Mark Threlfall: Have you ever wondered what a typical day looks like for a professional
triathlete? Well, you're in luck. Today GTN had a meeting with Joe Skipper to see not
only what training he does, but what he does in his day around that training. Joe's an
incredible athlete having finished on many Ironman podiums, including a sixth-place finish
at the Ironman World Championships in 2019. We're meeting up with him the day after the
Z Pro Tri Race on Zwift to tag along and get an insight into a pro triathlete's life and
day-to-day routine. [music]
[door knocking] Joe Skipper: Hello. How're you doing?
Mark: It's been ages. Joe, what's in store for today?
Joe: I'm going to have my breakfast and then head out on a three-hour ride. Just steady
pace after last night. No intervals. Pretty around 200 watts.
Mark: Cool, what are you having now, then, for breakfast?
Joe: I've got my fruit compote in there. It's frozen at the moment. I just chuck it in the
microwave and then put some coconut yogurt, some granola, and maybe a bit of honey on
top. Granola's making an appearance again, isn't it?
[music] [coffee grinding]
Woman: [unintelligible 00:01:23] too lazy. Joe: You'd like that before you went out,
wouldn't you? I remember as a lifeguard, it was bloody £5 an hour. That was absolutely
horrendous. [music]
Woman: Thirsty. [music]
Mark: Do you like to walk your dogs in your cycling gear?
Joe: [chuckles] Not yet. To be honest, I normally do come over in it because I normally before
I go out, I just as soon as I take them I just head out. The people over here probably
think it's my normal clothes. She doesn't like the bad weather. She doesn't like bad
weather. When it's raining, it is really hard to get her to go out to leave the house.
Mark: Really? Joe: Yes. Look, she's like, "I'm over here,"
and she's thinking "what are we doing?" I put my garment on a dog over here once to
see how fast-- Yes, because it was really fast. It was around-- I haven't seen it since.
Actually it was at Eaton Park, and it hit 28 miles an hour. That's pretty quick, isn't
it? Look, here goes in there causing trouble and she goes backing him up. Look. [chuckles]
[music] He gets covered in shit this one.
[music] As the weather is not that great today, I'm
going to go on the gravel bike. If it was a dry and a bit sunnier, I'd have gone on
the triathlon bike and just practice the TC positions. For an easy ride, in bad weather,
gravel bikes are the ones for the job. [music]
Well, if we get out today, you know what Josh is like. [chuckles]
Mark: Where are you heading today? Joe: Going to a place called Dereham, head
up towards the coast and then stop in Hall for a coffee, if they're open, and then back.
Hopefully avoiding the rain as we go. Mark: How long is the ride to Hall then or?
Joe: Probably about three hours. Mark: Is that usually what sounds about right
to you? Joe: Yes, that would be pretty standard, wouldn't
it? On a Thursday. Around three hours. Josh wanted to try to see what a decent bike was
like- Josh Holman: Yes, definitely.
Joe: -so I let him borrow my lightspeed. [chuckles] He's not used to riding on something of that
caliber, are you? [chuckles] Josh: Just trying to keep up with it.
Mark: Did you get your key out of the front door?
Joe: Yes. I didn't realize it was in there. See you in a bit.
Camera Man: See you, guys. Joe: He's getting dropped already, isn't he?
[music] Camera's out, so he's setting the pace. [chuckles]
[music] Right turn here. Our boy's just talking this
shit about other racers. Josh: Yes, we're just smack talking on other
athletes. Joe: We're just smack talking on other athletes.
[music] Joe: We're in Hall just drinking coffee, eating
cakes. [chuckles] Mark: Are you over halfway through your ride?
Joe: Yes, over halfway. We've done two hours. We went the longer way here. It's about an
hour back, maybe just over an hour. We've done the bulk of the ride. I think the power
was about 228 watts on the way here. It was about 29 kilometers an hour, 28.5, but it's
been a headwind. On the way back, we'll probably average 32-33 Ks an hour. Steady pace, we
haven't done any intervals or anything. Mark: What was the idea of this ride? Are
you trying to get a training benefit? Joe: Just survive getting half-wheeled by
Josh. [chuckles] No, it's just steady ride. You want to get a training benefit because
you want to put some steady aerobic miles in. Obviously, after last night, where we
did the Zwift race, it was really intense. You don't really want to do any hard efforts
today because you want to recover, but you obviously still want to get some training
in. It's about just not going too hard and just going at the right intensity.
Mark: We're doing about three hours today, what's the longest you would do in this sort
of ride? Joe: Four hours would be the longest I'd go
on a Thursday during the week, probably. That would be after I've done quite a bit of training.
Maybe if I was a bit further down the line of normal training and a bit fitter.
Mark: Wow. How important is the coffee stop? Joe: Really important. We have one nearly
all the time, don't we, on these rides? Josh: Yes, you've got something to look forward
to. Joe: I think it's good in the winter, it spices
it up a bit. In the summer when you're getting close to a race, you obviously wouldn't have
as many, but during the winter definitely all the time. [chuckles]
[music] Josh: My name is Josh Holman. I'm an age group
athlete, aspiring professional. Just getting out for a ride with Joe today. I moved to
the area a few weeks ago. I've been in contact with Joe. He very kindly offered to let me
tag along and train with him. We've been training together for the last few weeks. Really coming
along nicely. The aim to build into 2021 now, and see where we go from there.
Mark: You're trying to get the pro license, don't you?
Josh: Trying to get the pro license, that's the goal.
Mark: What's it like training with Joe? Josh: Yes. He normally rips your legs off,
if you're lucky. It's really good. Joe is really knowledgeable. We do a lot of riding
in our sessions. It's nice. We both plan sessions, which is pretty good. You can get plenty of
variety in, lots of quality, lots of coffee stops which is always good. Yes, it's really
enjoyable having someone else to train with and share the pain.
Joe: How much do I owe you for that? Josh: At least a few quid. [chuckles]
Mark: I say, has Joe got a good chat. Josh: Today's chat is been all about stock
market. That's probably why I was half-wheeling him for so long, just to stay a little bit
ahead. No, he's got a good chat, though. He's also got very good music taste. Usually, we've
got some clubland bangers going on, or something of that genre.
Mark: Joe is known for being a pretty hardcore athlete. Is it as hard as everyone lays on
training with him? Josh: Yes. I think the first session we did
together was a track session. It was something like 10 by 600, almost, well, for me, it was
a max effort of short recoveries, and then straight out for a four-hour ride straight
after. It's not chilled out unless we're having a coffee stop, though.
Joe: Or lunch at a café. Josh: Or lunch at a café.
[music] Mark: How was it?
Joe: It was all right, actually. About 40 minutes in, it chucked you down and I thought
"Bloody hell, what have we let ourselves in for?". But, yes, it weren't too bad, was it?
Josh: No, it's fine, man. I think I'm a bit wet and cold but.
Joe: Good café stop to break it up. Yes, my feet are freezing now. They feel numb.
Mark: What's the plan now, then? Joe: The plan now, put the bikes away, have
some food, chill out for a bit, and then either go for a swim or a run.
Mark: We haven't actually spoken about it, but this time of the season you've had a bit
of time off. It's slightly different, right, from your training room?
Joe: Yes. It's just been easier, just building up gradually. I had three weeks off. Up until
then I've been a bit fatigued and stuff for about three or four weeks. I've just got into
the swing of things, so doing not as many hours as I would run on full fitness, but
trying to take three weeks on and then probably a week a little bit easier. Not massively
easier, and then when I get back into the training, in the next three weeks, a little
bit more volume and just build it up, really, looking to maybe do a race in March time,
and then ideally build it up to challenge rough or something in July, where I'll be
really on top for full fitness. Mark: Do you get straight onto cleaning bikes?
Joe: I have been lately. Literally going in and then getting changed and stuff and then
I'll come back out and popping it in oil, the chain cleaning all that out. Yes, I probably
will do something as long as the chain will cease up.
Mark: And you're not just saying it for the camera?
Joe: Well, if you ask any of my friends, they'll probably tell you I'm talking shit. Honestly,
I have been cleaning it the last few times. I'm not just saying that for the camera. Josh
actually said he was going to take that one home and clean it, didn't you?
Josh: Yes, I'm going to take this bike back home and clean it for you. I feel a bit bad
using a bike, and then-- Joe: You can take that one home and clean
it as well. You could take them both home. Gordon Ramsay, if you're watching and you
need any tips, just get in contact with GTN to get my details.
Mark: What kind of stuff would you usually have for lunch if it's an average day?
Joe: Try and get some veg in, to get some greens in and some protein, definitely. Normally
eggs or something like that. Maybe chicken. Falafel is a good one. Yes, either a salad
or some veg and some nuts and stuff. Depending on how hard the training is, I like some carbs.
Today I'll have some quinoa. Sometimes it might be if I have bread, I might make a salad
or something like that. Yes, just mix it up, really, over the course of the week.
[music] Joe: We're going to head to a park called
Eaton Park, and it borders onto a load of trails. It's about eight miles if you go around
the perimeter. We're going to go there and probably do about 10K, something like that,
45 minutes. Just at an easy pace getting the miles in on some hilly terrain.
Mark: You're usually doing a bike and a run at the moment?
Joe: Yes. All the pools are shut at the moment because we're in lockdown. You can't really
get a proper session in. I have got an endless pool at the moment, but because our garden
is not big enough, it's at my girlfriend's parents', and it's about 25 minutes to get
there. I go there twice a week, something like that at the moment. Maybe three on a
good week just to get a bit of technique in and to keep the feel for the water, but predominantly
biking and running at the moment. Mark: We've come a little bit late.
Joe: I'm going to do 8K with hail dropping. Mark: I've put mine in the car. I was going
to wear it. Joe: Yes, I got on these ones. Right then,
you all ready then? All right, mate, are you ready?
Josh: He's always ready. Joe: He was born ready, weren't you?
Mark: Yes. Joe: All right, so we'll head over this way
first. Mark: Yes, sure.
[music] Mark: Part of your run routine?
Joe: Yes, restroom stop. Mark: All right, he's done.
Joe: Yes. Mark: What sort of pace do you run at for
the easier runs? Joe: Normally about 4:30-4:40 on this terrain
where it's a bit off-road. Unless you feel really good, and then it might be as quick
as 4:20 or 4:15. It's mainly just what feels like an easy pace.
Mark: So not really conversational? Joe: Yes, like chatting when you're going
around. Josh: You normally have a bit of chat when
you're going around now so. Mark: Yes. Because I'm here, so you won't.
It's all serious. Joe It's all business. We know it's going
to go on the internet, so we got to run a bit quicker. Normally, we run at 3:30K pace
on our easier runs because we take it easy so we can chat. Then tend to run under about
2:50 pace roughly or something. [laughter].
[music] Mark: Tell me about this little nickel you've
had. Joe: I caught it from- It's similar to what
I had the other year. It's in my hip a bit. It's all right at the moment. As soon as I
got it, I eased right off to make sure I didn't get it any worse. I think I went a bit too
deep doing some squats and did something to my hip. I'm not entirely sure what, but I'm
just going to take it easy for a little while with the sessions until it feels good and
then I'll get back in on it. Mark: This is like a bit of a test run? Does
it feel all right? Joe: Yes, kind of. Yes, it feels fine. It
feels fine at the moment, but I want to give it a decent amount of time. I'm feeling fine
before I do a session because there's no need to hurry it because I'm building up until
March. There's no point risking it and then end up taking up two or three months before
you can get back into proper training. [music]
Mark: Joe, cracking day at training. Thanks ever so much. We're going to leave you in
peace now because we've been following you around and nagging you all day. What are you
going to have for dinner? Joe: I've got a sausage casserole, which I
had the other day, slow-cooked sausage casserole with some mashed potato to go with it.
Mark: Classic British meal. Joe: Classic British meal.
Mark: Maybe we should stay. That's a pretty standard day's training. Not a crazy hard
day, obviously just starting back. What have you got planned tomorrow?
Joe: Tomorrow, I'll probably do a gym session-- Well, I will do a gym session with my friend,
Ross. Then I'll do an easy run again, probably about 45 minutes at a steady pace and maybe
a bike ride, because obviously I'm not swimming at the moment. Normally on a Friday, I would
go for a swim and run in the gym. I might do the bike ride. That'll just be an hour
easy again. Saturday is a more intense day. Saturday is a hard track session and a bike
session with tempo threshold efforts in. Saturday's a really intense day.
Mark: Out of interest, you touched on the swimming, you're probably trying to adjust
things as you get a little bit learning with the lack of swimming. What tips would you
give to people with the lack of swimming at the moment? What are you doing?
Joe: What I'm doing, so when we go to the gym, we're doing more upper bodyweights and
stuff, so lap pull-downs, I'm trying to use the muscle groups that we would in the swim,
also as well as the standard gym stuff where you do deadlifts and some balance stuff for
the running, but, yes, trying to use the muscle groups that we would in swimming. Also doing
some bodyweight stuff, so pull-ups and press-ups as well, so that kind of thing. I am trying
to go to the endless pool a couple of times a week just to get work on technique, mainly,
and do a lot of hard swimming. Mark: Obviously that's a bit of a luxury,
I guess, isn't it? Joe: Yes, it is. The main thing's the gym,
really. Because using the muscle groups, and then hopefully get back into the water around
the 2nd of December when everything should open up, fingers crossed.
Mark: Awesome. Well, Joe, it's been fabulous. I've really enjoyed hanging around with you
today. Thank you ever so much. I hope you guys have enjoyed today's video, so please
do give it a like. Don't forget to give us to follow over on social media or subscribe
just down below. Joe: Cheers. Thanks, guys.
[00:18:07] [END OF AUDIO]