Entries are now open for this year’s Granite Mann Challenge, the island’s only off-road triathlon which will take place on Sunday, September 22.

Organised by the Children’s Centre and sponsored by Browne Craine, the triathlon takes place at Cringle Plantation and will include a 400-metre swim in the reservoir, followed by a 10-kilometre mountain bike ride using the trails, with the final element being a 5km scenic trail run using the tracks in the plantation.

Competitors are able to enter the event either as an individual or as a team, so if you’re a keen swimmer, cyclist and/or runner, this could be the perfect challenge for you and your friends.

Below, Island Games triathlete Ryan Downey, who was a member of last year’s winning team (Will Draper won the overall solo title), talks about his experience of the Granite Mann Challenge and also shares a six-week training plan.

What is your favourite discipline in triathlon?

My favourite discipline has always been the bike - I think this is because it’s my strongest! I do really enjoy riding my bike and will go out for hours at a time. I have recently started to enjoy the running part of the triathlon more and more.

What does your training involve?

I usually train between 10 and 14 hours per week. I find that I can fit it in around my working life which tends to consist of three swimming sessions, two bike rides and three run sessions, each having a mixture of distances and intensity.

Although this is the training regime I have now, I have built up to this over a number of years. When I first started training, I would train for about five hours per week.

How often do you train?

In the height of the triathlon season there are no days off so I train every day, but during the off season I usually take one or two days off per week off and take more off over the Christmas period. It can be pretty intense but I enjoy the challenge.

Any tips?

It always has to be fun so try to train with your friends as it can be a very lonely sport. Mix your training up as much as possible - this might be by making one of your running sessions in the week a run on the trails rather than the road.

I would also recommend including a strength and conditioning session and of course stretching to your schedule.

Always keep a log of your training as this encourages you not to miss your training sessions but also log your progress. It’s good to monitor how you’re doing and will hopefully motivate you to do more when you see positive results.

The right nutrition before during and after every training session is crucial and whatever equipment you use/wear in training, use on race day. Don’t change anything for race day if it’s not been tested because you don’t know if it’s going to work and it could land you with a whole load of problems!

What’s your motivation to help The Children’s Centre?

The Children’s Centre do amazing work in the community helping families and children. Granite Mann is a fantastic event and it’s the first triathlon I did. There is no other event like it in the island and because it’s shorter than a sprint distance, it’s a great event and definitely one for all abilities to have a go.

The charity puts on amazing events to support the important work they do for our community and by supporting their events I’m doing my bit to help.

Ryan’s training plan:

Week one, commencing August 12: Monday - 30 minute run, Tuesday - rest day, Wednesday - 30-minute pool swim, including 400 metre timed with warm-up, Thursday - one-hour road or mountain bike, Friday - rest day, Saturday - 30-45 minute trail/plantation run, Sunday - 1-2 hours mountain or road bike;

Week two, August 19: Monday - 20-30 minute open water swim, Tuesday - rest day, Wednesday - 45-minute interval run, Thursday - 45-minute mountain bike reccie at Cringle Plantation, Friday - rest day, Saturday - 30-minute hill sprints (gradual hill) with 10-minute warm-up/10-minute sprints/10-minute cool down, Sunday - 1-2 hours mountain or road bike;

Week three, August 26: Monday - 30-minute run, Tuesday - rest day, Wednesday - one-hour mountain bike ride, Thursday - 30-40 minute pool swim, Friday - rest day, Saturday - 1.5-2 hour mountain or road bike, Sunday - Open Water Swim Club with optional 30-60 minute steady bike (not a brick session);

Week four, September 2: Monday - 45-minute plantation run at Cringle Plantation for a route recce, Tuesday - rest day, Wednesday - 1+ hour mountain bike ride on trail/plantation, Thursday - 35-45 minute pool swim, Friday - 35-minute interval run, five-minute warm-up/15-minute hard run/15-minute easy run, Saturday - 2+ hour mountain or road bike, Sunday - 30-minute mountain or road bike plus 15-minute run brick session;

Week five, September 9: Monday - rest day, Tuesday - rest day, Wednesday - 1+ hour mountain bike reccie at Cringle Plantation plus transition training, Thursday - 30-minute pool swim including timed 400 metres and warm-up, Friday - 30-45 minute mountain bike, Saturday - 30-minute run, Sunday - Open Water Swim Club with optional brick session and 30-minute steady bike ride;

Week six, September 16: Monday - 20-minute run, five-minute warm-up/10 minutes on hills/five-minute cool down, Tuesday - rest day, Wednesday - one lap of mountain bike course at Cringle Plantation plus transition training, Wednesday - 30-minute swim, Thursday - 25-minute run (easy), Friday - kit check, bike maintenance, nutrition check, Saturday - race day: good luck!

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KEY:

All runs include a five-minute warm-up - the warm-up is a preparation for physical exertion or a performance by exercising or practising gently beforehand. Warming up is performed before a performance or practice and is to be carried out before all runs and timed swims.

Suggested plantations - Archallagan, Conrhenny, Cringle and South Barrule.

Interval training - this is a type of discontinuous physical training that involves a series of low- to high-intensity exercise workouts interspersed with rest or relief periods. The high-intensity periods are typically at or close to anaerobic exercise, while the recovery periods involve activity of lower intensity. Interval training can be described as short periods of work followed by rest. The main aim is to improve speed and cardiovascular fitness.

Hill training - hill workouts are the most sport-specific strength training you can do for running. Run up the hill, then jog down.

Open Water Swim Club - this is a social swimming group for open water swimming who usually meet in Gansey and Port St Mary. They are not led or supervised by qualified individuals and no insurance is in place. Please read their Facebook page for further information at IOM Open Water Swimming Club.

Brick session - a brick session is when you train on two or more disciplines one after the other, with little rest or interruption in between. A session could comprise of a swim followed by a bike ride or a bike ride followed by a run.