Robbie going to WA

He's not moving - just going there to race later this year at M-Dot WA!!!!!

Reflections on Tuesdays

There is no single session that I’ve embraced more than the Tuesday morning ride. It’s always a challenge.

From chasing Michael Croft, Paul Morris, Pete McLean to Declan Hogan, David Thomas and Ian Depree in the ``old’’ days to Damo, Dingo and Lisa in the most recent past to keeping pace with Oli, Juan and the surging Robbie more recently, it’s been a learning experience. [There are many many others who’ve pushed me over the years.]

Lisa made a comment to me about six months ago about how determined she gets NOT to be dropped - to find that little bit of extra something - when the group starts to inch away. It’s good advice and so I’m sharing it here. I try to use that to encourage me forward every Tuesday.

Most of the time I think we have more to give than we realise. Without a doubt that understanding is helped by experience. And besides, the idea of the session in my opinion is to hurt – it’s meant to be tough!

Of course, there are some mornings when I am energy deprived or sleep deprived or simply can’t be bothered to hurt myself enough! That’s ok.

Timetrial

Did you catch the timetrial in France on Saturday night/Sunday morning? It appeared that the average speed was about 50km/hr - not too shabby.

And at one point, the camera on the motorbike tracking Cadel Evans was turned on the motorbike's speedometre .. 60km/hr.

Top speed for us in our Tuesday TT's is 35-40km/hr. Perspective!

Perhaps there is something special in their bikes.

A Week of Sunshine

What an awesome weekend of weather for training .. and the forecast suggests it will last through most of the week.

Thanks very much!

I started to write this post at 5.30am one day last week. I've been waking up at that time so often these past few years that it's almost innate.

Early next month Margreet and I will depart Sydney for Vancouver. Our journey won't be quite that direct but it's where we'll resettle later this year - after a few days in Kona.

We arrived here a month apart seven years ago, just before triathlon debuted at the Olympics. After completing two half ironman races on our own, we began training with John and his collection of like-minded and crazed athletes in late 2000. So far, Margreet has five M-dot races on her athletic resume, and I have seven.

I wanted to say thanks to John for his patience and advice. With his guidance, I’ve excelled as an athlete beyond what I had ever imagined.

Two key lessons that I take from John: consistency is critical; and, there is no substitute for hard work.

What lies ahead has yet to be decided – I don’t want to limit myself in any way.

**

No matter how disciplined we are, we all struggle with motivation from time to time. I’m no different.

Notwithstanding the occasional Red Bull, Mars bar or both, it’s the camaraderie of the group that has kept me going. I’ll miss that the most.

Thanks very much to all of you for helping to push me around the park and up the hills these past few years.

**

As my time winds down here in Sydney, I am looking to pass the baton on this blog to someone else. If you are interested, please let me know and I'll offer whatever advice is sought. Change is always positive and so I'd encourage a fresh start as the 2007-2008 season begins.

Road safety

MELBOURNE, July 26 AAP - A coroner has recommended closer monitoring of road cycling safety after a cyclist fatally struck an elderly pedestrian during one of Melbourne's notorious Hell Rides.

The coroner in Melbourne found 77-year-old James Gould's death could have been avoided if the cycling pack travelling at speed had obeyed the road rules on Beach Road on August 26 last year.

Coroner Graeme Johnstone recommended that groups of cyclists travelling at speed on main roads or suburban streets be managed by road safety authorities and cycling groups.

``Undisciplined large groups of cyclists like the Hell Ride need to be discouraged as they are a significant safety risk to the public as well as themselves,'' Mr Johnstone said.

He said extensive research on dangerous cycling behaviour should aim to develop action in a bid to avoid catastrophic events.

M-Dot WA Early Bird Reminder

You have until the of July to get the current $595 individual entry fee to the race. As of Aug. 1, it rises to $640.

http://www.ironmanwa.com/ironmanwa/entry-individual.htm

Newcastle Duathlon in ACT

Triathlon ACT’s Championships on the 23rd September 2007 will also serve as the 2007 Australian Duathlon Championships.

The Olympic distance Duathlon run, 40km bike, 5km run will be located at Stromlo Forest Park.

Competitors from Newcastle will be offered free-entry to the replacement competitors who would like to take advantage of this offer should contact office prior to race day on 02 6257 2230 or admin@triathlonact.com.au

What your friends eat!

Obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus, researchers are reporting today. When one person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight, too.

Their study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved a detailed analysis of a large social network of 12,067 people who had been closely followed for 32 years, from 1971 to 2003.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/26/health/26fat.html?hp

http://content.nejm.org/

Weekend Training

Thursday - 6:00pm Track at ES Marks

Various with Tony Golden or as per your program

Saturday - 6:00am York rd gates

100-120k - Waterfall (stop at Servo for quick stop) hit starts here- down into the NP - turn right - follow the road and turn right at the Helensburgh roundabout back to Sutho servo stop hit and re-group. Return to CP moderate tempo pace.

If you need to go longer - turn left at the roundabout - check your K's. Either return via the Highway or back via Otford and climb out via Waterfall.

I won't be at the is ride - no comment from you thanks Trent (-; Please nominate ride captain/s before leaving CP

Sunday - 6:15am York rd gates

80-90K Easy Kurnell/Cronulla/Sutherland - home to CP

Damo

Who's not doping?

Geez .. enough already!

Timetrial Tuesday

Time for another timetrial tomorrow with a short few laps before the stopwatch starts.

The forecast is good!

Belinda takes Placid, Charlotte 6th

Belinda Granger won Lake Placid Ironman on Sunday - the pro women's key race for the season. She swam 54, cycled 5:14 and ran 3:24 for 9:40 overall.

Charlotte Paul had the third fastest bike split, and finished 6th overall in 10.09.

Sutho to Surf - results

Still pending

Ah the sun shall return

MondayIncreasing sunshineMin: 8°C Max: 18°C

TuesdaySunnyMin: 8°C Max: 19°C

WednesdaySunnyMin: 8°C Max: 19°C

Nature's need

Through the first 12 stages of the Tour de France, at least 10 riders have been cited for violating Articles 12 and 29 of the cycling code, regarding correct comportment on the race course.

According to the citations, the riders “satisfied nature’s need in front of the public.” The cost was 100 Swiss Francs per rider, or roughly $US83.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/sports/othersports/22bike.html

Benwa's away and running

It’s true – Jacqui Benoit’s getting faster and faster. In fact, she recently broke through the 4-minute-a-kilometre mark on the track, which is a huge psychological barrier to clear.

Jacqui rarely says anything about her races so it seemed appropriate to point out what she’s accomplished in a short few months so far this year.

In March, she ran Six Foot Track in 5:30 , which put her 8^th in the competitive 20-29 age group and gave her a top 50 finish among all women. She was 46^th overall.

In April, she ran another marathon – this one in Canberra in 3:47 .

Marathons aren’t her only distance of course. She ran the Sydney half marathon in May in 1:39 and then the Gold Coast half marathon on July 1^st in 1:40 .

The breakthrough race came just two weeks after the Gold Coast.

At the 25km Woodford to Glenbrook earlier this month, Jacqui ran 2:01 – securing 4^th place in the 20-29 age group!

Jacqui is putting together a solid running resume and building a wider and wider base for what achievements lie down the road.

Believe it, Achieve it!

Weekend Training

Saturday - 6:00am York rd gates

80-90k Easy - Waterfall and return or Cronulla ride

Sunday - 6:15am York rd gates

No ride due to easy week.

Sutho to Surf Fun Run.

Rgds, Damo

Forecast

Friday Showers
Min: 9°C Max: 14°C

Saturday Showers
Min: 8°C Max: 15°C

Sunnday Showers easing
Min: 9°C Max: 16°C

Monday Increasing sunshine
Min: 8°C Max: 17°C

Accupuncture/Massage Therapy

Point Therapy 9369 5588

first session $100, subsequent sessions $85

www.pointtherapy.com.au

in bondi junction, across the street from the cash converters on ebley

Brat City to Surf Teams

City to Surf BRAT Teams

WAIT ! Don’t send in your City to Surf application, send your application to the BRATS and become a part of a BRATS C2S team. You can download the application form on the City to Surf website. city2surf.sunherald.com.au
Post your application form to the BRATS at PO BOX 1621 Bondi Junction, NSW 2022. BRATS will put youin a team and submit the application on your behalf.

If you have any queries regarding the City to Surf please contact Angie Bainbridge on 0414903244 or by email at dancingsneakers@yahoo.com

Cedo Memorial Run on Saturday

BRAT RUNNING

CEDO Memorial Run July 21st

This annual event will take place on July 21^st at 2pm in Queens Park , Northern side. Register by 1.45pm . NO COST!

Brat dinner - Saturday 21st

BRAT PARTY and AGM NEXT SAT JULY 21^st CLOVELLY HOTEL

Last July we donned some wigs and partied hard at the Icebergs for the 'Winning Is Glorious" party. Recently we celebrated our close second place at the NSW Club Championships and shared multiple toasts to regaining the championship in 2008. Now once again it is party time...

Come and celebrate the end of the triathlon season with a "Touch of Gold" at the Clovelly Hotel on next Saturday 21 July. This party promises to be the best in recent times and we want you there!

Theme: Touch of Gold
When: Saturday 21 July - AGM from 6pm, Party starts at 7pm with free drinks
Where: Upstairs function area, Clovelly Hotel
Tickets: $30 pre-purchased online (see www.bratclub.com.au) and gain entry into lucky door prize; $40 at the door unless sold out

What is on? ...basic catering and open bar until the tab runs out - get there early! The night will include the speedy presentation of club awards, great raffle prizes, selected auction items and give aways thanks to our great sponsors.

Please call Stirling Keen on 0407 745336 or Angie B on 0414 903244 if you have any questions

Cold and dark

NSW: Sydney's coldest morning since 1986 Cold (SYDNEY)

SYDNEY, July 17 AAP - Sydney has experienced its coldest start to a July day for 21 years.

The temperature plunged to 3.7 degrees in the city at 6.54am (AEST), which the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) confirmed as the most frigid recorded since 1986.

Meteorologist Peter Zmijewski said a calm, clear night was to blame for the shivery conditions.

``Clear skies and little wind and, of course, it's winter,'' Mr Zmijewski said.

**It was a brisk session in the park this morning. The TT was abandoned due to poor visibility, but everyone who made the effort would be hard pressed to say that they didn't get a solid start to the day.

Sutho to Surf - FYI

Entry Fees Adult: $30.00

From July 16 there will be an extra charge of $5.00 for Late Online Entries

http://www.wandasurfclub.com/

Tuesday Session - 40km TT

Be prepared .. it's a 40k TT on Tuesday this week ..

Three Aussies Out

Yup .. O'Grady, Rogers and McKewen are out of Le Tour .. injuries from crashes.

Cadel Evans in 6th overall as at the end of yesterday's stage.

King of the Mountain

Oliver Lamb does it again .. running 32km in the King of the Mountain bush run in 2.12 for 7th place. [Just two weeks after running the Gold Coast Marathon]

It's described as:

"A challenging run from Cambewarra Public School, over Mt Scanzi to Kangaroo Valley Showground on quiet gravel back roads with some bitumen. This is an arduous event and entry by young or unfit competitors is NOT recommended. The run will proceed in any weather and, if necessary, the route will be changed to ensure your safety."

Busy Weekend

Ok - it was a busy weekend across the board.

A few reminders - when cycling at Kurnell .. it's really important because the entry/exit road is so narrow to yell out when a truck is advancing on us or when there's a hole in the road. Please don't hesitate to shout.

The more we ride as a group, generally the safer it is. If you're going to turn early, that's OK. Just let as many people know exactly when you're going to turn. Someone else might go back with you.

Sunday's early ride was huge .. 185km .. it was also a reminder to one of us (me) that you can still get dehydrated when it's cold. I made a big nutrition mistake by not drinking enough. Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition!

Weekend Training

Sat - short ride

Sun - long ride with run .. Lisa, Tim have 160-180k rides planned

King of the Mountain run on Sunday .. Go Oli!

Damo recuperating from the flu and hopefully will be back in action next week.

Amanda in Oregon?

Amanda and Luke are busy racing around the US and are preparing to head to Europe next.

Check out their latest adventures on www.xtri.com and stay updated with the rest of their activities on www.amandabalding.com/blog.html

auf Wiedersehen Thomas!

Thomas is heading back to Germany after more than two years here in Oz.

Though we haven't seen a lot of him lately, we still miss having you pushing the big gears on the long rides.

Safe travels!

How wise are you?

From a US newswire story:

When asked to define wisdom, Socrates just shrugged. He said he couldn't find it, whatever it was, either in himself or in any of his fellow citizens.

The news from Monika Ardelt is more encouraging. Yes, she reports, wisdom is rare. No, it is not extinct. If you know where to look, you can catch glimpses of it, darting in and out of its usual habitat.

Most scholars seek wisdom in folklore, ancient texts and the spiritual visionaries of the ages: Siddhartha, Confucius, Lao Tsu, Buddha, Abraham, Muhammad, Jesus Christ.

Ardelt, a 47-year-old University of Florida sociologist, bypasses the usual suspects, searching instead among ordinary souls.

She finds wisdom in a 77-year-old retired school administrator who learned, over his lifetime, to see problems as games, meant to be played out rather than feared.

``I've never allowed any outside force to take possession of my being,'' he says.

She finds wisdom in an 85-year-old homemaker who lived by the creed: ``Do whatever has to be done, whether you want to do it or not.''

...

Most dramatically, while wise individuals rarely complained and talked often and with obvious delight about the welfare of those they loved during interviews, their low-scoring counterparts much preferred to discuss themselves and their own never-ending catalog of complaints.

Self-absorption, and the unhappiness that comes with it, has become a recurring theme in Ardelt's observations.

``It's striking to me just how harmful self-centredness is to the individual,'' she says.

Weekend Training

Saturday - 6:00am York rd gates

2 options probably

1) 80-90k Easy - Waterfall and return. (could be a bit pacey)

2) 140-160 As per option 1 but enter National P at Audley through National P climb out at Waterfall - back through the park - down garie - down wattamalla - climb out at Audley - back home via LaPa if K's required.

Sunday - 6:15am York rd gates

2 options probably

1) 80-90k Easy - Waterfall and return.

2) 120-140 Easy - Bulli return

Some have runs off the bike.

Damon

Oxfam fundraiser - August 17

Hello Friends

re: Oxfam Trailwalker Team 19 -

Beach Palace Girls Go Bush

We will be running through the bush for 100km on Friday 24th August with a goal to finish in the top 3 all female teams!

We are also having a massive fundraiser at the Beach Palace Hotel, Coogee Bay on Friday 17th August to raise $15 000.

Tickets are $30 and tax deductible -

Auction Prizes include:

Dinner for 2 at Tetsuya's

Finals Tennis Tickets to the Medibank Private International

Sydney Dance Company Tickets

Massages

Revlon Skin Products

Sporting memorabilia

Microsoft Windows VISTA

Beauty Vouchers

Hair Dresser Vouchers

1 Years Supply of Cadbury Chocolate

Cases of Wine

Original Artwork Canvas's

And MUCH MUCH MORE.....

Thanks for your support!!!

Cheers Gina / Fiona / Kelly / Kristy


contact Gina (Dingo's partner) at clearplace1@yahoo.com

Brat Club Info

Cedo Memorial 6km Run - Sat 21 July.North Side, Queens Park 2.00pm start

AGM Presidents Awards and BRATS 'Touch of Gold' End of Season Party - Sat 21 July AGM starts at 6.00pm party to start at 7.00pm at the The Clovelly Hotel. Tickets $30.00 per head.

More details at BRAT MEMBER AWARDS> BRAT 'Touch of Gold' Party 2007

http://www.bratclub.com.au/

Oli stuns gold coast!

In a performance that sets a very high standard, Oli Lamb smashed himself and the clock at the Gold Coast Marathon.

And he did it with a consistent pace too!

His first 10k: 39:08

Second 10k: 38:37

Third 10k: 38:39

And a final net time of 2:45:53!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That put him 12th in the 25-29 age group ..

In other Gold Coast news

Lisa had a superb marathon debut in 3:02!!

Tim had a PB of 3:10. Margreet (who set a marathon PB three months ago) crossed in 3:15.

In the half marathon, Tony Golden was 1:33 and Jacqui Benoit was 1:40.

**

I've raced here three times and set PBs each time. It's basically a flat course. A very good overall atmosphere as there are also 1/2 marathon, 10k and 7.5k events the same morning. It's definitely worth the effort to get there at least one time!