Thursday Afternoon Ride Kicks Off

Well Thursday saw the first 'easy' ride out to the highway and back from the Surf club and it was a great ride, well the beers were afterwards! The G, Kev and I turned up at the Surf Club and waited until 5pm before heading off. The pace was a bit quicker with the assistance of a tailwind than I though it would be but the headwind on the return leg made sure our progress was less impressive as we headed back to the Surf Club. Once there we trotted in to the bar in our Lycra and got some looks of surprise by some of the regulars before heading out on the deck with a very cold beer.
Sitting out on the deck with a cold beer over looking the ocean was a great way to finish off a ride.

Awesome?

The question has to be asked in light of recent performances is the G worthy of the title Gerard G___ is awesome? Or should it be changed to Gerard G____ once was awesome?

"Man of Steel"

The man who cannot be tempted seems to have been tempted not once, but twice, as he is seen here hooking into his second helping of sticky date pudding with lashings of caramel sauce. Not to be out done the G joined in the fun, knocking of two sizable helpings. Good work boys, how many days to Hell of the West???

Rain and more rain...

Saturdays Time Trial turned out to be a bit too wet for some as they bypassed the wet and went straight to Maccas. Muz went on the 100k TT regardless and was a sorry sight riding out into the rain; from the comfort of the warm dry car. That was his last bigger ride before Busso (Muz correct me if I’m wrong) so it would have been a nice one to tick off for sure this close.
The G, JR and Tim all took to the wet and punched out the little 60k ride in the wet. John took the puncture monkey off the G to score 2 flats on the ride; the G will be hoping it stays away from him now.
This week sees the start of Ironman training for some and with only 22 weeks to go the rest must be close.

Ready to go to the well!!!!!

In 2 1/2 weeks time i will "race" my first IM. I have competed in 3 and raced in none. This one will be different. Previously i have gone into races wondering if i have done enough, wondering if some of the sessions i have missed would have made a difference. On the 5th Dec i will stand on the start line with 1500 others but this time i know i have left no stone un-turned.

It is always going to be a tough day. I havent heard of anyone say they have had an easy IM. I want to see what i have got against the other guys in my Age Group. Times really dont reflect much, having a look at where you placed amongst your peers does. My goal is to go Top 10 over in WA.

Im ready to take my body and mind to a place it has never been. Im going to go to the bottom of the well and see what i can find within.

Still not sure of my race number yet but if you guys get a chance to follow the race at http://www.ironmanlive.com/ here are some splits that i should be pretty close to. Lets hope i dont blow out on the run?????

Swim- 57:00 -59:00

Bike 4:55 - 5:00

Run 3:30 or better

Stop the Press!

It seems to Ironman next year will witness a very aero G......Witnesses were present and heard the big man announce he will shave down.

His list of 'I'll never ever':

Aero Helmet - done

One Piece Tri suit - done

Shave down -

Around the grounds

Luke aka Team Felt, picked up his new ride last weekend and is a very excited TT bike owner. I’m guessing this might be the ticket to jump start his Ironman training, if it doesn’t he’s in very very deep trouble…..

On the weekend we lost the part human part freak bloke we called 'The Zuuer'. It was sad to see him move on, but he has moved on to greener (and frikin hot) pastures up in Darwin. We will be seeing him at Ironman next year if we don't see him before. Best of luck up there Glenn and family.

It seems more of the significant others have had enough of standing on the sidelines and are slowly but surely dipping their toe in the world of Triathlon. For me it is a great feeling as I want that that buzz you get on a race weekend to be experienced by my better half, and of course experience the obvious health benefits.

It seems the Tri bug has bitten the Boyne Tannum area big time with a sizeable group training for the Tannum Tri in December. This is great to see and can only be a good thing. Who knows someone might even start up a club one day….no not me….I would assist though……

Muz is only a few weeks out from Ironman Busso now and from all accounts that skinny he has to run around in the shower to get wet! It’s been great to see his faithful sidekick Chip there to help him through some of the training and they will both be better for it. Well done to both of you. Kona is calling Muz! I did have grand plans to be there for some of the riding but fate it seems had other ideas…..

Arpit has returned from the mother land and has jumped back into training with both feet. His marathon 2 Hunge on Sunday by himself while a suffer fest for him, is money in the bank in my books. Arpit has the Wanaka Challenge in January so it’s all systems go from here in now for him. Talking about go! it seems Arpit is leaving us shortly as well! More on that later.

Noosa Results

Well Noosa has come and gone with a few locals heading down for the madness that is Noosa. Whippet Wriede of course smashed it and did a very impressive time to finish 4th in the Open. Ben's run time was especially impressive. Surely his new ride will be worth a couple of minutes because it sure looks the goods!

Dr Scott is showing signs of form returning with a 2.23 and is one to watch! Imagine if he bought a new ride what he could do ;)

Doug had a solid hitout and came home in 2.27 while the G had a very ordinary ride and his time blew out to a 2.38; what has happened to the man that was once feared on the bike?

DVD smashed his previous PB and recorded a 2.26 and has let his good form be known to all!

Josh Roby did a 3.10 in his first attempt at this distance and it was great to see him finish, well done Josh.

Next on the radar is Busso with Scotty having a crack at qualifying for Kona. Come on fella.

Been a while....

A lot has happened since the blog was last updated. To those that can please feel free to update when you want; you don't need my permission.
Well the Gold Coast Half has come and gone with all having a great weekend, even though it was bloody wet!
With Hell of the West looming early next year and Noosa this weekend there hasn't been a lot of time to rest the body for most.
I hit the road again last weekend after coming off second best with contact from a pothole resulting in a messy collar bone break and a trashed bike. There are a few lessons to be learnt here, make sure you insure your gear and we need to have a good discussion on riding in a group to try to minimise anymore stacks. Trust me hitting the road isn't nice and I seem to be the resident pro so I know what I'm talking about!

Rydges SPRINT race 1 - The G

Weekly Wrap up by BV

With only 3 weeks now until the Gold Coast, most are well and truly into the heavy part of their program (except if you are the G).

The week started with talk of mega-rides, 100km TT’s and the acquisition of a few new toys for some. As expected the mega-ride talk was just that, talk. However, some where still eager enough to take on the 100km TT and by all accounts some very impressive times were recorded, but more about that later.

The weekend started as per normal with the usual team heading out to the dam. Although Chip was itching to try out his new cheating wetsuit, he declined the invitation, instead opting for a swim, bike session at the pool. G once again found the 4 lap barrier too tough to penetrate and amidst a variety of excuses as to why he couldn’t go on, bailed again after 4 laps. Tim and yours truly braved the rain to complete the 6 laps. Mark R, still struggling to come to terms with his new stroke, completed 5. There were sightings of Ironvastava on his bike on the road out to the dam, and unconfirmed reports of mechanical difficulties during his ride.

Friday night could be seen as a turning point in the season with yours truly coming into temporary possession of a P2! Armed with my new weapon I joined the G, Mark R and Tim on a 100km ride out towards Bilo on Saturday morning. G threw a few efforts in just to spice things up and put some serious hurt on those silly enough to try and keep up (no prizes for guessing who thought he needed to keep up!). The session was finished off with a few 2km repeats and again the G was in some fine form. Watch out for him! He doesn’t actually start training until this weekend so imagine what he’ll be like come race day!

Sunday saw the pain trio (Muz, Chip and the Zuuer) joined by Ironvastava for the 100km TT. Sickness took Muz out but he was still around to dish out the tough love at every turn-around point! Some very impressive times recorded with everyone meeting or beating their target. If Chip in particular carries this type of form to GC he will smash the 5hr barrier.

I managed to put in a solid brick session on Sunday which is more than I can say for some others still feeling the effects of Saturdays effort (1 person in particular is still feeling the effects this morning – maybe he needs to learn to control his ego on the bike, it could be his downfall!!).

DVD is still training the house down in Brisbane, but no word yet on whether the race council has ratified his form guide time. The word fox is still being thrown about.

Speaking of foxing, Stevie is still trying to throw everyone off the scent with talk of sleep ins, French toast breakfasts, days out at crazy festivals and busted wheel bearings. Nobody is buying it!

No word on what big Lukie got up to on the weekend. Word is though that he and Stevie read from the same training book, so he should be just fine.

The Comeback?

The DoDo made it to the pool!

Is this the begining of something big?

Stay tuned there is more to this story........

Sept 4/5 weekend roundup

G is the guest presenter this week. 4 weeks to go until the Gold Coast, things are stating to heat up with a few mega training sessions by a few of the lads.

Weekend started as usual with a Friday night swim. The pain brothers started the weekend as they were going to finish it with a killer pool session on Friday, followed up with a ride on Saturday and a killer brick session on Sunday. 4 hrs riding followed by 8 x 2km repeats. Seems like they are positioning themselves for a super time, or massive implosion at GC.

The new Muz weapon has arrived, a mighty fine looking piece of equipment, no doubt he will terrorise plenty of riders leading up to and including GC.

Myself, Mark, Luke and Tim went for nice leisurely swim out the dam, 5 laps for everyone (a new record for yours truly) except for Luke who sooked out at 2, beautiful night, pity weren’t out there for a BBQ and beers.

Mark R followed Friday night with a mega ride on Saturday, clocked up another 100 mile ride, looked very fresh afterwards, no doubt he will smash the bike at GC, question is will he be able to run the distance?? I think not.

Tim, Luke and myself headed out for a ride over Haddock and up Mt Rollo, a few close encounters with a winged terror on Mt Rollo the only issue. Ended up cruising around Tannum to clock up 100km, we welcomed Luke into the 100km club, not sure if he was to keen to do any more than 100km but a great effort no less. Tim backed this up with a spin session and 8 x 2km repeats on the Sunday, watch out for Tim, he is coming good, don’t be fooled by the dodgy form guide time.

BV ducked down to Bundaberg for the weekend, rumour is he put in a stellar weekend of training, discovered that riding with the fan going is not the same as riding in the elements. 100km knocked over in the wind backed up with a 30min ride x 30 min run x 30min ride x 30 min run brick session on the Sunday. Building nicely for an epic meltdown, I mean race at GC.

Unconfirmed information that DVD has been thrashing himself lately, 350km plus rides, 30km plus runs, 6km plus swimming, the race council is considering adjusting the form guide time based on this latest information. We may have a new fox.

Ironvastava headed up to Airlie Beach for the weekend, not a holiday though.100km plus ride on Saturday followed up with the sprint distance race on Sunday, a very impressive 1:16 time, look out for Ironvastava, the training is obviously starting to pay big time.

The mighty Zuuer was off up to Darwin last week, word is he had a few health issues, came back with a sore head and a mountain of motivation, look out whoever is foolish enough to train with him the next 4 weeks. Rumour has it he did a double crossing at the Dam just to warm up for the next 4 weeks.

Sneaky Stevie apparently spent the weekend cleaning the house. Who believes this? NO ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 weeks to go!! Weekend wrap up.

This weekend seen many out and about training together. The weekend started with the usual group hitting the dam for their Friday afternoon splash around the buoys. G and Mark are still locked in a battle of “who can swim smoother”. After they finished their swim they found they had been done over by a bird, who stole their cheese and bacon bread rolls. This framed the G’s mindset for the weekend. Mr and Mrs Chip continued on with squad training on Friday night, punching out 3.8k.

Saturday morning was planned to be a big bike session, Mark “it’s too cold for me” Ruthenberg pulled out (fear is creeping in) and did his own 100k ride later in the warmth. Muz and Chip headed off from Gladstone at 5am (in the cold) to meet Tim, Ben and Zuuer at Tannum around 6am. The group put in a solid ride working on heart rates only. The Tannum boys clocked up about 3.5hours and Muz and Chip 5 hours. This ride seen Ben cruising along looking a little to comfortable (watch him). Zuuer was like a caged beast, he need more pace and more hurt.

Mrs Chip (I’m not training for anything) did a 2 hr bike just to keep in touch with everything.

Sunday morning started off a bit of a shambles with mixed messages and Chinese whispers stuffing up the intended plans. Muz and Chip rode out from Gladstone to meet up with Zuuer, Tim and Mark who were supposed to be riding into Gladstone to meet us along the way but somehow ended up riding out to the dam. Muz took a gel 15 minutes before the end of the 2 hour bike ride and 5 minutes later got a flat, that gel really helped him do a super fast tyre change! Not a happy camper! Then who was to turn up during the tyre change but the “Lost boys”. We all headed down the beach front together to start our 6 x 2k repeats. Tim and Mark set their own pace and executed them well, Tim looked like he could have run all day (watch him). Mark “I can’t run because of my hip” Ruthenberg punched out an impressive 8 x 2k repeats at a reasonable pace. Muz, Zuuer and Chip all stuck together for some quality time in the hurt locker, some were in there longer than other but they still muscled through it. Its swings and roundabouts men, some days are good and some days are bad. Then comes the best bit, breakfast! The lovely wives and partners headed down and cooked up a storm of bacon, eggs and hash browns, we were all in heaven. We all stood around talking it up and decided to head to the coffee club for a well earned brew. All I can say is it doesn’t get much better than this!

Ben had his own training plan to follow on Sunday and not too much has be divulged about it. Word to the wise, this guy has hidden talent, when he learns to hurt we are all in trouble!

G and Ironvastava did a gruelling 4.5 hour ride with efforts thrown in for good measure and backed it up with 5 x 2k repeats, the guys fell short of the intended 10 repeats they had planned. Word on the street is the G has seen the dark side and loved it; will his goal time of 5:14:58 stand up with the race counsel? The workout couldn’t have been that bad Ironvastava went home and registered for Challenge Wanaka Full.

Stevie, well who really knows what he is up to, one thing for sure he won’t go down without a fight!!! Rumour has it he now runs around the house instead of walking just to get those few extra seconds of training in!!

DVD has been doing some burning into the muscle memory over the weekend, riding 120k on the Saturday and backing up with a 45 minute open water swim. I’m sure there’s more than we know going on with this snappy trainer.

Keep strong guys and remember Chip’s motto “When it is obvious that your goal cannot be reached, don’t adjust your goal adjust your action steps”

GC Training Ramps Up

GC looks like it will be the battle of the year with everyone now having raced a Half and now knowing what to expect. I think everyone has upped the ante with their training to make sure they get the time they are after, or more importantly the person they are after!!!! A better swim course and better transition area should see a PB for everyone. The size of the group heading down is pretty impressive and a great weekend will be had by all I’m sure.

Rydges Half Ironman 2010

Well the much anticipated weekend has now come and gone; mind you it is being relived at every opportunity by those who participated. I will briefly touch on how everyone went and hopefully I do it justice.

Muz - We knew he would do something special and he didn’t disappoint. The group motivator had a fantastic race that saw him place 2nd in his age group and just over 30th overall. GC is calling Muz!

Zuuer - Glenn has delivered what we knew he had lurking inside him. A great measured race and a time that was more than handy. Well done Glenn. GC is calling you and you can hear it!

Chip - Didn’t have the weekend he was hoping for and he will be the first to admit that. He did still improve on his last outing over this distance so it wasn’t all bad. Recent events will ensure Gold Coast Half will be a cracker………no stone will be left unturned....

Sneaky G - Well no surprises here if you ask me and almost everyone else that had him finishing well up the field. A very controlled race and well paced saw him come home with a good run to finish off. The not so secret training is paying off and he could be right in the mix with the guns at GC.

Ironvastava - A strong swim saw him off to a good start and a solid but not exceptional bike set him up for a very impressive run. When you look back a year to this year there was some slight improvement!!!!!

Ben - This was Ben’s first race where he didn’t have any issues and he delivered a first-class performance. His bike stood out for me where he was strong and resisted temptation to push harder. The run was an experience that has given him direction for his training for GC.

DVD - Marc had an ordinary preparation for this event that was well documented…..Still he did well and delivered a time that he said he would. With his injuries on the mend he will be stepping it up at GC I can assure you.

Tim - Limited training took its toll as you might expect but there are positive signs there. He looks so smooth running it looks like he does it easy. Sunday evening and a few beers had him struggling to speak so he needs to work on that leg as well.

Luke - The big Lukesta is one mentally strong individual. Many were whispering DNF but he just went about his business and ground it out to finish easy; and slightly well done by the sun. One to watch as he is now very very focused on GC.

Bec - Mrs. Chip what a journey it has been, just think back to this time last year. You have come so far in such a short time. Everyone knows how hard it is mentally to do these things (now) so they appreciate what you went through. Awesome. GC is calling you!

Me - I had a great time and learnt a hell of a lot. One of the highlights for me was passing the G on the bike…..special. To be in such a horrible place in your mind thinking ‘I’m never doing this again’ to thinking within 30 minutes of finishing thinking ‘I can’t wait for the next one’ is a strange thing indeed.

Dr Scott- Scotty hasn't really been mentioned much before but he will be from now on. Going into the race as very underdone he still did it 'easy'. Cramps from what I have heard took their toll but he still managed a sprint finish to beat another old bugger by 3 seconds ;) Will the lure of GC be too much for him to ignore as well?

The Supporters - Thanks to everyone who has had to live with us training and trying to juggle life to fit everything in. The support you shouted (very loudly) was very much appreciated I can assure you.

Rydges Half Ironman 2010 is here!

Well this is it people, the last week before the first major milestone on the journey to Ironman next year (for some).

In the week that was we’ll start off with Arpit. Arpit apparently injured his back while he was sleeping of all things……in any case I can’t see a sore back stopping Ironvastava from competing this weekend. Hopefully you have a speedy recovery Arpit. Probably fell asleep on the trainer and fell off!

Bec (Mrs Chip) has continued to lay down a solid base with yet another 3 hour ride under her belt. Bec has been the big improver and has shown she has commitment and determination (unlike some blokes I can think of….) to have a great race come Sunday. I’m saying it will be a walk in the park but she can taper now knowing she has done the work.

CD (Carters Dad (Ben)) has been relentless with his approach to following his training plan as usual. Some slight modifications around the timing of some sessions were always going to happen so as not to get the little man and Cath off side. Will this be the race he gets it all together? I think so.

The G has been training the house down and into full swing now with 6 days to go. Clearly driven by something......... he is going to peak just at the right time. Will the rough water, punctures and nutrition be too much for him and take their toll on the second lap of the run? I think so ;)

Luke has made a steady return to training but has clearly left it waaaaaay too late. Still he is young (compared to me) and has determination. No doubt about it he will suffer, but should see the finish line.

Muz and Chip (Suffer Brothers) have been making big deposits into the bank and will have plenty to draw on come the big day. Another big weekend with quality time spent on the bike and some runs thrown in for good measure. Chip has some dodgy toenails from GC but has them under control. Expect big things from these 2.

Tim has been trying to fit in some training around everything else that has been happening of late, and is looking much better on the bike from my observations. His swim looks like it’s on the improve as well as the run at just the right time.

Benno; well we don’t really know for sure so I can make it up I guess…. :)
Knowing Marc and how determined he is he will be doing the most he can with what he has. Don’t write him off because he’s a determined MF and can swim like a fish and punt the bike along just fine. Clearly the run is a weakness but he did average 5:30’s at the Half Marathon at GC. Watch him.

The Zuuer. Well he has had another shocker leading up to the event moving house and spending time in Rocky last week. Not ideal and he looks half the man he did a few weeks ago from many late nights moving stuff. But he is the Zuuer and we all know what he can do. With a new Wetsuit in his possession and the majority of the moving behind him he has a few days to settle before heading up to enjoy the weekend.

Me, well i’ve done enough to finish. And really for me that’s what it’s all about ;)

All rubbish aside, I personally wish everyone all the best and I hope you all achieve what you set out to do.

The Weekend that was...

A big weekend around the traps with most making the most of the time left to carry out their last hard sessions before tapering begins.

On Saturday the G, Muz, Chip, Zuuer, Ben V and yours truly did a 3 hour session with some nice efforts thrown in. All started out ok but by the time the last few minutes of the last effort rolled around it was evident everyone was in the hurt locker. It was a great ride.

Sunday came and Muz, Zuuer and the Chip backed up for a session that had hurt written all over it. A 60k ride to just get warmed up and then 12x2k repeats with 30 seconds rest in the heat of the day. From what I have been told it ended with the lads not feeling too well at all……especially the garden gnome!

Ironvastava conducted the same ride but in solitude just as most of his training seems to be at the moment. Had a late ocean swim Sunday and is showing good form, especially considering he had already done a 2 hour ride and 10x2k repeats, all that hard work is starting to pay dividends.

Ben is back on track now that Carter has arrived (little Ben) and must be feeling relieved to know he isn’t confined to the immediate local area to train in now. An early run yesterday on tired legs will no doubt be money in the bank.

Bec was out on Saturday doing an all but a 21k run/walk and might I say laid down a very handy time. Sunday saw her return to the bike for another 90k and managed to stay upright for the whole time! Bec had a shocker last week and went down twice; well once onto the road and the other she ended up lying over a plastic water barrier!

Sneaky G’s secret training regime has been blown wide open. Clearly he has been frequenting the pool and running tracks of late with multiple sightings recorded. Strong performances on the bike indicate he has found his Mojo again and will perform well until his jellybean fuel runs out and he explodes on the second lap of the run.

Luke has had a shocker living it up at a music festival all weekend and will no doubt suffer accordingly in 13 day’s time.

Tim didn’t get out as much as he would have liked but had a good excuse, he did manage to at least get a swim and a run in.

The Fag? MIA but showing some signs of fight with some strong words murmured during the week.

Benno still foxing down south, recent photos indicate considerable weight loss and we all know that doesn’t just fall off for no reason……

News Just In....

The DoDo may not be a write off just yet.
It seems he still has some fire in his belly and may still overcome his foot injury to line up for the race.

19 Days & Counting....

Some of you might be asking yourself where the time went! In any case there isn’t too much time left to make any great inroads into your preparation for the Half.
The Lukesta has been out on the bike at last and is trying to do a ‘G’ and squeeze all the preparation for a Half Ironman into a 2 week block; good luck with that.

Speaking of the ‘G’, he has started to ramp up his training and has decided it is time to make a return to swimming. He also has been out and about conducting some of his well known secret training.

The Zuuer, Muz and Chip were into it on the weekend in town. I caught up with them for some of the ride to keep an eye on them and try to pick up some hot tips, but it was all business with some crazy running off a solid ride for them. I left them as they headed for the Marina for some pain and suffering.

Bec was spotted near the duckponds with the backpack on pumping out the K's as well on foot. Watch out lads she is gunning for you.....

Arpit has been grinding out the training and sticking to his program come hell or high water. Will he be a dark horse?

Ben once again ticked his boxes for his training regime but will it come at an expense? Doing multiple laps of the same course and hours on a trainer can’t be good for your head. At least his days of going round and round might be over with Marvin all but ready to enter the world.

The Fag? It seems the wheels have both fallen off now. He has let injury get the better of him and may not even come up to sledge from the sideline. We will see.

DVD, well we all know he is training like a man possessed even though he denies it. One to watch.

Weekend Wrap-up

It was a busy weekend for most with Rydges now less than 4 weeks away.

Ben and I travelled to the big smoke to train with Chip and it was a good honest session. Ben spent some quality time with Mr Pain and Suffering but will be better for it no doubt.

Bec was grinding out the k’s and is the silent assassin as she goes about clocking up the miles under the radar. My guess she will not be the last person we see cross the line.

Muz went down to Brissy for some sessions with his coach so I guess you can all imagine what that would have been like!

Tim was out and about over the weekend trying to get some k’s in his leg’s and is hoping those little niggling issues concerning him disappear sooner rather than later.

Ryan and the Zuuer had a Sunday session yesterday and from all accounts Chip put the Zuuer in the hurt locker on the run.

Luke was living it up down south while still recovering and Arpit was not seen but we all know he is training the house down. Prashant was everywhere on his bike and he was spotted many times on it over the weekend: one to watch as a big improver.

The G? Well having just returned from 2 weeks away and out of circulation who would know what he has been up to. He has suffered another twisted ankle whist conducting secret training so this will have slowed him up some. Has not been seen near water in recent weeks, the question has to be asked have the water demons returned? I think so ;)

The Fag? Well we all know about his preparation, the big question is will he line up to have a go or will he blouse out.

Say what?

The Woo March 2010 'Running – I don’t see Haile Gebrselassie wear compression socks and I’m sure he knows a thing or two about running'.

The Woo Gold Coast July 2010.

Time is running out

With only 37 days until Rydges you can officially become worried, especially if you haven't put in the hard yards.

Well done to the Gold Coast Marathon runners both full and half distance. Special mention to the Zuuer for his courage to finish given what he went through mentally let alone physically.

Word on the street the Fag won't be doing Rydges! Couldn't get the heart transplant apparently!

Just to really freak you out there are only 296 days until Ironman!!!

Arpit's Ironman Race Brief

So here you go guys, the race brief for the IM, I will keep it short because – it was largely free on un-wanted drama and secondly I don’t want to bore you to death.

Prologue:
On Tuesday week before I went for a 10k run. Right from the first step I could feel sharp pain in my right bum. I ignored it for a while as I thought it would go away with heaps of stretching but it didn’t and I eventually ended up in the massage camp the evening before the race. The physio thr said that it was really bad and he wouldn’t do much as he doesn’t want to aggravate it. He did whatever and made it almost worse. Then I went to a (hot) chiropractor who did lots of manipulation on my back and I left very very hopeful to run the marathon the next day.

I slept fairly well. In fact I was very calm by my standards the day before and prior to the start. I guess training does that to you. I was confident and not scared of the distance. Just nervous

The swim:

We entered the water and I was at the back with the slow swimmers. Immediately my heart rate monitor stuffed up and I was left with no signal from the HRM. I went in the “Screw it” mode and stopped worrying about it.
After some confusion with the starting gun, we took off and it was a bit of a chaos at the start. Nothing too dramatic though. I swam over/around few people at the start but around 300m in we were well separated to concentrate on our own thing. I was drifting a bit far from the buoys and at one point could stand up on the shore as well. But I quickly went back again and tried to move more and more towards the buoys. It was messy around the turn around buoys but again nothing too bad. At the final stretch towards the end I swam quite well near the buoys.

I was ecstatic with 1:18. I thought I will be close to 1:25 but honestly I was thrilled with this time. I quickly made out to get on the bike

The Bike:

Once out on the bike – the Speedo won’t work. I was very annoyed – cost me a bit of time and wouldn’t start. I decided to go ahead without worrying about it but eventually got off and set it up right. The first 30k was a breeze. After the first turnaround, my back was killing me (Chiro!!!) and I was more out of the aero position. I think I still managed around 30k/hr for first 60k. But by this my head was not right at all. I was also thinking of quitting and it is too hard etc. Naturally that’s when the spoke broke.

The noise from the spoke brought me back to senses. I lost my cadence sensor as well and couldn’t figure out how to fix the spoke. The Shimano guy helped me and twisted the spoke around another one, and off I went again. The next 60k was slow and the sun was getting hotter and hotter with winds picking up as well.

On the third lap – things started to turn downhill. I started to cramp in my adductor muscles of both legs. That’s when I noticed the amount of salt on my tri suit. I tried stretching on the bike but the cramps would return. I stopped and stretched when they grew really bad and eventually completed the bike in 6:54 something.

The Run:
Off the bike – I had a quick transition until I realized I have forgotten my race belt and number and I had to go back which cost me heaps of time. I started off well I the run and the first flat section was easy and faster. I passed the finisher chute and ran half of the hills. I stopped mid way through the hills to conserve the energy but it was probably the biggest mistake of the day. I started to run/walk/run the hill which cost me heaps of time. I was also walking the aid station which was probably not a good idea as well.

I avoided all gels as I tend to get acidity from them. I relied on rockmelons and vegemite (!!!) to keep me going along with water and Gatorade for the first 2 laps. In the second lap my head was drifting again and I could not focus. I don’t remember much of second lap except that it was slow and seemed never ending. Only at the start of third lap when I started having cola I could focus back again. Caffeine did the job, but the cramps returned. I was stopping to ease the calf cramps which were taking out huge chunks of time. Third lap was particularly slow and 13hours were gone without much of a fight from me. I don’t feel too good about it now as I should have pushed myself more but I took conservative approach to make sure that I finish the race.

I blasted the finishing chute, running the last 2 k solidly (which further made me feel sick that I didn’t pushed hard enough on the run). I was shouting on my own so couldn’t hear a thing from the announcer. The finish chute is a blur as well as I don’t remember seeing anyone finishing around me but the photos tell otherwise. I was pretty exhausted and was quickly taken to the tents for massage etc.

The cheering squad:

The boys were FANTASTIC. Out there for so long, its amazing how much you look forward to see someone you know from the crowd for a brief 2 sec boost and how far it can take you. On the third lap of the bike I was pretty much done for the day, but the boys brought me back in the race. During the run, Clem or Luke will run with me for a while or Carl would just let me know that the aid station is just round the corner to take the mind off the exhaustion. Paul, Umar Stevie, Scott were brilliant in pep talks. It is pretty fair to say that without the huge support I would have probably finished in a lot longer time if finished at all.

Just a bit of advice:

If you want to learn something please:

Learn to PEE on the bike- it’s a lot harder than you think and the disgust factor is not easy to get around.
Learn to PEE while running – cost me good 10 mins as I went FOUR times to the loo.


Moment of the Week:

Meeting Craig Alexander in person and shaking his hand.

Moment of the day:

There is a little hill on the bike which they call the heart break hill. Nothing big or too steep, it is just not something you look forward to at 55k, 115k or 175k into the bike. On the last lap of the bike, both my legs were cramping bad. After I stopped and stretched to get over the hills, the cramps came back just before the big hill and they were real bad this time around. I decided not to stop and decided not to walk the hill either. I went for it with all I had (and with a lot of “come on”) and before I knew I was at the top. That’s when I knew that I will be an Ironman by the end of the day.



I’ve failed miserably in keeping it short – please bear with me.

Regards
Arpit Srivastava

Monday afternoon TT

Hi all once again. Most of you would already know or heard about the TT held on a Monday from the bottom of Creek street to the highway and back. Well if you haven't been try to get along, it's a great ride and one that will certainly take your breath away literally. Tomorrow there is added insentive with a brick session thrown in for good measure! Bring your shoes. How could you refuse?
If you are new turn up at 5pm and wait to see someone else turn up and your handicap will be worked out. 5:15pm first rider is away. Each week the handicap is refined to hopefully deliver everyone back around the same time.
On a positive note I have worked out the Zuuer is human and does suffer like us. I saw glimpses of a knackered Zuuer on Saturday so it is possible that he can be beaten. Just how we can get him tired without us being destroyed in the process is something I haven't worked out yet......

Waether looks promising for tomorrow!

Time to put away the indoor trainers and dodgy excuses (thats me) and get back out on the road. Looks like we might get a bit of decent weather for a change.

TT Terror in the dark

It appeared to be a normal dam ride morning with hint of excitement as the TT twins pulled in to the servo. There was only six starters this morning. Ben was there early sucking down a gel, Ryan shortly followed, we were joined by a new face Wayne (welcome Wayne). The TT twins the G and Zuuer pulled in together with Kevin in their wind. We had a quick meet and greet and hung around for the no shows (it appears they were the smart ones on this occasion). Ryan with the flash lights was to lead the pack out into the dark, sitting on a comfortable 33kph. Zuuer was quick to jump on the front as we reached the big round about with the pace instantly picking up to a heart wrenching 44kph with no signs of backing off. The pack held together at this blistering pace to the nursery through a light misty fog and fear was in all our minds! The pack broke ranks and slowed as we headed to the rail crossing giving us all some time to have a drink and suck in the big air. No sooner over the rail lines and the G without warning decided that enough is enough and put pedal to the metal and took of like a man possessed, this required some quick thinking for the rest of the pack to chase and hang onto his wheel. Ryan headed the chase followed closely by the Zuuer and the rest fell into line. The gap was closed and the G held a solid pace of around 35kph. The G pealed of after a stint on the front to fall back into the pack leaving Ryan on the front to maintain the pace to the base of the hills. Ryan who is no mountain climber dropped pace as he hit the first hill and was passed by the pack and proceeded to be dropped, the pace now lead by Zuuer sped away around the 40kph mark with Ryan trying to catch the pack to no avail. The hill climb was in our sites and it ended up being a 2 horse race with Zuuer’s pace splitting the pack to pieces leaving the only other contender the G. These 2 guys battled their way up the king of the mountain challenge and ended up calling it a draw after they both had no more to give! The rest of the pack slowly made their way to the top but only 3 made the turn around point. Zuuer, the G and Ryan made their way back picking up Kevin. Wayne had lost his cycle computer and turned around to try and find it. Ryan being brave put on a sprint from the top of the mountain reaching speeds of 68kph trying to get an early jump on the TT twins, it was not to be so, he was like a rabbit to the greyhounds and found no advantage from this silly stunt. Ryan quickly found The TT twins on his wheel with Kevin hanging on. The TT twins were not happy with the pace that Ryan had settled into at 38kph so they passed him on the middle hill and added interest to the pace. Kevin decided that he wasn’t up for being flogged any longer and dropped off. Ryan also found himself in trouble with the TT twins riding off on him. Ryan worked hard to close the gap to hang onto the G’s wheel at 48kph, of course being lead by Zuuer. 500m from the sprint challenge Ryan pulled out from the back and took off lifting the pace to 53kph hoping to drag the TT twins out, but once again to no avail. The G quickly took charge and passed Ryan, but not to be out done Zuuer came around the outside of The G to take the win! The 3 of us headed back to the big round about picking up Wayne along the way. We were being lead by Zuuer at a mighty solid pace of 38kph. Ryan took the lead in his usual fashion from the round about to put in the last big pull averaging around 42kph before being passed near the industrial estate by Zuuer. The pack held together back to the servo for final farewells.

Rain, hail or shine

It looks wet tomorrow boys, hope so, becasue if no one else turns up, I'm going to win!

KOM finish line

There has been some controversy over the current position of the line so a final decision has been made as to where it will be. As per the picture it is the second line that you come across just before the Caravan Park entrance. You won't miss it as it is a pedestrian crossing sort of arrangement that crosses the road. Just remember it isn't the first one you come across, its the second one! Everyone is to then roll into the area near the shop at the Caravan park and wait for the rest. Remember you must ride to the Caravan park to be eligible for the sprint.

Real Men's Dam Ride

The lads are getting soft, only 3 of the real men turned up this Wednesday Zuuer (Dr of pain) Woodrow, Oppy and G. A few drama’s to start with the Zuuer’s machine, it obviously doesn’t like the hammering its getting. The bike was squealing like a girl. Once resolved we were off.

Headed out at a steady pace, that is G and Oppy. Zuuer was doing his normal hammer session. Decided against the KOM this week, went down the boat ramp to the lake for a bit of site seeing, lake a bit higher, not as impressive as expected.

Turned around and headed back for the sprint G and Zuuer cranked it up for the sprint title, Zuuer lead up the final rise with the G on his wheel, G tried to pass for the final sprint only to find the tank was empty and couldn’t find any extra speed. Zuuer winning by half a bike length, just to fast.

The gentle bike ride back turned into a hammer session with again Zuuer leaving us in his dust. He is a force to be reckoned with!!

Some discussion between the lads as to the legitimacy of the sprint win, rule apparently states that you must ride up the second hill to be eligible for the title. Will there be a protest?? May come down to the strategist’s final decision??

All in all a good ride, a bit of wind but no rain. The she men who were too tired to ride can hand in their man badges!! Disgraceful

Rydges Race 1 2010

This Sunday sees a return to Triathlon racing with the first race for 2010 at Rydges. Most are looking forward to getting there to get some race pace under their belt as Mooloolaba is only 7 weeks away now. Recent wet weather is of special note as it could have a bearing on the race format. Check the FROGS website on Saturday as any change will be mentioned on that; and emailed I imagine

Cyclists abused by runners!

I observed a very peculiar behaviour today. During today’s morning run through a hilly section south of the river. When we approached a winding hill, probably not quite as steep as Creek road but twice the distance. Each runner in the group pointed at a cyclist and yelled out “he’s mine” and then proceeded to race the cyclist up the hill. Each cyclist seems to do well at the start but eventually faded.
1) How demoralising is that?
2) If someone yells “he’s mine” at me. He’s going to get a beating!
3) Where's the big lady on the mountain bike when I needed her? I pointed at guy that looks like Fabian Cancellara... Doh!

this is a testing blog...

Hammer's Hell of the West race report

The night before the race at the pasta party I met couple of guys – 1 who had done a 100 miler footrace and another one who had his Kona number burnt on his shoulder. Instantly my instincts of beating the shit out of them in the race vanished. It didn’t helped when they told me that they have done 4 hr ride on Saturday. They were aiming to complete the race in 4:10 something. I quietly ate my pasta and told them I wanted to complete the race in 5:30 hrs. Still quite a big jump from my marathon effort in Yeppoon of 6:55 hrs.

The night before was humid and I felt its going to be hard tomorrow. I slept well as I can’t be bothered to be anxious anymore, especially when the banks of the McIntyre River were only 10 strokes away from the centre. Early start at 3:00 and was at the transition area by 4. After numbering and checking out the various hot (female) contestants with their hot bikes it was time to move towards the river for the start. 5 mins before the start people swam to the middle of the river. I didn’t want to swim a single metre more than required so I stayed at the bank. Stupid and costly mistake as I realized later. As soon the horn blew I jumped in and … jumped straight out. The bloody goggles was leaking. Swam back, adjusted the goggles, and went in again, goggles still leaking, swam back again, readjusted them and finally went back again… quite a start.

The water in that river is BROWN. Couldn’t see a thing for the first 10mins. I was just following a light at a distance and surprisingly swimming well and confidently. There was so much weed and stuff in the water that I became oblivious to it. After about 15 mins the fast guys of the next wave went passed me. I had no idea of the time as I couldn’t see the time on my watch. To the turnaround the slight current was against. From the turnaround my form deteriorated a bit and I had to correct my direction quite frequently to save time. The finish line appeared all of a sudden and I started kicking a bit harder to get some blood flow into the legs. Out of the water in 53 mins which was satisfying (Mooloolaba 1.5k – 55 mins, Yeppoon 1.9k (with wetsuit) – 1:03).

After a long transition run I ran to grab the bike. No bikes were left in my section. The announcer yelled at the mike that the first guy (Luke McKenzie) has reached the 20k mark on the bike just as I was about to mount which was a bit discouraging. The first half of the bike was a breeze. Sat at 38k (avg) and maintained a good cadence. Temptation was there to go hard as and make the most of the tail wind but I kept within myself. A Douche bag was racing me and kept on overtaking me (in his biggest gear out of the saddle). I was annoyed but waited for the 40 k turnaround. Once we took that turn didn’t saw him again. And uh …. Got chicked 3 times.. I unchicked once but the other 2 just went away L
That wind is real and demands respect. My Speedo dropped 10k as soon as I made that turn. To keep the cadence high I had to drop to smaller ring in the front. I was hovering between 28-32km/hr all the way back and I overtook heaps of people just in return which was very satisfying :D. There were sections where the wind was just outright abusive. Passed three dead pigs and 1 live snake in the meantime. Didn’t have the time to even give it a second thought. Finished the leg in 2:29.

Back at T2 I had a bad transition. Off the bike I realized that all my toes are numb and painful and I could barely walk. The rough road didn’t made life any easier. But once I put on the running shoes I was alright. Forgot my race number as I started going out of transition so had to run back and collect it. Lost 30secs there... Overall bike time (including transition was 2:33)

Out on the run I was in a rhythm immediately. At this point I would have to admit that I was getting chicked left right and centre. But I had to hold back to stop from blowing up. Nutrition on the bike was good so I was hoping for the best. I kept moving along making full use of the aid stations drinking heaps and using the ice in plenty. It was nice and cool, a bit of a let down from the famous dreaded heat on the run. The locals were great and they had home made sprinklers etc on the road to cool the athletes. A few were singing on their guitars as well!!. Did the first lap in 36 odd mins (for 6.67k) and I was on thinking of 2 hrs for 20k. I had a gel at the end of 1st lap and started finding my legs again so I stepped it up a bit, and still could maintain it. Second lap was the easiest of the 3 and went without any dramas. Only when I had the second gel at 13k mark, the trouble started. I had a big stitch on my right abdomen area which was probably because of the gas due to the gels. I had to push from here as I was not going to stop and walk. I was grunting and panting but kept going at the same pace. Picked up quite a few people on the 2nd and 3rd lap which was again a good feeling.
3k before the end the stitch was worse but I hung on. It eased up a little with a big burp due to the coke I had. No further dramas from there on as I completed the 20k run in 1:48 which is a full 12 mins faster than what I expected. Compared to the half marathon in Yeppoon (2:20) this was just great.

I was ecstatic at the finish line. I had a quite celebration, just because I finished strong, didn’t have cramps and felt good throughout. Total time of 5:17 , 13 minutes faster than what I wanted. Nutrition was good; heart rate was within 155-170 range throughout. I felt that I nailed this one right!

The race was so well organized. A cute girl gave a nice massage at the end to top of the day. Had a litre of milk afterwards which was a terrible idea as on the way back I had diarrhoea. Had a good feed later on as we were leaving the town. I’m going back next year for sure. I think I have a sub 5 hr in me.

Highly recommended race for all. If only IMG can take a leaf out of these organizers, a lot of HIM will be much more fun.

Regards

Hammer

Swim at the Dam

Folks there a few of us heading to the Dam on Sunday morning for a swim. 8am start in the water. We will be flashing up the BBQ and cooking a bacon and egg burger after the swim; byo tucker. Zuuer and G are running out there starting at 5:30, if you are keen to join them contact Zuuer for details.

Let there be light!

While this is not all together accurate as most did have lights it does point out we have been noticed by some travellers. From next week please make sure we have lights front and rear of some sort. The ride from the servo to the big roundabout we will keep the pace down and keep it tidy so as not to attract this kind of publicity.

GC Guy's last ride

9 riders fronted up this morning for the ride, our best turn out yet. The light is disappearing quickly now and if you don’t have lights you need to think seriously about it now. Noticeable by his absence was Chipper; the big weekend had taken its toll on him.
On the way out Sprinter copped a flat and most of the pack stopped to make sure he was ok. The rest saw this as an opportunity and didn’t look back.
GC Guy picked up his first ever jersey in the mountains (ok they are only hills) and narrowly missed out on the double with The G just hanging on to win the sprint.
Special mention this week goes to the Zuuer; our worst fears have been realised and he is very strong on the new machine. Looks like you will be doing plenty of work up the front Zuuer!
With this being GC Guy’s last ride I have asked him to commentate on the events that took place up the front.

These are his words…..

The pace out was Fast and Furious; The Cervelo Test Team of EPO Hammer & Zuuer did most of the work out. I had to wait for a car at Benaraby intersection and the boys waited for me. Thanks guys! After the railway tracks, Zuuer started hammering again and Hammer faded. I kept looking back to see if Hammer would come along as I wasn’t sure a breakaway of two would survive the peloton. But Hammer obviously didn’t have enough EPO this morning, wasn’t coming so I sucked onto Zuuer’s wheels for dear life (laws of gravity do not apply to this bloke as he was hammering up the hills the same pace he was going down there). I tried couple of times to help with the pull but the pace was just too crazy. Luckily I had just enough in the tank to lead Zuuer up the hills. He probably didn’t know where the finish line is but as it was my last ride, all diplomacy went out the window and I went for it! Sorry Zuuer.
On the way back, The Stretcher paused to organise the groups into one single pack (I thought he was going to have a stretch). The objective was to pace line to the finish. The Stretcher, young Dylan and I attempted but The G responded with a “no way”. Obviously, he has bigger intentions. Young Dylan, The G, Zuuer and The Stretcher did most of the pulling on the way back. I was sucking on everyone’s wheels (just like a good GC guy would do) and not let anyone get away. The Stretcher attempted to breakaway on the big hill but was caught by a Furious G (Fu-G). Towards the last couple of hundred metres, I followed G hoping that he would tire but he didn’t. Having never contested a sprint, I blame it on my poor timing. But in all honesty, it was just a pure case of lack of muscle mass. Now, I will have the shame of beaten by some guy from Manawatu/Pahiatua/Eketahuna… Oh the shame…

As it was my last Wed ride for a while (you never know, I might come back and try the double another day). Thanks for the comradeship and the many fantastic rolls on the tarmac with you folks. Safe riding and good luck with the drafting.

First post!!!

Tension is already starting to build for this Wednesday's ride with the return of the G on the Fuji and whispers of a couple of high profile riders rumoured to be making an appearance; we will see....

This will be a sad ride as it will be GC Guy's last ride as he leaves us for the big smoke. Mate you will be sorely missed as you have been an inspiration to a lot of us with your achievements in the Tri world and a mainstay to our local cycling group. Best of luck down there fella.

It looks like the KOM will now be on top of the first hill past the turn off to the Caravan Park, just to make it even more enjoyable.....

Will The Stretcher and Sprinter be winners again this week?

I don't think so!!!!