Australian Triathlete January 2018 by Publicity Press

January 2018

ISSUE 25.2

Nick kastelein Making waves in long course

6In4side

Swim Special pages

Cervélo and the “é” logo are trademarks owned or used under license by Cervélo Cycles Inc.

2013 Ironman World Champion: Frederik Van Lierde

Cover Story

08 Nick kastelein Making waves in long course AT’s Margaret Mielczarek chats with the rising long course star about is tri career, what it’s like to train with a World Champion, winning an Ironman, Kona and more.

CON T EN T S FEATURES 16 Taking a Chance

32 Tri Products

Jodie Cunnama sits down with husband and pro triathlete, James Cunnama to talk about his beginnings in the sport, his coach, Ironman, Kona and more.

We bring you eight pages of the latest must-have products on the swimming market. From swimwear, wetsuits, racewear to toys and accessories there is something for everyone.

22 Elle Goodall

40 Road Test: Orca Predator and 3.8 Wetsuits

Ironman’s Noel McMahon talks to the age group triathlete about her health and weight loss journey as she heads towards her first Ironman, Ironman Western Australia.

26 #INSPO: Michelle Leister AT’s Margaret Mielczarek chats with inspiring age group triathlete, Michelle Leister to learn about where she’s come from, her fast success in the sport, her Kona experience and more.

Cover: Nick Kastelein Photography: Korupt Vision

| Australian Triathlete

THE SWIM SPECIAL

The Test Lab give us the low down on the latest offerings from the Orca triathlon wetsuit range - the Predator and the 3.8. Find out how these wetsuits fit and perform in the water.

42 Sirius Musings Siri Lindley looks at the psychology of swimming - why do we get so anxious in the water and how to overcome it.

48 So, you want to be a better swimmer? AT’s Margaret Mielczarek dives in at the deep end and discovers what steps to take to become a better swimmer.

56 Swim Program Tri Coach, Mitch Kibby shares his expert insights on swim training and provides a sample swim program for all swimmers to try.

64 Performance Dr Simon Sostaric provides expert insights into the ideal body composition for swimming.

68 Injury Prevention

44 Words with Willy

Physiotherapist, Zac Truner shares his advice on preventing and managing swimmer’s shoulder.

Dan Wilson shares stories on how he mastered marine mechanics.

88 The Swimming Tools of the Trade Pro Triathlete, Sam Betten shares insights on what tools to use in swimming and why.

Editor’s Note

Howdy! T hose who know me or have read my Aus Tri web series, Shenanigans of a Deptuy 2.0, will know how much I love to hate swimming. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the beach, body surfing, body boarding – I love being out in the water. What I don’t love is competitive swimming. Never have. I dread the 4:30am alarm on swim mornings and make every excuse possible not to go to squad. The swim start in a triathlon event makes me riddled with nerves and panicky; swimming in a pack or being swum over gives me anxiety making it hard to breathe … this doesn’t paint a very fun picture, does it? (I promise you, I do love this sport … really, I do). The reason for all of this anxiety is the story I keep telling myself. “I’m too slow.” “I’m not good enough.” “I can’t keep up with anyone in my lane.” “I’m going to be last anyway so what’s the point?” Does this sound familiar? Who’s with me? Well, if you’re anything like me, we have the thing just for you. We are super excited to bring you The Swim Edition - 64 glorious pages dedicated to all things swimming. From Tri Products (pages 32-39) to training plans (page 56). From tips by our columnists (pages 42-47) to advice from our experts (pages 60-94) on injury management, strength and conditioning, cross training, nutrition, body weight, skin care and more - this edition is bursting at the seams! It’s time to dive in and conquer our fears. Because triathlon isn’t just about the bike and the run – it’s about the swim too. And while (as they say) you can’t win

a triathlon in a swim, you can certainly lose it there. So, let’s start loving the swim and who knows? Maybe we can all step on that podium one day. But this issue isn’t just about swimming. We also chat with Nick Kasteleine (page 8), the Aussie pro who trains with World Champion Jan Frodeno, to find out – Who is Nick Kasteleine? We take a look behind the scenes of James Cunnama’s stellar triathlon career (page 16). Brand new age grouper, Michelle Leister, who has conquered her first two Ironman events so far (including Kona), inspires us with her story (page 26). And we speak with inspiring age grouper, Elle Goodall who at the time of printing this edition will have conquered her first Ironman, Ironman Western Australia, in Busselton (page 22). It’s another jam-packed edition. So grab your favourite tea, coffee or sports drink, and get reading! Happy training, racing and everything in between.

Margs (Acting Editor)

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

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NEWS AND Launches

2xU Triathlon Series 2017/18 Victoria’s Premier Triathlon Series is excited to announce their long-term partners 2XU have taken on the naming rights for the series. With this premium partnership comes the next level of event-day experience, plus exclusive access to 2XU product incentives and added value for everyone who participates in any of the six races in the 2017/18 series. Visit 2XU.com for all your training and race-day gear.

Free Event Photos 2017/18

Challenge Family Appoints New Chief Operating Officer Challenge Family announced last month the appointment of the new Chief Operating Officer. Effective 1 November 2017, Mathias Wentorf has taken over this new position created at Challenge Family. In this position he reports directly to Challenge Family CEO Zibi Szlufcik, and is responsible for overseeing the operations of Challenge Family and ensuring the financial viability of all operations. “I’m very pleased to fill this new position with Mathias and I’m looking forward to continuing the successful growth of Challenge Family with him”, commented Zibi Szlufcik. Mathias Wentorf has worked for several years in the energy sector where he has held different management positions in finance and project management. Mathias Wentorf is married and has one son, an is an avid athlete - he participates in marathons and triathlons.

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Elite Prize Money Increase The 2XU Triathlon Series is also excited to announce a significant increase in prize money for both male and female elite participants in 2017/18, thanks to 2XU. There is now a massive $30,000 up for grabs over the six-race series - an increase of more than $20,000 in prize money.

From Triathlon to the Marathon On 7 November 2017 US triathlete, Gwen Jorgensen announced her plans to officially transition from professional triathlon to pursue a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the marathon. “USA Triathlon brought me into this sport, and now I’m incredibly privileged to step away at the top, with an Olympic gold medal. Though my near-future training will be focused on winning gold in the marathon in Tokyo, I will always be a part of the USA Triathlon family and look forward to embracing every opportunity to help grow the sport of triathlon. In fact, I hope this new adventure in running will play a big part in doing exactly that,” Gwen told teamusa.org. We will miss Gwen in tri but wish her all the best as she continues to strive for greatness and we can’t wait to follow News source: teamusa.org her marathon journey.

Last year, the water was tested and free professional event day photos were offered to all participants at Race 1 in Elwood. After hugely popular feedback, the bar has been lifted in 2017/18 - free professional race photos will be offered to every participant across all six races in the series. Photos will be easily accessible via a link that will be sent in the post-event email, the week following each event. Don’t forget to tag the series using @2XUtriseries on your social media.

We are excited to announce our long-term partners 2XU have taken on the naming rights for Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premier Triathlon Series. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a first-timer or series veteran, participant or spectator, the all-new 2XU Triathlon Series is the ultimate summer race destination.

$30,000

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Up for grabs for male and female elites over our six-race series

If you personally enter 3 or more races in one transaction

Race 3 St Kilda 14 January 2018 | Race 4 Elwood 4 February 2018 Race 5 Portarlington 18 March 2018 | Race 6 St Kilda 8 April 2018

www.2XUtriathlonseries.com.au

who is kastelein? When you think back on the year that was - 2017 - what will you say? Will you be happy and content with a year well spent? Or will you be disappointed by opportunities missed or passed up, and goals not achieved? One athlete who can contently look back on 2017 with pride is Nick Kastelein. He has had a stellar year – second to his mentor and training partner, Jan Frodeno at Ironman 70.3 Barcelona, a win at Ironman Switzerland and an appearance at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. AT’s Margaret Mielczarek chats with the rising long course star to find out – who is Nick Kastelein? photography by korupt vision and Oriol Batista (@oriol_batista)

Australian Triathlete (AT): Let’s start here – if you were to use just three words to describe yourself, what would they be? Nick Kastelein (NK): Resilient, happy, hungry (for food). AT: Ha! ‘Hungry’, I love it. ‘Hungry’ should be every triathlete’s middle name (laughs). OK, tell us a bit about your story. What was life like prior to triathlon? Were you always into sports? NK: I was that kid who tried every sport. I was never any good at them but I’d give them a go. I am one of four children and my poor parents would spend their afternoons and weekends driving us around so we could play all types of sport.

AT: You grew up in Mudgee, NSW. What was it like growing up in a small town? What were the sporting/triathlon opportunities like? NK: I loved it. Mudgee is a small place so you almost need to make your own fun… especially when growing up. Maybe that’s why I started doing sport because there wasn’t much else going on. Sport is a big thing in Mudgee but on a small scale. We don’t have the big facilities or opportunities that others may have in the bigger cities so you really need to make your own luck if you want to do well in sport coming from a smaller town.

AT: How and when did you discover triathlon? At what point did you decide to try your hand at International Triathlon Union (ITU) racing? Tell us about that. NK: My first triathlon was when I was nine years old - 75metre swim, 4km bike and 500metre run. It seemed like an unachievable distance at the time (laughs). Due to the funding and development pathways in Australian triathlon, ITU was the only option. There is no pathway for an 18-year-old to start Ironman! This is a good thing if you think about how crazy Ironman racing is at a young age.

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Australian Triathlete |

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AT: How many years did you race ITU? NK: I “raced” ITU for four years but never felt the love for shorter racing. Maybe it was because I wasn’t good enough to mix it at the top level? I’m sure when you are the person inflicting pain, it’s a lot more enjoyable. AT: Let’s explore that for a moment. Why do something that you don’t love? I also understand that you joined the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) at one point too but disliked it. Why? When did you realise that ITU was not for you? What was it about ITU that you disliked? NK: When you become more involved in something, you begin to see how transparent everything is. With the exception of the athletes I trained with, there was nothing I liked about the VIS. In my mind, I pictured this professional organisation striving to achieve the best in our sport. Instead, it was a school playground full of gossip and disjointedness. When I stopped progressing in my results and my own personal improvement, this is when I knew I needed a change. AT: Then you find yourself at a crossroads – jump ship to long course or quit the sport and pursue a career in Exercise Science. What happened next? NK: It was basically a sink or swim philosophy but I always knew I would enjoy Ironman racing better. And in circumstances that you couldn’t plan any better, I moved to Girona and met Jan Frodeno coincidentally. He reignited my passion for racing and training! AT: That’s exciting! Talk us through how you met Jan. Describe that experience (I imagine it would be pretty awesome meeting someone like Jan!). NK: We met at the local pool in Girona, in 2014. I was already swimming laps at the time when I saw him walk in with his wife, Emma. Of course, I knew who both of them were but in typical Jan fashion, he jumped in my lane and introduced himself to me. He suggested we do some swim sessions together and of course I wasn’t going to refuse. Although, it did seem strange that this gold medalist would want to swim with me (laughs).

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AT: You and Jan seem to have a great relationship and a strong bond. Was it always like this or did you have to build trust/the relationship? NK: We are like brothers. Of course building a relationship takes time but we got along well from the beginning. He was happy to share training tips and I was more than happy to listen to every word he said. It’s still the same more than three years later! We do share a similar sense of humour too so I think this goes a long way when we are spending so much time together. AT: Training with Jan (and he’s also your mentor) – how did that all come about? NK: If you’ve ever met Jan, you will know how genuine he is. He was quick to take me under his wing and point me in the right direction. I don’t think its something you can plan. Our training “partnership” is like any friendship. You can’t force it. It just kind of happens. You have to get along and be able to tolerate each other when training reaches a breaking point and you are both tired and frustrated.

AT: Jan must have seen potential in you and thought you would make great training partners. Why do you think that is? What was it, do you think, that made Jan accept you into his inner circle? What is it that makes you such great training partners? NK: Jan saw potential in me that not many other people saw from a long time ago. We understand each other’s needs, lifestyles and thought patterns. We understand when the other is feeling tired without having to say anything. At the end of the day, it comes down to personalities and being able to get along day after day, year after year. But to this day, I still appreciate very much what he has done for me. AT: What’s it like to train with Jan and to have Jan in your corner? Do you feel you’re at a bit of an advantage being mentored by a World Champion? And coming second to him at Ironman 70.3 Barcelona, with him waiting at the finish line must have been phenomenal…

/BextersAUS

@bexters_AUS

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NK: It is still unreal to be able to train with him. It is a great confidence booster because the guy has accomplished everything in our sport. Generally speaking, what he says is almost law. You cannot argue with a champion’s training methods and that is something you can take great confidence from. My second place at Ironman 70.3 Barcelona has to be one of the greatest moments in my sporting career. Sharing your accomplishments with a good mate who has been there for every moment of the journey is something that money can’t buy - I owe that result to him! I do truly believe he was happier for me that day than his own victory. AT: What’s the greatest piece of advice that Jan has given you to date? Does he give you any pep talks before races? How does he drive you? NK: He gives me pep talks every day! And every day I listen to them and remember them as best I can. He never stops giving

| Australian Triathlete

me advice and I am always happy to receive it. The greatest piece of advice he has given me is: “Always leave one bullet in the chamber.” Meaning - never go all out in a single session. Jan is a very outspoken guy and his attitude towards life, training and racing is something that can drive any professional. AT: Do you give Jan any advice in return and does he listen? NK: I do give advice but the advice I give is usually his own advice that I am retelling him (laughs)! Not sure if he ever listens to it though. AT: Describe your typical training day – describe a day in the life of Nick. NK: My day consists of an 8am (Spanish time!) swim, ride around lunchtime and a run in the evening. It’s not actually that exciting. The hardest part comes when fatigue starts to accumulate after doing the same thing for weeks, if not months, on end.

AT: Let’s go back to Ironman 70.3 Barcelona for a second. Talk us through that race. How did the day unfold for you? Talk us through racing with a broken collarbone… An Ironman/ Ironman 70.3 is tough at the best of times but to race with a broken bone and to finish second – amazing! NK: It sounds a lot better than what it was. In actual fact, it was a stupid mistake on my behalf that had consequences. The race itself was relatively stacked for an Ironman 70.3. Many legends of the sport were lining up so my expectations weren’t too high. The race was going well with [Bertrand] Billard off the front, and Jan and I chasing. I was a little too excited coming into the last corner before T2 and slid out breaking my collarbone. I immediately knew something bad happened because I couldn’t use my right arm at all and actually lift my saddle onto the bike rack in T2. I was in such disbelief because I was in such an amazing position and I almost ruined my race completely.

I realised something was seriously wrong but the pain was bearable, I made the decision to dig deep because it would be the last time I would race for a while. AT: Then just eight weeks later (after Barcelona and a broken collarbone) you went on to compete at, and win Ironman Switzerland. How did you manage to recover so quickly? Eight weeks seems like a pretty tight turnaround… How did you modify your training to allow proper recovery and rehab while at the same time ensuring you are ready for the Ironman? NK: When you are put in a situation like I was, you find ways to adapt and motivate yourself. I started to appreciate being able to ride for one hour or run for 20 minutes - I made the most out of these sessions. Swimming was the hardest to start again purely because I needed to allow the bone to mend without loosening the screws in my shoulder. I worked every day with our physiotherapist, Albert - sometimes twice a day. It was super frustrating because half your day is spent on a massage table or doing simple movement exercises. Albert was amazing along with many other friends who were there every day when I needed them.

I started the run hoping that the pain was bearable enough to make it to the finish. It was only when I moved it that I got shooting pains in my shoulder. I nursed it the entire time but was unable to really swing my broken arm. The difficult thing was reaching across my body to collect fluids from the aid stations (laughs). After

AT: Did you have moments of doubt? How did you deal with interrupted training, mentally and emotionally? Talk us through that. NK: I never had moments of doubt because I was still riding the high of my second place at Ironman 70.3 Barcelona. Although, mentally being injured was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to deal with. You never realise how hard it is until you experience it for yourself. My piece of advice: if you ever have a friend or training partner who is struck with an injury or illness, do your best to support them because the support can go a long way. AT: Great advice. OK, so you went on to not only compete at Ironman Switzerland – you won! Talk us through your race that day. NK: Ironman Switzerland was a very special day for me. A lot of people were there just for me - sponsors, family and friends. I had a plan and was fortunate enough to be in a situation where I could execute it exactly as we talked about before the race. It was a race where I wasn’t in it to participate or even to just finish. I wanted to race it. And race I did. And with that attitude alone, the result followed.

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Good mates: Let’s face it ... who wouldn’t want a training partner like Jan Frodeno!

AT: You capped off your amazing year with an appearance at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. I understand that your Dad raced at Kona (the first time being in 1996). What did that mean to you going to the Big Island to compete yourself this year? NK: Both Dad and I sat down before the race and spent a moment reminiscing. We talked about 1996, which was my Dad’s first time racing Kona. I was eight years old at the time. Fast forward to 2017 and I was there for the first time racing as a professional. It is a sport that is deeply engraved into our family. To have Dad, and the rest of my family there was extra special. AT: What were your goals and expectations going into Kona? Did you achieve them? NK: I had quite high expectations leading into the race; goals that I would only really share with training partners and close family. I was far from reaching them and it is difficult to digest my race. But that is why I love this sport. If it were easy, then it wouldn’t have the same appeal. I’ll be back and better prepared next year. Australian Triathlete |

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Kona fields 2017: Training had been going well leading up to the big dance but unfortunately things didn’t go to plan on race day.

AT: What was the journey to Kona like? What did you learn? NK: The journey was incredible. Even though it was my first year racing, I have been to the island with Jan for the two previous years. I saw him prepare and execute - it is something that I am always observing. To list the things that I learned would take some time (laughs). AT: Fair enough. OK, onto your Kona experience. Talk us through your whole experience and how your race day unfolded. NK: I was so nervous - it was almost uncontrollable! After a few hundred metres I settled into the front of the pack with only one swimmer ahead. Moments later, Jan and I found each other swimming side by side and at the head of the main pack. We stayed that way for the entire swim. This was a very cool moment to share and something you can’t plan. I exited T1 in fourth and tried to settle into a long day. From the beginning, the ride seemed so much harder than it should have been. I kept losing one or two places to riders behind - but still staying in the lead group. I was suffering from the first kilometre! Once we hit the rolling hills and being so far back in a big group, the whiplash and pace change got to me. You are riding for one minute at super high power, and then freewheeling to make sure you stay out of the drafting zone. It’s not what I had prepared for and after

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yo-yoing for so long, I reached breaking point - my legs and body couldn’t handle anymore. I continued to ride at a realistic power but it was a steady decline after that. I had exhausted myself. And to be honest, I was so disappointed with myself and so ashamed that I couldn’t roll into T2. I am happy that I left everything on the road but disappointed because I wasn’t even close to the level of competition needed to be competitive. I ended up giving my chip to an official and that was it. AT: That must have been so tough. But overall 2017 has been a stellar year for you! What are three factors that make you successful in long course triathlon? What is it about long course that you love and how does it differ from ITU? NK: Consistency, commitment and enjoyment. I love the old school approach to long course training but with a hint of technical stuff in there too. ITU and long course are two completely different sports in my eyes. One is explosive, unpredictable and technical, the other is the complete opposite. AT: What’s next for you? What are your plans for the future? More Kona? NK: Holidays! Switch off for a bit. Do some different types of training – mountain biking, hiking and maybe even skiing. After that, I’ll sit down with my coach and look at the year ahead. But yes, more Kona!

Fun Facts: One thing you can’t live without … my local barista If not triathlon … trail running When not training … exploring A guilty pleasure … peanut butter cups Bucket list race … Alpe D’huez Triathlon Athlete you admire … Connor McGregor Person/people that inspire/s you … Mum and Dad Most embarrassing moment in training and racing … Sleeping in for my flight from Girona to Los Angeles earlier this year, missing Ironman 70.3 Oceanside! When I say Kona, you say ... Queen K

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istory classes were always filled with bloody tales of epic battles, heroes and villains, revolutions and conquests; the Nazis; Communism; the Holocaust. History was certainly dramatic, but it always felt slightly removed - it placed a comfortable measure of time away from us, not to feel overly affected. Few of our grandparents, who lived these tales, remain with us and as time goes on our emotional connection to atrocities lived by our ancestors dampens.

| Australian Triathlete

We are not though, disconnected from history. We live it. Events in our lifetime will be taught in the classrooms of our own grandchildren; the race riots of 1960s America; the rise of Isis; North Korean armament. My husband has touched a part of recent history more shocking than most. He was born into apartheid South Africa. Apartheid was thankfully demolished in the early 1990s but the effects and repercussions of such exploitative and

marginalising legislation live on. There are still racial tensions, massive political concerns and huge government corruption. There are still racial quotas set for employment, for sporting representation and for government funding. Apartheid has shaped South Africa and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s people beyond measure - and still does. The united South Africa still sees in black and white. Most South African people suffered in some way during apartheid. Sportspeople paid a huge price for their governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

actions. The world sanctioned South Africa, banning their participation in any international sports event between 1964 and 1995. For 28 years, apartheid crippled South African sport. Twenty years on, free South African athletes shine in the world’s spotlight. Their accolades reach far beyond any funding or support granted them. There is no sustained ‘World Class Performance Program’ (GB), or ‘AIS’, in South Africa to speak of - what provision there is, is

inadequate. Athletes routinely pay to represent their country on the world stage - coaches often drop out of sport due to lack of finance; bureaucracy too often drowns development. James Cunnama is the fastest Ironman athlete ever from Africa (7.51.02 at Ironman Frankfurt in 2017). He has finished the highest of any South African ever in the Ironman World Championship (fourth in 2013). He has won Challenge Roth (2012), Embrunman (2016), Alpe Du Huez (2010/2016), the inaugural Ironman Hamburg (2017), Ironman Florida (2010) and medalled at multiple Ironman 70.3s across the world. Currently, on a winning streak in 2017 with wins at Ironman Hamburg, Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote and Ironman 70.3 Weymouth, my husband has proved himself a contender for the Ironman world title in 2017. I grab him for a chat about his past, his present and his future in triathlon. “I don’t remember much. I had a childhood. It’s the only childhood I know, so I can’t say what was weird about it. But in hindsight, I guess I was in a weird situation - no international sport, no black people in my school, a country on the edge of civil war … But I was not yet seven-years-old when Mandela was released in 1990; I turned 11 on the day of the first democratic election, which ended apartheid - on 27 April 1994. In 1995 South Africa was back on the world sports stage, winning the IRB Rugby World cup and in 1996 competing at the Atlanta Olympics. I hardly registered that this was a huge shift in the sporting world of South Africa. My dreams of world domination had hardly begun, so I never faced the possibility of politics ruining them … Well, I still do, but different politics …”

“I think I was very young when I envisaged a career as an ultra-runner. I grew up watching Comrades start/ finish in my town, and training with Comrades runners (albeit not elite runners in any way - picture bellies and shuffles mostly …). I dreamed of emulating Bruce Fordyce’s accomplishments. I don’t know why that particularly appealed to me, maybe it was the biggest sporting event I knew of, maybe just the proximity of it. But I soon found I had a propensity to run far - the further it was, the better I was compared to my peers … Looking back now, maybe that was a self-fulfilling prophecy in that I wanted to be good at long distances, or maybe it was just a meeting of talent and opportunity …”

The long absence from international presence meant that young South Africans, like James, had no native role models to emulate in international sport. That allowed domestic competition to draw a higher amount of focus. The feats that home racers, within South African

Looking back now, maybe that was a self-fulfilling prophecy in that I wanted to be good at long distances. — James Cunnama

competitions, achieved were more recognised and supported. Adoration of endurance events like the ‘Comrades Marathon’ (an ultramarathon of 89km), and the ‘Dusi’ (120km river paddle), mushroomed during the apartheid era. Furthermore, when winners of these races, like Bruce Fordyce, used their notoriety as platforms to protest the regime their influence reached far wider than sport. The Comrades marathon cemented a place in South African political history. While the rest of the world’s children projected their dreams towards winning the Olympics, the World Cup or the World Championship, winning ‘Comrades’ was all James Cunnama ever thought of.

James Cunnama

Challenge Roth: James taking top spot back in 2012. Australian Triathlete |

Kona 2017: James had an amazing race on The Big Island this year, finishing in fifth position.

The ‘talent’ that James speaks of is ridiculously abundant. Historically, I have difficulties with the premise of that word - that talent is a ‘gift’ and not something that encompasses much dedication and commitment to developing. With James - watching him run track, timing his splits and knowing his training history, his ‘gift’ is undeniable. Our upbringings within sport sit at polar opposites. I joined a structured program with coaches and development opportunities from the outset. I trained more than twenty hours a week from the age of thirteen. James didn’t train at all - he went jogging with a bunch of oldies before school. If he felt like it. “I think what drew me to the sport was the simple pleasure of it. I used to run early in the morning, before school with my mum’s Comrades training group. We’d run from a different person’s house four mornings a week, and they’d pick a route, usually off road, through

| Australian Triathlete

forests. It was a good way to start the day. We’d end with tea and cake at the host’s house… making it an even better way to start the day for a growing boy…” As a teen, I raced multiple times across a weekend, gallivanting across the UK from cross-country to gala, to award ceremony. James rarely raced and spent his weekends cavorting outdoors with his brothers. He went to parties and he played. He went on school trips and he broke bones. “I grew up on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg and was a few hundred metres to the endless pine plantation forests (this pine gradually changed to gum plantations - a tragedy as far as I’m concerned…). These forests went pretty much forever, and we used to use them a lot - walking dogs in wellies when young, running, riding mountain bikes, going on long hikes.”

In fact, James knew nothing about triathlon until 2005 - when Ironman South Africa first came to his University town of Port Elizabeth. Still running, still loving sport and excited by the event, James signed up as a volunteer to help the following year. The next year, having quizzed racer Steven Bayliss about his training and lifestyle, James raced as a professional. In 2008, after finishing a distant 10th in the professional field, so chuffed from the result, James managed to extrapolate that he had real potential. He had heard that Brett Sutton was a ‘good coach’ and so he mailed him. He wrote to him saying he wanted ‘to win the Ironman World Championship’. When I joined Brett Sutton I was already ITU World Long Distance Champion, I had medalled at World Cups, been to the Olympics and raced at a good international level for 10 years. Brett put me on ‘trial’. I was still on ‘trial’ when I won the Ironman 70.3 World Championship.

James Cunnama

at each other. Brett was mad because James hadn’t won, James was mad because Brett was mad he hadn’t won and I was mad because, a fourth place in Kona, when ‘sick as a dog’, should be acknowledged for the accomplishment it is - at least not desecrated for a few weeks after. We all fell out without saying much at all.

“I don’t think many coaching relationships, like actual relationships, end well. It is personal. It has to be. So, when it breaks down, it hurts. Both sides. After 2013 Kona (where I came fourth) Brett and I fell out. Actually, I think the falling-out started much earlier, and I was hurt by it. I probably took it way too personally.

James did one track session and blew up completely, Brett took him on. “I think from the first contact we clicked. I had a certain cockiness, he had a blunt, to-the-point honesty. As harsh as it sometimes was, I liked that. We never really clashed, not like so many other people I have seen come and go through his coaching over the years. We understood each other and got to work. I guess it is that simple. Soon the results started coming and that cemented my trust and confidence in him as a coach.” James and Brett’s relationship is a strange thing. They share an understanding and respect rarely seen between coach and athlete. They communicate without saying much at all. James is the only athlete I have ever seen be more cross at Brett than Brett is at him. In 2013, however, after James’s highest placing in Kona (fourth), we were all cross

“But Brett and I never achieved our goal. We never reached the best that our combined forces could achieve. There was unfinished business. While I had some success away from Brett, even winning some events, I didn’t manage to win under his guidance, I wasn’t getting the best out of myself. And time was ticking on my career. Jodie kept in contact with him throughout (despite also leaving his coaching) and she instigated the move back to Brett. Jodie, Brett and I all wanted the same thing - me to be at my best. So, the hatchet was buried and we got (back) to work.” James hadn’t spoken a word to Brett for three and a half years. I had forgiven our history (although I am still quite mad at him for training Ryf to beat me at the Ironman World 70.3 Championship in 2014) and we communicated a little, more as friends than anything else. Brett guessed I was pregnant early on and wanted the best for our family, a family, he, after all, had introduced and encouraged at the very beginning. James rejoined Brett in May.

CAn run: Since rejoining coach, Brett Sutton, James is back in top running form.

The plan has worked so far. Whether it’s the training, the coaching, the baby’s imminent arrival, or all three, James is winning almost everything he races and is back to running 2.40 marathons while doing so. It’s a tricky thing for both an Australian or a South African male to back down. James is very far from the ‘Saffa’ stereotype, but if there is one trait he does exhibit, it is his stubbornness. When Brett and James finally reunited it served to highlight the significance of family, for both of them. The future now transcended the arguments of the past. The motivation for results takes on a whole new meaning with a new baby to support and a wife on maternity leave. Our professional sports life revolves around relationships and memories as much as any other sector of life does. Sport provides us with a platform to better ourselves, to challenge our beliefs and review our priorities. Those challenges, in turn, transform into our biggest accomplishments in life.

James knew nothing about triathlon until 2005 - when Ironman South Africa first came to his University town of Port Elizabeth. — Jodie Cunnama Australian Triathlete |

James Cunnama

Carpe diem: James has seized every day and every opportunity, and has created opportunities that have enabled him to chase his dreams, and to live them.

opportunities and then seized them with both hands. I’ve seen lots of peers fail with far more talent and opportunity than I ever had…” I too am proudest of James for prioritising our family in difficult circumstances. He has more than ‘stepped up to the plate’, with me stuck on the sidelines in pregnancy. It hasn’t been easy - we have both made big sacrifices this year. We have spent more than half my pregnancy on different continents, both working ferociously in different ways, to make it work. As I sit in my prenatal classes alone, amongst the supportive partners of the

I am most proud of simply being a professional athlete, chasing my dreams and living them. — James Cunnama 20

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other mothers, I rest safe in the knowledge that sometimes the most important kind of support is to be absent, to miss out, to try the extraordinary. We took a chance this year on sacrifice, perseverance, confidence and trust, and it worked out. Even if it hadn’t, I hope if nothing else, we have learnt to teach that lesson to our son.

“I am most proud of simply being a professional athlete, chasing my dreams and living them. That sounds all gushy, but I took risks and made it work - I passed up doing Sport Science Honours. After uni, I took a job where I could train (and learn) at the expense of big career possibilities, and then when the opportunity presented itself, I went all-in, quitting my job and leaving home (and SA) for six months at a time, living hand-to-mouth until I made some money. Maybe I was lucky - certainly, some luck was involved - and maybe it was just youthful confidence, but in sport, I am most proud of how, on the smallest sign of promise, I created

Family man: Above all else, James knows where his priorities lie - with his family.

Sunday 22nd April 2018, St Kilda

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Elle t e x t b y N o e l McM a h o n / I r o n m a n | p h o t o g r a p h y b y E l l e g o o d a l l

hen Queenslander Elle Goodall crossed the finish line at Ironman 70.3 Cairns she was greeted by her two very happy and relieved parents, Paul and Julie. Happy that they had just seen their daughter accomplish one of her amazing personal goals but more so relieved that they still had their daughter in their lives. For Elle, the race was another part of her incredible journey that had seen her rediscover herself and turn her life around, incredibly losing more than 115kg in the process. “Two years earlier my parents thought they were going to lose me, so to have them there to watch me was a huge deal for me. The finish line was incredibly emotional and, both mum and dad were

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crying. Dad looked at me and I have never seen him look at me like he did. All he said to me was - ‘You are alive and you have just done a half ironman. Your mum and I were preparing for the worst and look what you have just done. I am just so proud of you’. He had never said that to me before, so for him to express that meant so much to me.” In 18 months Elle has totally transformed herself physically but she believes her story is really about the process of rediscovery and proving that anything is possible. “I don’t call my story a weight loss story because it is more about living a healthy lifestyle. I had surgery, so weight loss was going to happen but that is not a big part of my story. My story is about where I have come from and, how dedicated and

determined I have been and that I am about to do an Ironman. “The message I want to get out to people is find something that you are passionate about, that you are going to love. It doesn’t have to be triathlon - it could be anything. The weight loss will come with you making little gains and as you get better with the sport that you are doing, eventually the weight will start to fall off.” “Live a healthy lifestyle and get outside and do stuff. See the world because it is such an amazing place when you are not sitting on the couch watching TV. Anything is possible and that is the bottom line of what I am trying to say to people. You can do anything you want to do. You just have to put your mind to it and be 100 per cent dedicated to it. It is not going to be easy and if it is easy you are not doing it right,” she stated. Born in a little town called Motueka on New Zealand’s South Island, Elle moved to Cairns at the age of six and quickly became a Queensland kid, getting heavily involved in the swimming scene and competing at State Level as a breaststroker. “When I was a kid I was always an incredibly determined person. Even in swimming. I started off in learn to swim but I would look over and see the big kids in the big pool and I was determined that I wanted to be there. I worked really hard to get there but that wasn’t good enough I wanted to be in the top squad. I was always incredibly determined.” Leaving school Elle was employed in the local tourism industry and loved her life working in the natural beauty of Tropical North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. “I am what you call a Coxswain or a captain and I used to drive boats for a living after school. I drove reef boats and I was working on Hamilton and Brampton Islands and used to take jet ski tours, drove ski boats and taught people how to sail - all the fun stuff. At that point, I was still very active. The last island I worked on was Hamilton Island. After that, I was back in Cairns where tourism was taking a very big hit.” “When I couldn’t find work back on the boats, doing what I loved, I ended up in an office job with Queensland Health. That was where I quickly started to stack on the weight. I just started to get a little bit down on myself and I started to lose who I was - that was where it all started. Getting an office job right above a chocolate factory didn’t help. I wasn’t happy and wasn’t feeling great. I really lost myself - I lost the drive.” Her loss of drive was shadowed by a steady increase in weight, which peaked at

Elle Goodall 184kg and brought with it a whole range of health, emotional and lifestyle issues. “Life was incredibly difficult, I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t tie my own shoes, I couldn’t walk 100m without having to sit down and have a rest. If I fell over I couldn’t get back up, which was very embarrassing. For me back then that was normal. Sure, it was embarrassing but it was my life and how I was living. I was in a really bad frame of mind.” “I spoke to my doctor and he made me hop on the scales. It read ‘error’ because I was too heavy. I hadn’t realised I had gotten to that point and I said to him, ‘What do these scales go to?’ He said the maximum was 150 kg and I went, ‘Far out, I am heavier than that.’ He looked at me and didn’t say anything. We went in and hopped on the industrial scales and it read 184kg and I was just in shock. He made me do a whole bunch of tests for diabetes and that sort of thing. He came back and said, ‘If you don’t do something about this you are going to lose your life before you turn 40’.”

“I didn’t know what to say. I had to have a conversation with my family. I am a real family person and I love my parents and my life so I had to get on the phone and tell them. I had never heard my mum and dad crying before but both of them were in tears and really concerned. I had diabetes and I wasn’t in a good way, I was really sick. At that point, hearing my parents cry, I just knew that something had to change. It really did because I wasn’t going down a very good path.” “That would have been January 2015. I really think that was the point where ‘Elle’ came back. That was where I found myself again and started to get that drive. I don’t know where it came from, it kind of went on holidays and for some reason it was back and I was determined to make this change - a change for good.” Elle’s journey of rediscovery started with the more traditional approaches to weight loss but it quickly became obvious to her that she would have to find her own path, which eventually included surgery,

OPENING IMAGE, left PAGE, INSET: On 7 February 2016 Elle completed one of her first runs. In pain and short of breath, she struggled to run for more than 20 seconds at a time. Above: Elle is very social media savvy, documenting her journey from her first tentative steps towards health, to the amazing success she has achieved today!

discovering her love of triathlon and an intense desire to train the house down. “I tried pills, shakes, everything! They worked for a little bit and I would lose a little bit of weight on them but they are just not maintainable and something you can continue to do. I have been offered endorsements for shakes recently but it is not something I agree with. If people want to lose weight I don’t think telling them to have a weight loss shake is how you do it; especially someone who is addicted to food - that was my thing. You can’t just take food off me and give me a shake. That is not going to work. I am not going to keep doing that because I hate it. You have to love what you are doing.” “I actually said no to surgery the first time my doctor recommended it because it is such a risky thing to do. You are putting your life at risk and it’s a really big, serious operation. Originally I wasn’t prepared to go down that track but as time went on I realised that if I kept going the way I was going I would lose my life.” When Elle decided to have surgery she was 184kg but doctors advised they needed her to lose weight before they could operate. The hard work started immediately with Elle losing more than 10kg before finally being admitted to hospital. “The week after I got out of hospital I was living in accommodation in Townsville. I had surgery with a friend and all she wanted to do was sleep but I wanted to go out and explore, so I went hiking and found some really cool beaches by myself. So, I was walking from the day I got out of the hospital and then about four weeks later I started to do more full-on exercise.” “I bought myself a standup paddleboard. When I was out at the local lake paddling along some of my friends were on the shore and they called me in. They were with some of their friends who had just got back from training with the local tri club.” “When I was a swimmer I was also training with triathletes and I had always sort of wanted to do it because they looked so cool doing three sports. So I just mentioned that I would love to do a triathlon but I didn’t think I could because I was still quite a big girl. One of the women said, ‘You could totally do a triathlon. You could be doing triathlon within a month’.” “Old me would have gone, ‘Righto’ and kept on doing what I was doing, but instead I said, ‘Let’s do this’. The following Monday I started training for my first triathlon. I couldn’t run, I couldn’t even really walk a 100m without being puffed out but I was determined and with really small steps I was soon able to run my first Australian Triathlete |

Elle Goodall

kilometre - now I can run 20 or more,” she said proudly. With the help of her first coach Vicki Nicholson, Elle soon found herself on the start line of her debut triathlon, an Enticer distance event in Mt Isa at the beginning of 2016. “I was really proud of myself and I hopped out of the water first but I struggled a bit on the run. I had to walk a bit of it still but it was only a month after I started training. I cried when I crossed the finish line. I was so proud of myself because I had just done something that I never thought would be possible and I burst into tears. I was really proud.” “Vicki and I sat down and put a plan together. The Julia Creek ‘Dirt and Dust’ was going to be my first sprint distance, with the Noosa Tri Olympic distance race being my ultimate goal. I fell in love with Noosa, it was an incredible course and I can’t wait to get back there again this year. But after I crossed the finish line I got a little depressed because I had been training for that race for six months and all of a sudden it was over.”

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With Elle rapidly ticking off her triathlon ‘bucket list’ she went looking for her next challenge, which happened to be Ironman 70.3 Cairns. “I needed another goal and I thought it was time to do a 70.3. I made my decision and people were looking at me like I was a little crazy. That was when I found my new coach, Emma Quinn from T:Zero Multisport. My progression with Emma has been amazing.” In a little more than 12 months, Elle had gone from laying on the couch to Enticer, Sprint, Olympic distance triathlon, to the Ironman 70.3 but she still wasn’t finished. “Emma thought I was a little crazy when I suggested doing a full Ironman and thought I was just on a high after Cairns. But it was soon full steam ahead to Busso and Ironman Western Australia in December. Every single goal I have set on this crazy journey I have done and done well. I am so proud of myself and I am not slowing down. So Emma just got behind me.” With Elle’s meteoric and life-changing journey has come an equally important role to promote healthy living and support

others facing the same challenges she has experienced. “I am just going with the flow. With my social media, I get millions of messages every day but I am only one person and can’t respond as much as I would love to. It is surreal when I am walking down the street, in a place that I have never been before people come up and introduce themselves. They know all about my life and it is like they know me. That has been strange for me to get used to because I never thought that would happen.” The SunSmart Ironman Western Australia in Busselton on 3 December is the next main event on Elle’s schedule but she knows that once that race is completed she will have her eye on one day competing in the Ironman World Championships in Kona. “Things got a little difficult trying to fit training in with my move from Mt Isa to Brisbane but since I have been in Brisbane I have been smashing my training and am really excited to see how I am going.” “I am doing Noosa again this year but instead of it being an ultimate goal, this year it is just a training run. My lead into Busso is going really well and I’m happy with how I’m travelling at the moment. I am not under any illusion that Busso is going to be easy, it will be a massive challenge for me and I am going to have to push myself really hard.” “If you had have told me two years ago that I was going to do an Ironman I would have laughed at you. It wasn’t something that I ever thought would be possible. It is pretty crazy but I am going to get to the finish line and I am going to hear the guys say - ‘Elle Goodall, you are an IRONMAN’,” she declared.

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It’s Only The Beginning 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 b y Mic h e l l e L e i s t e r

ichelle Leister (nee Leason) is not your typical Ironman ‘newbie’. Introduced to the sport by one the greats - Kathleen McCartney – she makes swimming look easy; she’s known to outride most of the guys she trains with and when injury-free she not only manages to outrun most of her age group but some of the female pros too. And she does all of this with a smile plastered across her face, making Ironman look easy ... and fun! She has only competed in two Ironman events so far - Ironman Cairns where she now holds the female age-group course record and the Ironman World Championship in Kona - but there is more to come from this phenomenal age-grouper – this is only the beginning. Australian Triathlete (AT): Tell us a bit about your story. How and when did you discover triathlon? Michelle Leister (ML): Prior to triathlon I was a competitive division one rower for four years at the University of California, Berkeley, where I studied public health.

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Ironman events have been on my radar since meeting my close uni friend’s mum, Kathleen McCartney, at rowing practice during my freshman year. Kath spoke to us about her journey through Ironman and her victory in 1982 beating Julie Moss within yards of the finish. I was immediately inspired and set myself a goal to one day compete in the Ironman World Championship. In 2015 my now-husband and I moved to Melbourne for his work. Before moving I stumbled across some Ironman Melbourne videos and thought to myself, “This is my chance!” Unfortunately, Ironman Melbourne was discontinued that year. I called Kath before moving and spoke to her about the idea of me competing in an Ironman. She believed in me from the very start and even had a tri bike waiting for me in her garage - the Cannondale slice, which I raced both my Ironman races on. She motivated me to find a triathlon team in Melbourne and start training right away. We ended that first phone conversation with a goal - to one day compete in the Ironman World Championship together.

AT: You’ve had some quick success in triathlon. What is it thay makes you so successful in this sport? ML: Most importantly I am blessed to have an extremely supportive husband and family who have believed in me from the very start. The build to an Ironman is truly a group effort. Having inspirational role models and mentors in my life - I watched my mum battle breast cancer in high school. I have learned from her to take the challenges life throws at you head on and to never give up. My mentor, Kath has shown me how to maintain a positive attitude through the good and bad times. I give my rowing background and coaches credit for the success I’ve had in triathlon – my rowing coaches and teammates taught me to push beyond my limits. I learned to fight through pain and leave nothing behind. I’m also incredily blessed to have a good engine [VO2] for this sport. My competitive spirit has always pushed me to reach for the stars and believe that anything is possible. Also, my passion for nutrition and healthy eating has been huge in my success.

#INSPO AT: You combine training with study. How do you fit everything in? How do you maintain balance? ML: If you’re truly passionate about something, you will find the time to make it work. Pursuing a Masters Degree has allowed me to put more into triathlon. In terms of managing, I try to schedule my studies around the big training sessions. AT: Describe your typical training day. ML: Every day is different. A typical training day in the lead to an Ironman will consist of two interval sessions 1-1.5 hours each. I usually like to break up studying/ classes with training sessions, which I’m incredibly blessed to have the luxury of doing. My first training session will be mid-morning and the next late afternoon. Between sessions, you will find me studying, in class, or eating. I am very passionate about healthy food and cooking new recipes. In the evenings you will find me experimenting with different foods and prepping meals for the week. I try to get to bed by 9:30pm every night. Sleep is absolutely essential to my success. AT: You qualified for the Ironman World Championships at Ironman Cairns in 2017 - you were the first age grouper across the line in a phenomenal time of 9:50:56, breaking the age group female course record by 10 minutes, and you were the 12th female overall (beating some of the female pros). Talk us through that race, which also happened to be your first Ironman. ML: I was extremely lucky in this race. The conditions really worked for me. It was an exceptionally cool day for Cairns. My coach was worried about how my body would handle the heat and humidity because of my exceptionally high sweat rate and sodium loss measured in a sweat test just before the race. We planned accordingly for this with a specific nutrition and sodium replacement race plan, and my coach put together splits based on my numbers in training. Male and female age groupers started together at Ironman Cairns and I planned to stick with a teammate who had comparable swim splits in training. He also had experience with pacing, which

stopped me from going too hard in the swim. I came out of the water in a time of 00:59:35 and felt great. T1 was really fast and I remember having a bit of a low coming out of transition. My body felt good but the thought of riding 180km followed by a marathon was incredibly intimidating. I split up the ride into four segments and had set splits/times to hold for each segment. This made the time go by much quicker. It was like a game trying to hold the numbers and coming through each segment hitting the targets was the most satisfying feeling giving me an extra kick of energy for the next leg. I came off the bike in 5:15:26 and was ecstatic that I was holding my set numbers and still feeling good. Out of T2, I found out for the first time where I stood in the race. My coach shouted out to me that there was one age grouper (in my age group) ahead by four minutes. When I heard this my fight or flight reflexes kicked in. I picked up the pace until I passed her about four kilometres into the run. The work had been done, now it was time to settle into my pace and enjoy my first full marathon run. The run was split up into three equal distant laps. I held a consistent pace the entire way, not stopping once. I remember at one point, halfway through the run course passing a female pro. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was capable of this in my first ever Ironman. This gave me the confidence I needed to hold my splits and charge through that finish line. The home stretch was extremely emotional. I’m not a big crier but I lost it in the last 10km; my emotions were a result of the months of hard work leading up to this event and knowing that I had it in the bag. I charged across the finish line and fell into my husband’s arms, crying uncontrollably. I had conquered Ironman, and to top it off I had qualified for Kona. AT: One of my favourite images of you at Ironman Cairns is the one you posted of all your borrowed gear - very similar to four-time Ironman World Champion, Chrissie Wellington’s start in the sport. ML: (Laughs) Yes, I had a lot of borrowed gear. No one warned me about how expensive this sport is. If it weren’t for the

My competitive spirit has always pushed me to reach for the stars and believe that anything is possible. — Michelle Leister

Good Engine: Michelle attributes her success to her rowing background where she learned to push beyond her limits.

incredible people around me who saw potential from the start I would not have had this success right away. As mentioned earlier, my bike was a hand-me-down from Kathleen McCartney and had already been around the Kona course twice. For both races, my race wheels were loaned from extremely generous teammates. My shoes were my mum’s old mountain biking clip-ins. To top things off, the drink bottle holders were also borrowed from a training buddy. It was a group effort to get me across that line. AT: What was the journey to Kona like? What did you learn? ML: The time before Kona was a whirlwind. Two weeks after Ironman Cairns my husband and I got married and had a month honeymoon in Europe. When I came back, the training was quick, lonely and painful. I came back to Melbourne out of shape, injured from Ironman Cairns and with only two months until Kona! Two of my training buddies in the build to Cairns also qualified for Kona but had a different schedule for their build. They flew to heat train in Thailand for the build and I was left alone for many of my long rides, which I struggled with immensely. Being a novice on the bike, riding solo for those distances gave me anxiety and I struggled with motivation. I missed having my training buddies with me. This made the build to Kona a lot more mentally tough than Australian Triathlete |

Cairns. I had to force myself to get the distance in on the bike. To make matters worse, I had an overuse knee injury, which prevented me from running for most of the build. I learned that no build is the same, and situations often don’t work in your favour. But I think that these circumstances make you stronger as an athlete and person. AT: OK - on to the race. Talk us through your day. What were your highs/lows? How did you push through the tough times? Were there any standout moments? ML: The alarm went off at 3:45am. I had my normal breakfast - two eggs, toast, and an avocado with an extra large side of nerves. Next, I geared up and carried on with my normal pre-race ritual: I played ‘Turn down for what’ on full volume and danced like there was no one around unfortunately I was not alone, my poor parents had never seen such moves out of their only daughter. The sun was still down when I rocked up to the course but the town felt alive with the swarm of athletes checking in. I did my normal bike check and then walked by the fenced in pro area, watching the worlds best doing the same thing as me. Daniela Ryf was pumping her tyres. Patrick Lange was wiping down his frame. Fast forward to the swim start - the pros took off, followed by age group men and then we were up. The Hawaiian drums playing in the background made it seem as though we were about to go to war. Before the cannon went off, trying to defend my position in front was one of the scariest parts of the whole race. It felt like I was being pulled down by other eager age groupers wanting the front position. With hundreds of people around me, there was barely enough space to tread water and stay afloat. I was out of breath before even beginning the swim! Once the cannon went off I was able to move away from the crowd and settle into a good pace. I came out of the swim in the time I wanted - one hour. T1 was pretty slow but I didn’t think about it too much. I got on the bike and took the first part of the bike as a recovery spin before heading down the Queen K. About an hour into the bike I started feeling something funny in my stomach but I didn’t let this bother me too much. The temperature reached 31°C with 86 per cent humidity on the ride. The lava rock on either side of the road absorbed this heat, making the perceived temperature feel even hotter. I was prepared for the headwinds and climb to Hawi, so it wasn’t too bad. I remembered something that Kath had said to me from Natasha Badmann’s speech in 1998: “When I’m cycling into the strong headwind in Kona I just imagine that I’m a

| Australian Triathlete

Qualifying for Kona: Michelle at her first full distance Ironman in Cairns finshed the bike leg with a time of 5:15:26 and an overall time off 9:50:56 breaking the age group female course record by 10 minutes. All of this on a borrowed bike (from Kathleen McCartney), wheels (from Malachy Friel) and drink holders (from Brett Archbold).

bird – soaring - and I spread my wings and the power of the winds lifts me up and gives me strength and speed.” The journey back home was fun, I was hitting my numbers and able to coast a bit with the tailwinds. My stomach, however, continued to feel funny and I knew something was up. I finished the bike in 5:37:42. Hopping off the bike in T2 was tough. It was the first time I stretched out since the swim and immediately the cramping revealed itself. In the first kilometre of the race, I was ready to pull out, the pain was so bad and I had no idea how I was going to finish a marathon. I saw my family and couldn’t hold in the emotions. My coach caught up with me and knew I was in trouble. We decided to ditch the nutrition plan, as my stomach wasn’t working and start drinking only coke at every aid station. I waited for the coke to start working but my body wasn’t responding to it. The cramping persisted and became worse throughout the run. I was running just to make it to the next aid station and the next, and so on, the entire race. Once at the aid stations I would walk, stop, dump ice over my head and down my shirt, stretch out - which temporarily dulled the cramping - and then force myself to continue moving forward. With 10km to go, I was keeled over on the side of the road trying to dull the cramping. A man came up next to me and encouraged me to keep going. He told me he was a 10x Ironman World Championship finisher and this was also not his day, but that we would finish together. This man saw I was in trouble and decided to stick with me as we rotated between running and walking the remainder of the race. He

told me stories the whole way to get my mind off the pain. He put up with my moans and tears, and moments of doubt. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to thank him after the race, and I was too delirious to retain his name. But to me, this experience defines the Ironman World Championship. It took every ounce of mental and physical strength to finish the run, and no matter the result, I’m thrilled that I was able to get myself across the line. AT: What’s next for you? ML: I’m in the process of figuring that out. I will most likely continue as an age group athlete for the next year and then, depending on how I do, see what other opportunities I can pursue in triathlon.

SUNDAY, 10 JUNE 2018

INCORPORATING:

SUNDAY, 10 JUNE 2018

Swim Special

64 pages We’re super excited to bring you latest the m of all things swimming! Fro ks, tric tech to training plans, tips and so much nutrition, injury management and needs more, we have all your swimming covered. So ...

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Australian Triathlete |

Swim Special

Budgy Smuggler KRISPY DREMES Donut be disappointed by reality. #KrispyDremes do come true! budgysmuggler.com.au Price: $55.00

Tri Products

Swimwear

Eyeline Mens CRP ® Jammers Eyeline CRP® (Chlorine Resistant Polyester) swimwear is designed for the close-to-body styling required by today’s sports and fashion swimwear. CRP® has excellent stretch and recovery with superior shape retention, is soft to the hand with a high level of colour fastness. CRP® is quick drying and is resistant to chlorine and salt water. eyeline.com.au Price: $52.00

Funkita catfish Tropical Nature TriKini Bikini Spoilt for choice with Catfish Designs TriKini Bikini. The bikini top can be worn three ways and is fully adjustable. Wear it crossed over for maximum support and stability, straight over your shoulders for a change up in your tan lines, or tie it up like a halter when you’re chilling on the beach. Mid cut pant with a drawstring so you can swim without any fear of embarrassing bikini mishaps. All Catfish Designs swimwear is made and designed in Australia with a Chlorine Resistant fabric for ultimate durability. catfishdesigns.com.au Price: $80.00

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Pina Colada Tie me tight one piece The one piece style that criss crosses down your back offering you the flexibility to tie it just the way you like. With a moderately high cut leg it’s the perfect style to strap in for a hard session in the pool or relax when you’re poolside. Available in sizes 8 - 16. Made from exclusive C-Infinity fabric, a 100% Italian polyester that is a colourful breakthrough in chlorine resistant fabric technology! The superior choice for swimmers, C-Infinity has exceptional strength and can retain its durability far beyond other elastane swimwear fabrics. Ideal for frequent pool use for recreational and performance based swimming. funkita.com Price: $89.95

Funky Trunks Test Signal Shorty Shorts Short and stylish fitted watershort made of quick drying polyester. Features a built in brief for added support, deep side pockets, coin pocket and drawcord to fasten. Now with Funky Trunks branded brass hardware including metal tips, eyelets and rivets. Funky Trunks patch on leg. Available in sizes XS – XXL. 90% Polyester 10% Elastane. funkytrunks.com Price: $74.95

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ZOGGs Zoggs Women’s Amara Twinback Swimsuit Add some colour into your pool this season in the Zoggs Women’s Amara Twinback Swimsuit. Made with 100% chlorine proof fabric to ensure superior protection against fading. The stylish open back design allows for easy movement in the water. ----

cannibal

Eyeline

PENGUIN 2 PIECE -- Italian Ceramic core Lycra - prevent any see-through areas -- Chlorine resistant Italian lining -- Fully sublimated printing -- Excellent colour retention -- Multi Strap Back -- Sizes Available – Xsmall – Medium -- Swim 4 your Life -- Made in Australia since 1989 cannibal.com.au Price: $89.95

Womens 2pc Chlorine Resistant Pro Back Bikini Eyeline CRP® (Chlorine Resistant Polyester) swimwear is designed for the close-to-body styling required by today’s sports and fashion swimwear. CRP® has excellent stretch and recovery with superior shape retention, is soft to the hand with a high level of colour fastness. CRP® is quick drying and is resistant to chlorine and salt water. eyeline.com.au Price: $72.00

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CAMO BLACK JAMMER GREEN -- Italian Long Life Chlorine Resistant material -- Chlorine resistant Italian lining -- Fully sublimated printing -- Excellent colour retention -- Bar tacked Drawstring Waist -- Swim 4 your Life -- Made in Australia since 1989 cannibal.com.au Price: $79.95

V Back White Aloha Front Our increasingly popular V Back is a staple in any swimmer’s wardrobe. Thin straps and an open back allows unrestricted movement through your shoulders and back. A higher cut style to elongate your legs, and fits firmly on your butt. All Catfish Designs swimwear is made and designed in Australia with a Chlorine Resistant fabric for ultimate durability. catfishdesigns.com.au Price: $80.00

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Fabric: 100% Polyester Chlorine proof fabric protects against fading Open back design allows for a greater range of motion Front lined for added comfort and coverage Superior colour and shape retention UPF 50+ rating for superior sun protection

Available at rebelsport.com.au zoggs.com.au Price: $50.00

Summer Time!

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Xterra

Swim Special Tri Products

Wetsuits

XTERRA VIVID The 2017 Vivid Fullsuit is one of the fastest and most flexible entry-level wetsuits on the market. The all-new Vivid Fullsuit comes from a long pedigree of comfort and speed that has been one of the key focuses of XTERRA from the beginning. It has been built on the experience from one of the most popular manufacturers in the world at a price point affordable for any customer in the world. The arms are 1.5 mm in thickness for maximum flexibility and reduction in arm fatigue, with the legs being a “capri” cut so that the wetsuit is easy to put on and super-easy to remove. The XTERRA Vivid is designed for those looking to enter the wetsuit market without sacrificing speed and flexibility, while also catering to those top end performers who use The Vivid as their training suit. titanperformancegroup.com.au Price: $299.00

Xterra XTERRA VECTOR PRO The all-new Vector Pro Fullsuit is more than just new looks. Based on the design of the original Vector, worn in more Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races than any other wetsuit in the world, the Vector Pro improves on the qualities of buoyancy and speed of its predecessor. With the interior lined with X-FLEX LINER 2.0, the Vector Pro is easier to transition into and out of. Designed with upgraded neoprene, the Vector Pro provides more overall flexibility and buoyancy, giving swimmers a unique advantage. titanperformancegroup.com.au Price: $699.00

2XU

Roka

A:1 ACTIVE SLEEVELESS WETSUIT Engineered from Yamamoto neoprene, the A:1 is designed for optimal flotation and flexibility. Features include water entrapment zones, rollbar for enhanced positioning, floating zip panel and front buoyancy panel. Colour: Black/Cobalt Blue 2xu.com.au Price: $450.00

PROPEL WETSUIT Built with Nano SCS Coating for extra 4% buoyancy, the Propel Wetsuit provides unparalleled support with an additional upper chest panel and seamless shoulder and arm panels for enhanced flexibility. Voted 220Triathlon’s Best On Test Wetsuit in 2017. Colour: Black/White 2xu.com.au Price: $1200.00

Maverick Pro II Wetsuit The Maverick Pro II’s patented design is evolved to become even faster. In addition to the original, patented design DNA, The Maverick Pro II benefits from the revolutionary Arms-Up construction that debuted on the Maverick X to radically increase mobility and decrease shoulder fatigue beyond anything else that has come before. global.roka.com Price: $978.10

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HELIX FULL SUIT (MEN’S/WOMEN’S 2017) Designed to make you as fast as possible, the Helix is our most flexible, comfortable, and buoyant wetsuit. Tested and refined by Olympic & World Champion athletes, it features premium materials, a propriety shoulder design, and many other speed-enhancing features. blueseventy-australia.com.au Price: $799.00

ORCA Predator (Men’s/Women’s) The Predator wetsuit is perfect for the swimmer looking for the ultimate swim assistance – now with extended 0.88 Free technology for the ultimate feeling of freedom and an even higher level of buoyancy to keep you streamlined even when you tire. Highlights: -- 0.88 Free Technology -- Exolift with Aerodome -- Core Lateral Stabiliser orca-australia.com.au Price: $1045.00

ORCA 3.8 The new 3.8 provides the perfect option for a triathlete or swimmer who needs all the extra buoyancy that they can have. With the addition of the Core Lateral Stabiliser, extended Exolift and Aerodome and more flexible arms and shoulders, the new 3.8 provides all the essentials to get you through the water quicker. Highlights: -- Exolift and Aerodome -- Core Lateral Stabiliser (CLS) -- 1.55mm 40cell Neoprene orca-australia.com.au Price: $780.00

2XU

GHST WETSUIT Engineered with a Nano SCS Coating, the light weight GHST Wetsuit offers enhanced core and body buoyancy when conquering the waves. Colour: Black/Silver 2xu.com.au Price: $1000.00

RACE WETSUIT The 2XU Race Wetsuit is built with Yamamoto’s latest neoprene technology and SCS hydrodynamic silicone coating for maximum performance in the water. Colour: Black/Barberry 2xu.com.au Price: $700.00

TYR MEN’S/WOMEN’S HURRICANE FULL SUIT WETSUIT CATEGORY 5 The All New Category 5 Wetsuit utilizes a slew of advance features to provide unrivaled comfort, optimum stability, crazy speed and energy efficiency in the water. Designed for elite triathletes, the HCCVM6A CAT 5 showcases 100% Yamamoto 39 Cell Nano SCS Coated Neoprene exterior to provide unsurpassed buoyancy in the water and now boasts some of the same cutting-edge features as the world-renowned Freak of Nature wetsuit. All TYR Hurricane wetsuits are WTC (Ironman) / USAT legal. tyrsport.com.au Price: $1099.00

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Swim Special

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Tri Products

Race wear

Orca RS1 Swimskin (Men’s/Women’s) The RS1 Killa Swimskin is perfect for non-wetsuit swims over any distance where zero water absorbency, and so increased speed and natural buoyancy, counts. A fully bonded suit with a swimmer’s specific cut that will give you the greatest advantage in the water – the RS1 Killa Swimskn is the obvious non-wetsuit swim choice! orca-australia.com.au Price: $349.00

eyeline

volare

Womens 1pc Microline® Racing Fastback Leg Suit Eyeline Microline Pursuit® is an Engineered Racing Suit Technology fabric developed in Australia using a state of the art treatment that enhances water repellent characteristics, which minimise drag and turbulence to increase glide time and efficiency through the water. Microline pursuit® swimwear offers increased resistance to longer exposure in chlorinated water. Advanced knitting techniques provide increased modular strength for a tighter fit and feel. eyeline.com.au Price: $103.00

Mens Microline ® Racing Knicks Eyeline Microline Pursuit® is an Engineered Racing Suit Technology fabric developed in Australia using a state of the art treatment that enhances water repellent characteristics, which minimise drag and turbulence to increase glide time and efficiency through the water. Microline pursuit® swimwear offers increased resistance to longer exposure in chlorinated water. Advanced knitting techniques provide increased modular strength for a tighter fit and feel. eyeline.com.au Price: $75.00

Triathlon Swim Skin Men’s/Women’s Volare Swim Skins feature cutting edge technology and are entirely constructed from hydrophobic material to enhance hydrodynamics. Constructed from premium Italian fabric, this groundbreaking Swim Skin features a Teflon coated surface, which reduces drag. To further reduce drag all seams are thermo bonded with taped seams for additional strength. YKK Locking Zipper allows for a super fast transition. The Volare Swim Skin is designed to be worn as a compression-fit garment. volaresports.com Price: $299.00

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LIV Signature Tri Top Features: -- Liv Race fit -- High power spandex fabric -- flat-lock stitching -- 13” YKK hidden zipper -- Two rear pockets -- Chlorine Resistant -- UPF 50 sun protection -- TransTextura fabric wicks moisture and dries quickly liv-cycling.com/au Price: $129.95

blueseventy PZ4TX Men’s/Women’s The PZ4TX is our latest highly advanced swimskin legal for all non wetsuit swims. It’s combination of hydrophobic fabrics and welded seams reduce surface drag while the compressive properties increase by improving swimming position and athlete performance. All of this while adhering to intense textile regulations. The PZ4TX builds on 10 years of swim skin development and it’s why more athletes choose blueseventy in Kona and warmer waters than any other brand. Key Features: -- Compression -- Low drag -- Locking zipper -- Durability blueseventy-australia.com.au Price: $499.00

LIV Signature Tri Shorts Features: -- Liv Race Fit -- High power spandex fabric -- Flat-lock stitching -- Compression leg band -- Tri fleece chamois -- Draw cord waist -- Chlorine resistant -- UPF 50 sun protection liv-cycling.com/au Price: $129.95

Summer Time! Roka Viper Pro Short Sleeve Swimskin Introducing the Short Sleeve Viper Swimskin. The most popular suit in Kona just got even faster. Never satisfied, we took our revolutionary patented Arms Up technology from the Generation II Maverick Wetsuits and applied it to the Short Sleeve Viper for unprecedented speed and shoulder mobility in the water. Additionally, we have updated the suit with silicone leg grippers based on our learnings from the Pro Cycling Collection and Generation II Tri Race Apparel, eliminating sausage leg and resulting in more comfort. global.roka.com Price: $394.69

Giant Giant Elevate Tri Suit: -- TransTextura™ fabrics -- Flat-lock stitching -- Half-length YKK hidden zipper -- 2 rear mesh pockets -- Soft and light 4mm Tri fleece chamois -- Chlorine resistant -- Race fit -- UPF 50+ sun protection giant-bicycles.com/au Price: $219.95

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Swim Special Tri Products

Toys

Finis Finis ISO Hand Paddle Iso paddles are strapless paddles designed to isolate specific muscle groups, develop proper hand position and heighten stroke awareness. Iso paddles are uniquely designed to create an imbalance in the catch phase of a stroke, which forces swimmers to apply more pressure on either side of the paddle in order to maintain a proper stroke. The variance encourages swimmers to pay increased attention to hand position in the water, keeping it level and consistent throughout the catch and pull of each stroke. finisswim.com Available at aquashop.com.au Price: $24.90

And Accessories

eyeline Mantra Swim Goggle The Eyeline Mantra swim goggle-polycarbonate hydrodynamic profile anti-fog lens with UV protection for maximum comfort. Soft Aquastat TRP seals and frame and cage silicone headband. This model swimming goggle has been designed as a Unisex goggle fitting most facial shapes. Available early January 2018. eyeline.com.au Price: $38.00

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summer solutions

One Step Shampoo/Conditioner/Chlorine Remover in One One Step is a combination of shampoo and conditioner that neutralises chlorine and removes chlorine odor. Its ingredients neutralise metals that can cause green hair. The conditioner leaves hair soft and smooth. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a shampoo, conditioner and chlorine remover â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all in one step! summersolutionsswim.com Available through aquashop.com Price: $29.90

Sand & Surf Swimwear Wash / Chlorine Remover Sand & Surf is a soapy, sudsy, cleaning solution designed to remove irritants, salt, chlorine, dirt, perspiration, suntan lotion and harmful oils from swimwear, wetsuits and other fabrics. summersolutionsswim.com Available through aquashop.com Price: $22.00

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Engine Hand Paddles Engine paddles feature the Wingman logo and fully adjustable soft silicone sheath ensuring unsurpassed comfort. Flow perforations in the paddle allow for greater feel of the water. www.engineswim.com Price: $25.00

Funkita STILL PINK KICKBOARDS The Funkita kick board makes any dreaded kick set more bearable with a range of colours and comfortable design. For training purposes: develops leg and core strength. Ideal flotation for reduced shoulder strain and mobility. Available in a range of colours to liven up training. Made from durable Eva foam so it will last and last! Kickboard is 42cm high, 27cm wide and 2.5cm thick. funkita.com Price: $24.95

TYR ERGO SWIMCLIP The Ergo Swimclip is the latest evolution in low profile, swim clip technology. Available in four stylish colors that make a bold statement in the water, the ERGO Swimclips showcase hypo-allergenic TPR nose pads and a polyurethane frame for lightweight comfort. Ideal for training with front mount snorkels, the latex free, Ergo Swimclip is a perfect choice for swimmers on every level. tyrsport.com.au Price: $6.60

DMC DMC ELITE FINS These award winning swim training short fins are Australian Designed. DMC ELITE SWIM Fins are the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most sought after swimming training fins. Designed for swim training by the most renowned Australian Swim Product Company - DMC SWIM. These swim Training Short fins are made from SILICONE and are super comfortable with much less chance of abrasion than rubber swim fins. These swim training short fins by DMC are great for lap swimming and particularly serious swim training used by many Olympic class swimming athletes in training and warm Ups. dmcswim.com.au Price: $59.99

TYR Funky trunks

Funkita

Trunk Tag Silicone Swimming Caps Comfortable and durable silicone swimming caps that are latex free. One size fits all. These were looking great until some young punk got to the box with his spray can and scribbled his name on them all. Good on you little punk and get an original name. funkytrunks.com Price: $10.00

MERMAID IN TRAINING SILICONE SWIMMING CAPS Printed silicone swimming cap - one size fits all. funkita.com Price: $10.00

Vorgee Missile Eclipse goggles SEE WHAT BETTER LOOKS LIKE Vorgeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Missile Eclipse with hi-def lenses for clearly superior results. -- Ultra light, low profile, double metallic mirror lens -- Soft silicone eye seals and competition head straps -- Anti-fog coating for enhanced visual clarity -- 4 interchangeable nose bridges -- UV protection vorgee.com Price: $39.99

RIPTIDE DRAG CHUTE Take your training to the next level with the TYR Riptide Drag Chute. Designed for controlled resistance training, the parachute catches water at starts and turns for athletes looking to strengthen their practice regimen. For comfort during extended sessions this lightweight product also includes a padded mesh waistband and adjustable buoy and nylon webbing for tangle free feet. tyrsport.com.au Price: $109.00

Funky trunks STILL BLACK MESH GEAR BAGS Your ultimate mesh gear bag to carry and store all your training aids and swim gear. The drawstring opening allows for easy access while the shoulder straps let you carry your gear with ease. Made from a strong nylon mesh that wont have a problem getting wet and will be durable for the hours on pool deck while you train. funkytrunks.com Price: $24.95

Summer Time! Australian Triathlete |

Orca Predator and 3.8 Wetsuits 1

text and photography by The Test Lab

rca is synonymous with triathlon, and have been innovating and refining their triathlon-style suits since they began a quarter of a century ago. In 2017, the Orca graphics are gone and there are a lot more wetsuits to choose from – six in the triathlon range alone, including the Predator and the 3.8. Orca’s triathlon wetsuits are split into three groups:

1. The Natural Swimmer

For swimmers who have natural buoyancy and want maximum flexibility. Range includes the Alpha and Equip.

2. The Total Swimmer

For swimmers who want to best balance between buoyancy and flexibility. Range includes the Predator and Sonar

3. The Progressive Swimmer

For the swimmer who drags their legs and needs maximum buoyancy. Range includes the 3.8 and S6.

For this issue we tested the top suit in the Total Swimmer range, The Predator, and the top suit in the Progressive Swimmer range, the 3.8.

| Australian Triathlete

Like many wetsuits currently on the market, these wetsuits have a lot of panels, all in strategic places aimed to enhance the swim experience, increase freedom of stroke and ultimately make you faster. The Predator has eight features throughout the suit while the 3.8 has seven. The main difference is the highly buoyant Aerodome dimpled neoprene, from industry heavyweights Yamamoto, that is placed in each suit, and the use of 0.88 neoprene in the arms, shoulders and upper back of the Predator – this gives incredible flexibility but at the expense of insulation. On the other hand, the 3.8 uses 1.5mm ’40 Cell’ neoprene in the sleeves, under the arms and across the back, which gives quite a bit more insulation while still being flexible. Importantly both suits use SCS coating, which helps the suits repel water on dry land and reduce resistance when in the water. They each have panels that work with the slippery SCS surface (called Nano Ice in the Predator and Hydrolite in the 3.8), which helps with ease of removal in transition. Orca has outdone themselves with the packaging of their new wetsuits, which comes enclosed in its very own backpack.

On opening the backpack we find white gloves, like the kind your mother-in-law makes you wear when looking at wedding photos, to protect the fragile neoprene, as well as foot covers to help the wetsuit slide effortlessly onto our legs, saving valuable time and energy.

THE PREDATOR With super thin arms and Exolift panelling in the lower half of the suit, the Predator is striking. We were very wary of how fragile the 0.88mm neoprene would be, so donned the white gloves before unravelling the suit. To our surprise the arms, although thin, were robust. The suit was easy to get on with the aid of the gloves and booties, but more attention is needed with regard to fitting the firmer cuffs, which act to seal the arm to stop water getting in. The standard zip does up easily and the large Velcro neck closer caters for necks of varying sizes. Once wet the first thing we noticed was that the 0.88mm feels like you’re not wearing sleeves, which isn’t necessarily ideal in pre-summer Melbourne water. But when the cold water of the bay started to warm a little throughout the

suit, we found that the fit was really quite forgiving. The mandatory adjustment of the suit was easy as the shoulders have next to no resistance to full ranges of movement. So, even if the suit isn’t perfectly fitted, you’ll barely notice. Swimming in the suit was easy, highlighting that when you’re not feeling restricted in any way you almost forget you’re in full-length rubber. Even after 20 minutes of continuous swimming the arms and shoulders felt no different compared to the beginning of the swim. The Exolift provides great buoyancy for the lower body, which became more evident throughout the swim as we settled into an easy two beat kick. We also felt well supported by the core panels (Core Lateral Stabiliser) that stabilise the torso by using a less flexible rubber. This helps maintain a horizontal position and aids body roll through the stroke. Entering and exiting the water felt easy as well. The core panels don’t restrict wading and porpoising as the legs and hips remain flexible. Simulating T1 efforts, focusing on removing the suit quickly is one of our standard tests to see if all of the good work in the water is negated by a timeconsuming transition. The Predator does have one potential time wasting feature – the tight cuffs at the wrists. If you buy this suit we encourage you to practice removing the suit several times before your race. The legs come off as easy as any wetsuit, so full points there. Overall the Predator is suited to a front-to-mid pack swimmer wanting unrestricted movement in the upper body, who is willing to give up a little buoyancy in that region to maximise buoyancy in the hips and legs. The thinner arms shouldn’t bother those in colder climates, but will be a winner in warmer regions. High-level swimmers without a really strong kick may prefer this suit to Orca’s other high-

performance suit, the Alpha. At $1045 this suit is the top of the crop in Orca’s range. Mid-pack and newcomers to open water swimming may prefer the 3.8.

THE 3.8 Originally aimed at Ironman distance athletes, the aptly named 3.8 (i.e. 3.8km Ironman swim) is more than just a long distance suit – it has become the go-to suit for athletes without an efficient kick who still need flexibility in the shoulder region. The 3.8 is packaged beautifully in the previously mentioned backpack, with added extras for safe and easy fitting. Visually it differs a bit from the Predator, most noticeably by having thicker arms and more even panelling. We found getting into the 3.8 a bit quicker than the Predator. The absence of the wrist cuff was a big part of the ease of fit, as the suit slides on the arms without much resistance. We did find that the suit required a little more adjustment when in the water but with only 1.5mm arms this process was still easy. The closure system resembles the other Orca suits and the neck region was quite comfortable throughout all of the test swims. The neck area is one aspect of suit technology that we’ve found has improved significantly over the years. You only really notice a badly fitting suit at the neck, so it’s worth noting that these suits are very well constructed. Similar to the Predator the Infinity Skin (internal lining of the suit) allows the suit to stretch and move freely against the body. During the swim, we noticed a little more restriction in the arms compared with the Predator, but this is to be expected with 1.5mm versus 0.88mm rubber. The 3.8 is super mobile throughout the shoulders and designed to be more buoyant in that area. The general feeling of buoyancy was at least equivalent to the

Swim Special Road test

@thetestlab Predator. Overall, the 3.8 contains even more Exolift panelling than the Predator, assisting the weaker swimmer to remain more buoyant in the hips and legs. Interestingly the male and female suits have gender-specific differences with this feature. The Core Lateral Stabiliser works just as well in the 3.8, which ideally will benefit both those that fatigue more as a result of a less efficient stroke and those doing longer events. Entering and exiting the water was similar to the Predator, and there wasn’t much difference in flexibility through the hips. Removing the 3.8 was an easier process than the Predator, given the lack of a wrist cuff. It slid off well and we put it up there with some of the best triathlon suits we’ve tried. Overall, we rate the 3.8 very high for those needing a little more support and buoyancy. At $780 it is a great price for those looking to maximise their bang-for-buck, with a suit that performs well over all distances. The Predator and 3.8 are both fantastic in their own right. Just make sure you know what type of swimmer you are so you can maximise the benefit of the wetsuit you choose. Then it’s time to get out, get wet and set some PBs.

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.

Australian Triathlete |

Sirius

M US I N GS The Psychology of Swimming t e x t b y Si r i l i n d l e y photography by Getty Images for ironman

he psychology of the triathlon swim - how many of you just held your breath for a moment, feeling the anxiety that comes as you stand on the edge of a lake, the ocean or a river just before the gun goes off in your race? I have been there, I understand. The good news is, you don’t have to feel that kind of anxiety anymore. You just need to understand that we can all manage our thoughts on the start line, to help us execute the swim to the best of our abilities, and enjoy it at the same time. Everyone gets nervous and feels afraid, but this feeling of anxiousness is just excitement. You are about to take on this incredible challenge. You are strong, brave and you are prepared. How exciting to take on this great adventure. Instead of defining the swim as “the scariest part” or “my weakness” or as something you just need “to get through so you can do what you love”, let’s define it in another way! How about we look at the swim as another opportunity to stretch - to push

ourselves out of our comfort zones and to experience all the excitement, joy and growth that comes with doing that. The swim is an exciting opportunity to explore our limits, to dance with our fear and to grow and progress into the athlete and person we dream of becoming. Dance with your fear! Fear motivates and challenges us. When we don’t let it get in our way; when we rise above it by taking it by the hand and dancing with it, there is no more empowering feeling. I remember my first open water swim race in one of my first triathlons. I stood on the start line, stiff as a board not breathing or moving - I was just paralysed in my fear. We have all been there, I imagine, at some point - stepping into the unknown. Not only diving into water so deep we can’t touch the ground, but thrown into that same water with 100s of other people, fighting for space to swim to the best of their abilities. Elbows fly, kicking feet can often strike someone else’s body rather than just

Focus on what you need to do to execute to the best of your ability. Stay —Siri Lindley in the moment. 42

| Australian Triathlete

the water. We are challenged to find the straightest line to the buoys; to swim the required distance, no more, no less. Our heads under the water, we all “fight” to breathe. In trying too hard to do something that we can do naturally without even thinking, we feel a sense of panic and that leads to us not feeling in control of our thoughts, much less our bodies. We are told to follow the bubbles ahead of us. But in doing so, what if that person has no idea how to sight? What if we suddenly find ourselves completely off course? Who can you trust? Whose bubbles are okay to follow? What do you do if you get hit? What do you do if you go off course? What do you do if you swallow water? What do you

Swim Special

Mind power

Siri Lindley

Siri Lindley do if you can’t breathe? How do we learn how to relax on the start line? The first answer to these questions is - breathe. Stay calm. Think about what you are saying to yourself in this moment. Are you saying, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I can’t breathe, I am going to drown.” If you are, stop that nonsense. What you tell yourself - you will feel. Your thoughts create your emotions, which, then determines your experience. So, instead, say, “Wow, I am working hard, therefore, I am breathing hard. This means I am doing exactly what I need to be doing right now!” And if you get out of breath, just roll to your side, or your back, catch your breath and then carry on. “I am fine. I am strong. I can do this!” Have this conversation with yourself, and you will create that experience. What you focus on determines your reality. Focus on what you can do, not on what you can’t. Focus on what you want to feel, not on what you don’t.

Power of

Mind!

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. siri-lindley.com

Breathe! Most importantly, just breathe. On the start line, the biggest mistake I see most people make is not breathing, or just taking shallow quick breaths with tight shoulders, and standing completely still. Stiff as a board, not talking or moving, just worrying. Loosen up. Crack a joke to the person next to you. Think of something funny, a memory that literally makes you laugh out loud. Remember that moment, see and hear that person, feel what it felt like in that funny moment. Breathe, laugh, loosen up, and think about how excited you are to be on the start line of this great challenge. Be proud of all the work it took to get to the start line. Be proud of your strength, your commitment and your courage. Be ready to just get into a rhythm and go, and embrace every aspect of this great adventure. Swing your arms around. Move. Breathe. Big deep breaths through your nose, into your lungs, feel your belly expand and then exhale through your mouth. Think of keywords you will focus on while swimming - words like strong, confident, fluid and free. Look on the horizon for something you can sight off to get the straightest line to the buoy. Hopefully, during your warm-up, you had an opportunity to sight something bigger than the buoy, in the distance, that will help you find your way to the buoy effectively. When the gun goes off, because you have been moving around on the start line, you are ready to go! Get out fast, so you can get clear of any slower swimmers around you. No matter how slow you think you are, there is always someone either slower, or not as effective in sighting. So, get out fast so you can find your space to swim. Sight every three to five strokes to ensure that you are staying on course. Focus on your stroke -

powerful catch, deep pull, a powerful finish, a strong kick and fast stroke rate (in my opinion a real plus for open water swimming). Focus on what you need to do to execute to the best of your ability. Stay in the moment. Focus on the process, not the outcome. No judgement! Make a mistake? Move on! Ask yourself: “What can I do now to make this the best moment possible?” Focusing on technique, or rhythm is a very proactive focus to have. Have positive or at least proactive conversations with yourself. How do you want to feel? Strong, fluid, confident, fast. What do you want to do? Take the fastest line to the buoy. Stay calm, cool and collected. Swim. Flow. Embrace the adventure! Replace any negative thoughts, with a positive or at least proactive one, and you will be on your way to having the best swim you are capable of. Triathlon is an incredible adventure. The swim for many is the greatest challenge of a triathlon. How rad are you that you have the courage to take on such an incredible feat? Embrace your ‘amazingness’, and feel grateful for the strength that is you, the courage that is you. Feel grateful for the passion you feel for this sport and the inspiration you bring to others. Good luck, Siri

@siri.lindley.3 @SELTS @sirilindley

Australian Triathlete |

with Willy Dan Wilson

Mastering Marine Mechanics t e x t b y D a n W i l s o n | p h o t o g r a p h y b y I TU M e d i a

t’s an unnatural medium for a human to be immersed in, water. Like a penguin in a desert, a wombat up a tree, or an anti-vaxxer in a library, it’s just not natural. Perhaps I knew this as a young child and felt the need to steel myself to build the courage to attempt aquatic endeavours. I used to present myself for the car trip to swimming training, togs on, cap on, goggles over my eyes. Never mind that it was a 20-30 minute car ride to the pool. Obviously, I felt

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one needed to be well prepared to leave terrestrial ground. Swimming never came particularly naturally to me. The going fast bit anyway. I enjoyed it; I just wasn’t very good at it. Come to think about it, the same could be said for riding and running too, but this is the swim edition of Australian Triathlete, so let’s stay on task. Many coaches over the years have been charged with the task of increasing my aquatic velocity, and given the early signs; it was a task

comparable to getting the US Senate to talk about gun laws. It’s hard, not being able to actually see yourself swim, to realise how bad your stroke actually is. I’ll never forget diving in at my first swimming session at my first proper swim squad. I swam a few hundred of what I thought was pool-based poetry, and paused to get the coaches initial thoughts, bracing myself for superlatives and possibly a ‘Thorpe-esque’ comparison. All I got was a long pause,

followed by a: “Well, we’ve got lots of areas to improve in…” Over the years my long-time coach, Steve Moss, did most of the groundwork, turning me from a rank amateur to discovering what the main pack looked like. There were two main prongs to our assault on mastering marine mechanics; there was the technical stuff aimed at trying to improve my stroke, and then there was the pure, unadulterated hard work. Lot’s of hard work.

For both prongs, we had help from the experts along the way, with sports scientists from the AIS and QAS doing their utmost to turn a technical donkey into a racehorse. At one point, I remember a stroke correction session, deep into its third hour, at which point an extremely patient QAS swim specialist had resorted to gaffa taping pull buoys to each side of my waist. I can’t remember what element of the stroke or body position she was trying to get me to master, but by that stage, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d decided I was beyond help and had resorted to gee-ups. As far as the hard work goes, Mossy had a lot of that taken care of. The first session I ever rocked up to, the main set was a 5km time trial (TT), the announcement of which instantly and comprehensively cracked one of the squad members, who left threatening never to return. I was wondering exactly what I had gotten myself in for and counted myself fortunate to get away with ‘just’ a 3km TT. Easily the biggest work I put in was during my cameos as a full-time swimmer, during various lower limb ailments over the years. I did a brief stint with Tracey Menzie’s squad (Ian Thorpe’s old coach – never got the Thorpe-esque comparison I was yearning for, no matter how many hints I dropped), and more recently Michael Bohl’s uber squad of champions. The biggest work got done with the Grimsey brothers, in the midst of my ‘stress fracture’ phase, topping out at 84.7km as my biggest week ever. For those bean counters wondering why I didn’t do the extra 300m to finish on a round number – once you’ve swum 84.7km, adding an extra 300m is like ordering a diet coke with a large Big Mac meal, it just doesn’t matter.

Swim Special

DAn Wilson

The good news is, I got quicker! However, the reality of the ITU world is that for a ‘middle of the bell curve’ swimmer like myself, my swim result usually came down to who I started next to, and how much luck I had over the first 200m, as opposed to swimming form. The upside is, I’m a lot more confident in my swimming than when I was a five year old – I certainly don’t put my swimming cap and goggles on before I head down the race site anyway…

The reality of the ITU world is that for a ‘middle of the bell curve’ swimmer like myself, my swim result usually came down to — Dan Wilson who I started next to. 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. danwilson.com.au and Twitter: @dan_wilson_

Australian Triathlete |

SEXTON’S Scribble...

Brendan Sexton

Immersion in submersion Preparing for an open water triathlon swim

text by brendan sexton photography by getty images for ironman

he swim leg of triathlon can be a unique experience. Some people love it, a lot more dread it, but it is a major part of our sport and it is not going anywhere. Often considered as the uncomfortable portion of many athletes’ race that just needs to be ‘survived’ before the racing really begins, I’ve decided to begin campaigning to have the initial third of a triathlon taken more seriously. The tact I’m employing in this campaign is to look at the ways in which we, as triathletes determined to have the most enjoyable experience in an event, prepare for said event. Ask a bunch of newbie triathletes or average civilians who have toyed with the idea of trying a tri what aspect of our sport they find most intimidating. If I were to put my bookie hat on and take bets on the most common response to this question, my odds-on favourite would be without a doubt “the open water swim”. Whether it is the uneven water, the lack of vision, lack of air, the splashing and close proximity of others or the notion of unknown creatures lurking below the surface, there is always a general jaw-clenching, lip-retracting, eye-widening reaction when experiences of mass start triathlon swims are shared by fellow athletes. These reactions are not really so surprising. As land-based

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mammals, we are not naturally drawn to be in completely aquatic environments as a species. We lack gills, dorsal blowholes and webbed digitorum. Being mostly submerged in water is not a condition we are innately prepared for, so it is not surprising that so many triathletes (or would be triathletes) are so turned off by this relatively substantial aspect of the sport. But there are people who are not so turned off by the open water, the splashing masses or the alien sub-marine world – quite a lot actually. These people float, stroke, kick and bubble as comfortably as though they are lying in bed or walking in the park on two feet. For most of this outrageously odd and suspiciously counter-instinctual bunch, there’s one thing they have that the rest do not: exposure. There are athletes in our sport whose only challenge with the swim in a triathlon is simply swimming as fast as athletes faster than themselves. The key factor that the majority of these athletes possess that others do not is simply that they have done it before. Through exposure, they have been desensitised to the murky waters, the splashing water in their face and the constant, hopefully unintentional harassment from misdirected fellow swimmers. That exposure to a relatively unnatural

environment has prepared them for the triathlon swim, arguably as much as swimming hundreds of laps in the pool. Through this exposure, these athletes have been able to develop skills that help them adapt to the environment – skills that they probably don’t even realise they possess. A competent open water triathlete will be able to increase stroke rate in choppy water, alter kick rate to affect accelerations, lift their head to sight turn buoys without affecting stroke rhythm or body position and to change the timing of their breathing or breathing side to avoid face splashing. From having to do so many times in the past they will be able to position themselves next to another athlete’s hip or

Swim Special 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. brendansexton.com.au @kung_fu_sexton

behind their feet to maximise the drafting effect and save energy without necessarily thinking about doing so. As a youngster, I did pool swimming from around seven-years-old. Six times a week, up and down, getting fitter, stronger and faster. Before I took up triathlon at 15 I had thousands of kilometres in my arms. I could hold my own in the water with my peers… as long as it was in the clear, calm

waters of the Maitland King George V Memorial Swimming Baths. If I was in water where the bottom could not be seen with or without goggles or I was not within 12.5 meters from dry land I might as well have been on the moon. Luckily my parents had the foresight to enrol me in nippers (or junior surf lifesaving) and, after many reluctant (on my part) trips to the coast I experienced the exposure I speak of. Pack swimming; buoy sighting, surf and current navigation and the ever-uncomfortable swimming directly after running. This was an unintentional baptism of fire of sorts that, once I became a triathlete, positioned me akin to a duck to water. Most of the races I competed in had 75 very motivated

men diving off a pontoon together all trying to get to a single point usually about 100 metres away. This motivation could often become a bit misdirected and some of my fellow competitors would mistake the lake or river we were racing in for a boxing ring. So how can you expose yourself to the elements of open water triathlon swimming in order to adapt to the challenges it presents? The simple way is to just get in and race more. Make peace that it is going to be uncomfortable and immerse yourself in the submersion. Get whacked, kicked, slapped in the face by waves, dunked, and unintentionally zigzag your way around a body of water until the feeling is normalised. It may take some time, a few slower swim splits and a panic attack or two but you can be conditioned to the discomfort. The key is to expect the unexpected and roll with the punches (pun intended). Having years of experiences of super rough swims and dealing with constant disruption built up a resilience in me and made it easier to redirect my attention back to my own swimming. If you’re someone who, by merely reading the description of this method, encounters cold sweats, nausea, a spike in heart rate and dilated pupils you will be glad to hear there are gentler and more progressive ways to acclimatise to open water racing. Fortunately, preparation for almost all extreme open water skills can be simulated in the controlled environment of the pool. A few simple exercises that give a similar but watereddown exposure to racing in the deep blue that you could try: • Sighting mid lap – Simply lift your head and look for the wall at the end of the pool. Take the difficulty up a notch by swimming with your eyes closed and only opening them when your head is up and looking ahead.

Brendan Sexton

• Goggles off – In a race, it can happen so easily. A stray foot makes contact with your face and the goggles are full of water or worse, completely knocked off. Occasionally swimming part of your regular session without goggles and using the same head-up sighting method above could ease the shock should you have the misfortune of a boot to the snout. • Irregular breathing – Create the “splash in the face” scenario by purposely skipping a breath or breathing in a pattern where you continue to take fewer breaths between stroke. A variation could be taking five strokes off each wall turn before breathing. • On the feet swimming – If you can get some mates around the same swimming ability cut some laps taking turns leading and swimming right behind your training buddies. Go as far as constantly tapping the leader’s feet to reproduce that annoying competitor that you just can’t shake. • All in starts – Get two or three training buddies lined up across a lane and practice a deep-water start. Use this to work out if you’re better off sprinting at the start to find some of your own space, setting out steady to use the draft of others or simply cruising off the start line and finding clear water at the edge of the pack. Whatever your ability or goals, the triathlon swim need not be a deterrent or a necessary evil that is merely tolerated until the land-based legs are commenced. With a bit of identification of areas that you could improve along with some creative session planning you may be able to shave a few extra minutes off your time, get into T1 a little less stressed and, who knows, you might even begin to enjoy the process of immersion in submersion. Australian Triathlete |

So, you want be a better swimmer? 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 G e t t y I m a g e s f o r I RONMAN AND SHUTTERSTO C K . C OM

t’s no secret that I’m not a huge fan of the swim leg in a triathlon. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy swimming (leisurely) and being out in the open water (I love the ocean) but swim training, squad, racing – these elements of swimming make me sweaty, anxious and slightly nauseous. Why? Why is swim training and the swim leg in a triathlon such a point of anxiety, nerves and contention among triathletes? Why is it

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so hard to learn to swim well and fast? As the saying goes, you can’t win a triathlon in the swim, but you can certainly lose it. So, how do we learn to enjoy swimming? How do we get over the fear and anxiety and how do we make this, the most feared and perhaps hated part of triathlon, something enjoyable? I spoke with some of the best triathlon/ swim coaches in Victoria to get the low down on all things swimming.

Ollie Allan (OA) Tri Alliance Dan Weekes (DW) Process_3 Brenton Ford (BF) Effortless Swimming John Van Wisse (JVW) Expert in open water swimming

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Aus Tri (AT): First up - why is swimming such a point of contention among some triathletes (especially newbies) and how can athletes gain speed/strength/ confidence in the water? Dan Weekes (DW): I think the point of contention among newbie triathletes – especially those that are new to swimming – is that they convince themselves that the swim portion of a triathlon is not significant in time so therefore neither should their training be! This is the easiest to answer though - speed, strength and confidence all come down to one thing: spending time in the water. Not the gym, not the library - in the water.

STEP 1 JOIN A SWIM SQUAD I’ve been told, time and time again - the best way to improve your swimming is by swimming with a squad. That may be true but if you’re new to swimming joining a swim squad can be as daunting as walking into a gym for the first time – it can be quite intimidating. Questions such as: “What if I can’t keep up?” “What if I’m too slow?” plague peoples minds. So where do you start with swimming and how do you go about joining a squad?

AT: OK. So then where does one start with swimming? At what point should you join a squad? Do you have to be able to swim at a certain level before joining? DW: If an athlete is new to squad swimming, confidence needs to come first. Finding – and choosing - the right triathlon or swim squad will come down to numerous factors such as social aspects, timing of sessions and how fast the coach is expecting you to go! Whether it’s for fitness or racing, I would suggest being able to swim non-stop for 200m before joining up. If this isn’t possible, either book some one-to-one time with a swim coach or just do some laps in the public lanes each week until you’re ready to talk to a squad coach. Every squad will have different paced lanes for different goals – there will always be a slower and a faster swimmer! Obviously, if the athlete is aiming at a sprint distance triathlon, swimming non-stop for 750m should be the primary goal.

I would suggest being able to swim non-stop for 200m before — Dan Weekes joining up.

Ollie Allan (OA): All athletes and abilities are welcome and encouraged to join a swim squad if they want to improve. Typically at swim squads you will have multiple lanes dedicated to squad training, with each lane catering for athletes of different abilities. At Tri Alliance we have six levels of swimmers. We have a strict criterion as outlined on our website detailing what athletes have to achieve before they’re able to move up a level or lane. With the large number of athletes that come to us (we have a lot of athletes of different abilities, from beginners to seasoned swimmers), we need to be fair and reasonable with a clear pathway for each athlete to progress. We also swim at two locations – St Michael’s (beginners) and MSAC (intermediate/advance) to cater for all swim abilities fairly.

For example, the criterion for Level 1, Lane 1 Swimmers at St Michael’s is –

1. Criteria to Participate: Must be able to demonstrate the ability to swim 25m freestyle, unaided. 2. Time Cycles: Not applicable 3. Description of Session: Athletes will practice drills and learn techniques to improve their swim ability and fitness. 4. Goal: Individual’s goal for Level 1 is to swim a straight 500m efficiently and to take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. Once competent on time and ability to swim 500m they graduate to Level 2 swimming at St Michael’s. Discretion of the coach will apply. For more information on the criteria see tri-alliance.com.

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Sessions a week are recommended for newbies to gain fitness and learn technique.

AT: Great! Are there any ‘bridging’ squads/lessons new athletes could join in with before joining the main squad? OA: We have a number of options for athletes who need to progress from a zero-swim background and that is where our free Try the Tri program kicks in. We work hard on introducing newbies to the basic skills of swimming; we teach them to relax in the water and swim efficiently. We have put over 2000 newbies through this program.

If you’re new to triathlon and swimming, and you live in Victoria, to check out the Try the Tri program, visit – vic.tri-alliance.com/ training-options/beginner-trythe-tri

AT: How many times a week should athletes swim with the squad? OA: I am a massive believer that a minimum of two sessions a week for newbies is important to gain swim fitness and learn technique. I encourage all athletes to then progress toward three sessions per week (or more) for improvement. So, two sessions a week is great for six to eight weeks of conditioning. After this it’s important to swim at least three times a week.

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DW: This is a tricky one and down to the individual athlete, how much time they have and what their goals are. If they are strong runners and riders, but weak swimmers I would advocate swimming shorter sessions more often during the week. For example, forget the gym or even a shorter run session and aim for four or five 40-minute sessions in the water spending most time on drills – similar to doing our scales on the piano. This will yield the most improvement as it limits the time spent enforcing bad habits. Typically though, a full week of triathlon training would see an athlete in the pool three times. If you can only swim with the squad once or twice, try and make up the remainder of the three alone. Humans aren’t born to swim, so the more time spent in the wet stuff the better. AT: What about swimming solo? Is that OK to do or is it better to swim with a squad? DW: As above, mixing time spent with a swim squad with some solo swims is fine as long as the athlete is getting some coaching advice and pointers on technique. Most people prefer the squad sessions because it means some social interaction in a lane that’s reserved rather than having to negotiate with other swimmers in public lanes. If the athlete can hit the pool at quiet times, members of the public won’t be an issue but again make sure some coaching advice is being sought at some point.

OA: I think – squad sessions every time over solo swimming. In a squad you have other athletes to push you. Swimming on your own is OK if you’re working on more volume or doing endurance sets where you want to swim without pressure, otherwise it’s best to swim with a squad if you want to improve your swim. AT: What sort of things can athletes expect to get out of swimming with a squad? What might a session look like? DW: Swimming with a squad provides the two most important aspects of preparing for a race or getting fit: an organised structure to training, and feedback on technique. A quality swim or triathlon coach will be able to structure different sessions over a matter of months to ensure the correct progression of fitness – we call this ‘Periodisation’. On top of that, to ensure development is holistic, the coach will be able to pinpoint areas of a swim stroke that need attention to enable improvement. A swim program for fitness or a specific race goal could last from 12 weeks to six months. Depending on the periodisation, a single session could aim to develop any of the four key attributes: drills for technique, endurance, speed or recovery. Each session would typically contain a warm-up of easy swimming and drills, followed by the key or ‘main set’, which would focus on one of the four key energy systems. For the final 10 minutes or so, swimmers are encouraged to cool down with some easy swimming, usually focussing on an individual weakness or ‘limiter’.

STEP 2 It’s all about technique Picture this: you’ve attended swim squad for months/years but you’re still not getting any faster. Sound familiar? So, what are you doing wrong? Apparently technique is king but how do you know if your technique needs improvement? How do you improve your technique with the ultimate goal being to get faster and more efficient in the water? AT: First up – what are some of the biggest mistake triathletes make with swimming? DW: It is very common for athletes to treat swim practise like run or bike training by convincing themselves that harder and faster intervals will make them a more efficient and therefore faster swimmer – this is a big mistake. This is searching for speed as opposed to searching for efficiency. Once the athlete accepts that

efficiency should come first, speed will come to them, not the other way around. Another big mistake is that swimmers become reliant on tools such as fins and pull buoys because they suddenly feel like relaxed and super-streamlined swimmers. These tools become a crutch and simply take time away from learning to swim efficiently without them; on top of that, these tools enforce the thinking that swimming is legs that kick and arms that pull, which is a mistake. Brenton Ford (BF): The most common errors I see are a crossover in front of the head, too slow and gentle in the recovery and entry, which causes a loss of momentum, and rhythm and poor posture through the torso and hips, which sinks the legs and ruins the cross-body connection. AT: OK. So, what are the fundamentals of freestyle? How do triathletes get better at swimming freestyle? DW: Like all four of the traditional swim strokes, freestyle (specifically endurance or long distance freestyle) should have a ‘whole body’ approach. Splitting the body at the waist between limbs that kick and limbs that pull, will not yield the best results. Elite sprint swimmers in pool events up to around a minute can gain 15 per cent more speed from a powerful kick whereas endurance freestyle within triathlon and open water should be saving the legs while they draft behind the body. To aid this skill, the arms and the legs should be synchronised while keeping the body as streamlined as possible.

BF: To me it’s posture, reach and rhythm and developing them in that order. AT: Why is technique so important in swimming? DW: Simple. Technique provides efficiency. Swimming is the most technique heavy part of triathlon, and learning new skills as an adult takes time and application. Dragging your butt through an hour of swimming just to tick a box is not a good idea if 50 of those minutes are spent programming poor technique. I compare it to learning the piano as an adult: first we must master the scales - lots of time spent programming a new skill doing seemingly mundane exercises. There’s no point spending an hour hitting bum notes. Gasping and uncomfortable 100m intervals struggling to keep up with the guys at the front of the lane will also yield limited improvement. Practising with the best technique will mean racing with the best technique and that means efficiency. In simple terms, that’s fewer calories spent, less heart beats used and leaving the water more comfortable before getting on the bike. AT: What is your biggest tip for athletes wanting to improve their swim? DW: I have just one tip - the athlete should have some stroke analysis carried out. Some coaches will record video to talk back over what is going right and wrong in the water (what happens out of the water doesn’t matter nearly as much but that’s another discussion). Once the athlete knows the issues to work on drills, drills

technique is king: The biggest mistake athletes make in swimming is not practising correct technique.

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and more drills. Aerobic fitness can be developed while running and riding – don’t worry it won’t disappear. AT: Good one. So what’s involved in video analysis and swim/stroke correction? BF: We run regular stroke correction clinics – which include video analysis - at Effortless Swimming. Our philosophy is that every person is different and there’s more than one way to swim fast freestyle. We don’t teach the same style to every person, it’s individualised. Especially for triathletes who are often time poor and may not come from a swimming background, it’s unrealistic to think they’ll swim like Ian Thorpe or Mack Horton. It can also impede their speed if they’re always aiming for a lower stroke count over the most important thing - swimming fast. We go against what a lot of swim coaches teach but especially for triathletes, we’ve been able to get results for them where they’ve been stuck at the same pace for years. When swimmers come to one of our clinics, we step them through everything they need to know become a better swimmer. We look at their mobility and flexibility through their shoulders and upper back and give them ways to improve this. When you spend so much time on the bike and running you lose range of motion in these areas and this can impact your catch and pull in your swimming unless you address it with some foam roller and trigger point ball exercises. We then do underwater filming and record the athlete swimming at race pace from multiple angles. This allows us to break down what they’re doing well and most importantly, where they’re losing speed and efficiency. It’s a real eye opener for most people. How you think you swim and how you actually swim are often two very different things. We record the video analysis of the swimmer, which is sent to them so they can watch it back as many times as they like after the clinic. Once we’ve found the two or three biggest Australian Triathlete |

STEP 3 Get in the open water

66 opportunities in their stroke for more speed and less effort, we go through drills and exercises in the pool to help them make the changes they’re looking for. The swimmer is given a lot of feedback throughout this time as we keep the class size small with a maximum of six swimmers to a coach. The freestyle clinic is $220, which includes a copy their underwater swim footage and video analysis.

For more on Effortless Swimming and the swim clinics, visit – effortlessswimming.com/ freestyle-clinics

AT: Who would benefit from swim/ stroke correction? Is it largely for athletes looking for the one or two per cent improvement or would newbies benefit from starting off right with the right technique as well, rather than just attending squad or doing solo swims, and potentially getting into bad habits? BF: Our minimum requirement for swimmers attending the clinic is to be able to do 400m without stopping. We have a wide range of athletes attend from someone who only learned to swim six weeks ago to professional triathletes. Every level of triathlete is able to take away something that will help them improve. It’s never too late to learn.

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Days

The number of days it takes to change your swim habits.

AT: How long does it typically take to see change in stroke? In your experience how long does it take to break bad habits? BF: Changes to your technique can be immediate, but to be able to do it automatically under race pressure takes longer. My rule of thumb is to practice the stroke changes for 66 days to replace the old habit, but ultimately give it 18 months to dramatically change your swimming. It’s not to say you can’t have significant improvements in a few weeks, but the athletes who think long term seem to have more success. AT: How often should athletes come and see you for stroke correction session/video analysis? Is it OK to just do a one off session or would athletes benefit from regular follow-up? BF: One session can be enough for someone for six to 12 months if they have good awareness in the water and a coach with a keen eye for swimming. In an ideal world, video analysis every four to six weeks is the best way to keep your progress on track. We have swimmers in the Effortless Swimming membership (our online coaching program) send me videos this regularly.

Now, it’s all well and good to swim efficiently in the pool but does this automatically translate to the open water? Unfortunately (or fortunately perhaps) triathlons are not done at the local pool – swimming in a triathlon is an open water adventure. So, after swimming thousands of laps in the pool, following that black line for hours on end, how do you translate it all to the open water? Additionally, how do you become comfortable in the open water and overcome any fears and anxieties you might have with swimming in the ocean? (Hot tip: do not watch Jaws before your event). AT: How do athletes transition from pool to open water swimming? DW: Once an athlete is confident in the pool, the same progression should follow for open water swimming: go with a group of the same performance level together with a coach who can guide you. AT: What are the main differences between swimming in a pool vs. swimming in the open water? John Van Wisse (JVW): To start with, the main differences between the pool and open water is drafting, getting a good start in open water by warming up properly, positioning on the start line and going out fast for the first few minutes is really important. Generally the swim settles down after a few minutes - you want to be on the best ‘train’ possible once it does. Learning how to sight in your stroke is essential too, as you can’t give a centimetre away once you find your train. So, you have to be aware of what’s going on. It’s the same mentality as elite pack riding on the bike. Swimming in rough conditions is also different to pool swimming as you might need to change your arm recovery to attack the waves back. Waves slow everybody down and often throw your body off balance but even the lead swimmers will feel this so don’t be negative and think you’re having a bad day. The harder you punch through the wave the less it slows you down. You can also push your chest down as a wave comes over you. Learn to take fast shallow breaths to the roof of your mouth - this will stop you swallowing water. When it’s rough it’s a lot harder to draft too. Another super important part of open water swimming is your wetsuit fitting. Make sure you work the sleeves up on your suit so you have a bit of slack around the

shoulders. If you still feel restricted lifting your arms out of the water (the recovery phase) then the suit is too small. When you try the suit on in the shop before buying; pull the sleeves up and do arm swings. Of course, if you have a short sleeve suit then it doesn’t matter. Be careful pulling the sleeves up though, as you can easily rip the material. AT: How many times a week should triathletes swim in the open water? JVW: The best open water swimmers do most of their work in the pool, as you can get more fitness out of a pool session generally, but that’s after they’ve gotten on top of any issues i.e. dealing with waves, draft practice, wetsuit testing, sighting, etc. Panic attacks are a common issue too. A lot of people have had a bad experience as a child in open water, which has carried on into adulthood. I’ve seen strong pool swimmers struggle to put their face down in open water due to anxiety (people have it in the pool too). It can all be overcome through persistence though, and you can’t help but admire people who overcome it. DW: The more time spent in the water the better, but once per week in the lead up to the race season is fine. Ideally, this is in addition to the normal pool sessions, as the open water session is more about sensory awareness than fitness or technique. Diving deeper (no pun intended) - if an athlete is travelling to a new race venue and swim course that is unfamiliar, arriving a couple of days early

to get used to the water and surroundings is very valuable. If an athlete is selfadmittedly terrified of the open water (not surprising in Australia, let’s be frank) the best option to take as much time with a patient buddy or coach to traverse from simply being near the shoreline to standing, sitting then moving through the water. A lot of swimming development comes from training the mind - rather than body - through repetition of movement. This applies just as much for phobia of the open water too: train the mind in the best way possible. AT: John, I understand you run open water swim sessions in summer. What sort of things can athletes expect to get out of open water swim sessions? What does an open water swim session look like? JVW: Yes, thanks, Margs - Wednesday nights at Half Moon Bay [on Port Phillip, Victoria] in summertime. We just do a lot of racing, varying the distances each week. It’s all about getting athletes confidence up and getting over any issues, and about nailing their starts – to get on the best toes possible and to concentrate to stay there. If it’s rough we spend time practicing not being the victim and attacking the conditions back. Most people wear wetsuits but there’s channel swimmers there to that just go in speedos. I get swimmers with anxiety to stick together and practice drafting in the shallows where they can stand until their confidence builds up. © Petko Beier/Getty Images

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For more information on John’s open water swim sessions at Half Moon Bay, visit - johnvanwisse.com/ coaching/swim-squad

AT: What level of swimmer do athletes have to be to come along to the open water swim sessions? Or can anyone attend? JVW: As long as you’re reasonably confident, come along – it’d be great to have you there. I have a paddler and I swim to bark orders at anyone who is not on toes, but we can’t keep an eye on everyone all the time. The swimmers who get panic attacks I tend to get to stick together in the shallows and do turns until we come back (if we’re doing longer races – it changes every week). We generally get good numbers, so it makes for great race simulations and we always swim no matter how rough the waves are - so if it’s rough race day you’ve been in worse. AT: What are the main safety precautions to take when swimming in the open water? JVW: Build your confidence and skill set. Swim with a friend if you’re uncertain but start where you can stand up. If you want to swim more but are mate-less on certain days go to somewhere like the Brighton Sea Baths where there’s people around, shallow water and hot showers. I’ve seen many people who could barely put their face down finish local races at first, then Ironman distances.

suit up: Make sure your wetsuit fits correctly and that there is slack around the shoulder area for easy rotation.

AT: When is it safest to swim in the open water e.g. time of day/month? JVW: It depends on the strip of water. Do your research. Port Phillip Bay is fantastic. There are no rips or massive tides, or many large hungry fish. Watch out for stingrays

Australian Triathlete |

when walking in (it rarely happens but I’ve had a few mates get barbed). If you’re swimming in the colder months, go to places like the Brighton Baths [in Victoria] as they have a steam room/hot showers and people around. AT: How can athletes gain confidence in the open water? What do you do if you have a panic attack? How do you control your fear? JVW: The best way to get over your fears is take them on. You will beat your fears through repetition and building your skill sets. Be smart about it though - build into it. Like I said before - start in the shallows with a wetsuit on or fins (or both). If possible swim with others. Practice drafting with them/grabbing legs/ swimming over each other – keep it fun and try to laugh about it (in the shallows first). On race day if you’re really swim fit but get anxiety issues in open water do a massive warm up at race pace. That’s the best way to get it out of your system. You’ll be fine once the gun goes after that.

STEP 4 CONSIDER YOUr CORE Last but not least – to be a strong swimmer you need to be, well, strong. What can you do to increase your strength out of the water? AT: Core strength seems to be a big component of overall sports performance – it helps with swim, bike and run efficiency. What exercises do you recommend athletes do to strengthen their core for swimming? BF: I’m a big fan the TRX Suspension kits for developing a stronger core, but basic core exercises like dead bugs (lying on your back and raising/lowering one arm and your opposite leg) or a double leg raise laying on your back are excellent. AT: Dry land activation – why is this important to do before starting a swim session? Should all athletes be doing this?

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Core work: TRX Suspension or therabands are not only great training tools to build effective core muscles but also to prepare the limbs before getting into the water.

DW: I do advocate stretching and activation before swim practise. The stretching part is not to avoid injury or specifically to warm up muscle groups, but more so to prepare the limbs - the arms and shoulders - for achieving the most useful positions while in the water. Most age groupers are not ultra-flexible like elite swimmers, so getting our elbows and forearms into the most useful positions is difficult without a little preparation. If we accept that freestyle should be a whole-body approach, then most of the power comes from the hips and core – where rotation is controlled. Doing some Pilates-style activation on the poolside before practise will warm up the core and back muscles while kick-starting the brain to hold you flat in the water. BF: I’m a big fan of therabands and using them to warm up before every session. Working through different yoga poses and movements is starting to gain traction with a lot of elite swim squads as a pre-session warm up. Because most triathletes are swimming early in the morning it’s best to do some sort of dry land activation and warm up especially for preventing shoulder problems down the track. If you boil it down to four simple steps (as above), swimming can be easy and fun. Best of all, through regular practice, time in the water and consistency you can and you will become a better, stronger, faster and more confident swimmer. There is hope for us all! So, join a local squad and get swimming.

Swim services/ squads around Australia: • i4 Coaching i4coaching.com.au • Elite Triathlon Performance Australia etpa.com.au/stroke- correction-program • Effortless Swimming effortless swimming.com • Process_3 @process_3 • Open Water Mastery openwater swimmingmastery.com • Tri Alliance tri-alliance.com • John Van Wisse johnvanwisse.com/ coaching/swim-squad • Masters Swimming South Australia mastersswimmingsa. org.au • Vlad Swim vladswim.com.au

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Swimming Is An Attitude t e x t b y Mi t c h e l l Kibb y i 4 C o a c h i n g | p h o t o g r a p h y b y KORUPT V I S I ON a n d S h h u t t e r s t o c k . c o m

Why Swimming? What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word “swimming”? Are you taken straight to the water or people you know? Is it a pool, the beach or even a lake? Is it a moment from the Olympics, a memory from the backyard pool or a place you have been? For me, I have a series of images that roll through my mind. A photo gallery! The pictures are clear and it reminds me of everything I love about the sport. My earliest memory is of a morning swim lesson in the summer holidays. I left, wrapped in a towel with chlorine perfume on my skin. The sun was out, there was Weetbix waiting at home and the Australian Open tennis was on TV. It was the perfect start to a day!

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As my gallery slides, I think of Kieren Perkins, backyard pools, sunburn and the moment my eyes dive under the water. I think about the pools I have been to, the coaches who have helped me and the friends who have shared my lane. Swimming is more than a sport, it is a lifestyle and I will always go back. I love it! As a coach, I have travelled the country and met swimmers from every corner. I am always amazed at the new faces we see. Just when I thought I knew every swimmer, a new dozen arrives for another clinic. We hear the story of why they swim and the reasons they need to improve. Australia is the lucky country, especially when it comes to swimming. We have

pools in every suburb, lifesavers on our beaches and thousands of people who can teach us to swim. Despite this, there is an overwhelming fear that surrounds the water, and many of us arrive at the pool with anxiety and tension. Water safety is a serious thing, but that is not what is causing the anxiety. It is the panic that hits when we are under pressure, the weight of the water holding us back and the despair of another day devoted without the breakthrough we need. The more I see this, the more I realise that ‘Swimming is an Attitude’. How you walk into the pool, how you carry your swim bag and how you enter the water, all say something about the way you swim.

Swim Special

Building Momentum: Motivation is the key to improving your swim. Fortunately, triathletes have this in spades, although we need to be careful. Just as it is the trigger to bring us back to the water, it can also cause a cut that leaves a scar. We need to be patient and understand that being fit is not enough to swim well. Everyone will tell you technique is the answer. But what does that mean? Before you read on, go and stand in the mirror and look at your swim stroke. Do the movements and see what you look like. Go and do it! Now! I bet I know what you look like. I bet your hand stops out the front, your fingertips point up and I bet your arm looks like a chicken wing as it recovers past your head… This tells us a lot about what is happening in the water. If we cannot do it on dry land, how can we be expected to do it in the water? With no air, people climbing on our backs and only partial vision from that foggy pair of goggles. To improve, we need to take our thinking to the next level. It is not enough to turn up to the water hoping that you will

last the distance, hoping that you have a good day. One of the causes of this anxiety is that we do not understand what we should actually be doing. If this is you, read on and take note. Have a plan and arrive with a purpose. A plan gives us time to think about our technique, which brings motivation and leads to momentum. It is ‘momentum’ that creates a shift in our attitude… and ‘Swimming is an Attitude’.

SWIM PROGRAM

Building Your Team: Many swimmers believe they need to get to a certain level before they consider training with friends or joining a swim squad. Unfortunately, this makes it very difficult to advance and can trigger feelings of anxiety. Swimming then becomes a very personal battle and the pressure surrounding every session can be too much to handle. The best way to get into the routine is to find a friend or a colleague who will commit with you. Be accountable for each other and laugh together if it gets hard. Before long you may be ready to find a coach and a squad. The truth is that many swim squads have people just like you who are worried about getting in the way or being embarrassed. Fortunately, the swimming and triathlon community is very kind. It is filled with great people who have been in your shoes (fins) before and will enjoy helping you improve. The sooner you find a team to help, the sooner you will reach the next level.

Skills: It’s not always about thrashing laps freestyle. Adding some variety is good and you are still enhancing your ability.

Building Your Plan: A simple way to establish your plan is to break down your training into three clear categories. Each time you start your swim you should know which category the session falls into. Following is a nice way to frame it.

Rhythm

This is your chance to develop correct breathing patterns and to discover the feeling of relaxed tension in the water. There should be no pressure on time or intensity and you can use toys (swim equipment) to help you do it correctly. Take a rest when the patterns are falling away and regardless of the outcome, walk away knowing the time spent contributed to your goal.

Skills

Here you will concentrate on improving your technique. The focus should be high and you will need to be patient. You may like to complete some drills or add some other strokes for variety. The important thing is not the drill or your backstroke, it is learning how to move Australian Triathlete |

through the water and using what the drill teaches us in your freestyle stroke. This is where a coach or mentor can be a great help. Having some feedback on what is happening will save you hours of heartache at the pool. If you are new to swimming, you should not be expected to know how to make these changes by yourself. Just as I would not be expected to know how to operate on a patient or fly a plane!

Conditioning

When you are ready, we can test ‘Rhythm’ and ‘Skill’ to see how they hold up under pressure. This is not a test of your character or a challenge to see if you should swim again. It is a snapshot of your current position and will highlight the next steps to take. Clear your mind and trust your stroke. Complete a set with some intensity, but not too much and once again, walk away knowing that the swim was a contribution to your goal.

Follow this sequence and gradually begin to increase the time you spend in the water. If you can aim for three swims a week, use these categories to make up your program and notice the improvements each time the cycle repeats. This gives your routine some colour and takes away the monotony of returning to the pool. You might actually want to go back… It is all too common that we get stuck training only one of these categories and we wonder why we never improve. We might be able to endure some training like this, but that does not bulletproof our stroke or prepare us for racing, which leaves us open to more scars from the competition. Let’s never again hear of the swimmer who starts their watch and thrashes up and down continuously for twenty laps, only measuring their effort against the last time they swam. This is the best way to ensure it becomes the mightiest achievement to return again one day. It can be easier than that, I promise…

Build Your Routine: Having some routine around your swimming will make it easier to progress.

Swim at the same time each week Find times in the week when you can commit to swimming. You need enough time that you will not be rushing and you need decent energy to enjoy it. Whether it is morning or night, do it every week and you will know what to expect when you hit the water.

Warm up on dry land

Building your Swim BAG

Goggles: -- Should fit well and be kept clean -- Should be replaced more often than you think

Fake it until you make it

Fins:

Tell people you are a swimmer. Tell people you love it. The more you say something positive about swimming the more you will start to believe your experience can be. Notice how you speak and what you say when discussing your swimming and make a shift if you need to!

-- Increase speed -- Lift body position -- Highlight awareness of kick patterns

i4 Coaching Sample sessions

Pull Buoy: There are some essential items we should all have in our swim bag. Toys are not there to make us lazy, they teach us how swimming should feel and they create awareness around the phases of our stroke. If these toys make swimming easier so that we enjoy more time in the water, then that is a success. Just know the difference between reaching for a toy to improve and reaching for a toy to cheat. Yes, I am talking to you!

What? I am here to swim...! This is true, but having a set routine before you get in can help to frame your thoughts. Do some stretches and some pushups. Do something to remove the rest of life from your head and give yourself a moment to prepare. Condense this to a couple of minutes if you need, but do not start swimming until you are ready.

-----

Lift body position Control rotation Improve stroke patterning Build upper body strength

Paddles: -- Increase feel for the water -- Build upper body strength -- Highlight flaws in entry or catch

conditioning Set Warm Up 800 as: 3 x 200 / 0:20R as 1.

free w fins

free w PB

free 4 x 25 kick/swim (fast/easy) / 0:15R as… 4 x 25 free (D1-4) / 0:15R

Kickboard: -- Develop kick patterns -- Improve kick efficiency -- Improve body position

Snorkel: -- Improve head position -- Improve body position -- Control rotation

Main Set 1200 as: 4 x 50 free (fast) / 0:10R 3 x 100 free w PB (D1-3) / 0:15R 2 x 200 free w PB and pads (D1-2) / 0:20R Take 2 mins Rest 6 x 50 free (best average) / 0:15R Swim Off 200 as: 200 choice (easy) Total Distance: 2.2km

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mitch kibby Mitch Kibby is a Professional Triathlete and accredited TA Performance Coach based in Melbourne.

Skills Set Warm Up 400 as: 2 x 100 free w PB easy / 0:20R 4 x 25 kick/swim / 0:15R as… 4 x 25 free D1-4 / 0:20R Main Set 1200 as: 2 x 600 as… 4 x 50 drill/swim w fins / 0:20R as… 1.

25 kick / 25 free

25 backstroke / 25 free

25 polo (head up and still) / 25 free

25 scull / 25 free

6 x 50 free w PB / 0:15R as… 1.

breathe Right side

breathe Left side

breathe 3 strokes

Rhythm Set Warm Up 600 as: 6 x 50 free/back w fins (easy) / 0:20R 2 x 100 free w PB (easy) / 0:20R 4 x 25 free (D1-4 = easy, mod, mod plus, fast) / 0:20R Main Set 1200 as: 2 x 150 free w fins (mod) 300 free w PB (easy) 12 x 50 free w PB / 0:15R as… 1.

breathe Right side

breathe Left side

100 choice (easy)

breathe 3 strokes

Swim Off 200 as:

4 x 50 free / 0:20R (mod)

200 choice (easy)

Total Distance: 1.8km

Total Distance: 2km

Mitch won the Australian Championships as an amateur in 2011 and has spent several years racing around the world in both ITU and Long Course triathlon events. In recent years, Mitch has raced the Ironman 70.3 World Championships and the ITU World Cup in Mooloolaba. Along with his late business partner Ryan Bourke, the duo set up i4 Coaching in 2016 and the brand has grown successfully to deliver online programs, technique clinics and training camps to athletes around Australia.

i4coaching.com.au @i4coaching

Personalised Programs | Training Camps | Technique Clinics

Australian Triathlete |

Skin Dipping t e x t b y D r Mi t c h A n d e r s o n Photography by shutterstock.com and korupt vision

afety in the sun can be pretty dull: “Have you got a hat on darling?” We have been forcefed this message since we were kids. But there’s one thing duller than listening to the theme, ‘slip-slop-slapslide’ for the millionth time – that’s sitting in a cancer ward having chemotherapy. Apparently, it’s a real drag. If you’re the type to flick the page because this doesn’t apply to you, at least take a good note of all the tips in the summary box. It might save your life. Protecting your skin from the sun is not that complicated, but there are some fail-safe little tricks I want to share. Also, a

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discussion on what athletes with more sensitive complexions can do to look after their allergies or dry skin in the context of a sport that is run and won in the elements. Cue images of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii; the day after with athlete’s numbers sunburnt onto their deltoids like a chalk outline in a crime scene…

Sun Without a doubt, training in the heat of the day is well covered by most athletes. But everyone makes mistakes. On a hot day, you rush out of the house without sunglasses or remembering to apply

sunscreen. Write yourself a little list and keep it on the shed wall for that ‘leaving’ moment. Getting home with red sleeves is avoidable. I keep a little single-use sachet of sunscreen in my bags/bike bento box for the time that I forget to put on cream. It has been a skin saver many a time. If you are at the beach/pool solo to have a cheeky open water and don’t have any cream on your back don’t get in the water! There is a solution. Sure, you’re probably single because triathlon has taken up all of your time and you now have no one to sensuously and lasciviously apply sunscreen to your supple skin… ooooh! Spray cans of sunscreen are

Swim Special

Health kicks

The edge of the wettie has taken so many victims’ necks over the years… mine has been a notch in the belt many — Dr Mitch a time. Racing

when you need it on the bike and run. I would prefer to replace a wetsuit every couple of years than an excoriated neck. Also, suits never tear at the neck; it’s always at the seams or where you grab at them to get them off in a hurry. After the swim, reapply your sunscreen in transition or on the bike. Remember: you must reapply! See my earlier comments on how sunscreen time ratings don’t apply in training. Avoiding burning is performance enhancing. Blood sent to the skin for burns (however mild) is taking valuable circulating volume for your exercising muscles. Not only that, but any skin lost to neck rub leaves your dermis even more exposed to UV. I prefer to apply sunscreen at 40km/hour on the bike rather than stationary in transition, so I keep a sachet in my race suit pocket for the bike and run. Besides, the volunteer ‘helping’ you in T1 will almost certainly blind you in one eye with what feels like acid based sunscreen!

perfect for this very purpose - it gets to the hard-to-reach areas. With spray cans, you can even ask a complete stranger to apply sunscreen to your back without feeling creeped out by their grubby hands touching you. (The last option - put your profile on Tri-Tinder and see if there’s someone else out there just like you!) Consider using a swim skin for the times you are training post dawn (i.e. after 10am). Your back and neck get a lot of sun over the years - a swim skin will help to keep you sun smart. Also, don’t forget to re-apply sunscreen when you get out of the pool for your next session or your recovery lie down. Here’s the thing - an application sunscreen is supposed to last for four hours, but this rating will have been affected by sweating inside the pool or suit. So it really needs another robust application. If you don’t, you’re going to hurt. Not to mention the fact that being sunburnt is a barrier to optimal recovery for your next session - valuable energy is being spent on repairing your skin instead of your muscles.

In general, this is the element that is poorly managed by athletes. Everyone puts on sunscreen (if it’s been added to their list of required items in the kit bag) just prior to the race. Then they pull a wetsuit over their skin, dislodging most of the cream that hasn’t been wiped in. The skin needs to be given time to absorb the cream, so it isn’t immediately protecting the inside of the wettie instead of you! Once you have lathered yourself in sunscreen, make sure you don’t forget to protect the more sensitive parts of your body as well. Use a barrier cream on the perineum where you are likely to get friction on the bike. Be liberal. Add some to your nipples, under-arms and neck. The edge of the wettie has taken so many victims’ necks over the years…mine has been a notch in the belt many a time. I find the swim specific products simply not up to scratch for the longer races - even if it still there at the end of the swim, it’s gone

Australian Triathlete |

Sensitive issue: Having sensitive skin and swimming can for some be like oil and water ... they dont mix. However, there are solutions.

Of course, the best way to avoid chlorine allergies is to, well, avoid chlorine - use the open water when you can over the summer period. — Dr Mitch Scratchy-Flaky-Sensitive Athletes with allergies to chlorine know how frustrating life can be after a visit to the pool. Even those with mild sensitivities can get itchy skin and mucous membranes after a long session in the chlorine or ozone. My tips are to take your own soaps - the liquid soap provided at the pool is almost certainly meant for terminators only. Bring your moisturiser with you to the pool and apply it immediately after your swim to optimise sensitive areas like skin creases at the backs of knees and arms. Use a cream laced with sunscreen for double protection. Another useful item for those with mucus-membrane sensitivities is a hayfever relief product (an antihistamine)

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for immediately after the swim. Do this as soon as you get out of the pool to avoid the sneezing that invariably will afflict you in the hours after a splash. Of course, the best way to avoid chlorine allergies is to, well, avoid chlorine - use the open water when you can over the summer period.

Tips • Have a tick-a-box list of elements for training and racing • Glasses/goggles are protection against UV • Apply cream at least ten minutes before you put on your wetsuit • Apply cream well inside the areas of the race garment • Spray-on cream for singles • Keep a ‘to do’ list on your shed wall • Have cream in all bags/bento boxes • Reapply, reapply, and reapply • Papaya on the undercarriage/ underarms • Early moisture for sensitive skin • Use your own soaps/meds post swim

mitch@shinbonemedical.com @DrMitcha

@Drmitcha

DOUBLING DOWN WITH GIANT AND SHIMANO. After a twelve hour ride of over 500km, Dr Mitch Anderson is tackling 24 hours. The best bikes and components in the industry have already signed on for the attempt at 900km in early 2018.

Â© Korupt Vision Australian Triathlete |

Sink or

Swim? t e x t b y d r s i m o n S o s t a r ic photography by getty images for ironman

onsider the simplicity. A “swimming suit”, some water and away you go. Goggles will certainly help with navigation. For the follicular endowed, a head cap will contain your crop and provide a degree of aero advantage. Then you join a squad and begin to realise it takes a lot more detail to excel at swimming than meets the eye. Like all technical sports, it takes significant commitment and discipline to master the systems and processes that are required to generate speed and endurance, reduce drag and improve performance. Furthermore, for triathletes, these challenges are exemplified with the need to balance the additional running, cycling and strength training. Athletes are well versed in looking for performance improvements in areas that

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they can control. Body composition, particularly the density and distribution of lean muscle and fat mass, is one of those “controllable” variables that athletes, coaches and scientists turn to when it comes to performance.

Tracking body composition more than skin deep Measuring body composition several times per year will provide those professionals (coaches, sports scientists, dietitian, medical) working with athletes, a guide to interactions between training and dietary responses and adaptations. Indeed, it is impossible to interpret what is best practice and sustainable for long-term progress without evaluating body composition – particularly aspects contributing to injury and illness

prevention. Furthermore, for those who only swim, and do not practice other modes of training, tracking lean mass and bone density is imperative, since swimming is low-impact. For triathletes, the independent effects of body composition on swimming, cycling and running vary considerably and this heightens the need for monitoring to ensure that an effective and integrated balance is managed.

Perspectives of body composition and swimming performance Watching the world’s best take to the blocks before an Olympic final, it’s clear for all to see that competitive pool swimmers are invariably muscular and lean. Whereas endurance open water

improvement is associated with a reduction in body fat, there are also others (cited in Roelofs et al, 2016) that have found swimming performance is not adversely affected by higher body fat composition. The trade-off with higher fat stores is perhaps an advantageous buoyancy effect. The counter-argument is that excess body fat increases drag forces in the water, therefore limiting performance. The greater body weight to height and higher body fat content characterised in open water endurance swimmers contributes to improved cold water tolerance. However, as with pool swimmers, there is inconsistency within the limited scientific data that supports the anthropometric link to performance. Interestingly, as the distance of an open water race increases, the difference between male and female performance decreases. In part, this may be associated with higher body fat stores in females compared to males, providing a buoyancy and metabolic economy advantage (Baldassarre et al, 2017).

10-20%

The swim leg only contributes 10-20% to the triathlon event.So it’s not uncommon for athletes to focus body composition in favour of ride and run performance.

swimmers are characterised by less lean muscle and more body fat. Triathletes, on the other hand, sit somewhere in between, leaning a little more toward the body type of an endurance cyclist/runner. Although body composition is central to human performance, there is unfortunately very little published data on the topic when it comes to swimming – particularly in elite athletes. That said, a recent study by Roelofs and colleagues (2016) examined body composition trends in elite collegiate pool swimmers during a full season. They found that as the season progressed, lean muscle mass increased and body fat decreased, contributing to performance gains. While it is commonly accepted by sports scientists that pool swimming (as opposed to open-water) performance

Body composition considerations for triathletes Triathletes who come to see us in the performance lab are ambitious and highly motivated to get the best out of themselves – regardless of their age or athletic prowess. One hundred per cent of them will ask: “How much body fat and muscle mass is optimal for improving performance?” or “What’s the best way to lose weight?” The initial rationale from these athletes, as they routinely describe, is to improve their power to weight ratio on the bike (including getting over hills easier), and to feel lighter on their feet when running. Interestingly, no triathlete has ever enquired about what effects modification of their body composition will have on their swimming performance. Therefore, careful holistic consideration of the triathlon’s sum of parts must be made. Once an athlete’s body composition is evaluated, decisions can then be made around strategies that may be effective in improving performance while maintaining the illness and injury prevention status quo. After all, attempting to maintain extremely low body fat for extended periods can lead to significant immune system challenges. It is also important to highlight acute body composition changes that occur during a triathlon. Ironman competitors typically lose 2.3-5% body mass (Mueller et al, 2013), with fat catabolism contributing to ~50% of the deficit. The balance of

Swim Special Performance

body mass loss includes muscle glycogen, metabolic water (water bound to muscle glycogen) and non-metabolic water (sweat loss). These acute body composition findings provide a critical perspective on physical and metabolic exertional demands that co-exist with endurance competition and training. Together, the chronic and acute changes in body composition also demonstrate the rationale of athletes undertaking periodic body composition evaluations. Measuring only body mass tells us very little about body composition. Indeed, most athletes have a tendency to wrongly assume that an acute change in body mass (after racing or training) reflects only fluid loss.

Body size: Swimming performance is not adversely affected by a higher body fat. The trade-off with higher fat stores is an advantageous buoyancy effect. Australian Triathlete |

Body composition measurement methods

| Australian Triathlete

Take home message for triathlete swimmers There is no one size that fits all. The intra- and inter-athlete body composition and swimming performance relationship will vary considerably, depending on event distance and conditions. Triathletes should also be wary of pigeonholing their body composition intentions and consider a balanced sum-of-parts approach to the demands of the sport. Given that the swim leg of a triathlon contributes to 10-20% of the total event duration, it is not unreasonable for triathletes to focus body composition changes in favour of cycling and running performance. An experienced practitioner should implement a graduated strategic plan in order to facilitate requisite changes in lean and fat tissue, and allow ample opportunity to carefully validate the effects of the changes - to ensure performance outcomes are heading in the right direction and not at the expense of maintaining good health.

measuring up: Skinfold measurements are popular among dietitians and sports scientists, although they are limited to estimating whole body fat via the subcutaneous fat thickness immediately below your skin.

References: Baldassarre, R., et al (Int J Sports Physiol & Perform, 2017). Characteristics and challenges of open-water swimming performance: A review. Mueller, S., et al (Eur J Appl Physiol, 2013). Changes in body composition in triathletes during an Ironman race. Roelofs, E., et al (J Ath Train, 2016). Seasonal effects on body composition, muscle characteristics, and performance of collegiate swimmers and divers. Zemski A., et al (Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2017). Skinfold prediction equations fail to provide an accurate estimate of body composition in elite rugby union athletes of Caucasian and Polynesian ethnicity.

Dr Simon Sostaric PhD.,BAppSc.,AEP.,AES Exercise Physiologist / Sports Scientist Dr Simon Sostaric is a distinguished exercise physiologist, sports scientist, researcher and author. Simon holds a physiology doctorate from Victoria University, 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

There are numerous methods to choose from, including - MRI, CT, DEXA, bioelectrical impedance, whole body plethysmography, underwater densitometry, and skinfolds. MRI and CT scans provide highly accurate measures of fat and muscle tissue composition, but they are difficult to access and are relatively expensive. Whole body plethysmography (air displacement) is gaining momentum in the anthropometry field as a reliable measure of fat and muscle mass but it’s mostly found in university and hospital labs. Underwater densitometry was the granddaddy of body composition methods before MRI, CT, and DEXA were invented, although these days rarely found outside of university labs. Bioelectrical impedance devices are more readily available in private practices, however, intra-device reliability is sometimes questionable. Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) correlates strongly to MRI and CT for fat and lean tissue. An added bonus for DEXA is the well-established capacity to quantify bone mineral density. Furthermore, DEXA is accessible in private practice and relatively inexpensive for the recipient. As the name suggests, DEXA does emit some radiation, albeit at very low, safe levels – lower than radiation exposure when flying in a plane. Skinfold measurements are popular amongst dietitians and sports scientists, although they are limited to estimating whole body fat via the subcutaneous fat thickness (immediately below your skin). Indeed, a very recent study by Zemski and colleagues (2017) found that existing skinfold equations were unreliable when estimating body fat composition in rugby players. Skinfold equations tended to underestimate and overestimate body fat percentage in those athletes with low and high body fat, respectively.

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Swimmer’s Shoulder

t e x t b y Z a c T u r n e r | p h o t o g r a p h y b y SHUTTERSTO C K . C OM

shoulder injury can be a significant barrier to both training and competition, particularly for swimmers. Due to the repetitive nature of swimming strokes and high demands placed on the shoulder, this is an area often susceptible to injury and overuse. Swimming requires many different shoulder motions, which are then combined and performed simultaneously to carry out one particular stroke. Having a thorough understanding of the biomechanical makeup of

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swimming strokes (most commonly freestyle), as well as the early warning signs of injury, is necessary to ensure the likelihood of shoulder injury is reduced. ‘Swimmer’s Shoulder’ is a musculoskeletal injury, often caused by overuse and repetitive stress resulting in pain felt deep within the front shoulder joint itself. It is a result of inflammation and irritation of the tendons passing through the shoulder joint capsule and subacromial space (area beneath the collarbone at the front of your shoulder).

As the cause of swimmers shoulder is often mechanical and movement based, increasing pain is generally felt the longer the shoulder is in use. Swimmer’s shoulder may also be attributable to poor posture, lack of joint mobility and flexibility, inadequate muscle control (neuromuscular control) as well as errors in training or unrealistic training loads. The shoulder is an inherently unstable joint. This ‘ball-and-socket’ type of joint is comprised of a large ball, which sits within a relatively shallow socket. While this

Shoulder Anatomy Acromion

AC joint

Clavical

Humerous

Injury Prevention

Scapula

Glenohumeral joint

allows for greater shoulder range of movement, the anatomy of this joint means its structural stability is somewhat limited. Given this, many structures act upon the shoulder to reinforce both strength and stability, and often it is these areas in which we must focus our attention for prevention and management of shoulder injuries. Increased stress may also be placed on the shoulder due to movement deficiencies in surrounding areas of the body. Stiffness and hypomobility of the neck and mid-back commonly result in a higher workload of the shoulders meaning overuse is more likely.

NORMAL

Swim Special

Poor postures often place the shoulder in rolled forward and elevated position, which can add additional stress and reduce the sub-acromial space. Such postural adaptations include forward chin poke, rounded shoulders and increased curvature of the spine. Often, this arises from tightness in muscles and tissues in the front of the shoulders, and lengthening and weakness in those at the back. This muscle imbalance may cause the shoulders to drift forward and up, resulting in decreased joint and subacromial space leaving little space for the affected tendons to sit. Altered postures can be managed through gentle stretching and

tissue release of tight anterior muscles, and activation and strengthening of those weakened to place the shoulder in less compromising positions. The rotator cuff is the shoulderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary movement mechanism and a highly important stabiliser of the shoulder joint. It consists of a collection of muscles that all act upon the shoulder to allow different movements and provide strength and stability throughout its range of motion. These muscles not only perform large movements that we can visually see, but also pivot and spin the humerus (arm bone) within the joint capsule to ensure adequate joint and subacromial space is upheld. This group of muscles, among others, also controls the movement of the scapula (shoulder blade). It is important that both the scapula and humerus bones move in smooth sequence to allow

ROTATOR CUFF PROBLEMS Inflamed/torn tendons

Niggles: Starting to feel a pinch? It might be the start of something more concerning. Australian Triathlete |

Physical therapy: Effective management should be ongoing to reduce the risk of injury.

sufficient joint and subacromial space to be upheld. If the rotator cuff is not allowing this to occur, either due to weakness, fatigue, or poor muscular control, high swimming loads may also result in overuse and onset of shoulder injury. So, now to the part you’re probably most concerned about. How might my training predispose me to a swimmer’s shoulder? What modifications should I make if I am experiencing shoulder pain? As I mentioned previously, generally swimmers shoulder will present with progressive pain throughout the length of each swimming session. This is enough to suggest that some training modifications need to be made and further investigation of the shoulder may be necessary. A thorough assessment of the athlete should be performed including technique

and movement analysis, insight into training demands as well as any extrinsic factors that may contribute to excessive loads. Generally, this assessment should consider overuse, misuse and abuse.

joint overuse. As training loads are gradually increased the body has a greater capacity to adapt to new loads and withstand these loads in future training and competition.

Overuse refers to loads placed on the shoulder that exceed its ability to be able to recover from and/or withstand. This may be due to an imbalance between muscle strength or due to an unrealistic training load. In the beginning stages of training, swimming loads should start conservatively and be gradually increased in realistic increments. Often, starting or returning to training following a break, and completing high load sessions without adequate recovery can cause

Misuse suggests swimming with incorrect or improper technique and placing higher than normal stress on structures within the shoulder. Arms or hands crossing the midline of the body upon water entry, or altered degrees of body roll during freestyle are common mechanical faults that can increase the stress on the shoulder. These faults, among others, have the potential to place the shoulder in compromising positions which may reduce the subacromial space and impinge on the tissues within this space.

Early detection of swimmer’s shoulder generally means a fast and full recovery can be achieved. — Zach Turner

| Australian Triathlete

Abuse is placing higher than necessary resistance on certain structures, and often certain types of equipment may cause this. Hand paddles are a commonly used training tool and highly useful in their own right. When using hand paddles the resistance placed on the shoulder is much higher than normal due to

larger amounts of water being moved. Utilising equipment such as hand paddles should be done so with specific purpose, but prolonging the use of such equipment may lead to shoulder abuse due to high resistance loads. In summary, swimmer’s shoulder generally presents because of intrinsic factors related to posture and joint hypomobility, as well as extrinsic factors related to high training loads, swimming technique and equipment overuse. Early detection of swimmer’s shoulder generally means a fast and full recovery can be achieved, but an understanding of all contributing factors is ideal for prevention of such injuries. In the early stages of swimmer’s shoulder, likely contributing factors should be identified to allow an effective rehabilitation plan to be implemented. Generally, stretching of tight and shortened tissues, joint mobilisation, appropriate activity and training modifications as well as exercises for retraining of neuromuscular control are appropriate to maximise return to full training and competition. Coaches and athletes may also wish to implement simple pre season screening as an effective preventative and early detection tool.

References

Zac Turner Physiotherapist – Kieser Geelong DPhty/Bed/APAM Zac is a physiotherapist at Kieser Training located in Geelong, Victoria. After studying his Bachelor of Education, and working for a short period as a physical education teacher, Zac went on to postgraduate studies in a ‘Doctor of Physiotherapy’ at Bond University on Queensland’s Gold Coast. With his background in education Zac uses effective education tools to empower his clients, and give them the knowledge and direction they need, to achieve and exceed their physical goals. A firm believer of ‘practice what you preach’ Zac enjoys a physical challenge, and competes in marathons and Ironman 70.3 races. Zac has a special interest in the treatment, management and prevention of overuse injuries commonly seen in athletes.

Tovin, J. B. (2006). Prevention and Treatment of Swimmers Shoulder. North American Journal Of Sports Physical Therapy, 166 - 175

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Pull Quote x x xxxxx x xxx x x xxxx x xxxxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxx x xxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxx xx xx xxxxxxxx. — xxxxxxxxxx

Swimming as One text by kriss hendy photography by Shutterstock.com

wimming involves full body synchronisation, with our upper body and lower body working together joined by our core. When we first learn to swim, especially as children, we tend to separate our arm stroke, our leg kick and breathing before putting them all back together. This is the classic whole-part-whole method of learning. Perfecting elements of our performance in isolation like this can be highly effective but it must always be followed by the complete action. By “connecting the dots” like this we can train our body to become more efficient as a whole.

| Australian Triathlete

“Train the whole and not just the part” Problem: Isolation exercises won’t improve our performance When we talk about strength training for swimming we are looking to develop strength throughout the whole body. It is obviously important to consider the main areas of weakness and focus our attention on developing these until they become strengths. However, many can fall into the trap of focusing too much on developing the strength of these specific

areas, forgetting to relate it back to whole body performance. For example, working on developing our shoulder strength is great but if you don’t train it in a conjunction with your core and lower body you won’t get the full benefit in the water. But why not, you ask? For our strength training to be effective, there is one mechanism that we need to be aware of, especially when developing strength for swimming.

Swim Special

Kriss Hendy

Posterior oblique sling

xxxxx xx xxx xxx x

Posterior Oblique Sling: Latissimus Dorsi1 Thoracolumbar Fascia2 Gluteus Maximus3

1 The ‘Sling System’ A ‘sling’ is a group of opposing muscles that work in a diagonal fashion. There are a number of these ‘slings’ or systems throughout the body, but for the purpose of this article we will be focusing on the one that affects our swimming the most: the ‘Posterior Oblique Sling’. Now before you start to think this is a bit too confusing and ‘science-y’, all you need to be able to do is picture where the sling lies and how taking it into consideration during your training will help improve performance and reduce the risk of injury. As you can see in the diagram (right) it shows that the muscles involved in this mechanism are the Gluteus Maximus, Latissimus Dorsi and Thoracolumbar Fascia. When the opposing Glute Max and Lats are forced to contract during movement, the tension that builds up along this ‘sling’ stabilises the hip joint, in turn enhancing the transfer of energy (e.g. more power).

2 3

A ‘sling’ is a group of opposing muscles that work in a diagonal — Kriss Hendy fashion. Australian Triathlete |

In a practical situation, the sling is the key contributor to rotational forces such as swinging a golf club, throwing a ball or more relevant to us - during our front crawl swim stroke. Its primary function is to stabilise the pelvis and spine during movement. So, in swimming, this means a strong sling will help keep our body streamlined, control the rotation of our midsection and pelvis – all enhancing the efficiency or our swim. The sling is also the reason we can perform the action of arm and hip extension together at the same time. Along with other surrounding muscles, it ensures that we have an adequate amount of core stabilisation during all of our movements.

Why does it matter? Other than losing the efficiency of your swim stroke i.e. slowing you down, when someone has Glutes or Lats that aren’t working optimally, the tension created through movement is transferred into surrounding muscles such as the shoulder, lower back or hamstrings and increases the likelihood of injury or pain.

So how do I apply this to my training? The following exercises are a few examples of how you can train your Posterior Oblique Sling. They all require a controlled degree of movement or rotation.

Key Exercises to train your Posterior Oblique Sling:

Tip: If your Glutes and Lats aren’t working optimally, you may find yourself with pain or even injury in other areas such as the shoulder, lower back or hamstring.

Pallof press

Standing Pallof Press: Standing tall and side on to band, clasp band at centre of chest, take a breath, engage your core and press band away. Draw band back towards chest, avoiding the rotational pull of the band throughout. Complete 3 x 10 on each side.

cable/banded woodchop

Banded Wood Chop: Kneeling side on, hold band with extended arms and draw across body from high to low position, look to keep arms straight and rotate with your shoulders and not your hips then control return to start and repeat. Complete 3 x 10 on each side.

| Australian Triathlete

Plank with leg left /and or arm lift

Kriss Hendy

Strength & Performance Coach

Seeing the need for better athlete education and understanding with regards to Strength and 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 and international client base that use his online Strength Training Packages.

Plank: With single leg or arm lift, in front plank position on elbows or hands, lift one foot off the ground trying to keep your body position level at all times. When confident add an additional arm lift (opposite side) trying to remain in a stable position. Aim for 60 seconds alternating between 10 second lifts.

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

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tips & tricks

Water-based Cross-training options for Triathletes t e x t b y Nic k C r o f t | p h o t o g r a p h y b y S h u t t e r s t o c k . c o m

his month I look at two great ways to cross-train on and in the water as additions to your training for active recovery, and off-season cross-training to stay active or if you happen to be injured and are unable to run (more on cross-training while injured to follow).

Stand-up up Paddling Being fortunate enough to live in Noosa not only gives me the gateway to one of

| Australian Triathlete

the best triathlon training environments around for swim, bike, run but also happens to be a Stand-up Paddling (SUP) paradise. Our family got a couple of SUP boards about five years ago and quickly discovered plenty of benefits to mixing SUPing in with a triathlon training routine. A recent article in Australian Triathlete magazine [issue 24.5] covered everything SUP and how to get started. I am a big fan of using SUP for cross-training for its low

impact, cardio training and active recovery â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for body and soul.

Cross-Training Cross-training on surfaces that require additional balance triggers the production of neural coordination between muscle groups. In basic terms, this means that cross-training with a SUP can help to better prepare you for a sport like triathlon and improve your performance. By building up neural networks in your brain, your muscle

Swim Special

Nick Croft Nick Croft is a former professional triathlete 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 mscsport.com.au.

Recovery

Nick croft

No matter what your experience or pace is, you still work your stabiliser muscles. These muscles are your calves, quads, thighs, and core. This means that even on a recovery day during an intense week, you can still paddle on the water while maintaining muscle group and heart fitness, and low intensity. One of the big benefits of SUPing is its ability to combine a good workout with good fun, all while clearing the head. In the off season, you also need to give yourself a rest from the focus and pressure of specific training, week in week out. Staying active by cross-training while easing back into swim, bike and run is your goal - SUPing ticks the box perfectly.

Deep-water running (DWR)

groups are better able to communicate with each other. This translates into more endurance, more power, and greater focus. SUPing is also a very efficient training session with 40 minutes to an hour giving you a ‘decent hit’. Being out on the water makes this time go very quickly.

Cardio As triathletes, our cardio is very good already with the training undertaken for swim, bike and run. SUPing, even at a relaxed pace, also provides low-intensity cardio but this can, of course, be ramped up to a higher fatigue, especially when you are just starting out with this activity. The resistance that you’re going against still provides a workout. Apart from being a full-body workout, SUPing is also very low impact so this translates into a low risk of injury, which brings me to the next benefit and this is to use SUPing on a recovery day.

I have previously written about DeepWater Running (DWR); its benefits and how it helped me add those stress-free extra run miles to run stronger off the bike in time. In the early 90s, I stumbled upon an additional running enhancement by chance that I kept with me for the remainder of my career as an athlete and into coaching, to this day. DWR is a great way to improve your run strength without the normal wear and tear associated with longer/harder miles. I have used it to great success personally at a professional level. I ran a 2.50 marathon at the end of my first Ironman on 60-70 road km a week and a further 2.5 hours a week DWR - running on the days I did not run normally but got the benefits of running about 14 road km to every 40 minutes of time in the water plus doing this at a low heart rate and getting the

TEsting the water: AT’s Deputy Editor giving the SUPing experience a go last summer. The story featured in the 24.5 edition.

gentle stretch associated by going through the range of motion and getting the core and specific run muscles - in hamstrings and hip flexors strong and in condition for fast and strong running off the bike. I credit DWR with giving me that extra strength and stamina, which saw my run lift to another level after a relatively short time (three months), once I added regular DWR sessions to my regular weekly sessions in my existing running program. A running injury saw the final eight weeks of my run mileage leading to Ironman Lanzarote (in Spain’s Canary Islands) in 1994, reduced 40km per week on average of but thankfully I was able to run in the water every day that I could not

Staying active by cross-training while easing back into swim, bike and run is your goal - SUPing ticks the box perfectly. — Nick Croft Australian Triathlete |

tips & tricks

injured? Jake Montgomery demonstrating the technique of Deep Water Running (DWR). This is especially beneficial if you are carrying an injury or coming back from some recovery.

run due to the injury. The end result being fourth overall in one of the world’s toughest Ironman events with a marathon split of 3.00.09 - that’s three hours and nine seconds on a very reduced prep and part of an 8.48 overall finish time. At this point in my career I had been consistently DWR for over two years and of course, it was added into a swim/bike/run training routine. It really is a total body workout against the resistance the water is offering. This is for every movement you

| Australian Triathlete

make while in the water, so the legs and arms and core are all getting worked against the water density. I worked with Australia’s Kate Major for her first four years in the sport and made DWR an integral part of her running regime. Her run steadily improved to be one of the best in the sport over the marathon during that time and along the way took victories at Ironman USA at Lake Placid, New York; Ironman Arizona; a few top three places in Ironman Australia

and a podium at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Quite a few of the age group athletes I have worked with over the years have had great run results off the bike with the addition of DWR into their programs. The main obstacle is what I call the boredom factor (of carrying out DWR consistently) and of course time and the need to add a DWR onto the start or finish of an existing swim to save extra trips to the pool. Of course, there no a need to add

two to three hours a week as I did when I had the time and motivation to do so. Doing 2 x 30 minutes DWR a week will add a further 15-20km worth of stress-free run mileage to your week with the added benefits I have already spoken about.

Good times to DWR Extend a long run - do the long run then do 30 minutes DWR after (finish the long run at the pool). Do one the day after a hard run session of intervals or a long run. Do a DWR straight after a long ride - you get the benefits of running off the bike but get to stay cool and there is much less fluid loss from the system.

How to do it Start at the deep end of the pool - no feet on the bottom. Some may not need a buoyancy belt (mostly those with a swimming background, who have natural floatation). For most though, a run vest to help floatation will allow you to concentrate on your form rather than worrying about keeping your head above water! The plan is to mimic your normal run form and style as closely as possible. Hold your arms and hands the same - don’t cup the hands or try to ‘paddle along’. You should aim to have a slight forward lean - without bending at the hips or running as though you’re half sitting. Your feet will be slightly pointed – mimicking good form anyway for normal running. Wearing clean (old) running shoes in the water is an option also and adds some resistance and weight to the feet. Work on engaging your hip flexors to lift your knees and take a stride out front of you as you draw your leg/s back under you concentrate on engaging your hamstrings as these are the prime movers in getting your legs back underneath and behind you. Arm action is the same as running on land - in time with the legs and balanced. You will move as you do it, so expect to get a few laps in during a 30 minute DWR. You may feel some fatigue in the quads on the bike at times post DWR but you will adapt to this over time. The benefits are great and the bottom line is that if you do at least twice a week for a minimum of 30 minute at a time for a few months, your run times off the bike will improve once you adapt to the aerobic strength and resistance the water provides as you work against it. Australian Triathlete |

Get off to a great race start It’s all about the swim text by Sarah grove photography by getty images for ironman

The Swim Start Line yourself up on a start line and it could look very different depending on which race you have entered. There are now a number of different types of swim starts for different races, so ensure you have done your homework on the race you have entered and know what type of swim start it is, as this can change your swim preparation as well as your experience at the start of a race.

| Australian Triathlete

-- Beach/land start – a traditional race start where athletes line up on land and run and dolphin dive/porpoise into the water after the gun goes off. -- Deep water start – seen in races where there isn’t a beach or suitable land for a traditional ‘beach/land’ start. Involves competitors swimming out to a designated starting area/line in the water and treading water until the gun goes off. -- Rolling wave start - introduced in some long course/Ironman races in 2013. Athletes ‘seed’ themselves based on their projected swim time and ‘rolling waves’ are sent off at staggered times. A lot less hectic than the traditional mass starts. -- Dive/jump in start - seen in some long course races (i.e. Ironman Western Australia 70.3, Norseman etc.) and in ITU racing. Involves jumping or diving off a platform/pier as your swim start. -- Mass start/age group starts – each of the above race starts can also include a variation of a mass start (all competitors together) or age group (smaller group) starts depending on the race.

eople often say you can’t win a race in the swim, but you sure can lose it there. So, putting the time into practising the skills of swimming is important. There are many articles, YouTube videos and blogs around improving your open water swim technique, but what we’ll focus on here are the key areas of open water swimming and how you can tackle some of these in preparation for race day.

SWIM STARTS

As with any type of exercise, the warm-up is important to help prepare the body by gradually increasing your heart rate, circulation and blood flow to the muscles and loosening the joints and muscles – this is no different for a race. An added psychological benefit of the warm-up process is that it gives you an opportunity to prepare mentally and can help calm the nerves too. Always ensure you allow sufficient time for your swim warm-up and time it so you finish just a few minutes before your designated start time. Don’t warm up too early and then stand around for 10 minutes getting cold. This will defeat the purpose of a warm-up. How an athlete warms up and prepares for a race can be very individual and can differ depending on the length of the race, the race conditions and warm-up area availability, but below are some examples of swim warm-ups that you may like to incorporate into your next race.

Pre-Race Swim Warm-Up -- 5-10 minute race visualisation and mental preparation -- 1min getting comfortable in the water/ adjust to water temperature -- 5min easy swim, turning the arms over -- 5 x 10 strokes fast, 20 strokes very easy -- Optional 1-2 short race entry/exit practice if applicable/available -- Stretch/flexibility/mobility

Dry Land Warm Up If you don’t have access to the water to warm up, you can still complete a dry land warm up. You just need a basic swim cord/band. This is also a great routine to get into the habit of before each swim session too. 8-12 reps of each: -- Shoulder retraction -- Handcuffs -- Face pull with band -- Pectoral Release or Pectoral stretch -- Swim cord/band catch/pull (double arm) -- Pectoral/shoulder release/stretch -- Swim cord/band catch/pull (single arm) -- Final pectoral shoulder release/stretch

Getting Over Fear/ Anxiety/Nerves Pre-race nerves, fear and/or anxiety are a reality for so many athletes. You may be nervous about hitting a personal best or are new to the sport/the distance, nervous about the open water or just worried about surviving. But when pre-race fears or nerves become more than normal ‘nervous energy’, this is when it can derail your race. Here are some simple tips to help calm those pre-race nerves. -- Simulate race conditions in training, this includes simulating swim starts, the more comfortable you get with being uncomfortable the easier it will become. -- Train in all conditions/environments so you are as well prepared as possible for what to expect on race day. Get out in the open water as much as possible and in varying conditions. -- If it’s the swim that you fear, make sure you spend extra time in the water before the race start. Acclimatise to the water, simply float and calm the nerves through belly/diaphragmatic breathing, counting slowly, and some simple visualisation. -- Listen to music or find some quiet time. You could be drawing nervous energy from others; focus on yourself and relax again with belly/diaphragmatic breathing techniques. -- Be prepared and organised – the last thing you want on race morning is to be rushing around and flustered because you are running late. You are better to be too early than too late, so plan your morning with a buffer and prepare calmly so you arrive at the swim start calm and relaxed. The swim start can be stressful and chaotic but with some practice and confidence, you can master this skill and become confident and set yourself up to have an enjoyable and stress-free race!

Where to Position Yourself on the Start Line? If your race has a mass/group swim start, knowing where to position yourself on the start line is important and is generally based on your level of confidence and skill set. A mass/group swim start can generally be broken down into the front, middle, side and back, understanding each of these areas will help you decide where it is best for you to start. -- Front and centre of the pack – not for the faint-hearted. This is where you will find the strongest and/or most competitive racers. Putting yourself at the front can help you get a good clean

Swim Special Holistic Endurance

The Warm-up

Pre race: Stretch/flexibility/mobility are key to a good race start.

start and find the most direct line towards the first swim buoy. If you are confident, this is your place. -- Middle of the pack – here you will generally find athletes who are reasonably confident but don’t feel they are strong enough to start at the front of the pack. Positioning yourself behind the faster swimmers in the middle of the starting line can help you gain an advantage as you find feet to draft off. -- Side/outside of the pack – if you are less confident, starting towards the outside of the pack will ensure you avoid the majority of the ‘craziness’ that is a swim start and other swimmers battling for positions. -- Back of the pack - reserved for those who want to take their time and settle into their own race without the hustle and bustle of the race start. Start at your own pace, get into your own groove and have a stress free start to your race. Australian Triathlete |

Extra advantage: The run in and dolphin dive, also known as porpoise, is the skill that needs practising for beach/land starts.

Getting a Good Start If you want to get a good start, it is important to practice – just like every other skill in triathlon. Getting a good start will ensure you are amongst the strongest swimmers and find your own space in the water – or even better, find feet. The skill that needs practising for beach/land starts is the run in and dolphin dive (also known as porpoise). The skill first involves the run from the beach/land into the water - as you enter the water lift your knees, high-kicking your legs outwards to avoid the resistance of the water. When you get to a point you can no longer lift your legs above the water (usually mid-thigh), you then need to start dolphin diving/porpoising. Diving into the water with your head tucked between your outstretched arms (as if you were diving into a pool). This is important, as it will ensure your goggles don’t come off or fill with water. As you dive down, reach down to the bottom, bring your feet tucked in towards your hands, push off the bottom, extend your body out and dive back into the water again. Continue this until the water gets too deep to reach the bottom and you know it’s time to start swimming. If you are swimming in the ocean where there are waves, you will need to time your dolphin dive as you dive under the waves/ broken waves. This will help avoid you being pushed back into the shore and maximise your swim start speed. There are some great YouTube videos you can watch to help with your learning. And remember – practice makes perfect. Controlling your Heart Rate and Breathing The swim start can be frantic, running into the water, dolphin diving, jostling for

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position, and often starting faster than what you will swim for the rest of the race, so it is important to focus on settling your heart rate and breathing. Once you get through the craziness of the swim start, take time to control your breath, this can mean breathing every two strokes to catch your breath or mentally calming yourself so you can settle into a good rhythm for the rest of the race. If you find you need, you can go into a breaststroke, backstroke or any kind of stroke for that matter, to help catch your breath and continue on.

Sighting and Navigating Sighting is one of the most important parts of open water swimming. If you don’t sight well you will find yourself swimming a lot further than you need to. To practice sighting, make sure you look up every 5-10 strokes to check you are

going in the right direction. To sight, as one-arm strokes in front of you, simply lift your head forward so your eyes just come out of the water. Have a quick look to make sure you are on track, then put your head back down and continue swimming. If swimming in waves, make sure you sight at the top of a wave, otherwise you won’t see anything other than the wave in front of you! Sighting shouldn’t slow down your stroke, so don’t hold your head up for too long or too high. Remember: the higher the head the lower the body, which means more drag. Take just a quick glance in between your strokes and if you didn’t locate a buoy or direction you are looking for, then simply take another couple of strokes and look again. You don’t have to swim in the open water to practice this skill; you can incorporate it into your pool swims.

Turn buoy: This can be daunting for some as going around a swim buoy can often be as hectic as a swim start.

This can be daunting for some, as going around a swim buoy can often be as hectic as a swim start. There are a few ways you can tackle turning around a swim buoy. As you head into a buoy make sure you have sighted and prepared yourself to make a turn. A beginner may want to go into the buoy slightly wide to avoid other swimmers and getting stuck against the buoy. Once you have chosen your line into the buoy you can turn it with their head raised so you can see where you are going and get around the buoy easily. It is slower but can be more comfortable. You can also widen your stroke slightly so you have more room around you from other swimmers. It’s all about getting around the buoy comfortably so you can continue your swim. For more advanced swimmers, choose the shortest or cleanest line, sight the buoy and once you hit the buoy you can take three quick one-arm strokes in the direction you need to turn (i.e. if turning left, you stroke single arm with your right arm). This method can help you turn faster. Another method is sweeping your inside arm under your body to help turn

Swim Exit: Not being able to see the bottom of the water makes for a challenging exit.

you (i.e. if turning left, as your left arm pulls under the water, sweep it under your body while your right arm swims as normal). As you exit the buoy, have another quick sight before continuing in your swim direction.

The Swim Exit Deciding when to stand up and start running can be difficult as you can’t see the bottom of the water, or it can appear shallower than what it is. To avoid standing up too early, you only want to stop swimming and stand up when your hand can reach down and touch the bottom. This will mean you are in about knee to waist deep water and you will be

able to stand up and exit the water just as you entered, by dolphin diving and then running once you can raise your legs above the water. Once you have hit dry land, you can start unzipping your wetsuit and make your way to transition and onto the bike leg! Mastering these key areas of open water swimming for triathlon will have you looking like a pro in no time!

Sarah Grove Triathlon Coach Holistic Endurance Sarah Grove is a Triathlon Coach with Holistic Endurance. Sarah competes competitively at all levels of triathlon and has raced around the world including the Ironman World Championships. She shares her coaching knowledge, experience and education with athletes of all levels to help them achieve their optimal performance while living a balanced, happy and healthy life. More information: holisticendurance.com.au

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Optimal performance Individual specificity Natural nutrition & gut health Hormonal health Reducing inflammation Longevity & sustainability Injury prevention Overall wellness

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Turning Buoys

Breathing

To Swim or Not To Swim text by Julie Tedde photography by shutterstock.com and Getty images for Ironman

here is no real choice when it comes to doing a triathlon you simply need to be able to swim to compete. Why is it such a big problem for many people? If you cannot run then you can walk or run/walk. Other than being slow anyone can attempt to get out there and run. Bike? Well, that is a bit trickier. You do need to be able to ride a bike however once this is mastered then it becomes a matter of what speed you go. But swimming? Here lies the problem. In the swim, you can’t just put your feet on the ground, you have limited ability to breathe when you want to and you can’t control the actions of others around you - it can get pretty crowded at the start of a swim. Unless you can swim you won’t finish this leg. If you are a weak swimmer, nervous about swimming in the open water or trying to improve your swimming in a

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triathlon then the best advice is to head to a pool and get yourself a good coach who will focus on open water swimming.

How to get comfortable swimming First up, to be a good swimmer and to be comfortable in the water you need to have good technique – having a good technique will make you more efficient in the water and therefore faster. Your swim coach will be able to provide you feedback on your technique and help you correct any mistakes - this includes stroke technique and body position in the water. Next up, you need to practice skills that are required for open water swimming, such as the warm-up, transitions (entering and exiting the water), time trialling and sighting while swimming. You also need to develop strategies about how you are going to go about the swim leg in a race – your coach can assist you with this.

Pool drills to help prepare you for the open water Breathing - The assumption will be your swim technique is coming along nicely, and this needs to include the ability to avoid panicking and feeling like you can’t breathe when you plunge into the water in a race. The key area to focus on here is your ability to blow out under the water and empty your lungs. When you turn your head to the side to breathe in, your lungs should be empty, allowing plenty of volume for the air to come in with fresh oxygen for your body to use. Blowing bubbles when your head is under the water at a steady rate is a good way to make sure you are doing this. To improve your breathing and to prevent any panic, practice the following drills: • Swim underwater as far as you can • Scull with face in the water and then breathing to the side after 10 sculls • Breathe every three, four or five strokes to help the body get used to regulating your breathing when swimming. Drafting - Drafting can save around 20% energy, which, time-wise can be 60+ seconds in an Olympic Distance race or 5minutes in an Ironman. This is a very easy skill to practice in the pool and you will

soon see the benefit of sitting on someone’s feet. Drills to practice your drafting include the following: • 10x 25/50m- sitting on a person’s feet/ hip in the lane and rolling turns. Once the front person gets to the wall they rest and the second person takes over the lead. Very quickly you will feel the difference between leading or sitting behind one, two, three or more people. • Swimming two to four across the lane for 25m/50m (rest 10-20 seconds). Once again rotate the person that is leading. This prepares you for the closeness of other swimmers as well as dropping back to draft when needed. The best place to draft effectively is directly behind and slightly to the side of your preferred breathing side. So, if you breathe to the right, get your head in line, behind the swimmer’s right leg. Swimming immediately behind produces around a third less drag, compared to drafting at a swimmer’s hip.

Swim Special

• Swim with your eyes closed and only open your eyes to sight every four, six and 10 strokes. Can you make it down the lane in a straight line? • Start in the deep end of the pool, swim four strokes and sight the start block at the other end. Next lap, swim six strokes before sighting; next lap, swim 10 strokes before sighting and so on. Complete eight to 10 laps.

Coaches Corner

Transitions - The swim leg starts as you run into the water or start swimming after a deep-water start, and doesn’t finish until you’re running out of T1 with your bike. So, you need to prepare for the hectic start and prepare to run out of the water, while getting your wetsuit off as quickly as possible.

There can be two different swim/race starts: • Sprint start. This includes a running start into the water that can involve diving straight in and swimming, or running into shallower water and then wading/ dolphin-ing before starting to swim.

Transitions - wading/dolphin dives

Sighting - Unfortunately there is no black line to follow in the open water or lane rope to keep you swimming in a straight line. In order to swim straight, you need to learn to sight - a technique that allows you to check where you’re going in a race. The goal of sighting is not to interrupt your stroke. This can be achieved by only looking forward at where you are going as your hand comes forward to start the catch. You will need to arch your back slightly and look forward. You then return your face to the water and breathe in on your next stroke. It also helps to kick a little more when you look up. With regular practice, you won’t lose any speed while sighting in the open water. Drills to practice your sighting include the following:

Drafting

Drafting can save

20% of your energy

• Deep-water start. This involves lying in a horizontal position while sculling and then swimming straight away when the start gun goes off. While you can’t practice running into a pool, you can still practice the intensity of a swim start, which involves swimming faster than race pace for 100metres and then backing off to race pace for another 200-400metres. • Example drill: 5x (100m faster than race pace/200m at race pace/20 sec rest). You can’t really practise wading in the pool, however, ‘dolphin dives’ in the shallow end of a pool is very doable. This involves Australian Triathlete |

Drafting can save

20% of your energy

Warm Up: Incorporate wading or dolphin diving in your warm up routine.

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What to do in open water swim sessions There is really nothing better than getting into the open water as soon as you can easily done in northern states but for some, the weather really restricts when you can swim in the open water. For those who are lucky enough to live in a warm climate and near the water, as soon as you can, take the plunge! But before you do, here is a general checklist of things to know before you launch into the sea/lake/ river/ocean.

Safety: • Never swim alone – always buddy up or have someone one support you from the shore. • Wear a swim cap, preferably a colour that can easily be seen - fluoro yellow, pink, and green. • If in a group have a sign in/sign out sheet or at least everyone pair up so you can regroup.

• Have a paddler (this becomes difficult, however, if you can, this can add a great support to swimmers) • You can buy a floating swim buoy that you can attach around your waist that certainly identifies you are a swimmer. It is also useful in a group for leaders to wear.

swimmers diving down and then launching themselves to the surface, diving back down and repeating until it is too deep they would then swim to the other end of the pool. You can do 10x 50metres with 10seconds rest in between. Another good open water skill to add to these is to not perform a tumble turn at the end of the lane but instead perform a deep-water turn as if you are going around a swim buoy. Deep-water starts where you are really just sculling in deep water as you wait for the start gun to go are easily practised in a pool. The key to these starts is to be in a horizontal position – legs behind you and using your hands to scull and maintain this position. Many athletes make the mistake of being vertical while they wait and when the gun goes they have to get their legs up and behind them, and by that time the athletes behind them are swimming over the top of them. Include 5x 100metres – starting in the deep end – lying in the horizontal position to start and then also not touching the wall when turning each time. Include 20seconds rest between each hundred.

Transition: Practice your deep water starts to get the advantage.

Swim Special Skills:

avoid injury: During your warm up check the water depth and for any rough ground and rocks.

The benefits of swimming in the open water cannot be underestimated. Experiencing exactly what race day will throw at you – the waves, swell, currents, no black line or lane ropes, the ability to run in and out of the water. Ideally, try to get into the open water once per week or every second week. However, for the more experienced athlete, every three to four weeks would be enough. For beginners, the open water gives them an opportunity to face their demons. Whether it is understanding how to breathe when there are waves, how to relax when they have the fear of not being able to touch the bottom or even to gain confidence that they can swim the distance of the race without stopping. For a more experienced swimmer, training and improving your skills, which include entering and exiting the water, sighting landmarks and swim buoys, drafting and, of course, swimming non-stop (TT work) are all very achievable in the open water.

Outline of an open water swim session:

• Sighting: using landmarks, poles, swim buoys. In groups of 5-10 send each group separated by 10-30seconds towards these. Regroup and then discuss how to improve, how conditions may be affecting peoples ability to swim straight etc. • Drafting/swimming in pack: depending on the size of your group, be in groups of 2-5. Practise single file and sitting behind or on the hip of a competitor. Try to swim with people of similar ability. Changing the lead at regular intervals allows swimmers to see how much easier sitting on an athlete’s feet is, as well as varying the intensity of the session, which adds value to the session. At the same time, athletes will be practising their sighting. You can include rolling turns as well. The back person has to swim to the front of the group. When they pass the person who was second from the back, that person then jumps on their feet and so on.

Transitions: • Running into the water: it is critical athletes learn to wade and dolphin dive into and out of the water. Not only from a skill point but also from a fitness point. It is not easy and to help prepare the body to go from resting to maximal effort one needs to train the body to get used to it. Start athletes on the beach or water’s edge and simulate a race start. Countdown from 10 and have a buoy or person they need to swim to. Have them come back in, easy for recovery.

Warm Up: This can include all or some of the following • To get used to the water temperature (as low as 14 degrees in the southern states), put feet in first and then splash water on your face. After a couple of minutes, you could dive in and slowly start swimming remembering to breathe out/blow bubbles when your head is down. • Where you will be running in and out of the water, check the water depth and also check what you will be putting your feet onto. • Given most races involve some wading and dolphin diving you can incorporate this into your warm-up routine.

Coaches Corner

Safety first: Swim in numbers, never alone and wear bright swim caps to be seen.

The reverse of this can be done. Have some feathers or a finish line set up on the beach. Have them swim in hard from a buoy or pole in the water and dolphin/wade out of the water to the finish line you have set up on the beach. The last time you do this, practice getting out of your wetsuit - the final part of the swim leg. • Practising deep-water starts where you are lying horizontal and sculling in deep water until the gun goes then sprinting for 100m. This can be repeated three or four times. Finally, open water swimming is an opportunity to develop your swim fitness with longer intervals or swim distance time trials included within each session, varying the distances each session will help keep the athletes on their toes. Hopefully, you now have many ideas and an understanding that no matter where you are in your swimming career there is lots to be gained by practising your open water skills regularly. Obviously in the open water would be ideal, however, if that is unavailable practising in the pool is also a smart idea. Very quickly, the skills you need become second nature.

julie tedde

Skills: Sighting while swimming is a must to swim straight and stay on course.

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.

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The Swimming Tools Of The Trade t e x t b y S a m b e t t e n | p h o t o g r a p h y b y r e b e cc a o h l w e i n

aving talked with many triathletes, from beginner to professional over the years, it seems that the majority of triathletes’ least favourite session is the one that sees you looking at the black line at the bottom of the pool for hours on end. From what I have observed this feeling often comes down to what is often perceived as a lack of importance over biking and running training that makes up the largest percentage of a triathlon event. An old cliché is that you can’t win the race in the swim but you can certainly lose it. However, I personally

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believe that the importance of the swim leg goes much deeper than this. If you are not working on improving your swim in order to become more efficient, you are sacrificing your entire race as you are wasting a lot more energy than you should be in the water. Personally speaking, I have been in the fortunate position where I have swum with some amazing, dedicated swim squads over the years and am usually one of the first, if not the first pro male exiting the swim. In saying this, I am still trying hard to improve my efficiency during every swim session, which to me, is much more

important than simply trying to swim faster. One of my swimming mentors once gave me a great piece of advice, “In order to become a faster swimmer, work on being a much more efficient swimmer and the speed will take care of itself.” The key message is to be smarter with your training and work on your weaknesses in the quest to become a more complete swimmer. There are a variety of swim tools/toys at your disposal, however, it is important to understand why you would choose to use each one and the benefit they can have on your swimming.

Kickboard Having trained with a swim specific squad for many years, it has been interesting to observe how they implement kicking specific sets into their swim workout, which generally happens at least a few times per week. It must be said that as triathletes, our swim training cannot always match exactly what swimmers do (just like we can’t train like single sports runners or cyclists do). This means that we have to be careful with how much kick we do due to the high demands on our legs from biking and running training. However, in saying this it is still very important for all triathletes to train in order to have a strong kick. Using a kickboard can be a great way to focus solely on our kick and learn to kick from our hips and glutes, which again, works on creating the swimming efficiency that we are all searching for.

Swim Special Sam Betten

and longer length fins, however, I honestly believe that it always comes down to your own personal preference. Swimming tools should be a huge asset to your swim training but it is always key to ensure that they are being used with purpose in order to create a more efficient and complete triathlete in the water.

Snorkel

Here to help: Using these swim aids in training will improve your technique and give you a competitive edge.

One of my personal favourites is the snorkel, which I use during almost every swimming session that I do, usually during my warm up. This swimming tool can be a great asset in helping to focus on our arm stroke. The mental cue when using a snorkel should always be that of a strong focus on the task at hand. If you are wearing a snorkel and are not mentally engaged with working on swimming with the best technique possible, then it will be a waste of time wearing one. Swimmers love to use the snorkel in order to improve the catch phase of their swimming stroke as it means that the breathing phase is eliminated so 100% focus is on creating a strong catch phase and distance per stroke.

Fins Pool Buoy/Paddles/Band The go-to swim tools for many triathletes are their pool buoy, paddles and band. These three tools can be used individually, as a pair or all together depending on what you would prefer and what you wish to work on improving. The great thing about these swim tools is that they allow you to focus on your swim stroke while building strength through the stroke phase. The pool buoy takes the pressure off the legs, which means that this swim tool can also be useful as a recovery tool following a tough bike and/or run workout. Due to the strength component, these ‘pull’ tools are best used towards the end of a swim session when you are beginning to get tired so that the strength endurance component of your swim is being worked on. Generally speaking, when it comes to paddle size the stronger the swimmer, the larger the paddle size should be.

My personal belief is that too many people are using fins in their swimming for the wrong reason, which is that they make you swim faster with less effort. This is the wrong mentality to have and swimming with fins can make for a hard session to work on your top end speed during sprint swimming sessions allowing you to create a sense of over-speed. It is best to think of swimming with fins as a similar concept to motor-pacing cycling sessions. Yes, you will be going faster than you could by yourself with these tools. However, the effort should also be hard even though the tools allow you to go faster. In saying this, fins can also be used during slower swimming to work on swimming well with efficiency taking the pressure away from having to employ a strong kick. The message with fins is that these should be used purposefully and not as the ‘easy’ option. There is some debate between using shorter length fins

Sam Betten A professional triathlete from QLD

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That Swimmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Appetite

Nutrition for Triathlon Swimming

t e x t b y A l ici a E d g e | p h o t o g r a p h y b y s h u t t e r s t o c k . c o m

wim nutrition in triathlon often gets forgotten, as for the majority of triathlon distances, the only nutrition taken on board is completely accidental! However, when it comes to any endurance swim races or key swim sessions, nutrition should absolutely be considered to optimise performance and training adaptions. Also, who could talk swim nutrition without also covering off on the insatiable appetite afterwards!

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Hydration in and out of the water Although our sweat losses while swimming go unnoticed, it is important to consider the factors that are influencing how much you are losing while in the water. Swimming outdoors in cooler water means that you may not be losing too much fluid during a session and only really need to drink to thirst to maintain fluid requirements (assuming you have entered the session well-hydrated).

If swimming in indoor or heated pools, this environment can up regulate the sweat response and lead to you having quite a significant sweat rate without even realising it (think about those times you seem to be unable to stop sweating after a hot swim session). With this in mind, have a bottle of fluids on the pool deck with you and utilise breaks between sets to optimise hydration. Depending on the length and goals of the session, this may be water, electrolytes or carbohydratecontaining sports drink.

Swim Special Nutrition

30-60 Minutes

The optimum time to replenish protein and carbohydrates after a session.

Even more important than this acute hydration around specific swim sessions, is the chronic hydration over the day. As swim sessions are often early morning, hydrating pre-session can be a challenge. As such, plan fluid intake the day before the session and ensure that your recovery strategies after any afternoon sessions are optimised. When losses are high in and around sessions, the addition of electrolytes may help to retain fluid and further help enhance hydration.

session!

Appetite Control I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds my appetite increases exponentially following a swim session! If you are with me on this, it is important to have some tools in your toolbox to manage this increase that is a common issue amongst both triathletes and swimmers. Handy nutrients to manage appetite are protein; fats and fibre, along with making sure you are keeping your fluids up. Therefore, try to limit overeating temptations following a swim session by keeping high-quality meals and snacks close by to choose from. This can be made easier by:

• Keeping a stash of quality, long-life snacks in your training bag. Some favourites might be quality muesli bars, fruit, dried fruit and nuts.

Protecting your Immune System Swimming combined with heavy training can increase the risk of illness. With this, many supplements and nutritional strategies will continually be suggested to keep you illness-free during your training and race preparation. The latest research emerging shows that one of the most

• Timing your breakfast to follow soon after your morning swim session instead of just having a coffee and hoping that will be enough to get you through the next couple of hours until you can find some food. • Preparing your evening meal the night before so you know that you can eat as soon as you get home from an afternoon swim. This ensures that you tick both recovery and appetite, while also prevents any ‘emergency’ takeaway stops on the way home.

HydratioN: It can be difficult to monitor your sweat rate while in an indoor, heated pool, so keep topping up your fluids throughout the session.

Post-Swim Session Recovery In the life of a triathlete, swim days often also mean double-training days – this makes recovery an increasing priority. In the 30-60 minutes after your session, aim to eat a quality snack or meal that focuses on getting in both protein and carbohydrate. Protein will kick-start the muscle recovery process and carbohydrates will start the muscle glycogen refuelling process – particularly for any upcoming training sessions. Being organised and timely with your recovery food early, will help ensure you aren’t playing catch-up with nutrition later and hopefully mean you are better fuelled for your next training

Appetite control: Time your breakfast post-swim or ensure you have some quality snacks in your training bag. Australian Triathlete |

important strategies to protect the immune system is to keep well fuelled with carbohydrate during the key training sessions. Consuming sports drink during and a small snack afterwards (see the point on recovery), helps to limit the stress on the immune system â&#x20AC;&#x201C; particularly during periods of heavy training. This principle can also be used in other hard and long training sessions outside of the pool.

The swim in triathlon comes with challenges that are not experienced in the ride or run. The primary hurdle, of course, is the inability to eat or drink during the swim leg of a triathlon (well not efficiently anyway!). Of course, race day strategies are going to vary depending on your swim distance, as you may be swimming for anywhere between 10 to 120 minutes! For any swim going beyond 90 minutes, it may be worthwhile to consider taking nutrition in during the event. However, for swims less than 90 minutes you will only need to consider your nutrition needs both before and after the swim. Before race day, it is therefore important to consider the swim distance, expected swim time, history of gut upset or bonking and foods you can tolerate around swimming. If you are unsure about these, this is when an experienced sports dietitian can be super helpful (and quite the handy investment!).

For swims less than 30-40 minutes These events will not deplete all your fuel stores. So, although you will want to optimise pre-race nutrition, you will be able to utilise fluid and food on the bike to refuel and rehydrate for both the bike and run legs.

| Australian Triathlete

For swims approaching the 60 minute plus mark This is a long time in a race environment to go without any fluid or nutrition, so entering the race well hydrated and eating enough pre-race is key. Ensure that you are eating adequate amounts for your pre-race breakfast and snacking on sports foods and drinks in the lead up to the race start. Once you finish the swim, you then need to start the refuelling process as soon as possible. However, with your heart rate often approaching threshold at this point, make sure what you plan to have in the race has been trialled at a specific brick session during training. Things to consider are what you will be able to physically stomach post-swim (will you be better with solid foods, gels or sports drink?), what the bike course is like coming out of T1 and what you plan on carrying on the bike with you.

Distance Swimming Events (> 2hours): Although this is not relevant for most triathlon distances, it is worth mentioning the nutrition needs for open water swimming events that many of us may

book in over summer as both a training and racing opportunity. Distance swimming events will often incorporate feeding and hydration stations into their courses, so make sure you checkout aid station placement and support personnel opportunities before race day. Ideally, you will want to feed at 15-25 minute intervals during the swim so that you can focus on taking in small, frequent amounts. Options to include (depending on what support you have available) may be a sports drink, water, gels and whole foods that are easy to get down (and handed to you!) such as bananas.

Alicia Edge Alicia is an Advanced Sports Dietitian with an online sports nutrition business, Compeat Nutrition. She is also a mum and triathlete, so advice extends beyond the basics and is instead focused on providing effective and achievable nutrition for both training and racing.

ÂŠ Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images for Ironman

Fuelling your swim on race day

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Smo o

e i h t

Green

e hi Smoot Bowl

If you haven’t jumped on board the smoothie bowl craze as yet, use these warm summer months to try it! Eating a smoothie with a spoon may sound a little odd, however, it offers a lot more mindfulness and satiety compared to guzzling down a smoothie the usual way! Sit down with your breakfast bowl, top it with some crunchy and colourful additions, and enjoy! This bowl packs a decent veggie punch before you even start the day plus works as the perfect recovery starter post morning session.

Alicia Edg

makes

serve Ingredients: • 1/4 avocado • 3 generous handfuls of baby spinach (or kale without the stems) • 200-250mL milk of your choice • 1/2 zucchini • 3-4 florets of frozen cauliflower • 1/2 - 1 frozen banana © Shutterstock.com

• 1 cup of frozen raspberries or strawberries • 2 x tsp. of LSA OR chia seed • 1 tsp. of honey/maple syrup (optional)

1. Add all ingredients to a blender (or jug if using a stick blender) and blend until smooth and creamy.

• Optional toppings may include coconut, extra berries, roasted nuts and/or granola

2. Top with syrup/honey and toppings as desired.

• 20g of vanilla protein powder (optional)

Method:

| Australian Triathlete

18 February 2018

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