START-OF-SEASON MOT
Dr Garry Palmer, coach, triathlete and founder of fitness-testing outfit Sportstest, pretty much sums up where we are as the UK triathlon community at the moment. “There are two distinct camps, albeit the first is arguably split into two – groups 1a and 1b. 1a are athletes who have a long commute – those who work in the city, for example – and are now saving 2hrs a day travelling and are now training more. Group 1b’s been furloughed. Again, they’re training more. Then you have group 2. They’re working flat-out, like the NHS, or those working and [were] home-schooling who have little time and energy to train. They’ve dropped fitness and increased weight. That’s me and many others. We’ve all been hit in some way, but reflecting on where you are now will ensure you have the best season you can.” Which is where your body audit – and subsequent training tweaks – comes in…
MUSCULO-SKELETAL SYSTEM
A swift look in the mirror’s a rough gauge of how your musculo-skeletal system’s holding up. For Palmer, a combination of a wife who’s a nurse, home schooling and work-related stress sees him at 85kg when his normal weight’s 75kg and his optimum racing weight’s 68kg. “Then you have a run friend of mine who’s been furloughed, has little to do with his time and is running 140 miles a week,” he says. “He’s fitter than ever.” Anecdotally, this reflects the Covid vibe, but what about stats?
When it comes, highlighted the increase in sarcopenia. This is age-associated decline in muscle strength that begins as early as 40. This stemmed from a drop in physical activity. A Sport England survey from lockdown one, for instance, found almost 12-million adults were inactive between March and May, a rise of 7.4%. Then again, the survey reported a 1.5% rise in running, albeit this was countered by a reduction in treadmill running, while cycling enjoyed boom time with participation increasing by 1.2 million. As for swimming, that dried up completely with a drop of 2.8 million year on year.
