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Wanaka proving no holiday camp

New Zealand's elite triathletes in Wanaka for a two-week training camp are (back, from left) Kris...
New Zealand's elite triathletes in Wanaka for a two-week training camp are (back, from left) Kris Gemmell, Ryan Sissons, Kate McIlroy, James Elvery, Martin van Barneveld and Greg Fraine, (front, from left) Nicky Samuels, Tim Brazier, Tony Dodds, Rob Creasy, Tom Davison, Clark Ellice, Andrea Hewitt, and Dylan McNeice. Photo by Marjorie Cook.
The London Olympics may still be two years away but how New Zealand's top triathletes fare at the 2012 games depends on the work they are doing right now in Wanaka. Marjorie Cook reports.

Triathlon New Zealand's high altitude training camp for elite athletes, based in Wanaka, is being attended this year by Kris Gemmell, of Palmerston North, Andrea Hewitt, of Christchurch and Kate McIlroy, of Wellington, who have been identified as possible medallists at the 2012 Olympics.

Seven other Olympic squad members, including Wanaka's Nicky Samuels and Tony Dodds, are also at the three-week camp, which finishes next Friday.

Triathlon New Zealand has also invited three international triathletes to the camp: Gemmell's partner Anya Dittmar, from Germany, Hewitt's partner and coach Laurent Videl, of France, and Neil Peters, of Luxembourg.

The athletes were in a relaxed and cheerful mood on Thursday, after completing a 3km swim through the choppiest part of the lake, between Eely Point and Ruby Island.

It took them 45-50 minutes.

When Hewitt (27) listed everything else she had done that day, it was clear the athletes were not resting on their laurels.

"It's not a holiday. This morning I ran at the Snow Farm. I actually did a session on the road going down and uphill. I ran for one hour. Then I had lunch. This afternoon I rode for two hours. Then we swam at 3pm. I do four to five hours' training a day, depending on which day it is, whether it's a heavy day or a light day. I would do around 25 hours a week," Hewitt said.

While Hewitt had finished for the day, several others were about to go for a run or to the gym.

National coach Greg Fraine said the camp's goal was to get a big block of training completed before the Oceania Championships in Wellington next Saturday, the Mooloolaba World Cup from March 28-30, and the ITU World Championship race in Sydney on April 11.

The athletes are aiming to complete up to 30 hours' training a week, about 40% dedicated to cycling, 40% to swimming and 20% to running.

But another important goal in Wanaka is to test the athletes' response to high altitude training.

Sports scientist Rob Creasy is doing a range of blood tests on each athlete and will test them again after each race in the next four weeks.

Altitude training was an important part of the Olympic build-up, and if the athletes knew how their bodies responded, it would help them peak for London, Fraine said.

"Some people react very well after 48 hours. Some react after a few weeks," he said.

Gemmell agreed the Wanaka camp was important for learning how to peak properly for a one-off race, such as the Olympics.

His main focus this year is to mimic the Olympics by peaking for the World Cup series final in Budapest in August.

"Ever since [retired coach] John Hellemans started up the triathlon programme, altitude has been a huge part of it and how we organise our races not only overseas but here in New Zealand. I must have been to the Snow Farm 12 times in the last six to seven years . . . and me personally, I get direct benefits straight away," Gemmell (31) said.

McIlroy (28) is unsure how she will react to altitude training, having attended just two camps at the Snow Farm.

"This is the hardest three weeks I have done but I am sure it will be beneficial . . . I am just being careful not to train at the same intensity as I would at sea level, to back off and listen to my body a bit more," she said.

Fraine (47), was a cycling medallist at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and appointed Triathlon New Zealand national coach last year.

His appointment followed a review of the organisation's high performance programme and, at the time, there were concerns the new programme could damage relationships between athletes and personal coaches.

Other concerns focused on the practical difficulties the far-flung athletes and coaches might have in implementing plans laid down by a national coach. It was also felt many promising junior triathletes were slipping through the cracks.

Some coaches believe teenagers should specialise in one sport first and that it is not necessary to begin channelling them into the elite triathlon from an early age. Fraine said most people's concerns appeared to have been put to rest.

"People seem pretty happy with the way it has gone. But we didn't reach our result target of a medal at the World Cup final. We did get series medals and they achieved very highly, but a few things worked against us," Fraine said.

Overall, though, Fraine is happy with the team's direction and build up. He has adopted a collaborative approach with personal coaches and is pleased most seem happy.

"We did a review and got about 95% satisfaction. You are never going to get everybody 100% happy . . . There were concerns there would be a power struggle, but it has not come to that."

Hewitt, who is based in France for eight months of the year, is happy.

She was coached by Dr John Hellemans until he retired and is now coached by her partner, Laurent Videl.

"We sit down at the beginning of each year to do an individual performance plan with Greg. He identifies what help we need. And he is also in contact with emails," she said.

Fraine also believes the investment in under-19 and under-23 triathletes will pay off.

"That [talent transfer from other sports] is quite a hard thing to do because it [triathlon] is a very different sport. We have targeted middle distance runners, for example Kate, and Andrea . . . But the teenagers [who do solely triathlon] are improving. And there are a lot coming through from doing teams," Fraine said.

McIlroy (28) was an accomplished runner before switching to triathlon two years ago but doesn't regret the change.

"I miss the simplicity of it [running] but I don't miss all the injuries I had. I think with the three disciplines it gives my body a bit of a break. It seems to work for me. It is nice after a frustrating few years for me," she said.


THE RIGHT ALTITUDE
The team's verdict on Wanaka:

> Gemmell: "There's nothing better than swimming in open, clean water. It's lovely. Not a bad setting. Not rough on your eyes, that's for sure."

> McIlroy: "I enjoy training down here. The roads are a lot quieter, there are no traffic lights, no stop starts. And the water is a bit warmer than Wellington, to be honest. It's nice to swim in fresh water."

> Hewitt: "I would love to race (the Wanaka series of the Contact Cup in January) here if it fits in. But I spent Christmas in France this year and didn't arrive back until after that. And I would have just started training in New Zealand. It is hard to race so early in the season."

> Fraine: "It's really good. We get good access to the pool . . . Everyone is really accommodating and there is good cycling here. We are lucky to have altitude options in New Zealand. Yes, it is a hassle to drive up and down the mountain twice a day, but that's OK because the philosophy is to train low and sleep high. At Boulder (US, where Triathlon NZ will be based from May to July) we may be training at Snow Farm level (1500m) and sleeping even higher."

 

 

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