MSC Latest News - March 2007

The final part of the season Down Under is in progress and there is plenty on the calendar still to be ticked off over the next 6 weeks. MSC has athletes doing all distances - from enticer events up to Ironman. Being the best you can with specific preparation and a structured approach goes a long way in helping you achieve what you set out to do.

Ad-hoc training may get you fit up to a point but for long term progressive improvement, efficiency and enjoyment the proven method is to have a plan and systematic approach in place. Train Smart and never give up! Nick

Squad Results from the last month

Goondiwindi Hell Of The West - 4th February (2/80/20)
A hot weekend as always at 'Gundy' but this year was not as extreme as last on the Mercury but the race is not called what it is for nothing! The wind on the return leg of the bike saw to that with quite a few struggling through that last 10km of the bike and a slower than expected run. Well done to the first timers - Mel, Dan and Peter on getting their first
HOTW under the belt.

David Chick 1st / 35-39 in 4.10.14
Allan Moustoukas / 45-49
Dan O'Rourke 30-34 in 4.36
Mike Broadbent 30-34 in 5.08.20
Mel Gaudart 2nd / 25-29 in 5.41.48
Peter Degnian 45-49 in 5.44.56


Caloundra Triathlon - February 11th (400/15/4)

David Chick 1st / 35-39 male in 45.12
Jay Pattison 3rd / 35-39 male in 46.46
Dan O'Rourke 6th / 30-34 male in 47.18
Jeff Barker 8th / 45-49 male in 51.49
Nicola Gregory 6th / 30-34 female in 53.01
David Coulter 1st / 60-64 male in 53.37
Peter Brown 6th / 50-54 male in 53.57
Daniel Fox 9th / 13-15 male in 54.02
Sean McPhee 11th / 13-15 male in 54.11
Maddie Bartholomew 4th / 13-15 female in 55.01
Geoff Bartholomew 40-44 male in 55.39
Neil McPhee 45-49 male in 57.58
Karin Artis 40-44 female in 58.58
Angelika Hannon 7th / 45-49 female in 1.00.35
Lisbeth Vieby 40-44 female in 1.01.49
Annie Jennings 5th / 50-54 female in 1.03.08
Brian Hannon 45-49 male in 1.04.17
Graham McColl 1st / 70-74 male in 1.04.25

National Series Hobart - February 18th (1.5/40/10)

Nicola Gregory - 2nd / 30-34 in 2.36.14
Jeff Barker - 5th 45-49 in 2.44.43


Bribie Island Triathlon - February 18th (1/30/8)

Tom Mewing 3rd / 35-39 male in 1.29.49
Jess Fleming 2nd / 30-34 female in 1.34.32
Vanessa Williams 5th / 30-34 female in 1.37.38
Neil McPhee 8th / 45-49 male in 1.38.46
Geoff Bartholomew 40-44 male in 1.45.43
Peter Degnian 1.46.24
Annie Jennings 3rd / 50-54 female in 1.51.12
Catherine Spiteri 1.51.31
Conny Muhlenberg 4th / 50-54 female in 1.51.33

Just Tri it (300/13/3)
Sean McPhee 43.52
Maddie Bartholomew 45.04

Gold Coast Triathlon - February 25th (750/20/5)

Dan O'Rourke 6th / 30-34 male in 1.03.56
Tom Mewing 11th / 35-39 male in 1.07.10
Sean McPhee 8th / 13-15 male in 1.11.52
Neil McPhee 45-49 male in 1.13.34
Leonie Pedrazzini 3rd / 45-40 female in 1.14.57
Maddie Bartholomew 2nd / 13-15 female in 1.15.07
Catherine Spiteri 30-34 female in 1.20.53
Graham McColl 1st / 70-74 in 1.26.29

National Long Course Champs Jervis Bay NSW - 25th February (2/80/20)

Doug Griffiths 35-39 male in 4.30.59
Vanessa Williams 6th / 30-34 female in 4.49.05

Well done to all with some great racing over the last month. Quite a few repeat events for many with many a PB being posted - keep bringing it on!


Up coming events

Australian OD Championships Geelong Vic 4th March
Adrienne Willing

Iron Man New Zealand - 3rd March
Peter Seldon, Melissa Gaudart, Anthony Boyd (swim squad)

Mooloolaba Triathlon QLD - 25th March
David Coulter, Dan O'Rourke, Angelika Hannon, Brian Hannon, Catherine Spiteri, Sue Stevenson, Peter Degnian, Carl Schmidt, Tom Mewing, Justin Hunter, Marc Withnall, Nicola Gregory, Peter Brown, Jess Fleming, Adrienne Willing, Leonie Pedrazzini, Vanessa Williams

Iron Man Australia (Port Macquarie) NSW - 1st April
Steve Buth, Justin Hunter, Allan Moustoukas, Michael Broadbent, Shaneen O'Brien, Jeff Barker, Doug Griffiths, Matty O'Neill

The Byron Bay Tri is back on the 12th May
Earlier in the season it was not to be held but organsiers have the end of season event back on - which is worth going to just for the Saturday night post race party!

Ocean swims at Byron on May 5 and Noosa May 20



Climbing Tips for the bike

The cycling discipline in triathlon is regaining popularity after having become an afterthought for many top pros in recent years. In the late 90’s, especially in draft-legal racing, the sport was turning into a runner’s race. However, with athletes such as Craig Walton, Chris McCormack, and Loretta Harrop upping the ante on the bike, everyone has had to respond. Athletes have had to improve their riding ability in order to chase down attacks and to maintain the incredible pace that is now being set every world cup. In non drafting events and longer stuff (half and full Ironman distance races) the bike is the backbone of the event. If you cannot ride under 5 hours in an Ironman, it is unlikely that you will be standing on the podium; and, unless you pick a completely flat event (they are out there), the chances are you will have to conquer some hills along the way.

In this article, Chris Carmichael, who has coached Lance Armstrong through his four Tour de France victories, shares some insights into effective and efficient climbing. The ideas and techniques he puts forth here will allow you to ascend faster and with less energy, dropping everyone else who is around you.

The “How-To” Of Climbing
You are 180 pounds (80kg); lean as you can get, and convinced that there is no way you can keep up with that 135 pound rolling toothpick on the next big climb. Well, you're right. He will ride away from you, but not because he's light.

The next time you encounter a climb, relax! Climbing fast will put you at or near your lactate threshold. Staying seated and calm with your upper body relaxed helps keep your HR a few beats lower, allowing you to pedal a little harder before reaching threshold. Spin a lower gear. Do not try to muscle your way over long climbs. Reduce your gearing and increase your cadence. You won't accumulate lactic acid as quickly, and are more likely to make it over the climb without blowing up. You will lose much more ground by blowing up and crawling to the top than you will by riding your own steady pace, even if your pace doesn't quite match that of the local featherweights.

Use physics to your advantage. When you have to climb out of the saddle, align your body over your pedals on the downstroke. If you have to carry that body weight up a hill, make it work for you. I don't mean, "Throw your bike around underneath you." That will only enrage the riders around you and hasten your departure from the back of the field. Instead of pulling your bars in toward the center as you stand and climb, push them out to the sides. You are already using your triceps and shoulders to support your body weight, why use your pulling muscles as well? Using more muscles means using more oxygen. You can only transport so much oxygen; use it wisely. You can practice seated climbing on an indoor trainer with the front wheel elevated 4-6 inches above horizontal. You can hone your out-of-the-saddle climbing technique on even the smallest of climbs. If you need proof that big guys can indeed climb, George Hincapie has made it through the toughest climbs of the Tour de France, at 180 pounds.

The Science Behind Training For Ascension
Successful climbing, and success in many areas of cycling, comes down to the ability to produce high amounts of power for long periods of time. You need to be able to sustain as high an intensity as possible for 45 minutes to an hour. To start off with, you need a very well developed aerobic engine so that there is a strong foundation to build this power upon. Then, we begin to train you lactate threshold level. Long intervals at heart rate intensities at or just below (but not above) an athlete’s lactate threshold develop the ability to sustain power in time trials and on extended climbs.

By staying at or slightly below your lactate threshold heart rate, you are training the energy systems that are required for producing power for time trials and climbs, and you can maintain that training intensity long enough to have an effect. Short, over-threshold intervals lead to fatigue so quickly that you end up spending too little time at an intensity sufficient to produce a training effect. When your power at lactate threshold increases, the amount of work you can do before reaching threshold also increases. By relying less on your anaerobic energy systems and thereby accumulating less lactic acid, you can stay with the front group all the way up long climbs.

Improving your Power/Weight ratio also helps. To determine your P/W ratio, divide your maximum sustainable power (power at lactate threshold) by your bodyweight in kilograms. Reducing your bodyweight while maintaining your maximum sustainable power leads to increased climbing speed. You will see enormous gains by increasing your power output and dropping a few extra kilograms. Be careful not to take this to extremes. Drastic reductions in bodyweight often lead to decreased strength and increased susceptibility to illness. It is better to keep those last few kilos and be healthy, than to be so lean that you get sick and miss a large portion of the season.