GOOD LUCK - MOOLOOLABA AND IM MELBOURNE
We have a huge weekend of racing ahead with Mooloolaba and IM Melbourne. In Melbourne Yas Grigaluinas, Tim Osborne and new BTS life member Paul Scroggie are racing in what will be a historical day on the triathlon Australia calendar.
At Mooloolaba we'll have close to 100 BTS athletes racing with many doing their first Olympic Distance race. Along with those backing up for another year we have a large contingent using the race as part of their World Champs Qualifying attempts.
The BTS and GCTS tents will be set up in the usual spot on the hill which is a great place to watch all the action. We'll have support from the team at Performance Podiatry and Physio as well as James Billing from Elite Sports Massage.
Our very own master of social ceremonies Ray Pogi will be head chef on the bbq on race day and there will be an eski full of drinks for post race celebrations. Family and friends are welcome to join us at any time over the weekend.
Also remember on Saturday morning we'll have our usual pre race ride, photo and coffee starting from the tent @ 6am and then on Sunday is the after party at the Mooloolaba Surf Club from 4pm. As always it should be a great weekend of racing and partying.
From the whole coaching team at BTS we would like to wish everyone the best of luck this weekend and we look forward to seeing you all there.
VIDEOPRO GIVE AWAY
One of the highlights of our Mooloolaba and Noosa after parties is the give away from our great sponsors at Videopro. Any BTS member who competes at Mooloolaba goes into the draw to win the $2500 Panasonic 50" 3D home theatre system.
It will drawn along with presentation of other prizes from the weekend early on the after party proceedings.
NEW UNIFORMS
We have some new one piece and two piece BTS tri suits about to arrive. Additionally we are also about to receive some BTS polo shirts and BTS head sweats which are great for running.
WHAT IS A SUCCESSFUL RACE?
How do you know if you have had a successful race? Is it the time, the place you came, the improvements you might have made on a particular course or maybe the fact that you even finished.
Once you're at the start line waiting for the gun, the time for thinking about missed training sessions or what you could have done better in your preparation is gone. As age groupers we all balance family, work and life to get the training done and then try and work towards having a good race.
Due to everything that has to be managed in life it is only natural that sometimes your training leading into an event will be better or worse than previous races. So when we start the race it is all about getting the best possible result on the day. So how we do know that has happened?
I believe it is quite simple in that as soon as you cross that finish line one of the first things that goes through your head is, " could I have pushed any harder today?" If the first answer that comes to mind is no, then you have had a successful race. Knowing that you could have not have gone one second faster means it was a successful race.
The time on your new GPS watch, how many calories you burned, your max hr or your place across the line don't really matter if you can honestly say, "that was as hard as I could go today." Most of the time if that has happened then your time and place will reflect such an effort.
However if the first response that comes into your mind is yes I could have pushed harder, then I think you have let yourself down. You always know straight away if you didn't give the race all you had on the day and no matter how many excuses you can come up with there is no escaping it.
The satisfaction that comes from giving a race everything is why we do it. To win the battle of the evil little man in your mind that is constantly telling you to slow down is what it is all about. Win that battle and cross the line completely spent and you will always race well.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Thursday, 15 March 2012
BTS Blog 15/3/12
MOOLOOLABA AFTER PARTY PAYMENTS
We need final payments ($35 per head) for the Mooloolaba after party by tomorrow the 16th of March. If you are attending can you please ensure that the payments are done by tomorrow at the latest.
CONGRATULATIONS
We have another couple of BTS athletes that have been selected in the Kiwi team for this year's World Champs. Ivan Simac has been selected in the Olympic Distance Team while Leigh Grigaluinas has made the Sprint Distance Team.
Well done to both Ivan and Leigh on their selections and we look forward to seeing them race in October.
CALENDAR CHANGE
As of next week the Monday night core/box session is no longer on. Due to rising costs it was either increase training fees or reduce a session on the main squad program.
The Wednesday night pilates class with Alissa on the deck at the pool is proving to be very popular so members still have a session that allows them to work on this very important and beneficial part of their training.
Additionally we are about to launch our long distance program due to the amount of members training and racing in long course events. Overall this means a slight change in the way we allocate various resources towards squad training programs.
NEW MEMBERS
We have had quite a few new members join the squad lately which is great. Sometimes it can be a little daunting coming into a training squad where many people already have established friendships and training partners.
If you see a new member at training try and make them feel welcome by saying hello. Just a simple hello from a stranger goes a long way to making a new person feel welcome.
TRIATHLON - ITS ALL IN THE HEAD
As a coach our job is to train a person/group to improve their fitness, skills, help keep them injury free and ensure they keep enjoying the sport. The athlete provides the motivation to turn up to training and then at training the coach tries to inspire and challenge them so they improve physically.
However a big part of coaches role is to also try and improve the mental capabilities of any athlete. In fact I would go so far as to say it is even more important than the physical side of training. In the past I have often recommended to athletes that they spend some time doing some mental training only to get a strange look and,"yer what ever mate!"
The one things I have learnt over the past 20+ years being involved in endurance sports and having had the chance to train, learn, coach and compete with athletes from beginner to elite is that the most successful athletes spend time focusing on their mental preparation.
The best athletes have a quiet confidence in their ability and preparation. They believe in themselves and are willing to challenge themselves in training and racing. They focus on developing positive thought patterns, embrace challenges when confronted with them and are not afraid to get out of their comfort zone.
As an example I will often say to an athlete to swim up a lane or try and tackle a set of repeats on a faster time cycle. Some will say, " I can't do that" as their first response. This type of negative self talk is like a cancer. The more it is said the more your body will believe it and it won't happen.
An athlete with a positive mindset and one who approaches challenges will say, " sure I'll give it a go." Now they may not be able to make it however if they do their confidence will be all the better for it. That confidence then translates into a race and by reinforcing positive messages our body responds accordingly.
When I say the best athletes I am not always referring to the fastest. I am referring to athletes that regardless of physical ability that they always perform to their best due to a positive and confident mindset.
It really is a simple process so with quite a few big races ahead over the next few weeks this message is even more important if you want truly see what you're capable of. Spend some time filling your mind with some positive messages and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
We need final payments ($35 per head) for the Mooloolaba after party by tomorrow the 16th of March. If you are attending can you please ensure that the payments are done by tomorrow at the latest.
CONGRATULATIONS
We have another couple of BTS athletes that have been selected in the Kiwi team for this year's World Champs. Ivan Simac has been selected in the Olympic Distance Team while Leigh Grigaluinas has made the Sprint Distance Team.
Well done to both Ivan and Leigh on their selections and we look forward to seeing them race in October.
CALENDAR CHANGE
As of next week the Monday night core/box session is no longer on. Due to rising costs it was either increase training fees or reduce a session on the main squad program.
The Wednesday night pilates class with Alissa on the deck at the pool is proving to be very popular so members still have a session that allows them to work on this very important and beneficial part of their training.
Additionally we are about to launch our long distance program due to the amount of members training and racing in long course events. Overall this means a slight change in the way we allocate various resources towards squad training programs.
NEW MEMBERS
We have had quite a few new members join the squad lately which is great. Sometimes it can be a little daunting coming into a training squad where many people already have established friendships and training partners.
If you see a new member at training try and make them feel welcome by saying hello. Just a simple hello from a stranger goes a long way to making a new person feel welcome.
TRIATHLON - ITS ALL IN THE HEAD
As a coach our job is to train a person/group to improve their fitness, skills, help keep them injury free and ensure they keep enjoying the sport. The athlete provides the motivation to turn up to training and then at training the coach tries to inspire and challenge them so they improve physically.
However a big part of coaches role is to also try and improve the mental capabilities of any athlete. In fact I would go so far as to say it is even more important than the physical side of training. In the past I have often recommended to athletes that they spend some time doing some mental training only to get a strange look and,"yer what ever mate!"
The one things I have learnt over the past 20+ years being involved in endurance sports and having had the chance to train, learn, coach and compete with athletes from beginner to elite is that the most successful athletes spend time focusing on their mental preparation.
The best athletes have a quiet confidence in their ability and preparation. They believe in themselves and are willing to challenge themselves in training and racing. They focus on developing positive thought patterns, embrace challenges when confronted with them and are not afraid to get out of their comfort zone.
As an example I will often say to an athlete to swim up a lane or try and tackle a set of repeats on a faster time cycle. Some will say, " I can't do that" as their first response. This type of negative self talk is like a cancer. The more it is said the more your body will believe it and it won't happen.
An athlete with a positive mindset and one who approaches challenges will say, " sure I'll give it a go." Now they may not be able to make it however if they do their confidence will be all the better for it. That confidence then translates into a race and by reinforcing positive messages our body responds accordingly.
When I say the best athletes I am not always referring to the fastest. I am referring to athletes that regardless of physical ability that they always perform to their best due to a positive and confident mindset.
It really is a simple process so with quite a few big races ahead over the next few weeks this message is even more important if you want truly see what you're capable of. Spend some time filling your mind with some positive messages and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
NEW BEGINNER COURSE
Our latest 6 week beginner course commenced this week with 15 eager participants ready to get into it. They will graduate with the Luke Harrop event on the Gold Coast on April 22nd.
Welcome to BTS and we look forward to working with you over the next 6 weeks.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
BTS Blog 9/3/12
MOOLOOLABA AFTER PARTY
Payments of $35 for the Mooloolaba after party are required by Monday March 16th. Please ensure that payments are done by then as it makes it very difficult to receive payments on the day.
Thanks again to the social committee for securing this deal and venue. It should be a great way to finish the weekend.
WELL DONE/ GOOD LUCK
Due to an unprecedented storm last Saturday in Taupo, IM New Zealand was cancelled and changed to a half IM the next day. On the Saturday Taupo was hit with gale force winds yet on Sunday conditions were almost perfect.
Despite this Tom Chandler, Krista Page and Brian Cahill all raced well in the half IM on Sunday. It was disappointing that they couldn't put all their hard work and training to use in an IM, but you can't help bad luck.
This weekend we have another team of athletes travelling to Victor Harbour in South Australia for the next OD qualifying race. Good luck to Pat Dall, Paul Thistleton, Yas Grigaluinas, Amanda Johns, Darren Lockhart, Troy Grimshaw, Alissa Williams and Taryn Richardson.
TRAINING
Tomorrow morning's session is now a swim/run and not the originally scheduled transitions. The transitions session will now be next Saturday morning the 17th. The session this weekend will be another longer swim of 4-5km followed by a tempo run of 40 min.
The sessions we do on Saturday such as the swim/run, swim/bike and transitions are great practice for racing to help get the body used to what it will experience on race day.
With 2 weeks left until Mooloolaba we have another solid week ahead before easing back the ensure everyone is top shape on race day.
TWO PIECE BTS RACE SUITS
We are going to place an order for two piece BTS race suits from Scody. The two piece suits are great for those focusing on the longer distance events and will be the same design as the one piece.
If you are interested in purchasing one please contact suz@brisbanetrisquad.com.au
I AM NEW TO TRIATHLON, HOW MUCH TRAINING SHOULD I DO?
As we're about to start our third beginner course for 2012 I thought it was a good time to talk about training levels for those new to triathlon. Whether someone comes through our beginner course or joins straight into the main squad/novice level program, everyone has different capabilities.
Training history, age, injuries, work/family commitments etc all play a role in determining how much training the body can absorb. For the purposes of this article it is specifically aimed at beginner level athletes that are new to the sport. It is also assuming that they have no injuries or health conditions.
We often find people who join the squad already have a general level of fitness that allows them to complete a squad session straight away. Sometimes it might be that they only complete part of the session but the majority have been doing some form of training for a period of time before they start a beginner course or join a squad session.
The 6 week beginner course that we offer is progressive so that by the end of the course all participants are able to complete a short race. After the race it is about setting new goals and increasing the training load.
So how much do we do? As a general rule once you have the beginner course behind you or a few weeks of various squad sessions (2-4 per week) a good place to start is 2 swims, 2 rides and 2 runs with one rest day. Of those, one ride would be a squad ride and one run a squad run whilst the others would be easy aerobic training.
With the swims I would recommend both be squad sessions. With swimming the benefits of training with the squad are far greater than on your own. The coach is there to give feedback on your stroke and you will always work harder in a squad than on your own. Additionally hard swim training does not take as much out of you as intervals in the bike and run.
To improve your training needs to have a mix of interval work and easy aerobic training. Triathlon is a strength endurance sport so the continual aerobic development is a very important part of any training program. Mixed with interval training and being consistent you will improve.
The level of improvement varies depending on the individual and how much volume and intensity they can handle in training. Once your body is able to absorb a certain level of training over a 2-3 month period then it is okay to increase the training load by about 5-10%. The body needs that amount of time to cope with the new stresses placed on it.
Sometimes it may take longer to adapt to a load of 2,2 & 2 or for some it might be starting with 4-5 sessions per week rather than 2. Things like fatigue levels, injuries, motivation, enjoyment levels, training and racing performance give us the feedback we need to see if a person is handling a certain load.
As always the coaching team are a wealth of experience and knowledge so if in doubt ask one of us. All the coaches know what it is like to balance training with the rest of life and race well.
ELITE SPORTS MASSAGE - EXTRA SPOTS AVAILABLE
Brett Harris from Elite Sports Massage at the Valley Pool is in demand. To help cope with that demand he has employed an extra therapist to assist. James Billing is a triathlete him self and will be helping Brett out at the clinic.
If you would like a massage with Brett or James contact Brett on 0430 325 775.
TUESDAY MORNING RUNNING
We had hoped to secure an oval at Windsor through St. Margaret's who use it as their school oval. The school were happy for us to use the oval however Council have stipulated it can't be used prior to 6.30am in the morning.
In the interim we will continue to run from Active Stride. Over the next few weeks we will use the Botanical Gardens more as it allows for some good quality intervals without affecting other members of the public.
Thursday, 1 March 2012
BTS Blog 1/3/12
TRAINING THIS WEEKEND
This Saturday morning we're doing a course familiarisation session at Mooloolaba. It is a great opportunity especially to do the swim which plays such an important part in the race.
Along with the swim we'll also do a 40-50km ride before running the course. We'll be doing the session with Atlas Mutli Sport and their head coach, Jason Crowther. Jason is a former professional triathlete and along with wife Lisa started Atlas Multi Sport last year.
Already they have a great squad and in the future we hope to do a few sessions with them. The session starts at 6am out the front of the Mooloolaba SLSC. No doubt we'll finish with a nice breakfast at one of the local cafes.
Atlas Multi Sport also run the successful Stroke and Stride aquathon series and will be doing another one this Sunday at Kawana. So if you're keen for a good weekend's training and racing the session on Saturday morning followed by the Stroke and Stride on Sunday would be a great hit out for Mooloolaba which is only 3 weeks away.
GOOD LUCK
For some BTS members we have a couple of important races this weekend. Over at Taupo doing IM New Zealand is Tom Chandler, Krista Page and Brian Cahill. For Tom and Krista it is their second IM race while Brian is lining up for his first.
Hopefully the predicted gale force winds (70-100kmph) and rain will ease and they'll be able to have a good race. Our latest information is that the race organisers are considering cancelling the swim due to the predictions.
Also this weekend is the State Sprint Champs at Redcliffe where we have quite a few members using the race towards World Champs selection later in the year. At least they won't have to contend with gale force winds and rain!
MOOLOOLABA AFTER PARTY
Our social committee have secured a great venue and deal for the Mooloolaba after party. For $35 per person we have our own private area at the Mooloolaba SLSC, 3 free drinks, roast buffet, cheese platter and tea/coffee from 4-10pm.
As always we'll be giving away the $2500 3D 50" panasonic home theatre system from Videopro www.videopro.com.au plus some other prizes. They're always a great way to celebrate another big race and as always family and friends are welcome.
To RSVP please let suz@brisbanetrisquad.com.au know or press 'like" on the BTS facebook post from Tuesday. Final numbers are required by Monday 5th of March.
MONTHLY PRIZES
Thanks again to our sponsors for providing this month's (February) prizes. Firstly the free service from Avanti Plus the Valley was a random draw for new members who let us know on facebook how old they were, how they paid the bills and their worst habit.
The winner was Maddie Morton who did the first beginner course this year. Maddie wins a free service to the value of $100.
The Medilight Permanent Hair Removal and Skin Rejuvination most improved female athlete this month is Jess Melville. Jess has been training with the squad for the past year and has made some great improvements in her swimming especially.
This Saturday morning we're doing a course familiarisation session at Mooloolaba. It is a great opportunity especially to do the swim which plays such an important part in the race.
Along with the swim we'll also do a 40-50km ride before running the course. We'll be doing the session with Atlas Mutli Sport and their head coach, Jason Crowther. Jason is a former professional triathlete and along with wife Lisa started Atlas Multi Sport last year.
Already they have a great squad and in the future we hope to do a few sessions with them. The session starts at 6am out the front of the Mooloolaba SLSC. No doubt we'll finish with a nice breakfast at one of the local cafes.
Atlas Multi Sport also run the successful Stroke and Stride aquathon series and will be doing another one this Sunday at Kawana. So if you're keen for a good weekend's training and racing the session on Saturday morning followed by the Stroke and Stride on Sunday would be a great hit out for Mooloolaba which is only 3 weeks away.
GOOD LUCK
For some BTS members we have a couple of important races this weekend. Over at Taupo doing IM New Zealand is Tom Chandler, Krista Page and Brian Cahill. For Tom and Krista it is their second IM race while Brian is lining up for his first.
Hopefully the predicted gale force winds (70-100kmph) and rain will ease and they'll be able to have a good race. Our latest information is that the race organisers are considering cancelling the swim due to the predictions.
Also this weekend is the State Sprint Champs at Redcliffe where we have quite a few members using the race towards World Champs selection later in the year. At least they won't have to contend with gale force winds and rain!
MOOLOOLABA AFTER PARTY
Our social committee have secured a great venue and deal for the Mooloolaba after party. For $35 per person we have our own private area at the Mooloolaba SLSC, 3 free drinks, roast buffet, cheese platter and tea/coffee from 4-10pm.
As always we'll be giving away the $2500 3D 50" panasonic home theatre system from Videopro www.videopro.com.au plus some other prizes. They're always a great way to celebrate another big race and as always family and friends are welcome.
To RSVP please let suz@brisbanetrisquad.com.au know or press 'like" on the BTS facebook post from Tuesday. Final numbers are required by Monday 5th of March.
MONTHLY PRIZES
Thanks again to our sponsors for providing this month's (February) prizes. Firstly the free service from Avanti Plus the Valley was a random draw for new members who let us know on facebook how old they were, how they paid the bills and their worst habit.
The winner was Maddie Morton who did the first beginner course this year. Maddie wins a free service to the value of $100.
The Medilight Permanent Hair Removal and Skin Rejuvination most improved female athlete this month is Jess Melville. Jess has been training with the squad for the past year and has made some great improvements in her swimming especially.
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