In[FOCUS] | Athlete #2

Athlete: Joyette Jopson

By: Carlos de Guzman

They say good things comes in small packages.. and that is definitely the case for our next SBR In[FOCUS] athlete. Non-other than Joyette Jopson. Pocket rocket, as I once called her. She tore the 2010 multisport season apart. Blitzing her way and got a podium finish in almost every race that she has joined. The scary thing of all is.. she’s just getting started.

SBR.ph: A pleasure to have you on SBR Joyette!

Joyette : Thanks for having me Carlo. It’s an honor to be an SBR In[FOCUS] athlete! =)

SBR.ph: Tell us about your Phuket Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship. I heard the hills were a killer. Was it really that tough? Talk about your race day.

Joyette : It was my best race ever! I’ve never felt stronger. 40km into the bike though I had a flat. Luckily I just passed Jerry Santos (Xycos) then and he stopped to fix it for me. Good thing he did coz I was freaking out and didn’t know what to do!! Ebbie Baghaie (Army Navy Suth Tri) stopped too to help and make me laugh. If not for them I would not have been able to finish at a time I can still be proud of. =)

The hills were tough but I came prepared. I had compactcranks and a 28 cluster so it was cool to pass some of the guys pushing their bikes up those hills. =P I had my best run off the bike (1h48), and finished 4th place in the Championship Division 30-34 age group, 6 minutes behind 3rd place. If only I didn’t get a flat I would have gotten a podium. =P

I learnt a lot from that race. All the cliches such as winning is not everything, you need others to succeed, etc all came into play. Hahaha! It was overall an invaluable experience for me.

SBR.ph: Being the little sister of pinoy athlete Noy Jopson, have you ever felt any pressure carrying the Jopson name? Does that motivate you to train harder?

Joyette The only time I felt pressured being Noy’s sister was my very first triathlon years ago, maybe back in 2004. It was a firstwave event and was strictly for first timers. Ricky Led was the announcer and he kept on announcing I was the sister of Noy, former Philippine national champ and olympic record holder (at that time). I was so embarrased because I wasn’t any good. I was so traumatized also from the pain of racing with no training I didn’t join any other race til the end of 2006.

As Noy’s sister I got to inherit a lot of bike and triathlon stuff from him when I was just starting. He’s such a stage brother! He’s usually the first to call after a race to get a report.

SBR.ph: Since it’s the month of love, lets talk about you and teamTBB pro and coach Mat O’Halloran. =) What are the challenges having your boyfriend as your coach? Does he take it easy on you?

Joyette : He takes his coaching job really seriously. He’s very strict and he gets annoyed when I miss out on trainings or cut them short. But seeing how he trains- his discipline and passion for the sport inspires me a lot. Oh and he’s not easy on me at all. Let’s say I miss a swim, he’ll make my next swim session doubly hard. Hahaha!

SBR.ph: Mat, How’s Joyette like as an athlete, describe to us your training relationship.

Mat: She’s as very obedient athlete but often struggles to get out the door to start her workouts, but once she has started, she’s totally focused on the task at hand and consistently gives it her best. She gives me plenty of feedback and has a clearer idea of her own potential.

I am more attentive and firm with her than other athletes I work with. Coaching is the sum of a person’s experience and personality. Having to adjust to particular athletes abilities/backgound/goals is a fair compromise as long as the big picture is clear.

SBR.ph: How do the two of you balance training time and “couple time”. Do you still have that or is it all training? =)

Joyette : We’ve been together for 2 years now so things are more routine. We spend a lot of time outside of training together coz obviously, I cannot train “with” him. I just sometimes train at the same time as him. Hahahaha! We hang out a lot – we cook, watch cooking reality shows on tv, eat out, talk a lot, make fun of each other; he teaches me French and I teach him Tagalog. We also like to hangout with my cousins, my teammates, David, Makoy, etc.

SBR.ph: Mat, Describe to us a typical training week of Joyette . Without giving too much away, what’s her training like?

Mat: Her training plan encompasses strength work. On the bike/run she does plenty of hill repeats and negative split. Her swim and its enjoyment dramatically improved when she started to use fins and proper paddles. She has a very efficient body to start with, so we don’t overdo the long workouts. A treadmill session a week is also key for her turn over.

SBR.ph: What are the things Joyette still needs to work on?

Mat: Her swim is still in progress and she has to build through the TYR Catalyst paddles size chart. Her top end speed is quite poor, but that’s not so important in a long distance race. Punctuality is fairly inconsistent. It would also be good if she would have more time for recovery and spend less time in Manila!

Joyette : See how honest and serious he is??? Hahahahha!

SBR.ph: Joyette you’re a member of the Davids Salon Cycling Team. Tell us something about the team. I think you’re the only one whos really into triathlon?

Joyette : Team David’s Salon is the country’s first all female multi-sport team. In fact one of the oldest teams in the tri community too. The team promotes women empowerment through sports. There’s 9 of us girls in the line up this 2011. I am the most active one in triathlon but we are all triathletes. It’s just that at the moment not all are focused on triathlons. David understands how difficult it is to train for different disciplines, so he supports whatever each of us want to excel in. I have teammates who are focused cyclists, sky runners, ultra runners, etc.

Btw sorry for the shameless plug; my teammate Popo is a finalist at the Pharmaton MVP in March. SBR folks, please vote for her!! =P

SBR.ph: If a girl wants to join Davids Salon what does she have to do?

Joyette Members usually get invited by existing members or by David. We try to keep the team small so that it’s easier to manage.

SBR.ph: What’s it like seeing your face all over the metropolis plastered in all those Davids Salon ads? Has someone ever recognized you? “Uy ikaw yung sa davids!” Something like that? =)

Joyette Once or twice I think. But it’s mostly friends and family who recognize me. I used to get text messages that said they saw me on a bus on EDSA, or on a poster at a David’s Salon branch. =P

SBR.ph: So what is next on your schedule? Do you have plans of doing the full distance ironman soon?

Joyette : I will do the NAGT in Subic this month, SUBIT, Cam Sur, duas and runs, and I would love to go back to Phuket in December. My dream for this year is to complete the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneur 2011 in August with David, some of my teammates, and the Team David’s Salon Club.. It’s a 1200km ride with a 90-hour cutoff. You have to qualify to be able to participate, and I am about ⅓ done with the qualifiers. =)

Not planning to do an Ironman anytime yet. Just to maintain my current fitness level takes so much of my time, what more training for an IM. Of course if and when I do one I want to do well. =)

SBR.ph: Have you ever heard of the term “sub-Joyette ”? =) I heard that 1 or  2 times during camsur last year. =) Seems like you now have a huge bullseye on your back.

Joyette : Hahahahaha! I’ve heard of “sub-Piolo,” not of sub Joyette . But yes I am aware some guys out there are happy just to beat me. =)

SBR.ph: Talk about your athletic background. Who or what inspired you to do triathlons?

Joyette : Growing up I was into ballet, and then belly dancing when it became popular in the early 2000s. I was never athletic! But I guess thanks to my dance background I have strong legs and core.

Since I was 9years old I’ve been watching my uncle Jeng, my brother Noy and older cousin Pong compete. I guess I secretly wanted to be like them, I just never thought I could because like what I said, I was never athletic.

What got me started honestly, was that a few years ago I was bored with my party lifestyle and I decided to do tri again. With that second tri I got hooked and it changed my life (and lovelife) completely!

SBR.ph: Talk to us about your sponsors.

Joyette : David’s Salon is our main sponsor.

Other sponsors include Rudy Project which provide for our eye wear and very cool cycling gear; GlaxoSmithKline – we are also working with them in the fight against cervical cancer; the Union Jack Tavern in Filinvest Mall – it’s an English pub also owned by David. Mat can’t have enough of their fish and chips, and me the beer, hihi; We also are supported by Women’s Health magazine, Accel Gel for our nutrition, Crocs for pre/post race footwear, Specialized for our other bike gear, Goody for our hair accessories – I swear by their StayPut line specially for training and racing; Navco – Garmin gave us GPS enabled watches, Vittoria tyres, and The Brick Multisport Store for bike maintenance and tri-geek gear discounts.

SBR.ph: Are you gonna compete at the Filipino Elite category this year?

Joyette : Nah, I’m already very happy with the age group podium prizes specially in Camsur (sunglasses, Alaska milk, Cobra, David’s Salon GC, etc), hahahaha! But seriously, I’m still far from the elite level. =)

SBR.ph: Any last words to our readers Joyette ? Mat, what tips can you share to the newbies out there wanting to get into the sport?

Joyette : Improvement doesn’t happen overnight so hard work, discipline and dedication is the key. But of course as age groupers we do this sport for fun, so no need to be too serious and for it to be “everything” in your life. Balance is the key. When training starts to feel too much work, it’s okay to relax a little and give yourself some break. Even with Mat sometimes I tell him “I’m not training for an IM!!” or “I’m just an age grouper!!” when I start feeling its too much.

Mat: DON’T over think your equipment, DON’T over analyze your technique and DON’T overdo your speed work. Triathlon is about strength, consistency, and determination. It made a name for itself in the 80’s by chiseled American men who raced on steel bikes down a long highway in the Hawaiian lava fields wearing small Speedos fuelled by fruits, chocolate bars and Coca Cola!

SBR.ph: Thanks for the time Joyette ! Looking forward watching you rock the 2011 season!

Joyette : My pleasure! SBR rocks!

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