A day in the life of Helle Frederiksen
Helle Frederiksen finished second in her IRONMAN debut last November and is now fully focused on Kona. That 2nd place finish in 8:55:35 gives her confidence, but she knows that a lot of work is still to come. You however get to experience now a day with her in her new home in Denmark, and see what she is up to.
It is not just simply swimming, cycling and running for most seasoned triathletes and Helle Frederiksen is no exception. She in fact is very diligent to incorporate other exercises and details to her daily routines.
Helle Frederiksen and her husband Ben Powell recently moved into this newly renovated stunning home in Denmark. "It's a little pearl, nestled within in the most scenic part of Denmark. With a 2km long fresh water lake, some of Denmark’s best riding and off-road trails it’s a dream home for Ben and I.” said Frederiksen. Open water swimming is easily had for her when the water temps comply, as she has direct access to the lake from her boat dock.
Chop wood and carry water. Helle Frederiksen's Trek Speed Concept is ready for action. The Trek partnership is new for 2018 and Frederiksen primarily rides a Trek Speed Concept, but also has a Trek Emonda SLR and a Trek Boone Disc to mix things up. According to her husband Ben "Helle has moved to a size medium on the TT bike, having ridden small frames in the past."
It is still a bit chilly in Denmark but that will not stop Helle Frederiksen from getting on her bike, plus she likes to get going early to get it done. "It’s only on the days where I have 4+ sessions that I will finish around 4 – 5 PM, otherwise if it’s a 2 – 3 session day I like to get be done so I can enjoy my late afternoons and evenings and get the best out of the following day," said Frederiksen.
Helle Frederiksen is riding more volume than ever before and already spent time in training camps in Lanzarote and Florida to build a proper foundation. She is now targeting the IRONMAN 70.3 European Championships and ITU Long Distance World Championships in Denmark.
Helle rode 3 hours with 6 x 5 mins hill repeats on this day and typically has very little traffic to deal with when she rides. According to her husband it is more likely for her to encounter wildlife and farmers than cars.
Helle Frederiksen uses a variety of recovery techniques to keep the body going every day. After hard run or bike sessions it is time to loosen up those muscles.
“Towards the end of that first session of the day my thoughts are, more often than not, drifting towards what to eat for my second breakfast. Consuming real foods as a method of recovery is key,” said Frederiksen.
In ITU racing it was all about speed, but now for Frederiksen it is heavy on volume. And the area where she lives offers plenty of opportunity to run long sets.
Helle Frederiksen believes in treadmills and uses them all year long. She enjoys the softer impact of the treadmill (compared to asphalt and gravel) and thinks it allows her to run more. On that day it was 40 minutes outside and a 45 minute tempo run on the treadmill.
"Nothing beats real food when it comes to recovery. Some protein supplements can give a boost towards the recovery but they need to be clean and high-quality, otherwise they can do more harm than good. So I try to stick to real foods as much as possible," said Frederiksen.
During lunch Frederiksen catches up with news and updates her training log.
Helle Frederiksen can choose from 3 pools nearby in Them, Ikast and Brædstrup and this former National level swimmer did a 3km recovery swim on that day.
According to her husband the local community have welcomed Helle to the area and she has arrangements with all pools that enable her to not have to worry about pool time and availability.
The new home is perfectly set up for Frederiksen to strength and core workouts. There is no need for her to go to a gym, her home is her gym.
Frederiksen is supported by K-Laser and she has one of these expensive devices at home. Usually only found in specialty clinics.
The new Danish clothing brand Fe226 is a new partner for Frederiksen and she received a new shipment of custom clothing.
Frederiksen inspects the new Fe226 kit and it looks to match up nicely with her Trek Speed Concept.
Helle Frederiksen's parents came over for dinner that night and they have been great supporters of her over the years.
You can follow Helle Frederiksen on Instagram via @helletri
