From Coach Lisa Spink - 

I had the privileged of meeting Gene Dykes recently - humble unassuming and FREAK!! (in best possible way).

Gene's PB marathon is 2.54 - no typo that is 2.54, oh and he is 70 years old! When I got chatting to him as we shared some trail time (yeah he does trails as well) the story only gets more impressive. Firstly I sheepishly started the conversation with  - "Congratulations Gene, 2.54 is amazing!" - he replied "and change?" Ha ha ha the seconds matter to Gene.

Then I asked "So Gene what is your life time best Marathon time?", thinking I was going to make a complete idiot of myself by not know an Olympic Champion or World Record holder from yester- year... He looked at me puzzled... "That is my best, 2.54...and change"... My brain was doing a back flip  - this guy just did his life time best of 2.54...and change at 70! He went on to tell me he got a coach 5 years ago and has improved every year since.... WOW - now that is consistency and defying the ageist ideology of the modern world..

GRIT, growth mindset, persistence wow this guy has it all.. We run along chatting for a bit... Then he says "I'm getting a bit hot", that was fair, it was in the 30's and semi exposed, he adds - "It was snowing back home"... Crikey, mental note, never whinge about conditions again.. Gene goes on to say "I might just back off a bit, my legs are a bit tired".. There was a pause then he said " I've done a 100miler and few other little Ultra's in last 6 weeks that might be why" Holy wow do you think? But then again, Gene has also completed the Triple Crown, that is 3 x 200 milers (truth be known one is actually 240 miles) in 3 months. Regardless I take another mental note, never whinge about tired legs again!
​
Gene went on to get an amazing finish and be an absolute inspiration to all that had the privilege to meet and share time with him that weekend. I really hope he continuous to do PB's and gets the official record at the Boston Marathon. Either way, cudos to you Mr Gene Dykes and thanks for the trail time!

Watch this 3min clip to listen to Gene talk about his running  - WOW

​Mindset is incredibly influential on athletic performance and one of the most fascinating things about sport. Pay close attention next time you’re spectating or viewing almost any sporting event and you’ll easily be able to pinpoint the exact moment an individual athlete or team succeeds or implodes as a direct result of their mental fortitude. 
 
Any coach or elite athlete will tell you that while physical strength and conditioning are important, the mind is critical and an athlete’s ability to dig deep and transcend pain and fatigue when the going gets tough comes not from a superior body, but from a superior mind.  It’s surprising then, that many athletes fail to invest time and effort into training the mind. While some athletes may consider mental training to be an “optional extra” (akin to proper nutrition, sleep, stretching and running drills … I didn’t just say that last one, Coach Rich!) there is a mountain of evidence available to suggest that it can lead to tremendous improvements in performance.
 
Whether you are an elite athlete or a weekend warrior, being in complete control of your mind and your emotions will help you to transcend self-imposed limitations and perceived barriers to unlock your true potential.
​
When we think about training, there are only three things we can train:

1. Our body
2. Our craft; and
3. Our mind.  

If you are a serious athlete, you will already be devoting 20+ hours a week to conditioning your body, honing your skills and perfecting your technique. While it is true that putting this significant effort into your physical training will yield results, if you’re after the competitive edge, you should be focussing some of this attention on training your mind.

In endurance sport, tough times, rough patches and “lows” are inevitable during training and racing.  If your mental state is weak and your self-talk through these difficult periods is negative (e.g. “I feel awful”, “this is too painful”, “I can’t push through this”), your performance will suffer. Conversely, if you are able to practice mindfulness, control your emotions and use positive self-talk, your performance can soar.

While a date with a sports psychologist may not be on the radar (or in the training budget) for most of us, practising your mental skills alongside and during training sessions is something every athlete can do. It’s important to remember that training the mind is an ongoing process requiring patience, consistency and practice. You shouldn’t expect to turn up on race day and figure it out. It should be something you are practising and refining every single day. Indeed, come race day, it may mean the difference between triumphantly crossing the finish line or being allocated a dreaded DNF.  

Here are some suggestions to incorporate mental training into your every day. Begin training your mind just like you would train your body. Start by training in calm environments for short periods of time. Once you’re ready, push yourself into more stressful environments for longer periods of time.  Remember too, these can be (and arguably, should be) applied across all facets of your life, not just in your endurance training.

1. Practise gratitude
Practice gratitude and appreciation for what physical activity you can do, as opposed to focussing on what you can’t. This is particularly important for athletes going through periods of injury or sickness or building their base fitness back after a period of time away from the sport. Experiencing a little discomfort while doing something you love? Be grateful to endure. By emphasising your gratitude for what you can do physically, you are encouraging positive emotions. It is true that you will notice the joy in something more when you focus on your gratitude for it.

2. Use positive self-talk
se positive self-talk and positive cognitive appraisal. During training, focus your awareness on the messages going through your head. Positive self-talk such as starting your internal dialogue with the words “I can…” helps to train your body to tolerate discomfort more easily as well as lead to performance gains.
Training confidence is extremely mechanical. Confidence comes not from your past successes or level of preparation but only from what you say to yourself. Your ability to adapt to various situations in training and racing and maintain a strong mental focus is greatly influenced by what you say to yourself, so self-talk warrants your consideration and attention.   

3. Set your intentions
Set an intention for health and well-being before you train and try and stay connected to and focussed on this throughout the session. Focussing on a specific intention will also help to concentrate your attention on your session and cut out superfluous “noise” that could be going through your head, distracting you from the task at hand.  

4. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people
Surround yourself with people who are supportive, encouraging and positive. Like it or not, FOPO (Fear of Other People’s Opinion) is another newly-coined acronym here to stay. And that’s because it’s a real concern for many people; one of the silent traps that robs us of success and holds us back. Surrounding yourself with people who genuinely want you to succeed and who are willing to lend their support and encouragement to help you achieve your goal will make your journey a lot more enjoyable, and a lot less stressful too.

5. Control negative emotions
Control negative emotions such as anxiety by using relaxation techniques (e.g. listening to music, breathing exercises), helping to eliminate negative trains of thought.  
Emotions – both positive and negative - are incredibly powerful and undoubtedly affect cognitive function, energy levels and overall physical performance. How we perceive what we’re doing, the words we use to talk about it, how we assign meaning to what we’re doing, and the intention behind it all matter.  As soon as you realise you are in control of how you react to things and you take ownership of these emotional reactions, many of your perceived barriers are removed.

6. Visualisation
During training, think about your body and make sure you are moving the way you visualise yourself moving. When you’re not training, take some time to think about your sport and visualise yourself moving fluidly e.g. running with good mechanics or swimming with a smooth stroke.
In a broader sense, you should also visualise yourself executing your goal race and achieving your goal. Picture everything from race day morning through transition and beyond – to the finishing chute. Think about how this makes you feel and then when you take part in your event, try and replicate it. Remember however, you must also visualise how you will respond to less-than-ideal situations that may arise and how you will calmly and methodically work through this discomfort – this will prepare you to deal with challenges that will inevitably present themselves come race day.

7. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness and meditation are extremely effective measures to calm the stress-response in your body and are massive accelerants to mastering your internal domain. Paying close attention to your thoughts and what’s going through your mind and recording these in a training log will help you to notice patterns and themes that may be recurring such as self-doubts, self-criticisms and excessive worry – these are all restrictive. Becoming aware of and sensitive to these thoughts and thought patterns will help you to focus on specific areas of your mental fitness and enable you to correct and build a more optimal mental state. First comes awareness, which is then followed by action.
 
Mindset plays an incredibly significant role in endurance sport; more than it is often credited for. While a weak mental state can lead to an athlete’s downfall, a strong one can be the “x-factor” that sets an athlete apart and takes them to the next level to reach their true potential.
 
Incorporating some mental training into your regular regime may just provide the competitive edge you are looking for, with the added benefits of positively impacting your body and your overall health. In training situations, mental strength and conditioning will help you control your focus and enjoy the process more (even the hardest, most taxing training sessions) which will lead to huge performance gains and faster recovery times. On race day, having a strong mind will help you to control muscular tension (enabling you to relax and your control heart rate before and during events), rise to the big occasion and feel excited as opposed to nervous, and control your emotions to cope with unforeseen events that will inevitably occur during the race. Ultimately, all things being equal, the athlete who is in control of their mind and their emotions will outlast their competition to stand atop the podium every single time.
 
​#tzeromultisport #liveyourpotential

Pre-Race
 
I had my normal anxiousness leading into the race, but it was more under control this time. Coach Rich gave me the plan to execute and I focused on that.  I’d like to get the plan earlier next time and I’ll talk to Rich about it because it gives me something to focus on and helps me to not worry about all the other "noise”.
 
After talking with Rich about the plan, I was sure that the swim and bike would be fine, but I really wasn’t sure about the run leg for two reasons:

1. Previous races; and
2. I don’t have a feel for where my run is in training as we’ve been doing so much slow heart rate stuff.  

 
Because I know my run is the weakest part of my race and it’s a reason I started with T:Zero, I really focused on the run leg in the few days before the race.  
 
I travelled to Goondiwindi the day before and had some anxious moments around my race wheels but got it sorted around 3pm when I hired a back wheel for the race from TLR.  It was a big relief on the day and felt a weight lift as soon as I sorted it out.  
 
I actually had one of my better sleeps the night before. I woke a few times, but managed to get some good sleep as well which is unusual for me.  I had my oats for breakfast and also managed to meditate for ten minutes.  I’ve been using Headspace (a meditation app) and they have a sports and motivation series. I chose the concentration meditation which was really good as it touched on a few things that Grant Giles had talked about at the T:Zero Alpine Training Camp (reserve your place for the 2020 camp).
 
Bike racking and getting down to the river was all super smooth and sorted. I felt ready to race.
 
Swim - 41:30
 
The basic plan for the swim was to control my breathing throughout the race, start slowly and steadily progress to RPE8 (perceived exertion) and try and find feet on the way back in the current. 
 
That 41:30 was from my watch, the official time was 43:57 which included the several hundred metre run up to transition.  I was very happy with my swim.  I felt like I was in control the whole way and I was happy with my breathing.  I was passing people including in the previous wave and also had a few surges to catch up to a group in front so I wasn’t swimming alone.  I started slow and worked my way into it.  It obviously wasn’t super fast, but it was a good time for me and compared to other races and more importantly I felt strong and ready to go on the bike at the end.
 
Overall, it felt easy. A couple of key things I concentrated on were head down and smooth breathing cycle.
 
T1 - 1:57
 
Easily my best transition.  I had some thoughts prior to race about transition and wanted to get in and out.  I felt like I did that well and jumped on the bike.  My best transition in a race, easily.
 
Bike - 2:23:50
 
That time was from my computer.  My official time was 2:25:59. I’m not sure why the discrepancy but I’m using the data from the computer for now (plus it’s quicker…).
 
My plan for the bike was to have slow progression build up.  1-10km at 73%, 10-40km at 76%, 40-60km at 80% and 60-80km at 83% (if feeling good).
 
1-10km – Aimed to average 204 watts and I averaged 188 watts.  I was very conscious of taking it easy here because it really isn’t something I’ve ever done!  It wasn’t easy to get passed and not something I’m used to on the bike (mainly because where I come out in the swim, but also I’m not hopeless on the bike), but I just let people go and got head down and really controlled my breathing and heart rate (HR).  I used some breathing techniques and tried to concentrate on what I was doing, not on what others were doing.
 
10-40km – Aimed to average 212 watts and I averaged 198 watts. This period was a little harder for me, because I felt like I could be going a bit quicker and it was a longer period.  The road wasn’t easy and there were a lot of bottles and holes etc.  I had to concentrate and that probably helped to keep my mind occupied.  I was happy with HR at 138 here and was in control. 
 
40-60km – Aimed to average 224 watts and I averaged 221 watts.  This was a good period for me, as I was really starting to go past people and felt like I was riding like I normally do in a race.  My HR was also good at 143 and again felt like I was in control and going well.
 
60-80km – Here I could increase to 232 watts and averaged 226 watts.  I really passed a lot of people in this period.  I know it’s not about others in the race, but it’s a real aspect of triathlon I look forward to because it’s one of the only areas where I’m passing people and looking strong.  I’m as vain as the next guy and it’s the only time I feel like I’m any good in this sport.  It was certainly a good period for me and I felt in control.
 
Overall, I was happy with bike and I felt like I executed the plan well (although I could have gone a little harder according to above numbers).  I went into T2 feeling really good about running.  Although again, looking at the time after the race I wouldn’t say I was happy.  I thought I should have been faster…
 
T2 - 3:03
 
Again, this transition time was pretty good for me (maybe a touch slow).  I had to put socks on but still, I need to improve this.  
 
Run - 1:58:54
 
The above time is from my watch. My official time was 2:01.  I’m using my watch because dammit I want to see a sub-2!  
 
This was where my race started.  My focus was on getting this run right.  My plan was to hold 6 min/km for the first 10km and then if feeling good go faster; if not then hold that pace until the end.
 
I did my first kilometre in 5:15 and the second in 5:29. As I was running I was desperately trying to slow down; I knew what was happening, but I just couldn’t.  At the second aid station I stopped and took a gel, and really got water in; not because I had to but because I wanted to reset and get my run on pace.  This worked, and I then got into rhythm and a slower pace.  Every time I looked at my watch I was doing 5:45 or 5:50, but I was feeling good so I didn’t worry too much at all.  
 
I got through the first 10km feeling good and was happy to try and increase my pace.  Looking at my watch I was doing 5:30s and sometimes quicker.  It wasn’t easy, but that first 5km I really concentrated on being bored and just lifting my feet – two things I’ve been practicing for a while.  My HR increased after the 10km mark, and when I hit the 15km mark I wasn’t sure I could hold that pace.  
 
The last 5km I was pushing to hold pace and doing things like trying to run with people who were passing and also trying to catch up to others in front of me.  This worked well and even though these people were on different laps and had nothing to do with me, it was a good feeling to pass people. I used that a lot through this section of the race.  It’s the only run where I’ve passed people and I don’t mind telling you I felt good doing it and it helped me to hold that last 5km.
 
It was getting hot on the last lap, but I’d say that overall the heat really wasn’t a factor all day.  It was fairly mild compared to what we were expecting.  I wouldn’t have wanted to do another lap though as it was heating up quickly.
 
I don’t think I could have run much quicker, so I’m happy with that part of the plan.  It’s easily my best run in a race and averaging 5:50 minutes per kilometre was easily my best in a race.  I was happy.  However, when I stopped and saw 1:58 I was a bit shattered.  As I was running 5:30s and faster, I thought during the race that I was going to go close to a 1:55. I know it’s only a couple of minutes, but still.
 
Nutrition
 
I was happy with this and gave it some thought before the race because of the predicted conditions.  
 
I ate a normal breakfast, although I would have like a little more water while waiting for the race to start.  I used the first 10km of the bike to relax and get my heart rate under control, took a little Infinit and a little water.  Every 10km I made sure I had my Infinit and water.  At the 40km mark I took 3 Clif chews and also more chews at 60km. I finished my Infinit at the end of bike and also finished the water. I also had one canister of salt tablets on the bike.
 
On the run, I used the new Maurten gels.  I was really happy with these.  They had no flavour and sat well in my stomach. I took gels at 2km, 5km, 10km and 15km and also had another canister of salt tablets through the run.  It was the first race where I’ve taken all my salt tablets and I’m sure it helped.  I made sure I had one whole cup of water at each aid station and started drinking a cup of coke as well from the 12km mark.
 
It was my best race nutrition-wise and I’m sure this was a factor in my run.  Happy with that.
 
Overall - 5:11:35
 
I’m not joking but I wasn’t happy with my time.  It shocked me in the finishers tent when AK told me.  I felt like I had executed my race plan really well and it didn’t quite match up in times.  
 
I know what Rich will say, so I’ll just say that I’m happy that I followed my race plan closely.  I’m happy that I executed my nutrition plan.  And I’m seriously happy that I actually ran the 20km and felt solid doing it, with a sub-2hr time.  I feel like now I’ve run out a race, it’s a baseline that I can start to improve on.
 
I also did this race at 100kg which is the lightest I’ve been in a race.  I’ve lost 13kg since starting with Rich and have made good progress in the last two months.  If I can keep that same progress I’d love to be doing Port Macquarie at 90kg.
 
The other thing I am happy about is nailing the two main goals Rich gave me for the race:

• Primary Goal - stay in the present moment and have no judgment – you are the sky.

 
I didn’t have anything affect me either way during the race, and let things go well.  The meditation I’ve been doing and breathing exercises helped and I used those breathing techniques several times during the race.  At one point just after the 10km in the run, I actually ran for a while with my eyes closed and deep breathing.  All my judgements came after the race…

• Secondary Goal – do not shy away from difficult situations – I need to step up when the moments come.

 
When there was any pain, I really leaned into it and concentrated on it.  When I was uncomfortable on the seat at stages during the bike I just thought that it was good because I was in an aero position (for me) and it was a good thing.  It really worked and soon wasn’t a factor.  My last 5km I was struggling to hold pace, so I looked at external things I could use like catching others or running with people who had passed me.  It gave me something to concentrate on other than how I was feeling.  I also looked out for others, something I do in every race to keep out of my head.  Looking for AK and Pete, also Ash and Mick and another guy that was running in a T:Zero hat who I’d never met.  This helped me to think about someone else and not me.  
 
Overall, I was happy with HOTW and I can definitely use some of these learnings in Port Macquarie, as well as take a little bit of confidence out of it. 

For those involved in the world of long course triathlon, you would be hard pressed to find anyone who hadn’t heard of the young gun talent of Ellie Salthouse.  The local Brisbane, 25-year-old has been taking the world by storm over the past few years showing she is a force to be reckoned with over the half ironman distance.  However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Ellie and how she has found her “calling” within the sport is a story that will no doubt resinate with us all.

In my second year of living in Brisbane I was doing pretty well within the sport of triathlon.  I was 21 at the time and I had been racing a lot over the Brisbane summer, most races landing on the podium.  My coach at the time suggested I go and have a trial with the National Talent Identification program, which at the time was based in Carina.  I remember thinking “wow, if he believes I have shot to make the program then I have to try out”.  I remember getting to the pool and being surrounded by incredibly fit, lean and extremely athletic looking young rising stars.  My first thoughts were to turn and run, I felt like my stomach was about to jump through my throat.  However, I stuck it out and was grateful that my partner for the trial showed me a huge smile and made me feel a little more at ease.  Without going into detail of just how not cut out for elite junior racing I was at this stage of my life, I did leave that day having made a new friend, an enormously talented individual who had just returned from National Cross Country and not once made me feel in any way out of my depth.  I later learnt that that fit looking, happy and friendly girl was a 15-year-old Ellie Salthouse, her story and racing career I have been following closely since that day.  Last week I had the pleasure to catch up with Ellie over coffee, share some of those old stories, learn about her battles as an up and coming athlete and most importantly hear first hand how Ellie is taking her 70.3 racing career to the next level.

As a youngster, Ellie was an incredible swimmer and runner, she recalls having seen a weet-bix triathlon add as a junior and asking her parents to take her along to the event.  From there, is was evident that Ellie had a love for triathlon, “I started after that race at the Clem Jones Sports Centre in the Junior program and had some incredible achievements as a young athlete including 2 Silver Medals at the Youth Olympics and a 12th place at the 2012 Auckland ITU Grand Final”.  However, despite all of this early success and enormous talent, Ellie found herself at the age of only 20 hating the sport, not having a love for the racing and training and feeling an exhausting amount of pressure to continually make teams and qualification times, she had simply lost her “why” and belief in herself.  Ellie took a 6 month break from the sport and upon returning to Australia realised that perhaps her best years within the sport were still to come.  After some wise words from local triathlon legend Loretta Harrop, Ellie was put in touch with Siri Lindley, who in my opinion is one of the worlds’ most successful coaches.  “I knew as soon as I met Siri and had that conversation that she would be my coach, Siri made me find a love for long course racing and training, made me feel more relaxed and most importantly made me realise that I was only racing for myself”.  Ellie made the move to Boulder, where she still to date spends 6 months of her year training and being coached by Siri.  When hearing Ellie speak of her coach and the relationship they have it became evident to me that Ellie genuinely has a true love and passion for the sport of triathlon.  It is obvious that in one respect, Siri became Ellie’s saving grace and made her believe in herself and gave her the confidence to try her hand in the world of long course racing, a big move to make at the tender age of only 21.

Ellie shared with me some invaluable tips and insights into her training and racing world as I asked her some questions regarding her career to date and her plans for the future.  Ellie opens up about her dealings and learnings from 70.3 racing and kindly shares some of her thoughts regarding how all athletes, regardless of ability can get the most out of themselves, as well as provides some insights into her favourite racing locations and her dreams for the future.
 
What would be your best advice on how age group athletes can achieve their desired goals within the 70.3 distance?
“I think it is really important to have small goals each day, I find these help to keep you on track and accountable for your training.  I think it is also really important that athletes tick off all of those little extra sessions, the stretching, strength and core sessions, they certainly help in the long run and to avoid injuries.  I think it is also so valuable to have somebody who knows your goals, whether this be a coach or a friend or even a mentor, this individual will be able to help you at times when motivation may be lacking and help you realise your drive and your why, which is ultimately the most important aspect of success”.
 
What would you suggest as the most beneficial training sessions for athletes entering the 70,3-racing scene?
“Swim – I think it is really good for endurance and for mental toughness to do a hard set of 100’s with a very short rest cycle, only 3-5 seconds.  So, the athlete is completing 30 or 40 of these slightly under race pace and having very little rest.
Ride – I love a long bike ride over a 4-hour duration where the final hour is at target race pace.  I do all of my riding my perception of effort and have found that power limited my potential and also having that constant feedback of numbers on a screen distracted me from how I was actually feeling at any given moment.  I love this style of a training ride as it allows you to hit that final hour having already completed some volume and feeling relatively fatigued.  Again, great for not only physical improvements but also a mentally rewarding set.
Run – I find a good building run is again a really challenging yet mentally rewarding session.  Knowing I have completed some really hard runs where I am required to run hard over the final 15 minutes of a 60-minute run really helps me dig deep on race day and givens me the confidence in my ability to do this under race conditions”.
 
What would be your best advice to athletes in terms of maintaining a love for the sport and longevity in terms of their racing?
“I think the most important thing is you need to enjoy it.  You need to be able to listen to your body and have the discipline to rest and recover when needed.  I have a rest day every week during my off season and every two weeks in my peak training season will take a complete day off and away from triathlon.  I think also keeping on top of your strength work, stretching and massage will help keep the body well maintained.  You also need to have goals!  That is what drives me and motivates me every day, it will keep you accountable and make the process of training enjoyable and rewarding”.
 
What would be your top 5 tips for an athlete moving from the short course distance (sprint/OD) up to the 70.3?
“Keep some speed sessions in the swim, I found my swim training between these two distances relatively similar.  Make sure you include some long rides, I think at least 2-3 four-hour rides before the big day.  I think it is important to have regular long runs (90 minutes or so) but also equally as important to keep some speed in the run training too.  Nutrition is also such an important aspect of long course racing, and needs to be well practiced in training”.
 
To date, what have been achievements in the world of triathlon?
1: Challenge Melbourne 2016 winner – this really validated for me that I had made the right choice with my training and racing and had found my love again for the sport.
2: Silver Medal at the 2010 Youth Olympics
3: Boulder 70.3 2018 Winner – for me this is like a home race
4: 8th Professional Female at the 2018 70.3 World Championships in South Africa
5: 70.3 Los Cabos 2018 Winner
 
What would be your favourite 70.3 races and why?
“My favourite destination to race would be Cozumel, it is so beautiful there and I love racing in the heat and humidity.  I also love the course at Boulder.  It is a hilly bike and the run is mostly on trails, it is also at altitude which makes it even tougher”.
 
I am so grateful to Ellie for taking the time out of her busy day right off the heels of a runner up placing at Geelong 70.3 only two days prior to having a coffee with me in the heat and humidity of a Brisbane summers day.  Ellie is the type of person who just boasts a true love and enjoyment for the sport and having heard her story, is truly thankful she returned to the sport where she still clearly has so much more to give.  Her beaming smile radiates confidence and her attitude to training and racing is the perfect example of how hard work, consistency and self-belief can conquer all.  Ellie will soon leave Brisbane and head to the USA in preparation for 70.3 Oceanside in early April.  Ellie has a swag of 70.3 races coming up over the course of 2019 all with goal of lining up for the 2019 70.3 World Championships in Nice to be the number one female athlete in the world.  Ellie is a star to watch and even more importantly a genuinely lovely, kind hearted and caring individual who is one to keep your eye on in the year ahead.  No doubt all of us as athletes can take home something from Ellie’s sharing’s! 
 
Until next time…
Coach Em Quinn

If you are living in pocket of the world with less than favourable weather conditions, like myself and many of our Tzero athletes, dealing with these elements can be a real challenge. In the tropics, we have extreme heat for six months of the year with insane humidity, coupled with cyclones, wet season and other dramas which impact on our ability to ride and run outside.

It was during the recent monsoonal low where it rained for nearly four weeks straight that I found myself loving my indoor sessions and really starting to see the benefits and gains that come from indoor training. I know most people hate to train inside and will give you a brilliant argument of why you should be training in all weather conditions. I can see the benefit of training across all conditions BUT when it is not possible due to your own safety you need a solid option B and sometimes here, it's option C!!

I will add a caveat to this article and put it out there that I am a massive fan of indoor training regardless of the weather. This love of the trainer and treadmill was borne from the fact that I have had two very serious bike accidents within 4 weeks of each other in the past 2 years that has left me lacking confidence (it is growing, albeit slowly) and recognising the gains that indoor cycling especially provides me with very structured workouts. Couple this with the fact that I love to sit in front of the TV and watch cartoons and listen to podcasts and I will happily spin away for hours on end!
 
Here are some of the benefits I have experienced from my summer of indoor training!

1. Safety – we all know how dangerous riding on the road can be, couple that with broken bottles and people driving at you and it is a recipe for disaster. Training inside removes this concern and allows you to focus on the session.
2. I am doing the Peaks Challenge in a few weeks and indoor bike training has allowed me to use the Zwift platform to ride up hills and then find more hills and keep going. I have found this to be an excellent tool to make sure you get the hills in each week and you don’t have to worry about coming down hill on slippery roads!
3. Being in a strict Zone 2 running phase, the treadmill is an excellent tool to hold your pace and heart rate to the prescribed zone and number. Treadmill running ensures you are consistent with your cadence as well and removes some of the impact of road running
4. Indoors training allows you to train when and where you can. It removes a lot of preparation time and allows you to get a solid session completed in a timely manner. Indoor sessions are gold for time poor athletes!
5. The big one for me is the building of mental strength whilst training inside. There is no hiding, no stopping at lights and no coasting down a hill. You have no wheel to sit on and get a free ride, it is all you and if you keep focused on the power numbers you are prescribed you will build your resilience to suffering and build a lot of solid mental toughness!

 
Some of the biggest names in cycling and triathlon spend a significant amount of their bike time inside. Matt Hayman won the famed Paris Roubaix simply by doing Zwift sessions whilst recovering from a broken collar bone. He did not do a single outdoor session before the race and not only did he hold and improve his fitness levels whilst recovering from injury, but he won a race that is so demanding and requires super human mental toughness and strength. In triathlon, Lionel Sanders openly supports indoor bike training and is a massive fan of Zwift as is Jesse Thomas. Both these pros have their own group rides on Zwift and are very interactive with other riders.

I know indoor training can be a mental challenge, but the next time you are programmed an indoor bike or run session, instead of seeing the negatives (it is boring, I hate it, this is stupid etc) see the positives, jump on and embrace the challenge and see the changes occur in your mindset and attitude! Pretty soon you will be a fan of the indoor sessions and you WILL see improvement in your techniques, performance, numbers and mental toughness!

Enjoy your training and be safe!

Coach Mon

What drives you on race day? What is your focus? Do you have a preconceived time or place you are aiming for? Or do you simply not want to come last? Are you crazy nervous in the days leading up to the race or even race morning?
​
Here is a little secret, that implemented correctly will keep those pre-race nerves at bay and will unlock your potential and crush any goal you may have previously set for yourself.
--------
So…when someone asks you what your goal at a particular race is – what do you say? I want to break 3 hours? I want to break 10 hours? I want to come top 10 in my age group? I don’t want to come last? I want to qualify for Kona?

Sound familiar?
​
The reality is, your time and your position at any given race is simply out of your control. Let’s focus on time to begin with. Time is only one type of measurement of performance and importantly, it is far too variable based on the conditions (heat, humidity, wind, accurateness of course etc). Do you start your watch when the gun goes off? Or worst still, do you look at your watch when you get out of the water? There is no benefit to either practice. If your watch tells you a negative story (ie slower) or even a positive story (ie a faster than expected time) all it is doing is giving you a false sense of reality as you head to the bike. The swim could have been long (or short), the currents, the chop etc could play an important part. Similarly with the bike and the run, if you are focused on a speed or pace then you aren’t focused on what is important during the race – your effort that you are giving that is not controlled by the conditions.

Reaching the podium or qualifying for Kona or even not coming last are all matters outside of your control as well. Where you come in a race is only a reflection your peers – not on your actual performance.

Let me give you an example. If your goal is to break 5 hours at a 70.3 and you have an ordinary day, walking the last 3km of the run but because it was a breathless day and a fast course you cross the finish line in 4:58. Whilst you have achieved your goal, you know that you didn’t put in your best effort and this sort of performance will still leave you searching. Similarly, if you have an unbelievable day in tough conditions and you cross the finish line in 5:08 – you are going to be stoked about the performance rather than the time.
In its most rawest sense, the goal in any race must be to get the most out of yourself. Your performance ‘P’ is measured by your ability ‘a’ multiplied by what percentage of effort ‘e’ you gave on the day. So for the boffins out there… P = a x e
​
The goal in training is to improve your ability in the sport. For most of the T:Zero Collective this is a long term process. When you turn up to a race, your ability is constant. You can’t do anything more to improve that. What the focus must turn to is the effort – what percent are you willing to give of yourself.

The secret to ultimate success in this sport is to focus on ALWAYS give 100% of your ability. You cross every finish line knowing that you have given your all and that the performance each race is a true representation of what you have been doing in training. The time, the place are both irrelevant.  If you focus on nailing each race, then it becomes a habit. You keep training hard, your ability will improve and there will be no doubts when your big race comes you will give 100%.

The athletes that have done very well in the past and who are doing well now are the ones that are prepared to go into battle in any race, no matter how important and no matter how fit or otherwise they are. The ones that struggle to pull out great races when it counts are the ones that don’t make it a habit. Pre race nerves are normal and often beneficial. The nerves should be there because of the personal sacrifice you have made to get to the start line, not about trying to achieve a certain time or place. Focus on only what is in your control (ignoring/accepting things that aren't in your control) and your prerace nerves will plummet.

Here is the sealer – If at every race from now and into the future, you focus on the performance being as close to 100% of your ability, not on the external outcome, then you will surpass and sort of material goal you had set for yourself along the way.

We work so hard on our ability through training to often sabotage our effort on the day. Stop thinking about the competition or a certain time, and start demanding from yourself everything you have in training and on race day. It is 'you vs you' and be making sure that is the focus, you will achieve more than you ever thought possible.

You have got this, so go out and get it!
​

We’re roughly two months into the new year and for most of us, our training and racing goals have already been developed and set in collaboration with our respective T:Zero coaches. Training Peaks is probably looking nice and green too – rolling hills for days.

​But this isn't always the case...
 
It would’ve been easy to write yet another generic article on tips for getting back on the training wagon when the wheels have fallen off. But indeed, when you take the time to stop and consider loss of motivation, these superficial measures aren’t going to tackle the real problem.  
 
The real problem is an ill-defined ‘why’.
 
Your why is not the result. Your why is the reason you’re striving for the result in the first place.
 
Take the following (quite common) example:  
 
Result: Cross the finish line in my first Ironman
Why: To push myself beyond what I am (seemingly) capable of (mentally and physically); to see if I can make it.
 
Before tackling your why, of course you must first set the huge goal; one so big it scares the [insert expletive here] out of you.
 
Think back to your first Ironman (or first ever triathlon, irrespective of distance).  Your why driving you to get up and train every morning, without fail, is the fact that you’re not quite sure if you’ll even be able to do it. Your why is clear. It’s highly likely you’re genuinely scared. You’re “all in”.
 
Fast forward down the track, with a few more races under your belt, and perhaps your why is not so clear anymore. Why are you here again? What are you trying to achieve? A better time? Is that motivation enough?  This is a big reason why athletes often find it difficult to revert to compete at lesser distances and remain enthusiastic about it, once they’ve finished an Ironman. Sure, there’s always a performance factor – the desire to do better – to race faster – but is that enough to get you out of bed before dawn, every morning?
 
Without a very clear understanding of the reason you’ve committed to doing a race, your journey will be a struggle. And the destination (should you make it)? Not so sweet. Realistically, if you’re dragging your heels out of bed, or continually hitting the snooze button, your drive isn’t strong enough.
 
Conversely, if you are unreservedly clear on your why, you won’t struggle to find that motivation to get up in the dark and train. Sure, you might be tired, but you’ll still get up and get it done. There would be absolutely no argument in your brain about whether you should be doing it.
 
For any athlete who truly wants to get the most out of their journey, it’s vitally important they have a clearly defined why and then continue to revisit it, reassess it, ask the question often and write it down. Mental strength is such a huge component of endurance racing, and the why factor is arguably the biggest mental hurdle of all. Once you’ve overcome it; once your why is clear, so becomes your path.
 
Recognising that your why can change throughout your journey, and your ability to be open to that change, is also important to consider.
 
Take this coaching example of an athlete in her mid-50’s, with minimal endurance history. Her why was to see if she could finish an Ironman. Her coach got her swim and bike to a standard whereby she could walk the entire marathon and still cross the finish line in under 17 hours. Four months out from race day he told her she didn’t need to do any more running. Confused, she asked him for an explanation. The athlete was still projecting her original why, but when strategically challenged by her coach to re-evaluate, she realised her why had changed. She now wanted to run the whole marathon and see what she was truly capable of.  
 
Certainly, this story is not unique. The desire to discover one’s ultimate capabilities is what attracts so many athletes to endurance racing in the first place. 
 
“Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.” ― David McCullough Jr.
 
For many athletes, it’s not until the finish line that they realise it was never about crossing that line, but it was about the journey in the lead up to race day. In endurance racing, the most enjoyment comes from the grind of that journey and to be successful as an endurance athlete, you need to get solace and fulfilment from that grind. The early morning wake ups, runs in the pouring rain, solo hours on the bike, missed work drinks and everything in between – that’s the real deal. If you have a very clear understanding of your why, you’ll be able to look back on these experiences and the journey as a whole with warm nostalgia instead of complete resentment. If your why is clear, then the reward comes from the journey itself.
 
So what about metric gains? Aren’t they important too? In short, yes, they absolutely are. However, if your motivation is fuelled purely by a desire for metric gains, then the journey isn’t going to be enjoyable and you’re not going to get the most out of it either. Reflecting on a range of T:Zero athletes from years past, those who have seen the most improvement in metric gains over a short period of time are those who in their souls have embraced the grind of the journey. So, when they arrived at the start line, the result didn’t really matter. Whilst they wanted a good outing, regardless of the outcome on race day, they’d already won. Finishing the race within their perceived achievable timeframe was just the cherry on top. The finish line? It was just the view.
 
Throughout your triathlon journey (as is true in life itself) it’s important to take a step back and keep perspective along the way. Think about your journey not as yourself as an individual, toiling away alone, but rather a collaborative effort – family and friends, your workplace, coach and so forth – all these people are supporting and encouraging you; helping and willing you forward. They are your personal ‘A-team’. Stepping back and realising you’re just one part of a bigger picture to which so many people are contributing (and making sacrifices for) helps to remove the “woe is me” factor, allowing you to focus on the task at hand with absolute clarity. If you’re not prepared to put in the effort and your why is not clear, then you’re not only wasting your own time, but the time of your support crew too.
 
Anyone can find a coach or an online program to get them (in questionable forms of readiness) to the start line of an Ironman. But if you can find a coach who really instills in you the understanding that it is so much more than crossing a finish line, encourages you to revel in the journey; one that will expose your greatest weaknesses and push your physical and mental limits beyond what you ever thought possible? Then you’ve hit the jackpot.
 
So, if you happen to find yourself on Struggle Street or hitting ‘snooze’ far too often, instead of searching for a superficial fix, take some time to sit down and reconsider what’s ultimately driving you.
 
Remember, it’s okay for your why to change. It’s good to continually reassess your motivations throughout your journey. But if you’re not prepared to have these conversations with yourself and put some effort into your mental game, then come the finish line (if you even make it there), crossing it may very well leave you feeling unfulfilled and longing, wishing you enjoyed that journey more and perhaps wondering why you didn’t.
 
Feel free to share your ‘why’ with us in the comments below, we’d love to know!  What drives you? 

The T-Zero camp in Bright – as an outsider coming in, it was not just a camp but a awesome week of learning, training and making new friends.
 
Why did I sign up for a Triathlon camp as a complete outsider to a T-Zero camp?
 
The motto I have lived by for a while is -“just say yes”.   Complimentary to my nature of being a serial experimenter with training, this ethos has launched me into some quite amazing adventures and often had me receiving race and event confirmations seemingly minutes after just saying “yes”. 
 
So, when I became aware of a week long training camp in Bright, a beautiful town in Alpine Victoria, and a central location to amazing bike rides and training opportunities – well, it was a no brainer, and before I knew it I had signed up.
 
I have spent more than a few years on the triathlon scene and its fair to say I know quite a few people in the triathlon world and in Queensland particularly. I am pretty familiar with the major coaching groups and a lot of the coaches. 
 
But T-Zero?  This coaching group was an enigma to me.  When I signed up to camp, my sum knowledge of T-Zero was that they were based on the Sunny Coast, did individual, online coaching and had seriously cool kit.  That was pretty much it. 
 
Having attended quite a few training camps over the years, I psyched myself up for a challenging week of physical training in beautiful Bright.  More importantly, I mentally prepared myself to embrace the usual training camp scene of athletes jostling for attention, variable coaching levels and training turning into athletes racing each other…. all of the unknown plus the fact that I was a T-Zero outsider.  I expected it to be challenging.  
 
So what completely surprised me about the T-Zero camp was that it was unlike any camp I had ever been on.  On day one, our coaches, Rich and Scotty, set the scene for camp week and a request to leave our egos at the door.  And what followed was quite simply one of the most enjoyable weeks of training I have ever experienced  -with a group of seriously awesome individuals.  I met athletes from all over Australia who had varied goals including endurance bike rides, ocean swims, triathlons, ultraruns and swim runs – athletes training for their own goals and coaches who were just as excited about these goals with as the athletes themselves.
 
The camp base, T-Zero headquarters, was a brilliant concept. Athletes were welcome at the coaches’ residence at any reasonable hour to chat with coaches, other athletes and relax whilst using the Normatecs. In addition to team dinners, we chilled here during education sessions including nutrition, goal setting, teamwork and an invaluable sports psychology session by legendary Grant Giles.  We are all now familiar with the “I am the sky, that is just a cloud” theory thanks Grant.  Now to put it into action!
 
The cycling opportunities were the obvious lure to Bright.  Some serious km were covered with plenty of opportunity to enjoy the scenery and chat with other athletes. As far as the individual sessions went, my favourite was Mt Hotham - mainly because it felt kind of epic cycling up there above the tree line for as long as we did and having a few challenging, but achievable gradients, at the end. For a group ride, I loved Falls Creek rolling along with banter all the way.  And just to top it off, having the opportunity to have another crack at Mt Buffalo at the end of a long week and long ride was pretty cool too - a bit of freedom to test some limits outside of a normally structured training week.
 
There were run sessions both in Bright and at altitude, swim sessions in nearby Myrtleford and open water swims in alpine lakes. The strength session and yoga at the Bright Fitness centre were an added bonus too and we connected with our inner zen.
 
Falls Creek training day was super inspiring with our awesome guest coach Annabel Luxford leading a run and swim at altitude – I don’t think we noticed the lack of oxygen as we chatted with her, listened to her training tips and enjoyed the scenery.
 
The local coffee haunts, restaurants and ice cream shops took a bashing by the team and the calorie consumption would have astounded any member of the general public.   Myself?  Well, I left a fairly decent mark on the Lindt chocolate stocks in town!
 
A lot was achieved overall in one small week –  swim, bike, run, education, socialising and great conversation. 
 
But, more than anything on camp, the one thing that absolutely stood out was the T-Zero culture. Everyone was treated equally and that everyone’s goals were considered equally important. That leave your ego at the door comment coming to fruition. That success on a session was more about turning up and giving your best rather than being compared to anyone else on camp.  And that everyone was there supporting each other to get the sessions done. Lots of teamwork in such an individual sport. 
 
So did my “just say yes” ethos serve me well?  It is completely obvious that it did – not only do I now know a whole new bunch of amazing people but T-Zero is no longer the enigma it once was. Thanks for an amazing week!

Heidi Sowerby

​
​In this age of social media and unlimited information at our fingertips at all times it’s no wonder we are often distracted. Whether that be due to the smartphones, someone posting on FB, emails or merely thinking about the nights plans. How many times have you started a training session fully committed, only to get to the end and wonder what happened in the last 30min or seeing the lap data below what was prescribed. We can say that it’s human, we’re busy or even multi-tasking, but at the end of the day, if we’re not completely focused the session is only partly successful. Forget PEDs, forget motors in the bike, a clear way to improve yourself as an athlete is to go all in on each training session.  
 
As coaches, each session has been specifically designed for you the athlete, at that time, for a reason. And to truly get the most out of these sessions all other non specific thoughts and distractions need to be removed. I know in my program I can have any number of combinations of pace, power, HR and cadence requirements to be focused on. I’m not immune and I do find myself occasionally drifting out of focus and thinking about other issues which can lead to a completed session in time only, which will not bring out my best come race day.  
 
To assist with this I have used a number of techniques both before and during the session which may help if you are in the same situation.
 
Pre-Session

• Most times I like to get everything ready the night before so I’m not rushing about in a mad panic right before the session. This not only helps keep the mind clear, but also reduces the time spent on that session (and may even allow a little extra sleep-in).  
• Have a clear picture of what you want to achieve in this session (session goal). Review the requirements in detail and  completely and be sure to understand each step to ensure everything is done with purpose, even if it means writing it down in more detail.
• Some believe that mentally, you need to give yourself permission to take this period of time and step out of your life to complete it. 
• Free yourself of any guilt and other stressors from the day.  You’re likely going to be doing the entire session so you may as well be present both in mind and body and not just going through the motions.

 
During Session
At this point, like any time during the day, your mind may start to wander and it’s up to you to bring that focus back to the task at hand. This can be done in any way you like. 

• I like to keep my method quite consistent which involves a deep breath in and out which helps bring my thoughts back and align my focus.
• Listen to music - find a playlist that motivates you or just creates the white noise required.  
• Focus on form - similar to my breathing, many people bring the focus back by thinking about their technique, body position and assessing this internally.  
• have a mantra - also similar to the above, try a mantra that assists in reminding you of the goals for the session.
• train with a friend - unless you’re both yapping away it would be rare for both of you to drift off mid-interval so if one starts to pull away a little too quickly you know you’ve gone off track.

 
These are just a few simple tricks that may help you nail each session as it was designed. Get at it team!

Want to know more about Coach Steve? - Click here to find more about him

​My world-beating race nutrition strategy & tips for Mooloolaba Triathlon race nutrition
 By Richard Thompson 

​Triathlon can be an incredibly complex sport with so many different elements affecting an athlete’s race-day performance. Elements such as preparation and managing injury spring to mind, amongst others.  
 
At T:Zero Multisport, we do everything possible to get you to the race in your best possible shape. But once you arrive at the start line, you can’t possibly get any fitter. Only three things can impact the outcome of the day for any athlete:

1. Pacing
2. Mindset
3. Nutrition

Whilst any of our coaches are more than happy to discuss pacing strategy and provide you with the tools to take your mindset and make it a weapon, it’s your race day nutrition that I want to focus on in this article.   
 
Nutrition is something we certainly hold dear to us at T:Zero Multisport. Head Coach and Co-Founder Scotty Farrell is a qualified nutritionist and I was so grateful to have him in my corner for the Ultraman World Championships, particularly when it came to developing a plan of attack for my race-day nutrition. Further, having such a wonderfully long-standing relationship with CLIF Bar Australia, it wasn’t difficult to find the right nutrition within their extensive range to suit the plan that Scotty had developed for me.  Indeed, their help enabled me to live my potential in Hawaii last November.
 
Fuelling during an Ultraman is different to a standard Olympic distance triathlon in that you have the opportunity to fuel during the swim with the assistance of an escort in a kayak paddling next to you and further, there is no run off either portion of the bike leg; the result being that you can afford to eat heavily in the backend of the ride knowing that you won’t be running until the Day 3 double marathon. For Ultraman, our fuelling plan was based on grams of carbohydrate per hour.
 
 
SWIM – DAY 1 (10km)
 
In the swim, our plan of attack was to hit roughly 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour. Following the adage that one should consume small amounts often as opposed to a large amount at once, I was aiming to fuel myself with 15 grams of carbohydrate every 15 minutes (versus having one big hit of 60 grams at the one-hour mark). There are obvious benefits to this, most notably not overloading the stomach when you want your blood to be directed to other parts of the body as opposed to your digestive system only.
 
Obviously, it’s pretty difficult to chew under water and I didn’t want to stop swimming completely so the Citrus CLIF Shot Energy Gel (with 25mg caffeine) was my go-to here. To prepare, I squeezed the required amount into a drink bottle and added water, shaking it up until it became one consistent liquid. I then marked the bottle, indicating where I’d need to drink to for each 15-minute increment. This had worked perfectly for Ultraman Australia where we broke the world record and again worked well in Hawaii at the World Championships.
 
BIKE – DAY 1 (145km)
 
Both Day 1 and Day 2 were very similar in that we were trying to hit 80 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Again, I was aiming to digest something every 5 to 10 minutes, following the principle that consuming carbohydrates when your body is working hard is a lot easier when they’re ingested in small increments as opposed to one large hit. 
 
I managed to execute my bike nutrition plan with precision on Day 1, consuming only the CLIF Bloks in Mountain Berry, Strawberry and Margarita (extra sodium boost) flavours, aiming to take-in 1.5 packets per hour (roughly).
 
Once I crossed the finish line on Day 1, I went straight into recovery on the wind trainer to ensure I cooled down effectively, not dissimilar to how professional cyclists warm down during the big cycling tours. I also immediately consumed both carbohydrates and protein in the form of CLIF Bar’s greatest flavour of all time – Chocolate Almond Fudge.
 
BIKE – DAY 2 (275km)
 
We always knew Day 2 on the bike was going to be a long day, and during the first half of the ride my heart rate and effort was going to be much more controlled than in the back half. Therefore, whilst we were trying to maintain 75 to 80 grams of carbohydrate per hour, we were happy to consume some more solid food in the first hour of the day. This constituted a combination of CLIF Bars and the ever-trusty vegemite sandwich. Once I began climbing up the volcano (a 40km climb), I diverted to my Day 1 method of 1.5 packets of CLIF Bloks per hour. This continued until the latter stages of the day, whereby – for a complete variation - I changed to a bottle of diluted CLIF Shot Energy Gels.
 
This strategy and well-paced nutrition plan not only allowed me to feel full of energy but also maximised my ability on the bike without having sluggish side-effects at any point in time.
In the final 40 kilometres of the bike leg, I managed to average 303 watts; and this was after 7.5 hours of hard riding. I attribute a lot of this to both a well-developed nutrition plan and high quality nutrition products that complemented it perfectly.     
 
RUN – DAY 3 (84.4km)
 
A much more difficult prospect came in the form of the double marathon run from Hawi to Kona (point to point) on Day 3. Again, the plan of attack was to hit 70 to 75 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Throughout the day I relied solely upon CLIF Bloks, moving to Coke only in the latter stages of the run.  
 
Often, it’s not until the run leg that we as athletes get “found-out” on a nutrition level. On the bike, it’s generally always too early to know whether or not you’ve paced your nutrition well. Too much nutrition and you’re going to feel bloated as you head off out of T2, but too little and you’re going to feel lightheaded and despondent.  Whenever I feel that my mind is turning negative on the run, my first thought is to my nutrition. In my experience, the mind turning against you is the first trigger that you may need more fuel and it’s a good reminder to ask yourself how well you’re fuelling at that current moment in time.
 
My race at the Ultraman World Championships was executed with precision by my entire team and we were thrilled to cross that finish line in first place, in such a great state. While I couldn’t walk properly for a few days following, at no point in the race did I feel like I had a carbohydrate deficit or surplus. We planned and implemented our nutrition strategy to perfection and I am so thankful to CLIF Bar Australia for helping me perform at my peak.
 
Nutrition Tips for Mooloolaba Triathlon   
 
Pre-Swim

• If you’re an athlete that requires something solid in their stomach before a swim, lean towards the CLIF Bars. The quantity of bar consumed will vary depending on what you’ve practiced in your training
• Most athletes swim in the morning in training so this is a great opportunity to test your nutrition plan that you want to implement within an hour of your swim start on race day  
• If you don’t like or need something solid in your stomach, go with a portion of a CLIF Shot Energy Gel or a couple of the CLIF Bloks to get extra carbohydrates in your system before the gun goes off

T1

• This is not a time for fuelling
• Focus on controlling your heart rate and intensity and ready yourself for the ride
• A sip of water here is all you need

 
Bike

• Implement the carbohydrates/hour that you want to aim for (anywhere between 60 and 80 carbohydrates per hour is your honey hole here) but give yourself 5 to 10 minutes of leeway at the start of the bike to get your legs used to the ride
• Similarly, back off the nutrition in the last 5 minutes before you head into the run
• Consume CLIF Bloks or CLIF Shot Energy Gels during this leg

 
T2

• Another great opportunity to control your heart rate and intensity
• Focus on the job at hand which is getting your running shoes on and yourself out onto the run course

 
Run

• This will be largely dependent upon how you fuel with your runs off the bike in training, but, especially at Mooloolaba, I like to hit some carbohydrates when I’m running down the hill the first time. It provides a perfect opportunity to lessen your intensity and consume some carbohydrates – remember – small portions more often is much better than large amounts infrequently
• Avoid taking in too many carbohydrates when running back up the hill (into town) but again – small amounts often. I suggest CLIF Shot Energy Gels. If you find they are too thick, throw a couple into a flask with some water and shake to dilute
• If you’re well-nourished leading to the last climb up the hill before the finish line, then you’ll have enough on board to get you to the end in one piece

 
As always, when it comes to nutrition the overall principle is: do not try anything new on race day. Practice makes perfect so keep testing your nutrition and honing your plan until you’re 100% confident it’s right for you; then you won’t go wrong. 
 
T:Zero Multisport wishes everyone all the best for their training. Stay safe, and have a wonderful race at Mooloolaba.

Having competed in the sport of triathlon for well over a decade now, I like to think of myself as a relatively seasoned triathlete. Despite this, I regularly suffer from the most debilitating race day nerves, induced, I’m certain, by my tendency to over-analyse almost every aspect of my life.

According to the experts, pre-race anxiety is a completely normal occurrence and, if managed correctly, can help you race faster by getting that adrenaline flowing. But there’s a fine line between pre-race butterflies and being hunched over in transition, heaving with your head between your legs (aka me, Noosa Triathlon circa 2012, 2013, 2015 et. al.). Yes, controlled nerves can be good, but the kind that completely sap all energy from your body? Not so much.

The following tips for tackling race day nerves have been tried, tested and suggested by some of the best in the business.

If you find yourself suffering from unhealthy pre-race nerves, try putting some of these tips into practice – they might just be your ticket to a more relaxed race day.
 
1. Be honest with yourself and trust in the training
Nothing makes me more nervous than greeting the start line knowing I have not put 100% into my training. Conversely, nothing makes me calmer than greeting the start line knowing I’ve prepared to the best of my ability.

Remember those days you ran in the rain, swam in the dark and opted out of a very enticing sleep-in? Now is their time to shine!

Trust in the training you’ve done, set realistic race expectations and be confident that your T:Zero Multisport coach has prepared you as best they can. Having trust in your coach and knowing within yourself you’ve given it everything can go a long way to calming that nervous beast within.
Know your plan, be unwaveringly confident in your preparation and stick to it.

2. Visualisation
Visualise yourself going through the motions – from race morning preparations all the way through transition set-up, swim start, bike, run and my personal favourite - the finishing chute!
Not just handy to employ on race day itself, visualisation is great to practice regularly in training before race day rolls around. Every training session is an opportunity to visualise - race morning, race start, transitions and crossing that finish line.

When race day dawns, having that familiarity and focus will make it feel (almost) like just another training day. 

3. Get organised
Depending on the location and type of race, arriving a day or so beforehand for smaller, local events or more if we’re talking long-distance, provides a good opportunity to settle in and familiarise yourself with the local area, race HQ and the course itself.  

If you can, take the opportunity to do some race course reconnaissance – ride (part of) or drive the bike course, jog part of the run course and do some easy swim course laps in the day(s) leading up to your race. Alternatively, if you live close by, make sure you train part (or all) of the course regularly.

Familarise yourself with the race day schedule, transition opening/closing times and any specific race requirements to alleviate unnecessary stress, so you can save that energy for the race itself!  

Also, think about booking your accommodation early - perhaps close to the start line (but not too close) and take into consideration the location of any support requirements you might need such as bike mechanics and masseuses etc.

4. Meditate … or just breathe!
For a sure-fire way to destress, there’s nothing better than a solid meditation session. But if the thought of finding your zen in a sea of nervous pre-race chatter seems impossible, employing a simple breathing technique might just do the trick.

Try “3,4,5”. Breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 5 seconds and repeat (I know you just did it, but do it again for good measure).  

This little technique has been instrumental in calming my nerves and lowering my heart rate during periods of peak anxiety, and best of all it’s so easy to remember. If this one doesn’t float your boat, there are plenty of other breathing techniques around. Find the one that suits you best and … breathe.

5. Listen to Music
Listening to music can provide a wonderful and easy distraction to stop you getting too worked up by what’s going on around you – particularly during transition set up.

Music can help to relax you and headphones provide a great buffer to drown out the nervous chatter of other athletes and act as a deterrent for unnecessary interruptions.

Keep your music light and fun. I like to listen to the same music I’ve trained with over the months leading up to race day, making sure a couple of key favourites that really lift me up are on high rotation.

6. Use Mantras
Effective mantras address what you want to feel as opposed to the adversity you are trying to overcome. When you feel as though doubts and distractions are getting the better of you, a mantra can help to keep you calm and focussed on the task at hand.

Numerous studies have shown that positive self-talk leads to overall increased performance and an increase in athlete self-confidence. Mantras are great at directing your mind away from negative thoughts and towards more positive ones that can help you transcend the pain or anxiety you are (inevitably) experiencing.
Choose a mantra that’s short, positive, instructive, and full of action words. For example, “Strong, Light, Smooth” was my mantra for Ironman marathons.

Test your mantra during training to find one that works for you.

7. Pre-Race Rituals
Developing a pre-race ritual is a great way to help you bring a sense of normalcy, familiarity and comfort to race morning. As with visualisation (refer Tip #2), the best time to create and polish your pre-race ritual is during training.  

Your ritual can be anything from eating the same meal the day before and on race morning, (the classic) flat lay of race gear on your bed before packing it up or the order in which you go through the motions on race morning - body marking, transition set up, stretching and so on. Your ritual can be whatever you want, as long as you find it effective, calming and meaningful.  

8. Remember your ‘Why’
When all else fails? Make sure to remember your ‘Why’. As cliché as it sounds, at the end of the day, we love this sport and we do this sport because it’s FUN.  

Training, racing, logistics and irrational fears aside – what’s the one thing that lights the fire within, for you?
Take some time to stop and reflect on your journey, your progress and your ‘Why’.
 
As always, there’s rarely a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution and what works for one athlete may be completely useless to another. So please, take the above suggestions with a grain of salt.

Try testing some of these techniques during training and on your ‘B’ and ‘C’ races to find what works for you. Come race day, you’ll be sufficiently equipped to transform those pre-race nerves into excitement and measured anticipation.  

What are your own tips and tricks for dealing with pre-race nerves? Let us know in the comments below! 

It’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game that matters most.

This is a great ‘quote’ that resonates loud with me in my life and in particular, how I raise my two young boys. Whilst we strive for ‘mastery’ and progress each day, the most important aspect is that we enjoy the journey and play nicely with our friends - whether we win or lose. 

In the big scheme of things, how you carry yourself when you ‘win’ and when you ‘lose’ is far more important than the actual result itself. It is what it is, things happen one way or another, and your reactions to these events in time, determine whether you grow your character for the better or to your detriment. Let the ‘wins’ go to your head and you’re on a path to becoming a self-centred egomaniac. Dwell too long on the ‘losses’ and mope around feeling sorry for yourself, and you’ll find it hard to stay consistently motivated for all those gains you’re after. 

The trick is to find some solace - a level of cool handedness and balance - that helps you keep it real and see things for what they truly are - lessons in life. Celebrate the wins and learn from your losses but take a step back each time and take stock of the true learnings. Ask not why did this happen to me, but what can I take from this result to enhance my skill and progression forward as an athlete and person. Just a little better each day, week, month, year or event, and all of a sudden, when the time is right, the accumulation of all those micro lessons will be allowed to flourish. Like anything in life, your time to shine will happen when it’s your time. There are no rules with how fast someone should reach their potential - each journey to their own. How many lessons you learn along the way, depends on how much you’re prepared to listen and how bad you really want it. 

Stay true to the course. Take the ebbs and flows of the journey for exactly as they are, and you will arrive fulfilled and ready to rock n roll. 

Cheers - Scotty

Want to know more about the incredible Head Coach Scotty Farrell? Click HERE

From Normatec Australia

You may be wondering when scrolling through your social feed “What are those big zip up boots that everyone’s wearing at the moment”? You’ve probably seen athletes from all sports, ranging from amateur weekend warriors to the world’s elite, and whilst there are a number of similar products on the market one stands out amongst the pack – NormaTec Recovery.

So often the quality of a product can best be determined by who uses it. The biggest and best athletes in the world can get their hands on any product they desire, whether they purchase it or get given it is irrelevant as they simply will not use anything that doesn’t move them closer to their goal. Someone like a LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Gareth Bale earning hundreds of millions understand that looking after the body is imperative to a healthy and long career as a professional athlete – they want and demand to use the best on the market. 

Besides the myriad of NBA, NFL, NHL and Baseball teams using NormaTec in the U.S, many of which have set up full NormaTec recovery centres within their training facilities, there are now a host of Australian and NZ athletes and teams who use the product and swear by the results. Elite Ironman athletes such as Patrick Lange and Mirinda Carfrae as well as the Australian Institute of Sport are all using NormaTec to take their recovery to the next level, to gain that extra 1% over the competition. 

Following the trend in the USA, in 2018 we saw the first Aus/NZ elite team set up a NormaTec recovery centre at Auckland Blues Rugby Union HQ. Link to this video below. I am sure the first of many more to come! 

Other elite clubs using NormaTec include Brisbane Lions, Sydney Swans, Adelaide Crows, Gold Coast Suns, Gold Coast Titans, Parramatta Eels, Canterbury Bulldogs, Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers to name a few. 

So what is NormaTec and how does it actually work?

NormaTec is a sequential compression system designed for faster athletic recovery between and after training and also for rehabilitation. It’s essentially portable massage therapist that can travel everywhere with you, allowing recovery whenever and wherever is convenient.
​
The system accelerates the mobilisation and movement of fluid acting as a recovery ‘flush’ for the legs similar to the effects of a deep tissue massage. This means moving metabolic waste (lactic acid, toxins) and deoxygenated blood out of the legs via its patented pulse massage pattern, starting at the foot/ankle and pulsing through to the lymph nodes at the groin - pictured below. Once released the leg is flooded with new oxygenated nutrient rich blood to help heal muscles and speed up recovery. 

The significant difference between NormaTec and other systems on the market is its patented pulse massage pattern comprising of pulsing compression, gradient holds and distal release. The dynamic pulsing acts as an amplifier to the natural muscle pump in the leg – which means it’s more effective and faster at moving fluid and waste out of the legs. The distal release, releases the section of the limb that’s no longer required to be pulsing or holding. Apart from feeling great this also allows normal circulation to return quicker and allow some rest before the next cycle begins.

Recommendations around use are very much determined by the users comfort level. Whilst 20 – 30 minutes is recommended as a minimum to allow the unit to go through a number of cycles, the intensity level starting at 1 and a maximum of 7 is completely up to the user. I would suggest starting on a level 4 or 20 minutes and working your way up from there. Once you work up to a level 7 intensity there is no scientific evidence that show pressure (squeeze) over 110mg is anymore beneficial. Let’s look at the length of time. Some will use for up to 3 hours on a low setting whilst others will crank up to a 7 intensity and sit for 45 mins to an hour. Once again its users preference, play around and see what feels best and work for you.
 
Does it have other uses and do I need a degree to use it?
NormaTec is also a great device for assisting lymphedema patients, post op swelling and management and post injury rehabilitation. The device is brilliant for assisting in blood flow and circulation as well as getting rid of swelling and pooling around injuries where old blood sits. It was actually initially developed for medical patients with severe circulatory and peripheral vascular disorders.  Please consult the product page on the website if intending to use for medical purposes. 

For more information on this and the medical studies you can visit our website - HERE

You won’t find an easier device to operate. It’s literally a plug in, turn on, and away you go device. The product comes with a manual but you just need to adjust 2 settings – time and intensity, completely custom to how you’re feeling and what works for you. 

​Despite what you may think, the coaches at T:Zero aren’t sitting around in the Jacuzzi sipping gin and juice. Just like you, we are working our butts off in the attempt of refining our craft. Our ‘job’ encompasses many tasks and as with everything in life, it’s a constant work in progress.
 
One area that lends itself to progression is learning new stuff and applying this to our daily practice. At T:Zero we love learning and encourage it in many ways. One such way that we learn is through something we like to call the monthly ‘Geek out’. At the start of each month, one of our Head Coaches throws open a new topic for discussion and sets about leading that topic with discussion questions and prompts to get our coaches thinking and reading research and anecdotes. Some of the topics recently, have been: the importance of feedback and communication; macro (season) planning and periodisation; and zone setting using HR and power. And the months roll by and so too our coaches are expanding their expertise and coaching tool kit.
 
We love that our coaches share a common philosophy about coaching – we possess a good honest whack of humility. We are confident in the methods we use, and you don’t have to look far to see that we get great results with our athletes, but we remain steady in our growth for we know that one shoe does not fit all and there is no one way that trumps another. Every individual responds differently to different styles and stimulus, and therefore to assume the ‘my way or the highway’ approach is the duck’s nuts, just doesn’t sit well with us.
 
As I mentioned earlier, we encourage our coaches to develop their skill set in many ways, the ‘Geek Out’ being just one of these methods. We will share more of what we do behind the scenes with you over the next few months. And as you read our coaches’ blogs, you might be reading the fruits of these Geek Outs as they share the big takeaways from our learnings. Or, if you’re lucky enough to be working with our coaches now, you are likely sampling the very skills that our coaches are refining in the background.
 
“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardour and diligence.” – Abigail Adams
 
Coach Scotty

​So you’ve just raced your A race for the season.
 
You’ve been training for months and months and now it’s done…
 
Just like that?
 
You’ve finished your race, you’ve had a few celebratory drinks and it’s now Wednesday and you’re wondering what is next. In most instances you will have another goal in mind or another race already set – because let’s be honest, triathlon is addictive and we love pushing ourselves to our limits. Some of you may have had the race of your dreams and all of a sudden have a world championship to train for.. But what if you don’t have that next race locked in? Motivation might be a little low. Below I share some tips on how to get ready for that next epic goal.
 
First things first are talking with your coach, give yourself time to really relax and have that break that your body needs. Racing for up to 15 hours takes a serious mental let alone physical toll on your body. So firstly make sure that you (if your next race allows it) give yourself a small break. Give yourself at least 7-10 days of easy training/rest. Coach Emma’s biggest tip for recovery is don’t set an alarm… if you wake up, train. If you don’t then your body needs the rest. You may also wake up and feel that you’re ready and walk out the door and struggle for the entire run. Turn your run into a walk and use it as some fresh air and time to think about your next race and how you might change things up a little to achieve that next goal.
 
My few tips on what now include:

• Setting a new goal – if you haven’t already. Having another goal in mind allows you to have purpose and keep your mind focused. Paint a detailed picture of how you are going to achieve your next goal. In your head or in a diary if you enjoy writing or drawing.

 

• Spice up the routine – go and run trails, or enjoy parkruns with friends, ride different loops on the bike. Go and enjoy your favourite class at the gym that you could never do as it didn’t time in with your program. Keep things interesting allows you to not get bored and get excited again but remember to stay specific to the sport of triathlon as it will keep your mind focused or allow your mind to re-focus on this impressive sport.

 

• Keep a balance – have some really good family and friend’s time. Enjoying time with your family and friends not only gets your mental state back to a great place, but allows you time to reflect.

 

• My final tip is allow your body the time and don’t be too hard on yourself. Some people take longer to recover than others and some need a little push back in the right direction straight away. Everyone is unique

 
Hopefully these tips above resonate with you all as Triathlon is such an epic sport but it does require a lot of mental focus (Rich has posted a few blogs about the mental side of Triathlon). Some of you may even just need a video for some motivation.. here is one I like below:

T:Zero Development Coach
Bonnie

By Jen McMillan
​
"Esprit de corps - noun - a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty shared by the members of a group"

It happened again today... I set out for my ride before work and was heading towards Redcliffe when somebody pulled alongside and asked “Are they T:Zero socks?” And there it was, the esprit de corps of the silly pink socks!

I’ve never really been much of a joiner.  I am a card-carrying introvert. A loner. There is probably a good reason why I gravitated towards solo endurance pursuits. And I am sure I’m not alone in that!

But then I signed up with Coach Rich and without really knowing it, became a member of the T:Zero family.  It was subtle. It started with the pink stuff. I’ve never been a huge wearer of pink. But when you are with T:Zero, pink is inevitable! A splash on a running singlet here, and a logo on a navy shirt there...

And then it began. “Hey T:Zero!” Shouted at me in the Bunya Forest when I was out running trails one day in my T:Zero singlet.

Then it was the crazy pink socks.  I have legs like upside down coke bottles - I don’t usually do tall socks.  And yet, somehow, I found myself wearing long pink cycling socks! The iconic T:Zero pink socks. I even abandoned my beloved Thorlo socks and ran in them!

And then it was “Hey T:Zero!” Shouted at me through the cold and dark mist as I rode around the Nundah crit track before dawn. Shouted by somebody flashing past in the aero position on the Moreton Bay Rail bikeway.

There was the gift of the first T:Zero hoodie. We wore them with pride while cheering on Coach Rich winning at Ultraman Oz 2017. And EVERYBODY there wanted a pair of the iconic pink T:Zero socks! And we had them, because we were part of the T:Zero family.

And somehow in all of this, I started to feel a sense of belonging to something bigger. Pride in wearing the T:Zero kit. I shoehorned myself into the legendary T:Zero trisuit that fit like a corset and  gave me cleavage up to my ears! And then it was “Hey! Go T:Zero!” at Cairns 70.3.

And the piece de resistance was the pink trucker cap. Not wanting to be rude, but triathletes are some of the most anally-retentive, performance driven people about. They will do almost anything to shave a second or two from their times. They will pay heaps for gear that is lighter, sleeker, faster. And yet, these incredibly competitive people were wearing the pink trucker cap! Clunkiest caps EVER! And not just to walk the streets.  They were wearing them to RACE! And when I was spectating, I was the one yelling “Go T:Zero!” every time I saw one!

So, there it is, the esprit de corps of the silly pink socks! Esprit de corps - a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty shared by the members of a group.

What has been created by the wonderful people of T:Zero is very special.  I am an engineer, but at this end of my career, the most important thing I do is build and lead fantastic teams. And I recognise a good one when I see it! It doesn’t happen by accident and it takes care and hard work on the things that people tend to think of as ‘extras’ and ‘not the real work’.  At T:Zero it starts with great coaches - coaches with a self-development ethos. Coaches who work with all of their athletes to provide flexible and appropriate training for their needs. Coaches who show the love to all their athletes, from fastest to slowest. But I’m sure there are plenty of caring coaches out there.

What has been created goes beyond that, to form a glue that joins disparate solo athletes into one T:Zero family. It’s a bond fostered by weekly Facebook shout outs, celebrating success for our athletes, regardless of what success looks like for them. Cheering on PBs all over the place! Support through blogs and useful information. Merchandise that makes people look and feel like part of the team.  Whatever you’re doing - keep doing it!

The esprit de corps of the silly pink socks... the reason I now own pink sunglasses, a pink helmet.  And if I could have found a pair of those hideous pink Louis Garneau tri shoes in my size before they were all gone, I’d have probably owned a pair of them too!  Somehow, I found something I wasn’t even aware I was looking for.  “Hey T:Zero!!!”

- Jen McMillan

“Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change”.

This is a quote that I have stuck up in my training room and office to remind me to embrace the concept of a growth mindset. Too many of us look for the worst in things instead of seeing potential positives. I will give you an example to solidify the concept. Say you are prescribed a swim set with 40 x 50s. Mentally this is a challenging set and can create some angst of how hard it will be to do the set. What many of us do when we have completed 10 of the 40 is to think ‘oh no I still have 30 to go’ instead of thinking ‘oh great I have done 10 already and I am a quarter of the way there’. This concept can apply across all of you training and in life in general.

This article is going to address how to develop a growth mindset that will assist you in unlocking your mental barriers and hopefully helping you to improve your mental and physical performances. Before we dive in let’s take a look at the difference between a fixed and growth mindset.

A fixed mindset assumes that our character, intelligence, creativeness and the like are all static and that we simply cannot change them in ourselves.

A growth mindset on the other hand thrives on challenges and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a springboard for growth and furthering our existing abilities.

We manifest one of these mindsets from a very early age, largely due to the environment in which we are brought up in, the influence of our parents, teachers and friends. These mindsets have a significant impact on a great deal of our learned behaviours about ourselves and can impact on our relationship with success and failure in both a professional and personal capacity, which as we all know can ultimately impact on our capacity for happiness!!

One of the leading researchers in this field, Carol Dweck, has poignantly stated ‘the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life’. This is interesting and worth rereading. This concept suggests that if we view ourselves different then we can make positive changes in our lives. A good example of this is thinking and believing we are athletes and conducting ourselves in that manner with confidence and poise.

Dweck believes that we all lie on a continuum of fixed and growth mindsets depending on what it relates to. In terms of endurance sports, we might have a fixed mindset when it comes to doing an ironman believing it is too hard, that we are too old, slow and the list goes on. Whereas we might have a growth mindset in terms of nutrition as we want to learn more about it so we can shift weight to feel and look better. I find I have differing mindset at work, in training and in my general life and a lot of these differing mindsets can come down to positivity, past results, self actualisation, self belief and worth.

So, if you are keen to try and work on the growth mindset, I have a number of approaches that will help you on the path. As with everything in life, we need to identify when we are fixed in our mindset, examine why this is the case and then work hard to switch it over. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Create a new completing belief in yourself, your abilities and your capacity for positive change
• View failure different – see it as an opportunity to learn and apply these learnings next time you are confronted with the same situation
• Cultivate your self-awareness – learn your talents, strengths and weakness, ask your coach, partners, friends and build up a dossier of yourself
• Be curious about things and commit to learning – ask questions like you did when you were a child and actually listen to the answers and be less closed to the world
• Get friendly with your challenges – know that the journey will be filled with challenges and be prepared to face them head on
• Do what you love AND love what you do – you will be more likely to succeed when you are passionate about it. Embrace the process and smile and enjoy it!
• Be tenacious – things are hard and take a lot of work to succeed, you must be tenacious and weather the obstacles, falls and dramas. Keep getting up and trying
• Inspire others and be inspired by others – do not envy others rather be inspired by what they have achieved, success breeds success.

As hard as it is, we can and need to all work on ourselves, both physically and mentally. We all have perceived limits what we have created for ourselves, however if you have belief in yourself and your ability to grow, to develop and to thrive beyond these perceived limits then anything is possible! You must work on identifying areas you are fixed in and try and work out why this is the case. Once you know the ‘why’ you can start to change the mindset and develop an unbeatable mind!

Keep training hard and recover well.
​
Coach Mon

Click HERE to learn more about Coach Mon!

By T:Zero Head Coach Emma Quinn with guest Dr Kellie Pritchard-Peschek

For many of us, we have an overdrive personality that sees us combine family, work, triathlon racing and training all into a finely balanced week.  Many of us feel with the time we have available to train in order to prepare for our “A” goal needs to be focused on hard training in the pool, on the bike and pounding the pavement and we have an undeniable trait to neglect rest and recovery and shiver at the sight of a rest day or week in our training plan (sound familiar to anyone)?  During my four years of study at the University of Queensland, my focus was on Exercise Science and physiology, the science behind the body and how it responds and adapts to heavy training loads.  During these years it became quite clear that there is so much more to rest and recovery in a well-periodised training plan than simply “a day off”, the benefits that occur both physiologically and psychologically are undoubtable steps taken towards making a stronger and more successful athlete.  An analogy was once said to me from a former coach, as I too am guilty (not so much anymore) of neglecting the rest days- as an athlete in my mid 20’s who thought I was invincible and the only way to out-perform my competitors was to train hard, every day, every week, every month till I eventually got sick or had a niggling injury.  I was told to think about training as a sponge in water, when we integrate periods of rest and recovery (be this active or passive- this we’ll go into more depth a little later) this sponge soaks up all the water and expands. The nitty gritty behind this rather odd analogy was that when we take time off to recover after hard days or week training and effectively integrate effective rest and recovery techniques our body has the time to adapt, make physiological modifications and “soak up” the hard work.

During my final year of study, I had the pleasure (or pain) of conducting an Honours research project working with some of the academic staff within the Exercise Science facility.  One member of the teaching team who I always looked up to as an academic and as an athlete was Kellie Pritchard-Peschek (now DoctorJ ).  I remember Kellie having a strong passion for her own personal athletic success representing Australia at Long Course Triathlon as well as Duathlon as well as a passion for educating others on the importance and the science behind training philosophies.  Whilst we became good friends during my studies life took us on very different paths in the years that followed, after spending time at the QAS Kellie then went on to work with the Swiss national swim team at their headquarters in Switzerland (yep my path drew the short straw haha).  However despite these few years achieving different goals I have always stayed in touch and as life would have it Kellie has now returned to Brisbane to focus on her own business and I had the pleasure to catch up with her earlier this week and discuss the science behind recovery.  My hope is that this blog will deliver a little insight into why rest, recovery and implementing periods of less intense training (easy weeks or active recovery days) is so vitally important in order to enhance and optimize one’s athletic performance.  No matter what your goal, training age or level is, the training principle of recovery should be held with as much importance as base/endurance, speed/power and taper.

Firstly, let’s start by getting to know Kellie a little better and what she has done in her career so far, before we then jump into some key questions that I sat down with Kellie to discuss.
 
About Me - Dr Kellie Pritchard-Peschek Director/Owner of DrKellieRose Performance Science:
I’ll get it out there early – I’m a self-confessed sports addict, major science nerd, and a lover of triathlons and boxing. When I sadly realized at quite a young age that I wasn’t up to scratch to ever become a pro, I decided the next best thing was to work in elite sport. I’m now running my own performance consultancy business, DrKellieRose Performance Science, in which I’m providing sport science coaching and support to triathletes, endurance athletes, and sports organizations around the world, in the private and third sector. A job I absolutely adore, as I'm really passionate about performance sustainability, and enhancing the health of athletes through a holistic approach that's individualised, and meets the athletes' specific needs from a training, performance and lifestyle perspective. Prior to starting my own business, I worked for over 10 years as a sport scientist in the Australian and Swiss national sports institutes with world, Olympic, Commonwealth and European champions from endurance sports, through the last 3 Olympic cycles.

Why are integrated periods of rest and recovery so important for triathletes (especially age group athletes)?
This is a really great point to bring up Emma, as I think recovery is often an underestimated factor of the overall training program, possibly because it’s not something an athlete can always see the immediate results of. For this reason, the importance of recovery is often brushed off as unimportant, particularly when time is scarce. However, recovery is extremely important for age groupers in particular, as it’s not only the exercise training that they’re recovering from, it’s the mental and physical aspects of working full-time, managing a family, and other life commitments, as well as training 10-12 sessions per week – that takes a toll!

Recovery essentially has a two-pronged effect: first, it allows for the physiological and neurological recovery of your systems, muscles and mind; and second, it acts as a counterbalance to all the training volume that you do, with the rest period helping to prevent mal-adaptations such as overreaching and overtraining states, and preserves immune function. It also manages training load and helps you to avoid injury. By allowing some periods of recovery during your weekly training, you’re allowing your system to adapt to the training stimuli and volume that’s already been completed, and regain a level of homeostasis, so that it is in an optimal state to take on and adapt to the next load of training stimuli. And this is on a weekly basis; factoring in a 1-2 week break after a major race or at the end of the season will have the same beneficial effect, only amplified.
 
What occurs to the body during periods of rest and recovery (following strenuous training loads)?
The answer is – lots! The process of recovery from exercise is multifaceted, affecting many physiological systems, structures and pathways, from the muscles to the brain. Recovery also depends on the type of sport, and the intensity and duration of the exercise, with the more intense exercise causing more damage.
Physiologically, the purpose of recovery is to manage muscle damage and reduce inflammation, in an attempt to decrease DOMS, which is the feeling of muscle soreness, and fatigue. A couple of the immediate recovery processes that can be aided with recovery strategies include the removal of waste products from the muscle, like lactate and fuel metabolites; and minimizing the influx of inflammatory markers and swelling to the damaged muscle.

If we look at recovery from a broader perspective, the short rest periods between two training sessions usually don’t allow sufficient time for full recovery, meaning that we are generally in an under-recovered state during the course of our training week. This is often referred to as a state of overload, and is actually the purpose of the training program. So at regular intervals, it’s really important that we give our bodies extra time to fully repair damaged muscle, and eliminate soreness and fatigue from the heavy training, so that it is ready to perform the next block of training feeling rested, healthy and free of injuries. Adaptation is a key factor here, which I mentioned before. Adaptation is the rebuilding process that occurs during the rest period following a period of overload. Let me explain. When our bodies are exposed to all these training stimuli during our hill rides, sprint runs, and strength swims, we are eliciting changes to the muscle and the cardio-respiratory (and other) systems. We do this every day, multiple times. But for our bodies to get stronger, faster and fitter, we need to allow it time to make these structural changes in response to the training stimuli, so that it regenerates and rebuilds our bodies into a stronger state. And that’s how we see improvements in our abilities. So, without this downtime, our body essentially remains in the same damaged, fatigued, stressed state, and usually any subsequent training is performed poorly without any positive adaptations. And if this continues for a period of time, you’ll be placing yourself at greater risk of illness, injury and overreaching and overtraining states.

What methods have been shown to be most effective in terms of aiding recovery?
When it comes to recovery methods, its horses for courses to ensure you elicit the best responses. So depending on the type of recovery you need, for example repairing muscle damage or reducing soreness, there will be different methods.

If your goal is to manage muscle damage, then cold water immersion, contrast water therapy and whole-body cryotherapy techniques are the most effective. Practical applications of these include making your own ice bath, by simply filling your home bathtub – or a wheelie bin! - with bags of ice and water, or immersing yourself in a cold river, ocean or lake for the muscles affected. Around 11-15 degrees for 5-10 minutes should do the trick. With contrast water therapy, alternate a hot-cold shower, with 30-60s hot and 30-60s cold, 3-5 times, always finishing on cold. Cryotherapy is a little harder to do, as it will require going to a special facility to use their machine.
​
If you want to reduce muscle soreness, then the most effective method is massage. Good news, right? Now we feel justified for our weekly treatments! Compression garments are the next best, along with the cold water immersion. Active recovery immediately after exercise is also helpful, as is the contrast water therapy to a lesser degree. And for reducing fatigue, massage combined with stretching works well.
Those strategies are well supported by research. However, new techniques, like the Normatec boots, electro-stimulation devices, and heat therapies are becoming more popular as a way to reduce muscle soreness.
At the end of the day, sleep, nutrition and hydration remain the key ingredients to a solid recovery protocol, which are simple and can be done after each and every training session. Restore muscle glycogen, the muscle’s fuel; rebuild muscle with protein; repair systems with vitamins and minerals; and replace lost fluid to get back to a hydrated state.

Thank you Kellie so much for your time and for making it possible for me to sit down and write an informative piece which can be passed on to our athletes!  I hope that everyone can take something positive away after ready this and make the most of those easier days :). 

​Happy training and racing team and I hope the plans are well under way with yourself and your coaches to nail the 2018/2019 season, it’s going to be epic.
 
Until next time,
 
Coach Em

Want to know more about Head Coach Em Quinn? Click here!