Australian Triathlete April 2017 by Publicity Press

April 2017

ISSUE 24.4

Dan Wilson T h e c o o l c at of tri

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2013 Ironman World Champion: Frederik Van Lierde

10 Dan Wilson the cool cat of tri The newly engaged cool cat of triathlon chats to AT’s Aimee Johnsen about his ITU career, his run of bad luck with injury and Swine flu, stepping up to long course and more.

April 2017 Australian Triathlete

ISSUe 24.4

Issue 24.4 April 2017 Dan wilson - The cool cAT of TrI

Dan Wilson T h e c o o l c at of tri

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CO N T E N T S

Cover Story

Cover: Dan Wilson Photography: Korupt Vision

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FEATURES

TECHTALK

TRAINING TOOLBOX

22 Meet Ben Gathercole

42 Tri Products

64 Performance

Noel McMahon sits down with Ben to talk about his sporting background, how he came to be Triathlon Australia’s new High-Performance Director, his plans for the future of Triathlon in Australia and more.

We take a look at the latest, must-have products on the triathlon market.

Dr Simon Sostaric shares his thoughts on fatigue and overtraining, and his tips on how manage this.

26 2017 Oceania TriClubs Championships Discover the history of Ironman Australia and learn about the new changes to the TriClubs Championships format in 2017, and find out which tri clubs are vying for top podium honours in 2017.

36 #INSPO AT speaks to inspiring age-group triathlete, Simon ‘Snowy’ Johnson, about his success in the sport and his innate ability to maintain balance while achieving his triathlon goals.

46 Product Spotlight This month’s installment shines the spotlight on Specialized Roval CLX 50 Wheels.

48 Road Test: DYMA Aero Disc

68 Bike Skills Jordan Blanco shares what she has discovered about cadence and what the benefits of specific cadence training are.

74 Holistic Edurance

The Test Lab road test the latest product on the triathlon market - the DYMA Aero Disc. Now anyone can race with a disc!

Katee Pedicini shares her expertise on the pros and cons of training sole vs. training in a group.

52 Save, Spend, Splurge

88 Nutrition

Whether you’re on a budget or have cash to burn, choose the right sports watch for you.

Has injury derailed your training? Learn about how nutrition can help you recover.

62 Sound Off

94 Dr Mitch

Sam Betten shares his tips on how you can use Instagram to your sporting advantage.

Triathlon’s favourite doctor explores diet vs. exercise for weight loss.

Editor’s Note

A PUBLICITY PRESS PUBLICATION PUBLISHER Ross Copeland EDITOR Aimee Johnsen

Hello A

s a regular AT contributor for many years now, Dan Wilson has never actually featured on one of our covers despite being one of the premier ITU athletes over the last decade. I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally give this man his moment in our spotlight! Not only is Dan a ripping athlete, but he is seriously one of the most interesting personalities you’ll come across in our great sport. After many close calls with retirement land, Dan has battled some of the worst injuries and his fair share of bad luck, but has never given up or walked away. His story of hard work and perseverance is one we could all take a lesson from, on and off the triathlon course. The end of 2016 saw Dan make his move into long course racing, and finally crack a win at the Noosa Tri. You can read my interview with Dan from page 10. In this edition, we also chat with Triathlon Australia’s new HighPerformance Director, Ben Gathercole, who has returned to the sport with one mission – to make Australia shine again (page 22). We take a look at the upcoming TriClub Championships set to take place at Ironman Australia in May (page 26) and sit down with ‘Snowy’ – one of the countries best age group athletes (page 36).

deputy EDITOR Margaret Mielczarek ART DIRECTOR Andy Cumming Photo EDITOR Korupt Vision Advertising manager Aimee Johnsen Production, Administration & subscriptions Gina Copeland

Tech Talk is back and packed with greatness. We put the new and super slick Roval CLX50 wheels under the Product Spotlight (page 46), The Test Lab road test the DYMA Disc Cover, and we help you choose your next sports watch to suit your budget with Save, Spend, Splurge (page 52). Our regular experts share their best tips, tricks and advice in this months Training Toolbox. Jordan Blanco gets us up to speed on cadence (page 68), Dr Simon Sostaric puts fatigue and overtraining into perspective (page 64), while Katee Pedicini takes a look at the balance between group and solo training (page 74). Nick Croft shares part two of his ‘Yoga for Triathletes’ (page 84), and Dr Mitch Anderson discusses the ol’ ‘Diet vs. Weight’ argument. So, grab your favourite recovery drink, brew or vino and enjoy this edition of AT!

WIN

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AUSTRALIAN TRIATHLETE Australian Triathlete is published 11 times per season. All material in this issue is copyright © 2017 Publicity Press Pty Ltd. All rights are reserved. No part of the contents of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the Publisher or Editor. Articles represent the views of their authors and are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor. CONTACT US Publicity Press Pty Ltd ABN 31 005 490 068 1 Albert Street, Richmond, VIC 3121 P.O. Box 4331, Richmond East, VIC 3121, Australia Phone: (61) 3 9804 4700 Fax: (61) 3 9804 4711 SUBSCRIPTIONS See the subscription offer in this issue or subscribe online: www.austrimag.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Contributions are welcome. Anyone wishing to submit material should first contact Publicity Press on (03) 9804 4700 or email: aimee@publicitypress.com.au No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited contributions.

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NEWS AND Launches

IRONMAN and the International Triathlon Union agree to historic partnership IRONMAN and the International Triathlon Union (ITU) announced on the 31 January 2017 that they have agreed to a historic cooperation framework to further develop and grow triathlon. After a week of meetings at IRONMAN headquarters in Tampa, Florida, senior leaders from both organisations, including ITU President and IOC Member Marisol Casado, and IRONMAN President and CEO Andrew Messick agreed on a historic growth framework that is the culmination of several years of work together. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by both parties citing key priorities and next steps to ensure the growth and harmonisation of the sport. In particular, the MOU focused on standardised rules, further collaboration on anti-doping efforts, national federation relations, sanctioning, a single set of rules, and collaborative marketing initiatives to grow the sport at the age-group level.

The pitter-patter of tiny feet Triathlon’s baby boom It looks like 2017 is the year of the baby bump. Congratulations to Gwen Jorgensen and husband Pat; Beth and Luke McKenzie; Nicola Spirig and husband Reto Hug; Helen and Marc Jenkins; Liz Blatchford and husband Glen (aka Korupt Vision), and Tim and Belinda Van Berkel, who are all expecting this year. We look forward to watching the next generation of triathlon superstars grow.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s… FROGMAN! Are you looking for your next challenge? Look no further! The FROG CHALLENGE is a unique race where competitors compete as teams of two, in a swim-run endurance event. The event will have multiple swimming and running legs over distances from around 20-45 km over a diverse range of courses and surfaces. This event is sure to challenge even the most seasoned competitor. There will only be 100 spots available in each race – so make sure you get your registrations in quick! For more, visit www.frogchallenge.com.

| Australian Triathlete

The perfect progression into long course

or the first time, CHALLENGEMelbourne has been positioned at the end of the Gatorade Triathlon Series in April 2017. Not only is the weather perfect for triathlon at this time of year but it also gives triathletes the opportunity to build up their endurance progressively through the Gatorade Sprint and Olympic Series and finish the summer with a half iron distance triathlon. If this is on your bucket list of challenges for 2017 why not slot it in your training calendar now? If you don’t think you’ll be ready for the longer distance by April, we’ve got you covered with the CHALLENGEMelbourne Sprint event. This sorter distance event will be returning in 2017 and with such a great event kit included in your entry, CHALLENGEMelbourne Sprint works out to be amazing value. Keen to do CHALLENGEMelbourne with a friend or training partner? Then enter as a team of two or three, combining your swim, ride and run times for an overall team time. Teams must have a minimum of two and maximum of three persons competing. Not only does this allow you to split the entry fee but also all team members still get the full benefits of the CHALLENGEMelbourne entry kit. Plus, it’s a load of fun!

For all information please visit: www.challengemelbourne.com.au

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Performance Fuel

NEWS AND Launches

A hot day in hell Queensland’s oldest long distance triathlon event, the ‘Hell of the West’, which this year doubled as Triathlon Australia’s National Elite Long Course Championship was taken out by Tim Reed (in 03:38:42) and Sarah Crowley (in 03:58:03). The two champions dominated a strong field and added the title to their already impressive list of achievements. Reed is the current Ironman 70.3 World Champion, and Crowley has now won the Hell of the West an incredible four times.

2XU secures deal with Swiss powerhouse Daniela Ryf

emale IRONMAN record holder Daniela Ryf is the latest athlete to join the 2XU family after signing a new sponsorship agreement with the world’s leading high performance compression brand. In a three-year deal, the world’s No.1 female triathlete will train, compete and recover in 2XU, wearing the world-leading compression and triathlon range, including cycle kit and wetsuits. Ryf dominated the IRONMAN World Championship in 2016, defending her 2015 title to cross the finish line with a new course record time of 8:46:46. Ryf’s most recent win came last month at the IRONMAN 70.3 in Dubai, defending her 2016 title for a back-to-back victory. Paul Higgins, Chief Executive Officer at 2XU, is pleased to see the world’s best long distance female triathlete choose the world’s best compression brand to enhance her performance and recovery. “It’s wonderful to have Daniela represent 2XU on the world stage and I’m delighted to welcome her to the 2XU family,” Higgins said. “To have world class athletes place

| Australian Triathlete

trust in our garments is wonderful but something that we will never take for granted. Our commitment to Daniela is to ensure she has the ultimate products to train, race and recover; we will continually strive to multiply her human performance.” Ryf, who represented Switzerland in triathlon at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, is equally pleased with her new relationship with 2XU. “I am very exited to work with 2XU over the next three years, they offer great products for triathlon racing. I have been wearing their suit for the last 12 months and I’m surprised at how fast it is. To have the chance to work with a company on a product is very helpful for the athlete and I’m looking forward to working closely with 2XU,” Ryf said. Ryf’s first official race wearing 2XU will be the IRONMAN African Championship at Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa on 2 April 2017.

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Dan Wilson T h e c o o l c at of tri

I understand a mate roped you in to competing in your first tri. How old were you and do you remember the distances? Was it love at first TRI? Yeah, I had a mate who was going to do one but was a bit apprehensive, so he kept hitting me up to do it as well. I had no real desire to do one, but he hassled and hassled, so eventually I relented and signed up. It ended up that he bailed on me and didn’t race, so I was left by myself come race day. I think it was supposed to be a 200/6/2, but due to an unreasonable amount of faith in the wave timetable, I accidentally started in the 400/18/4 wave. I only did the laps for the shorter wave, though, so ended up finishing about third in the Elite wave, racing on my mountain bike and wearing a polo shirt, which rattled a few of the pros! I was promptly DQ’d post race.

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How did you then get more involved in the sport – what were the steps you took to step up to racing as a junior? Was it through your school or did you join a club? From there I was a bit of a vagrant. I joined a local tri club and did a session or two a week with them, some swimming with a local swim squad, a bit of cycling with a cycling club, and some stuff by myself. Trademark triathlete, spreading myself across multiple environments. I heard an interview recently where you described yourself in those later teenage years as “at best average” and that no-one in their right mind would have suggested you think about doing tri as a profession because the signs just weren’t there. Something must have clicked as you went on to win two

Junior Aussie Titles and two u/23 titles, and a third at the u/23 worlds – did something just click or what do you put it down too? Haha, yeah, I was pretty average back then! When I finished school, I started training with Steve Moss, who would then be my coach for over 10 years. If you told him that I’d go on to become a long-term professional, he would have laughed you out of the swimming complex! I was a battler when I first started, the slowest in the squad at the time, running around in causal clothes and riding with a helmet that looked like I’d put a chin strap on an esky. I guess it came down to hard work. Whatever sport I played growing up seemed to follow a similar theme - I was never particularly talented, but I had a good work ethic and was always very

Dan Wilson is not your typical triathlete. He is a psych major who is about to embark on a PhD. He has a coffee obsession and a coffee venture in the pipeline. After initially being described as ‘at best average’ in the sport, the newly engaged cool cat of triathlon chats to AT’s Aimee Johnsen about his ITU career, his run of bad luck with injury and Swine flu, stepping up to long course and more.

Australian Triathlete |

In 2010 you had your first big international win at the World Cup in Tongyeong. Was it then you started to think you might go alright in this sport, or had you already figured that out? It certainly was a nice way to cap off a bit of a breakthrough year for me. I’d had a bit of a disappointing 2009, where I’d fallen under the spell of overtraining and finished the year barely able to rip the top off of a tub of yoghurt. To bounce back and finish off 2010 strongly gave me a lot of confidence, and in my mind, put me in a really good position to qualify for the London Olympics - I was champing at the bit to start the qualification process the next year.

coachable. Now, work ethic notwithstanding, I’ll probably never be able to dunk a basketball, but triathlon’s a sport that seems to reward hard work over talent in the long run. So after a few years of hard work with Mossy, I started to improve and get some results at a junior level. So you start racing in the senior World Cup category in 2007, you’re 22 years old, and are a year away from 2008 Beijing Olympics. Were you at the stage thinking those Games were a prospect? Were you disappointed not making the team? Ah, not really. By this stage I’d decided that I wanted to go to the Olympics, but thought 2008 was a little bit too early for me - I thought 2012 was more realistic. As it happened, I finished off 2008 quite well. By the time the Olympics rolled around, I had some decent results to my name and perhaps had they come earlier, I could have possibly been in contention to make the team, but I was about four months too late in really putting my name forward! I’d never really expected to make the team, though, so there was no real disappointment to miss out. I was happier that I was developing well for 2012.

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I understand you pondered retirement at that point, what was it that kept you in the sport? I actually did retire, in my own mind at least! I was sitting on the floor of a Korean apartment (it’s a long story as to why I was training in Korea!), having not spoken English to anyone for a few weeks, sick of eating all sorts of strange foods, and with a crippling pain in my hip from the third stressy. At that moment, I was certain my body couldn’t handle training at the level I needed without breaking. I couldn’t sleep from both the pain and my mind ticking over. To try to clear my mind, I wrote myself an email (I may even still have it somewhere!), saying I was done with triathlon, and listing my plans for the future. At that time and with retirement a real prospect, you enrolled in University to study Psychology – why Psych? Are you someone suited to being an academic or is life in an auditorium tough for you? Again, on the floor of the Korean apartment (probably sipping on a tomato and walnut milkshake - that’s what my erstwhile Korean companions drank regularly), I was stewing over my future career options, and

2010: First big international win at the World Cup in Tongyeong.

With the 2012 London Games on your radar, you then get injured for 18 months (most of 2011 and bit of 2012) – at what point did you think the Games was out of the question? That must have been a hard time? Yeah, it was a bit of a rough trot! I had some knee trouble after a bike crash right at the end of 2010, which led to surgery at the start of 2011. Then off the back of that time out, I had three stress fractures in a row. It was a pretty miserable time, to be honest, and I probably wasn’t my happiest during that period. It had been my dream to make the Olympic team, and I felt I was capable of performing well enough to realise that dream. To have to sit on the sidelines and not have a chance to fight for a spot was something I struggled with.

it was then that I enrolled in psych at uni. I’d enjoyed the psych subjects I’d done during my applied science degree, and was intrigued by watching the different personalities and motivations among the athletes I’d trained and raced with over my career. It was going to uni that kept me in the sport. Once I got back to Australia, my support network had a few ideas about

I was never particularly talented, but I had a good work ethic and was always very coachable. — Dan Wilson trying some different things that may have been able to get me back into the sport. To be honest, I didn’t really believe them and felt a bit like I was just waiting for the next stressy to pop up. At that stage, I certainly wasn’t prepared to delay my psych career

while I waited for my body to break again. Fortunately, I was able to manage (just!) my study and training, and to my great surprise, I didn’t immediately break when I started training again - gradually I got back to full health.

So your body came good, and 2013 and ‘14 yielded some great results. You qualified to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games – was that a massive high in your career? A ninth place – how does that sit with you, were you happy with the result? I was a bit disappointed, to be honest with you. Although I was immensely proud to have made the team and to be representing Australia, I was a bit hollow with the result. I’d worked really hard in the preparation, but didn’t feel like I got the most out of myself on race day. Being a part of a major Games Australian Triathlete |

Dan wilson

threw up a few unexpected challenges that probably threw me off a few percent, which is the difference between having a good race and a great race. At what point did you think about stepping up to race Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast (2014) – was that always part of the plan after the Games and how prepared were you to step up distance? After making the Commonwealth Games team, I was committed to keep pursuing the ITU scene to try for the Rio Olympics. But I’d always liked to see how I’d fare over the 70.3 distance, so it was a last minute decision seeing as the race was close to home. I was horrendously underprepared! It was my third race in three weeks in three different continents. I’d gone from Sweden to Canada, and then back to Brisbane, so the body clock had pretty much given up and thrown a

| Australian Triathlete

tantrum! On top of that, I only jumped on a borrowed TT bike the Thursday before the race, and it was at least two sizes too small! I think my TT position would have had any bike fitter vomiting all over their fitting tools. You had an epic battle with Courtney Atkinson that ended with a sprint finish and a second place for you. How was the race? Did it ignite a desire to race more at that distance? Haha, yeah, it was a bit of a cracker! The race was really fun, although when you spend almost four hours going hammer and tongs, shoulder to shoulder with a bloke and then get beaten by a lunge at the line, you can’t help but have a little bit of a sour taste in your mouth! I still wanted to make the Olympic team it certainly put the thought in the back of my mind that the distance was something that I might be suited to!

2015 was a horrendous year for you, you caught Swine flu after racing in Abu Dhabi, had Achilles injury resulting in surgery, a fractured arm and finished the year with a stressy. Talk us through that year. How hard was it to ‘come back’ after that year? Was their disappointment of not being in the mix for another Olympics? Yeah, it sucked. It was a case of déjà vu. Again, I’d gotten to a point in the 4-year cycle where I thought I was in good shape and in with a chance to fight for a spot, and again I had to watch it all from the sidelines, which was pretty gutting. Like the last time, it was uni that kept me in the sport. I still had a year to go with my Honours Psychology degree, so the timing meant I still had at least another year that was going to be compatible with training. That was a big part of the decision to keep going. I think if I’d already graduated, I would have looked for a job and hung up the race suit for good.

Fight to the finish: Courtney Atkinson and Dan Wilson battle it out to the finish at Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast in 2014.

SEE TECHNICAL FEATURES IN

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Australian Triathlete |

Dan wilson

2016 marked the end of your ITU career but the beginning of a whole new chapter for you. Was it always going to be the case that you tried your hand at a middle distance career or how has this all unfolded for you? It was always kind of on the cards. As I’m getting a bit older, with a few more grey hairs poking through the beard these days (which my partner Tash takes much delight in pointing out…), I was never going to hang around for another Olympic campaign. However, with the sniff of middle distance racing at the Sunshine Coast back in 2014, I’d always liked the thought of having a crack at some longer, non-drafting racing, as I thought it would suit both my physiology and the ever increasing greys in the beard…

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You had a ripping end to your year, a big win at the Noosa Tri, the win at Ironman 70.3 Western Sydney and a win at Challenge Shepparton. You must be stoked with how the year finished off? Definitely! It was really satisfying, especially after being so down and out at the start of the year - it felt like a real reward for sticking with it, and not throwing in the towel. Plus, something that you kind of forget when you’ve been racing Brownlees/Gomez et al. on the ITU scene, man, it’s fun to break the tape first! Did you ever imagine now in your 30’s you would still be making a living off this sport? Never! Pretty amazing to think I’ve made it to over 30 by doing nothing but exercise for a living!

Triathlon’s a sport that seems to reward hard work over talent in the — Dan Wilson long run.

Celebrating the win: Rounding out a ripping year in 2016 with a win at Challenge Shepparton.

You’ve just signed with the big American tri team, Maverick Multisport – congrats! You have some big names behind you – it must be nice to be acknowledged for the years of hard work? Yes, I’m really happy to have signed with Maverick, it’s a great team with some great support and sponsors. The timing has worked out really well with my entry into

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What’s 2017 hold for you triathlonwise? And beyond, how far do you think you can go? Well, I’m glad you didn’t ask when my first Ironman is, that seems to be a popular question these days! I’m like, jeez, I’ve just doubled my race distance from a few months ago, give me a chance to find my feet at this level! I’m kicking my season off in Geelong at the 70.3 there, which I may or may not be ready for - it’s pretty early for me to be racing, but what the hell! After that, I’ll do some more races in Australia. But my main focus will be the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga in September. 2016 also marked the year you handed in your thesis for your Masters in Psychology. Is it a relief now your study is done? Will we see you utilise your qualification anytime soon Dr Wilson? Ah, well, I’m not quite Doc Wilson, yet. I handed in my thesis for my Honours Psych, which was very satisfying, but in an eternal quest for suffering, I’m about to start my PhD in Clinical Psychology. So in four short years (snort!), I’ll be Dr Wilson. Chances are I won’t respond to you unless you refer to me as such either…

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You also proposed to your partner, Tash – but that wasn’t all smooth sailing either. I understand there was a lost ring? Do tell! Yes, easily the biggest moment of my life! I thought having raced extensity at a pretty high level I might know something about nerves, but this was a whole different ballgame. I’d spent pretty much the whole

day wearing a rut in the hallway pacing up and down it, with my heart rate easily exceeding lactate threshold. As the big moment approached and all preparations were ready, I thought I would ditch the small rag I had the ring stashed in, so I could easily whip my hand in and out to produce the rock with a flourish. However, as I walked up the back steps to get rid of

the non-drafting format tying in with Maverick looking to expand out of the US with some international athletes. I’ve been really lucky to get the opportunity to race for the Mavs - I think we’re going have a big year together!

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Australian Triathlete |

Dan wilson

the case, I dropped the ring through a gap in the stairs, where it fell in between some pot plants, which when I removed, revealed a dirty great drain hole. I almost vomited on the spot! Fortunately, the ring hadn’t gone down the drain, and just bounced behind a pole. Otherwise, I don’t know what I would have done. Can you propose with just a handshake or something? You’re a coffee lover, and I hear whispers you and one of your best mates Josh Amberger have a little coffee venture in the pipelines – can you tell us anything about that? Yeah! Super pumped about this! Burger and I are similar geezers, we both love heavy music, tasty coffee, and a nice craft beer. And triathlon, of course. We also don’t mind getting 100% absorbed in things we’re interested in, so starting a coffee roasting business was the obvious next step in our coffee obsession. Enter,

Skullduggery Coffee. By the time this goes to print, our website should be live (www.skullduggerycoffee.com), and we’ll be selling some really tasty specialty coffee online to anyone in the country! The craft beer project (Bludgeoner Brewery) is still a little while away, but stay tuned on that front. Investor’s welcome. What is the perfect coffee brew for you? If I had to pick one origin to drink for the rest of my life, it’d be a lightly roasted natural processed Ethiopian served on

| Australian Triathlete

filter. I love the fruity notes that they bring to the cupping table! They’ll be a Skullduggery staple for sure. What are some of your favourite things to do in your downtime? Well, when you factor in PhD studies, coffee roasting, and researching home brew equipment, there’s not too much time to kill. I love to throw on a good record to listen to, but my absolute favourite thing to do is just to hang out with my fiancé, Tash.

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Meet Triathlon Australia’s New High-Performance Director

text by Noel mcmahon | photography by ITU

ack in the day before talent identification, talent pathways and high-performance programs, the highlight of the month was when the triathlon magazine arrived in the mail from the USA, with the latest training tips and the adventures of the sport’s first superstars Mark Allen, Dave Scott and Scott Tinley. There was no such thing as Internet coaching, everyone was learning the hard way, and almost every facet of the sport was being made up on the fly. These were pioneering days, with athletes from all sports making the jump keen to have a crack at this swim, ride, run phenomenon. Fresh from his career on the international swimming stage, a young and invincible Ben Gathercole was conned by one of his friends into thinking it would be a good idea to have a crack at this Ironman thing. And, why not? For an elite swimmer with a scholarship to the AIS on his resume, how hard could it be? Three months out from Ironman Australia in Forster-Tuncurry, Gathercole had the massive realisation that he had actually signed up for a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike and a 42km run. Naively, he thought he better have a practice run and signed up for his first ever triathlon, the legendary Sri Chinmoy in Canberra.

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Unfazed by that experience, later in the year Gathercole armed himself with a set of aero bars he purchased at the famous Sri Chinmoy Expo, and he and his mate drove north to play their part in triathlon history. “I had an endurance sport background but I had never run more than around the block. While it was a totally reasonable idea at the time to do an Ironman, looking back, it probably wasn’t the world’s finest idea.” “The swim went all right, but then I had to do the rest. I clearly remember I swam 46:50 or something, in a pair of ‘sluggos’, jumped out and proceeded to sit down in the grass to sort myself out with my bike.” “There was no-one else around, and I remember the course announcer, Peter Beckerleg, carrying on saying, ‘This is amazing, we have the winner here already’. I was thinking, ‘Mate, you have no idea

what you are talking about’. So that was pretty much my introduction to triathlon.” The Gathercole name is synonymous with elite sport in Australia, with Ben’s father Terry, a celebrated Olympic swimmer and a decorated coach, and his mother a swim teacher of note, who is still passing on her love of the sport in her 82nd year. Having grown up in an elite sporting environment, it was only natural for Ben to follow in his family footsteps, excelling in the pool and eventually finding his own way into the world of swim coaching. “Much to my mother’s disgust I lasted one week as a PE teacher and took a part-time job as a swim coach, and it went from there. I was offered an opportunity to do some junior coaching at a local pool and one thing lead to another. It seemed like a better plan to me than teaching and while it probably wasn’t a good plan it turned out all right in the end.”

What we need to recognise is that the rest of the world has gotten way better at triathlon. — Ben Gathercole

Inspired by his triathlon friends, and not having learned anything from the trauma of his first experience over the iron distance, Gathercole went on to race three Forster-Tuncurry enduros in a row. It was this growing involvement with the triathlon community that gave him a life-changing light bulb moment. “My dad was my swim coach; at university, in the US, I was also in a world-class program, and then I came back and swam under Bill Sweetnam, who is one of the legends of the sport. So, I always had world class mentors through my swimming career and my coaching.” “During those lame attempts at Ironman I was swim coaching, and I figured out there wasn’t a lot of people coaching triathlon. There was no internet coaching or anything like that in those days, so I became a self-taught tri coach in the late 80s and early 90s - initially, just coaching some friends.” It is widely acknowledged that swimming in Australia was cutting edge from the 1950’s through to the 1980’s and Gathercole believes he was fortunate to grow up in that era as a competitive swimmer, and was able to make use of

those early lessons in developing his triathlon program. “In the early parts of my career, I also had access to some coaches going around like Brett Sutton and Col Stewart who were the leaders, and once again they were pushing the envelope in terms of overall workload and all things that went with triathlon. I was able to learn from them and paste it together with my personal experience, so it all came together.” “There weren’t too many people coaching in Canberra, and I was committed to the cause, and structured and disciplined in what we did, and that drove a lot of the success very early.” “Everyone in those days was learning from their mistakes and slowly getting better. You would hear on the grapevine that someone was over training and cooked, so we were slowly learning what the proper loadings were. Pretty amazing times really.” Gathercole eventually built a very successful business coaching in Canberra, and his legacy was the formation of the highly successful Trident Triathlon Club coaching and managing the club for more than 20 years to become one of the top

ben gathercole: The Gathercole name is synonymous with elite sport in Australia.

performing clubs in the country with its high-performance framework, structures and methodologies. “I made the move back to Canberra for family reasons, and I got the real bug and drive to do fulltime coaching in the early 90s. In 1992, I was triathlon coaching full time and built my private business from there.” “Athens Olympian Simon Thompson was my star and stand out athlete, but I was extremely lucky in Canberra in the early days to also coach Alison Coote to some Ironman success, and top ten in Kona. This, in turn, led me to Jason Shortis, who spent a lot of years with me in his foundation years.” Gathercole and Thompson were a formidable duo, and Thommo’s purple patch in 2003/04 brings back some wonderful memories of the heydey of Australian men’s triathlon and an era of very tough racing. “As a young guy, Thommo raced all the Aussie greats in the last years of the Grand Prix Series years. He was part of the Bryce Quirk, Levi Maxwell, Trent Chapman era - they were the young crop coming through. We had guys like Chris McCormack, Miles Stewart, and the older crew of Welchy and the Croc to contend with on a daily basis.” “Thommo had two outstanding races to qualify for Athens, winning really well in Coffs Harbour on a massively difficult day and then backing it up a couple of weeks later going over to Perth and cementing his place in the Olympic team with a win in the heat.” “There was no funding and a very skeletal national program, with no High-Performance centres or Pathway Programs - no coach education, no coaching support, none of that sort of stuff was in existence.” “When Thommo qualified for the Olympics it was the first time that I was given any financial assistance. Bill Davoren paid for my flights to Europe and I was very grateful for that. Essentially, I was an Australian Triathlete |

Past to future: Athens Olympian Simon Thompson was Ben Gathercole’s star and standout athlete in his early coaching career. This era of Aussie talent was formidable and is something that Ben is sure to draw upon to instil in the next Aussie generation.

Olympic level coach before I received any funding from the National Program, so that shows you how far we have come,” he said. Gathercole’s life took a dramatic change of course in 2014 when ACT Brumbies supremo, Steve Larkham recognised his abilities and asked him to join the nation’s capital Super Rugby franchise as the High-Performance Director. “As you can imagine, there were a lot of professional people within rugby keen on that sort of position, but Steve was really keen to have somebody fresh and somebody different, and a different set of eyes from a performance background, rather than just a rugby background.” “The interview process had Steve Moore, the Wallabies captain, the CEO and Steve Larkham asking questions, so it was all high end, highly intimidating sort of stuff at the time. Obviously, they thought it was good to have someone fresh, so I accepted their offer and jumped into the professional rugby circles, which was an eye-opening experience.”

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“Steve was looking for a fresh, non-aligned, non-political person and, essentially, I was his right-hand man. He did the coaching and I did pretty much everything else, so I had to learn pretty quick. He was also astute enough to know that if you are in high-performance coaching, at the end of the day, you are a workaholic, you are singularly focused and motivated, determined, and you want the best for the environment.” “We had 36 contracted players - you need an opposing team, so you need at least 30 players so you can train. Overall we had 12 staff, we had a head coach, assistant coach, scrums coach, strength and conditioning, a doctor, an analyst, the guy who did all the computer programming for us. We had about 50 people in our department that I was directly responsible for.” “It is a very busy environment massive, ridiculous, not sustainable at all. There were some long days and brutal travel schedules for the boys. It was very tough.”

“We made the semi finals each year, which was a massive achievement. There is no shame in saying that our real goal was to win the championship but we came up against some New Zealand sides that were just on. Whoa, they were tough to beat. It was disappointing but still a very rewarding time.” Gathercole was about to enter his fourth season with the Brumbies when word got out that there were changes happening in Triathlon Australia’s High-Performance structure. “While I was with the Brumbies, triathlon was my interest, my passion, still my sport and I rode regularly with my mates. I kept an eye on my friends that were doing Ironman, so I was still remotely attached.” “I thought I was at the Brumbies for a substantially longer period of time, so when the High-Performance Director position became available, it was a total surprise. I have known Miles for more than 20 years, so I asked him what happened because I thought Bernard had resigned. He said it didn’t work out and he had gone to rowing, and at the time Miles was pretty stunned.” “So the job went out, and I chatted with my wife who said - ‘That is what you do everyday, why wouldn’t you apply for it? Give it a go with your heart and soul, and if you don’t get it you still have a really cool job. So don’t worry about it.’” “That was also another long process, but it was nice and challenging. I answered plenty of questions and went through the ropes, and was left on tender hooks for a while.” In October 2016, Gathercole had an emotional homecoming when he was asked to head up Triathlon’s National High-Performance Program in the run up towards the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Gathercole is determined not to be rushed into decisions and has taken time out to go on a national road trip to familiarise himself with the state of the sport. “I am going all over the country and have a bit of time on the road getting out to see everybody and having a good chin wag.” “I am actually on the road now doing an assessment. I am doing home visits and getting out to every categorised athlete and their coach, and looking, talking, feeling the vibe, getting to know the athlete and the coach, and their daily training environment.”

Ben gathercole “This is the time to be doing it and to be truthful we don’t need to rush it. We need to consider our position and look at who we have in terms of our athletes - we need to look at who we have in terms of our coaches and we need to balance that with the budget that we have. Then we need to make some very strategic and well thought out decisions.” “My simple perception at this stage is that the middle area of coaching has broken down somewhat. I would like to see better coaching through our mid-level, but our high-end coaching is world class.” “We are not a basket case. Bernard left us in a very good position, so we can take a little bit of time to consider ourselves, and move our direction towards being successful at the Commonwealth Games and then onward to Tokyo.” One initial change Gathercole has foreshadowed, is a smaller presence in Europe and the mothballing of the base in Aix-les-Bains. “From a budget perspective we are very keen to try and be as diligent as we can, and not be wasteful, so we are not going to be in Europe as much as we were before. That is a very expensive notion.”

“I am based in Canberra, and I will have an office at the AIS which, is a very strategic and important area for us to be in. We need to be at the source of highperformance sport in Australia which is the AIS and the Sports Commission.” “I will only make two international trips, one to Hamburg and the other to Rotterdam for WTS Grand Final. We are going to scale back our whole overseas footprint, especially in the first year of the Olympic cycle. Jamie Turner will still be in the Basque area of Spain, and that will be our only overseas base.” “Jamie’s squad make up will be predominately Australian, but he does have the approval from me to have international athletes come in with the express purpose of lifting the standard of our daily training environment.” “It is not open slather, and Jamie is not using the system, we just see it as something we can do to enhance what we do. We need the best coaches, we need the best athletes, and we need the best daily training environment. It is as simple as that.” Gathercole said the triathlon landscape has changed, but he still believes our talent base is very good.

24-26 November 2017 Australia's newest Iron Distance race is coming to Kangaroo Island, South Australia. This will be one of the most scenic and fastest races in the world located at Australia's third Largest (tourism award winning) Island off the coast of South Australia. With distances to suit all levels and ages. This is an event not to be missed. YOUR FIRST CHALLENGE

“We need to recognise that the rest of the world has gotten way better at triathlon. From what I can see we have really talented athletes, but we have to be very professional with how we develop, support and coach our athletes to the next level.” “You also need a longer gestation period for the professional athletes. Back in the F1 days the young guys would smash it really hard and get a big profile, and everyone would go - ‘wow’. Now the gestation is longer than everyone realises. What you hope for with that longer projection is that the athlete holds that through a number of years. With the slow gestation, we want a 6-8 year high-end career.” “A lot of what we are doing at the moment is still reactive and the big push through this domestic season is to move into the proactive space. Then we look out on the horizon and have better planning - a better vision of who, why and what we want to do and try and achieve. That will set the foundations around that longer term vision, which gives everybody some stability in how they go about their business,” he said.

Triathlon Events IronFest (3.8kmSwim/180km Cycle/42.2kmRun) Half IronFest (1.9km Swim/90km Cycle/21.1km Run) OlyFest (1.5km Swim/40km Cycle/10km Run) SprintFest (500m Swim/20km Cycle/5km Run) EnticerFest (150m Swim/6km Cycle/2km Run) KidsFest (75m Swim/3km Cycle/1km Run) Fun Runs 5km and 10km Swim Events 600m & 1.2km

Australian Triathlete |

2017 Oceania TriClubs Championships

Over the last year tri clubs have been battling it out across the Oceania Qualifying Series races for top tri club podium honours and the coveted qualification spots to compete for the 2017 Oceania TriClub Championship title in each division. The Oceania TriClub Championships will be held at Ironman Australia and Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie on May 7, 2017.

Ironman Australia – A Brief History t e x t b y A T | p h o t o g r a p h y b y D e l ly c a r r

oasting a 32-year history, Ironman Australia is one of the longest and most iconic events on the Ironman circuit. Inspired by the Hawaiian Ironman model, Ironman Australia (then called the Tooheys Great Lakes International Triathlon) began in Forster Tuncurry, NSW in 1985, where the first event saw 165 starters, among who were Mark Allen and Scott Tinley. By 1988, athlete numbers grew to 275 starters, with athletes vying for 54 Ironman Hawaii slots for the first time. The following year, in 1989, the official Ironman name was used, and the now official Ironman Australia race saw the magical

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nine-hour barrier broken– by Tony Sattler, who won the event in 8:56.50. Ironman Australia continued to grow in popularity through the ‘90s, with participant numbers growing steadily, reaching the 1000 mark in 1998. Ironman Australia soon became one of the most popular events on the Ironman circuit attracting many seasoned and up and coming professional Ironman athletes. This included Greg Welch, Wendy Ingraham, Paula Newby-Fraser, Sian Welch and Norman Stadler; Belinda Granger, Chris McCormack, Jason Shortis and Luke Bell; Chrissie Wellington, Pete Jacobs and Tim Berkel.

In 2006, Ironman Australia moved to the postcard-perfect seaside town of Port Macquarie, NSW, which is four hours north of Sydney. The first race in the new location was a spectacular affair with a record number of athletes on the start line. Ironman Australia has remained in Port Macquarie ever since, with the event taking place concurrently with Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie. Since its inception in 1985, Ironman Australia has seen countless legends made and continues to be one of the most popular events on the Oceania circuit. There have been many dreams realised and champions crowned at Ironman Australia over the last 32 years, with thousands of athletes lining up to conquer the gruelling course each year.

Oceania TriClub Championships

The aim of the TriClubs racing and ranking program is to give back to clubs for supporting the sport of triathlon and Ironman. It provides clubs with a free and fun way to battle it out against each other across the season - collecting points, podium honours and the coveted qualification spots to compete at the TriClub Championships, held at the end of the qualifying series each year. Tri clubs receive various benefits from enrolling into the program, including social networking, the potential to attract new members and the chance to race other clubs enrolled in the program all year long for prizes, podium honours and bragging rights. Previously known as the Australian TriClub Championships, which included an Australian only format of racing and points collection, the championships underwent a refresher in 2016. In 2016 the championships were rebranded to include New Zealand races and clubs, and became the new Oceania TriClub

Championships. Under the new format, clubs qualify for the championships at Oceania Qualifying Series races across the region throughout the season, which includes two races in New Zealand. The Oceania Qualifying series will culminate at Ironman Australia where clubs will battle it out for the top spot in each division - the 2017 Oceania TriClub Championship title.

The Oceania TriClub Championships In addition to being Australia’s first Ironman, the iconic Ironman Australia is home to TriClub racing, which has been particularly supported and promoted by the popular Panthers Triathlon Club (PIS) over the years. Ironman Australia is also home to what is known as the best TriClub Village party of the season. In fact, the TriClub ‘party atmosphere’, including dress ups, clubs tents, BBQs and more, originated at Ironman Australia before quickly spreading to other events. Ironman Australia is also home to the Oceania TriClub Championships (formerly known as the Australian TriClub Championships). The TriClub racing and ranking program began in 2012 in North America. Initially, it was strictly a North American program, but quickly grew to become a global initiative to include tri clubs from around the world. It was introduced to Australia in 2014.

STRONG SUPPORT: The popular Panthers Triathlon Club (PIS) has strongly supported and promoted TriClub racining in Australia over the years. Australian Triathlete |

Oceania Qualifying Series Races • • • •

• • • •

• •

Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Cairns Noosa Triathlon Ironman 70.3 Western Sydney SunSmart Ironman Western Australia and Ironman 70.3 Western Australia Ironman 70.3 Taupo Ironman 70.3 Ballarat Ironamn70.3 Geelong Kelloggs Nutri-Grain Ironman New Zealand and Ironman 70.3 New Zealand Mooloolaba Triathlon Jewel Gold Coast Triathlon

TOP 3 clubs The top three clubs in each division at each of these events automatically qualifies for the championship final. So, essentially 15 clubs qualify at each race. The top three clubs in each division from the 2016 TriClubs Championships also automatically qualify, as do the top three clubs in each division in the 2016 Asia-Pacific regional TriClub rankings.

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The new Oceania TriClubs Championships format for 2017 Under the new format for 2017, the Championship points calculation on the day will differ from the year-round competition. • Only Clubs that qualify for the Championship Final will be eligible to compete for the Title of Oceania TriClub Champion and the great prizes that accompany it. • Points scoring will be based on the Age Group Ranking (AGR) system, however, for the Championship Final only the top five individual athlete AGR results, on the day, from each of the qualified clubs in both IRONMAN Australia and IRONMAN 70.3 Port Macquarie will be added together to receive a club grand total. (Top 5 athletes (AGR points) from IRONMAN and top 5 athletes (AGR points) from IRONMAN 70.3 = 10 athletes total.) In the event of a tie, the sixth-ranked athlete (AGR Points) from each club will be added to the total. Athletes will continue to be added until the tie is broken. • Clubs will be ranked in their divisions and the club in each division with the greatest number of AGR points across their top 5 athletes from both events on May 7, will be crowned 2017 Oceania TriClub Champion.

Oceania TriClub Championships

The Ironman TriClub Divisions are divided into five divisions based on the size of a club’s active member roster: Division I: Over 300 athletes and/or nationally recognised clubs Division II: 76-175 athletes Division IV: 26-75 athletes Division V: Under 25 athletes

Photo: © AT

RED DOG: 2016 Division1

Defending Champs

Photo: © AT

The 2016 defending club champions: Division I: Red Dog Triathlon Division II: Central Coast Triathlon Club Division III: Newcastle Tri Club Division IV: Triathlon Response Group Division V: Mavericks Coaching Alliance

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2017 Oceania TriClubs Championships – Club Profiles

RED DOG

300

Members

Triathlon Training

Origin: BRISBANE

Head Coach – Trent Patten Club background: Red Dog Triathlon Training is based in Brisbane, Queensland and was founded in November 2008. The squad caters for age group triathletes and offers a full range of training opportunities to athletes of all ages and abilities. The squad also provides a great social environment with regular Wednesday night dinners. Whether you’re just starting out, or are looking to take it to the next level, Red Dog Triathlon Training can help you achieve your goals! Club mission/vision: To provide a fun, friendly and safe environment for members to pursue their goals. Number of current active members: 300 Number of athletes racing at Port Mac: At last check, it was 15. How does it feel to be a defending champion at the 2017 TriClub Championships? It was very satisfying to win the title in 2016 - it’s going to be a tough ask defending the title in 2017 with the majority of club members racing in Cairns this year.

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What are you looking forward to about racing at #IMOZ? I’m looking forward to seeing more clubs challenge for the title with the new points system. In your opinion, how much do clubs add to #IMOZ, and to triathlon and Ironman in Australia? In my opinion, clubs play a large role in encouraging member participation in triathlon throughout Australia. The atmosphere generated by club supporters at #IMOZ last year was excellent.

PANTHERS

400

Members

Triathlon Club

Origin: PENRITH, NSW

Club President - Chris Joseph Club background: This is our 32nd year. A group of mates passionate about the sport started the club. For more information visit our website pantherstriclub.com.au. Club mission and vision: To provide an inclusive environment servicing our local community. To keep the tradition of our old and proud club continuing into the future. Number of current active members: 400 Number of athletes racing at Port Mac: Hard to say at the moment - between 30-50. Unfortunately last year you weren’t able to get the three-peat. How did that make you feel? What can we say that hasn’t been said already? It was disappointing that the goalposts were changed. We obviously won by too much in the first two years. There is no enthusiasm from our members regarding the championship. Also, many members have removed their club profile from the site. I honestly believe the changes were geared with a clear agenda and it was successful. Enough said.

What are you looking forward to about racing at #IMOZ? This is a big race for our club. There is a huge tradition to make the 5-6hour trek up and support our friends and family. No one can dispute that we are the most represented support base up there. It’s great to see the other clubs joining in. The corridor of club tents was a great initiative of Ironman, and it is great to see the supporters from all clubs out in force and having a lot of fun. In your opinion, how much do clubs add to #IMOZ, and to triathlon and Ironman in Australia? The club focus was what kept the race viable in the years that Melbourne was running. The fact that the races were so close together clearly meant that the pros were attracted to the points associated with the Asia-Pacific Championship. Having participated and supported at a few different Ironman events, I think there is a bigger club focus at Port Macquarie, which is nice. In saying that, the presence of a pro field is such a big part of the spectacle and something that Ironman needs to ensure they never lose.

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TRG

60-70 Triathlon and Multisport

Members

Origin: Melbourne

Head Coach – Julie Tedde Club background: TRG Triathlon and Multisport (formerly known as Triathlon Response Group) started about 20 years as a result of my retiring from professional racing. Friends and training buddies asked if I would assist them in training for events. My background in teaching, along with my university major in Exercise Physiology meant that it was quite a good fit. I was able to tie my experiences in racing and training for the sport with an understanding gained through study on how the body works and what is required to prepare for the sport of triathlon. The business or hobby, as it started out as, grew through word of mouth. In the late ‘90s there were not a lot of clubs or coaches around. I was lucky enough to have quite a bit of success with athletes heading over to Hawaii [to the Ironman World Championships], competing in ITU World Championships and racing nationally. I am very proud of the fact that for over 20 years I have had at least three athletes qualify for the Ironman World Championships. This has led to more people wanting to come on board. My point of difference is that I write individual programs for athletes - initially, I would handwrite these! I believe if you can give an athlete something that is realistic for them and they can achieve what you have set for them they will be in a much better place mentally and physically. Club mission/vision: With a very holistic approach to each individual, TRG creates an environment where structured training sessions have a tangible objective, while also providing enjoyment and social opportunities. TRG’s ultimate goal is to help every athlete achieve their dream through consistency, structure and purpose, with both short and long term goals. Training advice and goals are provided through face-to-face contact and via specific programs for each athlete. Athletes can train in a supportive environment over a wide variety of multi-sport disciplines.

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Number of current active members: 60-70 Number of athletes who are racing in Port Macquarie: Maybe five athletes this year. In 2016 10+ athletes went to Busselton to race in Ironman WA. For 2017 the majority of TRG athletes have chosen either Ironman New Zealand or Ironman Cairns. What are you looking forward to about racing at #IMOZ? Do you think you can defend your title? Because we’ll only have about five athletes racing at #IMOZ, absolutely no! For a club to be competitive, it needs bring volume and quality athletes. TRG would only have around 20-30 long course athletes in total, so we can’t cover off on a number of Ironman events in a calendar year. In your opinion, how much do clubs add to #IMOZ, and to triathlon and Ironman in Australia? In my opinion [the TriClub Championships] are dominated by NSW clubs due to the location of the event. As a Victorian club, you feel like you are on the outer. I know some big Queensland clubs do OK – but the media and event hype focuses on [the big NSW clubs]. It is a smart marketing tool by WTC to create this international clubs competition. TRG are very lucky - we do so well nationally and internationally. It’s something I should promote more, because athletes get out there and race, and want to be part of the Ironman game.

GPC

110

Members

Squad Origin: Geelong

Head Coach Stephane Vander Bruggen Club background: Geelong Performance Coaching began in October 2014. Head coach, Stephane, has over 30 years experience as an athlete and coach, and in 2014 decided it was the right time to start his own business. The club is the biggest Geelong Multisport Club and we are also coaching athletes all over Victoria, interstate and overseas. Club mission/vision: Our mission is to put the athlete first. We want to create an environment where athletes can work hard, have fun and train with the best, under experienced coaches. All of our coaching staff are experienced and successful athletes themselves. Number of current active members: We have 110 active members.

ÂŠ Claire Radford

Number of athletes who are racing in Port Macquarie: Five racing Ironman Australia and two athletes racing Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie. How does it feel to be a competing at the 2017 TriClub Championships? It is a great concept, and we take it seriously. Triathlon is an individual sport, so this gives athletes the opportunity to represent a club. Our success in Ironman TriClub Rankings is due to the squad getting behind athletes racing in longer events and training hard together. Next year we hope to send an even larger crew to battle it out at Port Macquarie. What are you looking forward to about racing at #IMOZ? This year a smaller GPC crew will head up to Port Macquarie. In 2016 our athletes really enjoyed the challenging course and the atmosphere of the crowds, and tri clubs on the sidelines cheering. In your opinion, how much do clubs add to #IMOZ, and to triathlon and Ironman in Australia? Clubs are essential to the growth of triathlon. Without clubs, new athletes would have nowhere to go, would not get the right guidance and would not last in the sport. We are here to support, to guide them and keep them safe too. Having the clubs present on race day adds to the atmosphere of the event and plays a role in helping athletes across the finish line. Anything elseâ&#x20AC;Ś The Ironman 70.3 races in Victoria are well supported and, we look forward to the day when a full Ironman returns to Victoria.

Australian Triathlete |

Introduction from Spitting in the Soup Inside the dirty game of doping in sports

he story of doping in sports is packaged for easy consumption. As it goes, morally degenerate athletes cheat to win. Get rid of these creeps and sport settles back into a state of pure fair play. The falls of cheaters like Lance Armstrong, Ben Johnson, and Barry Bonds are object lessons topped with gratifying dollops of schadenfreude. The very presence of such deviants in elite competition is an affront to the rest of us who don’t take shortcuts, and their collapse pleases us by confirming our own moral superiority. But this tidy primary school version of events is itself a fraud. Like viewing the Grand Canyon through a toilet-paper tube, its good-versus-evil reductionism leaves out layers of historical context and economic sedimentation—most glaringly by ignoring the fact that drug-free play is a relatively recent moral precept forced upon sports whose participants have always been chemically enhanced. While every doping athlete is responsible for his or her own decisions, the story of doping in sports is more complex than solo agents cheating their way to the podium. In fact, the imposition of quasi-religious values regarding personal and moral cleanliness is a relatively new invention that elite sports are still struggling to adopt.

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This book attempts to unpack some of the complexity that gets lost when a sportswriter has to meet the constraints of space and deadlines, or when a politician needs to appeal to the fearful instincts of his constituents. Maintaining a good-versus-evil understanding of doping in sport allows us to turn our heads from our own role as members of a society that embraces performance-enhancing drugs and procedures. As I explore in this book, fans, athletes, governments, sports organizing bodies, and advertisers are all complicit in the championing of chemistry in the service of greater happiness and performance in life. This context matters when considering doping in sports. The use of performanceenhancing drugs ultimately comes down to individual decisions, but to understand those choices, it helps to take into account contemporary society’s gargantuan thirst for performance-enhancing drugs and procedures, as well as nearly 150 years of organized sports history—during twothirds of which doping was not contrary to what we now call the spirit of sport. Of course, when we dope in the course of our daily lives, we are (usually) not breaking any rules. Taking erythropoietin (EPO) to get ahead in a bike race is illegal, but popping a prescribed amphetamine

like Adderall to improve focus and stamina in school or the workplace violates no regulations. Nor does taking Viagra to improve sexual performance. American society has repeatedly stated— via its embrace of direct-to-consumer drug pitches on television and its handsoff approach to a supplement industry that does over $30 billion in annual sales, as well as its massive spending on cosmetic enhancement procedures—that it likes drugs that make us better than well, and it likes lots of them, thank you very much. Today, Americans use more prescription stimulants than during the post-Vietnam speed epidemic, and over 6 million of these users are aged 4 to 17. This industrial-scale doping of American youth in the interest of better mental focus and higher output suggests that while anti-doping missionaries might claim performance-enhancing drugs are immoral and that regulators know what is best for people, in practice, Americans take a more pragmatic stance. Their attitudes regarding performance-enhancing drugs outside of sports suggest that what is moral is not what is most chemically pure, but rather what is most productive. While much of the daily coverage of doping in Olympic sports focuses on the drugs taken and the people who took them, the larger, more interesting, and most useful story is the context, the social values, and the historical events that shaped our contradictory responses to performance-enhancing drugs and technologies in sport and everyday life. The forces at play are as wide-ranging as the politics of national defense, the economics of sponsorship, insecurities over global empire and personal appearance, pharmaceutical marketing,

Book Excerpt and the redefinition of aging from a matter of fate to one of choice that empowered consumers can bend given the right medical technology. Further, the wall between sports and society is permeable; the behavior of athletes affects the buying and drugtaking decisions of fans, and the political actions of fans can alter what athletes do behind closed doors. Spitting in the Soup attempts to give a better understanding of this complicity and why it has never been in the interest of athlete, fan, or journalist to spit in the soup that feeds us all with the nourishing sustenance of money, entertainment, and—in the case of the Olympic Games—political clout. Beginning with the ideals espoused by French aristocrat and Olympic founder Pierre de Coubertin, which were based on the chivalric romances he liked to read and his admiration for British public schools, in the 19th century, amateur sport was burdened with the idea that it could become a morally uncomplicated and uncompromised space in the midst of a

back to, anti-doping moralists have fabricated notions of a pristine pre–drug era that their missionary efforts would resurrect. And to create a sense of fear to justify the sometimes human-rightsviolating intrusions of an anti-doping infrastructure, anti-doping crusaders, with the help of the media, made up tales about the mortal dangers of drugs that were often out of proportion to their actual, clinically documented lethality. Spitting in the Soup investigates why the media and anti-doping infrastructure are also loath to spit in the soup that nourishes their own existence. For example, the story of European cyclists dying en masse in the 1990s from EPO is a myth—a fabrication that neither the press nor anti-doping campaigners examined for truth. Admitting that no evidence existed conclusively linking EPO to a supposed rash of endurance athlete deaths would expose as fraud a story that in many respects justified the existence of anti-doping regulators and sensationhungry reporters.

The phrase comes from the French expression cracher dans la soupe. The closest English version of this idiomatic saying is ‘to bite the hand — Mark Johnson that feeds you’. fallen world. At the heart of this fantasy was the idea of amateurism—the belief that sport is the domain of the aristocratic leisure class, sealed off from the morally and genetically corrupted lower classes. When future Olympic managers came to realize the economic potential of the five rings, they eventually abandoned Coubertin’s idea of preserving the spirit of sport and fair play in the amber of amateurism. Over time, the battle against professionalism in the Olympics was replaced by a war against drugs. And this new struggle to keep sports pure was itself an echo of larger social anxieties about countercultural social and moral decay during the 1960s. The rise of anti-doping concerns in the 1960s led to the emergence of a complex anti-doping infrastructure that today attempts to impose moral and physical purity on the sporting universe. With no actual Edenic state of fair play to refer

We are not writing about a conspiracy. Today’s anti-doping bureaucracies were built on a hope in the unseen, a religious sense that, given enough commitment and focus, athletes could return to a promised land where victory does indeed belong to the strongest rather than the best enhanced. No one set about with a master plan to create a self-sustaining anti-doping industry or ginned up doping stories to sell magazines and newspapers. The stigmatization of doping in sports— after nearly 100 years during which the act was unremarkably accepted, even praised, as a sign of professional commitment—is a natural progression of human events. By understanding these transformations, and the hypocrisies they hide, we can gain better insight into where anti-doping is today and where it might go tomorrow. Understanding the broader context of doping in sports is not the same as excusing the behavior of those who break

today’s rules against performanceenhancing drugs. If this were the case, then all history would be confined to narrow condemnatory or celebratory biography. It would also be hopelessly constrained by the precept that unless the explored topic reinforces society’s current values, that history should not be broached. And this tension between our desire for sports stars to step into the sunshine wearing either a black or a white hat— villain or saint—gets us to the name of this book, Spitting in the Soup. The phrase comes from the French expression cracher dans la soupe. The closest English version of this idiomatic saying is “to bite the hand that feeds you.” In the pro cycling peloton, a rider who threatened to expose a fellow rider who was doping would be scolded by his colleagues, “Don’t spit in the soup.” That is, do not expose the sport’s drug-charged reality and spoil things for all of us. Especially after the shadow of social stigma began to creep over pro cycling in the 1960s, exposing cycling’s tacit agreement to carry on its long-standing chemical traditions would only ruin the sport that nourished and supported the riders. Speaking frankly would also putrefy the broth that fed a sprawling supporting infrastructure—a rolling family of coaches, managers, soigneurs, mechanics, doctors, and sponsors. But spitting in the soup also applies to the “good” ones—the anti-doping activists, the sports organizers, the journalists, and we, the fans, who find that honesty about our own participation in a drug-dependent and drug-hysterical society is itself a way of spoiling that which improves us. Spitting in the soup is not limited to athletes—it includes our complicity. And the history of our mutual responsibility for a performance-enhanced world is what this book explores.

In Spitting in the Soup, sports journalist Mark Johnson explores how the deals made behind closed doors keep drugs in sports. Johnson unwinds the doping culture from the early days, when pills meant progress, and uncovers the complex relationships that underlie elite sports culture. Spitting in the Soup offers a bitingly honest, clear-eyed look at why that’s so, and what it will take to kick pills out of the locker room once and for all.

www.velopress.com

Australian Triathlete |

Snowy t e x t b y M a r g a r e t Mi e l c z a r e k | p h o t o g r a p h y b y S u p p l i e d

imon ‘Snowy’ Johnson is a well-known Melbourne triathlete who is one of the most talented, nicest and most positive athletes on the triathlon scene. He has competed at the Holy Grail of long course triathlon, the Ironman World Championships three times, a feat most triathletes can only dream of. He has an innate ability to maintain balance while achieving his triathlon goals, and effortlessly juggles training with work – he is responsible for brand co-operations and sponsorship at Mercedes-Benz Australia - and regular catch-ups with those important to him. Describing himself as a “big kid at heart”, he loves chocolate milk, the beach, apple crumble with vanilla ice cream, and playing with his new dog,

| Australian Triathlete

Frankie. Be inspired by his positivity and athletic success, and find out how he maintains longevity in the sport.

and knowing I loved fitness, she encouraged me to have a go. It quickly became a passion.

On life before triathlon I have always been an energy bean! From a young age, I always had a sport on the go - cricket, hockey, football, basketball, and roller-blading (laughs)! Before triathlon days I was right into the gym as well - my ‘beach bod’ has since left me (laughs). As a younster I loved being outdoors, and that has continued into adulthood.

On his progression in triathlon I took time progressing through the distances – Sprint, the Olympic Distance circuit for a few seasons, off-road races and Duathlons. I did my first half iron distance event in Shepparton in 2003 and then Ironman Australia in Forster-Tuncurry [now held in Port Macquarie] in 2004, powered by bananas and water. I was so happy to finish and view the race photos in the Kodak shop window the next day. Despite growing up glued to watching the Hawaiian Ironman on Wide World of Sports, initially, it had not entered my mind. I was a long way off the required

On his introduction to triathlon My first foray into the sport was the Corporate Triathlon in 1999, 17 years ago. My boss, Danielle was right into the sport

#INSPO

staying positive (right): Snowy is always smiling, even when faced with challenges. BRW (ABOVE): At the BRW Corporate Triathlon (now the Corporate Triathlon) where it all began 17 years ago.

times and had little idea of training and racing at that level. After Forster in 2004, I didn’t do another Ironman for seven years when a best friend qualified for Hawaii 2011 [the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii] at Busso [Ironman Western Australia] at the end of 2010. I become desperate to do the same and to join him on the Big Island, so trained hard for Ironman Korea – one of the last qualifying races if I was going to be able to join him that year [2011]. Race day at Korea was a killer hot day, which suited me - I raced well and got my spot. On the Big Island experience and competing at the Ironman World Championships The Ironman World Championships have a unique aura and so much nostalgia. The opportunity to race across the storied lava fields, essentially the birthplace of our sport, alongside San Diego, is a privilege. There are so many iconic parts of the course – ‘Dig Me Beach’, the Queen K, Alii drive, the Energy Lab, Pay ‘n’ Save Hill, each has its own war stories, each has played a part in history.

Both my first [in 2011] and most recent [in 2016] races have been memorable and enjoyable. In 2011 the bike course was noticeably quieter, with a smaller field. The swim in that first year was a lot tougher and rougher – lots of smacks to the head. I think you do get smarter at positioning and racing Kona with the benefit of experience. As much as I soaked it up that first year, ensuring I took in the helicopters overhead and huge crowds lining the coast at swim start – I appreciated being a part of the race more in 2016. I was probably more aware and didn’t take it for granted that I’ll get another opportunity to turn up healthy and race there – for whatever reason, you just never know when your last Ironman will be. Regarding rsults – my 2016 time was just one minute quicker than 2011. I was a smidge disappointed with my run as I felt I’d prepped and was in shape to be 10-15 minutes quicker. But to be pretty much on par five years later and after a fairly big operation 18 months earlier (I had part of my external iliac artery removed which was restricting blood flow to my leg), I was happy.

Know things will go wrong at some point, but just be calm and smart about getting back on track. — Simon Johnson

On qualifying for Kona Each qualification has been different. I chose Korea in 2011 because it was considered hard from a conditions perspective, and it’s an effort to travel there. I hoped that would scare a lot of people off or they just wouldn’t prepare as well as me for the climate. I thought this would give me a good chance of qualifying. It worked! At Ironman Melbourne in 2013, I turned up fit and confident and had a great day. It was an incredible feeling crossing the finish line – my favourite to-date. At Ironman South Africa last year [2016], I had worked hard in the lead-up but was unsure how I’d go off the back of limited running after a small tear in my calf seven weeks out from the event. My main aim for doing the race was to have an experience with the friends I was travelling with. I didn’t expect to qualify, so it was a bonus! If you want to qualify for Hawaii, choose a race that plays to your strengths. Then make sure you have enough time to Australian Triathlete |

On motivation and maintaining longevity in the sport Exercise is a big part of my life. I just love it and the feeling of being fit and healthy, and the experiences it affords. I also love challenging myself. Keeping it fun is key to me. Having goals and progression is essential, but having a laugh and not taking myself too seriously is also important and one of the keys to my longevity in triathlon. I think the secret to success in triathlon is dedication, hard work and tenacity. I also believe it’s important to have a certain toughness and a winning attitude. Even the most talented athletes work bloody hard!

get strong to achieve a time that is in the ballpark of past qualifying times. For me, a 16-week build is a minimum I like to work with. If you work fulltime, planning is essential. If you’re serious about wanting to qualify, make the sacrifices to do that. This might mean missing some social occasions, planning your work hours around your training as much as possible. Be a little bit selfish with your time for a period. Prioritise staying healthy and squeeze in enough sleep and recovery. Work with a coach and training schedule that suit your lifestyle and personality – this will also keep you from overdoing it. On racing well in Kona As well as turning up fit and healthy, my tips for Hawaii are: 1. Prepare for the climate in the lead-up Alter race pace and nutrition/hydration to suit the day, as needed

2. Soak up what is a pretty rare opportunity

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There are harder Ironman courses by terrain, but where many come unstuck in Hawaii is the heat and humidity. Coming from winter, it’s important to prepare and get the body used to exercising under heat stress. For me, I do this by gradually adding heat training from about a month out. You can do this easily on an indoor trainer or treadmill session or with extra clothes on your long runs. Pacing and nutrition are important. Have a plan but be flexible based on how your body’s managing on the day. Know things will go wrong at some point, but just be calm and smart about getting back on track. Try to keep your core temperature down as much as possible - pour water on your body regularly throughout the ride and run. The matchbox analogy is a good one: you want to avoid spiking your effort and heart. It makes a big difference in the backend of the run. The hotter and more humid it gets, the bigger the blow-up potential.

Maintaining a balanced approach to triathlon training and racing Firstly, I frame triathlon in my head as an enabler rather than my purpose – this helps me with balance. Triathlon enables me to push myself, feed my competitive spirit, keep fit, laugh, and enjoy banter and adventures with some pretty great people in amazing places - plus, I get to indulge in more than my share of caffeine! It’s a great social outlet. That said sometimes I’m anything but balanced. In the lead up to a race I’m focused on, it’s largely all training, work and sleep. I know if I want a result I’ll be proud of that level of dedication is sometimes what it takes. I think that’s true for most things in life. But I believe you can be committed without being obsessed. While setting, training for, and achieving race goals is incredibly rewarding, life will go on if I fall short. My friends will still be my friends and there is always another race around the corner. Knowing what is important in life, how I’m spending my time and where triathlon fits in keeps the scales from tipping to obsession. I like that saying ‘things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least’. A friend

#INSPO

celebrating the finish line: Snowy (far left) making the run along the famous Alii drive look easy. And (left) coming across the finish line at the 2016 Ironman World. Championships in a time of 09:41:36.

because I’m consistent in training. I also surrounded myself with great people and athletes who always push me. I have a happy disposition, but also have a grimace that looks uncannily similar to my smile. As for disappointments, I try to learn from them and not to dwell on them. Often they motivate me to work harder or smarter. Having perspective is also important - losing someone special in your life, that’s hard. Having a bad race – well that’s not such a big deal. At the end of the day, I’m lucky to have the means and time to do what is essentially a pretty exotic sport.

Know things will go wrong at some point, but just be calm and smart about getting back on track. — Simon Johnson

taught me a great litmus test for this. List your roles in life (e.g. son, partner, boss, triathlete, etc.), prioritise them based on importance to you (no right or wrong here), and check how the time you’re spending on each matches up with your priorities. If time spent on each is vastly unaligned with your priority rating, it highlights that tweaks may be needed. Friends are one of my top priorities so even in the busiest times in life I’ll always try and find a moment to catch-up with those that matter. I get bored with the sport unless I have breaks from it. I sometimes get sick of talking about it or being near it. I make a conscious effort to have non-triathlon interests and catch up with people who aren’t interested in triathlon – this is refreshing. I think this has allowed me to enjoy the sport over an extended period. On staying positive and dealing with disappointment I’ve had my share of pear shaped days, and times when I’m a morose donkey! But I think in general my racing is consistent

What’s next for Snowy? I have a couple of close friends likely to be racing in Kona this year. It would be brilliant to be toeing the line alongside them if they do. Ironman Cairns is probably the best-timed race for me to try and qualify. I’ve heard great things about that course, so that will be the go.

Fun Facts One thing you can’t live without… Coffee! If not triathlon… Trail running, surfing, mountain biking. When not training… Café with friends, mischief with my new dog Frankie. A guilty pleasure… I have minimal self-control around chocolate, choc milk and baked goods from Elwood Patisserie and Bakery. Bucket list race… Challenge Roth, Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon, the New York City Marathon, Coast to Coast. Support crew… Many of the people I’m lucky to train with - Jordy Wright and Bella Luxford are great, along with Damien Angus, Sam Hume, Mitch Anderson, Brett Urwin and Pete Barker. These are world-beaters - professionally and on the age group scene. I admire each of them for different reasons. I’m also really lucky to have the support of Giant Bikes Australia, Giant South Yarra, Mizuno and Aqua Sphere. They make training a lot easier! And finally Julie Tedde, Robert Butcher, Humey’s Hoppers and Lord Racing always keep it fun.

Australian Triathlete |

IMAGE OF THE

MONTH photo: Korupt vision

Tim Reed on his way to National Elite Long Course Championship glory.

| Australian Triathlete

Australian Triathlete |

tech talk Tri Products

EYELINE EXA-CORD DRYLAND MODULAR SET A complete dryland swim training set. Can be used almost anywhere for full swimmer pull, tricep extensions, rowing, overhead raises, proper hip rotation and stroke efficiency to enhance overall performance through resistance. Modular Set comes in a hand nylon carry bag to store at home or to take on your travels. IN THE BAG -- 1pr hand paddles -- 1pr handles -- 1pr mounting loops -- 1pr (1.2m) latex regular strength rubber tubing -- 1pr leg straps -- Exa-Cords instruction booklet -- 1 nylon carry storage bag FEATURES -- Regular strength latex cord provides resistance level of 5.4-14.1 kgs of pull -- Hand paddles to emulate swimming pull -- Handles for curls, tricep extensions, flies, and lat pulls -- Leg strap provides resistance for leg adductors RRP: $165.00 For full range dryland and in pool training; www.eyeline.com.au

Silca Seat Roll Premio Seat Roll Premio is the world’s first on-bike storage solution powered by the Boa® Closure System. The foundation of the Premio Seat Roll is a waxed canvas of SILCA’s own creation. Heavyweight cotton canvas is first hot-melt waxed for water-proofing, and then computer quilted with reflective thread for improved visibility. Seat Roll Premio attaches effortlessly to your seat rails using the beautiful Boa® Closure System allowing for a lighter weight, more durable, more powerful and more adjustable attachment to the seat rails than traditional designs. Seat Roll Premio has 3 pockets sized to hold 2 CO2 cartridges with regulator, an inner-tube up to 700x45, and a multi-tool or other accessories. ------

Waxed Canvas with Reflective Cross-Stitch Quilting Boa® Closure System with Guide Three Internal Pockets - Holds Tubes up to 700x45mm Center Strap for added Security. Rail Guard protects Saddle Rails and Speeds Installation

RRP: $89.95 www.echelonsports.com.au

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LIV Extima Helmet Experience the speed of a TT helmet with the cooling comfort of a road helmet with Extima. Designed in the wind tunnel and built for real world riding, Extima delivers pro-level performance for riders demanding the perfect balance of aerodynamics when riding at speed and ventilation and lightweight when aiming for a QOM a climb. Features AeroVent ports that improve aerodynamics and cooling airflow. Liv-Planturâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helmet of choice for stages that combine climbing and all out speed. Sizes: S (51-55cm) & M (55-59cm) RRP: $269.95 www.liv-cycling.com/au

XLAB Bottle Cage Raptor Cbn Kit-match with a new customisable high-grip carbon cage! Cage colours include Black, Red, White or Orange Talons. Raptor Talons are also available separately for mix-and-match color combinations. ----

High-grip carbon cage with 6 lb grip force Svelte design for a streamlined look Pair with the hyper-reflective COOL SHOT insulated bottle

$69.95 www.echelonsports.com.au xlab-usa.com 2XU Transition Bag Engineered for superior durability, the 2XU Transition Bag features multiple zipped pockets, two side water bottle holders, a generous centre compartment and waterproof zipped bottom pouch to store wetsuits or shoes. RRP $170.00 www.2xu.com.au

Australian Triathlete |

tech talk Tri Products

GIANT Pursuit helmet The all-new Pursuit combines the aero speed of a TT helmet with the head-cooling ventilation of a pro-level road racing helmet. Tested and proven by Team Giant-Alpecin riders, the Pursuit brings together innovative technologies to create cutting-edge aerodynamics, superior ventilation and a precise fit, all in one helmet. Sizes: Small, Medium and Large $269.95 www.giant-bicycles.com/au New Balance J Crew

Silca Tool Kit T-Ratchet & Torq The Multi-Configurable, Multi-Functional Mini Ratchet Tool Kit -- Cold Forged 1/4” Bit Driver Ratchet with Magnetic Extensions that Convert to a T-Handle plus a Stainless Steel 1/4” Extension -- Includes S2 Steel Bits with Size Indication: 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6mm Hex T10, T20, T25 Torx® PH2 Philips -- Includes Custom Pack -- Waxed Canvas with Reflective Cross-Stitch Quilting -- Magnetic Closures double as Keepers for Steel Hardware when opened. $179.95 www.echelonsports.com.au

XLAB Bottle Cage Vulcan Blk High-performance cage at a low price point! -- Large area bottom hook supports large bottles -- Side cutouts enable fast bottle withdraw and entry -- Extra sturdy high resistance techno polymer design -- Made in Italy with the finest Italian quality -- Pair with the hyper-reflective COOL SHOT insulated bottle $26.95 www.echelonsports.com.au xlab-usa.com

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Scody NEW DESIGNS for Scody – BOND Range for Men & RIBBON Range for Women. Two of the new designs for Scody in 2017 are the BOND range for men and RIBBON range for women. The Bond design is available as a cycling jersey as well as the Optimise A.I.R Triathlon Suit (left). While for the women’s Ribbon range, you can also find that design as a cycling jersey (above left) and the Optimise A.I.R Triathlon Suit but is also available in Scody’s sleevless tri suit – the Open Back, Hydrophobic (Swim Optimised), LAMINA suit (above right) www.scody.com.au

2XU MCS Run Compression Tights and Shorts MCS Run Compression Tights and Shorts are targeted at endurance running, with MCS set in a way to support key muscles against fatigue and strain while also reducing the stress of repetitive impact. These enhancements over thousands of steps can help turn an OK run into a perfect run. Here’s what every runner wants to hear – MCS Run Compression helps protect your knees. Thigh/quadricep mapping is positioned to help dissipate the load transfer on the knee every time your foot strikes the ground, which helps reduce knee joint wear and tear. The increase in blood flow from the compression also heightens proprioception and other biofeedback to the connective tissue around the knee joint, so your body reacts and adjusts to your pace, impact forces and the lay of the ground (uphill, downhill, uneven) to protect your knees. Like all 2XU compression, MCS Run Compression helps regulate body temperature, wicks sweat away from the skin, improves blood flow to the heart, and provides antibacterial and SPF 50+ UV protection. RRP $190 (Tights) / $120 (Shorts) www.2xu.com.au

Australian Triathlete |

tech talk Product Spotlight

Product: Roval CLX 50 Wheels

Introducing the NEW

Roval CLX 50 text and photography by Specialized

fter the success of both Roval’s CLX 64 and 32s, they knew that the best option was to continue to expand their wheel range. And while the 64s are the fastest wheels they’d ever tested, and the 32s have the best combination of aerodynamics and weight, it was decided that they needed one wheel to be a true quiver killer—and that’s where the CLX 50 comes in. The CLX 50 made its debut at the start of the year on our shores at Tour Down Under in January this year.

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The CLX 50 is a lighter, shallower rim profile that brings the same incredible aerodynamic performance, but with a sub-1,400g weight for the set. At these heights, that weight is frankly ridiculous. Roval boast that the CLX 50 is, “the ultimate balance of lightweight, aerodynamics and confident handling. It has best in class weight and better crosswind performance than other leading mid-depth wheels on the market.”

TRACKS • 50mm deep, full carbon rim. 20.7mm inner width. Tubeless compatible. • DT Swiss Aerolite spokes and DT Swiss alloy Pro-lock nipples • Roval Aero hubs. DT Swiss 240s internals. Ceramic Speed bearings. • Set weights: 1,375g – Rim Brake, 1,415g

RIM BRAKE MODELS (g) Roval CLX 50

1376

Bontrager Aeolus 5

1440

Enve SES 4.5 Zipp 303 NSW

1526 1425

DISC BRAKE MODELS (g) Roval CLX 50

1415

Bontrager Aeolus 5 Enve SES 5.6

1558 1528 1645

Zipp 303 Firecrest

Roval clx 50 - front Front - $1675

Roval clx 50 Rear - $2125

Roval clx 50 DISC front - $1675 Roval clx 50 DISC Rear - $2125

Australian Triathlete |

tech talk Road Test

Product Tested: DYMA Aero Disc

DYMA Aero Disc t e x t b y T HE T E S T LA B | p h o t o g r a p h y b y CO U R T E S Y O F CAL F OR S Y T H

hat do you do when you are on summer break from university while studying Industrial Design, and feel you need to know more about the process behind taking a concept from scratch all the way through to final market delivery? You start a business of course. This is exactly what Cal Forsyth did when he started his cycling related business right here in the heart of Melbourne. Cal has called his company DYMA, a ‘disc cover’ business, which turns your

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standard bike wheel, be it a shallow or deep rim, into a disc wheel. On face value, it’s a pretty simple business, but after delving a little more into it, there is a lot of thought, time and money that goes into the constant refinement and development of the DYMA range of disc covers. Even the name has had a lot of thought put into it. In the words of Cal, “The name DYMA comes from futurist designer Buckminster Fuller’s ideation of the term ‘Dymaxion’ - a combination of the words dynamic, maximum and tension. I was introduced to

Bucky’s work through an industrial design degree and associated the invention of the Dymaxion sphere as similar in principle to the product I was developing. A curved surface that creates a strong, aerodynamic form when under tension. DYMA’s logo reflects the flat celestial map of the Dymaxion sphere and corresponds with the creative and technical nature of the brand.” Cal’s background and path to cycling related products is an interesting one. He was an accomplished motocross rider,

Reviewed by: The Test Lab Craig McKenzie and Patrick Legge are The Test Lab. Two guys with an obsession for trialling all things related to swimming, riding and running and telling anyone who will listen what they think. Having 20 years each in the sport, they’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly, but always loved the innovation triathlon brings to the world stage. Craig raced as a professional triathlete, winning 4 National Duathlon titles, and has worked as an exercise physiologist, osteopath and coach, while Pat has built a career running a personal training, massage and coaching business, working with State, Australian and World Champions, including Australian Olympic and Commonwealth squads whilst competing himself.

@thetestlab competing at state level from a young age, and turned to cycling as life and study became busier. It was a great way to maintain fitness and develop leg strength, but was also a lot more accessible than motocross, especially while at university. Cal is more than just motocross and cycling, though as his day job is in industrial design, this has lead him to become involved in selective laser melting (a type of rapid prototyping) in metals, including titanium, for automotive applications with the CSIRO. All this knowledge has helped fuel his desire to continuously refine and improve his products. Our first contact with Cal came in the middle of 2016 when we were looking for a disc cover to do a few comparisons with a traditional disc. It just so happened to coincide with the development of the new DYMA CL Disc Cover. Disc covers have been around for a while in the US, and Europe, and many people have even tried their own home made options, to varying degrees of success. However, there hasn’t been an Australian product and certainly not such a slick looking option available at such an affordable price point. How did Cal get DYMA to this point? As we said earlier, the original idea was to go from concept to market and discover the processes involved. This entailed testing the initial design while out with a bunch of mates who were into the fixie scene, and refining the design. By early 2012 he had a branded production sample and went to market through an eBay store, Facebook marketing, and a PayPal enabled website. The sample consisted of two plastic, flat discs with eight holes on both sides. The discs each had a split that when attached to the wheel would overlap, allowing them to sit flat against the spokes. They were held in place by plastic screws placed through the holes on each disc. The fixed gear market was the obvious demographic to go after in the initial days, and they took to the DYMA Disc Cover like a duck to water. Then the bicycle polo scene took notice. The use of disc covers is a must in bicycle polo to protect spokes for stray polo sticks. This led to 2013 and

Left: The main image showing application of the disc covers. Right: Production of carbon fibre parts was always an obvious direction early into the venture. Cal moulded existing plastic forms with fibre glass to create a negative, wet-laid carbon cloth, and made a vacuum former out of an old household vacuum to set the form for testing. Below: In 2013, the disc covers were held in position by plastic screws placed through eight holes on each disc.

the higher end laminated model, which was originally developed to work with Core Carbon Wheels, and be attractive to the cycling and triathlon market. Orders have since flowed from as close to home as the Mornington Peninsula Triathlon Club and as far away as the Fremantle Triathlon Club, and even Team Wingate in New York, USA. Complimenting the laminate edition are the digitally printed discs, which have proved popular for branding exercises, from triathlon club representation to event and business promotion. Through all of this Cal has continually listened to customer feedback and worked towards the 2017 models now available. Even experimenting with carbon, and although this seemed like the logical next step, it proved problematic. He

simply couldn’t get the carbon light enough, and the quality was too difficult to control. However, the plan was to eliminate the need for the ‘through screws’ as the fastening system. While they are effective, there is no doubt they create deformation of the surface, which makes it obvious that the disc is, in fact, a cover and not a high end ‘real’ disc. And let’s face it - everyone wants to look like they have a high-end disc, even if it doesn’t fit the budget. Australian Triathlete |

tech talk Road Test

Next generation: The 2017 CL model was ready for release in October, 2016.

Enter the 2017 DYMA CL (Carbon Laminate) and SLi (Custom digitally printed branding) models. They each feature: • 20 concealed directional fastening clips that hook over spokes and cause no surface deformation • The option to tape directly onto the rim wall with pre-installed tape or temporarily over the rim wall with electrical tape • Each order is modified to fit the specific hub and rim depth of purchaser’s wheel • The ability to remove the discs the morning of an event if race stewards give weather notice • Reduced overall weight • Affordable price - $198rrp This is where we come in. Having had one of the initial CL prototype covers for over six months, we have put it through the wringer. Not only have we been ‘that

| Australian Triathlete

guy’ riding down beach road with a disc wheel on a training ride, but we have tested it on terrible country roads, in wet winter Duathlons and on seriously hot summer days when the road surface is practically melting. We have lent out the CL cover to numerous other athletes who have used it in races from the local Gatorade Series to the Ironman World 70.3 Championships on the Gold Coast, to get their feedback on performance, ease of use and on how it compares to their regular race set ups. We have probably put our test model through more work in the last 6-7 months than it would normally see in a lifetime. Not once did the covers flex or rattle against the spokes, nor did they shake loose on the rough country roads, or peel away from the rim in the heat. While our test model used the pre-installed tape (meaning the covers look bonded to the rims), it did mean we couldn’t remove them with ease. If you wanted to take the covers on and off at the drop of a hat, we would suggest you go the route of using electrical tape to secure the covers to the rim of your wheel.

Product Tested: DYMA Aero Disc

The seal is just as good, and won’t detract from the performance of the disc cover. The initial impression has always been great. The CL looks the goods. It has a smooth surface with a subtle carbon sheen and looks pretty much like any ‘fairing’ style disc out there - think Hed, Flo or Vision. There is even a slight sound like a conventional disc when you ride it. Each athlete we lent the covers too commented that they felt more stable and as a result faster. We noted on a number of occasions that we were quicker on our regular test loops with the covers than without, and although only anecdotal, we are confident that the covers do make a difference. Surprisingly, there is little evidence out there comparing the covers to a real disc, but most data suggests they are aerodynamically comparable, and around one second per kilometre faster than a standard non-aero rear wheel. Perhaps this is something we can look into with some of our testing protocols? The covers also give athletes who either can’t afford a disc or are unsure if they want to commit the funds required to buy a dedicated disc, the option to get in the game. The ride quality of the wheel with the cover on is the same as a wheel without it, and may even feel more stable. The extra weight of the covers is one slight downside compared to a one-piece disc. However, this is quite minimal and has virtually no impact on overall performance for triathlon. While we are not suggesting that the DYMA CL is exactly the same as a traditional disc, they do follow the same philosophy as industry heavyweights Hed, Flo and Vision who all use fairings bonded to spoked wheels, and who do have the data to show they are faster than a standard deep rim wheel. At $198 compared to between $1200-$3500 for a dedicated disc, this homegrown, Aussie product is an inexpensive way to get a little bit faster, and we can’t wait to see the Cal and the DYMA Disc Covers future progress.

tech talk save/spend/splurge Save

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SUUNTO Ambit3 Vertical Blue HR BLUE This multisport GPS smartwatch comes with advanced training and recovery functions. You can plan your training before you start with Suunto’s special application and then let your watch guide you with alerts that vibrate onto it, you can also track your elevation very easily, while letting you receive calls and messages on it www.runstopshop.com.au

Splurge $699.00 Garmin Forerunner ® 920XT From the company that launched the world’s first GPS multisport devices comes a watch that’s qualified to guide the training of elite and amateur athletes alike. Introducing Forerunner 920XT — with advanced features including running dynamics, VO2 max estimate, live tracking and smart notifications. buy.garmin.com/en-AU

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Product: Sports Watches

Polar m200 GPS running watch with wrist-based heart rate Polar M200 is a waterproof running watch with wrist-based heart rate, integrated GPS and 24/7 activity tracking. www.polar.com/au-en

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MOTORola Moto 360 Sport Smart Watch An ideal companion for exercise, the Moto 360 Sport Smartwatch lets you track your performance, listen to music, and monitor body stats right from your wrist. Integrated with Android Wear, this Smartwatch also lets you check traffic updates, read your Gmail, and receive Facebook notifications. www.harveynorman.com.au

$447.00 Garmin fenix® 3 HR fēnix 3 HR multisport training GPS watch is rugged, capable and smart. With feature sets for fitness training plus feature sets for outdoor navigation, fēnix 3 HR is ready for any training activity and competition. Access to the Connect IQTM platform allows customization of watch faces and data fields and provides downloadable widgets and apps. w/buy.garmin.com/en-AU

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SUNDAY 7 MAY 2017

Incorporating

Australian Triathlete |

Sirius

M US I N GS The Great Leader t e x t b y S i r i Lind l e y

ne of my greatest heroes is the great Coach John Wooden. As the legendary coach of the UCLA Basketball Team, he won ten NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] National Championships over a 12-year period as head coach, including a record seven in a row. No other team has won more than two in a row. Within this period, his teams won 88 consecutive games, a NCAA men’s basketball record. Coach Wooden was named National Coach of the Year six times. He wasn’t just known for being one of the most successful coaches in sports history, but also for the incredible impact he had on his players. Coach Wooden’s personal philosophy for achievement, success, and excellence has much greater application to living one’s life, than to playing or coaching basketball. His message, beliefs and the living example he provided became what he was renowned for, even more so than the titles he achieved. As a coach myself, my ultimate goal is not only to bring out the best in my athletes performance-wise, but more importantly, to bring out the best in them as human beings. My focus as an athlete, and what I teach my athletes to focus on, is simple: be the best that you can in whatever endeavour your undertake. Give it all you have, in every moment. Not worrying

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| p h o t o g r a p h y su p p l i e d

about the result, or what people will think of you. Just put your heart and soul into being the best that you can be every single day. This not only prepares you for your races but ultimately for the greater competition and challenges of life! Coach Wooden was the ultimate motivator. Fiercely determined, meticulously detailed, laser focused on bringing out the best in his athletes every single day. He was a truly principled man, and this rubbed off on all those lucky enough to have their lives touched by him. In his book, ‘Wooden’, Coach Wooden speaks of a card his father gave him as a youngster. He kept this card in his pocket every day, his entire life. This card had his father’s creed written out on it, and these became the principles by which Coach Wooden lived his life. I have copied the ‘creed’ from the book here.

The paper is titled ‘Seven things to do’:

1. Be true to yourself. 2. Help others. 3. Make each day your masterpiece. 4. Drink deeply from good books,

especially the Bible.

5. Make friendship a fine art. 6. Build a shelter against a rainy day. 7. Pray for guidance and count and give

thanks for your blessings every day.

So simple, yet so powerful. Why is this creed so powerful? First of all, success without fulfilment is a great tragedy. Some people can achieve increasing success, but no matter what, they won’t feel satisfied, or feel happy or complete. Fulfilment is satisfaction - a feeling of appreciation for what you have been able to achieve. Fulfilment is enjoying the fruits

Siri Lindley A world champion athlete herself and now one of the most revered triathlon coaches in the world, Siri enables athletes to become the champions and the people they were born to be. With an ability to see things in people they cannot see in themselves, Siri is driven by a unrivalled passion for triathlon and the people within. http://siri-lindley.com

Siri Lindley of your labour and having that further inspire you to achieve more in your future. We can all be laser focused on our training and preparation for races. But, the key is not to lose sight of all that matters in your life. The key is to enjoy and embrace the process, and appreciate every aspect of the journey you are on. The key is to be mindful in your life. Look around, smell the roses. Nourish your relationships, your spirit, your heart and soul. Have that nourishment bring added energy and passion to your training. This will not only lead you to have a much deeper experience, but with your interactions outside of the sport, you can positively influence all those around you. I have always believed that training for a triathlon, although a very individual pursuit, makes us much better people. We have time alone to think. Time in the beautiful outdoors that awakens our hearts, opens our minds and helps to free ourselves from stress. All these things bring us back home, better versions of ourselves. More relaxed, more creative and more confident from having succeeded in a job well done. So, when we arrive home from our hard work out on the roads, we can then be better people for all those around us. Better children to our parents, better partners to our spouses, better parents to our children and better friends to our friends. We will be better able to perform effectively at our jobs and be more productive. Instead of feeling selfish as you hammer away at your passion, think about that training time as a time where you are not only becoming a better athlete but, also, becoming a better you! The key is to not only acknowledge this, but also to implement it into your lives. That is where “making each day your masterpiece” comes in.

Train hard and give it your all, but when the training is done, use that newfound energy and confidence, and the feel good endorphins, to be the best that you can be for all the others in your life. You will find that the more you give outside of yourself, the more you will receive. Not just that. The more you give you are upping your

We can all use this great example to pull out every morsel of life education we can from our time competing in this great sport of triathlon. Don’t just aimlessly hammer away at the swim, bike and run. Embrace the journey. Savour the lessons. Grow from them. Not just as an athlete but as a person. While training to become a champion in this sport, have the greater vision

chances of success enormously, and with that success, you will be sure to find fulfilment - the ultimate victory! Coach Wooden’s greatest gift to this world was teaching all about the lessons of life. Not so much through words, but more by his actions - by how he coached his athletes, and who he was as a man. The skills he taught his athletes teamwork, personal excellence, dedication, discipline, laser focus, organisation and leadership not only served them well on the court, but turned out to be all those life skills needed to live your best life beyond sport.

of becoming a champion of your own life There will be no greater gift! So, here’s to inspired training and constant learning, and living life with clear eyes and full hearts. Do this, and you cannot lose, you can only win! I remember having the two quotes, included within this article, up on my walls in college at Brown University. His words and beliefs resonated so deeply with me. It set me on a path that I believe not only led me to great success in my career as a triathlete, but also helped me find peace within myself as a human being. Australian Triathlete |

with Willy Dan Wilson

Aussie Triathlete on Tour

“G

et comfortable Willy - we’re not going anywhere for a while.” It’s well after 11 pm, and considering we all have to race the next morning, I feel we have possibly overstayed our dinner sit. Kris, an Aussie and the only English speaker on the St Raphael triathlon team, advises me that for reasons unknown to him, the team take their sits at dinner very seriously. It appeared to him to be a point of pride to be the last to leave each night. I was a newcomer to the team, arriving especially to race the French Iron Tour for the first time, which begins the next day. One of our French teammates loudly orders another round of Tarte aux Pomme for dessert, staring aggressively at a rival team who had the nerve to be (consciously or otherwise) threatening our team’s dinner sitting aptitude. I settle down, and also order some dessert, thinking this could take some time. “Delicious stuff this Tarte aux Pomme, isn’t it? Don’t think I could ever get sick of it!” I say to Kris. “You’ve never done the Iron Tour before, have you?” he replies. We kick things off on day one with a 1/30/8 triathlon around the Chasse sur Rhone, the first of a number of ‘interesting’ courses over the week. We swim in the Rhone, which is flowing so quickly the upstream segment looks like a questionable proposition. Additionally, the

| Australian Triathlete

swim entry is so narrow there is only enough width to accommodate one member of each team at a time, so we have to self-seed ourselves according to swimming ability within our teams, and line up in single file for the swim start. I just miss the front pack and have to chase for the ridiculous bike course, around the city centre. The bike course takes us through pedestrian laneways, narrow doorwaywidth gaps in between buildings, and everything short of down flights of stairs. After surviving the bike, the run seems comparatively easy. I finish in around sixth place, behind the two Brownlee brothers, who win the day. Post-race, we eat some delicious Tarte aux Pomme from the athlete’s area, and with no showers available, put pegs on our noses and jump in the van for the hour drive to Lyon for stage two. Dinner from the race organisers is chicken and pasta, with Tarte aux Pomme again for dessert, and we are the last to leave. Day Two is a team relay of 300/5/2. The bike course is as dangerous as a chain-smoker in a fireworks factory. Shut-your-eyes-and-hope-for-the-best dangerous, around the cobbles, corners, and drop-off gutters of Lyon. It would have been even more dangerous in the rain. It starts to rain. We are still swimming in the Rhone river, which is flowing so fast in this spot they make the swim a purely downstream affair, as Richard Varga on a

jet ski is the only person with the chance of making it upstream. There are more crashes on the bike than the stock market in ‘08. I dodge a few, stay upright, and our team comes through for third. Once again, Lyon is bereft of showers, so we pack our soaking gear into the van, pass out the pegs again and drive to Macon for the next day’s stage. Dinner from the race organisers is again chicken and pasta, with Tarte aux Pomme for dessert. We are the last to leave, outlasting our competition with ease. Day Three is in Macon and is an individual sprint distance triathlon. The bike course is a 1 km loop with seven corners of 90 degrees or more, per lap, for 140 corners in total. Alessandro Fabian crashes in front of me with about 40 corners to go, and I somersault straight over him, finishing with an army roll to end up standing on my feet. The crowd applauds appreciatively, which quickly turns to laughter as I slip and face plant trying to run back to my bike. Once again, we have no showers post-race. At this point, one of our teammates asks the manager if it would be possible to have more than one set of team clothes to wear all week, or at least if we could try to find somewhere to do some laundry, as we are starting to dread the van trips. This receives laughter from the team manager. Our teammate is told to get in the van, eat his Tarte aux Pomme and stop complaining. Dinner from the race organisers is once again chicken and pasta, and we are laughed at when we ask if perhaps we could have some Fromage Blanc for dessert. It’s our favourite Pomme-based dessert instead. We receive a decent challenge for the last to leave dinner from the Lagardere team, but our experience sees us staunchly take another victory.

Day Four is a team duathlon in Avignon over 4/12/2. The bike course is unusual – it’s the first course all week you could vaguely describe as ‘safe’. Nevertheless, it features a 2 km climb at 14% each lap, so choose your poison, I guess. The rules of the race state we all have to finish together, so I spend the last 2 km of the run pushing Olivier Marceau, who shows his appreciation by accidently shouldering me into a blackberry bush, leaving my left arm a vibrant mix of blood and berry juice. I consider stopping to harbour some blackberries to liven up the inevitable Tarte aux Pomme that night. But Olivier has good momentum by this stage, so I chase hard and resume pushing duties. Although the race site shower situation has not improved, we are astonished to have some delicious Paella for dinner that night. With this unexpected change to proceedings, I wonder if this means a change to our tactic of being the last to leave dinner. This question is answered soon after a rather stern team meeting with the manager, which focuses on how I was the best chance for a good overall result tomorrow so I must have a good race and try my best - the rest of the team will be there to support me 100%. I’m promptly sent to bed (still last to leave dinner, mind you), while the rest of the team go to a nightclub, drink a skinful, and don’t come home until 4 am the morning of the final stage. Day Five, the final stage, a 1/30/8 in Valance. I’m distinctly unsympathetic to the sore heads and tired eyes of my teammates at breakfast the next morning. We get to the race site and it’s so windy some steel scaffolding is blown off the race site, and breaks the top tube of Olivier’s bike, who’s only real concern is the noise it makes and the effect this has on his headache. They delay the start and cancel the bike due to the wind, which gives our team a chance to recover, and

French Iron tour: Dan raced in some wild conditions and enjoyed more than his fair share of Tarte aux Pomme, as he raced in the French Iron Tour.

quite possibly get their blood alcohol under legal limits. I have a decent race, and we hold on for fifth overall. Pleasingly, we get some prize money for fifth. I eagerly await the ceremony and prize check for being the last to leave dinner each night. I’m gutted when it turns out there’s no reward for our hard work lingering each night, stirring the Tarte aux Pomme crumbs. Disappointed, I skulk back to bed, while the rest of my teammates pick up at the same club where they left off earlier that day.

The next day, I get a lift back to my apartment in Aix les Bains by the race organiser, who presents me with a giant wheel of Camembert and an even bigger bottle of whisky. In my broken French I proffer - “Is this for winning dinner?” He looks confused and drives away quickly. I return to my apartment, where my roommate also looks confused when I let out an enraged bellow, when he offers me some Tarte aux Pomme as a welcome home treat.

About Dan Biomechanically denied his dream of becoming an NBA superstar, Dan Wilson has been racing the ITU circuit for over seven years representing Australia at Junior, U/23 and Elite level. His results have ranged from winning a World Cup to finishing only with the aid of glow sticks. When not “at work” training three times a day, he incompetently plays the guitar, competently sips short blacks, and fervently studies the underground metal scene. Website: www.danwilson.com.au Twitter: @dan_wilson_

Australian Triathlete |

SEXTON’S Scribble...

Pipe dreams and daily inspiration your tri bucket list

love lists. Keeping lists has been a growing foible of character ever since I left the family home and finally assumed the inevitable responsibilities of adulthood. I moved away to pursue my aspiration of becoming world renowned, entourage supported, professional athlete - a lifestyle including chartered jets, personal chefs and meals served under an ostentatious steam concealing silver cover. Of course, initially I was not in such an opulent position (nor am I yet, but I’m ever the optimist) and for many of my formative years, I didn’t even own a car! My base moved around the country a lot, and I spent months at a time overseas. So to pay the expenses of a car for only a few months use a year was pointless, especially when travelling by foot and by bike was literally part of my job. Of course, this more simplistic form of transportation meant that returning to the house in between the 3-4 daily sessions was impractical. So I would leave the house each morning with everything I would need for that day. Inevitably, when preparing my gear for swim, bike, run,

| Australian Triathlete

gym, the weather, plus casual clothes for between training session needs, I would often forget something. Forgetting items like a drink bottle or a pair of sunglasses was mildly inconveniencing. But when the backup option for leaving my swim togs on the clothesline was a selection of decade old, faded speedos that had the solidity of a fly screen, I quickly learned the importance of countering forgetfulness. Since around age 18, I’ve been vigilant of the mounting signs pointing to a case of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Throughout the day I’ll write lists, which I immediately misplace only to later recall their location and need to set a phone reminder to collect at future point, which will be cross checked with a digital calendar, all the

Brendan Sexton while wandering the supermarket aisles at a complete loss as to why I’m facing baked beans when I in fact should be getting a haircut. Impending international travel will trigger a series of lists that detail when more specific lists of various travel necessities are to be compiled and ticked off as the departure date nears. I thought I was somewhat of a list sensei until recently when, amid a conversation about a top-notch triathlon festival I’d been lucky enough to attend, a fellow triathlete replied to my praise of the event with, “Sounds like one to add to the bucket list!” Bucket list? Of course! I compile lists daily that detail my current sock inventory, or contain - ‘lettuce, multigrain sliced, and TP’. But I’m yet to make any attempt to commit to paper, or mind, a collection of my most desired triathlons and sporting events to attend! I began asking other athletes about their tri bucket lists. I looked at race calendars, and I started to investigate races that are happening in locations that I have always wanted to visit. In my flippant research, I realised I’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of the amazing events on offer near and far, and yet my race inspiration and location amazement have rocketed well beyond the normal atmosphere. It is incredible the excitement I feel when hearing of triathlons near and far that have such unique and unexpected characteristics - characteristics that provide the athletes with exceptional challenges, gallons of fun, breathtaking

I started to investigate races that are happening in locations that I have always wanted to visit.

Brendan Sexton As a youngster, Brendan’s life ambition was to be the fifth Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. That didn’t quite pan out. But triathlon did. A decade on, he’s still at it. www.brendansexton.com.au @kung_fu_sexton

scenery and engaging culture. Hearing and reading about these events reminded me of an aspect of our sport I too often forget about - the adventure. I imagine the thoughts of many people who read this may immediately fall to the dollars. This sport isn’t cheap and leaving work, study and family to travel even just interstate is difficult or impossible for most. For some, creating a tri bucket list may seem like a pipe dream, a reminder of what the other half might be experiencing

while they’re stuck at work lucky to squeeze in a local club race around the kid’s soccer and paying off the mortgage. To those people, and everyone else, I stress that bucket lists don’t have to be started to be finished. They need not be reminders of what we will never get to race but fuel for the fire of what might be. There are those few triathletes who are in the fortunate position to live from race to race, crisscrossing the globe, ticking off their bucket list and posting photos of © Shutterstock.com

Bucket list: Everyone should have ‘the one’ destination they wish to visit.

jaw-dropping mountainscapes and pink sunsets over palm-speckled white sandy beaches. There are lucky folk who might be able to tick another race off their lists every few years, carefully choosing from their list by how the well the finances and logistics suit. Then there are those who have ‘the one’ - that one race on their tri bucket list that to them is the epitome of triathlon. I think everyone should have ‘the one’. Whether or not an athlete will ever get to race ‘the one’ is irrelevant because ‘the one’ becomes not just a race that is desired, but a tool. It becomes a part of an athlete, a part that they can use at any time. When training is becoming a chore or recovering from an injury feels like an eternity the athlete can use the thought of ‘the one’ as motivation and a reminder that when that race was added to the bucket list, there was reason and motivation and all possibility behind it. An athlete’s ‘the one’ and their whole bucket list, in general, can be the light at the end of the tunnel. Even in times of prosperity in training the knowledge of a future pinnacle creates a wholeness to the triathlon life and gives it more soul. The possibilities are endless. A bucket list can be limitless in its length and diversity - there are no rules. Imagination, creation and challenge should be used in heavy doses when compiling a list. Write the list in a day or craft it over the years. Allow it to reflect you as an athlete and also represent your personality – make bucket list writing an art. Most of all have fun building a list that may or may not ever get ticked off but will always be a light at the end of the tunnel as much as a piece of paper stuck to the fridge! And if you are lucky enough to tick at least one of those events off the bucket list make sure the next thing to tick off is ‘my own togs’ on the top of the luggage pack list! Australian Triathlete |

I am a triathlete t e x t b y j o di e s w a l l o w | p h o t o g r a p h y b y S h utt e r st o c k . c o m

rejudice - it’s not a word I can really claim to have much affiliation with given I’m a white, straight, educated, thirty-fiveyear-old female from England. But we all experience prejudice on our own level in this world. Even though I have never had to battle significantly in my life, I am also not the exact poster child for a privileged life. I’m solidly working class, a female working in sport, which is predominantly the male domain - I’m blonde, and from Essex. I’m also an immigrant. Prejudice is everywhere, and we’re all exposed to it at some point. After all, it is a human condition to allocate both similarity and difference to groups and people. A tribal instinct, disguised by a politically correct veil. The words that we use to describe ourselves, and the words others use to describe us, create our profile to the outside world. Sometimes we nurture these assumptions because we like their inference and the way in which they influence people’s attitudes toward us. Sometimes we are angered by the way in which people perceive us. It limits us. It is difficult to deal with at any level. Nobody likes to be pigeonholed - nobody likes to feel judged.

| Australian Triathlete

If there were one word people would use to describe you, what would it be? “Hi, I’m Jodie, and I’m …” Fill in the blank. What would that word infer? How would that word be perceived? Would it influence people’s behaviour towards you? Here is mine: “I am a triathlete.” There it is and yet I rarely say it. Not with pride or genuine vigour, anyway. I whisper it, hoping that no-one hears, that no-one knows about ‘triathletes’, that people understand that I’m not like ‘that’. I am prejudicial towards my own. I am the lowest of the low. The truth is that knowing I’m a ‘triathlete’ makes people act a certain way towards me. Over the years it grinds you down. You stop wanting to talk about it anymore - you stop wanting to take on other people’s expectations of what a triathlete is or should be.

One of the issues that makes it even more complicated is that I too have perceptions about what a ‘triathlete’ is, or at least the experience of what people who call themselves ‘triathletes’ are like. Following are a few examples that I have encountered in the last month.

The ‘Runners’ I go into a run shop and ask to try on racers. I am asked, “What do you run?” Caught off guard I reply, “I do triathlon.” Big mistake. Huge. I’m now subject to a barrage of advice from the helpful shop attendee on the technical components within a shoe. Suddenly I am being shown the Newtons and the Hokas. I’m discussing heel drop specifications, how to thread my laces, and how most triathletes wear their shoes too tight. He also seems to think I want neon trainers. I jog outside to test the feel of the shoes. “It’s funny. Triathletes always run on their toes. You all do it,” the store attendant chuckles. I cringe to myself. He’s a nice guy, and he obviously has a lot of running experience. Then again so do I. I have run for 25 years, but that doesn’t matter because I am a ‘triathlete’ and I run on my toes.

Nobody likes to be pigeonholed - nobody likes to feel judged. — Jodie Swallow

Jodie Swallow Jodie Swallow is a world champion, Ironman champion and Olympian. Not one to shy away from an uncomfortable but necessary conversation, Jodie Swallow is guaranteed to keep you thinking. Follow her at www.ifollowtheswallow.co.uk

Jodie Swallow © Shutterstock.com

The ‘Swimmers’ The overriding assumption about triathletes within my swim squad is that triathletes are mental. Not the cute kind of ‘nuts mental’ but actually that triathletes are somewhat disturbingly deranged. I get away with masquerading as a swimmer because I can do the other strokes and kick well enough, and I know swimmers etiquette. So I know what we think of triathletes. We think that they use their pull buoy a lot. We think that their breaststroke looks like a turtle and their backstroke is cute. We think they are a bit too skinny. We think that running a marathon is crazy and doing a 1500m is hard enough. We just don’t understand. I feel quite schizophrenic about the whole thing.

The ‘Cyclists’ When you ride with cyclists, you receive a lot of ‘advice’. I don’t know whether this is because I am a woman, or a triathlete, or both - I should probably put it down to being a female triathlete. “Spin a smaller gear”, “sit closer”, “keep drinking”, I am told as I move to the front of the group up every climb. Maybe it is because you get a good view of technique if you only ride second-rider. I don’t particularly like to ride at 80RPMs - I do it because it is faster. I love a bit of drafting as much as anyone into a headwind, but I race a non-drafting race. There are reasons why I train the way I do. But I am a ‘triathlete’, so I get cycling advice anyway. From men the same speed as me.

Rant Time Dear Non-Triathlete, Triathletes can be fast. Put us in an any open water swim and the best of us will podium. Stick us in any time trial, and we hold our own. I would like to see pure runners attempt to run a half marathon nearly as quick off a hard 90km bike. We train three times a day - our sessions have to be specific and time effective, we have to eat properly, recover properly, consider every energetic move we make in a day. We have to be completely dedicated to the cause. Thanks, Jodie Cunnama (triathlete) There it is, written in black and white. You can’t argue the reality. We are always training. We are intense about training. We are intense about diet.

We are consumed by rest, or knackered by everyday activity. It’s not that people assume we are inferior as triathletes - it’s not that they think we lack knowledge, or ability, or style, although the lump seems quite contradictory to this. The biggest presumption that people have about triathletes is that triathletes are boring as f*&k. Don’t be boring as f*&k.

@jodie.swallow @jodieswallow @jodiestar

Australian Triathlete |

tech talk Sound OFF

The Triathletes Guide to Instagram t e x t b y S a m b e tt e n | p h o t o g r a p h y R e b e c c a O h l w e in

nstagram is arguably the largest social media platform and one that triathletes have certainly latched onto. The visual ability to share our training, racing and triathlon lifestyle is something that has benefited and been leveraged in multifaceted ways. With some age groupers now having a larger following than several professional triathletes, there is also a very unique opportunity for those who dedicate the time to build a ‘following’ to play a part within the social influencer sponsorship landscape. Honestly speaking, there are plenty of age group triathletes who are doing a much better ‘job’ at promoting themselves and their unique brand than many professional triathletes. Instagram is hugely important for the triathlon industry, and you might be surprised to hear that most professional athletes have a minimum number of social media posts per month written into many of their sponsorship agreements.

| Australian Triathlete

The big drawcard to any social media platform is the ability to share content in an exciting way that is attractive to those viewing it. That said, it is important to always think about what you post and whether it is ‘Instagram-worthy’. The aim should always be to engage and share your perspective with those who choose to follow you. Sharing your morning training session or long ride, or even a spectacular coffee stop are all post-worthy situations. With the majority of our training being outside it can be a great excuse to capture training moments that we can share. The frequency at which you post is also important, and as a general rule, you should not post more than twice a day. The timing of these posts is also important as you want to capture the attention of your audience at the right time when people are most likely to be viewing. Quick tip: morning and early evening have been proven to be the best times to post if you want to reach as many people as possible.

Looking at the business side of Instagram, there are many people out there doing very well with sponsorship, just based on their strong social media presence. I already hinted that there are a lot of potential opportunities for those who build a strong following and engagement on Instagram. This allows individuals to work with brands who are looking to showcase their products via social media influences if their values and objectives align with a particular target niche. This is why it is important that you always think carefully about what you post and how this fits in with the message you are presenting to your social media audience. A powerful image with a description that motivates and inspires others or tells a story is a great place to start. The role of social media ‘influences’ as a marketing segment is something that a large number of brands are exploring and spending big money on to reach an audience. Hashtags, when used correctly, can be a great way to help people discover your Instagram profile who might not know you directly. Many people search hashtags to find like-minded people and explore images that appeal to them. For triathletes, there are a few specific hashtags that you should

LEFT: #BAAW MIDDLE #WYMTM RIGHT: #TIMETRIALTUESDAY BELOW: #CYCLINGSHOTS

be aware of and can add to your posts. The use of a hashtag should always have relevance to the image posted and not be overused within the post itself. The description should have a maximum of four hashtags and if any more are needed then add these as a comment on under your post. The most commonly used hashtags for triathlon are #Triathlete #Triathlon #SwimBikeRun #Tri365 and #TriLife. These are the hashtags, which are the most searched for and most used for any triathlon related posts. However, there are also a few more that you should be aware of.

#WYMTM

If you are up early and training then the ‘What You Missed This Morning’ hashtag shows others what they missed out on. There are some incredibly beautiful shots that people on Instagram have posted which reference this particular hashtag identifier.

#TimeTrialTuesday Rumour has it that this hashtag was made famous by leading sports photographer Korupt Vision and is a way for people to flaunt their time trial photos on a Tuesday. This hashtag also gives you an opportunity to post a great mid-race action shot of you getting down low and aero on your bike!

#BAAW This stands for ‘Bike against a wall’ and is a way to showcase your pride and joy. Remember the golden rules for posting photos of your bike, which are: cranks horizontal with the chain in the big ring up front and small in the back. Extra Instagram points awarded to a beautiful backdrop or interesting wall art behind your bike.

#CyclingShots #RunShots These go hand in hand with images that you take while out running or riding and are usually shot on a GoPro or other action camera. The great thing about a GoPro action camera is that it allows you take some amazing images and/or videos with a different perspective of your training not usually captured. On a personal level, and all hashtag and marketing jargon aside, the greatest benefit of Instagram that I see is that it allows anyone (professional or age grouper alike) to share their story and the highs and lows that we all go through while being involved in triathlon. There is also scope to ask for advice and offer advice, which helps with creating a positive environment surrounding the sport.

Sam Betten A professional triathlete from QLD

Australian Triathlete |

Putting fatigue and overtraining challenges into perspective t e x t b y D r S i m o n S o st a r i c | p h o t o g r a p h y b y G e tt y i m a g e s / i r o n m a n

he acute effects of fatigue confront all athletes during competition. A significant proportion of triathlon training is geared towards neuromuscular, metabolic, circulatory, immunological, hormonal and psychological adaptations - to attenuate the acute limitations of fatigue and improve performance. Understanding the basics of your body’s physiological responses during competition is enlightening and valuable, particularly when considering your investment of time, effort, emotion and finances into the sport that is so dear to your heart.

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Training-induced fatigue: what is typically expected? Triathlon competition encompasses a broad scope of distances, environmental conditions and terrain. As such, the magnitude and type of fatigue experienced by triathletes during competition varies considerably. Although the causes of fatigue are integrated and highly complex, the schematic diagram opposite (Figure 1) provides a simplistic summary of the primary cascading processes that follow once your event is underway. As multiple muscle groups contract over an extended period, triathletes are

initially exposed to muscle electrolyte and fluid shifts. These fundamental processes at the cellular level coupled with ongoing and extenuating regulatory processes, require a significant amount of energy, and subsequent heat production. Over the journey, muscle and nerve cell activity very gradually diminishes (the magnitude depends on how hard you are pushing), muscle and liver glycogen become markedly depleted, and fluid shifts between the body’s compartments become “competitive”. For example: 1) as body temperature rises, more body fluid is directed to the skin for sweating and cooling, 2) electrolytes and fluids continue to shift in opposite directions as long as muscles are contracting, and 3) to maintain viable blood pressure, and subsequently, sustain life, fluid volume within the central circulation is imperative. Tiredness and leg soreness during the late stages and at the end of a triathlon is

Training TOOLBOX Performance

associated with an accumulative effect of these processes, which is expected. Unaccustomed long or intense racing may lead to delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), usually persisting for several days. Furthermore, the more downhill during the run phase, the greater the eccentric loads (force production while the muscle is lengthening) and the magnitude of soreness typically increases. This is also normal, and your body will adapt with the right balance of training and recovery. Many triathletes describe feeling â&#x20AC;&#x153;heavyâ&#x20AC;? in the legs and arms during the early stages of an event, which is likely due to incomplete recovery, or excessive fluid consumption (or both) in the hours/ days before the event. The human body is very effective at self-preservation, which is why athletes slow down or stop when the physiological circumstances are unsustainable. Carefully planned and executed training will contribute to improvements in all of these fatigue processes, which will be discussed in future editorials during this 2017 series.

Muscle contractions/ energy expense

Neural implement

Glycogen depletion

Figure 1. An integrated perspective of acute physiological responses during repeated muscle contractions during endurance exercise.

Disturbed muscle cell excitability ď ¨K+ plasma

Fluid shifts

Hyperthermia

Why are some athletes affected more by fatigue than others? Many athletes follow similar training and racing patterns, yet respond in vastly different ways to fatigue, soreness and recovery. Why is this? Like all things health and fitness related, genetic variants play a highly significant role. Ever since the human genome project was completed in 2003, it has been possible to link genetic sequencing with a monumental plethora of physiological phenomenon. One such gene, ACTN3, provides coding for the protein alphaactinin-3, which is unique to skeletal muscle, and facilitates muscle contraction and force production. There happens to be a common deficiency of the alphaactinin-3 protein in humans, with subsequently reduced resistance to muscle damage athletes included. Del Coso and colleagues (2016) studied the effects of ACTN3 on muscle damage in experienced triathletes following a half ironman. They observed that those athletes characterised as x-allele carriers (impaired ACTN3 signalling), were affected by 1) greater impairment of leg power, 2) more pronounced subjective muscle soreness and 3) greater concentration of serum creatine kinase in the circulation - a classic pathological marker of muscle damage. A range of physiological, anatomical, emotional and logistical changes not previously experienced often affect female athletes training for their first triathlon, or who are returning to triathlon training and competition postpartum. Some of these changes include muscle weakness, increased injury risk due to structural changes not limited to just the pelvis, and systemic fatigue and depression (TheinNissenbaum, 2016). Younger athletes also face unique challenges that differ from mature adults, including increased soft and hard tissue injury risk. Furthermore, pre-pubescent athletes, in particular, are predisposed to heat injury due to incomplete thermoregulatory development. Therefore young athletes with the same (or greater) Australian Triathlete |

Training TOOLBOX Performance • Take at least one rest day per week • Focus carefully on pacing strategies appropriate to the distance and conditions. • Heart rate variability is a good early warning sign of maladaptation. If your basal heart rate (first thing on waking) is elevated by 4-5 beats for more than three consecutive days, lighten your training load or take an unscheduled day or two off. • Our bodies do not respond well to “fluid loading”, which can cause lethargy, confusion, and dilution of electrolytes. Ideal hydration strategies for endurance athletes are widely available. If you are unsure, invest in the expertise of an accredited sports dietitian or exercise physiologist to devise a plan appropriate for your training and competition loads. • Take time off training when affected by illness. Persisting with training with even minor colds adds extra strain to your immune system, which not only delays the recovery process but also increases the risk of developing more sinister immunosuppressive conditions and soft tissue injuries. aerobic capacity as an adult counterpart will feel the effects of training and competing in the heat far more debilitating. There are of course many athletes with no adverse health conditions or anomalies per se, but still feel the effects of acute fatigue during training and competition more than others. This might be due to perceptual fatigue intolerance, or prolonged periods of arduous training and incomplete recovery.

Accumulative effects of prolonged fatigue Coaches that plan their athlete’s season carefully will typically factor in training periods that take the athlete outside their comfort zone -commonly referred to a “functional overreaching”. Strategically extending yourself in training is an effective way to develop positive physiological changes, resilience, confidence, and to understand your limits. Short-term performances may suffer for it, but the benefits are compelling in the medium and long term. Understanding and interpreting the adaptive and maladaptive sensations is the trick and requires experimentation and intrinsic perspective. Persisting with pushing the boundaries too deep and too often, with incomplete recovery, may contribute to developing overtraining syndrome (OTS), which adversely affects

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health and performance for months or more. OTS symptoms include some or all of the following;

In the next edition, we will focus our attention on improving your metabolic economy.

• Diminished performance in any one or all of the triathlon modes of training and competition for more than a few weeks • Persistent lethargy and tiredness • Persistent illnesses • Irritability • Loss of appetite • Loss of interest in training and other normally enjoyable pastimes • Poor quality sleep

References:

In a clinical setting, OTS is typically characterised by a decrease in VO2max, peak heart rate and peak blood lactate concentration, and increased levels of circulating inflammation and proteins specific to muscle damage (detected in a blood test).

The devil is in the detail – 6 tips to better manage fatigue: • Undertaking physiological evaluations when you are healthy (not necessarily at your best fitness) provides a reference point, and enables clarification of training methods specific to your unique makeup.

Del Coso J, et al.; (Eur J Appl Physiol. 2016). ACTN3 X-allele carriers had greater levels of muscle damage during a half-ironman. Thein-Nissenbaum J. (Phys Ther Sport. 2016). The postpartum triathlete.

Dr Simon Sostaric PhD.,BAppSc.,AEP.,AES Exercise Physiologist / Sport Scientist Dr Simon Sostaric is a distinguished exercise physiologist, sports scientist, researcher and author. Simon holds a physiology doctorate (Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia), in electrolyte regulation and skeletal muscle fatigue. He is the founder and director of Melbourne Sports & Allied Health Clinic (www.msahc.com.au), with 25 years’ experience in professional sport, clinical practice and academia. For more information, Twitter: @DrSimonSostaric Facebook: @melbournesports andalliedhealthclinic

113 IRONMAN FINISHES... All your triathlon questions answered: Sports Medicine, Physiotherapy, Exercise Science, Massage, Rehabilitation, Coaching & Nutrition.

Image: Delly Carr www.sportshoot.com.au

www.shinbonemedical.com 2/96 Macaulay Rd North Melbourne Vic 3051 Appointments: Julie 9-5 Tues-Fri: 0393295454

Dr Mitchell Anderson M.B.B.S., B.Physio. (hons), B.Sci. (hons), Dip. Surg. Anat. Jason Shortis B. Ex. Sci., Grad. Dip. Ex. Phys., Level 2 Tri coach, Level 2 Strength & Conditioning Charlie Bottero (Masseur) Australian Triathlete |

Training TOOLBOX Bike skills

Turning the pedals round and round

text by Jordan Blanco | p h o t o g r a p h y b y s h utt e r st o c k . c o m

n a recent wet Saturday, my husband and I decided to avoid the rain-splashed roads and take our cycling workout indoors. A spin cycling studio, Soul Cycle, is located just down the road and has a reputation for high energy, pumping music and intense workouts. While the class would be a deviation from my triathlon training plan, it seemed like a fun tonic for a dreary day. An hour later, we emerged from the studio with our heads and legs spinning. “My legs have never moved so fast,” exclaimed my husband, in reaction to the high revolution cycling we’d been doing to keep pace with the frenetic music. Indeed, I had clocked my cadence, or revolutions per minute, at close to 140 during the class, much higher than I ever ride outdoors. It started me wondering if there was any benefit to this higher cadence effort. What’s the difference between high and low cadence from a training perspective? What’s the ideal cadence for racing? Firstly, cadence is the number of pedal stroke revolutions per minute you achieve while cycling and many basic cycling computers include the technology these days to spare you from doing the counting! Cadence is also included as a basic metric with power meters, so if you want to focus on cadence, ensure that you have the data readily available.

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Cadence is the number of pedal stroke revolutions per minute you — Jordan Blanco achieve while cycling. Cateye’s Strada cycling computer is an economical option that uses a wired rear wheel sensor to measure both cadence and speed. The next step up would be a wireless cadence sensor included in computers such as Polar’s M450 GPS or

Garmin’s Edge 25. And, as already mentioned, power meters also measure cadence. Your options here vary widely and likely deserve an article of their own! Qarq is a drivetrain based system integrated into the crank spider while SRM is also a crank-based system, both of which offer cadence metrics in their data output. Now that you’re able to measure and track cadence easily, what should you do with that data, and how can you use the information to become a better cyclist and better triathlete? I reached out to Matt Dixon, founder of purplepatch fitness, and coach to reigning IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Tim Reed, to understand how he uses high and low cadence cycling, or “end of range work”, in the context of triathlon training. “While many athletes will gravitate to their most natural cadence when cycling, there’s tremendous value from working the end of the range on cadence to develop strength as well as improve technical efficiency,” explains Dixon.

High Cadence The high cadence work that I experienced at Soul Cycle can help with technical efficiency, according to Dixon, by improving the brain’s ability to talk to the riding muscles via motor programming. “Neuromuscular work develops improved muscle sequencing, conditioning your synapses and nerves to fire at a quicker rate.” The benefit of this enhanced conversation between your brain and your legs is to reduce the physiological cost under a given workload, allowing you to ride for longer. For Dixon’s athletes, he includes intervals at low power and high cadence to achieve this effect.

Sample workout: After a solid 15-20 minute warm-up, include the following inverted pyramid of high cadence intervals. 4x 3’, 4x 2’, 4x 1’, 4x 30”, 4x 1’, 4x 2’, 4x 3’ Ride at Zone 1 or low Zone 2 power but the cadence should be your highest sustainable rpm. Above 100rpm for many but experienced cyclists should aim for 110rpm. 1-minute smooth Zone 2 power/ heart rate at comfortable, steady cadence between each interval.

Note that if you are using heart rate to gauge your effort level, you should expect to see a modest increase in heart rate over the course of each interval as the higher cadence efforts, even with minimal tension on the chain, will create an increase in cardiovascular stress.

Low Cadence At the other end of the spectrum, Dixon uses low cadence intervals, and hill work to develop muscular resilience in his athletes. “This strength endurance work is not only key to maintaining speed later in the cycling portion of the race,” notes Dixon, “but it also allows good running off the bike.” These so-called “muscle tension intervals shift the load downstairs,” explains Dixon, “as the focus is entirely on muscle recruitment and form, rather than high cardiovascular stress.”

Sample workout: After a solid 15-20’ warm-up, include the following 6x 8-10’ Z3 to Z3+ at low cadence (50-60rpm)

You can complete these indoors or on a hill outside with a relatively shallow and consistent grade (4-6%). Focus on the retreating leg, and the 5 to 11 o’ clock part of the stroke, to develop balanced recruitment and great tension on the chain. If you are riding outside, recovery should be taken descending the hill, if indoors, take 3-5’ of easy spinning in a light gear between each interval.

Tension variance Another type of workout Dixon likes to use is tension variance endurance work with a strength workout that includes cadence variance at a similar power. The transition between cadences while climbing allows shifting pedal strokes, muscular recruitment, and a solid platform for beginning to develop increased power in the pedal stroke.

Sample workout: After a solid 15-20’ warm-up, include the following 2 – 4 x 10-20’ intervals, alternating cadence every 2’. 2’ low cadence (50-60rpm) in a bigger gear and 2’ higher cadence (90rpm+) in lighter gear.

Australian Triathlete |

Your Guide to Getting Started t e x t b y k r iss h e nd y | p h o t o g r a p h y b y S h utt e r st o c k . c o m a nd k r iss h e nd y

Ask yourself these 5 questions: 1. Are you always complaining that you’re tight in areas? 2. Do you believe your joints are as mobile as they could be or are you always stiff? 3. Do you have an old injury that still affects your training now? 4. Do you have an ongoing ‘niggle’ that you are ignoring in the hope that it

will go away?

5. Are you confident that your body is strong enough to keep going as you are for

years to come without breaking down?

ound like you? These are the questions that you need to be asking yourself before you even walk into a gym and start a strength program, or embark on triathlon training. By starting off on the wrong foot, at some point down the road you will come unstuck, whether it be underperformance issues, constant niggles/injuries or long layoffs.

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Over the past few years, the information regarding strength training has certainly increased in volume and quality, with many well-known professional athletes/ coaches and publications frequently advertising the use of strength exercises to improve performance. But unfortunately, in the triathlon world, only the minority are actually taking this information and putting it into practice, consistently and consciously.

What’s stopping you from getting started? At first glance, there are the common misconceptions that you will have heard us dispel in the past. For example, gaining muscle mass and increasing the likelihood of injury, etc.. Hopefully, most of you are clued up enough now to realise that it is impossible for you to gain masses of muscle from one or two hours of strength training a week. But we get it. The real day-to-day logistical problems are understandable. These issues include the following: • Time – How am I meant to fit 2-3 specific strength sessions in a week plus all my other training? • Money/ Equipment – Whether it’s gym memberships or kitting out your garage this can be expensive. Let’s face it - you’d rather put the money towards a new bike, a pair of trainers or a race entry.

Training TOOLBOX strength and conditioning

We’ve got the ‘how to’ covered. • Knowledge/lack of guidance – How do I even know what exercises to do? And on top of that, I’ve got to try and convince my coach he needs to fit this into my training week - I don’t want to drop a key session!

Let’s keep it simple and focus on these three areas:

We know that the life of an endurance athlete can be hectic, with every Sunday evening looking ahead to the coming week and carefully, and precisely fitting all your key sessions in around your career, family, and maybe some sort of social life! The Strength for Endurance Network understands these are the barriers that are preventing most of you from starting. Our main focus is to help get you started, because soon enough you’ll realise that the benefits far outweigh the reasons that were holding you back.

Note - Don’t worry if you’ve already started a strength program. That’s great, but just make sure that whatever you’re doing has addressed these three areas before progressing onto to other things.

• Mobility • Activation • Strength

Mobility (Movement) What does this look like? First and foremost - if you move poorly, you will perform poorly. Mobility at your joints is the degree in which they can move before they are restricted by surrounding tissues (tendons, muscles and ligaments).

Mobility - Hip Openers

If you are stiff, tight and lack a full natural range of motion in your body, you will be working inefficiently. This is a problem for any endurance athlete who strives hard to perform faster, and endure longer than their competitors. What you need to do is start moving better away from your swim, bike and run hours. Find a regular movement practice that moves your joints through full range of motion, and challenges your stability and motor control. This could be a dynamic warm up routine or a yoga session.

Mobility - HIP OPENERS: We are simply looking to increase the range of motion and mobility of your hips through some simple hip rotations. The more free and easy these joints are, the happier and healthier you will feel in yourselves and as an offset your performance will increase. If you struggle to do this without holding onto something, take a note, and use a wall or post for support until you have the hip, knee and ankle stability to do it freestanding.

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Activation Why is this important? So, you’re starting to address your mobility. More common than not, you will have started to identify a number of imbalances and weaknesses throughout your body. For example, when mobilising your hip joint through ‘hip openers’ you can stand on one leg, but you wobble all over the place on the other. What isn’t normal is that you ignore these signs. It will be these things that come back to haunt you in the future in the form of an injury. Therefore, ‘activation’ has to be the next key step that you take. You need to start being more aware of, and using the muscles that are currently lying dormant i.e. being lazy. Just think, you could improve your performance simply by recruiting more of your current muscle tissue, which will increase your potential power output on the bike or turnover on the run - we’d call that free speed!

Strength Doesn’t always mean going heavy! The third fundamental step is to introduce forms of exercise that develop and challenge your strength. This might only consist of three or four exercises that will focus on bringing structural strength and stability to your key joints - hips, knees and ankles. To give an example - a bodyweight squat will engage all these key areas at once. Why only bodyweight to start with? Well, for the majority of you just moving into a full range squat will be a challenge initially. So, why run before you can walk? Once you can perform this movement with optimal range and balance through both legs, you can increase the intensity and challenge the joint simply by altering the timing of the squat. Try this: instead of just moving up and down in a squat motion, pause for 2-3 seconds at the bottom before standing up. What you are doing is creating more time under tension and forcing your muscles to stabilise by taking away your natural rhythm of the exercise. By focusing on perfecting these fundamentals of movement you are building the essential foundations, your body will need for future performances. From here you will be able to start performing more complex exercises and start to layer the intensity through weight, speed and duration knowing that your body isn’t going to blow up on you because of an imbalance or lack of technique.

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Activation - Banded lateral leg rises

Activation - Banded lateral leg rise: Applying these types of small range exercises before you train will ‘prime’ the muscles that you generally do not use enough when you train. You have to remember that your body is very efficient - it will always look to conduct given work in the easiest way possible and by using the least amount of energy. These band exercises are a fantastic way of reminding your body to use this musculature too.

Strength - Suspension trainer squat

STrength - Banded lateral leg rise: By using a suspension trainer, you can create a support system that can help you develop all three of your focuses at once. By having the additional support, you will be able to increase the range of motion in your squat and so begin to improve the stability of your joints in their end ranges.

By applying these three starting steps to strength training, you will immediately start to notice an improvement in not only your performance but in your daily health.

Training TOOLBOX strength and conditioning So, what are the real benefits? • Done consistently and consciously you will simply start feeling better in your own body. • As a result of better movement, you will be decreasing the likelihood of injury as those once tight spots will be less likely to ‘pull’ or become strained. • Your efficiency on the road or in the water will increase as you will be able to hold form and technique for longer, and as an offset your performances will improve!

Think you’re ready to get started with these three steps today? The Strength For Endurance KIT gives you the tools to get going right away. We take the stress away from having to decide what to go out and buy and then more importantly what to do with it. Our short but effective session plans let you fit in your Mobility, Activation and Strength essentials around your triathlon training and not ‘instead of’ your training. The small and compact kits make strength training at home, and on the go, easy, affordable, effective and structured.

Keep an eye out for The Strength For Endurance Network Clinics in Melbourne, Brisbane and Syndey in 2017 over at: www.strengthforendurance.com.

Kriss Hendy

Strength & Performance Coach Seeing the need for better athlete education and understanding with regards to Strength & Conditioning for the Endurance Athlete. Kriss works with a variety of athletes from Age Groupers to Professionals, developing programs that support and heighten their endurance performance. Kriss is based in Byron Bay with his wife (Professional Triathlete) Polly Hendy. He has both a local & International client base that use his Online Strength Training Packages.

For further details or to contact Kriss: www.khstrengthandperformance.com Twitter: khendy3 Instagram: @kriss_hendy

Australian Triathlete |

Finding the balance between solitude and camaraderie t e x t b y K a t e e P e di c ini

have come across athletes who come ‘undone’ from training in groups all the time. Conversely when an athlete trains solo the majority of the time - issues can also arise. One of the most common reasons an athlete doesn’t get results, stagnates, over-trains or gets injured is due to a lack of individual specificity. This specificity can be hard to achieve while training in a large group environment, which then leads many athletes to train solo, with a well-designed personalised program. But then after the excitement of this new approach wears off, the athlete’s motivation starts to diminish, they get bored doing long

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| p h o t o g r a p h y b y s h utt e r st o c k . c o m

sessions alone and don’t push themselves as hard when they need to. This scenario can also work in reverse. How do we find the ultimate balance? I find it cathartic to consult with the trusty pros and cons list. (See opposite)

Where does that leave us? Somewhere in the middle. I suggest taking the best of both worlds, depending on your circumstances and needs. To help you find the middle ground I’ve got four strategies that you can utilise:

Find group sessions that work for you, but know the purpose of each session.

Take a look at your program or speak with your coach to find group sessions in your area that suits your location, ability and times. Then choose a certain amount of group sessions per week that will suit your current purpose or focus. During a swim focus, you may choose four out of five sessions to do with a swim squad. During the base phase of building fitness and technique in swimming, you may choose one out of three sessions to do with a squad.

Training TOOLBOX Holistic Endurance Testimonial Kitty “I definitely think a combination of both, especially for me. I need to train very early in the morning and having someone to meet up with makes it a whole lot easier to get out of bed. However, MAF running is something I need to do solo. I don’t always enjoy it, and as coach Katee will know, it’s probably the bulk of my missed sessions. I would much rather have someone to run with but it’s too easy to slip into a pace that’s above my MAF. It helps a lot having training buddies who are happy to go along with anything.”

Testimonial Paul

Training solo

“I think you need a combination of both. Without a doubt training with others provides motivation, so regardless of time or conditions you turn up. Whereas training solo you might delay or miss a session. Other benefits are you learn from others and their knowledge, it’s social and makes sessions more enjoyable. The obvious negative is finding suitable training partners so that both benefit. But you can always find a way - looping back after efforts is an easy way to keep the group together. The hardest things are having similar programmed sessions, a suitable location and time. That often makes it harder. Also, I think we need to remember why we do this and for me it’s mainly enjoyment. It’s easy to get a little less out of a group session but meet new people and maybe help them have a great session.”

Pro’s

Con’s

Able to stick to individual purpose

Hard to keep self-accountable when tired, busy or unmotivated

Get more specificity out of your sessions

Can be unsafe (Running in remote/dark areas)

Ability to choose a start time that suits you - hello sleep ins!

Can provide opportunity to ‘slack-off’ if not mentally primed to push hard

Ability to choose a location that suits you

Lack of social interaction

More likely to stay in relevant heart rate zones or stick to prescribed program from coach/program

Develop mental fortitude and resilience

Less worry or hassle being too fast or too slow for a given group

Can be safer

Training in groups Pro’s

Con’s

Accountability to turn up at a set time

Can be unsafe

Training buddies & social interaction

Training becomes less specific, minimising results

Creates an opportunity to push harder than you would on your own

Unable to train to individual zones/effort required for personal results

Can be safer (ocean swims)

Less flexibility with time and location of training

Getting ‘dropped' or feeling like you are slowing people down can have a negative mental effect

Australian Triathlete |

Find the grey area.

Sometimes training with a group, at their scheduled times is the best solution. To avoid losing your own purpose and ensuring optimal results, put a few parameters in place to make sure you are number one priority.

a. Put your ego away, let others pass you in warm up or cool down when you are preparing your body properly based on heart rate or perceived effort. Don’t tag along with the group in a warm up or cool down “just because”. b. Do your warm up solo before the group starts to ensure you prepare your body specific to your heart rate zones and stability exercises required for injury prevention and optimal output.

Find the right friends!

The ultimate balance between training in a group and sticking to your program solo is finding one or a small group of training buddies. You will want training buddies that support you, are positive, keep you accountable, are of a similar ability and are training for a similar event. At Holistic Endurance we utilise The MAF [Maximum Aerobic Function] heart rate method with our athletes. The MAF method requires many athletes to keep their heart rate lower than normal, and requires athletes to essentially slow down to get fitter - cool huh! Just the other day, a group of our athletes had a friendly competition to see who could keep their heart rate the lowest while climbing a hill. Rather than worrying about getting left behind or being slower, they were all elated and proud at the top of that hill for knowing they stuck to their own purpose, suitable for them to get optimal results, not just for the athlete out in front. We call this #maffingwithfriends - join us!

Be flexible.

Most programs are designed with a certain amount of ‘build’ weeks followed by recovery or adaptation days. If your lifestyle suits training solo, on your own schedule and personalised program but you would like to have social interaction and some fun, then get together for social sessions during your recovery week. Below is an example of how this ultimate balance could look in a weekly program example:

I hope this has inspired you to look at your program and weekly structure a little differently - to reflect on what works best for your lifestyle and fitness needs. As a coach who writes individualised programs I always encourage athletes to let me know what group or squad sessions they would like to do each week so that I can program around these sessions and help set the parameters required for each session to still have a purpose. If you have a coach, jump on the front foot and have a chat to him/her about your needs so you can establish longevity and consistent training patterns. So what’s the best approach you ask, solitude or camaraderie? It depends! ;)

Purpose Monday

Swim Squad (Group)

Motivation to push harder and gain more fitness.

Tuesday

Aerobic Ride (Solo)

Keeping heart rate in correct zone for best results.

Wednesday

Swim Session (Solo)

Technique, drills and cues.

Notes

*Good to invite a training buddy along to these sessions, ideally of a similar ability.

Thursday

PM: Run Hill repeats (Group)

Friday

OFF

Saturday

Brick (Ride with friends. Run

Be accountable to leave work on time and push

*Warm up solo to ensure I look after my

hard on hill efforts.

purpose & still to zones.

Aerobic Endurance specific to event and ability.

solo) Sunday

Long Run

Run on fatigued legs while practising mental resilience and just enjoying nature.

| Australian Triathlete

Training TOOLBOX Janelle “I like training on my own with my own thoughts. I squeeze most sessions into timeslots that don’t impact on kids and work too much. This differs daily and changes constantly so it’s very hard to lock in a regular group session. Motivation is no problem (most of the time) so when I can train I just get stuck in as soon as I can and get it done. Having said that when I can join a running or swimming group it definitely pushes me harder and leaves me buzzing afterwards - it’s fun to chat and catch up with others.

Georgia

More Testimonials

“Personally I’ve never been big on training with others. That being said doing long rides is a nice reprieve. I used to do most of my sessions on my own but also did the occasional group session (mainly swim and run) and always found that I was pushed well beyond my comfort level and way out of my zones. I can appreciate there was some benefit but for the most part it was often too intense and it started messing with my head as I wasn’t improving. If I went back to group training style I would really use the MAF to guide me, while also modifying the session (time or intensity) to suit myself. Sometimes there is great benefit of training with a group or a training partner but for me I can find it challenging as the ‘session’ can often goes out the window. I see group training of benefit only when wanting company or when wanting to push harder.”

Kellie “I have come from a running background and have trained in a group 80% of the time. I struggle training solo. I don’t have trouble finding the motivation, but would love some company on occasions.”

Holistic Endurance

KATEE PEDICINI Katee is a self confessed “Hormone Nerd” with a background in Exercise Science and a passion for Triathlon. She combines her knowledge or physiology, functional anatomy, and testing protocols from her Bachelor of Exercise Science with research from fields of hormonal balance, female reproduction systems and triathlon related studies specific to females to coach and guide endurance athletes, which ultimately led her to penning her book: “Healing The Grumpy Athlete” - Embrace your Hormones and Achieve your Athletic Potential. For more information, www.holisticendurance.com.au

Australian Triathlete |

Key workouts in cycling are typically based on six key areas: 1.

Aerobic endurance

2. Muscular force (strength) 3. Speed endurance 4. Muscular endurance 5. Anaerobic endurance 6. Muscular power

The first three are the ‘basic’ areas and are the focus of the base phase of training. The last three are ‘advanced’ areas and are developed in the build phase. In part one, of this two part article series, I am going to focus on the first three areas. I won’t be discussing the theory behind them as such, but more about what sessions you can include in your training to develop the key areas and how each session helps to make your bike leg stronger. This, of course, should mean you go in to the run leg of a triathlon less fatigued.

Key training sessions to improve your bike – Part One t e x t b y j u l i e t e dd e | p h o t o g r a p h y b y I T U / JAn o s M . S c h m idt

Aerobic Endurance It is very important in any distance triathlon (short or long course) to have a sound base. The aim of this training phase is to fully develop your cardiovascular endurance, and/or improve your aerobic capacity - known as VO2 max. The endurance phase increases your body’s resilience to high volume workloads, and prepares you for the higher intensity sessions that will follow.

Long Course

Base

Build

Race Preparation

15mins easy.

15mins 2-2½ hours of 75-80%mhr or

15mins easy.

1½ - 2 hour.

6/10 cad 85-95rpm BUT include 30

90mins of 15mins @80-83%MHR

Cad 90-95%mhr.

sec burst cad 100rpm+ every 10mins.

OR RPE 6-7/10 /5mins easy.

HR 70-80%mhr or 5-6/10 RPE.

Warm down 10mins+

20mins easy run off the bike.

10mins easy run /10mins race pace

10mins easy run /10mins race

off the bike.

pace /1mins faster than race pace off the bike.

Short Course

15mins easy.

15mins 1 ½ hour of 20mins

15mins easy.

1½ hour cad 90-95.

@75%mhr-10mins hr 80%mhr or

90mins of 15mins @80-83%MHR

HR 70-80%mhr or 5-6/10.

6-7/10 cad

OR RPE 6-7/10 /5mins easy.

20mins easy run off the bike.

85-95rpm BUT include 30 sec burst

Warm down 10mins+

cad 100rpm+ every 10mins. Warm

10mins easy run /10mins race

down 10mins + 10mins easy run

pace /1mins faster than race

/10mins race pace off the bike.

pace off the bike.

Note: Any of these sessions can have a run off the bike. This makes training very time efficient. The suggested run is highlighted in bold, along with the suggested intensity. Each week you should include this type of bike/ride aimed in developing your aerobic endurance.

| Australian Triathlete

Training TOOLBOX coaches corner

Muscular Force Another important area to work on to ensure a strong bike leg, and one many people probably don’t pay enough attention to, is muscular force output and power. Why is muscular force important? Look at force as your reserve gear. This is what gives you a good jump start or acceleration to move past other riders, accelerate out of corners, hit hills strongly, ride into the wind, and generally enable you to cruise at a lower percentage of your maximum force than the riders around you. Much research has shown that cyclists who improve their muscular force improve their overall cycling performance.

Base

Build

Race Preparation

Long and

15mins easy.

20mins easy.

Short Course

30mins of hill climbs.

3x10mins @80-85%mhr or 7/10-

90mins of tempo riding with hill

3x10mins @80%mhr 6-7/10 cad

3mins easy cad80-90rpm.

repeats.

60-cm.

4x4mins HILL efforts or lower cad

Keep hr 78-85%mhr include hills.

Or 2x15mins or 6x 5mins.

60rpm- spin down for recovery (at

15mins warm down.

least 3mins easy). 5x 1mins high cadence super spin/1mins easy.

Speed Endurance In all the distances you may race in triathlon, you must be able to accelerate past an athlete or lift a gear for a period of time. You need the ability to turn the pedals over very quickly. Speed endurance is more relevant for triathletes in that it provides the ability to sustain this speed. Given we are training three disciplines with intensity every week we can include some speed drills without creating a lot of fatigue. Following are four sessions that can be done on an indoor bike (an ergo or windtrainer) or on the road at any part of the training year and are suitable for both a short and long course focus.

NOTE: All sessions require a 30minutes warm up with some builds. Session 1 6-8x (10-second sprint with only one or two gear changes. Wind out the gear before you shift. Go up to 120RPM -2mins recovery between each. Build to 10 or 12 if you’re highly competitive. Session 2 4 sets of 4x30 sec sprint cad 100rpm+/30 sec easy – 5mins after 4. Session 3 30 sec down hill sprint- 5mins easy x 5-8. Session 4 20 sec BIG gear (52/54 x 12-14) sprint- 5mins easy x5-8. Warm down for all sessions: 20mins+

In part two of this two part article series I will discuss the advanced areas of training to make your bike leg stronger.

julie tedde Julie is Head Coach of TRG Triathlon and Multisport, with 20 years coaching experience working with Junior Development all the way through to Kona Ironman athletes.

Australian Triathlete |

How much is too much? Overtraining in young triathletes text by michelle hemley p h o t o g r a p h y b y s h utt e r st o c k . c o m a nd g e tt y i m a g e s

very week (in fact, it’s not a stretch to say every day) I receive emails in my inbox that read a little something like this -

“Hi Michelle, my daughter/son has recently taken up triathlon training, and I am little concerned. How can they balance it all? Is it too much? Do they need to be training every day? How do I balance the three sports? I would love your advice or for you to have a look at their schedule and see what you think.”

| Australian Triathlete

While I would love to sit down individually with everyone and go through their timetable with a fine-tooth comb, I’m sure you can appreciate that is not possible. What I can do is write this article, which will hopefully allow parents to consider their child’s weekly triathlon training choices with some guidance. Following are my top nine considerations for scheduling your child/teenagers weekly triathlon training timetable and deciphering if it is too much or not.

Everyone Is different

The ‘comparison game’ is a concept even adults grapple with. The number of adults I coach who spend excessive energy worrying that their training program has them running four times a week, but, oh my goodness, their friend is doing five! Are four sessions really enough? #panicstations Please do not compare your child to another child. We are all so different in our physiological makeup, stage of growth,

Training TOOLBOX Youth and Junior

The concept of training/athletic age

Your child’s athletic age is how many years they have been participating and training in a certain sport. For example, ‘Swimmer 1’ is a 15-year-old child who has been involved with a swimming club for 2-3 years and has gradually built up to four sessions per week. A jump to five or six sessions per week is not a massive step for ‘Swimmer 1’, and we can assume that after a certain period of adaption, ‘Swimmer 1’ will be able to train at this higher volume safely. ‘Swimmer 2’ comes to swimming from a land-based team sport as a 15-year-old. They would be wise to cautiously approach their training with a gradual build in volume (length of session), frequency (how many time per week) and intensity (how hard they work). As they have a younger ‘swimming athletic age’ than ‘Swimmer 1’, they should not be expected to handle the same volume of training - a focus on technique development before we add big sessions is a must. Note: Insert any sport you like, into the example above, and you will notice that kids come to triathlon from various backgrounds in their mid-teens.

training age (more about that later) and training adaptability. Plus, we all have very different life circumstances and other commitments we must balance. Instead, focus on how your child is coping with their current training load, rather than attending extra sessions because someone else is, or restricting sessions because another child is finding it too much. Try to set a good example for your children. Your children can easily buy into the ‘more is better’ mentality from an early age and worry that they will fall behind in training if a friend is doing more training sessions than they are. Another consideration is your child’s stage of development, and training safely through growth spurts and puberty. For further information, and to read a blog we’ve published on this topic - ‘How to Train Young Athletes Safely’, visit www.hemleys.com.au.

All training is not created equal

When people email me examples of their child’s training week, the examples are typically very general, such as - ‘Monday – Swimming, Tuesday – Cycling’ etc. However, not all training is created equal and will have different energy demands on your child. For example, is the run training session a hard-physical workout or is it mainly drills and technique work? Have a look at the physical needs of each session, assess how much it takes out of your child and how well they recover. As a general rule, high-impact physical training and weight-bearing activity (running) should be separated by at least a day (depending on training age, stage of growth and individual circumstances as discussed elsewhere in this article), and limited to 2-3 sessions a week. Aerobic training, developing cardiovascular fitness, especially when it is a weight supported activity like swimming or cycling, is generally safe to do 5-6 times a week. In fact, there is a large body of research which supports the concept that developing your aerobic fitness in childhood has a huge impact on your lifelong cardiovascular fitness and health as an adult.

Australian Triathlete |

It takes time to adapt

It is true for any age, that when you start a new physical activity or increase your body’s level of training, you can pull up sore and tired. However, unless you are showing signs of an injury developing, this doesn’t necessarily mean you should stop completely. It takes time for your body to adapt to the new energy and physical demands you are asking of it. I have seen so many children come to a morning swim training session once, then never come again because they ‘were just too tired’. If the new training regime is something your child really wants to start doing, then build the training gradually and allow four weeks to see if it is still affecting them as much - it is amazing how quickly young people adapt! Sometimes you just need to stick with something for a period, rather than giving up at the first sign of discomfort.

Consider balance with school sport and other commitments

All schools are different and will have various sporting requirements that need to be balanced with your child’s triathlon training. For example, APS [Associated Public Schools] schools have Saturday morning sport, plus quite a rigorous in-school training regime 2-4 times a week, while other schools might only have a general Physical Education class once a week. Consider your child’s whole schedule. If they are doing cross country training three times a week at school this term, do they really need to attend triathlon run training as well? Or would they be better off resting that evening? Also, think about non-sporting activities and where they fit into the scheme of things. Playing a musical instrument, household chores and tutoring still take energy, even if they are not considered ‘training’. How do they all fit together at the end of the day, and where do your priorities sit? Are you sacrificing one for another? As you can see, you need to look at the week as a whole rather than just needing to fit in ‘x’ amount of training sessions.

| Australian Triathlete

Time for quality sleep, eating and downtime

Teenagers can have a reputation of sleeping late/all day and the fact of the matter is, it is not laziness. It takes a huge amount of energy when the body is growing, and this is the simple explanation of why they need to sleep and eat so much! When you add in increased activity, quality food and sleep become even more important. Make sure they get the sleep and fuel to support how much activity they are doing adequately.

It’s also important to allow downtime - a time for doing something completely different to enable them to switch off mentally. Every spare second does not need to be pre-scheduled with a training session. A balanced athlete equals a happy athlete, which equals a fast athlete.

Is it their choice to train so much?

Is it the child’s choice to train so much or the parents? Or in some cases, is it the coach’s choice? The more the triathlete has buy-in into the amount of training they are doing, the greater chance you have of them staying active as an adult. Ask the kids how much training and sport they wish to do and take this into consideration. Of course, you have the final say as a parent, and you have every right to ‘make’ them commit to activity 2-3 times a week as part of an active lifestyle. There is, however, a difference between setting standards for the amount of activity you wish your child to do for health reasons, and forcing them to train excessively.

Training TOOLBOX Youth and Junior

Warning signs of over-training

The warning signs for over-training are the same at any age, and yes, if you are seeing excessive amounts of the warning signs below, your child is potentially doing too much and may need to scale back their training:

• Increased incidence of illness and injury • Depressed state, loss of motivation • Interrupted/poor quality sleep/ constant tiredness • Irritability/Mood swings • Decreased ability to perform • Falling behind in other activities

Are you seeing warning signs of obsessive behaviour?

People who become top triathletes are often committed, highly focussed, ready to go that extra mile in search of results, motivated by numbers/data and like to control their environment. Similar

characteristics can be shown in people who develop serious mental health, addiction and eating disorder issues. Hence, at times our sport can be a breeding ground for manifesting unhealthy and obsessive behaviours. It is important to keep an eye on anything going ‘too far’ and speak to your child’s coach, and/or an appropriately trained health professional if you are concerned. The quicker you can intervene any potential issues, the better.

Conclusion Nobody knows your child better than you. Take the time at the start of each triathlon season to sit down and discuss what they want to do and how they are going to fit everything in. Use the principles within this article to guide the schedule, monitor how they cope and make changes/seek referrals where necessary. Good luck and remember it is a good thing if your child wants to do triathlon.

However, it’s a sport they can do well into their adult years - they don’t need to be devoting their whole life to the sport at 15. We are in this for the long haul!

Michelle Hemley ‘Michelle Hemley is a leading Exercise Professional and Swim, Run and Triathlon Coach. With over 15 years coaching experience, Michelle has successfully worked with hundreds of individuals of all ages from grassroots to high performance. Michelle is a passionate endurance and multisport athlete who has completed nine Ironman triathlons and she has tertiary qualifications in Sport Science, Physical Education, Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition’.

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

www.hemleys.com.au

Australian Triathlete |

tips & tricks Yoga for Triathletes Part 2

n the last issue of Australian Triathlete I wrote an introduction to the types of yoga that are suited as a supplement to triathlon, and why it is worthwhile to incorporate yoga into your training. I touched on a brief description of the styles of yoga that are likely beneficial for athletes incorporating it into their week. In part two of the article, I will take you through some key poses that focus on the areas that triathletes need to keep loose and strong for injury prevention and ultimately better performance, and wellbeing. Hold each of the poses below for approximately five breaths or up to one minute. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stretch to your limits once you go into a pose. Breathe slowly and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t force it. As you relax, your body will move deeper into the pose but, as you will find, the breath is an important part. Having an instructor who has experience will help greatly.

1. Downward Facing Dog This pose is one of the first you may learn at yoga and is a great one for triathletes for the back of legs and higher back, and into the shoulders. With palms flat on the floor shoulder-width apart, tuck your toes under and press the hips up and back. Straighten the legs and engage the thighs, pressing down through the heels. Relax the shoulders away from ears, open your heart, and extend your spine long, while engaging your core.

2. Upward Facing Dog

2 84

| Australian Triathlete

This pose is great as you stretch the opposite way from all that time bent over the bike. Lying face down, inhale and straighten your arms, rolling over your toes and lifting your chest. Soften shoulders away from the ears. Press through the tops of your feet, engaging the front of your thighs and lifting them away from the mat. Engage your abdominals, straighten your arms, open your chest.

Nick Croft Nick Croft is a former professional and Australian Triathlete of the year. A two- time Noosa Triathlon winner and coach for the last 22 years. Nick coaches athletes of all abilities in his home town of Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine coast and runs Noosa Tri Camps and online coaching through www.mscsport.com.au

3 3. Crescent Lunge From Downward Facing Dog, step the right foot between the hands by the right thumb. Stay on the ball of the back foot, with the right heel over the ball of the right foot, and raise the upper body toward the ceiling. Stack the shoulders over the hips with the right knee at a 90-degree angle. Squeeze the back thigh muscles to the bone and internally rotate the back thigh to keep the hips square. Reach both arms overhead and hook the thumbs. Take your gaze to the thumbs and start to reach up first and then back as you move into a backbend. It is important to keep the pelvic floor lifting, belly button drawing in, and the legs firm as the foundation of the pose, which will allow for a deeper backbend. Hold for five breaths. Come back to centre and release hands to the floor, stepping back into Downward Facing Dog. Then repeat on the other side.

Hip Openers 3 and 4

4 4. King Arthur’s Pose This one is one of the best I have been using for many years. This pose is done at the wall for support and is an intense quad and hip flexor opener. I like to place a folded blanket or mat down on the floor at the base of a wall for padding. Then come onto your hands and knees with the sole of your foot against the wall behind you. Bring your right knee to the base of the wall, pointing your right foot and shin straight up it. Step your left foot outside your left hand on the floor in front of you, coming into a low lunge with your left heel flat and left knee stacked over ankle. Bring your elbows up onto your front knee. Press your hips back toward the wall. As you’re ready, pull your waistline back and begin to lift up through your chest, placing your hands on your left knee and straightening your arms. Lengthen down through your tailbone as you lightly lift your low belly and extend up through your spine. To deepen the stretch, bring your backside all the way back to the wall behind you with the inner edge of your right foot outside your outer right hip before bringing your torso upright. Push weight down through your front heel, as you use your hands against your front knee to press your shoulders back to the wall. If the shoulders touch the wall, extend your arms overhead and press the backs of both hands into the wall.

Australian Triathlete |

tips & tricks

5 Piriformis /Glutes 5 and 6 5. Pigeon Pose This pose stretches the outer hip and glutes and also relieves tension in the deep hip muscles. From the Downward Facing Dog, bring your right ankle toward your left wrist and place the lower right leg on the floor parallel to the front edge of your mat. Extend your left leg straight behind you. You can stay lifted in a backbend or fold forward over the bent right leg. Feel free to place a block (prop) under the front thigh muscles of the extended back leg for support. Hold for 5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10 slow breaths, and then repeat on the other side.

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6 6. Single Leg Bridge Pose This pose strengthens the outer hip and glutes. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-distance apart. Straighten one leg and press your opposite foot into the floor and lift the hips and pelvis up. This trains the outer hip muscles to remain active in the pose and strengthens the muscles around the pelvis. Hold for a three count before relaxing back to the floor - build up to two sets of ten on each side.

Hamstring /ITB 7. Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Use a belt or can use a cord/rope. This pose stretches the hamstrings and the entire line of tissue that runs along the back of the hip, thigh, and calf. Doing a progressive across the body movement as described below and shown in photos makes this neural stretch and is great for the ITB also and gets into the hip. Lie on your back put a strap around the ball of the foot of the leg you are working and extend your leg up. Keep your head and shoulders on the floor and grab the strap with both hands. The non-working leg is lying out on the ground and can also have that foot of the nonworking leg pressing into a wall for support. Once you do the straight up Hamstring stretch, you can gradually rotate across the body at 5 degrees, 45 degrees to just off the floor to increase the stretch in stages. Repeat on the other side.

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Photo: ÂŠ xxxxxxxx

Nutrition for injury recovery: Bounce back to training t e x t b y P e t e r h e r z i g , a p d , A c c sd | p h o t o g r a p h y b y S h utt e r st o c k . c o m

uring September last year, an unfortunate mountain bike accident left me in hospital for three days with a 10cm gash above my right knee (severing my favourite muscle - the VMO), a fractured right thumb and a 5cm cut above my left eye. After an operation to sew up my quadriceps and pin my thumb, I was left with ample time (and an appropriate

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mindset) to investigate optimum nutrition therapy post injury. While my story may be more than your average calf strain during running, we can apply the same principles to more significant injuries. In this article I would like to discuss mechanisms of injury healing and how that may affect what nutrition we need, optimal nutrition post injury, what to avoid and issues with determining energy intake during recovery.

We can break up injury healing into three steps: inflammation, proliferation and maturation/remodelling. While it is uncomfortable and usually results in swelling, the inflammatory process is crucial for your body to remove damaged cells and begin tissue repair. The timeframe for inflammation depends on the severity of the injury and is longer for broken bone (14-21 days), but it is for soft

Training TOOLBOX Nutrition fish (main image): A great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, fish should be included in your diet 2-3 times per week. .

Can we reduce inflammation through diet and is this helpful? The answer to these questions is yes, and more likely when long-term or chronic inflammation is present (post the acute inflammatory stage). There are a number of foods that may play a role in reducing inflammation. These popular antiinflammatory foods include Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), fruits and vegetables (particularly carotenoidcontaining bright orange and dark green cruciferous vegetables), fibre, turmeric and garlic (Franz, 2014; Galland, 2010; Tilg, 2015). Whereas pro-inflammatory foods include saturated fatty acids (SFAs), low fibre/refined carbohydrates and diets with a high Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio (Galland, 2010).

How do we get these foods in our diet?

response and one that more recent research suggests should not to be trifled with. A review article by physiotherapist Dr Bahram Jam questions the use of ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) e.g. ibuprofen. Drawing results from recent research studies that suggest topical cooling (ice) and NSAID use on a recent injury may have the potential to delay healing of muscle tissue and increase reoccurrence of injury (Jam, 2014a, 2014b). Please note I am merely using this as evidence for the importance of inflammation phase. Please take your physiotherapist or doctor’s advice on the best course of action for you when recovering from injury.

One of the most highly praised diets, the Mediterranean diet, is also antiinflammatory. The Mediterranean diet focuses on a high vegetable and fruit content with legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts, olive oil and small amounts of full-fat dairy, meat and red wine. Further anti-inflammatory additions you could make to this diet include black tea and flaxseed (linseed) (Galland, 2010). The consumption of anti-inflammatory foods may also play a role in maintaining functionality of the immune system (Tilg, 2015). Maintaining a healthy immune system is an important consideration for those who may be out of action due to an infection. Those who have ever contracted a staph infection from an old razor know what I’m talking about. However, more research is required in this area.

tissue (approximately three days). In the proliferation phase, collagen is formed and granulation occurs (laying down of new connective tissue and tiny blood vessels). This may take three weeks or more. Finally, the maturation/remodelling stage, which may last two years, allows new collagen to be synthesised and results in the formation of scar tissue.

Why is it important to know this Pete? We often see inflammation, in particular, as a burden. It stops you training, it reduces range of motion and quite frankly - it hurts. But we need to understand that inflammation is a normal biological

The consumption of antiinflammatory foods may also play a role in maintaining functionality of — Tilg, 2005 the immune system. Australian Triathlete |

Training TOOLBOX Nutrition

So how much is ideal? Well again based on muscle building science, we can suggest that 20-30g protein per meal is sufficient to maximise gains (Moore et al., 2009). However, there will be variation between individuals, and those who are bigger/have more muscle to start with may need more protein. Depending on your particular circumstances, you may require between 0.8-1.5g protein/kg body mass, the higher the number, the more serious the injury. Any of the above protein sources listed above can be combined at your main meals to meet these requirements.

How does alcohol affect muscle rebuilding and recovery? One food product that is going to counteract your ability to rebuild muscle is alcohol. While it is easy to think consuming alcohol won’t be a bad thing because you aren’t training, alcohol may reduce protein synthesis, making for a longer recovery time. Furthermore, the interaction of alcohol with certain medications (due to a common pathway of metabolism in the liver) is contraindicated. So save the alcohol for when you have fully recovered!

I know, you are all thinking it: what about supplements? Nutrition research is ongoing regarding isolating specific nutrients, and most of that research would suggest you are better off going to the source for your vitamins and minerals. That is - eating whole foods, particularly your vegetables like mum always told you to do. There is evidence to suggest supplementing omega-3 PUFAs to improve intake (if high omega-3 fish aren’t available) and to improve the omega-3:omega-6 ratio may promote an anti-inflammatory effect (Galland, 2010). Other supplements have some evidence in injury recovery, though when considering supplementation, you always have to ask yourself - 1) is my diet deficient in this? 2) Does my blood test show I am deficient? 3) If so, can I get it from whole foods? 4) Will this affect any medications I am taking? If you are not sure, please ask your doctor or dietitian.

Protein Similar to when we want to increase muscle, we need to have adequate protein to recover from injury. Adequate protein equals adequate amino acids (the building blocks of protein). No, not peptides - no peptides to see here (though peptide links or rather bonds join amino acids together to form proteins). If we have a muscle injury, we need to ensure adequate protein to promote healing. For most Australian’s this isn’t an issue. Though if you are on a restrictive nutrition plan, are vegan or vegetarian, or a large athlete in hospital then you need to take extra steps to ensure adequate intake. Just to recap, good

| Australian Triathlete

Energy requirements

protein sources include lean meat, fish, dairy, legumes, soy products (including tofu), nuts, eggs, and some whole grains have more protein than others. It is likely, as with muscle gain, that spreading protein intake over the day (i.e., over 3-4 meals) will allow better recovery. Research has shown that myofibrillar synthesis rate (or building of new muscle tissue) is promoted by a consistent supply of amino acids (protein) over the day (Areta et al., 2013). Whereas if we consume all of our protein in one meal, a) we can’t use it all for building new muscle (repair) and b) if we are in energy excess, some may be stored as fat. It should be noted that if you aren’t using a muscle (i.e. it is out of action and you can’t move it), its mass will deteriorate regardless of how much protein you throw at it.

We often assume we need less energy when recovering from injury as we aren’t exercising. If you are in hospital and not moving much, then yes, your energy requirements may be lower than a normal rest day when you are working in your day job and completing household tasks. However, we need not underestimate the energy requirements of healing. In fact, the body may require 5-60% more energy than at rest when trying to heal an injury. This is particularly relevant with complex traumas and burns. So don’t cut your food intake right back below a standard rest day, because it is likely that you will need a slightly higher intake to support recovery. As stated earlier for protein, this may mean you will need some extra food if in hospital. So ask for a bowl of fruit instead of the bunch of flowers! I know I hear you - “Pete I don’t want to increase weight when not training.” Weight gain is a common concern, particularly if the injury is debilitating and if you have a

Initial inflammation is important, though we can reduce chronic inflammation in the body by adhering to a Mediterranean diet.

Training TOOLBOX Nutrition

Alcohol: Alcohol counteracts your ability to rebuild muscle.

history of comfort eating. Your first priority post injury is to ensure consistent meal patterns through the day, including protein, carbohydrate and fats (particularly to allow absorption of fat-soluble vitamins). After the first week post-injury, you could go back to a standard rest day meal plan and begin weighing yourself weekly if you are concerned. However, I would suggest focusing on healthy eating and incorporating the foods described above, in the Mediterranean diet. Think about

how good you are going to feel after eating all those vegetables! So, ask for that bowl of fruit instead of the box of chocolates from concerned friends or family. Consider trading up that box of roses for a punnet of blueberries and raspberries, or any fruit that you are more likely to eat.

References

In summary

Jam, B. (2014a). Questioning the use of ICE Given Inflammation is a Perfectly Healthy Response

Initial inflammation is important, though we can reduce chronic inflammation in the body by adhering to a Mediterranean diet. Protein timing and amount is an important consideration for the rebuilding of muscle (when it can be used). Don’t cut your intake back just because you aren’t training, as your requirements may be more than you think. And finally, really focus on doing the best thing for your body, and you may just find you speed up the recovery process.

Areta, J. L., Burke, L. M., Ross, M. L., Camera, D. M., West, D. W., Broad, E. M., . . . Coffey, V. G. (2013). Timing and distribution of protein ingestion during prolonged recovery from resistance exercise alters myofibrillar protein synthesis. J Physiol, 591(9), 2319-2331. doi: 10.1113/ jphysiol.2012.244897 Franz, M. (2014). Nutrition, Inflammation, and Diease. Today’s Dietitian, 16(2), 44-. http://www.todaysdietitian. com/newarchives/020314p44.shtml Galland, L. (2010). Diet and inflammation. Nutr Clin Pract, 25(6), 634-640. doi: 10.1177/0884533610385703

Following Acute Musculoskeletal Injuries. http://www. aptei.ca/wp-content/uploads/ICE-Paper-2014.pdf Jam, B. (2014b). Questioning the use of NSAIDs Given Inflammation is a Perfectly Healthy Response Following Acute Musculoskeletal Injuries. http://www.aptei.ca/wp-content/uploads/NSAIDPaper-2014-3.pdf Moore, D. R., Robinson, M. J., Fry, J. L., Tang, J. E., Glover, E. I., Wilkinson, S. B., . . . Phillips, S. M. (2009). Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr, 89(1), 161-168. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.26401 Tilg, H. (2015). Cruciferous vegetables: prototypic anti-inflammatory food components. Clinical Phytoscience, 1(1), 10. doi: 10.1186/s40816-015-0011-2

Peter Herzig Centred Nutrition was founded by Peter Herzig (APD). Peter is a qualified Dietitian and Accredited Sports Dietitian who also has a degree in Exercise Science. Peter set up Centred Nutrition in Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast to focus on a client centred approach; as there is no one solution in nutrition that will work for everyone.

Australian Triathlete |

Ma & n Ly

o g n h ee c

SErves

Ingredients:

P eter Herzig

• 600g Chicken breast cubed • 1 Tbs grated ginger • 2 Cloves crushed garlic

his is a great cold salad while the weather is still warm, perfect as a long session recovery meal. It does take a little planning (best started the night before), but well worth it. Alternatively, you could eat it hot.

• 2 Tbs lime juice • ½ Tbs canola oil • 1Tbs sweet chilli sauce • 1 Red onion sliced thinly • 1 Mango cubed • ~500g tin of Lychees in syrup, drained • 1 Red capsicum diced • 3 Cups cooked brown rice • 1 Cos lettuce

•

Recipe adapted from Women’s Day Magazine (~1999)

| Australian Triathlete

• ½ Cup chopped coriander

Name

Mango and Lychee

Chicken Salad Dressing • ½ Tbs fish sauce

Method:

• ¼ Cup white wine vinegar

• Marinate chicken, ginger, garlic, lime juice, chilli sauce and oil overnight, or >2hrs if possible.

• ½ Cup light coconut milk

• Cook brown rice (~1 cup raw)

• 2 Tsp brown sugar (optional)

• Prepare fruit and veg as described • Add chicken to a large pan and brown until cooked through. Cool • Combine all dressing ingredients and stir • Stack 3-4 lettuce leaves on each plate • In a large bowl mix chicken, fruit, veg and rice together with dressing, except coriander • Serve salad on top of lettuce and sprinkle with coriander.

Australian Triathlete |

Healthy Weight: Diet vs. Exercise

t e x t b y D r Mit c h And e r s o n | I l l us t r a t i o n b y s h utt e r st o c k . c o m / N i k o l a Kn e z e v i c

he ABC’s Four Corners program exposed a fallacious corner of pharmacy this week, in its first program of 2017. By fallacious, I mean quackery. There are substances being suggested to susceptible patients, or more aptly, it seems from a pharmacist’s view: customers. It seems incredible that sane and rational pharmacology graduates could find themselves at counters, straight-faced, suggesting homeopathic remedies to partner serious maladies. This is the sort of whiplash reality check that causes pause for thought. What do I believe and why? I used to

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believe that digital music was by far the best way to enjoy my favourite tunes. Turns out that spinning Roxy Music’s Avalon on vinyl is far superior to the MP3 version. All it took was a new turntable and a pre-amp, and I was converted. Who knew that I would be happily listening to 1982 tunes on vinyl in the 21st century? So, if vinyl is superior to digital, what else do I need to change about my belief systems? AFL Women’s League is clearly the next big thing, so what else do I have wrong? I have had the pleasure to spend a serious amount of my clinical time not just treating triathletes, but many foot and ankle (F&A) injuries in the regular

population. It’s initiated a re-synthesisation of injury modelling of my non-plastic science brain. It turns out that not all injuries are caused by athletic overuse! Most of the F&A candidates I have seen are simply overweight. It’s a man (or lady) vs. gravity problem. And when I write ‘vs.’ kids, I mean versus not versing! So, their joints are wearing out from an overload, rather than sporting overuse. The problem is that these people are too heavy - gravity is winning the battle. Ground reaction force is the real issue walking is one to two times gravity (so a 70kg person may experience 140kg through a series of joints in response to footfall). This increases to three to four times gravity (up to 280kg) with jogging and six to eight times (~560kg) with all out running. So, I am not suggesting running! As a doctor and physio, my job is to treat the injury, as well as the wider cause of the injury. The injury stuff is easy (in comparison). If it’s an Achilles, there’s a

2. mix of rest, ice, stretching, massage, strength and proprioception training prior to returning to activity. But I need to address the weight problem to prevent recurrence. And the real challenge is causing a lasting, rather than transitory, change to a patient’s weight. Before we continue, it’s worth taking a little look in the mirror. Sure, I have some chunky F&A patients, but they’re not trying to swim, ride and run for hours on end. I see many injuries in my triathlete patients who are simply ignoring their unsuitability for their chosen disciplines (distances). Somatotype (body shape) is a critical predictor of how robust or injury-resistant an athlete will be. That inherent shape should guide your choices for short versus long distance triathlon. If your weight is above a healthy BMI (weight:height, squared), athletes should consider sticking to shorter races in order to prolong their sporting longevity. So, how to attack this problem? Obviously, lose weight. For each kilogram lost, top speed running ground reaction is reduced by six to eight kilograms. I found myself confronted by bewildered faces, as I talked about the amount of exercise required to return to a healthy weight. Linking weight loss and exercise is an intuitive way to attack the energy balance problem. Clearly, the equation needs to seesaw back to hunger: more energy expended than ingested through food. So, increasing energy output through exercise should lead to weight loss? As it turns out, it’s more complicated than that. Weight loss, in particular loss of fat mass, is most successful when combining a dietary and exercise intervention (Stiegler and Cunliffe 2006). But I think this makes life a little too complicated for injured humans. Adding

the rigours of exercise to someone with an arthritic ankle makes hard work of increasing energy expenditure. It dawned on me that simply being hungry is the vinyl of weight loss. If we look back 50-80 years ago, everyone was trimmer - largely due to lack of access to as many calories as we do now. And less sedentary jobs. Can we change our jobs, to increase the amount of energy we expend? Probably not. So, best to stick to the low hanging fruit, which seems to be, simply, getting used to being hungry! De-coupling exercise and dietary intervention isn’t something I found intuitive until I was faced with all these injured patients whose activity capacity was inhibited by pain. The additional problem is that ingesting calories is enjoyable - in stark contrast to being hungry! And when no post-exercise endorphins are available, that and drinking, are the obvious options. So, how to get used to being hungry? It’s not a forever option, but the 5:2 diet is a good choice (five days ‘normal’ eating and two days of restricted calories). This has the two-fold benefit of 1) educating athletes/patients about the energy content of food on their days of low intake, and 2) reminding people that a simple case of hunger will not kill them! Us modern humans are so used to reacting

with distress to hunger and quickly ingest calories to treat the problem. The 5:2 diet provides evidence that hunger can be a positive feeling - in the context of weight loss, it means the diet is working. This reinforcement becomes a positive each day, rather than a negative. I am not suggesting that athletes go off and start 5:2 dieting to improve their triathlon - rather that taking a look at your choices with a coach or a loved one may prolong your sporting life, and prevent you ending up getting a diet lecture on my treatment couch! Train Well, Mitch.

Reference: The role of diet and exercise for the maintenance of fat-free mass and resting metabolic rate during weight loss. Stiegler P1, Cunliffe A. Sports Med. 2006;36(3):239-62.

mitch@shinbonemedical.com @DrMitcha

@Drmitcha

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