Tales from Kona

Skinfit UK Brand Ambassador Asker Jeukendrup recently competed at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii for the fourth time. Here is Askers story of another incredible day on the Big Island.

I woke up at 3AM and fell back asleep till 4AM. I had a fairly large breakfast of 4 slices of white bread with peanut butter and a bread roll. It is always a strange feeling waking up knowing it is THE day and there is no way back, the day has come and there is a hard, a very hard day ahead.

Quite early I dropped my 2 special needs bags off, had my number tattooed on my arm, my weight measured by Adrian and Rebecca and walked into transition to get my bike ready. I calibrated the SRM, pumped up the tyres, taped two PowerBars to my frame and lubed my chain. Job done and back to bed. This is the beauty of having a hotel at the race start. I stayed in bed till half an hour before the start. Navy seals parachuted out of a plane into the starting area, the canon went for the pros at 6:45 and then we got in the water. I got many good luck wishes from numerous people on my way to the water.

I swam to the front, very close to the canon. AT &AM exactly the canon went and 1800 athletes started to compete for the perfect line to the first buoy. The swim was a better than I could have hoped for: a massive personal best, partly because of the suit and partly because I went to the front and did participate in the massive fight at the start. I got kicked in the face several time and lost my goggles once but at least I could swim in a fairly straight line. My T1 was also a PB, the suit made that possible too! The bike was amazing, I felt really really good and I knew from the start of the bike that I had an exceptionally good day. I was staying with Declan Doyle and actually rode in front of him most of the day and he is a 9:15 to 9:30 finisher (9:20 in Germany this year).

The way out I build up a 10 min advantage compared to last year, even though it was all the way into a headwind. We turned around at Hawi and the wind turned with us, it was incredibly frustrating. It was extremely hot as well, hotter than last year, hotter than previous years. My arms were developing heat blisters and sweat was pouring of them. Then for the last 30-40km the wind really picked up and I came into transition 8 min faster than last year but I felt so much better. I remember last year being really smashed and struggling up the climbs back into Kona, whereas now my legs felt tired but ok.

In T2 I got off the bike, leaving my cycling shoes on the bike, and normally I don’t do that and run in my cycling shoes through transition. My socks picked up a lot of dirt and gravel and this would not really help me later on the run. I ran out of transition with the idea to run slow for the first few miles. However, my chest tightened up and I could only breathe superficially. Exactly the same problem as in Ironman Louisville a couple of years ago. My legs felt fine but I could not breathe. The scorching temperatures and lack of cloud cover did not help. I was wheezing and trying to get air in but simply couldn’t. I developed a severe stitch that got worse and worse and forced me to walk. I did not panic because my legs still felt really fresh and I knew that if I could sort out my breathing even if this would take 15-20 min I could still finish in a decent time. I walked long stretches, trying to keep myself cool at drink stations, and trying to get rid of my stitch.

The support I received was incredible. So many people seemed to recognise me it was amazing: they were all going Come on Asker, Come on Doc, Come on Prof... it really kept my spirits high! It took ages before I reached the turnaround point on Alii drive after 8km. I started to feel a little better but every time I started to run my chest tightened again and my stitch would get worse. I could not run much more than a mile. I also had to manage fluid intake because it was so hot and I could tell I was sweating loads, but every time I drank a larger volume my stitch would get much much worse. After about 12km I saw Jo, she had walked towards me and I asked her to click my back, which she immediately did. It was the biggest click in the world and there was immediate relief. I could take a deep breath again, walked a couple more min with Jo and then started running. I struggled up Palani Rd and then thing seemed to get a bit better.

I saw Chrissie coming in, running well but I could also tell that it had been a hard day for her too. She was smiling. Only 2 miles to go for her! (15 for me). My breathing was definitely a bit more normal and my stitch although still pretty severe was a little more manageable. I ran the long Queen K with relatively little walking but still going slow to control my breathing and stitch. I was still very optimistic, I never had a thought that I would not finish and I always thought that at some point my problems would disappear and I would be able to run properly. This did indeed happen when I turned around in the Energy labs I started to run a bit more normally. With 12km to go I checked my watch and thought I could finish in 11:10. I picked up the pace and felt ok, picked up the pace a bit more and felt ok. So I made the run for home and must have ran a fantastic last 10km (or at least 8km).

I have not downloaded my Garmin watch yet but I know I finished on a 7 min mile! I had to dig deep the last 10km because now my legs were tired and stiff but I wanted to stay under 11 hours, and I did! I think the conditions this year were pretty extreme, we did not have the strong side winds from last year which made riding after the turnaround in Hawi a bit tricky but instead we head a headwind all the way. It was hot, superhot and humid, the heat index going through the roof. I calculated that I took on board between 10 and 11 litres of fluid but I still lost 5kg and was 66 kg at the end of the race. I peed brown stuff so pretty dehydrated! The recovery took a little while but 2 hours later I was back at the finish line celebrating although I had to sit down quite a few times and could not stand up all the time as I did in previous years...

It was a tough day.. but overall I am pleased with the achievement. My 4th Hawaii, my 18th Ironman.

Julie does it again!

Skinfit athlete Julie Dibens has just defended her Xterra World Championship for the second consecutive year - making it three years as the World Champion.

Read the race report here - courtesy of slowtwitch.com.

Congratulations Julie!

Skinfit dominates podium at Xterra US Nationals

Skinfit athlete Nico Lebrun won last months US Nationals by running down 3-time world champion Conrad "The Caveman" Stoltz.

Fellow Skinfit athletes Lesley Paterson & Christine Jeffrey put together solid performances to take 3rd & 9th respectively. Christine securing a a top 5 position in the overall points series in the process.

Next up is the World Championships in Maui, where Skinfit UK's Julie Dibens will be defending her world title.

We'll keep you posted on how all of Skinfits athletes perform.

Good luck to them all!

Stuart does Skinfit UK proud...

Skinfit UK Brand Ambassador Stuart Anderson recently competed at Ironman Wisconsin. After turning down a slot for Kona 2009, could Stuart qualify for Kona 2010....

My early decision to take a year out from Kona in 2009 wasn't taken lightly. When I qualified again this year in Lanzarote, turning down that golden ticket and all that it meant to me was the hardest race decision I've ever made. My friends all thought I was clinically insane... Tim and Dec my training buddies, who had targeted later races, thought I was nuts!! I had a plan that 2010 would be my special year and I was confident that with the right coaching and support from Richard Hobson, Mette (my girlfriend) and I could make it happen...

I arrived in Wisconsin and hooked up with Tri legend - Ken Glah. Ken had organised my accommodation and transfer. Ken now runs a Ironman specific travel company called Endurance Sports Travel. The following day we rode the course. It was every bit as hilly as I was led to believe, not on a Lanzarote scale, but tough enough to play to my strengths. Thank goodness I had selected the right gearing, I was running a 56/39 with an 11/26 on the back. There were lots of fast corners with intermittent steep sections. With the 56 I could make time up on the downhills, where other bikers would be using their brakes or free wheeling.

Come race day I was ready, I woke at 0430hrs for a 0700hrs start. Experience has taught me I need to eat at least two hours before a race in order for nature to take its course! The Ironman had truly rolled into town and nothing would stand in its way. I later found out that the previous day a fisherman had drowned in Lake Monona and they had been dredging all night looking for the body. Thankfully they had found the poor soul, but this wasn't good Karma.

I put my thoughts about this aside...but the water was so cloudy and murky that I found it difficult to think of any thing else, whilst treading water on the start. BOOM..... the cannon sounded and I was off. I had positioned myself on the pace line, a little optimistically in fairness, but I was used to a bit rough and tumble. I normally just put this down to racing. I don't believe its due to anyone being purposefully malicious. At about 800m into the swim I realised I'd gone marginally off course, the sun was in my eyes and I'd gone maybe 70m off course. I had basically been ploughing through other athletes but heading in the wrong direction!!

I quickly corrected this and continued to work hard to regain the distance I'd lost. I began to leave the pack and edge up to the athletes ahead. Either they were dying or I was so far off course that the normal guys I'd be up with were long gone!! No one passed me on the second 1900m loop...My Sailfish wetsuit felt great, super comfortable. I exited the water about three mins down of where I expected. In distance terms this is about 100-200 metres and this accounted for my poor sighting....Grrr! I later found out I was 293rd overall at this point with a time of 1.04:39.

Transition One - This is totally crazy, it must be the longest transition ever. After your encounter with wetsuit strippers, who make you lay on your back before they peel your suit off. Then you run from ground level up the helix of a multistory car park to the 4th floor, pick up your bag and change before running out to the car park to pick up your bike to descend down another helix.... all this took me 5.07. The fastest pro guys were 3.58. It has to be seen to be believed...

The bike was a 23km out and back from Madison with a 67km loop in the middle which was repeated twice. I liked this idea taking the race out on to quiet country roads so the main roads, in and out, of Madison weren't effected. For the first 90 mins of the bike I pushed really hard trying to make up for my lost time in the swim. From time to time I'd pick up someone who'd try to hold my wheel, but confidently I'd push on. After two hours I caught a group who were riding legally, but clearly rotating through and working together. I knew there were three hills coming up and I left my attack until then, leaving them in my wake. I needed to push and hold over 400 watts to break the group and this would come back to haunt me later.

A stronger Czech guy stayed with me but was later red carded for drafting. For the remainder of the race, I had caught two guys, one from Boulder called Shane and German guy called Stefan. Both were strong and we were riding the same pace. We had to keep out of each others draft zone as we were constantly shadowed by the race marshals. At around three hours I started to lose sight of them and they pulled away. My mega power intervals had pushed me over my red line and up came my breakfast... I eased off and left it 15 mins before I tried to take on some water. Thankfully the answer was yes, this gave me the chance to take on more Infinit energy and within minutes, I was back. I used only two bottles of concentrated Infinit on the bike and diluted this with water from my aero bottle. I reeled in other bikers passing the female Pro's who had started 10 min prior. I knew then that I was in the sharp end of the race and I was charged...I'd biked 5.05:01 averaging 35.5kmh

The second transition from bike to run was shorter and I tore through it, equaling or beating most of the Pro's in 2.06 mins

I stormed out of the Monona Exhibition Hall transition area hitting the tarmac hard. I knew I had a 3-hour marathon somewhere, the question was would I find it here in Wisconsin... The first part of the run took us into downtown Madison and I was able to settle into a relaxed pace. I felt good, hydrated with no stomach issues. I was taking a gel every 15 mins, chasing it with water. After the first 10km this changed.... the course became difficult to maintain a rhythm, it was up down, left, right, onto a sidewalk and then back onto the road and my pace began to wain... Note to self, always recce the run course too, this was simply bad admin on my part. I should have biked it before the race. It really is a crazy course... at one point we ran into the 100'000 seater 'Wisconsin Badgers' American football stadium, round the touch line and back out!!!

At the half way point Mike Reilly shouted over the speaker that I was the 5th amateur, third in my Age Group and that number one was just in front... this was like a red rag to a bull, I pushed on. Suddenly I saw a guy walking in front. He was the lead guy in my age... great I thought, one more to go. I could see him in front, Brian was his name. I was catching him each mile, but the second lap had become really congested.

At the aid stations it had become increasingly harder to be re-supplied with sponges and water. Each aid station was laid out in a different format and I found myself having to stop and often walk back to the water supplier, who had missed my shouts for water as I ran passed. This had began to annoy me as I knew I would have to burn the precious seconds that I had worked so hard for... Eventually I caught Brian and passed him decisively. I could hear his feet disappear, and knew he hadn't come with me. I was now leading my Age group and was third amateur overall.

The race was mine too lose.... and this became a real possibility. I had used GU gels for this race,which were not my usual choice and they were giving me gas!!! Not good... at this point I was concerned about having a 'You Tube Incident', so had to duck into a portaloo. Can you believe that the first two were both occupied. Typical ehh...I really didn't expect this, I even mindlessly started to queue. I frantically ran through the next aid station looking for the loo, and thank goodness found one....

I was almost disappointed having burnt all this time to find out it was just wind. Brian had re passed me and was now 200m up the road. I had just the up hill stretch home to catch him..... I had run out of road, despite upping my pace I wasn't able to bridge the gap. I was now surrounded by so many athletes on their first lap he was difficult to pick out ahead. I took solace that I was now finishing my marathon and that my race was almost over. I decided to enjoy it, ignoring the the younger age grouper who ran by me, Thorsten was his name. I celebrated with the crowd, high five-ing everyone and doing a 'Tim Don' aeroplane down the finishing flume... It felt just awesome!!!

3.16:28 not my fastest Ironman marathon, but it had put me 18th overall, 5th amateur and 2nd in my Age Group. I missed 1st by just 41 seconds...

Job done - Kona 2010 here I come - Hooray!!!!

You can follow Stuart on his road to Kona 2010 via his blog HERE

Mont-Blanc Epic

Following on from our last post - here is Paul Jones's report on his epic Trail Du Mont Blanc experience.

The time had come and our wait was over, we headed out to France on the 25th August to race around Mont-Blanc.

We arrive in the beautiful alpine town of Chamonix where our race would end sometime on Saturday 30th August. The town was buzzing with people, they really get behind this race. There were banners up everywhere and speakers all through the town playing interviews with the race favourites which were taking place in the expo. We collected our race packs soaked up the atmosphere and tried to relax before the race.

Race day had arrived, we caught the 8.00am bus to the start line in Courmayeur, yet another beautiful alpine town. We were being blessed with racing through some of the most beautiful mountains in Europe.

10.00am came and the gun went, 98km to go, we started with a very gentle jog up through the town, weaving through the narrow streets up towards the first big climb which would see us climb over 1100m in just 10 miles. The first 5 miles were steady and gradual, it wasn’t until we went off road did the incline turn vertical, we thought we had reached the top when we saw tents offering drinks but that was only the start of it.

We continued around the tent to and were confronted with the most savage up climb I’d ever seen, you could see the top in the distance and people sat at the side of the trails trying to catch there breath and rest their legs. We made it to the top in 4 hrs, 10 miles in 4 hrs really hit home as to how hard this race was going to be. Oh I forgot to mention the heat, it was 28-30 degrees, I have the dodgy tan lines to prove it. Any way we got to the top feeling tired but ok and decided not to stop but to power on so we followed a group of 5 others down the mountain in a cloud of dust as we ran down the narrow single track into the valley.

What an awesome experience, running down into the valley, weaving around rocks, running through mountain streams with the mountain disappearing into the background behind us. We make to the bottom were the track begins to flatten out and we continue onto the next check point without to much effort, stop for a quick drink and off we went.

The next section started off fairly lightly on some nice trails, and then in the distance we see runners heading up hill, hands on knees or with poles out. We knew we were in for a tough climb. Our run turned into a trudge as we started to ascend to the top of the next peak. 2 hours later we reach the summit and start another quick, technical decent, only this time the decent took it’s toll on my right hip as I started to get a sharp pain every time I put my foot down. We walked the next couple of miles hoping the pain would ease which it did and I was able to jog again.

The 3 climbs were long and tiresome, we was stopping longer at the feed stations both very tired and in pain, but the food station at Champex looked more like a scene from a war movie, there were bodies everywhere. I sat and tried to block out everything around me but I had one man shaking uncontrollably on one side of me and two more throwing up into buckets behind me, we quickly stood up put on my head light and thermal top and continued on.

The next section was to be our toughest test yet, we managed to get into a group of 10 runners which was good as it was pitch black and we were about to start our ascent to the top of Bovine. This ascent wasn’t just a walk but a climb which in parts would go on forever, well it seemed as though it did. We pass a spectator who said we were 1 mile from the next check point, not the news we wanted as we thought that we had cracked this climb. We make to Bovine and I am in need of painkillers as my hip has brought me to a hobble, but the doctor said I would have to make it to the next check point 3 miles away, this did not please me. Simon was also struggling at this point with some very bad chaffing, our injuries had brought us to a walk.

We set off in the dark to our next check point, only 3 miles I kept telling myself, 3 miles is nothing. Well those simple little 3 miles of down hill took us 2 hrs as every time I put weight through my right leg I would get a very sharp pain in my hip and this time it didn’t go away. We finally reach the check point and see the doctor, it’s not good news, my hip is very swollen and with only one more check point left which were two mountains away the doctor said it in my best interest to stop.

Simon also sought medical advice for his very bad chaffing. When he pulled down his shorts and showed the doctor, his face was a picture. I won’t go into detail here as it would make some people sick, but all I will say is that Simon couldn’t sit down properly or wipe his bottom for a few days after.

To say that we were both gutted would be an understatement, we had both prepared all year for this event, we couldn’t have been fitter but unfortunately my hip and Simon’s bottom stopped us this time. We have both said that we’ll be going back next year to conquer the CCC and the UTMB in 2011.

We would both like to thank Skinfit for the support they have given us, I would highly recommend the Skinfit range to any active person.

Here’s to 2010 and more adventures.

Ultra Running - How it started and The Highland Fling

Paul Jones & Simon McCollum are taking on the Trail Du Mont-Blanc Ultra Marathon with support from Skinfit UK.

Here is Paul's story on how they came about taking on this epic adventure.

This all started with a boring day in the office talking about former glories. I am a former International Decathlete and my running partner (Simon McCollum) is a former England Hockey player. We discussed our current state of fitness and decided that we needed a challenge. Simon had read an article on the Trail Du Mont-Blanc and said this race would be a good tick in the life box. I agreed without really knowing what the race involved, boy, did I get a shock when I found out it was a 98km race around Mont-Blanc.

We did some research into the event and made our application, only to find out that you can't just enter this race, you have to qualify, so we entered the Highland Fling as our qualifying race. This when we realised what a challenge this was going to be (we've never even run a marathon). We sat down a put together a training plan. We broke it up into 4 week blocks, 3 hard 1 easy, building up the mileage over the first 3 weeks before easing off in week 4. Each 4 week cycle would start at a higher weekly mileage until we were up to 70-80 miles on any given week and a peak of 100+. We used our commute to and from work to get the miles in as this was 10 miles each way then a long run at the weekend, we would also include trips over to Cannock Chase and Snowdonia to get used to off-road terrain and bigger hills.

During our first few months of training we thought it would be a good idea to use this opportunity to raise some money for charity. We chose the Livestrong foundation. We also approached Skinfit UK to see whether they would be interested in supporting us through our mission, happily they said yes.

Skinfit UK provided us with much of the kit we would need to tackle a mountain ultramarathon - the Scudo waterproof jacket, caldo gillet, vento gillet and base layers. The kit was amazing and met our needs perfectly as we'd previously been using kit which was too heavy, not easily packable and not made with mountain adventure in mind. I became a particular fan of my base layers and waterproof. The base layers were light-weight, designed with runners in mind and were very comfortable in both hot and cold conditions. My waterproof came in very handy in the hills of Snowdonia during the winter months, it's light, perfectly fitted and packs away into a small apple-sized ball.

The Highland Fling

Race day had arrived and I had not felt so nervous before a race. During my athletics career I stepped onto the line with confidence knowing that I had put the right amount and level of training in to do well but this was different - I had never gone this far before over mountain terrain. During our preparation we had done back to back runs of 25-30 miles, but had never gone over 50 in one go.

We decided to started to start at the back of the field and work our way through - as we were heading into the unknown. Our pace was an easy jog to begin with, passing quite a few people on the first road phase before heading off-road, we settled into an easy 8.30 min/mile pace cautious not to be tempted to go with some of the quicker starters. As we reached the first check-point at 19 miles we felt great, felt fresh and confident in having passed a lot of fellow competitors on the way. We took on fluid and food (rice pudding) and headed back out - but only 3 miles later Simon started to feel sick, his stomach was rock hard and he was finding it difficult to keep running. Simon was having a bad reaction to a carb bar he had taken on-board during our feed station. We walked for the next 2-3 miles while Simon recovered.

Simon started to feel better and we were back running and making up ground on those who had come passed us. The terrain changed from fire-track trail to rugged ankle-breaking off-road and with no option to run across - we were forced to walk again. Out the other end, we had gone past half-way and were closing in on the 30 mile marker. By this stage the hills were taking their toll on the quads, but we still felt good and kept a decent pace. The race was full of great people, very friendly, we chatted to a lot of them during the tough parts of the race - where us mere mortals had to walk.

The 40-50 mile stage was a particularly tough part - going through shin-deep mud fields and big 1:3 climbs. I went through a real bad patch, my legs felt like lead and the hills kept coming and coming, then we hit the forest and my mood changed. This part of the race was by far the best part for me, it was beautiful, pine track weaved through the tall trees, I hardly noticed the savage hills. This was short-lived as we came out of the trees onto a dull road and it began to rain, this time both me & Simon went through a bad patch and had to drag ourselves through the next couple of miles.

We checked our map and saw that we were only 5 miles from the finish - and with that news we man'd up and headed to the finish. In the distance. there was a florescent sign - it had to be the finish. It was a sign for the finish but the cruel organiser had put this with another half-mile to go - I could have hit someone. But only 10 minutes later we had achieved our qualification into Mont-Blanc by completing the Highland Fling in just over 10 and a half hours.

After a shower, a pizza and a pint we headed back to camp where we quickly passed out. The next morning was not a great one with my legs feeling as they had been run over by a bus and the knowledge that we would have to make the long drive back to Birmingham.

Bye for now, I'll let you know how we got on at Mont-Blanc.

Haile Gebreselassie the greatest

Skinfit UK Brand Ambassador Asker Jeukendrup recently spent some time in Ethiopia with the great distance runner, Haile Gebreselaisse. Here is Asker's account of his visit to Addis Ababa.

As an exercise physiologist / sports and exercise nutritionist I had opportunity to work with Haile Gebreselassie, the greatest distance runner of all times. Over the years I have provided nutrition advice to a number of elite athletes, in various sports, who achieved incredible things, but Haile has always been one of my favourite athletes. With 27 world records, and numerous Gold medals in Olympic Games and World Championships it is no surprise that they call him "the Greatest", "the Emperor".

I flew into Addis Ababa in Ethiopia for a week to do a number of tests with Haile, the goal of which was to help him to break his own world record for the marathon and to get him ready for the London 2012 games (when he will be 38 years old). I had met Haile several times in the past, in Portugal when he was trying to break the half marathon world record, in Beijing at the Olympic Games and at his house in Addis Ababa and he is without doubt one of the most impressive athletes I have ever come across. Haile is not only an amazing athlete, he is also an amazing businessman and person. Always on the phone, employing over 500 people and running a successful business in between two training sessions a day. Clearly he is hardly an average athlete. Although he is extremely busy, he still has time to say hi to everyone on the streets of Addis and is always smiling. He is the nation's big hero and he makes so many people happy by just saying hi or shaking their hands. Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world and many live in the streets hoping to find a way to make a bit of money to buy the food for that day. When Haile drives past in his silver Mercedes, which he won when he became world champion in Stuttgart in 1993, the lively Addis Ababa comes to a standstill, everyone looks up in admiration.

Haile owns a large office building in Bole near the airport in Addis where he runs a gym on the ground floor. You will find a coffee shop / restaurant on the first floor and Haile's office on the 8th. In the afternoon when he goes for his second training session of the day you can often find him in that gym. I carried the equipment to measure oxygen uptake and carbohydrate and fat utilization with me in the plane and I set up a lab in Haile's gym. I converted part of the gym into a laboratory to perform the fanciest exercise physiology studies ever performed on Ethiopian soil.

The testing was most impressive, not because of the fancy equipment I brought (although that attracted a lot of attention too) because of the speed and ease that Haile ran on the treadmill. Like a metronome, hardly touching the treadmill, he ran 24 km in 90 min, whilst I was doing all of these measurements. In fact he finished the test at 22 kph after having done a 2 hour hard run session that morning! For obvious reasons I can't share his results but believe me they were impressive. Haile's next goal will be the marathon of Berlin on September 20.

More Philip Graves...

Check out this great interview with good friend of Skinfit UK, Philip Graves, Ironman's youngest-ever winner: http://www.imtalk.me/Podcast.html

More success for friend of the Skinfit UK family

A good friend of the Skinfit UK family, Philip Graves, recently became the youngest-ever winner of an Ironman race when he won Ironman UK in his debut race at the iron-distance.

Skinfit UK would like to congratulate Philip on his great results and look forward to seeing him to him on the race podium many more times.

Here is a great interview with Philip, courtesy of slowtwitch.com.

Ironman fascination

By Asker Jeukendrup

Over the last few weeks I have watched many competitors finish in Ironman Germany and Ironman Switzerland. Both races were held in wonderful weather conditions and with great atmosphere. I have completed 16 Ironman races so far but these were the first two I have watched from the sideline. Ironman is a fascinating sport! Athletes of all levels participate and set out to break their own personal records or to simply make it to the finish line before the cut off. The journey is quite remarkable, often painful, often emotional, each athlete goes through many ups & downs during the race and crossing of the finish line is unlike any other event. The expression on people's faces tell a great story: it varies from extreme relief that it is over, to incredible satisfaction and pride. Some people cross the finish line and immediately state they will never ever do this again! Others will quite happily sign up for the next event as soon as they have crossed the finish line. The one thing these people have in common is the next day they all want to sign up for the next year.

For many people completing an Ironman is a life changing event and the emotions that go with that are obvious when you watch people finish. There are a few things about Ironman that are unique and that make it very special.

Firstly, it is a sport for all people: it is as busy at the finish line when the first guys finish in little over 8 hours as when the last athletes come in at midnight!

Secondly, Ironman is a lifestyle, it is not just a sport. In order to complete the event people have to make changes to their lifestyle and most of us have to fit in many hours of training with work or school and family. Ironman training also makes people aware of healthy living and nutrition (which is my main interest as a sports nutritionist and Professor of Exercise Metabolism at the University of Birmingham).

I will be writing a few blogs about nutrition and preparation for triathlons in the next few months, hoping that this will help others to achieve their personal goals. I find Ironman fascinating because so many factors determine performance on the day. For the perfect race, everything has to be right from preparation, to nutrition, to equipment, to psychology and it is an incredible challenge to get everything right on the day. Although I have often been called a leading sports nutritionist or world expert, there have been plenty of races where my race nutrition did not work 100% and my search for the perfect race continues.

I have been supported by Skinfit for several years now and apart from the fact that I am extremely happy with the quality of the garments, I also think that Skinfit as a brand really embraces everything that Ironman stands for.

In October I will be competing at Ironman Hawaii for the fourth time, I will be reporting on my preparation, i will posting nutrition information here and on my website www.askerjeukendrup.com and I hope the information will inspire and help you in your preparation for the events you are preparing for.

Asker Jeukendrup is Professor of Exercise Metabolism, Director of the Human Performance lab, Exercise Metabolism Research Group, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham.

Nutrition is the fourth discipline of triathlon

By Asker Jeukendrup

A good diet is for everyone. A good diet and an active lifestyle will help to prevent may of the modern diseases like obesity, type ll diabetes, cardiovascular diseases etc. In fact poor diet and physical inactivity are currently ranked as the number 1 killer, ahead of smoking!

For elite athletes there is another reason to pay attention to the diet. Diet can also affect performance and sometimes can even mean the difference between winning and becoming last.

I don't think athletes always appreciate the importance of nutrition. Elite athletes spend hours and hours training, the efforts they put into their training are quite remarkable. It is then amazing to see that the diet often receives less attention. What you eat before, during and after training will determine how well your body adapts and thus improves from that training session. It is therefore important to give nutrition as much attention as training!

What do we mean by good nutrition? This is a tricky question and the answer may depend on the goal. Good nutrition will be different for a shot-putter than for an ultra marathon runer and will be different if your goal is sprint triathlon or completing an Ironman. It will be different for someone who does not train and someone who trains 2 hours per day. The requirements of different sports and disciplines can vary quite significantly. There are a few common themes though.

Carbohydrate to fuel training

All training will require energy and this energy has to be provided. The two main fuels for exercise are fat and carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is the fuel of choice and since we can only store relatively small amounts of carbohydrate in our bodies, carbohydrate should be a large component of every athlete's diet. Good sources of carbohydrate are potato, bread, rice, pasta etc. It is often recommended for athletes to have a relatively low fat, high carbohydrate diet. Fat sources such as butter, mayonnaise, which contain quite a bit of energy could be replaced with carbohydrate sources.

A balanced diet

A diet has to be balanced which means it has to be varied to provide all nutrients in sufficient quantities. Eating just pasta would result in a deficiency of various micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). To provide a balanced diet, we should consume sufficient amounts of fruit and vegetables, eat whole grain products and other fibre containing foods, eat meat or fish (although meat could be replaced with carefully chosen protein sources).

Hydration

There is evidence that dehydration (a loss of body water) can impair performance. Athletes are therefore recommended to drink regularly and make sure they are always hydrated. One way to check hydration status is by looking at the colour of urine. A light colour usually means you are well hydrated, a darker colour means you are dehydrated. Sports drinks are developed to replenish water as quickly as possible and they provide a source of carbohydrate as well. These drinks are important for endurance athletes who exercise for many hours, and it is even more important if the exercise is performed in hot conditions. The average person who goes to the gym, could suffice with drinks that contain less carbohydrate or even no carbohydrate.

Recovery

Nutrition plays an important role in recovery. After exercise energy stores have to be replenished, lost fluid has to be replaced and damage (muscle damage) has to be repaired. We need carbohydrate, water and protein for this. When athletes are training hard on a daily basis which for most elite athletes is the case, the choice of food and the timing will determine how quickly they recover and how well they adapt. Nutrition can also help to prevent injuries by speeding up repair of damaged tissues.

Immune system

Strenuous training may suppress the immune system and this may be the reason why anecdotally athletes who are training hard are reporting more colds. Nutrition can help boost the immune system and especially carbohydrate intake during longer training sessions has been shown to reduce the suppression of the immune system.

Sports nutrition myths

There are many myths in sports nutrition. In the sixties athletes were advised to eat a large steak on the morning before a marathon. Now we know this is not the best way to prepare but there are new myths...There is a strong belief that large amounts of protein need to be consumed to build muscle. However, there is no evidence for this at all. Protein is important to build muscle but we don't necessarily need large amounts. The timing of protein intake may be more important than the amount.

There are also many nutrition supplements on the market that claim to make your muscles grow, fat disappear, recover faster, and perform better. Most of these claims are not based on scientific evidence! Even worse, some of these supplements do not contain what they say they do! So supplements are not the way to a healthy and optimal diet. Supplements, as the name suggests, are meant to supplement a healthy diet, not to replace it or compensate for it!

Why sports nutrition is so exciting

As a triathlete I have learned how important nutrition can be. Take for instance one of the ultimate challenges: the Ironman (3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, followed by a 42.2 km run). During an Ironman, you expend 10,000-11,000 kcal (a normal person will expend 2,000-2,800 kcal per day) and some of this energy needs to be supplied during the race. Fluid losses can be substantial: in some races it can be more than 10 litres, and these losses need to be minimised. However, although on the one hand there is evidence that refuelling and rehydrating are important, there are also practical considerations that need to be taken into account. For example, it is not always possible to carry that much food and drinks are sometimes the foods and drinks can cause gastro-intestinal problems. This is what makes the field of sports nutrition so exciting. Every sport and indeed every athlete has individual needs that can only be addressed appropriately by working closely with this athlete and finding out what is optimal for them. In a series of articles over the coming weeks we will discuss all these considerations and come up with some guidelines.

Asker Jeukendrup is Professor of Exercise Metabolism, Director of the Human Performance Lab, Exercise Metabolism Research Group, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham.

Another great performance at Challenge Roth

The 2009 edition of the Quelle Challenge Roth iron-distance race will go down in history as one of the quickest and most memorable races of all time.

Britains Chrissie Wellington smashed the female world record, taking 14 minutes off the previous record held by Skinfit athlete Yvonne Van Vlerken, lowering the record to a staggering 8:31:59.

Germany's Normann Stadler rode the quickest iron-distance bike split in history, covering the 180 kilometers in an incredible 4:14. Normann finished in fourth place overall, behind fellow German Michael Gohner who took the top prize with a sensational time for 7:55:53.

Skinfit athlete Olaf Sabatschus had a wonderful race, finishing in an incredible sixth place with a time of 8:06:01.

One more great performance at the event was from the Skinfit team.

With a great position at the Expo, and a great team on hand to speak to the hundreds of competitors and visitors, it was a very busy few days.

On race day, it was great to see so many competitors wearing the Skinfit kit.

The Skinfit team would like to wish all competitors our congratulations on making the event such a special and memorable occasion and we look future to meeting you again at future events.

Yvonne places second at Ironman Frankfurt

Once again, the outstanding athlete Yvonne Van Vlerken has shown her true class racing at Ironman Frankfurt.

After a very strong bike leg, Yvonne came into T2 side-by-side with Sandra Wallenhorst and the two of them fought it out during the marathon with Yvonne leading the first half of the run leg but eventually conceding victory to Sandra Wallenhorst, to record a time of 9:02:18.

We would like to congratulate Yvonne on another great race and a great day out for Skinfit!

Skinfit UK Brand Ambassador Stuart shines in Lanzarote!

One of Skinfit UK's Brand Ambassadors, Stuart Anderson, recently raced at Ironman Lanzarote. Here's Stuart's race report for your reading pleasure, enjoy!

Race Report

I'm really pleased: I had a great race with everything more or less going to plan.

It was a tough day for age groupers and Pro's alike with Bert Jammer narrowly missing a herd of goats crossing the road, whilst on the decent to Famara.

I had a great race with everything more or less going to plan. The swim was frantic and the current was pushing us into the buoys. I was using a new Sailfish suit, so I was pleased with the extra buoyancy it game me. Exiting the water for the second lap was exhausting, but good for the spectators, and I managed a smile before entering the water for another pummelling.

We had typical Lanzorate weather with a head wind from Yaiza all the way to Mirador del Rio. Going up Haria I was pushing 450 watts, holding just 8kmh!!

I could have walked quicker...

I had a solid bike and I managed my 'Ironman marathon PB', so I was really happy. I used only Infinit on the bike and gels and water on the run....I had no stomach issues and felt strong the whole way through. Getting your nutrition right is as important as all the hours you put into your training; I took two bottles with six scoops of Infinit in each and consumed 1/3 of a bottle per hour, chasing it down with water from my aero bottle. I'm sure this contributed to my 3.08 marathon as I ran pretty consistent splits off the bike. The crowds support was awesome and because it's a loop marathon course, where you collect a different coloured band each loop, it's easy to focus on attaining the next band to stay motivated.

Although I qualified for Kona, I've decided to make 2009 a build year for a dream year in 2010.

It was a tough decision but I didn't accept my slot for Kona as I want to attain a top 10 position in my age there and I think I will need more than 4 months to build for this.

I have a place in Ironman Wisconsin (Sept 13th) which has slots for 2010 and it will be my goal to qualify there.

To sum up, Lanza is such a well organised race and Kenneth Gasque the Race Director makes all the competitors feel really welcome. I've already registered for 2010!

stuart anderson

BIB	AGE	STATE/COUNTRY	PROFESSION
541	35	London Greater London United Kingdom	Consultancy Manager

SWIM	BIKE	RUN	OVERALL	RANK	DIV.POS.
1:03:48	5:33:17	3:08:34	9:53:46	42	8

LEG	DISTANCE	PACE	RANK	DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM - 3.8 km	1:03:48	1:40/100m	235	63
TOTAL BIKE	180 km (5:33:17)	32.40 km/h	76	16
RUN - 5 km	7:06:29 5 km @ 21:17	4:15/km
RUN - 10 km	7:28:28 5 km @ 21:59	4:23/km
RUN - 15 km	7:51:18 5 km @ 22:50	4:34/km
RUN - 21 km	8:14:36 6 km @ 23:18	3:53/km
RUN - 26 km	8:38:00 5 km @ 23:24	4:40/km
RUN - 31 km	9:02:14 5 km @ 24:14	4:50/km
RUN - 36 km	9:27:32 5 km @ 25:18	5:03/km
RUN - 42.2 km	9:53:46 6.2 km @ 26:14	4:13/km
TOTAL RUN	42.2 km (3:08:34)	4:28/km	42	8
TRANSITION				TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE				4:11
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN				3:56