Vic Caplikas

Age 44

Sport Played Triathlon & Cycling
Years involved 25 years

Profile

I have competed as a triathlete and cyclist for the past 25 years and in my younger days competed as a professional triathlete, but now at 44 years of age compete as an age-group competitor. Last season I was still able to win 3 races outright. I also compete in various law enforcement games and in the NSW Police games having won my age group for the last 15 years. I am involved in 2 triathlon clubs, with both clubs having approx 300 members each. I am well known within the triathlon community and due to my longevity and continuous results and as such am often approached for advice on training, recovery and well being.

Proudest Sporting Achievements

My proudest sporting achievements are many and varied, of recent note would be winning 3 events outright at 44 years of age, but also seeing people I have helped and advised achieve their goals, for some that was to complete their first short triathlon, other competing and setting personal bests over the Ironman distance.

What are you hoping to achieve

This season I am attempting to qualify for the Australian Triathlon team to compete at the World Championships this September. Following that I wish to be competitive in various triathlons throughout Australia.

How does LineBreak help

A sponsorship by LineBreak would allow me to utilize the latest in recovery products which now at 44 years of age I am starting to feel the need for. I have previously used various brands of compression clothing and am an advocate for it being used in both training and recovery as I have had positive results with compression garments. I train generally on a 7 day cycle with 1 day recovery and also now tend to wear compression garments at work when spending at lot of time on my feet. I seem to have started a bit of a trend with my staff who are following my example.

My Blog

28/6/11
I'm back on the bike and hope to try a race in the next week and see how unfit I am. Swimming is going well, but running has not been in scope till this week where I've tried a little treadmill work , bloody hell, pain and unfamiliarity with the motion as it's been nearly 7 months, but you can't keep an old dog down and I will be back.

My daughter raced her school region cross country yesterday at Castle Hill Show ground. She placed 9th, just missing a state spot, but it was a great result, improving from last years 55th place, mate there were over 100 kids in each race from 8-9 years boys and girls to 12 years and over 160 school.

At the end of July I'll have a better idea of what this season holds (I have some plans, but I'll just wait to see how things go) and I'll hopefully had a couple of bike races done.

7/12/10
Well the season plans are now in disarray, last Thursday, some thieving mongrels broke into our garage and decided that they like all the shiny race bikes and wheel and thought that they deserved them not us, net result two Dura ace equipped giant roadies gone, my tri bike gone, race wheels gone (4 pairs), aero helmet, gone, total = a lot.

The gear is insured and I'm talking to the insurance assessor tomorrow, but it'll be a royal pain to replace stuff, and make it fit right. I felt perfect on my TT bike and the results were showing. It's all the little pieces, ceramic bearings in wheels, ceramic jockey wheels , just a big pain.

A mate is lending me his P3 Cervelo, for a while, so hope fully I'll be continuing the results.

My plans for the rest of the season are to race the rest of the state series run by Elite energy, which I am now joint leader, next race is 16 Jan at Nowra, Callal Beach early Feb and then the NSW Police Games, Aust Long Course Titles at Husskisson, Sydney ITU series in April ( a race I'm really looking forward to riding across the Harbour bridge 3 times), Batemans Bay the final of the State series, State sprint in Feb and finally 70.3 at Port Macquarie. Well thats what is planned, just need new wheels.

6/12/10
Late October we travelled up to Noosa Tri (and a 2 week holiday). My daughter Kristie did her first Kids tri and had a great time with the 900 other kids. I lined up in the main event and ended up 22nd in the age group about 380th overall ( the field was 3000 individuals). I thought it was an average performance, just wasn't happening for me. The swim was ok, went out hard in the lead pack and cracked at about 1km and carried the lactate through the race, so I suppose that was the reason for a sluggish race.

Next race was the Nepean at Penrith, again sat on the really fast feet in the swim (the lead swimmer was the open Ironman Oz swim course record holder) and again I cracked at about 800m, but only had 200m to struggle through to the bike. Carried the lactate again, but a 6th place in the age group had me going the right direction.

The following week so me line up at Husskisson for an Olympic distace race. This time my swimming prep paid off as I led the swim, got onto the bike and felt great itfeels like things were working out. I led off the bike and into the run and it started to get a bit tough, but I held on for the win. A very pleasing result.

Last weekend I lined up for my 3rd race in a row at Kurnell. I worked afternoon shift the day before and only got home a midnight to get up at 4:30 am. I felt pretty average, came out of the water 4th, but rode to the lead (my bike legs are coming back). I started to feel pretty average in the run and was passed at about 3km, but held on for 2nd.

Overall I feel that I'm getting back, especially my bike leg so all things look good for the rest of the season.

28/06/10
Well tri season is done and dusted for another season. I finished off the year at the NSW Club championships , where my club Hill finished 2nd for the second year in a row. For me the race was a step towards a real return . I improved my time from 09 by 9 and a half minutes and more importantly a four and half minute improvement in the run over 8km. I've still got more to do but with the off season I can now work on some easy base work and build on this stepping stone.

The first month of winter base had been going well with my long runs working up and I was at 14km, the longest runs since my surgery, with my body feeling good injury wise (obviously the LineBreak tights were playing a major role here), but two weeks ago I picked up the flu at work and have been too sick to train, oh well patience is needed here. My first real target race is Noosa on 31 Oct, which will be my 15th Noosa and hopefully I will be back to the front of the Old Blokes age group.

01/02/10
I've been a slow with keeping up to date, but with xmas at work it's been pretty busy (today I'm trying to avoid border security filming my staff), and school holidays have taken their toll.

I've raced a bit since the World Championships, but like a number of other members of the Aussie Team have had a bit of a hangover from racing the biggest event of the year before the season really started , but know am trying to prepare for the NSW Sprint Championships which are on 28 Feb and the NSW Police Games in late March.

I've been training my 7 year old daughter a bit for her Zone Little Athletics Champs where she won the 500m run yesterday so I'm still pretty happy with that result , now it's time for Dad to have a bit of a go.

I've still been waving the flag for Linebreak with a number of work collegues taking up the opportunity to try your clothing and all have been positive in their feedback. I think there will be more interest here at work with the winter sports beining training and some of the people returning to work with sore bodies, perfect time to convince them to give Linebreak a go.

I know with my last 10 days I've gone back to sleeping in my gear to help my muscles recover from the increased stress from those harder reps . I think some of the hills have acually become steeper , probably the rain making them grow, but I am starting to see my fitness levels increasing (yesterday I did a threshold set and this was the 3rd week in a row and I've now begun to hold 2 seconds quicker than the second week.)

I'm racing this weekend at Kurnell so I'll let you know how that goes and (hopefully I'll see some positive steps for the State Champs in 2 weeks).

21/9/09
I have just returned form the triathlon World Championships, a little proud and a little disappointed , I swam my heart out to be 11th out of the water, rode into 7th and due to my knee surgery and slow recovery which hampered my running prep (oh for another 6 weeks) I faded to 30th with a 22min 40 run, but I am proud to have got that far and to come back from surgery where my Dr initially said my career in top class tris may be over, but as he said, never say never, so I truly thank you and the team at Linebreak for giving me this opportunity.

UPDATES
I competed in the Western Sydney Duathlon at Parramatta Park and finished 3rd in my age group. A bit of a struggle (as you can see from the pictures) as I was suffering from hayfever.
The attached photos have me racing in Linebreak calf guards and T shirt.
It's time for the finishing touches on my World Champs preparation with the race only 9 days away now everything is fast and painful with recovery a major factor and I'm rarely out of my LineBreak clothing really enjoying the benefits on my recovery. It's starting to feel real, it especially dawned on me a couple of weeks ago when I received my bag of team clothing. I will get some shots of me with both my Aussie team gear and LineBreak clothing and forward them to you.