ROAD TO NOOSA TRI #2 - MASTERING THE OCEAN SWIM

[00:00] Welcome to In the Beginning, the Road to Noosa Triathlon podcast series, episode 2. Courtney Atkinson, three-time winner of the men's race, Liam Flanagan, ten-time finisher of the men's race, and we're joined by the national triathlon coach himself — he looks after some of the best male triathletes in the world — Dan Atkins. How are you there? Good, good, looking forward to more chat about Noosa. Yeah, it's time to talk swimming. So the way this series has worked, we got to know you in episode one, and in episode two we want to start diving into the specific training

[00:31] advice and the way to tackle the Noosa Triathlon as an event. We want to know how to master the Noosa ocean swim — that's right, it's in the ocean, so a unique one. Before we get into the specifics of the ocean swim, Courtney, can you give us a little history lesson? For those who don't know, this used to be a swim in the canals. That's the original course, which is an interesting one when you talk about records — we've talked a lot about legacy in events and how the best events out there are the ones with great history and

[01:01] more than any of them — forty-two years old now, been around since 1983. But in that time the course has changed. Even the transition area, for example — if you were in the elite race you'd run into the transition area, do ten metres and then straight out on your bike. Now, just with the numbers — what is it, 13,000 give or take people around the whole weekend — you have to do nearly, what, about a 450-metre lap within transition just to get out onto the run. And the sheer size

[01:31] of things is why we've ended up where we are now with Noosa as an ocean swim. But for the life of me, the years I did the swim in the canal, I used to say to my friends and my father, why are we swimming in this? Look at what's just over the road — there's one of the best beaches on the planet right there. Why are we swimming in this murky thing you can't see through, that's filled with bull sharks? What are we doing? Dan, do you know the answer? I'm going to take a guess, but I'm going to find out in another episode what it is.

[02:02] But no, I'm going to take a guess and let's see if I'm right — I actually think it's got a lot to do with exactly what you thought: showcasing the best of Noosa. You've got one of the most amazing beach coves in the world — why not show it off? No one's going up to Noosa to check out the canals. No tourism person is flying in from overseas to go and have a look at that murky brown water out the back of Hastings Street — they're going up there for the beaches. So where do we start with ocean swimming?

[02:35] Well, the variability in the ocean — we can't control it. So like I said in the first episode, you've got tide, you've got variability in the weather, which can make the ocean angry, can make it come alive. So swell is a factor, especially when you're way out the back. And I've measured this with my viewfinder — I think it's about 400 metres offshore. So when you think of that, that's a long way from the sand, from the start.

[03:08] And that sort of comes out just at the tip of the headland there, which changes the way the water moves. So even just going out there and feeling the way the water moves around when you're not swimming — when you're just standing or sitting upright in the water — is really important, just to get a feel for which way the water's moving, because it moves around. It's not a closed lane, you know — not a perfect blue 50-metre pool. So this is what the course is aimed to be, right — but depending on the tide,

[03:39] depending on the sweep — and when I say sweep, that's the water moving from left to right or right to left over the beach — over the years that course changes depending on the conditions. So right up until probably the last few days, you're not exactly sure what you're going to be doing — you just know you're going to be in the ocean. Yeah, 100%, and it'll depend on the weather, which is very variable at that time of year. So that's the base — the way the course is set up is to be straight out and straight back. And look, if you've never been

[04:10] 600 metres offshore in the deep blue ocean, it can be a little intimidating. So I don't suggest you just go out at Burleigh and swim 600 metres offshore and sit around. I reckon you'd get to the nets nearly — yeah, you'd get to the nets, we've done that a few times, it's a little bit scary. But I think the biggest thing is that, especially if you're on the East Coast or the West Coast of Australia, get out in the open water. Do all your kilometres and your work in the pool, but just get in there and experience what it

[04:42] feels like, because if you come to race day and you've never been out in the deep blue, it can be a bit off-putting. How much time are your athletes spending doing open water swim training — not for the ocean specifically, but in general? Come summertime, probably once a week, but it's very specific — very specific race-craft, short stuff. We have cans and we go out and swim around them at pace, and there's a lot of prescription around what we do — we don't just do it randomly. The boys will certainly, on a Saturday easy swim, go out at

[05:14] Nobbys or somewhere and swim two kilometres up and down the beach, just because it's better than swimming in a pool. But that's the beauty of us living on the coast — we have that advantage and we might as well use it. You'd be crazy not to, especially in summer. In the elite race, let's talk about that first can, because whether it's Noosa or the Olympic Games, I remember my whole race being set up around how I got around that first can. Everyone has a bit of a different approach — I always wanted to get on the inside and slip right under that can, just skim the

[05:48] rope and then pop out. You could normally make up ten places or so if you weren't leading the race. That's probably not the case for those racing Noosa, so there's going to be a few different ways to approach it. If you're not a confident swimmer, how would you want to approach that first can, given you could be surrounded by twenty people? Have you got any advice for those first-timers who aren't that confident in the water? Yeah, look, I think the cans are so big now — they're massive, and they're branded so

[06:18] you can see them clearly. My advice is just to not go anywhere near them, because I've seen so many people get caught up in the rope. Don't listen to me — no, I want to get rope-burned! There's a rule for some and a rule for others — the rule for the elites is Courtney wants rope burn. For everyone else — look, when you're an elite, different story, the tightest line is the best line and you've got to attack it hard. But if you're one of our age-groupers or one of our masses participants, you want to stay away from the

[06:50] cluster — just swim around the outside. And if it takes you an extra five seconds, I can guarantee the people hugging the can are going to stop, sit up and look around. And if you haven't swum a lot, haven't trained a lot, what happens when you stop? You can cramp. So you don't want that to happen — you want to keep moving, keep a constant flow in your swim. Plus there's the anxiety of having people around you if you're not used to it. You want

[07:20] a first-hand account — have you ever experienced that? Did you ever feel uncomfortable or anxious in a pack? Let me think of a really bad race — I would have been hammered in Beijing. London Olympics is actually a good one, because I got out there — it was a long swim, I think it was about 250 metres to the first can in Hyde Park. I got a reasonably good start, so I was in probably tenth

[07:50] to twelfth. But even in that race at tenth to twelfth, when you've got, say, people five wide, three in front of you, a few behind you, you're stopped. And when I say stopped, you've got someone pressing on your back. Now it's illegal to be punching or doing anything untoward, but if you're getting around that can — and this is the problem for anyone in this situation, doesn't matter whether you're elite or not — if you've got that many people around you trying to swim and you can't move your limbs, those

[08:20] limbs are going to hit you somewhere else. That happened every race. That's why it was so important — it would have been so much easier for you, not just because of your position in the race, but your heart rate. The whole point of the swim — you've got two, three, four, five hours of racing to go — what's the point of having your heart rate at its highest in the first hundred metres? And then not only that, you've just sprinted the first hundred metres, and then you get to the first can and it goes even higher because someone's on your

[08:51] back. Let me — Dan, I'll be interested to get your advice on this, because as somebody who's not a strong swimmer, I've done ten Noosa Triathlons, so I can get through the distance, but I'm not a strong swimmer, and that all comes down to me not putting enough time in the pool or the open ocean. The first ever triathlon I did was actually a sprint distance — it was at Huskisson, which was a great event, another fantastic event, and if anybody's looking to get into it outside of Noosa, I couldn't recommend that event enough.

[09:22] I went out, and I knew it was a deep water start — again, my head goes, well, that means I'm going to have to tread water, not real confident treading water. And as I watched some of the waves rolling in before me, there was a little rock shelf, and I thought, great, I'll get out to the rock shelf. So I got out to the rock shelf, but that meant I was at the front of my wave — so when they said go, I had my whole wave swim over the top of me. I had a full-blown — this is as close as I've ever come to a panic attack. I swam out to the side, unzipped my suit, and a hundred metres into this race I thought, I'm done. I couldn't get my heart

[09:54] rate back down, couldn't calm down. I'm in the middle of the ocean, the surf lifesavers are out there looking after everybody, one paddled over to me and said, are you okay? I took some deep breaths — the only thing that got me through that race was knowing that if I DNF'd, my brother-in-law would never let me forget it. So it was pride and shame in equal parts that got me through the race. But even now, to this day, I still get up to Noosa every year and my heart rate elevates before the swim. But that's normal — the nerves before a race are normal

[10:25] as well. Yeah, and even now, almost every four hundred metres into the race, I have to actively talk myself down — just relax, calm down, you're fine. And I'm already doing what you said, Dan, staying as far away from those cones, those turning cans, as possible. Is there anything beyond doing enough training — any advice you can give people about that swim in those early stages? I think if we take it one step back — the start of the swim, you've got to run into

[10:57] the water, and I've seen so many people ruin their race right there in the first ten seconds. How do they ruin it? Sprinting in. If you're sprinting into the water and you haven't checked the depth, haven't checked your footing before you go in — people faceplanting, tripping over. I've seen rolled ankles, I've seen calves torn, just because of anxiety — they think, oh, I can't swim, but I'll sprint in and get a bit of a jump on it. What I recommend you don't do is that — just take your time to get

[11:29] into the water. In your pre-race routine, check the water at the start line — check the depth, see where it is that you can dive in. Now, you shouldn't dive into the water until you're waist-deep — that's the surf rule of thumb, don't dive into the water. So you can lift your legs over the water, but just make sure you don't dive in and start stroking until you're up to your waist. Now, to do that means you've got to run in, but just make sure you're not running in at your full sprint pace and faceplanting yourself in the first bit, because that can take your breath away and then the anxiety comes on

[12:01] and all that stuff. So just take your time — it's the first ten seconds of the race, it isn't going to win it, but you'll definitely lose the race, you can't win it there. How important is that pre-race warm-up swim? Because, as I said, I've only had a coach once before for a Noosa, and the advice from him was very much make sure you take yourself for a hundred metres or a couple of hundred metres warm-up swim pre-race, and as you say, that also allows you to check the ocean floor, especially at Noosa, which is a relatively calm, open beach. But how much would you

[12:33] recommend that people, even if they're not confident in their ability to swim a long way, get that warm-up swim in? Well, if you've trained that way, then that's the way you should race — you're preparing how you trained. So the race is set up by the training you've done in the lead-up. So even if you're only doing three swims a week, say fifteen hundred to two kilometres, have it organised that you're doing somewhat of a warm-up in that session before your main set or your race-prep set. So I think you mirror what you do in training on race day.

[13:05] But the other thing about warming up is it takes away some of those pre-race nerves. The great thing about Noosa is, unlike the canal, as a fan or family member you can be right on the start line with the athlete you're supporting. Yeah, and I love it because as a coach I can be down there in the water and say, this is what you've got to do, that's where you've got to head, and they already know that. But as a fan, I can be right next to my brother, my sister, my mum, my dad,

[13:38] whatever — and probably making them even more nervous! So maybe a bit of advice for the spectators is just hang back a little and let the athletes organise themselves. But I think the other thing is that most people will be down at the beach the day before the race — they'll have looked at the swim on the Friday, which is an iconic event. Most people drive up Friday or Thursday and get to see the swim. I suggest you go and watch that swim, just have a look at the way the elites get out there, and the way the

[14:10] mass participants get out there as well. It's not the exact same course, but it's similar and it's in the ocean. So just get a sense of how they do it as well — it's always good to get a visual. I think the key for those starting out, or if it's your first one or you're a bit worried about the swim, is just to relax — find where in that water you need to be to relax. That's the key. Don't start out too hard — it's a long day, there's no point overdoing it early. As far as those age-groupers who are

[14:40] racing that may want to — like, they're actually competitive and want to get up there — have you got a key session, if you will, that you use for open-water swimming in the pool that would get you ready for Noosa? I'll tell you the one I used to do too. Well, it's a bumpy swim, so when you think of that, it changes your stroke rate, changes your rhythm. So I always like to set session plans around not being comfortable the whole time. For example, fifteen hundred — your main

[15:14] set might be, let's say, 2000 metres, 20 by 100s is a great set to do with fifteen seconds rest. But every now and then mix up your pace — don't just stick to one pace, you want to vary it. Your heart rate in a triathlon — this is unlike a marathon, where you want to aim to sit at a consistent heart rate the whole way through — in a triathlon, buddy, that's dead, you're not going to do that. You're going to run into the water, your heart rate's going to spike, you're going to go through the waves, it's going to spike again, and then you've somehow got to settle down. So you want to match that in

[15:45] your training — you want to become comfortable being uncomfortable in training. Having variability in those sets can be as simple as 20 by 100s — you could do the first five with paddles, which simulates really getting through the surf, throwing in a bit of head-up freestyle. So if you don't have access to the surf, if you're out west or wherever and you've only got a pool, challenge yourself to do some siding — just head-up freestyle a little, make sure you've got some kick in your legs. People say triathletes don't kick — bullshit, they do kick.

[16:17] This is good and this is hard, because I reckon for the first couple of triathlons, the first couple of Noosas I did, I was like, I just want to kick, and I paid a price for it. You don't want to over-kick though, because you can cook your legs for the rest of the race. Yeah, you can, but it's trainable — you want to have the ability to, because I don't care who you are, the first 200 metres, the adrenaline's pumping, you're going to be going harder than potentially you go in training. So if you don't want to burn too many matches, prepare yourself in training to do some

[16:48] of that. Okay, so I like that — a 20 by 100 set, as you say, adding in different stroke techniques, adding in equipment, is a nice way to train. There's a specific one I used more towards the end of my triathlon career. You know how much I love fartlek running? Yes I do. So is there a fartlek swimming session? Well, 100%, kind of, yeah — similar to what Dan just said, around the 20 by 100s. I used to do a session — this is probably on the top end, but you can tailor it to your level — where I'd sprint out, get

[17:20] a hundred metres hard, as if I was starting the race. Then I'd roll into 200 metres, but not completely easy — it's like the float you talk about in running, so I'd float through that, keeping pressure on and getting through that next 200. Then I'd go into a 300 at my race pace — what I want to settle at — then another 200, but not backing off too much, and then finish off with 100 metres as hard as I could, doing backstroke for that hundred. I used to do three of them to make a 3K set.

[17:51] Not suggesting that for everyone, but it's the same theory as what Dan's saying — expose yourself to the high heart rate and then give yourself the chance to feel, okay, this is what pace I settle into. And when you get to the race, your body already knows what it's going to feel like. If you've done that enough consistently, like Dan said, it starts to become a bit more natural each time — you're teaching your body to recover without slowing down or completely stopping, without a stationary recovery. Exactly — so you're used to going the whole distance, because

[18:23] the other thing to point out — pool versus open water — is there's no wall, there's no rest. If you've never gone out and done any open-water swim training, it's a shock to the system, because you're used to getting a tumble turn or at least a break at the wall every 50 metres, 25 metres in some pools. And then suddenly you're 500 metres into this race and you're like, where's the wall? I do laugh every time I'm up

[18:53] there at Noosa, because I walk out to the beach for the swim start and I'm praying for a pool, praying for a pond — I'm like, I just want this to look like a pool. And then you see the surf swimmers, they're stoked, because the good surf swimmers are praying for chop, praying for waves, praying for swell — they want this to benefit them as much as possible. And when it's like Lake Noosa, I couldn't be happier. But you mentioned siding — can we talk about siding, because

[19:23] outside of getting out in the open water and doing these training sessions, for those who've done it before, we know what it is — but for the first-timers who may never have come across this term, can you explain it in the most basic way, and give us some idea how to train it if you're not part of a squad? Well, probably the first thing about siding is making sure you've got the right equipment — obviously we wear goggles. It's very dense salt water, so you need to wear goggles, have some different shades of goggles, because November could be quite wet early in the morning

[19:57] at Noosa. Historically it's been a bit wet, so make sure you've got some clearer goggles. But also, if it's a really clear day, make sure the goggles you've got let you actually look — you'll be looking into the sun, the sun will be rising, so you need goggles with the ability to visualise where you're going, which is generally straight out, so you can see what you're looking for. Goggles are a big thing — in terms of triathlon equipment it's actually the least expensive part.

[20:29] Yeah, and I can guarantee you can buy a thousand different types at the Expo, which will be there — but I also recommend don't use new equipment on race day. Make sure you've done your research and got the right goggles, but for a small investment, goggles are very important, they make a big difference. Double-capping is a big thing for me as well — talking equipment, making sure that if you normally wear a swimming cap in the pool and put your goggles over the top of the cap, then get the race cap and put that over the top again.

[21:00] So you're double-capping, and that's just for security, so someone doesn't rip them off — or, well, again, it disrupts your rhythm if you get salt water in your eyes and you're not used to it. Like I said, triathlon can be very uncomfortable — you can train in a beautiful pool but go out in the ocean, get a smack in the head and get a bit of water in your goggles, you need to learn how to deal with it. So the double cap's a big thing — I've always suggested cap, goggles, cap. I like that, okay.

[21:30] So that's a big one. So — the goggles, double goggles — knowing the course, so, as Courtney pointed out earlier, what's on the website right now could be different come race day, and they could change that within 24 hours of the event. You showed that photo before, Dan and I — no, I don't think I've ever swum that course. That's why — I've never seen it as an out-from-the-beach, turn, and back-in. It's always been an out on an angle, swim down the beach, turn, and then head back up the beach.

[22:03] Almost an L-shaped course. I've never seen that out-and-back, which is why when you brought it up I thought, they changed it. Maybe when they get the right conditions — and these are the questions, as we go through this, I can ask the event itself and go, okay, what's it likely to be and what's the process around making those decisions. So I'll take some notes off the back of this one. Okay, siding — just to stay with it for a moment. Ten strokes up, 20 strokes out — what's the general

[22:33] rule of thumb? And I know you're working with the athletes at the pointy end who are drilling this in training, but as a general rule of thumb for an average swimmer, or someone aspiring to be at a B or age-group level this year — generally I think it's every three to five strokes. Yeah, absolutely, and even some of our elites will side every two strokes, and it's a rhythm they get into by doing that — we train that way specifically in training, and we might have a broken set

[23:05] where we're doing a bit of siding in the session, but also having the ability to breathe on both sides. A lot of people, especially beginners, are guilty of only breathing on one side, so even just in your warm-up, maybe not the main set, practise breathing bilaterally. The other side of that is it helps build lung capacity as well. So again, in triathlon you've got to learn adaptability in the moment — if you get hit in the head and your head's underwater for a couple of extra strokes you're not ready for, you don't want to let the anxiety

[23:37] build up that you feel like you're going to drown. You're not going to drown — just stay calm, two extra strokes with your head down is okay, but train that way, put that in your training. A bit of hypoxic breathing — 3-5-7 is a big one we use all the time, every single warm-up. For those who haven't heard of it, when you're swimming the laps, you go, I'm going to breathe every 3, then every 5, and see how far you can take that out. Generally 7 to 9,

[24:07] but 9's a real challenge — I'd even suggest just 3 and 5. Just so you've got the ability, because your neck's used to turning, because as you're coming — you know, at the back end of the course, if you're only used to breathing to the right, you're going to find yourself a hundred metres off the other way. I'm laughing because I wish I'd had this podcast episode when I was starting. I feel comfortable breathing on my right side, but I swim faster breathing on my left

[24:39] side — that's just how it's been when I've done it in the pool. And it's not that I'm trying any harder, but when I breathe to my left, my 500 times are seconds faster than when I breathe to the right. And I never learned to breathe on both sides, ever. The other issue for anybody out there who thinks, I'll just get through the race breathing on one side — if you're a right-side breather and the way the course usually pans out, if there's swell, you're swallowing water, because those waves will hit you as you turn and head down the beach.

[25:09] If there's swell or any chop, that water is coming into your mouth if you can only breathe on your right side. So the ability to breathe on your left side and actually turn away from the waves as they hit you is invaluable — and I'm speaking from experience, having swallowed more than my fair share of Noosa ocean. Unpack that — so he breathes on his right but swims faster when he breathes on his left, is that just because he flattens out on his left? That's right — and I've seen so many people do that, that once they breathe on their non-dominant

[25:41] side, you'd think they'd flatten out — Courtney's doing the action and trying to figure out what's going on — but it's true, because your head's lower in the water, so you're not creating any turbulence. But just practise it, get yourself to a position where it's comfortable. So let's keep going through the swim — by this point we're in the swim, we've got the right kit on, we've double-capped, we've sided, we've found the turning cans, we've stayed nice and wide. If we're not comfortable being in close and taking that fast line, drafting — talk to me about it, because it's

[26:15] illegal on the bike, but in the swim it's an advantage if you can execute it. Yeah, it's called the flume — if you're in a flume and you've got someone at the front of you, you're swimming off to the side of someone or on their feet. It's obviously not safe for your nose to swim on people's feet, and if you've swum a lot in open water and copped a hit to the nose, it's not very nice — so the best place to sit is just below the hip. So if you can swim off to the side of someone, just on the

[26:45] hip. Now, this is trainable as well — if you've got a few of your mates, you can do this in a pool, just make sure old Doris isn't doing breaststroke in your lane and you've got a bit of space to work with, but creating a bit of an arrowhead — having three of you swimming up and down the pool practising fast 50s or whatever, creating an arrowhead, someone at the front, someone on one side of the hip, someone on the other side of the hip — just get a sense of what it feels like to get towed along.

[27:15] And it does make a difference. You also become the most annoying person in the world to the lead swimmer, who'd want to avoid you — I mean, it is the best place, and if you want the easiest swim, 100%, you want to be the person towing them on your hip, or you want to smack them. This was going to be my next question, because as much as I say "we," Dan, you know, I've talked about it as, everyone's fit, it's Christmas, everyone's good vibes and good feelings — but when you get in that environment and someone is sitting on your

[27:45] hip, it can bring out the nasty side of people. How did you, Courtney — maybe I'll come back to you here — how did you shake people who were sitting in that spot? Oh, I can't say some of the rare things I did here, but I mean, you don't mind someone on your feet, you're still getting good draft on your feet — it isn't as effective as the hip, but what it does allow is the fast swimmer at the front doesn't feel the drag as much necessarily, there's a little bit, but you don't actually notice it when someone swims on your hip. It's like someone pressing down

[28:17] on your lower back — right, so when you're swimming at speed, that's what it feels like, you're getting dragged in the water. So if the goal of everyone is to actually swim quicker, it depends on the race, where you are, and what your goals are for the race. Because most people in the middle of the pack — if there's people all around you — you're not going to notice. But if you're an age-grouper trying to do your best time at Noosa and get your PB, understand that it's not necessarily in either of your best interests if you're both trying to get there as quick as possible by

[28:48] swimming on the hip, because you'll drag the fastest swimmer down. Slot in, tap the feet, let them know you're there, but be nice — what, be nice? Can you give me a safer podcast story of how you dealt with a hip-swimmer back in the day? Did you ever do it yourself? Yeah, of course — I mean, if you're in a race and someone's quicker than you — I'm not saying I'm not being a hypocrite here. No, like, for example, when we chat to

[29:18] Craig Walton, who was always in front of the swim, and I know Matt Hauser is often at the front of the swim too, so Dan would have to deal with this — if someone's on your hip, you want to get them off your hip so you can get away as quick as possible to get a lead, because everyone's purpose is to get away. Was there a technique? Is there a — there is a technique. You can start swimming — if you're confident in your swimming, you can start swimming until they have to make the decision, I'm going so far away

[29:49] it's now going to become a longer swim for me. And if they then give way and go back to your feet, you go back on course. But that puts them in the decision-making process. Wow, you can just get rough — right, just start swimming erratically? Do you coach this, Dan? Can't say this — this is why I'm out, I'm now out of this sport, so I can say all these things that went on. I mean, the purpose is the slowest swimmer wants to be on the hip so they can get dragged

[30:20] along as easily as possible — the fastest swimmer doesn't want you on their hip, so you work it out, there's a process that needs to happen until everyone's happy. Okay, yeah — I love hearing this, it's cool, because a lot of people who are really interested in triathlon — Dan, at the Paris Olympics, that was obviously a unique swim, the athletes swam in... well, it was dirty in — I don't know, we might have been dirty in a number sense, I meant dirty in the water-quality sense — but I don't know, I think, sorry, Noosa aside, I think Paris was one of the more

[30:51] unique swims in triathlon we've probably seen, because of the wall, and because there was a current running against them. So when you talk about swimming on feet, swimming on hips — but that decision-making process of when to get off that wall and into the current pushing against you, those decisions — how did you go about that? Did what happened in the race match what you expected? And did you have a process going in, knowing, okay, we're going to pull out into the current at this stage? Yeah, it was a very big process, the swim.

[31:21] I'm sort of putting my serious voice on now, because it took a lot of planning, a lot of analysis — I was talking to someone in France a year out about the water conditions, and it started off being heavily about water quality, but that turned into all our discussions being around the tide. When we went there for the test event, we couldn't believe how fast the water was moving — it was moving at about half a metre a second, or whatever — and then on race day it was 1.2 metres per second, and there was a real chance they might not run the swim at all, and

[31:53] I think it fell within a tenth of a kilometre per hour of having to cancel the swim. Is that because at some point you just can't swim back against the current? Exactly — so we set that up in training, understanding the demands of the competition. Matt did a lot of 200s with a band wrapped around his feet, swimming as hard as he possibly could, because his strength is going from the front, and what you spoke about, Courtney, is trying to be a disruptor while being at the lead — when a lot of people want

[32:24] to be a disruptor behind the front guy, we wanted to be the disruptor at the front. So using his strength — the guy can swim under 1:55 for 200, which is world class — we trained that way. We used his strength and thought, well, what else can we do? So we used paddles, we used what's called a drag chute, we used bands around the feet, we did some horrendous training sessions — I had everyone swimming in a lake, and Matt was the only one with a band wrapped around his feet, and he had to try and keep up with the guys without

[32:55] bands. So, I guess, like Noosa, they're the things you can do just to change your rhythm, change the way you're thinking about swimming, just to be able to get through the course. Was there a location prior to Paris where you could actually train against a current? We don't really have that scenario in Australia, do we? I thought about it — there's a flume at the Queensland Academy of Sport that they use for training, and I asked whether they could reverse the

[33:27] flow, and we had discussions about that, and we were nearly ready to do it, but I figured, well, a band around the feet is going to make it just as hard to swim as swimming against a current. That's so cool. What I will say for everybody out there listening — I mean, Dan, you're talking to elites, Courtney, you're talking about your own personal experience, I can't talk as an elite or as an age-grouper who might be looking to finish on the podium or even set a big PB — but what I can say to anybody out there who's nervous

[34:00] heading into this swim because they're not a strong swimmer, it might be your first Noosa — the Noosa Triathlon swim start now is the friendliest possible swim start you will find. It is — I've been through it from when it was an all-in wave start in the canals, to when it was an all-in wave start in the ocean. The way it works now, for anybody who isn't aware, this rolling start could not be more friendly to the everyday

[34:31] triathlete. The way it works is you essentially go and seed yourself on the beach based on time — not on your age, not your gender, whatever it is — you're seeded on how long it will take you, or you think it will take you, to swim the 1500 metres. You go and find that time group, then you roll off within that time group in a group of four every five seconds — you line up, go into the pen like you'd see at the start of a greyhound race, then you hear the beep and off you go in a group of four, and then five seconds later the next group rolls. So this rolling start has

[35:04] removed that real pack sensation. That doesn't mean you're not going to swim with people — you're still surrounded by people throughout the course — but it takes out that big pack, that big mob where you don't know which way is left, up or down. It means the beginner swimmers, the less experienced, the less strong swimmers, can get into this triathlon. From a safety point of view, this is amazing, because for all those reasons we talked about — from a competition point of view, we'll always put that lens on it as well, it

[35:35] makes it a little difficult for some of the ones racing each other. But if you look at it this way, it's a true time trial — you don't get that head-to-head race the way you would if it were just your category. But Noosa got to a point where it was so large that even within categories they had to have wave starts in some of the bigger ones — so in that sense it doesn't change that much. But from a safety point of view, this is a great one. By this stage, you would have self-seeded within those zones, and then on the day.

[36:07] But on the day, like we said, if you want to be most comfortable, be realistic about where you start — that's the best thing you can do, from my experience. One more part of the swim — do we want, Courtney, do you want to incorporate T1 into this part, or do you want to do transition as a special episode? No, let's — we can talk T1 today too. But before that, we've forgotten probably one of the most important questions of all about swimming, Liam — we're talking about equipment. What do you wear these days in triathlon? So it's obviously more than

[36:38] likely a non-wetsuit swim at Noosa — it's always warm that time of year, coming into November, it's nearly summer, it's never a wetsuit swim. I see these people turn up every year with their wetsuits — got to put a disclaimer on it, a southerly current could come through, an iceberg could come from Antarctica, who knows, Liam, what could happen! It could be a wetsuit swim, bring your wetsuit — but it's not going to be. And if you don't have one, don't buy one just for this. These days, Dan, swimsuit technology — obviously you're

[37:08] exposed to the top of the tree here in the Olympics — but is there anything different allowed at a Noosa race, different materials? What's going on there? Yeah, they all wear these swim skins — you'll see a lot of them if you watch the T100 on the weekend — they're a tri-suit-looking thing that's not wetsuit thickness, it's not neoprene, it's a lighter fabric designed by swimming companies that helps you stay a bit more buoyant. Realistically, every one of the elites will be wearing one.

[37:40] They'll wear it, and then strip it off — they're not actually allowed to wear it on the bike, which you wouldn't want to anyway because you'd overheat, but they're better for swimming than tri-suits. The tri-suit quality these days is very good, the fabric's fantastic and it's made for swimming effectively, but it just doesn't breathe as well as the swim skins, which are made specifically for swimming. All the big brands have them, so most of the sponsored guys will be wearing their swim skins, and

[38:12] how much does it help? I'm probably going to say a second, maybe a second and a half per hundred. So you can buy speed, but it also gives you flotation, buoyancy as well. If you're aiming for the top of the podium, it's a consideration. Now, if I'm assuming these are pretty expensive, these swim skins — if I'm not aiming for the top of the podium and I just want the best experience, and I'm only going to buy one suit, what should I be looking at — just a normal tri-suit would be the best

[38:42] option? Yeah, I think so. And for me personally, I think because the masses are starting so much later in the day, potentially get one with a zip in the front rather than a zip in the back, which the elites need to use — that way you can help with cooling, and that's going to be better throughout your race. And there are so many companies out there at the moment, but again, don't just buy it at the Expo because it looks cool — try it first, buy it before, do your research, get your sizing right, because

[39:12] the size can matter, especially when you're on the bike and you start getting muscle swell in your legs and whatnot — that's uncomfortable, so get something that fits well. Purchase realistically for what level you're aiming for, what your goal is within the race. Because if you want to go as quick as possible, the front zip isn't going to be the fastest option in the water — but if you're, I'll say like Liam — if you're like me, I know where I'm at, I'm comfortable with my level. If you're going to be out there late in the day, it does get hot

[39:42] — and we'll get into the run in another episode, but it gets really hot out there, so that's definitely an option. Like I said, the amount of new technology and materials keeps coming, it's just like running, it's continual. So — getting into a shot, I've got a front-zip tri-suit? Oh, you do — so I wasn't throwing you under the bus. You're not throwing shade — I've got a front-zip suit, I'll bring it up for you actually. Let me guess, it's going to have flowers on it — it does, it's got the floral, it's actually floral, it's floral — I'll try and find a photo of it, but it's

[40:13] a — it's a mate of mine, Bo Jones, who's a really interesting character. Ironman actually sent him to Kona last year, because he's got a fantastic journey story about mental health and what he's gone through, and he's created this brand, Bottle It, which is very much triathlon-focused, and he's got this fantastic floral design. I was lucky enough to get one of his tri-suits last year — I think this is the brand here, Courtney, I'll bring it up so you can have a look — there's

[40:43] someone finished — is that what you wear? That's the tri-suit — here you go, Dan, that's the tri-suit I race in at Noosa every year. It's got the front zip and the padded, padded backside for the bike ride as well. But it's great — in full disclosure, not flowers, never went that far, but I did have a suit — I raced for Orca, and when we were in non-ITU or non-sanctioned races, you could wear whatever you wanted. I believe I probably wore this at Escape from Alcatraz one year.

[41:15] They let you literally design whatever you wanted on the suit — I had this Terminator-style suit, like an exoskeleton design. I'll see if I can find the shot — there you go, I've just found a shot of it — that's actually on the Noosa flyer, that was me from a couple of years back in the middle there. Look at that — I wore this Terminator-style suit that was integrated into it, and I look back and thought it was the bomb at the time. Now I look back and go, that's one of those things where you cringe.

[41:45] I will say, a lot of the elites will invest probably way more time than they should on designing their Noosa tri-suits — but I love it, I love seeing the non-traditional ones. It is, and that's what makes it so exciting for everybody — you can design a suit with your company, or whatever, and it's just fun. Let's get us to the bike, Dan, so we get out of the water — we've talked about the soft sand — then what happens, what's the next thought process? Look, getting through from the swim to the

[42:15] bike, it's conservatively about two minutes, two to three minutes, so you need to factor that into how you go about things. That's the beauty of our sport — transitioning, it's not just swim, bike, run. And the first battle is getting to your bike, finding the bloody thing. The elites are very lucky, they're on the front rack, they can find their bikes easily. But for the masses, just make sure you know where your bike is — know what number rack it is, understand where on the rack it is. I've lost my bike before and stood there going,

[42:45] what's going on? Look for some tree markers, that's a good one — it's the second biggest tree as you're running in, and then I'm going to turn right. One thing I do, or get people to do, especially age-groupers, is get some talcum powder and put it on the ground next to your shoes. It's not illegal, but you're not supposed to mark your area, so just a little bit of talcum powder next to your brightly coloured shoes, put it down on the ground so you

[43:16] know where your bike is. Dan doesn't realise that now five thousand people are going to go thinking, I'm going to put some talcum powder down — the transition area is going to look like a Colombian cartel bust, everyone trying to find their shoes! But the three to five thousand people who started with the news are going to have talcum powder — that's fantastic. Oh, that's great. Now we'll save it, because obviously next episode we'll talk about the bike, but prepping your

[43:47] transition for the ride, I think we'll get into that next time, because that feels more bike-specific, in terms of tyre pressure and all the rest of that sort of stuff. Yeah, we need a bike chat episode. Bike chats is going to be a big one — half the reason people do triathlon is just for the bike chat, isn't it? Just with that run through, because you've talked about the start of the race, the swim, the heart rate, that transition back to your bike — what should I be doing, how should I be trying to compose and control myself during that run?

[44:21] Last hundred metres of the swim, bring your legs in a bit — obviously you're going to stand up and start running across soft sand, so your heart rate's going to spike, but you want to make sure you're bringing your legs in probably a hundred metres offshore, just to start getting a bit of blood flow back into them. Historically that's usually just after you've hit the last turning cans, so you're turning back in towards the beach — and the other dynamic is you might be coming into the wave set, so you want to be mindful of that. But most

[44:52] importantly, get some blood back into your legs before you stand up. That's great — like at the start, don't sprint across the beach, just nice and comfortable. There's going to be a thousand, two thousand people yelling at you, and then all through that chicane to your bike, thousands of people cheering you on — just stay calm, try and actually get your heart rate down by staying focused on what you're doing. Say hello to your kid or whatever you need to do, but just get to your bike safely — helmet on first, make sure you're staying calm, and then

[45:25] helmet on, make sure it's secure — you're not allowed to leave transition without your helmet done up. Okay, careful, because you're drifting into our bike episode — we want to keep the talcum powder dry, as it were, for our bike episode, Dan. But I feel like if you were unsure about the Noosa swim, Dan's given you plenty to go on, and if you've done it before and know what to expect, Dan's given you a few little cheat codes. Oh, there's some crackers in there that I hadn't thought of either.

[45:57] Like bringing the legs in at the end — makes sense, 100%. Yeah, this is exciting. All right, there we go — that's the swim episode of the Road to Noosa Triathlon series. Dan Atkins, again, we appreciate your time and your expertise. Strap yourself in, mate, because next week it's the bike — let's go. This is where the nuffies get me, this is where the athletes with fat bank balances — yeah, we're ready for the comments on this one, because everyone's an expert, aren't they?

[46:27] Thanks, Dan. We'll see you next time. Thanks guys.