I was just looking up low fibre food for the 48hrs before race day, and came across this useful document. It’s a low fibre diet guide for people who’ve had an ileostomy bag fitted - similar needs to those of us not wanting to need to poo during a race!! https://www.ulh.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/0974-Low-Fibre-Diet-Sheet-v5.pdf

Hi folks, Looking for advice and recommendations - - For open water use ow goggles or would pool goggles be fine? I use the magic5 mirrored in the pool - In the water should I wear neoprene swim cap or just fine with two normal rubber swim caps? - Jacket for the run - I use a Ron Hill jacket for running which I believe is waterproof, thoughts on this being acceptable so long as I have all other kit? Thanks

Top two tips to start ( bold assumption that you have trained well) 1 RTFM this is oddly something lots of idiots dont do. It really is very comprehensive so read it, make your crew read it then read it again. 2 Get yourself a support crew who already know the event. So that means @Ewa Pisarczyk @Karianne Lancee and @George Noble are sorted for sure. Anyone else its worth doing 1 and have a look at some small things that arent in the manual. Travelling up. Torridon is quite remote but if you fill up in Inverness or Dingwall you have enough fuel to get round and back to Inverness. Inverness is also a good stop for supplies..Big supermarkets and Tiso ( sell all the kit needed for the mountain safety bag). You MUST register on the Friday.. or at least 2 people with 2 sets of kit need to register. If you have someone coming say after work just make sure you have their kit and someone other than you to register it. The briefing whilst it can be tedious is useful..even if you think you know it all. There can be last minute changes so dont get caught out by dodging the briefing. Social swim on Friday is great fun if you are up early enough. Make sure you have the means to dry your wetsuit after or bring a spare as at 0300 sat putting on a damp suit will be erm sub optimal. Start your fuelling up on Thrusday and try and stay as close to normal eating as possible on Friday. Anything heavy or high in fibre you may have to join the sheep to get rid of it on the course. Get to bed early Thursday as you will be lucky to get much, if any sleep on Friday night. The buses leave at 0400 sharp. Don't be the dick that isn't there. The finest you can cut it probably is arrive 0315 to set up T1 and pick up the tracker. So depending on how far you are staying from Sheildaig can mean as early as a 0130 start. You have one supporter designated for T1. Make sure you have a plan for how this will run and they know exactly how it goes. The tracker needs to go on the athlete rather than the bike to lessen the risk of leaving it in T2. Since there is no support after T1 until KLE..the athlete should have food and fuel for at least 90 mins with them on the bike. Unless you are out and away in the top 10 to 20 people your support car will get held up and it can be 2 hours before you make contact again.

One thing I see often with amateur triathletes is that the problem is not a lack of hard work. More often it is that too many sessions end up in a similar intensity range, which can make easy days too costly and key sessions less effective. Where do you recognise this most in your own training?

Had a few entertaining 'wobbles' during tapers and with a few coming in thick and fast here are a few things to digest: Madness During a taper we can experience irritability, anxiety, restlessness or mood swings. Training volume has dipped so the normal endorphin levels and exercise feel are lessened and you have more time to look at your navel. Daft thoughts I should do more I am losing fitness I feel flat Hyper thinking about niggles In normal training we have little aches/tired spots but in the taper we have more time to think and 'notice' that ' catastrophic' twinge and indulge in excessive self monitoring.. noticing sensations is not the same as being injured. Race obsession Focusing too hard on times, PB's, paces , effort levels, weather forecasts and now feckin social media BS All of these are normal but a potential drain on mental energy. Here's the thing: Your job during taper is to arrive fuelled up, rested, healthy and calm so no amount of overthinking helps with that. The work is in the bank - of course if you haven't done the work that is a different tale. If you haven't done it you know - probably because your coach has already told you - weeks or months ago. If they haven't told you that - then you have done what you could. Would've , could've is of no use. You have what you have so relax and get yourself settled in for race day. Fitness is built in training. Top performance emerges in recovery. Confidence comes from consistency. Being wired means the race matters to you so you have to trust what you built. Let's be having ya!