Physiomed Triathlon by Natasha Marshall

6th February 2011 at QE2 Christchurch

It was the third event of the Physiomed series, the biggest of the three, with a 250m swim 20km bike and a 5km run. Not a huge event with too many people but for me it was going to be a huge challenge. I had been training over the Christmas break while everyone was relaxing and getting in the Christmas spirit, I would be hitting the pavements or splashing in the sea to keep up my level of fitness while away on holiday and not too many wines or Christmas treats.

The morning arrived gear was packed and nerves had hit as well as heat wave of 29 degrees at 7am.  Arrived at QE2 with the men getting ready for their race which started at 8am, already complaining about the heat, so off to transition to set up the bike etc, I was already sweating and hadn’t even raced yet!  Lots of nervous women hanging around fighting to find shade until 9.30am start time, temperature rising now 32 degrees!

Lined up at the pool thinking we are the lucky ones going to have a dip to cool off unlike our duathlon counterparts who had to 1.5 km run in the heat.  The hooter went and we were off swimming 5 lengths of the pool, trying to remember all the techniques from bootcamp Craig had taught me in the pool, (slow arms, strongkick, relax the shoulders, bilateral breathing), well it all went out the window but I managed to make it to the end. 
 

I checked my watch and to my surprise only  5.15 minutes had past and I was out of the pool and running to transition, WHAM straight into the heat of 37 degrees!  Into transition; found my bike, rushed to put shoes on, quick sip of water and don’t forget the helmet.  Approx 2 minutes later (very slow in Craig’s standards) I was out of transition and on the 20 km bike ride and flying down marine parade, yippee tail wind not looking forward to head wind back and the HEAT did I mention the HEAT?  I must be mad.  Before I knew I was at the turn around point and slogging it back in the head wind, mouth dry passing people giving as much encouragement as you can thinking when will this end.

Approximately 45 minutes later I was back into transition thinking another one down I am alive and still standing but how am I going to run 5 km in this heat, not much left in the reserve.  But as you do off come the bike shoes and on went the runners and don’t forget to take your helmet off. People cheering you on so I knew I could finish it.  Out of transition legs like lead and running like I was going nowhere, I set off to finish the race.  It was getter hotter and hotter people were walking and stopping, the water at each drink station would just melt off you like an egg frying in a pan.  One lap down saw my hubby and said got nothing left,
he said you can do it, you are doing awesome, you haven’t done all this training to quit now!  So I dug it in and determined to finish I made it to the finish line with heaps of cheers and a shower of water waiting to cool avery dehydrated body.
 

With a big smile on my face I finished in a time of 1.24.02 I completed the series and in extreme conditions. All I can say it is very character building. If asked would I do it again YOU BET I have the tri bug.

Natasha Marshall (Boot Camp Graduate)

Outdoor Fitness

I’ve had plenty of time to think over the Christmas break, which is sometimes bad news for my Tri-Planet athletes, but after too many bowls of Christmas pudding and too much beer I’ve come up with a training programme to work off those Christmas mince pies! The Outdoor Fitness programme is designed for people of all abilities and is ideal for anyone wanting to lose some weight or get back into fitness after an extended period of inactivity. It’s also a good way to start getting your fitness up to speed for the winter sporting season. Unlike the triathlon programme this course requires nothing other than a drink, shoes and some cloths to exercise in, although when the sun is out make sure you bring your cool sunglasses.
 

This programme involves a variety of training techniques and principals that will involve resistance training, circuits, running/walking, plyometric and more all done outside (rain or shine). These are designed to get you fit, lose weight and build some core strength, however I do advise that if you have not done any exercise for quite some time then please check with your doctor first to make sure all is in good working order. Furthermore I’m going to organising a few social outings along the way to add some fun to all the training.

Nutrition is an important part of any training so as part of the programme I will also provide you with some basic nutrition information to help you get the right food into your system, the right fuel = more energy and a healthier body. It will also aid muscle recovery after exercise and helps with weight loss. For professional nutrition advice I recommend you go to NutriFit and purchase the ebooks, they provide excellent in-depth nutrition advice and nutrition plans.

The programme will be run in Dudley park, Rangiora for 8 weeks and will involve 3 training sessions a week, for more information or to book go to the Outdoor Fitness programme. If you have any questions feel free to contact me here: https://coachcraigmoore.com/contact/

Beginner Triathletes

Starting out in any multi-sport event is definitely a challenge and can be quite daunting.  I remember my first triathlon in Clontarf, Dublin.  Believe it or not I was wearing speedos and a t-shirt in the race!  I had no idea what to wear and what to do, but I loved it and was instantly hooked.  

My transitions must have been the slowest in the world, it was a pool swim and trying to put on a t-shirt after the  swim was an absolute nightmare.  It fell like someone was holding onto my shirt and rolling it up!  I was so excited about doing the race but had no idea about training.  I was cycling to work . running and swimming so progression to a triathlon didn't seem that unrealistic.  I had an old 10 speed road bike with a steel frame and the gear change levers were on the frame of the bike!  Still I guess we all started somewhere. 

 That's where Tri-Planet evolved from, Richard Cattle and I came up with the concept, as we realised there was very limited support for beginner athletes.  So we put together some beginner  Boot camps to cater for triathlon, duathlon and multi-sport.   

And its been so rewarding seeing people achieve their goals or complete something they never believed could be possible.  The best part is that we are there with the athletes on the day of the race to not only help them to prepare for the race but to also be their number 1 supporter.  Its so amazing seeing people from all walks of life finishing a triathlon, and then there is the post race party which is always great fun and a chance to swap some race stories.

Being able to train, advise and support the athletes as well as share knowledge that has been gained over a number of years of training and racing in triathlon, is an important part of coaching.  We also provide some weekly coached Tri-Planet club training sessions, due to the demand of our Bootcampers who wanted to continue training and take their racing further.  It really is a great community of fun, dedicated people who give up a lot of time to take part in one of the most rewarding sports you can do.

So don't be afraid to take that step and do something that your friends might tell you is crazy, its very achievable doing the 'swimming, running thing', and it really gets you fit and improves your general well being.  I've always been involved in multiple sports at one time like swimming, cricket, basketball, mountain biking so triathlon has really helped me to focus on one sport (but still train for multiple disciplines!), plus I can race at my level and just compete against myself if I want!

Craig Moore

Tri-Planet Coach

Tri-Planet begins a new era in New Zealand

Tri-Planet is excited to be starting up triathlon and duathlon coaching in Christchurch, New Zealand.

After a number of successful 8 week camps in Ireland where athletes competed and finished their first ever triathlon, Tri-Planet is looking forward to working with new athletes and helping them to achieve their goals.  I'm currently putting together some training camps and sourcing some venues.  Triathlon New Zealand is onboard with what Tri-Planet is doing for beginner triathletes and duathletes.  Upcoming camps and training to be annouced shortly.