We are half way through the Australian season already and with still a few months till the end of the season there is plenty of time to finish on a high with races of varying distances available to athletes of all abilities. There is something for everyone to choose from.

The first National Series event in Canberra kicks off the big events at months end with events following each week after right up to the end of March. An interesting article on goal setting is included in this months news. Stay healthy and train smart - Nick Croft

"You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action."
> Anthony Robbins

Allez Sport MSC Athlete of the Month

David Chick from Allez sport is offering all MSC athletes 10% off all products including Descente, Accelerade, Eyeline, Xterra Wetsuits, Euro Eyewear. Also Zipp Wheel and Xterra Wetsuit hire and all other products they stock.

The shop address is
Shop 1a - 'Seamark on First'
29 First Ave
Mooloolaba

Telephone: 07 5477 5246

Each month, starting in February Allez Sport will be offering a fifty dollar voucher for the MSC Athlete of the Month. That is all squad members - online or Noosa squads.



Goals provide a road map to better athletic future

"Why do we have to set goals?" some triathletes ask. "Why is it so important to decide now what I will be doing next summer?"

Failing to plan for next season is not a crime. However, training without precise goals or objectives is like being lost in a foreign country without a map - with no hints about where to go, any path you will take will seem as good as any other, and if you end up somewhere worthwhile, it will be strictly by chance.

Goals provide the necessary orientation to make the right choices. Whenever you have a decision to make regarding your training - how and when to train, or at which intensity and with whom - goals will give you a map to follow. Isn't this a lot better than just doing what others do, or even worse, what they say you should? It is therefore time for you to map out your own plan for next season.

Ultimate destination: Know where you're going

Every journey begins by choosing a direction. In terms of your triathlon journey, this means setting up two long-term goals, each of them having a different but complementary purpose.

Your dream goal: Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the following: What could you possibly achieve in triathlon? What it is that you would love to accomplish? If everything went on as planned, and you trained and raced at your full capabilities, what's the highest goal you could ultimately reach?

It is important when doing this exercise that you do not erect any barriers for yourself; let go of all that seems "impossible" and just allow yourself to dream big.

Your realistic goal for 2006: Keeping your dream goal in mind, it is now time to determine a more realistic goal for the 2006 season. Assess your abilities, and try to think how much it would be possible for you to improve over a year. Consider your commitment level and how much time and energy you are willing to allocate to triathlon. It is also very important that you look at your other life commitments to see how you will fit your training between work, friends, family time and relaxation activities.

We sometimes decide we can't swim at a given speed or that a run is too hard for us. This places needless constraints on our progression as athletes. Before Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile 50 years ago, everybody, including scientists, thought it was impossible - yet Bannister's record was broken the very next month by John Landy. Why? Because the impossible had become possible. The dream goal has a very specific function: lowering mental barriers that keep you from going for your ultimate performance! Your realistic goal will provide you guidance for the whole year, and is the basis for the following section.

Decide how you will get there

Winning takes a lot more than just wanting to. Similarly, you need more than just a long-term goal if you want to be able to reach it. What is required, to continue with our map analogy, are strategic landmarks to orient your daily training.

Shorter-term goals or objectives are crucial to the success of your triathlon trip. They guide you from point A (right now) to point B (the important race day) by acting like stages in a multi-day adventure expedition. Reaching a control point along the way, even though you are not finished yet, will give you confidence that you are in the right direction and that you eventually will reach your destination.

You can use monthly objectives to emphasize one discipline at a time. For instance, you may decide that in June you will concentrate on your swimming and add one workout a week at the pool. Then, you can set weekly objectives to improve your overall training efficiency. An example of this would be to have set periods of time where you will eat well, sleep enough, stretch more, do strength training, or whatever would help you increase your fitness level faster. Finally, you may want to set daily goals for each workout that will focus your attention on the details that will maximize the training benefits. Examples of daily goals can be physical (duration, speed), technical, tactical, or mental, like staying positive, concentrating more, putting distractions aside, riding in the rain and being happy.

Anytime you're not moving towards your goal, you are moving away from it. If you're training every day, you might as well make it count, and this is why each workout should bring youone step closer to your goal.

Make sure the trip is worth it

Sometimes, we don't reach our goals. It happens to everybody. It is no tragedy to fall short of a particular objective; what is tragic is when a triathlete sees the energy invested to reach it as wasted. You have to make sure that no matter the final outcome, you will be able to look back and say: "Yes, my triathlon experience was definitely worth it because...." If this is not the case, you run the risk of being extremely disappointed and frustrated down the road, not to mention exceedingly nervous before important races because too much will be at stake.

List the reasons why you are doing triathlon in the first place, and what training and racing brings you as an athlete, a person, a friend, etc. And set a last (but not least) goal for 2006: accepting yourself as a worthy human being, deserving of love and attention regardless of whether you reach certain objectives. This will help you enjoy the voyage more every day, by keeping your sport achievements in a healthy perspective.

Remember: A road map you forget in some dark place is of no use. Take the time to set meaningful goals for yourself, and post your plan where it will be visible and serve as your daily inspiration to swim, bike and run. And go on to have the season of your life!