Life as an amateur coached athlete FAQs

I've been doing triathlon for more than 3 years now, and I often get asked questions by well meaning friends. Some questions amuse me very much, as some people have an impression that I'm some sort of "super pro", which is no where near the truth. So for a laugh, I thought I would write this FAQ. In no particular order other than what occurs to me....

Q: What is triathlon? Is Ironman related to the movie?

A: Triathlon involves swimming, cycling and running. "Ironman" refers to a standard race distance for a triathlon, i.e. 3.8k swim, 180k cycle, 42.2k run (marathon).

Q: Are you an "Ironwoman"?

A: There is no such thing as an Ironwoman, but I do half Ironmans (half the distance above).

Q: So does that mean you are not allowed to eat junk food or drink alcohol?

A: No, it means I maintain a balanced diet, eating what my body needs to train and recover. As for alcohol, in the words of my coach, "What, you want me to not have a life?!". :)

Q: Do you have to train for hours and hours every day e.g. cycle 5 hours after work?

A: No, I train 6-7 times a week, with a mix of easy sessions (20 mins) up to harder sessions (3+ hours), all sensibly planned by my coach. Although this swim in a cold lake on a rainy day was not planned by my coach... ;)

Q: You say you are coached, does this mean you are a pro?

A: No, I am an amateur athlete, i.e. it is not my job and I don't get paid for it. I have a full time job and life, and triathlon is merely "for fun".

Q: Are you sponsored?

A: Not many amateur athletes are sponsored. As I said, we are in it "for fun". I buy all my equipment, pay for race entrance fees, travel expenses, etc. It is just a very expensive hobby!

Q: We don't see you so often anymore. Why?

I now have a specific program that is tailored to my abilities and weaknesses, with a particular focus on my next race, the Ironman 70.3 (half Ironman) World Championships in November. :)

Q: Does that mean you won't train with us at all?

A: I will as and when I can, and my coach tries to plan sessions that allow me to enjoy the social aspects of training with the club every now and then.

Q: Does your coach also dictate how much time you train, what you eat, and how much you sleep?

A: No, I tell my coach when I am willing to train, and he plans my program around it. He has no involvement in my life out of my training program. If I have a birthday party, he probably won't give me a hard session the next day. ;)

Q: What do you eat before and during a race?

A: I always have the same breakfast before a race. Peanut butter on toast and coffee. I take some sweets (Jelly Babies) on the bike and if I remember to eat it, a cereal bar. I drink energy drink on the bike, and finish the half marathon off on Coke and water. No gels!!

Q: What country do you represent, and why?

A: My first choice would always be to represent my own country, Malaysia. But some times it is not so simple to get the right support. This year I represented Great Britain in World and European championship duathlons. But I always race as Malaysia in half Ironman races. :)

And finally, why do I do it? Because I love it. I love this life of training and racing all over the world. I am no where near anything spectacular, but I love going out there and giving it my all in a race. Some races I do well, others not so well, but that is all part of the fun! Yes it is tiring, yes it is a big commitment, but this works for me. :)