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!!!

1. Was hierdie nog altyd 'n droom vir jou om World Champs toe te gaan?
Vandat ek begin driekamp doen het in 2017 is dit vir my `n uitdaging om kompeterend in my ouderdomsgroep te wees.  Ek wou baie graag in 2018 vir Worlds gekwalifiseer het aangesien dit in Suid Afrika was maar het dit toe met een plek gemis.  Ek het wel die Worlds gaan kyk in PE om ons coach Magda Nieuwoudt en Trivium spanmaats Bruwer Smit en Marlise Robbertze te gaan ondersteun.  Natuurlik het die droom om Worlds dan in Frankryk te kan gaan doen daar in my kop vasgesteek.  Dit is `n wonderlike geleentheid en ek is baie dankbaar en opgewonde daaroor.
 
2. Wat was vir jou die grootste uitdaging op die dag van racing?
Ek wou graag top 10 in my ouderdom eindig en het dit darem toe reg gekry.  Die wind en die rowwer see het die dag se race nogal moeilik gemaak.  Ek is bly ek kon steeds paces en doelwitte wat ek graag wou bereik op die dag steeds behaal.
 
3. Hoekom kies jy triathlon as 'n sport?
Die afwisseling met die oefening is vir my baie lekker.  Dis nie net bv. altyd hardloop hardloop en nog hardloop nie.  As jou bene bv. harde bike of run week het dan is dit so lekker om `n goeie swemsessie te hê.  Triathlon vat baie tyd, ja, maar dit word `n leefstyl en dit is vir my heerlik.  
 
4. Wat motiveer jou? Om altyd net op te daag en aan te hou?
My coach Magda en Trivium oefenmaats wat ek weet ook sal opdaag en die werk gedoen kry motiveer my baie.  Dis lekker om deel van `n klub te wees en nie die werk altyd op jou eie hoef te doen nie.  Opkomende races en die feit dat ek graag goed wil doen en verbeter tydens die races motiveer my ook.  Ek vermoed wel ek is dalk effens verslaaf aan oefen, Dit laat my goed voel.  Daar is niks beter as die gevoel na `n harde sessie nie.  
 
5. Watter gedeelte van triathlon is vir jou die lekkerste?
Openwater swimming en `n goeie run is my gunsteling!
 
6. Het jy al klaar enige planne vir worlds? 
Ek sal definitief net op al my paces wil verbeter.  Ek moet hard werk aan my power op die bike.  Ek is bly ek het nou dadelik so lekker uitdaging en mikpunt om my oefeing vir die jaar op te fokus.  Ek en my coach sal nog mooi al die planne beraam. 
 
7. Wie is Elzabe as sy nie triathlon doen nie? 
Wel kinders, kinders en kinders hou my besig.... 
My eie drie liewe kids (Juhné Gr 3, Ernst Gr 1 en jongste Anri nou amper 3 jaar oud) hou my as mamma besig genoeg.  Dan ook nog `n klomp Graad 6 kinders wat my elke dag in die klas as Wiskunde onderwyser by Laerskool Hennopspark besig hou.  Ek en my man Juran van den Heever hou daarvan om lekker goed saam te doen soos om te gaan kamp of `n lekker uiteet op sy tyd in te werk.  Ons hou ook van rustige family time en net ontspan, swem en lekker kosmaak of braai by die huis. 
 
8. Wat is jou gunstelling gels / produkte om te gebruik? 
Ek gebruik graag PVM se Octane en Reignite.  
 
9. Met watter tekkies hardloop jy?
Brooks Ghost11
 
10. Watter horlosie het jy? 
Garmin Fenix 5S
 
11. Watter fiets en wiele het jy?
Ek het `n redelik basiese Merida road bike. Ek het die Oos London race met `n vriend se Trek Speed Concept gedoen met heerlike Zipp wheels.  Ek beoog om iewers ook vir my `n nuwe TT bike te koop maar vir nou ry ek eers met die Trek.

BEGINNER TO ADDICTIVE RUNNER
 
Written by Luan Nelson
 
Two years ago I was introduced to running by a colleague. It was a slow start but soon I started progressing from a 5km into a 10km then a 15km then 21km.
 
On 4 November I did my first 42km marathon – the Kaapsehoop Marathon after my friend entered me. I had no choice and knew 3 months ago that I would need to start training seriously and more structurally, and that I couldn’t just rely on doing random running every day to prepare.
 
That was when I was introduced to Magda Nieuwoudt at Trivium Triathlon. During my first consultation Magda asked what my exact objectives were, and she also explained the technicalities of running, how to get fit and why we need to do what we do. I realized that I knew nothing about running and fitness and that running isn’t just about running. I finally and seriously fallen in love with the sport. Running is technical and that was a big part of why I’m enjoying it more and more.
 
We started a 3 month program straight away with gym work/strength training and a running schedule. At the gym, I could barely do all the moves on the stability ball and felt very embarrassed but was quickly comforted by Magda that ‘everyone struggles at first’. The gym work involved core training, foot work, stability work, leg work, foam rolling and general fitness. In addition I could ask any questions around problems I faced on a specific day, and ask questions on nutrition etc. The actual program involved speed work, interval running, aerobic running, recovery runs, long runs, stretching. All of this really made the sport interesting to me. Even the nutrition advice, what shoes to run with and recovery methods made it all interesting me.
 
My schedule was updated and adjusted weekly through the Training Peaks application on my phone according to my progress and work schedule. This was very convenient and I could comment after every session and ask questions as we go.
 
On marathon day I was obviously nervous but was well prepared in terms of what to wear, what nutrition to take along, how to run the first 21 km and then how to adjust the second 21 km in terms of pace. Also what nutrition to take at what stage of the race, and if I were to run into any issues what I should do. I could not have done this without the help and guidance from Magda.
Whilst running my 42 km I realized why we did all the different training routines and work, as I could just kept going without having to walk and most importantly without struggling and feel that I wanted to die. The last 4 km was the toughest as it was a steep uphill but I just managed to keep going and had enough stamina to finish. I knew then where all of this comes from.
 
I was so thankful and pleased that I’ve done the training and that I stuck to the program as it really helped. And most importantly I really enjoyed the program.
 

​WHY DOES MY HEART RATE SPIKE AT THE START OF A RUN / TRAINING?
 
A lot of athletes see their heart rate spike at the start of a run of training session and then subsides after 5 min. I have noticed that most of these spikes is during early morning training sessions, especially running workouts. This type of spike can be because you did not warm-up properly or long enough.
Before starting exercise your body’s internal machinery works at very low rate. Your metabolism is slow and blood only moves to organs and back to lungs and heart. Muscles are fed with blood by tiny blood vessels existing in the muscle to make sure muscle get supplied by blood. During rest the majority of capillaries and vessels are constricted, so little blood goes to the muscle. Because of this the cardiac output gets reduced. The heart does not need to pump very hard to maintain blood pressure and this gives you a low heart rate.
During exercise the muscle demand a high volume of blood flow. This means that the capillaries should dilate to expand so blood can rush to the muscle. But our bodies is not designed so capillaries dilate before exercise, it expand due to exercise itself. Asking the body to exert from a cold start can be a major stressor to the body, as it needs to drain blood from major organs to the working muscle.
This is why proper warm-up or longer warm-up is important. As if the capillaries have not diluted properly the blood flow to the muscle is weak, which means no oxygen to the muscle and then your body needs to function anaerobically for a few minutes. This is why you sometimes feel very uncomfortable at the beginning, but not really out of breath yet. The heart rate goes down after a few minutes which then means the aerobic system is fully in function.
My suggestions would be to start by first walking a minute and then go into a very slow jog and pick it up from there on wards to make sure you give body the chance to activate fully aerobically. Also do longer warm-ups of 5 – 10 min. If you start your session very early, give your body a chance to wake up. Remember the body also needs to be activated by nervous system firing. Thus proper warm-up is very important.
 
 
Magda Nieuwoudt
Sport Scientist

Written by Hendrik van der Hoven

On the 1st of June 2018 at about 12h30 I got off the airplane of my Kulula flight at the King Shaka airport. Travelling from a cold Gauteng and being greeted by Durban with summer weather was very welcoming. After I got rid of my sweater I was suddenly in a great mood for the Durban 70.3 Ironman race weekend. I have completed two 70.3 Ironman events in the past, both in East London and one full Ironman distance in Port Elizabeth during 2015, so after such a long and lazy break, I was greatly exited to line up on Durban’s beach on the 3rd of June 2018.

After booking into our hotel, we had a quick lunch and a beer to celebrate the start of the Ironman weekend. Luckily our hotel was very close to the Casino, where registration and the race briefing would take place. About an hour before race briefing we started heading that way. On our arrival at registration it was awesome experiencing the vibe and excitement of all the athletes registering and getting ready for race day. The atmosphere was just great.

After registering, it was time for a few highlights of the day - being my fellow Trivium club members arriving to attend race briefing.  I joined Trivium five months ago and Coach Magda Nieuwoudt and all the members of the Trivium family could not have made me feel more welcome from day one. In no time I was literally invited into their homes eating “potjiekos”, enjoying home cooked dinners, enjoying 2nd and 3rd rounds of cappuccinos after bike training on Saturdays,  sitting together around camp fires during training camps in the bush, facing the swimming pool at Affies together, enduring the athletics track at LC de Villiers sports grounds, enjoying muffins and cupcakes brought to training and even being privileged enough to celebrate the birth of the youngest Trivium member and his parents’ first born, Liam. I was therefore very excited to experience the weekend with these guys who became great friends!

We attended race briefing, I was much too excited to be able to concentrate so I had to find out all the important stuff from friends afterwards. Coach Magda scheduled a warm up swim together with a warm up run for the next morning. At 10h00 on Saturday morning we met each other on the beach and as always there were no shortages of smiles, jokes, excitement and support. The ocean was calm, the water nice and warm and accept for a little wind the weather was great. We felt ready and very excited for the next day.

The night before race day I went to bed early, after reading through Coach Magda’s race email, which she prepared for all of us personally the week before, and reading a couple of inspiring messages from fellow Trivium members, I had a feeling that the next day was going to be great, I was confident and ready!

Before long, it was the next morning and I was standing on the beach with only twenty seconds before my turn of the rolling start to run into the ocean to start my Ironman event. It was my first rolling start and it worked very well. Due to a lesser number of athletes starting the swim around me I managed to settle into a rhythm almost as soon as I started swimming. The ocean was calm and the water nice and warm. After swimming around the third buoy I felt like I still had plenty of gas in the tank and I started working much harder. I was aiming to swim just under 40 minutes and was very happy and surprised to be able to complete the swim leg in 37 minutes.

The bike leg is always the most difficult part of the race for me, but due to the fact that I heard that the road surface on the route would be really smooth and much easier than the route in East London, I was looking forward to see what I can do. During the first lap I felt good and I saw that the climbs were very manageable. When I finished the first lap I decided to try and cycle much harder during the second one. Unfortunately, the wind was picking up and during the last 20 kilometres we had to deal with an uncomfortable head wind. I was planning to cycle the 90 kilometres as close to 3 hours and 15 minutes as I could and again I was pleasantly surprised to finish the cycle in 3 hour 5 minutes.

When I started with my favourite part of the event, the run, I felt so good I had to force myself to slow down. I believe the reason why I felt so good was due to the nutrition I used. The PVM nutrition that Coach Magda introduced me to, and the nutrition training I got worked perfectly. It felt as if I had never-ending energy throughout the race. Further, I almost felt like I found my running legs within the first 1000 meters, the proper brick training we had done was therefore having impressive results. The two-lap run on Durban’s promenade was awesome, I enjoyed the supporters immensely and seeing all my fellow Trivium members and hearing them shouting words of motivation made it hard for me not to start running too fast and paying the price at a later stage.  Although my legs were completely done and felt like lead weights during the last two kilometres, I truly felt great until my feet reached the red carpet. I ran my second fastest half marathon in a time of 1 hour 43 minutes, finishing in a total time of 5 hours 34 minutes improving my previous best time with over an hour.

Thank you Magda, for all your effort and enthusiasm towards my training, your knowledge, advice and motivation is unparalleled and appreciated so much. This was by far my best endurance race to date, but only until the next one!! My fellow Trivium members, thank you for becoming great friends and making training for this event so enjoyable. I already had to enter for the 70.3 in East London next year. To my fellow Trivium members who took part in the 2018 Ironman70.3 Durban, congratulations! You all had great results, it has been a great privilege being part of your team!!!

I can’t wait for the future adventures with Trivium!!! Go Trivium!!!

Written by Magda Nieuwoudt

​There is something about the feeling of triathlon that keeps me hooked.I love what I do and love to challenge my body every day and realise that I haven’t even started to show a bit of what I can do, but despite all of this, there is a feeling in triathlon that keeps me hooked. The feeling I am talking about is that constant uncomfortable feeling, the unknown and the smell of satisfaction. 

Saturday morning, in Edinburgh, I stood looking up to a mountain called Arthur's Table - this is where we will be doing the run leg and I don’t have a clue what awaits me. Races in the UK mostly have split transition areas - they are not 2km apart but more like two counties apart 😀. So the swim start will be about 15km from T2 and finish area (in Staffordshire we actually had a different T1, T2 and finish areas). This makes the logistical planning particularly demanding. I had to rack my blue bag and bike and run bag in different transition areas and couldn't access my bags the next morning, only my bike.

So the Saturday morning goes like most pre-race mornings. I get up, do my training run, and run until the feeling is absolutely perfect. This is the only time I feel in total control. Then I eat a good breakfast, pack my bags for racking, check them once then walk around and check the bags one more time ☺. Before leaving the house, I check the bags again.  I am always so afraid to forget something because I tend to forget easily. Everything is, however, always there. After racking my bike I start having thoughts of: “Should I maybe just change that inner tube, because a few days a go it felt a bit flat, maybe there is a slow puncture, or should I just make sure the lube on the chain is good…”

WOW!! Stop. Stand still. Take a deep breath in... and pray. Pray about all my worries - even the smallest little worry and leave it just there. After this I get the most amazing peace in my heart. I can’t describe it.

Phill 4: 6 – In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Now all that needs to be done is to eat and eat and attend race briefing! At the end of the day I am so tired of all the thinking that I normally pass out by 21:00. I only sleep until midnight, after which I am awake every 15 minutes. I don’t know why... because It's not that I am scared, maybe I'm just too excited. I am perfectly prepared and have done my bit in training and trust God to give me peace. So I can never understand why I lay awake. By 3 am I just get up and start doing ballistic ball work and stretches and get the body moving. 

I normally get to T1  really early. Why not? I am awake after all. In T1 I check everything and get nutrition on the bike. This is my favourite part, getting to T1. The atmosphere is magnificent, I love the noise of the pumps inflating the wheels, and the 'pop' noise it makes as you take it off the valve. The sound of wheels spinning and checking brakes with some gears jumping up and down. And then off course the long cue to the porta-loos (this I actually dislike).

Here comes the uncomfortable feeling. I am about to jump into an ocean not knowing what to expect. They announced the water temperature was about 14 degrees and I thought: “O my, I hate cold water”. Then again, I am not here to have a hot comfy swim, am I? So get it done.

The swim felt great and I found my rhythm really early. I found myself swimming alone the whole way. There where two ahead of me and the rest of the pack behind me. Luckily I didn’t even notice the cold water. During warm up my cheeks felt like they were falling off, but nothing like this during the race. It is amazing how adrenaline just takes over. The better fit Xterra wetsuit made a huge difference (I will write another blog about that soon).

Out of the swim and onto the bike. I had instructions to stick to a certain heart rate plan. This was difficult sometimes but I stuck to it because I trust coach Niel with everything. There was a section on the course where the road surface felt so sticky and actually made it sound like both my tyres where flat. It must have had something to do with the hot summer Scotland is experiencing. They had recorded temperature of 33 degrees, which is apparently the hottest day Edinburgh ever experienced. I don’t know if the surface was melting, but it slowed us down for sure. The route was up and down, with steep declines and sharp turns which made lying down in the tribars difficult. On the bike I felt good all the way and was focusing so much on taking in enough nutrition. I used 3 PVM Octane gels and ate 1 PVM Energy bar with 750ml Octane and actually grabbed a bottle of isotonic drink on course as well. I could feel that I was ‘under-biking’... but that was the plan. Last climb up Arthur’s Table and down into T2.  I felt great and still fresh for the run. 

​In T2 I pulled on my lovely Saucony shoes and off I went. The first lap was just to get rhythm and 'feel the run'. On this run I, yet again, realised how important it is to be in-touch with how your body feels and what the effort feels like, instead of looking at pace and heart rate. Since the course went 3km up and then back down I had to run on feeling. I kept running on feeling for the full 21km, which felt great! I was able to get paces and rhythm back quickly after the uphill and got my legs turning fast again. 

All in all I am very happy and had a consistent swim, bike and run. Now to let the guns out for my next race – Ironman 70.3 World Champs SA!

As I was standing there Saturday morning praying for my worries, I also thanked God. I thanked Him for giving me the talent to do what I do; for the people He uses to create a ripple effect in my life; for giving coach Niel the knowledge and the will to never give up on me and always researching and planning my sessions on the dot and to perfection.

Also thanks for my great support team, my family, who no matter what, always get excited and whenever I need anything they are there for me. Thanks to my amazing Trivium team who keeps me on my toes and stand behind me like an army. To my close friends who is seen as part of the team - thanks.

This is our (coach and I) journey to creating the best me and being the best I can be. To be continued…

#Journeystarting #projourney #success 

DEUR LIONEL PIENAAR

Ek het nog altyd n droom gehad om die ysterman te doen. Ek het in 2015 met 'n 5150 in Germiston gedurende die swem gepanic en kon dit nie klaarmaak nie. Van daardie dag af het ek selfvertroue verloor en die swem het 'n baie groot ding geraak vir my.

Verlede jaar het ek weer in Bela-Bela probeer. As dit nie was vir die feit dat ek in die dam kon staan nie sou ek dit weer nie klaargemaak het nie.

My droom van die ysterman het ek gevoel was nie meer moontlik nie want swem is altyd deel daarvan. 

In Februarie 2017 het ek aangesluit by Trivium, nadat ek gevoel het ek gaan dit nog 'n laaste kans gee. 'n Vriend het my verwys na Magda toe. Ek het dadelik deel gevoel van die span en die program wat sy vir my gegee het saam met die guidance het veroorsaak dat ek in 'n kwessie van 2 maande nie meer bekommerd was of ek dit sal kan doen nie. Dit het eerder verander na hoe vining kan ek dit doen.

Ek het siek geword en het vir omtrent 4 weke aan en af geoefen. Die week voor die SunCity Ultra het ek weer siek geword. Ek is nie seker of ek siek was van die stres of gestres het van die siekte nie. Tot op die Saterdag voor die race het ek gevoel ek gaan dit eerder nie doen nie want ek voel siek en nie reg nie. Ek het saam met my coach Magda besluit dat al doen ek net die swem, dit goeie voorbereiding sal wees vir Ysterman in Junie.

Ek het die oggend van die race by die dam gestaan en gesien hoe almal wegspring wat die korter afstande doen. Die vrees het my weer begin pak en het op 'n stadium begin twyfel. Ek en Lloyd het by die boom gaan staan en bid. Voor ek kon sien was ek in die water. Ek het heel agter begin en rustig geswem aangesien dit my eerste swem sou wees. Ek het heeltyd gevoel ek swem stadig. Maar ek was ok daarmee want ek wou net klaarmaak.

Toe ek uitklim het ek goed gevoel en op my gemak my fietsry klere begin aantrek. Ek het die eerste 45km op die fiets goed gevoel maar die tweede rondte het my rug en voet my erg begin pla. Ek het geweet my fiets was nie reg opgestel nie so dink dit was seker die groot rede vir dit. Ek het dit in net meer as drie ure klaargemaak, waarmee ek tevrede was.

Ek het teen 'n goeie pace begin hardloop en het die eerste 5km goed gevoel. Die op en af van die roete wat ons gedoen het het my klaargemaak. Die eerste rondte was ok maar dit was nie die lekkerste gevoel om die rekkie te kry en te weet presies wat voor jou lê nie. Ek het geweet dat al loop ek die laaste 10km sal ek nogsteeds betyds klaarmaak dus het ek maar baie geloop en moes by een waterpunt die toiletgeriewe ook gebruik. Ek het nie 'n idee gehad wat die tyd was nie en was net tevrede om klaar te maak. Toe ek by die einde kom en sien ek het die 6ure met minder as 2 minute gemis was ek baie teleurgesteld, maar het besef dit was my eerste Ultra en het nog 'n dag voor die race nog getwyfel of ek dit enigsins sal kan doen.

Ek is so dankbaar vir 'n awesome coach want sonder haar sou ek dit nie kon doen nie, en ek weet dat die Here my die krag gegee het om dit klaar te maak. Ek is van bang na opgewonde in een dag oor Durban wat voorlê. Dit is great om deel te wees van 'n groep met dieselfde passie as ek.

BY LLOYD CULLEN

I joined up with Magda about 3 months ago. I followed a couple of the training sessions set out but I probably missed more than what I followed. Due to the amount of training I felt pretty confident as I had not trained like this ever before. Knowing I was only doing the sprint I was worked up and ready to go.

The atmosphere at an event like this is awesome, and it really got me excited to be partaking in a triathlon. It is well planned and it just has a feel about it that is addictive.

On race day I was excited about the race ahead. I woke up with a headache which is not great but it was not too bad. I got to the start line and was good to go. I had set a few goals that I hoped to achieve but more on that to follow.

I got in a good position for the swim start and went off. The swim was nice although the start was a bit hectic. I now know for future events to start a bit slower and manage my own pace. I got out the water within the time frame I had set. So I was happy with the swim. My race was off to a good start.

Transition 1 went as planned, I got out of my wet-suit well and got changed the way I had planned. Looking at the time frame of this transition I definitely need to pay attention to saving some time here.

The bike ride was also pleasant - I set myself a goal of trying to achieve an average speed of 30km per hour. I did not achieve this but managed an acceptable 25km per hour. So I was pretty happy at this point.

In transition 2 I could feel the effects of not training the way I should have. I spent a lot of time in this transition which also needs a lot of work.

The run is the event I like least, I do not train a lot on running. The route was tough and I struggled to find a rhythm. As you can imagine this was a horrible run for me. I failed completely in my goal for this event. Hard work needs to be done in the future to get my running up to standard.

In general I wanted to complete the event around the 1 hour 30 mark. I further said I have to break 2 hours. I finished the race in 1 Hour 58 min. So I achieved the set out goal. I am somebody who believes that as long as you finish the event entered you have achieved something. So I am happy for finishing this event.

My swim was on target, my bike was not on target but it was much better than previous rides. The run was poor. The reason I mention this is I fully understand that due to not committing and following the set out program left me feeling a bit unsatisfied with the race. I fully understand that I need to commit to be able to better my personal feeling when completing a race.

I partake in the events because I enjoy doing a triathlon. it is fun and I want it to stay fun. The better I perform the more fun it will be. At my current state of fitness I do not fully appreciate the nature of the event. This is a pity as you get to see some awesome places, but I concentrate so much on finishing that I do not enjoy the experience.

What I've learnt and my future goals.
I need to commit and follow the set out program and my race will be much better because of it. I will change my approach in trying to do it as fast as possible but instead focus on enjoying the event. With the right training and enjoying the event, my times will improve. I am not there to race, I do this for self satisfaction. I will enjoy the "Red Carpet" when finishing the event as this moment has gone by to fast and unnoticed in the past.

Durban is my next event, I have started training harder and am enjoying it. I am working hard at having full satisfaction when I cross the finish line on the 18th June. Happy training till then.