AustrAliAn triAthlete | 61BreNDAN SeXToN
As a youngster, Brendan’s life ambition was to be the
fifth Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. That didn’t quite
pan out. But triathlon did. A decade on, he’s still at it.
http://www.brendansexton.com.au
@kung_fu_sextonand expanding into new cultures,
demographics and is even being used as a
vehicle for positive social change. When
newbies come to a triathlon and are met
with the welcoming and engaging
community that has always been present
in the Australian triathlon scene, and then
experience the marvel that is participating
in a triathlon, they will be hooked. Now,
from there they will be enveloped in a
positive sense of well-rounded
improvement. Learning that the right
recovery is just as important as the
training itself or that the most expensive
bike may not actually be the best bike for
them, or how even the most novice athlete
can improve their run performance (and
enjoy themselves even more!) with some
basic technique analysis and instruction.
“Just winging it” is out of fashion but
that doesn’t mean everyone should
become a complete tri snob - living and
breathing training and racing, renouncing
all non-tri civilian lifestyles and possessionto live a monkish swim, cycle and run only
existence. The elitism of the non-elite
wave has been done the right way -
gradually and relevantly. Triathlon, being a
relatively young sport means there’s a
constant flow of new and more specific
studies, techniques and theories on
performance development. The true elite
knows that big gains are not made
overnight and that one aspect of
development may take much time,
patience and effort. The true elite spends
time considering where deficiencies in a
daily routine may lie and then more time
again researching an ideal approach for
them as an individual. Being a sport with
three distinct disciplines means there is an
endless world of techniques to become
more professional, more personal and
more purposeful. The true elite
understands that any positive change
must be brought about not only by
identifying areas of improvement and
sourcing better techniques but by
incorporating these techniques as a habit
and dedicating themselves to their
nutritionist-prescribed diet, their twice a
week pilates routine or their early morning
swim squad. The current wave of
neo-elites understands that it’s the
genuine commitment to the several real
techniques that pay dividends – not the
gimmicks or the abnegation of a life
outside swim, bike and run.
If the term ‘elitism’ has in the past
indicated somewhat of a class system in
triathlon, then lately an unintentional
revolution has been driven from the “lower
tiers.” The only difference with this
revolution is that the one’s forcing the
change aren’t doing it to overthrow the
status quo but to elevate the whole lower
end to equality with the top. And for this
reason, I say “viva la revolucion!”* For the purposes of this piece I have chosen to use the
terms “professional” and “elite” synonymously despite the
distinction some may have between the two.financial gain, are stepping up their
attitudes and behaviours to match the
pure full-timers. Aspects like seeking out
experienced and knowledgeable coaches,
employing correct training techniques,
learning about recovery and nutrition, and
investing in equipment that is best suited
to them have meant that a more holistic
approach to triathlon (and general
wellbeing, for that matter) has swept
through the broader triathlon community.
And in my opinion, this movement can
only be good for us all.
Whether or not this wave of elitist
attitudes has been a product of the
masses observing the top end athletes
reaping the gains and improvements of
such approaches, and wanting in, or a
natural filtering through the ranks, I am
unsure. But it’s fairly obvious to me that
the movement indicates a new step
forward for triathlon within the wide world
of sports. Triathlon is continuing to
become more popular on a global level