Getting fast(er)

Do a little day dreaming for a moment and think of an athlete going fast (but not sprinting), whether it's swimming, cycling and running. Make it a moving image which might be of someone you've seen or from TV (or internet) coverage of an event, of an athlete in full flight. Can you see them move? Can you feel the speed that they're experiencing?

What's the main thing you notice about them? I'm not talking about their clothing, the background, or their competitors. It's how smooth they look. The fluidity of their technique. Their coordination and relaxed rhythm. Their overall movement is quite mesmerising to watch. Look a little closer and you'll see some effort going into the movement, but this is almost deceiving since it really looks effortless. They just seem to move differently to people who are less-fast.

(Note that any reference to fast is all relative to you and your ability.)

At the core of going fast is the skill and coordination to actually *be* fast. This is underpinned by sound form and technique, but (almost) regardless you will find that with practice - and training - you'll be able to be fast and smooth in your own way, and at your own speed.

So how do you get fast? Firstly, let's understand the components of going fast. First is biomechanics and technique. Second is the fitness. Some might also add that third is having the talent to be fast, but as I mentioned fast is relative to you the speed you can move at so I won't cover that here.

If I asked you to go out and swim a fast 50m, or run a fast 100-200m how would it feel? Would it be the smooth, flowing technique of the fast athlete you had an image of earlier...or perhaps someone a little rustier? Your answer will depend on how often you do some fast training, that is, the more often you do it, the smoother you'll feel. This is quite separate from the fitness required since I'm sure we've all seen an apparently unfit (ex-)swimmer hop into a pool and seemingly morph into an elite athlete, such is the smoothness of their technique from years and years of training. It's the same in tennis, cricket and other sports where skill is to the fore. It's the same in trying to move fast.

While you might have the same range of motion, strength, fitness as a fast athlete, what would be different is the coordination of your movement - your technique or form. Defining "correct" technique is another topic altogether, but suffice to say that good technique implies efficiency of movement where you have the skill to control and move your levers (arms, legs, body) in such a way to gain maximum return (speed) for your effort. Once you have the fundamentals of form sorted out, you then need to put it into practice...just like learning any new skill.

I'll use running as an example. We know that good running form begins with how you control your hips and torso, but if you went out to ran fast after a running lesson it's quite likely you'd forget those basic principles and fall back into your default style, which might lack the smoothness needed to run your fastest. So what you need to do is slow down and only run at a speed with which you can maintain good form. Do this for duration of 10-15sec, which is short enough that fitness won't be a limiting factor. Just run back and forth, taking 10-30sec at each end to review how the last run-through went. These are like golfers going to a driving range - a controlled environment to focus on the basic technique that will unpin their performance, which in your case is moving fast.

At the same time as you complete these run-throughs, focus on your movement, comparing what you feel with the image of a fast athlete. Like any skill development it will take time to develop biomechanical efficiency, neural pathways (aka coordination), balance, fluidity and more. The swimming equivalent would be swimming fast while maintaining a minimum number of strokes per lap, and in cycling your ability to pedal at a high cadence without your bum bouncing around.

Developing fitness to be fast goes in hand with the skill component, although you will get to point where each plateaus...which is the performance dilemma almost all athletes have!! Your goal is for your fitness not to be a limiting factor in how well you can maintain the skill of being fast. It's important to note that the skill of being fast applies at all speeds - the smoother you are at higher speed, the more efficient you will be at slower speeds.

In the early stages your proficiency at the skill, your fitness to be fast will develop similarly. During this stage you can increase the duration of practice efforts - the distance of your run throughs - being sure to only run up to a speed at which you can maintain your form. If you lose form it means your fitness is not yet advanced enough to support good form so take a step back and consolidate.

An example progression for running could be as follows (within the structure of a balanced program):

Week 1: 6 x 10sec
Week 2: 6 x 15sec
Week 3: 8 x 15sec
Week 4: 2 x (5 x 15sec)
Week 5: 6 x 20sec
Week 6: 2 x (5 x 20sec)
Week 7: 8 x 30sec
Week 8: 2 x (6 x 30sec)

These speed skill sessions are not *hard* as such, but are focused on developing coordination and rhythm. Eventually you will reach a stage where your form has become refined, and your fitness has progressed such that you can hold your form at any speed up to 45-60 sec duration reps. At this point your skill and technique will help you be a better athlete with a greater level of efficiency and coordination - it's the foundation for any fast performance. It's important to remember to practice the skill to reinforce the neural and motor patterns in an on-going manner, and a well structured training program will develop your fitness further, and your ability to hold a fast pace for a longer period of time.

Training Like a Triathlete

Here's a quick quiz for you...

1. How many sports is a triathlon? a) one, b) two, c) three, d) four?
2. How do you train for a triathlon? a) like a swimmer, b) like a cyclist, c) like a runner, d) all the above, e) like a triathlete?

The correct answers are 1. - a, and 2. - e. You did get those right, didn't you??

The purpose of that quiz is to highlight and emphasise how you should approach triathlons, your training and your racing. Triathlon is one sport and your training should reflect that, between each of the three disciplines plus the complementary activities which round out your preparation and performance. Because triathlon does involve three disciplines, your whole participation is an endless compromise compared to the "luxury" of single-sport athletes. However the way you structure your training (and lifestyle) can ensure the maximum effectiveness of your development so one session complements the next, across each discipline.

In this article I hope to explain how you can fit things into a schedule and routine that is sustainable and repeatable, and result in improvements across the board. While I'll talk about each discipline individually, you can't really talk about them separately. To that end the biggest mistake you can make is to train like a swimmer AND like a cyclist AND like a runner. This is where the value of a triathlon coach comes in, who has a full oversight of each session you do and can balance things out.

It's said that the best program is one that you can do because it fits into your life, meets your goals, fulfils your desires and is sustainable. It sounds like the holy grail, but with careful planning and scheduling it is mostly possible. Let's look at swimming first.

Swimming
Swimming is a low stress, low risk training activity. Triathletes will never overtrain at swimming, and swimming won't be the thing that tips you into an overtrained state...however, your swimming will suffer if you are overtrained!! Since your very best swim training option is in a squad that will usually dictate when and where you train. To that end, it does take up time, which is the main consideration in scheduling swimming into a triathlon training program. Depending on the individual you should aim for 3 - 5 swim sessions per week.

I believe you're best to space swims at least 24 hours apart (ie, AM to AM, not PM then following AM), and don't go for any more than 2 days without a swim session (ie, Fri to Mon). Once you've slotted your swim sessions in then I don't really consider them to have much carry-over effect on other sessions unless you go straight from a swim into a bike or run. The key points here are to swim frequently and hard.

Cycling & Running
Cycling and running are the two disciplines where careful scheduling is necessary since there are carry-over effects from one session to the next, in either order. Bike training is even more time consuming than swimming, and is also weather and venue dependent. It's often the session that gets compromised so it's worth scheduling them where there's time to enact plan B, if necessary. So bike training needs to be planned to allow for consistency in being able to fit sessions in and to complete sessions.

Weekend Training
Bike (and run) training will be built around the single most important session in each discipline each week - the long ride (and run). As it implies, this also takes the most time which means a weekend is the best option. Typically I'd put this on Saturday morning if only to get it out of the way for the weekend, and also because I think you're better to do ride and run on successive days (Sat / Sun). So with a long ride on Saturday morning, potentially a swim in the afternoon, and long run on Sunday morning, that makes a good training weekend.

Brick Sessions
I'm not an advocate of doing brick sessions week-in, week-out, and in fact not running on the same day as long ride for the same reason that you tend to compromise each session by taking it too easy on ride, especially the last - and crucial - hour, and you're too fatigued to get much value from the run. You're better to rest your legs for the rest of the day (a swim is recommended) and do a run when you're going to get more value from it. I believe that "practising" the feeling of running off the bike is less valuable than being sufficiently recovered to do a good run session the next day. Besides, if you're training consistently enough then you'll experience the feeling of running with fatigued legs as a matter of routine.

To contradict all that, there is certainly a place for brick sessions in training, especially in the lead-up to key races. Just not on a routine basis.

Monday to Friday
Training during the week is usually constrained by external factors like family, work, etc, so these things need to be factored into scheduling. Some people can only train in the morning, or evening and/or maybe lunch-time. Once you factor in swim squad sessions you can then see what other times are available for riding and running, being careful how you schedule each to allow for necessary quality and recovery. The experience and ability of the athlete will determine the quantity and quality of sessions scheduled during a week.

Identify how many key (ie, hard) bike and run sessions you plan to do in a week and following these rules:

• Don't do 2 key sessions on the same day, even if they are different sports.
• Aim for about 24 hours between key sessions.
• If you're doing 2 key sessions per week, space them 2 "sleeps" apart (eg, Tue & Thur).
• If you're doing 3 key sessions per week, have at least a 2 sleep gap amongst them (eg, Mon, Tue & Thur).
• If you're doing 4 key sessions per week, do them 24 hours apart allow 2 sleeps after the fourth session (eg. Mon, Tue, Wed & Thur).
• Don't do 2 key run sessions in a row and/or have a 2 sleep gap between them.
• Other non-key sessions (apart from swimming) should be short and easy.
• Whatever you do during the week, aim for a 2 sleep gap since your previous key session before the weekend since these are the most important sessions of all.

Managing Workload
The critical thing is to consider the workload of sessions, and how that will carry over from one session to the next. Workload is mostly a subjective measure, and is basically quality x quantity. That is, a short and hard session will have a similar workload to a longer but moderate session. Don't think of sessions as one-off efforts because they actually have a cumulative effect on your fatigue levels, where fatigue (and health) are the key determinants of your consistency of being able to back up key sessions on successive days.

Triathlon training should rarely involve all-out, maximum efforts, or reps that leave you sprawling on the ground afterwards. Triathlon training is hard because of the duration and sustained effort within - and between - sessions. It's an exercise in control and consistency, and training today so you are still able to train tomorrow...even if it's just easily.

Having said all that, there will be times when you increase your training workload for a period of time, such as during training camps or similar. These can be really valuable as long as they're planned and include balance between the relative workload of each sport, and cater for individual capabilities. There's a history of athletes tipping into over training as a result of training camps, and treating them as a competition rather than a period of focused work.

Summary
The key to training like a triathlete is not just in the type of sessions you do - for many people just training consistently is more important than the details of the sessions - but how you combine and schedule sessions across the week. Consistency of training is your number one priority, and managing your training workload to achieve consistency. Just remember the 3 rules of successful athletes: 1. don't get injured, 2. don't get sick, 3, don't break rule 1 and 2.

Dear running. Welcome back!!

I think that maybe the heading for this blog update says it all. On Saturday I started running, 13 weeks after my achilles operation, 3.5 months since I last ran and a about 5.5 months since the injury flared up. Gee I've missed it, which made today soooo good!!!

It was back on last Wednesday when I visited my doctor, Karen Holzer, who was pleased with how things have been going and gave me the good news, I must say, a week or so earlier than I anticipated. As pleased as I was, I was still a little nervous and almost afraid of what might happen during those first few tentative steps. But my confidence has been steadily increasing as the function, strength and range of motion has improved week by week. So as one of favourite quotes goes, it was time to walk up the steps (ie, run) rather than just looking up the steps.

I should clarify what running actually means at the moment. Karen has put me on a strict and conservative program for the next 4 weeks, starting out in week one with 2 min walk / 30 sec run for 20 mins. So it's hardly running, but it is compared to the last 3.5 months. By week four I'll be up to 1min walk / 2min run for 30 mins...now that's getting a little more like it!!! Of course all this assumes everything goes OK...fingers crossed.

So Saturday was day 1 of the comeback. I was excited when I woke and spent time planning when I would fit in the 20 mins of walk/run that was scheduled. After all, I wanted to derive maximum satisfaction from this outing!! It turned out that the afternoon was going to fit in best, after a social outing to the Dandenongs for lunch. That trip just whetted my appetite for running, the Dandenongs being the venue for many great training runs earlier in the year.

I re-charged my Garmin watch after blowing the dust off it, selected my attire to make sure I looked like a runner again and headed for the door. The instructions were to run only on flat ground, which meant Albert Park lake was the venue of choice...even though I wouldn't even make a full lap in the allocated time. Wanting to maximise the experience I decided not to start the session until I walked down to the lake from home, about 400m. Then I would officially start the stopwatch and start....walking!!

There's nothing like baby steps of progress. Dressed in my running gear with GPS stopwatch going and I was only walking, no, power-walking. 1 minute passed by, then 1:30, then 1:50...1:55, 56, 57, 58, 59. 2:00 minutes...time to run!! Actually, it was a jog...as per instructions. Normally if anyone asks "how was your jog?" I quickly correct them to say that I'm a runner, not a jogger. However I swallowed my pride this time to be...just...a...jogger. But how good did it feel. Halleluiah!!!

The 30 seconds of jogging passed by in a flash and I was back to walking, but with still 7 more segments of jogging to go. I turn around after the fourth segment, barely a quarter of the way around the lake and made my way back. Would the return trip be faster? Should I try to make it faster? No. As I say to many people...hasten slowly.

My achilles was feeling good, really good. My calf felt weak, and my legs felt kind of wobbly - it was kind of like learning to run again. My GPS watch barely registered anything but nonetheless I'll make my first run training diary entry for a long time. 2.66km in 20mins. Snail pace.

After the run I was glowing with excitement. It had all gone well. It even inspired me to make my first ever Facebook status update, such was the significance of it. My next session is on Monday, then Wednesday then Friday. Then I move onto the next progression in the program...2 min walk, 1 min run.

A football coach was once quoted as saying "The world is slow but the Ox is patient." I don't know what he meant, but if I did I would think I've been a good Ox for a while. Either way, it's just damn good to run again.

A Pheidippides F.A.Q.

The following was published on the Runner's World web-site about the famous legendary origins of the modern-day marathon. Interesting reading...

Runner's World

Most runners know the legend of the marathon, which goes something like this: In 490 B.C.E., after the Athenian army defeated a bunch of Persian invaders at the coastal town of Marathon, a Greek messenger named Pheidippides dashed off to Athens, 25 miles away, dramatically announced his side’s victory, and collapsed and died. Athenian democracy was saved, and to commemorate Pheidippides’s run, many of us now run a race—the marathon—that’s about 25 miles long.

It’s interesting stuff, but scholars believe not much of it is true. Below, we take a closer look at what may have happened.

When Was the Battle of Marathon?

On or around August 11th, 490 B.C.E., 2,500 years ago. Experts have chosen the 11th after consulting historical lunar calendars. Fellow Greek city state Sparta would have contributed troops to the fight, but for religious reasons couldn’t march until the next full moon, which would have been several days later in mid-August. Previous estimates put the battle in early September.

Did Pheidippides Exist? Did He Run Anywhere?

Most likely yes, on both counts. Ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote the definitive account of the battle some 40 or 50 years after it took place, says that a messenger named Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta, asked for help, then ran back with the bad news. That’s a round trip of close to 280 miles over mountainous terrain, and it took him four or five days. Greek messengers routinely ran similar distances for similar reasons. That’s how information generally traveled among Greek city states, says Richard Billows, a professor of Greek and Roman history at Columbia University in New York and author of Marathon: The Battle That Changed Western Civilization.

Did Pheidippides Die?

Well, sure—all of us do eventually—but there’s nothing in the historical record to suggest that Pheidippides died upon completing his Athens/Sparta run, or any other run.

Did Anybody Run from Marathon to Athens?

Yes, but a messenger would have taken a horse. The road between the cities was smooth, and a horse would have been faster and more efficient. The trip from Athens to Sparta, by contrast, was too treacherous for horses, which is why Pheidippides most likely went by foot. That means that the famous scene, whereby a messenger announces victory and collapses, is almost certainly fictional.

Billows, however, believes that thousands of Athenian soldiers were forced to march double time to Athens from Marathon after vanquishing the Persian invaders. During the battle, Athens was left largely undefended, and Billows suspects that Persian war ships were en route to the city and looking for trouble. If true, that means that the first marathon—thousands of people hustling for 25 miles—may have taken place following the Battle of Marathon after all. Just not the way we imagined it.

Powderfinger concert

Powderfinger are touring Australia on their "Sunset" tour, they're last before they hang up their hats as a collective band after 20 years or so. I've enjoyed their music for years, can't exactly say why, but that doesn't matter. Now it's sad there'll be no more new songs from them, which makes this tour all the more special.

Although tickets went on sale for this concert months ago, it was only on Thursday that good fortune shone on me via Andrea, whose friends Lawrence and Gill had 2 extra tickets to Friday's concert. It seemed too good to be true, since Friday was also my birthday and this would be fantastic way to celebrate it. So as quickly as Andrea asked if I'd like to go I said yes, and we changed our plans to attend Rod Laver Arena for a live concert...my first one in many years.

On Friday we met at Southbank for a nice dinner then headed along the Yarra river, over the Swan St bridge alongside lots of people heading either to the concert or the AFL finals match being played at the MCG, only a few hundres metres away. We met Lawrence and Gill outside, got our tickets and headed in.

I'm more used to going to the tennis centre for it's primary purpose, tennis, so this was unusual in not having to keep quiet, wait for a break in play to move around, and seeing part of the court covered in stage and about 25% of seats being blocked out (behind the stage). There was also a haze of "smoke" in the air, or whatever it is they pump out to create that atmosphere.

Finding our seats took us up and up, to the second to row - nosebleed seats - directly behind where the umpire would usually sit. It was a bummer to be so far from the stage, however my fears about whether the sound would travel to us were well and truly put to rest by the support act, "Jet", who are very loud!!!

So after the preamble of "Jet" finished, it was time for main act to come out. They were fantastic!! The impact of the live peformance was amazing, the liberty of the band to extend songs beyond their usual studio length, and the dynamic range of the songs was amazing. To hear favourite songs performed live was a treat - I knew all but one song, and they've been playing through my head ever since.

It was a great part of my birthday, the best one I've had in years with two cakes and some lovely birthday wishes...not the least of which was from Andrea.  :-)

Here's some photos and video snippets from the concert.

Why HR-based training is out-of-date

"My heart is a muscle and it pumps blood
Like a big old black steam train
My veins are the tracks
And the city is my brain"
Cruel Sea - "Black Stick"

It's obvious to say that your heart is an important organ. Like the song goes...at a basic level, it's simply a muscle that pumps blood by contracting and relaxing non-stop, speeding up and slowing down in response to your body's demands for energy (and oxygen). When you consider that, unlike skeletal muscle, your heart doesn't get any rest period it's an amazing little machine that no engineering can yet replicate.

Of course, as an athlete the role of your heart is crucial to your performance. The more blood your heart can pump the greater the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and the greater your capability. Research has shown a link between the level of effort and HR, with HR ranges equating to different training zones that bring about a training response. To that end, HR monitors (HRMs) have become prevalent amongst athletes wishing to optimise their training and improve their performance. I know because I've worn an HR strap around my chest for more hours than I can count, and established and understood training zones to improve my own performance.

But now I believe that HR-based training is out-of-date. That is, adjusting your work effort in response to what your HR is in order to achieve a training (or racing) outcome is out-of-date. It seems blasphemous to say that, but I'll stand behind that statement and explain why, and what is a better way.

In what might seem like a contradiction, however, using an HRM is still a valuable tool in endurance sports. The key is how you use the tool over time.

Remember that your heart beats in order to meet the demands you place on your body. It's reactive. The things your brain gets your body to do - consciously or subconsciously - is the stimulus. Your HR lags behind the stimulus, and is effected by numerous other things...like temperature, arousal, fatigue, hydration, and so on. Lab tests are done in a controlled environment, whereas you live and exercise in the real world.

To use an analogy, think of a car with the tachometer (rev counter) being a direct measure of the stimulus you exert through the accelerator. In that case, the speedo is a response which takes into account which gear you're in, whether you're driving up or down a hill, and so on. The fuel tanks empties and the engine wears based on the work the engine is doing, not necessarily on the speed you're going at.

So applying that back to exercise and sports performance, relying on your HR to dictate your actual work rate is subject to too many flaws to be reliable. There's a joke that says "an athlete was on track for a PB until their HRM told them to slow down!!". You should be dictating your work rate via the stimulus, that is, the amount of effort you exert through your muscles. I'll explain this more in a moment.

Having said that, monitoring your HR as a measure of how your heart is responding to the circumstances does provide valuable feedback on how your body is going. The key point there is that it's feedback - information on the output of your performance. Over time, and with experience in monitoring how your body responds under various conditions, your HR is one of a number of very valuable feedback streams on how your body is responding...which in turn may influence how you dictate the input / stimulus.

So how and why do you dictate the input / stimulus? Most endurance sports are measured in a very black and white way - time, which equates to speed over the set distance. There's no results list for what your HR was. And for each person there's a direct relationship between the input work rate and the outcome performance. To an extent it's a mathematical equation. If you can maintain a defined work rate then you will achieve a particular time performance.

These days there are ways of measuring input work rate which are far more relevant, usable and helpful to achieving performance than HR ever was. Here they are:

Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE) - Although it's 100% subjective to each person, those who can master RPE in any circumstance have a built-in input gauge for dictating their input work rate. The Borg scale of Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE) is a commonly referred to scale.

Bike Power Meters - In my opinion, simply the best training (and racing) tool for bikes ever invented. Measuring work in terms of watts, there's a range of terms, measures and zones which are defined to dictate the input stimulus you apply to the pedals. There's a range of power meters available which measure bike watts.

Swimming and Running Pace - When used in flat and calm conditions, pace is directly equivalent to bike wattage. That is, the effort you use to swim or run at a particular pace relates directly to a work rate with the same measures, terms and zones as for bike wattage. GPS or footpod watches are the tools for measuring running pace, and the lap clock beside the pool is the tool for swimming.

How you use these tools and methods is the subject of many articles and books, along with defining baseline measures to give the watts and pace context. Once you are familiar with the concept of training based on managing input work rate then a new world will open up to you in terms of how you plan and - importantly - execute your training and racing. For people used to HR-based training it's a paradigm shift, but once you do you won't look back.

Achilles update - milestone approaching!!

Back when I first saw the surgeon in early June he mentioned a recovery time of 12 weeks until I'd start running (or walking / running). He said it in a kind of flippant way, and could have simply been an arbitrary number he plucked out of the air, however it was backed up with a printed timeline of what to expect during recovery from the operation. It seems that what I had done was relatively common and rather than repeat himself to everyone like me who goes under his knife, he provides a written explanation, which perhaps explains the passing way he said 12 weeks.

Well, 12 weeks comes up on Saturday - it feels like 12 months - but I won't be heading out the door for a run...or even a walk/run. Probably not for another couple of weeks.

However, far from meaning that things have taken a wrong-turn, it's just that Achilles tendons take a long time to get better, especially when it plays such a crucial role in running. It'll be ready when it's ready and not before, and in the meantime I can do more and more things that are measurable steps towards being able to run.

Since the last update I've gradually been able to do more and more on the Achilles, as it progresses in being able to handle increased loading and activity. I've been 100% CAM boot-free for about 3.5 weeks, which was a great feeling being able to consign it to the back of the cupboard and get around on my own two feet. The main on-going things I'm aware of are the stiffness in the heel / ankle (more so in the morning) and the weakness of my calf / lower leg, but both of these are improving.

So while I can't run there's a lot of things I can do, and for most people the state of my Achilles at present wouldn't appear to be all that limiting. I'm swimming with concessions being little kicking and being careful not to push-off too hard with my left foot. I'm riding my commuter bike but not standing up on the pedals...although I think that will be soon. Walking is no problems, having done some quite reasonable walks (5-6km) on recent weekends, and I'm starting to do some uphill walking reps - not long but a great progression to actual running. Gym is all OK, and now doing some heel / calf raises which this week are off a step. Very weak calves...

The 12 week milestone will come and go with little fanfare, and little significance, but nonetheless has given me a point in time to work towards. The next BIG milestone will be when I actually do go for a walk/run...and that it goes OK. I'm still thinking how to mark the occasion...

7 ways to succeed in Kona

Note - Phil from firstoffthebike.com asked me to write this article, with Kona only 5 weeks away. It will appear on that web-site soon.

Aside from winning an Olympic Gold Medal in Triathlon, winning the Hawaii Ironman triathlon is the pinnacle of our sport. Much like winning a Wimbledon title, Tour de France or the US Masters golf at Augusta, a Kona title puts you amongst the pantheon of triathletes forever, even in a sport as young as triathlon is.

The aura Kona has is not just limited to the elite professionals, since it's one of the few events - and sports - where the mere mortals (if Kona qualified Age Groupers can be called mortals!) compete on the same course at the same time. You just need to witness the drama at an IM rolldown to understand the emotional (and material) investment many people make in trying to qualify for Kona. And it's getter harder and harder to do so.

Just being at Kona during IM week, let alone competing, is an honour. It's the highest quality field in every category, and even being a spectator demands that you look fit, tanned and ripped. Pity the pasty white southern hemisphere athletes travelling there after winter...

There's so much I could write about Kona, the Big Island of Hawaii, and the Ironman event itself. But, alas, this article is focused on 7 ways to succeed at Kona. So here goes:

1. Qualify

This sounds just too obvious, but needless to say the only way you're going to succeed is by being there in the first place!! Qualifying can often be harder than the Hawaii IM event, and takes a lot of planning, preparation and execution, which is a demonstration that you've learned what it takes to train and race over an IM distance.

No one qualifies by accident, and once you're in Kona no one questions how you got there. You're all equals and members of an exclusive club worthy of respect, envy and admiration. Only a small percentage of aspirants qualify so you'd better bring your A game to your qualifying attempt, since they don't come around very often.

Training and qualifying for Kona is worthy of an article on it's own, but suffice to say that it may take a few attempts to earn one of those elusive slots to "the big dance". Once you do, however, it marks your true arrival into the world of Ironmans.

2. Set your objectives and expectations

Racing at Kona will likely be the biggest race occasion you'll ever experience, and you'll share it with 1800 or so other people in a similar situation. Of course, everyone wants to do their best, have their best race and put in their best ever performance. However Kona is unlike any other race you'll do because:

1. the conditions are so unpredictable and (likely) extreme,

2. the quality of competition is the highest you'll ever line up against.

What I mean to say is that you can never reliably predict your race time because of the ocean swells and currents, the wind on the bike and the heat on the run. Nor will you never know how good, or who to look out for from your competitors. So setting time and placing objectives can be futile and frustrating.

In this situation the old adage stands true - concentrate on the process and the outcome will look after itself. Train so you're confident in how you will execute the race, how you will respond in different circumstances, the physical state and emotions you'll encounter during the race, and more. Do this and you'll have a successful day.

But aside from the actual race itself, decide what kind of experience you want to have as part of the Ironman World Championship. It's an honour and privilege and if you treat it with respect and humility, you'll be rewarded with memories to last a lifetime.

3. Plan your preparation

Also worthy of a separate article, preparation and training for any IM needs good planning (and execution), let alone training for Kona. However, remember that Kona is just another Ironman and by just qualifying you've proved you can train well enough.

Nonetheless, everyone wants to have their best performance at Kona which means making incremental improvement over your previous races (see previous point for how you might measure that). It is good advice to align yourself with a coach who understands your goals, capabilities, the event, training opportunities / constraints, etc, to help build your plan and guide your progress.

Planning your preparation in most of Australia means training during a cold and dark winter for a hot race, with few opportunities to race beforehand, and not as many training partners. You might consider your own training camps with fellow Kona bound athletes, and building a support group around you to share the load. Acclimatisation is also important to consider, which will mostly be achieved by arriving early, however there may be ways available for creating warmer conditions.

There's a myriad of things to think about, and as an old boss of mine used to say, "Plan the work. Work the plan."

4. Plan your Kona logistics

Do you actually know where Kona is? Do you know that Alii Drive is not a little cul de sac but the main road through Kona that runs along the coast for 12km or so? Do you know there's zero public transport around town? These and lots and lots of little things can make a BIG difference to your stay, and race day.

Google maps is an invaluable resource to knowing the layout of the town and where various accommodation options are, but it doesn't tell you basic little things like where shops and supermarkets are, traffic flows, training options, good locations to stay and more. For these you need to ask around to people who've been there before and take tips from them.

Everyone drives a car in Kona...with numerous locals choosing monster cars jacked up on 6 feet high suspension!! You need to plan ahead to get around, not just in Kona but around the course and the island. This extends to meal plans and how much shopping you'll need to do, and whether they'll have your favourite breakfast cereal (probably, and many more!!).

5. Know - and respect - the course

The Hawaii Ironman is spotted with landmarks along it's course, especially for those with an eye for history. From the Kona to pier and the big fig tree alongside, the chapel on Alii Dve, Palani Rd (aka Pay 'n Save hill), Queen K Hwy, the airport, the Energy Lab, Waikoloa, Hawi turn-around and more. Of course, Alii Dve along the break wall to the finish line is akin to Wimbledon centre court...a hallowed place.

But a course is a course, of course, and any keen athlete will travel the course as part of routine due diligence before the race. Additionally, being familiar with the course under various conditions to key to success in Kona. Things like:

• spotting landmarks on shore to mark your progress to the swim turn buoy, and getting a feel for the kind of swells and currents.
• knowing the bike course route through town before you get out onto the Queen K.
• experiencing the winds on the Queen K, and understanding how they change during the day.
• riding the hill to Hawi, and down again in the winds, and long road back into town.
• knowing how hot it will be as you run out and back on Alii Dve early in the run.
• being familiar with the Queen Q out to the Energy Lab entrance (it seems to go forever). Ditto for return leg.
• knowing the route back to the finish line - it does a "dog leg" before you get onto the finish straight.

Knowing these things reduces the unknowns on race, allows you to prepare for what's ahead and to visualise how you want your race to go.

6. Don't do anything (too) different

We all know the golden rule of not changing anything before a race, and the same applies to Kona (to an extent). Throughout your planning, preparation, travels and pre-race routine, you're well advised to generally stick with what your familiar with and only use/do things you've built experience and confidence in. After all, this is just another Ironman!!

However this runs contrary to the need to change things so you don't get the same outcome, at a time when you want to lift your performance up a notch. So the practical application of this rule is to only make gradual changes to things during race lead-up, and of the things that you do change, make them based on sound reasoning and introduce them in a low risk way. I'm all for doing things differently, but in a measured way. When things are going well, be conservative.

This also applies to your race execution, which is contributes about 90% of your performance on the day. The honest reality is that you won't do anything in a race you haven't proven you can do in training - you won't have a miracle race - so use smart judgement, race your own race, be smart and race within the range of performance you honestly know you can.

7. Smile (..and the world smiles with you)

This one is simple. Americans love supporting, and you'll hear encouragement like never before during the race. They'll reward a smile and a little wave with even more hoot'n and holler'n to urge you along your way. Give out good karma to your fellow competitors. Pay it forward. Thank the volunteers. Then support and encouragement will be returned to you ten-fold!! Above all, enjoy the day.

8. Supplementary...see the island(s)

The islands of Hawaii are beautiful. Rugged, lush, spectacular, you name it, the islands will challenge your senses. The Big Island alone has something like 10 of the 13 recognised climates, from desert to rainforest and so on. It would be a shame to travel so far to Kona and not take off the blinkers even just a little bit to see your surrounds. Day trips (or part-day) are possible pre-race on the Big Island, or you might spread out a little post-race and go to another island, and not just Oahu (I'd recommend Kaua'i). If nothing else, it's reward for you and a treat for your family / partner / friends.