There are plenty of newbies racing here which is a really good sign, but also many "repeat offenders" going around again which should be the ones chasing the podiums and slots.
The signing of another 5 years shows healthy signs for Ironman Australia, however has me wondering with the lack of points & prize money available to Pro's, what sort of race will this be in years to come.
With only 4 female pro's yet again and 11 males on the start list, which I doubt all will race anyway, there is just not enough value for the Pro's who race here when the week after Busso 70.3 has more $$$ and more Kona points available. Just doesn't make sense to me. Having such a Iconic event getting shafted by the organisers is almost unjust.
Any rant over.....Onto the real stuff.
Now, as I said above, with so many newbies racing, there are not that familiar names that I recognise in the start list. This will be good as apart from the odd stand out, I believe the fields will be rather competitive and the times a fair bit slower than last year. Then again, I could be wrong.
Male 18 - 24:
Ashleigh McDougall 3rd 2012 should deliver this year with absence of Matthew Burton.
Luke Beauchamp should be right up there also.
Female 18 - 24:
A small field which I am going for Laura Harris.
Male 25 - 29:
Josh Strahorn did 10.22 last year so should push for top position here, it won't be all his own way with a good sized field and plenty hungry to get to Kona.
Female 25 - 29:
Michelle Duffield by a long way here, a good pedigree and that family always goes well.
Male 30 - 34:
Brad Manczak, the BIG man got to Kona last year and is in the EnduranceTeam.net camp. Jarrod always gets his athletes peaking on the right day.
Ben Squiz will lead out of the water, but how long will that lead last for before Scott Hobson takes control on the bike and leads into T2... But how fast does he need to run to capture the "W"??
Smokey: Jarrod Draper, under the careful guidance of David Meade, he could surprise a few in his first start.. No pressure though!
Female 30 - 34:
Kacey Willoughby has turned old ;) and after already securing her Kona spot at Busso, will head into this race relaxed. I still think those "old" legs will get the chocolates here.
Meredith Hill should podium again.
Cassandra Percival should be pushing the above two for a good portion of the race also.
Male 35 - 35:
Corey Chapman and Marc Rawlings should be the front runners for most of the day in this age group, however with a quality field and the VICARY brothers going to War, anything could happen.
Phillip Townsend, Zane Hopper & Kane Towns should be in contention, however the TEAM PIS mind games might hinder a few in the next few days.
Paul O'Brien should lead out of the water here and be in the front pack on the bike. Just unsure how many k's he has in his legs to round out the day.
Female 35 - 39:
Erika Ellis age groups up and is my pick to take the flowers home to mum. With a 10.13 last year, the other girls should get used to the sight of her behind!
Alison Ferry who finished 3rd last year should be around the mark again and along with Katie Dukes & Tarryn Whitmore.
Male 40 - 44:
This is the age group the I believe will have the fastest age grouper for the day in the men's. Like Matty Lewis did in New Zealand and Olaf Kasten did in Melbourne, there is still hope for us young guys getting faster with age..
It is also a red hot field with many guns lining up for the title. I am leaning towards David Meade, saw him first hand at Shepparton last year run the pants off many include myself. The guy is tough as nails and can swim/bike and run the house down.
Others to consider:
Matt Koorey - Just knows how to get the job done.
Dieter McDonald - Firstly I didn't realise he was this old!! He is also form EnduranceTeam.net and has been to the big island a few times.
Marcus Smith - 2nd here last year and is ultra consistent.
Bruse Theile - the pressure is on him as his wife has already got a Kona slot and so has Kacey Willoughby (he coaches her) so will be competing along side them at Kona or carrying the bags??
Brian Price will also be around the mark.
Female 40 - 44:
Leanne Southwell is returning as Champion and will salute the chequered flag again first.
Terry Anne Box who finished 3rd will be hoping to get closer but as Southwell swims 50 odd minutes, she will always be a long way ahead.
This is definitely Southwell's to lose.
Male 45 - 49:
This looks to be a very open field.
Andrew Mildren will give the front runners a big start out of the water again, but how much is too much that he cannot chase down??
Paul Muherin will be around the mark also.
Also a shout out to fellow Western Suburbs Triathlon Club Member Louis Lopex who is competing in his 25th Ironman Australia, hope you have a great day mate.
Female 45 - 49:
Angela Clarke to make it back to back wins....
Male 50 - 54:
In this age group there are 4 out of the top 5 returning from last year so will be another cracking age group to follow.
Stephen Bingham will be looking to be champion again, however Bevan Earnst will be trying to find the 45 sec he lost by last year.
Terry Roberts & Grant Thomas will be looking for revenge and hoping to dish it up to the above two.
Female 50 - 54:
The only one that appeals to me is Janet McAfee who finished 3rd in 2012.
Male 55 - 59:
John Hill here. He is one guy that I enjoy seeing on the start list as it make my tips a little easier in this age group.
Female 55 - 59:
Judith Golledge will be looking to go one better than in 2012 and should greet the line as the victor.
Male 60 - 64:
Ron Wilson to defend his crown and win this by a long way.
Robert Howitt and Rod Harrod to fill the minor places.
Female 60 - 64:
She has to be Ron's wife.... Berryl Wilson last years winner, would be great to see her "chick" her hubby!!
Male 65 - 69:
The evergreen Allan Pittman here....not sure if he is really this age or that the die he puts in his hair covers the greys?!? But he will take the win.
Resutek Thoephile should be on the podium again.
Male 70 - 74:
George Hulse: 12.50 last year.... Has anyone made him pee into a cup?? That is amazing from a guy of that young age.
In the Pro race, I am going for Patrick Evoe & Rebecca Hoschke. After seeing Rebecca run at Busso, she will be running all the way to the win! Although the men's field is not very big I think it will be a good race. Luke Bell will be trying hard, but I think Evoe has his measure.
I will add that if Bell wins, I believe he will go onto BIG BIG things.. Getting the monkey off the back might be the hard part though.
For Now...
X-Man
PS... Word just in, Ben the white Kenyan to smash Ched Towns son Kane.
Also, theses are my tips and my views only. I seem to offend people by writing my blog. I am not a journalist, nor an expert in this tipping field. It is more for fun, so if I have left you off and you think you are worthy, don't worry, I don't play GOD on race day and influence your race. Go out there and have fun and remember:
PAIN IS TEMPORARY, QUITTING LASTS FOREVER!
YOU WILL BE AN IRONMAN
As for my athletes, I have two racing, both first timers... Scott Slater in the 30 - 34 and Ian Spinks in the 45 - 49, have a great day boys and remember to smile at the finish line. Do yourselves proud!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
The Professional Life - With Lisa Marangon.
-->
NO, I AM NOT TURNING PRO! Just have to say that, have no ambition to either, I just wanted to experience the "Professional Life" for a week.
Well, after chatting
to Lisa and floating the idea of coming Sydney to learn a little more about the
“professional triathlete life” the flights were booked and the week of cough
cough *hell* cough cough learning was upon me.
 | |
| Lisa, with one of her many wins to date. |
Coming off a monster
weekend with all the boys and flying to Sydney on the Sunday was always going
to be hard work. But I was packed
ready for the unexpected….Discipline, good eating and hard training.
Well, if I was going
to get benefit out of it, I just had to follow her lead and just put up with
what was thrown in front of me.
That meant no KFC,
pies, alcohol or soft drink for the week…..That was going to be tough. So arriving, slightly seedy from the
weekend, Lisa picked me up and took me back to her apartment. I did ask her permission to jot down
some notes about the week for this blog and after coming to an agreement about
the details, we found a happy medium.
So, Firstly thanks for the opportunity to follow and live the pro life
for the week. Lisa also works full
time and took a week off to show me about and run me through everything. I am so appreciative!
Being explained the
week ahead and me asking for that to be repeated as I didn’t quite expect what
I heard. The first bit that got me
was the 4.20am Wake up on the Monday morning for swimming…. You want me to get
up at what time?? WOW!!
The promise of good
coffee post session was almost enough to convince me to think it was a good
idea.
With that in mind, was
early to bed for me… My bike box as my pillow and my garmin as my alarm, it was
bed time. Didn’t take long to fall
asleep as having a total of 8 hours sleep on the previous two nights, I was
looking forward to hitting the hay (or bike box). I was certainly more excited about the coffee then the swim!
 | |
| I wasn't looking this cheerful when the alarm sounded! |
And true to her word,
4.20am not a minute earlier or later I got the, “It’s time to get up.” Shocked from being in a deep sleep and
in a strange location (been in many of them in my life!) it was time to get up
and head to the pool. No Coffee in
the house…..hmmmmm, Lesson 1 learnt…Drink less coffee.
I was privileged enough
to get a small amount of nutrition to fuel my session, I could only keep thinking, I could
die, I can’t train without coffee or a bucket of KFC.
 |
| Just a Standard Post training meal for me. |
In the pool at 5am, still
blurred eyed and probably over .05, I looked at the session plan and my first
words were, “Do you guys do a standard warmup before we hit that main set?”
With a joint laugh,
Lisa, Angelo & Gai (Coaches) turned to me and responded as one, “No, No, that
is the warm up!”
Ouch, I could drown,
first swim since Ironman Melbourne and with the warmup at my main set speed, I
was always going to be in trouble.
Gai then threw the line out there, “If you need a longer rest, feel
free.” A longer rest, I was happy just to be able to get through the warm up and
then get out!
The session was 4.6k
and I can honestly say that I got through 4k….Longest swim since Oct 2012. Lisa did chuckle and say that my arms
were going to be sore. Getting the
session done before 6.30 was a bonus though, the whole day ahead.
A quick spin on the
bike followed after breakfast and then a long awaited nap for me…
The afternoon involved
Yoga….hmmm does that come in banana and chocolate flavour? The only thing this did confirm (which I already knew) was that I have no core or balance. Something to work on.
Survived Day 1. Tomorrow seemed like a lighter day,
Swim, Pilates and Run.
Alarm set for
4.20am….I actually woke up feeling very ordinary, so after being called weak,
Lisa let me sleep in whilst she went to swimming. I was out cold.
When she got back, I was still feeling very average so I knew that I had
made the right choice. The easy
run was what I thought is what I needed, how wrong was I?? I crashed hard that afternoon with the
dreaded man flu and spent the whole afternoon asleep. Maybe the weekend had finally caught up with me. Missing two sessions that day was not
what I had in mind however I know I was going to be better for it.
Day 2: Not a total
disaster.
Wednesday was my day
of bouncing back, I wasn’t going to let this chick or the man flu get the
better of me.
Lisa runs an open
water swim in the Morning which was amazing, having the sun rise, the warm
water (yes still had wetty on) and a group of enthusiastic swimmers there eased
the disappointment from yesterday.
Getting through the session was my goal without putting myself in the
box. Mission Accomplished.
From here, we headed
to the Athlete Lab (spin room) to do a pretty solid 90min session. Once again, I didn’t want to have to
much intensity so only got to 350 Watts in some of my efforts, a bit short of
what I was pushing in my last lab test.
90min done, shirt drenched, 2litres fluid consumed and we were off to the
track for a speed session. This is
not something that I would usually do, however looking back, it was definitely beneficial. Doing some pretty hard and sharp 1k
efforts, I was surprised at the times I was doing, albeit, still chasing tail.
 | |
| Victory at Canberra 70.3 2011 |
Day 3: Back on track –
TICK
Thursday was a
mid-long ride with some undulations.
I have no idea where we started from or where we went, however the best
way for me to describe the ride was amazing, the scenery was fantastic and the
weather once again put on a show.
It reminded me of the great ocean Rd back home, just stunning. And this was the day of my secret
mission to Sydney was busted by Matt Palmer, who spotted me out there…unsure
how, but hats off!!
Pilates followed in
the afternoon, which was my first time doing this. I can say that I did enjoy it and saw the benefit from just
one session, will consider this for future programs/training blocks that I do.
Day 4: Energy coming
back, and had a great day.
Here comes Friday,
another run, another swim.
That’s right my 3rd
swim for the week (should have been 4th) but a pool set. 3k in the arms for me (Lisa easily
disposed of me covering over 4) but my arms felt ok. I did notice some tension from another female pro that started
swimming after we started and took more notice of our times then her own session. That entertained me more than the hurt
that my arms felt.
It still baffles me
how much people are more worried about what other people are doing rather than
the square that they are in. Lisa
was in a zone and had no idea what was going on until I told her post
session. Good luck trying to talk
mid set.
I was still pretty
happy with the times I was coming in on after only my 4th swim since
Melbourne….There might be hope for me yet!
The run was pretty
sharp, some high intensity and some easy running, once again, I was feeling
good and better everyday.
Friday – All going
well.
Saturday involved a
longer ride with a 40 odd min off the bike. Meeting up with her riding group, we heading off on some
unknown direction for me. Everyone
was once again so welcoming and made me feel like I was in a bunch from home,
not an invader up here…Maybe they didn’t know I was a Victorian?!
Heading out the old
highway, a few of the boys increased the work rate, I decided to jump on board
and follow their lead. Todd Israel
was driving the bunch with a few other following. I was enjoying the ride and the atmosphere. One the return we caught up to Craig
Alexander and I was star struck, instantly I whipped out my camera and took
some photos of him. Once again, this
guy has so much time for everyone, I quizzed him about a few things and the
honesty that he responds in is WORLD CLASS. He has no issues giving advice and offering tips of you want
to listen….That’s exactly what I did.
WOW, another great moment.
 | |
| The nicest guy in the World 3 x World Champion - Craig Alexander |
Once the heart rate
settled again, I started to think about the run ahead. I had a feeling that I had left something at Lisa’s….Yep, my
runners…ooopppsss, I can say that I was disappointed as I wanted to get every session
done with her. Todd & I were
going to do a few laps around Centennial Park, but he had a better idea….Have a
coffee. Bingo. This would also give me the chance to
quiz him about his transformation from a/g to pro. And this is what I did. Asking about what he has done differently now to the guy
whom beat me at IMWA a few years back in 9hr 14min to the 8.39 he did at IMMelb
2012. Asking, listening and absorbing
was my task and was something that I did with success.
30min come and gone
and more advice and experience thrown my way. Thanks heaps Todd, value there.
 |
| Todd Israel - On his way to a Podium in Hawaii, now a Professional |
The PM session was an
open water swim again…4 in 1 week, Did I have rocks in my head?? But with the weather being so pleasant,
it was always going to be fun.
Having 16 in the group meant for fun times. Scott McKenna started a little banter after the Wednesday
session and the mornings ride. I
almost felt like a local. The
session was great fun and I got plenty out of it. I am just hoping that it gives me the kick start that I need
to get into the pool on a regular basis.
Saturday: Where has
the week gone?
And the final session
of the week was an easy run….got it covered, could have run for 2hr 30min
however getting just under 20k in the legs was enough for me. No need to kill myself first week back. Having another quick chat with Todd and
thanking him for his time again.
So, Overall what did I
learn?
Not all pro’s think
their shit doesn’t stink. That
there are actually ones out there who are happy to tell their story and help
out where they can. There are many “Pro’s” who should follow this lead and give
more time to others around them.
The difference from
hearing about how they go about things to actually living it is totally
different and a lot harder than you think. Throw in that many of the pro’s work to support themselves
just makes the respect that I have for them even greater.
A Bucket load,
following Lisa around for the week, shadowing her sessions, partaking in the
open water, bike and runs that she did was great. The training itself is not really that much different to
what I do, just tweaked to her needs.
The major difference
is the mindset, attitude and the way the sessions are completed. There are no excuses, no short cuts,
just sessions getting completed exactly how they were meant to be.
The 4.20am starts, the
mid day naps, the clean eating & the regular body maintenance really opened
my eyes about what it really takes to compete at that level. Not just to compete, but also to be
successful.
This is an experience
that has armed we with tools to make me not only a better person, but also a
far greater athlete. It is now
just up to me what I do with them.
 |
| Armed with all the tools now. |
* Session details were
not included in the above to support the confidentiality that I agreed with
Lisa.
If you want to know more about Lisa Marangon, click here.
For now...
X-Man
PS.. If you ever get the chance to do what I did, go for it. Just be prepared to watch, listen and do. It is an amazing experience
Monday, April 15, 2013
Life since Ironman Melbourne.
Well, it really hasn't stopped. I had committed to going away with the Family to Maryborough (Central Victoria) for Easter and to do some Road Racing there with the Veterans.
Yes, unfortunately I am in that category now. So I had entered 5 races across that weekend ranging from a 300m Sprint (pfft, me sprint?!?) to a ITT, a Criterium race and 2 x 65k road races, one being a scratch race in my category and the other being a handicap on the final day.
For a full run down and a great read, check out Shane Millar's blog below. He handed it to me in every event, so better reports form him.
http://gplama.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/vets-south-pacs-maryborough-victoria.html
Was good to have such a gun cyclist there, not only to show me how far off I am, but also to learn a lot from him.
I prob should have ticked the legs over post Melbourne before I went straight into a road race and an attack 7k in....
My legs finally came good in the handicap, was placed off 3rd scratch 4min ahead of scratch and when 3 riders failed to show, 1 wasn't up to it, having 4 of us try to chase 9 was going to be hard so we made the decision no to kill ourselves but to pace ourselves until scratch & co caught us. I rolled in with the scratch group as it was safer than sitting near the back of the 70 rider peleton. I then decided to save my legs from about 15k to go until the final attacks started to happen and was going to have a crack at the sprint. In the end we didn't catch all the riders, but I still managed 6th in the bunch sprint, great end to the weekend.
From there, I entered, along with a few of the athletes in the Geelong Half Marathon. All the talk was whether I was going to be repeat my time of 1hr 18min from a few years back, but I decided to help pace Jody to as close as we could to 90min. We compromised and decided on 92mins (4min 20sec per k). Her instructions were to just run with me, no watch, no garmin, just run. 2 gels and focusing on running a very even 1/2 Marathon.
The plan was to start out a little slower and work into it.
The splits were as follows:
Km Time
This was a time of 1hr 31min and 36sec...right on the money. And speaking of money, that's what Jody got, a 1st place finish in her age (won't disclose) and her fastest 1/2 Marathon time in 15 years. Happy people all around. Tim, Daniel, Paul and Harley also ran with Harley breaking the 2hr mark and recording a 25min pb. Well done mate!
From there I hit a few sessions with Scott Slater (doing his first IM at Port) and we rolled around for a few hours (5 1/2) and ticked off just under 180k's. Throwing in a run and he is in for a good race in the upcoming weeks.
A few days off and then back to Vets racing on the weekend. I signed up Geelong as Dad has been a member there and it is an amazing feeling being able to compete with and against your Dad in a sport, so I was a bit overwhelmed about it all. He is also a Club Legend there....Big shoes to fill!
We were both in A Grade and I had the no. 1 on my back, not much pressure there. Dad left his bike shoes at home, so was never going to last long. I knew who I had to watch as had a bit of insight from the Fos and proceeded to play the cat and mouse game for a while until the main break went and I had to close the gap and move with them The pace remained high for the 43k and after all the attacks, it finally go the better of me and I got dropped by the 2 leaders. Not to ever give up, I tried to settle into a rhythm and chase them down.
I could see a bit of fluctuations up the road and was positive that I could ride them down. Steve Young noticed me closing the gap and jumped away, all of a sudden it was a 3 way Individual TT to the end. I closed in on 2nd and now had my eyes firmly set on Steve. I was closing in ever so slowly until Steve hit the tail wind.
Nek minut....... He was gone. I continued to the end and tailed in about 1min behind with the same gap to 3rd. The bunch rolled across the line about 1min further back. So a good entry into Vets racing. I will be back at Footscray again soon and with a few other tweaks, I am looking forward to a solid winter's base heading to Hawaii.
The athlete numbers are continuing to grow which I look at as a compliment & reward to the work I put in and the results that are coming through. Planning with other athletes about how to move forward post Ironman and how we plan for them to improve and it has been a pretty hectic time.
I do just love it though.
Throw in a few interstate trips for training and supporting at some races and the build will be up and going before I know it.
Back to planning and looking at ways to improve.
For now...
X-Man
 | |
| Yes the Headstem has since been cut down! |
Yes, unfortunately I am in that category now. So I had entered 5 races across that weekend ranging from a 300m Sprint (pfft, me sprint?!?) to a ITT, a Criterium race and 2 x 65k road races, one being a scratch race in my category and the other being a handicap on the final day.
 |
| 43kph ave was still not enough to win the TT. |
For a full run down and a great read, check out Shane Millar's blog below. He handed it to me in every event, so better reports form him.
http://gplama.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/vets-south-pacs-maryborough-victoria.html
Was good to have such a gun cyclist there, not only to show me how far off I am, but also to learn a lot from him.
I prob should have ticked the legs over post Melbourne before I went straight into a road race and an attack 7k in....
My legs finally came good in the handicap, was placed off 3rd scratch 4min ahead of scratch and when 3 riders failed to show, 1 wasn't up to it, having 4 of us try to chase 9 was going to be hard so we made the decision no to kill ourselves but to pace ourselves until scratch & co caught us. I rolled in with the scratch group as it was safer than sitting near the back of the 70 rider peleton. I then decided to save my legs from about 15k to go until the final attacks started to happen and was going to have a crack at the sprint. In the end we didn't catch all the riders, but I still managed 6th in the bunch sprint, great end to the weekend.
From there, I entered, along with a few of the athletes in the Geelong Half Marathon. All the talk was whether I was going to be repeat my time of 1hr 18min from a few years back, but I decided to help pace Jody to as close as we could to 90min. We compromised and decided on 92mins (4min 20sec per k). Her instructions were to just run with me, no watch, no garmin, just run. 2 gels and focusing on running a very even 1/2 Marathon.
 | |
| Almost done |
The plan was to start out a little slower and work into it.
The splits were as follows:
Km Time
| 1 | 4:24.0 | 1.00 | 4:24 | |||||||
| 2 | 4:22.5 | 1.00 | 4:23 | |||||||
| 3 | 4:24.6 | 1.00 | 4:25 | |||||||
| 4 | 4:20.7 | 1.00 | 4:21 | |||||||
| 5 | 4:09.3 | 1.00 | 4:09 | |||||||
| 6 | 4:17.3 | 1.00 | 4:17 | |||||||
| 7 | 4:16.0 | 1.00 | 4:16 | |||||||
| 8 | 4:14.3 | 1.00 | 4:14 | |||||||
| 9 | 4:20.0 | 1.00 | 4:20 | |||||||
| 10 | 4:19.3 | 1.00 | 4:19 | |||||||
| 11 | 4:15.7 | 1.00 | 4:16 | |||||||
| 12 | 4:16.9 | 1.00 | 4:17 | |||||||
| 13 | 4:13.8 | 1.00 | 4:14 | |||||||
| 14 | 4:24.8 | 1.00 | 4:25 | |||||||
| 15 | 4:13.5 | 1.00 | 4:14 | |||||||
| 16 | 4:18.6 | 1.00 | 4:19 | |||||||
| 17 | 4:16.4 | 1.00 | 4:16 | |||||||
| 18 | 4:17.6 | 1.00 | 4:18 | |||||||
| 19 | 4:28.3 | 1.00 | 4:28 | |||||||
| 20 | 4:29.1 | 1.00 | 4:29 | |||||||
| 21 | 4:17.3 | 1.00 | 4:17 | |||||||
| 22 | :56.3 | 0.23 | 4 |
 | |
| One final time check to make sure we hit the mark! |
This was a time of 1hr 31min and 36sec...right on the money. And speaking of money, that's what Jody got, a 1st place finish in her age (won't disclose) and her fastest 1/2 Marathon time in 15 years. Happy people all around. Tim, Daniel, Paul and Harley also ran with Harley breaking the 2hr mark and recording a 25min pb. Well done mate!
 |
| Just telling Harley to get to the finish! |
From there I hit a few sessions with Scott Slater (doing his first IM at Port) and we rolled around for a few hours (5 1/2) and ticked off just under 180k's. Throwing in a run and he is in for a good race in the upcoming weeks.
A few days off and then back to Vets racing on the weekend. I signed up Geelong as Dad has been a member there and it is an amazing feeling being able to compete with and against your Dad in a sport, so I was a bit overwhelmed about it all. He is also a Club Legend there....Big shoes to fill!
 | |
| Just tucking his laces into the new Giro Bike Shoes! |
I could see a bit of fluctuations up the road and was positive that I could ride them down. Steve Young noticed me closing the gap and jumped away, all of a sudden it was a 3 way Individual TT to the end. I closed in on 2nd and now had my eyes firmly set on Steve. I was closing in ever so slowly until Steve hit the tail wind.
Nek minut....... He was gone. I continued to the end and tailed in about 1min behind with the same gap to 3rd. The bunch rolled across the line about 1min further back. So a good entry into Vets racing. I will be back at Footscray again soon and with a few other tweaks, I am looking forward to a solid winter's base heading to Hawaii.
The athlete numbers are continuing to grow which I look at as a compliment & reward to the work I put in and the results that are coming through. Planning with other athletes about how to move forward post Ironman and how we plan for them to improve and it has been a pretty hectic time.
I do just love it though.
Throw in a few interstate trips for training and supporting at some races and the build will be up and going before I know it.
Back to planning and looking at ways to improve.
For now...
X-Man
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Back into the Blogging world - IRONMAN MELBOURNE race report
It has been a while since I have updated my blog and do apologize for that. Since my last post things have just been busy, getting through Ironman Melbourne, not just me but the 13 guys that I coached also.
Heading away for Easter and having my first foray into Veterans Cycling Racing and then Running the Geelong Half Marathon a week later. I have loved this entire experience and it has continue helped me develop as a person and more importantly as a coach.
The results of this have been evident with more and more athletes coming on board with myself and TMC. We are continue to grow every week which is a testament to the way we conduct ourselves as coaches and the successful programs that we deliver.
With everything that has happened since my last post, it would make for one almighty blog post this time, so I will do my best not to bore you with insignificant details.
Ok, let's start with IRONMAN MELBOURNE. This was a very exciting time for me having so many athletes hit the start line including 6 1st Timers. For me, I had no expectations apart from wanting to have a crack at riding 4hr 35min on the bike.
The Short and curly:
Swim: 25min 31sec, this was reduced to 1.5k due to the weather conditions.
Bike: 4hr 42min 50sec, I did go out hard and then realised that I wasn't going to get there, so finished with petrol in the tank
Run: 3hr 15min 20sec, a time that I knew that I could run no matter. I did post this time on my last post.
Overall: 8hr 27min on a reduced course, I think I still would have pushed the 9hr mark.
4th in 35-39, 31st overall.....and my 3rd Hawaii Qualification.
The Long and Juicy:
The weather conditions down at Frankston this year were always going to make the swim tough. When the swim directors decided to make it a reduced swim, I really had mixed feelings. I knew that this would suit me better than most as I would be able to catch the lead swimmers earlier on the bike, however I wanted to race a Full Ironman, that's what we train for, that's what we race for.
I understood the reasoning behind it, however my feelings are that a lot of people enter these races without giving the sport the respect that it deserves. They fail to train under those conditions and therefor create a safety issue for the sport.
I decided to start a little way left from the pier to get a clear run to the end of it and to the turning buoys. Once again the creeping was there, it was suppose to be a beach start, however, many people were up to their waste before the race started. I am all for following rules, but when you look across and everyone is 20-30m in front of you and the officials are not doing anything about it, well I play that game. I went and stood in line with them so that I could start on a level playing field. I created a trend from the people furthest from the pier and before I knew it we were all in the water.
When Mike Rielly signalled the start, it was on, I had a really good clear run into the water and into my swim stroke. The conditions were really swelly and choppy and was hard to find a rhythm and caused me to stop every so often to get my bearings. As I got near the end of the pier, the pros were swimming back in, I managed to have a head on collision with one of them, unsure if I was off track or he was. I got to the first turning buoy and there were people everywhere, I stopped to find my bearings and heard Clint Van Beveren yell out to many people to swim to the next buoy, I never knew how bad people cut the course until I saw this:
I find this disgraceful.
On my return to the beach, I even passed someone who was doing breastroke, struggling to even swim, that's when I knew that people didn't do the whole course. I also spotted on of my athletes Adam McCarthy (no idea how) grabbed him, gave him a quick rev up as he was heading out and I was heading in. Getting back onto the beach and heading into T1, I had no idea how much time I was behind, nor the position I was in.
Getting in and out of T1 in a pretty sharp time, I was onto my bike and ready to have a crack.
I found rhythm really early and just worried about applying pressure on the pedals the entire time. I was passing many people on the way out and when I started to catch the pro females, I knew I was having a solid first 45k. There were a few athletes trying to ride with me, even rolled passed, but blew up pretty quickly. The only one who managed to hang tough was Matt Ledgar, we rolled a few turns to maintain the pace.
At the turn, I always pay attention of who is heading the opposite way, when I saw Damien Angus, Ross Young and then Sam Hume, on the turnaround side of the tunnel, I knew the time gap was not that big. I passed Big Stephane VB at the turn and then focused on getting in and out of the tunnel as fast as I could to then settle into a good pace heading back to Frankston with the tail wind.
I really wound up here and got going. I saw Sam, then Ross and then the lead female pros. It is always hard passing the females as they have so many motorbikes around them and can be a pain trying to negotiate going around them safely. I got back into Frankston and noticed Damien Angus not far in front. That's when I knew I was at the pointy end. As per my report last year, being in the same race as Sam Hume & Damien Angus is great, actually being competitive against them is amazing.
I managed to catch up to Damien, and had mixed thoughts, I was reasonably confident of out running him, however was unsure if I should stay with him, work with him or try and out ride him. I still don't know what I tried, we traded the lead a few times and then he left me out in front for a bit....As per the below photo. Unlike many other photos that are circulating, you will never see quality guys such as Sam, Damien & Ross sitting on a wheel, it is all fair game.
He left me out there for about 10k's, my mind knew what was happening, so I slowed to try and get him to do some of the pacing. That he did, he attacked me and rode straight off the front and into the distance. The same thing two years running, I catch him, he regroups, then goes WHACK! Goodbye.
I was still feeling good, so instead of trying to chase, I just settled back and rode my own race, knowing that there was a quality runners in the field behind.
About 20k from the end of the bike the wind changed again. I was happy with this as it meant a favorable wind for the run. Also, if I had the wind for 20k, others had it for more.
Sam Hume caught me about 10k from home and I hit T2 with him, in a great spot to start the run, I knew I was in the top 5 in my a/g, just had to rely on my run legs to get me home.
The 4 splits on the bike were:
45k (head wind) 1hr 19min (34.18kph)
45k (tail wind) 56min (47.8kph)
45k (head wind) 1hr 20min (33.8kph)
45k (tail and head) 1hr 6min (40.65kph)
So you can see I maintained a consistent pace into the wind and when the tail switched to head, It affected the time!!
Onto the run, my plan was to head out for a 3hr 10min, as per last year. My goal was to maintain my position or even try to run down Damien again. I headed our feeling great and was on track for the 3hr 10m
I was picking off a few of the guys that over rode and had a few of the pure runners pick me off. My only concern was which one of these guys were in my age group.
Dad & Nathan were giving me splits to the guys in front and the guys behind. I never really gained time, nor lost it for the first 21k. Running with Kev Ferguson this year was great, he got me out of a little hole that I found my self falling into. At the special needs, I was lucky and managed to grab my stuff and go without too much hassle. Kev had to stop and find his.
I swapped bottles, re-fueled and picked up a little bit. By the 30k mark, I started to hurt. A few of the pro females incl the great Caroline Steffan (who has been giving me stick on facebook about this pic) and Yvonne Van Verklen both ran by, that looked like a great race.
By 32k I was walking...Brett Dunstan rode up and told me that my slowest jog was always going to be faster then my fastest walk, so start jogging. This was exactly what I needed to get me going, so thanks Brett!
I had loads of support out of course, but that 1 comment turned it around for me.
Once I got to 36k, I said to Dad that I am not having someone pass me this close to home this year. His reply was, well there are two guys 40 sec behind, you had better get a move on. Thanks Fos, I increased my pace and found a good speed to run at. I was comfortable and knew for them to catch me would me 4min k pace at the death...not many can do that in a/g racing.
With 2k to go, I did ask a few people in the crowd if their was anyone behind me, to which to my pleasure, they said no. I still had to look though. Entering the final 1k was great, yet again, it is the best part of the race. The high 5's start, the noise increases and you know that you are about to cross that line. Which I did, smile from ear to ear. I saw Darryl from Shotz Nutrition and gave him a great kiss on the forehead and thanked him for everything.
Once over the line, I went to see Dad, Brian (bro), Naomi (Sis), Nathan (Bro) and Karl (SCHNELL CARBON WHEELS) to thank them for all the support yet again on race day.
I had so much support out there and the road marking were fantastic, so to who ever wrote my name on the road and gave me support, thanks so much, it doesn't go unnoticed even if I don't respond!
So I finished 4th in my age group and once again could not be happier, although I am determined to jag a win one day soon ;)!!
Once I was done getting a massage, I started looking for my athletes to see how they were going/went.
The results from them were:
And yes we are not getting carried away with the times due to the short swim, however there are still some pretty good times below.
Rees Hughes 9hr 14min (1st IM in 12 years)
Ben Robinson 9hr 21min (pb on the run)
Tom Lazarus 9hr 45min (pb on the run)
Kane Roach 9hr 58min (1st IM)
Lee Martin 10hr 12min
Ben Hughes 10hr 19min
Mark Steers 10hr 19min (1st IM)
Archie Ball 10hr 23min 10th a/g 2nd fastest run time in a/g
Dale Smedley 10hr 28min (1st IM)
Dan Palmer 10hr 54min (1st IM)
Clayton Stairmand 11hr 2min (1st IM)
Damo Harris 11hr 7min incl 3 punctures (1st IM)
Jerome Peyton 11hr 23min
Adam McCarthy 12hr 10min (1st IM)
So in real numbers, there would have been 2 sub 10hr performances right through to sub 13hrs. A credit all the above who committed themselves in training over the entire preparation. Now just need to replicate those times in a full IM ;)
I won't bore you with anything else for now, but there is plenty happening, I will just have to blog a bit more frequently. Next one will cover being a "Veteran Cyclist" & the Geelong 1/2 Marathon and a few other updates.
For Now....
X-Man
PS. I am 100% going back to Hawaii for my 3rd time & to have my best result. Have already looked into ways that I can improve and make it 2-0 over Leigh Chapman (PIS)!!
Heading away for Easter and having my first foray into Veterans Cycling Racing and then Running the Geelong Half Marathon a week later. I have loved this entire experience and it has continue helped me develop as a person and more importantly as a coach.
The results of this have been evident with more and more athletes coming on board with myself and TMC. We are continue to grow every week which is a testament to the way we conduct ourselves as coaches and the successful programs that we deliver.
With everything that has happened since my last post, it would make for one almighty blog post this time, so I will do my best not to bore you with insignificant details.
Ok, let's start with IRONMAN MELBOURNE. This was a very exciting time for me having so many athletes hit the start line including 6 1st Timers. For me, I had no expectations apart from wanting to have a crack at riding 4hr 35min on the bike.
The Short and curly:
Swim: 25min 31sec, this was reduced to 1.5k due to the weather conditions.
Bike: 4hr 42min 50sec, I did go out hard and then realised that I wasn't going to get there, so finished with petrol in the tank
Run: 3hr 15min 20sec, a time that I knew that I could run no matter. I did post this time on my last post.
Overall: 8hr 27min on a reduced course, I think I still would have pushed the 9hr mark.
4th in 35-39, 31st overall.....and my 3rd Hawaii Qualification.
The Long and Juicy:
The weather conditions down at Frankston this year were always going to make the swim tough. When the swim directors decided to make it a reduced swim, I really had mixed feelings. I knew that this would suit me better than most as I would be able to catch the lead swimmers earlier on the bike, however I wanted to race a Full Ironman, that's what we train for, that's what we race for.
I understood the reasoning behind it, however my feelings are that a lot of people enter these races without giving the sport the respect that it deserves. They fail to train under those conditions and therefor create a safety issue for the sport.
I decided to start a little way left from the pier to get a clear run to the end of it and to the turning buoys. Once again the creeping was there, it was suppose to be a beach start, however, many people were up to their waste before the race started. I am all for following rules, but when you look across and everyone is 20-30m in front of you and the officials are not doing anything about it, well I play that game. I went and stood in line with them so that I could start on a level playing field. I created a trend from the people furthest from the pier and before I knew it we were all in the water.
When Mike Rielly signalled the start, it was on, I had a really good clear run into the water and into my swim stroke. The conditions were really swelly and choppy and was hard to find a rhythm and caused me to stop every so often to get my bearings. As I got near the end of the pier, the pros were swimming back in, I managed to have a head on collision with one of them, unsure if I was off track or he was. I got to the first turning buoy and there were people everywhere, I stopped to find my bearings and heard Clint Van Beveren yell out to many people to swim to the next buoy, I never knew how bad people cut the course until I saw this:
I find this disgraceful.
On my return to the beach, I even passed someone who was doing breastroke, struggling to even swim, that's when I knew that people didn't do the whole course. I also spotted on of my athletes Adam McCarthy (no idea how) grabbed him, gave him a quick rev up as he was heading out and I was heading in. Getting back onto the beach and heading into T1, I had no idea how much time I was behind, nor the position I was in.
Getting in and out of T1 in a pretty sharp time, I was onto my bike and ready to have a crack.
I found rhythm really early and just worried about applying pressure on the pedals the entire time. I was passing many people on the way out and when I started to catch the pro females, I knew I was having a solid first 45k. There were a few athletes trying to ride with me, even rolled passed, but blew up pretty quickly. The only one who managed to hang tough was Matt Ledgar, we rolled a few turns to maintain the pace.
 | |
| Riding Legally |
 | |
| Tail wind 47kph ave for the 2nd 45k |
 | |
| Bike Turnaround |
I managed to catch up to Damien, and had mixed thoughts, I was reasonably confident of out running him, however was unsure if I should stay with him, work with him or try and out ride him. I still don't know what I tried, we traded the lead a few times and then he left me out in front for a bit....As per the below photo. Unlike many other photos that are circulating, you will never see quality guys such as Sam, Damien & Ross sitting on a wheel, it is all fair game.
He left me out there for about 10k's, my mind knew what was happening, so I slowed to try and get him to do some of the pacing. That he did, he attacked me and rode straight off the front and into the distance. The same thing two years running, I catch him, he regroups, then goes WHACK! Goodbye.
I was still feeling good, so instead of trying to chase, I just settled back and rode my own race, knowing that there was a quality runners in the field behind.
About 20k from the end of the bike the wind changed again. I was happy with this as it meant a favorable wind for the run. Also, if I had the wind for 20k, others had it for more.
Sam Hume caught me about 10k from home and I hit T2 with him, in a great spot to start the run, I knew I was in the top 5 in my a/g, just had to rely on my run legs to get me home.
The 4 splits on the bike were:
45k (head wind) 1hr 19min (34.18kph)
45k (tail wind) 56min (47.8kph)
45k (head wind) 1hr 20min (33.8kph)
45k (tail and head) 1hr 6min (40.65kph)
So you can see I maintained a consistent pace into the wind and when the tail switched to head, It affected the time!!
 | |
| Start of run - strong |
I was picking off a few of the guys that over rode and had a few of the pure runners pick me off. My only concern was which one of these guys were in my age group.
 | |
| 15k deep |
 | |
| 30k and suffering |
By 32k I was walking...Brett Dunstan rode up and told me that my slowest jog was always going to be faster then my fastest walk, so start jogging. This was exactly what I needed to get me going, so thanks Brett!
I had loads of support out of course, but that 1 comment turned it around for me.
Once I got to 36k, I said to Dad that I am not having someone pass me this close to home this year. His reply was, well there are two guys 40 sec behind, you had better get a move on. Thanks Fos, I increased my pace and found a good speed to run at. I was comfortable and knew for them to catch me would me 4min k pace at the death...not many can do that in a/g racing.
 |
| Dad telling me final time check |
 |
| finishing off the run |
With 2k to go, I did ask a few people in the crowd if their was anyone behind me, to which to my pleasure, they said no. I still had to look though. Entering the final 1k was great, yet again, it is the best part of the race. The high 5's start, the noise increases and you know that you are about to cross that line. Which I did, smile from ear to ear. I saw Darryl from Shotz Nutrition and gave him a great kiss on the forehead and thanked him for everything.
Once over the line, I went to see Dad, Brian (bro), Naomi (Sis), Nathan (Bro) and Karl (SCHNELL CARBON WHEELS) to thank them for all the support yet again on race day.
I had so much support out there and the road marking were fantastic, so to who ever wrote my name on the road and gave me support, thanks so much, it doesn't go unnoticed even if I don't respond!
So I finished 4th in my age group and once again could not be happier, although I am determined to jag a win one day soon ;)!!
Once I was done getting a massage, I started looking for my athletes to see how they were going/went.
The results from them were:
And yes we are not getting carried away with the times due to the short swim, however there are still some pretty good times below.
Rees Hughes 9hr 14min (1st IM in 12 years)
Ben Robinson 9hr 21min (pb on the run)
Tom Lazarus 9hr 45min (pb on the run)
Kane Roach 9hr 58min (1st IM)
Lee Martin 10hr 12min
Ben Hughes 10hr 19min
Mark Steers 10hr 19min (1st IM)
Archie Ball 10hr 23min 10th a/g 2nd fastest run time in a/g
Dale Smedley 10hr 28min (1st IM)
Dan Palmer 10hr 54min (1st IM)
Clayton Stairmand 11hr 2min (1st IM)
Damo Harris 11hr 7min incl 3 punctures (1st IM)
Jerome Peyton 11hr 23min
Adam McCarthy 12hr 10min (1st IM)
So in real numbers, there would have been 2 sub 10hr performances right through to sub 13hrs. A credit all the above who committed themselves in training over the entire preparation. Now just need to replicate those times in a full IM ;)
I won't bore you with anything else for now, but there is plenty happening, I will just have to blog a bit more frequently. Next one will cover being a "Veteran Cyclist" & the Geelong 1/2 Marathon and a few other updates.
For Now....
X-Man
PS. I am 100% going back to Hawaii for my 3rd time & to have my best result. Have already looked into ways that I can improve and make it 2-0 over Leigh Chapman (PIS)!!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Ironman Melbourne 2013 Age Group Tips - Part 2
Female 35-39:
Another Hot age group:
947: Jodie Barker - Did race NZ and am thinking she will either not start or just "go around".
963: Zoe Ferguson - A Sean Foster trained athlete, will be there abouts at the finish, not an IM specialist but I doubt she would be racing just to fill the numbers!
1001: Julianna Schliebs: Always at the pointy end of the field, will be again.
1007: Elizabeth Stretton: has gone well under 10hrs and will be hard to catch here.
1010: Catherine Theile: Trained by hubby Bruce and always gets the job done, will be a toss up between her and Stretton for me.
1014: Tarryn Whitmore: Will be competitive, just unsure if the run will be the achilles heel.
There are a few unknowns here for me also, however Theile & Stretton are my picks for the top 2.
Male 40-44:
The numbers just keep growing. This age group will have a lot of spots and there will be some lucky athletes here!!
1076: Erin Carozzi
1225: Olaf Kasten - 9.10 in 2012
1246: Scott Lawton - 9.17 in 2012
1294: Bevan Nicholson - 9.08 in 2012
1341: Aaron Richardson - 9.10 in 2012
1370: Jaysen Searle - 9.30 IMAUST 2012
1421: Brett Urwin - I think he is due for a good one, blew up massively at Cairns, but has good training partners in Mitch Anderson and co, and I have seen him out and about solo this time.
1415: Travis Tremayne: Took a cheap entry to Kona with a roll down at Auckland, time that he delivered on the Ironman stage like he always he is going to.
Once again, there will be many who I have missed, but with 450+ athletes here the above are still going to give it a good nudge!
Female 40 - 44:
I think that there are a few standouts here:
Georgie Camakaris: 3rd last year and without the first 2, should be a good show!
Carolyn Dews: 2nd IMAUST 2012 with a 10.35, prob the one to beat!
Male 45-49:
1528: Spot Anderson - will lead the swim in this age group if not overall.
1560: Graham Bruce - 10.15 IMWA 2012
1608: Darren Franken - has just aged up, will be very tough to beat here...a 9.30 athlete on his day
1630: Rob Hill - like many mentioned before, always gets the job done, been to Kona 6+ times, speaks for itself.
1651: Toshihisa Kanayama - 4th 2012 Melb, will be around the mark again
1666: Simon Leversha -
1689: Brian Millet - 1st 2012 IMWA
Female 45 - 49:
1824: Christine Lefeaux - 10.55 IMAUST 2012
1829: Sharyn Nicols - 3rd Cairns 2012
Male 50 - 54:
1891: Kevin Fergusson by forever!
1985: Toby Somerville to finish 2nd
Female 50 - 54:
2020: Sarah Collins 2012 Cairns Age Group winner
2036: Mary Mitchell 2nd 2012 IMWA
Male 55 - 59:
2070: John Hill will be on his 5th beer before the others get to the finish.
2077: Phillip Murray - returning age group winner from 2012.
2080: Robert Owens - 3rd here last year
2056: Andrew Davidson - 2nd Cairns 2012
2069: Stephen Hempel - 3rd Cairns 2012
Female 55 - 59:
Only one here for me:
2106: Nancy Cullen, will be a long long way in front!
Male 60 - 64:
2140: Tomas Valena - don't know of anyone else!
Female 64 - 64:
Picking at random:
2143: Helen Freer
Male 65 - 69:
The fact that there are 10 here is great!!
Random selection goes to:
2149: Niel Gilbert
Female 65 - 69:
2155: Karla McKinlay Always keeps going!
Male 70 - 74:
2157: Geoffrey Thorsten
Let's see how many are right, wrong or way off:
Good luck to all racing and am happy to be proven wrong. But remember finishing 15th and getting a Kona spot doesn't deserve a mention here!!
For Now...
X-Man
Another Hot age group:
947: Jodie Barker - Did race NZ and am thinking she will either not start or just "go around".
963: Zoe Ferguson - A Sean Foster trained athlete, will be there abouts at the finish, not an IM specialist but I doubt she would be racing just to fill the numbers!
1001: Julianna Schliebs: Always at the pointy end of the field, will be again.
1007: Elizabeth Stretton: has gone well under 10hrs and will be hard to catch here.
1010: Catherine Theile: Trained by hubby Bruce and always gets the job done, will be a toss up between her and Stretton for me.
1014: Tarryn Whitmore: Will be competitive, just unsure if the run will be the achilles heel.
There are a few unknowns here for me also, however Theile & Stretton are my picks for the top 2.
Male 40-44:
The numbers just keep growing. This age group will have a lot of spots and there will be some lucky athletes here!!
1076: Erin Carozzi
1225: Olaf Kasten - 9.10 in 2012
1246: Scott Lawton - 9.17 in 2012
1294: Bevan Nicholson - 9.08 in 2012
1341: Aaron Richardson - 9.10 in 2012
1370: Jaysen Searle - 9.30 IMAUST 2012
1421: Brett Urwin - I think he is due for a good one, blew up massively at Cairns, but has good training partners in Mitch Anderson and co, and I have seen him out and about solo this time.
1415: Travis Tremayne: Took a cheap entry to Kona with a roll down at Auckland, time that he delivered on the Ironman stage like he always he is going to.
Once again, there will be many who I have missed, but with 450+ athletes here the above are still going to give it a good nudge!
Female 40 - 44:
I think that there are a few standouts here:
Georgie Camakaris: 3rd last year and without the first 2, should be a good show!
Carolyn Dews: 2nd IMAUST 2012 with a 10.35, prob the one to beat!
Male 45-49:
1528: Spot Anderson - will lead the swim in this age group if not overall.
1560: Graham Bruce - 10.15 IMWA 2012
1608: Darren Franken - has just aged up, will be very tough to beat here...a 9.30 athlete on his day
1630: Rob Hill - like many mentioned before, always gets the job done, been to Kona 6+ times, speaks for itself.
1651: Toshihisa Kanayama - 4th 2012 Melb, will be around the mark again
1666: Simon Leversha -
1689: Brian Millet - 1st 2012 IMWA
Female 45 - 49:
1824: Christine Lefeaux - 10.55 IMAUST 2012
1829: Sharyn Nicols - 3rd Cairns 2012
Male 50 - 54:
1891: Kevin Fergusson by forever!
1985: Toby Somerville to finish 2nd
Female 50 - 54:
2020: Sarah Collins 2012 Cairns Age Group winner
2036: Mary Mitchell 2nd 2012 IMWA
Male 55 - 59:
2070: John Hill will be on his 5th beer before the others get to the finish.
2077: Phillip Murray - returning age group winner from 2012.
2080: Robert Owens - 3rd here last year
2056: Andrew Davidson - 2nd Cairns 2012
2069: Stephen Hempel - 3rd Cairns 2012
Female 55 - 59:
Only one here for me:
2106: Nancy Cullen, will be a long long way in front!
Male 60 - 64:
2140: Tomas Valena - don't know of anyone else!
Female 64 - 64:
Picking at random:
2143: Helen Freer
Male 65 - 69:
The fact that there are 10 here is great!!
Random selection goes to:
2149: Niel Gilbert
Female 65 - 69:
2155: Karla McKinlay Always keeps going!
Male 70 - 74:
2157: Geoffrey Thorsten
Let's see how many are right, wrong or way off:
Good luck to all racing and am happy to be proven wrong. But remember finishing 15th and getting a Kona spot doesn't deserve a mention here!!
For Now...
X-Man
Ironman Melbourne 2013 Age Group Tips - Part 1
Firstly, I would to thank everyone in their keen interest in the tips that I do and for the suggestions.
What you have to remember is the "John Smith" that you send through as a "chance who is flying" is most likely true compared to their previous training, but doesn't mean that they will cut the mustard against the competition in their age group.
No doubt I miss some, add some crazy choices, but at the end of the day it started out as fun and just grew form there. Some age groups I really have no idea about, but still enjoy throwing a name out there to see how I go. Hence why I am a terrible punter!!
Anyway, with the field size the way it is (over 2000) and the number of first timers (750 odd), I have no doubt that there will be some "roughies" that sneak under my radar. I am no Bruce McInvaney and have no idea about 80% of the field. I only go by the little amount research that I do.
So, if I have your name on the list, it is because I think that you are a chance in your age group (doesn't mean you have to believe it and change your race) & if I don't have your name it doesn't mean that you are not a good athlete, just that I think (it is only MY opinion) that there are better athletes in your age group. ( I don't need all the hate mail, I don't change the race, play god or anything like that, I just throw up MY likely winners!) Geez there are some precious people out there!!
Enough of the pre selection crap, just wanted to clear the air before I offended some people!!
Male 18-24:
With Matty Burton turning pro and aging up, there has been a big void left in this age group and I have 3 contenders who should battle it out:
111. Robert Hyland - 3rd here last year in 9.52
114. Patrick Nestel - 4th here last year in 10.19
115. Aaron Newman - 10.23 IMWA 2012
Female 18-24:
Pick a number, any number.. I have no idea with this, however there are only 3 in the age group so I will go eenie meenie miney mo and end up with:
126. Kate O'Neill
Male 25-29:
With last year's fastest age grouper TMC's Greg Farrell (8hr 48min) also turning pro, this field has a lot to live up to.
My outright favorite here is:
206: Anthony Rule, been to Kona a few times, yet to hit the mark there. Usually races in NZ and destroys fields, so will see how he goes in Melbourne. Has moved to QLD to aid his training, and no doubt wants to have a crack at the a/g record. Can he do it?
The only other one I could see was:
176. Clint Kimmins, I am unsure how he will go here, been racing a lot, and already got his ticket to Kona from IMWA where he won his age group. Cairns 2012, Busso 2012 and now Melb 2013, just how much has it taken out of his legs...If he races?!?
Female 25-29:
This is where the competition really heats up:
236. Lauren Jones, last years winner is back to defend her title, 10.05 2012 Melbourne
I believe her main competition is going to come from:
230. Jacinta Collier, it's in the blood lines
232. Tracy Douglas 4th 2012 Melbourne
233. Katy Duffield from what I could find, did her last IM in 2010, Busso in 10.27, should push here.
And a roughy:
250. Rebecca Schlieckman ( no real reason!!)
Male 30-34:
This is where my interest as a coach shines in also!!
However I know 1 man that is very happy that I have aged up and Rob Creasy raced IMNZ and he is also my favourite to take the 'W' here:
262. Hayden Armstrong, 3rd last year in 8.58, know how to get the job done and with no real weakness will be on the podium again (barring mechanical). He just does the right things race in race out and if you are to beat him, you'd better be on your game!
The biggest chances I can find to beat him is:
347: Stephen Hadley, is more of a 70.3 specialist with the swim being his weakness. The only doubt I have here is that inexperience and a touch of ego on the bike might let him down. If he controls the bike he should be up there. Often posts about how much he smashes training and then if things don't go well, says he doesn't do much!! Handed it to me at Geelong 70.3 recently after getting off the bike together. Last IM was Hawaii 2010, will this help or hinder. Will either podium or be out there for a long time.
437: Jarrod Owen a 70.3 specialist who can run the house down!
467: Pablo Safrana: As per Hayden, just knows how to get the job done. Am unsure if he is racing here due to being overseas for some time, but am confident if he toes the start line, he will be up there. You don't go 9.25ish at Hawaii if you are a mug. Went 9.08 last year.
487: Aaron Steel: The big guy won't be on anyone's radar but I am telling you that he can move. Will be interesting how he goes here but has been in good form over the 70.3 distances!
485: Lucas Spargo: Same deal as Aaron, should be around the mark.
294: Sam Chapman: Only if related to Trent & Leigh, otherwise nothing!
413: Angus McGilvray: 9.15hr 2012, spends a lot of time looking in the mirror at the gym. But will be around the mark 5-10th my pick.
455: Marcus Randall: 5th Cairns 2012 when Brett Carter (Now TBB) tore the field apart, should be competitive for 4-8th I think.
& Lucky Last:
Whenever there is a Team PIS athlete racing, you always have to be weary, this race it is:
470: Michael Schembri, all the boys are talking him up, wonder if he is the goods or will crack under the pressure! You will see the flying Red & White stripes at every race!!
I have a smokey in this field, it is his 1st IM and can swim/ride well, the unknown is his run at this distance, will go either way. I am backing him for a 3.30 run to have a 9.20-9.30 day!! Should be around the mark for a Kona Spot, only because there is so many!
Female 30 - 34:
There are some seriously fast girls here:
575: Rhiannon Snipe
536: Bernadette Dornom
537: Elizabeth Dornom
542: Dimity Gannon
You can throw a blanket over the above 4!! All podium in Ironmans and will do again here, others to watch are :
522: Melanie Ades, won't be far off the pace.
530: Jennifer Collier, it's in the blood.
Roughy:
569: Lucy Piper.
Ok, the age group that matters the most (TO ME!!)
Male 35-39:
This will be the best line up outside Hawaii that I will ever race in, I am excited to be a part of this race and line up again against, Sam Hume, Damien Angus, Ollie Allan etc. I think on an equivalent day to last year, there could be upto 7 break the 9hr mark, will be a closely contested race and sticking to your own plan will be the key.
595: Ollie Allan: 2nd & sub 9 in 2012, has battled with injuries since, unsure if he can repeat it.
596: Damien Angus: Is on fire atm and should lead off the bike again.
609: Mark Bellow: rode a 4:3x at Busso a few years ago, might be able to ride with Angus if he can get close enough out of the water.
704: David Green: 2012 Kona Finisher, ride/runner, unsure how much he will give up in the swim and if he can bridge the gap to the super runners.
705: Travis Greening
737: Sam Hume: Back in form with a great Hawaii 2012 (2nd 35-39) and then Geelong 70.3, is the man to beat for sure!
791: Kristian Manietta: Has gone sub 9 at Busso before and I know he is itching to have a good crack here, will have to rely on his run to be a chance.
792: Glenn Martinovich: The WA boy will be around the mark, but will be looking at 6-10th I feel.
820: Stephen Natoli: 9.14 2012, does go well, a bit off the leaders though.
833: Matt "THE PUMPER" Palmer: has had the pump out all week inflating his tyres, is he in good form or trying to get inside the heads of the others. Talk the talk, now time to Walk the Walk!
848: Matt Rae: Can get the job done, 4th Cairns 2012.
915: Stephane Vander Bruggen: Will have to rely on getting out of the water in good shape, nailing a fast 130 and then a solid last 50. Will need to have a good lead to be any chance of a podium.
936: Brenton Yates: 9.13 2012, will be around the mark again.
940: Ross Young: Runs like a pro, but how much time will he give up. Will go sub 9, but how far under. On his best day will be in the top 2, but with only 1 IM under his belt (Hawaii 2012) the others might try and work him over a bit on the bike.
Throw in many form last year who were around the 9.20 - 9.30, every second will count here in the battle to get to Hawaii. TMC has 4 good chances here if the day goes well (incl myself).
Ok, with me... This is where I stand. I have only been swimming 3 times a fortnight in the open water and am looking at just breaking the 1hr mark . I know that I will be giving up more time here as last year I swam 57. My biking is where it is at, knowing that there will be a super strong bike field out there, I have made this my focus for this race and not long ago I did 1000k in 10 days incl 4 x 150k+ rides in 8 days, topping out at 215k. It is where I will need to make my move, hit them hard and keep to my race plan.
4:35hr is my ride goal.
All going well, should have a 5-8 minute lead off the bike to the contenders, not to the chumps as no doubt someone will ride with me and won't be able to run, I am talking about the above, the serious guys!!
The run will determine my race again, after running a 3:11 last year and being run down, I know that it will happen again, I just want to limit the amount of people who do it. I have my run plan, but will keep that close to my chest, but at worst will run a 3:15, not good enough for the 'W' but should keep them honest!!
For Now...
X-Man
Part 2 will be up later today!
What you have to remember is the "John Smith" that you send through as a "chance who is flying" is most likely true compared to their previous training, but doesn't mean that they will cut the mustard against the competition in their age group.
No doubt I miss some, add some crazy choices, but at the end of the day it started out as fun and just grew form there. Some age groups I really have no idea about, but still enjoy throwing a name out there to see how I go. Hence why I am a terrible punter!!
Anyway, with the field size the way it is (over 2000) and the number of first timers (750 odd), I have no doubt that there will be some "roughies" that sneak under my radar. I am no Bruce McInvaney and have no idea about 80% of the field. I only go by the little amount research that I do.
So, if I have your name on the list, it is because I think that you are a chance in your age group (doesn't mean you have to believe it and change your race) & if I don't have your name it doesn't mean that you are not a good athlete, just that I think (it is only MY opinion) that there are better athletes in your age group. ( I don't need all the hate mail, I don't change the race, play god or anything like that, I just throw up MY likely winners!) Geez there are some precious people out there!!
Enough of the pre selection crap, just wanted to clear the air before I offended some people!!
Male 18-24:
With Matty Burton turning pro and aging up, there has been a big void left in this age group and I have 3 contenders who should battle it out:
111. Robert Hyland - 3rd here last year in 9.52
114. Patrick Nestel - 4th here last year in 10.19
115. Aaron Newman - 10.23 IMWA 2012
Female 18-24:
Pick a number, any number.. I have no idea with this, however there are only 3 in the age group so I will go eenie meenie miney mo and end up with:
126. Kate O'Neill
Male 25-29:
With last year's fastest age grouper TMC's Greg Farrell (8hr 48min) also turning pro, this field has a lot to live up to.
My outright favorite here is:
206: Anthony Rule, been to Kona a few times, yet to hit the mark there. Usually races in NZ and destroys fields, so will see how he goes in Melbourne. Has moved to QLD to aid his training, and no doubt wants to have a crack at the a/g record. Can he do it?
The only other one I could see was:
176. Clint Kimmins, I am unsure how he will go here, been racing a lot, and already got his ticket to Kona from IMWA where he won his age group. Cairns 2012, Busso 2012 and now Melb 2013, just how much has it taken out of his legs...If he races?!?
Female 25-29:
This is where the competition really heats up:
236. Lauren Jones, last years winner is back to defend her title, 10.05 2012 Melbourne
I believe her main competition is going to come from:
230. Jacinta Collier, it's in the blood lines
232. Tracy Douglas 4th 2012 Melbourne
233. Katy Duffield from what I could find, did her last IM in 2010, Busso in 10.27, should push here.
And a roughy:
250. Rebecca Schlieckman ( no real reason!!)
Male 30-34:
This is where my interest as a coach shines in also!!
However I know 1 man that is very happy that I have aged up and Rob Creasy raced IMNZ and he is also my favourite to take the 'W' here:
262. Hayden Armstrong, 3rd last year in 8.58, know how to get the job done and with no real weakness will be on the podium again (barring mechanical). He just does the right things race in race out and if you are to beat him, you'd better be on your game!
The biggest chances I can find to beat him is:
347: Stephen Hadley, is more of a 70.3 specialist with the swim being his weakness. The only doubt I have here is that inexperience and a touch of ego on the bike might let him down. If he controls the bike he should be up there. Often posts about how much he smashes training and then if things don't go well, says he doesn't do much!! Handed it to me at Geelong 70.3 recently after getting off the bike together. Last IM was Hawaii 2010, will this help or hinder. Will either podium or be out there for a long time.
437: Jarrod Owen a 70.3 specialist who can run the house down!
467: Pablo Safrana: As per Hayden, just knows how to get the job done. Am unsure if he is racing here due to being overseas for some time, but am confident if he toes the start line, he will be up there. You don't go 9.25ish at Hawaii if you are a mug. Went 9.08 last year.
487: Aaron Steel: The big guy won't be on anyone's radar but I am telling you that he can move. Will be interesting how he goes here but has been in good form over the 70.3 distances!
485: Lucas Spargo: Same deal as Aaron, should be around the mark.
294: Sam Chapman: Only if related to Trent & Leigh, otherwise nothing!
413: Angus McGilvray: 9.15hr 2012, spends a lot of time looking in the mirror at the gym. But will be around the mark 5-10th my pick.
455: Marcus Randall: 5th Cairns 2012 when Brett Carter (Now TBB) tore the field apart, should be competitive for 4-8th I think.
& Lucky Last:
Whenever there is a Team PIS athlete racing, you always have to be weary, this race it is:
470: Michael Schembri, all the boys are talking him up, wonder if he is the goods or will crack under the pressure! You will see the flying Red & White stripes at every race!!
I have a smokey in this field, it is his 1st IM and can swim/ride well, the unknown is his run at this distance, will go either way. I am backing him for a 3.30 run to have a 9.20-9.30 day!! Should be around the mark for a Kona Spot, only because there is so many!
Female 30 - 34:
There are some seriously fast girls here:
575: Rhiannon Snipe
536: Bernadette Dornom
537: Elizabeth Dornom
542: Dimity Gannon
You can throw a blanket over the above 4!! All podium in Ironmans and will do again here, others to watch are :
522: Melanie Ades, won't be far off the pace.
530: Jennifer Collier, it's in the blood.
Roughy:
569: Lucy Piper.
Ok, the age group that matters the most (TO ME!!)
Male 35-39:
This will be the best line up outside Hawaii that I will ever race in, I am excited to be a part of this race and line up again against, Sam Hume, Damien Angus, Ollie Allan etc. I think on an equivalent day to last year, there could be upto 7 break the 9hr mark, will be a closely contested race and sticking to your own plan will be the key.
595: Ollie Allan: 2nd & sub 9 in 2012, has battled with injuries since, unsure if he can repeat it.
596: Damien Angus: Is on fire atm and should lead off the bike again.
609: Mark Bellow: rode a 4:3x at Busso a few years ago, might be able to ride with Angus if he can get close enough out of the water.
704: David Green: 2012 Kona Finisher, ride/runner, unsure how much he will give up in the swim and if he can bridge the gap to the super runners.
705: Travis Greening
737: Sam Hume: Back in form with a great Hawaii 2012 (2nd 35-39) and then Geelong 70.3, is the man to beat for sure!
791: Kristian Manietta: Has gone sub 9 at Busso before and I know he is itching to have a good crack here, will have to rely on his run to be a chance.
792: Glenn Martinovich: The WA boy will be around the mark, but will be looking at 6-10th I feel.
820: Stephen Natoli: 9.14 2012, does go well, a bit off the leaders though.
833: Matt "THE PUMPER" Palmer: has had the pump out all week inflating his tyres, is he in good form or trying to get inside the heads of the others. Talk the talk, now time to Walk the Walk!
848: Matt Rae: Can get the job done, 4th Cairns 2012.
915: Stephane Vander Bruggen: Will have to rely on getting out of the water in good shape, nailing a fast 130 and then a solid last 50. Will need to have a good lead to be any chance of a podium.
936: Brenton Yates: 9.13 2012, will be around the mark again.
940: Ross Young: Runs like a pro, but how much time will he give up. Will go sub 9, but how far under. On his best day will be in the top 2, but with only 1 IM under his belt (Hawaii 2012) the others might try and work him over a bit on the bike.
Throw in many form last year who were around the 9.20 - 9.30, every second will count here in the battle to get to Hawaii. TMC has 4 good chances here if the day goes well (incl myself).
Ok, with me... This is where I stand. I have only been swimming 3 times a fortnight in the open water and am looking at just breaking the 1hr mark . I know that I will be giving up more time here as last year I swam 57. My biking is where it is at, knowing that there will be a super strong bike field out there, I have made this my focus for this race and not long ago I did 1000k in 10 days incl 4 x 150k+ rides in 8 days, topping out at 215k. It is where I will need to make my move, hit them hard and keep to my race plan.
4:35hr is my ride goal.
All going well, should have a 5-8 minute lead off the bike to the contenders, not to the chumps as no doubt someone will ride with me and won't be able to run, I am talking about the above, the serious guys!!
The run will determine my race again, after running a 3:11 last year and being run down, I know that it will happen again, I just want to limit the amount of people who do it. I have my run plan, but will keep that close to my chest, but at worst will run a 3:15, not good enough for the 'W' but should keep them honest!!
For Now...
X-Man
Part 2 will be up later today!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
March Madness!!
It has been a while since posting, but I thought that I would get the wheels rolling again..
So as we hit the last 3 weeks before Ironman Melbourne. For all my 1st timers and a few of the experienced guys, the time is near where we shut up shop.
This is the part where I turn from coach to counsillor. When everyone who has missed a session, asked about where they can make it up. My advice is always the same, you never make it up, you let it go, that is the way the program is structured.
For the ones who have done all they can, time to tick the final few boxes before we shut up shop. Time to just get through the week and weekend the best you can, ignore the negative thoughts and get the job done.
Once this weekend is done, feet up, recovery, taper and freshen up for the big day ahead.
My roll call is: (in no particular order)
Lee Martin (2nd Ironman)
Tom Lazarus (2nd Ironman)
Mark Steers (1st Ironman)
Dale Smedley (1st Ironman)
Clayton Stairmaid (1st Ironman)
Reed Hughes (1st Ironman in 12 years)
Ben Robinson (5th Ironman)
Archie Ball (6th Ironman)
Adam McCarthy (1st Ironman)
Kane Roach (1st Ironman)
Jerome Peyton (2nd Ironman)
Dan Palmer (1st Ironman)
Damien Harris (1st Ironman)
Ben Hughes (2nd Ironman)
And I have also been assisting Daniel Hopper along the way.
My training has been really inconsistent with some big sessions and some weeks of very little. My focus has been on the above crew in aiding them getting to the start line in the best shape possible. The next 12 days will define my race after not running for the last 8 days due to travel, testing etc it is important for me to get some decent k's in the next week and a bit. I am still training with my guys and will be trying to add some sessions for myself. Time will tell.
Over the weekend I also had some athletes race at both Ironman New Zealand and Sufferfest in Warrnambool.
In New Zealand, Jason Dwyer broke 12 hrs going 11hr 50min which improved his Melbourne time the previous year by 40min!
John Cahill had a solid race just sneaking under the 11mark in 10hr 58min. He had a 56min swim, 5hr 30min ride and the same run time as I did there.... 4hr 30min...ah the curse.
Ryan Rosello (NZ athlete) had a very solid race in 10hr 30min finishing 23rd in his a/g, after just 2 months coaching, this was a great result.
For Now...
X-Man
PS. I will give an update of what I have been up to of late and what the lead in entails.
So as we hit the last 3 weeks before Ironman Melbourne. For all my 1st timers and a few of the experienced guys, the time is near where we shut up shop.
This is the part where I turn from coach to counsillor. When everyone who has missed a session, asked about where they can make it up. My advice is always the same, you never make it up, you let it go, that is the way the program is structured.
For the ones who have done all they can, time to tick the final few boxes before we shut up shop. Time to just get through the week and weekend the best you can, ignore the negative thoughts and get the job done.
Once this weekend is done, feet up, recovery, taper and freshen up for the big day ahead.
My roll call is: (in no particular order)
Lee Martin (2nd Ironman)
Tom Lazarus (2nd Ironman)
Mark Steers (1st Ironman)
Dale Smedley (1st Ironman)
Clayton Stairmaid (1st Ironman)
Reed Hughes (1st Ironman in 12 years)
Ben Robinson (5th Ironman)
Archie Ball (6th Ironman)
Adam McCarthy (1st Ironman)
Kane Roach (1st Ironman)
Jerome Peyton (2nd Ironman)
Dan Palmer (1st Ironman)
Damien Harris (1st Ironman)
Ben Hughes (2nd Ironman)
And I have also been assisting Daniel Hopper along the way.
My training has been really inconsistent with some big sessions and some weeks of very little. My focus has been on the above crew in aiding them getting to the start line in the best shape possible. The next 12 days will define my race after not running for the last 8 days due to travel, testing etc it is important for me to get some decent k's in the next week and a bit. I am still training with my guys and will be trying to add some sessions for myself. Time will tell.
Over the weekend I also had some athletes race at both Ironman New Zealand and Sufferfest in Warrnambool.
In New Zealand, Jason Dwyer broke 12 hrs going 11hr 50min which improved his Melbourne time the previous year by 40min!
John Cahill had a solid race just sneaking under the 11mark in 10hr 58min. He had a 56min swim, 5hr 30min ride and the same run time as I did there.... 4hr 30min...ah the curse.
Ryan Rosello (NZ athlete) had a very solid race in 10hr 30min finishing 23rd in his a/g, after just 2 months coaching, this was a great result.
For Now...
X-Man
PS. I will give an update of what I have been up to of late and what the lead in entails.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
2013, A New Direction, A New Beginning.
So after ticking off so many personal goals in the last few years, I have decided to dedicate the next chapter on my athletes and getting them to their goals.
For me, being to 2 Hawaiian Ironman Races, Breaking 9hrs and taking a few a/g wins has been amazing, however to become the best coach I can, I have to alter the focus onto the athletes.
So 2013 is all about them.
The question that I am often recently is:
"Are you going to fit for Ironman Melbourne?" (As I am still competing)
My answer is always:
I will be in good shape for Ironman Melbourne as I will be training with the guys/girls throughout their preparation. I will be out there helping, giving tips and advice. So when you are training with people for an Ironman, you will be fit and ready to go.
The only difference will be, the main sessions will be out on the road/track/trails with the athletes getting the best out of their performance not just my own.
So, with saying this, I still expect to go fast, maybe not as fast as 2012 (8hr 54min), however I will still be up there with the leaders in my age group (I hope!!)
I have already had to withdraw from a few races due to injury and then having my kids for the last week or so keeps a good perspective and am happy with my decision to date.
Albany 1/2 was the first race I withdrew from due to the ongoing hip trouble, however from not running from Canberra until Boxing Day, it has really settled the niggle down. Then I decided not to race Auckland 70.3 due to wanting to spend time with my kids.
So for the next 6 weeks (approx) til New Zealand and then the following 3 weeks til Melbourne and then onto Port and Cairns I will be out there almost on call with the guys/girls helping and suffering. This may mean that I ride 6 days straight or run/ swim the same amount just to assist.
The feedback that I already have been given makes the decision even easier as it is all positive and having 20 odd on a bike ride and then another 16 or so backing up for a long run just speaks volume. The open water sessions that I am running is consistently getting 20 people there regardless of the conditions.
I will have some sessions that I will do solo to make sure that I can keep the bar raising every weekend. The goal is not for me to get to Kona in 2013, but to get athletes there.
As much as I would love to go head to head with Leigh Chapman on the lava fields, I don't think it will be this year. And I think that we would be in different age groups!! Sorry mate, I would introduce the old man rule anyway!
If the situation arises where I am in a position to take a spot and I have 1 or more athletes qualify, I would take it, otherwise I think I would let it slide this time.
Once we get through NZ, Melb, Port Mc & Cairns then I will re - focus on a few more goals of my own.
I have enjoyed the year so far and look forward to helping everyone out the best I can. Each athlete is an individual and has different strengths and weaknesses, whether it be physical, mental or both. I am enjoying discovering these whilst I am out there and this gives me a better idea on writing a tailored program for them vs giving out a generic program that so many coaches do these days.
Don't get me wrong, when you get to this time of a prep, the program follows a similar paths, however each person has different aspects that need improving and I fail to understand where a generic program will draw out the best from them.
So for now, time to get ready for a ride in the morning...This one being solo before I hit the water and the track in the afternoon.
All about the athletes!
X-Man
PS, I would also like to welcome all the new people to TMC, as it has been a little while since my last post, I won't remember them all, but we are nearing 100 Athletes and getting wins and podiums over all distances. TMC are going places!
The number of TMC athletes doing Melbourne is up over 25, so the colors will be out in force.
For me, being to 2 Hawaiian Ironman Races, Breaking 9hrs and taking a few a/g wins has been amazing, however to become the best coach I can, I have to alter the focus onto the athletes.
So 2013 is all about them.
The question that I am often recently is:
"Are you going to fit for Ironman Melbourne?" (As I am still competing)
My answer is always:
I will be in good shape for Ironman Melbourne as I will be training with the guys/girls throughout their preparation. I will be out there helping, giving tips and advice. So when you are training with people for an Ironman, you will be fit and ready to go.
The only difference will be, the main sessions will be out on the road/track/trails with the athletes getting the best out of their performance not just my own.
So, with saying this, I still expect to go fast, maybe not as fast as 2012 (8hr 54min), however I will still be up there with the leaders in my age group (I hope!!)
I have already had to withdraw from a few races due to injury and then having my kids for the last week or so keeps a good perspective and am happy with my decision to date.
Albany 1/2 was the first race I withdrew from due to the ongoing hip trouble, however from not running from Canberra until Boxing Day, it has really settled the niggle down. Then I decided not to race Auckland 70.3 due to wanting to spend time with my kids.
So for the next 6 weeks (approx) til New Zealand and then the following 3 weeks til Melbourne and then onto Port and Cairns I will be out there almost on call with the guys/girls helping and suffering. This may mean that I ride 6 days straight or run/ swim the same amount just to assist.
The feedback that I already have been given makes the decision even easier as it is all positive and having 20 odd on a bike ride and then another 16 or so backing up for a long run just speaks volume. The open water sessions that I am running is consistently getting 20 people there regardless of the conditions.
I will have some sessions that I will do solo to make sure that I can keep the bar raising every weekend. The goal is not for me to get to Kona in 2013, but to get athletes there.
As much as I would love to go head to head with Leigh Chapman on the lava fields, I don't think it will be this year. And I think that we would be in different age groups!! Sorry mate, I would introduce the old man rule anyway!
If the situation arises where I am in a position to take a spot and I have 1 or more athletes qualify, I would take it, otherwise I think I would let it slide this time.
Once we get through NZ, Melb, Port Mc & Cairns then I will re - focus on a few more goals of my own.
I have enjoyed the year so far and look forward to helping everyone out the best I can. Each athlete is an individual and has different strengths and weaknesses, whether it be physical, mental or both. I am enjoying discovering these whilst I am out there and this gives me a better idea on writing a tailored program for them vs giving out a generic program that so many coaches do these days.
Don't get me wrong, when you get to this time of a prep, the program follows a similar paths, however each person has different aspects that need improving and I fail to understand where a generic program will draw out the best from them.
So for now, time to get ready for a ride in the morning...This one being solo before I hit the water and the track in the afternoon.
All about the athletes!
X-Man
PS, I would also like to welcome all the new people to TMC, as it has been a little while since my last post, I won't remember them all, but we are nearing 100 Athletes and getting wins and podiums over all distances. TMC are going places!
The number of TMC athletes doing Melbourne is up over 25, so the colors will be out in force.
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