Kurio Compression, Totally Bespoke

It seems every big sports brand now offers some form of compression garment, along with a few smaller specialist companies who started out in this market. Its not exactly a new thing though, having been used in treatment by Doctors for many years previously. Its proven to improve circulation and increase blood flow which has to be a great thing for improving an athletes recovery and performance right? I think so, which is why I have tried various forms and brands over the last 8-9 years, looking for something which works for me, with extremely variable success.

Here’s a few of the claimed benefits-

·        Improved venous return (the rate of blood flow back to the heart)

·        Reduced muscle oscillation (vibration)

·        Kinaesthesia (body awareness)

·        Reduction in DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

·        Improved posture, body shape and support

·        Changes to blood flow

·        Body moisture wicking

·        Help to prevent swelling and deep vein thrombosis during long periods of travelling

I first tried some compression tops from one of the most well known brands out there, to try and improve performance whilst training for rock climbing. In all honesty the tops just felt like any other Lycra top, stretched horribly and were not actually comfortable in any way. I felt no benefits and quickly the tops got shoved in the draw, I still have them actually but never think I might use them. I have tried a pair of leggings from a different brand but found the same issues. For the last 2 years I have been using Compress-Sport products, which I have found do not stretch out and have been useful for recovery, I’ve practically lived in them between hard sessions and after races. I do believe they helped recovery but always found some drawbacks. I often had slightly cold feet whilst wearing them. However I could never use them during any exercise as my legs quickly went dead and I also suffered with soreness over joints where ligaments etc passed close to the skins surface. I tried the larger sizes but they did not fit over the muscles and were to long and slack in places.

The problem is they just do not fit quite right. Compression needs to be graduated, with less compression the closer you get to the heart and also in the correct place over the muscle group. If it isn’t you are never going to get the full benefits. It also needs to be at the optimal level, too much will lead to poorer circulation, too little and we are back to stretchy tops with no benefits. When you think about it, it’s clear the standard Small-XL sizing is just not going to provide this. The only solution for true performance has to be custom made and quality material choice for the garment is essential.

Enter Kurio Compress! http://www.kuriocompression.com/why-made-to-measure.php

So I was pretty excited when U.K based company Kurio Compression contacted me and asked if I would like to try a pair of there totally bespoke leggings. They are a driven and passionate team who clearly want to deliver the best possible product to help athletes improve performance and are leaving no stone unturned in order to accomplish this. After a long chat this became clear, they have researched every aspect of their product and this is ongoing. Just check out this link and the research they have had conducted on there own product and others in order to achieve this.

http://www.kuriocompression.com/technical.php

Pure attention to detail! I had 34 measurements taken of my legs and after a week or so 2 pairs of leggings, one for recovery and one for training arrived. Being U.K based for design and production certainly has its advantages, I did not expect it to be that quick!

Unboxing the leggings are well packed and come with a letter with care instructions etc, hand signed which I thought was a very nice touch and shows the care and attention to detail taken to produce them.

 I am now living in these and have to say I am initially blown away with the performance. Perfect fit, no more cold feet in the recovery tights and my legs just feel slightly warm whilst wearing them, a good sign of increased blood flow. Recovery has been excellent and I have suffered no DOMS after wearing the tights, plus my legs feel fresher going into the next session. I also wore them on the flight for a recent trip to race in Malta and had fresh legs the other side. In the leggings for training I have found a pair that I can exercise in with no ill effects and they certainly feel supportive whilst being comfortable to wear. It’s difficult to quantify if they lead to an increase in performance but I will give opinion on this after more testing. So far so good, I will post another review to update on the long term performance, durability etc and will certainly be putting them to the test over the coming months training and racing.

I will post an update once they have had a good thrashing! Be cool to hear what people think about compression and Kurio. 

Xterra Malta Race Report

If you are looking for an early season triathlon opener, some sunshine, perfect racing temps and an awesome country to visit, look no further than Xterra Malta. Deidre, Nathan and the rest of the crew will make sure you are welcomed, well looked after and provide a challenging but fast course for racing.

Nice setting for a race! Swim and run route visible :) 

I have been meaning to try out the Xterra series for the last two seasons but the UK event always clashed with something else so this season I decided to make it happen. This event had been recommended to me by a few friends who really rated it and there are quite a few cool videos about so it seemed an obvious choice for an early season fitness test.

I travelled to Malta on the Friday morning, feeling healthy, fit and well rested but did not really know what to expect standard wise at the race. I thought I might be able to make the age group podium and that was a loose goal I had set myself, it was not a target race or a seasons goal but its good to have something to aim for. Friday afternoon I went for a nice swim in sea, it was clear, warm but choppy and I practised Australian exits and diving in to get past the waves. The excitement about the race started to build!

On Saturday morning I took a trip round the bike course with Mat Stephenson, another UK athlete taking part, there were also a load of athletes out doing the same. One of the things I loved about the event was the relaxed atmosphere before the race, no one seemed to be taking it too seriously and I had a good laugh with Mat on the way round. The course was tamer than I am used to in the Lakes but had plenty of technical interest, one longish climb over varied terrain, from wooded twist single track to rough gulleys and fast flat trail. I left the run recce out to save the legs but Mat assured me it was fairly challenging. My hotel was only 4km from the start in the town of Meiliha, another bonus that makes this race so accessible and easy. I felt really relaxed in the evening but excited to race. I think all the winter racing helped here, getting the pre race rituals dialled in, all those learning experiences help to settle things down. I knew what I had to do, did it and that just left turning up to race in the morning. Blair has really helped with this side of things, along with Chris Francis from Eleven Sprocket, its certainly an improvement from the faff, unfocused worry of last year.

                               Evening stroll Meliha

Popeye's Village!

It was super nice to wake up on race morning and just take an easy 15min spin down to the race venue to get set up and sorted out. That friendly relaxed vibe was still present and I had left plenty of time to get ready. Auto pilot kicked in again and I knew I had nothing to worry about in transition. The bike was sorted, bolts tightened, everything in place and I had loads of time to get the wetsuit on ready to race. Unusually for me the water temp was ideal for a pre race swim warm up, a real novelty and not the sort of thing I would advise at Celtman or Norseman! I was pretty excited to be racing in my new Zone 3 Vanquish, redesigned and tweaked for this year, it feels unreal, so flexible and comfortable but super buoyant.

I knew I would not be super fast out of the water so just relaxed and found a rhythm, it was a 2 loop circuit with an Australian exit and short beach run halfway. I made steady progress though, overtaking and catching groups all the way from the first buoy and defiantly did not feel the swim had taken much out of me. No splits yet but I don't think it was a bad swim for me at all. Transition went smooth and it was time to go to work on the bike.

The bike starts off with a slight climb on bumpy, fairly technical terrain, you have to be efficient and pick a good line, hover over the saddle or stand up to smooth it out. I spent most of the first lap of the bike passing people, settling in and riding steady to pick things up on the second lap. I always felt I held back a bit but still made steady progress through the field, good signs that the time on the turbo over the winter was ready to be put use this season. Xterra allows drafting on the bike so it was interesting to ride in a group, take turns on the front and just try to hold wheels on climbs etc. It adds an interesting dimension to the race, again its a more social friendly style than the lone TT efforts of long distance races, I enjoyed this. The course was littered with water bottles, its bumpy, if you race bear this in mind! No bike issues for me though, I came into transition in one piece and feeling reasonably fresh considering.

Stem....

Another smooth transition out onto the run, an 11km that can be broken down into a fast flat start, steep to draggy climb and a fast but technical downhill blast over 2 loops. I aimed to run as close to even splits as possible for the two loops. I hit a pace that felt maintainable but hurt, passing a 3 or 4 athletes on the first lap but one guy just blew past me, he ended up finishing 3rd in our age group and clearly was a superb runner. On lap 2 it started to bite but I still ran every step of the climb apart from a short step you had to climb over, that even split goal driving me on. I nailed the descent, it really started to hurt now and made up one more place before hitting the flat road to the finish. It was so nice to finish the race with no issues and such a smooth day. I could not have gone any faster and feel I paced it well. In the end I finished in 2hrs45mins, 3mins of the age group podium in 5th and 35th overall including the Pro field. Not a bad first effort at Xterra and I will certainly be racing more in the future with a bit more focus. I really need to get my swim time down to be competitive at these shorter races but it will come.

The flat finsh

So a final assessment of my performance. Things could not have gone any smoother during the race, it feels good and shows winter work has paid off in this aspect, its even more important for longer races so all good. Without seeing the race splits its difficult to assess the 3 legs but I know I had a strong bike and a decent run, not enough to make the podium but 3mins down and 5mins to second is not a disaster, its important to remember the main goal is a faster race at Celtman and a good show at Oravaman so training is geared towards this. I am pretty sure last year I would have been a bit further back, I also know longer races are where I tend to shine, so its a good start to the season and always a good motivator to keep moving forward and bridge the gap. Slateman at the end of May will be telling.

Results link here

3 days off after the race and its now back to training, Blair has put a few sessions up on Training Peaks for me this week, no let up on the bike I see! Thanks as always to Zone3Wetsuits, TrecNutrition, LyonEquipment, CurranzHealth and ElevenSprocket for the support.

Xterra Malta and update

So its been a while since the last blog, fortunately training and racing have not been as inconsistent so its time for an update and a race report from the excellent Xterra Malta. The last 2 months racing have certainly had ups and downs but a slow, consistent upwards trend has been set. I've been out of my comfort zone, trying new things and I would be lying if I said doubts do not creep in from time to time and confidence ebbs and flows more than usual. It takes a bit of trust, faith and learning to put the ego away but I am certain its something worth going through. No one ever said the road to your goals and dreams would be easy.

Winter Racing Highlights and Lowlights

Cyclocross!

For the first time ever I have raced all through winter, trying out a couple of Cyclocross races, the amazing Durty Events Bowhill Winter Duathlon series and the High Terrain Events Duathlon series. All part of the plan worked out with Blair to turbo charge the engine. Usually I go into winter mileage and suffering mode, riding about in all weathers and running up and down hills. As I've said it brought me results the last few years in longer races but it was time to change. On paper results have been mediocre to bad, there have been plenty of mechanical issues, crashes and a few minor niggles along the way but man have I learnt a lot! I had a few epic crashes at Bowhill, a 3 inch slipped saddle at Kielder and failed to start Whinlater due to a minor niggle. The last two races have been different though, I feel sharper, certainly faster and the race prep is getting dialed into auto pilot. Best thing is I feel strong at the end of races and my recovery is fantastic. Racing conditions have varied from ice, snow, mud and a bit of sunshine and all the races have been short, from 40mins to 2hrs30 so easy to recover from and no effect on training consistently. Best thing is I feel strong at the end of races and my recovery is fantastic. So no long races yet but I am confident it has been worth it.

Bowhill Duathlon

Bowhill Duathlon

Onwards and upwards, fast forward to the last 4 weeks. The days are getting longer, the sun is shining a bit more (especially in Malta ;)) and things are starting to come together. In the last race of the series at Grizedale duathlon, a race finally came together without major incidents or poor form and I felt stronger on the bike than last year and put together a good run off the bike to finish 3rd, less than 3 mins to 2nd but 1st was a long way off. Good signs and a little confidence boost for the trip to Malta 2 weeks after. I certainly don't feel like I have cracked shorter races yet but I know I am making progress, my determination to stop myself making the excuse 'its a bit too short for me' remains undeterred. Looking back its actually been a pretty awesome learning experience over winter!

Grizedale in the sun!

Extracts from the training diary

February already!! Time is flying this winter, it will soon be time for the race season to begin, starting with Xterra Malta 1st April and a block of races leading up to Celtman and Oravaman in June/July. Its a good time to look back on the training so far, its easy to forget and get panicky about fitness this time of year but looking back I have been making slow but consistent gains. No reason this should not continue!

Things have been a little different to last year so far, with less long training sessions at low intensity on the roads or in the mountains and more time on the turbo trainer with faster sessions running on the tarmac. Certainly quality over quantity, zero junk miles and a total change from last year. I've been making sacrifices on the things I love to reap the rewards in the Spring when its time to race. Sometimes its hard to stick to the plan and resist a long run in the snow for 15x1min max efforts on the tarmac but I just keep reminding myself of the steps toward my ambitions for the season and dreams long term. The Celtman race splits are pinned to the beam in the garage, next to the little Norseman picture, its much easier to hit and hold those intervals then.

LakeDistrict Images

I thought I would share a few sessions I have been doing over the last few months, kindly or mostly not too kindly set by Blair Davies for my enjoyment :)

Running-

A staple has been, 15x1min max efforts with 1min30 recovery. The first 5 usually feel ok, too much rest even but it soon starts to bite! Its simple but effective for increasing speed, cadence and maintaining form. I now travel further and hold pace over the efforts way better than when we started and my cadence has increased across all runs.


wansfelb47's 1:16 h Running Move #SuuntoRun: 21.1.2016 - 1:16 h 12.27 km, Running Move

Threshold hills, yes, I get to do this one on the fells, sort of...I use a good surface bridal way, about 10% Avg grade that undulates slightly. 3x5min threshold efforts with the jog back to start as recovery (5mins). I have really felt the benefits of increased cadence on these sessions, you can really run hard and fast on this gradient compared to the steep reps or long efforts I used last year.

wansfelb47's 1:04 h Running Move #SuuntoRun: 14.12.2015 - 1:04 h 10.91 km, Running Move

Cycling-

Turbo, turbo, turbo. Oh yes, Power Meter and Rotor Q Rings too! I have been using a Rotor InPower unit, its not skipped a beat, great price, some really interesting features and can be fitted to almost any bike with minimal fuss. If you need any more info give me a shout or better still contact the experts at VeloTech Services.

Lots of tempo work, Z3/4 with alternating cadence and resistance. Bottom line is I have put 22 Watts on my FTP a quite a few BPM on heart rate in about 10 weeks and we are still just getting going. Already ahead of my bests last season too. The turbo and structure works! Using a combo of HR, RPE and Power to guide the efforts.

So, 2x20min at Tempo, 100RPM aim for each block. Feeling way more comfortable at higher cadences now, in turn I feel that higher cadence transferring to brick sessions when I run off the bike.




3x30min tempo, but never sitting at a comfortable cadence, spin or grind, cadence or muscular endurance, this felt like hell this time round but its all getting easier! Slowly :)




Ok, I got to ride outside on this one, my old favorite the struggle (click link for the video:)), but forgot to get the 28 cassette back on. Ouch! 5x6mins at threshold, should have been fully seated but no chance at up to 20% and a 25!



So there we have a brief insight into a few key sessions. Any questions feel free to ask, just use the contact form! Train hard, make a few sacrifices and reap the rewards! :)

With all this training, we also need recovery and fueling, so huge thanks to TrecNutrition, Vitamin Shop, CurraNZ Health and Stript Snacks for keeping me going and awesome support! Again, any questions just use the contact form.

Nortec Nordic Trail Spikes

So winter is in full swing, at least it was for a few days here in the Lakes but there is still plenty of time and snow left so here's hoping.

I often get asked about kit for keeping running in the hills when there is snow and ice, I love running through the winter conditions and enjoy keeping things light, so am always on the lookout and trying different kit to make this possible.

However it is certainly not without obvious risk, winter condition's on the hill in a pair of tights with a bust hip will turn nasty very quickly so the kit needs to be light, sturdy and do the job. In the past I have experimented and used many forms of ice traction devices for the feet, screw in spikes, pull on chains and even full walking crampons with articulation. They have all done the job to various degrees and kept me upright (mostly:)) but I think I may have found my favorite in the Nortec Nordic Spikes.

Nortec is a small Italian company that specializes in simple ice traction devices for all types of footwear. They make nothing else so are true specialists in this field, always a good start in my eyes. They are also designed in conjunction with some great athletes, including mountain running legend Marco de Gasperi.

http://www.nortecsport.com/category/athletes/

The Nordic is light and compact enough to fit into your pocket just in case and will provide grip on snow, ice and any other slippery surface you might choose to use it on. 

Now many other devices of this type are available and I have tried 3 of them but there are a few things I really like about the Nordic that differ from the others. 

1. They are super easy to get on, the rubber has just the right amount of flex to be pulled on easily but fit securely to the shoe without crushing the foot and altering the shape of the shoe. This gives a more natural feel to running in them and means they fit light, fell type shoes very well. I have found a few other way to hard to put on, not great if you need them on in a hurry!
2. The spikes are the perfect size for traction and maintaining stability whilst running over mixed, icy, rocky, grassy ground. I have found other models a little too on the large size again interfering with the natural feeling of running.
3. The points that the chain attaches to on the rubber are reinforced, its the main weak point of this type of device so its a relief to see this addressed.

Nordic on the La Sportiva Bushido

Reinforcement and low profile spikes

Short and sweet, as you can see, ice, snow or whatever there is no need to stop playing in the mountains! Just be safe and stick within your limits! I will post an update on how the spikes fair over the whole winter season.

http://www.nortecsport.com/

http://www.nortecsport.com/product/nordic/

2016 Race schedule!

So this is how the season is shaping up, mega excited about it as you can imagine, some old favorites in there plus some new challenges to stretch that comfort zone. I always like to do a few totally different things if I can, to tick them off that ever growing list or recce for future attempts.

March 20th- Grizedale Duathlon- Local race, you cant go wrong with High Terrain Events, superb organisation and courses

April 1st- Xterra Malta- Trying something new, should be an excellent level of competition, fast course and an early season triathlon opener

April 24th- Whinlatter Xtreme Duathlon- There is a bit of climbing squeezed into this one for sure! 1850M with around 2hrs50 winning time

May 22nd- Slateman- Becoming a regular on my calendar, fast, competitive and an amazing carnival atmosphere, I do like a nice cold swim, good warm up for the rest of the season

June 25th- Celtman- The old favourite, I just cannot get enough of the atmosphere, Torridon and that ridge on Ben Eighe

July 15- Oravaman- Super excited about this one, an adventure in the heart of the mountains of Slovakia,  3300m of climbing and a 1000m mountain trail descent to finish. I knew I had to do this as soon as I watched the video and chatted to Peter, the race organizer.

Aug 13- Fjord Extreme- Another race I just cannot wait for, Romsdal area of Norway, mountain top finish at 1700m, as per Norseman, only you have to get yourself back down. Raw and basic, just how we like it

Hopeful-

Sep- 3 Peaks Cyclocross

More races to be confirmed but that is the bulk of it, should be fun ticking those lot off. Here we go!

My favorite ridge in the world, Colin Henderson Photography

2015 Season of Extreme Triathlon, the movie!

Happy NewYear everyone, 2015 was an unforgettable year of amazing racing, ups, downs, highs and lows! Steve from MovieIt brought his cameras out training, racing and supporting throughout the season and also found time to put together this amazing video with the footage he collected. Ignore the guy talking, he much prefers running up mountains than talking to the camera but enjoy Steve's superb footage and the scenery. 

Super psyched for 2016 now! Huge thank you to you all for following and supporting my journey, it means a lot. Hope you enjoy the film.