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My 1st Tri - last 7 days preperation

I'm competing in my first tri on the 21st at Highworth, I'm pretty happy with how my training has gone, but I would really like advice about the intensity/frequency of training in the week leading up to the Tri and if there is any advice you can give me regarding eating/nutrition in the last 24hours - or does it not really matter??



cheers



Scott

Comments

  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    Reducing activity in the week before an event is known as 'tapering'. You will not get any/appreciably faster but will tire out your body for an event if you continue at training levels. Instead just do enough to keep the muscles supple, gentle jog, swim etc.



    As for nutrition, 'carb loading' is oft mentioned, I understand that the body can draw on its 'carb' store for up to 90 minutes of intense activity which utilises greater than 60% (I think, or is it 70%) of VO2max, e.g. Sprint Triathlons. Fat is burned up at low level activities such as walking but any greater intensity needs carbs as a sources of fuel so I am afraid tubbies like me are just carrying around the equivalent of £3k's worth of titanium bike and bling bits but not burning it off - ho hum.



    I pulled up one search which states that ' ... at least 3 days of intake which includes 800g carbohydrate per day (or 6-10 g CHO/kg/body weight/day) and a week of tapered workouts that ends in complete rest the day before the competition. This carbohydrate loading plan maintains high glycogen stores in the body.'

    The complete article is here:

    http://drugfreesport.com/choices/nutrition/carbohydrate.html

    In other words eat pasta and not chicken.



    With regards to hydration, drink water rather than tea or coffee where possible but not so much that you flush the 'good stuff' out, at least once a day your urine should be clear, if it isn't drink more water. There has been some debate as to energy drink consumption during training in this forum and the effect on teeth - high sugar - it's got to pay.



    Don't forget your banana before the event.



    I am sure there are more technicaly minded chaps and chapesse out there - good luck.
  • As a general rule of thumb I tend to half the amount of time that I train in my taper week. (My distance is Sprint) So if my usual run is 40 min with 20 mins of fast pace I will do a 20 min run with 10 min fast pace. I follow this basic principle for swim and cycle. I will still maintain the same frequency though and finish up with a 30 min cycle on the saturday at local vicar pace. This seems to work for me.



    I have stopped everything a week before a race but in my head I considred myself to have lost fitness. This was obviously not a good state of mind to go into a race.





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