In preparing for IMC, I have been doing a lot of interval work. Short, long, swim, bike and run. All kinds of different ones. I thought I would pass along some things that I have noticed.

HR significantly lags effort -- those of us that like to use our HRMs for training will have to ignore HR when doing intervals. Probably the most common mistake with interval (muscular endurance) work is going out too hard. An over-enthusiastic athlete blows the entire set by the second repetition.

Pacing -- In order to avoid self-destruction, I always build into each interval and each set. Just like in a race, I split the work effort into quarters.

• In the first quarter, my body is fresh and free of lactate, the goal here is to hold back.
• In the second quarter, I maintain goal interval pace/effort.
• The third quarter is where most people have a dip in output and this is where I like to focus on maintaining my effort while holding perfect form.
• The final quarter can be tough if the interval intensity is high. However, for IM we are rarely doing very high output intervals. If you have paced yourself through the first 75% of the repetition then the quiet satisfaction of a solid repeat should bring you home.

Many sports scientists have spent time analyzing the optimal mix of intensity, duration and recovery. The good news is that we do not have to completely fry ourselves to get the physiological adaptations that we desire. This is particularly true for IM training where most athletes are close to their recovery limits. I see this a lot in the pool where swimmers are proud that they "don't need their rest" or completely explode in the middle of the main set (break out the fins and pull-buoys!). The ability to descend and/or maintain pace is the hallmark of the intelligent athlete.

Temperament -- Intervals are a great way to get a look at how you are likely to perform in a race situation.

• Do you fade towards the end of the main set? -- You'll need to focus on mental toughness and/or better front end pacing.
• Do you consistently fry yourself in the first few repeats? -- You will need to leave your ego at the race start.
• Do you want to quit in the middle, struggle through then feel great at the end? -- You'll likely benefit from visualizing strong performance in the middle of a race.

Sense of Pace -- Most strong swimmers, bikers or runners have an in built sense of what pace they are going. They don't need a clock, HRM or speedo -- they just "know". Different paced intervals are excellent for helping the athlete learn a sense of pace. Swimmers always have access to a pace clock and it can be quite beneficial for all athletes to do pace work on measured courses or tracks. Intervals are the perfect time to develop your sense of different paces.

Nutrition -- Ever wonder if your stomach will be able to handle a certain sports drink in an Ironman race? Drink 1.5L of it before a 40K time trial and you'll have an idea of how you'll fair. Ever wonder what it is like to eat solid foods at the end of an IM bike? Insert 5x3 min hard on 1 min recovery at the three-hour mark of a Zn 2 ride. As soon as your breathing as slowed after the intervals... unwrap your favorite flavor. These are somewhat extreme examples of how you can use intervals to "test" your nutrition.

Safety -- I'd be remiss if I didn't remind you that doing hard bike intervals outdoors is probably the most dangerous activity that we do as triathletes. Travelling at high speed on the aerobars is risky. Here are some tips....

• Always wear a helmet. I am constantly amazed at how, otherwise sane, athletes leave their helmets at home (or even take them off!). To illustrate this point, drop a cantaloupe from a height of six feet onto the road. Now picture the same scene with the cantaloupe starting at a speed of 20-45mph.
• If riding in the dark then use lights and wear reflective clothing. I used to do a lot of riding in the dark -- it makes a huge difference to your chances of being seen. Once you get used to riding safely, you'll feel naked without your protective gear. High quality LED flashers are inexpensive and make a huge difference.
• Assume that you are invisible. A triathlete moving at high speed on the aerobars doesn't present a lot of frontal area for a driver to see. Always assume that the car doesn't see you. It's better to "lose" a bit of a repeat than spend weeks recovering from a superman impersonation across someone's hood.
• Keep your head up. Seems straightforward, but I see a lot of folks out hammering with their head down. It's not just cars that can get you -- joggers, pedestrians, potholes, ditches, other cyclists... I've had close calls with them all.
• Review your route in advance. I like to warm up by riding through the entire interval route. That way, I am able to spot any potential trouble spots in advance.
• Be aware of the location of all traffic, particularly cars that are approaching you from behind. From my time in the urban jungle, I always like to have a bailout option. Know what all the vehicles are doing in your area.

• An inability to keep your head up -- could be a sign that you are going too hard. If you want to put your head down and hammer, then ride on your trainer. You get the same benefit without any additional risk.
• Tension in any part of your body -- most noticeable in the non-exercising portion. Tension is wasted energy and non-economical. It can also be responsible for the back, neck and shoulder pain commonly felt during long distance workouts. Key focus areas: legs/neck/jaw in the swim, shoulder/neck/jaw while running, arms/hands/neck/jaw while riding. It is a personal thing, but my jaw and neck are good indicators for me. Notice where you are holding tension and focus on relaxing. If you are able to relax, then you'll likely find that you speed up with less effort. Congratulations! You just became more economical.
• Loss of hearing and or the ability to focus -- you might smile but I know people that crank this hard. Once your hearing goes, you are approaching max effort (regardless of what your HRM says!). Again, it is not necessary for IM athletes to train this hard.
• Inability to maintain pace or intensity -- once you've blown, it is probably best to pack it in and start another day. If it was a mild explosion, then quite often some easy aerobic work can clear the lactate out of your muscles before a second attempt. Far better to take extra rest and maintain form.

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Diet and Recovery

Diet is a personal issue for every athlete but I wanted to share a recent experience I had. Recently, I made two changes to my diet. #1 - I started cooking in a cast iron wok. #2 - I started eating red meat 3-5 times per week. You'll remember that I used to only eat red meat once a month. Well, I noticed the difference in my recovery within seven days. Seeing as my cholesterol numbers are very healthy, I figured that I would increase my red meat intake and "see what happened". What happened was very beneficial. Perhaps my iron levels increased, perhaps the meat agrees with me. I'm not sure.

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"...but it felt so easy"

Most of you will have seen my recent article on IM bike pacing. A further reminder that going anaerobic in long distance triathlon is very costly. When we are tapered, rested and excited -- we are able to hold very high intensities for surprising long periods of time. It will feel effortless as you start the bike at Olympic distance race pace. Many people around you will be riding hard looking to hit a target pace split. Remember that the race is to the finish line, not T2.

It you hammer you will pay a price. Build into your day, it's the easiest way to a PR.

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Compassion

You know that fat guy at the race on a mountain bike? How about the guy in surf shorts at the pool that can barely swim a 100m? What about that guy you saw on your run struggling to make it three miles? That guy is me six years ago and I really wish we would give him (and her!) a break.

We all have to start somewhere and slower athletes have just a much right to train as the rest of us. This is something that I try to focus on -- not surprising, it is easier to keep my ego in check as a slow pro than it was a fast age-grouper. Something about getting my butt kicked! ;-)

Know that the energy you spend focusing on why "that person shouldn't be passing me" is completely wasted! Save it for yourself, you'll likely need it on the run.

All the best with the rest of your season,