Exploration
Taking on an endurance challenge? Read this first
Endurance athlete Sean Conway on why writing on your arm might be the key to success...
Endurance adventurer Sean Conway has cycled the world, swum the length of Britain over 18 weeks and spent 85 days taking on the world's longest triathlon – a 4,200-mile epic around the British coastline.
The Dare 2b ambassador has now gamely agreed to give Red Bull Steeplechase a go in Lynmouth on June 18 2017.
“I’ve not done Steeplechase before. I’m going to struggle as I don’t think I’m running-fit as I’ve been doing a lot of cycle training at the moment. However, I’m really looking forward to coming down there – it’s one of my favourite parts of the world,” said Sean.
I’m really looking forward to coming down there – it’s one of my favourite parts of the world.
No stranger to long distances, we picked his brains about how to best prep for any endurance challenge.
"I always break down anything physical that I’m doing into five categories. If you want to make progress both during and before, you need good food, water, sleep, muscle management and motivation. These are the five pillars of doing proper mileage," he said.
Here are Sean Conway's top nine tips for endurance success. Over to you Sean.
1. Keep hydrated
You can lose up to a litre an hour during physical exertion – especially if it’s warm. Hydration is important: get your electrolytes, get your salt up if you’re sweating a lot – especially if you’re drinking a lot and then just peeing it out again. I loose 3.7g of salt for every litre of sweat, so if I’m running for five hours I need a lot of salt compared to most people. I’m a bit abnormal apparently, the normal is about 1.5g an hour. The UK recommended allowance is only 6g a day!
2. Don’t skimp on sleep
Make sure that you are sleeping the correct amount – not too much, not too little. You want to make sure that you have a good sleep before an event. A good couple of days before, try and get as much sleep as possible.
3. Put in the time
With endurance sport there are no shortcuts. It’s not just about targeting HIIT sessions with the long stuff. Unfortunately, it’s just about getting the miles in the legs. You’ve got to get your conditioning up and there isn’t a shortcut for that. HIIT sessions will give you good cardio and strength work but the endurance stuff takes ages, which is why many of the ultra guys are in their 40s.
4. Write on your arm
I write things on my arm before I race.
Figure out what’s motivating you to do this. Is it for charity? A personal goal? Keep that in mind. It’s important, because you can forget why you’re doing it sometimes. If you do give up, you’ll regret it later. I write things on my arm before I race. If I’m raising money for charity, I’ll physically write something like: 'Remember the school in Uganda, Sean'. When times are tough, I’ll look at my arm and remind myself that if I keep running, that school will be built. It works!
6. Rest the week before
A week before the run, if you’re not fit enough you’re not going to get fit enough, so just try and eat and sleep well.
7. Have a race strategy
During the run itself, keep on top of hydration, keep on top of food. Don’t stretch too much beforehand as you can make your legs too elastic. Get the muscles warm by going for a really slow run before the lead up. You don’t want any muscle breakdown or stress.
8. Protect those feet
Foot management is always good. Your feet will probably get wet. Hopefully you’ve done some training to find out how your feet and shoes work in wet conditions. If it’s going to be miserable weather, you’re just going to have to deal with it. If you start getting a blister, tape it. If there’s any little niggle, deal with it early on. Once the blister is there, it’s just going to get worse.
9. Enjoy it
People sort of forget to enjoy these things sometimes. I know it’s miserable, especially if the weather is bad and you’re cold, but there’s always a really great atmosphere at these things. Take a few photos with your phone and have a good time. Remember to enjoy it – just have fun!