Jock Athletic Ezine - Issue 11

CHASING CADEL

TO THE TOP OF MONT VENTOUX

MEET

ZANE CAMPBELL

CRAIG ALEXANDER WORLD CHAMPION We local Sutherland Shire folk think we have a great sporting culture that produces many great athletes. Well, with 3 of the World’s greatest ever long course Ironman triathletes, firstly Greg Welsh, and currently the two elder statesman still writing the record books in Chris McCormack and Craig Alexander, coming from our little piece of paradise, it makes us even more biased!

The

Jock

Athletic

Ezine

pays

tribute

to

Cronulla local Craig Alexander on his epic record-breaking win of the Hawaiian Ironman Championship earlier this month. Not only did he smash the course record in a time of 8hrs 3 mins and 56 secs, he also secured his third World Championship victory (having won the event in 2008 & 2009) and became the oldest competitor at 38 to win this event!

I love it when elder athletes win World Titles; it shows if you’re fit enough and the mind is willing enough athletes should not be discarded purely on age alone. Apparently, the man they call “Crowie” believes that he can still improve and the best is yet to come! beat the rest of the world!

JOCKATHLETIC.COM 2 We love it when locals

Ever the gracious athlete, Craig congratulates youngster Lachlan Crawford on winning the annual Jane McGrath Classic beach dash on Australia Day 2011. Lachy pipped Craig at the post in the handicapped final.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

This edition is a “triathlon” special, inspired by the great feats of local World Ironman Champion Craig

Alexander, who at the age of 38, won the event for the

third time and smashed the world record time while he

was at it. This combined with our favourite event of the year, the Hamilton Island Triathlon (which we feature inside), we just couldn’t resist.

Craig is a fine example of a determined athlete - up there with Cadel in the “middle-aged” champions

category. We also look at Champion Cyclist Michelle Ferris and her dabble in the sport of Triathlon.

Tim Brennan retraces one of the most notorious and

feared mountain stages of the Tour de France, taking days, rather than hours to climb it and Eloise takes us through the tough road of injury recovery and

rehabilitation training when struck down with every

young female runners nightmare – the stress fracture.

We introduce a man who’s come the full circle with us, first as a junior athlete, who progressed to represent Australia in 3 sports, former beach sprint champion

Zane Campbell (no relation, thankfully). Now that he’s old he coaches for Jock Athletic. Over the next few

months, Zane will be combining with me to write on soft sand running, in particularly beach sprinting,

which is a part of sport in Surf Lifesaving. Welcome Zane.

Enjoy.

Jock Cam pbell SUBSCRIBE NOW » 4

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Ezine Brains Trust Publisher: Jockishandsome Editors: Jock Campbell Carla Grossetti Art Director/Design: Kiss the Sky Advertising/Production: Melissa Campbell Dee McCarthy Contributors: Dan Atkins Corey Bocking Tim Brennan Jock Campbell Empirica Research Rebecca Gawthorne Peter Hadfield Siobhan McCarthy Danny Redrup Julia Russell Craig Stevens Paul Watson Eloise Wellings Editorial Office: Jock Athletic PO Box 1186 Cronulla 2230 p: 0435 728 200 Email: ezine@jockathletic.com

HI FIVE: The finishing shute of this year’s Coolangatta Gold...

Image: John Veage, Harvpix

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THIS MONTH» 8

FOCUSSED & FIRING Dr. Michael Martin

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CHASING CADEL Tim Brennan

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FRUITS OF SUMMER Rebecca Gawthorne

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IN TRANSITION Siobhan McCarthy

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AMATUER ATHLETE PROFILE Zane Campbell

The Runway Express: Competitors tackle the runway during the bike leg of the Hamilton Island Triathlon.

Image: Delly Carr

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FIT FACTS: LIFE AS A COLLEGE ATHLETE Empirica Research

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EVENT OF THE MONTH Hamilton Island Triathlon

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INJURY & CROSS TRAINING Eloise Wellings

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THE 10 YEAR RULE Dan Atkins ATHLETE NEWS Jock Athletic

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SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY

THE A SIMPLE PRE-PERFORMANCE ROUTINE TO GET YOU

Focused & Firing DR. MICHAEL MARTIN MOST ATHLETES FOCUS ON THE WRONG THINGS DURING COMPETITION – THE SCORE, THEIR LAST MISTAKE, OR WHAT THEY WILL BE HAVING FOR DINNER THAT NIGHT. THIS MAKES IT HARDER GET YOUR “HEAD INTO THE GAME”. BUT GETTING YOUR “HEAD INTO THE GAME” IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IT HELPS BOOST CONFIDENCE, ENJOYMENT AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, PERFORMANCE.

TO DO THIS, YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO COMPETE “IN THE MOMENT” AND FOCUS ON WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. One way you can do this is by developing your pre-performance routine.

This is an important tool for helping you leave your daily worries behind and transition into your “athlete’s role”. When you “get your game face on” you can sharpen your focus and maximise your concentration at training or competition.

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A PRE-PERFORMANCE ROUTINE INVOLVES FIVE STEPS: YOU NEED TO: 1. PARK YOUR DISTRACTIONS 2. SHOOT DOWN DOUBTS 3. SET MINI-GOALS 4. REHEARSE YOUR PERFORMANCE 5. FOCUS ON EXECUTION

FIRSTLY, WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON PARKING DISTRACTIONS. When creating your pre-performance routine, you need to identify common distractions that affect you when you’re training or competing. What generally distracts you? Do you worry about how you are going to perform? Or whether you are going to make a goose of yourself? Maybe you are afraid of getting hurt? Perhaps you are preoccupied with thinking about the last time you stuffed up. You could even be dreaming about the fun social stuff to follow? It will help you to think about whether your distractions are internal or external and then make a list of your common distractions.

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY? Next, you need to understand what you can do to leave these worries behind during your performance. The key is to commit to training or competing for the time being and

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SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY not let these thoughts interrupt you from that path. And the key to being able to do that is to develop focusing mantras that will help you keep on track. You should repeat these mantras during your preparation and competition.

Mantras such as “stay tall” and “keep the arms moving” or “focus ahead” or whatever is appropriate to your sport. I had a client who was a pro-surfer, who used the focusing mantra “waves win heats” to help keep his mind on the job. The idea is that when those internal and external distractions rear up, you just use your focusing mantra to snap your mind back on track.

ENTERTAINING NEGATIVITY, FEAR OR SELF-DOUBT WILL, ULTIMATELY, LEAD TO POOR PERFORMANCE. And your success in being able to park any negatives before your event has a direct effect on your ability to get focused during competition. If you haven’t developed a thinking strategy for the competition, then you won’t be able to achieve the right headspace.

Understanding what distracts you will allow you to be more aware of your thought processes when they do come up. Then, you need to pull out your distraction-busting mantras to get you back on track.

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SHIFTING THE FOCUS Notice I haven’t mentioned, “getting rid of negative thoughts” as part of your prevent mental preparation. Why? Because that is not going to happen! We can’t get rid of negative thoughts – that’s not how we’re wired. What you need to do is to provide yourself with an alternative set of performance-focused thoughts.

Don’t get into a fight with those negative thoughts; just leave them alone! You just need to focus on doing what you need to do. And here’s the most exciting part: it is possible to have negative thoughts and still perform well!

Feel the fear and do it anyway, right?

DR MICHAEL MARTIN IS A SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST. FOR MORE INSIGHTS, TIPS, TRICKS AND STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL TOUGHNESS ON AND OFF THE FIELD, VISIT WWW.MICHAELMARTIN.COM.AU

Life is local Proudly supporting and informing the local community since 1960

www.theleader.com.au

interested in ADVERTISING IN THE JOCK ATHLETIC EZINE? FOR A COPY OF OUR MEDIA KIT, CONTACT US AT EZINE@JOCKATHLETIC.COM OR 0435 728 200

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TIM BRENNAN

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I LOVE THE TOUR DE FRANCE. I WATCH IT RELIGIOUSLY EVERY YEAR AND, BECAUSE I LIVE IN PERTH, IT MEANS IT’S ON TV AT A REASONABLE HOUR. I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THE STAGES, BUT I THINK, LIKE MOST PEOPLE, I VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO THE MOUNTAINS: THE COL DE TOURMELET, THE ALPE D’HUEZ AND OF COURSE THE MONT VENTOUX. IT’S IN THE MOUNTAINS THAT THE CONTENDERS FOR THE OVERALL CLASSIFICATION AND THE MAILLOT JAUNE (YELLOW JERSEY) COME TO THE FORE. IT’S WHERE WE CAN SEE THE TOLL THAT THE RACE HAS TAKEN ON THIS ELITE GROUP OF CYCLISTS, AND IT’S THE SCENE OF SOME OF THE GREAT CYCLING BATTLES OVER THE YEARS. AS A PHYSIOTHERAPIST WORKING WITH ATHLETES IN A RANGE OF SPORTS AT ALL LEVELS, I PRIDE MYSELF ON HAVING SOME UNDERSTANDING OF PARTICULAR ASPECTS OF THOSE SPORTS. I TOOK UP TRIATHLON FIRSTLY BECAUSE I LOVE THE SPORT, BUT ALSO BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR MY CLIENTS. WHAT WERE THEY GOING THROUGH? I COULDN’T TALK THE TALK IF I HADN’T WALKED THE WALK. AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS REALLY LIKE TO CLIMB THE CATEGORY ONE MOUNTAINS OF FRANCE.

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And so in September I found myself in the haute (high) Provence region of France on a cycling holiday. When you are in this region, the Mont Ventoux and Geant De Vaucluse are always in your sights. The mountains seems to follow you, first on your left, then your right, appearing close, then far away, but always present. So I made it my mission to get some miles in the legs and climb.

After two weeks on the bike, I felt ready to take on the Geant, or otherwise be humbled by it. I arrived in a town called Malaucene, one of three “base camps” from which one can attack the Ventoux. Surrounded by lycra and carbon fibre, I immediately felt out of place. The town was abuzz and reminded me of the days before an Ironman. I knew what I had to do and decided that I would ascend next morning.

“AS THE KILOMETRES TICKED DOWN, THE GRADIENT INCREASED. I STRIPPED OFF MY CLOTHING, REMOVED MY HELMET AND STARTED GUZZLING FROM THE WATER BOTTLE... I WAS FAST RUNNING OUT OF GEARS AND KNEW THE WORST WAS YET TO COME.” NOVEMBER 2011

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THE MONT VENTOUX IS UNIQUE IN THE TOUR BECAUSE IT’S A TRUE SUMMIT. THE OTHER CLIMBS ARE ACROSS THE COL OR THE HIGHEST ACCESSIBLE POINT ON THE ROAD. THE CYCLISTS ARE KNOWN TO FEAR IT. IT’S PARTICULARLY MEMORABLE FOR ITS UNIQUE LUNAR LANDSCAPE AND THE LARGE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE TOP. THE LAST TIME IT FEATURED IN THE TOUR WAS 2009, WHEN ALBERTO CONTADOR AND ANDY SCHLECK HAD ONE OF THE GREAT DUALS – CONTADOR SEEMINGLY PLAYING WITH SCHLECK UNTIL THE FINAL PUSH.

“A SMALL GROUP OF SIGHTSEERS EVEN CLAPPED ME ACROSS THE LINE. IT WAS A GREAT FEELING. WHEN I STOPPED THE CLOCK AT 1 HOUR AND 58 MINUTES I WAS HAPPY. NO, I DIDN’T DISGRACE MYSELF. BUT THERE WOULD BE NO POLKA DOT JERSEY TODAY EITHER! “

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I woke early and, admittedly, with some nerves: I really didn’t know what to expect.

After two coffees, a croissant and a quick tyre check, I headed off. The sign told me I had 21.5km to the summit and a vertical height of 1600m. With 27 gears and all the time in the world, I felt confident I would be okay. But it wasn’t long before I realised I was seriously under done. As the kilometres ticked down, the gradient increased. I stripped off my clothing, removed my helmet and started guzzling from the water bottle.

I kept telling myself to slow down and find a good rhythm but the mountain wouldn’t allow it. I was fast running out of gears and knew the worst was yet to come.

IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP At the 1000m mark, the gradient was at 12 per cent and relentless. I was craving 7 per cent, 8 per cent even … just some respite. My legs were heavy with lactic acid, but there was no relief. A couple of times I stopped to get some photos and was surprised how high I was. Mont Ventoux is surrounded by valleys and is a really beautiful sight. Unfortunately, I was not in a position to enjoy it fully.

With 6 km still to climb, my water bottles were empty. Looking round for my teammates … there was nothing. Where’s my support car? My domestique? Where are El Diablo and his trident and the Aussie guy in Wanda

cossies. Nothing. Silence. Except for my heavy breathing. I had no choice but to put my head down and go for it.

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS Finally, I was above the tree line and the escarpment towered above me. I can see about four switchbacks to the lighthouse and some other riders in the distance. It’s somewhat of a pilgrimage on the road to the summit of the Mont Ventoux. Edging towards the finish line the pain disappeared and a small group of sightseers even clapped me across the line. It was a great feeling. When I stopped the clock at 1 hour and 58 minutes I was happy. No, I didn’t disgrace myself. But there would be no polka dot jersey today either!

I had completed the climb after riding 30 km the previous day and having a full night’s sleep. In 2009 the Ventoux was on the penultimate day (Stage 20) of the Tour, with in excess of 3000 km already covered.

I’m in awe of Cadel and the Tour cyclists and even more so after experiencing the mountains for myself. After 30 minutes at the top, I headed off on one of the great downhills. What goes up must come down as they say and as I let my wings out I was smiling all the way to base camp. I wanted to go again, but thought better of it.

I can’t wait until July.

TIM BRENNAN

IS A PERTH-BASED PHYSIOTHERAPIST WHO HAS WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH ATHLETES IN SPORT INCLUDING TRIATHLON, RUGBY UNION AND CRICKET. HE WAS RECENTLY THE PHYSIO FOR THE KINGS XI PUNJAB IN THE INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE. NOVEMBER 2011

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REBECCA GAWTHORNE

FRUIT IS ONE OF NATURE’S SUPER FOODS, PACKED FULL OF VITAMINS, MINERALS AND ANTIOXIDANTS. FOR MUCH OF HUMAN HISTORY, FRUIT HAS BEEN A FAVOURITE FOOD; AND FOR GOOD REASON: FRUIT IS TASTY, EASY TO DIGEST, HIGH IN FIBRE AND A SOURCE OF NATURAL SUGARS THAT PROVIDE A GREAT HIT OF ENERGY.

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NUTRITIONAL VALUE & BENEFITS Fruits are nutrient powerhouses. They contain a wide variety of nutrients that are essential for good health, including vitamin C, beta carotene and potassium. Their fibre and low kilojoule content makes them filling and beneficial for balancing body weight.

Numerous research studies have demonstrated that the powerful combination of vitamins, antioxidants and phytoestrogens in fruit work together to help prevent cancers. Fruit can help reduce your cholesterol levels and lower your blood pressure. Plenty of fruit as part of a healthy diet can protect against heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Fruit is also one of your best defences against infections from bacteria and viruses,

keeping your immune system strong.

And the antioxidants found in fruit help to prevent and repair cell damage that occurs from everyday wear and tear.

By choosing nutrient-rich fruits that provide the most nutrients per calorie, you can build a healthier life and start or continue down a path of health and wellness.

WHAT IS A SERVE OF FRUIT? • 1 medium-sized piece of fruit might be an apple, peach, banana, mango or pear • 2 pieces of smaller fruit such as apricots, passionfruit, kiwifruit • 1 cup of chopped fruit such as strawberries, pineapple, fruit salad

• 1½ tablespoons of dried fruit or four dried apricots • ½ a cup of fruit juice Source: Go for 2&5

HOW MUCH FRUIT? AGE (YEARS)

FRUIT (SERVES)

4-7

1-2

8 - 11

1-2

12 - 18

3-4

18 +

2+

Pregnant & Breastfeeding

4-5

Source: The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating NOVEMBER 2011

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NUTRITION

THE FRUITS OF SUMMER

MANGOES THE FRUIT OF SUMMER

Fruits in season this summer include: • •

• • • •

• • • • • • • •

Mango Berries and currants – strawberries, blueberries, mulberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, blackberries, raspberries Pineapple Banana Passionfruit Melon – watermelon, rockmelon, honeydew Apricots Peaches Nectarines Plums Paw paw Lychees Grapes Oranges

Eat a “rainbow” of fruits to get all the health benefits that fruits offer. Selecting fruit that is in season this summer is cheaper and will allow you to eat fruit at its freshest!

REBECCA GAWTHORNE IS AN ACCREDITED PRACTISING DIETICIAN. For more information, contact: rebecca.gawthorne@gmail.com

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In a recent Facebook survey, I conducted, mangos were voted as the ultimate summer fruit!

Mangos are an oblong-shaped fruit with a large, flat inedible stone, peach-coloured juicy flesh. They are very aromatic when ripe.

Mango varieties include Kensington pride, Delta, R2E2, Keitt and Palmer. Mangos ripen at room temperature. Mature-green mangoes usually ripen within 7-10 days at between 18-22°C. Keep ripe mangos well wrapped under refrigeration (about three days). Mangos can be eaten fresh or added to salads, platters and desserts, purees and sorbets, or as an accompaniment to spicy chicken and fish.

One medium mango contains a mere 110 calories, no saturated fat and only 2 mg of sodium, and provides you with all your daily vitamin C needs, 84 per cent of your vitamin A requirements and 3g of fibre! Delicious and nutritions! Eat up!

Tips TO ENJOY SUMMER FRUITS BREAKFAST

• •

• • • •

Slice fresh fruit over cereal or porridge Make a refreshing summer fruit smoothie with fresh fruit, low-fat milk and some yoghurt. Try banana, mango or berry smoothies.

Top toast with sliced banana Add fresh fruit to muesli and yoghurt Grate apple or pear into pancake mix Prepare your own home-made jam with seasonal summer berries

SNACKS

• Pack fresh fruit for a quick snack at any time • Keep fresh fruit at work or school for a quick and easy snack – ask your workplace to supply fruit as well as biscuits for coffee breaks • Enjoy before and after exercise or training • Freeze bananas, grapes, strawberries and oranges for an icy summer snack • Puree fruit and pour into ice-block moulds to add to drinks • Add fresh or dried fruit to muffin or cake mixtures

MAIN MEALS

•

• •

•

Add fruit to savoury salads – try adding mango to a prawn and avocado salad Add fruit to baked fish or chicken Add chopped dried fruit to couscous (such as apricots or apple) Add lemon zest to salads and lime zest to Thai curries

DESSERTS

• Dip strawberries and banana in chocolate for a delicious fruit fondue • Make delectable seasonal fruit platters and fruit salads drizzled with passionfruit • Add fresh seasonal fruit to yoghurt or ice-cream • Chop fruit into bite-sized pieces and thread onto skewers for a colourful kebab for the kids • Blend berries or mangoes with ice for a refreshing frappe • Puree stewed fruit as a topping for desserts or swirl into yoghurt • Bake fruit crumbles with apple and rhubarb and serve with low fat custard

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IN

TRANSITION OLYMPIC CYCLIST SETS SIGHTS ON CONQUERING IRONMAN 70.3 CANBERRA

SIOBHAN MCCARTHY

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FORMER OLYMPIAN MICHELLE FERRIS IS SET TO TACKLE HER FIRST 70.3 DISTANCE TRIATHLON IN CANBERRA ON DECEMBER 11.

ALTHOUGH FERRIS STARTED OFF RUNNING TO GET FIT, IT DID NOT TAKE LONG FOR HER TRAINING BUDDIES TO CONVINCE HER TO HAVE A GO AT A TRIATHLON.

FERRIS ANOTHER CLOG IN THE TRIATHLON WHEEL “I started out just running and training for the Blackmore’s Half Marathon with Tim Ahern and the APT group. Just training with this group and seeing how much fun and support they were giving each other, it wasn’t long before I was hooked and wanted to do triathlons,” says Ferris Ferris only completed her first triathlon earlier this year and, like many rookie triathletes, The Sydney TriShave Series was where it all began.

‘The Kurnell Olympics! Well, it was a good first experience for me! It showed me that I am a crap swimmer – I did a lot of doggy paddle and breaststroke to finish the swim leg – but after thinking I couldn’t make it, and then seeing the APT guys and girls cheering … it kept me going to finish and got me out and onto the bike for the next leg,” says Ferris.

Ferris has decided to make the jump to the longer distance despite only having done one triathlon and is really looking forward to the challenge of a 1.9km swim, 90km ride and 21.1km run.

“I guess it’s a little strange that a track sprint cyclist would want to do something longer than 250m, but I found that after my first sprint triathlon, it was all over too quick

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Ferris is no longer racing elite cycling vying for Olympic medals, but sees her triathlon quest as just as important, “I just stick to my own goals and I don’t worry If I’m last out of the water:

and I figured that since I was doing this for my own achievement that the 70.3 distance seemed doable and might suit me better,” she says.

TRICKS OF THE TRIATHLON TRADE After having an illustrious career as a sprint track cyclist Ferris, like many triathletes, is drawn to the challenge of conquering three sports, rather than one.

She is also learning to master the balancing act that comes with it the sport. “My swim is terrible, but I am really working on that and, with the bike leg, I have to learn how to pace myself over the long distance and to make sure I still have something left for the run,” she says.

Ferris attended the TriNSW Female Camp in August this year in Forster, and was taught the tricks of the trade from triathlon super coaches John Hickey and Mick Maroney.

“Transition training with John and Mick was lots of fun and helpful. I’m sure I will hear their voices in my head during T1 & T2 at Ironman Canberra 70.3.”

“IT’S ALL ABOUT FINISHING AND ACHIEVING MY OWN PERSONAL GOALS AND REMEMBERING TO HAVE FUN AND NOT TO TAKE IT ALL TOO SERIOUSLY. NO ONE LOOKS AT YOU STRANGE FOR WANTING TO GIVE SOMETHING A GO. PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU WITH ADMIRATION FOR HAVING A PURPOSE AND A GOAL”

IN ADDITION TO HER SILVER MEDALWINNING PERFORMANCES AT BOTH THE 1996 ATLANTA & 2000 SYDNEY OLYMPIC GAMES, FERRIS ALSO HAS WON A SILVER MEDAL AT THE 1994 COMMONWEALTH GAMES AND BRONZE MEDALS IN THE 500M TIME TRIAL AT THE 1995 AND 1996 SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. FERRIS ALSO WON JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.

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These days, in addition to training for her upcoming Ironman 70.3 in Canberra, Ferris has a two-year-old daughter Paige with her partner Kylie and can often be found at Grind in Cronulla sipping coffee after her squad’s early morning training.

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SIOBHAN MCCARTHY IS A COUNTRY KID TURNED TRI GEEK AND IS CURRENTLY TRAINING WITH A TRIATHLON SQUAD AND LIVING THE GOOD LIFE ON THE GOLD COAST. TO PASS THE TIME, SHE IS COMPLETING A MASTERS OF JOURNALISM AND WRITES A BLOG YOU CAN FOLLOW SIOBHAN ON TWITTER (@SIOBHANANN).

C R E A T I V E

M E D I A

DESIGN. PRINT. WEB. PH 02 8517 3508

WWW.KISSTHESKY.COM.AU

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UER A T A M A / E IL F O R JOCKATHLETIC.COM ER ATHLETE P AMATU ER AT

FLIL O R P E T E L E H T I A F R E O U T R A P M A E / T ATHLETE PROFILE / AMATUER ATHLE FILE NOVEMBER 2011 31 O R P E T E L TH

ROFILE MEET ZANE CAMPBELL. FORMER BEACH SPRINT CHAMPION, PROFESSIONAL

BUILDER,

HORSE

RACING FINATIC AND NOT A BAD BLOKE REALLY. WE SAT DOWN WITH ZANE TO CHAT TO HIM ABOUT HIS FORMER GLORIES, HIS NEW ROLE AS A SPEED COACH IN THE NRL AND HIS BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH SPORT OF BOBSLED.

E / AMAT UER

JA: WHO IS ZANE CAMPBELL? Born in Darwin 1975, moved to the Sutherland Shire at 6 months of age & has not moved since. Former beach sprinter now NRL speed coach.

JA: WHAT ARE YOUR SPORT(S) OF CHOICE? Retired from anything competitive since 2008. My sport of choice varied from Rugby League, Oz-tag/Touch footy & Cricket when I was growing up. From my early 20’s to early 30’s my sports of choice was Rugby League (Cronulla & St George) & then onto the Beach sprint in Surf Life Saving & the 2 man bobsled in my twilight.

JA: WE HEAR YOU’VE NOW TURNED YOUR HAND TO COACHING AS YOU’RE OLD AND SLOW, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN AND WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE? During my beach sprinting days I actually coached some of the younger sprinters that were coming through the ranks & enjoyed that so once I hung up the cossies & surf cap I continued coaching. I have since coached many athletes & teams from different sports including Wendell Sailor, Roy Asotasi, Dave Taylor, the Indian Cricket League & for the past 3 years have been the South’s Sydney Rabbitohs speed coach.

JA: WHAT’S THE TOUGHEST EVENT OR SPORTING ACHIEVEMENT YOU’VE EVER DONE? My toughest achievement was trying to win 32

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ER ATH LETE P ROFIL R ATHLE E / A TE PROF ILE / A MATUER MATUER ATHL ATHLETEETE PRO PROFIFL

On the winner’s dias, Zane (far right), with his Wanda teammates take Gold in the 2006 State Open Relay Titles

the Australian National Beach Sprint title which in the end eluded me and left me quite disappointed after winning everything else that I had set myself to win (1 Australian interstate title, 2 NSW state titles, 8 Sydney championships, 2 Australian teams, 1 State team & 7 Sydney Branch teams). After Surf Lifesaving, i tried my hand at Bobsled.

Although it wasn’t tough physically the 2 man bobsled was definitely a tad nerve racking. The first time I slid down the mountain in Innsbruck Austria was with my good friend Joel Maybury who had been in the Australian bobsled team for the past

4 years, so he had plenty of experience in the bobsleigh. The only problem was he had never driven he had always been the brakeman, so the first slide down the track I was sh*%ing myself (reaching top speed of 132km/h). Thankfully after all of the training & racing we never crashed, so I suppose I can say I owe my life to Joel!! I can tell you in secret that one of the Australian boys who will remain nameless did soil his pants during a run, his quote was “I couldn’t hold it in, the 4g’s became too much coming around turn 9”!

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ZANE CAMPBELL

Cool Runnings: Zane with good mate Joel Maybury, at the bobsled training camp in Innsbruck, Austria. Fish out of water, perhaps!

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PROFIL

JA: THROUGH YOUR SPORTING CAREER YOU WORKED FULL-TIME AS WELL, BUT ALSO TRAINED AS MUCH AS A PROFESSIONAL, WHAT WAS YOUR SECRET AND WHAT ADVICE FROM THIS WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS ABOUT MANAGING THIS AND NOT USING OTHER COMMITMENTS AS AN EXCUSE? Basically my thoughts were always that my competitors would be training hard so no matter what I did at work during the day I always made it to the track, sandhills/ Beach or the Gym in the evening. If I didn’t train I knew I would not get the results I was striving for.

JA: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE TRAINING SESSION AND WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

JA: HOW MANY TRAINING SESSIONS DID YOU DO AT YOUR PEAK PER WEEK & THE BREAKDOWN? 6 sessions a week during the pre-season & 4-5 sessions a week during the season.

Basically my program would involve 2-3 gym sessions with 2 track sessions & 1 hill (grass or sand) session per week & throw in a recovery session during the season.

JA: HOW DID YOU FIT ALL THAT IN, DO YOU WORK/UNI – PLEASE EXPLAIN? My work day would start at 6am & finish around 5pm then I would head straight to training so it was pretty simple.

I really enjoyed my Gym sessions, working through the different phases of Hypertrophy, strength & power. After about 4 years of solid weight training I could see the results with my speed especially through the acceleration section of my races, from being 1-2metres behind at the 30-40metre mark of races after 4 years of weights I was either level or in front of other sprinters.

Plus there was plenty of friendly banter with other Athletes from different disciplines at the Wanda Surf Club Gym which made it a fun session.

A R E U T A AM UER A / E L I F O AT R P M E A T E L / TH E A L R I E F U T O A PR E T E L LE / AM ATH

ETE PROFILE / AMATU JA: WHAT ARE YOUR SECRETS TO STICKING TO A TRAINING PROGRAM? As I said previously I knew I had to train hard as I knew my competitors would be training hard as well. If your dedicated to your goal you’ll find a way to train.

JA: WHAT’S YOUR BEST EXCUSE FOR NOT STICKING TO A TRAINING PROGRAM? Injuries

JA: WHAT’S YOUR MOST DREADED TRAINING SESSION (DETAILS) AND WHY? Definitely maximal efforts out at the Wanda sandhills particularly the famous or I suppose you could say the infamous K1 hill. After 3 K1 max’s there was a chance of a spew but when I did 4 of them I had a spew success rate of 100%.

JA: WHAT’S YOUR NEXT BIG CHALLENGE? BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL SPEED COACH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BECOME A STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH AS WELL. MY COMPETING DAYS ARE DEFINITELY DONE & DUSTED.

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JA: WHO HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN THE SPORTING WORLD (WHY?)?

Well I will say Jock being my coach inspired me to get the best out of me but I couldn’t say anything he did as an athlete himself inspired me (ha ha ha) - a 3rd in the Beach sprint at the Wanda club championships isn’t quite awe inspiring. At the time Jock had a long pony tail which I think weighed him down in the sand! (I bet he doesn’t put this in the e-zine)

JA: NOW THE BIG ONE, YOUR FAVORITE MOTIVATIONAL SAYING? I do have a few but my favorite would have to come from my dad. During a beach marathon race at nippers when I was 7, I was being a bit lazy & was coming last at the half way stage, my dad was the turning mark & as I ran around him he said in a threatening voice “PULL YOUR FINGER OUT” so I did in fear & went on to win. So I would have to say it’s my favorite & most memorable saying.

ATHLETE PROFILE UER ATHLET E PROFILE / / AMATUER AMATUER AATHLETE P THLETE PR

“MY THOUGHTS WERE ALWAYS THAT MY COMPETITORS WOULD BE TRAINING HARD SO NO MATTER WHAT I DID AT WORK DURING THE DAY I ALWAYS MADE IT TO THE TRACK, SANDHILLS/BEACH OR THE GYM IN THE EVENING. IF I DIDN’T TRAIN I KNEW I WOULD NOT GET THE RESULTS I WAS STRIVING FOR.” NOVEMBER 2011

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m a e r D e h T g Livin

FIT FACTS CASSIE GOVAN, PH.D. DAVID NEAL, PH.D. ANNA COSTER, M.A. – EMPIRICA RESEARCH

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THIS MONTH WE LOOK AT THE EXPERIENCE OF US COLLEGE ATHLETES. YOU’VE SEEN THE JOCKS IN THE MOVIES AND ON TV SHOWS. BUT WHAT IS IT REALLY LIKE TO BE A STUDENT ATHLETE? EMPIRICA’S ANNA COSTER WAS A TRIPLE JUMPER FROM ADELAIDE WHO WENT ON TO BECOME A HEPTATHLETE FOR MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. HOW DID SHE END UP THERE? LET’S FIND OUT.

NOVEMBER 2011

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campus. I was starting to learn what life was

WHEN I WAS 18, I SIGNED A LETTER OF INTENT AT MY PARENTS’ KITCHEN TABLE IN ADELAIDE. THE LETTER WAS ESSENTIALLY A CONTRACT STATING THAT THE FOLLOWING AUGUST I INTENDED TO ACCEPT A FULL ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP WITH MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY TO COMPETE AS A SPARTAN ON THEIR TRACK AND FIELD TEAM. THE WAY I SAW IT, I

like to be a student at MSU. What I was yet

to learn was what it was like to be a student athlete, what it meant to be a Spartan … to “bleed green and white” as they say.

WAS SIGNING A BUSINESS DEAL.

I would work hard all week so I could

represent MSU on the track each weekend

as we travelled to colleges all over the US to compete against other universities. At

the time, I joked that I was signing my life away … and, in a way, I was. But what I

didn’t understand was that the new life I was signing up for was one that would teach me more than just how to run, jump and throw.

My first days on campus were a bit of a shock. I felt like I had been dropped straight into a movie scene: a land of cheerleaders,

college dorms, frat houses and long, cold,

snowy Michigan winters. It was the complete opposite of home, and exactly what I was looking for. I enrolled in my first semester of classes studying psychology and started to find my way around the 2100-hectare

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A CLASS ACT My scholarship covered college course fees, room and board, books, athletic

shoes and apparel and any travel costs associated with the team – there was even a woman who washed our workout clothes for us after practice.

Full scholarships like this were highly

sought after in the US and hard to come by and there were less than four of us on

the team at the time. Scholarships were awarded on a yearly basis, which meant

that they were also hard to keep. At the end of each year, our performance was

evaluated to determine whether or not we would be awarded a scholarship for the following year.

Despite being recruited as a triple jumper I was told on day one that I would now also be expected to compete in the heptathlon – a seven-event competition spanning two days. At the time I didn’t even know what seven events made up the heptathlon (high jump, long jump, shot put, javelin, 800m, 200m and 100m hurdles). But I knew that adding seven new events was going to make earning a scholarship the next year very difficult. And there wasn’t a whole lot you could do with a quarter of a psychology degree.

That first year, and the four after that, we ran so hard in pre-season conditioning that the sweat-soaked band of my sports bra rubbed until I bled. I remember hobbling down the four flights of stairs from the weights room thinking it would hurt less to fall down the stairs than to walk down them. We were up before class for an early Olympic lifting session, then back again after classes to run fartleks, hill sprints and stadium ramps. Once the track season began, our schedules got even busier.

With seven new events to train for, I often had three blocks of training a day – morning, afternoon and night. Between these sessions I would head to class with bags of ice still glad-wrapped to my sore ankles/ shins/shoulders. At the end of each day I’d sit with my teammates up to our chest in the ice tub to catch up on the gossip. On Friday nights, we would head to the airport to compete in track meets across the county.

We would leave on Friday night – with bags full of spikes and homework – and return early Monday morning in time for class.

“I HAD A STRONG TEAM OF ATHLETES AROUND ME WHO WERE A DIVERSE GROUP OF STRONG AND DRIVEN MEN AND WOMEN WHO INSPIRED ME TO WORK HARD. IT WASN’T UNTIL MY FINAL YEAR THAT I STOPPED WORRYING ABOUT MEETING EVERYONE ELSE’S EXPECTATIONS AND STARTED THINKING ABOUT MY OWN. I HAD ONE LAST YEAR TO MAKE A GO OF IT.”

RED SHIRT ALERT Student athletes have a maximum of four

years of athletic eligibility in the NCAA system. Athletes can ‘red shirt’ a season

if they wish to delay their participation in order to extend their eligibility. This can be

a tactical red shirt – often freshmen are red-shirted their first year to allow them to adapt to the college system. Or a medical red shirt if an athlete is injured and the decision is made that they will not compete

that year. After an ankle injury put me out

of action for my fourth year I had one last

year, my fifth year – under a medical red

shirt – to make the most of the remaining year of scholarship. By this time, I had completed a BA in Psychology thanks to

scholarship remaining.

By this stage I had dropped the triple jump

and was focusing solely on the heptathlon.

I had developed strong relationships with a

coaching staff that knew my strengths and weaknesses. Our athletic training/physio team knew all my old injuries, sore spots, tape jobs and treatment plans as well as I

did. And on top of that, I had a strong team of athletes around me who were a diverse

group of strong and driven men and women

who inspired me to work hard. It wasn’t until

my final year that I stopped worrying about meeting everyone else’s expectations and started thinking about my own. I had one last year to make a go of it.

four consecutive years of summer school

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

advertising – which I planned to condense

athletes are under academic pressure, too.

and I had begun the two-year MA course in

In addition to athletic expectations, student

into one year as I only had one year of

Student athletes are required to maintain a

minimum grade point average at all times in order to compete. If their grades drop below

“IN ADDITION TO ACHING FEET AND SCAR TISSUE, I CAME OUT WITH A LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT I WOULDN’T CHANGE FOR ANYTHING.”

this mark they were deemed ‘Academically Ineligible’ – at which point they were

forbidden from competing. There was a Student Athlete Support Centre with an entire staff devoted to making sure student

athletes were performing well academically as well as athletically. We had access to

free tutors, academic advisors and our text books were covered by our scholarship.

However, we were encouraged to take no

more than 12 credits a semester in order to allow sufficient time for track practice.

That was where the difficulty lies – the ability to balance academic and athletic 42

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responsibilities and expectations without letting one or the other take over.

Of course, it wasn’t all work and no play – I had my fair share of toga parties, college football games and wild college weekends.

But always in the back of my mind was that I had made a business deal and I was responsible for keeping my end of the deal.

When my friends and I graduated from

university they came out with student loans

A refreshing approach to property

and HECs debt and I came out with …

arthritis. But in addition to aching feet and scar tissue, I came out with a life experience that I wouldn’t change for anything. Being

a college athlete in an NCAA Division I

University has impacted every aspect of my life to date and the lessons I took with me outweigh the sacrifices I made in order to

pursue my goals – athletic, academic and

personal. I am proud to be a Spartan and I always will be...

southernstarproperty.com.au

GPA BY ATHELETE STATUS AND GENDER GPA 3.30

3.24

3.22 3.18

3.20 3.10

3.04 3.00

2.97 2.90

2.84 2.80 2.70 2.60

MALE NON- ATHLETE

MALE RECRUITED ATHLETE

FEMALE NON-ATHLETE

FEMALE RECRUITED ATHLETE

FEMALE WALK-ON ATHELETE

INTERESTINGLY, THE FINE LINE BETWEEN BALANCING ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WOMEN ARE BETTER AT THAN MEN.

WORK AND FITNESS – SHE RECENTLY RAN THE MELBOURNE MARATHON (WHICH AS SHE POINTS OUT IS A LOT FURTHER THAN THE 800M SHE USED TO RUN IN THE HEPTATHLON!).

A RECENT REPORT FROM “THE COLLEGE SPORT PROJECT” (AN INITIATIVE OF THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION IN NEW YORK TO MONITOR COLLEGE ATHLETES OVER 5 YEARS) COMPARED GRADES FROM ATHLETES AND NONATHLETES. WITH THE WOMEN, THE ATHLETES WERE ONLY MARGINALLY BELOW THE GPAS OF THE NONATHLETES; BUT WITH THE MEN, THE NON-ATHLETES WERE CLEARLY OUTPERFORMING THE ATHLETES.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH!

EVEN THOUGH ANNA IS BACK IN AUSTRALIA AND NO LONGER A STUDENT, SHE IS STILL BALANCING

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MALE WALK-ON ATHLETE

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EMPIRICA RESEARCH IS A SOCIAL AND CONSUMER RESEARCH FIRM BASED IN MELBOURNE AND MIAMI. For more about Empirica, checkout our webstite, www. empiricaresearch.com.au , email Cassie Govan or find us on Facebook and Twitter (@empirica_update).

46Delly Carr Image:

JOCKATHLETIC.COM

Hamilton Island Triathlon & Ocean Swim NOVEMBER 2011

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This one is a no-brainer!

Image: Delly Carr 48

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Last year I presented at the Hamilton Island triathlon workshop, I did the Ocean Swim, took our Average Joe’s Runners Club there to do our first triathlon, and even bought the postcard.

It is an all-time must do event!

A sprint triathlon in paradise, just outside your door with great food, great atmosphere a magnificent course and close to home, you can’t ask for more.

For good measure the weekend starts off with an ocean swim on the spectacular Whitehaven Beach, I’m hooked and will be going back again and again!

Acclaimed athletes such as Susie O’Neill, Ky Hurst and Geoff Huegill will race alongside competitors of all ages and abilities over the endurance sport weekend, which has been billed as one of the most unique and scenic courses in the world – I agree.

The event starts with a 750-metre swim in Catseye Bay at Hamilton Island followed by a 20km cycle around the southern part of Hamilton Island including the airport runway and a 5km run around the marina with a finish on the resort-side of Hamilton Island.

The Jock Atheltic Average Joes took it on in 2010 - and loved it!

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A junior triathlon, for children under the age of 15, will be held on Sunday 20 November.

In a move from traditional kid’s triathlons, the children won’t compete in age groups but will race a choice of three distances depending on their ability and experience.

SAT 19TH NOVEMBER 6.30AM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON

Make sure you stay on for a holiday afterwards, it’s Gold!

10.6KM RUN

SUN 20TH NOVEMBER 6.30AM DENT ISLAND DASH 7.45AM JUNIOR TRIATHLONS

1.30PM WHITEHAVEN BEACH SWIM 750M, 2KM AND JUNIOR 350M FOR ALL DETAILS INCLUDING ACCOMMODATION: WWW.HAMILTONISLAND.COM.AU

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Jock Athletic Junior, Elly O’Donoghue talks to the media after her stella performances in last year’s events.

M

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM, 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011 Held in some of the Whitsunday’s most iconic locations, this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay, a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Island’s Marina Village to a beachside finish. Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike, the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim. For more information please visit www.hamiltonisland.com.au/triathlon

Photography: Delly Carr

ATHLETICS

Injury AND

ELOISE WELLINGS

FOR ANY ATHLETE, OR WEEKEND WARRIOR, INJURY SUCKS. IT’S A FACT. THERE’S NO SUGARCOATING THE FACT THAT YOU CAN’T DO WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO. BUT, AFTER ALL THE INJURIES I’VE HAD, I’VE LEARNED THAT WHILE INJURED, MY ABILITY TO ABSORB AND GROW IN THE QUALITIES THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED WHILE WORKING THROUGH AN INJURY RELIES ON MY MENTAL ATTITUDE.

MENTAL ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING. I can dwell on the fact that I can’t run and that the future is uncertain or I can choose to enjoy that I’m on a journey as an athlete.

Although I might not know what’s ahead or if my running dreams will come true, I’ll have fun trying. I’ve had around 10 stress fractures in the span of my running career so I feel like I’m quite experienced to write about this!

During every downtime through injury I’ll look back at my training diaries and analyse what I can change to my training to prevent it happening again, and almost always I can find something to tweek and change. But to be completely honest, a common factor to every injury I’ve had is my discipline to succeed.

It’s been said that if I were a horse I would have been shot by now. Harsh but fair.

Nobody asks to be injured, but it’s part of sport… 10 stress fractures is not part of every sport, but it has been part of my story.

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ATHLETICS Discipline, as an athlete, has been my biggest asset but also my biggest downfall.

I’ve had to learn to go with the flow of how my body is responding to each workout at a time rather than just doing what’s been set on the program. For most elite athletes, to take a day off when you’re tired or have a niggle takes more discipline than to actually go out and train.

given up and you’ve developed all of these qualities! This is something you can take with you to the starting line; these qualities are part of your make-up now. And if you choose to allow them to develop by training yourself mentally you’ll start your beloved sport again with a developed character and a stronger resolve when the going gets tough in a race.

Most injuries allow for some type of crosstraining or rehab to stay cardio fit while allowing the injury to heal. This is where I believe the discipline I have has been my greatest asset. I’ve cross-trained through every single stress fracture. If stationary biking, elliptical trainer or deep water running were Olympic sports I would have a haul of gold medals.

The blood, sweat and tears spent crosstraining will be more than evident when you make a comeback!

Despite my injury woes, every single stress fracture has taught me patience, persistence, resilience, determination, tenacity and endurance, and funnily enough, all of these qualities I need to call on in a 10,000m race! So, this is what I choose to think about when I’m injured and having to cross-train; that, although being injured is not ideal, I can use the injury for my advantage when I get back to doing what I love. None of your competitors can take these qualities away from you, once you’ve been tested and tried and not

ELOISE WELLINGS IS AN AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION DISTANCE RUNNER AND FOUNDER OF LOVE MERCY FOUNDATION. SHE WILL REPRESENT AUSTRALIA AT THE LONDON OLYMPICS IN 2012 IN THE 10,000M EVENT. TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON HER ROAD TO LONDON 2012 FOLLOW HER BLOG, and to find out more about Eloise’s Foundation, visit www.lovemercyfoundation.org

10 TIPS FOR CROSS TRAINING 1

2

3

Resolve to absorb every little positive thing that comes out of you having the injury no matter how minor the detail This will allow qualitites to develop that you might not have had if the injury hadn’t come about.

Aim for excellence Be productive to move forward, whether its rest or diet or cross training or rehab exercises. Do it all with excellence. It’s easy to drop the ball when you’re “down and out”.

Have a plan I like to write my sessions on my hand before I get in the pool or on the bike

4

Wear a heart rate monitor It gives you something to focus on during the workout

5

Find a training partner Cross training is always more fun with friends!

6

7

Allow for rest days from cross training I find I get more exhausted from cross training than full running training so rest scheduled rest days are important Music!

I always make playlists of songs that I can get inspired with whilst I’m cross training.

8

Document all of your cross training How your injury feels, how your energy levels were, how your attitude was… whatever, it’s good to get it down

9

Never cross train if it causes your initial injury pain It will only prolong your healing time. Some injuries you might need to tweek what machines you use or it might need complete rest.

10 When you return to your

sport, use cross-training as a supplement to your normal training to avoid recurring injuries

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TRIATHLON

THE 10YR I DID SOME RESEARCH LAST YEAR FOR THE AIS TRIATHLON PROGRAM EXAMINING THE RACE PERFORMANCES OF THE TOP 30 MEN AND WOMEN IN THE ITU TRIATHLON SCENE. I ALSO STUDIED THE AGE AVERAGE AND HOW LONG THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE TOP 30 FOR THEIR CAREER.

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DAN ATKINS

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THE INTERESTING POINT WAS THAT THE AVERAGE AGE FOR THE MEN WAS 27.3, WHILE THE WOMEN WERE 26.5. NOW THERE’S NOTHING HARD TO WORK OUT THERE. BUT IF YOU TAKE THE SPORT OF TRIATHLON AND COMPARED IT TO A LOT OF OTHERS IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THE AVERAGE TIME SPENT IN TRIATHLON FOR THE TOP 30 WAS NINE YEARS FOR THE MEN AND EIGHT YEARS FOR THE WOMEN. A couple of our top boys running around in the ITU draft legal game that you have probably heard of – Courtney Atkinson, Brad Kahlefeldt and Chris “Macca” McCormack have an estimated 50 years experience between them. That’s a staggering number of years to be slogging it out. And, let’s be honest, it isn’t an easy sport to just do things on the light side.

Defining an expert athlete 1 2

3

4

The Facts There have been a number of research papers done over time on how long it takes to become an expert in a chosen sport.

Don’t confuse the word ‘expert” with the word “elite”. An expert is not only an athlete who makes a living from the sport, but someone who has extensive knowledge and performance progression throughout there training and racing. More importantly, they are willing to do whatever it takes to improve performance.

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5

6

EXPERT ATHLETES HAVE GREATER TASK-SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE. EXPERT ATHLETES INTERPRET GREATER MEANING FROM AVAILABLE INFORMATION GIVEN TO THEM EXPERT ATHLETE’S STORE AND ACCESS COACH INFORMATION MORE EFFECTIVELY. EXPERT ATHLETES CAN BETTER DETECT AND RECOGNISE STRUCTURED TRAINING PATTERNS. IN FACT, EXPERT ATHLETES EXPECT THIS! EXPERT ATHLETES USE FEEDBACK DATA FROM COACHES MORE PRODUCTIVELY. EXPERT ATHLETES MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE MORE RAPID AND MORE PRECISE IN EXECUTION.

Here are my finer points to getting on with it a bit faster: 1. TAKE RISKS “To win without risk is to triumph without glory.” – Pierre Corneille, playwright • You must have the courage to take risks • People who are afraid to take risks will not grow • The key is to take calculated intelligent risks.

2. HAVE A VISION “It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.” – Helen Keller, Author • Your vision is what you will become • Our vision fuels our commitment to do whatever it takes to achieve excellence.

• Vision permits us to convert dreams into the reality of success through hard work • Always see the big picture and never lose the passion of your dreams.

3. PAY THE PRICE “If everyone doesn’t pay the price to win, then everyone will pay the price by losing.” – John C. Maxwell, Author • To achieve any level of success requires every one of us to pay the price to lead to success.

• Once we reach the level of success, then we must all the pay an even greater price to stay there.

• Success isn’t just gauged by how much you win but by the sacrifice you intend to keep up to pay the price of winning.

4. WORK WITH A GENIUS “Behind every “expert” is a Genius that taught them what they know.” – Dan Atkins • Work with a knowledgeable coach (genius) that understands you for who you are and what you want to achieve.

• Your preparation for any goal starts with a simple plan, some form of commitment.

• Communicating with someone you trust someone who wants what you want.

5. CONSISTENCY “Realise that consistent performance is the result of consistent behaviour, and that consistent behaviour requires consistent thought.” – H. A. Dorfman, Sports Psychologist Consistency builds confidence • Consistency is developed through constant repetition of thoughts and movements • Establish daily routines based on what it takes to become an outstanding performer.

• Trust your routines!

HONOUR THE RULES Being great at anything takes time and patience. But being an innovator and highly creative athlete means not waiting to get better but responding to the physical challenges of triathlon and finding ways to work things out that others cannot.

Perfecting technique doesn’t come easy, and you must also honour the rule that it will take time – maybe even 10 years – to become an expert. For me, that process will continue until the day I draw my last breath.

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Patience over time: SO HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME AN EXPERT ATHLETE? Research studies have shown that, on average, it takes about 10 years to develop enough knowledge along with a high level of commitment to high levels of training.

DAN ATKINS IS A TRIATHLON SPORTS COACH AT THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SPORT. HE ALSO HEADS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL TRIATHLON TRAINING CLUBS IN QUEENSLAND. YOU CAN ACCESS DAN’S COACHING SERVICES AT WWW.DANATKINSTRAINING.COM.AU

Whichever way we look at it, it takes hard work.

JOCK ATHLETIC EZINE

SEE YOU IN DECEMBER UNTIL THEN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

ATHLETE NEWS EACH MONTH WE WILL BRING YOU NEWS AND RESULTS FROM JOCK ATHLETIC ATHLETES, HERE AND ABROAD. GLENN MCGRATH (CRICKET)

MICHAEL FOX (TRIATHLON)

Inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame in October. Well deserved and long overdue!

Former Jock Athletic Australian Beach Champion Michael Fox came 3rd in first Triathlon sprint race of the seaoson in Forster - 16/10

JULIAN WILSON (SURFING)

Former Jock Athletric athlete Julian Wilson is making a huge name for himself in Surfing, last month coming second in the Quicky Pro in France - jeez you go to some great places for competition.

HANNAH GOMAN (ATHLETICS) Came 2nd in the U17 State Endurance 5KM SLSA on the Central Coast - Hannah was the youngest in age her group.

ANDRE ADAMS (CRICKET)

belted a match winning half cetury and in doing so was named man of the match in Australia’s 1st ODI v South Africa in the best of 3 series in South Africa.

Finished 3rd leading wicket-taker in Division 1 of English County Cricket for nottinghamshire, taking 67 wickets with an average of 22.61. We can’t believe you weren’t the leading wicket taker! Well done mate.

AUDREY AMIYA-HALL (ATHLETICS)

MATTHEW HAYDEN (CRICKET)

RICKY PONTING (CRICKET)

won the U19 State Endurance 5KM SLSA titles on the Central Coast.

LACHLAN O’CONNOR (FOOTBALL) Awarded NSW Football Silver Award for

U/20’s Super League Player of the Year.

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Turned 40 and has lost weight - haha!

Looking like he’s back to his playing weight, happy birthday!

Glenn McGrath, gets ready to fire the starters gun at the annual Jane McGrath Classic on Cronulla Beach.

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