Salts or No Salts

There are those who swear by salt tablets, and there are those who swear against them. There are those who swear by 'sports drinks' for the salt and other 'electrolytes' in them, and there are those who sneer at them. There are those who believe in the recent fad for drinking huge volumes of water, and there are those who never do it and think it is dangerous (which it is).


Water makes up around 60% of the total body weight, and major reductions impares normal body performance

Sweat contains the following electroyltes - Sodium, Chloride, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium - technically these are all salts

Many ... sports drinks contain the above electrolyte to a similar concentration as normal sweat - however the sodium concentration is often HIGHER than the sodium concentration in blood. Sodium (in salt as we know it) absorbs water, and is discharged through the body. Therfore excessive levels of sodium found in sports drinks actually blocks the absorbtion of water in the body.

These electrolytes are best managed by eating a healthy balanced diet,

The Australian Sports Commission and Australian Institute of Sport advise that it is not possible to drink too much water [WRONG] as the body will dispose of what is not necessary. HOWEVER, if a person slips into shock from dehydration water CAN be fatal [true] (follow normal shock proceedures - sipping, moisten lips etc)

I recommend to athletes to begin hydration well before training - 2-3 hours. For high performance I recommend begining hydration before going to bed the night before, drinking plenty of water before sleep and then a further 2 litres on waking. Sure this causes heavy peeing but the body is fully hydrated then for a full days training. I follow similar guidelines before my own training.

The causes of cramps are multi-factorial:- cramps occur in conjunction with heat, cold, dehydration, low blood sodium and/or potassium (& probably other eloctrolytes), fatigue, low blood sugar, high intensity (anaerobic) weight training, low intensity (aerobic) training, etc.

Sometimes cramps occur for no apparent reason (like the cramps I get in the arch of my foot in the middle of the night).

There is great individual variation in cramping - both between individuals experiencing the same conditions, and over time by an individual experiencing the same conditions.

There is no 1 solution to cramping, and many professional athletes continue to suffer cramping despite the assistance of Sports Doctors, Exercise Physiologists, Dieticians and Trainers.

The application of salt (in tablets or drinks) may help some individuals who have a low dietary salt intake, sometimes. However, if the cause of the cramp is not due to low electrolyte levels, electrolytes would probably not assist.

3 weeks into training

Well what a beautiful morning to start to, tri anglia 10 km run. I'm running to heart rate so 135-146 need to warm up and cool down. See how it goes hold back early days.

Ride with Seychelles National Cycling Team

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 www.connect.garmin.com/player/15011675

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North Norfolk Triathlon

http://www.racetimingsystems.com/public/results.aspx?raceid=891

North Norfolk Triathlon

Well here we are, still ploding along for the close of my season 2009. I am way up in the upper northern parts of Norfolk, Wells to be precise, for the 2nd year running of their Olympic distance triathlon.

Not feeling to great a few niggles from fire cricket match yesterday. Will be happy with 2:14hr, but would like to aim for 21min swim, 1:05hr bike and a 38 min run. So that should be 2:05hr, doesn't really work like that let's see as it is my first Olympic distance for almost 2 yrs. I'll get back to you, need to go to bed now up at 6am night.

Nottingham Weekend

Well it was good to be back at Nottingham again for National Relays, but for the first time I was not going to race in my club colours or relay team. I offered my services to any team that had had someone drop out at last minute. With which I gained a slot in the Lincoln Relay Team and raced Saturday afternoon. 400m swim, 15km bike and 5 km run. The format for the relays is that 4 in a team everyone completes the swim one after the the other then back to no.1 in the team to bike which everyone does after eachother and so on for the run. Takeing upto 3-4hrs for the quicker teams. I was pleased with my performance concidering I still had Ironman "speed" in my body;

SWIM 7:02 min

BIKE 22:55min

RUN 19:54min

Then on Sunday I was entered into the Sprint Triathlon which was an individual effort not team and a a bit longer than saturdays event. 750m swim/20km bike/5km run.

I felt really sluggish in the swim and did not get into it very well, once on the bike and back into the TT world I pulled out a very pleasing effort and averaged 23.5 mph, there was a strong head wind on the back straight of the loop and it was a 4 lap course. My transition T2 went smooth and was soon off and running at good trunover on leg speed running down 3 people for the run and no one overtaking me 6:41/mile.

SWIM 11:35 min

BIKE 31:41 min

RUN 20:47 min

TOTAL 1:05:40 hr

Finished 13th out of 315 overall very pleased with efforts and wanting to get back into training already. http://www.pacesetterevents.com/docs/results/2009/nottingham09results.pdf

This weekend is my last weekend in completing my Tutor and Assessors course in Triathlon Coaching. I have been taken on by British Triathlon and now part of the Coaching Workforce for BTF in the UK. Training and assessing future coaches at Club level through out the year and on. I also finally completed and sent off my porfolio for Level 2 Club Coach in Triathlon, so expect to be signed off and qualified any day soon.

On Monday I am still tied up in South England with my new coach Rick Kiddle. I have my induction day with Rick and as a result he will be comprising a training programme around my time, family life, work life and also targeting my "Goals" which one is for Ironman Lake Placid as I am entered and looking to take a chunk of a time off my Roth time certainly Sub 11hrs.

Rick has certainly got a history behind him as an Elite Athlete in the World. Ex British triathlon Champion Rick Kiddle competed as an elite athlete worldwide. He has used this combination of 20 years competition experience along with 15 years coaching knowledge to create sought after, successful and innovative training programmes that will help novice and elite athletes to train and race for the results they seek. I'm all yours Rick.

http://www.rickkiddle.com/

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On the road again

This week we will be going to Nottingham, for the National Club Relay Champs Saturday and the Nottingham Sprint Triathlon on Sunday. However for the first time in ages I am not in a Relay team as Tri-Anglia has was to late for a team to be entered. SO I AM AVAILABLE TO ANY CLUB NEEDING ONE MORE.

I am however entered into the Sunday Sprint Tri, haveing raced on this course earlier this year at the 999 Emergency Services Champs. I am not Sprint race fit but will give it a good go and it will be nice to be back in triathlons since Ironman.

10:05 750m Swim ; 29:19 20km Bike ; 22:52 6km Run, times from 999 race longer run.

I say "we" are going to Nottingham, Nicola and Joel are coming aswell and we have been kindly lent the in-laws caravan. We go Thursday and have a few days chilling out.

Good Result

http://maps.google.com/?t=p&z=15&ll=52.5661506652832,1.7068730592727661&q=http://api.motionxlive.com/motionx-remote/api/gps/host/de8c5070-db9b-4646-9e68-2d9057bcf86c

Very pleased with my efforts for the weekend Sunday, had a busy 2 nights on duty so was not very fresh for Sunday morning. Decided to just go out with the leaders on the day and see how my heart rate went in the first few miles, then settled down to just under 170bpm and maintained a good pace. Reached mile 8 and then started to pick the effort up and took heart rate to 170bpm was split at around 6:40 min/mile, at mile 11 I easead off and just slowed it down to bring it home, jogging across the line in total time of

1:26:04 hr pace of 6:33min / mile.

I have been running 1:25 all season for my 1/2 marathons, so very happy with time and effort as I could ease off for the last mile. Finished 8th overall out of 196, but not to concerned about placing more on the time which is GOOD........... Top 3 finishers of Tri-Anglia resulted in us winning 1st Team prize.

Great Yarmouth 1/2

Well I have been off training for 3 weeks now, rest and recovery, also having quality family time. Ran 7 miles on Monday legs felt heavy and well worked for the session. Biked to work 3 times 48 miles in total this week.

On duty tonight and have Great Yarmouth 1/2 marathon tomorrow looking to just get round nothing fancy. Need to keep an eye ony right foot/ankle ligaments or tendons tight. Let's see how we get on.

Have got Nottingham sprint tri on Sunday 22nd. August soon so need to do some training.