30 Sept 2006

Landis appeal

Tour de France winner Floyd Landis will seek a public arbitration hearing after learning his bid to have doping charges against him dismissed had failed, a spokesman for the US cyclist said Friday. A statement issued by Landis spokesman Michael Henson said Landis "received notice that the Anti-Doping Review Board (ADRB) has recommended that the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) move forward in the disciplinary process related to Landis' alleged positive drug test of July 20, 2006.

"Howard Jacobs, lawyer for Landis, will request an open hearing by the American Arbitration Association to contest potential sanctions against the athlete." Last week, Jacobs sent a letter to USADA asking that the case be dismissed. Jacobs questioned the tests carried out on his samples in a French laboratory and claimed that the positive finding on the B sample came from a sample number not assigned to Landis.

From Bicycling magazine's newsletter

29 Sept 2006

Malaysia Special

Just fyi .. for those of you searching for a new ironman challenge ..

Until tomorrow, you can sign up for Ironman Malaysia for just US$260 (A$345) .. then it goes up in two stages .. until the end of December US$300 ($400)

In comparison, entry to WA is A$640, entry to Port Mac is A$650

Across the Tasman, NZ 2007 will cost NZ$620 (A$543) until late November

Swim - free speed

From Slowtwitch

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/swimcenter/case.html

The primary reason triathletes ought to pay a lot more attention to the swim is that it's free speed. Because it's a technique-based sport when you make that drop in time from 27min to 24min over a 1.5k swim, there is no metabolic cost associated with the increased speed. In fact, you'll probably find it's an easier swim, and you'll be at it for a shorter period of time. Fast swimmers exit the water with more in their tanks, not less.

Kona Forecast - xtri

Top Five Men as forecast by xtri.com

Cam Brown
Faris
Macca
Stadler
Widoff

Top Five Women

Michellie
Major
Natascha
Lawn
Bentley

28 Sept 2006

US$100,000

HENDERSON, Nev. – September 26, 2006 – Frank Lowery, of Lowery’s Multisport Races along with the City of Henderson, announced today that a new professional relay team has registered for the Nevada Silverman Triathlon. The three man U.S.-based team will consist of Tyler Hamilton, Ernest Kimeli and Erik Vendt. All three athletes are previous triathlon or Olympic top finishers.

The Silverman is offering a $100,000.00 prize purse to the first combination relay team that can break the 8-hour mark on the course. The Nevada Silverman is a full-distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim; 112-mile bike and 26.2 mile run held annually in Henderson, Nevada.

No China in 2007

From Triathlete Magazine:

Sept. 25, 2006 -- Hong Kong-based Ironman China Ltd. (ICL) announced today that it was abandoning its efforts to stage an Ironman triathlon race in Sanya, China, in 2007.

After months of negotiation, the sides were unable to agree to a contract for the event, which was scheduled for April 28, 2007. Ironman China was also scuttled in 2006 due in part to a now-settled sanctioning dispute between the International Union and the World Triathlon Corporation.

Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon

fri run...
5:45 am york rd gates to warm up for 6 am at oval-with lisa
or
7:15 am at oval warmed up- with jh

sat bike-6 am york rd gates easy to waterfall -with lisa(doesn,t include hawaii people-gold coast people also missing)

sat swim (please email me if turning up)7 am north bondi sc
or 10 am with spot same place but costs 15$ casual ouch

sun bike:6:15 am york rd gates ...another fun day at kurnell,hawaii people last nutrition/pace practice before hawaii...simular set as last week as per yr prog
sun run after bike as per prog

monday swim (holiday) 7:30 am malabar beach with lisa(i,ll be there)


good luck to all gold coast people !!!

regards
jh

27 Sept 2006

New site for TriTravel

http://www.tritravel.com.au/

Belinda on IM Canada

From the latest TriTravel newsletter: http://www.tritravel.com.au


Well you could possibly say that I am one happy lady at the moment. For those of you who didn’t know, I raced and won Ironman Canada last weekend. This was my 20th Ironman Distance race and my 4th Ironman title, but definitely my most significant as I was finally able to beat Lisa Bentley to the finish line. For the past five years Lisa has run me down at Ironman Australia and I was finally able to ‘turn the tables’ and win on her home turf- sweet justice I say! The rivalry between Lisa and I has been fantastic not only for the sport of Ironman but also for me as an athlete. I have so much respect for her. She is a great athlete and always gives 100% so I know if I want to finish ahead of her I have to be 100% on my game.

I only made the decision to race IM Canada three weeks before race day- a late decision but one I am glad my coach- Brett and I made. We really wanted to use the race as a ‘tester’ to see how my new training program was working out. I flew into Penticton , BC all the way from Switzerland on the Thursday afternoon before the race- I basically had enough time to register, ride the run course, catch up on some sleep and get myself to the start line. I had no idea where the bike course went- this was a first for me. In the 20 Ironman races I have completed I have always ridden the course prior to race day.

Race day arrived and we awoke to what I thought was a pretty prefect day for racing Ironman (many would later disagree with this) - the lake was still, only a slight breeze was blowing, the skies were clear and the temperature comfortable. I was really excited and keen to race- always a good sign.

The pro wave went off at 6.45am- 15 minutes before the age-group wave. I felt great and after a sloppy start, found my groove and worked my way up to a great pack. I actually exited the water on the feet of Wendy Ingram- a legend of our sport and a great swimmer. I knew I had swum well, exiting the water in second female overall.

Onto my bike- I had opted to keep my set-up on my BMC Pro Machine as it was for training in the mountains of Switzerland- road bars and STI with my Oval clip-ons. I didn’t even wear my aero helmet. I just wanted to keep things simple, not put any pressure on myself and just ride- and ride I did! I felt unbelievable from the start. By the 20km mark I was in the lead and I never looked back. The bike course was a ‘corker’- stunning scenery, great climbs, incredibly challenging and best of all, fair (no drafting on this course). I worked my way into it- knowing I felt great- my powertap monitor was confirming what I was feeling and I was really enjoying myself. By the 90km mark I had a 10-minute lead, by the 150km mark it was up to 15 minutes and by the time I dismounted back in T2 it was just shy of 18 minutes. I rode 5hrs03- the fastest of the day by 14 minutes. But would it be enough to hold off the fleet-footed Lisa? I decided not to even think about it and just concentrate on me and what I could do. Brett and I had been working on my running with some massive track sessions, hill runs and longer runs off the bike and I really did feel confident I could run a solid and consistent marathon. I took it out fairly conservatively as I had been told that too many people took it out too hard only to pay the price later down the track when the hills started. I felt comfortable and in control. At the 15km mark the hills started and I tried really hard to work these but I also had to contend with a tough and persistent head wind so at times I felt like the hills were working me. I knew I just needed to make it to the turn-a-round and then I would be rewarded with a tailwind home.

Finally I was making that 180-degree turn and heading for home. Now would be my first and only real chance to see Lisa. By the time we crossed paths she had whittled my lead down to about 10 minutes. OK- I tried to do the math- way too difficult when you are trying to hold your form together, suck in the O2 and move in a forward direction. Luckily for me I had fantastic support out there. Spectators and athletes were continuously encouraging me and telling me I could do it. It was amazing to get that kind of support outside of your own country. With each stride I just grew with confidence and I was determined to make this one count. I gave myself no choice but to bring it home for the win. With 6km to go I was given a split of 3min05. I thought about all of the easy 6km runs I had done prior to the race- I could do 6km with my eyes closed. I took my last power gel as I passed through an aid station and then just gave it everything. With 3km to go I was given my last split back to Lisa- 3min45. I had gained some time back- nothing was going to stop me now.

The last 2km are unbelievable- you head straight down the main street of town- the crowds are out of control- I lapped it up. You turn onto the finish straight but they make you run away from the finish line for about 500m before you turn for home. I wanted to get to that finish line so badly but I also wanted to savour the roaring crowds as well. I crossed paths with Lisa for the final time and that is when I knew for sure that the race was mine. I slowed down and just took it all in- it is almost surreal to win an Ironman. It is just the most amazing and satisfying feeling- all of the hard work culminating with a hard-fought race right to the line. Your emotions are almost uncontrollable. You are so tired and sore but inside you are just exploding with excitement. I crossed the finish line in 9hrs25- first woman and seventh overall. I had won the race by 3min05- my sweetest victory to date.

I am now back in Switzerland and back into training. Next up is of course the big one in Kona.

Thanks again for all of your support and well-wishes. I hope I can make you all proud again in Hawaii .

Belinda

Free Crocs to Nowra entrants

Every entrant will receive a FREE pair of Crocs so get in quick to secure your
place in the start line. All entries are online at www.nowratri.com.au or Call 0413
765 248.

The Olympic Distance race format will consist of a 1.5km swim in Nowra River
exiting at Nowra Rowing Club. Athletes will then take to the bike on a 40km cycle
through the streets of the town before hitting the road to complete the course with
a 10km run loop to North Nowra prior to crossing the finish line at Nowra
Swimming Pool.

Date: Saturday November 11

Kurnell expands field

Thanks to Sutherland Council and NSW Police the field size for the Kurnell based series, a tradition in NSW triathlon has been increased to 600 from the 500 of recent season.

TriNSW has voluntary set the field size for Race 1 to 550 to ease the additional numbers into the area, so join those who have already noticed that entry is open and register on line at www.trinswrace.org now.

The four races making up the Sydney Triathlon Series – Kurnell for the new season are:

Race #1 Sunday 26th November 2006 - The Season Opener
Race #2 Sunday 14th January 2007 - New Year's Warm Up
Race #3 Sunday 11th February 2007 - Got to do it!
Race #4 Sunday 11th March 2007 - The Grand Final

TA Insurance Night

TA Insurance Roadshow

Triathlon Australia in conjunction with Insurance Broker Willis Australia Limited is touring the nation with the TA Insurance Roadshow. The seminar will present an in-depth explanation regarding what your TA insurance covers and answer questions on the following topics:

Public Liability Insurance; Personal Accident Insurance; Corporate Travel Insurance; Directors & Officers Insurance; and Bike Insurance.

The date set down for Sydney is Monday, 23rd October. Venue for the FREE evening session (approx 2 hrs duration) is yet to be confirmed. More details will be made available ASAP.

17 Sept 2006

Fine Fine Fine

Monday Fine. Sunny. Max: 25C

Tuesday Fine. Sunny. Min: 14C Max: 27C

Wednesday Fine. Mainly sunny. Min: 16C Max: 27C

Thursday Fine. Min: 12C Max: 24C

Friday Fine.

In the Outback!

The blog will fall silent for most of the week ahead as Margreet and I head to the Outback for some cross training in the MacDonnell Ranges.

A report on the 130km part of the Larapinta Trail that we'll hike will follow.

Enjoy the weather!

PB day for 1/2 marathoners!

Not known as a runner friendly course (the climb out of the Rocks at about 18km is as much a mental challenge as a physical one), the half marathon in Sydney was humbled today.

Based on what I know, massive PBs for both Lisa and Margreet - two new members of the Sub90 club! Well deserved for both. Awesome, awesome efforts.

Not to be outdone, Anthony Donnelly ran a masterful 86 and change, a PB for him.

Unconfirmed talk of John running near the 80 minute mark, which I think would be faster than last year though I'm not sure if that represents a PB for him. ?

Anyone else?

As for me, I am slowly approaching the 90 minute mark. It was my second 1/2 marathon PB in a month. I need about 1 more second per kilometre!! Alas, the Central Coast 1/2 in December is now a new target for me.

16 Sept 2006

Beautiful weather for a long day

Reports from north of Sydney confirmed that Inverell is a long way from Grafton.

Both Declan and David completed the race. Declan in about 7 hours and David just a little bit later!!

Well done.

***UPDATE .. I failed to mention that Gary Leahy also raced!

eBay to the start line

From the marathon story in the New York Times:

A New York City Marathon bib was offered on eBay last month for $750 with a “buy it now” option of $1,000. It went unsold, but two weeks later another sold for more than $450. Among the marathon bibs for sale on eBay yesterday was one for Chicago with a bid of $162. Most bibs for the New York City Marathon are selling for $100 to $200, but one seller on Craigslist was recently asking $775 for his bib for a man in his racing age group. People placing ads looking for bibs were offering up to $300.

The entry fee for the New York City Marathon is $80 for members of the New York Road Runners Cluband $107 for nonmembers plus a $9 nonrefundable processing fee. The Chicago and Boston Marathons filled their slots in record time. Chicago’s fee is $90. Boston, which requires runners to meet a qualifying standard, charges $95 for Americans.

Marathon mania

From The New York Times:

By JENNIFER BLECHER
Published: September 16, 2006

The notion of paying hundreds of dollars for the opportunity to run 26.2 miles may not appeal to most people, but some runners are doing just that because demand for marathons has outstripped the number of spots available in the fields.

More than 100,000 runners are training now for the three major fall marathons — Berlin, Chicago and New York City — and many thousands more are preparing for smaller races throughout the country. But many runners were unable to gain entry into the race of their choice, and some of them will turn to prohibited means of getting into the field, like using counterfeit bibs — the paper numbers runners wear on their shirts — or buying bibs at a premium online.

Race organizers say they are frustrated by this unintended consequence of staging popular events, but there is little they can do. Photocopied or otherwise fabricated bibs are needles in a haystack of tens of thousands of runners.

More than 90,000 people entered a lottery for the 50,000 spots awarded for the New York City Marathon, which will be Nov. 5. Considering that thousands of runners do not make it to race day because of injuries and myriad other reasons, organizers expect the field to be about 36,000.

Zacked!

Associated Press Sports
Updated: 8:53 a.m. ET Sept. 13, 2006

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -Juergen Zack was suspended two years for doping Wednesday by the German Triathlon Union.

The organization said Zack, runner-up at the 1997 Hawaii Ironman contest, tested positive in July.

"The commission sees no other possibility but a two-year suspension according to the rules,'' said Reinhard Wilke, the chairman of Germany's triathlon anti-doping commission.

The union did not specify the banned substance Zack used. He had previously said he will retire.

The 40-year-old Zack had numerous top-10 finishes at the Hawaii Ironman and was a five-time winner of Roth, one of Europe's most prestigious long-distance races.

14 Sept 2006

More Lance

From the New York Times:

Lance Armstrong said yesterday that he never pushed teammates to use performance-enhancing drugs and did not know they had done so. Instead, he said, there was a simple reason for his success.

“Some of us are born with 4 cylinders, and some of us are born with 12,” he said in a telephone interview from Austin, Tex.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/14/sports/othersports/14cycling.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

Grafton to Inverell

228km of cycling prestige await Declan and Mr Thomas this Saturday!

http://www.graftontoinverell.com/

Weekend Training

easy week this week yayyyy

sat easy bike:6 am york rd gates......to waterfall return

sun -no official bike but casuals or people making up km,s can meet 6:30 am york rd gates to waterfall etc

or bridge run

programes coming soon

regards
john

13 Sept 2006

Rebel - Sept 20th

Rebel Sport Bondi – VIP Shopping

Don’t miss the fantastic opportunity at Rebel Sport Bondi on 20th September 2006 between 6-9pm. BRAT members will receive a 5% discount on top of the 20% discount offered this night, this is for EVERYTHING instore. What an opportunity to pick up some great quality gear for amazing prices. Don’t miss it.

Lance responds

From an AP story, an interview of Lance:

"I think it's a pretty nasty attempt by The New York Times to link me to doping through somebody else's admission. You have to read way down in the article until Frankie says, 'I never saw Lance do anything.'

"To me, this is a story about Frankie Andreu," Armstrong said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Los Angeles. "The fact he took drugs has nothing to do with me."

Sunday start time

Event Day

Sunday 17 September, 2006

Event start times

6.30am Blackmores Half Marathon

7.10am Blackmores Sydney Marathon

7.30am The Sunday Telegraph Family Fun Run

8.05am The Sunday Telegraph body+soul Bridge Run

Sunday's run

Rego days!


Thursday 14 September, 8am to 8pm

Friday 15 September, 8am to 6pm

Saturday 16 September, 10am to 3pm

12 Sept 2006

Steph!

While she's not preparing to head to Kona (this year), Steph has kept busy enough. She completed her master's degree and the commencement was today.

So is there time now for a return to racing?

Confessions in the mail

From the New York Times

By JULIET MACUR
Published: September 12, 2006

Two of Lance Armstrong’s eight teammates from the 1999 Tour de France have admitted for the first time that they used the banned endurance-boosting drug EPO in preparing for the race that year, when they helped Armstrong capture the first of his record seven titles.

...

Neither rider ever tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but both said they felt as if they had to take EPO to make the Tour team in 1999. Andreu would not say specifically when he took the drug, and the second rider said he did not use EPO during the Tour. Anti-doping experts say the benefits of taking EPO, the synthetic hormone erythropoietin, which boosts stamina by bolstering the body’s production of oxygen-rich red blood cells, can last several weeks or more.

Both of Armstrong’s former teammates also said they never saw Armstrong take any banned substances.

10 Sept 2006

Rain set to ease

Monday. Frequent showers. Min: 11 Max: 18

Tuesday Shower or two. Min: 11 Max: 19

Wednesday Fine. Min: 12 Max: 20

Thursday Fine. Min: 13 Max: 22

Friday Fine. Min: 11 Max: 22

Saturday Fine.

Ultra-Fit Marathon!

See Grace's profile of Lisa in Ultra-Fit magazine!

7 Sept 2006

High5's Super Carbs

*An excerpt from a High5 news release - contact JH for more info

After much trial and error, High5 have developed a unique maltodextrin and high fructose blend of carbohydrate. This unique blend has been shown to maximise gastric emptying, while allowing in excess of 90g of carbohydrate per hour to be transported through the gut wall with minimal gastric distress.

Super Carb’s has been extensively tested in the lab and in action. High5 are the nutrition suppliers for pro cycle team CSC. Super Carb’s was used in last year’s Tour de France, where riders consumed up to 120g of carbohydrate per hour in the early stages of the race and suffered no gastric distress.

Because fructose drags additional water across the gut wall as it is absorbed, riders were also shown to benefit from significantly faster hydration. Extensive lab research will be published by mid April on the substantial energy and hydration benefits of High5’s Super Carb’s formulation.

It is predicted that we will show a 50% increase in carbohydrate oxidation rates, a significant increase in water uptake and a reduction in gastric distress, as compared to a maltodextrin only drink.

*(Super Carbs is part of Esource, 4:1, Iso and Xtreme)

This Weekend

sat bike 6 am yourk rd gates-easy to waterfall

sat pm optional brat run race 3pm
Sat 9th Sept BRAT 10k run , 3pm start in Centennial Park near showground gates.

sun bike--6:30 am york rd gates

note for some this is hard session so pleeeease try out your race food on the hit on bike and run...THIS MUST BE PERFECT ON THE DAY!

also note i will look out for weather patterns,if its really bad forecast for sunday i might swap sat/sun but will advise on friday,i realise this could effect u if u have a hard run fri but better than not doing the bike session

double note:i,m going to change sundays course to stay at kurnell and use the hills in the small kurnell nat park ,its a solid hit out with no rests on legs and safe,all explained on sunday..if windy please be carefull of using deep dish wheel on front.

regards
jh

Brat Flash

Here are the up-coming Brat events…

Sat 9th Sept BRAT 10k run , 3pm start in Centennial Park near showground gates.

Wed 20th Sept BRAT 5k Time Trial, 6.30pm at south end of Bondi beach.

Sat 23rd Sept BRATS DUATHLON CHAMPS - Heffron Park ! - 2.5km run/ 5km bike/ 2.5km run/ 5km bike/ 2.5km run. 4pm Start. Rego 3.15-3.45. Brat Clothing on sale too! Contact Meg Matthews to help 9387-5432 OR e-mail thematth@bigpond.net.au.

BRAT Social Drinks, First Sunday of every month.
5pm on Sunday afternoon come to the Bondi Icebergs Club for a few refreshments to finish off a weeks training. It is a great chance to meet fellow BRAT's and for non members to inquire about the Club. See you there.

Noosa Accomodation - Triathlon Weekend
House available sleeps 6. Cost $350 per person. House has pool & spa. Located Little Cove (v close to Hastings St ). Booked for 5 nights 26/10/6 - 31/10/6. (almost all places in Noosa have min 5 nights for the tri w/e).
e-mail: nikhale@westpac.com.au

Running Singlets available now. Limited stock. Be quick. Will be sold at Brat September run races. $40. Call Ian for more info 0412465454

E: info@bratclub.com.au
W: http://www.bratclub.com.au/

Forecast

Friday
Showers. S winds
Min: 11CMax: 18C

Saturday
Showers.
Min: 11C Max: 16C

Sunday
Showers / rain.
Min: 11C Max: 16C

Monday
Showers easing.

Enthusiasm for Life

There has been a lot of words written about Steve Irwin and a lot of it has seemed over the top to me. But I did think these comments in a New York Times editorial touched on the essence of his life.

``...there are far worse ways to view the natural world than through the eyes of a young child, and Mr. Irwin offered a far more temperate version of the classic 6-year-old-boy approach, which is to confront a wild animal, marvel at its strength and ferocity, and then try to hit it with a rock. For Mr. Irwin, wild nature was something to wonder at, and he did so with an enthusiasm indistinguishable from love. Animals — even deadly ones — are good, poachers are evil, and, crikey, that’s pretty much it.

Call that simple-minded, call it dumb, but it resonates. Future environmentalists and conservationists have to come from somewhere, and if the energetic wonderment of the Crocodile Hunter has seeped into the brains of significant numbers of children — as it did that of Sean, who went trick-or-treating as Mr. Irwin last year, who turned 6 with a crocodile cake, who wears khaki and boots and fills notebooks with meticulous drawings of reptiles — then Mr. Irwin used his 44 years remarkably well.''

Going to Florida .. hmm maybe not

I didn't actually realise that I had a spot to race at the 70.3 Champs in Florida until I received a recall notice this morning.

This note arrived yesterday, and because I sign up for every triathlon newsletter I see, I didn't pay much attention to it.

Timothy,

Heather Gollnick and the Iron Edge Staff would like to personally congratulate you on qualifying for the Ford Ironman 70.3 World Championship, which is sure to be one of the premier events in all of Triathlon.

We are proud to be part of the Ironman Team!!


And then this arrived overnight:

Dear Timothy,

You may have recently received an email that announced Heather Gollnick's IronEdge training camp and congratulated you on qualifying for the 2006 Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 taking place on November 11 in Clearwater, FL.

If you have not already received an official qualifying certificate at one of our events, this email was sent in error and we apologize for any confusion this may have caused you.


Oh well ...

6 Sept 2006

Consistency

From a comment by Gordo on xtri


Protocol impacts the amount of "work" that we can absorb and, ultimately, "work absorbed" is what determines performance. So the plan (or person) that enhances our ability to absorb training is what proves optimal over the long run. That is probably why discussions over training protocol are a lot like discussions over nutrition. At a deep level, we know that our own choices are what determine results. It is also why the best coaches are the people the figure out how to get their athletes to absorb the most training, not the guys with the best scientific knowledge.

Many coaches allude to the fact that they have a superior method. I'd be wary of those people. The best coaches that I've met are the ones that admit that they get nearly as much wrong as they get right.

Elixr - Open House

Open house this Saturday, September 9 from 10am to 3pm

5 Sept 2006

Mark's Day in Penticton

Just a quick note from over here in Canada. The race might not have gone exactly as planned, but I'm in pretty good spirits so no major dramas.

I had a decent swim and bike and felt good at the start of the run, but unfortunately it's the whole marathon that counts! I was following my nutrition plan, but my stomach just couldn't handle it. It starting giving way at about the 1/3 mark and after a nice little spew job at the the side of the road I ended up walking the last 15k as nothing would go in. I think maybe the heat had something to do with it, as it was somewhere in the 30s, but I guess I didn't adapt my plan appropriately enough.

It's kind of weird as I was really disappointed after New Zealand was cancelled and while I'm obviously a bit disappointed by my result, I'm not too bummed about this race as it's just par for the course in this sport, where one minute you be on track for a decent race to just battling it out for a finish:)

It was a pretty cool course, so I'll be back for another shot someday. Thanks for all the encouragement from everybody.

I'm having a good time over here, as I've never spent much time in British Columbia before. Catching up with some Uni friends in Victoria and Vancouver and saw my parents for a few days. I'll be back in Sydney next week, so look forward to seeing everybody:)

Cheers,

Mark

World Champs - photo link

From Tony G

World Tri Champs Lusanne, there are some great photo's here by Delly Carr.

http://www.triathlon.org/zpg/zimgs-slide.php?call=&tp=evt&id=723&auto=no

Charlotte's Day in Penticton

Ironman Canada done, but definitely not dusted.

I was 6th female overall in a time of 10.12. I am not disappointed with my result, but I know I can do better. Third place was only 3 minutes faster, and I feel it should have been within my capabilities.

It was fantastic to be there when Belinda Granger finally held off the "Bentley Blast". She really deserved the win.

We had the perfect day to start with. The lake was like glass, the skies clear and there was no wind. I swam well, was very comfortable and came out in a group with Lisa Bentley and Amanda Lovato in just over 59 minutes. Leaving town the crowd was
enormous. It was a big rush, and hard not to speed up with the cheers.

Onto the road I kept within my heart rate ranges. I was careful not to go out too hard since there was 70kms of flats to start with and then hills, hills and more hills. I thought I was going along ok, but my 5 hour 50 minute bike split says otherwise. I think I just rode way too conservatively and needed to be more
aggressive.

The last 30kms was a downhill back to town where I thought I would make up time, but the headwind lessened this.

I was off the bike in about 16th position, so I knew I had a lot of work to do. The run course is an undulating out and back along Skaha Lake. The 1st 21kms was into a head wind and pretty tough going, but towards the turnaround I had a good look at where my competitors were. Apart from Belinda and Lisa, the others weren't looking too flash. Turning around I was now heading for home, had a tailwind, and lots of carrots.

This is the best part of the race for me. I was picking off girls one by one, and gaining energy each time. I got plenty of support from the crowd, and was told 3rd was a possibility if I kept going. In the end I ran out of road.

Coming into the home straight, an out and back to the finish, I caught sight of 5th, just ahead, and better still - [she was] walking! But as the crowd urged me to "get her" she saw me and started running. Well I picked up my pace and stayed with her, but her final sprint saw me with nothing in return. These little legs had no sprint in them.

My 3.18 run split was the 2nd fastest after Lisa Bentley, I negative split, and I was happy with that. I had let the strong riders get way too far down the road, and had too much catching up to do on the run. The course definitely suited the strong riders, but its amazing few of them were able to run well off it. The hills on the run made it extremely fair. You had to be a biker and a runner.

I don't know if this race will be on my schedule for next year, but I do want to go back and conquer it.

I now look forward to a new look at training, and the build to Ironman Western Australia in December.

Thank you all for your ongoing support.

Charlotte

Expanded Family Croft

Belated congrats to the Crofts on the arrival of a son!

(Apologies for late notice ...)

A Runner

http://www.sergegirard.com/anglais/press_kit.html

4 Sept 2006

Reid in the zone

From Inside Triathlon magazine

see link on first posting

The man in the zone knows no pain

IT: You no longer had the spark to inhabit all this pain?

Peter Reid: When I was on and in a total zone, I felt nothing. I felt no pain whatsoever. When you're in the zone, your adrenaline is pumping, you're numb to the pain. All that matters is Who is up the road? I've got to attack! When you're going through the motions, there is no drive, no attack mode. Last year, all of a sudden, I remember going "This hurts! This really really hurts!" Once I was aware of it, I felt this was not a place I enjoy going to. Believe me, I thoroughly enjoyed being in that total zone. When you are racing that way, you don't see anything but what is inside that tunnel. But all of a sudden, I'm not in there. It's funny, but I don't miss it. Ultimately it was an easy decision

Reid on Kona

From Inside Triathlon magazine

http://www.insidetri.com/portal/news/news.asp?item=103088


Q: Was there a reason you did well at Hawaii and not at an important race like Germany?

Peter Reid: Hawaii just suited me perfectly. I loved the headwinds, loved the heat, and loved the salt-water swim. I'm almost too big to race fast. I never really raced that fast, but I raced strong. That is the one biggest reason why I did well in Hawaii - there the strongest man - mentally and physically - wins. That is also why I never did well in Germany. Germany was too fast for me. I just could not keep up. But in Hawaii, the speeds were a little slower. A little slower on the bike, a harder swim - it had chop, currents, swells. It demands a stronger competitor and my body is better suited for all that stuff. I should have done Lanzarote.

Six IM in Six countries in 60 days

Thursday, August 31, 2006

VANCOUVER -- An Edmonton man has established himself as the Ironman of all Ironmen.

Mike Cabigon, 32, successfully completed six Ironman triathlons in six different countries in just 60 days -- a feat never before accomplished -- all in the name of raising money for cancer.

On August 26, Cabigon completed his sixth Ironman triathlon, Ironman Canada, held in Penticton, B.C.

Prior to that, he had already completed the Ironman UK (Aug. 20 at Shebourne Castle); Ironman Germany (July 23 in Frankfurt); Ironman Austria (July 16 in Klagenfurt); Ironman Switzerland (July 2 in Zurich); and his first competition in the challenge, Ironman France (July 25 in Nice).

IM Arizona sold out

Boulder, CO – The 2007 edition of Ford Ironman Arizona scheduled to take place on April 15, 2007 has sold out to general entry.

World Champs - Men

Battling heat and the one of the hottest fields in the eighteen year history of the world championships, Don unleashed the fastest run of the day to beat Athens Olympic gold medallist Hamish Carter from New Zealand for the win. Frenchman Frederic Belaubre won the bronze medal.

“World Champion. Can you believe it!,” exclaimed Don. “I have a good formula for success and that is consistent training. This race was won in training rather than out there today.”


2006 ITU Triathlon World Championships – Elite Men
DON, Tim (GBR) - 1:51:32
CARTER, Hamish (NZL) - 1:51:49
BELAUBRE, Frederic (FRA) - 1:52:12
GEMMELL, Kris (NZL) - 1:53:01
POLIKARPENKO, Volodymyr (UKR) - 1:53:04
REOBERTSON, Peter (AUS) - 1:53:06
KEMPER, Hunter (USA) - 1:53:07
UNGER, Daniel (GER) - 1:53:11
JOHNS, Andrew (GBR) - 1:53:20
GOMEZ, Javier (ESP) - 1:53:27

World Champs - Women

Many people questioned whether Snowsill was in good enough shape to win a third world championships title but she proved all doubters wrong on this sunny afternoon. It was Snowsill all the way as she even had time to thank some of the 60,000 spectators that lined the course and finish line as she cruised through the finish tape.

"I ran like I had nothing to lose. I just had to go out and leave nothing behind,” stated Snowsill on her history-making performance.

2006 ITU Triathlon World Championships – Elite Women
1. SNOWSILL, Emma (AUS) 2:04:03
2. FERNANDES, Vanessa (POR) 2:04:48
3. ABRAM, Felicity (AUS) 2:05:14
4. GROVES, Lauren (CAN) 2:05:24
5. CORTASSA, Nadia (ITA) 2:05:28
6. WHITCOMBE, Andrea (GBR) 2:05:47
7. FRANZMANN, Joelle (GER) 2:06:05
8. BENNETT, Laura (USA) 2:06:16
9. HAIBOECK, Tania (AUT) 2:06:20
10. HEWITT, Andrea (NZL) 2:06:34