In the last year he has become faster and stronger, and hungrier. And so he is in Florida waiting for the race to begin.
He’s a man of many names – Animal or Ooffie or just plain Ooff. Even some of his mates don’t know his real name!
Chris, 29, isn’t a mystery to us though. In his first Forster, he finished top 50 overall (which he repeated this year) and got a spot for Kona. In his debut in Hawaii, he finished in the top 200 in 10:21:46.
When racing, and often when training, Chris goes for it. Not unlike his sister. The determination to succeed is a family trait indeed. That being said, he’s learning – albeit slowly – that you don’t need to flog yourself every session.
He tackles the challenge of a long brick with anticipation and as another self learning experience. He now combines strength with his aerobic program.
On Tuesday’s through winter, he’s been rising as early as 4 am to do half of the session on the wind trainer. He completes the session in the evening at a bike track where he enjoys teaching some of the other cyclists what hard work is all about.
Every once in a while, he’d head into the National Park after the track – as you do – dodging the occasional deer. Tess says one time his lights failed in the dark going up the Waterfall hill and it was apparently a very interesting experience. But this Sutho-based surveyor has an internal GPS system that works day or night!
Tess says he often does his long runs on a hilly 6km course, where his fastest recorded time was 30 minutes – so you know it was H I L L Y.
As we’ve heard in recent days from Florida, Chris is quite relaxed heading into the race. And so he should be – the hard yakka is done and it’s time to shine.
Forster 2004 9:19 45th overall
Forster 2005 9:25 45th overall
Cairns ½ 2005 top 20
http://www.ironmanflorida.com/
3 Nov 2005
2 Nov 2005
Weekend Training
Sat bike:6 am york rd gates…easy to sutho garage via la paruse
E2 Hits will be
1st hit for all…. will be from sutho after crossing main road busy area out to waterfall along freeway,left at waterfall through the park out at auderley..meet back at sutho station.
2nd hit for longer people…2 laps kurnell no nat park but incl caltex out and back
sat pm :optional brat swim and run races..
Meet under LIFEGUARD TOWER - MALABAR BEACH. Malabar is the 1st beach after Maroubra, heading south. Turn LEFT off Anzac Parade at Cromwell Place, right into Franklin St & LEFT into Dacre St.
· 2.30pm start for run- entries close 2.15
· 3.30pm 1km swim start- entries close 3.15
· 4pm 2km swim start- entries close 3.45
· $15 entry for each race or $20 for both
Sunday bike 6:15 am york rd gates …90-100k easy to kurnell with park and caltex
Or meet 7 am at calga course for monthly time trial
Please note theres no nepean this w end
I will be at noosa so lisa and dingo will take care of u
I,m going to noosa early thurs so best to get me on my mobile if u need me
0408249106
Regards
jh
E2 Hits will be
1st hit for all…. will be from sutho after crossing main road busy area out to waterfall along freeway,left at waterfall through the park out at auderley..meet back at sutho station.
2nd hit for longer people…2 laps kurnell no nat park but incl caltex out and back
sat pm :optional brat swim and run races..
Meet under LIFEGUARD TOWER - MALABAR BEACH. Malabar is the 1st beach after Maroubra, heading south. Turn LEFT off Anzac Parade at Cromwell Place, right into Franklin St & LEFT into Dacre St.
· 2.30pm start for run- entries close 2.15
· 3.30pm 1km swim start- entries close 3.15
· 4pm 2km swim start- entries close 3.45
· $15 entry for each race or $20 for both
Sunday bike 6:15 am york rd gates …90-100k easy to kurnell with park and caltex
Or meet 7 am at calga course for monthly time trial
Please note theres no nepean this w end
I will be at noosa so lisa and dingo will take care of u
I,m going to noosa early thurs so best to get me on my mobile if u need me
0408249106
Regards
jh
Canberra 1/2 Course
Apparently there is a confirmed course for Canberra 1/2 now and you can look at it on the half ironman's site.
http://www.canberrahalf.com.au
http://www.canberrahalf.com.au
Reid, Leder and Dingo
Well, Peter Reid and now Lothar Leder must be feeling very good .. both are set to challenge Dingo at WA on Nov 27.
A Tapering waverunner
G'day everyone ,
Well I reckon this has got to be the best place to taper. The weather
has warmed to mid to high 20's during the day, the ocean is about
23degrees and only slight winds.
Whatever training is to be done is usually dealt with early then its a
stretch and breakfast and down to the resort pool and spa for recovery.
The spas nice and warm and helps get the blood through those quads. I
have been having 3-4 spas a day!
The yankee tv is pretty cool too with heaps of movies and even a few
ironmans playing like cour-de-alene and canada. Our room overlooks the
ocean , we are about 15metres from the sand and each night we get magic
sunsets -its brilliant.
Theres little to do around except take it easy - I have been having a
daytime sleep each day (something I have never done before) and its all
working a treat as I feel a million dollars!
Yesterday was a brilliant day, about 27d and sunny and glassy. Chappo
and I hired a couple of waverunners and tore up "the gulf" beaches, it
was sick , we went nuts doing donuts and jumping over waves , the things
hammer pretty quick , at one point I hit the swell at full throttle and
jumped about 5ft into the air! Ha! , we were cracking up , we had a
ball.
We have had a front hit us today with humid overcast conditions and
wind has picked up to produce a pretty rough sea. I did one lap of the
swim course and I must admit I did find it a little tough as visibility
was non existent with the chop and swell was difficult to swim through -
even for an ocean kid like me. I think the times may be alittle slow in
the water as a result but will favour the strong swimmers so I should
be ok out of the water. It was freaky because I was the only swimmer out
there and it goes into some pretty deep water and almost 1km off shore!
I was starting to think about sharks - but - phew, got that out of my
head before I freaked completely!
Ironman village opens tomorrow - I heard cervelo are having a stand
there and you can test ride the p3carbon! Yeah boy!
Hope you are all having fun back in Aus - wish you all were here - I
think its going to be a great race!
cheers-
chris
Well I reckon this has got to be the best place to taper. The weather
has warmed to mid to high 20's during the day, the ocean is about
23degrees and only slight winds.
Whatever training is to be done is usually dealt with early then its a
stretch and breakfast and down to the resort pool and spa for recovery.
The spas nice and warm and helps get the blood through those quads. I
have been having 3-4 spas a day!
The yankee tv is pretty cool too with heaps of movies and even a few
ironmans playing like cour-de-alene and canada. Our room overlooks the
ocean , we are about 15metres from the sand and each night we get magic
sunsets -its brilliant.
Theres little to do around except take it easy - I have been having a
daytime sleep each day (something I have never done before) and its all
working a treat as I feel a million dollars!
Yesterday was a brilliant day, about 27d and sunny and glassy. Chappo
and I hired a couple of waverunners and tore up "the gulf" beaches, it
was sick , we went nuts doing donuts and jumping over waves , the things
hammer pretty quick , at one point I hit the swell at full throttle and
jumped about 5ft into the air! Ha! , we were cracking up , we had a
ball.
We have had a front hit us today with humid overcast conditions and
wind has picked up to produce a pretty rough sea. I did one lap of the
swim course and I must admit I did find it a little tough as visibility
was non existent with the chop and swell was difficult to swim through -
even for an ocean kid like me. I think the times may be alittle slow in
the water as a result but will favour the strong swimmers so I should
be ok out of the water. It was freaky because I was the only swimmer out
there and it goes into some pretty deep water and almost 1km off shore!
I was starting to think about sharks - but - phew, got that out of my
head before I freaked completely!
Ironman village opens tomorrow - I heard cervelo are having a stand
there and you can test ride the p3carbon! Yeah boy!
Hope you are all having fun back in Aus - wish you all were here - I
think its going to be a great race!
cheers-
chris
1 Nov 2005
Steph's Kona Experience
My Kona Experience
Someone wise once said to me: “Think of the Hawaii ironman as just another ironman in a different location. Prepare to accept all conditions that will be thrown at you on the day, control the things that you can and manage the things that you can’t.” These words of wisdom have stuck with me ever since I qualified for the 2005 Ironman World Championships and helped me prepare mentally for the day.
My training over the winter months had been somewhat more casual than my preparation for previous ironmans due to a number of personal reasons. Also, my main focus for this race changed as I no longer needed to qualify; I wanted to enjoy the experience and soak up the atmosphere like my fellow hillbillies Tim and Margreet who always seem to have so much fun at races. I usually don’t remember much about my race, everything seems like a blur. I wanted to remember this one as I knew this would be my last ironman for a very, very long time.
Declan and I arrived in Kona on the Tuesday week prior to the race to acclimatise to the hot and humid weather for which the Big Island is famous. But it wasn’t as hot as I had imagined, at least not while standing still. Once I started to unpack my bike, sweat just began pouring off and I hadn’t done any training yet. I thought there was no way I could do an ironman in these conditions. But we were also treated with some mild days and evenings with cool sea breezes.
I rode almost the entire bike course in sections during the following week, taking notes of conditions and distances that might help me to break down the ride. True to legend, it was fairly windy. The Hawi loop was the hardest part of the course but also the prettiest. It has fairly strong crosswinds at the early rolling hills which gradually turn into a headwind for the last climb to the town of Hawi. With sudden gusts from time to time and semi-trailers passing, it’s “hold on if you can” time. However, the days I was out there, the wind was not strong enough to blow me off my bike! Hawi was also beautiful with great coastal views, especially when descending. It is definitely a nice change after spending time in the desolate lava fields.
I normally dread the swim. But once I got in the water, I was surprised how nice it was. The ocean was crystal clear, extra buoyant and the temperature was perfect. There were lots of tropical fish and coral as well. It’s hard not to be distracted! There’s always a bit of chop in the ocean, but it wasn’t a problem here. It was definitely no worse than Busselton. It did seem quite daunting to swim in a straight line for 1.9km. I couldn’t even see the last couple of buoys. But it didn’t matter because I never swam the entire course.
The run course is pretty much in town, at the highway and a lap of the famous Natural Energy Lab. When I first heard of the energy lab, I thought it was a popular tourist spot. I now know why it is famous. I think every person who has run a lap of it during the day will have a lasting memory of the place. It was H-O-T in there! Especially when there is no breeze, the heat just gets trapped in there. Apparently, it radiates the most amount of energy in Kona, besides the active volcano on the island.
There wasn’t much other sightseeing to do and shopping in Kona was non-existent. We did spoil ourselves with going out to dinner every second night and managed to catch up with Mal and Tess for dinner a couple of times. Luckily, we had a lovely beachfront unit. Declan was happy laying by the pool or on the balcony catching up with his novel and working on his tan. I was busy finishing my assignment which was due while I was away. Suffice to say it didn’t feel like I was going to do an ironman soon.
It did really hit me when I rocked up at registration on the Tuesday of race week. It was a big affair in a function room packed with tables, chairs and volunteers. Each athlete gets to sit down for a heart-to-heart chat with a volunteer. Mine was so nice and caring, went through everything in the yellow envelope and made sure I understood it all -- not to mention making me sign three forms before I was allowed to leave. The process made me nervous. I thought to myself; it’s the real deal! I was used to going to registration to get my name marked off and walk away with an envelope.
The next few days were pretty relaxing, going to the race briefing and carbo dinner hosted by Mike “you’re an ironman” Reilly. The food at the carbo dinner was pretty ordinary but the entertainment was spectacular. They had Polynesian dancers performing a ritual which included throwing flaming sticks in the air. They also introduced an interesting aspect of what is truly Hawaiian called the “mana”, it’s your soul and spirit.
Race Day
I woke up at about 4 am to have a High5 breakfast and made sure everything was ready to go. As soon as I arrived at the start, I was on autopilot, going through body marking and getting my bike ready. It seemed like well rehearsed, this is after all my third ironman in eleven months. Drop off the swim bag and it was time for a quick loo visit before I entered the water. The swim start is big and wide with lots of space. The ocean was quite calm and after treading water for about 15 minutes, a canon sounded the start. All I could hear was spectators clapping, the beeps from the starting of hundreds of stopwatches and the churning of water in front of me. The journey had begun.
I settled into a good rhythm, just kept a constant pace within myself and tried to get out of everyone’s way. This is by far the most civilised swim. I remembered the mass beach start at Busselton where I was kicked in the chin and grabbed by the arm before I even got into the water. The swim felt long, especially when swimming towards an open sea, there were supposed to be two ships at the turnaround but I couldn’t spot them until I was well over half way through the first part of the swim. The second part of the swim is harder as you cross a slight current parallel to the course and navigation becomes more difficult.
I was thankful when I came out of the water, happy with my time as it wasn’t much longer than I anticipated. In transition the volunteers even gave me my bag, I got changed, picked up my bike and the longest part of my day started. One thing I noticed early into the ride was the absence of wind. Normally there is a crosswind along the Queen K highway and it becomes stronger further out. Still I rode conservatively, not knowing whether the wind would pick up later. I didn’t drink as much as I had planned because it wasn’t as hot and windy as I thought but still I focused on my nutrition, making sure I was well hydrated and fuelled. Teresa went past me about the 40 km mark - she’s such a terrific athlete. I rode up to her and said `‘hi’’. I tried to keep an eye on her as she has far more experience on this course. The wind did pick up at Hawi but that was to be expected. I lost Teresa after the turnaround as she hammered down the hill with the wind at our backs. I continued with my own pace. After turning back to the highway, I cheered myself up as I was in the home stretch now and still feeling good. If all went well, I could finish before nightfall.
The run went very quickly. The afternoon breeze was beautiful and cool. I saw Lisa Bentley not long after I started the run. She was crying and walking. It was terrible. The town was packed with spectators from all over the world. Every time I ran past Japanese spectators, they would wish me the best in Japanese and I would wave back. I was so excited when I saw Declan for the first time on the day outside where we stayed. I waved and smiled. I was jealous when I saw Daryl from Steam sitting outside his complex with a beer in his hand. I saw John when I was running up Alii Drive and he was coming down. I said “hi” and John said “well done”. He was calm and steady as usual, little did I know he was actually sick. I saw Tess just after the Alii Drive turnaround, she was walking, and I tried to encourage her and told her not to give up. I knew even if she had to walk the entire marathon, she would still finish within the cut-off. I saw her again just as I was coming out of the energy lab and she was running again. I was proud of her not giving up. Her time will come.
The saying “when you got to go, you got to go” is true. I needed to go when I got off the bike but I thought my level of tolerance had increased overnight. An hour later, I saw my stomach swelling up and a cramp coming on. The cramp was so bad; I almost had to walk Palani Rd, the only descent on the run course. That was my lowest point on the day. I popped into the next loo I could see. I immediately felt better and I was happy again.
The last few hundred metres were very special. The crowd was fantastic; I was waving and thanking them. I felt like an artist taking a bow at the end of a concert. It was the perfect farewell.
Lastly, I would like to thank Steam for their generous contribution to my race entry. I’m extremely grateful. To Paul, who has been helping me with training and achieving my goal of qualifying for Hawaii. And to Dec -- what more can a girl ask for.
Someone wise once said to me: “Think of the Hawaii ironman as just another ironman in a different location. Prepare to accept all conditions that will be thrown at you on the day, control the things that you can and manage the things that you can’t.” These words of wisdom have stuck with me ever since I qualified for the 2005 Ironman World Championships and helped me prepare mentally for the day.
My training over the winter months had been somewhat more casual than my preparation for previous ironmans due to a number of personal reasons. Also, my main focus for this race changed as I no longer needed to qualify; I wanted to enjoy the experience and soak up the atmosphere like my fellow hillbillies Tim and Margreet who always seem to have so much fun at races. I usually don’t remember much about my race, everything seems like a blur. I wanted to remember this one as I knew this would be my last ironman for a very, very long time.
Declan and I arrived in Kona on the Tuesday week prior to the race to acclimatise to the hot and humid weather for which the Big Island is famous. But it wasn’t as hot as I had imagined, at least not while standing still. Once I started to unpack my bike, sweat just began pouring off and I hadn’t done any training yet. I thought there was no way I could do an ironman in these conditions. But we were also treated with some mild days and evenings with cool sea breezes.
I rode almost the entire bike course in sections during the following week, taking notes of conditions and distances that might help me to break down the ride. True to legend, it was fairly windy. The Hawi loop was the hardest part of the course but also the prettiest. It has fairly strong crosswinds at the early rolling hills which gradually turn into a headwind for the last climb to the town of Hawi. With sudden gusts from time to time and semi-trailers passing, it’s “hold on if you can” time. However, the days I was out there, the wind was not strong enough to blow me off my bike! Hawi was also beautiful with great coastal views, especially when descending. It is definitely a nice change after spending time in the desolate lava fields.
I normally dread the swim. But once I got in the water, I was surprised how nice it was. The ocean was crystal clear, extra buoyant and the temperature was perfect. There were lots of tropical fish and coral as well. It’s hard not to be distracted! There’s always a bit of chop in the ocean, but it wasn’t a problem here. It was definitely no worse than Busselton. It did seem quite daunting to swim in a straight line for 1.9km. I couldn’t even see the last couple of buoys. But it didn’t matter because I never swam the entire course.
The run course is pretty much in town, at the highway and a lap of the famous Natural Energy Lab. When I first heard of the energy lab, I thought it was a popular tourist spot. I now know why it is famous. I think every person who has run a lap of it during the day will have a lasting memory of the place. It was H-O-T in there! Especially when there is no breeze, the heat just gets trapped in there. Apparently, it radiates the most amount of energy in Kona, besides the active volcano on the island.
There wasn’t much other sightseeing to do and shopping in Kona was non-existent. We did spoil ourselves with going out to dinner every second night and managed to catch up with Mal and Tess for dinner a couple of times. Luckily, we had a lovely beachfront unit. Declan was happy laying by the pool or on the balcony catching up with his novel and working on his tan. I was busy finishing my assignment which was due while I was away. Suffice to say it didn’t feel like I was going to do an ironman soon.
It did really hit me when I rocked up at registration on the Tuesday of race week. It was a big affair in a function room packed with tables, chairs and volunteers. Each athlete gets to sit down for a heart-to-heart chat with a volunteer. Mine was so nice and caring, went through everything in the yellow envelope and made sure I understood it all -- not to mention making me sign three forms before I was allowed to leave. The process made me nervous. I thought to myself; it’s the real deal! I was used to going to registration to get my name marked off and walk away with an envelope.
The next few days were pretty relaxing, going to the race briefing and carbo dinner hosted by Mike “you’re an ironman” Reilly. The food at the carbo dinner was pretty ordinary but the entertainment was spectacular. They had Polynesian dancers performing a ritual which included throwing flaming sticks in the air. They also introduced an interesting aspect of what is truly Hawaiian called the “mana”, it’s your soul and spirit.
Race Day
I woke up at about 4 am to have a High5 breakfast and made sure everything was ready to go. As soon as I arrived at the start, I was on autopilot, going through body marking and getting my bike ready. It seemed like well rehearsed, this is after all my third ironman in eleven months. Drop off the swim bag and it was time for a quick loo visit before I entered the water. The swim start is big and wide with lots of space. The ocean was quite calm and after treading water for about 15 minutes, a canon sounded the start. All I could hear was spectators clapping, the beeps from the starting of hundreds of stopwatches and the churning of water in front of me. The journey had begun.
I settled into a good rhythm, just kept a constant pace within myself and tried to get out of everyone’s way. This is by far the most civilised swim. I remembered the mass beach start at Busselton where I was kicked in the chin and grabbed by the arm before I even got into the water. The swim felt long, especially when swimming towards an open sea, there were supposed to be two ships at the turnaround but I couldn’t spot them until I was well over half way through the first part of the swim. The second part of the swim is harder as you cross a slight current parallel to the course and navigation becomes more difficult.
I was thankful when I came out of the water, happy with my time as it wasn’t much longer than I anticipated. In transition the volunteers even gave me my bag, I got changed, picked up my bike and the longest part of my day started. One thing I noticed early into the ride was the absence of wind. Normally there is a crosswind along the Queen K highway and it becomes stronger further out. Still I rode conservatively, not knowing whether the wind would pick up later. I didn’t drink as much as I had planned because it wasn’t as hot and windy as I thought but still I focused on my nutrition, making sure I was well hydrated and fuelled. Teresa went past me about the 40 km mark - she’s such a terrific athlete. I rode up to her and said `‘hi’’. I tried to keep an eye on her as she has far more experience on this course. The wind did pick up at Hawi but that was to be expected. I lost Teresa after the turnaround as she hammered down the hill with the wind at our backs. I continued with my own pace. After turning back to the highway, I cheered myself up as I was in the home stretch now and still feeling good. If all went well, I could finish before nightfall.
The run went very quickly. The afternoon breeze was beautiful and cool. I saw Lisa Bentley not long after I started the run. She was crying and walking. It was terrible. The town was packed with spectators from all over the world. Every time I ran past Japanese spectators, they would wish me the best in Japanese and I would wave back. I was so excited when I saw Declan for the first time on the day outside where we stayed. I waved and smiled. I was jealous when I saw Daryl from Steam sitting outside his complex with a beer in his hand. I saw John when I was running up Alii Drive and he was coming down. I said “hi” and John said “well done”. He was calm and steady as usual, little did I know he was actually sick. I saw Tess just after the Alii Drive turnaround, she was walking, and I tried to encourage her and told her not to give up. I knew even if she had to walk the entire marathon, she would still finish within the cut-off. I saw her again just as I was coming out of the energy lab and she was running again. I was proud of her not giving up. Her time will come.
The saying “when you got to go, you got to go” is true. I needed to go when I got off the bike but I thought my level of tolerance had increased overnight. An hour later, I saw my stomach swelling up and a cramp coming on. The cramp was so bad; I almost had to walk Palani Rd, the only descent on the run course. That was my lowest point on the day. I popped into the next loo I could see. I immediately felt better and I was happy again.
The last few hundred metres were very special. The crowd was fantastic; I was waving and thanking them. I felt like an artist taking a bow at the end of a concert. It was the perfect farewell.
Lastly, I would like to thank Steam for their generous contribution to my race entry. I’m extremely grateful. To Paul, who has been helping me with training and achieving my goal of qualifying for Hawaii. And to Dec -- what more can a girl ask for.
New High5 Products
Just advising that I recently got a delivery of new products all now available at cheeky monkey
Now got 11 flavours total of high5 gels
Caffeine is orange or cola
Non caffeine is orange, carribean crush, summer fruits, raspberry rush, chocolate, apple, banana, citrus, hmm forgot the other one
Protein bars-chocolate(new)
New 4:1(carb/prot) energy source in berry, very yum…massive electrolytes to reduce cramps and vary level energy levels
New xstreme e source in citrus…massive electrolytes, massive caffeine,ie same as red bull…great for short races
New high5 race belts with toggles
Energy belts with toggles
Bum bag
Water bottle holder
Gel belt
Goodie bag(stronger and bigger than bento)
More coming too soon
Regards
john
Now got 11 flavours total of high5 gels
Caffeine is orange or cola
Non caffeine is orange, carribean crush, summer fruits, raspberry rush, chocolate, apple, banana, citrus, hmm forgot the other one
Protein bars-chocolate(new)
New 4:1(carb/prot) energy source in berry, very yum…massive electrolytes to reduce cramps and vary level energy levels
New xstreme e source in citrus…massive electrolytes, massive caffeine,ie same as red bull…great for short races
New high5 race belts with toggles
Energy belts with toggles
Bum bag
Water bottle holder
Gel belt
Goodie bag(stronger and bigger than bento)
More coming too soon
Regards
john
Eva Extends Tour
Just in -- Eva has signed a contract extension and will continue to train with the Hillbillies!
31 Oct 2005
Manly Dam Times
Good morning everyone,
Gina and I swam at Manly Dam on Saturday about 5pm and found it to once
again be brilliant. The water temp was about 22 degrees, quite warm
actually, and we basically had the whole dam to ourselves.
Below are the times that boats are able to use the dam, which means swim at these
times and you may cop a propeller in the face or back.
Monday - 10am - 7pm
Tuesday - 7:30am - 5pm
Wednesday - 7:30am - 7pm
Thursday - 10am - 7pm
Friday - 7:30 - 5pm
Saturday - 9am - 7pm
Sunday - 7:30am - 4pm
Swim outside of these times and the whole place is yours.
On Saturday the dam was closing to cars at 7pm.
Yours in swimming under 55 minutes,
Dingo
Gina and I swam at Manly Dam on Saturday about 5pm and found it to once
again be brilliant. The water temp was about 22 degrees, quite warm
actually, and we basically had the whole dam to ourselves.
Below are the times that boats are able to use the dam, which means swim at these
times and you may cop a propeller in the face or back.
Monday - 10am - 7pm
Tuesday - 7:30am - 5pm
Wednesday - 7:30am - 7pm
Thursday - 10am - 7pm
Friday - 7:30 - 5pm
Saturday - 9am - 7pm
Sunday - 7:30am - 4pm
Swim outside of these times and the whole place is yours.
On Saturday the dam was closing to cars at 7pm.
Yours in swimming under 55 minutes,
Dingo
The Animal in Florida
G'day all back in Oz!
Well we had a massive 30hour journey to finally land here in Panama
city florida.
I went for my 60k ride and run this morning -and - damn its cold early
on the bike. I started at 6am and I reckon it was about 10degrees -
wasn't prepared for that, may have to throw some arm warmers into the
bike bag for the race. It warmed up when the sun came out though, I think
the first hour will be chilly but after that ok as the race starts at
7am. No other bikes out either, nothing happens around here before
midday, I barely saw a car the entire way. When I got to the 6k run off the
bike, it had warmed to about 22d and perfect running conditions - I ran
around the resort golf course on pristine flat soft fairway grass -
awesome!
The course is flat - flat as - like riding from Centennial park out
to Kurnell. The biggest hill is a 2min climb over a bridge that you hit
on the way out and back, exactly the same as the one we go over heading
to Taren Point - I'll definitely be getting out of the saddle and
pumping over that as its the only chance I am going to get over the 180k.
Its pretty fast riding as although I don;t use a speedo - I estimate I
was riding about 37-44k/hr on my 10k e2 hits.
The run is as flat as a pancake - if ever there was a chance to have a
fast run split - this is it. Two laps on the streets along all the
resorts and heads out to a bay and parklands where the turn around is.
The swim is beautiful clean warmish water ,an ocean swim , its going to
suit me down to a tea , glassy conditions. Not as salty as hawaii, so
no probs there.
For those wanting to watch ironmanlive from what I can work out the
race will start Sunday morning 6thNov about 1am Aus time!
All in all everything going smoothly for a good race - no1 aim is get
that hawaii slot so I am trying to remain focused on that for now and
not on partying.
Have fun and I will send another report soon.
Chris
Well we had a massive 30hour journey to finally land here in Panama
city florida.
I went for my 60k ride and run this morning -and - damn its cold early
on the bike. I started at 6am and I reckon it was about 10degrees -
wasn't prepared for that, may have to throw some arm warmers into the
bike bag for the race. It warmed up when the sun came out though, I think
the first hour will be chilly but after that ok as the race starts at
7am. No other bikes out either, nothing happens around here before
midday, I barely saw a car the entire way. When I got to the 6k run off the
bike, it had warmed to about 22d and perfect running conditions - I ran
around the resort golf course on pristine flat soft fairway grass -
awesome!
The course is flat - flat as - like riding from Centennial park out
to Kurnell. The biggest hill is a 2min climb over a bridge that you hit
on the way out and back, exactly the same as the one we go over heading
to Taren Point - I'll definitely be getting out of the saddle and
pumping over that as its the only chance I am going to get over the 180k.
Its pretty fast riding as although I don;t use a speedo - I estimate I
was riding about 37-44k/hr on my 10k e2 hits.
The run is as flat as a pancake - if ever there was a chance to have a
fast run split - this is it. Two laps on the streets along all the
resorts and heads out to a bay and parklands where the turn around is.
The swim is beautiful clean warmish water ,an ocean swim , its going to
suit me down to a tea , glassy conditions. Not as salty as hawaii, so
no probs there.
For those wanting to watch ironmanlive from what I can work out the
race will start Sunday morning 6thNov about 1am Aus time!
All in all everything going smoothly for a good race - no1 aim is get
that hawaii slot so I am trying to remain focused on that for now and
not on partying.
Have fun and I will send another report soon.
Chris
28 Oct 2005
Spring Forward
****Don't forget to turn your clock ahead one hour on Saturday night
It's time for less light in the morning and long summer evenings
It's time for less light in the morning and long summer evenings
Weekend Training
Sat easy ride 90-100k –lapuruse –kurnell 6 am york rd gates
Sun 6:15 am york rd gates To sutho garage …
first hit through nat park at auderley back via waterfall and freeway
second hit (longer people)laps at kurnell
all explained on the day
run after as per prog
please note next weeks prog has option of nepean on it..ignore this as its now on 20th nov..do other option on prog
regards
jh
Sun 6:15 am york rd gates To sutho garage …
first hit through nat park at auderley back via waterfall and freeway
second hit (longer people)laps at kurnell
all explained on the day
run after as per prog
please note next weeks prog has option of nepean on it..ignore this as its now on 20th nov..do other option on prog
regards
jh
27 Oct 2005
IM Florida - Pro women
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.—Two-time Ironman champion Bella Comerford (Scotland), three-time Ironman champion Ute Mueckel (Germany) and 2005 Ironman Canada champion Karen Holloway (Canada) will compete at the 2005 Ford Ironman Florida being held on Nov. 5 in Panama City Beach, Fla.
Comerford claimed the women’s title at Ford Ironman Florida in 2002 and 2003. The Scottish native posted a career-best time of nine hours, 26 minutes and 17 seconds in winning the Panama City Beach event in 2003. Comerford also finished second (9:34:54) at the 2004 Ford Ironman Florida.
Mueckel recently claimed the women’s title at the 2005 Ford Ironman Wisconsin (10:11:22) held in September. Mueckel has also claimed titles at Ironman Germany (1996) and Ironman Switzerland (1997).
Mueckel finished third at the inaugural 2005 Ford Ironman Arizona and finished second at Ford Ironman Florida in 2002.
Holloway won the first Ironman title of her career at the 2005 Ironman Canada in August (9:51:31). Holloway has also recorded three top-five finishes at Ironman North America events over the past four seasons, including a third-place finish at Ford Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene in 2004.
More than 2,000 triathletes (including our Animal) from around the world are expected to compete in the 2005 Ford Ironman Florida. Athletes will be competing for 80 qualifying spots to the 2006 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, as well as a $55,000 pro-prize purse
Comerford claimed the women’s title at Ford Ironman Florida in 2002 and 2003. The Scottish native posted a career-best time of nine hours, 26 minutes and 17 seconds in winning the Panama City Beach event in 2003. Comerford also finished second (9:34:54) at the 2004 Ford Ironman Florida.
Mueckel recently claimed the women’s title at the 2005 Ford Ironman Wisconsin (10:11:22) held in September. Mueckel has also claimed titles at Ironman Germany (1996) and Ironman Switzerland (1997).
Mueckel finished third at the inaugural 2005 Ford Ironman Arizona and finished second at Ford Ironman Florida in 2002.
Holloway won the first Ironman title of her career at the 2005 Ironman Canada in August (9:51:31). Holloway has also recorded three top-five finishes at Ironman North America events over the past four seasons, including a third-place finish at Ford Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene in 2004.
More than 2,000 triathletes (including our Animal) from around the world are expected to compete in the 2005 Ford Ironman Florida. Athletes will be competing for 80 qualifying spots to the 2006 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, as well as a $55,000 pro-prize purse
26 Oct 2005
25 Oct 2005
Misconceptions
The 6 Most Common Athlete Misconceptions
By Matt Russ
In my experience, I believe there are a few common misconceptions many athletes have.
1. Miles = Speed. Going farther does not necessarily mean getting faster. If you put in a lot of weekly miles, but lack any specific training, you are really only (over) training your endurance. If you want to run, bike, or swim fast, you must run, bike, or swim fast. This means interval training for strength, power, aerobic capacity, and lactate threshold training. I tend to be conservative with my athletes’ training miles. I don’t want an athlete doing one more mile than he or she needs to. If your goal is to build endurance, it is not necessary to go more than 10-15% over race distance. Only a portion of your training should be dedicated to building and maintaining endurance. The rest should be shorter, more specific workouts that address your specific limiters.
2. A month off is good for you. Take a month off and you will spend the next 8+ weeks getting back to your previous fitness level. This means spending a large portion of the season training to rebuild fitness instead of building. Fitness falls off very quickly. A transition or maintenance phase is far preferable to time off. You can reduce training volume by as much as 80% and still maintain a level of fitness as long as you are training at the right intensity. Transition phases last 4-6 weeks and are an informal training period. It is a great time to cross train or do other activities. The main focus is rest and recovery while seeking to maintain a level of fitness. More than one total week off is not a good thing unless required.
3. I made it through my workout; therefore I ate and drank enough. There is a big difference between what is optimal and what you can get by on. I often see athletes gravitate towards the latter. Dehydration raises heart rate and lowers endurance. Glycogen depletion leaves you with little energy for high intensity work. Not eating or drinking enough degrades your performance. You may be able to complete the work out, but you could have pushed harder, gone faster, and accomplished more if you had followed a good fueling and hydration plan. The longer your training session, the more important this becomes.
4. I swear this made me faster. Some dietary supplements do work; most do not. Just because a pro endorses a particular product does not mean it will work for you. Don’t forget, pros get paid to promote these products and, therefore, they may have little objectivity. Supplements are an easy sell and have little regulation. All a manufacturer needs is a claim, a good marketing campaign, and an endorsement and they will sell just about anything. The supplements that do work usually have some sort of blind clinical studies behind them. Look for objective sources of information and be careful what you put in your body. Remember, there are no free lunches.
5. (Insert name here) does it, therefore I should do it. If you were to scrutinize 5 top athletes, they would in all likelihood find 5 different ways they got there. Training is a mixture of art and science. A good training plan addresses the athlete specifically and no two athletes are alike. Of course there are principles that should be a part of every training plan, but you should not try to copy another (successful) athlete’s training plan. It is like trying to run in their shoes. Recovery, limiters, fitness levels, goals and objectives, and experience are all individual factors that should be addressed in your plan. If we all tried to train like Lance, most of us would be dead.
6. Close enough is good enough. Training requires precision. For example, the difference between a good aerobic capacity workout and a non-productive one can be a few heartbeats and seconds. In order for adaptation to occur, the body has to have a new stress level placed on it. This means breaking new ground. If you apply the same level of stress, or less, you will not get faster. The nearer you are to your goal race, and as work out intensity goes up, the more important this becomes. Athletes are often surprised when I tell them their workout did not accomplish much because they were slightly below or even above where they should have been. They may have worked hard and were very fatigued, but did not have that last little push that to take them to the next level.
So there you have it. Put these misconceptions behind you and you will be well on your way to training more efficiently and effectively.
Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes around the country and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT, USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems), and has been certified by Joe Friel’s Ultrafit Association.
By Matt Russ
In my experience, I believe there are a few common misconceptions many athletes have.
1. Miles = Speed. Going farther does not necessarily mean getting faster. If you put in a lot of weekly miles, but lack any specific training, you are really only (over) training your endurance. If you want to run, bike, or swim fast, you must run, bike, or swim fast. This means interval training for strength, power, aerobic capacity, and lactate threshold training. I tend to be conservative with my athletes’ training miles. I don’t want an athlete doing one more mile than he or she needs to. If your goal is to build endurance, it is not necessary to go more than 10-15% over race distance. Only a portion of your training should be dedicated to building and maintaining endurance. The rest should be shorter, more specific workouts that address your specific limiters.
2. A month off is good for you. Take a month off and you will spend the next 8+ weeks getting back to your previous fitness level. This means spending a large portion of the season training to rebuild fitness instead of building. Fitness falls off very quickly. A transition or maintenance phase is far preferable to time off. You can reduce training volume by as much as 80% and still maintain a level of fitness as long as you are training at the right intensity. Transition phases last 4-6 weeks and are an informal training period. It is a great time to cross train or do other activities. The main focus is rest and recovery while seeking to maintain a level of fitness. More than one total week off is not a good thing unless required.
3. I made it through my workout; therefore I ate and drank enough. There is a big difference between what is optimal and what you can get by on. I often see athletes gravitate towards the latter. Dehydration raises heart rate and lowers endurance. Glycogen depletion leaves you with little energy for high intensity work. Not eating or drinking enough degrades your performance. You may be able to complete the work out, but you could have pushed harder, gone faster, and accomplished more if you had followed a good fueling and hydration plan. The longer your training session, the more important this becomes.
4. I swear this made me faster. Some dietary supplements do work; most do not. Just because a pro endorses a particular product does not mean it will work for you. Don’t forget, pros get paid to promote these products and, therefore, they may have little objectivity. Supplements are an easy sell and have little regulation. All a manufacturer needs is a claim, a good marketing campaign, and an endorsement and they will sell just about anything. The supplements that do work usually have some sort of blind clinical studies behind them. Look for objective sources of information and be careful what you put in your body. Remember, there are no free lunches.
5. (Insert name here) does it, therefore I should do it. If you were to scrutinize 5 top athletes, they would in all likelihood find 5 different ways they got there. Training is a mixture of art and science. A good training plan addresses the athlete specifically and no two athletes are alike. Of course there are principles that should be a part of every training plan, but you should not try to copy another (successful) athlete’s training plan. It is like trying to run in their shoes. Recovery, limiters, fitness levels, goals and objectives, and experience are all individual factors that should be addressed in your plan. If we all tried to train like Lance, most of us would be dead.
6. Close enough is good enough. Training requires precision. For example, the difference between a good aerobic capacity workout and a non-productive one can be a few heartbeats and seconds. In order for adaptation to occur, the body has to have a new stress level placed on it. This means breaking new ground. If you apply the same level of stress, or less, you will not get faster. The nearer you are to your goal race, and as work out intensity goes up, the more important this becomes. Athletes are often surprised when I tell them their workout did not accomplish much because they were slightly below or even above where they should have been. They may have worked hard and were very fatigued, but did not have that last little push that to take them to the next level.
So there you have it. Put these misconceptions behind you and you will be well on your way to training more efficiently and effectively.
Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes around the country and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT, USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems), and has been certified by Joe Friel’s Ultrafit Association.
Team Trial Tuesday
Dingo made a final attack to clinch the stage after a tough day at the park, paced by `Riding-into-the-wind Mark.'
Even JH decided to give it a go, showing that there's always a bit of fuel in those legs.
Good to see Gina and Jenny leading the charge, with Ish pushing on the hills.
Even JH decided to give it a go, showing that there's always a bit of fuel in those legs.
Good to see Gina and Jenny leading the charge, with Ish pushing on the hills.
Port Mac Results
The results for Port Mac are online, just follow the link on the right hand side of this page.
Congrats to Thomas, Eva and Christophe. Always another day for those who opted to regroup.
IM WA in November or Canberra in December!!!
Congrats to Thomas, Eva and Christophe. Always another day for those who opted to regroup.
IM WA in November or Canberra in December!!!
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