Wow, that was a long 3+ years at the pub!

So, after nearly 40 months since I have updated this blog I have finally decided to try and get it up and going again! I have considered this many times, but ultimately each time it has not happened has been due to time constraints! and the fact that many people can now just follow whats happening on facebook!

I think after watching Ironman World Champs in Kona on the weekend motivation is at an all time high to get there, especially as I knew 15-20 people racing there!

So, a compressed version of the past 3 years:

 - Work, same same, is great as it is only a few k's from home and can always schedule my work around tri training and races!
- Home, have moved a whole 20 metres across the road from number 13 to number 12!
- Personal life, broke up with one girlfriend, single for a year, then met a fantastic girl who is also getting into triathlons, she is now living with me!

- Triathlon, after Vancouver, came home and raced summer season, qualified for World Champs in Australia on the Gold Coast. Spent 5-6 weeks in Qld racing 70.3 in Yeppoon, sprint in Townsville and Airlie Beach and then worlds in GC, with a crappy result!

Came back with pretty good fitness and had a good summer season, racing Geelong 70.3, other races in Tassie and Murray Man in South Australia, and once again qualified for world champs in Budapest, Hungary.

I left in August and went and spent 3 weeks in the Pyrenees in France, racing and training with a French tri team, then travelled across to Slovenia and raced an olympic dist race there placing very well overall.
Off to Budapest the following week, where it was another freezing cold race, and had a shocker. Was going to race in Croatia the following week, but the race was cancelled, so chilled out and drank in Croatia and Italy, then travelled to northern UK to meet up with sis and her fiance. Ended up doing a race around a castle south of London the day before I flew home and did ok. A great 6 week trip in Europe!
Had no motivation late last year, raced Noosa and Shep 70.3 on next to no training (in the box!!) and after Ironman China was announced entered that for late May.
Spent a lot more time training than racing last summer, did a couple of longer races, as well as a mix of sprint and olympic. Training was solid, until 16 days out from Ironman China they cancelled the race!!
We ended up entering IM Korea 6 weeks later. Had a good build, and was pretty healthy for winter despite the extra 6 weeks of training.
We went over 12 days before the race, relaxed and got into it.
I had a good swim (57), rode around 5.07 on a hilly course and got out onto the run course in around 3rd in AG. It was smoking hot and humid, and went ok till around the 20k mark when the hurt was put on. Started gettting calf/hammy cramps around 22-25k mark and lost a good half hour over the last lap!
Finished in 10.36 or thereabouts, and 14th in AG, missing my spot to Hawaii. My good mate Simon who I was travelling with got 3rd and qualified!
Anyway, we stopped off in Koh Samuii, Thailand on the way home and partied hard!

Since I have got home I have snagged an entry to IM Western Australia in December and IM Melbourne in March, everything else around that will be fillers!

I have also had a few niggles since I got back, had a stuffed neck, then a couple of jammed facet joints in my back, a inflamed/trapped tendon in my shoulder, and then I tore a disc in my back at work 5 weeks ago!! and I wasn't even training that much! I think the body was saying 'up yours' for putting it through the Ironman! lol

So I am gradually training again now, did 400k on the bike last week and about 35k of running, so with 8 weeks till busso, and with Noosa in 3 weeks and Shep 70.3, there is some slight hope!

If you're still reading thats enough for now.

Arch

Results

I'll make this brief, as the pub is waiting...

The girls did a triathlon, Carla got 28th, Shae got 40th.

The organisers then changed it to a duathlon, (more on that later, grrrr)

George got 76th (Georgie ran a pb) and I came 39th.

These results are provisional, as there are a few suss times out there, the first two Mexicans apparently did a 22 min 10km......

More later, we are off to rehydrate in the best possible way....

This just in-Part 2!!

The sun has come out!!! It rained this morning for a bit, but was beautiful and sunny this arvo! We went out and did an easy lap on the bike in the arvo, loving the sunshine, and cruised up the hill, stopping to take a couple of photos on the way.

We even had a busload of Australian tourists get off a bus and ask us if the Degani Bakery kit we were wearing was 'The Degani Bakery' from Melbourne! So George's plan for worldwide domination in the cafe market is in full swing!!

We had a very cruisy day, ticking the arms over in the nicely heated (26 degrees) pool down by the beach, and followed by a very short run. 

We're all ready to rock in the morning, for those of you that want to follow us online the website is www.triathlon.org and there is a link to the live timing and video feed.

Our numbers are: Shae - 223

                                Carla - 443

                                George - 2097

                                Brett - 1805

The only problem for those of you back in Oz is that both the girls start at around 12.15-12.30am Sunday morning and George and I start at 2.25am and 2.45am respectively!

Thanks for all the posts on here wishing us good luck, we will be going as hard as possible and hope to kick some butt!!

This just in.....

We have just been informed that the official water temperature has now dropped to 11.9 degrees!

The race director has decided to shorten our swim to 900m as they believe that the the people with the slowest swim times may spend up to 40mins in the water (for 1500m) and may be at the risk of hypothermia.

This may be a very valid risk, as two of the junior females were treated this morning and we have heard that one is still in hospital.  However, even though I hate cold water and found it very tough training in it yesterday, and in the end I may be thankful for the shortened distance, I am a bit disappointed and pissed off.

Every single person here should be at their peak level of fitness, and if they cannot handle the conditions, whether they be arctic, or heatwave, then it should be their personal decision on whether or not they want to start the race, or pull the plug halfway. 

This is a tough sport, and I believe that the results should reward the athletes who have put in the time and effort training, and who can produce the best result on the day whatever the conditions or distances. I have never believed or liked the altering of a course due to conditions or circumstances.

However I have also never swum 1500m in 11 degree water......

World Champs start!

George and Shae rolled outta bed early and headed down to watch the junior women start things off at 7am. It is still pissing down, pretty much has all day today and this was the first event of the World Champs. The girls battled freezing water and rain and Australia's Ashleigh Gentle ran her way into second for the second straight year and Emma Jackson came 5th. 

Carla and I had a sleep in and wandered down for the junior men, which started at 9, along the way buying an umbrella from 7-11 for 6 bucks, the best $6 I have spent for a while! The guys were just hitting the beach as we arrived with a lead group of 3 guys out in from including Australia's Joshua Amberger. This group stayed away for the entire bike leg and headed out onto the run with the Russian Vasilev having a big fall on the blue carpet in T2. Amberger also lost 12 seconds in transition as he was unable to undo his helmet and get his shoes on due to the cold. He eventually came out third and was unfortunately run down in the last few hundred metres by Jonathon Brownlee from Great Britian, eventually taking fourth.

Victoria's own Jamie Huggett had a slow swim and was in the third pack on the bike, he finally warmed up a bit and posted the 5th fastest run of the day to take 18th. 

Hotel bound

Rain, rain and more rain..... Yesterday morning we all dragged ourselves outta bed to head down for a swim at 7am. As it had pretty much rained the entire time since our previous swim the water temperature was now at a bloody freezing 13 degrees!

For those lucky people who have never swum in anything like this when you get in it takes a few minutes for you to be able to immerse yourself fully in it, and it takes several times of dunking your head in until you can keep it there. 

In addition to this your heart rate absolutely skyrockets at first when you start swimming as your body struggles to pump blood to your shoulders and arms whilst also sending blood to your vital organs to keep you alive. This is a very ordinary feeling and it took around 15-20 mins of being in the water yesterday to start to feel comfortable. 

This makes me realise even more why I had such a shocker of a swim at the World Champs in Hamburg last year, when the water temperature was 16 degrees but I had a sleeveless wetsuit on, big mistake!

We had the team breakfast after the swim, team photo as well and caught up with a lot of people who I haven't seen since last year. Headed out for a couple of laps on the bike course in the arvo, and let me say this, it will be quick! I did an effort for only half a lap, mostly the uphill / downhill part and the 10km came in at just over 17 mins. I think a bike time under an hour for the 40km will definitely be needed, and possible to place well on Saturday.

On the second lap I stopped to take a couple of photos up the top over Lions Gate Bridge and the harbour, ran into a couple of athletes I know from South Africa and had a chat. Had the downhill to myself this time, so pushed it and found a smoother line that I could stay on the aero bars the whole way down and around the bottom corner, it was well worth doing. 

Temp today (Wednesday) is 11 degrees, but it is forcast to hit a fine and sunny (with the possibility of showers) 15 on raceday! If it rains though, it will be carnage on the bike course... 

Random pics

Shae, Snowy and George

Who wouldn't want to swim in that?

What else can you do but smile?