Ironman Analysis
A Weekend on the Ironman Wales Bike Course
I opened the curtains in our Tenby apartment to be greeted by a bright and sunny morning, the air was still and the sea was calm, I could only hope for conditions like this on race day, in seven months time. We were lucky, many a childhood summer has been spent on British beaches, sheltering […]
Lessons From History
Dear Diary, I regret not filling you in during the off season, and while it was liberating to train without power the sense of inaccuracy surrounding my Performance Management Chart frustrates me. For the second year in a row my reduced motivation to train was matched by a reduced motivation to log when I trained. […]
Reviewing a Very Different Season
There was no plan. That is the single, underlying cause of this season’s ups and downs. Training was leisure time; I avoided strict structure, did what I wanted and had other priorities. It wasn’t without results, apply a stress often enough and it will lead to changes, but directionless it built towards nothing and eventually […]
More Power in Kona
I wasn’t there, but I’ve spent more time analysing Kona data that in previous years. Following my look at Nick Baldwin’s incredibly controlled race I received four more power files from my friend Roger Canham. Roger has raced in Hawaii every year since 2008 and wanted my view on the power data over that period. […]
Perfect Ironman Execution in Kona
I didn’t enjoy Kona much this year – I wasn’t there. I hate to admit it, but I followed the event with jealousy; I’ve only been twice, but after a few years trying to qualify it has become part of my season. Each blog I read or podcast I listened to made me more determined […]
Challenge Henley Performance Analysis
No race review is complete without examining the data collected over the event. Power, pace and heart rate give me a good indication as to what happened during a tough day out. After a month without training I had no idea what to expect – I was racing blind. With no real sense of fitness […]
Epic Camp France 2011 – Performance Analysis
If you are unfamiliar with terms like Training Stress Score or Performance Management Chart then much of this post will go over your head. I want to close Epic Camp with a look at the numbers behind the training. I’ve written extensively on how camp progressed and how I felt, but never had time to […]
The Outlaw Triathlon – Post-Race Analysis
Tough races are often the best learning experiences. I knew I would have problems at the Outlaw, but come away with useful data and insights for future events. It was about the bike, a chance to test the one area I’d really trained this season. Performance was good, I pushed hard, though felt there was […]
Post-Race Analysis – A Detailed Look at Ironman Austria Bike Performance
The European Ironman season is at its peak, Sunday’s are spent on my laptop tracking triathletes. Having athletes in Ironman Austria and Challenge Roth has ensured a busy fortnight; when the race is over the analysis begins. Debriefings are a pleasure if the day went to plan, but when goals were missed it is a […]
Training by feel or by numbers?
I’ve spent the week without a power meter. Jittery rear braking drew my attention to some small cracks in the rear rim immediately taking it out of action. Whilst it was being repaired I had to take a step back, abandoning wattage and looking at heart rate and speed if I wanted numbers. Both were […]
