QNT products

New product is here in time for my build up for my 10km swim :o) i will be using the full energy for training and the xt3 for a pre-morning drink ( with a coffee ) as its packed for of all my vit and minarals etc

Looking forward to finding out how i get on with them for full information http://www.qntuk.com/
IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

not long to go till 10km race

This time next week i will driving up to winsor for my 10km swim, the time has gone so dam quick but now looking forward to the race, i have got in a great 3 week block of training and that all so means lots of open water swimming were i started with the water temp 9c were i just did 1 loop of the lake just way to cold ,unlike the other day did 5km with out a wetsuit reading 20c

Were will this leave me after the 10km race i will be training for sprint triathlons with the plan to build up my training again for 2013 were i will be doing http://www.torocsc.com/index.php/features/trievents/the-valhalla-triathlon/event-information witch is a new half ironman in Hull, i have picked this race as my sister lives up there so be great to see her and all so race.

The weight training has been going so well and loving Fitz gym , i am all so working along side of a new company that are hellping me out with there products http://www.qntuk.com/ please check them out and allso concat me for deals and costs

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

Fitz Gym

Done a P.B today on the weights 4 x 10 reps of 140kg

Smashed the legs today even after 6km of open water swimming feeling it now though sitting on the sofa been a good days working out
Did
3 x 10 dead lifting 90kg
4 x 10 leg press 140kg
3 x 10  calf dip 40kg
Then walking lunges x 4

sleep now



IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

New aero bottle ---- home made

I was going to get a new areo tt bottle for my bars but at £50 i was thinking of other wase i cold get it t work !! So came up with this idea using a old bottle

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

Drinking systems for the bike

This is some thing iam looking at at lot at the moment due to going back to racing sprint tris as every second you can save is free time.
I am racing on my planet x carbon road bike but set up with tt bars and px wheelset and super fast and light bike set up .

As you can see i have 2 bottles on the frame now but after reading this  http://university.tri-sports.com/2011/04/26/aerobar-drink-systems/ it has opened my eyes to using a mini aro bottle in the bars and taken the bottle cages away !!
With the sprints the bike is 20km so your looking as near that 30min mark , so by having quick T1 ,T2 you could save up to 1min if your good at them, then with the drinking system if your pulling bottles out of a frame ur losing time ( you have 3-5 drinks thats 50-70 secs ) .

With a areo bottle means can stay in that tucked set up and not move , been looking at
 this one

As will just be racing the same sprint course just round the cornor from me be able to gte some good rides in

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

loving my weight training

He are two photos the left hand side is when i was racing ironman triathlons weight was 10 stone.
Since i stoped racing and just swimming and weight training i have gone up to 11.6stone.

My plan is to go back to sprint triathons after m 10km swim but going to carry on with the weight training as getting in to this so much , iam loving FITZ GYM you pay just £20 a month !!! thats crazy

Not long to go now till my 10km swim , looking forward to it aim is to go sub 3 hours
IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

Life is hard and you only get one chance in life

My Life at the moment is up and down with out going in to stuff , times are very hard at the moment and i am having to make life changing plans at the moment.

One thing i am enjoying is my weight training at m new gym that  train at FITZ gym in maidstone,its a real mans gym with no upto date gear just raw weights and dead lifting gear ,

I have been going for around 2 weeks there now and have started to train with anthor PT guy that i know Tom,

We did legs the other day were was lifting quite alot of weight for my size ( see photos you will see the marks / cuts from the efforts )

dead lifting 110kg 5 sets of 10
Leg ex 130kg 4 sets of 10

calf rasing 40kg 4 sets 10

Were is this year going ??

Cant get over this saturday i will be 31 !!!
Time is just flying by so quick, my plan this year is to get mine and gems house done so not racing triathlons but doing some swimmng events ( 10km ,an a load of 1km events and to do loads of weight training )

So fair this year the training has been up and down were i have got some good blocks of swimming over 25km each week in the pool ,with swimming in the lake the other day i have got a cold lol the water was reading 9-10c so after 40mins had to get out with my mate alex ( i'am his best man this year ).

I'am realy missing training for triathlon and i will be back in 2013 but not going to talk about this as want to enjoy this year and with the olympics coming very soon be great to sit down with a cold beer and BBQ and mates watching in the garden with a wide screen ( hard life hey lol )

i have 4 weeks now tillmy 10km swim and the training i have been doing is

monday = chest , arms , core

tueday = swimming

wednesday = back, tris, tramps

thursday = swimming

Friday = legs , core

saturday = lake swimming BASE swim

sunday = swim pm

i do more swimming on my days off as i work shifts it changes each week , with the weights i have gone from 10 stone to 11.5 stone witch is great but now a heavy runner so when i start tri again iam sure i will lose the weight again

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

New Website

Have built a coaching website for now http://www.kevinholt.weebly.com/ willbe updating soon basic for now

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

passed my level 4 PT reps

Got my card though today iam now level 4 REPS pt ,i cant go any higher with this but now working on other course such as triathlon weight training ,bands, and speed training .


IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

31 days to go

With just 31 days left now till my 10km swim iamlooking forward to it, i'am i ready ?? well we allways want to do more training and life gets in the way,
But i can say YES i'am ready for this swim, i have been doing a lot of weight training witch is a god send tome with my time mangement being not great larst 2months due to house work etc.
I'am starting in the lake this weekend and then it just be the fact of doing as much as i can now in the lake till the 5th june.

Looking forward to the whole event and catching upwith Russ Cox again (lart time saw him was the outlaw ironman )

Time wise looking to go sub 3 for sure but its my first one so wil have to see whats what, 

The Inaugural Jubilee Swim
Tuesday 5th June, 2012.
A 10km long distance swim taking in the whole length of the Jubilee River, starting near Maidenhead and finishing adjacent to the Thames Valley Athletics Centre in Eton. You can cover the 10km as an individual, or as part of a relay team of 4. For the teams; the legs are of varying distances, so it’s perfect for a mixture of abilities.
The Jubilee Swim is intended to be fun but a tough challenge; we want you to relax and enjoy it. With which, we’ll be setting you off in ‘sportive’ style, in 3 groups so you’ll be swimming with people of similar ability and together as a team you’ll make your way along the river. This isn’t a race; so swimming in a group is safer and more enjoyable, although you’ll be ‘cut loose’ in the last section of the swim to do your own thing to the finish.
The Jubilee River is a flood relief river, opened in 2002, and is a superb recreational venue too. Along its length you’ll find much flourishing wildlife as it has two nature conservation areas, and the well surfaced ‘towpath’ is part of a national cycle network. This makes the swim a dream for spectators as they can walk, run or cycle the whole course just yards away from the action!
With the kind permission of the Environment Agency, we are the first ever people to be allowed to use the Jubilee River for a sports event, are we’re very lucky. Surrounded by often used sporting venues the Jubilee River remains untouched and the Jubilee Swim provides an absolutely unique opportunity for all swimming enthusiasts. You will literally be the first swimmers to break this water through this beautiful scenery.

COURSE
The whole course is 10km, and is naturally split into 4 sections. There are 3 weirs along the river so you’ll leave the water a safe distance before each weir, travel on foot a short distance before re-entering the water a safe distance beyond the weir each time. These points mark the relay change-overs for our team swimmers.
The swim starts near the footbridge close to Mill Lane at the Boulters Lock & Maidenhead end of the Jubilee River, and passes through Dorney and Eton Wick before finishing next to the Thames Valley Athletics Centre on Pococks Lane in Eton.


IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

my weeks training

I thought i would blog what i have been doing for around 3 weeks now

Wit the PT coaching going great have been based in the gym a lot with weight training etc.

My plan though may is to run every day ( booking my 1st marathlon solo for the 2nd september kent coastal )and all so with my 10km swim coming up be starting in the lake this weekend

Monday weights arms,chest,core

tuesday running   (TT events every tueday night 10miles start May)

wednesday weights back,traps,tris

thursday brick session bike ( turbo ) and run

friday leg weights

saturday lake swimming and coaching

sunday rest day !!

With working shifts stillat the moment onmy days off iam doing my 2 x swims to build up the base , with the weight training have broken it upso have a rest day off the weights .

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

Nutrition for Triathlon

Nutrition for Triathlon – a different spin for your wheels

I’m always interested in way to maximize performance – and nutrition for endurance based sports is an area I really enjoy working in.

I’ve helped some guys complete the marathon de sable, various stages of the tour de France, Triathletes and plenty of marathon based runners. These guys vary from competitive athletes to recreational runners – they are all after one thing, better performances.

Once you start questioning them though they normally start complaining of other ailments, fatigue, excess body fat – and other bits and bob which take the edge off their day to day life.

That’s one of the best things about being a nutritionist you get to help people to feel better, reduce various symptoms and severity and also they start running, cycling and swimming faster!

I’m a big believer in getting the basic right – first I make people feel better and then I work on their performance nutrition.

Here’s how I’d tackle a triathlete’s nutritional plan; but this will work for anyone involved in endurance based sports.

Bottom line nutrition for me is as follows; more detail will be on included later in the article, but here’s the main bullets;

Water consumption needs to be adequate – run out of water and you’ll be dead within 2 days. Become dehydrated and your performance will bomb.

You need carbohydrates to fuel intensive exercise – but probably not as many as you’ve been told to eat before. Excess carbs at the expense of protein and good fats – will turn you into a sugar burning machine. I want fat burning machines, who use sugars to turbo charge their workouts. This is a key concept – become carbohydrate aware, know your carbs and know when to eat them for maximum performance and minimum body fat.

Eat protein – with every meal. Endurance junkies almost always neglect protein intake. The result, muscle protein breakdown, poor recovery, low energy, immune function and lack of strength. Eat more protein to reverse these trends.

The same’s true for fat – with an over emphasis on carbohydrate foods good fats are often neglected. Our cells are 60% fat. You need to eat more good fats, know where to find them – and incorporate these into your meals. Eating a higher protein, fat and fibre diet will make losing body fat more likely – and up regulate fat burning enzymes. Good fats also nourish our immune, nervous and inflammation regulation systems – so they help with all aspects of recovery and repair. Read on for a special fat which burns like a carb! And can upregulate metabolism.

The Pillars of Nutrition.

Have faith…

1. Hydration

Drink plenty of water throughout the day and during training sessions. Being well hydrated improves how you feel and perform. The average adult requires at least 2-3 litres of water a day. This requirement increases if you exercise. Thirst is a poor measure of dehydration. You become dehydrated long before you feel thirsty so drink water continuously throughout the day. Alternatively, choose fruit teas and herbal blends, and water flavoured with a little fresh fruit juice. Isotonic drinks should be consumed before – during and after training where appropriate.



2. Preparation

This point mainly concerns preparation for competition. It’s vital that your muscles are loaded with carbohydrate (CHO) if you want to perform to your maximum level, as CHO is the primary fuel for high intensity exercise. If you are training for fat loss then this is less important, as a lack of CHO will actually promote the utilisation of fat.

2. A.

Preparation also refers to your cooking; you should prepare your food yourself and be organised about planning your meals and menus. This way you know exactly what’s going into your body and you can stick to eating at set times, getting into a routine to support good health!

3. Regeneration

Post exercise recovery is paramount. You must be meticulous with your post workout intake – the quicker you recover the better you will perform week in week out.CHO rich foods with a High glycemic Index (GI) will aid recovery after exercise. If you are lean and bodyfat isn’t such a concern, you can be more generous with carbohydrate intake. This is also a vital time to top up your body with the protein you’ll need for repair and to support the immune system’s response to exercise. Make sure you sleep adequately. You should wake up feeling refreshed and will be able to achieve more physical gains, performing better week in week out.

4. Quality

Deficiency & Toxicity will severely interfere with your ability to perform week-in week-out at the highest level. Organic, high grade produce is the best way to avoid these problems, with supplementation always an option if you don’t think you can obtain all you need from a balanced diet.

5. Quantity

The most important thing is to stick to eating at set times and set portions. Be strict with yourself. You may have been given suggested serving sizes. For dried staples, such as rice and porridge they’re easy to stick to if you use scales to make yourself familiar with a certain portion-weight, then use a specific scoop/spoon for subsequent portioning. For instance, a 40g portion of porridge oats (150Kcal) can be easily measured by filling a ½ pint beer-glass to the “bulge” about 2/3 of the way up. Increase or decrease the portion sizes depending on your goals.

6. Frequency

Eat around every 3 hours. Look at food as feeding opportunities, every time you consume food you can either gain or damage your health. Each meal should contain high quality protein, CHO and vegetables.

7. Next step stuff

Once you’ve mastered the basics – you need to look at fine tuning. You need to know about acid base reactions in foods once you eat them – excess grain consumption for instance is acid forming in the body! – More acid means more minerals and base aminos like glutamine being used to balance acidity. Not good for athletes to lose magnesium, calcium and glutamine if they are in intensive training.

Also what you eat when you are competing is key to success – in part II on eating for endurance sports we’ll be looking at acid base reactions (PRAL) – plus supplementation in and around your event. We’ll be breaking down sprint, Olympic and iron man distances and giving you secrets the elite pro use to maximise their performance…..

Explanation of macronutrients and implications for performance



Hydration must be your foremost priority. Each meal should consist of a portion of protein, complex carbohydrate (CHO) and vegetables. An effective strategy for fat loss has been revealed to be one of reducing fat in the diet by substituting it with protein. CHO should still be the major source of energy and, and consuming this with green vegetables, high in cellulose, has been shown to allow this energy to be released slowly, maintaining constant blood-sugar. This will mean your energy levels don’t fluctuate too much.

Water



• The average adult requires at least 2-3 litres of water a day (2). This requirement increases if you exercise.

• Studies report performance losses after just 2% dehydration (about 1.5L of sweat).

• Salts increase water retention as well as thirst, encouraging rehydration. Added CHO has also shown an ability to improve fluid balance, as well as protein.

• Not only will dehydration affect your muscles’ ability to function, but the loss of salts may eventually affect your nerve function, reactions and concentration.

• Thirst is a poor measure of dehydration. You become dehydrated long before you feel thirsty so drink water continuously throughout the day.

• The best measure of fluid balance is urine colour, this should be clear and pale at all times. Dark yellow urine is an indicator of dehydration, though some multivitamins may give the urine a bright yellow appearance.

• Rehydration drinks contain salts, and it’s also advisable to drink water when you eat food. If making your own, use full-sugar squash for recovery, or diluted fruit juice or low sugar-squash at other times, adding a pinch of salt.

• Start the day with a mug of freshly boiled water and a slice of lemon. In summer add a fresh sprig of mint and fresh lemon slices to a jug of cold water.

• Drink from a bottle of water to measure daily intake until you are used to drinking enough.

• Weigh yourself before and after exercise. For every kilogram lost, a litre of water is lost.



Carbohydrate (CHO)



• Carbohydrate (CHO) is the body’s primary energy source, essential for short bursts of intense activity. It is stored in the form of glycogen in the muscles and the liver.

• You need to ensure an adequate supply for intense exercise and replenish afterwards.

Action Plan

• Replace some starchy carbs with fibrous carbs at each meal. This will increase fibre and help fill you

• Avoid large carbohydrate meals, as these will make you sleepy and excess calories will be converted into body fat.

• Always choose whole grain options. Brown rice, whole-wheat cereal and whole grain breads are always higher in nutrients and have a lower glycemic index.

• Starchy carbohydrates should be limited in the evening meal where fat loss is a goal, as the need for an energy source at night is limited.



After training…

• Insulin released in response to CHO prevents muscle-breakdown & promotes synthesis.

• In the “recovery period” immediately after training, we can take advantage of these properties.

• More “sugary” high GI carbs (white rice, “hypertonic” sports drinks etc) should be eaten to help “spike” insulin levels and to promote the uptake of sugars, protein and nutrients for repairing muscle.

• Replace brown with white rice. Try and eat a good portion of carb and protein within 45 min of training.

However…

• Insulin acts as a signal to your body that you are fed, and so can promote the storage of fats and conversion of carbs to fat. Generally we don’t want too much simple/sugary carb for this reason.

• Eating complex carbs like brown rice and wheat free pasta when recovery isn’t the primary objective, will encourage your body to use this carb gradually for energy, instead of just storing it as fat

• Eating complex carbs will also let your body burn fat more efficiently and prevent you feeling tired once all the CHO has been stored

• Insulin also interacts with other hormones released from training.

• Growth Hormone, released after exercise, promotes muscle-building, and in a lower-CHO/insulin environment also causes your body to burn fat. If there is a lot of CHO and insulin, Growth hormone then has the opposite effect on fat metabolism, causing fat to be stored.



Suggestions for a small portion, providing around 150Kcal (adjust depending on your goals)

• Brown rice (40g serving)

• Brown pasta (40g serving)

• 1xSmall sweet-potato (80-100g cooked)

• 1xSmall potato (80-100g cooked)

• Wholemeal bread- 2 medium slices



Protein

• Protein is the main structural component of muscle tissue as well as providing a source of energy as an alternative to CHO during exercise and being the primary fuel for cells of the immune system.



• At least 20 – 25% of your daily energy intake should come from protein.



• Protein should be included at every meal, this will help control blood glucose levels support muscle and improve appetite control.



• Protein is required in higher amounts during weight loss in athlete. Replacing calories from fat and CHO with protein is an effective strategy for fat-loss.



• Using protein as a source of energy requires it’s degradation, followed by inter-conversion of amino acids to glycogenic and ketogenic substrates, requiring the use of around 30% of the protein’s calories.



• Protein intakes of around 1g per lb (2.2g per Kg) are effectively used by athletes wishing to maintain muscle mass, considering their body composition.



• Choose lean meat and poultry, avoiding prepared meals and processed meats (Preparation!). Fish is a superb source of protein, it is low in fat and oily fish like mackerel have the added advantage of being high in omega-3 fatty acids.



• Grill, bake, steam or poach fish in preference to frying. Try to avoid farmed fish and choose wild and organic fish whenever possible. Avoid pork, as it is the most fatty of red meats.



• Peas and beans (legumes) are excellent sources of protein and fibre, especially when combined with wholegrains. Most plant proteins do not contain all the essential amino acids (animal protein does); combining different sources of plant protein solves this problem.



• Legumes should be eaten with wholegrains, e.g. brown rice and lentils, houmous with wholewheat pitta bread. Plant proteins are very low in fat and have a very low glycemic index (see later), this means that they cause a slow release of glucose into the blood. Baked beans have a low glycemic index, are cheap, convenient and easy to store. Serve as a filling for baked potatoes or on toast.



• Nuts are also a useful protein source but they should be eaten in moderation as they have a high essential fat content.

• Choose a mixture of almonds, pecans (The King of Omega-3!), walnuts, and Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds. Add them to a salad or stirfry, or eat them as a snack. Avoid nuts that have been roasted in oil or are salted.



• Tofu is a bland, tasteless food that can be prepared, flavoured and cooked in a multitude of ways so that it can take on the flavour and texture of any ingredients it is combined with.



Suggestions for a portion, providing around 30g of protein

• 1 Skinless chicken/turkey breast

• 2 White fish/cod fillets

• Mackerel

• 4 large eggs (have one full egg plus 3 whites in each portion)

• 1 can tuna



Fruit and Vegetables

Aim for four to five servings of vegetables each day and one to two portions of fruit.

Explanation and advice



• The fibre in vegetables, when eaten with carbs, slows down the release of CHO into the body, reducing swings in blood sugar control. Fibre has been identified as having many beneficial effects including control of blood glucose, decreasing blood cholesterol, improving bowel health and even controlling appetite



Examples of high fiber foods:

• Oats

• vegetables

• wholewheat flour,

• bran,

• fruits with edible seeds



• Getting your “5 a day” will give you a selection of vitamins and minerals to help all of the reactions in your body proceed.

• Enzymes are machines in your body that are held in the correct shape by minerals like iron and magnesium. Vitamins are often involved in these reactions…they give them a kick-start (acting as “cofactors”).

• Dark-green veg are often high in fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin E and contain some good fatty acids like omega-3. Eating these will put the correct fats into the “membrane” (like a skin) that surrounds every one of your cells, as well as protecting these fats from damage.



• Balance your vegetable intake between the orange/red and green varieties. A good rule to follow is simply to try and get a good amount of “colour on your plate” for example, mixing up light green lettuce with the deep dark green of spinach or the bright orange of carrots. They can be eaten raw and cooking most vegetables takes only a few minutes if you steam, stir-fry or microwave them.



• Choose fresh and organic vegetables wherever possible (Quality!).



Examples of green veg side dishes

• Stir-fry Kale in spray olive oil with garlic and ginger. Add Chinese 5-spice

• Fry Cabbage in spray-olive oil with onion, adding finely chopped apple after 3 mins, covering with stock and simmering till tender

• Add Spinach leaves/shredded raw cabbage to salad leaves

• Chop celery finely into “matchsticks” and add to finely chopped apple, carrot and lime-juice with 1 tsp honey

• Spinach can be easily cooked in 2-4 mins and drizzled in soy-sauce



Posted by kinetica

Tags: endurance nutrition, Kinetica, Matt Lovell, Nutrition for Triathlon, Protein, Running nutrition, Triathlon, Triathlon Ireland

Posted in Fitness, Nutrition, Triathlon


IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

Bikefood

Big thank you to Bikefood going to be doing a review on this have allready treid out the bars and there great for a mid snack, the drinks are allso some thing i will be trying in to my 10km swim along side with Cliff bar gells

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

My new race bike
its the px carbon road frame with 50/82 ox tub wheels iam hopen to get all in one hed bars one day but the kit is great and iam so happy it with bike simple light and super fast ,

It was great to see some friend do the london marathon at the weekend and has set the fire going again in me to book a marathon run this year looking around kent so fair found

2012 Kent Coastal Marathon

9:30am, Sunday 2 September 2012
Palm Bay Primary School, Palm Bay Avenue, Margate,
Event Profile
Distance: 26.2 miles
Surface: Road
Route: Out and back
Setting: Town and rural
Profile: Flat/Undulating
Water stations: Frequent
Distance Markers: Every Mile
Traffic free? No


Extras
Awards/mementos: Medal, T-Shirt
Venue facilities: Toilets, Refreshments, Onsite retailer
Plus: UK Athletics bronze graded event.

Organiser's notes: New race hq for this year. Once again we are hosting the Kent Championships and the Southern Counties Veterans AC Championships.
There is a time limit of 6 hours on this race. Runners reaching halfway after 2 hours 50 minutes will be withdrawn from the race.
Please note that Ipods and MP3 players are not allowed under any circumstances and runners may be disqualified if they ignore the rule.

Entry Information
Cheques payable to: Thanet Roadrunners AC
On-the-day entry: Yes
Entries in advance: Yes
Postal closing date: Sunday 26 August 2012
Limit: 350 competitors
Minimum Age: 18
Last year's entry:: 250
Event website: http://www.thanetroadrunners.org.uk
Entry form(s): Available from race website

Entries in advance Entries on the day
Normal Entries £16.00 affiliated £18.00 unaffiliated £20.00 affiliated £20.00 unaffiliated

Event Organiser Details
Contact: Sharon Foster, Race Entry Co-ordinator, Thanet Roadrunners AC
Address: 11 Arklow Square
Ramsgate
CT11 8PS
Email: thanetrace@yahoo.co.uk




IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

week 5 10km swim

Been quite on the training side of things as had 2 wedding in the space of 3weeks and doing the house up more also looking for a new job ( time will tell and will post once this is sorted out )

Been building up my race bike so hopeful start some 10mile TT events and some sprint tris for some fun tis year, hopefully be in the lake soon as well then plan is to try and get some base 6-8 big swims before the main race


IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

my race bike for 2012

 Been working out what to for my 2012 race bike with my stealth tt being 12years old now felt need a new bike, and with my carbon px road bike new as chips i came across paul amey bike set up ( GBR fastest ironman ) see photo

I am looking out for new triathons bars ( all in one maybe 2nd hand set of HED etc ) but my set up so fair is
......

Hope all are training well and hopefully be in the lake soon as have a 10km swim race to win :o)

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

turbo training

Many riders who train seriously have a tendency to train too much, but not intensely enough. Interestingly those riders whose staple training is long rides risk training themselves to be slow. It’s important to mimic what is going to happen in a race situation and building in some intensive turbo sessions into your weekly programme can help boost fitness levels and performance significantly. Here’s three suggested sessions:




Intensive session to train the anaerobic system

10 min warm up
1 min effort
15 sec recovery
1 min effort
30 sec recovery
2 min effort
1 min recovery
2 min effort
30 sec recovery
1 min effort
30 sec recovery
1min effort
15 sec recovery
30 sec effort
10 min warm down.

Total session time 34 minutes. All the efforts should be flat out (short, sharp blasts). Easiest way to remember this session is to print it out and tape it to your bike!

TT effort session
10 min warm up
2 min effort
1 min recovery
Repeat 5 times
10 min warm down.
Total session time 35 minutes. All the efforts should be flat out.



Threshold session
10 min warm up
5 min at 10-mile TT pace
5 min rest (easy spinning)
5 min at 10-mile TT pace
10 min warm down.
Total session time 35 minutes.



Try to add two of these sessions into your weekly programme. Rotate the sessions so that you cover them all. To get the maximum benefit you need to be pretty fresh, so do not attempt them after a hard race

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

week 4 10km swim

This week going to try some thing a bit different plan now till my swim race is to do 20km of swimming each week untill i can get in the lake then i will do a base 10km swim each week etc ( 8 loops of the lake ) but the plan is to start running again so training this week will be

monday work then swim 5km ride to and back from work
tuesday run 60mins ride to work and back
wednesday swim 5km work
thursday run speed work work
friday swim km drive home to hitchin see my mum
saturday maybe a ride ? but digging a big hole for a pond
sunday drive back to kent am swim pm


IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

week 3 10km swim race

Not a great start to the week as ill :o( still need to rest up and then carry on with the training asap 70days to go !! will use this time to work on my coching plans , think i picked a bug up as there has been one going round at the swimming pool .

monday no training - ill rest day !! lots of water try and get small meals
tuesday work late no training as a full day at work and trying to find a new job
wednesday off weight training and core work feeling a lot better , i think i was overdoing it with work,house,travling a lot as well (weddings etc)
thursday off run , had a good day today got lots sorted out with work and coaching and all so got a iphone on its way :o) bye bye blackberry, iam looking to try and get a monday-friday job 9-5 so means can swim 6am before my new job then have the pm to PT train
friday work early ride to work , staff training swimming 8-10
saturday work early
sunday work early

with this year i will be putting more into getting up my coaching and work so racing will be a side line thing for me , please keep up to date with my blog as i still have 2 big events this year booked 10km swim 1km swim and 5km swimathon in april .

Hopefully do a few sprint tris at the lake as well for fun and fitness etc.

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

week 2 10km swim race

Week one went well and even with two days off swimming got in 20km of swimming. Need to start now building up to around 30km each week.
Going to see how i get on this week as working hours this is moy longest week that i work out of the 3week block. Thursdasy is a crap day for swimming as the pool is closed as of 4pm for lessions so cant get in so will do some land swim training in the gym.

monday work
swim 3,200m total ( aim was 4km ) was 800m short as dont want to blow before friday as thats my big session of the week main set was 1x900m then 3x600m
tuesday work
swim 2,700m total ( aim was 3km ) finding it hard when on earlys to get good time in the pool i have 1hour once i finsh work but got in a 1x800m 1x700m 10x100m on 1:45 hitting 1:30
wednesday work
rest day
thursday work
weights - dry land swimming training
friday day off work
plan 10km swim set
saturday work
rest day
sunday
swim Going to see JLS live :o) with gemma cant wait


IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

week 1 10km swimming race

My training is been up and down, due to working on the house but i now need to ease upon the house now and get some real swimmng in, going to be working most the time in the swimming pool but hopefull get some long base swims in the lake come may time gives me then 4 weeks ( be around 8 lake swims ) .

I have built up some fitness and power allready with swimming and doing a lot of weights, not sure if will carry on with the weights as was leaving very sore and tierd for swimming the next day so might drop the weights and jus do more swimming ( i.e do fly more paddle worketc )

swimming set wise need to building up to 5-8km quite quick as not much time from now till 5th june in fact 13 weeks till i race now and with some of the weeks have a big week of work i need to be on this so hard now. I have all so got some good mates and training buddys around me now and of course with out gems help could never do this

right training this week will be

monday off swim 2000m 40mins
day off work but be drivng home from a weekend in hitchin seeing my family and mates got some riding in
swimming pm be just a long steady non-stop swim for  40mins

tuesday off swim 9000m 02:35hours
swimming a.m time to start working on spending 2hours in the pool aim is to see what i can get out of that time

wednesday work swim 3,000m 01:30hour
30 x 100m on 1:45 the aim is pacing 1:30 for now , found that when this got broken down from 20x100m found got to the 16th and started to lose the pace ( need to work on rolling on to my shoulders more )


thursday work Rest Day light run
no swimming as working to much today

friday work swim 3,000m  total this week so fair 17km :o)
15 x 200m rest 10-15 sec
5 x free
5 x pull
5 x paddle / band work

saturday off going to watch a ice hocky match :o)
swim coaching

sunday off swim 3,400m
5x400m main set

total this week 20,000m

IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com

Event booked

All booked up and now on the starting sheet, so fair the numbers are quite low but this being my 1st 10km swim is all about the enjoyment of getting it under my belt the 1st one etc.
The format for this race is different as in you have to get out the river 3 times to change ( saftey ) so will use thses for feeding etc
So fair been looking in to this and feel
SIS gells
water
carb drink
Trying to stay off soild food but will see how get one , might event try cold coffee ? some thing i will try out to see if gives me that pick me up etc




IronHolt Coaching Holtkevin@ymail.com