Multisport Magazine Issue 22 | Page 61

SECTION HEADING MACCA X Coach Justin Granger with his wife Belinda. W hen you sign up for a full distance triathlon, you understand it could be one of the toughest things you could ever willingly put yourself through. Four-time triathlon world champion Chris McCormack famously said, “You don’t play triathlon. You play soccer. You play baseball. Triathlon, when you focusing on a full distance event, is work that can leave you crumpled in a heap, puking by the roadside. It’s the physical brutality of climbing Mount Everest without the great view from the top of the world. What kind of person keeps coming back for more of that?” Well, there’s no question if you are reading this, you’re that kind of person - the kind willing to put in the work and the sacrifice to conquer the distance of a 3.8-kilometer swim, 180-kilometer cycle, and a marathon at the end of it. “I believe that anyone that has at least one full triathlon season (short distance and half distance) under their belt would have the ability to prepare themselves for a full distance event,” says Justin Granger, who has coached his wife Australian Ironman Hall of Fame legend Belinda Granger toward completing 50 full distance races and 10 titles. He has also coached countless age group athletes across varying fitness levels to unleash their triathlon potential. He adds, “However you will need plenty of time on your hands, and the full support of your family and work would also help.” So the question is: how are you going to get ready? You can get away with making mistakes in pacing, strategy, and nutrition over a sprint, an Olympic, or even half distance. A full distance is a different sort of beast altogether; it’s not as simple as doubling what you do over a half. When you’re toeing the starting line, you’ll want to know you did everything you could to prepare to push yourself to your limits. That’s where