As we leap into another financial year (can you hear the accountant’s party poppers going off???) we again face the dilemma of whether or not to sign up as a member of Triathlon Australia (TA).

As someone who has been a member for a good 15+ years, paying the membership fee each June/July has been a ritual as much about supporting our awesome sport as it has been for obtaining whatever membership benefits have been on offer.

Over the past decade, the introduction of a single day licence has gradually reduced the need for an annual membership in many athletes’ cases. Note I haven’t said it eliminates the need for membership as the insurance cover included in membership covers you 24/7 while racing and training.

Seeing as the TA site currently displays no mention of membership for the 2011-12 period (note that it begins in approximately 2 hours time as I write this), it is natural to question whether you should be signing up simply out of a desire to “support the sport”.

So a couple of points to consider  until we know what membership for 2011-12 will include and cost:

• Where will you be racing? Domestically or overseas at championship races? Do you want to be eligible to win state/national/world titles?
• If you have private health insurance, does it cover you while training AND racing?

I’d love to see TA do a brilliant job of representing and nurturing our sport as they have done so in the past, but I refuse to blindly pay once again if the benefits are questionable. Having said that, nothing would please me more right now than to hand over my dollars and know that TA plan to use them to introduce more people to our sport and provide prompt, professional service.

Bring it on TA, show us what you’ve got to offer.

For all of us living down under in Australia, tonight is the winter solstice. Tomorrow sees a little more daylight and we inch ever so slowly back to the joys of summer. Remember those? Rides in the sun, open water swims and putting on the sunscreen before a run. That’s the life we love.

Here’s a little video that might give you a little boost to come out of winter stronger, tougher and faster. Race day is on it’s way…

Picture this. You’re out riding one day and a little way up the road you see another cyclist, pedaling considerably slower than yourself and wearing kit that looks like it’s well beyond it’s best before date. As you approach, without a second thought you edge out to the right and zoom on by, perhaps with a little “g’day” or a wave of your hand. At that point, your thoughts turn to the road ahead. That guy behind you doesn’t even get a second thought.

On the odd occasion, that guy you just passed will have achieved more than you ever have on your two wheeled steed. Someday, should you cruise past and strike up a conversation, you may find that that old guy has raced in the past. And not just raced, but experienced races tougher than those that exist today. His ride today isn’t because he’s training for something, it’s because he just loves riding his bike.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have such conversations and hear stories of races like the Sun Tour and Melbourne to Warrnambool, long before there was anything fluro or carbon in the peloton. On the odd occasion, there have been former top level riders at family dinner parties or BBQ’s. They look the same as every other older gentleman, complete with cardigan and handkerchief, except they probably have a passion for watching SBS in July just as you do! The stories have covered everything from cyclocross racing in Belgium, to leading the Sun Tour, right through to riding from Melbourne to Frankston to Dandenong and back each night after work, in the dark, on dirt roads, in the hope of making the national team. That’s passion.

My passion on this topic probably stems from the knowledge that one of my ancestors ran a bike shop at the bottom of Fitzroy St in St.Kilda, helped kick off the first Austral Wheelrace and mapped out cycling routes across the whole of Victoria. Taking part in some of the historic open races around Australia is definitely on my list.

If you’re wondering where this post stemmed from, take a look at this awesome video over at CyclingTips.

Next time you pass that old guy…

For those of you combining triathlon and being a new parent, the latest issue of eMag Ryding2Health features an article specifically aimed at new fathers, combining advice from both Jon Elliott and myself.

Check out the article if you’re a new dad – it contains some useful tips regarding improving how you juggle both your triathlon and parenting.

The mag contains plenty of other entertaining and useful content as well – and it’s absolutely free!

Here is a video clip for you to watch this weekend. It’s your right to be want you want to be and do what you want to do. Step out of the everyday and into the world you create for yourself and those around you. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

We’re just over two weeks out from the race that is for many, a culmination of a season’s worth of training and racing. For some, it is an annual ritual. For others, like my good mate Stuart Charman (@stucharman), it is a venture into the unknown – an introduction to the Ironman experience.

I say “experience”, because taking part in an Ironman event doesn’t lie in just what happens on race day. As you know, there are months of preparation that lie beforehand, and as race day draws closer, the little things get magnified and as an athlete you naturally question and scrutinise every single little thing you do.

If I can give you one piece of advice – trust your own experience and have faith that you have what it takes to achieve your goal.

This post is basically a collection of useful links and videos that you may find helpful in the lead up to Port Macquarie.

• 3 Weeks till Ironman Australia, make them count – 5 easy ways to get your body in race ready shape between now and May 1st.

A few of my posts relating specifically to Port Macquarie:

• Ironman University – Two Weeks Out… – a few of my tips to get your prepared.
• The Curse of the Ironman PB - ok, this post didn’t lead to the result I hoped, but it might help you!
• 6 Ways To Help Save Triathlon – just a few things you can do whilst in Port Mac to help keep the locals smiling!
• My Top 5 Ironman Triathlon Mistakes – read these and avoid learning the hard way.

Here are four videos from Mitch Anderson and the crew at FirstOffTheBike.com (keep in mind the course has changed in some parts this year, although much of it will be the same or similar):

This little video provides a short introduction to a small section of the course.Whilst it doesn’t show much, I find any vision I can get of a course before arriving in the town helps visualise what it will be like.

If you only look at one video, make it this last one. Thanks to TriSpecific and Urban Ninja for bringing it to my attention! If it doesn’t make you want to get out there and give it your best, I suggest you quietly pop your race gear back in its box and go put your feet up. Everyone else, get out there and race!!!

I hope you find some of this information helpful. Success in Ironman is about hard work, specific training and intelligent racing. Get to it!

It’s been a few weeks now that I’ve been testing the Skins A400 Compression Half Tights and I’ve got to say that are at the top of my running gear pile!

My training time has been quite limited lately, so most of my runs have been quality sessions – either short intervals on the track or longer fartlek work on the local trails. In the past I’ve only been able to manage one intense run session per week but having cut back the volume, I am handling the increased intensity quite well. At the same time, I’ve switched to lighter shoes for training – Asics DS Trainer – which in the past have left me with tight and sore legs afterwards but have recently felt more comfortable than my older, heavier training shoes.

This improvement in my run training is indicative of taking care of the factors that actually allow me to run in the first place. Eating healthily and regular Trigger Point therapy applied to my body is increasing the speed at which I can recover from these harder sessions. Also playing a role are the compression half tights I’ve been wearing during the sessions.

I’ve used Skins compression tights previously for recovery purposes but these half tights were the first compression garment I’ve used during training.

Have you ever seen the super slow motion footage of tennis players as they lunge for a baseline shot? Well, I imagine that it’s probably pretty similar, if not worse, every step of a training run!

The first thing I noticed when I ran in these was that my quads felt like they were being held in place, and it sounds silly but I felt more “Kenyan-like”, in that I could feel less shockwaves running through my upper legs, a sensation of feeling a few kilos lighter – it’s a shame my running speed wasn’t more “Kenyan-like”!

As I mentioned in my first post about these shorts, during speed work is where I’ve noticed the biggest difference. I’ve been running some 400m repeats around the 70sec mark and at that pace they give my 80kg frame some much needed support.

The fabric used in the shorts feels and looks great. I can’t think of anything to pick on in that regards. I’ve had some shorts before that have had stitches popping within a few uses, even with extra care. I’ve had no issues with the stitching in these, although as with all compression garments, I think you get extra life out of the them if you take steps not to over stretch them when putting them on or taking them off. I’ve worn this pair numerous times already and they are showing no signs of wear and tear or overstretching.

A pretty cool feature is a small built in pocket at the rear, just the right size to hold a couple of keys. Sometimes you end up running with a Fuel Belt or equivalent if your shorts don’t cater for keys/coins, etc., but this pocket is just right.

I love the black/charcoal colour scheme of the pair I have – although the black with white and yellow logos stands out more for other runners to see, which I think is an important factor in a garment. For runners/cyclists, etc., being able to identify what someone else is wearing whilst on the move can be a factor in influencing your future purchases.

I really can’t fault these shorts and would happily purchase a pair in the future. They feel great and more importantly, they are helping me to improve my running. During the whole time that I’ve been using these shorts, I haven’t had that next day burning quads feeling, which to me indicates these shorts are helping reduce muscle damage in my quality sessions and enabling me to back up again during the week for some more fast running.

I’m looking forward to having a race in them at the Run for the Kids on April 17!

Note: Skins Australia are not a sponsor of mine but have supplied me with this product to trial and review – all views within this blog post are mine, and not those of Skins Australia.

I’ve been lucky enough to be given a pair of Skins A400 Compression Half Tights to test out. I’ll provide a full review after a few more runs but I can already tell you that these are some really comfortable shorts for training in.

The packaging is quite impressive – they come in a slide out box, sure, that has no impact on performance but when you’re in store and buying some gear, it’s always nice when something comes nicely packaged rather than folded up in a bag. When you’re investing in some compression gear, I reckon that’s a nice touch.

Aside from some tight fitting triathlon gear, these are the first dedicated compression shorts I’ve run in. Now, I’ve only been for a couple of runs in them so far but having tried many different brands in the past, these shorts are the most comfortable by far. There are no uncomfortable seams inside or out, they have a smooth feel about them and there have been no chaffing issues whatsoever (so important!!).

I’m looking forward to giving them a run on the track for some speedwork – being around the 80kg mark, my quads usually suffer once I’m running sub 3:30min/km pace. From how they’ve felt so far, these shorts feel like I’ll have that extra bit of support I need to get some decent sessions done; and be able to back up the next day! I’ll let you know how it goes!

Note: Skins Australia are not a sponsor of mine but have supplied me with this product to trial and review – all views within this blog post are mine, and not those of Skins Australia.

Sometimes I learn the hard way. Having been through the “old-school” path of working up through the triathlon ranks to the Ironman distance, after sixteen years I’ve made my fair share of mistakes.

Some say that the best way to be successful is to learn from your mistakes. Others believe learning from failure is overrated and you should emphasise learning from your successes instead. I’ve formed the opinion that if you attempt to learn from all experiences – positive and negative – you’re on the right track.

As you may know, Ironman can be a fickle beast. One minute you feel on top of the world, the next you’re scraping the bottom of the energy barrel. Little errors produce little effects. Little effects gradually accumulate and have the potential to ruin your day.

I have selected five mistakes I’ve made in Ironman racing – some big, some small – but all have impacted negatively on my racing at some point. Own their own, some of these mistakes might not amount to much, but when you combine a couple of them you suddenly have a recipe for a bad race.

Training Too Hard During Race Week
This is a rookie mistake that some athletes make year after year. The temptations of Ironman race week can be too good to resist and who doesn’t want to get out and be part of the buzz? Swimming, running, cycling – the town buzzes with fit athletes, primed and ready to go. Save your hard efforts for race day. There are few things more disheartening in this sport than having your best run two days out from race day, and wondering where it went come marathon time.

Believing What I Read, Not What I Do
The triathlon world is jam packed with advice. Some of it will work for you. Some of it won’t. Make sure your preparations and race day decisions are based on what you know works for you. Just because your favourite pro athlete says it works a treat doesn’t mean it will – for you. Find out for yourself before race day and trust your choices.

Neglecting The Bike
For a well balanced athlete, an Ironman bike leg comprises more than 50% of total race time. Knowing that, it is obvious that being strong on the bike can be advantageous. This can be easily overlooked though when trying to improve your run split. Concentrating more on run training must equal a faster marathon split – no? Each athlete is presented with a big opportunity to get to the run leg with fresher legs – in fact, that opportunity is 180km long! Being a stronger cyclist allows you to start running with fresher legs and is one of the rare situations where cycling actually improves your running!

Being Blasé About The Course
Pay attention to course maps and elevation profiles. Even small changes to a course you think you know can impact greatly on your performance if you are ill prepared. I made this mistake the first time I raced Ironman Australia at Port Macquarie. I had made a reconnaissance trip to check out the course almost a year prior but failed to take the undulations of the course into account when training. Needless to say, I realised 5km into the bike leg that I had underestimated the course and failed to give it the respect it deserved. The following year I fixed that.

Ironman racing can really be about limiting the number of mistakes you make along the way. You know how to get from A to B – that part is simple. It is how you limit and manage the inevitable hurdles you face on race day that determine your success. Go forth and conquer!

Boring! That’s what most people are probably thinking when they read the title of this post. The fact that you are reading this sentence means you probably have some appreciation for healthy nutrition. It’s a shame those others don’t realise how much performance you can gain through changing simple eating habits!

Over the years, I’ve been to coaching/nutrition courses, training camps, and nutritional seminars. All pretty much drill the same old spiels into you. As a teenage triathlete I would sometimes eat huge amounts of pasta, bread and cereals, simply because that’s what I was told was the best thing to do by those “in the know”! In fact, I would go as far as saying that there is almost a binge eating issue in some circles of the sport. I speak as an former example of that.

Long training rides were a lead up to a post-training refuel that consisted of eating as much as I could, a lot of it high in sugar. It’s no wonder that the following day saw me feeling incredibly lethargic. My body was still struggling to process all of the rubbish I’d stuffed into it. Sound familiar?

Ok, so maybe you haven’t submitted yourself to quite the same turmoil, but it can easily become the normal post-training routine. In return, you easily lose the benefits of doing the training in the first place and quite possibly cause your body a great deal of harm. Unfortunately, for quite a while I considered this to be normal – as do, I suspect, many other triathletes out there.

So what did I change? I began to eat less processed foods and replace them with natural alternatives like fruit, vegetables, lean sources of protein and nuts. I concentrated on lowering the quantity of food I was eating and increasing the quality of it. I started doing the majority of the shopping around the edges of the supermarket, where the fresh produce, frozen goods and less processed items can be found – trying to only venture into the aisles for canned fruit & vegies, oats and bathroom/laundry items.

The effects of this gradual change have included feeling more energetic, faster recovery from training, a “lighter” feeling stomach and wounds (eg. blisters) heal super fast, just to name a few.

Now, I’ll admit to having a sweet tooth and enjoying some so called “bad” foods, but they’re only really “bad” when not eaten in moderation. A little indulgence is a healthy thing.

Take a look at your post-training habits. Are they healthy?

I challenge you to ask yourself whether your nutritional approach to life in general is helping you to lead a healthy life, because without your health, athletic performance is irrelevant. You can start with your next meal. What small changes could you make?