1.	Always alteranate hard easy days of training
2,	Always build up training intensity, duration and frequency slowly over time. No more than a 10% from the previous week or month is a good rule of thumb
	Work hard in your hard session, go easy in your easy ones (more difficult than it sounds for most people!).
4,	Get the best equipment you can, size/fit is usually the most important consideration before anything else.
5,	Eat a variety of foods rich in vitamins and minerals (everything in moderation), keep fluid levels up and remember your food pyramid
6,	Good technique in every discipline is essential
7,	Learn everything you can about your sport
8,	Find like minded freinds of similar ability to train with at least once a week in each discipline, it will help no-end with motivation. But be prepared to do sessions alone aswell
9,	Be consistent with training
10,	Dedication, Determination and Discipline are all key elements for success

"nutrition anchor">Nutrition

	Morning	Mid-Morning	Afternoon	Mid-Afternoon	Evening	Late Evening
MON
TUES
WED	-porridge and honey -fruit juice -water 750ml	grapes + banana -water (75cl)	-chicken and vegetable tortilla wraps flake desert -water (75ml)	-cereal bar -carrot and coriander soup +slice of bread -water 500ml	powerade 500ml -vegetable lasagne -750ml water	-milk
THUR	-porridge and honey -fruit juice	-beans on toast x 2 -chocolate bar	-cheese ploughmans sandwich -fudge flap jack -500ml water	-vegetable lasagne -yogurt -water 500ml		-milk
FRI	-weetabix x 4 -robinsons (1l)	-nut and grain bar, choc bar -grapes -OJ 300cl	-jacket potato with tuna, chees, mayo, beans and salad -(water 300cl)	-water (1l)	-Potato skins (stuffed with mixed veggies)  steak and salad -ice cream	mullerice -milk
SAT	strawberries raspberries grapes orange grapefruit juice	bananna chocolate 500ml - robinsons	jacket potatoe with beans, cheese, mushrooms and cod fishcakes egg custard tart 500ml water	3 x muffin with brie grapefruit juice	pasta shells with broccoli, peppers, carrot, onion, mushrooms, tomato and basil sauce	milk 500ml water
SUN	cereal + strawberries pint of water	chocolate	2 x beans on toast 2 x pint of robinsons	2 x rolls with onion, tomato, cheese 1 pint of water	carrot, swede, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, onions potatoes, cheese	mullerice milk 500ml water

(last updated 25/01/07)

It is important to eat a variety of foods containing proteins, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, minerals and even fats. Fats are actually vital for body functioning but should like all foods be eaten in moderation. The standard food triangle (viewed above)  is a good example of where to obtain your foods as a percentage of food eaten.

General points I tend to follow are:

1,	Try to eat a wide variety of foods
2,	Drink plenty of fluids (not diuretics such as alcohol)
3,	Try to include nutrituous vitamin/mineral rich foods such fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes in all meals or snacks where possible
4,	Try to eat only one portion of wheat/gleuten loaded foods in any one day
5,	Ensure at least one meal a day is protein based
6,	Keep fluid and electrolyte levels topped up in hot conditions with SIS drinks
7,	Have treats when body desires them, but not all the time (if I desire it all the time I restrict intake of that particular food)
8,	I try to restrict myself to eating one bar of chocolate a day, half before each training session to give a bit of a buzz (I try to restrict it as I become a bit of a chocoholic)
9,	Eat small meals regularly rather than few big meals
10,	Ensure that I try to eat within 1 hour window of finshing training
11,	Always have fluid/SIS drinks when training

 

Training principles                                                       (back to top)

Multi-sport requires much dedication, determination and discipline to complete training and racing.  Most people take part wishing to try and achieve their own PERSONAL potential. Whether this means becoming an elite athlete or just finishing the course in a desired time is up to the individuals personalised goals. However, the process of training safely and effectively towards the event is based on universal principles, which have been researched in depth by sports scientists. Many books have been written on these principles, but just a few considerations can help to train more effectively. The basic principles that all of my training programs are based around are seen below:

Physical training it self does not cause you to get faster/fitter. You become faster in the hours/days after the training session while your body repairs itself. It repairs back to normal level and also attempts to over compensate so it is better prepared the next time you undertake the same activity. The whole point in training is for your body to over adapt/over recover from stress it has been put under in training.  A simple concept, but one people soon lose sight of. Always remember this is why we train, TO RECOVER  and OVER ADAPT!

Overload does not mean you have to take your body to exhaustion to initiate a training effect! Nor does it mean every session has to be a flat out race! In fact the majority of the time it takes concious effort to refrain from doing this. But this does not mean that I go to every training session avoiding hard work. Placing physical demands on various body systems is classed as overload and the intensity you train at needs to be hard enough that it overloads your body beyond normal day to day functioning. This then initiates the over adaptation effect explained above. Each of my training sessions has a specific aim to try and stimulate a reaction from my body. One session may be very hard where I overload systems to clear lactate from my blood, whereas another may be long and easy to stimulate my body to become more efficient at burning fats for energy. Each are overload

training zones/intensity levels, recovery days, recovery techniques, over-adaptation graph

The 'use it or lose it ' theory is very true with physical training. Almost as soon as you have over adapted the body begins regressing back to it's original state unless stressed again. However, the regression does occur at varying degrees and speeds within each of the bodys' systems. Consistency with training is very important. For continual progression training should slowly progress in safe incremental steps in relation to intensity, duration and frequency. However training too much, too often,  too soon or too hard will also cause regression in performance as you will not recover.

10% rule, regression in training graph, periodisation, program planning, intensity, duration, frequency (including various disciplines)

It is important to train in the sports you will undertake and at the intensity and duration specific to racing. E.g. Although running will improve the fitness of your heart, lungs and leg muscles, it does not direclty improve your swimming specific fitness. Likewise, lifting very heavy weights for one or two very fast repitions does not directly help you to swim for 30 mins of repititive endurance type activity.

Training should also be specific to an individuals fitness level or ability. Looking at the principles discussed earlier trying to undertake 20 hours of intense exercise a week with Lance Armstrong and Ian Thorpe in your first year of training is not going to prove effective.  Training has to be at an individualised pace/ intensity level and for durations that will enduce a over adaptation for yourself.

Technique in my opinion is the single most important factor when considering training at whatever level you are participating. Effective technique will allow you to travel faster for longer with less energy expenditure. It is also the key factor in preventing injury. Swimming is a very good example, the following situation shows this point well. Compare a former international/national level swimmer, who is extremely unfit and has not partaken in physical activity for many years to your average age group triathlete undertaking 4 hours of swimming a week. Put them both in a pool for a training session and watch the former swimmer lap the tri-athlete again and again. This is all down to the swimmers extremely good technique.  I have spent session after session with coaches and video camers analysing and reconfiguring my technique in all of the disciplines I undertake. The complexities of which are too great for this website. Either contact me for individual or group coaching sessions, or find a well respected coach in your local area.