Port Mac

It’s a picture perfect setting here in Port MacQuarie as 1605 triathletes prepare for this year’s Panthers Ironman Australia Triathlon. A fantastic field of pros and Hawaii hopefuls compliment the 473 first-timers set to test themselves on this very technical course as the race begins Sunday, April 1 at 6:30 am in Australia.

http://www.ironman.com/events/ironman/australia

Tasmanian Recovery

I'm heading to the wildness of Tasmania with three others (Margreet, Gina and Dingo). The plan is to return to civilization on March 26th. And then back to this mainland a few days later.

Go you ironmen and women .. take no prisoners .. fall across the finish line!

Weekend races

Cronulla .. World Police Games ..

You'll have to find the results on your own .. apologies

Gordo's Race Week Tips

Further Tips For Race Week

Here is what I would do if you are "serious" about your performance.

* Go to bed at the same time every day. If you don't sleep then relax -- it is because you are rested and ready to go. Even if you aren't sleeping, I think it is important to relax and visualize in bed.

* Wake up 30 min earlier each day so that on race morning you wake up easily at the desired time. If you are tired then you might have to adjust your go to bed time earlier as well.

* Stay away from large groups of freaking triathletes. You'll never see me at dinners. You might see me at a lunch. I do make an exception for the Carbo Dinner.

* Stay out of the sun.

* Visit the expo, once only for two hours max.

* Every other day should be a total avoid people day (i.e. I take Sun/Tues/Thurs "off" from people and engagements) -- I spend this reading, on-line coaching or hanging with one or two calm friends.

* Do LESS workouts than you think you need. Maintain your intensity.

* Eat the exact same diet, only less.

* No alcohol.

* I eliminate all naps -- not required and mess with my evening sleeping.

* Run through the entire race -- at least twice -- in your head.

* Lay out all gear well in advance.

* Ensure bike is 100% functional well in advance.

* Stay calm, focus on your own race. Give no energy to your competitors. Know that the only person's race that you can control is your own.

* When you see people, surround them in calm.

* When you get a little nervous remember your key sessions, know that you are ready to go.

Fourth Fastgear newsletter out

This month's article is in 2 parts

a) Great tips for the ironman
b) Important fuel for ironman racing and recovery


If you need advice on any of the above, email John Hill on fastgear@bigpond.com

Weekend Training

sat swim 6:45 start n bondi

bike-casuals or others not doing port iman 6 am york rd gates....waterfall return...note i wont be there

sun -cronulla tri or brats tri see below
or
bike 6:30 am york rd gates...same course as last week....waterfall stanwell tops and return..

regards
jh

Mark Allen's Off-season Advice

Don't do speed work just to keep your edge. Speed and recovery are opposites on the workout spectrum.

Don't resume training after just a two-week break.

Don't confuse reduced training with no training.

Don't stop running.

Do listen to your body.

Recovery - after April 1st

In the December issue of Triathlete magazine, there's an article by Mark Allen on some tips for the ``off season''.

Here are a few of them:

SLEEP

``If you sacrificed a lot of ZZZZ's in-season, now's the time to get them back. But don't expect one nine-hour night to do the trick. If you are way behind in this area, give yourself a good month or so to rebuild the reserve.''

**

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

``Give yourself a week or two of decadence after your last big event of the season, but then get it out of your system and go back to mostly healthy fare. Lots of nutrients take time to replenish, and good food is the best way to stock up.''

Triathlete magazine digital edition

As of June, you'll be able to get a subscription to a digital copy of the US magazine.

There is a trial edition (December's issue) that you can find through the magazine's website. As best I can tell, it will be about half the price of having the paper edition mailed to you.

DIGITAL VERSION
Receive 12 digital issues (plus the bonus Road to Kona issue) for only $US28.95
No additional shipping charges apply

PRINT VERSION
Receive 12 print issues (plus the bonus Road to Kona issue) for only $US28.95
Add $US22.00/year for Canadian postage
Add $US32.00/year for foreign postage

http://www.triathletemag.com/site3.aspx

Looking for a wind trainer

I'm looking for a wind trainer .. if you happen to have one that is collecting dust somewhere in your home, and would be interested in setting it free, then let me know.

Tim

Race wheels for sale

HED Race Wheels

ALPS Front (clincher) retails- $900
HED Rear TRI spoke (clincher) - $1250

For F.A.S.T special price contact Damon (includes Michelin Pro Race tyres)

Saunders to Kona

Nick has confirmed that he is headed to Kona later this year!!!

Kathmandu Sale - Starts Friday

Half off almost everything! Get a thermal for winter training!!

Sale runs for a month ..

Kurnell Four

Not to be outdone by his Six Foot performance, John backed up his cross-country run with another Kurnell, finishing 2nd. [Though I think he took out the series title.]

Dingo took a very solid fourth place, his last hit out before the World Police & Fire Games in Adelaide next weekend. http://www.2007wpfg.com/

It looks like most others were resting or busy training.

However, Alex competed, waving the French flag as he rounded the course. Anthony Donnelly put in a top run effort to complete his first Kurnell this season.

Six Foot Saturday

John Hill led an all-star local cast through the Blue Mountains on Saturday. It was just another training day as he prepares for his `long’ run in South Africa later this year. Still, he was moving, completing the course in 4:18.

Congrats also to Luke Littler, Fiona Skinner, Tony Golden (14th finish?) and Wendo!!

Wedding Day

Wedded bliss for Jo and Darren

Six Foot Track

The Six Foot Track is a 45km footpath stretching across the Blue Mountains from The Explorer's Marked Tree, near Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. The marathon started in 1984 and follows the length of the entire footpath. It is Australia's 5th largest marathon and by far the largest 100% off-road running event.

http://www.sixfoot.com/index.php

Weekend Training

sat bike 6 am york rd gates ..lights please...note this is a pacey ride

those doing 160k

via la paruse....easy w up to end of anzac parade....race pace pacey for ironmen from that point aprox 10k...to waterfall ,down hill,right at bottom to stanwell veer right then left at roundabout to sublime pt turn and return back to sutho garage same way...re group...steady home but pacey where safe

100-120k people same but turn at 60k point

run after

practice your race day nutrition !!! last chance !!

sunday 6:30 am york rd gates if on your prog .......easy to kurnell

or kurnell race or rest

note i will not be around as i,m doing 6 ft track and kurnell so dame /lisa will look after u all............be safe please !!

regards
jh

ps i will only be on mobile fri and not on email as will be at blue mountains 6 ft track expo

Amanda's Malaysian Day

Oh My God

What can I say....... my race report is as follows:
The swim start was a bit of a debacle as most of the athletes were still on the dock as the gun went off but luckily I had swum out to the start line. I felt great in the water and took off at a great steady pace. I was pretty soon catching some of the pro's and was pretty sure I was the first one in my age group. Out of the water in 1 hour flat (no wetsuit) not bad at all.

Onto the bike and I took the first 10km easy. Had a massive big hill to go up and did not want a repeat of the dreaded butt cramps ... please see previous race reports.

Settled into a steady pace and started to put some time into the other girls. I went around in 5.40 and felt great. (NB: The race statistics show that Amanda averaged 35.7k/hr for the 60km between 25k and 85k and she averaged 34.2k/hr during the final 60k!! She was cruising.)

Next was the run and had figured out that the only other girl in the running was an Aussie.. She was still about 15mins down and I was pretty sure if I could hold it together on the run I would be good for it.

First lap was good but hard but no time change, second lap was harder but still no time change, third lap I figured she would make her move so I put in a little bit more effort I had her by 20 or so mins.

Collected my final wrist band and headed out for the last lap. I got to the last drink station at the top of the turn around and that’s the last thing I remember. Apparently I started to stagger at the 36km mark and collapsed on the side of the road. I don’t remember a thing but the ambulance came and picked me up and took me to the medical tent.

I was unconscious for about 2 hours and when I came to I didn’t know my name or luke’s or even recognise my mum. So they took me to the hospital where I started to come round. I couldn’t believe I was 6 kms away from finishing and was so far in front and blacked out. Dam Dam Dam. I was headed for a 11 hour race for sure and am so disappointed not to have my well deserved kona spot but they don’t give them out for 36 km they only give them out for those who cross the finish line.

What I am taking away with me is that I know I have it now and I know I will get that elusive spot this year as this was so dam hot and hard. I led all day and toughed it out til they had to drag me off the bloody course unconscious.

Nick 5th in NZ!

BROWN, Cameron 6/3/1 34 00:47:52 04:43:07 02:51:09 08:26:33

2 BELL, Luke 4/2/2 27 00:47:26 04:42:27 02:53:15 08:27:40

3 SINDBALLE 5/1/3 30 00:47:49 04:35:10 03:06:52 08:34:46

4 MEADE, David 54/6/4 36 00:54:15 04:47:22 03:07:28 08:53:54

5 SAUNDERS 30/7/5 33 00:51:41 04:50:59 03:08:54 08:57:31

It came down to who could run the fastest.

Tim's Malaysian Report

He is a big guy, and I can’t quite understand why I am not making up more time on him as each of the 5-kilometre sections of the run progress. Yet I am narrowing the gap and I think he is either in first or second place in my age group.

I have the image of being handed a trophy in my mind (something that I was thinking about before the race as part of convincing myself that I was capable of being competitive). I go as far as to tell myself - `I can win. I can win. I can win.’ Much better than `I hurt, I hurt, I hurt.’

**

I made the decision to train as hard as I could about two months before the race. I had been training consistently for several months already but hadn’t yet made my decision to go to Malaysia.

There’s no doubt that I was able to find a renewed focus for the training for this race and that racing at Kurnell helped build some additional confidence. I went from 7th to 6th to 4th in the three Kurnell races this season.

I also held up extremely well through the training. Then I fell off my bike near the end of the last time trial in Centennial Park and a few doubts started to creep into my mind. I was exhausted. Had I pushed myself too far?

With Margreet’s help, I reviewed all of my training logs. I had completed some tough sessions and recorded some solid times. The time trials, both the 60k and the 40k ones, provided an immense boost to my conditioning and my confidence.

I thrive on training hard and being out in front or with the front group. I enjoy immensely the camaraderie and the competitiveness that pushes me to a higher level. It’s not a question of out-gunning anyone in particular on the bike or track, OK sometimes it is, but it’s more about tapping into the desire that we all have to be faster that motivates me to train as hard as I can.

The 5k running time trials after track - being chased by or chasing after Alice, Jacqui, Oli, Gez and Lisa - really helped me focus and be more aware of what was going on around me. Something that I thought that I’d understood much earlier.

In the two weeks before the race, I drew heavily on what I had accomplished in training as I spent more time getting a mix of massage, hyperbaric and Chinese medicine therapies than swimming, cycling or running. My taper was more a dead stop than I had planned.

My confidence rebounded as I got some additional rest, and reassured myself that I had done the work. And then I knew was ready.

**

As I near the 36km mark, the final turnaround, I see him and he is standing still. I am willing myself so far forward that I also remind myself to stand up straight. Maintain my form. [Form is one of the words that I wrote on my inner right forearm ahead of the race. Surge was another word and so was Strength. There’s little left of any of them now. But I still see them in my mind.] From the moment I see him, my spirit is renewed: I know that I’ve got him! He is not going to get away from me!!

I decide without hesitation to increase my leg speed, everything is relative. Still, I am determined to run by him as fast as I can and maintain my ``surge’’ for as long as I can – can I do so for 6km?

After about 2km, mostly a gentle downhill, I am well clear of him. The surge has hurt as much as it helped – I feel fatigue taking over and fast. Am I in first or second? I have no idea. My objective heading into the day was to race as hard as I could so I have no regrets at this point. All I am thinking about now is getting to the finish line!!

Passing through the aid stations, which are becoming increasingly congested, all I want is coke.

With about 1.5km to go, my legs start to wobble. Oh. I so want to walk, and yet I know that it’s the last thing I should do. I keep telling myself that ``I feel great’’ – I say that so many times that I lose count. I keep ``running.’’ Again I command myself to stand up straight – I am in heavy forward lean mode. I look back one more time and see no one. Whew.

As I approach the finish line, I slow and stop just before breaking the tape. Why is there a need for a ramp right at the finish? The previous year I had run so fast the final 100 metres that I missed out on the joy of finishing, and of seeing Margreet in the crowd.

I cross the line, and graciously accept a seat in a wheelchair. First time! I remember telling John that I never had that feeling of falling over at the finish line and his reply was that he’d help me achieve that! Thanks coach!!

As I’m wheeled to the recovery area, I have no idea what position I am or what my overall time is. I am quite confident of having reached the podium.

Early in the bike my watch and my speedometer both decided to stop working. I was able to get a heart rate and to run the stop watch for the run splits but I had no other information. And I didn’t see a clock at the finishing line.

One of the Aussies in my age, Andrew Charles, goes to check the media tent for the unofficial results. He breaks the news to me that I am fourth and he is fifth. There are three slots.

I am too elated with having raced as hard as I have to feel anything else. Yes, getting a slot for Kona was important to me. Yet I really was driven and motivated to race because I wanted a far better performance than I had a year earlier.

**

In the end, I was fourth out of 75 who finished the race in my age group. There were 107 listed pre-race in the 40-44 age group.

I went sub10:30, the fourth time in my seven Ironman races. I was more than an hour faster than a year earlier on a hillier bike course, but one in which my training had put me in great condition. I had the second-fastest bike split in my age group among those who finished. (Two others rode a few minutes faster than me but failed to finish the run.) And I had the fifth-fastest run split at 3:51.

My overall time this year would have won my age group in 2006.

Heading into the race I had set a very conservative target of 10:45. I believed that a sub10:30 would put me on the podium.

**

The next day we head to the Kona slot meeting. I have no expectations of getting a slot. At breakfast, a beautiful buffet at the Westin, I say that I am going to retire from Ironman. I expect everyone who finished ahead of me to take the slots available in my age group. That’s why most people go to Malaysia, I think.

Among those registered in my age group, I knew that there were as many as 10 who would be competitive – most of them having been to Kona already or having sub10 finishes at various races.

The 40-44 age group is next. The winner takes his slot. Hmm. He’s younger than me but looks at least five years older. I don’t recall seeing him on the course at all. He finished about half an hour ahead of me.

The name of the second place guy is called but there’s no movement in the room. They move on to the third place guy and he takes his slot. They call out for a second time the second place guy. Again no response.

And then they call my name.

`We are going to Kona’ is what I text to Margreet. I am in shock. So is she, as she responds ``OMG’’ for Oh my God.

My retirement has been postponed.

Tim

Become a coach

NCAS Level One
Triathlon Coach Training Program

Date: April 14th (Saturday) & 15th (Sunday) 2007

Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm each day

Venue: URAC Building - University of Wollongong , Wollongong , NSW

Course Cost: $300 TNSW/TA Members, $400 non TNSW/TA Members

Full details on enrollment, fee’s, course syllabus, and course requirements at www.trinswrace.org

Enrollments and full payment closes FRIDAY 31st MARCH 2007.

M-Dot NZ

Go Nick Go!!

Check out all the excitement at the 2007 Bonita Ironman New Zealand live from Lake Taupo this Saturday, March 3rd, 6:45am, only at Ironman.com.

Weekend Training

sat bike: 6 am york rd gates as per your prog ... note some going to port including me so i wont be there ... casuals waterfall return through nat park optional

sun bike 6:30 am york rd gates ... yes 6:30 NOT NOT NOT 6:15... kurnell return, run after

icebergs social sun night from 5 pm...see u in the bungo bar later :-)

regards
jh

Kurnell Four - Entries

Early entries for the final Kurnell race close at 5pm on Friday .. March 2nd.