TrainingPeaks

TrainingPeaks now has a section with users of the software. I got the honour of having a spot next to Cadel Evans. Check it out.

UPDATED 4 NOVEMBER 2008

PHOTOS: Ironman World Championship 2008 - Kailua Kona Hawaii

A selection of the best photos from Ironman Hawaii. Great photography by Jo. Check the photos here.

UPDATED 16 OCTOBER 2008

Run analysis: Ironman World Championship - Kailua Kona Hawaii

See my run splits. From these data it becomes clear that all was going according to plan till km 34 and then I got a stitch and went through a bad patch that lasted about 40 min. Read more

UPDATED 14 OCTOBER 2008

THE RACE: Ironman World Championship - Kailua Kona Hawaii

The race is finished! The conditions were extremely tough. Incredible winds and heat made this the toughest Ironman Hawaii I have done. I was, however, pleased with the result. Read more

UPDATED 12 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - Pre-race thoughts

Everyone is asking me what my goals are and what I expect. A lot depends on the day, on weather conditions and factors I can't control. But overall I think I am feeling more prepared than last year. Read more.

UPDATED 10 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - Day 7, the day before the race!

The day before the race is a day or resting and eating and of course the bike has to be racked in the transitio area. Read more.

UPDATED 10 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - Day 6, 2 days before the race

A day with a PowerBar breakfast, a panel discussion at the expo, and the big Welcome party where I gave a little nutrition briefing. Read more.

UPDATED 9 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - Day 5

An easy day with a gentle bike ride and the Aloha reception in the evening. Read more.

Photos from the morning ride

UPDATED 8 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - Day 4

Tuesday is the start of all the activities: registration, expo, and the parade of nations on Ali'i drive. Read more.

Photos of the parade

UPDATED 7 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - Interview with 3athlon

I did an interview with the German based online triathlon information site 3athlon.de.
The interview can be seen here.

UPDATED 6 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - Day 3

Today I rode to the turnaround in Hawi and did a large part of the bike course with Chrissie Wellington, Tauny and Debbie. We also met up with Mim and Lawrence, and with Nick and his family. Read more.

Check the photos of the ride here.

UPDATED 6 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - Day 2

A great swim with Tauny and Debbie, a great ride and a very relaxed day! Read more.

UPDATED 5 OCTOBER 2008

Kona - First day in Kona!

One week to go to the race! I went for a swim and a 10k run today. Got my bike fixed, picked up a new car, did some shopping, met up with a few people and picked up Tauny and Debbie from the airport. Read more.

UPDATED 4 OCTOBER 2008

Tropical plants

Tropical fruits, sugar cane and other plants in Maui. Check the photos.

UPDATED 5 OCTOBER 2008

Maui - Day 6

The last day in Maui: a great bike ride and visits to a plantation, the Ioa Valley State Park and Paia. Then our flight to Kona was delayed and we got in at 1AM! Read more.

UPDATED 3 OCTOBER 2008

Maui - Day 5

A very relaxed day in Maui. A little bit of running and sitting by the pool. The legs were still pretty tired after yesterday's epic ride. Read more.

UPDATED 2 OCTOBER 2008

SRM and Garmin

Power is an extremely useful tool in training. I have used the SRM training system for years but now SRM have taken the tool to another level by making it wireless. It also integrates flawlessly with the Garmin Edge 705 which is another fantastic training tool. Read more.

UPDATED 1 OCTOBER 2008

Maui - Day 4

Today the last big training session before the race! It was one of the most beautiful rides I have ever done. The climb to Haleakala crater was also the longest climb I have ever done: it took me 3.5 hours to get to the top. Read more.
Click on these links for photos of the bike ride or scenery

UPDATED 1 OCTOBER 2008

Maui - Day 3

A day of little training and exploring! We visited Lahaina, did a swim and a 10k run and rescued a stranded cyclist. Read more.

UPDATED 30 SEPTEMBER 2008

Maui - Day 2

First ride on Maui! A very hot day and a beautiful bike ride. And I also lectured in Birmingham! Read more.

UPDATED 29 SEPTEMBER 2008

Maui - Day 1

After 27 hours of travelling we arrived in Maui! The first day I got a good run in and we explored the island a bit. The weather, as expected: hot! Read more.

UPDATED 28 SEPTEMBER 2008

Packing and travelling

Travelling light to an overseas Ironman race is not an option. Bike, helmet, wetsuit (in some races), running gear, cycling gear...there is so much stuff to take! Packing the bike is usually the biggest task, but with the bike case I have, packing is made easy! Read more.

UPDATED 27 SEPTEMBER 2008

Two more days before I leave to Hawaii

On Saturday I will be leaving to Hawaii. The long awaited trip will finally start, 16 days to race day! Yesterday I did the final session in the heat chamber with Debbie and Nick. Read more and see photos.
UPDATED 25 SEPTEMBER 2008

My weight

Since May I have gradually lost weight. From more than 72 kg I have now gone down to below 69 kg. A DXA scan to measure body composition revealed a 2.5 kg fat loss. Read here about the importance of body weight and my changes in body composition in the lead up to Ironman Hawaii.

UPDATED 25 SEPTEMBER 2008

Preparing for the heat

With the poor weather conditions in England it is difficult to adjust to the extreme weather conditions in Hawaii. Heat has a huge impact on performance so it is crucial to be prepared. I trained many hours in the heat chamber to try to prepare as well as possible.... Read here about the science behind preparing for the heat.

UPDATED 14 SEPTEMBER 2008

My nutrition strategy for Ironman Hawaii

It is important to go into an Ironman with a strategy, not just for the race itself but also for nutrition. When plannning you have to take into account many factors like personal preferences, optimal carbohydrate sources, tolerance, sweat rates, environmanetal conditions, availability on the course, practicalities etc etc. This article will talk about my nutrition strategy for Hawaii. Read more.

UPDATED 14 SEPTEMBER 2008

Aero versus normal helmet: two helmets head to head!

Everyone nowadays seems to use aero helmets in an Ironman. Aero helmets may save some time because of superior aerodynamics; they also increase the risk of overheating. This article will analyse the evidence out there to see if that can help me to make a decision to go aero or normal... Read more.

UPDATED 12 SEPTEMBER 2008

Shocking weather

Rain rain rain. Preparing for an Ironman in England can be very frustrating at times. Just when the largest volume of traning needs to be done the weather conditions make it almost impossile to do long training. It has been raining for weeks and roads are flooded. Read more.

UPDATED 8 SEPTEMBER 2008

Photos of 2.5 weeks Olympics

Finally I have taken the time to put some of the 1250 Beijing Olympics photos on this site... Have a look here.

UPDATED 2 SEPTEMBER 2008

Inspirational Ironman videos

Back from Beijing means I can ride a bike again and start the final phase of Ironman Hawaii preparation. With 6 weeks to go there is still a lot of work to be done. When the weather is bad, and the legs are tired, try these inspirational Ironman videos...

UPDATED 27 AUGUST 2008

Asker in Beijing!

Asker is at the Olympic Games. A daily blog will follow soon on this web site as well as on the University of Birmingham web site. Click here for Olympic Blog.

UPDATED 23 AUGUST 2008

Antwerp 70.3 great race!

My first good race in 2 years. Everything worked in Antwerp. The swim, the bike and the run were all pretty solid despite the rain and wind and I finished in a respectable 4:24. The men's race was won by Marino van Hoenacker and the women's race by Belinda Granger. For more results click here.
Download SRM and heart rate data from my race

UPDATED 4 AUGUST 2008

A medal for Natasha

Natasha loved the finish in Antwerp. Waving to the crowds, clapping and posing for the photo at the end. See photos of the race in Antwerp here.

UPDATED 4 AUGUST 2008

Sport Nutrition book now available in Chinese!

With a few days to go to the start of the Olympics I received copies of the Sport Nutrition book which has now been published in Chinese. The book is currently available in three languages: English, Swedish and Chinese. Click here to see all books by Asker. Signed copies can be purchased online. Buy now!

UPDATED 4 AUGUST 2008