SCIENTIFIC TRAINING: IS IT WORTH IT?

Since the birth of triathlon some 25+yrs ago, there have been mounds of technological inventions and training tools hitting the markets, all aimed at presumably making you into a better and faster triathlete. The question worth asking is, are they worth the money spent on them, and how much of an advantage do they hold especially for the novice/beginner triathlete wanting to get into the sport?

The advent of compression gear, power meters and cranks, heart rate monitors and nutritional advances to name but a few, have all been hailed as the “next big thing” or a “must have” in pursuit of athletical prowess. These all come at a considerable cost of course and for one keen to just get into the sport, do you really need them?

Let me draw a quick comparison and I know there are many arguments for and against this comparison, but it kind of sums up what I am going advise you to do, especially if you’re new to the sport.

Some 18 years ago back in 1989, Mark Allen and Dave Scott had one of the world’s best and closest duels in any endurance event ever when they raced neck and neck for the right to be crowned Kona Iron man World Champion. Mark won that race in an incredible 8:09:15 and posted a best ever (even to this day) marathon split of 2:40:04 for the right to be crowned King of Kona. Dave finished a close 2nd in 8:10:13.
Since then, only one man has gone faster and that was Luc Van Lierde back in 1996 when he crossed the line in a race record time of 8:04:08.

Last year, Aussie Craig Alexander was crowned king in a time of 8:17:45 with a marathon split time of 2:45.

Now what does this tell us? Firstly it tells us that all these guys are incredible athletes and dually deserve the praise of being some of the sports all time greats. What it also tells me personally is, that with all these technological advances and “breakthroughs” since that day in 1989 (a cool 18 years ago), the athletes are no faster today than they were back then. As mentioned earlier, there could be many reasons for this and one could argue for hours on why this is potentially so.

The point I am going to make is that back then, a lot of today’s scientific approaches to training and racing did not even exist. That’s tells me that there is certainly something to be said to “getting back to the basics”.

Getting back to basics?

What exactly do I mean in regards to the above statement?

It means that to be a good triathlete and to succeed in achieving your own personal goals, you do not have to spend a fortune on training and racing tools. Get back to the basics of just swimming, biking and running. There is an old saying amongst cyclists that says riding 100km a day in training will fix any problems.
There is of course a huge gulf that exists between the guys and girls racing as Pro’s and winning in Kona and you average Joe Bob age group triathlete who has to balance a working life with that of being a triathlete. You simply cannot swim, bike and run all day and need to get the most out of a single session in the time limit available. That is when some of these training tools out there come in very handy and certainly benefit the athlete using them.

Lets look at some of the tools and products out there in short and rate them as a “must have” or “nice to have” and look at possible alternatives that will not break the bank.

Tools and Products:

Compression Gear:

Now I have seen the scientific stats and research on these garments and even have some myself. Do they really work and are they worth the expense?

Personally speaking, I cannot say that they do or rather, I cannot see or feel any visible advantages from using them in and after training, even racing for that matter of fact. It’s quite funny to see the snap shots taken from some of the ironman races world-wide. You get these athletes clad head-to-toe in the latest compression gear looking like something out of the latest sci-fi movie. Does it make them any faster? I would think not but some athletes (even some of the best Pro’s) swear by it. I would put this into the category “nice to have” but not essential in pursuit of performance levels. The important aspect here is not to follow the so called “fashion conscious brigade” and wear them because everybody else seems to be wearing them. Develop some individualism and adopt an aka Faris Al Sutan approach and wear what you like with apparel that is comfortable and makes you feel good. The gear you don will not necessarily make you faster.

Power Cranks and Meters

This is still a fairly new innovation and more and more athletes are switching to power training as a means to improving their performances, especially on the bike. There are loads of stats that suggest power meters and measuring wattage output are sure to boost your performances on the bike. They do come at a price though, so if money is no object and you truly want the best in training tools, then this is the way to go. Having personally not gone down that road thus far, I cannot comment on the pros and con’s of power meters. I can however tell you that as a newcomer or novice wanting to get into the sport of triathlon and multisport, that they are not essential tools right from the gun and you can do without until you reach a certain level and want to up your game. I have used the power crank system of training before and after a period of prolonged use, I must admit to feeling a certain amount of benefit and gains from using them. As cycling is the weakest of my 3 disciplines, I am always looking to improve in this area and the power cranks do offer  some hope for those that battle on the bike. I would suggest purchasing them when you go shopping for a new bike. Often the cost is minimised when ordering them as spec on your new machine in place of the traditional crank-set options that are almost just as costly these days.

Hear Rate Monitors:

These have been around for a good couple of years and you would be hard pressed not to see these gadgets on the wrists of most triathletes at any race you happen to stumble across. Used effectively, they are a great training tool and have many known benefits to improving your overall performances in both training and racing. There are also a number of brands and various models on the market that do not cost an arm and a leg, so it’s worth the expense and time taken into looking at getting one. Only one word of advice, if you are going to buy one, then make sure you use it to it’s full potential and not just as another stop watch or talking point amongst your mates at the next get-together.

Nutritional Advances:

This area has seen one of the biggest growing points  in the area of endurance sport advances. Each product can potentially claim to be the next “big thing” that could boost your performances beyond your imagination. Granted, you will still need to train to see the true benefits from using these products. The list is endless and often a trial by error method is the only true way of finding out if these products will work for you personally or not. Each athlete is different and reacts in various ways to products they ingest, so it’s best you practice using them before relying on them during your next race.

I can tell you stories of many top professional triathletes who have performed remarkably well on just coke and even sugar cubes and water. You do not have to spend a small fortune on nutritional supplements each month, so do some research and make sure you only use as much as what your body requires. An expensive urine discharge will do your body no extra favours and will cost you a whole lot more than is truly necessary.

We could go on for ages and read out a list that is often updated on a daily basis. So what final piece of advice can I offer you the reader in regards to what I have just mentioned?

As a novice or beginner, I do not think you need all this ammo to get started. Besides the extra costs involved, they make training and racing for someone that is new to the sport, just too complicated. Get back to the basics and just swim, bike and run and the rewards will come from this raw hard work. If you’re looking to up your game and are seeking to sneak an advantage over some of your fellow athletes who may be at the same level, then I would suggest speaking to your bank manager or more importantly (and most often) your spouse. Getting the “nod” to go out and buy the latest in high tech gadgets may just be the Holy Grail you have been looking for.

Happy Training and when it comes down to it, just get on with some the basics, that’s presumably what Mark did when he ran a 2:40 off the bike way back in 1989.