Marginal Gains Part 2

I discussed in my last blog post the simple improvements you could make to your life; that may have a positive effect on not just your performance; but maybe your life and health in general.

Easy things, that any of us could do; at very little or no cost but could all add up to a tangible improvement. Without needing to spend your hard earned cash on negligible improvements.

But as anyone who knows me; knows, I am all about balance! 

So for balance and context; I am going to discuss those small, nerdy marginal gains that do cost money and are very niche and are, more often that not (overly) complicated!

With 14 years of triathlon and endurance experience, I think I have nailed down the training and approach needed to get a high performance level from myself and others. So really, all I’m left with; or so I keep telling myself, to improve things; is the minutiae, the things you might think might not even give an advantage, and maybe they don’t, but isn’t it fun just to try them anyway? And don't we all just love buying s**t? 

So here’s my top 5 tips for training and racing that I think give improvements, that may be not so marginal...

1. Tyres. 

Not all tyres are created equal. And whilst I hope you know not to race on Gatorskins. The difference between a good tyre and a fast tyre is more than you think! We’re still in marginal gains territory, but not as marginal as you might think!! You could be looking at as much as 10 watts in total. (and don't even get me started on tubes). A tyre upgrade before a big race is a must in my opinion, for so many reasons.

2. Aero Socks. 

I know. Even typing that I can feel my skin crawl a little. We are truly in the realm of the aero-d**khead now!! But what socks you wear can save you time; so put away those cosy cotton sponges and invest, as investments in speed go, it’s the best value out there!

3. Clean that Chain. Fool

Not only does having a clean chain/drivetrain prolong the life of it; but a clean well lubricated chain is faster. We ride our bikes in Ireland, the roads are wet and dirty; it’s impossible to keep your chain clean! You may think it’s clean; but is it really? How many watts are you losing with? Even if it looks clean; run your finger along it… Add a new, clean chain to your shopping list before your next big race.

4. Helmets. 

Like the tyres above, not all helmets are created equally, there’s such a plethora of choice out there now that offer watts savings; it may only be 3/4 watts (it can be a lot more if you sacrifice your dignity!!) but it’s a cheap (er) way of saving yourself some watts! 

*Anyone else remember Fat Albert?

5. Turn off Zwift. 

For starters, put that 20 quid into a vault on your Revolut or under the mattress or wherever. After a year of doing that; you’ll have 240 quid, that 240 will go along way towards an aero tri suit which will actually save you watts!! But what it will also do; is build your mental strength, if you can sit in your shed, at 6am, on a Tuesday, in January and knock out a session without having to look at 64bit sega mega drive man on a bike to distract you, then you have that mental strength for a race, when your legs are burning and all ya wanna do is stop, sell the bike and take up gardening!! It’s an extreme example, but having the drive to get on your turbo and not need distraction, just focusing on the effort and your session,  tell me how that’s a bad thing? 

I could write another 10 blog posts on this topic, but I'll save those for the Comeragh Coaching athletes... Comeragh Coaching