Training camps, hotels and penalties for no fruit
Having had the opportunity to work with the British team during the Cape Town stopover of the tour, it was indeed a privilege and a fascinating experience to witness the racing up close as well as gaining a unique insight into life behind the scenes. With observation being a natural personality trait of mine, I couldn't help but observe and absorb the various intricacies and conversations of my experience of ITU racing and the athletes, some of which I will try to relate in the following paragraphs.
With the increasing specialization of triathlon these days, the athletes within the ITU system are lean. Lean in body type that is. With my own sporting background being in the old days triathlon, the change in the athlete's physiques is perhaps one of the most telling differences between then and now. Many of the top exponents "back in the day" were close to 80kg in race weight - that is most certainly not the case in 2014.
Built slightly larger than long distance runners, the ITU athletes are impressive in their sheer versatility across the three disciplines. Take Johnny Brownlee for instance. With an impressive background in track and cross-country running, Johnny was one of the first swimmers to emerge from the icy Atlantic Ocean only to spend most of the bike ride dictating affairs at the head of a star-studded paceline. The bike ride, whilst draft-legal, is certainly no cake-walk.
A breakthrough performance came in the form of fellow British athlete, Aaron Harris, with an impressive 30:18 10km running split resulting in a fine seventh place overall. Chatting to Aaron the evening before, he commented that how the pressure was now on the male component of Team GB given Jodie Stimpson and Helen Jenkins take the first two spots on the ladies podium. I could sense a level of nervousness amongst the guys assembled in the hotel lobby on that Saturday evening just prior to their leaving for a pre-dinner jog in downtown Cape Town. The pressure on these athletes is great, where good results are critical for series points and Olympic qualification, the accumulation of both determining whether an athlete can retain support from their respective federations and thus actually gain a start in the ITUWS.
While excessive Kenyan-like track running sessions are often associated with the athletes of the ITU, it is perhaps interesting that Helen eschews any running on the cinder or tartan ovals, preferring a specific loop in a local industrial park for her speedwork sessions. Conversely, Johnny and Aaron follow consistent track programs, with winter cross-country and road races forming the bulk of their off-season preparation. Even the legendary Greg Bennett - under the tutelage of Brett Sutton - once commented that his sessions of 50x200m were performed on a straight dirt road, where his effort remained aerobic throughout.
Head coach Ben Bright and assistant Glenn Cook run a tight and well-organised ship, where the athletes come first. Together with their travelling physiotherapist Dan and strength coach Ian, the quartet ensure that the athletes have everything they need, within reason though. There is no pampering; each athlete is treated equally, results and notoriety regardless.
As mentioned in a previous post, national coaches manage their athletes, many of whom employ their own private coaches, some of whom tend to their athletes in a closed training camp type of environment. Winner of the Cape Town ITUWS, Jodie Stimpson, trains under the tutelage of well known coach Darren Smith, who oversees a squad of around a dozen triathletes who hail from various different countries. Similarly, South Africa’s own Richard Murray and Spaniard Mario Mola form part of Joel Filliol’s squad, training in a group environment at various locations internationally.
Two of the earliest practitioners of the squad phenomenon are the Australians Brett Sutton and Col Stewart, both of whom are still in the business today. Both of these fellows initiated their respective squads from the ground up, including extended forays to Europe and North America in the late eighties and early nineties, where their programs existed on a shoestring budget. Working independently from national programs, these training squads are often shrouded in mystique, where tall tales of hellacious training sessions emanate through the rumour mill. In reality, these coaches often see one of their primary functions in actually holding an athletic back from doing too much, too soon and/or too often. While the average fan is often seduced by tales of all-day bike rides and the like, some of the more interesting and telling tales are those involving maintaining the athlete’s wellness.
- Col Stewart's athletes are required to bring fruit to swimming training for consumption upon completion of their sessions in the pool. No fruit means thirty push ups.
- Brett Sutton likens triathlon to boxing and teaches his athletes defence. Defence? Learning how to walk fast and keeping track sessions within the athletes aerobic intensity prepares them for the realities of competition.
- Joel Filliol's Canadian-based athletes, when preparing for the Beijing Olympics, would make regular trips to a Vancouver beach. The reason? Standing in cold water enhances recovery and soothes the niggles.
- Darren Smith's program is a tight ship, where he prioritises what the athletes need and duly provides those essentials. With part-time nutritionists, psychologists and bike mechanics working with his athletes on an ad-hoc basis, Darren invests in a full-time physiotherapist, who travels with the squad year-round.
The above examples gives one a glimpse of the true function and value of the individuals behind the athletes. Performing at a world-class level entails so much more than simply training and racing. The logistics involved with international travel, extended use of foreign training facilities and the availability of optimal cuisine and accommodation are critical to performance, but can be the limiting factor in rising to the next level.
Both Ben and Glenn succeeded against such odds, forging their own paths often against insurmountable odds. Yet their collective years of living by the seat of their pants has cultivated a certain sangfroid; in short they are dependable and street smart, essential attributes in ensuring that the athletes of British Triathlon can sleep well at night.
And perform to their true potential.
