UNDER the shadows of Mount Coolum Ben Shaw quietly goes about his business. The 21-year-old triathlete is currently at home training for races in South Korea and Singapore, before returning home to the Coast for Noosa Triathlon on November 3. And while Coolum is “home”, the Sydney-born athlete who has dual citizenship in Ireland competes in the independent ITU colours. He avoids the politics of triathlon by flying the ITU flag in competition, but Ireland has opened the door to an Olympic dream. “Long-term is Rio and qualifying for that starts next year,” Ben said. He trains under the guidance of father Brennen, who said his son is on track to pursue a spot in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janerio. “You have to be ranked top 140 in the world to compete in the Olympics. The maximum number of participants for each country is To be Shaw, to be Shaw By HELEN TSITOURIS To Page 2 Wednesday, April 28 Sunshine Coast Daily
Transcript
UNDER the shadows of Mount Coolum BenShaw quietly goes about his business.The 21-year-old triathlete is currently at
home training for races in South Korea andSingapore, before returning home to the Coastfor Noosa Triathlon on November 3.And while Coolum is “home”, theSydney-born athlete who has dual citizenshipin Ireland competes in the independent ITUcolours.He avoids the politics of triathlon byflying the ITU flag in competition, butIreland has opened the door to an Olympicdream.“Long-term is Rio and qualifying for thatstarts next year,” Ben said.He trains under the guidance of fatherBrennen, who said his son is on track topursue a spot in the 2016 Olympics in Rio deJanerio.“You have to be ranked top 140 in the worldto compete in the Olympics. The maximumnumber of participants for each country is
BRENNEN Shaw caughtthe eye of Herb Elliot whilerunning at Mt Cooroora,Pomona.As an athlete, whenAustralia’s greatest middledistance runner seesuntapped potential, it’s anhonour.“When I was younger I
won a few races and Herbis super nice,” Shaw said.“After a race he came
over to me and said‘Anyone looking afteryou?’. “I was coachingmyself and he said ‘Wewould like to help you’.“He was managingdirector of Puma Australiaso he organisedsponsorship for me fromPuma and he gave mecontacts in Brisbane tohelp with my training andcompetition.
“He’s a legend in moreways than one.”Brennen decided to
chase other ambitionschoosing to study humanmovement at SydneyUniversity.He is still in awe of thelegendary Australianrunner.“To even come and talk
to me. He’s the greatestmiler that has ever lived,”Brennen said.Today, he coaches his
son, Ben, who competes atthe international triathlonseries.And of Brennen’s
running?“I use to go running with
Ben but now I can’t keepup,” Brennen said.“Ben runs 32 off the bike
so that’s solid enough. It’stoo quick for me.”
Talents is all in the genes
Page 2 Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013
three,” Brennen said.“It’s up to the country’sdiscretion in how they choosetheir teams.“Last year, Ben was ranked140. Currently Ben is 52 soright now he can go to theOlympics.“Presumably he will racefor Ireland at the Olympics.In the world championshipseries he sits in 33rd place.”It’s a credit to the Shawswho are showing the sport’sinstitutions that they can doit without support.Britain’s Alistair andJonathan Brownlee, alongwith Spain’s Javier Gomez,are easily dominating theseries and Ben’s sole purposein training is to close the gap.The day before the world
series race in Madrid, Benwas riding with Jon Brownleeand Olympic silver medallistGomez, along with a fewothers.It was a compelling
temporary alliance betweenrivals.“They were just chattingabout what they are doing todo in the race tomorrow allorganising to go out hard,”Ben said.“You can’t get a free ride.They’ll get you to work.”And while he puts in hardwork, Ben loves nothingmore than to race.“I’ve been back hometraining a week and a halfand I was complaining to Dadsaying ‘That’s enoughtraining, can we race now’.“I love racing. I get awaywith not doing enoughtraining and being thereready to race.”He prefers the undulatingcourses. But one of thetoughest races on the circuitwas the recent Kitzbuehelleg, which incorporated a11.55km climb. The final 1kmis between 17 and 22%gradient.“It was a brick wall in front
of you.” Ben said. “FabianCancellara raced the weekbefore in Tour of Austria he
said the ratio of gears wasthe smallest he ever ridden.”Brennen says his son findssatisfaction in pushinghimself beyond endurance.“I don’t think I ever toldhim to go harder. Only toback it off,” Brennen said.“He is so motivated, asmost athletes are.“Many athletes in my
experience will try to destroythemselves to be as good asthey can be and my job is tobe sensible.“Sometimes if you train toomuch you are so tired thatyou can’t race.“In the pool, I listen to hisstroke and I can tell from thesound of the stroke or hisfoot strike when he runswhether he is moving well oris heavy and needs torecover.“Because we are so closeand I see him all the time Ican pick up on these things.”Sports have always been a
shared bond with teams andfans. Fathers have oftentaught their sons how tocatch or throw a ball.Brennen and Ben’srelationship as dad-son,coach-athlete tandems unitestheir bond even closer.They are utterly at ease:with their work, each otherand, crucially, theenvironment in which Benlives and trains.His father is often behindon a scooter as Ben is tickingover his legs on the bike.Ben says he always enjoyscoming home after thedemands of racing overseas.“I like going overseas for a
purpose and that’s to racebut I do like coming home,”Ben said. “I don’t like to stayfor a long period of timeoverseas. It’s perfectenvironment to train here.”Ben trains on his Cerveloroad bike with the Noosabunch and rides 100km eachtime.“There are no egos, thereis no formal structured clubthey just hang out and ride.On Tuesday, I ride from
Coolum to Noosa and go outto Cooroy then Sunrise andloop back.“Thursday is to Boreen
Point and Saturday isCoolum-Noosa-TwinWaters-Noosa.
“Running is pretty mucharound Coolum.“For the swim I don’t go
anywhere near the sea. Ihead to the 25mCoolum-Peregian pool bymyself in the public lane.”
Eyeing Olympic prizeFrom Page 1
Ben Shaw’s swimming ability is well known on the ITU circuit,and regularly leads the pack from the water.
STARS do not come anybrighter.Ironman 70.3 SunshineCoast pulled off a coup bysecuring reigning worldironman champion PeteJacobs to contest theinaugural race.Jagging the Sunrise Beachstar has given the event –which will be held atMooloolaba on September 15– instant gravitas.Jacobs is in high demandaround the globe and he willuse the 70.3 as his finaltune-up for the IronmanWorld Championship inKona, Hawaii, in October.The chief executive of race
organiser USM Events, GeoffMeyer, described Jacobs’registration as a “fantasticresult”.“He’s in very much heavytraining for the worldchampionships in Hawaii … Iknow he’s been hidinghimself away and is in areally strong, hard trainingblock,” Meyer said.“I’m pretty sure he’ll use
Sunshine Coast 70.3 as a realtest of where he’s at andwhere his fitness levels are.“I’d expect him to be going
out there pretty strong.”Many of Jacobs’ main
rivals will use the Ironman70.3 World Championship inLas Vegas next month as afinal warm-up race for Kona.But Jacobs said inFebruary that he was leaningtowards the Mooloolabaevent because it was on hisdoorstep.When asked who chased
whom, Meyer said “a bit ofboth”.“We’ve been working with
him for a long time and yeah,he sort of said, ‘I’d like to dothat event’,” Meyer said.“It’s a first-up event and we
wanted him to be on boardfor it, and it’s worked outreally well for his timingleading into the worldchampionships.”Jacobs’ last event was theIronman 70.3 Philippines onAugust 4, when he finishedsecond to Olympic-distancestar Courtney Atkinson.Jacobs, 31, had won thatevent in the previous threeyears.But Jacobs will have hiswork cut out at the sell-outMooloolaba event.Tim Van Berkel will be
among the professionalstarters, and he is a seasonedathlete with two Ironman
wins along with numerous70.3 and long distance titles.There will also be a coupleof handy locals in the mix.Casey Munro will be right
amongst the action freshfrom his fourth overallplacing at Yeppoon 70.3.Ben Williams, who hasbeen working at Spin CityCycles for the past fewmonths, is rapt that he’ll be
lining up against the worldchampion.Ben is looking to launch
his professional career atMooloolaba and wants to testhis mettle against the best.He looked in strong runningform at the Sunshine CoastMarathon and CommunityRun Festival on Sunday,posting a time of 1:12.28 forthe 21.1km race.
World champ set to shine at 70.3PRO FIELDFemalesMichelle Bremer, MelanieBurke, Gina Crawford, EllyFranks, Lisa Marangon, KiyomiNiwata, Andrea Oracki,Matilda Raynolds, TinekeStewart.MalesSam Appleton, Matt Bailey,Patrick Baldacchino, TimothyBeardall, Johan Borg, DanBrown, Matt Burton, BradleyClark, Gregory Farrell, MichaelFox, Adam Gordon, BenHammond, Todd Israel, PeteJacobs, Lachlan Kerin, BenLogan, Casey Munro, MichaelMurphy, Matthew Pellow, CarlRead, Peter Robertson,Mitchell Robins, Brett Tingay,Tim Van Berkel, LukeWhitmore, Benjamin Williams,Steven Zawaski.
By MARK BODE &GRANT EDWARDS
Sunrise Beach’s Pete Jacobs wins the Hawaiian Ironman.
Page 4 Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013
WHEN Brendon Seipoltbattled through hypothermiato grimly finish Ironman NewZealand in 2005, he decidedhe’d had enough.A veteran of more than 20Ironman races, he quit thesport and instead focused onwork and long-distancerunning.But now thenewly-crowned SunshineCoast Marathon winner isintent on returning to thescene of his suffering.Still haunted by that raceand gripped in aself-admitted midlife crisis,Brendon says he mustconfront his demons inWaikato.“I blew up really badlythere,” he said of his lastouting in the 3.8km swim,180km ride and 42.4km runaround Lake Taupo.“I got hypothermia on the
bike because I was so coldand when I started the run, itwas very tough. I finished therace but that’s what made medecide ‘that’s it, I’ve hadenough’.“But now I’ve got thathunger back and I think Ibetter go back to mydemons.”The 47-year-old, now basedin Brisbane, has returned totraining on the bike and inthe water.With more than 30marathons to his name,Brendon should have noproblem with the run in NewZealand.He looked comfortablewinning the Sunshine CoastMarathon at AlexandraHeadland yesterday.Brendon hit the line in arelatively slow time of twohours and 45 minutes but stillwon easily ahead of BenHolland (2:50.27) and AlanMullen (2:51.56).Brendon and AlexandraHeadland product Hollandwere running shoulder toshoulder for the first two
hours before the formerpulled away.Seipolt’s best is two hoursand 33 minutes (Melbourne,2007) but this course includeda hill or two and a slightheadwind. “Because I’mgetting ready for the Ironmanin March, I’ve been doing alot more work on the bike sothat takes a little bit of speedout of your legs,” he said.Meanwhile, Caloundra’s
Roxie Fraser defended herwomen’s title in 2:55.08.Despite minimal training,due to a break in the sport,Roxie claimed a 14-minutemargin over second-placedTara Burns, with RuthKimpton placing third in3:15.06.Roxie admits the grind oflong distance running at anelite level has caught up withher.It was a one-off appearance
for the 30-year-old whoadmits she simply needs abreak from the sport.“It’s a lifestyle decision,”
she said. “I’ve got a beautifulhusband and lovely familyand when you’re an eliteathlete, you don’t really havea life so to speak.“It’s still dark when you
get up, you train, and you go
to work (as a teacher atPacific Lutheran College)then came home and do acore session of stretching. It’sexhausting.”Roxie has been an
ever-present force on theQueensland running scene inrecent years.But 13 marathons in fouryears have taken its toll.“I’m taking an indefinite
break,” she said.“I just did this one because
there’s a really great groupof people who organise thisevent and they asked me if Iwanted to do it. To be honestI needed to think about it.“I said yes two weeksbefore the event and I knewthere was no chance fortraining. You should be inyour taper two weeks beforea marathon.“So I didn’t have a plan oranything going into it and Iknew it was going to hurt butwhat clinched it for me is thatit’s a fabulous event.”She went into Sunday’s
race with relatively lowexpectations and Roxie, whoruns without a watch,surprised herself with a solideffort of 2:55.08.It was 14 minutes slower
than her winning time last
year, on an altered course,but it was 14 minutes fasterthan runner-up Tara Burns.Ruth Kimpton placed third
in 3:15.06Patrick Nispel won the
men’s half marathon (01:09.5)and Melanie Panayiotou wonthe women’s half marathon(1:18.47)The men’s 10km title wascaptured by two-timeOlympian Michael Shelley(29.02) while the women’s winwas claimed by ClareGeraghty (36.56).Ben Van Dorsselaer wasthe quickest over 5km (16.38)while Margie Atthowcontinued her impressiveform by being the firstwoman home in 17.26.
Victory is stepping stone to Ironman return
Brendon Seipolt, winner of the men's 2013 Sunshine Coast Marathon. Photos: Iain Curry
Page 6 Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013
GIRL meets bike. Girl lovesbike. Girl gets fast. Pro teamoffers girl a paltry salary.Boy, that’s tough.One girl has had enough ofthe hardships that femaleriders face in pro cycling.Former St Kitts and Nevis
national champion KathrynBertine (pictured right) isnow taking the fight to thebig screen with herdocumentary Half the Road:The passion, pitfalls andpower of women’sprofessional cycling.Kathryn explores
inequality in themale-dominated sport.“Women’s professionalcycling is stuck at the samelevel of women’s professionaltennis in the 1970s. Why?,”
Kathryn said.At 38, the Arizona-based
rider said living the dreamcomes at a personal cost.“We have to find a way tosupport ourselves so whenwe exit the sport we are notcompletely broke,” she said.“I still struggle. My teamColavita do great by us interms of what we need but
the domestic racing scene inAmerica and in Australia isdifficult.“It’s not a reliable source of
income. I’m going to worldchampionships next monthand I tried in vain for monthsto find a home stay. In othersports someone will belooking after you.”There are many similarstories told by cyclists in herfilm including Australia’sRochelle Gilmore and MiffyGalloway, world and Olympicchampion Marianne Vos,former time trial worldchampion and Olympic silvermedallist Britain’s EmmaPooley, who advocate betterconditions for women.“We had great supportfrom all the pro women,”Kathryn said.“The only time anyone
turned it down was strictlyfor logistical reasons andcouldn’t make the interview.”Despite the global growth
of female pro cycling, there isstill no minimum salary forwomen.In men’s cycling, the
beginner pros areguaranteed a base pay of$70,000. Riders are paid muchless in Pro Continental andContinental men’s teams.Some teams declare a salarybut then charge the rider for“training camps” and othermeans.For top men’s professionalson the higher-ranking UCIWorld Tour teams, theaverage salary jumps to$331,500 plus sponsorshipdeals.The difference in prize
Lifting the lid on equality disgraceBy HELEN TSITOURIS
“I racedfor the loveof it and notthe money,”she said.“I
struggled inItaly havinglittle or nomoney when in the proteam.“Sometimes I didn’t get
paid and would have to waitto see the team director onrace days.“I had to call mum and
dad for some support formoney when I just didn’thave enough to get by. It’shorrible having to do that.”The talented cyclist didnot reveal her contractdetails with Nobili otherthan that her clothing, bike,travel and race fees werepaid by the team.She said there are many
more riders who are finding
WHILE there’s money to behad in sport, the financialworld of women’s cycling isin deficit.In 2006, Brisbane cyclist
Sally Cowman (pictured)raced in Europe for theItalian pro team Nobili, butthe financial strain endedher ambitions.Today she is following adifferent road toward acareer in nursing.The former EuropeanWorld Cup competitor saidshe would still be racinghad it not been for thepaltry prize money and lowwages.The former AIS rider saidshe would love to competeagain and will considerreturning to the demands ofhigh-level competition if itwas a viable career.Cowman, 29, saidwomen’s cycling is the poorrelation of the men’s sport.
it a tough slog off the bike.She said to achieve aminimum wage in thepro-peloton will takerecognition in the form ofmedia coverage.Director and cyclist
Kathryn Bertine says it’sthe same story echoedthroughout the world.“We have nationalchampions in the US whostruggle to supportthemselves. They have tofind a second job and goand work during wintertraining and that is justcrazy.“They are at the highestlevel they can be and theyare still struggling to getby.”Cowman said many
women in pro teams earnjust enough to make aliving and pay the rent butnot much more.
–Helen Tsitouris
Financial strain takes its toll on elite rider
money is stark too.The men’s winner of theFleche Wallonne receives$27,700.The women’s winner gets$1953 – or 14 times less.“Women are treated likesecond-class citizens andvalued nowhere near ashighly as men,” Kathryn said.“For me, the root of sexismis ignorance. If you look atsociety, whether it’s sport orbusiness or education, whenyou exclude women thenthat’s half of the world you’reignoring.”The writer/director saysthe wheels are in motion forchange.“I am positive and hopefulthis will change,” she said.“I don’t think this can beignored. It has to change. Ourtime is now. When womenspeak up in the peloton it’sseen as complaining butwe’re here to do right andback them up. We are voicingconcern and providingsolutions to fix it.”She said there must bechange in the old-schoolmentality and the conditionsfor riders of the sport.“The struggles that we face
have always come from theleadership and business sideof cycling – the hierarchywho are running the show –but the male riders havealways been supportive.“We had men from the propeloton not just donate tohelp fund the film but usesocial media to tweet aboutour film.”Despite her trainingschedule she had the will tomake the film.“I am passionate about mysport and it dawned on methat I can be that person tomake this happen,” she said.“There are certain days
when I had to miss trainingor filming. Today, when I didget to ride it was in torrentialdownpour so I’m in this forthe long haul and I brush off
the inconveniences.”Her passion speaksvolumes. She said it is notjust the current generationshe is fighting but for the
next young champions.“It’s about the future – the
young girls.”The girls who love bikes.The documentary is
scheduled to be screenedlater this year with thepossibility of it being enteredinto the Sundance andCannes Film Festivals.
Page 8 Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013
THERE’S nothing like somebling for your bike. And whenit comes to upgrading, there’snothing quite like a new setof wheels.But there is a lot toconsider – more than just aslick set of rims which matchyour paintwork.Cyclezone Mooloolaba’sJohn Carey said carbonwheelsets are the hot itemfor the image conscious aswell as the race-focused, andthey had grown from beingrace-only to daily use.John said just becausewheels are carbon, doesn’tnecessarily mean they arefaster than alloy.For example, a Zipp 101alloy rim is moreaerodynamic than a Cosmiccarbon composite which is50mm deep.There are four key thingsto consider when looking fora wheelset: stiffness, weight,aerodynamics and overallreliability.For those on mountainbikes, aerodynamics areirrelevant and weight is lesscritical, but for those onroadies or competing intriathlon all four points arevital.Finding the perfectwheelset can be a challengewith a massive range tochoose from.“High-end wheels are morereliable than they have everbeen. But you still have to
weigh up all options if youwant to buy a set foreveryday use,” he said.“Carbon wheels can stillbrake but they don’t brake aswell as alloy. If you runcarbon wheels you shouldalso have different brakepads, whether they be corkor there is an aftermarketpad which is good for both(carbon and alloy). A rubberpad on carbon will rub the
pads out in weeks.”For a basic alloy wheelset,you will pay about $200. ButJohn said for those wantingaerodynamics, stiffness andlight weight, the price-tagapproaches in excess of$2000.The final selection criteriashould include handling,rider skill level, where youwill be doing the bulk of yourriding…hilly courses will still
need stiffness foracceleration and climbing.As for brands, John
recommends Zipp and Roval.His preference would beRoval, with what he believesis the perfect blend of value,comfort and performance.But new wheels can gain
you serious time. Going fromthe worst to the bestwheelset can gain you about4kmh – depending on wind.
Got a need for speed...and some bling?
Wheelsets can gain you about 4kmh, depending on the conditions.
Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013 Page 9
I’M included in a group emailfrom a mate. He wascanvassing our thoughts onsomething called ToughMudder.I knew a little about this
event. About teams of“athletes” working together,groaning and grimacingthrough a muddy, 20kmobstacle course, billed as oneof the toughest sportingevents, or challenges, in theworld. I’d also heard ofelectrocuted “privates”.To the sender of the email,let’s call him John, one byone the replies camethrough. All in, including myown. Team Sheewee Muddaswas born, and not long aftereight, 40-plus-year-olds stepinto a mini-van.Some are mates. Theothers meet for the first time.Nerves increase and tensionfills the air as we approachCaloundra.The mention ofelectrocuted testicles downthe front gets the passengers’attention, and we burst outlaughing. At least teamSheewee Muddas has a senseof humour.We hit ground zero, getdressed and strapped. TeamSheewee Muddas resembleda team of reanimatedmummies out of a ScoobyDoo cartoon, and before youknew it we were in thestarting chute. The mood wasbuoyant, expectant, up-beat.You’re greeted by pump-upmusic so loud it’d shatter finechina, and for us oldish-typeblokes, it loosened our jointsand massaged our expectantmuscles.We recite the Tough
Mudder Pledge and, as
AC/DC cranks up again, andwith adrenalin pumping,away we go.For the nextthree-and-a-half hours (theaverage Tough Mudder timeis three hours) weexperienced a lower-body,endurance challenge as wewe’re runnin’, carryin’,climbin’, crawlin’, liftin’,swingin’, jumpin’, plungin’and swimmin’, along unevencross-country tracks andover, through and underman-made obstacles.One unexpectedexperience was the waiting.Team Sheewee Muddas hadto wait for about 30 minutes,seizing up, at two crowdedobstacles. This added a levelof discomfort and to theTough Mudder challenge.Overall, the camaraderiewas great and it’s a positiveenvironment.We’re all off the couch, ourcomputers, and smart phonesdoing something activeoutdoors. It was probably thelongest 95% of us had beenaway from our smartphonesand computers for years!
You had the overwhelmingfeeling that you’re not only inthis with your team, but youwere all part of somethingbigger; overcoming yourfears, pain and discomfort toaccomplish something in agroup, all wet and muddy.It’s important to remember
that it’s more than just aboutmud. Although mud is adominant factor – you’ve gotto reconcile with mud,befriend it as it will be yourconstant companion creatingfriction in all the nooks ’ncrannies of your person – itonly forms one aspect ofTough Mudder.So why do we do it? This,of course, is subjective, but Ireckon you can group itaround challengingvulnerabilities andcomfort-zones, to experiencea bit of escapism and fun, tobe inspired, and have agood-ol’ fashion, old-schoolchallenge.So, you asking yourself,could I do it? Yep, I reckon so.
There’s no need to beintimidated. It’s wellmarketed as the toughestevent on the globe, (and it’stough, no doubt about that)but it’s not unbearabletorture. It’s more a threehour moving,water-and-mud-logged taskyou do with mates.All up, Tough Mudder
plays the role of popularising,mainstreaming,democratising (if you will)obstacle course challenges.If team Sheewee Muddas
can do, you all can. Eventhough we resembled a groupof unravelling, reanimatedCliffy Young-like mummiesfrom an episode of ScoobyDoo at the end, we did all getthe coveted orange headbandwithout suffering permanentinjury.Team Sheewee Muddashad a ball.We embraced thechallenge, and are better forit. We’ll be back, and we ain’tthat tough!
Secrets to surviving Tough MudderVITAL STATISTICSWhat to expect:■ Primarily lower-body,endurance workout;■ to be wet, muddy, then dryand (for the most part) movingconstantly for over 3 hours;■ plenty of water stops;■ waiting for obstacles;■ (for the blokes) to have yourtesticles retreat somewhere upnear your sternum after theArtic Enema obstacle; and■ to be exhausted, content (atthe end of the day) and toencounter an unforgettableexperience.Tips:■ wear tight, light, drip-drytype clothing;■ tie up your shoes very, verytight (even strap them to yourankles/lower leg);■ Vas up the 'privates';■ always, always, always scanthe track in front of you; and■ do it, and BBQ your lifeaway afterwards!
Page 10 Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013
THE Australian race seasonis just about to kick off andnow is the time to start finetuning your transition andpracticing regularly.Especially if you are a sprintand or Olympic distanceathlete.If you observe triathletesin the transition area of anevent during proceedings youmay get the impression thatmany use the transition as aplace to rest and regroup or aplace to celebrate thecompletion of one leg of therace and prepare for the next.How many hours of swimtraining or run trainingwould it take to shave twominutes off your swim or runtime?The answer is a lot! Howmany hours of transitionpractice would it take getthose two minutes back intransition – a lot less thanthe former.Many triathletes are sofocused on swim, bike andrun splits, that they forgetthe clock is still running inthe transition area.Every second counts.Transition practice isn't asfun as running, but it is agood investment of yourtraining time.Triathletes looking to becompetitive need to shifttheir entire mental focus andintegrate the transitionseamlessly into their race.The transition is not a restarea but a place to speed inand out of, in the fastest time,with the least energy.Have a plan and practice itHave a plan of exactly whatyou are going to do andpractice it over and overagain until you are fast withno mistakes.
Practice it physicallyseveral times in training andthen rehearse it mentallyseveral times on racemorning.By the time you are intransition on race day, youshould be moving onautopilot. Never trysomething new on race day.
Keep it simpleThe fewer things you have
to do in the transition area,the faster you will go.Forego the socks and getrid of anything you don'tabsolutely need. Clutter willslow you down.
Getting the transitions fine-tunedBy NICK CROFT
Accreditedtriathlon and swimcoach, Multisport
Consultants
Cycle shoes in the pedalsCoasting down the courseat 25kmh while you put yourfeet in your shoes will moveyou far ahead of your matesitting down in T1 doing thesame thing.Set your bike up in the
transition area with yourshoes attached to the pedalsand rubber bands loopedbetween the heels and frame,holding the shoes horizontal.On leaving T1, pedal with
your feet on top of yourshoes. Once you are cruisingat speed, coast and slip yourfeet into your shoes.Keep your eyes ahead onthe road, not down on yourfeet.On the return, slip yourfeet out of your shoes beforeyou reach T2.Learn this skill first on a
windtrainer then the skill ona grassy area or empty carpark before taking it out onthe open road.Run with your bikeThe distance from rack tomount line can beconsiderable at large
triathlons. By running safelyand quickly with your bike, itis easy to fly over thisdistance.Run upright with good
form on the left side of yourbike, holding your seat withyour right hand. Your leftarm swings by your side.Hold the bike upright to gostraight and lean it to theside to turn. Practice in anempty parking lot orpaddock.Speed over themount/dismount lineLearn a cyclo-cross mountand dismount to cruise overthis line without losing anymomentum.
Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013 Page 11
In the race you will bedoing this in bare feet butinitially learn and practicethis skill wearing runningshoes.Attach your gearto your bikeHandling small itemswastes time. Everything youneed on the bike courseshould be attached to yourbike.Tape gels to the frame,water bottles should alreadybe on board, sunglasseslooped to a cable, spare tubein a seat pack and CO2cartridge taped to the seatpost.One outfit for all occasionsStart the swim with your
full bike/run outfit underyour wetsuit (if needed). Aone piece tri-suit is ideal. Anyclothing changes will add lotsof time.NavigationNote where your rack spot
is and how to find it from theswim exit and bike entrance.From your rack, knowwhere the bike and run exitsare and the quickest route tothem.I like to practice the swimexit pathway to my bike oncethe bike is racked (possiblythe day before the event)then do again at least oncewhen the area is full.Count how many racksalong the bike is and how faralong the rack it is. If you can
line up with some objectoutside the transition so youcan run to that once racing.Elastic lacesUse elastic laces ratherthan tying your running shoelaces. To help your feet slide
smoothly into your runningshoes, prime them with asprinkling of baby powder.Grab and goIn T2, grab what you need
and go.Put on your hat and
number belt while you arerunning.It is always faster tocomplete your tasks movingdown the course rather thanstanding in front of yourrack.
Perfecting the fourth triathlon legFrom Page 10
Casey Munro produces a perfect transition, sav-ing time by running on the left side of the bike andholding the seat with his right hand.
Photo: Alistair Brightman
Sandy Collins prepares to come intotransition for a perfect dismount.
Page 12 Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013
“NO one said it was going tobe easy”. Good job too,because if they did theywould have been lying!While training either tokeep in shape or for a specificevent should be veryrewarding, it’s usually alsomentally and physicallytough, and can be fatiguing.Indeed for training to beeffective it has to push you;it’s part of the overloadprinciple of training.The idea is simple; by
increasing your trainingloads (e.g., more distance,increased speed or increasedresistance) you place a newor additional stress on yourbody.During recovery posttraining, in response to thisnew or bigger training load,your body super-compensates becomingstronger, faster and fitter.So it’s no surprise that
training is fatiguing.However, well designed,
personalised and effectivetraining programs counterbalance periods of overloador overreaching with periodsof recovery and adaption.The concern is if yourfeelings of fatigue aredragging on for what feelstoo long. The worry is thatyou may be overtraining.Overtraining syndrome(OTS) is complex, oftenknown by other names suchas underperformancesyndrome (UPS), and can bedifficult to diagnose.Although OTS has manydifferent symptoms, the keyred flags are reducedperformances, loss ofmotivation to training andchanges in your mood. It’s
1. Make sure you have a soundtraining program.Your season (or year evenif you’re not competing)should be broken down intoseparate phases; each withdifferent specific aims andgoals, e.g. pre-season. Each ofthese phases should then befurther divided; in mycoaching I’ve usually workedto a program of three hardweeks to one easier week(two thirds of normal volume)program.Each week should then be
further divided still, makingsure each session has a clearaim and emphasis and thatrest and recovery isprogrammed in as animportant aspect.Planning your training is
important for many reasons,not only is it during the restand recovery periods thatyour body regenerates andadapts, getting stronger andfaster, but also (and the keyreason we’re focussing onhere) is that it will helpensure that you havesufficient rest and recoverybuilt into your trainingprogram.From my experience,
How to beat the training bluesCommon Signs and Symptoms of OTS
Poor performance Slow recovery from training sessions
Loss of motivation to train Changes in appetite
Changes in mood Increase of overuse injuries
Changes in sleep patterns Frequent colds and score throat
also important to note thatnot everyone will experiencethe same symptoms and youdon’t have to experience allof the symptoms to beovertrained.One of the stings in the tailof OTS is that people whosuffer from OTS are oftenmotivated, so when facedwith dropping performancesthey simply train harder, inturn making the situationworse.What to do if you think you’resuffering from OTSDiagnosis can be difficult,but there are a couple ofimportant first steps:1. Take some more rest thanusual. Hopefully you’re notsuffering from OTS and itwas just a period of reallyhard training that required alittle more recovery timethan usual. If it’s not OTS youshould start to seeimprovement within a weekor so.2. See your GP. If you’re stillnot much better after takinga week or so of reducedtraining load and increasedrecovery, you may want tothink about getting checkedover by your GP. It’s alwaysimportant to rule out thepossibility of more severemedical problems that maybe presenting with the samesymptoms as OTS, forexample Ross River Fever oreven being pregnant.Your health professionalwill be able to determinewhat tests are appropriatebased on their examination ofyour symptoms.3. More tests. Assuming thatyou have no major
underlying illness or disease,your GP may also feel thatadditional tests may be ofbenefit. However, be awarethat blood tests for athleteswho are clearly strugglingwith OTS frequently don’thighlight any problems.4. Get help. If all the testshave come back negative,check your symptoms againstthe table above; this iscommonly an effective way ofdeciding what’s going on. Ifyou think that you may haveOTS based on yoursymptoms, further discussthis with your GP andconsider seeing a sportscientist or a psychologistthat specialises in sports forfurther diagnosis anddevelopment of an actionplan to get you back totraining.Treatment (and prevention) ofOTSWhile it’s better to preventOTS than have to treat it, thetreatment and prevention ofOTS are in many ways verysimilar; trying to balancetraining overload withrecovery to maximiseadaption.This is more easilyachieved with amultidisciplinary teamapproach (i.e., psychologist,GP, sports trainer, coach,physio, sports nutritionistetc). Most people do recoverand a well-considered plan ofattack making use ofprofessional advice is animportant ingredient. Whileeveryone will benefit from apersonalised plan, somepositive steps to recoveryshould include the following: To Page 13
Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013 Page 13
planning training andincorporation of recoveryinto the schedule is often abigger problem for recreationathletes as compared tofull-time athletes. Full-timeathletes usually have a clearvision of what and when theyare training for, so have astructured plan.Furthermore, therecreational athlete has thechallenge of juggling farmore conflicting motives androles (e.g. work, studies,being a mum etc), withtraining often being asecondary priority often nothaving enough time to trainlet alone fit in a recoverymassage.The challenge here is thatwhen faced with too much tofit into the week, thatrecovery sessions are cut atthe expense of “real” trainingsessions. Many of us feel thatwe can’t afford to miss atraining session as arecovery session is oftenconsidered less of a priority.So if we missed yesterday’strack session, for example,because of work, andalthough we’re feeling reallytired and the program sayswe’re supposed to be resting,we cut the recovery sessionand swap it for the missedtrack session from yesterday.While sometimes we have tomake these types of calls, therisk is that if not carefulbefore we know it there’sinsufficient recovery in thetraining program.2. Get some soundprofessional sports nutritionadvice.What we’re trying to
achieve is an effectivefeeding and hydrationstrategy to help optimiseyour recovery from training.Is it possible that your largecappuccino is not the bestrefuelling strategy followingthat tough two-hour bikesession?3. Monitor and modify your
From Page 12
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to:P
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training accordingly.This is where the
psychology comes into itsown, but is far too frequentlyforgotten; you need to get toknow your body and listenwhen it says I need a rest.This can be a difficult skill
to learn, but keeping acareful watch for changes inmood can be useful, andcheap, way to stay in touchwith how your body is copingwith your training.There is strong researchevidence that changes inyour mood reflect how wellyou are coping with yourtraining load and, mostimportantly, can be used asan indicator for the onset ofOTS.It’s like an early warning
system alerting you to whenyou’re at risk of getting sick,injured or overtrained. Arecommended model is thateach day you record in yourtraining log how you’refeeling, including emotionssuch as tension, depression,anger, vigour, fatigue andconfusion, but also somemore personal measures.What we’re trying to do isfind some key variables thatare sensitive to how you arecoping and that predict whenyou’re about to get sick,injured or slip into OTS.These key emotions andbehaviours are different foreach of us; for some of us thekey factor may be howargumentative we feel, orhow snappy you are with thechildren or your workmates,or even your level of sexdrive.The point is that you needto record these feeling whilethings are going well so youcan see how they changewhen things aren’t going sowell. By doing this you canget a better sense of theimportant signals your bodyis giving you. This will makeit easier for you to knowwhen you really shouldchange your training and
Treating and preventing OTS
even take a rest day.4. Reduce stress and developyour recovery strategies.There’s some goodresearch that has clearlyshown that increased level ofstress, even if not related toyour sport, increase yourrisks of OTS.So try to reduce you stress
levels, and for those stressorthat you can’t easily makedisappear such as exams,consider reducing yourtraining loads during thesetimes and make sure yourrecovery strategies aretip-top.While most of us do
appreciate the importance of“physiological” recovery(rest), we often neglect theother important types ofrecovery such aspsychological, social andenvironmental. These typesof recovery strategies helprefresh us mentally, andmaintain our motivation andenthusiasm for our training.Talking with someone suchas a psychologist may behelpful in guiding you toreduce your stress levels and
further develop yourrecovery plan and activities.SummaryObviously this is a
complicated topic and whatI’ve given here a simplifiedaccount.Preventing OTS fromhappening is obviously thebest option, and monitoringmood states should really bea must for all seriousathletes. In terms ofrecovering from OTS, it canbe a frustrating journey andpsychologically draining.I strongly believe in the
values of a multidisciplinaryteam approach, but I alsorecommend that if you arestruggling with OTS, that youmake sure you’re fullyattending the mental aspects.Far too frequently athletesfocus on the physical aspects,but ignore the psychologicaldimension and as such limittheir recovery and oftendon’t really address theissues that put them at riskof OTS in the first place.
Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013 Page 15
NOOSA’S BikeOn.com.auwon the veteran mixed teamcatergory and were thirdoverall in the six-hour QldRogaine Association event atBauple-O-Bill (north ofGympie) on August 18.The sporting duo of Justinand Tracey Wyatt (owners oflocal business Bike On) alsoclaimed a sweet victory,while also celebrating theirfifth wedding anniversary intheir own true style.Rogaining is the sport oflong distance cross-countrynavigation and these eventsregularly attract some ofQueensland’s top talent.Teams of two-five peoplerace to find as manycheckpoints as possiblewithin the time limit and thewinner has the highest score.Bauple-O-Bill was a toughcourse for the teams tonavigate with indistinctterrain through forestedcountry.To win their category theteam had to rely on expertnavigation (map andcompass) and had an almostfaultless round.Justin trains hardthroughout the season and isan experienced adventurerace competitor.Tracey works hard to findher role in the team keepingan eye on the time andkeeping them tracking toplan.“We work together well as
a team both in a racesituation, in business and
within our marriage, whichwas why we chose tocelebrate our weddinganniversary competing inthis event,” Tracey said.Racing shoulder toshoulder with some localsporting legends, includingKim Beckinsale and GarySutherland from TeamMountain Designs, theWyatts powered through thelast hour running fast as thelight was fading and theclock ticking.In total the team coveredabout 25km of tough terrainand collected 810 pointsalong the way.Bike On is a localmulti-award winning
business specialising inproviding bike hire, tours andeducation direct toindividuals, corporategroups, local councils andschools.By winning races like these
Justin and Tracey aim toinspire the school studentswho they teach to push thelevels of their endurance anddemonstrate just what ispossible with hard work andcommitment.Overall winners of the
six-hour event were Ray
Deetlefs and Erika Kohncke(1090 points in 5:51:11), whileJane Leverton and KimBeckinsale were second (880points in 5:52:42).The 12-hour event was wonby Gary Sutherland, DavidSchloss and Leo Theoharis(2070 points in 11:43:06).Coming in second wereRichard Robinson andTamsin Barnes (1690 pointsin 11:51:41) while roundingout the podium were PaulElby and Nicola Jelinek (1630points in 11:17:38).
Anniversary celebration in the saddle
BikeOn.com.au’s Tracey and Justin Wyatt.
VITAL STATISTICSTraining week: Tracey, doesone session of yoga, 1.5kmocean swim from Noosa MainBeach, 1.5 hour road bike rideand will usually mountain bikeevery week for three hours.She also rides her boys Finn,4, and Luca, 2, to care.Justin, also does one sessionof yoga, two-three road bikerides for about 1.5 hours each,and through work he will be ona mountain bike for between10-20 hours a week.Favourtes routes: SunriseRoad loop, up Gyndier Driveand through Doonan. Formountain biking they loveWooroi at Tewantin NationalPark.Bikes: Both ride Treks,includes a range of mountainbikes, while their roaddies arecarbon Madone 3.1s.
Page 16 Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013
SUNSHINE Coast localMelanie Newton completedher first triathlon in 1998 on abike she bought from Kmart.The 39 year-old mum hascertainly come a long waysince then, representingAustralia at last year’sIronman 70.3 WorldChampionship in Las Vegas,and setting a record for theGreat Wall of China HalfMarathon in 2010 that stillstands today.“I raced The Great Wallhalf marathon in 2010 whenmy son was nine months old.I ran 1:48:48 over 5162 steps,”she said“It was amazing – they say
we all get our few littleminutes in the spotlight –that was mine. My husbanddid the 10km with our son ina backpack and got thebiggest cheer of all at thefinish line. It was anincredible day and my timestill stands as the fastest.”After a big schedule ofraces last year that saw hercompeting at the worldchamps in Vegas, Newtonhad decided to have a quietseason this year, until theannouncement of theinaugural Ironman 70.3Sunshine Coast.“I had a pretty big year last
year and was enjoying a bitof time off racing whenSunshine Coast wasannounced. A 70.3 prettymuch in my backyard on abeautiful stretch of the coastin Queensland springweather – I just had to signup,” she said.Newton loves the challenge
that endurance sportpresents, and the opportunityit gives her to set an examplefor her son.“I’m motivated to race by
lots of things, keeping fit andhealthy, challenges, setting agood example for my son,seeing people around me whohave been unfortunate inhealth and cannot bephysically active. I am
physically able – so I use itand continue to challengemyself with little goals,” shesaid.“I also love the people – the
people who train with you,the people who race with you– all shapes, sizes, ages andability, and the people whosupport you – especially the
ones clapping and cheeringwho don't even know you.There is an awesome spirit intriathlon – gives you a hugebuzz.”
FORMER international rugbyleague and rugby union star MatRogers is used to changingsports. During a much heraldedrugby career he notched up 11Tests for Australia in league and45 in union.So adding another string tohis bow should have been easy.The only problem was that newstring was like nothing he’dtried before.After becoming a first time
Ironman in Busselton, WesternAustralia last year he discoveredtriathlons are a bit like a bag ofchips, you can just stop at one.Rogers will be adding to his
triathlon tally at the upcomingIronman 70.3 Sunshine Coast.“I’m like a dog with a bone. I
love it,” said Rogers.“The people, the nature of thesport, and the battle againstyourself are what I’m drawn to.“I'm never going to be an elitetriathlete but I love that everytime I do an event I feel I learnsomething new and I’m alwayslooking to improve.“I love the solitude of it. I lovepushing myself to the pointwhere you don't think you cango anymore but you have to.“It’s a bizarre feeling, I was
laying on my back in WA with15km to the finish and feelinglike I couldn’t move but at thesame time I loved the fact that Ipushed myself to that point. Ijust want to get better so thatpoint comes along later in theday – maybe just after the finishline.”Rogers has experienced theelite end of the sporting world,competing against the best therugby world has to offer, and asyou’d expect from an eliteathlete, his triathlon dreams arebig with a spot at the IronmanWorld Championship in Hawaiiat the top of his wish-list.
Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013 Page 17
EVOLUTION has been a longroad for Hyundai – and theKoran carmaker is nowwelcoming corners.The marque has steppedback from the Excelpoverty-pack era from twodecades ago to develop arange renowned for qualityand value…the next step issporting credentials.Hyundai this weeklaunched the i30 SR, what itdescribes as a “warm hatch”which features a morepowerful engine andsubstantial Australian-honedsuspension changes.It’s the first of its kindworldwide and iscollaboration betweenHyundai Australia and theparent company.“Hyundais are much moredynamically capable thanpeople would suspect. Buthaving a badged warm hatchvariant demonstrates clearlyto people we are in thegame,” Hyundai’s marketingdirector Oliver Mann said.“Fundamentally it isbecause we could make ithappen and thought we coulddo it well.“How we go from here will
depend on how successfulour seller is but we wouldlike to think it is the start of ajourney and there will somemore exciting developmentsdown the pipeline.”And this i30 SR is asurprise-packet andoutstanding fun when thebitumen gets bendy. Whileit’s the same 2.0-litrefour-potter found in Kia’s
Cerato, Hyundai has raisedthe bar even further in termsof suspension tune.Brimming with confidencecourtesy of more grip andpoise than anything we haveseen wear the flying “H”badge previously, it does aresounding job of balancingcomfort with performance.It’s firmer than yourstandard i30, as expected, butit doesn’t rattle your kidneys.Substantial work on
finding the right springs anddamper (which controls thecompression and rebound ofthe suspension) settings havedelivered a car which is greatfun to drive.This helps provide
excellent steering feedbackfor the driver and you canuse the lightest setting on theFlexsteer system to tacklethe toughest corners withassurance.Our best experience waswith the slick six-speedmanual, and despite a lightclutch feel it offered the
greatest performance withsteady power under yourfoot.It’s even happy to rev
above 4000rpm and is stillwilling to give as you pushtoward redline.We found the automatic
was too willing to change upa cog and tended to want toundersteer more than themanual. Steering wheelmounted paddles for manualcontrol would be a handyaddition.Based on the i30 Elite
variant, the SR gains a fewbits and pieces inside likeleather/leatherette seat trimand alloy pedals.Most of the changes are
under the skin so it’s anessentially mainstream feelinside.Some of the finishes are
beginning to look a littledated, like the metallic sliverdash treatments and hard
plastics scattered around theplace, although it all workswell and the ease of use isapplauded.The i30 boot is quite deepdespite having a full-sizespare. Both rear seats fold, sogetting a bike in the back is asimple task.There are some usefulstorage spots in the cabin,including a great area forphones and other gear infront of the shifter.Adding some brand lustre
is the driving force behindthe SR badge – which by theway doesn’t stand foranything, it just sounds a bitcool.This is an extremely
competent and confidentperformer.Extensive tuning work haspaid dividends and wechallenge any keen driver toget behind the wheel and notenjoy this experience.
Hatch now has some more firepowerBy GRANT EDWARDS VITAL STATISTICS
Page 18 Sunshine Coast Multisport Mecca, August 28, 2013
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