Author: Coach Sarah

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In Profile: Faz Zamani

Want a reason to jump on a bike, for Faz, there doesn’t have to be a reason other than to simply enjoy the pleasure (and pain!) of two wheels ! Nothing can really beat that…

Name: Farinaz Zamani

Nickname: Faz

Age Group: 36

Lives: Melbourne

Targeted Sport: Running & Cycling

Years in the Sport: Running – ten years. Cycling – six years.

How I got started:  I started running out of pure curiosity to see if I could and I was hooked straightaway. Small runs turned into 5km trots and next minute I was running half marathon and full marathons.

I started cycling after I signed up for my first ever sprint triathlon. Though I didn’t end up loving Tri’s I did fall in love with cycling and it’s a big part of my life now.

Why I choose CPC: Because it’s an authentic, down to earth and comprehensive coaching service that takes into account each athletes unique factors. I have been training with Sarah for nearly six years now and she has helped me grow into a stronger and happier human ☺️

What I ‘get’ from my sport: Both running and cycling keep me sane. Running is my meditation time; I can switch off and literally concentrate on my breathing.

Cycling provides me with a balanced and happy social life where I get to hang out with some of my closest friends whilst getting fit and enjoying the outdoors.

Ultimate Goal: Would love to run another marathon. I’ve ran four and five just seems like a nicer number 😂 Cycling goal has always been the same – have fun and maybe beat some PRs here and there ☺️

What I couldn’t live without: My family, friends and my Ragdoll Cat, Luigi ☺️.

Biggest love: Travel (with my bike and my runners!)

Pet peeve!: People who talk in the cinema 😂

Interesting fact about me: I play with my ear lobes when I’m really tired 😴

Follow me…
For all things two wheels and two feet on IG – feel free to follow me…

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In Profile: Monique Ralph

A self confessed over achiever, with a high stress and unpredictable job, Monz uses her sport help destress, but also work on improving herself…

Name: Monique Ralph

Nickname: Monz

Age Group: 45-49F

Lives: Cairns, QLD

Targeted Sport: Triathlon

Years in the Sport: 12

How I got started: I used to play high level cricket and when it was all over I was looking to fill a void and as I was swimming, riding and running with cricket – so triathlon just made sense!

Why I choose CPC: I have followed Sarah for a number of years and really like her attitude and approach to making sure there is a balance with training and life. As an A+++ personality I struggle to balance myself, so Sarah was a great choice to help me! I love the community CPC has built and I feel like I am a part of the family!

What I ‘get’ from my sport: I have a very stressful and unpredictable job so my training returns me to the present and allows me to destress and feel better about myself. I love training and trying to improve myself.

Ultimate Goal: To get better at MTB and overcome some fears!

What I couldn’t live without: My partner ❤️ and of course my bikes.

Biggest love: Being outside and on a bike

Pet peeve!: Rudeness

Interesting fact about me: I have 3 degrees. 2 masters degrees and a bachelor as I am a massive overachiever 🤓🤓🤓

Follow me…
Feel fre to follow me. All my handles are Monique Ralph as I lack imagination. ;-p
So find me on facebook, IG, strava.

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Race Day Mentality

As you start to lead into a key race, it is important to go back and reflect on your training, to review the goals you had written down for your race and how well you have prepared for them. How has your race build gone? Has it gone to plan? How are you feeling about race day?

But at the same time, it is important to remind yourself that goals are OUTCOMES, and as you head into your race, you can actually be better served to focus on the PROCESS when it comes to race day, rather than the outcome (the result).

Regardless of what your race day goals are, your RACE PLAN should be your ultimate focus. Those individual tasks throughout the race that are in your control. That is your plan and focus. If you can keep your focus on these, the outcome will almost always take care of itself.

Your goal – is your desired outcome. What you want to achieve.
Your system/process – is what will get you there.

It is important to be aware of what is going on around you, including your fellow competitors, but at the same time not be distracted from your own effort and strategy. Remember – your race should always be about personal performance, and not the competition. Self-control and your own mental discipline is what you can focus on and what you can control. When you are in control, you will be calmer, have ease of mind, and make better decisions.

So here are some of the areas that you can focus on and work on executing well:

– Race preparation – including the week leading in and the night prior
– Your warm up – allow time and focus
– Your race equipment – be prepared and organised
– Race fueling and hydration plan – and following through with it
– Your pacing and effort – what you have trained for
– Your form and posture – as fatigue kicks in, form can slip, so bring your focus back
– Mental mindset / mental fortitude – how you stay focused, in control and positive, even if things aren’t going to plan

If you give 100% of what you have on that day – how can you loose?

The work has been done to up to this point. All that is left now is show up to your race fresh both physically and mentally, and do as many things as possible in your control; as well as possible and then let the result take care of itself.

So it’s time to get out of your own way. Commit to focus on yourself, and what you can control, and you will give yourself the best possible chance to have a well-executed and enjoyable race day.

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In Profile: Esther Toh

A former ‘model’ who speaks 4 languages, Esther has some lofty goals alongside working full time and a mum of one…

Name: Esther

Nickname: The Bomb

Age Group: 40-49F

Lives: Gladstone Park, Vic

Targeted Sport: Triathlon

Years in the Sport: Since 2000!

How I got started: This is so long ago. Back in my Uni days, we had triathlon as one of the activity studies. I was not too fond of it back then as I didn’t know how to ride a bike or swimming – I’m from Malaysia and being a city girl. After graduation, I got a job in Singapore and I was lonely and started to do some form of exercise and got into a group of cyclists. Then, one thing led to another and started racing there and in Malaysia. I continued to race when I came back to Melbourne – and I’m still going !

Why I choose CPC: I was attending an online course about the Female Health & Performance. I was interested to know how to train “properly” as an endurance athlete and around the female menstrual cycle. I proposed this question to the presenter and didn’t quite get the answer from her. An attendee suggested Sarah and I looked her up. I am amazed with Sarah’s knowledge and I always admired female athletes that could juggle with family, business, training, etc and still perform so well. I have been racing for many years on my own due to most triathlon groups training sessions doesn’t suit me and don’t understand my needs. Sarah is able to plan a program that suits my working schedule and most importantly able to match up my menstrual cycle which is awesome.

What I ‘get’ from my sport: Discipline and commitment.

Ultimate Goal: Top 10 in my aged group. A podium finisher would be nice.

What I couldn’t live without: Peanut butter as a pre-fuel before training!

Biggest love: I love the commadarie of the sport that I managed to make some friends and race together.

Pet peeve!: Minimal movement !

Interesting fact about me: I speak 4 languages – English, Malay, Cantonese and Mandarin. I had an opportunity modelled for 2 magazines when I was working in Singapore – In Style and Women’s Weekly.

Follow me…
Feel free to follow me with my work as an Exercise Physiologist. www.hgep.com.au

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Your biggest competition

It can often be the biggest challenge as a Coach, to help an athlete stay concentrated on their journey and not focused on what others are doing. Athletes can easily be lead, or swayed based on what another athlete is doing (or not doing).

Yet they seem to forget that every athlete has a different skill set. Every athlete has a different athletic ability, a different background, a different home life/dynamic and different goals.

By all means use others to push you when your session asks you to be pushed. Use others to help drive you, or stay focused, or help you get out of the bed in the morning. But when YOU need to go easy. Go easy. When YOUR session asks you to focus on YOUR aerobic endurance, focus on that. It is there for YOUR purpose and for YOUR progression.

And so this is why it is so important to not focus on others, but to look inwards. Remind yourself of your goals, your purpose, yourself… ‘Look in the mirror. That’s your competition…’

The key is CONSISTENCY over TIME – what you do in one particular session, or one particular week is not going to make or break your season / key race. BUT what you do week in, week out, CONSISTENLY, with PURPOSE, and PROGRESSION is what will help you get to your best performance potential come race day. And you can only do that when you are training for YOU.

So don’t worry about what others are doing. Don’t worry that you are doing less, or more, or different than them. Because you ARE different…. And that’s the amazing thing about you. 😉

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Self Care Sunday

No matter who you are, what you do, what role/s you have in your life, you must take care of yourself – ‘you cannot pour from an empty cup’. Rest and self-care are so important for the mind, the body and the soul. Regardless on whether you are an athlete or not.

It is shown, women especially find it difficult to take time for themselves and to prioritise their our own self-care. It often takes an illness, an accident, an injury, burn out or simply ‘cracking’ under the pressure to remind us to give ourselves the time and care we need.

When we are stressed out, self-care is often the first thing we let go of – and I’ve seen it within a number of my athletes, so I can only assume that it is happening more broadly.

During stressful times such as many are currently experiencing, our brains can go into fight-or-flight mode and our perspective narrows. We can be so busy trying to solve problems that we are stuck in a “doing” mode and can become anxious and overwhelmed. And many may not have a ‘go to’ list of self care activities that they can lean on during these times so we simply don’t even go there. And this doesn’t mean you have to go away on a retreat (although how nice would that be right now?!) It can be as simple as taking 10 minutes to yourself – and NO, scrolling on social media doesn’t count!

Here’s a simple list of some ways you can give back to YOU that don’t take much time at all, but the benefits can be wide ranging.

– Focus on sensations around you, sights, smells, sounds… these can help bring you to the present moment
– Go for a walk and breath in fresh air – leave the phone at home / in your pocket!
– Listen to running water / take yourself near water. t is one of the most soothing sounds and the energy from water can be drawn within.
– Take a hot shower / bath and play some relaxing music. Take your time. Don’t rush.
– Get creative, draw, journal, play some music, do a puzzle… These simple activities can bring your focus back.
– Get back to nature, do some gardening, go for a walk or sit and take in the sights, sounds and smell of nature. Nature is so healing.
– Turn the lights AND TV off, light a candle and read a book or listen to a meditation..
– CONNECT with others – it is so important while isolated. Call a friend (txt doesn’t count), facetime, zoom. OR meet at a park, go for a walk with them. Connection is key to our fundamental being.

So remember: self care is not self indulgence, it is self preservation. Take care of yourself – starting today. What will you choose? 🙂

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