Ready for any cycle: Ironman coach Rupert Chen on his bike. — RC Coaching
PETALING JAYA: It doesn’t matter how good you are – you could be the best of the best in your sport or a world No.1, but every elite athlete still needs a dependable coach who is willing to stand behind them.
And that’s where someone like Rupert Chen comes into play in the world of triathlon and endurance training.
The frontman of RC Coaching, who is an experienced triathlete himself, has been guiding both experienced and aspiring athletes on their competitive journeys.
The 42-year-old has been regularly visited by national athlete Tahira Najmunisaa Mohd Zaid, who was the first Malaysian to win a SEA Games duathlon medal when she won silver at the 2022 edition in Hanoi.
Being a coach is hard, but Rupert thrives on it.
“When you keep competing, you can’t see things from the wider picture because your field of vision is narrowed to focus on what’s in front of you,” said Rupert.
“The coaches are there to pinpoint those things that an athlete can’t see. Even the top athletes need guidance.’’
As a certified Ironman coach, Rupert has seen the ups and downs of athletes who train for the grueling endurance race.
It’s no easy feat to endure a 3.8km swim in the ocean, before jumping onto a bike for 180 km, and back on your feet for a 42.2km run and as such, training for an endurance race like Ironman needs proper planning.
Besides Ironman, his students also compete in other endurance races such as Powerman and triathlon series.
“Some even choose to train for single sports, whether it’s purely running, swimming, or riding the bike, many join not to solely train for Ironman,” he said.
With over 150 students in his training programmes, Rupert offers various levels of training, depending on the level that the students wish to be at, as many are also in the programmes for the social aspect of exercise.
“Not all who join are looking to be competitive, many of them are in it for the health benefits and the social part of training together as a team,” he said.
“If they don’t intend to participate in races, then their training schedule is less intensive than those at the higher level.
“When you’re up there, there’s no room for playing around or taking things lightly. Athletes need to sacrifice a lot and be fully committed in what they set their minds to.
“They have an objective, whether that may be winning the race or maybe even gunning to beat their personal best,” he said.
For the bravehearts who sign up for Malaysia’s Ironman races, Ironman Langkawi and Ironman 70.3 Desaru Coast, RC Coaching has something called Torture Camp.
It takes place roughly a month before the races, where the participants will be put through their paces as they power through a simulated race course at the venue.
“The athletes will be staying at the same venue and we will guide them through the race course and train them to do the entire route,” said the two-time Ironman Langkawi finisher.
“This way they can prepare themselves for the physical and mental battles that await them.”
Athletes will then go into their tapering period, where they gradually trim down their training volume in order to reserve their energy for the race.
“We will guide them on how to taper efficiently as the rest is in their hands. The athletes will need to reduce their exercises gradually each day.
“So when race day comes, the idea is that they are fresh for the race but have maintained their fitness level,” he said.
At the recent Ironman 70.3 Desaru Coast, which also served as the designated race for the 2024 Asia TriClub Championships, RC Coaching took the win among the Malaysian teams.
Part of the global TriClub Championship Series this year, RC Coaching edged out the other triathlon clubs to win the title, where the efforts of the top five athletes from each club, regardless of gender, combined for the lowest time.
But for the past six years, RC Coaching has been topping the Ironman TriClub rankings in Malaysia, emerging as the top club.
For those who are interested in testing the waters in the addictive world of triathlons, Rupert’s advice is to start slow and work their way up the race distances.
Compared to running or riding a bike, swimming would pose the toughest challenge to newcomers, and Rupert says it would be best to get a coach.
“This way any mistakes in their technique can be corrected before they become used to it,” he said.
“It’s easy to develop bad habits without the proper training and guidance, especially when it comes to long distance swimming,” he said.
But regardless of any athlete’s motivation to endure the pain of an endurance race, Rupert’s core advice is to enjoy the race and have fun along the way.
