Team Iron Mate

What we do...

Mark Kleanthous has been competing for over 30 years in multi-sport events and coaching for over 14 years. He has won national medals including age group medals for triathlon many of the athletes he coaches have competed at international level.

Mark puts his enthusiasm and longevity down to always trying something new from a world record attempt of 1,000 press ups in 28 minutes to having the 3rd fastest time ever for running up the London’s Telecom Tower (850 steps in less than 5 minutes). He is the first Britain to go under 24 hours for a Double Ironman Triathlon.  He has run a mile in under 4:30 and raced in a Triple Ironman taking 45 hours 58 minutes & 29 seconds, this covers 7.2 mile swim, 336 mile cycle & a triple marathon of 78.6 miles. That’s swimming, cycling and running without stopping for sleep for nearly 2 days.  Mark has raced abroad over 35 times and holds annual training camps.  Mark still competes in Triathlon, regularly finishing in the top 10% overall and is one of the leading 50 year olds in Triathlon.  He is a club coach to one of the most successful triathlon clubs in the UK - Team Milton Keynes.

In the winter of 2008, Bradley was looking for help with his training structure to maintain good form and fitness for the 2009 125Moto GP season.

Mark’s expertise included minute by minute sports nutrition guidance for training racing & recovery. Mark strongly believes that no two athletes should train identically for the same event; in fact training should constantly change to create a stimulus.

Mark is a specialist regarding race preparation, peaking for races and understanding how to hold great fitness throughout a long racing season.

He knows how to get the very best performance for each athlete. “Mark is more than just a coach.”  Mark fine tunes Bradley leaving no stone unturned.

Mark’s skills include 3D coaching from the physical side to the mental side to nutrition during training and especially race weekends.  Mark speaks to Bradley on a regular basis, they meet up and train together; Bradley’s feedback and self-analysis is vital.  Sports psychology is discussed regularly because our mind set changes hourly and daily. It is crucial to monitor the adaptations that occur from the training stress each day to optimumise performance.

Mark makes sure that Bradley’s programme is consistent training by monitoring the training loads. Consistent training means injury prevention which is key. Highly motivated athletes don’t need motivating but they do need guidance as to how to keep their energy levels stable.

Did you know that a Moto GP rider heart will beat over 8,000 times just during a 45 minute race? Training at the correct intensities to stimulate what occurs in a competition is vital.  If you added up the 17 races each season that’s an amazing 136,000 heart beats just racing.

In 2010 in Moto2 races the average speed can be over 270 kmph.  There is 56 hours 40 minutes of bike testing and racing in a season.

A Moto GP rider needs to have the following physiology:

  • Lightening reflex reaction; hand eye coordination; thinking clearing under pressure; courage, nerve, balance, speed, endurance, agility, flexibility, durability, power & strength which will all be used during each lap of a race;
  • The race start requires the reaction of a 100m sprinter;
  • Mental concentration of a down-hill skier with the forward thinking of a chess player as the rider contemplate the moves ahead at speed;
  • Courage & nerve of a rock climber;
  • Technical mastery & mental accuracy of fencing;
  • Confidence of high diver;
  • Balance of a ballerina;
  • Reflex actions of a boxer are required as you need to learn how to quickly get straight back on the bike when you can get kicked off like a bronco rider, as well as the ability of a judo athlete being able to relax & roll during a crash at 160 kmph;
  • The power of a light weight lifter with the power to weight ratio of a jockey;
  • Eye sight good enough to return a tennis ball back at 200 kmph;
  • The finish requires the stamina of an endurance marathon runner.
  • It's easy to see that by improving 10 different factors each by just 0.1% will improve performance by 1%.
  • In Moto GP a winning margin of 0.5 (half a second) is just 0.02% quicker!

Visit Mark Kleanthous’s website: www.ironmate.co.uk

Photograph(s) taken by Alex Orrow Photographer, Cambridge, UK www.alexorrow.co.uk.  For permission to use these images, please contact Alex Orrow.