Triathlon season 2011/2012 underway

It's good to start the season off with a long course race and the Forster Ultimate triathlon on October 15th was an excellent event. A 2km swim, 120km bike and 20km run was a really good hit out. The 45kph headwind on the bike made for a good workout and the hot conditions made it tough going for many on the run. The annual Nepean triathlon in November is an iconic event and one of my favourites.

Last weekend I raced in the Asia-Pacific 70.3 Ironman triathlon in Canberra, the debut of a fabulous event in a top location. Weather-wise we had everything from sun to rain, clear skies to thunderstorms. I was very happy with 4th place in my age group.

My next major event is the inaugural Ironman Asia-Pacific triathlon to be held in Melbourne in March. I'm really looking forward to racing on this new course which starts in Frankston and finishes in St Kilda.

Preparing for Sydney Marathon

Looking forward to the Sydney Marathon next Sunday. The 42.2km run is the final leg of an Ironman triathlon and I've done a few of these. So much of running a marathon is in the nutrition as you need to take in fuel during the race in order to finish in good shape. Your pre-race nutrition is very important too and in the week leading up to the race I make sure I eat plenty of good food and take some magnesium supplements. Magnesium loading ensures your muscles won't cramp during the race. The majority of my race nutrition will come from the aid stations which are usually well stocked. I will carry some gels in my race belt for extra nutrition. I use Hammer gels which fulfil my gluten-free requirements and this time I will use the Tropical flavour with caffeine. It's been proven that caffeine in measured doses is highly beneficial when used in endurance events.

I am approaching this race as a preparation for the upcoming triathlon season during which I will be racing in a variety of events with the focus being on long-course racing culminating with the new event in Melbourne, the Asia-Pacific Ironman Triathlon on March 25th 2012.

New season of triathlon

We are kicking off the new triathlon season with a series of duathlons. I have been racing in the Sydney series at Parramatta over the last couple of months so I am going along nicely. We had the first of our Warringah club duathlons for 2011 this morning at North Head. The rain held off but the north-easterly wind was blustery and impacted on the bike leg. I finished in around 1h 21m which is around 3 minutes slower than my best time but everybody's times were slower this morning due to the conditions.

We were greeted with a beautiful rainbow after the race that arched across the harbour in vivid clarity. I had planned to run 20km this afternoon in preparation for the upcoming Sydney Marathon on September 18 but I have decided to run 30km on Tuesday instead.

The next stage

Most people who play an instrument will reach a point where they feel their playing has plateaued and they wish to progress to a new level. This is very true with the guitar which is a relatively easy instrument to play in a simple fashion but one of the hardest to play at a virtuoso level. The guitar is an extremely versatile instrument and perhaps this is what makes it so popular. There are many categories and styles of guitar including classical, flamenco, folk, finger-picking, pick or plectrum method, acoustic, electric, jazz, rock, latin and others and there are also many levels of acceptable proficiency on the guitar. For example, singers who accompany themselves on guitar may only know a handful of chords but this in no way hinders their ability to make pleasing music on a particular level. The main point is that some guitarists may be perfectly happy to stick with one style and one level of proficiency if this is what gives them their greatest musical enjoyment. Again, the guitar is an instrument of many levels. It is a true folk instrument.

The guitar has been the main instrument in the rock genre for over 60 years and shows no sign of losing its popularity. The essence of rock music is its simplicity and raw energy, its rough and rebellious nature. It is rhythmically exciting and can embrace high-energy tempos to down and dirty blues-style feels. Harmonically the basis of rock music is a fairly narrow platform, drawn in essence from the simple major, minor and dominant-seventh chords of the blues. Indeed the blues chord progressions together with the blues and pentatonic scales are the most defining sounds of rock music and are the standard weaponry of most reasonably proficient rock or pop guitarists.

Some guitar players become bored with the same old chord progressions and the same pentatonic-based scale sounds and look to broaden their horizons. Taking the next step involves an increase in musical awareness, an improved knowledge of harmony which includes new chord formations, a different approach to melodic line playing which usually involves learning and understanding new chord scales and arpeggios and a general increase in knowledge of the theoretical side of music. A long and exciting journey awaits.

Winter bike training

During winter I do a lot of bike sessions indoors on my Cateye CS1000 Cyclosimulator, a magnet/fan resistance turbo trainer. The Cateye has been around for a while and is popular with professional track cyclists. It has a very realistic, road-type feel and has excellent stability due to the front forks on the trainer that you lock onto.

On a turbo trainer you can simulate pretty much all the conditions that you encounter in a race or on a training ride. The added benefit is that you can target specific conditions and prioritise them. Set it up with a high resistance to simulate strong headwinds and work at this level for as long as you like to build power. Increase the resistance and do long "hill climb" sessions out of the saddle. These work particularly well on the Cateye due to the overall stability of the unit.

The Cateye is a major component in my bike training all year round. The simple fact that you can target specific conditions and hold them for as long you want makes for excellent training and there is also the added bonus of not having to worry about traffic or weather conditions. In the lead up to an Ironman event I will do 4 hour sessions made up up of two 2 hour sessions with a small break in between to trot around, stretch, refill bidons and perhaps change clothing.

I can highly recommend the Cateye CS1000. They don't make them any more but you can pick them up second-hand.

Improvisation

I love improvising. I was drawn to jazz and latin music when I first picked up a guitar and it was the improvisational element that really resonated with me. The wonderful songs and melodies of the time were the foundations and I would always find myself singing alternate melody lines and "impro" phrases and seeing how far I could take it. The world of improvisation is a fascinating world indeed. In essence you need to be a composer. You need to understand harmony, rhythm, chord sequences, phrasing and the like. The more knowledge you have of these essential elements of music the better you will be at making music through improvisation.

As an improviser you are in fact a composer who delivers an idea there and then, in the moment. To do this successfully you need to be very familiar with your instrument. Good improvisation is singing your ideas through your instrument and so the heart, mind, hands, instrument connection needs to be established through lots of practice.

Winter training

When the temperature drops and the chilly winds start blowing, long training runs can be challenging. Wind chill in particular can get into your bones on a long session so you need to cover up. Your hands will really feel the cold so gloves are a great idea. Long tights are also advisable and there are plenty of good products available. I like the Skins compression tights. They feel great on a cold day and work really well over long distances. I also use a compression top for the close fit and warmth. I wear this underneath a long sleeved cotton top which I can take off and wrap around my waist if I get too warm. A cap and sunglasses, good socks and Gel Kayanos complete the picture.

If you have the clothing sorted out then you should be set for a comfortable long run session. One good thing about running on a cold windy day is that the air is usually very clean and fresh, invigorating and energising.