HSD Team Latitude

Creating your perfect environment – A simple formula for success by Ollie Whistler

Two Monkeys Cycling – My Specialized Shiv

You’re doing it all wrong if you’re living from day to day hoping for a breakthrough… I was. Rather than hope, you need to create the opportunity. Start by building the perfect environment, and have the best people to help guide you to your vision. The theory applies to achieving any goal, but I learnt it racing as an elite triathlete chasing the circuit around the U.S hoping for that one race, that one result that would change everything – In short, that ‘one race’ doesn’t exist.

I’ve been racing as a professional triathlete since the start of 2010, and am lucky enough to have a 70.3 title and multiple other podium finishes to my name. Each has given me the inspiration to continue chasing my vision of creating a living from triathlon that will enable me to pursue my ultimate goals in the sport, and the hope that it’s possible. However, not one result has ever created that opportunity, and it’s no one result that will. You might get a day in the sun and a small influx of casheesh that once you factor your costs of preparing and traveling to get there, might be enough to support your caffeine addiction for the next couple of weeks. Whilst still being highly important, what you really need is an environment that’s conducive to infinite progress… a foundation that’s strong, reliable and most importantly constant.

Using my mistakes as a lesson to all, the last three years I’ve either sold my car or taken a loan to race the summer in the northern hemisphere in hope my results would pay it back, or I’d go to work when back in Australia. Neither one of these is either constant, or a reliable methodology. Rather, it’s the perfect example of chasing hope instead of providing the best chance of performing at your peak. All this really achieved was to put a huge emphasis on the result instead of the process required to get one, and with every misfire came more and more hope and the pressure for me to perform. It’s not to say that investing in yourself isn’t necessary, it’s the best investment you can make, but invest into making your environment as close to perfect for achieving your vision – stable and suitable living arrangements (accommodation and location), meeting financial obligations, constant education etc. must be honed before later working on your most opportune training environment (coach, training facilities, partners etc).

When you’re highly motivated, it’s easy to focus only on the physical requirements of racing and completely overlook the effect your suboptimal working conditions and the handbrake they’re applying have on your progress. It can quickly become a vicious cycle that becomes extremely hard to change when getting small tastes of success, but one that’s paramount to your longevity. It’s something I’ve had great difficulty changing on the fly, but is so important that if it requires you to take a backward step from racing in order to overcome, then a backward step you should take.

The hardest thing for me since recognizing the need to change my approach was to trust in the process and justify losing some fitness to properly address the situation. It’s as much a commitment from your support network as it is of your own; so in establishing your foundations for high performance, it’s someone like-minded that encourages and believes in the process that will best guide you to your vision. Pete Clifford, of High Performance Tri, is an example of a coach that understands the importance of creating an environment that “makes the hard seem easy”. Every individuals going to have slightly different circumstances, but all require this phenomena to get through the intense discomfort of the preparation, a prerequisite to being competitive.

Returning from the U.S disappointed with my achievements and as a result of trying to race under the aforementioned, non-conducive circumstances, it was Pete who helped me develop a plan to restructure my training/racing around building a more stable foundation. Rather than the one-dimensional approach used by so many coaches, it’s a holistic view that incorporates all aspects affecting performance (living, financial, education as well as the training environment) that Pete uses. In the end, it’s as much about the journey as the outcome, and it’s his approach that creates a mindset with the ability to control and enjoy the process (present mindset) rather than living for the product (the wrong mindset) – the secret.

I think this is why so often we see a sigh of relief and what looks like an overwhelming sense of fulfillment when some of our greatest athletes are crowned Ironman World Champions. It’s a reflection on a process that’s taken a lifetime of planning and commitment to create an opportunity… and for some, the opportunity to live a dream. You musn’t ever be afraid of taking a backward step, as sometimes it’s fundamental to moving forwards. It’s about aligning all the arrows so they’re all pointing in the same direction, working in unison, towards your vision and goals! I’m very excited about the opportunities created by changing my approach, and to anyone in a similar position, I challenge you to do the same.

This is a lengthy blog, so for those who lack the time, patience or interest.. here is a much-edited update on my U.S racing season in bullet point. It also covers a few points I don’t in my blog so if you’re time healthy, interested, and read things from left to right top to bottom like normal, you’re probably going to read it anyway;

• Whilst we create an element of self-luck, some things are inevitable and it’s in these moments that our decisions create our destiny.
• First stop at 70.3 Hawaii, and my decision to attempt racing with a virus out of sympathy for my Nan, who travelled all the way from Lord Howe flippin Island, still has me recovering. It’s only now that I’m back to full health and starting to race well again.
• However, racing sick was worth the opportunity to see and race against Lance Armstrong though.. it was so dope!
• I also enjoyed some hang time with my Nan in Hawaii after the race, and then some of Oahu’s more relaxed training and social life with one of the most chilled and genuine guys in our sport. My bro, Tim Marr.
• Onto mainland America, and I got a quick lesson in geography on the drive from the airport to my home stay in Chula Vista. Despite Kev from TriLounge being more than accommodating and another great guy, it was about an hours commute too far from the triathlon mecca in San Diego.
• I now reside in Encinitas, the triathlon mecca I speak of, living with the amazing Otto family. I now struggle not with isolation, but the training to social life balance. Social life often getting in the way with evening grills, beer and poker.
• Not to mention the abundance of fit attractive women who are weak and wounded to the Australian accent. It’s like kryptonite.. and I still struggle.
• On a more serious note, whilst I’m painting a rather utopic scenario for all young guys here, I’ve struggled with my physical health since Hawaii. Consequently, I’ve had some results since that I consider to be consistently below average with an 8^th at 70.3 Buffalo Springs and Muncie, and a 9^th at Vineman.
• With every average performance comes the added self pressure to perform better at the next race, which can and has become a mental challenge to overcome.
• It’s alternative and a bit hippie, but I suggest smoking a large joint and then regular meditation. Okay.. maybe not the spliff, but the meditations certainly helped me!
• Whilst 9^th isn’t flash on paper, it was however a big improvement physically, and most importantly a huge step in the right direction mentally. I’m now heading to 70.3 Calgary this weekend in a great head space and fit, which is an added bonus.
• Results may not have been consistently flash, but consistent enough that when combined with my win at 70.3 Yeppoon last year, was enough to achieve one of my major goals and qualify with the 19^th ranked spot for 70.3 World Champs in Vegas.
• This came not only with much surprise and excitement, but also a decision which tore me between returning to defend my title at 70.3 Yeppoon, or basing myself in boulder for four weeks in preparation for Vegas, which I’ve since decided upon.
• Behind every athlete is a support network.. I’d like to thank mine for their continued faith in my ability during times of difficulty. It’s a tough gig trying to crack this sport, but it’s also a dream, which certainly couldn’t be achieved without them. I look forward to the continued journey and am excited about sharing some late season form and results! Coach Grant Giles from Aeromax coaching, Specialized, Champion System, Saucony, Tropical Fruit World, Computrainer, PowerBar, Skins, Blueseventy, Rudy Project.
• I’m now just as dedicated to writing a more regular blog to save you from reading the equivalent of a novel, if you continued, and stay in contact more often.
• “Dream something so big it scares and excites you at the same time, the harder you work the luckier you get, live that dream, and then love every moment..” – Ollie Whistler

Firstly, my apologies for being like a long lost friend. I won’t even start to make some of the countless excuses, as it won’t go in hand with the rest of my blog. Rather, let me re-introduce you to the real Ollie Whistler.. and I mean that with no connotation to The Real Slim Shady, as that would be the worst possible reflection of my style, as would it an example of my iTunes library. I’m not even sure why I wrote that. Okay, I’m glad we’re getting somewhere! Now it seems that more often than not I’m turning a misfortune to fortune, the pessimist to optimist, and this check in may be in perfect suit or trend. However, for those who doubt, I too can write the contrary. Sometimes the uncontrollable just plays the perfect hand and leaves you with nothing but a rainbow rag flop. Yes, I’ve been brushing up on some terminology ready for next week’s poker night at my home stay in Encinitas, San Diego. Clearing up all the important things thus far. Anyway, point is that whilst we create an element of self-luck, some things are inevitable and it’s in these moments that our decisions create our destiny.

Exposing my lack of blogging, when I last checked in I’d just come off a respectable second at Elite Energy’s Batemans Bay Ultimate, but it seemed the need for a solid foundation to be laid if I was to be confident about form before 70.3 Busselton and heading Stateside.  Always quick to act, Gilesy structured the remaining four weeks around one of major run focus, and it was back to chopping wood, carrying water. I chose home on Lord Howe Island to complete this confidence week, as it enabled me to take advantage of its lack of civilization and technology, and utilize the inspiration and energy of its natural beauty. The rawness and freedom of running, combined with that of Lord Howe was spiritually uplifting and I returned to the Gold Coast two weeks out from Busselton with 140kms of running in the legs over seven days, and two full weeks to learn how to ride a bike again.

Some things seem perfect in theory, but rarely it is, and it’s the reason we call it ‘theory’. Days after returning to mainland Australia and eager to be reunited with my pony, I was hit hard with a nasty virus. So some of you are thinking I overdid things, and it’s possible, but I’ll have my say first.. I was just one in an epidemic of people hit with the same virus on the Gold Coast, so I had no choice but to accept it like someone handed me the opportunity to absorb the work done. Either way, when you find yourself with no control over a situation, “take it as if you chose it, work with it, and not against it.” This is the key to life, a perpetual antidote to counteract every doubtful dispensation. So after spending the best part of a week unable to leave my bed, I had a week to get the body firing and healthy to race. The virus had really hit me for six though, and all week I managed no more than two kilometres of free to back in the pool, two hours of riding to the coffee shop and an hour of easy running without feeling like I’d spent a full eighty minutes packing scrums. Nevertheless, and once again trying to be the optimist, upon race day I was feeling very well rested and fresh for this one!

As I type, it unsettles me to know the outcome, but hey, it’s the journey in life where there’s a lesson. Good or bad, right or wrong. Like the uncontrollable being inevitable, so too is that the tide will always change and I look forward to sharing these moments when they do. Come race day, beneath a little anxiousness there’s a love and excitement to get out there and give it some stick. I owe a quick name drop to Matty White and John Polson, as our pre race chat over dinner of all things sharks proved enough motivation not to get dropped and stay in the mix of the chase pack in the swim. It was also useful as for eliminating poor little Johnny from any contention, still frozen on the beach well after the start. However, once on the bike I hardly had time to get my feet in my shoes let alone know how my body would feel, before I made a complete kook of myself and crashed on the flattest and straightest course on the 70.3 circuit. Blame it on a combination of tire pressure, gravel, wet roads and being completely overzealous, I managed to do a good enough job stepping off that my day was done. Four weeks later as I tap away the keys (which is is when I started this report dammit), I’m still changing dressings for a wound on my hip bone and wonder where I’d have run into as everyone else faded over the back end of the half marathon. Pointless thinking really except when used as motivation, but was infuriating to observe with run confidence high after Lord Howe!

Becoming a master of my own words, this provided yet another opportunity to make the most of a situation. With the priority being to race well in the States, I utilized some time to organize around my upcoming schedule and decided to spend my final weeks before flying out down at Byron Bay, training with coach Gilesy and team Aeromax. With a week in between to tie up loose ends on the GC and get my body moving again after the crash, this gave me the perfect environment to get the best out of the remaining two weeks before my first American race at 70.3 Hawaii. With the company of Gilesy and mates like Tim Reed to train with, it was an easy way to reconnect with my body and find the fitness and confidence to head to Hawaii primed and readied to race. The next person who tells me they’re out of time to train and do well for a race in six weeks can go get stuffed. I mean, in six weeks I’d managed to have someone come up and tell me that, “I made my really bad hair cut look good.” Anything to go by and two weeks is an eternity! It’s just a matter of the environment you choose, and how you apply yourself to it. Environment. Application to environment.

Arriving in Hawaii I was met by my bro, Tim Marr, who I’d stay with on Oahu for almost a week before heading to Kona. Tim’s an absolute dude and one of the most genuine guys I’ve met in the sport, so it was a blast training with him and enjoying some of the relaxed social life in town leading into the race. Albeit, once on Kona it was all business and quite surreal to think in a few days I’d be lining up to race the likes of Lance Armstrong and a bunch of other old farts like Greg Bennett and Chris Lieto. Before you get your knickers in a knot, in professional sport these guys are exactly that, but they’re also proof that in triathlon you might be far from your peak in long course racing before you’re forty. Trying not to get too off track, I always love racing the big names and find it lifts my performance and focus. For the most part, the day’s pre race were smooth sailing, but I wasn’t my usual self the day before as I got about my business. Not only was I battling the cyclonic winds of Hawi on my hour’s ride, but a tired aching body. I knew something was up and listened to my body, calling for a lift home and spending the rest of the day resting in my bed and looking over kohala bay.

Race morning and the only disappointment was the fall through of my gag to ask Lance for a loan of his pump, which was spoilt by the one’s provided for all in the pro racks. It’s nothing more than normal routine to be hunting around for a pump in transition, except when it’s Lancy boys pump you’re after. Providing me with much comical relief, it also kept me relaxed and stopped me from worrying about how shocking I felt in my warm up. In retrospect, I saw the signs but convinced myself otherwise. As planned, I lined up next to the old farts for the swim and despite hurting myself to keep up, I had a great swim and exited the water in a front group of eight containing all the hitters. Once out onto the Queen K, I found myself opening a small gap with Lieto and Twelsiek to Marr and Crawford, and trailing by an ever-growing gap to Armstrong and Bennett. This however, was very short lived as I started vomiting and was unable to keep any fluid or fuel down. As I continued to fight the bodies yearning to pull over and stop, so to did the constant reencounter with my gels and fluid. As reality was accepted it became the disappointment that hurt the most that I was crook and my days were numbered. Compelled by my Nan and family who’d travelled from Lord Howe to watch me line up against Lance, I rode all the way back from Hawi sitting up and fighting the urge to lie down and fall asleep. Some things just aren’t fair, and this certainly wasn’t. I can’t explain the mental anguish this put me through, but I made the best decision to stop after the bike and go to the medical tent before my body decided for me. With a race every fortnight on my U.S schedule, it’s just not worth walking it in for a medal and a pat on the back at the sacrifice of your health.

That evening I came down hard with the flu, which was a surprise to all but me.. one of the hardest yet most valuable traits to have in professional sport, is the ability to shut out everyone else’s thoughts and expectations, even your own, listen to your damn body and except when there’s a disappointment. Fast tracking a bit, and since Hawaii I’ve had three more 70.3 races at Buffalo Springs, Muncie, and vineman. Two of which have been below average results with a 7^th and 8^th, and a 9^th last weekend at Vineman, which is no improvement on placing, but certainly physically and most importantly mentally. Whilst none of the placing’s aren’t what I’d like, it’s not so much placing that was the disappointment (in particular Vineman with a field that was said to resemble world champs), but rather my state of body and mind. If I’d felt like I’d done justice to my fitness levels and was mentally sound, then a 7^th or 8^th would be a good result, but I’d been feeling downright miserable. Tired, lethargic, a deep burn and inability to maintain power, and subsequently struggling to maintain a healthy state of mind when you have high self expectations and constantly underperforming. Not to mention, none of which help the constant financial struggle of living on the circuit.

In this situation when things aren’t flowing as you’d like, you can quickly find yourself in a vicious cycle and one that’s proved very hard to break! There’s absolutely no doubt that your physical being is effected by the thought’s you keep, and visa versa. Whilst 9^th place at Vineman isn’t any better on paper, it was however a big improvement physically, and most importantly a huge step in the right direction mentally. The short of it is that you might still have the fire burning deep inside, but unless you have upmost belief in your ability through your conscious and unconscious mind, and connect this with your physical being through the mitochondria, then it’s going to limit your physical potential. I’ve been fit and capable of much more all season, which is obvious in my training, but the stress of the situation and the added burden of travel without bonuses and prize money has created negative thoughts that I’ve allowed to consume my mind, and consequently my body. It’s only because I take great interest into what makes other successful people, that I choose to share this with you. It’s what helps me, and hopefully others to learn and follow in trend.

I’m now heading to 70.3 Calgary this weekend in a great headspace and fit, which is an added bonus. All of which is due to this realization to let go of the past and future, and become at peace with your mind. It’s alternative and a bit hippie, but an invaluable technique I’ve used to reconnect is to smoke a big joint and do some meditation. Okay.. so maybe not the spliff, but the meditations certainly helped me! It’s amazing the shift I’ve noticed not just in my attitude, but mostly how that’s contributed to the improvement of my physical state. I’m really excited to learn from this and to now be moving in a positive direction and building momentum into the later part of the season. Whilst my racing’s seemed consistently average, it’s been consistent enough that when combined with the points from last years title at 70.3 Yeppoon, I’ve achieved one of my major goals to qualify for 70.3 World Champs. Along with the surprise of being offered the 19^th ranked spot in Vegas points, it unfortunately came with the hard decision to miss defending my title in Yeppoon later next month. Instead, I’ll base myself in Boulder, CO, for four weeks leading into worlds.

Behind every athlete is a support network of equal commitment.. I’d like to thank mine for their continued faith in my ability during times that as clichéd as they sound, can make or break. It’s a tough gig trying to crack this sport, but it’s also a dream, which certainly couldn’t be achieved without them. I look forward to the continued journey and am excited about sharing some late season form and results! Specialized, Champion System, Saucony, Tropical Fruit World, Computrainer, PowerBar, Skins, Blueseventy, Rudy Project. I’m now also just as dedicated to writing a more regular blog to save you from reading the equivalent of a novel, if you continued, and stay in contact more often.

Stay connected!

Ollie

Arriving in Kona

Saucony track session

2012 Champion System strip

Cross training in Encinitas

Specialized BG fit

Sunset in Encinitas

The highs and lows of a professional sportsperson… we all have them that’s for sure. One’s success can be determined by learning how to take the bad, remain dedicated to the process and wait for the good. Much like I’ve done in going to Europe on a budget skimpier than Lady Ga Ga’s G string, and be left with not much more than an achilles tendon half the diameter of Farlap’s fetlock… I’m sure every athlete can relate a similar experience of their own and reinforce my statement, that it’s sometimes about how long you can hang in there for until your luck changes. If it wasn’t for other’s experiences and their advice, then I’m sure I’d have given it away by now and wouldn’t be walking away with the 2011 Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon title from Sunday. To do so means more than just my first 70.3 title, KPR points and some much needed casheesh. This result is far more meaningful as it signifies a most anticipated end to a six-month struggle to maintain the level of confidence and insanity it comprises to enable you to continue chasing the seemingly unknown without hesitation, and the drive for becoming the best Triathlete I can be.

The decision to race in Yeppoon was one of a last minute decision, and only considered after succumbing to the ongoing challenges that multiple injuries placed on me both physically, mentally and emotionally whilst racing and training in Europe over the summer. I’d been there with Brad Kahlefeldt in Aix Les Bains, France, who I’ve enjoyed training with for a year or so now on the Gold Coast. It was a hard decision to make to leave such company and training facilities to return early and only ten days prior the race, but it was the best decision considering the circumstances. Whilst I didn’t want to believe I’d finally been overwhelmed by the challenges associated with trying to crack the life as a professional athlete, a lot of the love and enjoyment associated with the racing and training had been consumed by the negativity around it, and I was really struggling to remain enthused about something I’d only dreamt of becoming up until this point. After the aviation equivalent to decca-man, I was warmly embellished by coach Chris Lang and my second family, Judy Brinsmead and Tom Hill (Tropical Fruit World). I am very lucky to have such a great support network and they were quick to start the ‘positives’ indoctrination and assist in my recovery and preparation.

This put me in a position to race with little self pressure and simply wanted to put to use the training I was able to do over in France, see if I could put myself in a position to win off the bike, and simply enjoy the day and try racing with some of the love and passion that got me into the sport. Although few things went as planned abroad and my racing schedule had been limited to just 70.3 Antwerp where I had finished a disappointing but realistic 6^th, and bike and run training had been forced to a minimum, I knew I still supported reasonable fitness and just lacked overall race conditioning and strength. This meant I was always going to be in for a lactate cocktail come the last hour of the race, but was unknown to what strength I would taste it. Despite the unknown, if I raced smart I’d still felt I’d be a good chance of a podium finish… and so my tactics to swim and ride hard to get a buffer and to hold on as best as possible was my only prospect.

Fortunately, I’ve continued to see a constant linear improvement in my aquatic capabilities and was proficient in maintaining consistent work in the pool throughout my injuries, so it was always in my intentions to utilize this in my strategy to establish a gap on pre race favourites Matty White and Leon Griffin prior to the bike. Thankful of doing so and gaining approximately 30sec to the main group out of T2, with Matt Bailey accompanied by New Zealand’s Mark Bowstead about the same distance in front, once onto my pony I was quick in making my intentions clear. Before long I had managed to consolidate my gap to Matty and co, passed the kiwi hopeful, and started to pull Matt Bailey back whom was riding strong. Recently under Brett Sutton, he had close eyes on him. My good mate Richard Thompson was also enjoying some of the benefits he’d gained at altitude in Boulder and was making his way through the field. Rich joined me for the second half of the bike after catching Matt, and we remained together until coming into T2 with a three-minute lead to the chasers.

My running training had taken the biggest affect from my injuries and this is something I must do a lot of to be competitive as a bigger athlete. So confidence wasn’t exactly great hitting the three-lap course, and I knew Matty would be charging to make up the time he’d lost so it was therefore important I set out hard to get into the bush section out of sight. The first 5km felt better than any I’d previously run off the bike and I think this was largely due to some nutritional advice received from having a privileged amount of time training alongside Macca in Aix. He was a fun and inspiring dude to be around and was good of him to share his knowledge. Running back through the Rydges resort after 7km, I was out of sight of Thompson and Bailey, but still running scared from Matty White. Being a looped course I had no idea of time splits to anyone and was only able to focus on getting home as least ugly as possible and as quickly as possible. At the 10km point I was already suffering as a result of next to nothing in terms of the run conditioning I had, and was just a matter of time until Matty had me insight.

I had hung out with him the day before and we spoke of his experience winning here in 2009, when Tim Berkel was hunting him down in a bright yellow race suit and only to hold on by a few seconds, so it seemed ironic that I was experiencing the same scenario with 2km to go. I will never forget the pain he put me through those last couple of kilometres, but it made it all the more sweet to break the tape with six seconds up my sleeve and collapse across the line. The only thing slightly more pleasurable was to award my little friend Tim Reed with a win by a Quad! Who’d of thunk it after all the times he’s made reference to them as being a hindrance.

Let this be an example to aspiring Triathletes that you’re never out of the equation to win, and when you think you’re beat, you’re potentially just around the corner from a breakthrough and just require that little bit more fight. I will now ride this change in momentum and use the confidence to enjoy preparations for 70.3 Shepparton and to defend my title at 70.3 Canberra in December. An extended thanks to my support network for always maintaining belief in my ability and giving me the opportunity to continue to reach it!

Clarence St Cyclery – The ultimate bicycle shop

Trek Bicycles Australia – speed concept

Tropical Fruit World – Gold Coast-Tweed Australia

Skins – Skins compression

Champion System – Making custom clothing easy

Saucony – Running specialists

Powerbar – Performance products

Computrainer – World leader in electronic indoor cycling training systems

Rudy Project – Technically cool eyewear

Blueseventy wetsuits – The world is swimming faster in Blueseventy

Peace out,

Ollie

coming into T2

quick transition

onto the run

running scared

1st place Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon

shagged!

SHAGGED!

post race recovery...

letting it sink in...

With the lake being closed and the bike course adjusted, omitting the major hills for the 10th anniversary of the Canberra City Half Ironman, I was initially a little disappointed. The swim and the hills were what I thought would be my best opportunity to get a break on known runners, Paul Attard and Luke Whitmore. Credit must be given to Nick Munting and the X-Tri crew who ran the race so smoothly and to finish 10 successful years in Canberra!

The first run was always going to be very tactical and I made sure I held back and ran it comfortable. The conditions on the day made it a very tough race and very much suited a strong athlete. One positive about the first run was that my legs were full of blood and ready to go when once I hit the bike. I set out as I intended and established an early break within the first 5-10km, pushing hard into the head wind and trying to stay as aero as possible over the undulations. Once I had pulled away from the group, I settled into a slightly more controlled effort, but still attacking every climb and corner trying to maximize my lead into T2.

My coach Chris Lang from (SOS) and I have really been working on racing my own race and he gave me the confidence that my run legs would still be there off a solo ride. Off the front style of racing is something I have always dreamt of and will hopefully make as a trademark of my style as I continue in the future!

At the beginning of the final run I was unsure of my lead on the boys, but it allowed me to focus on pacing and getting hydrated. I wore a Garmin for the first time which really helped with running a consistent half marathon. In the end my run was still a bit slower than I’m capable of doing, but there was a very strong headwind for half the run each lap. Also, you can only compare run times to the others racing so to put even more time into guys like Luke and Paul gives me great confidence on my run, and more so into my ability to control the race from the front. No doubt this will place me in a very good position mentally for the year ahead and into the future!

To win the 10th and last Canberra half ironman is a very special occasion and a dream way to finish my first year as a Professional Triathlete. Not to mention gives great confidence and inspiration into a new year. However, I will now enjoy a nice break with my family and friends on Lord Howe Island, before returning to the Gold Coast in the New Year and start establishing a big base for 2011. This will hopefully place me in a good position to finish the Australian season and then head to Europe again to continue putting my name on the Global map.

Unfortunately, a lot of athletes don’t ‘make it’ in triathlon due to lack of opportunity rather than lack of ability. I am no exception and have a huge support network behind me who provide me with the opportunity to continue growing in the sport and chase my ultimate dream and potential. So a huge thank you must go to;

- Coach Chris Lang of Science of Sport

- Dan Roberts of DTR Management

- Judy Brinsmead and Tom Hill of ADCO Constructions

- Clarence St Cyclery and the Cook family

- Trek Bikes Australia

- PowerBar Australia

- Trigger Point Technologies Australia

- Nicole at Blueseventy Australia

- Skins Compression

- The Running Company Bondi

- Oakley Australia

Part of my drive to achieve is in hope of being able to give back to the people of Triathlon in the future and help give aspiring athletes a better opportunity to produce their best and exceed their expectations. But it is my love for triathlon that keeps me and everyone who participates coming back for more. That is what’s so pure about our sport we love.

Onwards, Upwards.

Peace,

Ollie

Ollie running in Canberra Half Ironman 2010

Pre race Canberra Half Ironman 2010

Ollie at Trek Headquarters in Canberra

We Believe

• Clarence St Cyclery and the Cook family
• Powerbar performance products
• Skins compression technology
• Blueseventy wetsuits and swimwear
• The Running Company Bondi beach
• Trigger Point Technologies Australia

As one thing draws near on end, the birth of something bigger and better might just be around the corner awaiting. One of the great beauties in life is this element of the unknown and it’s essentially what keeps us ticking. I mean, the satisfaction of aiming, believing and achieving would surely be spoilt if you knew what was coming and I’m sure in some cases we would give up if we knew what awaited us. There’s only one thing for sure, and that’s that no matter what is going down in our own personal bubble, every 24 hours the sun will rise and set. It’s this special act of nature that makes each day a new day, and a new start for everyone who chooses it. Anyway, I am not sure where I am going with this, but whilst out on my last ride around the arid Spanish countryside of Teruel, it gave me time in solitude to reflect, absorb and foresee on an era of my life.

Four months ago I was tapping away at these same keys anxious to be heading overseas to race and not knowing what would be in store when returning home to Australia. I guess little has changed in this department as nobody really knows what one-day to the next will bring, and in my case I probably have less of an idea than most. But tapping up the climb to Javalambre ski village, I started to reflect on my past four months and it wasn’t until this moment I realised I had just achieved an important milestone towards my dream. Ultimately my belief had overpowered any feeling of doubt or consequences, and it wasn’t until I started to look back that I realised I had taken down something I had foreseen, but not understood how I’d get there. I now truly believe that no matter how scared you may be by the distance between your dreams and reality, it can be overshadowed by the belief you hold within yourself to achieve, and in combination with hard work you will move forward.

It was after all this thought and a very memorable ride that I started to dig up my goals list that I put together for the trip. Much to my surprise and enjoyment, I had managed to tick all five goals off and in some cases exceeded my expectations. They read like this;

1. Place top five in an international 70.3
2. Build contacts for future trips (teams, home stays, races)
3. Increase international status and exposure for sponsorship opportunities
4. Enjoy every minute of training, racing and living
5. Help introduce as many people to Triathlon and/or the opportunities that potentially await them

Although my first race in Switzerland 70.3 didn’t set me off on the right foot with an 18^th (read more here), I managed to turn things around quickly with a 6^th in Heilbronn the following weekend against another deep field. A couple more weeks into my trip I headed to Belgium to race in 70.3 Antwerpen against a more established list of names. Moving in the right direction, I narrowly missed out on my top 5 by falling one minute short of running down Bjorn Anderson for another 6^th. My final 70.3 was Weisbaden in Germany, which is the European championships so my expectations were more for a top 10 finish here. The five weeks leading into this race was spent as Brad Kahlefeldt’s training buddy in Aix Les Bains, and with the added assistance by having my coach Chris Lang there, I managed my most consistent training block to date. To round out a perfect campaign, I had the race of my career thus far and ended up 5^th and claiming my first international top 5 finish in an Ironman 70.3 event (results can be found here). Consequently, in pushing aside some names like Maik Twilsiek, Philip Graves, Mathias Hecht, Uwe Widman and Thomas Hellrigal on the podium for my very own, it has started slowly building a name for myself on the scene and has helped with many contacts to make the whole experience possible and easier next year. At this point it has contributed to some sponsorship interest, but mostly given credibility to existing relationships. You all know who you are and you can be proud to be a part of my accomplishments and achievements, for without my support network this opportunity would never have presented itself. I thank you all for believing in my ability, and if you’re reading this and would like to jump on board of Team Whistler and be the cool kids to have been a part of this process and experience, please drop me a line and become a part of the family by clicking here. You will be guaranteed your help is most appreciated and you will be joining a group of forward thinking people who place high value on quality of life and trying to create a happier, healthier lifestyle for people and help introduce and inspire them to achieve the opportunities that potentially await them.

The fifth and final goal to enjoy every minute of training, racing and living for the trip was also achieved. Ok, so this isn’t entirely true and I’ll admit this adventure hasn’t been without its dramas and moments of extreme frustration, but looking back on the entire trip leaves only the most enjoyable and rewarding of memories. This is another great thing about reflection, as things often seem to be better when we are not necessarily in the moment, but rather looking back at it. Gee, reflection must really be flattered after all the complements I’ve been giving it. Anyway, I can’t say I enjoyed every ‘minute’ so to speak, but I have had the most amazing and successful experience and I look forward to continuing my journey in pursuit of my ultimate ability. Thankfully we are still a long way from reaching that and so on this occasion, I think we can say it was a pass on technicality.

Now the ball is rolling, I am excited to carry this experience and positive energy into the Australian Half Ironman Series and continue to build a reputation for myself in Australia as the new man on the block. It is only a week today before I get to showcase my ability in the Gold Coast half Ironman on October 3^rd, so stay tuned and I look forward to catching up at the races.

Stay happy and healthy,

Ollie

Up and coming Australian triathlete Ollie Whistler had a great race on July 24 at the Belgium 70.3 in Antwerp. Ollie placed 6th overall in a time of 3:49:10, 3:55 behind first placed Bart Aernouts. In June Ollie raced in Switzerland in the Powerbar Ironman 70.3 and placed 22nd. This time, in Belgium, Ollie put together a much improved half marathon and announced his place amongst the leading 70.3 triathletes currently racing.

Trizone asked Ollie to tell us about the race last week and his last year including moving to the Gold Coast after leaving his job at Clarence Street Cyclery in Sydney. On the Gold Coast Ollie bumped in to a couple of Australia’s leading triathletes and shortly after found himself training in Switzerland.

Over to you Ollie…

Testing the waters

The main reason I came over to Europe was because I know it’s the hardest racing in the world. There is nothing like racing against the Euros in their own country and it is just part of the process as I see it. You come here as a young professional aspiring to become a great in the future, race a lot, have your butt kicked, see where you’re at against the best in the world, learn from the racing experience, build contacts for future trips and learn how to really push yourself to the limits…. Physically and mentally! And not just whilst racing, but also trying to survive in foreign countries with nothing other than English and an empty wallet. It really makes you tough. If you can survive here, you can survive anywhere! There is nothing really that glamorous about being a professional triathlete and doing the apprenticeship, but this is what I love and will not stop until I reach my ultimate goals or I am forced to stop or find something else I am more passionate about.

Where I Have Been?

After leaving my full time work at Clarence St Cyclery and deciding to focus on Triathlon full time in August 2009, I moved to the Gold Coast to live with a family friend. I knew it was good training up there, but had very few contacts and nobody to train with initially. I took the punt though and sure enough it payed off… On one of my first rides I bumped into Brad Kahlefeldt, Emma Moffatt and Daniela Ryf begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting and have since become good friends and training buddies with them. One thing lead to another and they suggested I join them firstly in Locarno Switzerland for two months of training. I am now based in Aix les Bains in France for another month of training with the AIS team. I originally wanted to get myself to Europe to race over the summer, but it wasn’t looking promising until I met these guys. I never really think anything is that big a deal in the end and the consequences of failure can be dealt with, but dealing with the consequences of failing to attempt cannot, so I made a decision to leave and two weeks later I departed. I sold my car, packed my bags and off I went. I didn’t think an offer to train, live and learn from athletes of such calibre and experience was an everyday occurrence and something to turn down. So I did everything possible to make it happen!

My Training

The biggest change to my training was my attitude and of course the hard work. Previously I had always been giving only 50% effort to it because I had other things to deal with like work, relationships etc. I realised if I was as serious about achieving my goals, as my goals were high, it would take a lot of sacrifices… So I cut all ties. There becomes a point when you realise being a professional is more than just the name and the hype attached of becoming a professional, and actually doing the hard work and the right things. Since then I have lived by five things. The first four are HARD WORK, CONSISTENCY, PATIENCE and TIME! This applies to anyone doing anything. You do the hard work (of course it must also be the right type of work), you get it done perfectly for one week, then you multiply this by one month, a year, and then five years. If you can manage to apply this theory to something you are 100% committed and passionate about, you can turn normal people into Champions… or at least try. I think the other thing that has helped me substantially though, was surrounding myself by athletes like Brad and Emma. There comes a point where your progression starts to slow when you are only training on your own or with people of a similar level and until you mix it with the best, you will continue falling short of the best. These guys live by the principles I have mentioned and have achieved the highest level following them. I think my latest result in Belgium was also the product of the following these processes since around May this year. It is enlightening to know that after only completing one micro-cycle of the short term plan, let alone the long term plan, that things have improved so much. The fifth is to BELIEVE… Even in my short career I have been thrown lots of curve balls that could have potentially stopped me from achieving the level I am at now. There will never be an easy way to get anywhere worth going, and there is always going to be obstacles waiting to knock you down. It is the belief you have within yourself and the belief you share with your support network that you will succeed, that will keep you going through these times. Like my race in Rapperswil 70.3, in the end it didn’t go to plan, but I knew the result I wanted was within me because of the hard work I had done in training. It is hard to be motivated after a performance is below what you know your capable of, but I didn’t loose belief and I found what I was after.

At this point I am also looking at the 1%’s. Once you reach a certain level of fitness you can start to slowly change the smaller aspects of your training, living, recovery, nutritional and sleep habits. If you try to do all this at once it will consume you and generally won’t be maintained. So keeping consistency as our main focus here, implementing these things gradually is better. I have worked with my Coach and Powerbar to help fine tune things like my nutritional requirements in training and racing. Also things like working on my bike position and the bike I ride with Clarence St Cyclery and Trek. Recovery methods are also a big focus… personally, I practically live in my Skins compression and use Trigger Point Therapy tools daily to help recover and maintain healthy, functional muscle fibers to get the best out of myself. Injury prevention is also key, like rotating your running shoes or keeping them fresh when doing mileage. I am Lucky to have The Running Company to make sure mine are always fresh!

Building belief within my support network and sponsors and having them help me to achieve my goals has also had major influence on my latest performances. Thank you to them all for giving me the opportunity to explore my potential and attempt to reach my ultimate goals and ambitions!

The Race

The race pretty much planned out exactly how I thought it would. I was without a doubt the fittest and strongest I had ever been, but it is still a little bit early to race with the likes of Marino Vanhoenacker, Dirk Bockel, Frederick Van Leirde etc. They all have at least 10 years of age, training, racing and experience on me, and it takes a super freak to be able to race as fast after only a couple of years in the sport. For me, it was about putting together the best performance I could on the day and it was about perfect. For someone who was once a very weak swimmer, losing 50 seconds to the breakaway pack and leading the chase pack was great. My time and feeling in the water was also great. The only thing that remains a ‘what if’ is if I had been able to respond to a surge around 1000m into the swim and stay on Bjorn Andersons feet, how would this have impacted my bike and consequently my run. I guess a few more weeks of quality swimming and I will have to wait until next time to find out.

The bike was very windy, cool, dead flat and open to the weather. I was never going to be able to ride back across to the powerhouses up in front, even with the advantage of Treks speed concept time trial bike (the fastest, most aero, and pimping bike on the market), but I did manage to catch some guys who were not able to hang onto the pace of Bjorn, Marino, Dirk and Frederick, and drop the guys who exited the water with me. So I found myself flying solo on the bike and just riding as fast as I could for 90km. Unfortunately about 90min into the bike, Rutger Beke caught me and dragged the guys I had originally dropped back across to me. We rode together for the remaining part with some guys hanging on for the ride until we both attacked and got away with about 5km to go.

Getting onto the run, I had my work cut out in front of me as Bjorn had blown the race to pieces and ridden 7minutes into the group including Marino, who had put a respectable 4mins into me. I had no Garmin, no time checks and no idea of where I was in relation to the front runners because of a 3 lap looped course so we never crossed paths. I had a lot of spectators cheering for me and I’m sure someone was giving me time splits in Flemish, but I had no idea, so I again set out at the fastest pace I felt I could maintain. It wasn’t until the final kilometre that I felt I had probably left too much in the tank unused, but it was too little too late. I ended up holding off the guys behind me and maintaining 6th position. Much to my disappointment, after crossing the line I found out Bjorn had hurt after a massive bike and only finished a couple of minutes up the road and only the top 5 get paid… gutted! Oh well, again there is always next time.

All on track and what is next

Overall, 6th position and my times actually exceeded my expectations a little and it is still early days. I managed a PB time of 3.55 on a tough day, and had PB times for every discipline. This European campaign is actually laying the foundations and base fitness for the Australian half Ironman series, so to be racing this well off high volume, short tapers and relative fatigue is setting me up for a season to be excited about in Oz! From here I have a few more 70.3 three races, including the European champs (Germany 70.3) on the 15th of August, and some shorter faster races in Spain before heading home on the 22nd of September. There is a slight possibility that I might make a short visit to the States on the way home for another 70.3 or non drafting Olympic distance race. First race back in Australia is going to be Gold Coast half Ironman, which I absolutely love and am going to give it a good crack!

See you at the races.

Cheers,

Ollie

Link to Trizone/Yahoo7 Sports article…