Run, Cycle, Swim
dysmorphia and eating issues; or even on the trait Singaporeans are famous for – kiasu (translated from Hokkien as “afraid to lose”) and associated with the urge to win at any cost.
“Our question to them is: ‘ What are you trying to prove?’” There’s more to it than physical fitness, it seems: “We’re also helping people to look within themselves and to see other areas in their lives where they can make improvements.”
Who are they coaching?
Many are high- level executives in fields such as banking, technology or recruitment, and they also have families; so, going into triathlon training is really asking a lot of themselves, says Michael. “About half are locals, the other half are expats, and they represent more than 20 nationalities.” He’d like more women than the current 30 percent, though.
“You’ll find less ego here,” promises Scott. “Everyone helps everyone else. We’ve fought hard to achieve an inclusive and supportive environment in what is after all an intensely individual sport.”
How they’re coaching
Between them, the two men run between nine and 14 training sessions each week – on the principle of divide and rule, says Scott. In addition to an ongoing base of strength and endurance training, race simulations are injected as races come closer.
Swim sessions take place in a public pool or a private one, and are focused either on volume or technique; they move to the open water on the weekends preceding Race Day. Cycling includes long distance, plus strength training on hills (generally Mount Faber), and then high-intensity 90-minute “turbo-training” sessions that are done one night a week on stationary bikes outside a local bike shop, and followed by a run.
Finally, the group run is done at Macritchie Reservoir: “You dig your strength out of the dirt,” says Scott poetically. Mixed terrain is generally preferred to tar and concrete, because the softer terrain develops soft- tissue strength. “Running on the flat in East Coast Park will never get you strong; you need to head for Mount Faber, to Macritchie, to Henderson Wave, to Fort Canning or to the Botanic Gardens.”
Individual training – and results
Though the team trains as a group, every person is unique, says Michael, and so each of Tri Edge’s 100 or so members trains according to a totally individualised programme.
The formula works, he confirms. “Records show an average improvement in our members over the total Half Iron Man distance (113 kilometres: 1.9km swim, 90km cycle, 21.1km run) of 25 minutes over six months.”