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WelcomeISSUE 22 / FEBRUARY 2012

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SECRETS TO SUCCESSHEAR HOW THE GREATS GOT TO WHERE THEY ARE

MENTAL MUSCLEMASTER YOUR MIND, MASTER YOUR RACE

February 2012 R32.95

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MIND FRAME BE THE BESTTRIUMPH

ALL THE BEST GEAR 2012 HAS TO OFFER

12 WEEK PLAN FOR

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FOR GEAR NO.1

NEW GEAR PREVIEW

PLUS THE ESSENTIAL TRI KIT

Q&A WITH THE BROWNLEES HOW TO FIGHT POST IRONMAN BLUES

ON THE COVER Kris Gemmell, ITU Auckland World Cup Winner

Photography www.triathlon.org

12 FEBRUARY 2012 FEBRUARY 2012 13

PRESENTS

THIS IS YOURWORLD

THE THREE SPORTS WERE A MINOR CONCERN COMPARED TO THE WEATHER EXPERIENCED DURING THESE RACES.

FEBRUARY 2012 13

EXTREME CONDITIONS

NORSEMAN TRIATHLON NORWAY 2011IT MAY not have the sex appeal of a Hawaii Ironman,

but when a race bills itself, “Xtreme Triathlon,” what

more needs to be said?

The 2011 edition not only looked gruelling in

terms of the weather conditions, but as the

race manual so bluntly points out – “during the

Norseman, you will probably be cold!” Couple that

with the Xtreme terrain, and you have one hell of a

race to get yourself through. Even the 2011 winner,

Tim DeBoom (Ironman World Champion 2001 /2)

looked fearful as to what he had let himself in for, as

the rain was lashing down, prior to the start. What a

way to start an 11-hour day. Xtreme is certainly one

way of describing it!

12 FEBRUARY 2012

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XTRI

Endure The ExtremeMeet the triathletes who take it to

the next level PAGE 12

38 FEBRUARY 2012 FEBRUARY 2012 39

NEW GEAR

PREVIEW 2012

Every year the casinos of Las Vegas see an influx of the hottest multi-sport

GEAR at the Interbike show. We trawled the aisles for the fastest bikes and

newest upgrades to fill your 2012 wishlist

Words Guy Kesteven Photos Russell Burton

I

FEBRUARY 2012 111110 FEBRUARY 2012

The Latest GearTake yourself to the next level with the latest gear

PAGE 38

50 FEBRUARY 2012 FEBRUARY 2012 51

WE’RE INSPIRED BY

SEPTEMBER 2011 51

GARETH LAWRENCE BATTLES HIS BODY TO KEEP ON COMPETING

I’VE WRITTEN many stories about my sporting career. Most are only intended for my own eyes, for motivation and memories. Towards the end of 2000, I decided on a second attempt at a sub-6 hour

Comrades. It was my goal in 1998, and it ended with two weeks in hospital due to kidney failure and a number of missed university exams that had serious implications on my graduation. The kidney failure was due to having had a stomach bug for 2 weeks before the race, which I had been too scared to medicate due to possible drug test implications. However, my goal was realistic - I was running extremely well. My training got as far as the end of March, when I was diagnosed with an ankle stress fracture. My doctor’s advice in order to maintain fitness was to hit the pool and swim. Never having “swum” before, I started my swim training with a 1x2000m session daily. I enjoyed it and joined a training group. I also thought that spinning would be good training. I soon discovered that my swimming was reasonable, cycling not bad, and did my first sprint triathlon in late 2001. I ended up second despite some pretty experienced triathletes participating.

The next year, I did one triathlon before attempting the South African long distance triathlon champs held in Vanderbijlpark. It went well despite my inexperience and I ended up 6th overall. I was chosen for the South African team to compete at World Champs in Nice in September. This

resulted in some serious training over the winter, and I decided to do some bike races before I went. During the last event before flying out, I crashed and broke my hip and elbow. I was fortunately able to travel to Nice and witness what might have been me competing on the world stage. What was encouraging was the announcement that the next year’s World Champs would be held in Ibiza, and I decided that I had to be there. As soon as I returned home, I returned to training on my indoor trainer despite the fact that I still wore a cast on my arm. As soon as that was removed, I returned to the pool. I trained hard for the qualifying event that was held in February over half Ironman distance. I was feeling good at the start and doing pretty well on the swim. As I neared the turnaround point, I had a head-on-head collision with a fellow competitor who had rounded the buoy ahead of me. I think that both of us were slightly concussed, as my race ended shortly after leaving the water, as did his. The end of the Ibiza dream! What next?

I decided to go back to the Comrades. Due to the late decision, I decided to train hard and see what happened. Training went well and I was planning a run under 6h30. Race day and my calf muscles decided to cause endless pain for me despite having run well up to about 30km. I hung on bravely and finished an hour slower than planned. It was time to figure out what was going on. I took a few months off and started running again, only to start having regular calf muscle and Achilles

tendonitis problems. I tackled these issues the way that an experienced endurance athlete should: rest, ice, compression, elevation, drugs, physiotherapy, doctor’s advice, biokineticist advice and exercise program, different doctors, different physiotherapist, orthotics, different shoes, more rest, more drugs, kinesiology, blood platelet replacement, MRIs… This lasted from 2003 until 2010, when I was advised to go see a foot specialist. He took one look at my MRIs and immediately saw the problem: a heel spur that was rubbing on my Achilles tendon. The solution was an Achilles tendon operation, which meant no running for the next 6-9 months. Eight months after the operation, I went for my first run - what a wonderful feeling! No tendonitis pain and the possibility of training without worrying about injury.

After a month of running, a colleague started talking about the half Ironman that was 5 months away. This would be a realistic first goal and through the multi-disciplinary training, I would be able to train hard without overdoing it on the Achilles. I thought it important to do a “practice” triathlon to reawaken my skills. I chose the Vanderbijlpark Olympic distance event. Training went well, and I woke up all excited on the 16th to head to Vanderbijlpark for the race. Things did not look good; it hadn’t stopped raining for the previous 24 hours. To my dismay, the bike leg was cancelled for safety reasons. We did get to swim in the Vaal River in flood and do the run leg. Things went very well

THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

JANUARY 2012 51

despite the panic of my first open water swim in years, my run was fantastic and I ended in 5th place overall. It was the first prize money I had ever won for placing in a race, and I felt on top of the world. The last kilometre of the run was done with a tear or two, knowing what I had been through over the past years to get there. I went out to celebrate on arriving back in Johannesburg and things couldn’t have been better.

The next day, my other Achilles tendon was a bit sore, so I decided to rest it. However, two days later it was clear that I had serious Achilles inflammation. I made an appointment with my surgeon and waited out the inevitable news. It wasn’t good and the Achilles did not recover in time for the half Ironman. I had the second operation in February 2011 and started waiting for the six months to be over before I could run again. I’ve been doing some serious swimming and cycling in the meantime and started running again in August.

My dream is to compete in Kona; it has been since I first heard of the Hawaii Ironman, but when is that going to happen? It depends on what my body allows me to do in the future! My motto in my sporting career has always been “go big or go home”, so I will continue to do everything I possibly can to reach the goals that I set for myself, however tough they may be.

SHARE YOUR STORY Do you have a story that can inspire fellow Triathlon Plus

readers? Then don’t be shy – get in touch at

letters@triathlonplussa.co.za and share it with us.

You could end up being featured on these pages.

GARETH LAWRENCE

Eight months after the operation, I went for my first run - what a wonderful feeling!

This resulted in some serious training over the winter

Get InspiredRead about Gareth Lawrence and his ongoing battle to compete

PAGE 50

Don’t miss this month

WOW! 70.3 weekend was huge down in Buffalo City – I’m sure that those of you new to the sport would agree. Jodie Swallow and Marino Vanhoenacker put in some sterling performances to pretty much dominate the race from start to

finish. We had Jodie (and her other half James Cunnama) as our special guests at the hugely successful Triathlon Plus SA Pasta Party on the Friday night before the race and she was as cool as a cucumber. No stress or emotion, just enjoying the evening and answering some questions for the audience that came to eat, drink and be merry. Thanks Jodie and James for your time, it was very appreciated by us here at Triathlon Plus and by the athletes who attended. A VERY BIG thank you to our advertisers that contributed to the goodie bag. I’m sure that those of you who got one were most impressed with the content. We handed out close to 1000 of those goodie bags along with a FREE hot-off-the-press Triathlon Plus SA at the pasta party and through the Kat Leisure Hotel Group and their various hotels that are based in East London. Thanks to Liam from Kat Leisure – we formed a winning combination. I know that the guests were pretty impressed to find their “presents” upon check-in and at the pasta parties. For the rest of you that raced - and there were hundreds of novices - well done for finishing. The Buffalo City course is pretty brutal. Just look at the winning times and compare those to some of the other winning times on courses around the world and you will see why this race is rated as difficult by anyone’s standards. Now for the big one in April. However, the triathlon scene does not die down after 70.3. We have the Half Ironman Prestige event in Vanderbijlpark, which doubles as the SA Ultra Triathlon Champs in mid-February. A very flat course, super fast and well organised by the Spectrum Sport crew. That’s one you really want to do, especially after 70.3. Don’t let all that fitness and months of training go to waste! Come and test yourself on a fast course and see how much faster you can go.

We then have the Midlands Ultra, which is also a Half Ironman taking place at Midmar Dam in early March. A fantastic venue and a great race for those that need a final tune-up race

heading into the IMSA event at the end of April. Squeezed between all of these long events, we have the SA Sprint Triathlon Champs taking place in Cape Town in February and then the SA Olympic Distance Triathlon Champs scheduled for PE in March. Busy times for you guys and girls and certainly no shortage of races in the coming weeks. Triathlon is on the up and growing all the time; the expo and the 3000 competitors at 70.3 were a clear indication that triathlon is very much a part of the A-level sports tier in South Africa at the moment. We even had ex-Springbok Ollie Le Roux donning his wetsuit to take on a Half Ironman.

This shows us that our sport has a special appeal to all and sundry. Well done again to the 70.3 finishers, the red carpet

awaits you in April for the double!

Best in Tri, Glen

Glen Gore editor

glen@triathlonplussa co.za

Get in touch...twitter.com/TriathlonPlusSA orfacebook.com/TriathlonPlusSA

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Best in Tri,Best in Tri,GlenGlen

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8 FEBRUARY 2012

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Contributors Rich Allen, Eva Caiden, Dr Kevin Currell,

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Glen Gore, Phil Graves, Peter Greenwood, Guy

Kesteven, Nigel Leighton, Dr Ian Rollo, Spencer

Smith, Mark Threlfall, Steve Trew, Jamie

Wilkins

Photography www.triathlon.org,Kai-Otto

Melau/NXTRI, Getty Images, ITU/Frank

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STEVE TREW Leading triathlon coach and

commentator Steve has been

in the game forever. You can

reach him for coaching advice

and details on his training

camps on trew@personalbest.

demon.co.uk

PHIL GRAVES Phil is a professional Ironman

triathlete who is renowned for

his cycling prowess. He won

both Ironman UK and Ironman

70.3 in 2009, as well as

finishing third at the national

cycle time trial championships

TXEMA GARCIA Our professional consultant

chef from Bilbao in Spain has

been cooking for almost 20

years and is a keen sportsman.

Txema has worked in Spain,

France, Mexico and the UK and

also teaches cookery to kids

RICH ALLEN Rich has won nine national

elite British championships

and qualified for the Olympics

in 2000. He still races

professionally, and runs his

own coaching business

richallenfitness.com

SPENCER SMITH British triathlon legend

Spencer has won two world

titles, two European

championships and two

Ironmans. He’s also been a pro

cyclist and now lives and

works in Florida as a tri coach

PHIL MOSLEY Our coaching editor is a

triathlon coach, sports

scientist and pro triathlete.

This month he’s ditching his

running and cycling training in

favour of multiple pool

sessions to boost his swim

GLEN GORE Glen is the editor of Triathlon

Plus in South Africa, and

coaches triathletes. He’s been

a pro ITU World Cup racer and

multiple top-five Ironman

finisher. This month he’s going

to supercharge your swim

GUY KESTEVEN Bike guru Guy has tested

thousands of bikes for us and

our sister magazine Cycling

Plus. His in-depth testing

methods are both loved and

feared by bike manufacturers

all over the world

We’ve assembled the biggest and best team of triathlon experts around to bring you unrivalled coverage of your sport

Meet your teamof experts

ISSUE 22 /FEBRUARY 2012

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FEBRUARY 2012 9

10 FEBRUARY 2012

ContentsISSUE 22 / FEBRUARY 2012

THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERYGARETH LAWRENCE BATTLES HIS BODY TO KEEP ON COMPETING

JUST DO ITSTEP UP TO OLYMPIC DISTANCE THIS YEAR

50

62

7827 GRAVES EXPECTATIONS Phil Graves gets his feathers in a flutter as he talks about twitter and sponsors

52 RACE REPORTS Including Suncoast Multisport Series Olympic Distance Triathlon

58 SUBSCRIBE AND LOOK COOL Never miss an issue, save money and get yourself some free gear from Falke and

Biogen

86 RACE LISTINGS Plan the end of your year with our guide to what’s on

89 COMEBACK TALES Rich Allen wonders if training in extreme conditions makes you stronger

90 TREW STORIES Coach Steve Trew wonders why you would do triathlon if you don’t really ‘do’

triathlon

TRAINING ADVICE

62 JUST DO IT The world champion Brownlee brothers on why you should step up to Olympic Distance this year

GEAR

78 BRAND NEW KIT All the latest kit reviewed including Look’s Revolutionary Keo Blade

ON THE COVER

24 BODY SCIENCE Four ways to combat Post Ironman Blues

38 NEW GEAR PRIEVIEW We trawled the aisles for the fastest bikes and newest upgrades to fill your 2012 wishlist

64 SECRETS OF SUCCESS Hear what the Pro racers have to say

66 TRAINING PLANGet yourself ready for Olympic Distance within 12 weeks

72 MENTAL MUSCLE Train your mind for peak performance so you can smash your weaker-willed opposition come race day

74 THE ESSENTIAL TRI KIT Guarantee a great Olympic Distance debut with the perfect Kit

76 Q&A WITH THE BROWNLEES Hear what the Brownlee brothers have to say

EVERY MONTH

12 THIS IS YOUR WORLD Extreme weather racing

22 UP TO SPEED News, reviews and tips including a first look at Garmin’s forerunner 910XT

BRAND NEW KITGET THE LOWDOWN ON THE HOTTEST GEAR TO HIT THE SHOPS, INCLUDING THIS MAVIC BIKE JACKET

subs

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K COOLoney and get

om Falke andke and

GSr year with our guide toh our guide

ACK TALESACK TALESonders if training in extreme onders if training in extrem

makes you strongermakes you stro

REW STORIESREW STORIESSteve Trew wonders why yoSteve Trew wonders why yo

ld do triathlon if you don’t reatriathlon if you don’t rea

athlon

riAINING ADVICE

622 JUST DO IT JUST DO IT22The world champion BThe world champion Bon why you should ston why you should stDistance this yearDistance this year

sc

GEAR

78 78 BRANBRANAll the latAll the laLook’s RLook’s R

cding a first rst 910XTT

BRAND NEW KBRAND NEWGET THE LOWDT THE LOWDSHOPS, INCLUSHOPS, INCLU

FEBRUARY 2012 11

THE 8 PILLARSWARREN WILKINSON BREAKS IT DOWN & WONDERS WHY IT TOOK HIM SO LONG

RACE REPORTSIncluding Suncoast Multisport Series Olympic Distance Triathlon

48 52

38WHAT DOES 2012 OFFER CHECK OUT ALL THE LATEST ITEMS ON THE MARKET THAT 2012 HAS IN STORE FOR YOU

Subscribe

and get free

goodies from

Falke and

Biogen

SEE PAGE 58su

bsc

RSRSAKS IT DOAKS IT DO

88

DOES 2012 OES 2012 OHE LATEST ITEMS ON THE MST ITEMS ON THE M

RE FOR YOUR YOU

12 FEBRUARY 2012

PRESENTS

THIS IS YOURWORLD

THE THREE SPORTS WERE A MINOR CONCERN COMPARED TO THE WEATHER EXPERIENCED DURING THESE RACES.

NORSEMAN TRIATHLON NORWAY 2011IT MAY not have the sex appeal of a Hawaii Ironman,

but when a race bills itself, “Xtreme Triathlon,” what

more needs to be said?

The 2011 edition not only looked gruelling in

terms of the weather conditions, but as the

race manual so bluntly points out – “during the

Norseman, you will probably be cold!” Couple that

with the Xtreme terrain, and you have one hell of a

race to get yourself through. Even the 2011 winner,

Tim DeBoom (Ironman World Champion 2001 /2)

looked fearful as to what he had let himself in for, as

the rain was lashing down prior to the start. What a

way to start an 11-hour day. Xtreme is certainly one

way of describing it!

12 FEBRUARY 2012

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ds S

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er S

mith

; Ste

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Mel

au/N

XTRI

RN PARTHESERA

FEBRUARY 2012 13FEBRUARY 2012 13

EXTREME CONDITIONS

14 FEBRUARY 2012

THIS IS YOUR WORLD

Pho

to G

etty

Imag

es

14 FEBRUARY 2012

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS HAWAII 1998THE KAILUA Pier race morning was buzzing with

excitement and the tension was electrifying. This

is, after all, one of the greatest races in the sport of

triathlon. Some may even say, “The Greatest.”

If you looked at the water in Kailua Bay that

morning it looked calm, almost too tranquil in fact.

There was trouble looming on the horizon though.

The sky went from a beautiful baby blue to almost

velvet red in the space of an hour.

The old adage, if it seems too good to be true, it

probably is, could never have been more relevant.

By the time the first racers had exited the water the

wind was howling, so much so that reports said

that getting a helicopter off the ground was near-on

impossible. Not only had the wind awoken in a very

restless mood but the temperatures were soaring –

the perfect storm had certainly arrived. ssssusub

w

ubscscAII 1998

rning was buzzing with

e tension was electrifying. Thi

f the greatest races in the sp

e may even say, “The Greatest

at the water in Kailua Bay th

calm, almost too tranqu

e looming on the horiz

om a beautiful baby blu

e space of an hour.

dage, if it seems too go

s, could never have bee

me the first racers had

as howling, so much s

getting a helicopter off t

possible. Not only ha

stless mood but the te

e perfect storm had c

FEBRUARY 2012 15

Pho

to IT

U/ F

rank

Wec

hsel

FEBRUARY 2012 15

ITU TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GRAND FINAL VANCOUVER 2008FOR THE Welsh girl born in Scotland, it was a

dream come true! After months of battling both

injuries and sports politics, Helen Tucker (now

Jenkins) stood on the beach in cold, wet miserable

conditions that had the majority of the starting line-

up desperately wishing that they were still tucked

up nice and warm in their hotels.

The water was so cold that age-group swim

waves had been shortened, the air temperature

at 11°C biting into the barely clad bodies of the

athletes. But the bottom line is, “you’ve gotta be in

it to win it”, and Helen Tucker was most certainly in

it to win it.

Coming out of the water in the leading pack and

establishing herself in the bike breakaway with just

six athletes, Helen broke away at the end of the first

bike lap and by T2 she had a two-minute lead. Helen

left it to the last 150 metres before striking hard to

pull away from the other leaders and won by just

four seconds.

EXTREME CONDITIONS

ssssubs

crib

e no

w

ubscbscAL

was a

battling both

Tucker (now

ach in cold, wet miserable

majority of the starting line-

ng that they were still tucked

eir hotels.

that age-group swim

ned, the air temperatur

barely clad bodies of th

tom line is, “you’ve got

len Tucker was most ce

f the water in the leadi

herself in the bike brea

, Helen broke away at

nd by T2 she had a tw

he last 150 metres be

y from the other lead

nds.