GOLD Coast swapped Sherrins for surf skis last week, learning from a champion ironman that has already helped its best player get better.
Ali Day, winner of the iconic Coolangatta Gold event a record eight times, led an ironman session for Suns players at Tallebudgera Creek on Tuesday, testing them both mentally and physically.
It's not the first involvement Day has had with the club.
Two-time All-Australian Touk Miller has built a relationship with the Surfers Paradise Surf Club champion over the past 18 months, describing him as "the ultimate professional".
The 26-year-old first approached Day in the 2021 off-season, training with him and spending numerous hours travelling to and from sessions together.
Miller has picked his brain ever since, finding out everything that contributes to making Day the success he is – right down to the type of water he drinks.
"I haven't come across a person that's been more professional than him," Miller said.
"He's got an aura around him.
"(I've learned about) How to look after my body, my nutrition, my sleep, what I'm drinking, how I prepare myself for game day, how I prepare myself away from game day.
"I've written them all down and I've started to implement a number of things that he does into my own program.
"It sounds a bit weird, borderline a bit crazy, but even the small stuff like the type of water you're drinking.
"Go out of your way to drink a certain brand of water because it gives you a little bit more and you're not getting the metals out of the tap.
"It might not be a difference to some people, but sometimes that 0.5 per cent can make a difference."
Day's most recent Coolangatta Gold triumph in October came despite having a 6cm tear in his calf, and it's the mental resilience as much as the physical preparation Miller says he has learnt from.
Gold Coast players did a combination of swimming along with using surf skis and paddle boards in a tough session.
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Miller said it wasn't so much about the outcome, it was about overcoming a challenge and seeing it through to the end.
It was something he learnt from training with Day and his Surf Club last year.
"Being in the surf in three-foot waves and swimming properly with goggles on is so unusual for myself, and I think facing that fear and being out there and making sure I continually move, I got a lot out of that," he said.
"It was a really cool experience.
"I thought I was quite professional, then I talked to him and got a lot of inspiration from what he does.
"I went exploring … and found I had so much more growth. It's another challenge and another opportunity to get better. You just continually grow."
