For those of you who missed last month’s edition, let’s recap, as there are only a couple of days left for you to get your application in and possibly start one of the greatest and most fulfilling journeys of your life! Modern Athlete will select 10 athletes to follow a programme designed by our Tri Coach, Derick Marcisz, who has 41 years’ experience as a runner, cyclist and triathlete. He has been involved in triathlon since 2000 and has competed in over 70 triathlons and duathlons at all distances.
Our selected athletes will follow a basic programme and give regular feedback to Derick, who will adjust each athlete’s programme to suit their individual needs as well as help them set intermediate goals for their training and the big event.
REMEMBER: The programme can be followed by ALL newcomers to the sport, who should easily relate to the experiences of the Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI team. Unfortunately we only have 10 spots available, but if you don’t make the team, it certainly does not mean you can’t do the training, gain exactly the same experience as the members of our team, and finish Ironman 70.3! In conjunction with the programme, we will run a series of monthly theoretical and practical workshops to deal with the various phases of the training, where ALL ATHLETES will be welcome to come learn about training and have a chance to meet the Modern Athlete Dare to Tri team as well as our panel of experts. (More on the workshops later in this article).
THE PROGRAMME
The programme will start at the beginning of October and run for 16 weeks, finishing on race day. Training will be split into a number of phases, starting with base training and skills development, and progressing to harder sessions and finally a taper before the big event. The programme will be designed to make allowances for the fact that most athletes do the sport for fun, have fulltime jobs and family commitments, and would like to still enjoy some social life. The programme will require your full commitment, especially on weekends, but will make allowances for life’s usual distractions.
HOW DO I QUALIFY TO BE CHOSEN?
Firstly, you must be a NOVICE triathlete. This means you can be a runner, cyclist, swimmer or general fitness fanatic, but we are specifically looking at novices, or those with very limited sprint triathlon experience, and not experienced triathletes that want to improve on their previous performances. The aim is to have a good cross-section of gender and ages in the training group.
Secondly, you need to reside in the Greater Gauteng area, as you will be required to attend training workshops and hopefully participate in group training sessions.
You should submit your application to info@modernathlete.co.za. The application should include:
• Full name
• Place of residence
• Contact details
• Sex, age, date of birth
• Height, weight
• State of health and any medical conditions
• Running, cycling and swimming experience, if any
• Sporting goals
• A short motivation as to why you would like to be chosen as part of the Dare to Tri team
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Due to the overwhelming response, we have decided to extend the application to MONDAY 25 JULY at 10AM.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THIS?
Modern Athlete will advise athletes of their selection and they will then meet Derick to discuss their involvement. These athletes will be introduced to the readers in the September edition of Modern Athlete and will be expected to attend the first workshop at the beginning of October, which will be open to all readers.
TRAINING BEGINS MONDAY 5 OCTOBER
At the start of the programme, you need to enter and pay for Ironman 70.3 and show proof of entry and payment. To enter, go to www.ironman703.co.za. Remember, the cost of travelling to East-London to participate in the race will be for your account. Though you certainly don’t need to own any expensive equipment or gear, you need to at least own a road bike, and you should ideally be able to do at least two of the following:
• RUN: 10-12km at an easy comfortable pace.
• CYCLE: 40km continuously at a steady pace on a road bike.
• SWIM: Must be able to swim. (Swimming, although the shortest leg of a triathlon, is often the most daunting for novices. Our programme is geared to get you to a reasonably competent level of swimming fitness, to ensure that you finish the swim comfortably and well within the time limit.)
Speed is not important here, but ideally you should be able to comfortably complete these distances before you start our structured programme.
Each month Modern Athlete will publish feedback from the Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI team on how their training is going and what the next month’s training involves. Our team will also blog on a daily basis on their training experiences. This will allow ALL athletes to follow the programme as well as relate to the experiences of the coached athletes.
The Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI Team will all participate in the race in specially designed Modern Athlete triathlon kit and will be supplied with the most awesome sporting accessories, both for training and racing. We are keeping the details of this under wraps, but be prepared for some major surprises! This is a golden opportunity to commit to a new challenge, receive expert coaching and support, and enjoy your journey to Ironman 70.3 with like-minded athletes!
SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? E-MAIL YOUR APPLICATION TODAY! THERE ARE ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS LEFT TO ENTER. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED AFTER THE 10AM DEADLINE ON 25 JULY.
WORKSHOPS
Each month we will run a series of monthly theoretical and practical workshops to deal with the various phases of the training, and where all athletes will be welcome to come learn about training and have a chance to meet the Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI team.
These sessions will include invaluable practical demonstrations by top triathletes and coaches, such as how to move faster through transitions, mount your bike, swim with the correct technique, maintain your bike, change to the correct gears, and more. You will be taught and shown all you need to know about triathlon, from training and nutrition, to biking and swimming skills – everything you need to get you to the finish of your first 70.3 Triathlon.
The workshops will be held on the following dates and will most likely run from 9-12am:
• 2 OCTOBER: Launch of the Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI Challenge. Meet the Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI team, listen to expert advice from Derick on what to expect in the month’s leading up to Ironman 70.3, gain insight into a novice’s experience from last year and learn from an experienced triathlete on what to expect on the awesome journey ahead. For anyone who is serious about finishing a triathlon, this session is not to be missed! And just to break the ice and get things going, those interested will meet before the workshop at 7am for a run, which will include some drill and core exercises.
• SECOND WORKSHOP: This will be a valuable theoretical session on nutrition and body science, followed by a practical hands-on session on swimming technique and bike transition. Be prepared to bring your bike and swimming gear. You will without a doubt leave this session much more confident in the water and in any transition area.
• THIRD WORKSHOP: Theoretical session followed by a practical session on bike maintenance and bike technique. Not sure what to do when the chain comes off your bike, how to fix a puncture, how to take care of your bike, or exactly what the best gearing system is while riding? Then don’t miss this one! One of our country’s most experienced cyclists will be there to share his experience with you. Derick will also help with valuable tips on how to prepare for your first triathlon as the Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI team will tackle their first a week after this workshop!
• FOURTH WORKSHOP: Theoretical session on tapering as well as last-minute race day tips. With only two weeks left to the big day, this is a session that will not only motivate and inspire you to go out there and achieve what you have trained so hard for, but to also prepare you for race day and what to expect on the day.
Workshops will be limited to 100 people, so it is important to book your space. Each workshop costs R50 or R200 for all four workshops, which includes a R50 Primi Piatti carboload voucher. Register online at www.modernathlete.co.za. Click on the DARE TO TRI Workshop banner, register and make your payment.
