IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW

RICKY PONTINGrsquoSTRAINING FURNACE

PERIODISATION FOR

RUGBY LEAGUE

2 JOCKATHLETICCOM

WE SALUTE SAM STOSUR AND SALLY PEARSON - TWO GREAT AUSSIES

Jock Athletic Ezine pays tribute to Sam Stosur on her first ever Grand Slam Tennis Title winning the 2011 US Open by defeating the Great Serena Williams Well-done Sam great achievement

We also pay tribute to Sally Pearson who has been undefeated this year in 100m hurdles Going in as the favourite Sally was faultless in the 100m hurdles final winning the World Title We have watched you all season and your performance has been immaculate Great work and thanks for the great inspirational moments this year

Special mention also goes to Ricky Ponting who is the first and only man to play in 100 Test match victories last month ndash unbelievable

Well played So Proud

2 JOCKATHLETICCOM

WE SALUTE SAM STOSUR AND SALLY PEARSON - TWO GREAT AUSSIES

Jock Athletic Ezine pays tribute to Sam Stosur on her first ever Grand Slam Tennis Title winning the 2011 US Open by defeating the Great Serena Williams Well-done Sam great achievement

We also pay tribute to Sally Pearson who has been undefeated this year in 100m hurdles Going in as the favourite Sally was faultless in the 100m hurdles final winning the World Title We have watched you all season and your performance has been immaculate Great work and thanks for the great inspirational moments this year

Special mention also goes to Ricky Ponting who is the first and only man to play in 100 Test match victories last month ndash unbelievable

Well played So Proud

OCTOBER 2011 3

Sam Stosur (left) and Sally Pearson pose for a photo together before receiving Keys to the City on 19 September 2011 on the Gold Coast Australia

PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

4 JOCKATHLETICCOM

I love September ndash itrsquos the start of Spring in Australia footy finals are always on morning training gets a little warmer and a lot lighter and this year it was a ldquoGoldenrdquo month for Australian Sport Our cricket team took on the Sri Lankans in their own backyard and won the Athletics World Championships were held and Sally Pearson ran riot and Sam Stosur made Australian Tennis folklore by blasting one of the all-time greats off the court to win the US Open Grand Slam tennis title The man I think will go down as the greatest athlete of all-time Usain Bolt stumbled in the 100m at the World Championships but showed what a true champion and ldquomassive occasionrdquo competitor he is by coming back comfortably winning the 200m World Title and then helping his relay team to smash the 4 by 100m World Record The best part about it is despite the experts calling for him to start preparing more seriously he didnrsquot change anything about his preparation or his relaxed nature which is a great example of self-belief mental strength and a true champion We have a packed edition this month Craig Stevens explains how the hard slog of pre-season training for swimmers makes all the difference at competition time I show you Ricky Pontingrsquos training plan to perform in hot and humid conditions and Julia Russell interviews two-time triathlon World Champ Emma Moffatt September was a great month for sport now bring on October I say

Jock Campbell

EDITORrsquoS LETTER

S U B S C R I B E N O W raquo

4 JOCKATHLETICCOM

I love September ndash itrsquos the start of Spring in Australia footy finals are always on morning training gets a little warmer and a lot lighter and this year it was a ldquoGoldenrdquo month for Australian Sport Our cricket team took on the Sri Lankans in their own backyard and won the Athletics World Championships were held and Sally Pearson ran riot and Sam Stosur made Australian Tennis folklore by blasting one of the all-time greats off the court to win the US Open Grand Slam tennis title The man I think will go down as the greatest athlete of all-time Usain Bolt stumbled in the 100m at the World Championships but showed what a true champion and ldquomassive occasionrdquo competitor he is by coming back comfortably winning the 200m World Title and then helping his relay team to smash the 4 by 100m World Record The best part about it is despite the experts calling for him to start preparing more seriously he didnrsquot change anything about his preparation or his relaxed nature which is a great example of self-belief mental strength and a true champion We have a packed edition this month Craig Stevens explains how the hard slog of pre-season training for swimmers makes all the difference at competition time I show you Ricky Pontingrsquos training plan to perform in hot and humid conditions and Julia Russell interviews two-time triathlon World Champ Emma Moffatt September was a great month for sport now bring on October I say

Jock Campbell

EDITORrsquoS LETTER

S U B S C R I B E N O W raquo

OCTOBER 2011 5

Ezine Brains Trust

Publisher Jockishandsome

EditorsJock CampbellCarla Grossetti

Art DirectorDesignKiss the Sky

AdvertisingProduction Melissa Campbell

Dee McCarthy

ContributorsDan Atkins

Corey BockingTim Brennan

Jock CampbellEmpirica Research

Rebecca GawthornePeter Hadfield

Siobhan McCarthy Danny RedrupJulia Russell

Craig StevensPaul Watson

Eloise Wellings

Editorial OfficeJock Athletic PO Box 1186Cronulla 2230

p 0435 728 200Email

ezinejockathleticcom

Cover Nathan Smith after only 5 12 weeks dedicated training comes 2nd in the gruelling 2011 Coolangatta Gold Image John Veage Harvpix

6 JOCKATHLETICCOM

T H I SM O N T H raquo

THE GRIND OF THE BLACK LINECraig Stevens

ALL HAIL THE CHAMPPeter Hadfield

SAMANTHA GASHAmateur Athlete Profile -Part II

EASY MONEYDan Atkins

THE TRAINING FURNACEJock Campbell

FIT FACTSEmpirica Research

WOMEN GOING FOR GOLDSiobhan McCarthy

8

14

20

28

36

44

48

54

62

66

74

78

82

PLANNING FORRUGBY LEAGUEPaul Watson

FUELLING UP FOR FOOTY FINALSRebecca Gawthorne

TRI LIFE - EMMA MOFFATTJulia Russell

GEORGE GOURLASAmateur Athlete Profile

MORE THAN JUST THE TRACKSUITEloise Wellings

ATHLETE NEWSJock Athletic

OCTOBER 2011 7

Cruising through Colorado Triathlete Michael Fox captures this spectacular pic on a training run with teammates

8 JOCKATHLETICCOM

THE GRIND OF THE BLACK LINE

OCTOBER 2011 9

THE GRIND OF THE BLACK LINE

CRAIG STEVENS

If you think your training is hard try this This is how they roll on the border of China and Russia in a swimming pool made from ice No complaints just a swimming cap for extra warmth

10 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Tapering ndash which refers to the practise of reducing exercise in the days before an important competition ndash happens just twice a year so you have to get used to doing a lot of kilometres in the pool to achieve success

Because swimming is one of those sports that we only really see a couple of times a year there is a lot of unseen hard work done in between the big competitions ndash both in and out of the pool ndash that goes unseen by most people With up to 10 pool sessions plus cardio weights stretching core stability physio and massage added on top it is a sport that takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication Swimmers must learn to be mentally and physically tough backing

SWIMMING

SPEAK TO ANY SWIMMER AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT SWIMMING IS DEFINITELY THE TOUGHEST SPORT TO TRAIN FOR

SURE THERE ARE THOSE WHO COMPETE IN VARIOUS OTHER SPORTS WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION BUT THE lsquoGRIND OF THE BLACK LINErsquo IS UP THERE AS ONE OF THE HARDEST TO PREPARE FOR MAJOR COMPETITION

OCTOBER 2011 11

when you dive in for that event your body is going to let the preparation take over and do what it has been trained to do

FROM MY EXPERIENCE ASA DISTANCE SWIMMER I KNEW THAT IF I WANTED TO SWIM FAST I NEEDED TO DO A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF VOLUME IN TRAINING AS WELL AS THE QUALITY AND PACE WORK FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE 200M FREESTYLE UP TOTHE 1500M

up in between training sessions and being ready to go each time they put their toes in the water

When Nationals roll around once a year ndash in March or April ndash it is the only chance any swimmer has of making the National Team for international competition that year Whether it be Pan-Pacific or World Championships Commonwealth or Olympic Games there is only one meet where you get to show what work you have done for the last six months and finish in the top two in your chosen event to then go on and represent your country Standing behind the blocks before your event you have to be sure that you have done absolutely everything you could possibly have done and know that

12 JOCKATHLETICCOM

CRAIG STEVENSIS A FORMER OLYMPIAN AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE SPECIALISING IN THE 400M 800M AND 1500M FREESTYLE EVENTS HE IS NOW HEAD COACH OF THE ELITE SQUAD AT SANS SOUCI LEISURE CENTRE

If I wasnrsquot hitting the times I needed to on a training set then that was a wasted session that I would not get back I found that the more consistent I was each week the quicker my body would build up the endurance and the speed I was training for This was something I learnt from training with Thorpey No matter what we had done the session before or the week before he was always able to perform in training which then transferred in to his racing So that was something I worked on too and was able to improve on as I got older It takes time to work out exactly what is the best way for each individual to recover and be ready for your next session but it is so important make sure recovery is done properly

MEET MARKETWith the Olympic Trials for London 2012 six months away swimmers are in preparation mode The Trials are a very nerve-wracking meet and it is the one meet you definitely want to be ready for Depending on the event a swimmer is training for an athlete could be doing between 4km to 8km each session six to ten times a week Some swimmers will chose to stay at home for the majority of the training and possibly travel for a short training camp while others may choose to do an extended training block away from home or even travel for race experience between training blocks

Sprint swimmers like to race a lot more in between major competitions as they use the racing as training whereas middle distance or long distance swimmers will race only a

handful of times and concentrate on making sure the hard work is done in the training pool I preferred to concentrate on training and only raced occasionally while in a big preparation whereas guys such as Eamon Sullivan and Geoff Huegill will target meets with competitors they know they will have to race in London and go and challenge them

No matter what goals a swimmer has whether it is to make it to State National or International competition or even to just compete in an ocean event there is no easy way to train

UNFORTUNATELY FOR SWIMMERS THE ONLY WAY TO SWIM FASTER IS TO SWIM

The sessions have to be challenging and you have to make the hard work enjoyable setting goal times in each and every session and making sure you do everything you possibly can to avoid disappointment when it comes time to compete

SWIMMING

8 JOCKATHLETICCOM

THE GRIND OF THE BLACK LINE

OCTOBER 2011 9

THE GRIND OF THE BLACK LINE

CRAIG STEVENS

If you think your training is hard try this This is how they roll on the border of China and Russia in a swimming pool made from ice No complaints just a swimming cap for extra warmth

10 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Tapering ndash which refers to the practise of reducing exercise in the days before an important competition ndash happens just twice a year so you have to get used to doing a lot of kilometres in the pool to achieve success

Because swimming is one of those sports that we only really see a couple of times a year there is a lot of unseen hard work done in between the big competitions ndash both in and out of the pool ndash that goes unseen by most people With up to 10 pool sessions plus cardio weights stretching core stability physio and massage added on top it is a sport that takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication Swimmers must learn to be mentally and physically tough backing

SWIMMING

SPEAK TO ANY SWIMMER AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT SWIMMING IS DEFINITELY THE TOUGHEST SPORT TO TRAIN FOR

SURE THERE ARE THOSE WHO COMPETE IN VARIOUS OTHER SPORTS WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION BUT THE lsquoGRIND OF THE BLACK LINErsquo IS UP THERE AS ONE OF THE HARDEST TO PREPARE FOR MAJOR COMPETITION

OCTOBER 2011 11

when you dive in for that event your body is going to let the preparation take over and do what it has been trained to do

FROM MY EXPERIENCE ASA DISTANCE SWIMMER I KNEW THAT IF I WANTED TO SWIM FAST I NEEDED TO DO A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF VOLUME IN TRAINING AS WELL AS THE QUALITY AND PACE WORK FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE 200M FREESTYLE UP TOTHE 1500M

up in between training sessions and being ready to go each time they put their toes in the water

When Nationals roll around once a year ndash in March or April ndash it is the only chance any swimmer has of making the National Team for international competition that year Whether it be Pan-Pacific or World Championships Commonwealth or Olympic Games there is only one meet where you get to show what work you have done for the last six months and finish in the top two in your chosen event to then go on and represent your country Standing behind the blocks before your event you have to be sure that you have done absolutely everything you could possibly have done and know that

12 JOCKATHLETICCOM

CRAIG STEVENSIS A FORMER OLYMPIAN AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE SPECIALISING IN THE 400M 800M AND 1500M FREESTYLE EVENTS HE IS NOW HEAD COACH OF THE ELITE SQUAD AT SANS SOUCI LEISURE CENTRE

If I wasnrsquot hitting the times I needed to on a training set then that was a wasted session that I would not get back I found that the more consistent I was each week the quicker my body would build up the endurance and the speed I was training for This was something I learnt from training with Thorpey No matter what we had done the session before or the week before he was always able to perform in training which then transferred in to his racing So that was something I worked on too and was able to improve on as I got older It takes time to work out exactly what is the best way for each individual to recover and be ready for your next session but it is so important make sure recovery is done properly

MEET MARKETWith the Olympic Trials for London 2012 six months away swimmers are in preparation mode The Trials are a very nerve-wracking meet and it is the one meet you definitely want to be ready for Depending on the event a swimmer is training for an athlete could be doing between 4km to 8km each session six to ten times a week Some swimmers will chose to stay at home for the majority of the training and possibly travel for a short training camp while others may choose to do an extended training block away from home or even travel for race experience between training blocks

Sprint swimmers like to race a lot more in between major competitions as they use the racing as training whereas middle distance or long distance swimmers will race only a

handful of times and concentrate on making sure the hard work is done in the training pool I preferred to concentrate on training and only raced occasionally while in a big preparation whereas guys such as Eamon Sullivan and Geoff Huegill will target meets with competitors they know they will have to race in London and go and challenge them

No matter what goals a swimmer has whether it is to make it to State National or International competition or even to just compete in an ocean event there is no easy way to train

UNFORTUNATELY FOR SWIMMERS THE ONLY WAY TO SWIM FASTER IS TO SWIM

The sessions have to be challenging and you have to make the hard work enjoyable setting goal times in each and every session and making sure you do everything you possibly can to avoid disappointment when it comes time to compete

SWIMMING

OCTOBER 2011 9

THE GRIND OF THE BLACK LINE

CRAIG STEVENS

If you think your training is hard try this This is how they roll on the border of China and Russia in a swimming pool made from ice No complaints just a swimming cap for extra warmth

10 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Tapering ndash which refers to the practise of reducing exercise in the days before an important competition ndash happens just twice a year so you have to get used to doing a lot of kilometres in the pool to achieve success

Because swimming is one of those sports that we only really see a couple of times a year there is a lot of unseen hard work done in between the big competitions ndash both in and out of the pool ndash that goes unseen by most people With up to 10 pool sessions plus cardio weights stretching core stability physio and massage added on top it is a sport that takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication Swimmers must learn to be mentally and physically tough backing

SWIMMING

SPEAK TO ANY SWIMMER AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT SWIMMING IS DEFINITELY THE TOUGHEST SPORT TO TRAIN FOR

SURE THERE ARE THOSE WHO COMPETE IN VARIOUS OTHER SPORTS WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION BUT THE lsquoGRIND OF THE BLACK LINErsquo IS UP THERE AS ONE OF THE HARDEST TO PREPARE FOR MAJOR COMPETITION

OCTOBER 2011 11

when you dive in for that event your body is going to let the preparation take over and do what it has been trained to do

FROM MY EXPERIENCE ASA DISTANCE SWIMMER I KNEW THAT IF I WANTED TO SWIM FAST I NEEDED TO DO A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF VOLUME IN TRAINING AS WELL AS THE QUALITY AND PACE WORK FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE 200M FREESTYLE UP TOTHE 1500M

up in between training sessions and being ready to go each time they put their toes in the water

When Nationals roll around once a year ndash in March or April ndash it is the only chance any swimmer has of making the National Team for international competition that year Whether it be Pan-Pacific or World Championships Commonwealth or Olympic Games there is only one meet where you get to show what work you have done for the last six months and finish in the top two in your chosen event to then go on and represent your country Standing behind the blocks before your event you have to be sure that you have done absolutely everything you could possibly have done and know that

12 JOCKATHLETICCOM

CRAIG STEVENSIS A FORMER OLYMPIAN AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE SPECIALISING IN THE 400M 800M AND 1500M FREESTYLE EVENTS HE IS NOW HEAD COACH OF THE ELITE SQUAD AT SANS SOUCI LEISURE CENTRE

If I wasnrsquot hitting the times I needed to on a training set then that was a wasted session that I would not get back I found that the more consistent I was each week the quicker my body would build up the endurance and the speed I was training for This was something I learnt from training with Thorpey No matter what we had done the session before or the week before he was always able to perform in training which then transferred in to his racing So that was something I worked on too and was able to improve on as I got older It takes time to work out exactly what is the best way for each individual to recover and be ready for your next session but it is so important make sure recovery is done properly

MEET MARKETWith the Olympic Trials for London 2012 six months away swimmers are in preparation mode The Trials are a very nerve-wracking meet and it is the one meet you definitely want to be ready for Depending on the event a swimmer is training for an athlete could be doing between 4km to 8km each session six to ten times a week Some swimmers will chose to stay at home for the majority of the training and possibly travel for a short training camp while others may choose to do an extended training block away from home or even travel for race experience between training blocks

Sprint swimmers like to race a lot more in between major competitions as they use the racing as training whereas middle distance or long distance swimmers will race only a

handful of times and concentrate on making sure the hard work is done in the training pool I preferred to concentrate on training and only raced occasionally while in a big preparation whereas guys such as Eamon Sullivan and Geoff Huegill will target meets with competitors they know they will have to race in London and go and challenge them

No matter what goals a swimmer has whether it is to make it to State National or International competition or even to just compete in an ocean event there is no easy way to train

UNFORTUNATELY FOR SWIMMERS THE ONLY WAY TO SWIM FASTER IS TO SWIM

The sessions have to be challenging and you have to make the hard work enjoyable setting goal times in each and every session and making sure you do everything you possibly can to avoid disappointment when it comes time to compete

SWIMMING

10 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Tapering ndash which refers to the practise of reducing exercise in the days before an important competition ndash happens just twice a year so you have to get used to doing a lot of kilometres in the pool to achieve success

Because swimming is one of those sports that we only really see a couple of times a year there is a lot of unseen hard work done in between the big competitions ndash both in and out of the pool ndash that goes unseen by most people With up to 10 pool sessions plus cardio weights stretching core stability physio and massage added on top it is a sport that takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication Swimmers must learn to be mentally and physically tough backing

SWIMMING

SPEAK TO ANY SWIMMER AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT SWIMMING IS DEFINITELY THE TOUGHEST SPORT TO TRAIN FOR

SURE THERE ARE THOSE WHO COMPETE IN VARIOUS OTHER SPORTS WHO HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION BUT THE lsquoGRIND OF THE BLACK LINErsquo IS UP THERE AS ONE OF THE HARDEST TO PREPARE FOR MAJOR COMPETITION

OCTOBER 2011 11

when you dive in for that event your body is going to let the preparation take over and do what it has been trained to do

FROM MY EXPERIENCE ASA DISTANCE SWIMMER I KNEW THAT IF I WANTED TO SWIM FAST I NEEDED TO DO A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF VOLUME IN TRAINING AS WELL AS THE QUALITY AND PACE WORK FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE 200M FREESTYLE UP TOTHE 1500M

up in between training sessions and being ready to go each time they put their toes in the water

When Nationals roll around once a year ndash in March or April ndash it is the only chance any swimmer has of making the National Team for international competition that year Whether it be Pan-Pacific or World Championships Commonwealth or Olympic Games there is only one meet where you get to show what work you have done for the last six months and finish in the top two in your chosen event to then go on and represent your country Standing behind the blocks before your event you have to be sure that you have done absolutely everything you could possibly have done and know that

12 JOCKATHLETICCOM

CRAIG STEVENSIS A FORMER OLYMPIAN AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE SPECIALISING IN THE 400M 800M AND 1500M FREESTYLE EVENTS HE IS NOW HEAD COACH OF THE ELITE SQUAD AT SANS SOUCI LEISURE CENTRE

If I wasnrsquot hitting the times I needed to on a training set then that was a wasted session that I would not get back I found that the more consistent I was each week the quicker my body would build up the endurance and the speed I was training for This was something I learnt from training with Thorpey No matter what we had done the session before or the week before he was always able to perform in training which then transferred in to his racing So that was something I worked on too and was able to improve on as I got older It takes time to work out exactly what is the best way for each individual to recover and be ready for your next session but it is so important make sure recovery is done properly

MEET MARKETWith the Olympic Trials for London 2012 six months away swimmers are in preparation mode The Trials are a very nerve-wracking meet and it is the one meet you definitely want to be ready for Depending on the event a swimmer is training for an athlete could be doing between 4km to 8km each session six to ten times a week Some swimmers will chose to stay at home for the majority of the training and possibly travel for a short training camp while others may choose to do an extended training block away from home or even travel for race experience between training blocks

Sprint swimmers like to race a lot more in between major competitions as they use the racing as training whereas middle distance or long distance swimmers will race only a

handful of times and concentrate on making sure the hard work is done in the training pool I preferred to concentrate on training and only raced occasionally while in a big preparation whereas guys such as Eamon Sullivan and Geoff Huegill will target meets with competitors they know they will have to race in London and go and challenge them

No matter what goals a swimmer has whether it is to make it to State National or International competition or even to just compete in an ocean event there is no easy way to train

UNFORTUNATELY FOR SWIMMERS THE ONLY WAY TO SWIM FASTER IS TO SWIM

The sessions have to be challenging and you have to make the hard work enjoyable setting goal times in each and every session and making sure you do everything you possibly can to avoid disappointment when it comes time to compete

SWIMMING

OCTOBER 2011 11

when you dive in for that event your body is going to let the preparation take over and do what it has been trained to do

FROM MY EXPERIENCE ASA DISTANCE SWIMMER I KNEW THAT IF I WANTED TO SWIM FAST I NEEDED TO DO A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF VOLUME IN TRAINING AS WELL AS THE QUALITY AND PACE WORK FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE 200M FREESTYLE UP TOTHE 1500M

up in between training sessions and being ready to go each time they put their toes in the water

When Nationals roll around once a year ndash in March or April ndash it is the only chance any swimmer has of making the National Team for international competition that year Whether it be Pan-Pacific or World Championships Commonwealth or Olympic Games there is only one meet where you get to show what work you have done for the last six months and finish in the top two in your chosen event to then go on and represent your country Standing behind the blocks before your event you have to be sure that you have done absolutely everything you could possibly have done and know that

12 JOCKATHLETICCOM

CRAIG STEVENSIS A FORMER OLYMPIAN AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE SPECIALISING IN THE 400M 800M AND 1500M FREESTYLE EVENTS HE IS NOW HEAD COACH OF THE ELITE SQUAD AT SANS SOUCI LEISURE CENTRE

If I wasnrsquot hitting the times I needed to on a training set then that was a wasted session that I would not get back I found that the more consistent I was each week the quicker my body would build up the endurance and the speed I was training for This was something I learnt from training with Thorpey No matter what we had done the session before or the week before he was always able to perform in training which then transferred in to his racing So that was something I worked on too and was able to improve on as I got older It takes time to work out exactly what is the best way for each individual to recover and be ready for your next session but it is so important make sure recovery is done properly

MEET MARKETWith the Olympic Trials for London 2012 six months away swimmers are in preparation mode The Trials are a very nerve-wracking meet and it is the one meet you definitely want to be ready for Depending on the event a swimmer is training for an athlete could be doing between 4km to 8km each session six to ten times a week Some swimmers will chose to stay at home for the majority of the training and possibly travel for a short training camp while others may choose to do an extended training block away from home or even travel for race experience between training blocks

Sprint swimmers like to race a lot more in between major competitions as they use the racing as training whereas middle distance or long distance swimmers will race only a

handful of times and concentrate on making sure the hard work is done in the training pool I preferred to concentrate on training and only raced occasionally while in a big preparation whereas guys such as Eamon Sullivan and Geoff Huegill will target meets with competitors they know they will have to race in London and go and challenge them

No matter what goals a swimmer has whether it is to make it to State National or International competition or even to just compete in an ocean event there is no easy way to train

UNFORTUNATELY FOR SWIMMERS THE ONLY WAY TO SWIM FASTER IS TO SWIM

The sessions have to be challenging and you have to make the hard work enjoyable setting goal times in each and every session and making sure you do everything you possibly can to avoid disappointment when it comes time to compete

SWIMMING

12 JOCKATHLETICCOM

CRAIG STEVENSIS A FORMER OLYMPIAN AND COMMONWEALTH GAMES ATHLETE SPECIALISING IN THE 400M 800M AND 1500M FREESTYLE EVENTS HE IS NOW HEAD COACH OF THE ELITE SQUAD AT SANS SOUCI LEISURE CENTRE

If I wasnrsquot hitting the times I needed to on a training set then that was a wasted session that I would not get back I found that the more consistent I was each week the quicker my body would build up the endurance and the speed I was training for This was something I learnt from training with Thorpey No matter what we had done the session before or the week before he was always able to perform in training which then transferred in to his racing So that was something I worked on too and was able to improve on as I got older It takes time to work out exactly what is the best way for each individual to recover and be ready for your next session but it is so important make sure recovery is done properly

MEET MARKETWith the Olympic Trials for London 2012 six months away swimmers are in preparation mode The Trials are a very nerve-wracking meet and it is the one meet you definitely want to be ready for Depending on the event a swimmer is training for an athlete could be doing between 4km to 8km each session six to ten times a week Some swimmers will chose to stay at home for the majority of the training and possibly travel for a short training camp while others may choose to do an extended training block away from home or even travel for race experience between training blocks

Sprint swimmers like to race a lot more in between major competitions as they use the racing as training whereas middle distance or long distance swimmers will race only a

handful of times and concentrate on making sure the hard work is done in the training pool I preferred to concentrate on training and only raced occasionally while in a big preparation whereas guys such as Eamon Sullivan and Geoff Huegill will target meets with competitors they know they will have to race in London and go and challenge them

No matter what goals a swimmer has whether it is to make it to State National or International competition or even to just compete in an ocean event there is no easy way to train

UNFORTUNATELY FOR SWIMMERS THE ONLY WAY TO SWIM FASTER IS TO SWIM

The sessions have to be challenging and you have to make the hard work enjoyable setting goal times in each and every session and making sure you do everything you possibly can to avoid disappointment when it comes time to compete

SWIMMING

14 JOCKATHLETICCOM

THE CHAMPION

OCTOBER 2011 15

PETER HADFIELD WRAPS UP THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DAEGU

ALL HAIL

THE CHAMPION

16 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Pearsonrsquos performance at these Championships in conjunction with her dominance in the lead-up and post meets in Europe will most certainly win her the International Female Athlete of the Year for 2011 This is despite her quest for an unbeaten season ending during the Diamond League final when she fell during the 100m hurdles in Brussels

But her performance in Brussels is just a minor blip on Pearsonrsquos radar Pearson has been clinical in her preparation which was masterminded by her life-long coach Sharon Hannan Pearsonrsquos heat win of 1253 during the World Athletics Championships was impressive and dominant but it just kept getting better from there She looked shocked as she crossed the line to win

ATHLETICS

SALLY PEARSON WAS HAILED THE WORLD CHAMPION FOR THE WOMENrsquoS 100M HURDLES AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DAEGU KOREA ADD TO THIS THE FACT THAT SHE EVEN MANAGED TO OUTSHINE THE MOST FAMOUS ATHLETE IN THE WORLD ndash USAIN BOLT

Pearson celebrates after her Gold Medal winning run in the 100m Hurdles

OCTOBER 2011 15

PETER HADFIELD WRAPS UP THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DAEGU

ALL HAIL

THE CHAMPION

16 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Pearsonrsquos performance at these Championships in conjunction with her dominance in the lead-up and post meets in Europe will most certainly win her the International Female Athlete of the Year for 2011 This is despite her quest for an unbeaten season ending during the Diamond League final when she fell during the 100m hurdles in Brussels

But her performance in Brussels is just a minor blip on Pearsonrsquos radar Pearson has been clinical in her preparation which was masterminded by her life-long coach Sharon Hannan Pearsonrsquos heat win of 1253 during the World Athletics Championships was impressive and dominant but it just kept getting better from there She looked shocked as she crossed the line to win

ATHLETICS

SALLY PEARSON WAS HAILED THE WORLD CHAMPION FOR THE WOMENrsquoS 100M HURDLES AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DAEGU KOREA ADD TO THIS THE FACT THAT SHE EVEN MANAGED TO OUTSHINE THE MOST FAMOUS ATHLETE IN THE WORLD ndash USAIN BOLT

Pearson celebrates after her Gold Medal winning run in the 100m Hurdles

16 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Pearsonrsquos performance at these Championships in conjunction with her dominance in the lead-up and post meets in Europe will most certainly win her the International Female Athlete of the Year for 2011 This is despite her quest for an unbeaten season ending during the Diamond League final when she fell during the 100m hurdles in Brussels

But her performance in Brussels is just a minor blip on Pearsonrsquos radar Pearson has been clinical in her preparation which was masterminded by her life-long coach Sharon Hannan Pearsonrsquos heat win of 1253 during the World Athletics Championships was impressive and dominant but it just kept getting better from there She looked shocked as she crossed the line to win

ATHLETICS

SALLY PEARSON WAS HAILED THE WORLD CHAMPION FOR THE WOMENrsquoS 100M HURDLES AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DAEGU KOREA ADD TO THIS THE FACT THAT SHE EVEN MANAGED TO OUTSHINE THE MOST FAMOUS ATHLETE IN THE WORLD ndash USAIN BOLT

Pearson celebrates after her Gold Medal winning run in the 100m Hurdles

her semi-final in a new Australian record of 1236 and then just a few hours later in what was a flawless race Pearson led from start to finish to clock the fourth best time in history of 1228 which was the fastest time run in 19 years and only seven hundredths of a second behind the world record set 23 years ago by Bulgariarsquos Yordanka Donkava Pearson totally dominated the final leaving US athletes Danielle Carruthers and Dawn Harper as distant minor medallists despite both running seasonrsquos bests

The silver medallist at the Beijing Olympics looks certain to go one place better in London 2012 and Sally has the potential to dominate womenrsquos hurdling internationally for years to come

Itrsquos not often that a World Championship silver medal is deemed a disappointing performance but after securing the four best jumps of the year in 2011 Australian long jump favourite Mitchell Watt certainly looked down after not being able to take out the premier position with his leap of 833mMitchell adds the Silver Medal to the Bronze he won two years ago in Berlin

It was the experience of Dwight Phillips of the USA that spoiled Wattrsquos party Phillips won his fourth World Championship long jump with 845m and his turnaround this season has been remarkable as he was only able to finish in 10th position at the US Championships earlier this year and gained entry to the Worlds on a wildcard as the result of his defending champion status

Most courageous performance of the Championships goes to our Aussie walkers After a disappointing 27th in the 20km walk Jared Tallent backed up just a week later to compete in the 50km event

His teammate Nathan Deakes after a four year absence due to a chronic hamstring injury set a cracking pace and it looked as though the former World Champion from 2007 and former world record holder had regained his winning form but unfortunately the hamstring gave out at 30km while Deakes was leading and he had to withdrawSergey Bakulin of Russia took over the pole position after Deakesrsquo withdrawal and Tallent moved into the silver medal position After a brave chase to secure victory Jared faded slightly to take the Bronze medal in 3hrs 3436 Try running a few kilometres at that pace never mind walking 50kms

Mitchell Watt

18 JOCKATHLETICCOM

ATHLETICS

Our two defending World Champions Steve Hooker and Dani Samuels couldnrsquot maintain their World Championship winning form in Daegu Hooker failed to get off the ground three times in the qualifying round in the Menrsquos Pole Vault and although qualifying for the final in the Womenrsquos discus Samuels finished in 10th position with 5914 more than 6 metres down on the distance that won her gold in Berlin two years ago

The Australian performances in the field were generally very strong Ben Harradine finished fifth in the Menrsquos Discus with 6677 after injuring her back in the qualifying round Kim Mickle finished sixth in the Womenrsquos Javelin with 6196m in a high class final where the gold medallist Maria Abakumova from Russia and Barbara Spotakava changed the lead on a number of occasions to both throw just below the world record

Jarrod Bannister finished seventh in the Menrsquos Javelin with a seasonrsquos best 8225m again under duress with a back problem and young Henry Frayne finished ninth in the Menrsquos Triple Jump final with 1678mUnfortunately for our local representative and Jock Ezine contributor Eloise Wellings she succumbed to an injury and was unable to compete in the Womenrsquos 10000m

The sensation of the meet of course was the disqualification of Olympic and World Champion and World Record holder Usain Bolt in the Menrsquos 100m The revised false

start rule means that one early jump and yoursquore out and much to the disappointment of the large Daegu crowd and the horror of Bolt he was disqualified for beating the starterrsquos gun He received more media coverage as the result of the DQ than he would have if he had won the gold medal It did open up the way for his Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake to win the 100m final in 992

Bolt as expected was untroubled to win the 200m What wasnrsquot expected was his winning time of 1940 Not bad for someone who admitted that he wasnrsquot in the best of shape

And the Jamaican men proved their current dominance in Menrsquos sprinting by taking out the 4 x 100m relay in world record time of 3704 The team of Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Bake and Usain Bolt scraped 6 hundredths from the time they set in winning in Berlin 2 years ago Kenyans led the way in the long distance events and they finished second on the medal table winning all the menrsquos and womenrsquos distance events The standout in these events was dual world champion Vivian Cheruiyot who won the 5000m and 10000m double for women

DESPITE A NUMBER OF INTENSE HIGHLIGHTS THE AUSTRALIAN TEAM WAS GENERALLY DISAPPOINTING

THE AUSTRALIAN SELECTORS CONTINUE THEIR LUDICROUS POLICY OF PICKING

RELAY TEAMS DESPITE A LONGTERM HISTORY OF PROMOTING RELAYS RUNNERS NOT WORKING

TWENTY ATHLETES FROM THE 46 MEMBER AUSTRALIAN TEAM WERE SELECTED TO RUN IN RELAYS YET THERE WAS NOT ONE AUSTRALIAN COMPETITOR IN THE INDIVIDUAL MENrsquoS AND WOMENrsquoS 100M 200M amp 400M EVENTS EXCEPT FOR SALLY PEARSON - WHO DIDNrsquoT RUN THE INDIVIDUAL 100M ndash NOT ONE AUSTRALIAN ATHLETE BETTERED THE QUALIFYING STANDARD AND YET THE SELECTORS STILL PICKED 20 ATHLETES FROM A TEAM OF 46 TO RUN RELAYS

HOPEFULLY THE SELECTORS FOR THE LONDON OLYMPICS WILL INSTIGATE A POLICY WHERE ATHLETES HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL 100M OR 400M BEFORE THEY SELECT A RELAY TEAM THAT WAY WE WONrsquoT HAVE AUSTRALIANS REPRESENTING AT THE GAMES WHO REALLY SHOULDNrsquoT BE THERE

OUR SPRINTERS REALLY NEED TO HARDEN UP AND AN ARMCHAIR SELECTION IN A RELAY TEAM TO MALE ATHLETES WHO CANrsquoT BETTER 1040 FOR THE 100M TO GAIN AN OLYMPIC BLAZER ISNrsquoT THE WAY WE SHOULD BE FOSTERING SPRINTERS IN THIS COUNTRY

PETER HADFIELD OAM

REPRESENTED AUSTRALIA IN TWO OLYMPIC GAMES AND TWO COMMONWEALTH GAMES WINNING A COMMONWEALTH GAMES SILVER MEDAL BEHIND OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND WORLD RECORD HOLDER DALEY THOMPSON AS WELL AS WORKING AS A TV AND RADIO COMMENTATOR AND MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER PETER PROVIDES TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR SPORTING TEAMS AND INDIVIDUALS

20 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Samantha GASH

OCTOBER 2011 21

Samantha GASH

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILEPART II

All images courtesy of Nic Davidson (Maybe Tmrw)

OCTOBER 2011 21

Samantha GASH

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILEPART II

All images courtesy of Nic Davidson (Maybe Tmrw)

22 JOCKATHLETICCOM

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR FAVOURITE TRAINING SESSION AND WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE I really enjoy heading out with my boyfriend on the weekends for long trail runs We get up early in the morning get our gear together pack lunch and snacks and drive a few hours out of the city to begin the run I am a big fan of the trails in the Dandenongs but we also love exploring new trails and having the time to get lost on them

JA HOW MANY TRAINING SESSIONS DO YOU DO PER WEEK amp THE BREAKDOWNMy training used to be pretty ad hoc Even when I was completing the RacingThePlanet Four Desert Series I would squeeze training into little pockets of spare time There was really no structure to my training whatsoever and I couldnrsquot even tell you how many days a week I would train

In March 2011 I linked up with the dynamic boys from Bodyology Physical Performance Solutions Ben Griffith now coaches me by putting together varied and challenging program which combine running with altitude and cross training I train one or two sessions a day except Monday and Ben has definitely encouraged me to think more strategically about training nutrition and certainly the race itself

JA HOW DO YOU FIT ALL THAT IN WITH YOUR STUDYPROFESSIONAL LIFEndash PLEASE EXPLAIN Trying to train for an ultra event whilst completing my law degree working as a research clerk at Baker and McKenzie and

LIFE AS AN ULTRA-RUNNER IS NEVER BORING JUST ASK SAMANTHA GASH

THE PLACES THEY SEE PEOPLE THEY MEET THE EXPERIENCES THEY ENCOUNTER

IN OUR SEPTEMBER ISSUE SAMANTHA EXPLAINED WHY SHE DOES WHAT SHE DOES THIS MONTH SHE EXPLAINS HER TRAINING PLAN TO HELP HER DO WHAT SHE LOVES

OCTOBER 2011 23

attempting to have a semi balanced social life is definitely difficult Leading up to La Ultra my daily routine was wake up train eat go to university train eat go to bed My mind was very much consumed on grappling the abstract concept of 222kms in altitude But I do strive to find a balance too which means I am uber-organised Training can sometimes seem selfish and isolating but I am lucky that I am able to train with some of my closest friends At the end of the day I am not a professional athlete and life does sometimes get in the way of an ideal training program ndash and that is OK

JA WHAT ARE YOUR SECRETS TO STICKING TO A TRAINING PROGRAM Itrsquos simple you get out of something what you put into it In addition to that my mental determination and ability to stay positive plays a significant role for me as an ultra runner The completion of an ultra event often seems like a lofty goal but it has been crucial for me in training to truly believe that I have the ability to complete it Without that belief it is easy to pull out of a training session or give up when the pain of a tough and sometimes boring run sets in My new goal is to work hard enough to bring my physical capabilities to be more in line with my mental focus

FAILUREIS NOT A CRIME LACK OF

EFFORT

IS

Samanthas supporters are with her every step of the way

24 JOCKATHLETICCOM

SAMANTHA GASH

ldquoMY MENTAL DETERMINATION AND ABILITY TO STAY POSITIVE PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR ME AS AN ULTRA RUNNER IT HAS BEEN CRUCIAL FOR ME IN TRAINING TO TRULY BELIEVE THAT I HAVE THE ABILITYrdquo

26 JOCKATHLETICCOM

and friends I recently had four amazing friends who came with me to India to crew me for La Ultra ndash Ryan Bennett Jim Serpless Nic Davidson and Sarah Holloway It was a huge undertaking and I sometimes doubt my ability to have completed that challenge if they were not with me every step of the way There were times when I couldnrsquot eat was freezing cold and they wrapped me in a blanket and spoon-fed me It is that level of support and friendship that have pushed me through the most testing moments in an ultra and propel me to train harder and smarter

JA YOUR FAVOURITE MOTIVATIONAL SAYING Here is a classic from La Ultra that is placed on a road sign on the way up to the first peak (Khardung la) ndash ldquoFailure is not a crime lack of effort isrdquo

JA YOUR MOST DREADED TRAINING SESSION AND WHYIt definitely used to be interval training High intensiveexplosive training is certainly not my strong point That being said with consistent training I am slowly improving and learning to appreciate the feeling of lactic acid build up and push beyond it

JA WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN THE SPORTING WORLD In terms of dynamo ultra runners that have wowed and motivated me by their gutsy performances I would have to list speedy stars like Kilian Jornet Ryan Sandes Eric LaHaie and Mimi Anderson (who recently did a double crossing of Badwater at the age of 49)

But the people who are most inspiring and keep me running every day are my family

Samantha is greeted by good friend and supporter Sarah Holloway (right) at the end of the gruelling La Ultra- The High ultra marathon

OCTOBER 2011 23

attempting to have a semi balanced social life is definitely difficult Leading up to La Ultra my daily routine was wake up train eat go to university train eat go to bed My mind was very much consumed on grappling the abstract concept of 222kms in altitude But I do strive to find a balance too which means I am uber-organised Training can sometimes seem selfish and isolating but I am lucky that I am able to train with some of my closest friends At the end of the day I am not a professional athlete and life does sometimes get in the way of an ideal training program ndash and that is OK

JA WHAT ARE YOUR SECRETS TO STICKING TO A TRAINING PROGRAM Itrsquos simple you get out of something what you put into it In addition to that my mental determination and ability to stay positive plays a significant role for me as an ultra runner The completion of an ultra event often seems like a lofty goal but it has been crucial for me in training to truly believe that I have the ability to complete it Without that belief it is easy to pull out of a training session or give up when the pain of a tough and sometimes boring run sets in My new goal is to work hard enough to bring my physical capabilities to be more in line with my mental focus

FAILUREIS NOT A CRIME LACK OF

EFFORT

IS

Samanthas supporters are with her every step of the way

24 JOCKATHLETICCOM

SAMANTHA GASH

ldquoMY MENTAL DETERMINATION AND ABILITY TO STAY POSITIVE PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR ME AS AN ULTRA RUNNER IT HAS BEEN CRUCIAL FOR ME IN TRAINING TO TRULY BELIEVE THAT I HAVE THE ABILITYrdquo

26 JOCKATHLETICCOM

and friends I recently had four amazing friends who came with me to India to crew me for La Ultra ndash Ryan Bennett Jim Serpless Nic Davidson and Sarah Holloway It was a huge undertaking and I sometimes doubt my ability to have completed that challenge if they were not with me every step of the way There were times when I couldnrsquot eat was freezing cold and they wrapped me in a blanket and spoon-fed me It is that level of support and friendship that have pushed me through the most testing moments in an ultra and propel me to train harder and smarter

JA YOUR FAVOURITE MOTIVATIONAL SAYING Here is a classic from La Ultra that is placed on a road sign on the way up to the first peak (Khardung la) ndash ldquoFailure is not a crime lack of effort isrdquo

JA YOUR MOST DREADED TRAINING SESSION AND WHYIt definitely used to be interval training High intensiveexplosive training is certainly not my strong point That being said with consistent training I am slowly improving and learning to appreciate the feeling of lactic acid build up and push beyond it

JA WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN THE SPORTING WORLD In terms of dynamo ultra runners that have wowed and motivated me by their gutsy performances I would have to list speedy stars like Kilian Jornet Ryan Sandes Eric LaHaie and Mimi Anderson (who recently did a double crossing of Badwater at the age of 49)

But the people who are most inspiring and keep me running every day are my family

Samantha is greeted by good friend and supporter Sarah Holloway (right) at the end of the gruelling La Ultra- The High ultra marathon

24 JOCKATHLETICCOM

SAMANTHA GASH

ldquoMY MENTAL DETERMINATION AND ABILITY TO STAY POSITIVE PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR ME AS AN ULTRA RUNNER IT HAS BEEN CRUCIAL FOR ME IN TRAINING TO TRULY BELIEVE THAT I HAVE THE ABILITYrdquo

26 JOCKATHLETICCOM

and friends I recently had four amazing friends who came with me to India to crew me for La Ultra ndash Ryan Bennett Jim Serpless Nic Davidson and Sarah Holloway It was a huge undertaking and I sometimes doubt my ability to have completed that challenge if they were not with me every step of the way There were times when I couldnrsquot eat was freezing cold and they wrapped me in a blanket and spoon-fed me It is that level of support and friendship that have pushed me through the most testing moments in an ultra and propel me to train harder and smarter

JA YOUR FAVOURITE MOTIVATIONAL SAYING Here is a classic from La Ultra that is placed on a road sign on the way up to the first peak (Khardung la) ndash ldquoFailure is not a crime lack of effort isrdquo

JA YOUR MOST DREADED TRAINING SESSION AND WHYIt definitely used to be interval training High intensiveexplosive training is certainly not my strong point That being said with consistent training I am slowly improving and learning to appreciate the feeling of lactic acid build up and push beyond it

JA WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN THE SPORTING WORLD In terms of dynamo ultra runners that have wowed and motivated me by their gutsy performances I would have to list speedy stars like Kilian Jornet Ryan Sandes Eric LaHaie and Mimi Anderson (who recently did a double crossing of Badwater at the age of 49)

But the people who are most inspiring and keep me running every day are my family

Samantha is greeted by good friend and supporter Sarah Holloway (right) at the end of the gruelling La Ultra- The High ultra marathon

ldquoMY MENTAL DETERMINATION AND ABILITY TO STAY POSITIVE PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR ME AS AN ULTRA RUNNER IT HAS BEEN CRUCIAL FOR ME IN TRAINING TO TRULY BELIEVE THAT I HAVE THE ABILITYrdquo

26 JOCKATHLETICCOM

and friends I recently had four amazing friends who came with me to India to crew me for La Ultra ndash Ryan Bennett Jim Serpless Nic Davidson and Sarah Holloway It was a huge undertaking and I sometimes doubt my ability to have completed that challenge if they were not with me every step of the way There were times when I couldnrsquot eat was freezing cold and they wrapped me in a blanket and spoon-fed me It is that level of support and friendship that have pushed me through the most testing moments in an ultra and propel me to train harder and smarter

JA YOUR FAVOURITE MOTIVATIONAL SAYING Here is a classic from La Ultra that is placed on a road sign on the way up to the first peak (Khardung la) ndash ldquoFailure is not a crime lack of effort isrdquo

JA YOUR MOST DREADED TRAINING SESSION AND WHYIt definitely used to be interval training High intensiveexplosive training is certainly not my strong point That being said with consistent training I am slowly improving and learning to appreciate the feeling of lactic acid build up and push beyond it

JA WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN THE SPORTING WORLD In terms of dynamo ultra runners that have wowed and motivated me by their gutsy performances I would have to list speedy stars like Kilian Jornet Ryan Sandes Eric LaHaie and Mimi Anderson (who recently did a double crossing of Badwater at the age of 49)

But the people who are most inspiring and keep me running every day are my family

Samantha is greeted by good friend and supporter Sarah Holloway (right) at the end of the gruelling La Ultra- The High ultra marathon

26 JOCKATHLETICCOM

and friends I recently had four amazing friends who came with me to India to crew me for La Ultra ndash Ryan Bennett Jim Serpless Nic Davidson and Sarah Holloway It was a huge undertaking and I sometimes doubt my ability to have completed that challenge if they were not with me every step of the way There were times when I couldnrsquot eat was freezing cold and they wrapped me in a blanket and spoon-fed me It is that level of support and friendship that have pushed me through the most testing moments in an ultra and propel me to train harder and smarter

JA YOUR FAVOURITE MOTIVATIONAL SAYING Here is a classic from La Ultra that is placed on a road sign on the way up to the first peak (Khardung la) ndash ldquoFailure is not a crime lack of effort isrdquo

JA YOUR MOST DREADED TRAINING SESSION AND WHYIt definitely used to be interval training High intensiveexplosive training is certainly not my strong point That being said with consistent training I am slowly improving and learning to appreciate the feeling of lactic acid build up and push beyond it

JA WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN THE SPORTING WORLD In terms of dynamo ultra runners that have wowed and motivated me by their gutsy performances I would have to list speedy stars like Kilian Jornet Ryan Sandes Eric LaHaie and Mimi Anderson (who recently did a double crossing of Badwater at the age of 49)

But the people who are most inspiring and keep me running every day are my family

Samantha is greeted by good friend and supporter Sarah Holloway (right) at the end of the gruelling La Ultra- The High ultra marathon

Believe

Ultra-Marathon Champion ASCEND Believer

It takes more than just dedication to become a champion Therersquos also the belief in your ability to succeed and the knowledge that yoursquove given your body every opportunity to withstand the rigors of training time and time again

Despite injuring her knee less than halfway across Chinarsquos Gobi Desert early in 2010 Samantha went on to become the first female and the youngest person ever to complete RacingthePlanets lsquo4desertsrsquo series Grand Slam racing 250kms in the driest hottest windiest and coldest deserts around the world And now at just 26 has become the sixth person ever and only the third female to complete lsquoLa Ultra The Highrsquo a 222km race in the Himalayan Mountains ASCEND believes in Samantharsquos ability to compete at the highest level which is why wersquore proud to be her official sports protein partner

So like Samantha ensure your highest level of endurance strength and power possible come race day Become an ASCEND Believer To learn more about this great Australian product or to find your nearest ASCEND Preferred Stockist visit wwwascendsportcomau

ASCEND Train harder More often

AS

C01

35P

ione

er10

ASCEND BelieverSamantha Gash -

Ultra-Marathon Champion

28 JOCKATHLETICCOM

DAN ATKINS

EASY MONEYBABY

WHEN AMERICAN MICHAEL PHELPS WON THE 200M FREESTYLE AT THE OLYMPICS IN 2008 HE WAS ASKED WHAT HE CHANGED FROM 2004 TO 2008

HE SAID HIS COACH KNEW NO ONE ELSE WAS WORKING ON STREAMLINES IN AND OUT OF THE TURNS EVERYONE WAS WORKING ON THEIR THREE-LAP SPEED WHICH IS THE HARDEST PART TO WORK ON IN A 200M

SO HE WORKED ON A SKILL IN FACT PHELPS WORKED SO HARD THAT HE IS NOW CAPABLE OF STREAMLINING ABOUT 125M EVERY LAP OF THE FOUR-LAP DASH THIS MADE EVERY COACH THINK ABOUT THEIR TRAINING METHODS AND THE WAY TO GET AN ADVANTAGE

OCTOBER 2011 29

EASY MONEYBABY

30 JOCKATHLETICCOM

As it is now getting closer to the triathlon season you should be thinking about taking things a little out of the comfort zone in readiness to achieve your race potentialBelow are some areas in triathlon you might not have challenged yourself with I can guarantee this is the easiest way to improve and is a lot easier than five-hour bike rides

THE SWIM LEG

A lot of coaches or athletes I talk to or watch hate putting in kick sets in the pool because ldquoit hurts their legsrdquo Well guess what Of course it is going to hurt That is what makes us stronger

The reasoning for me is

1 THE START If you donrsquot kick your butt off the line you are going to be left at the start gate If you donrsquot get a good start in the first 100m of any swim ndash whether it be a sprint race or even an Ironman

I BELIEVE TRIATHLETES HAVE TO FINE TUNE 6 GEARS LIKE IN A FORMULA ONE CAR AND AS MOST ATHLETES CAN FINETUNE THE FIRST THREE I FIND IT IS THE OTHER THREE GEARS THAT TAKE A LITTLE EXTRA COMMITMENT

OCTOBER 2011 31

Dan Atkins (right) looks on as Stephanie Ricersquos Swim Coach Michael Bohl explains the technicalities of swimming

32 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Practice your transition Every second counts

event ndash you will lose contact with the group very quickly But it must be trained hellip donrsquot just expect it to work on race day The lactate levels you produce wonrsquot change due to the intensity of the kick it is how well you clear the lactate from kicking hard that makes the difference

2 TURNING BUOYS Turning buoys in the swim leg tend to be the area that most athletes relax Hit them hard and come out with even more intensity Again it must be trained and the body will only cope with the intensity if it has been practiced in training

3 THE FINISH Bring in your kick in the last 100m to get the blood flow in your legs as you need to rely on them for the rest of the day Then attack the transition

THE BIKE LEG

1 THE FIRST 5KM Get your speed up and then put your feet in your shoes Do one at a time and then get your speed up again before you put on your other shoe

2 HILL CLIMBING Any hill ndash no matter how small or large it is Donrsquot relax after all your hard work getting to the top if you attack the downhill you will increase your lead distance on other competitors going downhill rather than climbing

3 CORNERING For most triathletes the worst part of an event relates to bike skills Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice this all the time in training Accelerate out hard to get back up to speed

4 THE LAST 5KM Hydrate stretch and hit the last 5km with a bit more speed Keep your cadence up in readiness for the run

OCTOBER 2011 33

THE RUN LEG

1 DONrsquoT GO OUT HARD What is the pace you have been working on in training Donrsquot go out 10secs a km faster than this it will bite you in the backside big time down the track when there is no one but you and the road

3 FINISH

WORK ON YOUR BACK END-SPEED REMEMBER YOUR REWARD FOR THE HARD TRAINING IS THE RACE FINISH LEAVE NOTHING IN THE TANK

2 KEEP PACE Every course has turn-a-rounds donrsquot let up going around turns try to go in hard and out faster We all use turns to relax but again you will put in heaps of time if you shift to that 6th gear out of the turn

Rachael Peridis smashes home the final run leg of the Hamilton Island Triathlon

34 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Held in some of the Whitsundayrsquos most iconic locations this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Islandrsquos Marina Village to a beachside finish Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim For more information please visit wwwhamiltonislandcomautriathlon

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011

Photography Delly Carr

DAN ATKINS IS A TRIATHLON

SPORTS COACH AT THE AUSTRALIAN

INSTITUTE OF SPORT HE ALSO HEADS

ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

TRIATHLON TRAINING CLUBS IN

QUEENSLAND YOU CAN ACCESS

DANrsquoS COACHING SERVICES AT

WWWDANATKINSTRAININGCOMAU

In conclusion this final piece in preparation to race is probably the most intensified training because it is about shifting gears and to knuckle down and focus on having a good variable speed in you back pocket will allow you to race at a higher level When everyone is comfortable in 3rd gear attack them and lock it into 5th gear I promise you if you hold it for 30 sec`s they will be gone

AS MICHAEL PHELPS SAID IN HIS PRESS RELEASEIT WASldquoEASY MONEYBABYrdquo

Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice all the time in training

OCTOBER 2011 29

EASY MONEYBABY

30 JOCKATHLETICCOM

As it is now getting closer to the triathlon season you should be thinking about taking things a little out of the comfort zone in readiness to achieve your race potentialBelow are some areas in triathlon you might not have challenged yourself with I can guarantee this is the easiest way to improve and is a lot easier than five-hour bike rides

THE SWIM LEG

A lot of coaches or athletes I talk to or watch hate putting in kick sets in the pool because ldquoit hurts their legsrdquo Well guess what Of course it is going to hurt That is what makes us stronger

The reasoning for me is

1 THE START If you donrsquot kick your butt off the line you are going to be left at the start gate If you donrsquot get a good start in the first 100m of any swim ndash whether it be a sprint race or even an Ironman

I BELIEVE TRIATHLETES HAVE TO FINE TUNE 6 GEARS LIKE IN A FORMULA ONE CAR AND AS MOST ATHLETES CAN FINETUNE THE FIRST THREE I FIND IT IS THE OTHER THREE GEARS THAT TAKE A LITTLE EXTRA COMMITMENT

OCTOBER 2011 31

Dan Atkins (right) looks on as Stephanie Ricersquos Swim Coach Michael Bohl explains the technicalities of swimming

32 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Practice your transition Every second counts

event ndash you will lose contact with the group very quickly But it must be trained hellip donrsquot just expect it to work on race day The lactate levels you produce wonrsquot change due to the intensity of the kick it is how well you clear the lactate from kicking hard that makes the difference

2 TURNING BUOYS Turning buoys in the swim leg tend to be the area that most athletes relax Hit them hard and come out with even more intensity Again it must be trained and the body will only cope with the intensity if it has been practiced in training

3 THE FINISH Bring in your kick in the last 100m to get the blood flow in your legs as you need to rely on them for the rest of the day Then attack the transition

THE BIKE LEG

1 THE FIRST 5KM Get your speed up and then put your feet in your shoes Do one at a time and then get your speed up again before you put on your other shoe

2 HILL CLIMBING Any hill ndash no matter how small or large it is Donrsquot relax after all your hard work getting to the top if you attack the downhill you will increase your lead distance on other competitors going downhill rather than climbing

3 CORNERING For most triathletes the worst part of an event relates to bike skills Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice this all the time in training Accelerate out hard to get back up to speed

4 THE LAST 5KM Hydrate stretch and hit the last 5km with a bit more speed Keep your cadence up in readiness for the run

OCTOBER 2011 33

THE RUN LEG

1 DONrsquoT GO OUT HARD What is the pace you have been working on in training Donrsquot go out 10secs a km faster than this it will bite you in the backside big time down the track when there is no one but you and the road

3 FINISH

WORK ON YOUR BACK END-SPEED REMEMBER YOUR REWARD FOR THE HARD TRAINING IS THE RACE FINISH LEAVE NOTHING IN THE TANK

2 KEEP PACE Every course has turn-a-rounds donrsquot let up going around turns try to go in hard and out faster We all use turns to relax but again you will put in heaps of time if you shift to that 6th gear out of the turn

Rachael Peridis smashes home the final run leg of the Hamilton Island Triathlon

34 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Held in some of the Whitsundayrsquos most iconic locations this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Islandrsquos Marina Village to a beachside finish Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim For more information please visit wwwhamiltonislandcomautriathlon

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011

Photography Delly Carr

DAN ATKINS IS A TRIATHLON

SPORTS COACH AT THE AUSTRALIAN

INSTITUTE OF SPORT HE ALSO HEADS

ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

TRIATHLON TRAINING CLUBS IN

QUEENSLAND YOU CAN ACCESS

DANrsquoS COACHING SERVICES AT

WWWDANATKINSTRAININGCOMAU

In conclusion this final piece in preparation to race is probably the most intensified training because it is about shifting gears and to knuckle down and focus on having a good variable speed in you back pocket will allow you to race at a higher level When everyone is comfortable in 3rd gear attack them and lock it into 5th gear I promise you if you hold it for 30 sec`s they will be gone

AS MICHAEL PHELPS SAID IN HIS PRESS RELEASEIT WASldquoEASY MONEYBABYrdquo

Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice all the time in training

30 JOCKATHLETICCOM

As it is now getting closer to the triathlon season you should be thinking about taking things a little out of the comfort zone in readiness to achieve your race potentialBelow are some areas in triathlon you might not have challenged yourself with I can guarantee this is the easiest way to improve and is a lot easier than five-hour bike rides

THE SWIM LEG

A lot of coaches or athletes I talk to or watch hate putting in kick sets in the pool because ldquoit hurts their legsrdquo Well guess what Of course it is going to hurt That is what makes us stronger

The reasoning for me is

1 THE START If you donrsquot kick your butt off the line you are going to be left at the start gate If you donrsquot get a good start in the first 100m of any swim ndash whether it be a sprint race or even an Ironman

I BELIEVE TRIATHLETES HAVE TO FINE TUNE 6 GEARS LIKE IN A FORMULA ONE CAR AND AS MOST ATHLETES CAN FINETUNE THE FIRST THREE I FIND IT IS THE OTHER THREE GEARS THAT TAKE A LITTLE EXTRA COMMITMENT

OCTOBER 2011 31

Dan Atkins (right) looks on as Stephanie Ricersquos Swim Coach Michael Bohl explains the technicalities of swimming

32 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Practice your transition Every second counts

event ndash you will lose contact with the group very quickly But it must be trained hellip donrsquot just expect it to work on race day The lactate levels you produce wonrsquot change due to the intensity of the kick it is how well you clear the lactate from kicking hard that makes the difference

2 TURNING BUOYS Turning buoys in the swim leg tend to be the area that most athletes relax Hit them hard and come out with even more intensity Again it must be trained and the body will only cope with the intensity if it has been practiced in training

3 THE FINISH Bring in your kick in the last 100m to get the blood flow in your legs as you need to rely on them for the rest of the day Then attack the transition

THE BIKE LEG

1 THE FIRST 5KM Get your speed up and then put your feet in your shoes Do one at a time and then get your speed up again before you put on your other shoe

2 HILL CLIMBING Any hill ndash no matter how small or large it is Donrsquot relax after all your hard work getting to the top if you attack the downhill you will increase your lead distance on other competitors going downhill rather than climbing

3 CORNERING For most triathletes the worst part of an event relates to bike skills Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice this all the time in training Accelerate out hard to get back up to speed

4 THE LAST 5KM Hydrate stretch and hit the last 5km with a bit more speed Keep your cadence up in readiness for the run

OCTOBER 2011 33

THE RUN LEG

1 DONrsquoT GO OUT HARD What is the pace you have been working on in training Donrsquot go out 10secs a km faster than this it will bite you in the backside big time down the track when there is no one but you and the road

3 FINISH

WORK ON YOUR BACK END-SPEED REMEMBER YOUR REWARD FOR THE HARD TRAINING IS THE RACE FINISH LEAVE NOTHING IN THE TANK

2 KEEP PACE Every course has turn-a-rounds donrsquot let up going around turns try to go in hard and out faster We all use turns to relax but again you will put in heaps of time if you shift to that 6th gear out of the turn

Rachael Peridis smashes home the final run leg of the Hamilton Island Triathlon

34 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Held in some of the Whitsundayrsquos most iconic locations this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Islandrsquos Marina Village to a beachside finish Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim For more information please visit wwwhamiltonislandcomautriathlon

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011

Photography Delly Carr

DAN ATKINS IS A TRIATHLON

SPORTS COACH AT THE AUSTRALIAN

INSTITUTE OF SPORT HE ALSO HEADS

ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

TRIATHLON TRAINING CLUBS IN

QUEENSLAND YOU CAN ACCESS

DANrsquoS COACHING SERVICES AT

WWWDANATKINSTRAININGCOMAU

In conclusion this final piece in preparation to race is probably the most intensified training because it is about shifting gears and to knuckle down and focus on having a good variable speed in you back pocket will allow you to race at a higher level When everyone is comfortable in 3rd gear attack them and lock it into 5th gear I promise you if you hold it for 30 sec`s they will be gone

AS MICHAEL PHELPS SAID IN HIS PRESS RELEASEIT WASldquoEASY MONEYBABYrdquo

Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice all the time in training

OCTOBER 2011 31

Dan Atkins (right) looks on as Stephanie Ricersquos Swim Coach Michael Bohl explains the technicalities of swimming

32 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Practice your transition Every second counts

event ndash you will lose contact with the group very quickly But it must be trained hellip donrsquot just expect it to work on race day The lactate levels you produce wonrsquot change due to the intensity of the kick it is how well you clear the lactate from kicking hard that makes the difference

2 TURNING BUOYS Turning buoys in the swim leg tend to be the area that most athletes relax Hit them hard and come out with even more intensity Again it must be trained and the body will only cope with the intensity if it has been practiced in training

3 THE FINISH Bring in your kick in the last 100m to get the blood flow in your legs as you need to rely on them for the rest of the day Then attack the transition

THE BIKE LEG

1 THE FIRST 5KM Get your speed up and then put your feet in your shoes Do one at a time and then get your speed up again before you put on your other shoe

2 HILL CLIMBING Any hill ndash no matter how small or large it is Donrsquot relax after all your hard work getting to the top if you attack the downhill you will increase your lead distance on other competitors going downhill rather than climbing

3 CORNERING For most triathletes the worst part of an event relates to bike skills Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice this all the time in training Accelerate out hard to get back up to speed

4 THE LAST 5KM Hydrate stretch and hit the last 5km with a bit more speed Keep your cadence up in readiness for the run

OCTOBER 2011 33

THE RUN LEG

1 DONrsquoT GO OUT HARD What is the pace you have been working on in training Donrsquot go out 10secs a km faster than this it will bite you in the backside big time down the track when there is no one but you and the road

3 FINISH

WORK ON YOUR BACK END-SPEED REMEMBER YOUR REWARD FOR THE HARD TRAINING IS THE RACE FINISH LEAVE NOTHING IN THE TANK

2 KEEP PACE Every course has turn-a-rounds donrsquot let up going around turns try to go in hard and out faster We all use turns to relax but again you will put in heaps of time if you shift to that 6th gear out of the turn

Rachael Peridis smashes home the final run leg of the Hamilton Island Triathlon

34 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Held in some of the Whitsundayrsquos most iconic locations this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Islandrsquos Marina Village to a beachside finish Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim For more information please visit wwwhamiltonislandcomautriathlon

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011

Photography Delly Carr

DAN ATKINS IS A TRIATHLON

SPORTS COACH AT THE AUSTRALIAN

INSTITUTE OF SPORT HE ALSO HEADS

ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

TRIATHLON TRAINING CLUBS IN

QUEENSLAND YOU CAN ACCESS

DANrsquoS COACHING SERVICES AT

WWWDANATKINSTRAININGCOMAU

In conclusion this final piece in preparation to race is probably the most intensified training because it is about shifting gears and to knuckle down and focus on having a good variable speed in you back pocket will allow you to race at a higher level When everyone is comfortable in 3rd gear attack them and lock it into 5th gear I promise you if you hold it for 30 sec`s they will be gone

AS MICHAEL PHELPS SAID IN HIS PRESS RELEASEIT WASldquoEASY MONEYBABYrdquo

Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice all the time in training

32 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Practice your transition Every second counts

event ndash you will lose contact with the group very quickly But it must be trained hellip donrsquot just expect it to work on race day The lactate levels you produce wonrsquot change due to the intensity of the kick it is how well you clear the lactate from kicking hard that makes the difference

2 TURNING BUOYS Turning buoys in the swim leg tend to be the area that most athletes relax Hit them hard and come out with even more intensity Again it must be trained and the body will only cope with the intensity if it has been practiced in training

3 THE FINISH Bring in your kick in the last 100m to get the blood flow in your legs as you need to rely on them for the rest of the day Then attack the transition

THE BIKE LEG

1 THE FIRST 5KM Get your speed up and then put your feet in your shoes Do one at a time and then get your speed up again before you put on your other shoe

2 HILL CLIMBING Any hill ndash no matter how small or large it is Donrsquot relax after all your hard work getting to the top if you attack the downhill you will increase your lead distance on other competitors going downhill rather than climbing

3 CORNERING For most triathletes the worst part of an event relates to bike skills Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice this all the time in training Accelerate out hard to get back up to speed

4 THE LAST 5KM Hydrate stretch and hit the last 5km with a bit more speed Keep your cadence up in readiness for the run

OCTOBER 2011 33

THE RUN LEG

1 DONrsquoT GO OUT HARD What is the pace you have been working on in training Donrsquot go out 10secs a km faster than this it will bite you in the backside big time down the track when there is no one but you and the road

3 FINISH

WORK ON YOUR BACK END-SPEED REMEMBER YOUR REWARD FOR THE HARD TRAINING IS THE RACE FINISH LEAVE NOTHING IN THE TANK

2 KEEP PACE Every course has turn-a-rounds donrsquot let up going around turns try to go in hard and out faster We all use turns to relax but again you will put in heaps of time if you shift to that 6th gear out of the turn

Rachael Peridis smashes home the final run leg of the Hamilton Island Triathlon

34 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Held in some of the Whitsundayrsquos most iconic locations this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Islandrsquos Marina Village to a beachside finish Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim For more information please visit wwwhamiltonislandcomautriathlon

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011

Photography Delly Carr

DAN ATKINS IS A TRIATHLON

SPORTS COACH AT THE AUSTRALIAN

INSTITUTE OF SPORT HE ALSO HEADS

ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

TRIATHLON TRAINING CLUBS IN

QUEENSLAND YOU CAN ACCESS

DANrsquoS COACHING SERVICES AT

WWWDANATKINSTRAININGCOMAU

In conclusion this final piece in preparation to race is probably the most intensified training because it is about shifting gears and to knuckle down and focus on having a good variable speed in you back pocket will allow you to race at a higher level When everyone is comfortable in 3rd gear attack them and lock it into 5th gear I promise you if you hold it for 30 sec`s they will be gone

AS MICHAEL PHELPS SAID IN HIS PRESS RELEASEIT WASldquoEASY MONEYBABYrdquo

Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice all the time in training

OCTOBER 2011 33

THE RUN LEG

1 DONrsquoT GO OUT HARD What is the pace you have been working on in training Donrsquot go out 10secs a km faster than this it will bite you in the backside big time down the track when there is no one but you and the road

3 FINISH

WORK ON YOUR BACK END-SPEED REMEMBER YOUR REWARD FOR THE HARD TRAINING IS THE RACE FINISH LEAVE NOTHING IN THE TANK

2 KEEP PACE Every course has turn-a-rounds donrsquot let up going around turns try to go in hard and out faster We all use turns to relax but again you will put in heaps of time if you shift to that 6th gear out of the turn

Rachael Peridis smashes home the final run leg of the Hamilton Island Triathlon

34 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Held in some of the Whitsundayrsquos most iconic locations this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Islandrsquos Marina Village to a beachside finish Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim For more information please visit wwwhamiltonislandcomautriathlon

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011

Photography Delly Carr

DAN ATKINS IS A TRIATHLON

SPORTS COACH AT THE AUSTRALIAN

INSTITUTE OF SPORT HE ALSO HEADS

ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

TRIATHLON TRAINING CLUBS IN

QUEENSLAND YOU CAN ACCESS

DANrsquoS COACHING SERVICES AT

WWWDANATKINSTRAININGCOMAU

In conclusion this final piece in preparation to race is probably the most intensified training because it is about shifting gears and to knuckle down and focus on having a good variable speed in you back pocket will allow you to race at a higher level When everyone is comfortable in 3rd gear attack them and lock it into 5th gear I promise you if you hold it for 30 sec`s they will be gone

AS MICHAEL PHELPS SAID IN HIS PRESS RELEASEIT WASldquoEASY MONEYBABYrdquo

Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice all the time in training

34 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Held in some of the Whitsundayrsquos most iconic locations this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Islandrsquos Marina Village to a beachside finish Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim For more information please visit wwwhamiltonislandcomautriathlon

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011

Photography Delly Carr

DAN ATKINS IS A TRIATHLON

SPORTS COACH AT THE AUSTRALIAN

INSTITUTE OF SPORT HE ALSO HEADS

ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL

TRIATHLON TRAINING CLUBS IN

QUEENSLAND YOU CAN ACCESS

DANrsquoS COACHING SERVICES AT

WWWDANATKINSTRAININGCOMAU

In conclusion this final piece in preparation to race is probably the most intensified training because it is about shifting gears and to knuckle down and focus on having a good variable speed in you back pocket will allow you to race at a higher level When everyone is comfortable in 3rd gear attack them and lock it into 5th gear I promise you if you hold it for 30 sec`s they will be gone

AS MICHAEL PHELPS SAID IN HIS PRESS RELEASEIT WASldquoEASY MONEYBABYrdquo

Lean the bike not your body into the corner and practice all the time in training

Held in some of the Whitsundayrsquos most iconic locations this unique triathlon event includes a 750m swim in picturesque Catseye Bay a 20km cycle incorporating a unique airport runway section and a 5km run through Hamilton Islandrsquos Marina Village to a beachside finish Testing the fitness of professionals and novices alike the weekend concludes with a cruise to world-renowned Whitehaven Beach for the challenging Whitehaven Beach Ocean Swim For more information please visit wwwhamiltonislandcomautriathlon

FUJIFILM HAMILTON ISLAND TRIATHLON AND WHITEHAVEN BEACH OCEAN SWIM 18-20 NOVEMBER 2011

Photography Delly Carr

36 JOCKATHLETICCOM

JOCK CAMPBELL

Ricky Pontingrsquos

OCTOBER 2011 37

Ricky Pontingrsquos

What the public sees in sport are the lights colours and excitement of performances at the actual events What they donrsquot see is the hard slog of the preparation away from the cameras and crowds of the preparation and is what all great athletes slog away with

One country and series that demands great preparation is the hot humid and polluted conditions of Sri Lanka Australia before last month had only ever won a single Test series in Sri Lanka which was in 2004 when we toured there last and we prepared very well for the heat on that occasion So for an ageing cricketer who has great motivation still at the ripe old age of 36 Ricky who knew what he had to do and thrived on getting prepared for the heat He doesnrsquot ask for concessions at this age he does more than ever

How is this achieved and how do we prepared for this

INITIAL CHALLENGESOne difficult aspect of heat training is the disruption to your normal training routine it can cause if not done wisely Heat training causes increased fatigue levels time constraints with having to travel to use heat chambers at universities and the associated problems of not being able to

RICKY PONTING BECAME THE FIRST CRICKETER TO PLAY IN 100 TEST WINS AFTER AUSTRALIA DEFEATED SRI LANKA BY 125 RUNS IN THE FIRST TEST IN GALLE LAST MONTH A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT AND SHOWS JUST HOW SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS - WELL DONE PUNTA

BUT HOW DOES AN ATHLETE STAY AT THE TOP FOR SO LONG HOW DO THEY COMPETE IN SUCH HARSH HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WHEN YOUR PRE SEASON TRAINING INS DONE IN AUSTRALIArsquoS WINTER WHERE THE TEMP ON AVERAGE IS 20 DEGREES COOLER WITH HALF THE HUMIDITY

SIMPLE ENTER THE WORLD OF HEAT TRAINING DONE ldquoOLD SCHOOLrdquo

OCTOBER 2011 37

Ricky Pontingrsquos

What the public sees in sport are the lights colours and excitement of performances at the actual events What they donrsquot see is the hard slog of the preparation away from the cameras and crowds of the preparation and is what all great athletes slog away with

One country and series that demands great preparation is the hot humid and polluted conditions of Sri Lanka Australia before last month had only ever won a single Test series in Sri Lanka which was in 2004 when we toured there last and we prepared very well for the heat on that occasion So for an ageing cricketer who has great motivation still at the ripe old age of 36 Ricky who knew what he had to do and thrived on getting prepared for the heat He doesnrsquot ask for concessions at this age he does more than ever

How is this achieved and how do we prepared for this

INITIAL CHALLENGESOne difficult aspect of heat training is the disruption to your normal training routine it can cause if not done wisely Heat training causes increased fatigue levels time constraints with having to travel to use heat chambers at universities and the associated problems of not being able to

RICKY PONTING BECAME THE FIRST CRICKETER TO PLAY IN 100 TEST WINS AFTER AUSTRALIA DEFEATED SRI LANKA BY 125 RUNS IN THE FIRST TEST IN GALLE LAST MONTH A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT AND SHOWS JUST HOW SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS - WELL DONE PUNTA

BUT HOW DOES AN ATHLETE STAY AT THE TOP FOR SO LONG HOW DO THEY COMPETE IN SUCH HARSH HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WHEN YOUR PRE SEASON TRAINING INS DONE IN AUSTRALIArsquoS WINTER WHERE THE TEMP ON AVERAGE IS 20 DEGREES COOLER WITH HALF THE HUMIDITY

SIMPLE ENTER THE WORLD OF HEAT TRAINING DONE ldquoOLD SCHOOLrdquo

What the public sees in sport are the lights colours and excitement of performances at the actual events What they donrsquot see is the hard slog of the preparation away from the cameras and crowds of the preparation and is what all great athletes slog away with

One country and series that demands great preparation is the hot humid and polluted conditions of Sri Lanka Australia before last month had only ever won a single Test series in Sri Lanka which was in 2004 when we toured there last and we prepared very well for the heat on that occasion So for an ageing cricketer who has great motivation still at the ripe old age of 36 Ricky who knew what he had to do and thrived on getting prepared for the heat He doesnrsquot ask for concessions at this age he does more than ever

How is this achieved and how do we prepared for this

INITIAL CHALLENGESOne difficult aspect of heat training is the disruption to your normal training routine it can cause if not done wisely Heat training causes increased fatigue levels time constraints with having to travel to use heat chambers at universities and the associated problems of not being able to

RICKY PONTING BECAME THE FIRST CRICKETER TO PLAY IN 100 TEST WINS AFTER AUSTRALIA DEFEATED SRI LANKA BY 125 RUNS IN THE FIRST TEST IN GALLE LAST MONTH A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT AND SHOWS JUST HOW SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS - WELL DONE PUNTA

BUT HOW DOES AN ATHLETE STAY AT THE TOP FOR SO LONG HOW DO THEY COMPETE IN SUCH HARSH HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WHEN YOUR PRE SEASON TRAINING INS DONE IN AUSTRALIArsquoS WINTER WHERE THE TEMP ON AVERAGE IS 20 DEGREES COOLER WITH HALF THE HUMIDITY

SIMPLE ENTER THE WORLD OF HEAT TRAINING DONE ldquoOLD SCHOOLrdquo

OCTOBER 2011 39

train specifically for cricket whilst in the heat chambers

Whatrsquos the Solution

ADAPT IMPROVISE AND OVERCOME Itrsquos not rocket science The same reasonrsquos why the Kenyans run well at altitude (because theyrsquore born and live there and are most used to those conditions) are the same reasons why Sri Lankans perform well in the heat The solution is to start getting ready early Science and research shows us it takes a good 10-12 conditioning sessions of gradually increasing intensity and duration for most individuals to acclimatize to hot and humid conditions To try and do this once arriving in a Sri Lanka whilst overcoming jetlag is leaving it too late and not a smart option Thatrsquos why Punta did it early in the cold and dark winter of a Sydney pre season

OK then How

The way Ricky did it and a very good option is the use of heat suits during normal training with the heater turned up full boar in our very own Jock Athletic training facility otherwise known as ldquoour gymrdquo Itrsquos not glamorous and annoys the other young athletes in the gym (boo hoo) but thatrsquos how we roll

We got Ricky to gradually introduce the heat suits over a 3 week period leading up to the tour so that when he arrived in Sri Lanka it was all about game preparation

40 JOCKATHLETICCOM

CONSIDERATIONSTo limit disruption to Rickyrsquos specific cricket preparation (ie not alter any planned sessions) he started with 20mins at the end of his session with the heater up and wearing the heat suit which consisted of his normal training gear plus beanie (usually mine) waterproof golf jacket and tracksuit pants This works really well for not only the heat conditioning for the sub continent but also simulates the high humidity (over 90 often) of Sri Lanka The heat suits trap the sweat and doesnrsquot allow any evaporation of the sweat (one of the bodies cooling mechanisms) which also occurs during physical activity in high humidity conditions

We gradually increased the length of the heat conditioning sessions during the acclimatization process every second day until Ricky was completing full 2hr heat sessions at high intensity during his 11th and 12th sessions

Scientists will say that isnrsquot the exact temperature or humidity of the sub continent but no two days are the same even in the one city in Sri Lanka Even within the same day conditions drastically change so over time I have found this the most economical practical method to use and have had great success with it as well Judging by Puntarsquos early form where he scored a match winning 90 in game 2 of the ODIrsquos and a solid 40 in game 1 and to see him run around the field with the energy of a 20 year old it seems to have worked well

ldquoRICKY PONTING IS ONE OF OUR ALL TIME GREATS AND YOU ONLY GET A GREAT PLAYER WHEN LOADS OF TALENT IS COMBINED WITH EXCEPTIONAL AND CONSISTENT PREPARATION THATrsquoS RICKY EVERYTHING HE ACHIEVES HE DESERVES IT ALSO HELPS THAT HErsquoS A TOUGH LITTLE SO AND SO MENTALLY AS STRONG AS IrsquoVE SEEN rdquo

Punta punching out a session in his heat suit with the gym heaters up full boar

OCTOBER 2011 41

ldquoRICKY PONTING IS ONE OF OUR ALL TIME GREATS AND YOU ONLY GET A GREAT PLAYER WHEN LOADS OF TALENT IS COMBINED WITH EXCEPTIONAL AND CONSISTENT PREPARATION THATrsquoS RICKY EVERYTHING HE ACHIEVES HE DESERVES IT ALSO HELPS THAT HErsquoS A TOUGH LITTLE SO AND SO MENTALLY AS STRONG AS IrsquoVE SEEN rdquo

42 JOCKATHLETICCOM

This is the same method I used on him and the rest of the Australian team before a tour of Sharjah (UAE) where we outplayed and coped with the heat far better than the Pakistan Team in 2002 where the heat hit 51 degrees (see the temperature gauge for proof)

Ricky Ponting is one of our all time greats and you only get a great player when loads of talent is combined with exceptional and consistent preparation Thatrsquos Ricky Everything he achieves he deserves It also helps that hersquos a tough little so and so mentally as strong as Irsquove seen

KEY POINTS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TOPREPARE FOR THE HEAT

bullGRADUALLY INCREASE HEAT AND HUMIDITY TOLERANCE SESSIONS AT THE END OF EACH NORMAL TRAINING SESSION (START WITH 20MINS)

bullDO A SESSION EVERY SECOND DAY TO ALLOW FULL RECOVERY FROM EACH HEAT SESSION ndash ADD ON 5-7 MINUTES EACH SESSION

bullCOMPLETING 10-12 SESSIONS WITHIN THREE WEEK PERIOD WILL IMPROVE YOUR HEAT TOLERANCE GREATLY

bullEVEN A CHANGE OF 5-10DEGREES IN TEMPERATURE CAN HAVE A HUGE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE SO GET PREPARED EVEN FOR THE FIRST HOT DAY OF SUMMER

bullTRY AND HAVE AS LITTLE DISRUPTION TO YOUR NORMAL TRAINING AS POSSIBLE

bullMAKE NO EXCUSES ndash FIND A WAY YOU WONT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO USE THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND PERFECT EQUIPMENT BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE

The temperature in Sharjah actually reached 52 degree Cel

OCTOBER 2011 43

JOCK CAMPBELL WAS THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MANAGER FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM FROM 2000-2005 DURING THIS PERIOD THE TEAM WAS WORLD CHAMPIONS IN BOTH TEST MATCH (NO 1 IN TEST RANKINGS) AND ONE DAY CRICKET (WORLD CUP WINNERS 2003 AND NO1 IN WORLD RANKINGS IT WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PERIOD IN THE TEAMrsquoS HISTORY THIS CULMINATED IN THE TEAM BEING VOTED NO1 TEAM IN THE WORLD (IN ANY SPORT) AT THE PRESTIGIOUS LOREUS AWARDS IN 2003 JOCK IS NOW THE HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR AT JOCK ATHLETIC AND THE SAME FOR CHANNEL 9rsquoS CRICKET COVERAGE YOU CAN FOLLOW JOCK ON TWITTER JOCKATHLETIC

Ricky (right) and Tim Paine are put through their paces during a pre-game warm up

40 JOCKATHLETICCOM

CONSIDERATIONSTo limit disruption to Rickyrsquos specific cricket preparation (ie not alter any planned sessions) he started with 20mins at the end of his session with the heater up and wearing the heat suit which consisted of his normal training gear plus beanie (usually mine) waterproof golf jacket and tracksuit pants This works really well for not only the heat conditioning for the sub continent but also simulates the high humidity (over 90 often) of Sri Lanka The heat suits trap the sweat and doesnrsquot allow any evaporation of the sweat (one of the bodies cooling mechanisms) which also occurs during physical activity in high humidity conditions

We gradually increased the length of the heat conditioning sessions during the acclimatization process every second day until Ricky was completing full 2hr heat sessions at high intensity during his 11th and 12th sessions

Scientists will say that isnrsquot the exact temperature or humidity of the sub continent but no two days are the same even in the one city in Sri Lanka Even within the same day conditions drastically change so over time I have found this the most economical practical method to use and have had great success with it as well Judging by Puntarsquos early form where he scored a match winning 90 in game 2 of the ODIrsquos and a solid 40 in game 1 and to see him run around the field with the energy of a 20 year old it seems to have worked well

ldquoRICKY PONTING IS ONE OF OUR ALL TIME GREATS AND YOU ONLY GET A GREAT PLAYER WHEN LOADS OF TALENT IS COMBINED WITH EXCEPTIONAL AND CONSISTENT PREPARATION THATrsquoS RICKY EVERYTHING HE ACHIEVES HE DESERVES IT ALSO HELPS THAT HErsquoS A TOUGH LITTLE SO AND SO MENTALLY AS STRONG AS IrsquoVE SEEN rdquo

Punta punching out a session in his heat suit with the gym heaters up full boar

OCTOBER 2011 41

ldquoRICKY PONTING IS ONE OF OUR ALL TIME GREATS AND YOU ONLY GET A GREAT PLAYER WHEN LOADS OF TALENT IS COMBINED WITH EXCEPTIONAL AND CONSISTENT PREPARATION THATrsquoS RICKY EVERYTHING HE ACHIEVES HE DESERVES IT ALSO HELPS THAT HErsquoS A TOUGH LITTLE SO AND SO MENTALLY AS STRONG AS IrsquoVE SEEN rdquo

42 JOCKATHLETICCOM

This is the same method I used on him and the rest of the Australian team before a tour of Sharjah (UAE) where we outplayed and coped with the heat far better than the Pakistan Team in 2002 where the heat hit 51 degrees (see the temperature gauge for proof)

Ricky Ponting is one of our all time greats and you only get a great player when loads of talent is combined with exceptional and consistent preparation Thatrsquos Ricky Everything he achieves he deserves It also helps that hersquos a tough little so and so mentally as strong as Irsquove seen

KEY POINTS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TOPREPARE FOR THE HEAT

bullGRADUALLY INCREASE HEAT AND HUMIDITY TOLERANCE SESSIONS AT THE END OF EACH NORMAL TRAINING SESSION (START WITH 20MINS)

bullDO A SESSION EVERY SECOND DAY TO ALLOW FULL RECOVERY FROM EACH HEAT SESSION ndash ADD ON 5-7 MINUTES EACH SESSION

bullCOMPLETING 10-12 SESSIONS WITHIN THREE WEEK PERIOD WILL IMPROVE YOUR HEAT TOLERANCE GREATLY

bullEVEN A CHANGE OF 5-10DEGREES IN TEMPERATURE CAN HAVE A HUGE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE SO GET PREPARED EVEN FOR THE FIRST HOT DAY OF SUMMER

bullTRY AND HAVE AS LITTLE DISRUPTION TO YOUR NORMAL TRAINING AS POSSIBLE

bullMAKE NO EXCUSES ndash FIND A WAY YOU WONT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO USE THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND PERFECT EQUIPMENT BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE

The temperature in Sharjah actually reached 52 degree Cel

OCTOBER 2011 43

JOCK CAMPBELL WAS THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MANAGER FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM FROM 2000-2005 DURING THIS PERIOD THE TEAM WAS WORLD CHAMPIONS IN BOTH TEST MATCH (NO 1 IN TEST RANKINGS) AND ONE DAY CRICKET (WORLD CUP WINNERS 2003 AND NO1 IN WORLD RANKINGS IT WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PERIOD IN THE TEAMrsquoS HISTORY THIS CULMINATED IN THE TEAM BEING VOTED NO1 TEAM IN THE WORLD (IN ANY SPORT) AT THE PRESTIGIOUS LOREUS AWARDS IN 2003 JOCK IS NOW THE HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR AT JOCK ATHLETIC AND THE SAME FOR CHANNEL 9rsquoS CRICKET COVERAGE YOU CAN FOLLOW JOCK ON TWITTER JOCKATHLETIC

Ricky (right) and Tim Paine are put through their paces during a pre-game warm up

OCTOBER 2011 41

ldquoRICKY PONTING IS ONE OF OUR ALL TIME GREATS AND YOU ONLY GET A GREAT PLAYER WHEN LOADS OF TALENT IS COMBINED WITH EXCEPTIONAL AND CONSISTENT PREPARATION THATrsquoS RICKY EVERYTHING HE ACHIEVES HE DESERVES IT ALSO HELPS THAT HErsquoS A TOUGH LITTLE SO AND SO MENTALLY AS STRONG AS IrsquoVE SEEN rdquo

42 JOCKATHLETICCOM

This is the same method I used on him and the rest of the Australian team before a tour of Sharjah (UAE) where we outplayed and coped with the heat far better than the Pakistan Team in 2002 where the heat hit 51 degrees (see the temperature gauge for proof)

Ricky Ponting is one of our all time greats and you only get a great player when loads of talent is combined with exceptional and consistent preparation Thatrsquos Ricky Everything he achieves he deserves It also helps that hersquos a tough little so and so mentally as strong as Irsquove seen

KEY POINTS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TOPREPARE FOR THE HEAT

bullGRADUALLY INCREASE HEAT AND HUMIDITY TOLERANCE SESSIONS AT THE END OF EACH NORMAL TRAINING SESSION (START WITH 20MINS)

bullDO A SESSION EVERY SECOND DAY TO ALLOW FULL RECOVERY FROM EACH HEAT SESSION ndash ADD ON 5-7 MINUTES EACH SESSION

bullCOMPLETING 10-12 SESSIONS WITHIN THREE WEEK PERIOD WILL IMPROVE YOUR HEAT TOLERANCE GREATLY

bullEVEN A CHANGE OF 5-10DEGREES IN TEMPERATURE CAN HAVE A HUGE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE SO GET PREPARED EVEN FOR THE FIRST HOT DAY OF SUMMER

bullTRY AND HAVE AS LITTLE DISRUPTION TO YOUR NORMAL TRAINING AS POSSIBLE

bullMAKE NO EXCUSES ndash FIND A WAY YOU WONT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO USE THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND PERFECT EQUIPMENT BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE

The temperature in Sharjah actually reached 52 degree Cel

OCTOBER 2011 43

JOCK CAMPBELL WAS THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MANAGER FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM FROM 2000-2005 DURING THIS PERIOD THE TEAM WAS WORLD CHAMPIONS IN BOTH TEST MATCH (NO 1 IN TEST RANKINGS) AND ONE DAY CRICKET (WORLD CUP WINNERS 2003 AND NO1 IN WORLD RANKINGS IT WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PERIOD IN THE TEAMrsquoS HISTORY THIS CULMINATED IN THE TEAM BEING VOTED NO1 TEAM IN THE WORLD (IN ANY SPORT) AT THE PRESTIGIOUS LOREUS AWARDS IN 2003 JOCK IS NOW THE HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR AT JOCK ATHLETIC AND THE SAME FOR CHANNEL 9rsquoS CRICKET COVERAGE YOU CAN FOLLOW JOCK ON TWITTER JOCKATHLETIC

Ricky (right) and Tim Paine are put through their paces during a pre-game warm up

42 JOCKATHLETICCOM

This is the same method I used on him and the rest of the Australian team before a tour of Sharjah (UAE) where we outplayed and coped with the heat far better than the Pakistan Team in 2002 where the heat hit 51 degrees (see the temperature gauge for proof)

Ricky Ponting is one of our all time greats and you only get a great player when loads of talent is combined with exceptional and consistent preparation Thatrsquos Ricky Everything he achieves he deserves It also helps that hersquos a tough little so and so mentally as strong as Irsquove seen

KEY POINTS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TOPREPARE FOR THE HEAT

bullGRADUALLY INCREASE HEAT AND HUMIDITY TOLERANCE SESSIONS AT THE END OF EACH NORMAL TRAINING SESSION (START WITH 20MINS)

bullDO A SESSION EVERY SECOND DAY TO ALLOW FULL RECOVERY FROM EACH HEAT SESSION ndash ADD ON 5-7 MINUTES EACH SESSION

bullCOMPLETING 10-12 SESSIONS WITHIN THREE WEEK PERIOD WILL IMPROVE YOUR HEAT TOLERANCE GREATLY

bullEVEN A CHANGE OF 5-10DEGREES IN TEMPERATURE CAN HAVE A HUGE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE SO GET PREPARED EVEN FOR THE FIRST HOT DAY OF SUMMER

bullTRY AND HAVE AS LITTLE DISRUPTION TO YOUR NORMAL TRAINING AS POSSIBLE

bullMAKE NO EXCUSES ndash FIND A WAY YOU WONT ALWAYS BE ABLE TO USE THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND PERFECT EQUIPMENT BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE

The temperature in Sharjah actually reached 52 degree Cel

OCTOBER 2011 43

JOCK CAMPBELL WAS THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MANAGER FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM FROM 2000-2005 DURING THIS PERIOD THE TEAM WAS WORLD CHAMPIONS IN BOTH TEST MATCH (NO 1 IN TEST RANKINGS) AND ONE DAY CRICKET (WORLD CUP WINNERS 2003 AND NO1 IN WORLD RANKINGS IT WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PERIOD IN THE TEAMrsquoS HISTORY THIS CULMINATED IN THE TEAM BEING VOTED NO1 TEAM IN THE WORLD (IN ANY SPORT) AT THE PRESTIGIOUS LOREUS AWARDS IN 2003 JOCK IS NOW THE HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR AT JOCK ATHLETIC AND THE SAME FOR CHANNEL 9rsquoS CRICKET COVERAGE YOU CAN FOLLOW JOCK ON TWITTER JOCKATHLETIC

Ricky (right) and Tim Paine are put through their paces during a pre-game warm up

OCTOBER 2011 43

JOCK CAMPBELL WAS THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE MANAGER FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM FROM 2000-2005 DURING THIS PERIOD THE TEAM WAS WORLD CHAMPIONS IN BOTH TEST MATCH (NO 1 IN TEST RANKINGS) AND ONE DAY CRICKET (WORLD CUP WINNERS 2003 AND NO1 IN WORLD RANKINGS IT WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PERIOD IN THE TEAMrsquoS HISTORY THIS CULMINATED IN THE TEAM BEING VOTED NO1 TEAM IN THE WORLD (IN ANY SPORT) AT THE PRESTIGIOUS LOREUS AWARDS IN 2003 JOCK IS NOW THE HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR AT JOCK ATHLETIC AND THE SAME FOR CHANNEL 9rsquoS CRICKET COVERAGE YOU CAN FOLLOW JOCK ON TWITTER JOCKATHLETIC

Ricky (right) and Tim Paine are put through their paces during a pre-game warm up

44 JOCKATHLETICCOM

FITFACTSTO CHOKE OR NOT TO CHOKEWHAT CAUSES ATHLETES(AND THE REST OF US) TO FAIL UNDER PRESSURE

CASSANDRA GOVAN PHD amp DAVID NEAL PHD

OCTOBER 2011 45

NOBODY COULD HAVE WATCHED USAIN BOLTrsquoS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPRINTS IN AUGUST WITHOUT A NEWFOUND APPRECIATION FOR THE RAZOR THIN LINE ON WHICH PEAK ATHLETES MUST CONSTANTLY DANCE

Boltrsquos strong victories in the 200m and 4x100m relay show he clearly deserved his mantle as favourite for the 100m What agony then to be disqualified from the 100 meters after a single false starthellipa death knell under the controversial ldquozero-tolerancerdquo false start rule enacted last year

Reflecting on the false start and his disqualification at a news conference after the race Bolt said ldquoI was a little bit off I wasnrsquot really myself Anxiety got the better of me I really wanted to go I really felt like I wanted to runrdquo

His comments perfectly capture one of the great ironies of being human ndash why is it so often exactly when we need to do our best that we flub choke and trip over our own toes Common wisdom tells us that motivation can cause anxiety and anxiety in turn causes poor performance

So thatrsquos over-thinking What about its evil opposite under-thinking Scientists say that under-thinking gets the better of us when a task is not skill-based but instead demands sustained attention or creative thought This includes things like giving a great impromptu speech taking a tough exam or solving a complex new problem at work In this situation high motivation can prompt us to use up our limited mental resources on things that donrsquot really contribute to our success (like ldquodo I have spinach in my teeth Am I still going to get my annual bonus if I canrsquot solve this problemrdquo etc) This leaves less bandwidth in our brain to complete the task at hand

So does the science tell us what we can actually do about this and so avoid

But psychological research actually tells a more nuanced story In light of Boltrsquos experience and with the pressure cooker AFL and NRL Grand Finals just around the corner we thought wersquod take a deeper look at the science of ldquochoking under pressurerdquo

Why does motivation sometimes get the better of ushellipand what can we do to avoid itAccording to the latest studies there are probably two main causes of choking under pressure They can be roughly summed up as ldquoover-thinkingrdquo and ldquounder-thinkingrdquo `The trick of course is working out when a situation calls for more thought and when it calls for less And thatrsquos where the research is useful

The basic principle is that skill-based behaviors like basically all athletic activities are so automatic and unconscious that more thinking is basically always an enemy to peak performance When wersquore highly motivated we like to thinkhellipand that thinking forces us to disengage our athletic autopilot in the false belief that we can decide our way to better performance This is what tripped up Bolt and probably accounts for 90 of the missed putts wild serves and errant kicks on goal that occur when the stakes are really high

choking under pressure Fortunately yes

The first step is to work out whether the task yoursquore doing is a well learned skill for you If it is then your enemy is over-thinking and your strategy should be to focus on the end objective (eg having a beer at the 19th hole) rather than the thousands of little actions required to get you there Leave these for your athletic autopilot to take care of

Conversely if you need to give a big speech or solve a complex technical problem then your enemy is under-thinking and the nitty-gritty of performance is exactly what you should be focused on Get drawn into the trenches of the task and yoursquoll be your best

So as the Grand Finals roll around and some people are tempted to bemoan our ldquomindlessrdquo obsession with the game wear that description with pride Because sometimes mindlessness is exactly what is required to be your very best

EMPIRICA RESEARCHIS A SOCIAL AND CONSUMER RESEARCH FIRM BASED IN MELBOURNE AND MIAMI

For more about Empirica email Cassie Govan or David Neal or find us on Facebook and Twitter (empirica_update) or visit wwwempiricaresearchcomau

OCTOBER 2011 45

NOBODY COULD HAVE WATCHED USAIN BOLTrsquoS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SPRINTS IN AUGUST WITHOUT A NEWFOUND APPRECIATION FOR THE RAZOR THIN LINE ON WHICH PEAK ATHLETES MUST CONSTANTLY DANCE

Boltrsquos strong victories in the 200m and 4x100m relay show he clearly deserved his mantle as favourite for the 100m What agony then to be disqualified from the 100 meters after a single false starthellipa death knell under the controversial ldquozero-tolerancerdquo false start rule enacted last year

Reflecting on the false start and his disqualification at a news conference after the race Bolt said ldquoI was a little bit off I wasnrsquot really myself Anxiety got the better of me I really wanted to go I really felt like I wanted to runrdquo

His comments perfectly capture one of the great ironies of being human ndash why is it so often exactly when we need to do our best that we flub choke and trip over our own toes Common wisdom tells us that motivation can cause anxiety and anxiety in turn causes poor performance

So thatrsquos over-thinking What about its evil opposite under-thinking Scientists say that under-thinking gets the better of us when a task is not skill-based but instead demands sustained attention or creative thought This includes things like giving a great impromptu speech taking a tough exam or solving a complex new problem at work In this situation high motivation can prompt us to use up our limited mental resources on things that donrsquot really contribute to our success (like ldquodo I have spinach in my teeth Am I still going to get my annual bonus if I canrsquot solve this problemrdquo etc) This leaves less bandwidth in our brain to complete the task at hand

So does the science tell us what we can actually do about this and so avoid

But psychological research actually tells a more nuanced story In light of Boltrsquos experience and with the pressure cooker AFL and NRL Grand Finals just around the corner we thought wersquod take a deeper look at the science of ldquochoking under pressurerdquo

Why does motivation sometimes get the better of ushellipand what can we do to avoid itAccording to the latest studies there are probably two main causes of choking under pressure They can be roughly summed up as ldquoover-thinkingrdquo and ldquounder-thinkingrdquo `The trick of course is working out when a situation calls for more thought and when it calls for less And thatrsquos where the research is useful

The basic principle is that skill-based behaviors like basically all athletic activities are so automatic and unconscious that more thinking is basically always an enemy to peak performance When wersquore highly motivated we like to thinkhellipand that thinking forces us to disengage our athletic autopilot in the false belief that we can decide our way to better performance This is what tripped up Bolt and probably accounts for 90 of the missed putts wild serves and errant kicks on goal that occur when the stakes are really high

choking under pressure Fortunately yes

The first step is to work out whether the task yoursquore doing is a well learned skill for you If it is then your enemy is over-thinking and your strategy should be to focus on the end objective (eg having a beer at the 19th hole) rather than the thousands of little actions required to get you there Leave these for your athletic autopilot to take care of

Conversely if you need to give a big speech or solve a complex technical problem then your enemy is under-thinking and the nitty-gritty of performance is exactly what you should be focused on Get drawn into the trenches of the task and yoursquoll be your best

So as the Grand Finals roll around and some people are tempted to bemoan our ldquomindlessrdquo obsession with the game wear that description with pride Because sometimes mindlessness is exactly what is required to be your very best

EMPIRICA RESEARCHIS A SOCIAL AND CONSUMER RESEARCH FIRM BASED IN MELBOURNE AND MIAMI

For more about Empirica email Cassie Govan or David Neal or find us on Facebook and Twitter (empirica_update) or visit wwwempiricaresearchcomau

So thatrsquos over-thinking What about its evil opposite under-thinking Scientists say that under-thinking gets the better of us when a task is not skill-based but instead demands sustained attention or creative thought This includes things like giving a great impromptu speech taking a tough exam or solving a complex new problem at work In this situation high motivation can prompt us to use up our limited mental resources on things that donrsquot really contribute to our success (like ldquodo I have spinach in my teeth Am I still going to get my annual bonus if I canrsquot solve this problemrdquo etc) This leaves less bandwidth in our brain to complete the task at hand

So does the science tell us what we can actually do about this and so avoid

But psychological research actually tells a more nuanced story In light of Boltrsquos experience and with the pressure cooker AFL and NRL Grand Finals just around the corner we thought wersquod take a deeper look at the science of ldquochoking under pressurerdquo

Why does motivation sometimes get the better of ushellipand what can we do to avoid itAccording to the latest studies there are probably two main causes of choking under pressure They can be roughly summed up as ldquoover-thinkingrdquo and ldquounder-thinkingrdquo `The trick of course is working out when a situation calls for more thought and when it calls for less And thatrsquos where the research is useful

The basic principle is that skill-based behaviors like basically all athletic activities are so automatic and unconscious that more thinking is basically always an enemy to peak performance When wersquore highly motivated we like to thinkhellipand that thinking forces us to disengage our athletic autopilot in the false belief that we can decide our way to better performance This is what tripped up Bolt and probably accounts for 90 of the missed putts wild serves and errant kicks on goal that occur when the stakes are really high

choking under pressure Fortunately yes

The first step is to work out whether the task yoursquore doing is a well learned skill for you If it is then your enemy is over-thinking and your strategy should be to focus on the end objective (eg having a beer at the 19th hole) rather than the thousands of little actions required to get you there Leave these for your athletic autopilot to take care of

Conversely if you need to give a big speech or solve a complex technical problem then your enemy is under-thinking and the nitty-gritty of performance is exactly what you should be focused on Get drawn into the trenches of the task and yoursquoll be your best

So as the Grand Finals roll around and some people are tempted to bemoan our ldquomindlessrdquo obsession with the game wear that description with pride Because sometimes mindlessness is exactly what is required to be your very best

EMPIRICA RESEARCHIS A SOCIAL AND CONSUMER RESEARCH FIRM BASED IN MELBOURNE AND MIAMI

For more about Empirica email Cassie Govan or David Neal or find us on Facebook and Twitter (empirica_update) or visit wwwempiricaresearchcomau

choking under pressure Fortunately yes

The first step is to work out whether the task yoursquore doing is a well learned skill for you If it is then your enemy is over-thinking and your strategy should be to focus on the end objective (eg having a beer at the 19th hole) rather than the thousands of little actions required to get you there Leave these for your athletic autopilot to take care of

Conversely if you need to give a big speech or solve a complex technical problem then your enemy is under-thinking and the nitty-gritty of performance is exactly what you should be focused on Get drawn into the trenches of the task and yoursquoll be your best

So as the Grand Finals roll around and some people are tempted to bemoan our ldquomindlessrdquo obsession with the game wear that description with pride Because sometimes mindlessness is exactly what is required to be your very best

EMPIRICA RESEARCHIS A SOCIAL AND CONSUMER RESEARCH FIRM BASED IN MELBOURNE AND MIAMI

For more about Empirica email Cassie Govan or David Neal or find us on Facebook and Twitter (empirica_update) or visit wwwempiricaresearchcomau

48 JOCKATHLETICCOM

WOMEN going for Gold

OCTOBER 2011 49

WOMEN going for Gold

SIOBHAN MCCARTHY

50 JOCKATHLETICCOM

For 21-year-old Tatum Lawler this was the third time she took on the event and each year she is filled with the same excitement

ldquoIt is the hardest race to enter on the surf calendar not many people can say they have completed the Coolangatta Gold so I was excited to come back and have another crackrdquo Lawler says

Lawler first took on lsquoThe Goldrsquo as a 16-year-old and has learnt quickly how to be mentally tough after having to endure endless training sessions through a Sydney winter These days Lawler juggles the demanding training for this event with fulltime work

ldquoThere were times when I just wanted to give up because it all seemed too hard On my days off work it was freezing cold and raining and I had to really make myself go paddlingrdquo

But when the hard yards training are long gone and competitors hit the shore for the final time the long way home makes it all worthwhile ldquoThe most thrilling part for me is the run home As soon as I start running and see the Q1 Building in front of me I know Irsquom nearly thererdquo she says

For former Ironman triathlete Melinda Cockshutt this yearrsquos Coolangatta Gold in the Masters was her first crack ldquoI donrsquot have much lsquofast-twitchrsquo fibers in my body these days so the distance of the Gold was attractive I thought lsquoone dayrsquo hellip and then my friend said lsquoWhy not nowrsquo and I said lsquoYes why notrsquo

THE GRUELLING 2011 COOLANGATTA GOLD HAS SEEN A RECORD NUMBER OF 530 COMPETITORS STORM TO THE SHORES OF THE GOLD COAST TO TAKE ON SURF LIFE SAVINGrsquoS ICONIC RACE

THE COOLANGATTA GOLD SEES COMPETITORS SKI PADDLE SWIM BOARD PADDLE AND RUN THEIR WAY ALONG THE GOLD COAST LINE STARTING AND FINISHING AT KURRAWA BEACH

LEADING THE CHARGE WAS THE WOMEN WITH A RECORD NUMBER OF 50 OPEN COMPETITORS TACKLING THE SHORTER 305KM IRONMAN EVENT

IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE SURGE OF WOMEN TAKING PART IN SPORT AND SURF LIFE SAVINGrsquoS HOLY GRAIL EVENT IS NO EXCEPTION

WITH SO MANY COMPETITORS NOW TAKING TO THIS EVENT WHAT IS IT ABOUT lsquoTHE GOLDrsquo THAT IS SEEING SO MANY COMPETITORS PUSH THEIR BODY AND THEIR MINDS TO SUCH LIMITS

OCTOBER 2011 51

2011 Coolangatta Gold Winner Courtney Hancock

Image John Veage Harvpix

OCTOBER 2011 49

WOMEN going for Gold

SIOBHAN MCCARTHY

50 JOCKATHLETICCOM

For 21-year-old Tatum Lawler this was the third time she took on the event and each year she is filled with the same excitement

ldquoIt is the hardest race to enter on the surf calendar not many people can say they have completed the Coolangatta Gold so I was excited to come back and have another crackrdquo Lawler says

Lawler first took on lsquoThe Goldrsquo as a 16-year-old and has learnt quickly how to be mentally tough after having to endure endless training sessions through a Sydney winter These days Lawler juggles the demanding training for this event with fulltime work

ldquoThere were times when I just wanted to give up because it all seemed too hard On my days off work it was freezing cold and raining and I had to really make myself go paddlingrdquo

But when the hard yards training are long gone and competitors hit the shore for the final time the long way home makes it all worthwhile ldquoThe most thrilling part for me is the run home As soon as I start running and see the Q1 Building in front of me I know Irsquom nearly thererdquo she says

For former Ironman triathlete Melinda Cockshutt this yearrsquos Coolangatta Gold in the Masters was her first crack ldquoI donrsquot have much lsquofast-twitchrsquo fibers in my body these days so the distance of the Gold was attractive I thought lsquoone dayrsquo hellip and then my friend said lsquoWhy not nowrsquo and I said lsquoYes why notrsquo

THE GRUELLING 2011 COOLANGATTA GOLD HAS SEEN A RECORD NUMBER OF 530 COMPETITORS STORM TO THE SHORES OF THE GOLD COAST TO TAKE ON SURF LIFE SAVINGrsquoS ICONIC RACE

THE COOLANGATTA GOLD SEES COMPETITORS SKI PADDLE SWIM BOARD PADDLE AND RUN THEIR WAY ALONG THE GOLD COAST LINE STARTING AND FINISHING AT KURRAWA BEACH

LEADING THE CHARGE WAS THE WOMEN WITH A RECORD NUMBER OF 50 OPEN COMPETITORS TACKLING THE SHORTER 305KM IRONMAN EVENT

IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE SURGE OF WOMEN TAKING PART IN SPORT AND SURF LIFE SAVINGrsquoS HOLY GRAIL EVENT IS NO EXCEPTION

WITH SO MANY COMPETITORS NOW TAKING TO THIS EVENT WHAT IS IT ABOUT lsquoTHE GOLDrsquo THAT IS SEEING SO MANY COMPETITORS PUSH THEIR BODY AND THEIR MINDS TO SUCH LIMITS

OCTOBER 2011 51

2011 Coolangatta Gold Winner Courtney Hancock

Image John Veage Harvpix

50 JOCKATHLETICCOM

For 21-year-old Tatum Lawler this was the third time she took on the event and each year she is filled with the same excitement

ldquoIt is the hardest race to enter on the surf calendar not many people can say they have completed the Coolangatta Gold so I was excited to come back and have another crackrdquo Lawler says

Lawler first took on lsquoThe Goldrsquo as a 16-year-old and has learnt quickly how to be mentally tough after having to endure endless training sessions through a Sydney winter These days Lawler juggles the demanding training for this event with fulltime work

ldquoThere were times when I just wanted to give up because it all seemed too hard On my days off work it was freezing cold and raining and I had to really make myself go paddlingrdquo

But when the hard yards training are long gone and competitors hit the shore for the final time the long way home makes it all worthwhile ldquoThe most thrilling part for me is the run home As soon as I start running and see the Q1 Building in front of me I know Irsquom nearly thererdquo she says

For former Ironman triathlete Melinda Cockshutt this yearrsquos Coolangatta Gold in the Masters was her first crack ldquoI donrsquot have much lsquofast-twitchrsquo fibers in my body these days so the distance of the Gold was attractive I thought lsquoone dayrsquo hellip and then my friend said lsquoWhy not nowrsquo and I said lsquoYes why notrsquo

THE GRUELLING 2011 COOLANGATTA GOLD HAS SEEN A RECORD NUMBER OF 530 COMPETITORS STORM TO THE SHORES OF THE GOLD COAST TO TAKE ON SURF LIFE SAVINGrsquoS ICONIC RACE

THE COOLANGATTA GOLD SEES COMPETITORS SKI PADDLE SWIM BOARD PADDLE AND RUN THEIR WAY ALONG THE GOLD COAST LINE STARTING AND FINISHING AT KURRAWA BEACH

LEADING THE CHARGE WAS THE WOMEN WITH A RECORD NUMBER OF 50 OPEN COMPETITORS TACKLING THE SHORTER 305KM IRONMAN EVENT

IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE SURGE OF WOMEN TAKING PART IN SPORT AND SURF LIFE SAVINGrsquoS HOLY GRAIL EVENT IS NO EXCEPTION

WITH SO MANY COMPETITORS NOW TAKING TO THIS EVENT WHAT IS IT ABOUT lsquoTHE GOLDrsquo THAT IS SEEING SO MANY COMPETITORS PUSH THEIR BODY AND THEIR MINDS TO SUCH LIMITS

OCTOBER 2011 51

2011 Coolangatta Gold Winner Courtney Hancock

Image John Veage Harvpix

OCTOBER 2011 51

2011 Coolangatta Gold Winner Courtney Hancock

Image John Veage Harvpix

52 JOCKATHLETICCOM

At 37 Cockshutt has had a distinguished sporting career as a triathlete and in 2008 ndash in a year where she had qualified for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii her then 4-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer ldquoMy year went from an amazing high to an incredible low My family came out of it stronger and better for it and thus I live life to the fullest ndash like taking on The Goldrdquo

With Cockshuttrsquos zest for life and the support she receives from her family 2011 saw her take on many challenges to get to the start line of The Gold ldquoMy first time on the ski was in March this year I fell off at least a dozen times But everyone from my Club and others in the area had been so supportive and taught me heaps and were very patientrdquo

Going in to this yearrsquos event Cockshutt had no expectations of the race but to finish ldquoI had no idea what I could ndash and could not

ldquoTHE CHALLENGE AND PREPARATION FOR THIS RACE HAS TAKEN ME COMPLETELY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE STARTING SOMETHING NEW IN YOUR LATE 30S IS A CHALLENGE ndash FOR THE MIND PROBABLY MORE THAN THE BODY ndash SO IrsquoM JUST HAPPY THAT I TOOK THAT STEP OFF THE CLIFF AND I WILL SEE WHERE IT TAKES MErdquo

Melinda Cockshutt

OCTOBER 2011 53

SIOBHAN MCCARTHY

IS A COUNTRY KID TURNED TRI GEEK AND IS CURRENTLY TRAINING WITH A TRIATHLON SQUAD AND LIVING THE GOOD LIFE ON THE GOLD COAST TO PASS THE TIME SHE IS COMPLETING A MASTERS OF JOURNALISM AND WRITES A BLOG ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES OVER THE COMING MONTHS SIOBHAN WILL BRING US THE GOOD WORD ON WOMEN IN SPORT YOU CAN FOLLOW SIOBHAN ON TWITTER

(SIOBHANANN)

do ndash and the goal was to finish When I crossed that finish line in the Gold I was the proudest person in the whole worldrdquo she says

For both of these women The Coolangatta Gold has seen them juggle the demands of everyday life plus remain dedicated to the training needed to complete this race through what has been an unforgiving winter

Despite this both Cockshutt and Lawler have given the same advice to anyone thinking of having a crack at The Gold ldquoGo for it People are capable of achieving a lot more than they think they canrdquo she says

THE GOLD WAS FIRST HELD IN 1984 1985 1991 AND 1992 THE EVENT WAS REBORN IN 2005 AND IT CONTINUES TO DRAW ATHLETES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY THE RACE NOW INCORPORATES NUMEROUS CATEGORIES AND IS CONSIDERED ONE OF AUSTRALIArsquoS ICONIC MULTI-DISCIPLINED EVENTS

Image John Veage Harvpix

OCTOBER 2011 53

SIOBHAN MCCARTHY

IS A COUNTRY KID TURNED TRI GEEK AND IS CURRENTLY TRAINING WITH A TRIATHLON SQUAD AND LIVING THE GOOD LIFE ON THE GOLD COAST TO PASS THE TIME SHE IS COMPLETING A MASTERS OF JOURNALISM AND WRITES A BLOG ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES OVER THE COMING MONTHS SIOBHAN WILL BRING US THE GOOD WORD ON WOMEN IN SPORT YOU CAN FOLLOW SIOBHAN ON TWITTER

(SIOBHANANN)

do ndash and the goal was to finish When I crossed that finish line in the Gold I was the proudest person in the whole worldrdquo she says

For both of these women The Coolangatta Gold has seen them juggle the demands of everyday life plus remain dedicated to the training needed to complete this race through what has been an unforgiving winter

Despite this both Cockshutt and Lawler have given the same advice to anyone thinking of having a crack at The Gold ldquoGo for it People are capable of achieving a lot more than they think they canrdquo she says

THE GOLD WAS FIRST HELD IN 1984 1985 1991 AND 1992 THE EVENT WAS REBORN IN 2005 AND IT CONTINUES TO DRAW ATHLETES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY THE RACE NOW INCORPORATES NUMEROUS CATEGORIES AND IS CONSIDERED ONE OF AUSTRALIArsquoS ICONIC MULTI-DISCIPLINED EVENTS

Image John Veage Harvpix

54 JOCKATHLETICCOM

PLANNINGFOR

RUGBY LEAGUE

OCTOBER 2011 55 PAUL WATSON

PLANNINGFOR

RUGBY LEAGUE

56 JOCKATHLETICCOM

THIS IS THE FIRST PART OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES OUTLINING THE YEARLY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS

PERIODISATION IS SIMPLY THE BREAKDOWN OF THE TRAINING AND COMPETITION YEAR INTO BLOCKS OF TRAINING ADAPTATIONS LEADING TO THE PEAKING OF PERFORMANCE DURING THE FINAL SERIES RUGBY LEAGUE TEAMS MUST CONTINUALLY HEAD TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL AREAS OF PROFESSIONALISM IN THE COACHING AND STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING AREAS BY USING SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND ATHLETIC PREPARATION TEAMS ARE LOOKING TO STAY AHEAD OF THEIR OPPOSITION AND IMPROVE EACH INDIVIDUAL ATHLETE AS WELL AS AVOID INJURIES THE PLAYERS TRAIN YEAR-ROUND WITH OCTOBER BEING THE TRANSITION OR OFFLOAD MONTH IF THEY FINISH THEIR SEASON EARLY DUE TO MISSING OUT ON THE FINAL SERIES MANY WILL STILL WILL TRAIN FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER UP UNTIL THE GRAND FINAL THIS MEANS THEY START THEIR PREPARATION 4-5 WEEKS LATER FOR THE NEXT SEASON THE REST OF THE YEARrsquoS PERIODISED PLAN FOLLOWS TRADITIONAL TRAINING SEQUENCES WITH THE EMPHASIS STILL ON INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS

RUGBY LEAGUE

OCTOBER 2011 57

This is the transition cycle where the players get the full month of October off for active recovery For some it comes earlier and for others who make the grand final and representative teams it arrives later This period is important psychologically to break from the intensity of the game of rugby league Most players train in this period to actively recover and not de-train too much De-training can lead to injuries upon resuming training loads It is also a time many injured players will have their much-needed operations to fix injuries that they have carried in the season In summary this period does have many considerations and is often affected by extrinsic factors

This period from November through to the Christmas offload period is where larger volumes of work are done Aerobic base and strength endurance is built during this period Consisting of threefour field sessions weekly with conditioning skill building and the playing of designer games making up the bulk of the field sessions This starts to lay the platform the season will be built on Track sessions consisting of discontinuous interval running can be performed twice weekly These intervals vary in length but are mostly in the 200m and less range consisting of intervals with little rest This

allows leg speed to be maintained while emphasising the aerobic energy system Speed endurance is also starting to build with these sessions One session per week should be spent on hills running building strength endurance in the running muscles as well as aerobic conditioning The hillrsquos allow intensive running that does not break players down physically or reduce muscle mass Hills give no hard pounding but very hard work Agility and skill work are also covered throughout the sessions to build specific qualities

In the weight room we concentrate on strength endurance or bodybuilding to complement the running training and to build size Split routines are used with a four-day split of legs shoulders and bicepschest back and triceps This also builds the base needed for the strengthpower work Again each program is individualised if an athlete with good training history needs more power or strength they will start on that program This cycle finishes with a 12 to 14-day offload period and Christmas break The players are pushed by high intensity workouts in this first cycle so the break allows their bodies to repair and recover

Specific preparation generally starts at this four-week stage after the Christmas break This period varies with individual clubs in the English super league clubs are often playing two weeks into the New

MACRO CYCLE 1TRANSITION CYCLE1

MACRO CYCLE 2GENERAL PREPARATION2

MACRO CYCLE 3SPECIFIC PREPARATION3

58 JOCKATHLETICCOM

OCTOBER 2011 59

Year For teams in Australia this specific prep can be performed for 3 to 4 weeks This can consist of two speed sessions where recovery is increased in the discontinuous intervals and quality is lifted Specific bouts of shuttles and drills are also introduced The hill sessions continue for the first 4 weeks but are shorter and more intense Aerobic base is maintained with the skills and games as well as specific ball work The weights continue at 4 sessions per week and maximal strength is worked using repetitions of five lifts Emphasis is placed on the Olympic lifts ndash lifting as heavy as the five reps will allow

The pre-season competition starts at the beginning of this cycle and a game is played each weekend This is when maintenance begins and the base building phase ends (6-12 weeks) While gains still can be made during this cycle they can be interrupted through the games that are played The sprint sessions go back to once per week and are really becoming a sharpening phase Quality goes up and rest increases Aerobic base is maintained through team training ball work sessions The weight sessions change into the in-season routine of 2-3 times per week This cycle is used as a conversions phase and the repetitions are dropped to threes to convert the strength gains to explosive power Ball work increases to three per week with Mondays used as a recovery day and review

MACRO CYCLE 4PRE-COMPETITION4

60 JOCKATHLETICCOM

The competitive phase is similar to the pre-competition phase and basically maintenance is trained for the 22 competition rounds Rugby league is highly intense and recovery and preparation for the games takes up most of the training week One sprint session and 1-2 weight sessions are practiced The sprint sessions tie in with the weights being lifted either maximal strength or power with corresponding sprint sessions of sharpening or speed endurance This varies according to the draw and performance of the team

During the byes a mini conditioning cycle or crank-up is performed for the week leading into the byes This is to rebuild base fitness parameters that have deteriorated during the preceding weeks of competition Here the team goes back to preseason training consisting of two sprintendurance sessions and four-day split strength endurance resistance training Building up to the final series an increase in workload is performed to rebuild any lost physical fitness parameters This can include harder running boxing and game-specific drills Every 4-6 weeks throughout this period we will also perform offload weeks which will allow adaptation to occur and help with injury prevention

The hard work has been done and its offload time to start to peak for the final series Weights are just 2 days per week with a sprintersrsquo program installed of 3 exercises with 5 reps Extras are left for the players to determine The sprint training is just sharpening and the ball work volume cut back Itrsquos about freshening up and playing your best football

RUGBY LEAGUE

MACRO CYCLE 5THE COMPETITIVE PHASE5 MACRO CYCLE 6

COMPETITIVE PEAKING PHASE

6

PAUL WATSON

HAS BEEN AN NRL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR 13 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF JOHNNY LANGrsquoS STAFF AT THE CRONULLA SHARKS AND PENRITH PANTHERS HE IS NOW THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR THE HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS IN THE UK WORKING ALONGSIDE COACH NATHAN BROWN YOU CAN FOLLOW PAUL ON TWITTER ORCASTAR

OCTOBER 2011 55 PAUL WATSON

PLANNINGFOR

RUGBY LEAGUE

56 JOCKATHLETICCOM

THIS IS THE FIRST PART OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES OUTLINING THE YEARLY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS

PERIODISATION IS SIMPLY THE BREAKDOWN OF THE TRAINING AND COMPETITION YEAR INTO BLOCKS OF TRAINING ADAPTATIONS LEADING TO THE PEAKING OF PERFORMANCE DURING THE FINAL SERIES RUGBY LEAGUE TEAMS MUST CONTINUALLY HEAD TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL AREAS OF PROFESSIONALISM IN THE COACHING AND STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING AREAS BY USING SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND ATHLETIC PREPARATION TEAMS ARE LOOKING TO STAY AHEAD OF THEIR OPPOSITION AND IMPROVE EACH INDIVIDUAL ATHLETE AS WELL AS AVOID INJURIES THE PLAYERS TRAIN YEAR-ROUND WITH OCTOBER BEING THE TRANSITION OR OFFLOAD MONTH IF THEY FINISH THEIR SEASON EARLY DUE TO MISSING OUT ON THE FINAL SERIES MANY WILL STILL WILL TRAIN FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER UP UNTIL THE GRAND FINAL THIS MEANS THEY START THEIR PREPARATION 4-5 WEEKS LATER FOR THE NEXT SEASON THE REST OF THE YEARrsquoS PERIODISED PLAN FOLLOWS TRADITIONAL TRAINING SEQUENCES WITH THE EMPHASIS STILL ON INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS

RUGBY LEAGUE

OCTOBER 2011 57

This is the transition cycle where the players get the full month of October off for active recovery For some it comes earlier and for others who make the grand final and representative teams it arrives later This period is important psychologically to break from the intensity of the game of rugby league Most players train in this period to actively recover and not de-train too much De-training can lead to injuries upon resuming training loads It is also a time many injured players will have their much-needed operations to fix injuries that they have carried in the season In summary this period does have many considerations and is often affected by extrinsic factors

This period from November through to the Christmas offload period is where larger volumes of work are done Aerobic base and strength endurance is built during this period Consisting of threefour field sessions weekly with conditioning skill building and the playing of designer games making up the bulk of the field sessions This starts to lay the platform the season will be built on Track sessions consisting of discontinuous interval running can be performed twice weekly These intervals vary in length but are mostly in the 200m and less range consisting of intervals with little rest This

allows leg speed to be maintained while emphasising the aerobic energy system Speed endurance is also starting to build with these sessions One session per week should be spent on hills running building strength endurance in the running muscles as well as aerobic conditioning The hillrsquos allow intensive running that does not break players down physically or reduce muscle mass Hills give no hard pounding but very hard work Agility and skill work are also covered throughout the sessions to build specific qualities

In the weight room we concentrate on strength endurance or bodybuilding to complement the running training and to build size Split routines are used with a four-day split of legs shoulders and bicepschest back and triceps This also builds the base needed for the strengthpower work Again each program is individualised if an athlete with good training history needs more power or strength they will start on that program This cycle finishes with a 12 to 14-day offload period and Christmas break The players are pushed by high intensity workouts in this first cycle so the break allows their bodies to repair and recover

Specific preparation generally starts at this four-week stage after the Christmas break This period varies with individual clubs in the English super league clubs are often playing two weeks into the New

MACRO CYCLE 1TRANSITION CYCLE1

MACRO CYCLE 2GENERAL PREPARATION2

MACRO CYCLE 3SPECIFIC PREPARATION3

58 JOCKATHLETICCOM

OCTOBER 2011 59

Year For teams in Australia this specific prep can be performed for 3 to 4 weeks This can consist of two speed sessions where recovery is increased in the discontinuous intervals and quality is lifted Specific bouts of shuttles and drills are also introduced The hill sessions continue for the first 4 weeks but are shorter and more intense Aerobic base is maintained with the skills and games as well as specific ball work The weights continue at 4 sessions per week and maximal strength is worked using repetitions of five lifts Emphasis is placed on the Olympic lifts ndash lifting as heavy as the five reps will allow

The pre-season competition starts at the beginning of this cycle and a game is played each weekend This is when maintenance begins and the base building phase ends (6-12 weeks) While gains still can be made during this cycle they can be interrupted through the games that are played The sprint sessions go back to once per week and are really becoming a sharpening phase Quality goes up and rest increases Aerobic base is maintained through team training ball work sessions The weight sessions change into the in-season routine of 2-3 times per week This cycle is used as a conversions phase and the repetitions are dropped to threes to convert the strength gains to explosive power Ball work increases to three per week with Mondays used as a recovery day and review

MACRO CYCLE 4PRE-COMPETITION4

60 JOCKATHLETICCOM

The competitive phase is similar to the pre-competition phase and basically maintenance is trained for the 22 competition rounds Rugby league is highly intense and recovery and preparation for the games takes up most of the training week One sprint session and 1-2 weight sessions are practiced The sprint sessions tie in with the weights being lifted either maximal strength or power with corresponding sprint sessions of sharpening or speed endurance This varies according to the draw and performance of the team

During the byes a mini conditioning cycle or crank-up is performed for the week leading into the byes This is to rebuild base fitness parameters that have deteriorated during the preceding weeks of competition Here the team goes back to preseason training consisting of two sprintendurance sessions and four-day split strength endurance resistance training Building up to the final series an increase in workload is performed to rebuild any lost physical fitness parameters This can include harder running boxing and game-specific drills Every 4-6 weeks throughout this period we will also perform offload weeks which will allow adaptation to occur and help with injury prevention

The hard work has been done and its offload time to start to peak for the final series Weights are just 2 days per week with a sprintersrsquo program installed of 3 exercises with 5 reps Extras are left for the players to determine The sprint training is just sharpening and the ball work volume cut back Itrsquos about freshening up and playing your best football

RUGBY LEAGUE

MACRO CYCLE 5THE COMPETITIVE PHASE5 MACRO CYCLE 6

COMPETITIVE PEAKING PHASE

6

PAUL WATSON

HAS BEEN AN NRL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR 13 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF JOHNNY LANGrsquoS STAFF AT THE CRONULLA SHARKS AND PENRITH PANTHERS HE IS NOW THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR THE HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS IN THE UK WORKING ALONGSIDE COACH NATHAN BROWN YOU CAN FOLLOW PAUL ON TWITTER ORCASTAR

56 JOCKATHLETICCOM

THIS IS THE FIRST PART OF A SERIES OF ARTICLES OUTLINING THE YEARLY TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR RUGBY LEAGUE PLAYERS

PERIODISATION IS SIMPLY THE BREAKDOWN OF THE TRAINING AND COMPETITION YEAR INTO BLOCKS OF TRAINING ADAPTATIONS LEADING TO THE PEAKING OF PERFORMANCE DURING THE FINAL SERIES RUGBY LEAGUE TEAMS MUST CONTINUALLY HEAD TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS IN ALL AREAS OF PROFESSIONALISM IN THE COACHING AND STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING AREAS BY USING SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND ATHLETIC PREPARATION TEAMS ARE LOOKING TO STAY AHEAD OF THEIR OPPOSITION AND IMPROVE EACH INDIVIDUAL ATHLETE AS WELL AS AVOID INJURIES THE PLAYERS TRAIN YEAR-ROUND WITH OCTOBER BEING THE TRANSITION OR OFFLOAD MONTH IF THEY FINISH THEIR SEASON EARLY DUE TO MISSING OUT ON THE FINAL SERIES MANY WILL STILL WILL TRAIN FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER UP UNTIL THE GRAND FINAL THIS MEANS THEY START THEIR PREPARATION 4-5 WEEKS LATER FOR THE NEXT SEASON THE REST OF THE YEARrsquoS PERIODISED PLAN FOLLOWS TRADITIONAL TRAINING SEQUENCES WITH THE EMPHASIS STILL ON INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS

RUGBY LEAGUE

OCTOBER 2011 57

This is the transition cycle where the players get the full month of October off for active recovery For some it comes earlier and for others who make the grand final and representative teams it arrives later This period is important psychologically to break from the intensity of the game of rugby league Most players train in this period to actively recover and not de-train too much De-training can lead to injuries upon resuming training loads It is also a time many injured players will have their much-needed operations to fix injuries that they have carried in the season In summary this period does have many considerations and is often affected by extrinsic factors

This period from November through to the Christmas offload period is where larger volumes of work are done Aerobic base and strength endurance is built during this period Consisting of threefour field sessions weekly with conditioning skill building and the playing of designer games making up the bulk of the field sessions This starts to lay the platform the season will be built on Track sessions consisting of discontinuous interval running can be performed twice weekly These intervals vary in length but are mostly in the 200m and less range consisting of intervals with little rest This

allows leg speed to be maintained while emphasising the aerobic energy system Speed endurance is also starting to build with these sessions One session per week should be spent on hills running building strength endurance in the running muscles as well as aerobic conditioning The hillrsquos allow intensive running that does not break players down physically or reduce muscle mass Hills give no hard pounding but very hard work Agility and skill work are also covered throughout the sessions to build specific qualities

In the weight room we concentrate on strength endurance or bodybuilding to complement the running training and to build size Split routines are used with a four-day split of legs shoulders and bicepschest back and triceps This also builds the base needed for the strengthpower work Again each program is individualised if an athlete with good training history needs more power or strength they will start on that program This cycle finishes with a 12 to 14-day offload period and Christmas break The players are pushed by high intensity workouts in this first cycle so the break allows their bodies to repair and recover

Specific preparation generally starts at this four-week stage after the Christmas break This period varies with individual clubs in the English super league clubs are often playing two weeks into the New

MACRO CYCLE 1TRANSITION CYCLE1

MACRO CYCLE 2GENERAL PREPARATION2

MACRO CYCLE 3SPECIFIC PREPARATION3

58 JOCKATHLETICCOM

OCTOBER 2011 59

Year For teams in Australia this specific prep can be performed for 3 to 4 weeks This can consist of two speed sessions where recovery is increased in the discontinuous intervals and quality is lifted Specific bouts of shuttles and drills are also introduced The hill sessions continue for the first 4 weeks but are shorter and more intense Aerobic base is maintained with the skills and games as well as specific ball work The weights continue at 4 sessions per week and maximal strength is worked using repetitions of five lifts Emphasis is placed on the Olympic lifts ndash lifting as heavy as the five reps will allow

The pre-season competition starts at the beginning of this cycle and a game is played each weekend This is when maintenance begins and the base building phase ends (6-12 weeks) While gains still can be made during this cycle they can be interrupted through the games that are played The sprint sessions go back to once per week and are really becoming a sharpening phase Quality goes up and rest increases Aerobic base is maintained through team training ball work sessions The weight sessions change into the in-season routine of 2-3 times per week This cycle is used as a conversions phase and the repetitions are dropped to threes to convert the strength gains to explosive power Ball work increases to three per week with Mondays used as a recovery day and review

MACRO CYCLE 4PRE-COMPETITION4

60 JOCKATHLETICCOM

The competitive phase is similar to the pre-competition phase and basically maintenance is trained for the 22 competition rounds Rugby league is highly intense and recovery and preparation for the games takes up most of the training week One sprint session and 1-2 weight sessions are practiced The sprint sessions tie in with the weights being lifted either maximal strength or power with corresponding sprint sessions of sharpening or speed endurance This varies according to the draw and performance of the team

During the byes a mini conditioning cycle or crank-up is performed for the week leading into the byes This is to rebuild base fitness parameters that have deteriorated during the preceding weeks of competition Here the team goes back to preseason training consisting of two sprintendurance sessions and four-day split strength endurance resistance training Building up to the final series an increase in workload is performed to rebuild any lost physical fitness parameters This can include harder running boxing and game-specific drills Every 4-6 weeks throughout this period we will also perform offload weeks which will allow adaptation to occur and help with injury prevention

The hard work has been done and its offload time to start to peak for the final series Weights are just 2 days per week with a sprintersrsquo program installed of 3 exercises with 5 reps Extras are left for the players to determine The sprint training is just sharpening and the ball work volume cut back Itrsquos about freshening up and playing your best football

RUGBY LEAGUE

MACRO CYCLE 5THE COMPETITIVE PHASE5 MACRO CYCLE 6

COMPETITIVE PEAKING PHASE

6

PAUL WATSON

HAS BEEN AN NRL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR 13 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF JOHNNY LANGrsquoS STAFF AT THE CRONULLA SHARKS AND PENRITH PANTHERS HE IS NOW THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR THE HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS IN THE UK WORKING ALONGSIDE COACH NATHAN BROWN YOU CAN FOLLOW PAUL ON TWITTER ORCASTAR

OCTOBER 2011 57

This is the transition cycle where the players get the full month of October off for active recovery For some it comes earlier and for others who make the grand final and representative teams it arrives later This period is important psychologically to break from the intensity of the game of rugby league Most players train in this period to actively recover and not de-train too much De-training can lead to injuries upon resuming training loads It is also a time many injured players will have their much-needed operations to fix injuries that they have carried in the season In summary this period does have many considerations and is often affected by extrinsic factors

This period from November through to the Christmas offload period is where larger volumes of work are done Aerobic base and strength endurance is built during this period Consisting of threefour field sessions weekly with conditioning skill building and the playing of designer games making up the bulk of the field sessions This starts to lay the platform the season will be built on Track sessions consisting of discontinuous interval running can be performed twice weekly These intervals vary in length but are mostly in the 200m and less range consisting of intervals with little rest This

allows leg speed to be maintained while emphasising the aerobic energy system Speed endurance is also starting to build with these sessions One session per week should be spent on hills running building strength endurance in the running muscles as well as aerobic conditioning The hillrsquos allow intensive running that does not break players down physically or reduce muscle mass Hills give no hard pounding but very hard work Agility and skill work are also covered throughout the sessions to build specific qualities

In the weight room we concentrate on strength endurance or bodybuilding to complement the running training and to build size Split routines are used with a four-day split of legs shoulders and bicepschest back and triceps This also builds the base needed for the strengthpower work Again each program is individualised if an athlete with good training history needs more power or strength they will start on that program This cycle finishes with a 12 to 14-day offload period and Christmas break The players are pushed by high intensity workouts in this first cycle so the break allows their bodies to repair and recover

Specific preparation generally starts at this four-week stage after the Christmas break This period varies with individual clubs in the English super league clubs are often playing two weeks into the New

MACRO CYCLE 1TRANSITION CYCLE1

MACRO CYCLE 2GENERAL PREPARATION2

MACRO CYCLE 3SPECIFIC PREPARATION3

58 JOCKATHLETICCOM

OCTOBER 2011 59

Year For teams in Australia this specific prep can be performed for 3 to 4 weeks This can consist of two speed sessions where recovery is increased in the discontinuous intervals and quality is lifted Specific bouts of shuttles and drills are also introduced The hill sessions continue for the first 4 weeks but are shorter and more intense Aerobic base is maintained with the skills and games as well as specific ball work The weights continue at 4 sessions per week and maximal strength is worked using repetitions of five lifts Emphasis is placed on the Olympic lifts ndash lifting as heavy as the five reps will allow

The pre-season competition starts at the beginning of this cycle and a game is played each weekend This is when maintenance begins and the base building phase ends (6-12 weeks) While gains still can be made during this cycle they can be interrupted through the games that are played The sprint sessions go back to once per week and are really becoming a sharpening phase Quality goes up and rest increases Aerobic base is maintained through team training ball work sessions The weight sessions change into the in-season routine of 2-3 times per week This cycle is used as a conversions phase and the repetitions are dropped to threes to convert the strength gains to explosive power Ball work increases to three per week with Mondays used as a recovery day and review

MACRO CYCLE 4PRE-COMPETITION4

60 JOCKATHLETICCOM

The competitive phase is similar to the pre-competition phase and basically maintenance is trained for the 22 competition rounds Rugby league is highly intense and recovery and preparation for the games takes up most of the training week One sprint session and 1-2 weight sessions are practiced The sprint sessions tie in with the weights being lifted either maximal strength or power with corresponding sprint sessions of sharpening or speed endurance This varies according to the draw and performance of the team

During the byes a mini conditioning cycle or crank-up is performed for the week leading into the byes This is to rebuild base fitness parameters that have deteriorated during the preceding weeks of competition Here the team goes back to preseason training consisting of two sprintendurance sessions and four-day split strength endurance resistance training Building up to the final series an increase in workload is performed to rebuild any lost physical fitness parameters This can include harder running boxing and game-specific drills Every 4-6 weeks throughout this period we will also perform offload weeks which will allow adaptation to occur and help with injury prevention

The hard work has been done and its offload time to start to peak for the final series Weights are just 2 days per week with a sprintersrsquo program installed of 3 exercises with 5 reps Extras are left for the players to determine The sprint training is just sharpening and the ball work volume cut back Itrsquos about freshening up and playing your best football

RUGBY LEAGUE

MACRO CYCLE 5THE COMPETITIVE PHASE5 MACRO CYCLE 6

COMPETITIVE PEAKING PHASE

6

PAUL WATSON

HAS BEEN AN NRL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR 13 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF JOHNNY LANGrsquoS STAFF AT THE CRONULLA SHARKS AND PENRITH PANTHERS HE IS NOW THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR THE HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS IN THE UK WORKING ALONGSIDE COACH NATHAN BROWN YOU CAN FOLLOW PAUL ON TWITTER ORCASTAR

58 JOCKATHLETICCOM

OCTOBER 2011 59

Year For teams in Australia this specific prep can be performed for 3 to 4 weeks This can consist of two speed sessions where recovery is increased in the discontinuous intervals and quality is lifted Specific bouts of shuttles and drills are also introduced The hill sessions continue for the first 4 weeks but are shorter and more intense Aerobic base is maintained with the skills and games as well as specific ball work The weights continue at 4 sessions per week and maximal strength is worked using repetitions of five lifts Emphasis is placed on the Olympic lifts ndash lifting as heavy as the five reps will allow

The pre-season competition starts at the beginning of this cycle and a game is played each weekend This is when maintenance begins and the base building phase ends (6-12 weeks) While gains still can be made during this cycle they can be interrupted through the games that are played The sprint sessions go back to once per week and are really becoming a sharpening phase Quality goes up and rest increases Aerobic base is maintained through team training ball work sessions The weight sessions change into the in-season routine of 2-3 times per week This cycle is used as a conversions phase and the repetitions are dropped to threes to convert the strength gains to explosive power Ball work increases to three per week with Mondays used as a recovery day and review

MACRO CYCLE 4PRE-COMPETITION4

60 JOCKATHLETICCOM

The competitive phase is similar to the pre-competition phase and basically maintenance is trained for the 22 competition rounds Rugby league is highly intense and recovery and preparation for the games takes up most of the training week One sprint session and 1-2 weight sessions are practiced The sprint sessions tie in with the weights being lifted either maximal strength or power with corresponding sprint sessions of sharpening or speed endurance This varies according to the draw and performance of the team

During the byes a mini conditioning cycle or crank-up is performed for the week leading into the byes This is to rebuild base fitness parameters that have deteriorated during the preceding weeks of competition Here the team goes back to preseason training consisting of two sprintendurance sessions and four-day split strength endurance resistance training Building up to the final series an increase in workload is performed to rebuild any lost physical fitness parameters This can include harder running boxing and game-specific drills Every 4-6 weeks throughout this period we will also perform offload weeks which will allow adaptation to occur and help with injury prevention

The hard work has been done and its offload time to start to peak for the final series Weights are just 2 days per week with a sprintersrsquo program installed of 3 exercises with 5 reps Extras are left for the players to determine The sprint training is just sharpening and the ball work volume cut back Itrsquos about freshening up and playing your best football

RUGBY LEAGUE

MACRO CYCLE 5THE COMPETITIVE PHASE5 MACRO CYCLE 6

COMPETITIVE PEAKING PHASE

6

PAUL WATSON

HAS BEEN AN NRL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR 13 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF JOHNNY LANGrsquoS STAFF AT THE CRONULLA SHARKS AND PENRITH PANTHERS HE IS NOW THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR THE HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS IN THE UK WORKING ALONGSIDE COACH NATHAN BROWN YOU CAN FOLLOW PAUL ON TWITTER ORCASTAR

OCTOBER 2011 59

Year For teams in Australia this specific prep can be performed for 3 to 4 weeks This can consist of two speed sessions where recovery is increased in the discontinuous intervals and quality is lifted Specific bouts of shuttles and drills are also introduced The hill sessions continue for the first 4 weeks but are shorter and more intense Aerobic base is maintained with the skills and games as well as specific ball work The weights continue at 4 sessions per week and maximal strength is worked using repetitions of five lifts Emphasis is placed on the Olympic lifts ndash lifting as heavy as the five reps will allow

The pre-season competition starts at the beginning of this cycle and a game is played each weekend This is when maintenance begins and the base building phase ends (6-12 weeks) While gains still can be made during this cycle they can be interrupted through the games that are played The sprint sessions go back to once per week and are really becoming a sharpening phase Quality goes up and rest increases Aerobic base is maintained through team training ball work sessions The weight sessions change into the in-season routine of 2-3 times per week This cycle is used as a conversions phase and the repetitions are dropped to threes to convert the strength gains to explosive power Ball work increases to three per week with Mondays used as a recovery day and review

MACRO CYCLE 4PRE-COMPETITION4

60 JOCKATHLETICCOM

The competitive phase is similar to the pre-competition phase and basically maintenance is trained for the 22 competition rounds Rugby league is highly intense and recovery and preparation for the games takes up most of the training week One sprint session and 1-2 weight sessions are practiced The sprint sessions tie in with the weights being lifted either maximal strength or power with corresponding sprint sessions of sharpening or speed endurance This varies according to the draw and performance of the team

During the byes a mini conditioning cycle or crank-up is performed for the week leading into the byes This is to rebuild base fitness parameters that have deteriorated during the preceding weeks of competition Here the team goes back to preseason training consisting of two sprintendurance sessions and four-day split strength endurance resistance training Building up to the final series an increase in workload is performed to rebuild any lost physical fitness parameters This can include harder running boxing and game-specific drills Every 4-6 weeks throughout this period we will also perform offload weeks which will allow adaptation to occur and help with injury prevention

The hard work has been done and its offload time to start to peak for the final series Weights are just 2 days per week with a sprintersrsquo program installed of 3 exercises with 5 reps Extras are left for the players to determine The sprint training is just sharpening and the ball work volume cut back Itrsquos about freshening up and playing your best football

RUGBY LEAGUE

MACRO CYCLE 5THE COMPETITIVE PHASE5 MACRO CYCLE 6

COMPETITIVE PEAKING PHASE

6

PAUL WATSON

HAS BEEN AN NRL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR 13 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF JOHNNY LANGrsquoS STAFF AT THE CRONULLA SHARKS AND PENRITH PANTHERS HE IS NOW THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR THE HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS IN THE UK WORKING ALONGSIDE COACH NATHAN BROWN YOU CAN FOLLOW PAUL ON TWITTER ORCASTAR

60 JOCKATHLETICCOM

The competitive phase is similar to the pre-competition phase and basically maintenance is trained for the 22 competition rounds Rugby league is highly intense and recovery and preparation for the games takes up most of the training week One sprint session and 1-2 weight sessions are practiced The sprint sessions tie in with the weights being lifted either maximal strength or power with corresponding sprint sessions of sharpening or speed endurance This varies according to the draw and performance of the team

During the byes a mini conditioning cycle or crank-up is performed for the week leading into the byes This is to rebuild base fitness parameters that have deteriorated during the preceding weeks of competition Here the team goes back to preseason training consisting of two sprintendurance sessions and four-day split strength endurance resistance training Building up to the final series an increase in workload is performed to rebuild any lost physical fitness parameters This can include harder running boxing and game-specific drills Every 4-6 weeks throughout this period we will also perform offload weeks which will allow adaptation to occur and help with injury prevention

The hard work has been done and its offload time to start to peak for the final series Weights are just 2 days per week with a sprintersrsquo program installed of 3 exercises with 5 reps Extras are left for the players to determine The sprint training is just sharpening and the ball work volume cut back Itrsquos about freshening up and playing your best football

RUGBY LEAGUE

MACRO CYCLE 5THE COMPETITIVE PHASE5 MACRO CYCLE 6

COMPETITIVE PEAKING PHASE

6

PAUL WATSON

HAS BEEN AN NRL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR 13 YEARS AS A MEMBER OF JOHNNY LANGrsquoS STAFF AT THE CRONULLA SHARKS AND PENRITH PANTHERS HE IS NOW THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH FOR THE HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS IN THE UK WORKING ALONGSIDE COACH NATHAN BROWN YOU CAN FOLLOW PAUL ON TWITTER ORCASTAR

62 JOCKATHLETICCOM

REBECCA GAWTHORNE

Regardless of your footy code level or position the food you eat before and after a game is incredibly important Perfect pre-game nutrition will give you the upper edge on the opposing team It will provide you with energy to run kick jump pass tackle and make those decision-winning plays Just like training sleep physio and massage eating correctly is vital for footy players and grand-final winning performances

BEFORE THE BIG GAME

In terms of pre-game nutrition footy players need to load up on carbs and drink plenty of fluids The pre-game meal should be eaten 3-4 hours prior to the game There are a few basic guidelines for pre-game meals

ITrsquoS FOOTY FINALS TIMEAT THIS TIME OF YEAR TEAMS ENTER THE STADIUM WITH A SEASONrsquoS WORK ALL ON THE LINE SO PERFORMING AT THEIR PEAK IS MORE CRUCIAL THAN EVER

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL DEMAND ON THE BODY DURING A GAME OF FOOTBALL IS IMMENSE WITH SHORT BURSTS OF SPRINTING ANAEROBIC ACTIVITIES AND PHYSICAL CONTACT FOOTY PLAYERS NEED TO BE STRONG FIT FAST AND AGILE

AT AN ELITE LEVEL AFL MID-FIELDERS CAN RUN BETWEEN 12-25KMS AND NRL FORWARDS CAN BE INVOLVED IN 30-40 TACKLES

FUELLING UP FORFOOTY FINALS

They need to be

- High in carbohydrates

- Low in fat and fibre

- Include a fluid choice

with the meal

- Choose foods you enjoy

amp are comfortable with

OCTOBER 2011 63

Carbs will ensure you have enough energy to play at 100 per cent for the entire game A good example is AFL mid-fielders At an elite level these footballers have to run up to 25km during a game which drastically depletes their energy stores A good carb-based meal before the game helps load up their energy stores and sustain them until the dying seconds of final play Foods low in fat and fibre can help prevent stomach upsets prior to the game Ensuring energy is coming from carbs instead of fat is also important as fats donrsquot provide the body with the appropriate fuel for optimal game performance

It is important your pre-game meal is well balanced and something you like Most footy players have a favourite pre-game meal that they will have regularly before heading out onto the field Pasta with low-fat tomato sauce and 400ml of fruit juice is a great option Other options include

Your pre-game meal should be followed up with a high-carbohydrate low-fat snack about two hours before the game This will help top up your energy stores A jam sandwich piece of fruit muesli bar low-fat yoghurt tub or mini box of sultanas are good choices Hydration is just as important as eating well before a game Check out Ezine Issue 5 for more fluid and hydration tips

DURING THE GAME

Staying well hydrated during the game is crucial It will regulate your heart rate and body temperature prevent fatigue and improve decision-making skills so you can make those game-winning passes and kicks Try to drink a mouthful of water each and every chance you get And donrsquot spit it out Make use of trainers running on the field with water bottles inter-changes and breaks Most players will benefit from drinking sports drink as well as water during the break as they provide a carbohydrate boost and fluid during the game The extra carbohydrates are used as a source of fuel as glycogen levels can run low during the course of the game

AFTER THE GAME

Refuelling after a footy game should rehydrate replace fuel stores and aid muscle repair As footy players have to arrive early before the game and food will often sit around your post-game snacks need to be planned and selected carefully so they meet nutritional requirements but

- Cereal and low fat milk

- Toast or muffins with jam

honeypeanut butter

- Baked beans on toast

- Sandwiches or wraps

- Creamed rice amp tinned fruit

- Rice or noodles amp low-fat

stir-fry

- Fruit smoothie- Liquid sports supplement such as Sustagen Sport

OCTOBER 2011 63

Carbs will ensure you have enough energy to play at 100 per cent for the entire game A good example is AFL mid-fielders At an elite level these footballers have to run up to 25km during a game which drastically depletes their energy stores A good carb-based meal before the game helps load up their energy stores and sustain them until the dying seconds of final play Foods low in fat and fibre can help prevent stomach upsets prior to the game Ensuring energy is coming from carbs instead of fat is also important as fats donrsquot provide the body with the appropriate fuel for optimal game performance

It is important your pre-game meal is well balanced and something you like Most footy players have a favourite pre-game meal that they will have regularly before heading out onto the field Pasta with low-fat tomato sauce and 400ml of fruit juice is a great option Other options include

Your pre-game meal should be followed up with a high-carbohydrate low-fat snack about two hours before the game This will help top up your energy stores A jam sandwich piece of fruit muesli bar low-fat yoghurt tub or mini box of sultanas are good choices Hydration is just as important as eating well before a game Check out Ezine Issue 5 for more fluid and hydration tips

DURING THE GAME

Staying well hydrated during the game is crucial It will regulate your heart rate and body temperature prevent fatigue and improve decision-making skills so you can make those game-winning passes and kicks Try to drink a mouthful of water each and every chance you get And donrsquot spit it out Make use of trainers running on the field with water bottles inter-changes and breaks Most players will benefit from drinking sports drink as well as water during the break as they provide a carbohydrate boost and fluid during the game The extra carbohydrates are used as a source of fuel as glycogen levels can run low during the course of the game

AFTER THE GAME

Refuelling after a footy game should rehydrate replace fuel stores and aid muscle repair As footy players have to arrive early before the game and food will often sit around your post-game snacks need to be planned and selected carefully so they meet nutritional requirements but

- Cereal and low fat milk

- Toast or muffins with jam

honeypeanut butter

- Baked beans on toast

- Sandwiches or wraps

- Creamed rice amp tinned fruit

- Rice or noodles amp low-fat

stir-fry

- Fruit smoothie- Liquid sports supplement such as Sustagen Sport

64 JOCKATHLETICCOM

NUTRITION

also so that they wonrsquot go off A snack such as a chicken and salad roll (white bread) is a perfect option However if you donrsquot have somewhere cool to store it a protein shake made on milk can be handy Both these snack options are carb-rich and contain a lean protein source This allows your to body replenish muscle glycogen stores while aiding muscle repair and growth This will be essential if you have a grand final in the weeks to come Aim to consume your recovery snack within 30 minutes of finishing the game

If you plan on going out for a drink after the game have a snack before you start to celebrate A snack will help your muscles repair But remember go easy on the alcohol especially if you have games in the weeks to come

REBECCA GAWTHORNE IS AN ACCREDITED PRACTISING DIETICIAN For more information contactrebeccagawthornegmailcom

FOOTY PLAYERS ALSO LOSE A LOT OF SALT THROUGH SWEAT AND SO FOODS WITH A BIT OF SALT CAN BE QUITE A GOOD CHOICE IF YOU HEAD OUT FOR A TAKEAWAY WITH MATES AFTER THE GAME MAKE SURE YOU CHOOSE THE HEALTHY OPTIONS WITH SOME CARBS AND LEAN MEAT FOR EXAMPLE A THIN CRUST PIZZA WITH CHICKEN BREAST VEGIES AND CHEESE COULD BE A TASTY YET HEALTHY POST-GAME RECOVERY MEAL

66 JOCKATHLETICCOM

TRI LIFE

JULIA RUSSELL REPORTS FROM THE EUROPEAN TRAINING BASE IN AIX LES BAINS FRANCE WHERE SHE IS WORKING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SPORTrsquoS TRIATHLON TEAM

ON THE ROAD WITH EMMA MOFFATT

AIX LES BAINS FRANCE IS A SPECTACULAR PART OF THE WORLD AND THE INDIVIDUALS IrsquoM WORKING WITH ARE ALL INCREDIBLE ATHLETES THEY HAVE BEEN AT THIS TRAINING BASE SINCE MAY 2011

MY ROLE AS A PHYSIO AND SOFT TISSUE THERAPIST KEEPS ME BUSY AND MY BASIC FRENCH HAS COME INTO SOME GOOD USE ESPECIALLY AT 6AM IN THE MORNING WHEN THE DRUG TESTERS ARRIVE AT MY DOOR

OCTOBER 2011 67

TRI LIFE

EMMA MOFFATT IS A PROFESSIONAL TRIATHLETE AN OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALIST AND WAS NAMED AUSTRALIAN TRIATHLETE OF THE YEAR IN 2007 EMMA WAS CROWNED ITU WORLD CHAMPION IN 2009 SHE IS

CURRENTLY RANKED 7TH IN THE WORLD

68 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Action Stations In the last 3 months alone Emma has raced in Lausanne Beijing and Hamburg The life of a professional athlete

OCTOBER 2011 69

TELL ME ABOUT TRAINING IN AIX LES BAINS FRANCE

Aix is a little town on the largest lake in France Itrsquos a very beautiful place which makes training much more enjoyable plus the weather is usually pretty good Irsquove been coming to Aix with the AIS since 2006 which makes it feel like a second home There is a 50m pool about 50m from our door great cycling and a few different run options YOUR DAILY TRAINING REGIME IS

INTENSE WHAT DOES A lsquoNORMALrsquo WEEK OF TRAINING ENTAIL HERE IN FRANCE

We swim at 8am every day except Sundays That is usually followed by a midday ride and a run in the afternoon Some days we do double runs so we might not ride and we usually take it pretty easy on Fridays A Sunday morning long run is probably my favourite session of the week Plus we have a couple of massages a week IF YOU WERENrsquoT DOING TRIATHLON WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING

Not sure I think thatrsquos why Irsquom still doing triathlon Maybe I would be a teacher but I havenrsquot really thought too much about it YOU RACED IN THE SPRINT EVENT IN LAUSANNE RECENTLY WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SPRINT EVENTS

Sprint races feel like a bit of fun compared to the Olympic distance races but itrsquos probably just as hard and even more competitive WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS YEAR

For me winning Hamburg is definitely a highlight To race and feel strong was a nice feeling plus having the other two Emmas [Jackson and Snowsill] on the podium was very exciting Having Brad [Kahlefeldt] win the day before was also pretty motivating

A TYPICAL DAY FOR ME STARTS AT THE POOL TREATMENTS ARE REQUIRED POST-SWIM AND PRE-RIDE

IN AUGUST WE WENT TO LAUSANNE SWITZERLAND FOR THE ITU WORLD SPRINT AND TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS BEFORE RETURNING TO CAMP TO PREPARE FOR THE DEXTRO ENERGY TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN BEIJING IN SEPTEMBER

I CAUGHT UP WITH EMMA MOFFATT A FEW DAYS BEFORE LEAVING THE BASE CAMP IN FRANCE FOR THE WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING

70 JOCKATHLETICCOM

WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR SUCH AN EVENT Lots of hard training here in Aix My tapering starts when we leave France Itrsquos always nice to get on a plane and be forced not to do anything

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER BEIJINGIrsquom racing a week later in Yokohama Japan [Emma placed 2nd by 13 seconds] and then after that itrsquos straight to Vietnam for a three-week holiday with Brad I canrsquot wait to relax not have to go training and maybe drink a few cocktails

Aix Les Bains What better place to do your track intervals

THE 2012 OLYMPICS ARE ON THE HORIZON IS THIS A MOTIVATING TIME FOR YOUYes for sure Trying to get a place in the Aussie team will be hard but to make another Olympic team would be fantastic I have such great memories of Beijing in 2008 and I think London will be just as good if not better

I BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING FRENCH CLASSES ONCE A WEEK HOW ARE THEY GOING Yes itrsquos only taken five years but wersquove started French lessons just once a week for 2 hours I have learnt a tiny bit but I still mainly point or mime whenever I go out to the shops or dinner

YOU CAN FOLLOW EMMA ON TWITTER (_MOFFY) OR VIEWHER WEBSITEWWWEMMAMOFFATTCOM

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE FRENCH FOOD I canrsquot say I love the French food but as we are here over the summer the fruit is usually fresh and tasty WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME HERE IN AIXItrsquos always nice to go for a swim in the lake on a hot day I also have a town bike that I will use to ride into town and have a look at the shops We are also very close to another nice town Annecy which is good to go to for lunch and a walk around

Moffatt leads the group back into town during the 2010 ITU Sydney Triathlon

OCTOBER 2011 67

TRI LIFE

EMMA MOFFATT IS A PROFESSIONAL TRIATHLETE AN OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALIST AND WAS NAMED AUSTRALIAN TRIATHLETE OF THE YEAR IN 2007 EMMA WAS CROWNED ITU WORLD CHAMPION IN 2009 SHE IS

CURRENTLY RANKED 7TH IN THE WORLD

68 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Action Stations In the last 3 months alone Emma has raced in Lausanne Beijing and Hamburg The life of a professional athlete

OCTOBER 2011 69

TELL ME ABOUT TRAINING IN AIX LES BAINS FRANCE

Aix is a little town on the largest lake in France Itrsquos a very beautiful place which makes training much more enjoyable plus the weather is usually pretty good Irsquove been coming to Aix with the AIS since 2006 which makes it feel like a second home There is a 50m pool about 50m from our door great cycling and a few different run options YOUR DAILY TRAINING REGIME IS

INTENSE WHAT DOES A lsquoNORMALrsquo WEEK OF TRAINING ENTAIL HERE IN FRANCE

We swim at 8am every day except Sundays That is usually followed by a midday ride and a run in the afternoon Some days we do double runs so we might not ride and we usually take it pretty easy on Fridays A Sunday morning long run is probably my favourite session of the week Plus we have a couple of massages a week IF YOU WERENrsquoT DOING TRIATHLON WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING

Not sure I think thatrsquos why Irsquom still doing triathlon Maybe I would be a teacher but I havenrsquot really thought too much about it YOU RACED IN THE SPRINT EVENT IN LAUSANNE RECENTLY WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SPRINT EVENTS

Sprint races feel like a bit of fun compared to the Olympic distance races but itrsquos probably just as hard and even more competitive WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS YEAR

For me winning Hamburg is definitely a highlight To race and feel strong was a nice feeling plus having the other two Emmas [Jackson and Snowsill] on the podium was very exciting Having Brad [Kahlefeldt] win the day before was also pretty motivating

A TYPICAL DAY FOR ME STARTS AT THE POOL TREATMENTS ARE REQUIRED POST-SWIM AND PRE-RIDE

IN AUGUST WE WENT TO LAUSANNE SWITZERLAND FOR THE ITU WORLD SPRINT AND TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS BEFORE RETURNING TO CAMP TO PREPARE FOR THE DEXTRO ENERGY TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN BEIJING IN SEPTEMBER

I CAUGHT UP WITH EMMA MOFFATT A FEW DAYS BEFORE LEAVING THE BASE CAMP IN FRANCE FOR THE WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING

70 JOCKATHLETICCOM

WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR SUCH AN EVENT Lots of hard training here in Aix My tapering starts when we leave France Itrsquos always nice to get on a plane and be forced not to do anything

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER BEIJINGIrsquom racing a week later in Yokohama Japan [Emma placed 2nd by 13 seconds] and then after that itrsquos straight to Vietnam for a three-week holiday with Brad I canrsquot wait to relax not have to go training and maybe drink a few cocktails

Aix Les Bains What better place to do your track intervals

THE 2012 OLYMPICS ARE ON THE HORIZON IS THIS A MOTIVATING TIME FOR YOUYes for sure Trying to get a place in the Aussie team will be hard but to make another Olympic team would be fantastic I have such great memories of Beijing in 2008 and I think London will be just as good if not better

I BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING FRENCH CLASSES ONCE A WEEK HOW ARE THEY GOING Yes itrsquos only taken five years but wersquove started French lessons just once a week for 2 hours I have learnt a tiny bit but I still mainly point or mime whenever I go out to the shops or dinner

YOU CAN FOLLOW EMMA ON TWITTER (_MOFFY) OR VIEWHER WEBSITEWWWEMMAMOFFATTCOM

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE FRENCH FOOD I canrsquot say I love the French food but as we are here over the summer the fruit is usually fresh and tasty WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME HERE IN AIXItrsquos always nice to go for a swim in the lake on a hot day I also have a town bike that I will use to ride into town and have a look at the shops We are also very close to another nice town Annecy which is good to go to for lunch and a walk around

Moffatt leads the group back into town during the 2010 ITU Sydney Triathlon

68 JOCKATHLETICCOM

Action Stations In the last 3 months alone Emma has raced in Lausanne Beijing and Hamburg The life of a professional athlete

OCTOBER 2011 69

TELL ME ABOUT TRAINING IN AIX LES BAINS FRANCE

Aix is a little town on the largest lake in France Itrsquos a very beautiful place which makes training much more enjoyable plus the weather is usually pretty good Irsquove been coming to Aix with the AIS since 2006 which makes it feel like a second home There is a 50m pool about 50m from our door great cycling and a few different run options YOUR DAILY TRAINING REGIME IS

INTENSE WHAT DOES A lsquoNORMALrsquo WEEK OF TRAINING ENTAIL HERE IN FRANCE

We swim at 8am every day except Sundays That is usually followed by a midday ride and a run in the afternoon Some days we do double runs so we might not ride and we usually take it pretty easy on Fridays A Sunday morning long run is probably my favourite session of the week Plus we have a couple of massages a week IF YOU WERENrsquoT DOING TRIATHLON WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING

Not sure I think thatrsquos why Irsquom still doing triathlon Maybe I would be a teacher but I havenrsquot really thought too much about it YOU RACED IN THE SPRINT EVENT IN LAUSANNE RECENTLY WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SPRINT EVENTS

Sprint races feel like a bit of fun compared to the Olympic distance races but itrsquos probably just as hard and even more competitive WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS YEAR

For me winning Hamburg is definitely a highlight To race and feel strong was a nice feeling plus having the other two Emmas [Jackson and Snowsill] on the podium was very exciting Having Brad [Kahlefeldt] win the day before was also pretty motivating

A TYPICAL DAY FOR ME STARTS AT THE POOL TREATMENTS ARE REQUIRED POST-SWIM AND PRE-RIDE

IN AUGUST WE WENT TO LAUSANNE SWITZERLAND FOR THE ITU WORLD SPRINT AND TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS BEFORE RETURNING TO CAMP TO PREPARE FOR THE DEXTRO ENERGY TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN BEIJING IN SEPTEMBER

I CAUGHT UP WITH EMMA MOFFATT A FEW DAYS BEFORE LEAVING THE BASE CAMP IN FRANCE FOR THE WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING

70 JOCKATHLETICCOM

WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR SUCH AN EVENT Lots of hard training here in Aix My tapering starts when we leave France Itrsquos always nice to get on a plane and be forced not to do anything

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER BEIJINGIrsquom racing a week later in Yokohama Japan [Emma placed 2nd by 13 seconds] and then after that itrsquos straight to Vietnam for a three-week holiday with Brad I canrsquot wait to relax not have to go training and maybe drink a few cocktails

Aix Les Bains What better place to do your track intervals

THE 2012 OLYMPICS ARE ON THE HORIZON IS THIS A MOTIVATING TIME FOR YOUYes for sure Trying to get a place in the Aussie team will be hard but to make another Olympic team would be fantastic I have such great memories of Beijing in 2008 and I think London will be just as good if not better

I BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING FRENCH CLASSES ONCE A WEEK HOW ARE THEY GOING Yes itrsquos only taken five years but wersquove started French lessons just once a week for 2 hours I have learnt a tiny bit but I still mainly point or mime whenever I go out to the shops or dinner

YOU CAN FOLLOW EMMA ON TWITTER (_MOFFY) OR VIEWHER WEBSITEWWWEMMAMOFFATTCOM

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE FRENCH FOOD I canrsquot say I love the French food but as we are here over the summer the fruit is usually fresh and tasty WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME HERE IN AIXItrsquos always nice to go for a swim in the lake on a hot day I also have a town bike that I will use to ride into town and have a look at the shops We are also very close to another nice town Annecy which is good to go to for lunch and a walk around

Moffatt leads the group back into town during the 2010 ITU Sydney Triathlon

OCTOBER 2011 69

TELL ME ABOUT TRAINING IN AIX LES BAINS FRANCE

Aix is a little town on the largest lake in France Itrsquos a very beautiful place which makes training much more enjoyable plus the weather is usually pretty good Irsquove been coming to Aix with the AIS since 2006 which makes it feel like a second home There is a 50m pool about 50m from our door great cycling and a few different run options YOUR DAILY TRAINING REGIME IS

INTENSE WHAT DOES A lsquoNORMALrsquo WEEK OF TRAINING ENTAIL HERE IN FRANCE

We swim at 8am every day except Sundays That is usually followed by a midday ride and a run in the afternoon Some days we do double runs so we might not ride and we usually take it pretty easy on Fridays A Sunday morning long run is probably my favourite session of the week Plus we have a couple of massages a week IF YOU WERENrsquoT DOING TRIATHLON WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE DOING

Not sure I think thatrsquos why Irsquom still doing triathlon Maybe I would be a teacher but I havenrsquot really thought too much about it YOU RACED IN THE SPRINT EVENT IN LAUSANNE RECENTLY WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SPRINT EVENTS

Sprint races feel like a bit of fun compared to the Olympic distance races but itrsquos probably just as hard and even more competitive WHAT HAS BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU THIS YEAR

For me winning Hamburg is definitely a highlight To race and feel strong was a nice feeling plus having the other two Emmas [Jackson and Snowsill] on the podium was very exciting Having Brad [Kahlefeldt] win the day before was also pretty motivating

A TYPICAL DAY FOR ME STARTS AT THE POOL TREATMENTS ARE REQUIRED POST-SWIM AND PRE-RIDE

IN AUGUST WE WENT TO LAUSANNE SWITZERLAND FOR THE ITU WORLD SPRINT AND TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS BEFORE RETURNING TO CAMP TO PREPARE FOR THE DEXTRO ENERGY TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN BEIJING IN SEPTEMBER

I CAUGHT UP WITH EMMA MOFFATT A FEW DAYS BEFORE LEAVING THE BASE CAMP IN FRANCE FOR THE WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING

70 JOCKATHLETICCOM

WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR SUCH AN EVENT Lots of hard training here in Aix My tapering starts when we leave France Itrsquos always nice to get on a plane and be forced not to do anything

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER BEIJINGIrsquom racing a week later in Yokohama Japan [Emma placed 2nd by 13 seconds] and then after that itrsquos straight to Vietnam for a three-week holiday with Brad I canrsquot wait to relax not have to go training and maybe drink a few cocktails

Aix Les Bains What better place to do your track intervals

THE 2012 OLYMPICS ARE ON THE HORIZON IS THIS A MOTIVATING TIME FOR YOUYes for sure Trying to get a place in the Aussie team will be hard but to make another Olympic team would be fantastic I have such great memories of Beijing in 2008 and I think London will be just as good if not better

I BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING FRENCH CLASSES ONCE A WEEK HOW ARE THEY GOING Yes itrsquos only taken five years but wersquove started French lessons just once a week for 2 hours I have learnt a tiny bit but I still mainly point or mime whenever I go out to the shops or dinner

YOU CAN FOLLOW EMMA ON TWITTER (_MOFFY) OR VIEWHER WEBSITEWWWEMMAMOFFATTCOM

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE FRENCH FOOD I canrsquot say I love the French food but as we are here over the summer the fruit is usually fresh and tasty WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME HERE IN AIXItrsquos always nice to go for a swim in the lake on a hot day I also have a town bike that I will use to ride into town and have a look at the shops We are also very close to another nice town Annecy which is good to go to for lunch and a walk around

Moffatt leads the group back into town during the 2010 ITU Sydney Triathlon

70 JOCKATHLETICCOM

WORLD CHAMPS IN BEIJING HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR SUCH AN EVENT Lots of hard training here in Aix My tapering starts when we leave France Itrsquos always nice to get on a plane and be forced not to do anything

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER BEIJINGIrsquom racing a week later in Yokohama Japan [Emma placed 2nd by 13 seconds] and then after that itrsquos straight to Vietnam for a three-week holiday with Brad I canrsquot wait to relax not have to go training and maybe drink a few cocktails

Aix Les Bains What better place to do your track intervals

THE 2012 OLYMPICS ARE ON THE HORIZON IS THIS A MOTIVATING TIME FOR YOUYes for sure Trying to get a place in the Aussie team will be hard but to make another Olympic team would be fantastic I have such great memories of Beijing in 2008 and I think London will be just as good if not better

I BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING FRENCH CLASSES ONCE A WEEK HOW ARE THEY GOING Yes itrsquos only taken five years but wersquove started French lessons just once a week for 2 hours I have learnt a tiny bit but I still mainly point or mime whenever I go out to the shops or dinner

YOU CAN FOLLOW EMMA ON TWITTER (_MOFFY) OR VIEWHER WEBSITEWWWEMMAMOFFATTCOM

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE FRENCH FOOD I canrsquot say I love the French food but as we are here over the summer the fruit is usually fresh and tasty WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME HERE IN AIXItrsquos always nice to go for a swim in the lake on a hot day I also have a town bike that I will use to ride into town and have a look at the shops We are also very close to another nice town Annecy which is good to go to for lunch and a walk around

Moffatt leads the group back into town during the 2010 ITU Sydney Triathlon

THE 2012 OLYMPICS ARE ON THE HORIZON IS THIS A MOTIVATING TIME FOR YOUYes for sure Trying to get a place in the Aussie team will be hard but to make another Olympic team would be fantastic I have such great memories of Beijing in 2008 and I think London will be just as good if not better

I BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN HAVING FRENCH CLASSES ONCE A WEEK HOW ARE THEY GOING Yes itrsquos only taken five years but wersquove started French lessons just once a week for 2 hours I have learnt a tiny bit but I still mainly point or mime whenever I go out to the shops or dinner

YOU CAN FOLLOW EMMA ON TWITTER (_MOFFY) OR VIEWHER WEBSITEWWWEMMAMOFFATTCOM

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE FRENCH FOOD I canrsquot say I love the French food but as we are here over the summer the fruit is usually fresh and tasty WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME HERE IN AIXItrsquos always nice to go for a swim in the lake on a hot day I also have a town bike that I will use to ride into town and have a look at the shops We are also very close to another nice town Annecy which is good to go to for lunch and a walk around

Moffatt leads the group back into town during the 2010 ITU Sydney Triathlon

72 JOCKATHLETICCOM

JULIA RUSSELLIS A PHYSIOTHERAPIST AND SOFTTISSUE THERAPIST WITH 12 YEARSrsquoEXPERIENCE JULIA ESTABLISHED JULIARUSSELL MASSAGE (JRM) IN 2001TO CATER TO INDIVIDUAL ATHLETESAND PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAMSJULIA IS BASED IN SYDNEY AND HASTHERAPISTS LOCATED THROUGHOUTAUSTRALIAFOR MORE INFORMATION VISITWWWJULIARUSSELLMASSAGECOMAU

OR PHONE 0419 129 483

FOR A COPY OF OUR MEDIA KIT CONTACT US ATEZINEJOCKATHLETICCOMOR 0435 728 200

interested inADVERTISING IN THE

JOCK ATHLETIC EZINE

Ph 0435 728 200 infojockathleticcom wwwjockathleticcom

12 WEEK RUNNING PROGRAM | 3-4 SESSIONS PER WEEK

STARTS 15 AUGUST 2011

Average Joersquos Go Bush

register at wwwjockathleticcom

Build your enduranceget fit and have fun

Carcoar Cup 6 Nov 2011

POWERED BY THE

JOCK ATHLETIC Ezineour free online magazine

START TODAY

74 JOCKATHLETICCOM

GEORGE GOURLASJA WHO IS GEORGE GOURLAS

Sole practising Lawyer Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar owner in Cronulla Sydney Cafeacute Bianco Nero Espresso bar owner active financial supporter of the local community 2011 Franchise Award winner of Australia husband father of two sons but most importantly member of the Average Joersquos Runners Club

JA WHAT DO YOU DO

What donrsquot I do I work about 18 hours a day although some would say I spend about 12 of those hours at Grind or Cafeacute Bianco Nero I enjoy relationships with people of the local community which is all part of promoting my brand and in turn giving back to the local community that supports my businesses my family and me

Itrsquos also very important to note that I give Johnny C (see footnote) and my business partner a ldquobeltingrdquo in training and competition whenever we run

JA YOU ARE EXTREMELY INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW

We actively and passionately support the local community through Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar sponsoring local company Jock Athletic through events like the Wanda X-Treme 6 Fun Run The Jane McGrath Classic (raising money for the McGrath Foundation) and their related programs

We also sponsor local community organisations like Wanda Surf Lifesaving Club through significant sponsorships of their fundraisers like the Sutherland to Surf and Spring Beach Classic as well as a number of local amateur athletes

We feel itrsquos really important to recognise customers and their loyalty to us and we really love our local community and always want to put back into it

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

ldquoSTARTED AS A FAT LAWYER NOW FIT FAST PHILANTHROPIST WHO LOVES RUNNING MARATHONS AND WEARING SKINS ONLYrdquo

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

Georgey boy (right) with fellow Average Joes Laura James

and James Crawford

76 JOCKATHLETICCOM

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

From Top George and the kids from St Aloysius Primary School the first to pilot his Delicious Schools Program with the Crust Relay Team at the annual Jane McGrath Classic at Cronulla beach on Australia Day helping raise funds for the McGrath Foundation George doing what he loves during the Sri Chimnoy Half Marathon in Centennial Park

A refreshingapproachto property southernstarpropertycomau

JA YOU ALSO RAN A GRASS ROOTS SCHOOL PROGRAM THROUGH CRUST CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS AND WHAT DID IT INVOLVE

We piloted and pioneered the Delicious Schools Program St Aloysius primary School where we had a dietician teach children about healthier food choices in line with the school curriculum which also included bringing the kids into Crust Cronulla for a hands on and fun experience to develop and make healthier pizza options The idea was to make the experience informative but also fun for the children and to make them aware that take away food can be healthy like our Crust heart tick range I think we had more fun than the kids

JA SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU USED TO BE JUST A FAT LAWYER BUT YOU APPEAR TO HAVE TRANSFORMED HOW AND WHY

3 hours 23min Gold Coast marathon my first one last year Say no more

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR FAVOURITE SESSION

Wednesday morning Tonkin Oval Intervals itrsquos hard at the time but makes all the difference to your running Jock Athleticrsquos famous Club 400 where we pair up and

alternate 400 metre efforts for 45 minutes is tough but very satisfying when you finish

JA RUMOUR HAS IT YOU HAVE ONE OF THE WORLDrsquoS BEST COACHES IS THAT TRUE AND WHAT MAKES HIM SO GOOD

Rumour well founded Started as a fat lawyer now fit fast philanthropist who loves running marathons and wearing Skins only

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE

Wind up the law practice at the end of the year pursue my passion for coffee and cafeacutersquos enjoy family and holidays and return to being really really fit so I can keep smashing Johnny C

The next big even with the Average Joersquos is to run the Carcoar Cup Irsquoll be doing the marathon relay with the Crust team

--------------------------------------------------------

Note Johnny C is a local identity and member of the Average Joersquos Runners Club He cruelly missed out on Commonwealth Games selection because he didnrsquot have any talent as a runner And deserves all the sledging he receives

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

ldquoSTARTED AS A FAT LAWYER NOW FIT FAST PHILANTHROPIST WHO LOVES RUNNING MARATHONS AND WEARING SKINS ONLYrdquo

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

Georgey boy (right) with fellow Average Joes Laura James

and James Crawford

76 JOCKATHLETICCOM

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

From Top George and the kids from St Aloysius Primary School the first to pilot his Delicious Schools Program with the Crust Relay Team at the annual Jane McGrath Classic at Cronulla beach on Australia Day helping raise funds for the McGrath Foundation George doing what he loves during the Sri Chimnoy Half Marathon in Centennial Park

A refreshingapproachto property southernstarpropertycomau

JA YOU ALSO RAN A GRASS ROOTS SCHOOL PROGRAM THROUGH CRUST CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS AND WHAT DID IT INVOLVE

We piloted and pioneered the Delicious Schools Program St Aloysius primary School where we had a dietician teach children about healthier food choices in line with the school curriculum which also included bringing the kids into Crust Cronulla for a hands on and fun experience to develop and make healthier pizza options The idea was to make the experience informative but also fun for the children and to make them aware that take away food can be healthy like our Crust heart tick range I think we had more fun than the kids

JA SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU USED TO BE JUST A FAT LAWYER BUT YOU APPEAR TO HAVE TRANSFORMED HOW AND WHY

3 hours 23min Gold Coast marathon my first one last year Say no more

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR FAVOURITE SESSION

Wednesday morning Tonkin Oval Intervals itrsquos hard at the time but makes all the difference to your running Jock Athleticrsquos famous Club 400 where we pair up and

alternate 400 metre efforts for 45 minutes is tough but very satisfying when you finish

JA RUMOUR HAS IT YOU HAVE ONE OF THE WORLDrsquoS BEST COACHES IS THAT TRUE AND WHAT MAKES HIM SO GOOD

Rumour well founded Started as a fat lawyer now fit fast philanthropist who loves running marathons and wearing Skins only

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE

Wind up the law practice at the end of the year pursue my passion for coffee and cafeacutersquos enjoy family and holidays and return to being really really fit so I can keep smashing Johnny C

The next big even with the Average Joersquos is to run the Carcoar Cup Irsquoll be doing the marathon relay with the Crust team

--------------------------------------------------------

Note Johnny C is a local identity and member of the Average Joersquos Runners Club He cruelly missed out on Commonwealth Games selection because he didnrsquot have any talent as a runner And deserves all the sledging he receives

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

76 JOCKATHLETICCOM

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

From Top George and the kids from St Aloysius Primary School the first to pilot his Delicious Schools Program with the Crust Relay Team at the annual Jane McGrath Classic at Cronulla beach on Australia Day helping raise funds for the McGrath Foundation George doing what he loves during the Sri Chimnoy Half Marathon in Centennial Park

A refreshingapproachto property southernstarpropertycomau

JA YOU ALSO RAN A GRASS ROOTS SCHOOL PROGRAM THROUGH CRUST CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS AND WHAT DID IT INVOLVE

We piloted and pioneered the Delicious Schools Program St Aloysius primary School where we had a dietician teach children about healthier food choices in line with the school curriculum which also included bringing the kids into Crust Cronulla for a hands on and fun experience to develop and make healthier pizza options The idea was to make the experience informative but also fun for the children and to make them aware that take away food can be healthy like our Crust heart tick range I think we had more fun than the kids

JA SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU USED TO BE JUST A FAT LAWYER BUT YOU APPEAR TO HAVE TRANSFORMED HOW AND WHY

3 hours 23min Gold Coast marathon my first one last year Say no more

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR FAVOURITE SESSION

Wednesday morning Tonkin Oval Intervals itrsquos hard at the time but makes all the difference to your running Jock Athleticrsquos famous Club 400 where we pair up and

alternate 400 metre efforts for 45 minutes is tough but very satisfying when you finish

JA RUMOUR HAS IT YOU HAVE ONE OF THE WORLDrsquoS BEST COACHES IS THAT TRUE AND WHAT MAKES HIM SO GOOD

Rumour well founded Started as a fat lawyer now fit fast philanthropist who loves running marathons and wearing Skins only

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE

Wind up the law practice at the end of the year pursue my passion for coffee and cafeacutersquos enjoy family and holidays and return to being really really fit so I can keep smashing Johnny C

The next big even with the Average Joersquos is to run the Carcoar Cup Irsquoll be doing the marathon relay with the Crust team

--------------------------------------------------------

Note Johnny C is a local identity and member of the Average Joersquos Runners Club He cruelly missed out on Commonwealth Games selection because he didnrsquot have any talent as a runner And deserves all the sledging he receives

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

A refreshingapproachto property southernstarpropertycomau

JA YOU ALSO RAN A GRASS ROOTS SCHOOL PROGRAM THROUGH CRUST CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT WAS AND WHAT DID IT INVOLVE

We piloted and pioneered the Delicious Schools Program St Aloysius primary School where we had a dietician teach children about healthier food choices in line with the school curriculum which also included bringing the kids into Crust Cronulla for a hands on and fun experience to develop and make healthier pizza options The idea was to make the experience informative but also fun for the children and to make them aware that take away food can be healthy like our Crust heart tick range I think we had more fun than the kids

JA SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU USED TO BE JUST A FAT LAWYER BUT YOU APPEAR TO HAVE TRANSFORMED HOW AND WHY

3 hours 23min Gold Coast marathon my first one last year Say no more

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR FAVOURITE SESSION

Wednesday morning Tonkin Oval Intervals itrsquos hard at the time but makes all the difference to your running Jock Athleticrsquos famous Club 400 where we pair up and

alternate 400 metre efforts for 45 minutes is tough but very satisfying when you finish

JA RUMOUR HAS IT YOU HAVE ONE OF THE WORLDrsquoS BEST COACHES IS THAT TRUE AND WHAT MAKES HIM SO GOOD

Rumour well founded Started as a fat lawyer now fit fast philanthropist who loves running marathons and wearing Skins only

JA WHATrsquoS YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE

Wind up the law practice at the end of the year pursue my passion for coffee and cafeacutersquos enjoy family and holidays and return to being really really fit so I can keep smashing Johnny C

The next big even with the Average Joersquos is to run the Carcoar Cup Irsquoll be doing the marathon relay with the Crust team

--------------------------------------------------------

Note Johnny C is a local identity and member of the Average Joersquos Runners Club He cruelly missed out on Commonwealth Games selection because he didnrsquot have any talent as a runner And deserves all the sledging he receives

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE

AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE PROFILE AMATEUR ATHLETE

78 JOCKATHLETICCOM

ATHLETICS

More than just the

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE ATHLETICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DAEGU KOREAELOISE WELLINGS

tracksuit

OCTOBER 2011 79

I had to (once again) learn the art of being happy despite things not turning out how Irsquod planned I had to be at peace with the reality that Irsquod done everything I could to make it to the line (including daily injections of cortisone and local anaesthetic) All my sore foot needed was a bit of rest But I had to make the decision just four hours before the event to pull the pin Actually I didnrsquot have a decision to make my foot made it for me Itrsquos frustrating when the mind and the spirit are willing but the body is not

About an hour after deciding not to race I dried my eyes and decided not to waste any more time at my pity party and to try and get as much from the experience as possible After all the Olympics is to be held next year the big stage I wanted to get on the plane home feeling like Irsquod gained not lost I commiserated with Olympic Champion and team captain Steve Hooker after he had a disappointing performance and was knocked out in the first round of the pole vault We talked about how we were going to go forward from our disasters in Daegu accept the things we couldnrsquot change and get on with believing for better days

I WAS AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DAEGU A FEW WEEKS AGO IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE OLD JOKE OF ldquoIrsquoM NOT GOING FOR THE TRACKSUITrdquo HAS BECOME LITERAL FOR ME I WASNrsquoT ABLE TO RACE

AND YES I DID ACQUIRE THE TRACKSUIT IT WAS IN A SENSE A DISASTER THAT I WASNrsquoT ABLE TO COMPETE BUT ON REFLECTION I FELT THAT DESPITE BEING FORCED OUT OF THE RACE DUE TO INJURY I GAINED SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A TRACKSUIT

Eloise 5th from the front during the 10000m at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010

And I had as much adrenaline coursing through my body as if I was lining up too I was glad when it was over but equally glad I watched it - it made me believe more than ever that that is where I belong Sometimes when yoursquore forced to take a step back the notion of this gets stronger as opposed to when yoursquore immersed in it

My family and I spent the next few days enjoying the rest of the drama unfold from the World Championships Highlights include watching the slow motion replay of Yohan Blakersquos eyes light up like saucers as he realised Usain Bolt had false started and would surely be shown the red card and then the crowd reaction as history was made Young Korean girls who were there to watch Bolt burst into tears and left the stadium distraught as soon as he was disqualified Add to this the highlight of watching my British friend Mo Farah win the menrsquos 5000m in a sprint finish with the Africans Hersquoll be the poster boy for the

Athletics can be an individual and sometimes lonely sport But in the past year or so the Australian track and field team has bonded really well Irsquove always admired the way the Australian Swimming Team band together and support each other and it was great to sense this same feeling of camaraderie for our team in Daegu While walking around the village I kept thinking about the fact that wersquore all going to the same war We might be holding different weapons but wersquore all on the same battle ground all fighting the same mental battles Most are carrying some wounds and injuries and all are there trying to win

After a pep talk with Captain Hooker and after encouragement from my coach Nic I decided to go to the track and watch the race that night I needed to go and see what itrsquos going to be like in London My husband father brother and parents-in-law had flown to Korea to watch me race and were still planning to go and watch too So after a glass of red and a prayer at the village bar with my husband Jon we boarded the bus to the track It was the strangest thing sitting in the stand watching the girls line upI was as nervous as if I was still racing

ATHLETICS

I STILL HAD ALL THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF RACING MY JAW WAS LOCKED MY HEART WAS RACING I HAD SWEATY PALMS AND GLASSY EYES AND THIS WASNrsquoT THE WINE SPEAKING

Life is local

Proudly supporting and informing

the local community since 1960

wwwtheleadercomau

ELOISE WELLINGS IS AN AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION DISTANCE RUNNER AND FOUNDER OF LOVE MERCY FOUNDATION

SHE WILL REPRESENT AUSTRALIA AT THE LONDON OLYMPICS IN 2012 IN THE 10000M EVENT

TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON HER ROAD TO LONDON 2012

FOLLOW HER BLOG and to find out more about Eloisersquos Foundation visit wwwlovemercyfoundationorg

London Olympic Athletics Team now I also watched as Sally Pearson grew wings in the 100m hurdles to win gold for Australia The Aussie anthem never sounded so good

In summary I have spent the last three weeks having a break away from training to allow my foot to heal and refresh myself before the next season of my running career as I hurtle toward London During this time Irsquove also had the great honour of speaking and fundraising at a few gigs for the Love Mercy Foundation and our work in Uganda has proved to be not only timely but also quite therapeutic as it reminded me of why Irsquom running in the first place and that on this journey injury and setbacks have always proven to be purposeful

OCTOBER 2011 79

I had to (once again) learn the art of being happy despite things not turning out how Irsquod planned I had to be at peace with the reality that Irsquod done everything I could to make it to the line (including daily injections of cortisone and local anaesthetic) All my sore foot needed was a bit of rest But I had to make the decision just four hours before the event to pull the pin Actually I didnrsquot have a decision to make my foot made it for me Itrsquos frustrating when the mind and the spirit are willing but the body is not

About an hour after deciding not to race I dried my eyes and decided not to waste any more time at my pity party and to try and get as much from the experience as possible After all the Olympics is to be held next year the big stage I wanted to get on the plane home feeling like Irsquod gained not lost I commiserated with Olympic Champion and team captain Steve Hooker after he had a disappointing performance and was knocked out in the first round of the pole vault We talked about how we were going to go forward from our disasters in Daegu accept the things we couldnrsquot change and get on with believing for better days

I WAS AT THE WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DAEGU A FEW WEEKS AGO IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THE OLD JOKE OF ldquoIrsquoM NOT GOING FOR THE TRACKSUITrdquo HAS BECOME LITERAL FOR ME I WASNrsquoT ABLE TO RACE

AND YES I DID ACQUIRE THE TRACKSUIT IT WAS IN A SENSE A DISASTER THAT I WASNrsquoT ABLE TO COMPETE BUT ON REFLECTION I FELT THAT DESPITE BEING FORCED OUT OF THE RACE DUE TO INJURY I GAINED SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A TRACKSUIT

Eloise 5th from the front during the 10000m at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010

And I had as much adrenaline coursing through my body as if I was lining up too I was glad when it was over but equally glad I watched it - it made me believe more than ever that that is where I belong Sometimes when yoursquore forced to take a step back the notion of this gets stronger as opposed to when yoursquore immersed in it

My family and I spent the next few days enjoying the rest of the drama unfold from the World Championships Highlights include watching the slow motion replay of Yohan Blakersquos eyes light up like saucers as he realised Usain Bolt had false started and would surely be shown the red card and then the crowd reaction as history was made Young Korean girls who were there to watch Bolt burst into tears and left the stadium distraught as soon as he was disqualified Add to this the highlight of watching my British friend Mo Farah win the menrsquos 5000m in a sprint finish with the Africans Hersquoll be the poster boy for the

Athletics can be an individual and sometimes lonely sport But in the past year or so the Australian track and field team has bonded really well Irsquove always admired the way the Australian Swimming Team band together and support each other and it was great to sense this same feeling of camaraderie for our team in Daegu While walking around the village I kept thinking about the fact that wersquore all going to the same war We might be holding different weapons but wersquore all on the same battle ground all fighting the same mental battles Most are carrying some wounds and injuries and all are there trying to win

After a pep talk with Captain Hooker and after encouragement from my coach Nic I decided to go to the track and watch the race that night I needed to go and see what itrsquos going to be like in London My husband father brother and parents-in-law had flown to Korea to watch me race and were still planning to go and watch too So after a glass of red and a prayer at the village bar with my husband Jon we boarded the bus to the track It was the strangest thing sitting in the stand watching the girls line upI was as nervous as if I was still racing

ATHLETICS

I STILL HAD ALL THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF RACING MY JAW WAS LOCKED MY HEART WAS RACING I HAD SWEATY PALMS AND GLASSY EYES AND THIS WASNrsquoT THE WINE SPEAKING

Life is local

Proudly supporting and informing

the local community since 1960

wwwtheleadercomau

ELOISE WELLINGS IS AN AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION DISTANCE RUNNER AND FOUNDER OF LOVE MERCY FOUNDATION

SHE WILL REPRESENT AUSTRALIA AT THE LONDON OLYMPICS IN 2012 IN THE 10000M EVENT

TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON HER ROAD TO LONDON 2012

FOLLOW HER BLOG and to find out more about Eloisersquos Foundation visit wwwlovemercyfoundationorg

London Olympic Athletics Team now I also watched as Sally Pearson grew wings in the 100m hurdles to win gold for Australia The Aussie anthem never sounded so good

In summary I have spent the last three weeks having a break away from training to allow my foot to heal and refresh myself before the next season of my running career as I hurtle toward London During this time Irsquove also had the great honour of speaking and fundraising at a few gigs for the Love Mercy Foundation and our work in Uganda has proved to be not only timely but also quite therapeutic as it reminded me of why Irsquom running in the first place and that on this journey injury and setbacks have always proven to be purposeful

And I had as much adrenaline coursing through my body as if I was lining up too I was glad when it was over but equally glad I watched it - it made me believe more than ever that that is where I belong Sometimes when yoursquore forced to take a step back the notion of this gets stronger as opposed to when yoursquore immersed in it

My family and I spent the next few days enjoying the rest of the drama unfold from the World Championships Highlights include watching the slow motion replay of Yohan Blakersquos eyes light up like saucers as he realised Usain Bolt had false started and would surely be shown the red card and then the crowd reaction as history was made Young Korean girls who were there to watch Bolt burst into tears and left the stadium distraught as soon as he was disqualified Add to this the highlight of watching my British friend Mo Farah win the menrsquos 5000m in a sprint finish with the Africans Hersquoll be the poster boy for the

Athletics can be an individual and sometimes lonely sport But in the past year or so the Australian track and field team has bonded really well Irsquove always admired the way the Australian Swimming Team band together and support each other and it was great to sense this same feeling of camaraderie for our team in Daegu While walking around the village I kept thinking about the fact that wersquore all going to the same war We might be holding different weapons but wersquore all on the same battle ground all fighting the same mental battles Most are carrying some wounds and injuries and all are there trying to win

After a pep talk with Captain Hooker and after encouragement from my coach Nic I decided to go to the track and watch the race that night I needed to go and see what itrsquos going to be like in London My husband father brother and parents-in-law had flown to Korea to watch me race and were still planning to go and watch too So after a glass of red and a prayer at the village bar with my husband Jon we boarded the bus to the track It was the strangest thing sitting in the stand watching the girls line upI was as nervous as if I was still racing

ATHLETICS

I STILL HAD ALL THE PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF RACING MY JAW WAS LOCKED MY HEART WAS RACING I HAD SWEATY PALMS AND GLASSY EYES AND THIS WASNrsquoT THE WINE SPEAKING

Life is local

Proudly supporting and informing

the local community since 1960

wwwtheleadercomau

ELOISE WELLINGS IS AN AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION DISTANCE RUNNER AND FOUNDER OF LOVE MERCY FOUNDATION

SHE WILL REPRESENT AUSTRALIA AT THE LONDON OLYMPICS IN 2012 IN THE 10000M EVENT

TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON HER ROAD TO LONDON 2012

FOLLOW HER BLOG and to find out more about Eloisersquos Foundation visit wwwlovemercyfoundationorg

London Olympic Athletics Team now I also watched as Sally Pearson grew wings in the 100m hurdles to win gold for Australia The Aussie anthem never sounded so good

In summary I have spent the last three weeks having a break away from training to allow my foot to heal and refresh myself before the next season of my running career as I hurtle toward London During this time Irsquove also had the great honour of speaking and fundraising at a few gigs for the Love Mercy Foundation and our work in Uganda has proved to be not only timely but also quite therapeutic as it reminded me of why Irsquom running in the first place and that on this journey injury and setbacks have always proven to be purposeful

Life is local

Proudly supporting and informing

the local community since 1960

wwwtheleadercomau

ELOISE WELLINGS IS AN AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION DISTANCE RUNNER AND FOUNDER OF LOVE MERCY FOUNDATION

SHE WILL REPRESENT AUSTRALIA AT THE LONDON OLYMPICS IN 2012 IN THE 10000M EVENT

TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON HER ROAD TO LONDON 2012

FOLLOW HER BLOG and to find out more about Eloisersquos Foundation visit wwwlovemercyfoundationorg

London Olympic Athletics Team now I also watched as Sally Pearson grew wings in the 100m hurdles to win gold for Australia The Aussie anthem never sounded so good

In summary I have spent the last three weeks having a break away from training to allow my foot to heal and refresh myself before the next season of my running career as I hurtle toward London During this time Irsquove also had the great honour of speaking and fundraising at a few gigs for the Love Mercy Foundation and our work in Uganda has proved to be not only timely but also quite therapeutic as it reminded me of why Irsquom running in the first place and that on this journey injury and setbacks have always proven to be purposeful

82 JOCKATHLETICCOM

NATHAN SMITH (IRONMAN) After coming out of retirement 6 weeks before the event former World Champion Ironman Nathan smashed a 6 week crash training course and finished an unbelievable 2nd in the Legendary Coolangatta Gold 40km+ event Always a pleasure to see you race Smithy

KYLE OrsquoBRIEN (SURF LIFE SAVING) Captain of the AUS team for the 2011 New Zealand Pool Rescue Championships competing against NZrsquos best at Hamilton from 28-30 October

MAT SCHWEIGHOFFER (WATER POLO) will be competing in the National Club Championships this month down in Melbourne where hersquos pushing for selection an in the Australian U17rsquos team

LAURA JAMES (ATHLETICS)Came in the top 6 women for the half marathon at the Sydney Running Festival finishing in 82 minutes

BLAKE FOWLER (FOOTBALL)Heading over to England in January after confirming his scholarship with the Bolton Wanderers Premier League

MATTHEW HAYDEN (CRICKET)Getting into shape for Brisbane Heatrsquos first game against the Sydney Sixers on the 16th of December You can sign up to the Matthew Hayden Locker Room to follow Mattrsquos preparation

TOM DOUCH (ATHLETICS)Tom recently took part in the University Games on the Gold Coast claiming a bronze medal in the athletics medley relay

JAMIE ARNOLD (GOLF)Came in 6th place at the Thailand Open Golf Championships in August 2011 with a score of 273 (15 under par)

EACH MONTH WE WILL BRING YOU NEWS AND RESULTS FROMJOCK ATHLETIC ATHLETES HERE AND ABROAD

ATHLETE NEWS

OCTOBER 2011 83

ANDRE ADAMS (CRICKET)Nottinghamshire 270 amp 245 Durham 195 amp 253 (Nottinghamshire win by 67 runs) ldquoAdams does damage to leave Durham title hopes in the balancerdquo Andre still leading wicket taker in the County Championships

MICHAEL CLARKE (CRICKET) Pup won his first Test series as Captain finishing with a series winning 112 in the last Test in Colombo to wrap up a 1-0 series win over Sri Lanka Great start to his Captaincy career in a place that is very difficult to get a series win

PHIL JACQUES (CRICKET) Now free from back pain after an operation in 2010 Jaquesy has reached his peak fitness levels for the start of the season in over 10 years He has capped this off by signing with the Tassy Hurricanes for the Big Bash T20 League this season

RICKY PONTING (CRICKET) became the first cricketer to play in 100 Test wins after Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 125 runs in the first Test in Galle in September A great achievement and shows just how successful Australia has been over the past 15 years - Well done Punta

Ricky holds aloft the coveted ODI World Cup Trophy

C R E A T I V E M E D I A

PH 02 8517 3508 WWWKISSTHESKYCOMAU

DESIGN PRINT WEB

UNTIL THEN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

S E E Y O U I N N O V E M B E R

JOCK ATHLETIC EZINE

C R E A T I V E M E D I A

PH 02 8517 3508 WWWKISSTHESKYCOMAU

DESIGN PRINT WEB

UNTIL THEN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

S E E Y O U I N N O V E M B E R

JOCK ATHLETIC EZINE

OCTOBER 2011 85