Updates on IMNZ 2012

I am doing much better: My injuries, sustained during a freak accident, seem to be healing. I can swim, ride and run with less discomfort. Overall, my fitness is enhanced; I have achieved some of my goals like hitting an average running cadence of 90-92 footfalls per minute, holding the pace during my time trials (with heavy gears), managing the short intervals during swim-sets, and adjusting to my renewed nutrition plan.

Last week, I missed my last long ride and still have a 90K, tapering ride to do this weekend. On Monday, I swam 3.1K (main sets being 20X100m with pull-buoy) followed with an hour running at 11kph pace (my desired Ironman marathon pace). On Sunday, I rode 100 minutes on the stationary-bike, followed immediately with 20 minutes on the treadmill at race-pace. So far, all systems go! With two and half weeks left, my taper has to be precise and safe until I reach Lake Taupo.

Coach Craig ‘Fox’ Holland has been encouraging and directive with my weekly training program, culminating this week as the beginning of the tapering weeks. Dhubai-based David Chambers has been supportive from afar, with his constant e-mails and status of his quest for endurance glory. My donors to my charity, CF4Kids have also been my motivator, placing their faith in my personal challenge and cause.

It has been said ‘Third’s time a charm!’ I truly hope so, as this has been my toughest preparation for the 226K-triathlon format since IMWA 2006. I look forward to my 4K swim this evening before my club’s AGM. I have still more to do, before I sculpt the great statue from the block of stone! I just need to remove the unwanted bits and pieces before revealing the wonderful statue from within.

Pre-Race Preparations for An Ironman Triathlon - By the Fox

Editor: This was posted sometime ago, and I felt it warrants a reprint, as there is a large group of participants for Ironman Western Australia 2011 and IM New Zealand 2012. I requested my Coach, Craig ‘Fox’ Holland to share his pre-race preparation with fellow participants of Ironman Western Australia 2010. This year’s race falls on 4 December, in Busselton, Perth. Fox, 50 years old – who finished the World Championships in Kona in 2005, will be racing again in Busselton – secured two sub-11 finishes last year. He is an international consultant, and online triathlon coach. We posted an interview of him last week.

Much has been written about taper time. However, all athletes respond differently. As with coaching individual athletes, I believe there is no one solution that will suit all. Every one reacts differently depending on your genetics, athletic ability, recovery time, work/life priorities, and the way you handle stress.

However if you are in doubt, don’t do it! REST UP…!

Tapering allows the body and mind to recover and freshen up, replenish glycogen and motivation levels. Enjoy the moment and start visualising yourself succeeding on race day.

I do not recommend doing nothing. Past experience indicates most athletes will benefit from a reduction in training volume in the last week by around 50-75%. You may feel frustrated but, realistically, you don't need to do much except keep the system alive and sharp. Some short sharp intervals will be sufficient. Cramming in extra sessions now will be detrimental.

If you can, have a sports massage and stretch as often as you can. Stay relaxed.

Maintain normal sleeping patterns, and get quality sleep. In the morning before race day, take your bike for a last short spin/check out incorporating a few surges to lift the heart rate.

Rest and get off your legs for most of the day. Do not stand around all day at the expo or do a tourist adventure, mountain climb, etc. with your loved ones. Save it for post-race activities.

Do not do anything in taper week in terms of diet and fluid intake that you do not do normally. There are no special supplements or drinks that are going to increase your performance, except for a little increase of carbohydrates.

Stick with what your body already knows. Race-week is not the time to be experimenting.

Essay & Photo-credit: Craig Holland & Mel Chan

Letting Them Beat You Occasionally: A Coach's Journey (Part 2)

Another Coaching Milestone occurred whilst I was working with a fellow trainer, Enrico Varella in Singapore.  One of my hobbies is competing in triathlons – Olympic and Ironman distances.  Enrico was a very dedicated bodybuilder and athlete, however he could not imagine swimming, riding and running in a one event, let alone competing in an Ironman race. After much coercing and convincing him that any one can do it – as long as you are willing to put the work in – he started to train for a short distance race. Over the next six months, I would send words of encouragement and training programs but he seemed to have hit a plateau. So, the next trip I was in Singapore we linked up for a run after one of our workshops.

The goal was to complete a 10km run. We aimed to run along the East Coast of Singapore for 5km then turn around at the halfway point and run back. After about 2km, I noticed he was taking it very, very easy and lagging behind. I asked,  "What are you waiting for, a taxi?" You have the ability and fitness to make the 10km easy. He informed me that he had only run 10km, two other times but very slow.

So, I set him a challenge: he was to turn at the 5km mark and run back to the start point, I would run 5.5km and chase him to the finish. Enrico would run 10km, and I would run 11km all up.  Last one back had to buy dinner.   We got to the 5 km mark and he turned for home, I bid him farewell and headed for the 5.5km mark.  As I ran off I noticed his pace had increased considerably. So I gave it all and ran as hard as I could. With 1km to go I had closed the gap to within 100 metres and started to yell out, "I'm closing up behind you!" Enrico lifted the pace like a man possessed. I reduced the gap to 20 metres and backed off to allow him to cross the line first very exhausted. He had run a PB, the fastest 10km ever for him.

Since then he has gone on to complete 11 Ironman races and is highly recognised throughout Singapore for his rapid progression and dedication towards training. Sometimes we have to set ourselves challenging goals to stretch and achieve our real potential. Sometimes we need to take a loss to have a win also. Well done Enrico, it was a pleasure buying the dinner. You are an IRONMAN!

EV: Thanks a million - mate [shakes his head in disbelief]! What was it like to qualify, and complete Kona?

CH: Fantastic, the whole journey was very fulfilling. It was a sense of achievement and closure. After all the years of hard training and sacrifices made by my loved ones and myself, it was nice to achieve the goals I had set.

EV: Do you think triathletes need coaching?

CH: Yes, definitely. There is so much to learn about the sport. I have a different coach for Swimming, Riding and Running. Other aspects that need attention include nutrition, equipment selection, mental aspects, (mind control), race tactics, tapering before a race, post training and race recovery, physiology, maintaining work/life harmony and most important of all, your loved ones.

EV: How can triathletes get on a coaching program?

CH: There are many different means available for triathletes these days, ranging from triathlon magazines, the Internet, online coaching, tri clinics to personal coaches. I think it is important to seek out a coach who you respect and is able to tailor the coaching program to suit your individual needs. You need to be considerate of your work, family, mental and physical situations, and adaptable enough to adjust the program accordingly.

EV: Thanks, Fox for the interview!

Ironman World Championships 2005, Kona, Hawaii – 10 hours 38 min

2002 Forster Australian Ironman – 10 hours 32 minutes

2005 Forster Australian Ironman: 10 hours 2 minutes

2010 Ironman New Zealand: Sub-11:00

2010 Ironman Western Australia: Sub-11:00

Australian Defence Olympic Triathlon Championships - 2 hours 2 min 35 seconds

1st place: Fuji-Xerox Singapore Open Water Swim 2006 (1.5km)

1st place: Fuji-Xerox Singapore Open Water Swim 2007 (1km)

2nd place: OSIM International Triathlon (Singapore) 2007, 45-49 years

And many more!

Craig Holland provides Leadership Training and Motivational Coaching to develop your peak performance mentally and physically. He can be contacted at foxholland@aapt.net.au [Editor: I have since progressed into a Boston Qualifier, sub-3:30 marathoner, ultra-marathoner, and aiming for my 12^th Ironman finish in March.]

© 2009-2011 Enrico Varella & Tri2Lead.com

Reproduction of material from any Lead2Tri.blogspot.com pages without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Letting Them Beat You Occasionally: A Coach's Journey (Part 1)

Editor: We first conducted this interview with my Australian triathlon coach, Craig ‘Fox’ Holland in 2009. He was one of three people who inspired me to take up the sport of triathlons in 2004. As he has coached me over the last seven years, I felt that it would be useful now, to publish this again (updated), for those making their first attempt at Ironman Western Australia 2011 or Ironman New Zealand 2012. Fox has been coaching several Singaporean triathletes over the last few years; his popularity being that he is highly accessible, and he is passionate about developing his coachee’s athletic potential. In subsequent days, I will post some of the Fox’s pre-race, motivational pieces he submitted over the years. Enjoy!

Craig ‘Fox’ Holland resides in beautiful Nelson Bay, Coastal Beach Village in New South Wales, Australia. He represented Australia in both the Olympic Distance as well as Ironman distance in the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in 2005. He is the holder of many age-group triathlon awards. Since 2004, Fox has coached dozens of executives on how to start their training for biathlons, triathlons and endurance races. He has helped his students and neophytes realise their personal dreams of completing their first triathlon, open water swim, marathon, and Ironman triathlon. He was an aircraft technician in his previous life, and is now an International Management Consultant/Trainer.

Craig Holland and Enrico Varella were in Nusa Dua, Bali for this interview. We were seated on deckchairs by the swimming pool, watching the waves plough the shores mercilessly. Fox’s skin showed a crispy, sun-kissed tan, of having spent three weeks surfing 6-foot waves. As planning and coincidence had it, we met up with him and his family (wife, Sue; sons, 16-year-old Cameron and11-year-old Mitch). We chatted about his 10 years of working on projects in Singapore, his admiration for Bruce Lee (whom he finds most inspiring as an athlete), and his yearning to qualify for Kona in his new age-group of 50-54. By the way, years of competing in endurance sports has taken its toll on his joints, and he has undergone reconstructive shoulder and knee surgery. In spite of his condition, he enjoys racing and the camaraderie his sports bring to him. 

Seizing the day, this interview was developed further with mobile technology (Skype and electronic mail) since we were nomadic executives.

Enrico (EV): What are your professional views of coaching?

Craig Holland (CH): I believe coaching should be personalised to the individual needs, with goals set higher than the coachee's expectations. 

Quite often, we set goals that under-estimate our true potential. I'm don't mean un-realistic/un-achievable goals, but challenging enough to make the coachee exceed their limitations, physically and mentally.  You want to put/see that sparkle in their eyes where the coachee actually thinks…

Yes, maybe I could do it. Wouldn't it be great if I did? I think it is possible with more dedication and refinement. If they can do it, so can I. Why not? I'll show them.

EV: What are your personal views of coaching?

CH: Coaching should be a two-way relationship of trust between the coach and the coachee. The coach has to be willing to loose to the coachee at times to achieve a win in the long term. The biggest compliment to the coach is when the coachee becomes more skilled at the practice than the coach. This reminds me of your favourite Zen saying: "When the Student is ready, the Master will appear." Correct?

EV: That is correct, Grasshopper! What is your experience with coaching executives, internationally?

CH: I have been involved with coaching executives internationally for the past eight years in Australia, Asia, The Middle East, and Africa. Whilst there is a large diversity of cultures between the countries, we humans "yearn to learn" and are willing to listen and change behaviors if they can see the benefits. It is important to identify the improved skills and how they will change the coachee' s work/life harmony.

EV: When does it work best?

CH: When the coachee has not had the chance to learn bad habits. When the coachee has the time/infrastructure and support systems in place to allow them to practice, refine the skills with continuous guidance/feedback and reassurance. It also helps if the Coachee has constant exposure to experts/masters in the field to model excellence. Seek out what the best do and learn from them.

EV: When does coaching get challenging?

CH: When the coachee does not see improvement in their performance immediately and they become de motivated. Loose focus. When the coachee wants to change but does not have the support of their supervisors.

EV: How do you measure the impact of coaching?

CH: It is important to initially identify the coachee' s skills/abilities and then set sub-goals/milestone/challenges for them to achieve along the way.

EV: How do coaching triathletes tie in with your coaching of adult-learners and executives?

CH: You need to believe in yourself, and have the right mindset. When coaching executives try to get them to believe they do have the capabilities/talents to achieve. I often use stories of athletes I have known/coached that could only dream of taking on a triathlon or Ironman. But with perseverance, dedication and guidance they have climbed their mountains.

EV: Which are two of your best coaching stories?

CH: I have many great success stories involving both business and sports.

One recent success story involved working with Nokia; I have been responsible for training Nokia Manager's in the Middle East, South African and Asia. It is a Leadership program with an emphasis on Psychological Profiling, Coaching and Change Management with three post-course virtual coaching sessions. One particular manager was very stressed out about their failing relationship between his Boss and work colleagues. They stated that they had no work/life harmony and that their relationship with their partner and young child was also suffering and that they never had time to exercise or play sport. The Doctor had also commented about their raising blood pressure.

After working with the manager we discussed issues about their individual personality preferences, their staff's/Boss’s personality and management style and what work/life harmony would they like to have? Over the next three months the manager implemented many changes, such as instigating regular focus groups between themselves and work colleagues, prioritized their work commitments, did not micro-manage staff anymore (which gave them more time for other duties). They had also joined a local gym with their partner and were dedicating time to watch their children play sport one night a week and on the weekend. Their boss had noted the changes and the manager had recently been offered a promotion.

(continued on next post)…

Running Effortlessly: Running Doesn’t Ruin Knees

In spite of significant cases of runners who get injured from running, there are just as many who do not damage their ankles, knees and hips. With all the controversy about minimalist running, unshod running and barefoot running, the jury is still out. 

Here is a photo of Pete Jacobs, at his running clinic for BPMSports. He is the consultant coach for this boutique coaching company (based in Singapore). The third fastest male marathoner, of all time, at the world championships at Kona-Hawaii Pete has more than one reason to be noticed seriously. This top-10 finisher at Kona in 2009 and 2010 was the fastest over-42.195K last year in Kona.

Here are some key points about running better:

1)    Proper technique is the key. However obvious this sounds, it is still popularly overlooked.

2)    Run low. Run light. Keep your feet near the ground.

3)    Before you begin running, do barefoot drills.

4)    Warm up is essential for activating your core muscles and major muscle groups (glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, ankles).

5)    Keep cadence high. Keep frequency (leg turnover) high.

6)    Land flat on your feet – and wholly. Your Achilles tendon springs your feet upwards and forwards.

7)    Relax your arms. The rhythm of your arms follows your legs.

8)    Stand up straight. ‘Run tall’ (be at your tallest instead of slouching or bending forwards).

9)    When you run tall, you land with straighter legs and therefore less recruitment of muscles that fatigue.

The occasional sore knees or ankles earned from a hard session, is understandable. Use ice, post-exercise stretching, and self-massage to ease the discomfort. As long as it is not excruciating pain from injury, rest assured that proper running form requires some time to learn. However, the returns on investment will be deeply appreciated as your scheduled efforts translate into more speed and efficiency when you step up.

On a nutritional note, a long-term multi-vitamin supplementation to the diet yielded no strong evidence of benefits. Natural foods seem to be the way to gain our nutrients. Also, based on the osteopathic/natural therapy approach glucosamine use seems to be complemented with Omega-3 fatty acids/oils. I also did a nutritional type (NT) test yesterday, and my results pointed to a Mixed Diet. It still means I have to watch what I eat, as there are foods I am aware I am intolerant to. Such is life, and the pursuit of athletic excellence!

****

I have been stepping up my training for Lanzarote; however, more on intensity than mileage. Over-distance seems to cause grief on my knees and ankles, so I do them only when scheduled. My body is going through a delineation process, where my weight goes up and down 2kg, with my body fat still meandering about the single digit zone. Last night’s rain after the 6K (@4:20 pace) was put to a temporary stop when it poured buckets, and I perceived that the immediate lightning risk was high. 10 minutes later, I dashed off when the lightning frequency was less, and spat out another 15K. I believe I held a 4:45-4:50 minute/km pace – so I was happy about that, despite my wet Newton Gravity shoes and one resultant blister. So, I am on-track for a PB (target of 3:15) at the Gold Coast Marathon in July. I have been following Fox's prescription of three, specific, sessions weekly whilst preparing for my 11^th Ironman. The pool running intervals are helping heaps as I have replaced my barefoot runs with a 2-in-1 approach (barefoot + intervals). My target is to hold 42.195K at 4:35-4:40 minute/km, to qualify for Boston again with a better timing and thus, better opportunity for the 2012 slot.

I am excited about my run clinic on 23 April. Lots to share, I assure you – if you want to learn from a 40-something, amateur athlete, who started endurance running only six years ago, and qualified for Boston. We are standing on the shoulders of giants!


Photo-credit: Richard Leong