In March 2009, I had the good fortune to support and chaperone two Italian riders at the ABSA Cape Epic. Competing in the mixed category (male and female), they complemented each other exceptionally well and, were it not for one day of bad luck and mechanical failure, would have been in contention for a much vaunted podium placing.
But their ability and respective palmares only scratched the surface of something deeper, something intrinsic that set them apart from previous riders of similar ability that I had worked with up until that point. They were so different in many respects to most of the Anglophone riders and athletes and really had a lasting effect on my own perspective of all things athletic.
Chasing the Sun
The month of December signals the beginning of several training camps in the world of professional cycling and triathlon. Here in South Africa, many foreign athletes flock to the student towns of Stellenbosch and Potchefstroom for extended periods, honing their condition for their upcoming seasons in sunshine. Our own Team MTN-Qhubeka is currently racking up the miles on the Boland roads of the Western Cape, a start at Le Tour 2015 in mind. Darren Smith’s D-Squad, including the likes of ITU standouts Jodie Stimpson and Lisa Norden, are preparing at high altitude in the rural Kenyan town of Eldoret. Their mission: working on their running ahead of Challenge Bahrain and the 2015 ITU World Series. Just two examples of European-based teams and athletes using the sunny Southern Hemisphere to escape the cold of the north.
Reasoned Seasons
What many of us don’t see or realize though is that, whilst these training camps are intended to build a foundation for the upcoming professional sporting season(s), many of these athletes return home to their colder climes for an extended period upon completion of this “fun in the sun.” Udo Boelts once said that his form came around to quickly if he extended his stays in Lanzarote or South Africa. In short, these visitors recover fully from their Southern Hemisphere sojourns whilst back in the elements of a European winter.
The human body’s circadian rhythm is perhaps one of the most under-appreciated and under-utilized aspects of any athlete’s arsenal. Chasing the “Endless Summer” sounds romantic and may make for great movie titles but the reality is that seasons are there for a reason.
My Italian friends certainly epitomized this notion when I went to meet them at their guest house in Cape Town’s City Bowl precinct just after their arrival. Having got to know Claudio at the previous year’s Epic, I was already familiar with the delightfully laid-back Italian demeanour, where words like “tranquilo” and “siesta” are more often than not applied to daily life than actually spoken. Both resident in Northern Italy, Claudio and Lorenza Menapace had spent the previous months cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, with only small doses of actual cycling punctuating their Epic preparation. They reasoned that trying to force extended cycling sessions in the dark and cold of their winter would be dangerous and actually counterproductive, swearing off (literally) any suggestion of spending hours riding a stationary indoor trainer to compensate (“Mai, Jason!”). That they arrived in South Africa slightly underdone was irrelevant and actually in their favour. As the eight-day trek progressed, they actually got stronger, lending credence to the almost clichéd “riding into form.”
Resting from Stress
Listening to their bodies and truly embracing recovery was another key factor in their approach not only to the event, but to their lifestyle in general. Bearing in mind that compression garments were just entering the South African market at that stage, the notion of “recovery” was almost a misnomer among the masses. The sight of riders walking around the race village in long white socks amid the searing afternoon temperatures appeared to be in direct conflict to the true function and intention of such a garment.
In contrast, Claudio and Lorenza spent the majority of the time post-stage dozing, chatting and just being lazy. In keeping with their eschewing of high-tech equipment - Claudio rode a fully-rigid Niner - they donned their own budget compression gear in the form of under-sized pantyhose. Spending each afternoon off their feet, they also observed a mini-fasting routine from the end of stage until dinner time. The reason: to let the body detoxify after an extended period of exertion and the corresponding intake of refined sugar drinks.
It never ceases to amaze me how many athletes, no matter the ability, invest in supplementation and recovery products, yet neglect the actual activity of recovery itself. While amateur athletes who lead busy lives cannot reasonably be expected to spend all day in bed, maximizing quality of nighttime sleep, avoiding excessive intake of artificial sports nutrition and exercising restraint in volume and intensity are but a few basic factor that, if embraced correctly, can lead to leaps in personal performance for key sporting goals.
Timely Reminders
I’m reminded of this notion whenever I work or come into contact with visiting European athletes. In fact, I would go as far to say that I learn something new from these guys and girls every single time I have the privilege of their company. Sometimes it is more a case of being reminded of things forgotten, but the lessons are enduring. Perhaps it is just part of their culture that is often at odds with the Type-A mindset so prevalent in endurance sports. Perhaps I’m generalizing but one thing I've common theme I've noticed is that the European’s sporting conquests seem to be part of their lifestyle and not a separate entity.
My recent telephonic interview with triathlete Richard Murray for an extended piece was my latest reminder. Wise beyond his years, Murray related how he had just returned from his only session for the day: 3000m of swimming focusing heavily on technique. Instead of repeating his “more is better” approach pre-2014 season, he explained that his primary focus now is to hold himself back in order to achieve season-long consistency. His observing of his European counterparts initiated this attitude adjustment, the lessons of which he is now implementing to his own unique approach.
