{"id":7798,"date":"2021-03-15T00:12:31","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T00:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sportsnewsforyou.com\/?p=7798"},"modified":"2021-03-15T00:12:31","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T00:12:31","slug":"ironman-wales-race-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/?p=7798","title":{"rendered":"Ironman Wales race tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you racing in Tenby this weekend? Make sure you\u2019re prepared for what is renowned as one of the hardest Ironman courses on the circuit, set on the stunning Welsh coast.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

>>> Ironman Wales 2014 gallery<\/p>\n

We named Ironman Wales 9th in\u00a0Iron-distance triathlons: the 11 toughest?\u00a0Do you agree?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t let that dull your appetite though, says 2013 winner Scott Neyedli: \u201cThe support and race atmosphere the Tenby locals create is one of the best I\u2019ve experienced worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

One<\/p>\n

\u201cI would advise anyone\u00a0to get a practice swim\u00a0as organised by the Ironman team and drive or cycle parts or whole\u00a0run\/bike loops,\u201d adds Neyedli. \u201cThis will help with noting the hard section and also\u00a0landmarks which will help on race day to\u00a0break the race up into smaller segments, so nothing\u00a0unexpected will be presented. Otherwise the swim shouldn\u2019t be too hard, it might be a little cold but it is protected from any big swells.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe swim is two loops with an \u2018Australian exit\u2019 [exiting and re-entering the water \u2013 ed.],\u201d says Neyedli. \u201cSo when exiting the water I suggest to most athletes to jog the beach easily\u00a0before\u00a0they start the swim second loop to save\u00a0a shock lactic\u00a0attack in the arms\u00a0as they\u00a0begin the second loop.\u201d<\/p>\n

2013 women\u2019s winner Lucy Gossage adds: \u201cThe swim can be quite rough, so don\u2019t panic and try and get yourself into a rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three<\/p>\n

The bonus for the age-group swim is that it starts at first light, 7am, says Neyedli. \u201cSo I would suggest trying to find a spot relative to your ability \u2013 if you are a strong swimmer get to the front of line so you have a good chance to swim into open space and avoid the bun fight. Likewise if you know you are a weak swimmer let the race begin and wait until you know you would be comfortable to having an\u00a0incident-free swim.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the swim is at the crack of dawn I\u00a0would suggest using\u00a0reactor or\u00a0orange polarized goggles,\u201d he adds. \u201cThe sun could be low if clear but can be dark if overcast so don\u2019t\u00a0use tinted goggles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four<\/p>\n

Gossage says: \u201cThe run up the hill from the beach is really tough but is one of the highlights of the race so instead of thinking about the pain, try to focus on the cheers and support and enjoy it, it will go much quicker \u2013 and remember to take a second pair of shoes to run up the beach to T1!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cT1 is epic!\u201d says Neyedli. \u201cFrom the beach,\u00a0run up the cliff zigzags then it is a 1km run though the town centre to collect the\u00a0bikes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five\n<\/p><\/div>\n

On to the bike, and Gossage advises: \u201cHold back on the first lap, particularly on the hills, some of them will take their toll later in the race so it is much better to ride the first lap easy and the second lap hard. Enjoy the support because it is incredible, and eat more on the bike than you usually would just because it is so hilly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Neyedli says: \u201cTry to drive the whole bike course if you can. It is very technical with some really sharp corners on some of the fast descents. At the tail end of the two-loop\u00a0bike course, there is some 15-25% climbs! I would choose a wheel cassette\u00a0that will allow you to spin up the steep gradients, for example 11-26 or 11-28 men 12-26 or 12-28 for women.\u201d<\/p>\n

Six\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The run is super hilly so make sure you get your nutrition in, says Gossage. \u201cI tend to take it at the bottom of a hill because I tend to get a stitch when running down the hill. Embrace the support: the crowds are truly amazing and if you use their cheers and shouts to keep you smiling the run will go by much quicker.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Neyedli says: \u201cThe run is hard, hilly and undulating! Last year it was\u00a0accurately measured to the full 26.2 miles with three or four loops.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeginning the run I would suggest\u00a0taking the hills really easy, especially on the first loop, and try keep your heart rate as low as possible uphill and coast the run down the hills. If you think you have the energy push the last lap going up the hills and go for it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seven\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Regarding fuelling, Neyedli says: \u201cStick to your nutrition you have practiced in training, remember to take most of it on the bike so that you are fuelled for the run. If you feel like you are hitting the wall then get onto the flat coke and water at the aid stations: two cups of coke\u00a0followed by one cup of water.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Eight\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Lastly, Neyedli says: \u201cSmile at the finish so you get a nice finish photo\u00a0and enjoy the finish chute because it is awesome.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gossage adds: \u201cKeep smiling because it really is my favourite race of all time, and if you are smiling you can\u2019t help but have a good day!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Are you racing in Tenby this weekend? Let us know in the comments!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tClick Here: liverpool mens jersey<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you racing in Tenby this weekend? Make sure you\u2019re prepared for what is renowned as one of the hardest Ironman courses on the circuit, set on the stunning Welsh coast. Advertisement >>> Ironman Wales 2014 gallery We named Ironman Wales 9th in\u00a0Iron-distance triathlons: the 11 toughest?\u00a0Do you agree? Don\u2019t let that dull your appetite…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7798\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/googmn.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}