Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 114, January 2019 | Page 44

DARE TO TRI
SIGN ME UP AGAIN!
In spite of having 12 Full Ironman PE medals to his name, Marcello Gnudi signs up to be part of the beginner-oriented
Dare To Tri (DTT) Programme year after year, and it’s all down to the coaching and camaraderie, he says.
MA: So, 2018 was quite a year for you... a 12th Ironman in PE and earning MG: I am really good at listening to my body and do enough training, rather than
your Comrades Green Number as well. What motivates you to go back to these
events year after year? too much. The three disciplines of triathlon really complement each other, because
you find that you use very different muscles for the different events. Also, training
never gets boring, as you are always changing it up. In terms of nutrition, I take
protein shakes after training and extra vitamins every day, and we always have a few
beers after the Dare To Tri rides on a Sunday!
MG: Yes, it’s been awesome. Anyone who has done either of these two events
will know how incredible they are. The vibe, the crowds, the atmosphere keeps me
coming back every year.
MA: You took an interesting route into multisport. Many triathletes come from
a running background and then do Ironman, but you were a cyclist, started
triathlons and did Ironman, and only then moved into running, going on to do
the Comrades. How did you find this journey, and how do you think it compares
to the more typical route?
MG: In the 80’s I bought a running magazine and saw an article about Ironman
in Hawaii. Since then Ironman has fascinated me. Then about 13 years ago, I did
a cycle down to Durban, and we had four or five triathletes with us. The first day
was over 265km to Volksrus, but I remember when we stopped at our overnight
accommodation, these crazy triathletes jumped into the pool, and then got out
saying they were going to do a 5km run! I could not believe it... but it was at that ride
that I decided I would do Ironman the following year.
MA: For the past 10 years, you’ve done both the Ironman and Comrades each
year. How has your body coped with the double load of training and racing, and
have you had to do anything specific to make it all work?
MA: What sparked your interest in being part of DTT?
MG: What really interested me about Dare To Tri was the swimming. I am really a
shocking swimmer. It was advertised that the Dare To Tri programme would come
with a total immersion session. We also have group open water swims on Saturdays
where coach Derick watches and give advice.
MA: In spite of being so experienced, you are still part of DTT. What brings you
back each year?
MG: The vibe brings me back, and you cannot get a better value for money deal:
You get a full training programme, and you can join weekend training group sessions,
all for under R2000. Also, Coach Derick has an enormous amount of knowledge as
well as being a super athlete himself.
MA: Lastly, any advice for newcomers to multisport?
MG: My advice is simple: Don’t over-train. You will get injured or ill if you do. Enjoy,
have fun and relax.
A special note of thanks to Marcello and his wife Robyn, whose Margyn company supplies the kit for the DTT programme. It is thanks to stalwart sponsors such as
you that this programme has proven so successful.
The Coach’s Corner
The 70.3 East London bike course is very tough (hills and wind), so you need fitness and strength to get you back under four hours,
and still have enough strength left to run 21 kays. That is why we do three bike sessions a week – one longer ride, one hilly or tempo
ride, and one easy ride. Doing hill repeats builds strength, but should be alternated with some “time trial” riding – this is important,
because many triathletes can ride long distances, but they are not able to sustain a good pace when riding on their own. We also
do a “bike block” training week, where we ride on consecutive days to boost bike fitness. You can also do consecutive bike sessions
whenever this fits into your schedule, like riding a Saturday and Sunday... but you need to ensure you still do your longer runs
The Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI programme will get you there!
Training for the Ironman 70.3 East London in January is now pretty much done, but you can still sign up for DTT training for the Ironman
PE in April 2019 and the Ironman 70.3 in Durban in June. The success of the DTT programme is that is an affordable, manageable and
sustainable training programme that fits in with your family, work and social commitments, and you will receive expert coaching and be
able to join fun weekend group training sessions.
Go to https://daretotri.canbook.me/dtt-2018 and follow the prompts to register.
44
ISSUE 113
114 DECEMBER
JANUARY 2019
2018 / / www.modernathlete.co.za
www.modernathlete.co.za
By Derick Marcisz