Now I don’t usually post much personal stuff but today I’ll mix it up a little for you.

It’s been a busy season and I have made some serious progress. My running is finally where I need it to be and although it could be better I know that I can be competitive on the run now. This did take time with a lot of focus on my running form and some help from Saucony getting me into the right shoes. Finding a mid-foot strike, increasing my strike rate, reducing contact time and lifting my knees higher were all part of how I set out to get running faster.

On a competitive note, most recently I competed in the Cape Town leg of the BSG Energade Triathlon Series held at Brandvlei in Worcester. I raced in the elite category and realised that racing elite is another ball game altogether. The gap between the slowest elite and fastest age group racer is quite significant. Having said that however, I do personally feel that that gap is 80% experience. With more racing and perhaps more opportunity, there are several age group athletes that could make the jump. Unfortunately, being a sport that does not involve a ball, there is not much support or opportunity. It would be good to see a mentorship programme established. I have no idea what that involves though so it may just be wishful thinking.

Finishing the run at BSG Energade - Image: Chris Hitchcock

As far as my race at Brandvlei went, I lost the pack from the start. My swim splits would suggest that I can exit the water with the big guns, but I guess that swimming alone or with 2 or 3 other guys at the front of an age group race is not ideal preparation for setting off at the frantic pace set by the elite athletes. Unusually for me, the run was the best part of my race and although I did have the second slowest run split, I was only a few seconds (less than 10) off the pace of a seasoned elite triathlete, which was fairly comforting.

As for now, I have only been doing pilates, surfing and some gardening. I do plan on setting things back in motion soon but there is no date or any specific intensity level set. Right now, I find it fairly comforting to know that things will happen as they need to.

See you all soon, if not before Christmas, please enjoy and be safe.

I very often see people swimming as fast as they can, displacing water in all directions other than backwards. If your technique is poor then going faster can only be sustained for a short period. Efficiency is a key ingredient to swimming success.

If you think that swimming 1.5 – 2km per session 2-3 times per week is good enough to get you through the swim of an Olympic distance triathlon, then you would be right. But to improve you would quite literally need to double your efforts.

Another thing I see all too often are coaches who put good sets together for their squads, but provide little to no technique specific coaching. If you are already in a squad make sure that you ask your coach give you some technique correction. I cannot emphasize enough, the importance of developing good swimming habits.

If you’re not in a squad, find a coach. If your budget is tight, I would then suggest going for 4 lessons every alternate month for 4 months. Thereafter a once a month check-up would suffice. This is the bare minimum if swimming is not your strong point.

Make sure you understand how to do the drills correctly. Drills make for a great pre-speed set warm-up or as a good recovery session after a big race.

Below are several links which should help you gain a better understanding of why technique is so important, what makes a difference and how to go about it.

http://onceinspired.co.za/trainingracing/swimming-kick/

http://onceinspired.co.za/trainingracing/swimming-kick-secret-tip-legs-video-series/

http://onceinspired.co.za/trainingracing/using-a-pull-buoy-while-swimming/

http://onceinspired.co.za/trainingracing/swim-less-swim-faster/

http://onceinspired.co.za/trainingracing/swimming-technique-7-tips/

http://onceinspired.co.za/trainingracing/swimming-technique-understanding-it-all/

If you have any question regarding swimming I will be glad to assist. Keep an out for my open water swimming piece coming soon. Follow me on Twitter @NicMuhl or find me on Facebook – Nic Muhl & Once Inspired.

Happy Swimming

Nic

Involving a 4km swim, 120km bike and a 30km run; Brendan talks to me about his preparation, equipment, motivation and the people involved in making all this possible.

Hey Bren, let’s start off with “How are you?”

I am in a good space, recently married as you mentioned, to a lovely girl! Looking forward to the new season as well…

Talk us through your equipment and any tweaks you have made and where to give you added comfort and more importantly, speed.

In the water, I am currently using an Orca Apex 2 wetsuit, probably due for an upgrade soon, but it keeps me honest (and hopefully like an arrow through the water).

On the bike, I ride an Argon 18 E112 TT bike, what I enjoy most is the transfer of power into the frame which is in proportion to the output of speed…In other words, I don’t lose any power that I put into the bike due to the bike being too flexible, etc. It’s very stiff which promotes added speed.

On the run, I am fortunate as you enjoy yourself, with racing in Saucony’s lightweight personified… I use the A4’s for sprint and standard distance races whilst opting for the Kinvara’s for the longer runs and training.

As far as comfort is concerned, ensure that you have had a professional bike set-up, to avoid injuries down the line. I have had niggles with calf strains in both legs so I know how frustrating these type of persistent injuries can be.

Now every season any competitive triathlete tries to improve a specific area or discipline of their race. What area or discipline have you worked on the most leading into this race?

Definitely my swim! You are quite right, the last two seasons I have concentrated on my run and bike respectively… This year I thought I would try and work a lot more on my swim so as to be a little more competitive, especially at the start of a race.

Congrats on the marriage by the way. Surely balancing the married life with triathlon isn’t easy but I know Carole is no slouch herself around a triathlon circuit. Just talk a little about the wedding, training and the “new’ life in general.

Thanks! Ja, the more I look back on things I realise how important balance becomes in your life. It’s easy to get too absorbed into something, especially a phase that works well for you, without knowing that suddenly you have blinkers on and become oblivious to things happening around you – this can lead to being self-absorbed and a bit selfish.

So I am enjoying the balance and in Carole, I have a constant reminder of that. She is really talented herself, probably more so than me with ultra distances where I tend to prefer sprint and standard distance.

The wedding was a great day – friends and family from all over! We laugh at times looking back on the day, wishing we could have spent more time in the moment, but it passes by so quickly.

Is Carole going with you?

Unfortunately not. She will be holding the fort back at home so to speak. The cost of getting to such races is probably the biggest burden we have to deal with as athletes, even over and above the training required. So after having recently bought a house and having just had a wedding, the budget did not allow for both of us to travel.

Give us a little insight into the race course. Is it your kind of course?

Honestly, it is probably not my kind of course in distance, although it is cleverly positioned between a 70,3 distance and a full ironman. If I break the course up, I reckon I will be competitive on the day, however Las Vegas is notorious for its heat and that could squash any ambitions of good positioning if the thermometer goes through the roof!

The swim is pretty straight forward (out and back), whilst the bike ends with some serious climbing over a pass called the “3 sisters” and the run is 4 laps with some rolling hills which should help break up the monotony.

Having said that, I realised that this race and the training involved for it would give me a great platform for the rest of the season and hope that results that follow this race will be indicative of that…

Are you staying on afterwards and doing a little sightseeing; perhaps a little visit to Vegas baby? You can give the world your version of “The Hangover”.

A little sight-seeing would be great, so fingers crossed time will allow for that. I think my version of The Hangover will be the condition I will be in straight after the race -  knackered, slow to react, possibly dehydrated and not making much sense… I see the similarities!

 So the USA isn’t all that close and getting there isn’t all that cheap. Who helped you out, who is looking after you?

I am very grateful to my company (Everite) who have shared in my passion and desire to be competitive not only in the workplace but also out of the office. I have also forged a great relationship with Cipla & PVM, ensuring I am fit and strong as well as healthy in mind and body. Saucony, Glider Eyewear & more recently 2XU have been fantastic from a product perspective and without their assistance, my scope to think and achieve big would be that much smaller.

You’ve also got a blog. Where can we find it online?

Yeah, I have a blog, simply called Tri-Bren. It’s essentially a link between beginners and seasoned multi-sport athletes. Of late I have been a little slack, possibly from winter hibernation, but it will be far more active as the season progresses.

http://www.tri-bren.blogspot.com

Any final comments? Words of inspiration perhaps?

I am a strong advocate for the word “performance”. Whatever you may be involved with, ensure that your performance is one you can look fondly back at!

Thanks for your time Bren. Best of luck. Fly the Saffa flag loud and proud.

The 25^th Clanwilliam Fitness Festival has come and gone and Grant (Fatty) Fillmore is now 30. It was slightly cooler than past years but the racing was as hot ever. A cool breeze kept the mornings on the chilly side, warming up slightly as the day went on, but the clouds were really making a huge effort at keeping the sunshine at bay. The water temperature was also 2 to a few degrees colder.

As always, the days racing kicked off with the long swims. I participated in the 1.5km swim finishing as the 2^nd open male. Phil Emslie claimed the 3km swim by miles, dry and dozing as second place crossed the line.

The duathlon was won by Dawid Visser and the biathlon by Rohan Kennedy.

As for the triathlon, the Horners rocked up Saturday morning, adding another 2 trophies to the Horner cabinet with a win for both Kent and Clare.

I had a good swim entering T1 behind Kent Horner and Phil Emslie. It wasn’t long before I was in second place and, like Kent, riding on my own. With 3km to go I was caught by Marsel Roos, Tristan Kelly and Gareth Harrington. Into T2 and Gareth got a slight lead. My transition was lighting and I left T2 with Gareth. A stitch for the first 600m made life very uncomfortable and both Marsel and Tristan came past. Once the stitch subsided I was running like have never run before. For the first time ever in a race I was in my happy place in running shoes. Unusual but it’s something that I have been working on. All smiles running at about 3:20/km for the last 2.5km.

I crossed line in 5^th place, one up on last year’s position and a full 5min faster.

For a full RESULTS list please click here.

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Racing at world champs was an unparalleled experience. Beijing is a beautiful (and massive) place. The race venue was the same as the 2008 Olympic Games. The privilege of running down the blue mat and finishing under the Dextro Energy Triathlon, ITU World Championship, Beijing banner was probably the pinnacle moment.

On the Finish Line

The build up was just as epic. Once I got onto the plane it started to sink in. I have always wanted to represent my country in one way or another and here I was, off to Beijing to race at the world triathlon championships representing South Africa.

We stayed at the Sinopec Conference Centre which was certainly the best and closest accommodation to the race venue. Javier Gomes, the Brownlees, Helen Jenkins and David Haus are but a few of the many professionals that were rolling around at Sinopec, as it was referred to. (Sinpoec by the way is China’s version of Sasol)

Sinopec Conference Centre

A short walk around the corner and up the hill, behold, the Ming Tomb Reservoir, race venue to the 2500 participants. The ITU’s infamous blue mat stretched along the reservoir wall, and the entire length of the swim course. Lined with grand stands, TV screens and sponsors branding, this is what a world championship event is all about.

Ming Tomb Reservoir

The opening ceremony was also a wicked affair. A long walk through the streets of Beijing, the teams looked fit and funky in their kit. People packed the streets and were going mad. The army lined the barriers, the police played escort; I was looking for Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton or David Beckham. This fuss and attention can surely not be for us?

The crowds

Upon our arrival at the Beijing Changping Stadium we were greeted by a Chinese rock band. That may sound more like a comedy show but these guys were pretty talented and sang a few tunes in English. To be honest, I was blown away by the level of organisation of this ceremony.

Opening Ceremony

The racing took place over 3 days commencing with the Under 23 men’s race followed by the paratriathlon. The paratriathletes were amazing to watch and getting to know them was even better. It’s astonishing what you can learn from these people. It would certainly appear that adversity builds character.

Ozwald Kydd, by the way, is one of South Africa’s World Champions, winning the “above the knee” amputees category.

The following day it was the Elite men’s turn and I was rooting for fellow Saffa Richard Murray. Missing the first pack, it was very cool to see Richard working on the bike with none other than the multiple Ironman World Champ, Macca (Chris McCormack), who he then dropped in the run and finished a very respectable 30^th overall.

The best part of the race however was at the front (Sorry Rich). Those Brownlee brothers are ridiculous. Leading from the gun and driving the entire race from the front Alistair Brownlee and Jonathan Brownlee are animals. In the end Alistair ran a sub 30 minute 10km to take an emphatic victory and the overall World Championship title.

There was some great racing to watch and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of my experience leading into the age group race.

The day arrived when it was time for the age groupers to check-in and rack. It was cold and rainy but no one was complaining. The vibe was great, and I racked my Ceepo Venom for the last time having sold it to a Brazilian.

The sky was clear, the wind had died and we had perfect conditions for racing. The Ming Tomb Reservoir was glassy and beautiful. You could sense that this was sacred land. There was something unique about the energy here; something ancient.

The course was long, as the times would suggest. The swim was certainly 100 – 200 metres longer. The bike was 1.6km longer as we were told by officials, and the run involved a small matter of a couple of hundred metres down the finish chute.

If someone were to ask me what the best part of my race was, I’d certainly say the bike course. Never in my life have I had so much fun riding a bicycle. It had everything, long straights, steep hills, twisty tight turns, long sweeping bends and even a little ramp for those brave enough, going fast enough.

I ended up achieving my goal and realizing a lifelong dream. The dream however is far from over. Once Inspired…

As lucky as I am to be in a position to be able to afford some of the best equipment and have more time than most, there is a very good reason why there is such a huge gap between the pros and the rest. Pros get time to train, time to rest and time to eat properly.  Not to mention being sponsored the majority of equipment required.

It would be great to be able to take full advantage of the good weather days, which are usually on a Monday (which some believe to be Murphy’s day since, on the 8^th day, God said: “Alright Murphy, you’re in charge.”)

I stayed fairly committed to the cause though, waking up at 5:30 most mornings to get 1 and half or so hours of training in and then training again in the afternoon roughly for around the same time. Weekends too saw me getting involved, usually on the bike and in the running shoes.

Just to break the monotony, surfing comes into the mix fairly often, just as it is going to later this morning. There aren’t any waves in China, so I’ll have to get a surf in today.

Just a couple of thank yous before I go:

Thanks to Saucony, TYR and Glider Eyewear for all the kit and equipment.

To my bosses, and “in laws” Jack and Beryl, for the understanding and extra time off.

To my parents for all their support (and money) over the 2 and a half decades

And finally, Lauren, my beautiful girlfriend; your support and commitment has been great and certainly appreciated.

I will certainly be giving it my all and having a real go. Look China, here come the Saffas.

To find out more about the world champs and to watch all events live  click here.

I will do my best to keep you updated via Twitter. So click here to see my Twitter account.

I used to run in full on motion control Adidas throughout school, until I eventually developed chronic compartment syndrome. I them had the operation, known as a bilateral subcutaneous fasciotomy which releases the overdeveloped muscles by cutting the fascia/sheath which encases them. Part of the reason for this is a muscle imbalance due to the raised heel on the common running shoe most of us know. Since my operation I have run in shoes with nothing more than a 4mm heel-forefoot drop; the Saucony racing flats and more recently the Saucony Kinvara.

The Development of Engineered Running

Standard running shoes have around a 12mm drop from heel to forefoot. Yet this style of shoe encourages us to heel strike, and land on a squishy marshmallow. Try stand on your heel and only your heels and then put a squishy marshmallow under that. You see how this developed?

Shoe manufacturers made squishy heels for “protection”, which led to instability and hence an uneven progression though the gait. This led to the introduction of “motion control” in the form of heel cups, arch support, pronation blocks and torsion bars. And so engineered running was born.

There are about 20 muscles within our foot and 12 muscles from our leg that attach to our foot. While wearing cushioned, “motion control” shoes only a couple of these different muscles are needed to facilitate human locomotion. That means that certain muscles aren’t working. The body then lets them shrink to maximize efficiency. This, coupled with the elevated heels, cause your calves will shorten too.

Arch Support

You may now wonder about arch support. Just ask any engineer what happens when you exert upward forces on an arch. It weakens the structure and can longer bear weight from above, which it was originally designed for. Basically if you want to destroy an arch, push up on it from below. An arch is designed to withstand forces from above, compressing it (and in the case of our feet) allowing it collapse and rise thereby not only providing natural shock absorption but also assisting in propulsion.

Shoes with arch supports prop you up and lead to weak, atrophied foot musculature. Your feet aren’t grasping, pulling, pushing, and flexing inside a pair of athletic trainers

The Argument against Barefoot Running

The argument against barefoot running is born out of making the transition too quickly. Remember the foot no longer has a cage of support and protection around it, and is forced to act as the interface between your body and the ground. The torque generated from pushing around all of your weight at speed and high repetition is a lot to ask of your newly awakened feet.

Many people make the transition too quickly, without allowing their smaller, weakened muscles to develop and function as they used to, or were originally designed to. All of the argument against barefoot running comes as a result of the increased injury risk with making the transition too quickly.

You will be using those calves much more now, go slow or you’ll risk developing antagonistic shin splints, calf strain and even Achilles problems.

We have been Barefoot running ever since we started walking upright. Since when did barefoot running become a bad idea? Perhaps since tarmac become the only surface humans could run on.

The barefoot running debate will continue and athletic footwear manufacturers will continue to make unnatural shoes. People may tell you how bad it is for you. Just get into it slowly and you will see how much your running will improve and how much more you will enjoy your running.

Companies like Saucony for example are decreasing the heel-forefoot drop and with good reason. If you are looking at making the transition to barefoot running, let’s talk and get you into a pair of shoes that will allow you to make the transition painlessly.

I will be testing the new Saucony Hattori soon and I will certainly keep you updated.