BLOG 28/5/12

WINTER CAMP

Our Winter training camp at Tullebudgerra Holiday Village is scheduled for Friday June 22^nd - 24^th. The location is part of the Burleigh Heads Coffee precinct with some great cycling and running in the area. It is villa style accommodation in a beautiful part of the Gold Coast. 

If you’re training for Worlds or looking at a boost for your winter training to prepare for the upcoming season then you can’t go wrong.   All details re the camp schedule and costs are at http://www.brisbanetrisquad.com.au/Camps.php

If you would like to go please e-mail suz@brisbanetrisquad.com.au  by Thursday this week so we can finalise accommodation.

END OF SEASON PARTY

Our hard working social committee have finalised the details for our end of season party on June 16^th from 2pm at the Newstead Bowls Club “The Boo”. Cost is $40 per head which includes prizes, games, food and the first couple of drinks.

We’ll also be giving out our annual end of season awards which include Most Improved athlete, Endurance Award, Most Outstanding male and female athlete and the Coaches award.  The social committee have also come up with some new fun awards that they will be presenting.

Like we did last year we are asking for nominations for the Coaches award.  We are asking members to vote on who they think should receive the award this year.  This award is for people that have a positive effect on the group training, contribute towards to the culture of the group and always strive to maximise their performances through training and races.

Last year’s winner was Paul Scroggie.  Please send your nomination to mark@brisbanetrisquad.com.au

CAIRNS 70.3 AND IM

We have a big group heading to Cairns this weekend to compete mainly in the 70.3 however we do have a few also competing in the IM.  Shane Carlon and Marjorie and Johnny Van Rooyen are all backing up again this year in the IM after their races last year.

In the 70.3IM we about 30 athletes competing with many doing their first half IM.  Last year was a great event and this year should be no different.  You’ll be able to follow the progress of everyone doing the race on www.ironman.com

For those competing we’ll be doing a short swim, bike and run session on the Saturday morning from 7.15am at the swim start.  The swim opens at 7.30am and after the short session we’ll find a nice place for breakfast and coffee before bike racking at 9.00am. There will be someone to look after the bikes while everyone is doing the short swim.

TRAINING

For many June will be a time to have a break while for some such as those going to Worlds it is time to get back into a routine.  The focus for June will be on some technique/easy miles in the pool and bike and continuing our pacing work in the run.

As we head into July and then August we’ll start the strength work required to get through the season well.

If you’re having a break enjoy some sleep ins, relax a little about what you eat and drink and don’t be afraid if you put on a little weight.  The body needs down time and the only way to really do that is to not train for a few weeks.

BTS Blog 14/05

TRAINING CHANGES

With the cooler weather upon us Tuesday night swimming will now be only one session over winter. Start time for the session is 6pm and will be in the 50m pool. 

The Monday night session will remain as 2 sessions as numbers permit. This will probably change to one session after the Cairns event in June.

IRONMAN AUSTRALIA AND BUSSO 70.3
Congratulations to our latest three Ironman athletes who competed at Ironman Australia last weekend. First timer Stephanie Reid had a solid and consistent day out there to finish in 13:55. Great work Steph!

Krista Page posted a strong PB to finish in 13:16. With her sights already on Busso at the end of the year we can see the improvements will keep on coming. Another big PB came from Andrew Lowry with nearly 90 minutes off his first Ironman event to finish in 10:04. These results all reflect the hard work each athlete put into these campaigns.

On the other side of the country we also had the husband and wife team of Mike and Petra Zink competing in their first half Ironman. Mike had a strong cycle time of 2:24 to finish with a 5:17 and Petra showed her determination in battling a glute injury as well as crashing on the bike leg to finish in 6:12.


BYRON BAY TRIATHLON

Congratulations to all those that competed at Byron Bay in the weekend. With perfect conditions it was a great day to be out racing. For those using the race as a lead in to Cairns it was good to see some PBs out there on the course. Also great to see a few familiar faces pop up who we haven't seen at a triathlon for a while - welcome back Marina, Luke and Craig. Congrats also to a couple of first timers Angie Penn who posted a 2:49 and Dave Tormey fresh from the last beginners course who finished in 2:22. Fantastic results for their first Olympic distance.

END OF SEASON PARTY

With the official last race of the season in less than 3 weeks time our end of season party is fast approaching. This is always a great day to unwind with your fellow club mates and reflect on what has been a busy yet fantastic season. Our social committee has again been hard at work organising a celebratory function and they have tried to keep costs down as much as possible.

Details are:

·         Date/Time - Saturday June 16th, starting at 2pm

·         Location – Newstead Bowlo, “The BOO”;

·         Cost $40 per head

·         Includes bowls, food, a couple of drinks PLUS prizes, fun and games!

RSVP is by payment either in cash or into account Brisbane Triathlon Squad, BSB 633 000, a/c 13919 7735 (note this is a separate account to your normal squad fees).

UNIFORMS

It’s great to see more people getting in the squad spirit and wearing the club colours at training and racing. We still have stock of tri suits, hoodies and a couple of visors with more polo shirts arriving on the 23^rd May.

New cycling gear including jerseys, bibs and wind vests are expected to arrive on the 7^th June. We will have extra stock for those that have not pre-ordered but please be aware that we can only guarantee sizing for those that have pre-ordered and paid a deposit for their gear. Check out the website for images of the cycling kit.

WINTER TRAINING CAMP

As the weather gets cooler it becomes that little bit harder to roll out of bed in the mornings and get along to training. What better way to break up those winter blues by coming away on our BTS training camp at Tallebudgera on the Gold Coast. The camp will start late afternoon on Friday 22^nd June and finish after lunch on the Sunday.

The camp will have a cycling focus but will still have a similar style program to our summer camps where we are also swimming and running. The accommodation is in villa style townhouses at the Tallebudgera Holiday Park. This is just over the hill from the surf and coffee precinct of Burleigh Heads and within easy reach of some excellent cycling routes.

We have tried to keep the costs down in comparison to our summer camps and the 2 nights accommodation including Saturday/Sunday lunch and Saturday dinner is $220 per person.

If you are keen to come along we will need a $100 deposit so that we can confirm numbers for the accommodation by the 31^st May 2012. Any questions email suz@brisbanetrisquad.com.au.

BTS Blog 2/5/12

WORLD CHAMPS 2012

Congratulations to the following athletes that will be racing at the World Champs at Auckland in October:

OLYMPIC DISTANCE: Kristy Bell, Alissa Williams, Yas Grigaluinas, Darren Lockhart, Chris Bierton, Jan Avery Spoor, Troy Grimshaw, Claire Huygens, Ivan Simac (NZ) , Suzanne McCarthy (NZ) and Tom Hogbin (reserve)

SPRINT DISTANCE: Tom Verdich, Shannon Dooland, Pat Dall, Mike Hill (NZ) , Leigh Grigaluinas (NZ), Taryn Swan and Merinda Eckart.

Along with our 3 representatives from GCTS we’ll have a strong size touring party with supporters and family.

CONGRATULATIONS

Well done to Mark and Beth Pierce on the birth of their daughter Elsie last weekend. All are doing well although Elsie decided to come a few weeks early.

Also great to see coach Ray Pogi and Jacqui Elliott are now engaged after the big man finally got down on one knee. Congrats to you both.

PRIZES

Thanks again to our great sponsors from Avanti Plus the Valley and Medilight for April’s monthly prizes.

The free bike fit from Avanti Plus goes Nush Vanderwilt for her 4th placing and pb at the TQ Redcliffe triathlon on the weekend. Nush is has been training really well in preparation for her first half IM in Cairns in a few weeks.

The free service also from Avanti Plus goes to Darrell Giles for his 3.07 Marathon in New Zealand last weekend. Darrell has showed that even at age 49 you’re never too old to return to your best as his effort was only 3 min slower than his pb set in his twenties.

The Medilight Permanent Hair Removal Skin Rejuvination most improved female athlete goes to Krista Page for her great 4th placing at Luke Harrop. Krista is heading to Port Macquarie this weekend for the IM event and is in great shape to improve on her efforts there last year.

GOOD LUCK

Also heading to Port Macquarie for the IM are Andrew Lowry and Stephanie Reid. Like Krista they have had a great preparation and are looking forward to the race.

Heading over to Busso for the 70.3IM are the Austrian wonder duo Mike and Petra Zink. It will be their first half IM. Good luck to all our IM racers this weekend.

UNIFORMS - NEW CYCLING GEAR

If you have taken any of the new uniforms could we please ensure that all payments are finalised either via the website or direct bank transfer. We’ll also be ordering some new cycling gear from Scody.

The cost of the gear is $100 for jerseys, $110 for bibs and brace and if there is enough demand $90 for knicks. Please check your sizing at the Scody sizing chart at http://www.scody.com.au/custom-clothing/customclothing/scody-sizing/  We will be ordering some extra sizes if you are unsure.

All orders require a 50% deposit. The design will be the same as the tri suits and send orders to suz@brisbanetrisquad.com.au

END OF SEASON PARTY

Please keep Saturday June 16th free for our end of season party. The social committee are busy preparing a great day for us to celebrate the end of the season and give out awards.

CYCLING

From next week we’ll be starting our main squad and novice level sessions at the same time of 5.20am and from the same location. Ray will still take the novice level group focusing on skill development. By starting together we can ensure people are riding in the right groups relevant to their ability.

Starting with our beginner course, then novice level cycling and into main squad it allows us to have a clear developmental pathway for the cycling component of our training. Then finally with the 100%ers session there is also something for the advanced level cyclists to be further developed.

The 100%ers session with Matt Hopper will be on a rest month before starting back in June.

CAIRNS INFORMATION SESSION

So we have an idea of who is intending on coming along to the information session on Cairns after training this Saturday could you please e-mail me on mark@brisbanetrisquad.com.au

It will be at the pool after the swim finishes at 7.00am. There will be an optional 90 min spin after that for anyone interested.

TRAINING

With the triathlon season now running from August to June it means many people are taking their breaks at different times. For those focused around local events such as Mooloolaba and Luke Harrop it is now a time to rest.

Also those that were working towards World Champs are resting while our Byron Bay and Cairns athletes still have a quite a few weeks to go before they take a break. For our members that have done a beginner course this year they’re still very much enjoying training and talking about Noosa already.

Some have had their break and are getting back into some light training in preparation for the build phase towards major events later in the year. So the month of May represents a mixed bag depending on who you are.

If you’re just getting back into it we would recommend going along to sessions like Alissa's Pilates on Wed night and then doing some easy miles on the bike and run just for enjoyment. Coffee rides or some runs around the river with friends are a great way to ease back into training.

Go along to some other squad sessions if you feel like it, but if not don’t force yourself. Use the time to mentally relax a little before you get back into some structure. At the main squad sessions the focus will be more on starting to work on endurance and easing the intensity a little.

We’ll continue to divide them based on ability and also event focus. There are a lot of events such as trail runs, fun runs, the Noosa winter festival and different cycling events over the next couple of months to keep you going if you’re still keen and motivated.

Once we get into June it will be skill/technique focus which lays a great platform the strength endurance work needed in July and August.

BTS Blog 19/4/12

RESULTS

The final qualifying race for this year’s Worlds Champs was held in Sydney last weekend. We had about 15 athletes racing with Kristy Bell and Chris Bierton leading the way both placing top 10 in their age group.

The team for Auckland will be announced some time next week so hopefully we’ll have some more BTS athletes heading across the ditch to compete in October.

Well done to those people that done the majority of the selection races. It was a big campaign starting late last year and they have certainly earned a break.

LUKE HARROP TRI

This weekend’s race on the Gold Coast is the next biggest event behind Noosa and Mooloolaba. It is also the final race in the Gatorade series and locally the last race of the season.

It is a great event not only because it honours Luke Harrop but also the location and a nice way to finish the season. Our latest beginner course participants are finishing their course on Sunday along with a beginner group from GCTS.

For those doing Byron Bay and Cairns it serves as a good lead up event and a chance to test your training.

If anyone is doing the event for the first time we will be doing a transition tour at 1pm on Saturday. Our beginner course athletes especially will find it useful but anyone is welcome to attend.

We’ll also be providing a bbq for everyone after the race from 10.30am which family and friends are welcome to attend. If you are going to attend please e-mail me at mark@brisbanetrisquad.com.au so we have an idea of numbers for catering.

UNIFORMS

Our new 2 piece tri suits have arrived along with Polo shirts. The head sweats have arrived and we’ll have them at wind trainer, Sat morning cycling and the race on Sunday.

Scody have started working on new cycling gear which will be in line with the tri suits and we are about to place an order for some BTS hoodies now that winter is coming.

CAIRNS INFORMATION SESSION

With many athletes doing their first half IM in Cairns we’ll be holding an information session on Saturday morning the 5th of May after training. It will cover all things about the race plus hydration/nutrition tips and any other relevant information.

That morning will be a 5km swim set followed by an easy 90 min spin. With is also being a long weekend we’ll use the opportunity to get in some longer endurance sessions to help with the preparation for the event.

TOUR DE TRI 2012

Due to being unable to secure the venue at Kawana at a suitable date we have had to cancel this year’s Tour de Tri 24hr event. We investigated other potential venues however none were suitable which left us with no option.

The 24hr Tri is something very special to us and we hope to get it going again in 2013. There are still a couple of other venues that may be possible for 2013 but were not possible for 2012.

TRAINING - BREAK TIME

Unless you’re racing Byron Bay or Cairns, this weekend’s Luke Harrop event represents the end of the season. As such it is time for a break to let your body freshen up and get ready for another season in 2013/2014.

Ideally 3-4 weeks of no training or very light training at the most is recommended. As much as you might not want to lose fitness it is necessary so you can continue to improve. The body is not designed to be race fit all year round and attempts to make it so lead to injury and burn out.

People that take regular breaks, not over race and realise that triathlon is a part of their life, not their whole life will always stay in the sport longer. They will perform better, have less injuries/illness and generally have a healthier outlook on the sport.

So enjoy Sunday and then look forward to some sleep ins, relaxed weekends that don’t involve training and a time to catch up on some of those around the house jobs that have been put off for too long.

BTS Blog 2/4/12

WELL DONE

Congratulations to everyone who competed at Mooloolaba and IM Melbourne last weekend. At Mooloolaba the conditions were quite similar to last year with a nice headwind on the bike and a choppy swim but that didn't stop some fast times and pb's.

As always we had a large group of people doing their first Olympic Distance race or Mooloolaba including some from our most recent beginner course. Our most improved athlete from last year was Sophie Mooney who improved 18 minutes on last year's time to post a 2.40.

Our fastest female was Kristy Bell in 2.22 which was also a pb and all but secured he place in the Australian team for World Champs. New BTS life member Chris Bierton had a blinder to post a 2.03 which was a 7min improvement on last year's race.

In Melbourne the athletes were greeted by a calm day which was different to the days leading into the race where there was even talk about the swim being cancelled. We had Paul Scroggie, Tim Osborne and Yas Grigaluinas all ready to go.

For Yas it was her debut IM and she had a great race to post a 10.56, while Tim it was IM number 5 and a pb of 10.43. Paul was lining up for his second IM and like his first IM he was unlucky to suffer at the hands of the wheel gods!

Due to his tyre slicing open Paul had to walk a few km back to transition early in the bike leg and get a whole new wheel before he could continue. After losing an hour he was back on the road to finish in 11.25 and with some more luck Paul will smash out a low 10 or even sub 10 hr IM in the future.

VIDEOPRO MOOLOOLABA PRIZE

Thanks to our great sponsors at Videopro we were able to give away another $2500 Panasonic home theatre system at the Mooloolaba after party. This year the lucky winner was Jess Melville.

Congratulations to Jess and a big thanks to Jason and the team from Videopro for their continued support.

WHAT'S NEXT?

We have the final selection race for World Champs in Sydney, Luke Harrop, Byron Bay and Cairns Half to finish the season off in early June. It certinly makes for a long season considering we started back in September at Kingscliffe.

If Mooloolaba was your last race then have a break for 2-3 weeks now but if not then it is important to take a break at some stage after your last race of the season. With World Champs, Noosa and Busso IM later in the year we have a big off season ahead to get ready for some very important races.

LONG DISTANCE PROGRAM

Due to the amount of BTS members training and competing in long distance events we have started a permanent long distance program to compliment our current squad sessions.

You may have already noticed the long distance calendar link on the training calendar page of the website. Some of the sessions are in conjunction with current squad sessions and where that is the case they will perform different sets to replicate the demands of the longer events.

You'll also notice that each weekend we'll suggest a meeting place longer ride for members to meet up at. The longer ride and run are an essential part of any long distance program and nothing replaces getting miles in the legs.

The long distance calendar will be updated each month and may change to reflect the race or time of the year. With the our beginner course, permanent novice level sessions, short course racing program and now a long distance program we have a clear development path for athletes to take if they decide to tackle some long distance events.

BIKE SESSIONS

We have noticed lately that some members may need to be reminded about preparation for weekly bike sessions. As age groupers we only have so much time to train so it is important that we maximise that time especially on the bike.

For all bike sessions could we please ensure that everyone is ready to go at the designated start time and not arriving at the start time. If the start time is 5.20am then we expect that everyone is ready to start the session then and not pumping up tyres, putting lights on and locking cars.

Things like lights and tyres can be done the night before so that when you arrive you're ready to go.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Brad and Sarah Jones on the birth of their first child, a baby girl April.

MEDILIGHT PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL AND SKIN REJIVINATION MOST IMPROVED FEMALE ATHLETE

This month goes to Claire Lynch for her 17 min pb at Mooloolaba. Claire has come along way over the last 2-3 years since she first joined Brisbane Run Squad through the Bridge to Brisbane training sessions.

Now she is getting ready to do her first half IM in June at Kona. We look forward to watching her further improve and thanks again to Medilight for their support.

SAMOA OCEAN SWIM SERIES

King of Samoa and BTS coach Ray Pog is keen to see if anyone would like to join him on a trip to his homeland in late July for a 3 event ocean swim series. Go to www.samoaswimseries.com/ to find out all about it.

BTS Blog 22/3/12

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.

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.

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.