Hey Courtney

I’m doing my RTA (major year assessment ) on the Coolangatta gold, since you have done it i would like to ask some questions. What do you need to do to be successful at the Coolangatta gold? How can you prepare to be successful at the Coolangatta gold? Also some other information you no from past experience at the Coolangatta gold. And one last one, things / feelings you only no (from past experience of doing it) what someone who hasn’t ever done it will never no? Also any other important information about the race.

I hope to visit a race next season when were in the Gold Coast!!

Answer

The Coolangatta Gold is just one of those races that is the biggest test of both your body and your will to win/finish.

I have done the race seven times and for the first six times the women’s race was only half the distance of the men’s race, 21 klms compared to 42. Last year was the first time they allowed the women to compete over the full distance and that made it a much different race from ever before. It is definitely the hardest race on the surf life saving calendar and that is the reason why very few competitors choose to do it.

Except for my first race when I was just 18 years old, I have been able to make it to the podium and then in 2011 I won the race. This win rates as one of my best victories ever as it was only in the last 100 metres that I was able to find enough to sprint ahead and win the race.

Training for the Gold is very different to anything else. You need to build up a huge endurance base and this takes months, if not years, of long runs and paddling both the ski and board over many kilometres several times a week. A typical training week for me leading up to the Gold would look like this

Monday – am swim, 10 klm run and pm 17 klm ski paddle back
Tuesday – am swim, run/gym and pm 7 klm board paddle back
Wednesday – am swim, swim/board/run over 15 klms and pm ski session on flat water
Thursday – am swim and pm board session on flat water
Friday – am swim, 10 klm run and pm ski session at beach
Saturday – trial over full Coolangatta Gold course
Sunday – am recovery run over 8 klms

Completing the 42 gives you one of the best feelings ever, as it is the reward for many, many kilometres of training which is usually done a lot of the time without a training buddy or squad. The race and the preparation for it probably compares to running a marathon where a lot of people find they are attracted to the personal challenge of doing something so hard, and even though they might say they will never do it again when they finish, most people try again just to do better.

For this year I will not be doing the Gold because my training has been designed around the short course racing that I will be doing at the World Titles in France, but I have no doubt at all that I will be back to do it again in 2015.

I hope this gives you what you wanted for you assignment.

Stay healthy, keep smiling and surfing

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