Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 66, January 2015 | Page 44

Ma dare to tri

Buffalo City Beckons!
With the IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo City taking place on Sunday 25
January, the Modern Athlete Dare to Tri Academy members will
be lining up ready to take on the big one. We caught up with a few of
the DTT athletes to chat about their race day plans and expectations,
and found that they’re revved up and good to go!

Coach’s Corner

– COMPILED BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER

One of the Dare to Tri’s target
events is IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo
City on 25 January 2015. We
have 40 DTT triathletes that have
entered this iconic event, with a
good mixture of novices, secondtimers and experienced athletes.
Our training has been going well
and the fitness levels seem to be
at a higher level than previous years.

JACQUES LE ROUX: “The upcoming 70.3 this month will be the
second time I am participating. I hope to show some improvement on
last years’ time and I’m also using it as a springboard towards doing
my first full Ironman in March! A big call-out to Coach Derick for all the
support, advice and training – without him and his guidance I would
not be participating. Thank you!
EMILY ARMSTRONG: “My
expectation is to make the bike cut-off
and cross the finish line in one piece.
I’m nervous, but my journey to 70.3 has been incredible! I have
made special friendships, I have laughed, I have shed some tears, I
have tested limits and I have survived. Thank you to Modern Athlete
for starting up the programme, without which I would never have
considered a half Ironman triathlon. When I started, my only goal
was to get off the couch, get fit and cross the finish line of a sprint
triathlon. Here’s to courage and a determination I didn’t know I had.”
HERMA BOTHA: “If you would have told me six months ago I would
be this calm for the race, I wouldn’t have believed you. Thanks to
a great training group, a coach with a plan (that works!) and the
support of family and friends, I’m ready to take on the last training
weeks leading up to 70.3. Ever since I started thinking about entering
Ironman 70.3, all I’ve heard was the amazing vibe that you experience
in East London. This is an experience that no money can buy, and that
you can only rightfully talk about after you have been part of it. I can’t
wait to go there and give it my everything!”

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ISSUE 66 JANUARY 2015 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Training for 70.3 requires focus during December and it’s a question
of balancing festive season activities with training, especially on the
bike, because the bike course at Buffalo City is one of the hardest
bike courses of any 70.3 worldwide. The hills in the first 45km
are unrelenting and a good fitness level is needed to get through
the bike before cut-off, so hilly training rides in the Cradle have
been the basis of the DTT programme to develop the strength and
stamina to take on this tough course.
To all our novice 70.3 triathletes, the training is n