NEW WEBSITE

Please see the new Exponential Performance Coaching website for all the lastest updates.
www.exponentialperformancecoaching.com

This new website will now replace this blog.

Congratulations to Hannah Thorne, 2nd at Trans Wales

Trans Wales

7-days of MTB racing

5-7 hours a day in the saddle

No smooth roads

Hannah working hard

Re-fuelling

Hannah in 1st place after the 4th stage

After 44 h 45 min 42 s only 1min 7 s separated 1st and 2nd place

Well done on a great effort Hannah

EPC athletes at the P2P

Rosie Taylor paddling hard into Queenstown



Tony Gamble leads Rosie Taylor into the final transition

Brass Monkey Kayak Series

Christchurch multisport athlete Adrian Hamill has been competing in the Brass Monkey Kayak series as a build up for the 2011 Coast to Coast. His ability to paddle hard for approx 1 hour in these races is a huge improvement from when he was unable to continuously paddle for 5km when he started training 3 months ago.
To follow Adrian's road to the Coast to Coast check out his blog at http://www.physiomed.co.nz/racing.html

Peak 2 Peak Training Camp

The 2010 Peak 2 Peak Training Camp was the best EPC training camp to date. Great weather, perfect training grounds and a group of keen athletes ready to push themselves all made for a great camp. Check out the video below for an insight into the 3 day camp that involved running, kayaking, cycling, skiing, specific sweat rate assessment, sport science presentations and much more.

If this takes to long to down load check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKA-xjFfjuc as this may down load faster.

Peak 2 Peak Winter Training Camp 2010

Aim of training camp: To develop specific Peak 2 Peak course knowledge, improve fitness through the training camp effect, develop specific P2P skills, knowledge and have an awesome weekend training in the in Queenstown.
Training camp dates: 2nd July - 4th July Cost: $250 – includes training camp training sessions as outlined below with EPC coaches, special topic presentations in evenings on specific P2P preparation and accommodation at the Frankton Motor Camp where the training camp will be based from.
Accommodation: Will be in 2 person cabins at the Frankton Motor camp. Camp includes kitchen facilities, bathrooms and bunk beds. This will be the base location for the training camp and it is advised for the smooth running of the training camp that all athletes stay here.
Nutrition: On Friday a main evening meal will be provided. On Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided and on Sunday breakfast will be provided. All meals are nutritionally planed for optimal recovery and training performance.
* Athletes will need to supply their own snacks and training nutrition as they see fit on top of the supplied meals.
** Please notify us of any special food requirements.
Training camp Outline

· Friday:

- Travel to Queenstown, individually or shared transport between athletes
- Meet in Queenstown at 3pm/ as soon as you can get there
- Kayaking à run àbike brick session, as time allows.
- Nutrition presentation
· Saturday:
- P2P specific sweat rate assessment
· Kayak -->run brick session
- Afternoon ski session at Remarks
- MTB descent from Remarks after skiing + ride back to accommodation along MTB course
- Optional evening run -> bike -> run session

- Transition / gear presentation and individual planning of race plan and transitions
- Gear prep race simulation
· Sunday:
Race simulation
- Kayak
- Run
- Uphill ride to Coronet peak
- Travel home in evening
- Final debrief and pack up

Here is what some athletes said about the 2009 P2P training camp
“The price was great for the whole weekend. Everything was run really well, lots of food, lots of coach contact time etc.”
“Was good to learn so much about the race and other aspects i.e. nutrition.”
“The evening presentations contained a lot of information that was new to me, and that will help me immensely to prep for the actual race. The biggest point for me was learning about race nutrition (how much and when to fuel myself).”
“To sum it up: I learnt a lot of lessons about myself, the sport, equipment and nutrition. I am so glad I joined you! The knowledge I gained during the camp will allow me to prepare well for the actual P2P race and other races.”

What’s different this year?
At Exponential Performance Coaching it’s all about improving performance and getting better. So this year there will be a few changes to the camp to make it better for you.

1/ Accommodation: After feedback from last year’s camp it was found that 3 athletes per room was a bit cramped, so this year we plan to sleep 2 athletes per room so things are a bit more comfortable.
2/ This year’s camp will include a Peak 2 Peak specific sweat rate assessment. This will allow detailed calculation of your sweat rate in the specific environment you will be racing in. From this information we can tailor your hydration plan for optimal performance.
3/ Presentations: It has been a year since the last P2P evening presentations and these have been altered to include the latest up to date information to aid your performance + some special topics on the latest sport science information.

- The space on this training camp is limited to 8 athletes, so entrance into the camp is on a first in first severed basis.
- Please register your interest by Friday the 11th June so bookings can be made.

If you have any questions please let me know

Matty Graham
Sport Scientist and Performance Coach
Exponential Performance Coaching
0273841127

Winter training strategies

The winter can be a very tough time for athletes who want to maintain or improve their performance. The shortened day light hours and the wet, cold weather all play a part in making it hard for athletes to get out the door.
From a coaching perspective the winter is a great time for athletes who do most of their racing in the summer months to build their endurance base and work on their weakness. The following are some ideas on how you can get through the winter while doing the training that will bring great performance benefits with it come summer racing.
1. Set good goals and have a plan
I believe that this is the biggest factor to successful winter training and without it you are wasting your time. Why would you spend hours and hours training in the rain and the cold for nothing? The answer is that unless you are insane you probably wouldn’t. Yet there are so many people out there training, who don’t really know what they want to achieve over the winter and just haphazardly train. They usually either get sick or injured and by the time summer comes around they are dissolution with their training.
The goals that you set should be the targets that you are aiming for and they should be the reason you are out there training. Whether your goals are an upcoming event, developing a specific area of your sport or to lose weight they need to excite you. If your goals do not excite you then it is going to be hard for you to get out of bed in the pitch black at 6 o’clock in the morning to go training. Once you have decided your goal, write it down and stick it on the fridge, the wall, next to the door or some where you see it a lot. Every time you feel unmotivated look at your goal, get excited and remember why you are doing this. Along with putting your goal up on the wall a photo/s of yourself or others and motivational saying help me to maintain motivation when the going gets tough.
So your goal is set and you can’t wait to start training, but what do you do? Well this is where the plan comes into it. Your plan is not just this training programme although it is part of your plan. Other parts of your plan to achieve your goals are things such as the logistics of training, maintain your equipment, maintaining your body through a good diet, stretching and maybe massage. Surround yourself with likeminded people and see what their plan is. You need to be committed to achieving your goals and staying focused on them throughout your build up.
There will be times that will be hard to maintain focus and for some reason or your situation may change. If this happens your goals and plan must change alongside it. Sit down think about your new situation, maybe it’s an injury. Your goal may now change to healing the injury. How do you do that? Get it diagnosed, physio appointments, resting it, strengthening exercises talk with your coach. You have to be able to change and adapt when things change. Think through the process instead of getting angry and frustrated.

2. Warm training gear
Good gloves are crucial to keep those fingers warm. I find that a pair of thermal gloves over the top of cycling gloves works well in most conditions on the bike. If you live further south then investing in some specific winter cycling gloves will make the winter that much more bearable.
It is really important to keep your knees warm in the cold conditions while both cycling and running. This is to ensure adequate blood flow to the knees is maintained to avoid injury. There are a wide range of full length tights out there that will keep your legs toasty or a pair of leg warms will turn any of your shorts into long tights for a reasonable price.
To keep your core warm a thermal next to the skin is a must during most training sessions in the winter to wick the moisture away from the skin and keep you warm. In wet windy conditions a close fitting water proof rain jacket will keep you warm, but you will often get soaked from the condensation build up inside the jacket if it is not breathable. I find the best piece of gear I have is my wind proof vest. This combined with a thermal, cycling top, arm warmers and gloves seems to keep my upper body warm in most conditions even though I get very wet when it rains. Vests are a lot cheaper than jackets, they can be stuffed away in back pockets if the weather clears and come in lots of different high visibility colours so you can seen by cars.
Other useful bits of gear for winter training are arm warmers, fleece head band to keep your ears warm while still letting you lose some heat through your head, shoe covers for the bike, poogies for keeping your hands warm in the kayak and a good warm pair of socks to stop your feet going numb.
Having good warm training gear makes it so much easier to get out the door when the weather is bad and it will also help you avoid illness from having your immune system suppressed from training in the cold conditions.

3. Get organised
How many times have you gotten up early to train before work or raced home to fit in a ride before dinner and you end up spending most of your time trying to find your other arm warmer or glove. To save time and get you out on the road sort out your gear the night before an early morning session or have your gear at work in the car so you don’t have to go home before your training session.
It’s really simple but it can save a lot of time when you wake up in the morning and you have set out all your gear the night before. Also you may want to keep a bag of gear in your car so if you find you have some spare time at lunch or after work you can just get your gear on and go.
Training straight from work can also prevent you from getting home and deciding you would rather watch TV than head out into the wet and cold. The lure from a warm fire and comfortable couch is hard to overcome on a winter’s afternoon.

4. Buddy up
Over the winter months, some likeminded training partners will help you get out there on the bad days. It’s a lot harder to stay at home when the weather is bad when you know there are others waiting for you and who will ask where you were if you are a no show. Pick training partners who are of a similar fitness level and who are working towards similar goals. Often training with a partner turns into an easy session which is ok every now and then. However don’t let this get in the way of your specific session you need to do. Tell your training partner that they are welcome to join in on your session but make sure you train at your prescribed intensity, duration and do your specific drills/reps when needed.

5.Be seen
There is no doubt that with the shortened day light hours that you will be riding in dark or near dark conditions. It is very important for your safety that cars are able to see you when you’re out on your bike/ running and that rowers/ boats can see you when you’re out in the kayak. Make sure you have a good set of lights, remember that this is also the law (on the bike). Ankle reflexive bands, high visibility vests and bright clothing are also handy to keep you safe.

6. Take your training indoors
If you have had enough of riding in the dark and the wet, take your training indoors on an indoor trainer. There are a lot of good indoor trainers available for a reasonable price these days. On cold, wet, windy days it may be a good choice to set the bike up inside and crank up the stereo or turn on the TV. Most sane people find indoor trainers mind numbingly boring so make sure your sessions on them are kept to a minimum and are specific (Exponential Performance Coaching has specific indoor trainer session out lines available for $30 if you are unsure of what to do. This deal includes 4 different indoor cycling sessions that target different areas of your fitness).
Riding for an hour on an indoor trainer is the equivalent of doing 1hour 30min out on the road. This is because there are no stops or down hills where you decrease your power output on the indoor trainer. Limit our sessions to a max of around 1hour 30min otherwise you will go mad. Other good options in the winter to get away from the weather are spin classes, short hard interval sessions on a tread mill or kayak/ rowing machine, yoga classes, swimming or some focused gym work.

7. Target your weakness
The winter is a perfect time to work on your weaknesses. Many endurance athletes have poor technique and instead of using the winter thrashing themselves to improve their endurance they would get major benefits from working in some technique sessions into their programme. Indoor trainers are a very good tool to develop your cycling technique. If you are interested in improving your technique on the bike but unsure of what to do Exponential Performance Coaching can proved indoor/ on road technique sessions to improve your cycling technique.

8. Mix it up
During the winter it is a good chance to try new modes of training to add variety and fun to your training. Mountain biking for you roadies out there can be a great way of maintain your fitness while having a break. Also activities such as skiing, tramping, social team sports, gym classes or aqua jogging can be good alternatives during the winter months to maintain your fitness but also give your mind a rest and leave you feeling motivated.
Get out there and have fun, because after all that is why we do what we do. Remember the hardest part of training is often getting out the door.
Happy winter training
Matty

Whare Flat Bike --> Run squad session

We had a great squad MTB -> run -> MTB session this weekend at Whare Flat.
The primary aim of this session was to develop course knowledge for next week’s multisport race, along with developing technical skills and performing a strength endurance session that included 1700m of climbing on the bikes. Some great weather made for a high quality training session in the sun.

Dunedin Winter Multisport Series Race 1

The Dunedin Winter Multisport Series kicked off in perfect conditions at Broad Bay. A big contingent of EPC athletes were on hand for some sharp racing.

Congrats to Mat Snowdon, Bruce Ranga, Maria Gamble, Tony Gamble, Phil Te Tana and Blake Luff who all put in solid efforts to get through the brutal course.

Thanks to Emmah Ussher for taking these photos on the day

Milan and Lucie at the Gold Rush

Milan Brodina and Lucie Urbancova of Geraldine cross the finish line in 3rd place in the mixed teams after 3 big days of racing.

EPC Athletes at the Coast to Coast

Here are a few photos of a few of the EPC athletes during day 1 of the 2010 C2C

Emmah Ussher strides it out in the closing stages of the Mnt run

Phil Te Tana at the end of the Mnt run

Rosie Taylor striding it out to the finish of the Mnt run

Nic McAra and Husband Neil relax after a big day

Charlotte Breeze of Hokitika storms through the final stages of the Mnt run

Mat Snowdon looking strong with only 3km to go

Shona at Challenge Wanaka

Dunedin super woman Shona Carruthers completed her first 1/2 Iron man at Challenge Wanaka. After deciding to 'do a few' triathlons after ticking off the Coast to Coast 2day individual event in Feb 2009, Shona put in the hard yards and stormed through her first 1/2 Iron man blowing away every ones (including her own) expectations.
Shona sets herself BIG goals a with a lot of hard work and determination she always gets there. One goal that she missed out on last year was completing the Kepler ultra marathon due to the race selling out and her not making it off the waiting list. However I think 2010 will be her year to nail the Kepler.

Well done Shona, I look forward to working with you towards your next big goal

EPC athletes at the races

Well done to all those who competed in Challenge Wanaka.

Shona Carruthers of Dunedin stormed through her first Half Ironman to finish 15th in her age group in a time of 6hrs 48min. Rebecca Darracott of Dunedin/Hamilton Island, Australia and Chris Yeats of Hokitika had strong 180km cycle stages as part of the teams competition. Rieke Stackmann of Dunedin overcame some significant obstacles during her training to complete the half marathon swim and run stages, while Sue Clarke of Dunedin put in an amazing performance in the half marathon for her team.

Bec's at Challenge Wanaka

Pam Thompson of Invercargill raced strongly in the Dunedin round of the South Island Mountain Bike Cup series to place 2nd in the Masters section in what was a tough race.

A good work ethic and consistant training has ment Pam's performance is always improving. Here Pam takes the podium (right) in 2nd place in the Dunedin round of the NZ MTB cup series

In her first year of racing elite level, Hannah Throne has put in two strong performances in the South Island Cup series over the past two weeks and has one more race to go in the series this weekend in Nelson.

Hannah riding the chute at Bethunes Gully during the elite womans race.

Charlotte Breeze of Hokitika competed in the Croesus Crossing 26km trail run as part of her build up for the Coast to Coast. Charlotte showed that her training is on track placing a strong 8th place to end her peak training week.

Charlotte during the 2009 Coast to Coast. After a big summer of training and some good results under her belt, Charlotte goes into her final 4 weeks of training looking focused and strong.

Coast to Coast Training Camp 2010

The aims of the Exponential Performance Coaching C2C camp were to 1, Gain specific C2C course knowledge 2, Develop specific C2C skills and 3, Develop fitness improvements through the training camp effect. While the weather tried its best to stop us we still completed these aims. On Friday 8th January 8 keen athletes arrived at Klondyke corner ready to sink their teeth into the training camp. Friday evening consisted of setting up camp and getting to know everyone. This was followed by a rock run and river crossing session to familiarise the athletes was the specific skills required for the mountain run. The evening was completed with a presentation on nutritional, transition and race strategies for day 1 of the race, followed by a discussion on different points of the race.

Day 2 started early with a drive to Kumara Junction. From the Kumara beach the sprint was on up the 3km run section to the waiting bikes. 55km of road riding working on bunch riding skills took the athletes to Atkins. During the ride up the valley all had their fingers crossed that the rivers would have come down after the serve flood a few days earlier.

A short time up the Deception Valley reveled that the rivers were still high preventing race lines being taken so it was decided to turn back for the groups safety. That afternoon Adrian Hamill from PhysioMed gave a presentation/ practical session on Physio for multisport. This included a discussion on issues/ injuries athletes had had, why and how to strap ankles for off road running finishing with some individual muscle balance assessments of everyone which revelled some interesting points.

As the final training session for the day, everyone rugged up and we headed off into the cold windy conditions for a 2 hour run on the lower section of the Minga Valley up to Dudleys knob and back. The evening activities included a presentation and discussion on nutrition, transition and race strategies for the second day of the race and a briefing for the river session the following day.

Day 3 started early in the rain. Heavy rain meant that the training session down through the waimak gorge was not possible due to safety. Instead a 2hour session was completed on the upper reaches of the waimak between the Bealey and Mt White bridges. This secton of river is usually almost dry, however with the rain it was the perfect flow to work on C2C paddling skills. With everyone soaked to the bone and cold it was a quick change of cloths and off to the Bealey Hotel for hot chips and a debrief.