With Brownlee Tri North now just days away, we asked Alistair and Jonny to give their best course tips for everyone racing at Harewood House on Sunday…
“It was really important for us to do it somewhere different and exciting, and that’s what we’ve got here at Harewood House,” says Alistair. “We’ve been involved in the course as well, the course makes itself in a way. Hopefully you’ve trained hard, make sure you do all the little things right, check your bike is working and in good nick. Have a bit of rest in the lead-up to the race, and that’s about it really.”
And who’ll win Alistair and Jonny’s team relay race? “We don’t normally agree a forfeit but we might have to for this weekend. It normally involves buying each other dinner, we’re both tight Yorkshiremen at heart so that’s one of the best forfeits.”
Preparation
Alistair: “Don’t leave packing your bag until the last minute. Give yourself plenty of time to get prepared for race day.”
Jonny: “Plan your day in advance and ensure you leave enough time to move between areas.”
Alistair: “Hopefully you’ve done all the training, if you haven’t then there’s no point starting, so hopefully you’ve trained alright. Then there’s little things like make sure your equipment is alright, you don’t want to be using new equipment for the first time on the day. There’s no point in making big changes for the day, or small things. Make sure you know where the course is, and where you’re going. Simple things, nothing rocket science.”
Swim
Jonny: “Make sure you practise swimming in your wetsuit before the event – especially if this is your first triathlon. You want to feel as comfortable as possible and it would be wise to practice getting out of your wetsuit to prepare you for transition.”
Alistair: “With open water swimming it is very important you swim in the right direction, as you can quickly go off course. We recommend using large objects to swim towards.”
Jonny: “If you are nervous about the swim give the people around you a few seconds head start so you have your own clear water to swim in.”
Bike
Alistair: “The bike has quite a hard start, you come up from the lake towards where the house is and you run uphill on grass for a bit and then the actually mount will be on a bit of a hill, but the course itself will be quite simple.”
Jonny: “Make sure you leave your bike in a low gear in transition. The start of the bike is uphill so you’ll need to be pushing a nice low gear to get started. Don’t forget to keep count of your laps too!”
Run
Alistair: “The run is mostly grass and trails, which we regularly train on as its much softer on the joints. The secret for the run is to speed up your legs and use your arms for power, without letting your shoulders and other muscles tense up and slow you down. Also, arrange in advance where you will meet your friends and family at the finish. And don’t forget to return your timing chip when you’ve finished the race to avoid a charge.”
Are you racing Brownlee Tri North this weekend? Let us know in the comments!