Coach Blog - Adam Clarke

Along with triathlon coaching duties, I am currently deep into training for IM Copenhagen on 17th August 2019, so thought I would get my thoughts down as to how training is progressing towards this goal.

Following competing at the World Multisport Championships in Pontevedra, Spain in aquabike (swim / bike) and more recently the Cotswolds 113 triathlon, I can see and feel the progression of my training that Gareth has been prescribing.

The race in Spain, whilst I didn't get the result I wanted, 10th in age group, I did follow the power plan on the bike pretty much to the letter and upon review of the stats following the race, I knew I hadn't left much on the table and I certainly felt that way on the day!

6 weeks later and it into the Cotswolds 113 triathlon. I swam away from my wave in the swim, for a solo effort, first out of the water in my wave and 12th fastest swim of the day. This combined with the 8th quickest bike of the day, gave me an overall position of 5th getting off the bike and within spitting distance of a podium place overall. However, my running is a long term project, and whilst I was happy with my run, considering I had been concentrating on swim / bike for the worlds, I shed 49 place on the overall leader board to finish 54 place.

Whilst on the face of it, for me ,a disappointing set of results. what the races did do for me was put some fire into my belly and reconfirm that with the correct training, I can be at the pointy end of things in competition. And this has been our focus leading into IM Copenhagen with increased mileage going into my legs on the bike, currently between 6 - 8 hours per week. The bike is complemented by a gradual increase in run time on tired legs building to 30 plus miles per week. We are trying to be more consistent with my swimming this year, trying to get into the water at least once a week - swimming gives me the least return on time invested for a sub hour IM swim.

So with a little over 6 weeks to go until the big race, we have a big block of work to undertake leading into a taper, including The Long Course Weekend in Tenby, Wales, which we are using as a big weekend of training and a real kick start into the final block training.