IMPORTANT NOTES

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Alberto Puccini📷

The Presidential Platform

Hey team!

Happy New Year! We certainly had a magnificent 2019 and are in no doubt that 2020 will be full of exciting challenges and new PBs.

Thank you to all who came to the Christmas Party, we had a great time despite it being a bit cooler than expected. Hope you all had a nice break, got to enjoy quality time with your loved ones and recharged enough energy to fully go back to training on Monday! Swimming, running, cycling... everything is back! Please ensure you are registered to swimming before Monday.

One of the benefits of being a club member is that we get to enrol to UWA's gym at a fantastic price. Memberships are due for renewal so please let us know if you would like to continue/sign up for one. Memberships are likely to be ~$150 for a year... such a great deal! So please be quick and let us know if you are keen since we only have 20 spots.

We are still inviting expressions of interest to fill the student rep position, feel free to message the committee or have a chat with any of us before 15th January if you are interested in joining us.

I'm sure this year is going to be another good one, I'm looking forward to sharing the track, lane, road and many more coffees with all of you.

I'll see you out there!

Gaby Villa
President UWA Triathlon Club

What does the science say?

Why almost everything you knew about running is wrong?

Running is one of the most basic and natural forms of human movement but while almost all of us can run, not everyone is doing it well. Read the full story

If you have any recent discoveries you would like to share with the club just send them through!

All about... Lottie Thompson!

1. Tell us about yourself?
   I’m a Year 11 student at St Hilda’s girls school in Mosman Park. When I’m not training I spend my time sleeping, drawing, watching TV and eating (especially eating weetbix they’re my favourite). I’ve pretty much been a swimmer all my life competing in a few triathlons when I was younger 6-8 years old when I lived in Hong Kong, mainly because dad was into triathlons. I’m also quite short which a lot of people don’t realise (160 cm or 5’2).
   
   2. Why did you start triathlon and when did you join the club?
   Before 2016 I was set on achieving my goal of competing in Nationals for swimming and really didn’t consider the possibility of changing sports after I’d been invested in swimming for so long. Nick made the School Sport national team and competed in Sydney in April of 2016 and me and my parents went over to watch. I was so inspired by not only my brother but also the girls who could do this incredibly hard sport and were fast at that! From then on I wanted to do triathlon and started “training” as soon as I got home (only managed 12 minutes on my first wind trainer session). I joined the club soon after and began Wednesday running and the bike session.
3. What do you enjoy most about the sport?
   Growing up as a swimmer I found doing one sport every day sometimes twice a day got very tedious and boring. So part of the appeal of triathlon was that there are three sports which offered variation in training day to day. I also enjoy the people I train with as I have become good friends with a lot of people at the UWA tri club and wider triathlon community. It’s given me a place to interact with new people outside the school environment.
4. Favourite leg and why?
   I usually don’t like things I’m not the best at so naturally running is my weakest leg and hence not my favourite. I love swimming and cycling but cycling usually tends to come out on top as I’ve become a strong cyclist and never get sick of it!
5. Best triathlon tip?
   Find a style of training which works for you. I get really unmotivated and tired so sometimes go through patches of less training but some tips what helps me get out of a rut is training with others. I find it a lot easier to be motivated and push myself during training with my friends especially during sessions by myself that aren’t structured by Grant I find it much easier to get going if I’m meeting a friend. Also finding a coach that understands you is really important. I find Grant such a great coach for me because he understands the demands from my school and other aspects of life and doesn’t push me too hard when I’m really not up to it so much that I dread coming to training.

6. What's your next challenge?
Building up to and maintaining my on season training schedule as well as a race in Canberra in mid January as part of the Australian Junior Triathlon Series.

Upcoming races and events

• 7 February 2020 - North Coast Aquathlon
• 16 February 2020 - Bunbury Classic - Olympic Distance
• 21 February 2020 - O-Day
• 14 March 2020 - Karri Valley Triathlon
• 20 - 22 March 2020 - Club Camp
• 2 May 2020 - 70.3 Busselton Festival of Triathlon
   

Latest race reports

Great Southern Ultra Challenge – it’s a challenge, not a race…. Tony Smith

I signed up of the GSUC in August after humming and ahhhing for a couple of months during the teasers coming out from the organiser @Ultracyclinglife.

I’d completed the Mt Magnet 1400 last year and a new 1600 km event was appealing, but a little daunting at the same time.

I went through the mandatory expression of interest malarkey, bio (left) and had already fulfilled qualification with the MM1400.

I had a new bike, more consistent cycling throughout the year (although not as many kms) and a bit of a desire to improve on the things that led to a 4th place in 2018.

In the lead up I had the busiest 3 months of work that I have had since moving to Perth. This seriously curtailed my ability to do as many long rides as I would have liked, and I couldn’t string back to back long rides together as I had hoped. I decided to work on quality more than volume, so set about improving power as much as I could in the time crunched period from September through to the start on November 23.

At the start I had cranked up about 7,500 km for the year and power sitting at functional threshold power (FTP) of about 285 watts or 3.95 w/kg for the power nerds. Would’ve been nice to get a little higher, but had to work with what I had.

Two weeks before the start had a work trip to Darwin and picked up a bug which cost me a week on the bike and about 4 days off work. Not ideal, but was fresh by the time the start arrived.

Ride stats appear above. This looks a little more consistent than what it felt like. If you looked on Strava I logged rides of:

1st day – 362km, 2nd day – 266 km, 3rd day – 406 km, 4th day – 266, 5th day – 328 km.

Up days were long and followed by down days, reflecting fatigue and muscle soreness. Decision making on the down days was a bit cloudy.

The Thursday before the Grand Depart most riders convened at the Reveley at Elizabeth Quay to meet, talk shite and have a few bevvies. There were 31 confirmed starters with a couple of internationals, several from over east and the rest more or less locals. This is essentially 3 times the number of starters from the Mt Magnet 1400.

Day 1 – Greeted at Elizabeth Quay for Sarah, Adrian, Phil and Vincent for my departure. I was there pretty late as I had a fiar bit of trouble getting out of the house and saying goodbye to the kids. They’re understandably clingy when I go away for a few days.

8 am arrived and I was literally DFL leaving the Quay. I worked my way through the pack slowly as we left the city and got into the hills towards Mundaring. Eventually working through to about 5th in the field coming out of Northam.

It was hot and by Northam quite a few had already been experiencing cramps and no desire to get solid food in their mouths. I had a load of liquid calories on board and kept topping up so the main issue was keeping cool.

I tried to keep a consistent pace and not push too hard or cook myself. Lots of stops for icecreams, Zooperdoopers and cool drinks.

Dinner at Merredin – about 290 km in, couldn’t poke down hot chips with a stick and got most calories again in liquid form.

Cycled through the Narembeen and stopped at about 1:30am for a sleep on a picnic table next to the travellers stop in.

Day 2 – departed at about 4:30am from Narembeen, caught up with another rider about a half hour in and rode with him for a while until my speed exceeded his. The early morning was pleasant, cool and relatively still. As the sun got higher the wind got stonger. Breakfast resupply at Kulin and then made headway for Lake Grace – Nat Fyfe’s old stomping ground.

The wind was in my face almost the whole way there and the temperature was getting up there again. The turn east from Lake Grace toward Newdegate I thought might bring a cross tailwind, alas, just a nagging cross wind that was of no assistance.

Got hot on the way to Newdegate and knew there would be nothing open there to help cool down. The public toilet was open and there were showers in there. I had a cold shower and felt way better.

Five minutes out of Newdegate something was not right. I got shooting pain in and around and behind my kneecap. I slowed and spun smaller gears over the never ending rollers towards Lake King. The pain was worse when on the aero bars, so sat up on the hoods and on the drops downhill for the rest of the arvo to Lake King – arriving there around 7pm.

Night 2 – I had planned to stay at Lake King but was in a bad way hobbling off my bike. Another Rider Wayne was also struggling with knee pain and stopping here for the night.

The fatigue got me a bit and I was thinking that I couldn’t go on. I didn’t plug in my batteries or lights or phone because I was conceding that the adventure was at a close.

After a good feed I was conked out at 8pm.

Day 3 – I awoke at about 5 and was still uncertain about my knee. I stretched and worked out that my bike front end was too low, particularly the aero bars, it was overworking my glute, making my ITB tight, and pulling hard on my knee.

I ibuprofened then realised my battery predicament. I plugged everything in, thinking if I could just get to Ravensthorpe, then reassess, I might be able to continue on the ride.

So, my departure was delayed by charging batteries, but to keep going was probably going to be better than a DNF.

Eventually go tout the door around 7am. By this time about 15 riders were in front of me. I made it to Ravensthorpe at about 10:30 without too much of an issue, so decided to make for Albany.

I pushed granny gears up all the bigger hills and rested on downhills, saving my legs for the flatter parts of the road.

Long story short, saw no riders all day and kept riding, right through Albany and back towards the Sterling Ranges up Chester Pass Road. Had a quick powernap at 10:30 pm and then kept going until about 4:30 am, before bivvying in the bush beside the road.

Day 4 – Was hard to move but got up and going by 7am. Not much sleep.

I was getting closer and closer to the Sterling Range – but it was like a mirage that would appear to be close but I never seemed to get there. I was stopping too much and taking too many pics and video is probably the real story. I was uncomfortable on the bike, sore sitbones, tired legs.

Finally got to the range and grannied up to Bluff Knoll café. Ate as much as I could in a quick sitting and got 3 packs of Stroop Waffle for later.

Out of there and on to the interminable rollers to Ongerup and Pingrup. Was hot again and was so uncomfortable, but stopped in at the Malleefowl conservatory thingy for another feed and cool drinks.

Pushed through to Katanning after dark. Paused at one point, almost completely bonked, had to force feed myself some melted, reformed, melted, reformed, melted reformed Turkish delights.

Katanning motel at about 11pm. Cooked.

Fatigue clouded me the whole day again. Didn’t have any ibuprofen or paracetamol for the whole day, which certainly would have made things way more comfortable.

Day 5 – Got up and messed about for ages before finally getting going around 6:45 am. Was heaps fresher and with towns every 50km or less, there was always a welcoming icecream or cool drink just over the horizon.

I remembered to medicate every 3-4 hours so was able to manage the sitbones and leg pain all day. Had a powernap in the grassy park at Narrogin and got to Brookton around 5pm. Just the Brookton highway and the flats to go and as soon as I started ascending the hills I felt about the best I had since day 1. A howling tailwind pushed me back to Perth at a reasonable clip and the ride from Armadale to the city was swift.

Adrian met me at Mt Henry bridge and we cruised back in to Elizabeth Quay to the finish, about 30 seconds to midnight on Wednesday night. Sweet Spanda Sculpture. Brendo there to welcome us in along with my family and the famed ‘Cashie’.

Thanks to UWA triclub for all the messages, well wishes, support, training rides and dotwatching. It is the sort of event where you learn a lot about yourself and others, putting yourself under duress and trying to cope with it all.

It’s also an extremely anxious time for family, waiting for you to call, or message to let them know that you’re ok, or not ok, or that you have a problem, that they cannot physically help you with, but just provide moral and emotional support. Thanks Ange, Archie and Xan.

New Gaby Villa - 70.3 Los Cabos Alison Smith - ITU Lausanne 2019 Older Justin Ghosh - 70.3 Philippines ahul Jegatheva - Aquathlon Nationals Sarah Meyer - IMNZ Lottie Thompson - National Youth Champs Alberto Puccini - Bunbury OD Phil Madden - Busselton Jetty Swim Rahul Jegatheva - Metasprint Aquathlon Alexandra Meek - IMWA Alex Williams - IMWA Nathaniel Wells - IMWA

📷Tony Smith

Have your own race report to share? See the website for some instructions on how to send it through.

Anti-doping is your responsibility

Have a look at this flyer from ASADA with further information on their phone app as well as information on the Anti-Doping Courses.

Training payment details

Running/cycling: Visit the UWATC website to get all the info and sign up.

Swimming: Visit UWA Uniswim for more information and register/sign up here.

To discuss personal programs, speak to Charles Biddle or Grant Landers.

HELPFUL PLACES TO FIND INFORMATION

** See official UWATC Facebook page for most up to date information

** See swimming Facebook page for swimming specific info

** See the UWATC website for training and payment information and season calendar

** See Facegroup group 'Who wants to go (for a swim/ride/run)' for uncoached/informal group sessions

** See UWATC Strava group to check what training everyone is up to

** Any queries/feedback, message via the official Facebook page or email committee@uwatriathlonclub.com.au