HOW TO GET THE RACING EDGE

THE RACES PROVIDE THE PERFECT PLATFORM ON WHICH TO FINE-TUNE YOUR PERFORMANCE WITH A SERIES OF SIMPLE BUT SPEEDY ADDITIONS TO YOUR TRIATHLON STRATEGY, WHICH WE'VE HANDILY SUPPLIED HERE...

- JAMES WITTS

The term 'marginal gains' or, the unedited version, 'the aggregation of marginal gains' - is a term that was popularised by Team Sky, which was stolen from British Cycling, which, if the story's true, was probably stolen from former England Rugby Union Coach Clive Woodward. (Who more than likely borrowed it from someone else.)

Whatever you call it and wherever it's derived from, the well-known idea is that you enjoy myriad small wins for one big win. When it came to Team Sky, those small wins included sleep kits, warming down on turbo trainers and fasted sessions. For you the triathlete, well, you'll have to read on in search of minor multisport improvements.

Before then, we implore you to not sprint before you can jog; in other words, before actioning the following, make sure your maximal foundations are in place. This strong base should cover the full gamut of tri performance including training, gear and nutrition. To that end, the biggest improvements will come from consistent training; a mix of long, slow sessions and short, high-intensity efforts - an 80/20 mix is a good start; a professional bike fit's one of the best expenditures for more speed and a reduction in injury; your wetsuit must be neither too loose nor too tight but just right; and ensure that 80% of your nutrition is good with 20% treats.

Tick those off and you'll be ready to sharpen your race form further with these marginal gains. Prepare to shift into the next level of performance...

10 TIPS TO TAKE YOUR RACING UP A NOTCH

From fish oil and fans to laces and Lycra, here are some simple tips and tricks that you can add to your training and racing repertoire to make you a faster and more efficient triathlete...

01 KEEP IT SLICK