Multisport Magazine - VIC Winter Issue

VIC

ISSUE # 2 WINTER 2015

Ben Cook

Shares his Glory PLUS Race reports Exclusive Interviews Pull-out Race Guide Nutrition tips Giveaways

Ultra Awesome...

Tales from the Trails

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

FREE TO A GOOD HOME

IA R O T C I IN V

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Swimming was a chore before this class, I didn’t understand the drills and I never improved my speed. Now I look forward to every swim set because it’s got a purpose and I have a clear focus with sense of improvement. I’m even looking forward to open water this season and starting at the front of the bunch every time! – STUART MOORE

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome... to our Winter edition of Multisport Mag

I am thrilled with the successful launch of Multisport Magazine into New South Wales and Victoria and the response has been awesome!

It has been great to connect with the clubs and race directors down South and share our publication with you all.

Of late the Australian Triathlon and Cross Triathlon scene has received plenty of positive news and with World Championship events coming our way, the next few years is looking pretty exciting on the circuit.

We were so impressed with Ben Cook’s recent win at the Gold Coast Triathlon - Luke Harrop Memorial race that we decided he was well worthy to grace the cover of Multisport Magazine this issue. Read Ben’s story how his day unfolded into a win on page 16.

Our age-grouper of the issue is Tracy Morrison from Jarasport Tri Club. Tracy only entered the Tri scene four years ago and now she will race her next Ironman as a Pro! Wow! This issue we have a great trail run feature called ‘Ultra Awesome’ on page 26. There are loads of awesome people out there competing in crazy events for personal reasons, for charity, for fun.

We have captured just four of them - check it out - inspiring stuff!

Celebrate your triathlon journey with us, share your inspiring stories and send us your pictures. Enter our competitions and get social with us on facebook and Instagram. Look out for us quarterly in race packs, aquatic centres, parkruns and multisport outlets!

I hope you enjoy the fun between our inspiring pages and pick up the odd tip or two along the ride.

Until next issue, take care...

Connect with me...

Natalie - phone: 0402 266 196 email: editor@multisportmag.com.au

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QLD

ISSUE # 16 WINTER 2015

Ben Cook

Shares his Glory PLUS Race reports Exclusive Interviews Pull-out Race Guide Nutrition tips Giveaways

Ultra Awesome...

Tales from the Trails

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

Cover: Ben Cook Photography by: Eyes Wide Open Images

MultisportMagazine

FREE TO A GOOD HOME

MULTISPORT MAGAZINE

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Contributors: We have assembled a stellar line-up of experts to keep you informed on all things Triathlon and Multisport.

A message from Triathlon Victoria Welcome to the second edition of Multisport Magazine in Victoria. With the season upon us, it’s great that interested participants (you) can find interesting, helpful and entertaining information on triathlon. Whether you’re coming to the sport for the first time, or been ‘kicking around the traps’ for a while, Triathlon Victoria will be working hard, behind the scenes to make sure you get to the start line.

The start line is a powerful and symbolic reference point for triathlon. It does not necessarily refer to the line at the start of a race, but it can. For you it is perhaps the decision to get off the couch and begin a commitment to exercise, or perhaps brushing the cobwebs off the bike after years of neglect or maybe stepping up in distance to a long distance triathlon. Each time we make a decision, or commitment to do something, we effectively make a new starting line, and from here provide ourselves with the opportunity to achieve.

So how do you measure achievement? As someone who best describes himself as a triathlete that ‘goes around’, achievement for me is getting to the start line happy that I’ve prepared well and injury free. It is more often about getting to the finish line than doing a PB. It is less about beating my mates and more about being part of a community that shares the values of health; but mostly it allows me to share special moments. Like watching a young boy put his trike on two wheels around the corner heading into transition, like catching the euphoria of a first time finisher arms raised overhead, or perhaps seeing a competitor stop prior to the finish line to give their partner a kiss... I’ve been guilty quite a few times of that one! Beneath each of these moments lies a story. A very personal one that many of us will never know. A story that triathlon plays a special part in.

So where, or what, is your starting line?

Inside this magazine I hope you’ll find something that helps you get there...

• Inspiration from the Victorian Duathlon Series •O pportunity at the Yarrawonga Mulwala Multisport Festival to be held October 17 & 18 •E ducation in de-mystifying running with Ryan Mannix, and •P ossibility from the ‘lift-out’ event calendar with race opportunities to suit everyone Please consider how the triathlon family of clubs, coaches, races and volunteers can help you to the start line and take comfort from the fact that everyone, at some stage, makes the decision to start.

Cheers, Grant Cosgriff Executive Director, Triathlon Victoria

SWIM Brenton Ford, founder of Effortless Swimming, a coaching organisation that helps triathletes improve technique, fitness and speed in their swimming. Brenton has been national Master’s swim coach of the year and has won four national master’s club championships. www.effortlessswimming.com RIDE Professional cyclist, Sara Carrigan is one of Australia’s most passionate advocates for sport.

Sara has been a professional cyclist for over 13 years, greatest sporting success is winning a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. www.saracarrigan.com RUN Ryan Mannix has been a runner and duathlete for over 20 years. He has trained and raced in Kenya and Europe as a runner before moving to duathlon, where he represented Australia at an Elite level.

Ryan has now turned his attention to coaching both runners and triathletes, and is the current Triathlon Victoria Coaching Course facilitator.

TRIATHLON Michelle & Dale Hemley are passionate coaches with over 20 years experience in endurance sports. They have competed with great success in triathlons from Sprint to Ironman and have raced the prestigious Hawaii Ironman five times between them with podium finishes in their respective age groups. www.hemleys.com.au PODIATRIST Craig is a Sports Podiatrist focusing on keeping people active. He has a Masters in Podiatric Practice and knowledgable in running mechanics, foot mobilisation and prolotherapy. Craig is passionate about helping runners, from amateur to elite, looking to increase their performance. www.profeetpodiatry.com.au INJURY MANAGEMENT Britt Caling is an APA Physio at Gold Coast Physio & Sports Health and an adventure race athlete.

Britt has a special interest in analysing sports biomechanics improving sports performance and rehabilitation. www.mygcphysio.com.au NUTRITION Taryn Richardson is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian working with the Australian Institute of Sport’s National Performance Centre triathletes on the Gold Coast. Director of Dietitian Approved Taryn’s favourite quote is: ‘You can’t out-train a bad diet’. www.dietitianapproved.com.au MultisportMagazine

6 TRIATHLON words by Keiran Barry, National Talent Coach

switch from ITU / Olympic distance racing to IM. In each instance I have taken great care to make sure the athlete has a minimum of six years racing Olympic Distance before switching to Ironman.

This is not because I think ITU racing is better than IM racing, I just wanted to make sure they had done enough years of training to be able to cope with the volume required to properly prepare for long course racing. I also knew that the skills, speed, power, strength developed through short racing would be of enormous benefit when they stepped up to long course.

Fitness vs Skill I really hate to sound like an alarmist but I have to admit I have a growing unease with junior athletes doing far too much training and athletes in their late teens and early twenties racing distances they’re not ready for.

Here’s some examples. 17 year olds wanting to race in 70.3’s, 18 year olds racing in Ironman, a 15 year old being entered in a 50k run. In each case the athlete’s coaches said they were ready to compete over those distances. I’m sorry but I have to disagree.

There are many coaches who push very young athletes to ride 5 or 6 hrs and do long runs of 20k or more. When they are racing over 750m/20k/5k I don’t find that any more logical than having an age grouper prepare for an IM by doing a 100k run.

We all know some people mature far earlier than others, but regardless of their appearance, 18 year olds bones are still growing, they are still developing muscle and coordinating movement patterns.

Exposing them to huge workloads required to race such long distances, places them at serious risk of injury. At a young age athletes should be focussing on improving in other areas that will make them faster long term and their training more enjoyable short term.

To highlight my case, I’ll use Jacob MultisportMagazine

Birtwhistle as an example. Jake was runner up at last year’s ITU World Junior Championship and along with third place Calvin Quirk became our first male medallist at this event for over ten years – so it was no small achievement.

As a 17 year old Jake ran 5000m on the track in 14:19, on a weekly run volume of 30k. I have had a number of arguments with highly experienced track coaches who tell me that is impossible to run those times on volumes less than 70-80k.

What those coaches and many others fail to consider is that triathletes don’t need to do the same volume as a runner because of the massive aerobic gains from swimming and cycling. To take it further, at 16 Jake was struggling with his swimming; less than 18 months later his swim was 90 seconds faster over 1000m, placing him in the top 5 of Australian ITU juniors.

That improvement was not based on volume, it was based on the same principles of his run training – minimal volume and maximum efficiency. Jake’s coaches focussed on his technique in all disciplines, together with the sound use of quality training – i.e. doing speed work over distances where the athlete can maintain good form and providing adequate recovery. He also worked hard on his race skills and underlying support by developing his strength and flexibility.

It’s fair to say Jake is a gifted athlete but there are many other talented athletes who burnt out early from overtraining. The focus on quality and the patience of his coaches has helped him develop to the point that as a 20 year old, he is starting to be competitive in the WTS series.

I have coached a number of professional Ironman athletes who have made the

Years of hard, short racing has been the key to success for Australia’s great IM champions such as Greg Welch, Crowy, Macca, Michelle Jones and of course Mirinda Carfrae. As they say, the proof is in the pudding and these champions have shown that a long apprenticeship over short distances is the secret to long course success, but even more importantly their years of development work has allowed them to have very long careers. Had they switched to IM racing earlier they possibility may never have reached these heights or raced for so many years.

I am not taking anything away from the outstanding performances of many young athletes over 70.3. Although I do believe these athletes would go better long term with more years of short racing, my concern is for those that step up to Ironman distance in the teens and early twenties without the years of development and the younger athletes doing big volume in their training, while only racing sprint distance.

I know there will be people reading this who can refer to someone they know who does massive volume as a junior or raced IM at a very young age without experiencing any short or long term damage and they’d be right. Similarly though, my grand aunt smoked till she was 95 and never had a cardio vascular issue – that doesn’t make me think smoking’s safe.

There are always exception to the rules but I certainly wouldn’t let my son or daughter risk it.

There is no doubt that aerobic training is a big part of athlete development for all athletes, the question is how much is enough? We are in the middle of updating TA’s guidelines for junior athletes in regard to volume and intensity of training. We are also developing a progression of skills in each discipline that are important for juniors to develop.

Working on skills and technique improves an athlete performance, regardless of their competition distance and is a lot more fun than endless hours of aerobic work.

TRIATHLON

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Col Stewart, ASM

Specialist Level 3 NCC fully accredited Triathlon Sports Coach

OFFERS THE ULTIMATE IN ALL TRIATHLON SPORTS COACHING! CATERING FOR:

Victorian Duathlon Series off to a flying start!

Race 1 of the Victorian Duathlon Series faced a prediction of heavy rainfall and strong winds, however much of the racing was completed by the time the heaven’s opened …. unfortunately it arrived at the same time the ‘Kids’ race toed the start line.

Brought to you by Sports Accounting Australia and hosted by the Hawthorn Triathlon Club the season opener attracted strong entries (over 200) despite the chilly, conditions. One series entrant commented “I really enjoyed the event even though it was freezing and I got wet. Well organised, a nice sized field and looking forward to the remaining races”.

Triathlon Victoria recently began work on an inclusion strategy and the race one certainly proved that we are a sport for everyone. Competitors aged from seven to seventy years old, racing over the Scody dash or Brooks sprint distances.

The technical officials led by Brian Hinton worked with the para-triathletes to ensure that wheelchair access, hand cycle courses and transition areas were safe and integrated into the overall event plan.

Despite the PT1 athletes being engulfed by runners with their wheels struggling to find traction in the slippery conditions the start line provide a pleasant blur of colour against the overcast winter’s day.

Competition for the Brooks Sprint Series is looking to be fierce with the

All Distances ITU Sprint. Olympic. Long course.

IRONMAN. 5150. 70.3.

Choose from the following:

ON-LINE WRITTEN

largest ever number of series entries in the series history. The fastest time recorded in the male Sprint race was

by Ryan Constance from Jarasport in a time of 57:40, Vanessa Jackson from the Melbourne Tri Club was the fastest female with a time of 1:03:35 and Alex Welsh won the Sprint PT1 category over Matthew Brumby and Rob Paterson.

SQUAD/INDIVIDUAL

Overall winners of the Scody Dash race were Lloyd Cosgriff in a time of 31:27 (Bayside Triathlon Club) with Brooke McCullough (SBRG Performance) taking out the female Dash in a time of 31:35.

THE COMBO

Bayside Triathlon Club and Triathlon Victoria will be joined at the Pic2Go Australia Race 2 by series partners Physiohealth, Brooks, Scody, Fast Finish Event Timing, Rocket Digital and Aqua Force.

A feature of Race 2 is the Multiclass Duathlon State Championships for students with an intellectual disability.

Inspired by the passion of Liz Gosper, the majority of the competitors are drawn from Ashwood and Rossbourne Schools having trained with Inclusive Sports Training in the lead up to the championships.

The remainder of the series features the national qualifying race for the 2016 Aviles ITU Sprint Duathlon World Championships and Race the Victorian State Championships. Entries for these races are still open and we look forward to more great racing.

PROGRAMS

SWIM BIKE RUN SESSIONS

ON-LINE/SQUAD 0417 756 074

p: int: +61 417 756 074 e: col@colstewart-tricoach.com

www.colstewart-tricoach.com

Col is a highly qualified Triathlon Sports Coach

ADVISOR - CONSULTANT - MOTIVATOR

“A Coach of Coaches” My Motto:

“I coach the best to beat the best”

MultisportMagazine

8 TRIATHLON

Winter Motivation Words by Michelle & Dale Hemley www.hemleys.com.au Keeping your motivation high over the colder winter months is tough. It can be hard to fit your training in around disruptive weather patterns and limited daylight hours.

One of the best ways to get through winter is to EMBRACE the indoor workout.

A good session on the treadmill or trainer can be incredibly time efficient, extremely relevant to your training goals and if structured correctly…….a lot of fun!

Five Quick Winter Training Tips 1. Stay hydrated: In cooler weather, it is very easy to not drink enough. Dehydration can affect your training and susceptibility to injury, so make a conscious effort to keep sipping from your drink bottle throughout the day.

2. Appropriate clothing: You’ve probably heard the saying ‘There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing’. Never is this truer than in winter! Invest in appropriate winter training clothes such as thermals, windbreaks and waterproof jackets.

3. Ensure Safety: Make sure you are kitted out with lights and reflective clothing when training in the dark to increase your visibility. Try and stick to well-lit, highly populated areas and take a buddy with you. Not only is the ‘stranger danger’ factor an element, but poor lighting can lead to tripping on uneven surfaces.

4. Be prepared: There is nothing worse than being caught in a storm or sudden downpour mid long ride. Download a weather forecast app and check what you are going to be dealing with prior to each session and be prepared.

5. Boost your immune system: With winter colds and flu all too common at this time of year, make sure you are looking after yourself by getting adequate sleep and eating a diet high in nutrient rich whole foods such as fruit and vegetables.

Treadmill Running The treadmill is an extremely effective training tool which makes a regular appearance in our programs, year round.

MultisportMagazine

Throughout winter, they provide the additional benefit of allowing us to escape the dark, cold and rain!

Other benefits include developing a faster leg turnover with less impact on the body due to the softer surface. Sessions can be completed uninterrupted by road surface, traffic and weather conditions making it a safer option any time of day or night Sample Treadmill Set: Build Intervals 2 x 4mins at half marathon goal pace 2 minutes recovery easy run or walk 4 x 2mins 10km fun run goal pace 1 minute recovery easy run or walk 8 x 1min at 5km fun run goal pace 1 minute recovery easy run or walk Benefits of this session: Building the intensity of efforts throughout the session allows our legs to adapt to running faster with some level fatigue, just like at the end of a race! This session is about creating cadence and fast motor patterns, as well as fitness.

Indoor Cycling Training There are so many fantastic options for indoor trainers these days; with the basic windtrainers and rollers, to the more advanced models which can measure power, cadence and other markers.

Depending on your budget and racing goals, you can get as fancy as you like!

No matter what model you decide, all indoor trainers share one similar feature; they are a time efficient and effective way to get your training done.

Sample Indoor Cycling Set: Power Pyramid (this can be repeated twice, with some easy spinning between sets)

30 seconds high resistance, low cadence/30 seconds easy spinning 60 seconds high resistance, low cadence/60 seconds easy spinning 90 seconds high resistance, low cadence/90 seconds easy spinning 2 minutes high resistance, low cadence/2 minutes easy spinning 90 seconds high resistance, low cadence/90 seconds easy spinning 60 seconds high resistance, low cadence/60 seconds easy spinning 30 seconds high resistance, low cadence/30 seconds easy spinning Benefits of this Session: The higher resistance allows us to recruit our cycling specific muscles, plus build cycling specific strength. Jump off the trainer and complete a short run off the bike to get your legs used to running on ‘jelly legs’... works a treat for race day!

Side note on warm-ups and cool-downs: The sample sets above are main sets only and no matter what swim, ride, run or brick session you are completing you should always include a warm-up (10-20 minutes) and cool-down (10 minutes).

We hope these tips prove useful. Stay warm, healthy and keep plugging away the triathlon season will be here soon.

Happy training, Michelle & Dale Hemley

Ask and Win! Do you have a triathlon question for Michelle and Dale? Post it on our Facebook page.

If we publish your question you win a $300 Scody Voucher. www.scody.com.au

$300

TRIATHLON

Who will be kicking off the Tri Season in Yarrawonga?

Triathlon Victoria is looking forward to kicking off the season at the Yarrawonga Mulwala Multisport Festival (YMMF).

Yarrawonga is an ideal location to race due to the warm mid-October climate.

“Delivering high quality events in regional Victoria is a key priority for Triathlon Victoria and the commitment and financial support of Yarrawonga Mulwala Tourism ensures that triathletes have a great opening race to kick-off the season and this region receives increased tourism visitation and economic benefit” said Grant Cosgriff Executive Director Triathlon Victoria.

YMMF is proud to announce that the

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Braithwaite. Sunday’s lineup hosts two of triathlon’s favourite distances – sprint and standard (Olympic).

Mulwala Water Ski Club are the naming rights sponsor for the next 3 years. In its 4th year the event has secured a major regional player in gaming, accommodation and entertainment in a partnership that will bring a new dimension to the event.

This event has something for everyone.

Saturday’s line-up includes the 5km ‘Race the Paradise Queen’ and 10km fun run, kids duathlon, Aquathlon state championships and a mini triathlon (250m swim/8km bike/2km run) just enough to tempt anyone looking for their first triathlon. Then race-goers and support crew can be entertained by one of Australia’s best live musicians Daryl

The event has always received great support from the triathlon community with participant numbers increasing each year since its inception and a range of individual and club awards. The ‘Club Shield’ is currently held by the Albury Wodonga Triathlon Club who won the title narrowly (19 points) from Tri-Alliance. Not surprisingly the Carole McGregor Trophy was won by Carole McGregor! A trophy awarded to the best overall athlete at the YMMF (best results from 3 events) a title Carole also collected in 2012. We asked her what keeps her coming back? “It’s lots of fun, good to be involved in a well organised great weekend and the spirit of the festival …. It’s all about getting out there and doing what you do, and making sure it’s fun at the same time.”

So what are you doing on October 17 and 18 this year? Why not join us in Yarrawonga and join in the fun of multisport – www.ymmf.com.au

Our passion is to inspire people of all ages to find joy in a more active lifestyle and turn their sporting dreams into reality...

Pre-season Triathlon Camp 26/27 September Geelong/Torquay area Call Michelle to enquire

• Adult Triathlon Program Options • Junior Triathlon Programs (Geelong & Torquay Area) • ‘Run Fast, Run Free’ coaching programs • Swim Squads Phone Michelle today on: 0402 299 589 - Torquay www.hemleys.com.au

MultisportMagazine

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AGE-GROUPER OF THE ISSUE

Age Grouper of the

Issue

TRACY MORRISON JARASPORT TRI CLUB Dr Tracy Morrison is a Lecturer in Osteopathy at Victoria University. She trains with Simon Knowles from Jarasport Triathlon Club. We love chatting with agegroupers like Tracy to find out what makes her triathlon tick!

How did you discover triathlon?

My first triathlon was as part of a team in a corporate triathlon. I then registered for my first 70.3 in 2011. I completed my first full Ironman in March 2012 - never in a million years thought I would be able to complete an Ironman but I did!

First ever feelings about the sport?

Very, very, very scary! The first 70.3 event was a MASSIVE learning experience.

My dad and I couldn’t believe how serious everyone was in the lead up to the race.

Everyone had matching EVERYTHING and we didn’t even know what most of the equipment was. I remember Dad and I trying to figure out the position of the aero bars the night before the race… we had only just bought them! I think it is easy for a triathlon beginner to feel intimidated and unsure of yourself – but I’ve now realised all triathletes have their own way of preparing for races and deep down we are all a bit nervous!

2015 Melbourne Ironman you achieved 9:38 and fastest female age grouper. To get this fast what changed and evolved the most?

My bike leg has been the biggest improvement from my first Ironman in 2012 to the race this year. In three years I took 40 minutes off my bike time and when I reflect how this happened it really is a matter of hours and hours of riding my bike with people who are stronger than me, which means there were many rides my confidence and ego took a big hit as I got dropped A LOT! One of the most rewarding aspects of training for Ironman is the changes in your physical and mental capabilities. I remember a couple of group MultisportMagazine

rides in 2013 when I was the slowest by a mile, all alone in freezing Kinglake and when I didn’t know what else to do as I was so miserable – I had a bit of a cry by myself as I pedalled along. I cringe now when I think of wasting energy on crying on a ride! I would NEVER do that now and that’s because I am mentally much more conditioned to deal with it.

What’s next for you?

Since my first race I have always wanted to go faster. This has not changed over the last four years and what motivates me every day is the thought of going faster than I went previously. The logical next step to achieve faster times is to start racing in the professional category. I cannot wait to race Melbourne Ironman in 2016 as a pro. I have raced every Melbourne IM event since it commenced in 2012 so it will be special to race on the same course for the fifth time knowing my journey has been a wonderful mixture of success, happiness, disappointment, physical and mental pain, laughter and many tears.

I want to improve on my 9:38 and now working towards 9:25 with my coach Simon Knowles supporting me throughout my Triathlon journey.

How do you balance life/training/work?

Routine! Scheduling and planning your day in 15 minute intervals certainly helps ensure you achieve everything in the day you need to. I have become an expert at packing bags and food with everything I need when I leave the house at 5am and won’t be returning for 14-15 hours. I have always found I am much more productive when busy and pressed for time than when there is no time constraints. When you work full time and train 20 hours a week there isn’t time to procrastinate. I have the most supportive family, friends and partner who work around my very rigid schedule. I am a lucky girl.

What have you learned on your journey?

I have had to learn mental resilience and it’s the most amazing thing to learn.

It translates to every other aspect of my life (work, relationships etc). I’ve had to work VERY HARD at developing this under the guidance and support from my coach.

Physical conditioning will happen for everyone. If you train more and for longer, you will get faster. But it’s much harder to keep your mind in a positive place to continue training when you are getting dropped, you want to sleep in and you know there are faster girls/competitors out there. The positive mindset will be what makes the difference in you developing as much as you possibly can.

What do you do when you aren’t

participating in triathlon?

I am an osteopath and work one day a week in practice but my career passion is in education. I work full time at Victoria University as a lecturer and love working with and teaching students. I also really enjoy working with my colleagues on various research projects and love reading papers on how students learn, develop and change.

What would you suggest people focus on if they want a Kona spot?

People need to focus on themselves not anyone else. It is easy when wanting Kona spot to get obsessed with the start list/ looking up other peoples previous results/ planning your split times so you qualify etc.

The races I have been the most successful in are the ones when I really just focused on my training and race day journey.

I think a lesson I learnt about Kona spots is they rarely come in your first or second (and maybe more) attempts. It’s something you have to work hard for, and you have to work consistently with your coach and support team – hours and hours of training for months and maybe years!

It’s important to have a coach who can direct you on training, nutrition, fatigue etc.

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out if you are tired and cranky because you have trained 24 hours or you are tired and cranky because you are pushing yourself so close to the limit you may get injured/sick. A coach can help by being an objective voice in the process.

Good luck with your goals Tracy we look forward to following your journey!

TRIATHLON

Sponsorship for Mere Mortals: Maximising Opportunities for Age Group Athletes Furthermore, sponsorship is generally a cost effective marketing tool!

When approaching someone for sponsorship it is important to be knowledgeable about the company itself.

Gather some background information and determine some basic information such as their company goals, where they stand compared to competitors, who else they sponsor and necessary contact information.

Hands up who thinks sponsorship is only something enjoyed by professional athletes.

We’ll that isn’t necessarily the case! Whilst potential sponsors won’t throw themselves at you, or shower you with their product, there are a few things you can do to increase your sponsorship potential.

DEFINING SPONSORSHIP

Sponsorship involves the purchase of potential rights and benefits associated with an athlete, event or organisation, with benefits for both the sponsoring company and the sponsored athlete/club/event. This is the first important point – sponsorship must be mutual. It must be Win: Win. It is up to you to show them that you can help them, whilst at the same time ensuring that potential sponsors fit in with your needs as an athlete.

WHY DO COMPANIES SPONSOR ATHLETES?

There are a number of reasons why a company will chose to sponsor an individual, group, club, organisation or event. They might include; publicity, rights, networking, to gain access to certain markets, to motivate employees, or to create brand connections. However, the underlying reason in most cases is to increase exposure/awareness of their product and thus, increase sales.

ARE YOU WORTH IT?

You must be able to show them why they should sponsor you... Why are you a good investment for their company? Can you offer anything that others can’t in terms of exposure or networking? Show them how you can help them grow as a company because they are looking for opportunities to increase exposure and sales potential.

How will you be a good representative of their brand? Here it is important to show your marketability. Talk about the long term. Mention that you are interested in building a relationship over time and are interested in working together to achieve a Win: Win situation.

Note: Be sure you are willing and able to back up any claims and promises made!

Always under promise and over deliver.

YOUR PROPOSAL

You should know who in the company to approach when asking for sponsorship and go straight to them. Be prepared, persistent and professional in your approach. Provide a cover letter, athlete resume and neat, concise proposal. Focus on the needs of your potential sponsor first, and remember they want to sell a product or service.

Show them that you are loyal, modest, hardworking, personable AND successful, as well as how you can promote their product/service/brand. Don’t approach two competitors at once.

Imagine you are working for the potential sponsor: Do you: like/endorse/use their products? Will you: use/promote/advertise

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their products to the target? Are you: presentable/successful/reliable/valuable?

TIPS FOR MANAGING SPONSORS

It is very important to keep your sponsors informed of your progress as an athlete. They have invested time and money into you to help initiate and expand your partnership – they care about how you are going. Inform them of upcoming races, as well as results.

Acknowledge and thank them for their support, and the benefit that their product has provided. Be sure to mention and acknowledge their support and product in any reports, newsletters or announcements and wear their product/logo. It may be a nice touch to send them photos of you training and racing with their product or even send them a Christmas card!

GOLDEN RULES OF SPONSORSHIP

A sponsored athlete must continue to be a good role model and represent the brand with professionalism. Think about the image you are portraying when training and racing. Endorse their product where you can – other athletes are interested in what products are out there.

Be prepared to: •O ver deliver: Deliver what you promised – unprompted •S how a genuine commitment to upholding your part of the agreement •P romote and acknowledge your sponsor •A lways use their product and display their logo/brand name • Share new ideas and offer feedback • Keep them informed Being sponsored is a rewarding and motivating part of being an athlete. The above information provides some insight and information into how sponsorship works as well as offering some ideas into how to maximise your own sponsorship chances. You may be surprised at the opportunities that are available, and also at how beneficial you may be to a company or other potential sponsor.

GOOD LUCK! The above information has been compiled and written by Mat Tippett, Sports Sponsorship Lecturer at Victoria University, Founder and Director of ETPA. MultisportMagazine

12 TRIATHLON

TRIATHLON DIRECTORY Choppy, Travo and Bear discuss life as a M.A.M.I.L (middle-aged man in lycra) - the daily grind, the highs, the lows, the wins and the losses!

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T: Your definitely not dragging your arse Choppy – you’re doing well mate. I’ve actually grown to love the long run, either chatting for three hours about man shit with you and Kenny, or by myself solving the problems of the world and planning retirement. Bear who?? Are you secretly training for the next adventure race Bear?

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C: It’s been all about the GC Airport Marathon for me these last couple of months. It’s getting harder to drag my ever ageing backside around the weekly 25k+ long run. How is your running going Bear? Last time I saw you run was to the bar when they called ‘Last Drinks’

We have members competing in mini races through to Ironman.

Over 20 squad sessions per week and personal coaching opportunities.

B: Yes I’ll admit the Bear does seem to have gone into hibernation and a few bars of late. But two things have happened the first one is that I’m back ‘trying’ to surf again, due to my daughter having a love for it - good Daddy daughter time.

But no time for three hour runs with you clowns talking man shit - which I do enjoy.

The other is the new love in my life ‘George’ a 70kg Great Dane puppy, the boy I never had. Don’t give up on me boys as it still looms in the back of my mind that I have signed up for Noosa Tri this year.

T: Is this your mid life crisis

mate... surfing and a man-dog??

Cold balls and picking up poo... give me a three hour long run to solve the problems of the world any day! But, glad to hear you are happy... unfit - but happy!! I have no doubt Noosa Tri will get you fit again - perhaps a team with your daughter and dog if things don’t go well by yourself??

B: I can’t seem to win, I do an Ironman it’s a mid life crisis I get a Dog it’s a mid life crisis. I might have to get a red Mustang convertible next. I can see it now George and I cruising down the highway surfboard in the back.

F#*k wake-up... I think I better start running again what time are you going tomorrow?

C: Three hour run from the surf club tomorrow morning Bear...

Oh, why am I telling you this, you’ll be in bed anyway - doona boy.

B: Well boys just to shake you up a bit, I did something different this weekend. I got back in the pool - man that’s harder then I remember. I managed to punch out about 2k while my 10 year old daughter did about 3.5k in the lane next to me.

So I reckon it must be said real men swim through winter (secret winter training). See ya at the pool lads - if you’re man enough of course.

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COACHES CORNER

13 13

Multisport Mag caught up with Head Coach of Geelong Performance Coaching, Stephane Vander Bruggen to answer a few questions!

When did you first start coaching and why?

I became a full time coach in 2009 because I wanted to share my experience and help others. I also wanted to live a new lifestyle based on fitness, feeling great and healthy‌ I thought that Aussies were doing too much intensity and I wanted to bring a European touch into their training methods :-) In your opinion, what makes a great athlete?

Drive, motivation, hard worker, good listener and communicator, happy to learn and try new things.

What makes you successful as a coach?

My passion, experience, good communication + listening skills, availability + care to my athletes, methods, the fact that I do all the hard sessions with them apart from swimming so that there are no excuses for them not to do them haha...

Tell us something about yourself? People called me River Man for a while in Belgium because I fell in the river with my bike in the first ever drafting tri race in Belgium 1997 :-) What bike do you ride?

Pinarello FT3 What shoes do you run in?

Mizuno Hitogami What’s on your iPod? Enigma, Tears for fears, Moby, Daft Punk, Francis Cabrel Favourite healthy snack?

Nuts and fruits from my garden Favourite treat? Chocolates, Coke & pastries Most commonly used app? Training peaks Favourite movie? Blade runner, Judd Apatow movies, Terminators, Marvel movies, The Green Mile, Leon, The big blue, Will Ferrell movies, French movies.

Top 3 dinner guests? Javier Gomez, Will Ferrell and Gordon Ramsay

Coaches Corner MultisportMagazine

14 SWIM

Swim...

Words by Brenton Ford - www.effortlessswimming.com

DID YOU KNOW THE ANGLE OF YOUR ARM AFFECTS YOUR SWIM SPEED?

between a swimmers’ forearm and upper arm. Professional triathletes Clayton Fettell and Annabel Luxford have an angle of 106º and 120º respectively, allowing them to press back on the water effectively with their hand and forearm.

Before we had the magic of underwater filming, most technique analysis was based only on what we could see with the naked eye above the water. While this type of analysis can be useful, we can get a much better idea of a swimmer’s stroke when looking underwater with the help of slow motion replay and the ability to look at angles during each stage of the stroke.

WHY IT MATTERS

The angle of your arm during the catch and press phase can determine how much water you ‘hold’ with each stroke. Being outside of the correct range is like driving in the rain on slick tyres; it’s much harder to grip and apply power. We’ve performed hundreds of video analysis sessions with triathletes at our freestyle stroke correction clinics and there is a direct correlation between speed and the angle of the arm during the catch and press.

WHAT’S THE CORRECT ANGLE?

When looking directly in front just beneath the surface of the water, most elite triathletes who are front pack swimmers have an arm angle between 100-130 degrees just before they pass the shoulder.

This is the angle of the elbow bend MultisportMagazine

Sometimes a swimmer can be pulling with the correct angle from the front, but may be dropping their elbow when viewing from the side.

COMMON MISTAKES WHEN PULLING

Triathletes who are new to swimming or don’t have a swimming background tend to pull with an arm that is too straight. When the arm is outside the 100-130 degree range, it typically goes deeper than needed

and the forearm and hand will press down on the water instead of back against it.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE DOING IT CORRECTLY

Using a GoPro or waterproof camera, have a friend or coach film you from the front and side while you’re swimming. You can use this footage in an app like Coach’s Eye on your phone/tablet or Objectus Video on your computer to measure the angle of your arm during the catch and press. During stroke correction clinics we constantly refer to GoPro footage recorded from above and below the water to help triathletes make the necessary changes to their freestyle to become smoother, more efficient swimmers.

HOW TO CHANGE IT

Improving your swimming is like building a house. You need to have the foundation and walls in place before you begin building the roof. The focus should first be on achieving the right body position, breathing, recovery and entry before

SWIM

15

Can you kick the Crossover Kick?

Words by Trent Grimsey, English Channel Record Holder We all know the standard 2 beat, 4 beat, and 6 beat kick patterns in swimming. If you don’t, for every right and left pull you kick 2, 4 or 6 times in correspondence to the arm strokes.

developing your pull.

Once this is in place we use a number of drills and awareness exercises with our athletes to familiarise them with the correct catch and press motion. Some of the best drills for this are front scull, top to bottom scull and single arm freestyle. They allow a swimmer to get a feel for having a wider, higher elbow position during the pull so they open up the forearm and hand to press back on the water.

Keep the forearm and hand firm but not tense during this part of the stroke.

Being tense not only uses more energy but doesn’t allow the swimmer to attain the right feeling for the water. Triathletes who are the fastest in the water aren’t necessarily pulling with more power than others, they’re simply being more effective with what they do under the water.

Notoriously, a two beat kick was for distance and a 4 beat kick middle distance and a 6 beat kick reserved for sprinting.

In the last few decades a sprinters’ kick (6 beat) started to be infused in some distance events. But there is one kick that is rarely taught in swimming that could be the key to your success in open water and triathlon. This kick will make you wonder why you never learned it. It’s called cross over kick.

I generally categories swimmers into two different types: strong swimmers and rhythmic swimmers.

• Strong swimmers- slow stroke rate, very efficient, strong in the gym • Rhythmic swimmers - high stroke rate, not overly efficient, weak in the gym I always suggest my rhythmic swimmers try crossover kick to see how it feels for the following reasons: 1. Rhythmic swimmers have a higher stroke rate so the upper body sits slightly higher in the water, in turn making the legs

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sit slightly lower in the water. Performing cross over kick lifts the legs so the whole body position sits higher in the water.

2. Rhythmic swimmers swim fast when they have good rhythm and connection through their stroke. The cross over kick helps rhythmic swimmers stay connected through their arms, core and legs which helps with finding rhythm.

3. It saves energy!

Often you’ll find rhythmic swimmers not reaching their full potential because their coach is telling them to use a normal 2 beat, 4 beat or 6 beat kick. Rhythmic swimmers can’t find rhythm doing that and in turn can’t swim fast doing that.

The rhythm is like a dance with minimal effort to find easy tempo and get a break or pause without compromising body position.

For a 2 beat cross over; think of it like a waltz 1-2, cross. 1-2 cross…

Standard 2, 4 or 6 beat kicking is exhausting on the legs. In a triathlon or a distance swim standard kicking will not only exhaust the biggest muscles in your body that you will need to use later, standard kicking also does not keep them afloat with minimal or no added effort the way a cross over kick does.

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MultisportMagazine

16 TRIATHLON QLD

Cover Star We were so impressed with Ben Cook’s recent win at the Gold Coast Triathlon - Luke Harrop Memorial race that we decided he was well worthy to grace the cover of Multisport Magazine this issue. At only 21 years old Ben, an Australian ITU Representative is going to be one to watch for the future.

Ben is the epitome of flying below the radar, however when you take a closer look at his achievements it becomes apparent that Ben is one of the most promising emerging talents in Australian Triathlon.

Based in QLD, Ben who currently trains with Red Dog Triathlon Club started his athletics in Cross Country and as a 10 year old made his first QLD School Sport Team.

In his second year he placed 2nd at the Nationals Championships as an 11 year old.

ISSUE # 16 WINTER 2015

Ben Cook Shares his Glory PLUS

Ultra Awes

be chaos into the first turn. I got around it ok and tried to sit in the main pack, exiting the swim just at the back of it with only one athlete out in front.

Race reports Exclusive Interview s Pull-out Race Guid e Nutrition tips Giveaways

me...

Tales from the Tro ails

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF

FREE TO A GOOD

Going onto the bike with so many others I knew I would have to hammer really hard early on in order to get away so no one would sit on my wheel. After the first lap I was able to establish a handy lead. I knew everyone behind would be looking at each other, saving themselves for the run and a lot didn’t have time trial bikes, so I was confident I could extend my lead in the next lap.

HOME

I have raced this event for a number of years now and this was the first time I’d been able to get on the top step. I was humbled to win the race in honour of Luke Harrop and will be back to defend the title next year!

Ben would like to thank his sponsors: Scody, Rudy Project, Dare2Tri, Etixx, Ashgrove Cycles, Campos Cycling, Fitnance and M5 Management for their support in helping me achieve my goals. Also my parents who without their help I would not be in the position I am today.

Coming off the bike I had a good gap on the chasers but I knew it was not over yet, it was a tough, fast run but I was able to hold it together and come away with the win - I was ecstatic with the result.

A couple of years on and Ben decided to try his hand at triathlon. It wasn’t long before he stamped his mark by winning the National Schools Triathlon Championships which he describes as his most memorable race to date.

“It was a really big deal for me at the time and gave me great satisfaction having one of my best ever races and achieving something I really wanted. Hopefully my best race memories are yet to come”.

On the advice of high performance coaches in both Triathlon and Cycling he was encouraged to secure his professional licence and has not looked back.

Ben trains under Rick and Rob Van der Zant at Yeronga Park for swimming, Nick Formosa for bike and Brian Chapman for running.

“Im committed to becoming one of the best triathletes in the world” says Ben. We asked Ben to talk us through his win at the Gold Coast Triathlon - Luke Harrop Memorial... I was pretty happy with my form leading into that day. I’d had a good solid block of training since my last race and was keen to see how I would go.

Seeing who was racing I knew that the run was going to be very fast. Whilst I was confident in my running ability, I knew that it would be best to stick to my strengths and push the bike to see if I could get a buffer before the run. The swim was a beach start and pretty straight forward.

Due to the sizeable field I knew it would MultisportMagazine

MANTRA: CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY GOAL: TO BECOME ONE OF THE BEST TRIATHLETES IN THE WORLD

RIDES: GIANT WEARS: ASICS

RaceGuide www.theredback.com.au

20-23 August 2015 Alice Springs, NT

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27-30 Augusta 2015 Alice Springs, NT

VICTORIAN DUATHLON SERIES R3 30 August 2015 Richmond www.trivic.org.au

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30 August, 2015 Kew Boulevard

VIC

ISSUE # 2 WINTER 2015

Plan for the excitement that lies ahead with Multisports’ Race Guide, covering the regional events. If you wish to showcase your event on this page please email: editor@multisportmag.com.au

AUG Race 3: 16 August 2015 Olinda

www.trivic.org.au

27 September 2015 Richmond

VICTORIAN DUATHLON SERIES R4

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26/27 September 2015 Geelong / Torquay

SEP

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30 August, 2015 Sunshine Coast 42.2/21.1/10/5/2km

Race 4: 20 Sept 2015 Anglesea

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TRIATHLON CAMP 20 Sept 2015 Airlie Beach, Qld

17- 18 October 2015 Yarrawonga

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10 October 2015 Melbourne CBD

20 September 2015 Bunyip State Park, VIC

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Incl. Australian 100km Trail Running Titles 19 September 2015 Anglesea, VIC

10-11 October 2015 Bowen, Qld Triathlon/Junior

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13 September 2015 Sunshine Coast, Qld

11 October 2015 Currumbin, Qld

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OCT

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10-11 October 2015 Plus 5km family fun run & Great GC Swim

3-5 October 2015 Wauchope North Coast NSW www.wildsideadventure race.com.au

What has been your most memorable racing moment?

In one of the Gatorade Tri series rounds we had Libby Trickett racing with us. As my swim leg is my strongest leg I decided to at least try to follow her, I ended up coming out of the water first followed by her. I watched Libby competing for so many years back home, she is one of my idols. I never thought I would be in Australia one day racing with her, it was an amazing feeling.

What are your goals for 2015/16?

My main goal is the 70.3 World Championships

What have you achieved so far?

I have just completed my first tri season, I completed the Gatorade Tri Series, only missing the podium in one race and finished second in the series overall. The big achievement this year was to fall in love with the sport and keep motivated and focused for next season.

Who is your Coach?

Swimming: I still train with my former Brazilian swimming coach (Paulo Barroso - Solid Sports). He sends me the swimming, strength and conditioning training and I do it all on my own. Cycling: Steve Rooney. Run: Andrew Arkinstall

How did you discover triathlon?

Ever since I quit national level swimming, when I was 16 years old, everyone would tell me to get involved in triathlon because I have always been fit, but too small for swimming.

Occupation: Business owner and Manager at Ferry Rd Physio and Functional Therapies, Nutritionist. Currently completing my Master of Nutrition and Dietetics

Tatiana wears www.mollyandpollyswim.com.au (pink) Photography: www.sharynthompson.com

Meet Tatiana...

Have you got what it takes?

We are looking for inspiring triathletes to be our centrefold models and share their story. If this sounds like you and you enjoy having a bit of fun in front of the camera email: editor@multisportmag.com.au.

Multisport Magazine will donate $100 to the charity of your choice.

7-8 November 2015 Augusta, WA www.bighillevents.com.au

8 November 2015 Buxton MTB Park, VIC www.trailsplus.com.au

8 November 2015 Marysville, VIC

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Every Saturday at 7am. parkrun is a free, 5km run - you against the clock.

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14 November 2015 Mount Avoca Winery, VIC

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15 November 2015 Southbank, Victoria

5 December 2015 300m/800m/1.6k/3.8k St Kilda VIC

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5-6 December 2015 Anglesea – Vic

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Triathlon Endurance Series

NOV www.augustaadventurefest.com.au

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7 February 2016 Geelong

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World’s Toughest Daylight Triathlon

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2016 Mooloolaba Queensland Individual / team entries

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April 2016 Gold Coast, Qld Individual / team entries

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Canberra

12-13 December 2015

29 November 2015 Sydney, NSW

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19 March 2016 Mount Kosciuszko, NSW

25-29 November 2015 Yarrawonga, VIC

SAVE THE DATE

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13 December 2015 Ballarat, VIC www.ironmanballarat.com

For all your Triathlon needs, visit

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TRIATHLON

21

From Age Group to Pro...

The journey of Amanda Wilson Multisport Magazine caught up with up and coming Professional Triathlete, Amanda Wilson, from the ETPA stable.

Amanda was a raw beginner less than five years ago. She purchased her first alloy road bike and decided to do an intro to Triathlon course in Melbourne in 2009.

After that first course Amanda engaged her current coach, Mat Tippett, from ETPA, and hasn’t looked back!

As per most newbie’s, Amanda was caught between two worlds. On the weekends she would head out on the town with her friends, enjoying all the things life had to offer. During the week she would get up and train most mornings, and the odd evening. According to Amanda, in the early years, she never really told her coach how much training she was, or wasn’t doing.

It’s a topic of laughter between them now.

Amanda’s quick rise through the age group ranks started with an impressive age group win at Shepparton 70.3, in 2012.

After this event things were still normal and Triathlon was only a small part of her life.

Amanda’s progression then snowballed and she is now on the cusp of turning professional. Amanda now holds a number of overall race titles including; • Sufferfest Long Course Triathlon, 2015 • Gatorade OD, 2015 • Run Melbourne Half Marathon, 2015 Amanda has also pushed deep into the pro ranks at the 70.3 distance with a 5th overall at Geelong 70.3 and an 8th overall at Sunshine Coast 70.3.

After Hawaii this year, Amanda will say goodbye to age group racing and toe the line on the international professional circuit.

Grab a coffee, sit back and enjoy a quick Q&A on what makes this girl tick Why did you start triathlon?

A friend encouraged me to enter a Gatorade sprint race for fun. At the time my house mate, Dane, was heavily into Ironman events and was coached by Mat Tippett. After completing the Gatorade race and really enjoying it, Dane put me in contact with Mat and the journey began.

What are your goals for the future?

As hard as it is to write this, my goal is to be the best in the world. I still shake when I say this, and saying it out loud still feels funny. But looking at what I have achieved in the last five years, the changes in me as a person, and the potential I believe I have, it’s an achievable goal. We don’t know what we are capable of until we try! I now believe, mainly because my coach has taught me what is possible.

What do you find the most challenging with Triathlon training?

Definitely the training in Melbourne winters. Getting out of bed when its two degrees outside can be extremely difficult and I occasionally wonder why I am doing this. Being consistent is also a challenge; however once I find momentum the consistency seems to get easier.

Favourite session?

I love being able to get out and do my long runs along trails around Melbourne and surrounds and just switch off and enjoy running. I find running cathartic and can often get lost in the moment. For me, running was where it all began, and I still love it! Although, some track sets still really scare me.

What do you do for nutrition?

Currently I am in the middle of experimenting with my nutrition plan for both race and training days.

I use High5 Isogels on the run and am currently trialling them on the bike. On longer rides I take banana and dates, but only if the intensity is low.

On a daily basis I tend to try and eat whole foods with a balance of fats, protein and carbs. One thing I cannot live without is my NutriBullet. I use this for juices and protein shakes. However, I do have a weakness for anything caramel.

bit of encouragement from my coach I get them done.

My goal these days is not to be intimidated by the big sets. I can now identify when I am stressed about a key set, acknowledge it, and then move forward being challenged by it.

What is your biggest tip for new Triathletes?

The biggest tip I can give is to listen to your coach. Communication really is the key. If you can’t do a session or hit the targets set in the session, speak to your coach. You can both then come up with a plan to tackle the next key session. If you don’t communicate these things to your coach they have no idea what you’re thinking and therefore will continue writing similar sets under the belief you are achieving the targets.

One other thing I find really important is to enjoy your training. Have your social coffee rides but also do the hard work and be dedicated. The rewards will follow.

Top five tips for people wanting to take performance to the next level 1. Have solid goals

Tell us about your hardest training day?

2. Dedicate the appropriate time

Of course the challenge of the tough sets on the running track, and power sets on the mag trainer, are rewarding and show you where you are with your training but they hurt, and this sport is still new for me.

These sessions do stress me, but with a

3. Consistency is everything 4. Enjoy it 5. Listen to your coach Thanks Amanda. Good luck with your future goals - we will be watching you!

MultisportMagazine

22 RIDE words by Sara Carrigan, OAM

Backside Blues or Bottom Bliss?

I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING TO GET THROUGH MY LONG RIDES IN COMFORT BUT MY BACKSIDE JUST CAN’T HANDLE IT, ANY TIPS? Mark In my 20 years of being involved in cycling, I don’t think I have ever come across a rider who hasn’t suffered some form of pain in the backside. I have certainly experienced my fair share of saddle discomfort along with wincing in the shower after a ride!

Saddle discomfort can involve a whole range of things for males and/or females including a loss of sensation, numbness, burning pain, bruising, saddle sores, tingling, chaffing, prostate problems, impotency, boils, abscess, ingrown hairs, infections, and raw, inflamed skin. Not the nicest topic to chat about but certainly warrants discussion if we are after a nice ride!

When we cannot ride comfortably in the saddle, not only does it inhibit our performance by compromising pedal efficiency and power production but it makes riding so unenjoyable and in some instances, impossible! It doesn’t matter if we ride for recreation or we ride to race, the bottom line is we want to enjoy our ride! Here are a few things you can do to allow for a more comfortable ride. Note that I say ‘more comfortable’ and not ‘painfree forever’!

ADAPTATION

If you are new to cycling, you’ve gotta know that it takes time for your bum to adjust! The area down there is generally soft and sensitive and is not used to supporting a significant amount of your body weight. Allow adequate time for the density and sensitivity of the tissues and bones that contact the saddle to gradually adapt to the load. Adapting to feeling comfortable on a bike saddle does not happen overnight. A good approach

is to be consistent with shorter rides than a few long rides. Even seasoned riders need to allow time for adaptation.

At the end of each season of racing, I would enjoy a four week off-season of no riding and when I started training again, I experienced some pain and bruising as my bum adjusted to the pressure and the load again. Overweight cyclists are particularly susceptible to saddle issues during adaptation and must progress more slowly when adding time and distance to their riding.

The bottom line: It is not unusual to be uncomfortable at first but as long as you have good quality knicks (without undies!), the right saddle, chamois cream, correct bike fit and good posture… it simply takes time to get used to sitting on a saddle!

SADDLE

Saddle selection is an important factor in saddle comfort. It is certainly not ‘one size fits all’, it is a matter of personal preference and fit to your anatomy whether you have a wide/narrow, soft/hard, hole/holeless, short/long saddle. In fact, a saddle I might love, another rider will absolutely detest and vice versa.

The notion that the bigger, softer saddle as being more comfy is not always true!

Finding the right saddle can perhaps be likened to buying a pair of shoes. Just as a shoe needs to fit your foot, the saddle needs to fit your bum; and just as we measure the size of our foot, we can also measure our bum. This measurement is of our sit bones (the ischial tuberosities) and ideally you want these bones supporting your weight on a saddle rather than your soft parts.

Additionally, we need to look at the front (nose) of the saddle, which helps to control the bike with your legs and support some body weight. If the nose of the saddle is too wide or too big and bulky, it may be

MultisportMagazine

RIDE

opening your crotch and cause chafing, compress nerves and irritate soft tissue.

Even though a saddle may look hard, narrow and ‘mean’, don’t dismiss it, as it may be just the saddle you need!

Thankfully many bike shops now have test saddles to help with finding the right saddle and avoid becoming an expensive process. However, once again, give your new saddle time to adjust!

The bottom line: Don’t be too quick to dismiss a type of saddle and when you do choose one, give yourself time to adapt.

GOOD QUALITY KNICKS WORN CORRECTLY

You can’t go past investing in good quality padded lycra! In general, the more expensive knicks do feature tangible features and benefits that make them more comfortable, and in some instances, these features can actually work better than changing saddles! Good quality knicks usually fit better, have sophisticated seamless, anti-bacterial moisture wicking pads that stretch, mould and fit to help reduce friction and are highly breathable.

Until you have worn a high quality pair of knicks, you may never understand the benefits and why they are a mandatory piece of equipment!

When buying a pair of knicks, a few elements to look at are: The correct size: The whole point of a good pair of knicks is to eliminate seams and layers that can bunch and chafe. If your knicks have a poor cut or are too large, this creates wrinkles and moisture accumulation, and friction and chafing ensue.

The chamois (pad): Different shapes and cuts of chamois are more comfortable than others and can provide a ride of bliss or a downright painful one! For example, there was one year that the Australian Team kit had a seam right down the middle of the chamois and this was NOT a joyous occasion! We had them changed quick smart!  Bibs rather than shorts: Consider the use of bib knicks (bib & brace), which feature a ‘suspender’ that stretches over your shoulders to hold your knicks in place and to keep the chamois in contact with your crotch. This reduces movement of the garment, which lessens likelihood of chafing and increases your comfort. Some riders find bib knicks less convenient when it comes to needing the bathroom because they have to take off

their jersey but I reckon it is well worth the minor inconvenience!

No undies!: I repeat DO NOT wear undies underneath your knicks! Cycling knicks are designed to be worn against the skin for both men and women. The Chamois is anti-bacterial so wearing undies can not only be unhygienic but cause all the problems that have been mentioned above.

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your saddle is tilted too far forward, it will cause you to slide down the front of your saddle and put excess pressure on your hands, wrists and elbows.

Your saddle should be relatively level and if it is angled more than a few degrees up or down, there is probably something wrong. Similarly, the saddle should be pointed directly forward and not slightly to the left or right!

Hygiene:

Saddle height:

Cycling knicks aren’t made for casual wear, they are made for riding! So limit the amount of time you spend in them when not riding! Try not to drive to training/ events in your knicks and don’t sit around in damp, sweaty knicks after a ride. Also, never re-use a pair of knicks without washing them.

If you have not had your seat height measured correctly, this may well be the cause of your saddle woes. If a saddle is too high, it causes the rider to reach for the pedals, creating a lot of hip and pelvis rotation and friction on the saddle, not nice.

The bottom line: Invest in a good quality pair of knicks! You will come to appreciate why spending a bit of mulla on padded lycra is good value!

RIDING STYLE & POSTURE

Your posture on the bike and the way you ride can contribute to being sore in the saddle. Keep in mind that the full weight of your body is not meant to rest entirely on your saddle. Your bike seat is just one of five contact points, upon which you should be spreading the weight of your body. Also look at your riding style. Do you get out of your saddle often? What is your pedalling style? What gears are you riding in and what is your cadence?

The bottom line: Be mindful of how you ride and pay attention to your posture.

BIKE SET UP

Often, a perfectly adequate saddle will feel awful and cause pain simply because it’s not set correctly. There are a number of things to look at: Angle of the saddle: The up-down angle of the saddle can cause many troubles especially if tilted too far up pointing to the sky. This will have you sliding off the rear and/or putting unnecessary pressure in your groin area, which is never comfortable! Conversely, if

Handlebar position: If your handlebars are positioned incorrectly, it can distribute your weight too heavily on the saddle increasing your saddle discomfort.

Bike Fit: For so many reasons, you can never go past a properly set-up bike! Of course one of these reasons is that it will assist your saddle comfort!

The bottom line: Before changing your saddle first invest your money on a good bike fit and good quality knicks.

CHAMOIS CREAM

Some use it, some don’t but if you haven’t given it a whirl and you have tried all the above suggestions, this may help! Chamois cream is a lotion or cream that you either apply to your chamois or directly to your skin in your groin. The idea is to reduce friction through lubrication, whilst also providing an anti-bacterial environment for the skin. If you are a triathlete, you will need a thicker lubricant that won’t rinse off in the swim and will provide good lubrication for the minimal padding in triathlon race wear. Something even as simple as Paw Paw Cream can work and is what I use. However, everyone has their favourite brand so try a few out and see how you go.

The bottom line: Definitely worth trying, you won’t regret it.

Ask and Win!

C

CYCLING CYCLING CYCLING Do you have a cycling question for Sara?

Simply jump on our facebookSARA pageCARRIGAN and fire OAM SARASARA CARRIGAN CARRIGAN OAMOAM CARRIGAN OAM away! If we publishSARA your question you winCoachCoach Coach Managing Managing Director/Head Director/Head Managing Director/Head Managing Director/Head Coach a GOforGOLD session withPOSara.

Box PO 4455 Box 4455 • Enjoy • Enjoy the wonders the wonders of riding of riding a bike! a bike!

PO Box 4455 Robina Town Town Centre Centre QLD QLD 42304230 PO Box 4455Robina www.saracarrigan.com tt 0417 0417 Achieve • wonders Achieve your your goals, beEnjoy motivated beamotivated •riding the wonders of r • Enjoy• the ofgoals, bike! t 0417 780 183 780780 183 183

Robina 4230 Robina Town Centre QLDTown 4230 Centre QLD and ee sara@saracarrigan.com sara@saracarrigan.com inspired, andgoals, inspired, meet others, others, have have fun! fun! e sara@saracarrigan.com • Achieve your bemeet •motivated Achieve your goals, be t 0417 780 183 tw 0417 780 183 saracarrigan.com • From • From totaltotal beginner beginner to elite to elite w saracarrigan.com w saracarrigan.com and inspired, meet others, have fun! and inspired, meet oth e sara@saracarrigan.com e sara@saracarrigan.com • From total beginner to elite w saracarrigan.com w saracarrigan.com

• From total beginner to MultisportMagazine

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Running with a Strong Foundation Words by Nick Scott - Performance 101

Whenever I run I end up with a weak right glute and tightness in my right ITB and left ankle. I have flat feet. Is there any way to reduce this side effect of my runs?

Kirsty Breen Having worked with runners, cyclists and triathletes from weekend warriors, age group athletes and elite level competitors for 10 years, by far the most common issue athletes present with are muscular imbalances.

This commonly stems from lack ability to stabilise their own body weight during running. Multiple muscle compensations occur during running if an athlete lacks hip stability, strength and power and will more than likely result in numerous injuries.

How do you know if you’re lacking hip stability and core strength for running?

Ask yourself this question, do you feel your glutes fire when you’re running?

The glutes are in charge of maintaining a neutral/level pelvis whilst running and if not strong enough, the body will call upon other more dominant muscles to assist e.g. quadriceps, calves and lower back in moving the body forward.

After an intense running session, what muscles present with soreness? For most people the answer will be quads, calves, knees, shins and lower back! This is NOT normal and should be addressed prior to heading out the door for your next run.

Runners and triathletes are a motivated bunch and tend to grit their teeth pushing through pain. This is the wrong attitude and can be avoided with the right approach to technique.

There are various ways to assess an athletes strength. I like to use a single

leg squat test, looking for the likely compensations that will show up if hip strength is an issue. These include the knee dropping in medially (inwards), lack of balance and stability on one leg, and the simple inability to squat on one leg whilst maintaining a level pelvis.

Another effective way of getting to the bottom of frustrating reoccurring injuries is a running gait assessment. This will display the bigger picture and an experienced biomechanical expert will be able to break down your issues, explain what should be happening, and set you on the right track to rectifying the injury.

Running is a repetitive motion - if you have trouble standing on one leg whilst stationary, imagine the forces being applied to your joints when running?

I encourage runners to have a core strength program aimed at improving running performance and preventing injury.

You can use integrated exercises that require you to use your entire body weight rather than just crunches on your back.

Determine where your are weak (commonly posterior chain muscles such as glutes, hamstrings and back) and work the overall balance so your body works in harmony the way that it should do in running.

Some of the most effective exercises specific for running can be done at home such as hip bridges, single leg squats, single leg dead lifts, side planks, front planks and lateral resistance band walking.

These exercises will strengthen the hips, back and torso that is vital to efficient running.

See you out on the road, cheers Nick

Ask and Win! Do you have a running question for Ryan?

Simply jump on our facebook page and fire away! If we publish your question you win a pair of Brooks running shoes and a 1 hour run coaching session with Ben. www.brooksrunning.com.au MultisportMagazine

BALANCE TRAINING 1. Standing on one leg: Hold for 30 seconds, working up to one minute per leg.

2. Balance and catch: Standing on one leg, catch and throw a ball with a partner.

Make certain to throw the ball right, left, high, low. Perform three sets of 30.

3. One leg mini squats: On one leg do a half squat with the opposite leg out front for 10 reps, out to the side for 10 reps and behind for 10 reps. Repeat three times.

PLANK HOLD

Get into pushup position on the floor.

Now bend your elbows 90º and rest your weight on your forearms. Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders, and your body should form a straight line from your head to your feet. Hold the position for as long as you can. If you don’t have the core strength yet to do a regular plank, you can build up to it by doing a bent-knee plank. Your goal should be to hold it for two minutes.

The longer you can hold the plank, the more resilient your lower back will be to injury. Try and perform planks several times each day, trying to hold the position a little longer each time.

Once you have mastered the two minute plank you can try harder options. Simply by raising one leg in the air, you dramatically increase the demand on your core to fight your body’s natural urge to rotate.

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marked the 1st anniversary of the day she was diagnosed with cancer.

#DFYB

(Don’t forget your barcode)

We often have to remind ourselves that parkrun is just a free, timed, weekly, 5km run. But for many of you this simple concept has come to mean so much more.

In fact for some of you it has become life changing. Take for example the story of Point Cook’s Clare Halloran.

Earlier this year Clare was at the Point Cook parkrun’s 1st anniversary.

Coincidentally, that same week also

In January 2014, aged 28, Clare received the heart-breaking news that she had Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and would need to begin intensive treatment immediately. The treatment she would need to save her life could mean that she may never be able to run again and could also cause irreparable damage to her heart, lungs and other vital organs.

“Tears streamed down my face as I was wheeled off for surgery that day. As I closed my eyes all I could envisage was my favourite running route around my local lake, just an ordinary run that I had done and taken for granted so many times before. Running meant being healthy and young and free. Running symbolised a way of life that ended that day.”

After completing almost one year of grueling treatment, all Clare wanted to do was run again. However, by the time she finally got the all clear medically, she had lost all of her strength, confidence and fitness, and she just didn’t know where to start.

This is when Clare discovered parkrun.

“Point Cook parkrun has been such an important part of my recovery, both physical and mental. Although I can’t run as fast or as far as I could before, I am enjoying the progress and enjoying the feeling of being in control of my health again. Every week, when the photos are released and results are published, my times get a little shorter and my hair a little longer! Cancer can be an incredibly isolating experience, but through parkrun I have connected with an amazing community of people who each week cheer me on and inspire me to get out of bed and do my best.”

“I am so grateful to all the wonderful organisers, volunteers and participants whose effort, energy and enthusiasm makes parkrun what it is, week after week.

Now, every parkrun I complete feels like an accomplishment and I get goosebumps every time I cross the finish line. Not only because I am still here, but I am still running, still improving, and still smiling.

It’s an incredible feeling.”

So what are you doing this Saturday?

Tim Oberg - GM parkrun Australia #loveparkrun #lovemultisportmag

Tips from the Top Four time winner of the Coates Hire Coolangatta Gold Caine Eckstein shares his tips in preparation for race day.

1. Set a 3 month training plan leading up to the race. I like to do a lot of cross training session before the 3 months but inside that 3 months it’s really important to do sessions specific to the race. I like to break each week into 3 to 4 key sessions that I’m going to really focus on, this could be a ski and long ironman session or a board/run session. It’s good to focus on the sessions you want to improve on to boost your confidence. Most of the time you will feel good in some of your other sessions and end up having more good sessions in the week.

2. Taper! Your body needs the rest to race at its best but I also find it puts me in a really good head space because I have so much energy from taking a rest I’m super keen to get out there and push myself come race day! I like to ease things off about 2 weeks out for maybe a week and then shorten training and do some faster sessions to get my body ready to go quick.

3. Planning. It is a long race and to get the most out of it you should put a lot of thought into planning your nutrition and handlers for the day. Make sure you know what you’re going to eat and drink and where you’re going to do it. There’s nothing worse than getting stressed planning things the day before racing when you should be relaxed and focusing on racing to your best!

October 10-11 2015. Enter: www.sls.com.au/coolangattagold MultisportMagazine

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ULTRA AWESOME

Ultra Awesome...

Over the next four pages we will follow the adventures of people who set out to conquer some trails of ultra awesome proportions. What drives people to take on these challenges? For some it is to see how far the body can be pushed and some just enjoy adventuring the unknown, grab a coffee and enjoy some inspirational reading!

Fighting Spirit to Win ANZAC Ultra ANZAC Ultra 2015 became one of the longest single staged races in Australia once the clock starts it doesn’t stop till you have completed the 450km course with over 9,000 metres in elevation gain.

The event honoured the 100 year anniversary of the ANZAC forces landing on the shores of Gallipoli in 1914 during WWI, and paid tribute to current and fallen service men and women of the Australian Defence force by raising much needed funds for LEGACY, which assists over 90,000 widows and 1,900 children and dependants with a disability.

You don’t run a race like this without a specialist support crew - Jaime and Brendon Martin from FUNC, Jaime is a qualified naturopath and PT. Liz Hargreaves, theatre anaesthetic nurse who would be patching me up along the way.

And Harry Martin, who at nine years old runs further than most dream - he would become instrumental as a pacer for me throughout tough sections mentally along the way.

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Race morning started freezing cold and windy. Not long after knocking over the first 10km Blue Dog, Kevin Heaton and Gavin Markey (both leaders in ultra running) and I formed a breakaway pack sitting between 4 min 45 and 5 min 20 pace.

Not long after Blue Dog and I pushed hard at 4:45 pace through the technical single trail to gain distance into first checkpoint at 25km.

The formula we used was Tailwind and a quarter of a sandwich every 25km with a CLIF Shotz to pick at when hills arose, while only consuming 100 to 250mls of water every 25km.

Next checkpoint: Canberra (50km). We established a halfway meet point to check all was good before the race headed into single trail with hills.

Leaving that checkpoint I was lifted by thoughts of what ANZAC meant to me, giving me the drive to smash the next 25km back to Stromlo.

Once arriving at Stromlo, my crew took my pack, filled me up with nutrition and

250mls of water, while Jaimie stretched out my calves and quads. First loop done in 7:52.

Starting the second lap, I was in the lead by four minutes with Gavin hot on my heels. I smashed myself over the next 25km at 4:30 pace to break some ground, bringing Brendon along for the ride.

Once leaving the checkpoint it was time to tone it back to 5 minute pace towards Canberra at the 125km mark. During this stage the weather turned, with heavy rain and falling temps adding to the mental game.

14 hours down, almost at 150 km mark, I was feeling good. The weather was still hideous; to keep warm the only option was to keep moving forward through the night.

The stretch from Canberra to Stromlo is a lonely, creepy path around the perimeter of Lake Burley Griffin before multiple road underpasses then into the last 14km stretch through the arboretum again.

Reaching this part of the race is a relief as you are only an hour away from completing the current lap.

At Stromlo my reward was coffee, warm blankets and soup with a hint of shut eye for 30 minutes after completing 150km so far.

Day Two started soaking wet with eight degree temps. Once the sun had cracked the horizon I was clear of “the darkest hour” - where the temperature is at its coldest and all you want to do is sleep. My pace

ULTRA AWESOME

then picked back up again with everything running smoothly until Alex (Macca) Mckenzie ran past me while I was putting on arm warmers. Off I went in a frantic state catching up to Macca and deciding to finish the loop with this man from an infantry background in the NZ Army. We decided to run solid for the last section and get that hot cup of soup and brew.

This sums up three completed laps at 225km in under 30 hours, reaching Stromlo two hours ahead of predicted time - which in turn meant I had no crew as they didn’t realise we were running solid.

The weather was getting worse by the hour - darkness had fallen and snow was appearing in the mountains to the west with heavy rain and 30 knot winds. My crew and I had a team meeting, weighing up rewards versus risk. We decided to sleep for six hours during the bad weather; a critical turning point in the race.

The game changer! Only 5km into my fifth lap I was descending a hill when my left leg hyper-extended and jolted hard, tearing the VMO (Vastus Medialis Oblique) muscle above the knee. This sent my emotions wild knowing I could potentially drop places or have to retire from the race with my first DNF.

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the outside toes (as I write this two weeks later I still have no feeling). They fed me banana, changed my shirt and told me to suck it up.

I sucked up the pain and walked the descents backwards and shuffled when I could, arriving at the first checkpoint in agonising pain with tears running down my cheek.

Hitting the checkpoint in Canberra it dawned on me what had just unfolded within the last three days. After a 20 min ‘pow wow’ so I could finish strong I was informed I was a full lap and 6 hours ahead. This was a massive weight off my shoulders, removing the stress of being ‘hunted’, making the last 25km to the finish line enjoyable as it was in reach.

Brendon ran ahead to get Liz ready with bandages. Liz immobilised the upper quad to reduce the load. I had pancakes with jam and painkillers, hobbling off until the painkillers kicked in and I was running as if nothing happened, repeating this process of bandaging every 25km and painkillers every six hours.

With 10km to go, little Harry had been running with me the last 4km and continued for the next leg as a pacer to get me within 2.5km of Stromlo. Once leaving Harry I powered on with emotions running high - all the pain disappeared and I took time to reflect and pay homage to those who sacrificed their life for our country.

We awoke to perfect race weather slight cloud cover and dew on the grass.

We kicked off the morning leading out of Stromlo with a plan to smash the next 225 km straight as previously done.

Running into mark 350km in Canberra, I felt fresh and continued with pacer Brendon again. After having a quick 20 min ‘pow wow’ and new kit with hydration pack, I proceeded onwards for the final 75 km loop.

Reaching Stromlo again, my split became the second fastest personal split completing the fourth loop in 9:07 and hitting 300km in distance.

Final lap. My knee was pulsing with pain. At the 410km mark, I hit a ‘brick wall’. My crew came to the rescue, taking my shoes off as I had lost all feeling in

Upon hitting the final 500 metre stretch I had tears running down my cheeks not knowing whether to laugh, cry, or collapse as I had given it every ounce of mind strength and energy to cross that line in first place.

1st Sam Weir

81 hrs.46 min

2nd Kevin Heaton

101 hrs.47 min

3rd Alex McKenzie

120 hrs.17 min

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ULTRA AWESOME

SHOTOVER MOONLIGHT MARATHON

this road, turning a corner and narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with another mini-bus which was on its return route back to Queenstown. We were fortunate to experience this near-death experience not once but twice!

Tales from the Trails Words by Karen Wildman

What kind of person would devise a race of marathon distance over multiple mountain passes with a skinny, uneven sheep track masquerading as a “trail”? With over 40 creek crossings, dead carcasses in varying degrees of decay, downhills that make your legs shake? It’d have to be a Kiwi of course!

The race was the Shotover Moonlight marathon which took place just outside of Queenstown New Zealand and it was an adventure like no other.

I embarked on this mad caper of a race with my husband and trusty sidekick, Scotty. I saw the race advertised on Facebook. We thought it’d be fun and the scenery looked amazing. Plus, Scott hadn’t been to Queenstown before and I had only been there as a kid so the sight that befell us as our plane flew in to Queenstown blew us both away. I think we both had to change our undies as the realisation hit that the mountain ranges we were flying over would soon be the ones we would be racing on – the view was both aweinspiring and stomach-churning at the same time.

Queenstown is amazing. Seriously the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I’ve been to Switzerland and Austria and this place is on par with those. It is so utterly gorgeous. Maybe it was also the fact that I was on a week’s holiday without the MultisportMagazine

kids but I was totally blissed out from the moment I got off that plane.

Fast forward a few days and the nerves were starting to kick in. I wasn’t super nervous as I wasn’t viewing this as a race, more like a bit of an adventure. My training hadn’t been fantastic, I’d had a sore foot for a while, plus I lost my Garmin a few weeks out from the race. So I wasn’t exactly feeling like a supreme athlete in peak physical fitness and with various race statistics ready on my wrist. But hey, I was as ready as I’d ever be.

The drive out to the race start was mind-boggling. Seriously, we were lucky to even make it to the start line! Our minibus bumped and jostled us along a long dirt road at dawn, where we could just make out all these eerie mountain facades and sheer cliff drops. Moment #2 where I had to check my pants was hurtling along

So I felt pretty good to emerge from that van unscathed and after a brief (OK, very long) sojourn to the portaloo (note: NEVER look into the bowl of a portaloo) I was ready to race. The race began at Skippers Canyon, on the beach beside the Shotover River. The river was a vibrant aqua blue and crystal clear. I would find out many hours later that the water tasted as good as it looked. Half an hour past the official start time, we were off and racing; those Kiwis seem to be more casual than us Aussies when it comes to official things such as starting a race on time. Minutes later, we were trudging up our first hill in single file. Up, up, up it went. I felt like an ant climbing a mole-hill. But I had high spirits and this place was stunning.

The race itself took place on Ben Lomond station, a private sheep station not open to the public. The trail was not even that, rather it was a skinny track made by sheep and barely wider than the width of my shoe. The track around the side of the mountains was probably the hairiest to judge, as one foot hit the track while the other landed precariously in the grass on the side of the mountain. My left leg did mini-squats while I tried not to break an ankle with my right. We became adept at keeping one eye on the trail and the other on the awesome scenery.

Before we knew it, the first mountain pass was done and dusted. With nailbiting names such as Death Ridge and Twin Spurs to indicate the kind of terrain we had to traverse. The race followed the Shotover River, the Moonlight River, Stoney and Murphy’s Creeks. We trudged through those creeks and rivers at least 40 times over the course of the race. The first few crossings were fun and refreshing but after that it got tedious as they slow your pace, your shoes grow heavy and your feet start to go numb.

We passed old gold mining water channels, stunning beech forests, cliff tops and ridgelines that went on for what felt like forever. There were waterfalls and ladders to

ULTRA AWESOME

climb. I felt like a hobbit travelling through Middle Earth, very aware of how small I was in the midst of all this greatness.

It was at the halfway point that the adrenalin really kicked in and I started to go a bit loopy. This has happened to me before in races so I knew what I was in for and I was going to just roll with it. My poor husband had a headache at the time and it was about to get worse. Out came the Proclaimers “I will walk one thousand miles” as we hit the start of the next big mountain. Much to my dislike, nobody wanted to join in with me so it was just me and the mountains. I was having a whale of a time. But that mountain seemed to go on forever and as all sanity began to drain from my body, I started yelling at that mountain – “Is that all you’ve got Ben Lomond? Is this as hard as it gets? Come on, this is eeeeaaaaaa-ssssyyyy!!”

We finally made it to the top of Ben Lomond and the 360º views at the top left me speechless. With Scotty telling me to hurry up and get off the Gopro, we launched ourselves down the side of the mountain through slippery grass and with more than one fall. That downhill was the most un-fun of the entire race. I foolishly thought I’d be able to make up some time on the downhills. But by the time we got to

this section of the race – about 3/4 in – my quads were like jelly and my mind could not will my legs to go any faster. The track was non-existent, the grass was slippery, holes would crop up out of nowhere threatening to twist your ankle. The fence beside me became my friend as it steadied my leg-jiggles and kept me from falling. It was a long, slow and treacherous descent filled with multiple outbursts of swearing.

This is stupid I said. Stupid! What kind of god-forsaken place is this?!

And then we were at the bottom and we crossed this lovely bridge with the fresh sweet blue water running underneath and all was well in my world again. We hiked up another mountain – which looked small on the map but felt as big as the big ones we’d already climbed due to our fatigue.

We crossed countless cold wide rivers, we scared off some fat bullocks, and then we were at the finish line. The race finished at the Ben Lomond Station woolshed at Moke Lake where the sheep travel to in the spring time to be sheared. We made it! In 8 hours and 41 minutes, Scotty and I crossed the finish line together and I’m happy to say – with our marriage intact. It was a momentous occasion. The Speights beer tasted good too.

The Shotover Moonlight marathon

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chewed me up and spat me out and I actually feel like I’m a better person for it.

There’s nothing like a race that pushes you to the edge of your faculties to make your entire body sing with accomplishment.

It’s a truly overwhelming and humbling experience. It’s up there with child birth, because you soon forget how painful it all was and wish that if money was no object, you’d want to do it again. Thank you Shotover Moonlight marathon for making me feel so alive and so completely spent at the same time!

You know you’re an Ultrarunner if you’ve heard your support crew say “You’re in second place and only 6 hours behind first with 75kms to go!”

THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE SKI. S WIM . BOA RD. RUN. October 10-11 • Coolangatta Beach, Gold Coast A 42km surf ski, swim, board paddle and run, it’s not for the faint hearted. Nothing demands more from an athlete than the Coates Hire Coolangatta Gold. Set yourself a challenge and take it on individually, with your mates or as a team. #cooliegold

Enter now: sls.com.au/coolangattagold

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TRAIL RUNNING

What are the Benefits and Risks of Trail Running?

Words by Gold Coast Physio & Sports Health Sports Physio, Britt Caling There are many benefits of adding a little off-road/ trail running to your run training from both a performance and technique perspective and a reduction in the risk of injury. However, there are also some risks associated with hitting the trails. Below I discuss the benefits and risks of trail running from an injury perspective: Benefits: • Running on dirt, trail or even rocky surfaces means for a softer surface at foot strike which reduces the impact forces transferred to the body. This will reduce your risk of bone stress reactions and stress fractures. If you are an athlete who experiences regular shin splint pain with road running or if you have experienced a bone stress injury that has limited your running then adding some trail running to your training may be useful to avoid missing run training due to soreness or injury.

• Trail running, especially rocky surfaces, means that each foot strike tends to be different. This helps reduce recurrent and repeated impact forces and reduces your risk of repetitive overuse injuries such as bone stress, ITB friction syndrome and MultisportMagazine

some hip injuries.

• Running uphill and technical trails means you will naturally shorten your stride length. This is great for runners who regularly over-stride and have injuries related to this, including shin splits, ITB friction syndrome, hamstring tendon pathologies and patellofemoral joint knee pain.

• If you include uphills in your trail running, there is an overall additional strength loading on your tissues, especially your glut maximus, hamstrings and calf/ achilles.

• Trail running is great for improving ankle and foot strength and stability.

Risks The main risks associated with trail running are related to acute trauma or too much steep hill running and include: • Ankle sprains and other injuries (such as a small bone fracture in ankle, fibula or toes or a peroneal tendon tear) associated with an ankle/foot twist episode. When running on technically challenging surfaces (particularly rocky or slippery surfaces) you may step on a rock/branch/acutely angled surface that can cause excessive stretching

forces to tissues and then damage to these tissues. The best way to prevent this is to tape your ankles and learn the skill of running off-road (i.e. where to look when running and how to place your foot).

Balance exercises can be used to help you develop strong feet and ankles. Also, if you are running on a very challenging surface, be cautious with your speed until you have stronger feet and ankles and are technically better at running off-road.

• Knee ligament sprains. Again, stepping on a surface that may move or cause you to slip can put your knee in an awkward position that can overstress your ligaments.

The prevention for this is as above for acute ankle injuries.

• Low back pain. When running uphill (and particularly long or steep hills like you often get trail running) you will lean forwards at your trunk. Low back pain can therefore result from adding steep hills into your run when you are not conditioned to them or if your low back muscles are too weak to hold your trunk posture.

To prevent this, be sensible with the addition of hills into your training; consider using walking poles (I prefer to call them running poles!) If the hill is very steep and involves hiking, do some back strengthening exercises such as plank holds as part of your training week.

• Patella Tendon (in the knee) overload and patellofemoral (kneecap-to-thigh) joint pain. This will usually only result from excess, steep hill training with not enough recovery on your tendon and not enough maintenance (i.e. massage) on reducing the extra tension in your quads muscles that develops from lots of hill running.

Prevent these problems by being smart with your training program and include recovery plus a gradual introduction of hills, and make sure you get regular massage, or at least do your own massage, foam roller or trigger-pointing.

• Foot pain. If the off-road surface you are running on is rocky and you are wearing shoes with inadequate support or grip then your feet can move around excessively in your shoe and your forefoot (front of foot) or rear foot (heel) can be put under greater mobility stress. This can cause some foot soreness or stress to your plantar fascia so ensure you wear correct off-road shoes.

My final piece of advice: if you are new to off-road running, take a phone with you just in case an injury were to happen and you need to call for help.

Otherwise, make the most of appreciating the beautiful environment you are running in and stay safe!

PODIA-TRI words by Craig Plumridge

5 Tips to increase your loading capacity!

DO YOU HAVE NIGGLES IN THE LEGS AND FEET?

We advocate addressing the symptoms (foam roller, regular physical therapy – osteo/myo/physio/massage, rest, ice baths, stretching etc).

It is also beneficial to reduce fatigue and increase your load capacity (how much training your legs and feet can cope with) by addressing some of the other causative factors!

My top 5 tips to increase your loading capacity via your shoes are:

31

Only running This might seem obvious (and hopefully it is) but only use your current training shoes for training. Using them on the weekend (Jerry Seinfeld), at the gym or for 2-3 hours after a run session will only mean that they compress more quickly.

Home shoes

Update

Have something that is comfortable, cushioned and stable to put on at home. Older runners, supportive thongs (eg. Orthaheel), supportive slides (eg.

Birkenstock) are ideal.

Your running shoes will generally be durable for approximately 800-1000k’s as long as you only use them for running.

This will be more or less depending on your weight, your surfaces, your technique, the durometer (softness) of the EVA foam midsole. If in doubt, update! They are an investment in increasing how much you can train and race!

Training shoes Rotate between a couple of pairs of training shoes. It is an investment at the start but this makes sure you are not running in a compressed shoe (shoes can take 27-30hours to decompress/relax after running in them).

Yours in keeping people active, healthy and happy!

Craig Plumridge, Sports Podiatrist

Ask and Win! Do you have a Podiatry question for Craig?

Work shoes Make sure work shoes are comfortable, cushioned and supportive, especially if you are up and down on your feet throughout the day.

Simply like the ProFeet facebook page and email your questions to editor@multisportmag.com.au - if we publish your question you win a biomechanical assessment, shoe advice and video run analysis valued at $160. www.profeetpodiatry.com.au

SHIN PAIN? WE CAN HELP YOU! 3D Running Assessments Footwear advice Plantar pressure assessment High speed video Concise management plan PHONE | 1300 855 189

www.profeetpodiatry.com.au

LOCATIONS | BRIGHTON | HAWTHORN | GEELONG | COLAC | LARA | BARWON HEADS | DRYSDALE

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32 TRIATHLEATS

Fat vs. Carbs:

What’s best for sports performance?

Words by Taryn Richardson

There is so much media attention around low carbohydrate diets at the moment; it’s hard to decipher what is fact and what is fiction.

Low-carbohydrate diets are not a new dietary concept by any means, yet they have made a popular comeback with claims of rapid weight loss and other health benefits. A quick Google search pulls over 2 million results in 0.3 seconds!

Let’s have a look at some of the evidence and find some clarity around the concept…

CARBOHYDRATE Carbohydrate is a macronutrient found in foods such as bread, rice, quinoa, pasta, cereals, fruit, the starchy vegetables (potato, sweet potato and corn), legumes (chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans) and dairy products (milk, yoghurt). It is also founds in packaged foods such as sports drinks, gels and bars, soft drink, cordial, juice, honey, sugar, lollies and baked goods.

When we eat carbohydrate rich foods, they are digested and broken down into smaller building blocks, such as glucose,

fructose and galactose. These building blocks are then absorbed across the stomach lining (some slowly, some quickly) into our bloodstream where they circulate for use as a source of fuel for exercise.

Any excess is packaged up with water and stored in our muscles and liver for later use as glycogen. Once our glycogen stores are ‘full’, the leftover glucose is converted to fat and stored.

Glucose + H2O = Glycogen

FAT

Fat is also a macronutrient found in foods such as nuts, seeds, oils (e.g. olive, sunflower, coconut), spreads such as margarines and butter, avocado, the flesh and skin of animal meats, poultry and fish, dairy products, baked goods like biscuits and pastry, coconut products and chocolate.

Fat provides a concentrated source of

energy at 9kcal/gram compared to 4kcal/ gram for carbohydrate. During exercise, fat stored in the form of triglycerides is slowly broken down into fatty acids.

These fatty acids are transported through the bloodstream to the muscles for fuel.

Compared to glycogen stores, which are limited, body fat stores are virtually an unlimited source of energy. To use fat as a fuel source, there must be enough oxygen available for this to occur.

FUEL USE DURING EXERCISE

During exercise, we burn a variety of fuel sources depending on the duration and intensity of the session. For a low intensity session, (i.e. an easy 60minute aerobic recovery run where there is plenty of oxygen available) we utilise a combination of carbohydrate and fat as a fuel source.

Exercise of high intensity (i.e. anaerobic hill sprints at >80% VO2 max where breathing is difficult) utilises carbohydrate as the main source of fuel.

Interestingly, one of the adaptations that occurs with aerobic training over time is an enhanced ability to burn fat, and therefore less reliance on carbohydrate as a fuel source, during moderate intensity exercise.

FAT ADAPTATION

It is possible to adapt to a high fat diet fairly quickly, within 5 days in fact, on a very low carbohydrate diet. We become more efficient at using fat as a fuel source and interestingly, less efficient at using

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TRIATHLEATS

33

carbohydrate. This approach has been shown to work successfully to achieve weight loss in sedentary people over a 6-month period.

Beyond that, there is no difference in weight loss when you compare a low carb diet to a low fat diet. The big question is, does a fat adapted athlete perform better on fat? Unfortunately, studies exploring the effects of fat adaption on exercise performance in the athletic population are limited and that question remains unanswered (for now). What we do know is that studies conducted on people consuming a mixed diet of carbohydrate and fat (so not fat adapted); actually perform better with carbohydrate during performance trials.

CARBOHYDRATE & PERFORMANCE It is well established in the literature that carbohydrate availability enhances endurance performance either in the form of muscle glycogen stores or exogenous carbohydrate (that consumed during exercise).

We also know that inadequate carbohydrate intake can compromise exercise intensity and reduce time to fatigue which ultimately provides no performance benefit. Low carbohydrate availability leads to poorer recovery and compromised immunity, potentially increasing risk of overtraining, and developing colds and flus.

SO WHAT’S THE VERDICT?

There is no one-size fits all approach; what will work for you depends on your individual needs and goals. Few athletes understand exactly why and how adjusting their intake can optimise their performance. Just like your training program constantly changes, so too should your dietary intake. On heavy training or double session days, increasing carbohydrate to better match fuel demands will help you train harder and backup to go again. Conversely, on easy recovery or rest days, it may be helpful to back off on carbohydrate intake where it’s not needed. There is some interesting research emerging around the concept of sleeping “low” by not topping up your glycogen stores after certain sessions. Watch this space. If you need guidance, an Accredited Sports Dietitian can help you formulate a periodised meal plan that meets the demands of your training while optimising performance.

Happy training, cheers Taryn

Go Green for Winter During the winter months people tend to be drawn to the heavier, starchy winter vegetables but Asian leafy greens such as bok choy, choy sum, or choy and gai lum are great for winter health nutrition. They are rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, fibre and many B vitamins.

Best of all, they are in season now are light and low in kilojoules with almost no fat. All good reasons to tuck into them!

They contribute a lot of calcium and iron to your diet too. Because of their lower levels of oxalic acid (a compound that interferes with mineral absorption), the iron and calcium in Asian greens is more readily absorbed than traditional leafy greens such as spinach and silver beet.

Asian greens contain: •L utein and zeaxanthin: good for eye health •M agnesium: helps with healthy muscle function • B-vitamin folate: boosts heart health • Vitamin K: reduces blood clotting

Ask and Win! Do you have a triathlon question for Taryn?

Post it on our Facebook page.

If we publish your question you win a $300 Scody Voucher. www.scody.com.au

$300

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34 PAPARAZZI

Is this You?

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Tri nline

TRI-ONLINE

35

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FISIOCREM fisiocrem contains natural herbal active ingredients for the temporary relief of muscle and joint pain.

An effective massage cream to care for muscles and ligaments following injury or intense physical exercise and for temporary relief of muscular aches and pains.

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