Andrew Tong | Triathlon coaching

Swim Training Thur 17 Feb 19:30

Tongy — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:17:22 +0000

Swim squad training is on tomorrow night Thursday 17 February 2011 at 19:30 Terrey Hills swim school. Continuing with drills focussed on our kick and streamlined and the main set pace control.

This is the last week of the introductory offer of $10 per swim.

See you in the pool.

Swim Training Thur 10 Feb 19:30

Tongy — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:22:00 +0000

Swim squad training is on tomorrow night Thursday 10 February 2011 at 19:30 Terrey Hills swim school. Continuing with drills focussed on our kick and streamlined and the main set pace control.

Swim Training Thur 3 Feb 19:30

Tongy — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:55:07 +0000

Swim squad training is on tomorrow night Thursday 3 February 2011 at 19:30 Terrey Hills swim school. Looking forward to the session already.

The Year in Review

Tongy — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:10:30 +0000

I have a need to be self indulgent and review the successes of 2010. Below are some of the highlights from my athletes

Gold Medal (age group) at European Duathlon
Sub 3hr marathon, top 30 finish (female) and a pb of 10minutes
Qualification and representation at Worlds and European championships (Olympic Distance)
Qualification and representation at 70.3 World championships Clearwater
Completing first Ironman and Middle Distance Tris
Achieving a goal of sub 2:30 Olympic distance and a PB
All CanToo runners finishing their Half Marathon within their time objective

I could go on. Well done guys these successes are a result of your had work, dedication and commitment to your training racing. Bring on 2011

Budapest World Champs 2010

Tongy — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:13:11 +0000

The final race of the ITU world champs was held in Budapest over the weekend and this also culminated in the age group races for the world champs.

After a good couple of months of racing Simon raced in his age group for GB, whilst I am yet to find out overall placing, Simon has managed another PB for the year with a 2:01. Well done on achieving such an amazing time.

Vitruvian Triathlon 2010

Tongy — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:07:06 +0000

The Vitruvian triathlon was held at the beginning of September with a delayed start due to heavy mist on the water. Jackie (with a little coercion or encouragement from me) was on the start line for her very first middle distance race.

Most people face these races with a little bit of in-trepidation and this was no different for Jackie, and has said “The race yesterday was amazing I was so nervous and doubted whether I would be able to do it … I am so chuffed that I did it”. Going by the comment you can tell that Jackie completed the race and achieved her main goal. like most triathletes she is already talking about next year.

The Vitruvian is a great race and one of my personal favourites, well done to Jackie for completing her first and look forward to seeing her on the start line again next year.

Ironman Canada

Tongy — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:22:34 +0000

Ironman Canada was held over the weekend and whilst I am yet to get any race reports, I do know that Tamsin has completed her inaugural Ironman. Well done Tamsin, looking forward to a race report. Well done also to Pete and Andy fellow club mates from Ful-on Tri who also completed the race with great results.

Tamsin has reported that this challenge required her to draw on all of her mental reserves. The run leg showed its dark side and threw a number of obstacles in her way, but they were faced head on with Tamsin finishing under her goal time.

Norseman Xtreme Triathlon

Tongy — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:56:52 +0000

Over the weekend Ellen participated in the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. when looking at details of the race and the profile I am not sure if Xtreme adequately describes it. Ellen had to endure, a swim in the cool waters of the fiord, a rather hilly bike run and then finish with a marathon with the last 15+k being a mountain climb. Ellen was 8th Female and 126th overall, well done.

Here is Ellen’s account of the race

My trepidation at the tag of the Norseman ironman event in Norway as ’the world’s toughest long-distance triathlon’ was somewhat calmed by the beautiful conditions we enjoyed at 4am as the car ferry left the shore of the Hardangerfjord, shining with viking-like braziers. Norsewomen are in a severe minority, 30 out of a total of 230 competitors, but at this stage it carried a great advantage with a satisfying role-reversal of sauntering past hardened men queuing for their facilities on board. The jump down from the ferry (4m drop) an hour later into the shimmering green, flat water was almost inviting – no need to stoop to the alternative side exit at water level, described at the race briefing as the ‘chicken door’. Once we had rounded a corner in the fjord, it was possible to sight in a straight line towards the massive bonfire lit at the end, although as I cooled down progressively despite my neoprene hat and boots, it could not have come soon enough. An entire change in transition in order to combat the cold may be one reason why I seem to hold the record for the slowest swim to bike transition of the entire day, with a time of 14 minutes… The conditions held for all but 5km of the bike, ensuring that stunning views were to be had throughout the climb up to and across the Hardanggervidda Plateau, then up the Imingfjell mountain. The race manual suggests there is a total of 5000m of ascent in the event, but I felt strong and confident in the hills, eternally grateful for Tongy’s bike training sessions. I wished I had brushed up on my basic Norwegian to appreciate where there was local support. In other triathlon events I would hope to gain ground on the run, and in this case I had to pick people off on the first 25k of the run along Lake Tinnsjoen on flat ground, before the start of the climb from 25 to 42k, almost all of which must be walked. Given that the coveted black t-shirt is awarded to the first 160 finishers, I felt the pressure to ensure that I was comfortably within that 160 group by the end of this first 25k of the run, after which it was possible to appreciate the scenery further on the way up ‘zombie hill’ and on a completely clear, 360 degree view to jagged snow-capped mountains from the top of Gaustastoppen mountain at 1850m – and of course last but not least the black t-shirt!

Ironman Regensburg

Tongy — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:48:26 +0000

Well done to Tarne who recently completed Ironman Regensburg. This was Tarnes inaugural attempt at this distance and executed her race and nutrition plan perfectly to ensure that she maintained a consistent pace / effort for the entire race.

Antwerp 70.3 and Milton Keynes Races

Tongy — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:45:18 +0000

Update on 2 really great results over the weekend

Simon raced Antwerp 70.3 treating the race with a view of “dipping the toe in the water” to try out some longer distance racing. All the training for the year has been tailored around Standard distance. Simon flew around the course in a sub 4:30 (4:28) and picked up a slot for the world champs in Clearwater along the way, well done

Eleanor went to race Milton Keynes standard distance after a great race at Upton just a couple of weeks ago. A major goal for the year was to get under the 2:30 mark for this distance, which was achieved with a time of 2:28 a new pb by around 8 minutes. To top the day off this great time also placed her 3rd in her age group. Well done