PUMPED about Kona, and want to be there in 2013?

If nothing changes, everything stays the same.


Coach Foz Hawaii 2011



If you are going to take the same approach as you did last season, you will get the same result. Incremental increases in strength will only get you so far. Try something new and your body will respond.

Want to race a fast Ironman, well you need to train fast
Shorted targeted speed development and endurance sessions mixed in with longer race pace and strength endurance training is the key. Long slow training will just see you being long and slow come race day.



FM athlete Jo Coombe Hawaii 2011



Practise practise practise

Crucial to set you race pacing and nutritional plan early in your prep. A good coach will be all over this. Then practise it religiously on your longer moderate sessions. Got to have a plan automatic come race day

Consistency over time

Find the plan you believe in, start it early and stick with it. Consistency over time will get you there.


Experience


FM athlete Kristy Hallett Hawaii 2011



Give me a coach who has tried many different methods before settling on the plan that works for each type of athlete. Ive competed at Hawaii 3times and qualified 4x, completed 19ironman and finished top10 overall 4x. I have failed, and succeeded as an athlete.

You learn as much a coach by your own athletic failures as your successes. This drives change and looking outside the square

Fluid Movements Triathlon starts our specific preparation for Melbourne Ironman at the start of November, which is 20week phase. 

Our 6athletes racing in a couple of days are - Cyrma Hearn, Alex Houghton, Stephen Natoli, Stephen Guy, Darren Phelps and Mark Johnston.

3 of those athletes qualified in their first Ironman and all are doing their first Hawaii Ironman



We can also set you for any Ironman you choose.

We have 6 athletes competing in Kona in a few days, on top of 3athletes in 2011.
If you want to get to Kona or just to get a PR, let me set you on the right path. 



Coach Foz
Train to Race

Triathlon Coach Sean 'Fozzy' Foster: Fluids New Zealand Triathlon Worlds Campaign

Triathlon Coach Sean 'Fozzy' Foster: Fluids New Zealand Triathlon Worlds Campaign: FM qualified 11 athletes for the New Zealand World Championships this October. After a build period following the end of season break, we se...

Fluids New Zealand Triathlon Worlds Campaign

FM qualified 11 athletes for the New Zealand World Championships this October. After a build period following the end of season break, we set the athletes from June on a path to Worlds.

We have gone through 3distinct phases of training.
Run Strength phase 1 - strong but long steady state and interval running training, plus using targeted races as training, including the Salomon Trail series and the Victorian Duathlon series.

During this phase alot of the early mid week ride sessions were hill based strength sessions at or slightly below FTP or TT style steady efforts just under FTP.
The majority of our long rides included efforts of some kind, be it hill climbs, long flat intervals or on adaptation weeks a brick session with the intensity mainly on the bike part.

Specific Preparation Phase 2 - our emphasis on the strength bike workouts remained with the hills, as the Auckland course is quite lumpy with some sharp gradients and technical cornering, a bit like the Amstel Gold climbs in the European Spring Classic. There was also an emphasis on descending as much as climbing to develop our skills.


Sean Smee and Steve Hadley lead pack



Lots of our running was close to our aerobic threshold, and our sharper runs were distinctly aerobic power style fartleks, at threshold but just below MVO2 with float recoveries to keep average heart rate high. Chewing nail style sessions.

Through this period we continued with the Duathlons as training and our combo sessions.

One distinct point is that our long rides and runs were lower in duration to ensure they didn't require too much adaptation time post. The training is all about training hard often being very mindful to train for the next session.

Race Specific Phase 3 - a style of race phase training that FM developed last year during our China and Hawaii Worlds campaign. Sessions that included regular quality bike to run training.

Crit Style efforts with David Fitzsimons leading the pack

The sharp bike set each week would contain either base speed intervals with lots of recovery or short intervals with increasing recoveries so the athlete freshens up or maintains leg strength throughout the set. Then fast speed play fartlek running (change of pace) immediately off the bike.

Then the other runs are base speed accelerations, to maintain top end speed and power then a strength speed endurance style workout later in the week.
The second bike session again is hills or hard sustainable to ready the athletes for the testing Auckland course.

How are they travelling
It has been great to have Stephen Hadley join our squad, a quality athletes who has been self coached. He has worked very well with our existing athletes in training, including Sean Smee and David Fitzsimons.

COLD!

We have quite a range of athletes racing from relatively new athletes like Natalie Wong and Aine O'Connor to seasoned athletes like Ken Murley who has podiumed at World Championships previously. The other athletes on our team are Joost VanVliet, Paul Speed, Zoe Ferguson, Cyrma Hearn and Rob Grummitt

Final Hit out
We have the Hazelwood triathlon this weekend, so it will be great to get in the wetsuit and see how they swim in open water. Then its downhill to Auckland.  

Should be alot of fun and they are pretty ready to race.

Coach Foz

Triathlon Coach Sean 'Fozzy' Foster: You ARE ready

Triathlon Coach Sean 'Fozzy' Foster: You ARE ready: Less than 3weeks now to the 'Big Dance' at Kona Hawaii. On Saturday after training, i caught up with our 6 Hawaii Ironman debutants to cha...

You ARE ready

Less than 3weeks now to the 'Big Dance' at Kona Hawaii.

On Saturday after training, i caught up with our 6 Hawaii Ironman debutants to chat about what makes the race on the Big Island such a special race.
Kristy Hallett who i did Hawaii with last year came along to also add to the conversation over coffee and a muffin in Port Melbourne.

Their commitment since Melbourne Ironman where they all qualified has been awesome. Each athlete has done everything that has been required of them, and with a great attitude.
Channelling that enthusiasm was so easy, half the time I was trying to hold them back even in the dead of Winter!

We have had a couple of hiccups along the way with Stephen Natoli being cleaned up in a bike crash, being knocked out and cut up badly.
Alex Houghton had a couple of days in hospital with a stomach issue, but both are back and firing and ready to go in a few weeks.

The perceived pressure of a big event like Worlds can add to the athletes levels of anxiety as the event comes closer. There is many a story of Kona wind, heat and lava on YouTube or in magazines

We chatted about the added elements that a race in Hawaii brings. Radiant heat off the lava, the logistics of a non wetsuit swim, and the course, but they only have to be aware, but not daunted by the prospect.

Each of them so deserves to be there. They have prepared very well, which brings an inner confidence that can't be diminished.

Come race day, concentrating on the process and the executing each of their own individual plans is whats its about. Its still all about how they pace and eat/drink, but with just a little more sunscreen!

It is just another ironman and this one happens to be in Hawaii. poor buggers ; )

A great piece of advice

Macca in his book talks about using his sunglasses to go into his own little world out there. 
Fellow Hawaii athlete from last year Jo Coombe had a great tip to assist with that. Earplugs. 
It can have the effect of placing you in a protected world, away from the whistling of the wind or the tension of other competitors. No negative distractions

Either way, next week will see Cyrma Hearn (2nd ever ironman), Stephen Natoli, Alex Houghton (2nd ever ironman), Steve Guy, Mark Johnston (2nd ever Ironman) and Darren Phelps flying to Hawaii to begin their tapers.

And all their friends and families, coaches and their mates in our little training squad couldn't be prouder of them. They will do awesome and have a great experience, whatever their results.

Coach Foz


  

Triathlon Coach Sean 'Fozzy' Foster: First Hitout Yeppoon 2012

Triathlon Coach Sean 'Fozzy' Foster: First Hitout Yeppoon 2012: Well the season is coming around quickly, and Yeppoon 70.3 is always the first bigger race to test the legs. its this weekend! I have seve...

First Hitout Yeppoon 2012

Well the season is coming around quickly, and Yeppoon 70.3 is always the first bigger race to test the legs. its this weekend!

I have seven athletes racing the FNQ race this Sunday.

The course is a flat one. Great Ocean swim in the lovely warm waters of Queensland, and its a refreshing one as you actually get some wave action also, so those with some OW skills can steal a break on the swells coming in.

The second leg is actually the run up the beach. Long beach run, then dunes. The deep sand can be a shock on lactic laden legs as you climb the steep pinch before coming into the resort. I know, i raced it last year!

Into T1, pushed along by Stef Hanson who will be rippin' it up on the mic with enthusiastic fervour and onto the bike.

Tighten everything, the road out of the resort to the main hwy is a shocker, literally! corrugated iron!
Few loops on the bike with scarcely a hill in sight. So get down low and push, a real course for the high power athletes.

The run is great, through the resort, and over the massive pool via a bridge. Little shaded trails and out in the sun to bake too. The run course has a bit of everything.

Best thing about Yeppoon is the pool party after, great way to dip the legs and enjoy a refreshing post race drink.

Good luck to our motley crew up there this Sunday - and they are
Kristy Hallett - First hit out racing pro. We are still in a building phase so this will give a good insight into where we are as the build continues.
Alex Houghton - racing Hawaii Ironman in October. Came 5th overall at Anaconda Noosa last weekend. This will be a good look at what we need to get to Hawaii shape in a couple of months.
Nick Schwal and Robbie Hunt - Both competing at IM Melb next year. First 70.3 event, hope its some fun!
Stephen Natoli - racing Hawaii Ironman in October. Nicknamed Nuggett! and he is as tough as one, hope you have a great time. 
Fiona Collier - seasoned athlete, and using this race to get back the fire for another ironman.
Mal Bish - After so much sprint racing, finally Mal is stepping up for his first 70.3. Hope he finishes with a big smile on his face.

Yeppoon, a great way to escape the Melbourne winter grind for the weekend.

Have fun, and to all my other mates racing too.

Foz