react to the gels, bars and electrolytes you use when you are racing at a higher heart rate (race pace) than is usual when you're training. "Practise eating during training. Try to eat what and when you would during a race," recommends Taylor. It is also
against your skin on race day - and it should not be a new sensation."You wouldn't use a mountain bike to train for a road race and the same rule applies to your triathlon preparations," says Dan Halksworth, a former Commonwealth Games swimmer who is now a
. "For Ironman Germany in 2006 and Ironman Switzerland in 2009, I obsessively looked at online course profiles and listened to banter about the races on the Runner's World forums. My training cycle loop has four climbs that matched those in the Ironman
race. Warm up on the bike for 10 to 15 minutes, then put in three or four 5K intervals at race pace. If you can use a course that simulates your next race, all the better.Arriving back at your transition, do a fast turnaround and head out for a 20
weeks before a race as it will familiarise you with the open-water scenario," says Griffiths. As you near race day you can trim the distances." Warm up with 10-15 minutes' steady swimming - practise sighting every six to eight strokes and swim in a
compromising your performance. Jon Alexander explored these matters while he was training for Challenge Barcelona in 2009. His plan was to race while trying to minimise his carbon footprint. He says there are three main issues: kit, diet and transport. Where
