Australian Triathlete — December 2017

60 | AustrAliAn triAthlete

SEXTON’S

Scribble...

Brendan Sexton

T

echnology and triathlon go

hand-in-hand. Being a relatively

young sport, triathlon has

fortuitously fallen into a golden

age of sporting technology advances,

which could be one of the reasons for the

sports rapid rise in popularity. Tri newbies

come into the sport greener than a kiddie

pool with chlorine deficiency. They see the

pimped out bikes, TT helmets and GPS

watches (that can count strokes, calories,

kilometres and number of times you swear

under your breath at your coach) and see

this gear as their ticket to bucket list glory.

The bright, tight and slick bling has done a

lot for the sport.

It is a two-way street though –

burgeoning sports technology has been

able to throw out a kite in the updraft of

triathlon’s rise. Being so new to the

sporting arena has meant that tradition

and tried-and-tested methods aren’t

nearly as deeply entrenched in tri as in

established sports like soccer, golf or

skiing. This youth and, in a way, naivety has

given triathletes space and liberty to

experiment in training and racing

innovations. We have proven to be a

freshly turned garden bed for next-gen

sports science enterprise and global

immersion technology to plant their seeds.

In many cases, the point of difference

triathlon has offered in terms of

willingness to test, trial and invest has

given us an edge over technology used in

swimming, cycling and running. And,

being a sport whose event duration

ranges from less than 30 minutes to 12+

hours, triathlon’s garden is rich in soil,

perfect for planting and developing

technology from fields like physiology,

psychology, nutrition, biomechanics,

aerodynamics and more.

However, it goes without saying that

technology is only useful if used correctly.

It seems bizarre to me that there are still

so many athletes spending time and

money on products that are being used

incorrectly, partially or not at all. Here are

some examples of tech I’ve found useful in

my career.

HeaRt Rate (HR) mONitOR: Many

athletes would have used, or at least seen

this wearable technology that offers

real-time pulse readings. It has been

around for a few decades. Recent progress

has seen the ability to read and record HR

using technology ranging from a special

chest strap, bulky finger clamps to inbuilt

sensors within ever shrinking wrist

watches. Most people would understand

HR monitors are a relatively sound

method of measuring effort, but this isn’t

an exact science. Every individual’s

pulmonary system can differ and, taking

into account factors like fitness, training

experience, genetics and body

composition; all hearts can act differently.

To best utilise a HR monitor, knowledge of

GAdGeT GAMes

Getting the most from your technology

an athlete’s HR history is key. Building up a

bank of data records with an explanation

of differing stimuli will give greater insight

into an individual’s HR profile, and aid

training and competition planning.

But HR monitoring need not solely be

used to measure and monitor intensity of

work - your HR is also a clear exhibit of

ability to recover. As an athlete, I would

often take note of my HR maximum during

an effort and, in recovery, allow my rate to

drop to a certain number of beats or

percentage of maximum before beginning

the next effort. This meant I was not only

aware of my performance at effort but

also of the change in my ability to recover

over time. Also, keeping track of resting HR

(say, upon waking or right before sleeping)

can show changes in fitness and even

signs of illness before other symptoms

present themselves.

PoWeR MeTeR: This is one of the most

sought after pieces of cycling technology.

After an influx of power measuring

products on the market, power meters

have become more affordable, but what

are watts and how can they help you get

more out of your time on the bike? As with

most quantifiable values, power is another

number that is part of a bigger picture.

Power is a measurement of torque applied

to the pedals combined with the angular

velocity displayed in a format of watts.

What this number actually means from

by Brendan seXton | photogrAphy by shutterstoCK.Com