Australian Triathlete – July-August 2017

AustrAliAn triAthlete | 83

Training TOOLBOX

holistic EnduRAncE

choosing road races on courses that are

less technical until you build up your

confidence. Find out what races are on in

your area/state by contacting the state

cycling body (Cycling Australia).

7

find your grade: Most races

are graded A, B, C, D, etc., with

grade A being the strongest,

and cyclists are graded

accordingly, based on previous races. If this

is going to be your first bike race start in a

lower grade and ease yourself into racing

• you can always move up once you gain
  your confidence. There is nothing worse
  than entering a grade above your ability
  and getting dropped by the bunch in the
  first five minutes and finding yourself riding
  by yourself for the rest of the race.

8

Give it a go: Once you have

done your research, it’s simply

about biting the bullet,

entering and giving it a go!

As you sit down over winter and plan

your season, throw up the idea of

incorporating bike racing into your

training mix. Then watch as your bike

strength and endurance improves along

with your enjoyment!

S ArAh Grove

Sarah is a triathlon performance

coach with holistic endurance

and competes competitively at

all levels of triathlon. As a coach,

Sarah works with athletes of

all abilities from beginner to

Ironman athletes, with a passion

for developing, guiding and

supporting athletes from the

ground up to help them achieve

their triathlon and lifestyle goals

utilising holistic principles for

optimal performance outcomes

while maintaining a balanced,

nourished and happy life.

for more information,

http://www.holisticendurance.com.au

5

Get your insurance: Just like
Triathlon Australia, Cycling
Australia requires you to hold a
license for insurance purposes
to race. A great way to ‘try before you buy’
is purchasing a three-race license so you
can try out a few races before signing up
to an annual Cycling Australia Membership

6

choose your event/s: There
are a number of different types
of bike racing including road
races, criteriums, time trials and
two to three-day tours, all of which are an
excellent way to improve your skills,
strength and performance on the bike. A
time trial is an easy one to start with, and
you may want to gravitate towards this,
but really they are more like a triathlon
than a bike race. Criteriums only happen
over the summer season, so in winter, road
races are a great place to start. Start by