Coach Talks to First Time IronMan Racer

Swim
“Keep moving and stay calm. Relax the whole way through. Cruise through the swim. Don’t try very hard. Treat it as the warm-up for the day. Relax your stroke. Remember to take nice long strokes, and breathe.”

Bike
“Aim for a heart rate between 140-145 on the bike. Expect that your heart rate will be elevated with adrenaline as you come off the swim. Err on the side of caution. Be especially cautious, aiming for low 140s to Osoyoos. IronMan doesn’t start until the base of Richter. Expect the unexpected. Enjoy Yellow Lake. Continue reading

Reverse Training

“I’ve got a new secret weapon… and it’s called reverse training!” After 4 workouts for the whole of March, I had a great time trial weekend. “What’s this?”, you say. “Joanne’s got a new secret weapon called reverse training. Tell me more!” Reverse training is where you put life on hold and you ignore training completely. You do no workouts. None at all. Except maybe once a week, when “as a treat” you allow some time for yourself and you head out for the Sunday workout. Reverse training works best when extenuating circumstances leave you no spare time at all – and in my experience it’s best if you’re completely emotionally and physically drained every day. Continue reading