  The pre-start entertainment included a procession of the Lord Mayor of the City of Westminster and the horse mounted band of the Blues and Royals.

The actual course takes you through most of the major landmarks in London with views including Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge, Tate Modern, Westminster Bridge, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.  The race route also has PA systems at all the major landmarks blasting out inspirational tunes like ‘Chariots of Fire’ to keep you moving along swiftly.  The local supporters also gave everyone plenty of encouragement along the whole of the run.  Plenty of drink stations were well positioned along the length of the course to keep the masses re-hydrated on the warm summer day.

This is my 4th straight year of entering the run with a team supporting the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) and like the run itself our team gets bigger every year, thanks to the special support from Drijen Shah and Ameet Aggarwal.  This year we raised over £11,000 as a team.  You can still donate with the details found online here:  http://original.justgiving.com/mikekirkman1