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A as AERO POSITION
The time trial / triathlon bike allows a rider to assume a position (= AERO POSITION) aboard the bike in an attempt to decrease aerodynamic drag.
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B as BIKE
The bike segment of an Ultra triathlon is the longest part of the race. Many types of bikes can be used during this phase, some athletes use different bikes when the race takes longer so the body can adapt to different positions.
time trial (triathlon) bike
road bike
B as BIKE FITTING
Bike fitting is a very important part of the preparation of your gear for a race (and for your training). Go to an expert and have your bike(s) fitted according to your needs. Don't save money - it's money well spent! It's science apllied to your hardware!
The longer the race, the more importance has a comfortable position on your bike, in comparison to a perfect aerodynamic fit for shorter races. You will not be able to hold a perfect aerodynamic position during the full length of any ultra race, so make sure that you are really comfortable for many hours and make sure your fitter is an expert in the field. Sometimes a couple of millimetres will make a huge difference and save you from pain and suffering.
B as BLISTERS TREATMENT
A blister is a small pocket of body fluid within the upper layers of the skin, usually caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning or freezing. Most blisters are filled with a clear fluid, either serum or plasma. However, blisters can be filled with blood (known as “blood blisters”) or with pus (for instance, if they become infected).
To heal properly, a blister should not be popped unless medically necessary. If popped, the excess skin should not be removed because the skin underneath needs the top layer to heal properly.
Intense rubbing can cause a blister, as can any friction on the skin if continued long enough. This kind of blister is most common after walking or running long distances or by wearing old or poorly fitting shoes. Blisters form more easily on damp or wet skin than on dry or soaked skin, and are more common in warm conditions.
A blood blister usually forms when a minute blood vessel close to the surface of the skin ruptures (breaks), and blood leaks into a tear between the layers of skin. This can happen if the skin is crushed, pinched or aggressively squeezed.
double layer socks by wrightsocks
Friction blisters, caused by rubbing against the skin, can be prevented by reducing the friction to a level where blisters will not form. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways.
Blisters on the feet can be prevented by wearing comfortable, well-fitting running shoes and clean socks. Blisters are more likely to develop on skin that is moist, so socks that manage moisture or frequent sock changes will aid those with particularly sweaty feet. If running in rainy conditions try to make sure that your feet won't get wet. It is also important to ensure that running shoes have been properly broken in. Also double layer socks help prevent friction to a good extent.
In ultra distances many athletes change shoes ever so often, sometimes switching to models one or two sizes bigger than usual, since feet are sure to swell the longer the distance. There are running shoes woith broader toe boxes, other athletes use sandals or cut the front part of their shoes open.
Even before a "hot" or irritated area on the foot is felt, taping a protective layer of padding or a friction-reducing interface between the affected area and the footwear can prevent the formation of a blister. Bandages, moleskion and tapes generally must be applied to the foot from time tto time, but a friction-management patch applied to the shoe will remain in place much longer, throughout many changes of socks and insoles. For periods of sustained use such ultra and trail running, especially where water ingress or moisture build up in the shoe or boot can occur, moisture wicking liner socks can provide the required friction protection.
A lubricant, typically talcum powder, can be used to reduce friction between skin and apparel in the short term. People put talcum powder inside shoes for this purpose.
If you want to dig deeper into the subject get a copy of "Fixing your feet" by John Vonhof. It is the "bible" on the subject and covers all aspects of good foot care.
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What can you do against chafing? I persoanlly trust in this roll on stick produced by SAILFISH. It not only works for swimming but also for the other sports. This stick allows the body parts to glide without forming a rash. Of course, there are many similar products. Do not use vaseline, because it might damage your neoprene suit.
Be also careful with the type of clothes you wear. Seams are a big problem as well as sportswear made from cotton.
Chafing may also be caused by the salt and residue left behind after sweat evaporates. If sweat is allowed to dry, and exercise is resumed, the salt may intensify the friction and cause further irritation.
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D as DISTANCES
Distances in ultra triathlon are as follows:
1. Continuous - version:
During the first leg you do the full swim distance, followed by the full bike distance to finish off with the full run distance.
2. "One per day" - version:
One standard long distance triathlon (7,6 km of 4,8 miles swimming, 360 km or 224 miles cycling and 84,4 km or 52,4 miles of running) is performed over a multiple number of days.
3. Ultraman- and Ultraman-style version:
These races are sheduled over three days. On the first day you swim and bike, on the second day you bike and on the third day you run. Average distances are:
Day 1: 10 km swimming, about 150 km of cycling
Day 2: about 275 km of cycling
Day 3: 84,4 km of running
Distances may vary according to the race.
In some races you do laps, in other events it is point-to-point, sometimes starting in a different places on day two and three.
4. "Hour" races:
You have a certain amount of hours (i.e. 24 or 36 hours) for the whole event. Some of this time is destined to the swim, another portion for the bike and the rest to the run.
5. other races:
Some races offer shorter or different distances.
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F as FIRST ULTRA TRIATHLON
The first ultra triathlon was held in Huntsville, Alabama, USA in September of 1985. Nancy and Raymond Sheppard organized this race over the double distance. 23 athletes toed the starting line. Winner was Ken Wiseman in 25 hours and 38 minutes.
Raymond & Nancy Sheppard
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I as IUTA
IUTA is the abbreviation of the INTERNATIONAL ULTRA TRIATHLON ASSOCIATION. Here you can find it's website . It is the official governing body of ultra triathlon. It was founded in 1992. It's present president is Mr Mark Hohe-Dorst from Germany.
The IUTA coordinates a series of ultra races which form the World Cup. World Championships are held annualy.
Not all races are part of this ultra association. Ultraman and Ultraman-style races as well as some other events do not participate in the IUTA-circuit.
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N as NUTRITION
Nutrition is definitely one of the pillars of a successful participation in any ultra event. Many books have been written about this topic, many theories exist, many special diets and nutrition tactics have been invented.
Participation in an ultra triathlon means that athletes will burn a considerable amount of calories. It is important to replace lost energy as good as possible. This can be done in several ways. And be aware that you will not be able to take in as much as you put out, so there will always be a deficit.
burning calories
You also have to be aware of the fact that race nutrition is very different from your (healthy) every food consumption. What you eat every day must not be good for you during a race. While you should eat lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grain food etc in your everyday life, digestion will be affected a lot during a race when you eat these things. All the energy your body needs to digest this type of food is not available for the exercise you do.
I have talked to many other athletes before, during and after a race, and I can tell you that nearly everybody has developed her or his own food strategy. My own personal strategy is as follows:
My race nutrition is based on a product called “ensure®”, which actually is hospital food for people who cannot consume solid food. There are other similar products from other companies (such as Allin®, Fresubin®, Fortimel® etc.), but I prefer the aforementioned “ensure®”. It comes in different flavours and each little bottle contains 200 ml with a total of 300 kcal. It is rich in carbohydrates, fats, protein, minerals, trace elements and vitamins. It is really easy on my stomach and I take approximately one bottle every hour. For me it is the easiest way to replace lost energy.
During the run section I sometimes add some gels, mainly the Powerbar® Hydro Gel and the Maurten® Gel 100.
In addition to “ensure®” I like fruit that won't affect my digestion: watermelon, strawberries, maybe a banana. I add an ice cream from time to time and some gummy bears according to how I feel. I also have salty snacks like pretzels or salted pretzel sticks, called “Soletti” in my country.
I drink sports drinks made from powder such as Isoactive from Powerbar®, HS Energizer from GS Food®, Drink Mix from Maurten®. An ice cold Coke from time to time is also welcome, sometimes I mix Coke with alcohol free beer (called Diesel).
I know that many other athletes consume solid food like pizzas, pasta etc. Depending on the lentgh of an event I do eat "proper" food as well. Of course there is a big difference between a Double distance race and a Deca.
I recommend you to try out different strategies to find the one that works for you.
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R as ROSSI, GUY
Guy Rossi , born in April 1948 in Marseille, France, is a non-professional French ultra-triathlete, world champion in decatriathlon in 1998 and still practicing in 2018.
Guy Rossi participated in his first triathlon in 1985, at 37 years of age, after having received an advertisement for an event contested in Geneva. Clinging quickly to this sport, but regretting the huge number of participants which leads to drafting etc, he quickly heads towards ultra-triathlon which he describes as freer and more convivial. He takes part in the first edition of the World Endurance Challenge, a triple-distance race, held in Fontanil-Cornillon in France in 1988.
He was crowned world deca-triathlon champion in 1998. He finished first in the IUTA World Cup (International Ultra Triathlon Association ) in 1993, 1997 and 1999. He was fourth in the 2002 world championship, but first in the 50-60 age group.
In 2005, Guy Rossi took the bronze medal of the world championship in the Double ultra-triathlon distance.
He holds several longevity records, which have earned him the nickname “The Legend”:
only athlete to have started at 114 ultra-triathlon competitions, finishing 86 of them;
only athlete to have completed 11 deca-triathlons
only athlete to have completed 288 times an Ironman distance at an ultra race
19 times he finished on the podium of an ultra race (3 victories, 2 silver medals and 14 bronze medals).
Guy finished his grand career in 2018 at the 24-hour triathlon event in Colmar, France, where it all began in 1987.
Guy Rossi
R as RUN
The run section of an ultra race is for many the toughest part of the event. With already tired legs, body and mind you start the gruelling journey from a double marathon to maybe more than a 1.000 km of runing. Of course, no one is able to run the full distance of a long ultra race, so many use a combination of running and fast walking. The imporant thing is to keeo moving forward. Every step will bring you closer to the finish line.
fast walking
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S as SWIM
The swim is the first discipline of any triahlon. It is the shortest part timewise, but for many the biggest hurdle to a successful participation.
Sometimes events take place in open water, in other races athletes swim in swimming pools.
Some of the problems in ultra swimming are:
chafing: Due to the long time you wear your wetsuit chafing might occur, especially around your neck.
energy loss: When swimming in cold water or if you spend a long time in water your body needs lots of energy to maintain it's temperature.
mental problems: Sometimes ultra swim distances are swum in 25-m-pools. You need to be mentally tough to swim for example 760 lanes in a quintuple race.
wrinkled skin: When spending a long time in water your skin will get wrinkled, especially on your arms and feet (since they are not covered by the neoprene suit).
pressure from goggles: This can become a problem when you spend hours on end in the water.
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T as TRANSITION
Due to the length of ultra triathlon events the time spent in transition is not as important as, let's say, in a sprint triathlon. Some athletes take a good rest or even go to sleep or have a decent meal after the swim or bike part. Also the change of clothes, shoes etc does not have to take place in the same hurry as in short distance races.
Since most athletes don't use triathlon suits in ultra events sport specific clothing (for the swim, bike and run) are used, which makes transition even longer. But it is well worth the time spent.
no need to hurry in ultra triathlon
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U as ULTRAMAN
ULTRAMAN was founded in 1983 at the very first Ultraman race in Hawaii, organized by Curtis Tyler, Alex Smith and Conrad Will. It has develloped into a race series of "official" Ultraman races with events in Florida (since 2014), Canada (since 1993), Arizona (since 2020), and Hawaii, where the Ultraman World Championships are held each year. The other three races serve as qualifiers for Hawaii. Ultraman United Kingdom (2011-13) and Ultraman Australia have formed part of the Ultraman family in the past.
Ultraman is a three day event with swimming (10 km) and cycling (ap. 145 km) on day 1, cycling (ap. 275 km) on day two and a double marathon (84,4 km) on day 3.
Unfortunately, there are other races that call themselves unrightfully Ultraman. The distances are more or less the same, but these races do not belong to the above mentioned race series. Amongst those Ultraman-style races are Australia, Israel, United Kingdom and India.
The following races are Ultraman-style races with more or less the same distances. The difference is that these races do respect the official name "Ultraman" and have found their own name for their event: UltraTri Dominican Republic, Ultra520k Canada, Ultra Caribbean Triathlon Colombia, UltraCzech 515 Czech Republic, UCE515 Brazil, Ermak 515 Russia, Siberman Russia, UB515 Brazil, UltraMx515 Mexico.
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