Our athletes are now almost all approaching their 2016 season. Our cyclists have already some weeks of racing behind them, our triathletes already did some prep races and are now close in entering their first real game!

2016 began very well for our athletes, in the first 2 months  of the year 26 podium places were realised in road cycling, CX cycling, XC running, road running , triathlon and duathlon! It’s really crazy, you should think…well that’s nice if you realise this in a whole year. Well…that’s a misunderstanding. Those races were all won in global preparation towards our athletes real racing season.

On the winter groupmeetings are athletes work towards the next season. Motivation is key in sports!

Winter groupmeetings can be tough, but with a good bunc of people tough is ‘tof’

The one thing that we can say is that we (athletes and coach) are on a good way towards a top 2016, but let’s talk about that in late december of this year.

Variation in HR % and in the % of the intensity zones is obliged if you want to be a competitive athlete

Building towards a good season needs a good base. Don’t always ‘push’ on training, but try to train with confidence and stay cool when you need to stay cool!

Our triathletes are getting slightly more nervous for their season, a lot of (Half) Iron distances will be raced this year. Ironman South Africa (Sam-Cai-Pierre) will kick off triathlon season, that same day Ironman70.3 Florida and 111 Portocolom (Spain) will be battle scene for our athletes. From that point on Ironman’s 70.3 Nola, Lima, Mallorca ,… will follow soon. You never know the result of a race before the race, the only thing u can  answer is: “are you prepared well?” I can say our athletes who will race that day and later that period will be prepared well. They have put in the energy and let’s see what comes out. A first race of the season always is a question mark.

Training more and more volume is not the best approach towards competitive racing. Volume needs a balance with rest and the right intensity.

Past winter was a busy winter, a winter in which out athletes and myself have made time for evaluation and thinking forward and fast forward. Setting up a plan for each athlete is thé way to approach a good season, never think week by week, Never think month by month. But think from a global view and let that view fit in to an athlete’s life-work balance. On the groupsessions we noticed very determined athletes who will race very passionate. To our cyclists I always say, if you don’t know the feeling of going into the breakaway and just sit and wait…you will never win in style. To our triathletes I say, go out there with the knife between the teeth and use your strong points to be the best you. And never(!) drop out of race, it’s the finishline u need to chase…as fast as possible!

Brooke winning Irondistance Vitoria-Gasteiz last year was one of the highlights in her career. As a coach you live up to these events with your athletes. Every athlete finishing an extraordinary race deserves the deepest respect!

I love looking forward and fast forward,

Jesse