Describe Triathlon in one sentence?
Triathlon to me is the balancing of the swim,bike, run disciplines that all compensate each other to allow my body to feel the best when I swim, and when I bike and when I run.
What makes you tick during a race?
Every swim stroke, every pedal push & pull, and every running step brings me closer to the red carpet, that’s what keeps me ticking.
What was the most difficult part off preparing for the IM?
Balancing my time between work, family and training created stress at times.
4. What is your occupation?
MD of a Remade Recycling which is a waste and recycling business.
5. When do train best mornings or afternoons?
Mornings
6. What is your favourite leg of the three, and why?
Running - I developed a love of running way back when I was at school competing at cross country, after school I completed numerous marathons plus a couple of Comrades so running and I have come a long way… running makes me tick and keeps me focused.
7. What is your best motivational quote?
Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm…. Sir Winston Churchill
What type do you use:

- Bike : Argon E117
- Wheels : Vision 35mm
- Helmet : Scott
- Cycling shoes : Aero
- Running shoes : Asics Fortitude
- Wetsuit : Blue Seventy
- Nutrition of choice : PVM
- Power meter or watch : Garmin 920XT
- Race morning breakfast. : Boiled egg bacon and either PVM Fusion or PVM Porridge with nut butter.

How would you describe Trivium Triathlon in one sentence?
Trivium Triathlon is the passion and drive that every member embraces to achieve a Strong Head, Big Heart and Light Feet because we all crazy and love to TRI….athlon

Support Bryce on his campaign to race for Cansa. Follow the link:
​https://www.givengain.com/ap/bryce--blum--raising-funds-for-cansa/

1. Describe Triathlon in one sentence?
Always keep moving forward.

2. What makes you tick during a race? 
(1) the reminder that it is a blessing from God to take part in such an event and
(2) the fact that I am very competitive and I owe it to myself to not leave anything on the field.

3. What was the most difficult part of preparing for the IM? 
Long hours and early mornings. 

4. What is your occupation? 
Quantity Surveyor

5. When do train best mornings or afternoons? 
I love sleeping in, but I’d say mornings

6. What is your favourite leg of the three, and why?
The run definitely. It is the toughest leg as it is last, but everything depends on that last effort to get yourself on that red carpet.

7. What is your best motivational quote? 
It is easy to overcomplicate things
 
What type do you use:
- Bike                                       : Argon18 E-117
- Wheels                                  : Mavic Cosmics
- Helmet                                  : Rudy Project Wing57
- Cycling shoes Maurice      :Louis Garneau
- Running shoes                    : Asics Gel Nimbus 20
- Wetsuit                                 : Xterra Vector Pro X3
- Nutrition of choice?           :Biogen Carbogen and Farbar’s (and Steri Stumpie of course J)
- Power meter or watch?     :Garmin Fenix 3HR
- Race morning breakfast?  : Oats with honey and butter and coffee
 
How would you describe Trivium Triathlon in one sentence?
More than just a club - its family

​1. Describe Triathlon in one sentence? 
Triathlon is the crazy sport you don’t play but do, the ultimate test for a complete athlete because one sport isn't enough.

2. What makes you tick during a race? (What gives you that extra oemf)
Three things come to mind:
1. Those moments when all the training come together and you find a rhythm. You feel so strong and you almost have to hold back as you just want to run faster. 
2. The satisfaction and feeling of accomplishment when i get to the end of each disciplines of a race. 
3. The crowd cheering you on gives you energy you didnt know you have. Its a great feeling. 

3. What was the most difficult part off preparing for the IM? 
Staying awke at work and keeping breakfast down at SSL sessions. But on a serious note just managing to still get the sessions done when work gets hectic. Late nights at the office and early morning training sessions isn’t  easy. 

4. What is your occupation?
I am n Financial Controller at Atterbury Property
5. When do train best mornings or afternoons
i enjoy training in the mornings. It is cooler, I feel fresh and energised for the day and work or other responsibilities can’t get in the way then later on in the day. 

6. What is your favorite leg of the three, and why? 
At this stage the bike leg is my favorite because i think its my strongest leg. Since i have started triathlon i think my bike has improved alot. 

7. What is your best motivational quote?
The only easy day was yesterday - US Navy Seals
Meaning: Every day you will need to work harder than the last. But when you work hard every day and see what you’re now capable of - yesterday seems easy. 

Equipment questions:
What type do you use:
- Bike                         : Look (Aero 576)
- Wheels                    : Vision trimax 45
- Helmet                    : Casco
- Cycling shoes        : Lake tx322
- Running shoes      : Brooks adrenaline gts18
- Wetsuit                   : Xterra
- Nutrition of choice: PVM octane and gels. Also droewors and nuts on longer rides
- Power meter or watch: Garmin Forerunner 935
- Race morning breakfast? : PVM pap, coffee and some PVM fusion. 

How would you describe Trivium Triathlon in one sentence? 
Trivium Triathlon is a tri club where ordinary people reach extraordinary goals they never thought possible through great coaching and hard work, and at the same time having fun and making new friends in the process. 

1. Describe Triathlon in one sentence?It’s the one sport that gets you out of your comfort zone, challenges you and rewards you with the greatest feeling of accomplishment when you cross the finish line. (That’s one sentence right?)

2. What makes you tick during a race?
For me it’s when mental toughness overpowers physical fatigue.
How do you get through when you’re at the lowest point in a race? If you don’t want to quit, you need to find ways to motivate yourself to keep going. It is as simple as that. When the going gets tough, ask yourself, “why do you want to finish”? The answer to the “why” question is powerful, the “how” is easy.
 
3. What was the most difficult part off preparing for the IM? 
Definitely trying to balance family life, work and training.
 
4. What is your occupation?
I’m a Chartered Accountant working as an asset manager for a private property fund.
 
5. When do train best mornings or afternoons?
I prefer training in the mornings – It kick-starts my day.
 
6. What is your favorite leg of the three, and why? 
I suppose it should be the run because I come from a running background, but I would have to say the swim. It might be the fact that I experience the build-up leading up to the start of the race as part of the swim leg, I don’t know. Specifically for an Ironman, when you stand on the beach with the adrenaline pumping, the cannon goes, you run towards the sea and the cold water hits you in the face as you dive through that first wave. That’s a thrill. After the rush and the noise, it’s quiet, just you and open ocean.
 
7. What is your best motivational quote?
“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.”

What type do you use;
- Bike                                                    : Argon 18 - E117
- Wheels                                              : Vision TriMax 55
- Helmet                                              : Casco
- Cycling shoes                                 : Bont Tri Shoes
- Running shoes                               : Asics Nimbus 20
- Wetsuit                                             : Blue Smooth Mk2.Zero
- Nutrition of choice?                     : PVM
- Power meter or watch?               : Garmin 935
- Race morning breakfast?           : Coffee, Oats, Toast with Peanut butter and syrup.

How would you describe Trivium Triathlon in one sentence? 
A group of athletes that became friends, training and racing with the same motto: Strong Head, Big heart, Light Feet.

1. Describe Triathlon in one sentence?Challenging, by bettering yourself not only in one discipline, but three, aiming to be an all-round athlete.

2. What makes you tick during a race?
Supporters, and knowing that I am busy doing this massive challenge.

3. What was the most difficult part off preparing for the IM?
Definitely balancing work, life and training. With 3 small children and a wife that is also a triathlete, it was interesting at times. Training at either 4am in the mornings or 7pm to fit everything in, tested my motivation at times.

4. What is your occupation?
Director at Kreston Advisory Pretoria

5. When do train best mornings or afternoons?
Definitely mornings. But it never gets easy waking up at 4am to train.

6. What is your favorite leg of the three, and why?
Love riding my bike, especially in TT mode and you can just focus on the rhythm and heartbeat.

7. What is your best motivational quote?
I don't stop when I'm hurt or tired. I stop when I'm done!

What type do you use;
- Bike : Argon E117
- Wheels : Vision TriMax 35
- Helmet : Bell Sweep
- Cycling shoes : Specialized
- Running shoes : Brooks Ghost
- Wetsuit : Xterra
- Nutrition of choice? : PVM
- Power meter or watch? : Garmin Fenix3
- Race morning breakfast? : Mieliepap and scrambled eggs

How would you describe Trivium Triathlon in one sentence?
Trivium to me is a family, with like minded and goal-orientated people constantly motivating each other to reach new limits. Massive thumbs-up to our coach, Magda Niewoudt, to create such an environment, where you don't want to miss group sessions for the fear of missing out (FOMO).

I am sure you will all recognise that one day, usually in January, or somewhere in the beginning of a new year, you decide to flip your switch. You want to eat healthy, lose weight, exercise more, be kind, make a difference, wake up earlier and just be a better, happier and healthier person.
If you know me, you will know that I do not like any form of exercise at all. This will never be on my list of new year’s resolutions. I like to be able to breathe normally and I do not like any kind of pain and suffering, nausea or near-death symptoms during any activity.
January 2019 I travelled to East London to support the Trivium Athletes taking on the Ironman 70.3 South Africa.
I got to experience how many people actually train for something like this. Young men or women with full time jobs, some with kids, actually managing to train for this in-between their busy lives. I saw older people, double my age, running like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
This is where I flipped my switch. If they can do it, so can I.
​
I asked my friend and Trivium coach, Magda Nieuwoudt, to help me get started with a running program. She knows I am no runner. I am not someone who decides to take on a 10 km or a half marathon on a Saturday morning. I could not even run 500 meters without the life being sucked out of me.
Magda got me started with 3 short running sessions a week. I felt embarrassed to even start something so completely out of my comfort zone. You don’t want anybody to see how unfit you actually are. But Magda motivates you and supports you, even if you only managed to run 500 meters at a time. A goal is a goal no matter how small. She helps you believe in yourself and make you feel like you can do anything.
During this time, I also learned to really respect these athletes. They are 100% dedicated and it sounds a lot easier than it actually is. I honestly do not know how they do it. I felt nauseous, I could not breathe, my legs burned and I actually cried every time I came back from a session.
However, after about a month, with the help of Magda’s sessions, for the first time I could breathe and see myself improving every time. I ran my first 5 km without walking.
It’s still difficult and I am still struggling, but I am very excited to see even just a little bit of improvement every time I go for a run.
​
To some runners this will sound like nothing, but to me this is everything. 

By Maurice Ambrose

On Friday afternoon my wife and I boarded our flight to East London. I have heard that this is one of the most difficult 70.3.’s and therefore I was well prepared (definitely the hardest I have trained for any race before) and everything was planned to a tee. At first all went according to plan, we checked in our luggage and bikes and boarded our flight on time but just as we were to take off, the captain notified us that we have to taxi back to our boarding gate as the weather was too bad for us to fly out. Little did I know that this would just be the start of a very interesting weekend.

When we landed in East London we were met with wet and windy weather. . When I received my bike bag, I could sense that something was not right, but as it was already late and the cold and rainy weather was getting the better of me, my first priority was to get to the guest house. After checking into the guest house I immediately started to assemble my bike. As I opened the bike bag, my whole body went cold – the bike was off the skewers and standing on the frame. At least I could see that the frame was not cracked, but it was clear that something was wrong with the gears. My first response was to call coach Magda as I knew I would not be able to sleep if I don’t know what was wrong with my bike.

Despite my wife’s advised that it was way to late in the night to bother her, I pushed through and was relieved when she took my call. Coach Magda really put me at ease and suggested that we meet early the next morning to have a look at the bike but also told me that the most important thing is to get a good night’s rest.

The following morning I met coach Magda, and after she did a quick assessment of my bike she advised that the damage was not that bad and that the bike mechanics will be able to fix it. I was relieved that the damage was fixable and 2 hours after checking my bike in at the bike mechanics I received it back, went for a quick ride and I could feel that the bike was as good as new. On Saturday afternoon all the Trivium athletes were together for a last team talk. Coach Magda gave some last pointers and assured us that we have already put in the hard work and that we are ready to do this, we must just relax and enjoy it. Although the weekend was off to a rocky start it finally felt like it can still turn out to be a good race weekend.

The next morning when I woke up I was soooooo excited because it was RACE DAY!

This feeling did not last too long because when I arrived at the transition area to double check that everything is in order , there was an announcement that due to the rough conditions at sea the swim will be reduced to +/-1200 m. At first I was very disappointed because although swimming is definitely my worst leg of the three disciplines, I have trained so hard in preparation for this race and my swimming improved so much since I started to train with Trivium that I really wanted to swim the full distance and compare my swimming time to the last 70.3 I participated in. However I decided then that I am going to make the best of the circumstances that was dealt to me. At that point God also showed me that I must be so grateful that I have the physical ability to be able to participate in such a race and that I must participate with such a grateful heart and not allow small things to steal my joy. After that conviction I knew that I am going to give this race my absolute best and that I am going to enjoy it more than any other race I have participated in before.

The swim – As soon as I hit the water I realized that the water was very choppy and cold, but I remember that we were trained to not let the adrenaline and excitement get the better of us and to just stick to our rhythm and the race pace we used to practice during our training sessions. Before I knew it I passed the first red buoy, then second, third and fourth then making my way back to the shore. Finishing the swim in 23 min (my best split in a race ever, just under 2 min/100 m). Chuffed with myself I headed into T1 and onto my bike.

The bike – As I exited the transition area I was greeted by loud cheers and big smiles from our Trivium supporters and that gave me some extra motivation to tackle this infamously tough bike course. I remember a bit of our team talk the night before where coach Magda advised that we must break the course into smaller goals. I did exactly that and then started to eat the proverbial elephant. After 1h36min I reached the half way mark, turned around on the bridge and headed back into a very strong head on wind. This part of the race lived up to the hype about this tough bike course because the head on wind is so strong that you have to work hard all the way back – despite the downhill. Piece by piece I approached the way back and before long I was back on Esplanade Street heading back to the transition area finishing the bike in 3h04min.

The run – Again being met with the cheers and support of the Trivium supporters I gave it my all. The first lap went well and I felt good. The second lap, Bunkers Hill was as tough as a woodpeckers lips. I got some Isotonic and coke on the aid station on Bunkers, walked for about 200 m and told myself that the next time I will be walking will be at the back end of the red carpet. I ran all the way to the red carpet through the Ironman arch finishing my run in 1h49min. My total race time was 5h25min29sec, which was my personal best and about 15 minutes faster than my previous personal best.

This weekend after all turned out to be a top weekend that I would not easily forget. A BIG thanks to all the Trivium supporters that cheered us throughout the whole race – it really spurred us on. However, the biggest THANK YOU goes to coach Magda for all her help, assistance, support, patience and hard work that goes way beyond what is expected from her as a coach. Without all her motivation and hard work this results would not have been possible. My commitment to train and how much I enjoys participating in this races have definitely improve a lot since I have joined Trivium. The Trivium members are like a little family always looking out for each other. They have motivated me so much and the only regret I have is that I have not joined Trivium earlier!!!