Sport & Fitness

Precisely eight months ago, my colleague Richard Keenan announced he’d like to do the London Triathlon. ‘I’ll do it,’ I said without a second’s hesitation, remembering the mix of nerves and excitement I’d experienced during the London Triathlon in 2006. Richard had already twisted the arms of colleagues Anja Wohlston (a one-time competitive swimmer in Sweden) and Anamaria Stanley (who did the marathon last year). So there we had it: the Time Out triathlon team.

We wanted to do things properly, with a training plan and as many experts to help us as possible. So we started by enlisting swimming teacher Steven Shaw to help us improve our stroke and unlearn bad swimming habits with his Shaw Method, which incorporates the Alexander Technique. Within months Richard and Anamaria’s swimming was unrecognisable, Anja’s more graceful and speedy than ever and mine was feeling stronger. Having done the triathlon previously, I knew the 750m sprint swim in choppy open water with a few hundred others demands twice the energy and guts than 40 laps of the pool, so more training was required.

Shaw’s direction was invaluable, but it wasn’t until we experienced a real open-water swim at a practice day just a few weeks before the triathlon that it hit us exactly how much tougher and more scary competitive swimming in deep, murky water was. We needed more help, and it was on hand with a weekly course in the Serpentine run by the brilliant SwimforTri team – invaluable experience for the real thing.
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Swimming tackled, we needed to improve stamina for the run, so we practised together when we could. Personal trainer Joseph Naughton, at Battersea Park Sports Club, gave us all a full fitness assessment and looked at our strengths and weaknesses. We all needed tweaks.

Although in excellent shape, Richard was advised that his mobility was a bit tight so our other trainer, running expert Malcolm Balk, gave him some tips on how to improve his running technique to counteract this. Anja was advised by Naughton to work on her core strength while Balk showed Anamaria an entirely new way of running to improve her style. I was told to open up my shoulders, which were apparently rounded when running. Slowly we began to improve.

Cycling was the hardest to fit in as a group activity. As all of us live in separate parts of London, we didn’t get to practise much together. Shamefully, my cycling practise amounted to two weeks of cycling covering just 2km to and from work every day compared to Richard, a fierce cyclist, had a 10km cycle from Peckham to Tottenham Court Road and back every day, which helped, but still wasn’t enough.

Lifestyle and nutrition are as important as exercise when preparing for any competitive sport, so at Pure Sports Medicine’s new City branch we each had a physio assessment, fitness assessment and consultation with a nutritionist. The thorough session resulted in a comprehensive training and eating plan which, if followed rigidly, would prevent injury and bad training techniques and result in optimum performance.

So there we were, honed, toned, and ready to go. How did we do on the day?

Richard Keenan
Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Verdict?
Our trainers boosted my confidence and improved my technique and stamina. The physio, nutritionist and physical trainers we saw in the last month really honed in on areas not touched before – like our diet – that will have a long-term effect.
How much fitter do you feel now and in what way?
I have more stamina now, especially in my swimming and running.
Strengths/weaknesses during the race?
I was so much stronger than I had thought I would be on the swim. I got through the crowd from the back to the front 15. Although I borrowed a nice bike, there were a lot of guys on super-fast bikes passing me which was a little demoralising. Transitions felt disorganised between each leg of the race and not having the right gear – like the correct cycling shoes – lost me time. But the run was good. I thought I’d be exhausted when I got off the bike but in fact was quite strong. I passed a lot of guys who were flagging.
How has it benefited you?
All the expert advice I’ve had over the last few months has given me an understanding of what’s needed and given a structure to my training. A real confidence builder.
How did you feel afterwards?
I recovered fairly quickly after the run. My legs hurt but I felt great – a real sense of satisfaction.
Would you do it again?
Yes, definitely. Already set on the Olympic distance next year.

Anja Wohlstom
Time 1 hour 31 minutes
Verdict
I really enjoyed the whole triathlon experience. I was sixth after the swimming which was really exciting. I found the running the hardest, it rained pretty badly during the cycling, so I had water in my shoes and my legs felt like jelly.
How much fitter do you feel now and in what way?
I feel a lot stronger and my overall fitness has improved vastly.
Strengths/weaknesses during the race?
The swimming was my strongest. I should have done much better on the running.
How has it benefited you?
It’s all been great. I’m a lot fitter and I’m really happy with my time. I’ve learned a lot about training and eating healthily through Pure Sports Medicine.
How did you feel afterwards?
Tired of course, but really good.
Would you do it again?
Yes, definitely. I might have a go at the Olympic distance next time.

Maggie Davis
Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Verdict
Despite getting kicked in the stomach I thoroughly enjoyed the swim. However, I loathed the cycle in the pelting rain in a soggy tri suit. It was so uncomfortable that I was actually looking forward to the run. But overall I got a much slower time than I achieved two years before (1 hour 35mins in 2006) which I put down to skiving off training for more than a month while I got married and went on honeymoon. I don’t feel I pushed myself enough throughout the event either – I was cruising through.
How much fitter do you feel now and in what way?
Only a teeny bit fitter due to poor motivation and my extremely unhealthy month off which set me back.
How has it benefited you?
It’s made me remember how vital it is to be completely committed to a training plan. Next time around, it’s total commitment to diet and training.
How did you feel afterwards?
Good – every muscle in my body was glowing. It’s made me want to give up alcohol and cigarettes for good.
Would you do it again?
Definitely. I’d like to do at least one triathlon a year to keep me in shape and to give me a focus.

Anamaria Stanley
Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Verdict
As the event drew near, I was definitely affected by last-minute nerves. On the day, the nerves still hadn’t disappeared as we lined up to start the swimming but once we were in the water and underway, after starting at the back, I found I was passing people, which made me feel much better. All was going well on the bike until ten minutes into the race when I got a puncture (I didn’t have a puncture-repair kit or even a pump) so I cycled the rest of the bike stage with a flat tyre. It was heavy going and I finished right at the back. After that experience, running was a pleasant relief. I managed to pass a few people and I found my legs recovered. I was able to go faster as the race progressed and even sprint to the finish. It was a wonderful feeling to have finally made it and to collect my finisher’s medal. During the race, my fellow competitors were friendly and encouraging and helped me along the way.
How much fitter do you feel now and in what way?
Although I didn’t always keep to my fitness plan, particularly the core-strength exercises, I feel I have more stamina. I’ve enjoyed the activities so I will keep practising all three and also try to get to the gym a bit more to maintain my current level of fitness.
Strengths/weaknesses during the race?
I was happy with the swim and the run, although there’s still lots of room for improvement. I don’t really know what I’m capable of on the bicycle as I got the puncture, but next time I would put more training in as it’s the longest part of the race.
How has it benefited you?
I’ve really enjoyed training with the Time Out team. We have all helped and encouraged each other, swapped information and managed to bore everyone at work to death with our triathlon talk. At times I even started to feel like a real athlete, only to be brought down to earth by ‘tough love’ comments like ‘that was pathetic’ referring to my abs exercises after a hard cycle ride.
How did you feel afterwards?
Exhausted, but it was good to have my family waiting at the end to congratulate me.
Would you do it again?
Yes, maybe. But if I did it would be in more scenic surroundings. Blenheim sounds good but I don’t know if I could go through all that training again. I’ll see how I feel next year.

The winning times were 1 hour 7 mins for men and 1 hour 12 mins for women.

Call the experts...
Aqua Sphere For superior triathlon wetsuits, 01254 278873/www.aquasphereswim.com
Pure Sports Medicine 020 7373 2848/www.puresportsmed.com
Steven Shaw 020 8446 9442/www.artofswimming.com
Malcolm Balk www.theartofrunning.com
SwimforTri 020 7650 7880/www.swimfortri.com
London Fitness Network Visit www.londonfitnessnetwork.org for information about affordable gym membership throughout London
The London Triathlon See www.thelondontriathlon.com to sign up for next year’s events
Nike For sports kit/store www.nike.com
British Triathlon www.britishtriathlon.org for clubs in your area