In Coach We Trust

I caught up with my coach Patrick Legge of NRG Lab last week to map out my training plan in the lead up to World Championships later this year. Whilst I can tell Pat the sorts of things I enjoy and want to do, ultimately I am laying my trust in him that if I complete his program then I will be peaking for Worlds. He tells me what to do, how to do it and how many times to do it, and I obey (for the most part, at least). This is a huge amount of trust and belief you put into someone, ultimately giving them the reigns to achieve your dreams. For me, this is why I have a coach. I don’t think, I just do, and when you are training so much plus work and social, it is nice to have one less thing to think about or plan. Everyone has different reasons to have a coach or train with a club, or even have a friend who provides that coaching guidance.  The first club I joined was the Cairns Crocs which was so I could meet people having just moved there. I then joined Reddog in Brisbane, again to meet people but more so to improve in the sport. Now back in Melbourne I am with NRG Lab which is personalized so I am more focused on my own goals. So who needs a coach or a club, and how do you choose one?

NRG Lab training and racing mates at the Team Up Triathlon 2014.

Firstly, do you need a coach or triathlon squad? Ask yourself –

1. Do you know anyone that does triathlon?

If you’re like me and start out doing triathlon not knowing another soul involved in the sport, joining a club is a really great way to get involved. You will meet like minded people, make new friends that share your hobby and it will hopefully make you enjoy the sport more. Without any friends in the sport you are missing out on a world of information that is shared amongst triathlete buddies.

 

2. Do you know how to train for a triathlon?

Do you know what sessions to do, how often, how hard, where? Having a club or coach will guide you on this information. This is one of the most obvious reasons to join a club, but can’t be overlooked.

 

3. Are you training for an Ironman or Half Ironman distance event?

If you are new to the sport and training for a long distance event, you most likely need the guide of an experienced triathlete. They will not only provide you with training schedules but also the tips and tricks for nutrition, recovery, avoid over training and the lot. The strain of training and racing for a long distance event on your body is significantly greater than your weekend Sprint event, and for this reason it is important to have adequate advice.

 

4. Are you motivated to set your own sessions and complete them?

A club or coach gives you motivation for a number of reasons. Firstly, paying someone makes you feel more compelled to keep to your program, otherwise it’s wasted money! Secondly, having someone to report back to, or friends at squad who will heckle you if you don’t turn up gives you a sense of responsibility to your training and motivation to turn up.

 

5. Are you adverse to injury or coming back from injury?

This is the most critical time to have a coach. If you are coming back from an injury you need advice on the quantity and intensity of sessions you should be completing, and additional exercises or techniques to avoid injuring yourself again. If you are adverse to injury a coach can monitor your sessions and pull back where required to avoid an injury from occurring. This can include chronic fatigue which is apparently now common amongst Age Group triathletes.

 

6. Do you have a specific goal?

Do you just want to tick the box of completing a triathlon, or do you have a goal of a set time, completing an Ironman or improving a specific discipline? If you are goal orientated a coach or club will help you get there.

Friends after the Geelong Triathlon 2014 where a friendly bet was made 😉

Now that you have decided you need a coach or squad, how do you choose one?

1. Location

You will only go to sessions if they are convenient. Just like a gym membership, you want to find somewhere close to home, close to work, or even better, somewhere between the two!

 

2. Specialist

What type of race are you training for? What is your strength, or weakness, or what do you enjoy most? If you are focused on the sprint summer series, don’t join a squad that are all training for an Ironman – you don’t need to ride 180km’s on the weekend! Similarly, Trent who is the Reddog coach in Queensland is from a swim background and under him I saw my swim improve dramatically, whilst my current coach Pat spends a lot of time with the AIS triathlon squad so has a huge knowledge on short distance training and latest methods and practices.

 

3. Coaching Structure

How does the coach or squad work? Are they set sessions, which if you miss you need to think of your own session to do in its replacement, or are you on a personalized program? Can you speak to your coach one-on-one as often as you like? If you have highlighted you need a coach to come back from injury, then you need personal attention so don’t join a squad where you won’t get individual focus. If you want to be social, a club with group sessions would suit, if you are a shift worker you may need a weekly program issued for you to do in your own time. Make sure the coach or club suits your current lifestyle.

 

4. Members and social

What type of members are in the club? Is it a social club? Are they your age or type of people you will be friends with? Generally you can try out a session or two for free with a new club or coach. Take advantage of this and see if you like it before you commit.

 

Friends about to complete their first triathlon

5. Cost

Coaching and squad fees can vary from free to hundreds of dollars a week. Don’t have the money? Speak to a friend. Experienced triathletes are great coaches for novice triathletes. Using your friends advice and experience can often be enough to tick all the boxes above. It is amazing how much coaching fee’s vary, so make sure you shop around to find somewhere that fits all the boxes and is within your price range.

XTERRA: Too tough or toughen up?

On Saturday I completed the Xterra Asia Pacific Championships (Sprint Distance) in Jervis Bay NSW. It was a brilliant event, I loved it and hope to go back next year. This is the second of only two Xterra events in Australia, the first being held on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria in March. According to Xterra, they are “booming in the Asia-Pacfic region”. Much to my dismay, I changed from the long course to the short course the day before the event after trialing the ride course. The course was incredibly technical and too difficult for me. So was the course too tough or am I not tough enough? Is Xterra booming, or is there plenty of growth they haven’t tapped into yet?

After riding a section of the course the day before the race and discovering just how technical it was, we expressed our frustration and upset to the event organisers; nowhere had it stated that only experienced mountain bike riders should enter the full distance race. I spoke to Jacqui Slack (3^rd female Pro) who commented how “awesome” the course was as it was so difficult; four-time World Champ Conrad Stoltz called the bike course “epic” and we even chatted to an experienced age grouper (who placed 2^nd in his AG) when out practicing the course who said you would have to train mountain bikes a couple times a week to manage the course. It wasn’t just me who thought this course was tough. Is Xterra purely for experienced mountain bike riders, or should it set a standard that is manageably for most?

Comparing the start list to the finishers list, there were 175 finishers and nearly 45 people who did not complete the course. This is a DNF rate of 20%, which is very high for a sports event (particularly when the conditions were perfect). Those who did not finish are a combination of people who changed to the short course before the start (e.g. me), people who started the long course and were unable to finish and those who did not start to begin with. Unfortunately these statistics are not available, but if they were it would create a much clearer picture of whether the course was too tough.

Xterra has a huge opportunity to grow in Australia. If you look at Ironman, only a few years ago there were only two events in the country, with competitors having to travel abroad to race an IM. There are now four sell out events. Ironman previously held a prestige and standard whereby entrants had to complete a 70.3 first to be eligible to enter, and there was a huge sense of awe and honour in completing an Ironman. Whilst the achievement of completing an IM is no less, Ironman have changed rules and now John Smith who hasn’t completed a single triathlon before can enter, and finish. People argue this has tarnished the Ironman brand, yet it has meant double the events in Australia in a matter of years. This is only a good thing for the Australian market. For serious competitors there are more Kona opportunities and more races to compete at during the year, for professionals there are more races close to home with prize packets, and for the everyday competitor there is an opportunity to complete the unthinkable. Add on top of this the benefits to tourism, community health, sponsorship opportunities… the list is endless. If Xterra follows a similar dynamic and targets athletes in ‘quantity’ over ‘quality’ it has a huge potential to grow participation numbers of existing events, plus future events in other states.

Currently, a race of the technical difficulty of Jervis Bay eliminates a huge number of potential participants. There would be a large number of road triathletes that I believe would be interested in participating, looking to challenge themselves in something different and fun, particularly with the timing of the races being at the end of summer racing.  After our experience, we would be telling our friends not to enter the full distance event. Is the short distance enticing enough for people to travel that far? Probably not.

On the other hand, after looking into Xterra and what it is all about, they market themselves as “an extreme sports marketing company”.  They have ‘a television production company with nearly 300 shows, 3 Emmy nominations and 39 Telly Awards for production excellence’. Displaying the sport on TV equals exposure and sponsors which equals money for the sport. The sport will only survive on TV if it is “extreme”, which will generate significantly higher ratings than a run of the mill triathlon event, which has very little TV air time currently. But who’s to say Xterra can’t have their cake and eat it too? There is a huge opportunity to replicate ITU races where Age Groupers race one course (often one lap cycle/one lap run) while the pro’s race a multi lap course which enhances the spectating and TV viewing as groups are formed, chases occur and crashes go down. Xterra can easily have challenging and exciting courses for the pro’s and an alternative course for Age Groupers.

Whilst I was disappointed I didn’t complete the long course, I absolutely loved the short course. The swim in Jervis Bay was picturesque and as flat as a pool. The ride was exciting, fun and challenging, and included a lot of mud puddles, sand, log roll overs, rocks – the lot. By no means was it easy, I had to stop a number of times, plenty of people fell off (a few guys flew over their handle bars into the mud!) but most importantly, it was achievable. The run was beautiful and through a small trail that was difficult to follow at times but made it more fun. Other great things about the race was the local feel, holding it in a small town that will benefit from the increased tourism is always a great thing. The weather was perfect, the event staff were helpful, the course volunteers friendly, there were other events including a fun run, ocean swim and kids events, holding it on a Saturday on a long weekend was convenient and the (short) course was great fun.

In my opinion, Xterra could grow enormously and rapidly. I would love to see the pro’s race a different more challenging course for TV ratings, whilst Age Groupers can race the longer course option that is achievable, which from word of mouth is what Lorne was (Xterra officials responded to this saying Lorne was “too easy”). Xterra can market it similarly as Tough Mudder (another huge sports event phenomenon of recent times) as a challenge for people to complete. By no means am I saying make it easy, but make it achievable. They can maintain their prestige of being an extreme off road adventure, whilst making a few bucks out of it and keep our sport growing.

PS huge shout out to Ultimate Cycles from Nowra who practically did a full service on both our bikes prior to the race AND gave John some flat pedals for the race (and to keep). Wouldn’t get service like that anywhere else, they were brilliant. (see ultimatecycles.com.au)

 

The Triathletes Guide to Camping

Ten tips for the camping triathletes…

1. Pick a location where ocean meets bush. Tell everyone that it is a place you have been really wanting to see for its beauty, but in actual fact you know it will ensure you can still swim, ride, and run all trip.
2. Set the dates for your trip, then “conveniently” discover there is a triathlon related race at the exact time you happen to be going there.
3. Tell your friends, family and even yourself you are having a “holiday” and a “break from training” for the week, and that you’re “looking forward to sitting still and relaxing”.  Then go ocean swimming, hiking, kayaking, mountain bike riding, trail running, play beach cricket and any other sport you can find so in actual fact you are exercising more hours than you usually would.
4. Plan your food for the week. Now double it. Think how hungry you are during a normal week, and then add on the extra exerted energy of walking to collect water, cold showers, chopping wood. You don’t want a week of Hangry.
5. Pack a small tub of washing powder from home. Now leave it and take the remaining box. If you thought you do a lot of washing at home with the excessive amount of lycra, wait until you have the filth of camping added on.
6. Prepare your car for the trip. Then leave it at home and hire a bigger one. Camping equipment takes up a lot of space, add on all your race and training equipment (bikes, helmets, run shoes, race shoes, bike shoes, wetsuits, nutrition) and you will not have enough space.
7. Gather all your race towels. Finally you have a chance to use these awkwardly small, too thin, paper like towels for drying the dishes, as an entrance mat to your tent, matt to sit on, rug to keep warm. Hang them proudly to ‘air out’ around your tent so fellow neighbor campers can see all the events you have done.
8. Charge all devices to maximum, particular any Garmin apparatus. Then throw in back ups, watches, batteries, whatever you have. Imagine running out of battery so you can’t show the Strava world the amazing undiscovered run you did, or that extra long ride.
9. Pack all the books you have been wanting to read. Now leave them on your bedside table. There’s no time for relaxing and reading, the underlying truth is this is a training camp and there is no down time for reading.
10. Discover new parts of the world by swimming, riding or running there. Triathletes have a holiday secret the rest of the world are missing out on. We get to see new parts of the world others generally don’t see when holidaying by getting there one of three ways. Yes, some holidayers get out there and walk, but we get to go further into the unknown. Triathlon not only keeps us happy and healthy in our daily lives, but shows us the world in our time out, and god we are lucky to see it the way we do and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mountain bike riding and trail running at Jervis Bay with John

The Shoe Review

After two weeks of no exercise, I was pretty excited to go out for my first run last Saturday! I was short on time so did a quick tempo 6km run. During the week I my brand new Brooks Adrenalin GTS 14 arrived in the post. These are Brooks best selling women’s shoe. It’s always exciting to receive something in the post, and even better when it’s new sporting goods!!

At first look of the shoe they look good, but definitely don’t have the ‘wow’ factor of something like the Asics Noosa. They are black which I’m not a huge fan of, but I’ve never been one to choose running shoes based on their looks. (Note: since being on the Brooks website there are 4 colours to choose from, two being black though).

When I pulled the shoe on the first thing I noticed was the height of the shoe around my foot. The shoe felt like the sole was thicker than other shoes, and that the upper section of the shoe (the material around your foot) finished lower. This is purely based on the way the shoe felt on my foot, and not comparing the statistically heights of different shoes.

That put aside, as soon as I hit the road running, I loved the shoe! It felt springy, comfortable and very supportive. I haven’t felt this happy about a shoe in a long time! Usually with no shoes I dislike them or am neutral about them, however this shoe I really enjoyed running in (keep in mind I hadn’t run in two weeks so may have had some extra endorphins running around).

I am a pronate runner and require moderate support. The Brooks Adrenalin is comparable to the Asics Kayano and Mizuno Wave Inspire. I previously wore the Kayano for a number of years but found the shoe wore out way too quickly, especially for the price. I have since been floating through trying different shoes. Last year I wore the Mizuno Wave Inspire and whilst it was supportive, I found it a bit stiff.

For female pronate runners (which I believe majority are) these three shoes are probably the best in the market. Here is a summarised comparison of the three, purely from my own experiences:

1. Look

Asics win hands down. All their shoes look great, and make me want them! They have fun colours and new designs, whilst the Brooks looks like your everyday looking runners. Mizuno appears to have a new cool look out, however I owned the previous version which were more bland than the black Brooks.

2. Weight

The Brooks (266 grams) and Mizuno (283 grams) are comparable in weight, whilst the Asics are slightly heavier (320 grams). For me, this is a training shoe that I do my long runs in, so weight doesn’t play a huge part in my decision (unlike a race shoe in which it is a very important factor to me).

3. Price

Price of course varies depending where you buy the shoe from (if on sale, in a store, online), however it is fair to compare the RRP of each shoe, which are; Mizuno $200, Brooks $220 and Asics $250. The first two you can often find cheaper online, however Asics are very restricted and as such hard to find cheaper.

 

Based on this assessment I would say Brooks are now my favourite long distance running shoe. If I could buy the Kayano on sale I would happily have another go in them to see if their longevity has changed, however that shoe is typically more expensive and difficult to for that much out every 6-12 months.

If you are in the market for a new shoe and not sure what type you require, I highly recommend going down to Running Fit in the city where they film you on a treadmill and fit you properly. This is worth the time, and the staff are exceptionally knowledgeable and they have a huge range of runners.

Preventative Maintenance

I have been seeing a chiropractor every week for 9 weeks straight. I initially went at my dad’s wishes as he is concerned that the amount of training I am doing will have a long term impact on my health (i.e. I will be debilitated by the time I am his age!). My initial consultant with the chiro was brilliant – he did kinesiology testing, and through simple ‘strength’ tests it was clearly evident I had an issue with my left hip (which had been developing quite a severe pain over the months, but like most triathletes, I hadn’t done anything about it). Tests included, for example, standing on one leg, and with one arm outreached, pushing up against his hand. Standing on the right leg I was strong, standing on the left leg I couldn’t push. We discussed the issue and it became apparent that the bike accident I had in February 2013 had caused damage (as I must have landed on my left hip), but my body had been compensating for it, which it can do for only so long. After about 9 months my body could no longer cover the issue and the pain had developed quite badly. From the testing I saw value in what he had to offer and have been every week since.

The pain has faded but isn’t gone. He has instructed me that during the week I should “stretch, get a massage and do Pilates”. I am yet to receive any help on specific stretches or exercises that will aid my rehabilitation. I am currently paying $65 a week to see him, to add on massage ($90) and Pilates ($40) simply isn’t an option.

Instead, I met with Amber from First Wave Fitness. Amber is a personal trainer who specializes in preventative maintenance, and as a triathlete, particularly understands the muscles I use – and don’t use. She taught me how to stretch properly, which muscles I need to focus on (whilst explaining the who, what, when, where, why of the muscle!) and then showed me some key exercises to engage the supporting muscles that 1) are neglected from the repetitive motion of our three sports and 2) avoid injury. For example, strengthening the outside of the glutes to prevent the knee turning in and having a knee injury, or working the back muscles because the traps are so overused the back muscles are underused and cause injury and poor posture.

Amber is going to issue me with key stretches and exercises that I should focus on. With training for World’s to commence soon, I had a goal of “stretching every day and doing strength work”. This goal was never going to work, plus I have little idea what gym work I should be doing that will help me. With Amber, I can focus on the stretches that will give me the greatest benefit in the minimal time that I have. All triathletes suffer the same excuse of not being able to fit in strength and conditioning sessions. There is enough information out there for us all to know that it is worth the time investment, yet still don’t manage it. (That information really just makes us feel guilty, opposed to helping us!). Something has finally clicked in me* that I can see the real benefit of putting the time and effort in now to see the results later, be it no injuries or quicker times, both are worth it.

I am excited about the plan moving forward and am ready to commit the time over the coming months, because changes like this don’t happen overnight. Huge thank you to Amber for taking me through everything, and I look forward to making her a part of my weekly plan. If you want to contact Amber, see : http://firstwavefitness.com

 

*I think the moment was paying another $65 to the chiro, whilst booking another appointment for the following week, whilst seeing no benefit – it just isn’t sustainable.

 

Recovery Phase

It has been one week since my last race. Which means one whole week since I last did any exercise. A month before the end of the season, my coach called and told me he wanted me to have time off after the season. I asked “what do you mean time off??” I assumed ‘time off’ would still involve some riding, running and swimming. He explained, no, time off was time off and all good athletes take it.

I didn’t think I would manage not doing anything. I have been going hard and consistent for a solid 9 months. And naturally, being the obsessive Age Group competitor I am, I thought about the damages this could have on my World’s conquest for the middle of the year. I thought “I am so fit now, if I can hold on to it I will only get fitter” plus “I don’t know how to do nothing” or “I won’t know who I am if I don’t exercise”.

There are two key points here, one which I have learnt very quickly in the past week, the other I am still understanding and will hopefully see the results later in the year. The points being:

1. Having time off is easy!

I have absolutely loved the past week. I have been social, not tired, and have so much less washing to keep up with!!! (to non-triathletes, generally you wear training clothes in the morning, work clothes in the day, training clothes after work, sports clothes after training… about 3-4 times more washing than when you don’t train!). I am looking forward to another week of relaxing and am currently in no rush to get back into my 10 sessions per week training routine.

2. Recovery is the key to a successful oncoming season.

It is hard to know and accept now that the not training currently will pay dividends months down the track. But I was so physically and mentally exhausted at the end of the season (weeks towards the end mind you, not just the last race) that I believe it and am willing to try it.

Ryan Bourke (Tri Alliance coach and triathlete) published a great article that hit home exactly how I am feeling this week: http://tri-alliance.com.au/news-and-media/2014/04/02/triathlon-recovery-phase/ . He makes great points about taking advantage of this phase because before you know it you will be back into heavy training and have no time or be too tired to socialize, see family, or my pet hate – keep the house clean! He also makes a valid point about gaining a bit of weight for the winter months, which is something I had not considered, but am more than happy to try it out!!

Enjoying ‘recovery’ with Melb IM recoveries, training buddies and friends Dina and Amber (aka Di-amber).

Season 2013/14 Wrap Up

My 2013/14 triathlon season is done and dusted. I am grateful it is over as I am tired and need a break, but sad that another year has gone.

The season concluded on Sunday with the final of the Gatorade Series Races. The first race was back in November and I managed a second place, my highest placing at a Gatorade race ever and I was third female age grouper of the day! It was then I set a goal of winning one Gatorade race. Four races later and I had managed a second place EVERY race!!! I was getting frustrated, but loved the competition and loved that I was getting closer to Kate the girl who kept beating me (in Race 3 at the National Sprint Championships she beat me by just 6 seconds!). So the final race on Sunday was my last chance to have a win for the season. My race plan was simple: go hard! My body had given up since the Olympic National’s in Devonport 4 weeks earlier. I was exhausted, not able to train as much but had found I could still move quick when I needed to, especially off the bike. So I decided this was a chance to test out just how hard I can go on the bike and see if I can still run!

As it was the final race they had the Championship Wave, where the top 5 competitors from each Age Group start together in a wave. It is a great chance to race like the Open girls do as the road and run is clearer and you are with faster people to chase from the beginning.

I had a shocking swim. The conditions were perfect which generally means I have a bad swim – I don’t know why yet! I was all over the place, unable to get on good feet and despite putting in the effort knew I was well off the front (unlike the previous race in Portarlington which were choppy conditions and for the first time in my life I came out with the leader!).

I came out of the swim and knew I had some ground to make up. As I was running into T1 I heard a lot of cheering for Sarah. I knew it was for Sarah Grove, the Open leader but whom based on time I had beaten in a number of races. I knew I can run faster so wanted to maintain the small gap I had for as long as possible.

Well it wasn’t long. Within the first 5km’s of the bike she had caught me. As I saw her go past I decided to keep within the legal distance behind her. Well I didn’t have to worry about the rules, she was gone! Damn. Sarah posted the fastest female AG bike time of the day and beat me by just over a minute. Regardless, I went hard and knew I was putting more into the bike than I usually do in a race. It felt good going hard and with John cheering on the side I could tell from his reaction I was doing well. I had the third fastest female AG bike split, and put a minute into the second girl in my AG.

Onto the run and it was my time to shine. I wanted to catch Sarah so I could win the Championship wave, even though she races Open. I was struggling to see her ahead but thought I could just make her out. I watched my average hover around 3.45 pace. I liked what my watch was telling me and thought I would see if I could hold on. At the turn around I saw Sarah was about 150m’s ahead. It was a bit and with only 2.5km’s to go I was going to struggle to catch her. I somewhat gave up winning the Championship Wave but kept pushing anyway.

When I passed John and my family with only a couple of hundred metres to go they yelled for me to push. I had nothing! I crossed the line and was done for, but saw my time of 1.08. I was stoked. I knew it was my quickest Sprint race. And afterwards I was to find out it was a 5km run PB.

It was a great way to end. I set a PB, won my Age Group and then ended up winning the series!

This season could not have gone any better. Since moving back to Melbourne in October 2012 I have dramatically improved. I did the Gatorade Series last year (12/13) and had a few places, finished around 4^th or 5^th in the series and was really happy with where I was at. This included having a bad bike crash in the middle of the series followed by a rolled ankle. In the winter I set a goal of running a sub-90min half marathon and managed to break 88mins. I then competed in the Duathlon series and won each race and the overall series and State Title. I went on to race Noosa with a goal of making the podium and missed out by 16seconds. It was disappointing but has made me determined to go back next year. I then won the Gatorade Series, the Geelong 5150 and automatically qualified for the World Championships in both Sprint and Olympic.

I can’t get over what a season I have had. I am now ensuring I adequately rest for the next month so I can go hard again for the four months in the lead up to Worlds. This period will also give me time to plan mentally and strategically, set a strong training plan, targets, nutrition and anything else I can plan for now to help me later. It is an exciting year ahead, but an even more exciting couple of weeks of recovery!

PS – always a good chance to give a shout out to my Super Coach Pat who owns these results more than me, my boyfriend John for unbelievable support for 9 months, my family who come down to the races to support plus support behind the scenes by cooking meals etc. and my training buddies who make training fun and we’ve become such good friends over the past 12 months.