Well after 6 months the time has finally come to head off for Kona and get ready for the World Ironman Champs.
Tommorrow morning I head off at 8pm, and have just finished the final pack of my bike into the box and am now sitting baack relaxing with a bowl of banana and frozen yoghurt at my uncle Kens and Aunt Judies up in Auckland.
Bring on tommorrow.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thrilling Taupo
Last weekend i headed down to Taupo for a weekends training as a guest Jamis Bicycles who were sponsoring the Day Night Thriller 12 hr Mountain Bike race. I love Taupo and with the weather we have been recently having was really looking forward to getting back down there. Unfortunaltly the sun dissapeared for the weekend but i didn't take the shine of Taupo at all, the place is great even if it is raining.
I was put up in a gaint holiday lodge in the center of taupo with most of the Jamis team and a number of there sponsored Mountain Bike riders who were competing in the event. This place was cool, along with being huge it had 12 beds , 400 couches thats styles looked like theyed gradually evolved through the years and a spa. This is would be the ultimate place to stay for an ironman training camp.
After training I did manage to get down to the event and check out the race. I must say I was blowen away with the skill these top guys show on a Mountain Bike, the Jamis elite team who won there section were pumping out lap times of a 9km twisty forest track in around 21 - 22minutes in the light and not alot slower in the dark either, thats about 26km p/hr avg. Dam thats fast, hats off to them.
Also I have to make a shout out to a friend of mine Phill who won the 12hr Enurance solo, that was a solid effort 10.30 am to 10.30pm on a Mountain Bike non stop. Good one mate, must of been that Leppin Enduro Booster.
Thanks to the team at Jamis for the invitation and a great weekend. I might have to get out there next year and give it a blast. I hope you enjoyed the tab.
I was put up in a gaint holiday lodge in the center of taupo with most of the Jamis team and a number of there sponsored Mountain Bike riders who were competing in the event. This place was cool, along with being huge it had 12 beds , 400 couches thats styles looked like theyed gradually evolved through the years and a spa. This is would be the ultimate place to stay for an ironman training camp.
After training I did manage to get down to the event and check out the race. I must say I was blowen away with the skill these top guys show on a Mountain Bike, the Jamis elite team who won there section were pumping out lap times of a 9km twisty forest track in around 21 - 22minutes in the light and not alot slower in the dark either, thats about 26km p/hr avg. Dam thats fast, hats off to them.
Also I have to make a shout out to a friend of mine Phill who won the 12hr Enurance solo, that was a solid effort 10.30 am to 10.30pm on a Mountain Bike non stop. Good one mate, must of been that Leppin Enduro Booster.
Thanks to the team at Jamis for the invitation and a great weekend. I might have to get out there next year and give it a blast. I hope you enjoyed the tab.
Monday, September 7, 2009
The Icing on the Cake
It is just over 4 weeks till the big one in Kona and over the next couple of weeks I will be finishing up putting the icing on the ironman cake. I say icing because a training program for an event like an Ironman is like a recipe, where a number of ingredients are put in over a number of weeks or months and is finally topped of with the icing, the hard work that is the final stages of an ironman build up.
This past weekend a large layer of icing was spread on, with a solid couple of days up on the beautiful Coromandel. Day 1, Saturday, myself and Craig Kirkwood headed off with bikes on the roof to Whangamata for the Whangamata Half Marathon. We were greeted with a lovely Sunny day but the presence of a bitterly cold strong southerly made things interesting. This race was always going to be used as a tune up for Octobers World Champs and things went really well. On a tough course made a little harder by a strong head wind on the way back to town i managed a PB of 1:19 good enough for 8th Overall. Well done to Craig for winning and in a course record 1:10.
After a 90 minute spin later in the day, and some great pizza from Lerenzos thanks to Kirkie, we bunked down for the night at a local backpackers for some much needed rest. Because the next we had a bit of ride around the Coromandel to worry about. 192 km with about 1500 - 2000m of climbing around the Coromandel Peninsula or K2 as it as known.
We were greeted with a fantastic day, and fantastic views all around the peninsula. It is truly one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand to be on days like this.
This past weekend a large layer of icing was spread on, with a solid couple of days up on the beautiful Coromandel. Day 1, Saturday, myself and Craig Kirkwood headed off with bikes on the roof to Whangamata for the Whangamata Half Marathon. We were greeted with a lovely Sunny day but the presence of a bitterly cold strong southerly made things interesting. This race was always going to be used as a tune up for Octobers World Champs and things went really well. On a tough course made a little harder by a strong head wind on the way back to town i managed a PB of 1:19 good enough for 8th Overall. Well done to Craig for winning and in a course record 1:10.
After a 90 minute spin later in the day, and some great pizza from Lerenzos thanks to Kirkie, we bunked down for the night at a local backpackers for some much needed rest. Because the next we had a bit of ride around the Coromandel to worry about. 192 km with about 1500 - 2000m of climbing around the Coromandel Peninsula or K2 as it as known.
We were greeted with a fantastic day, and fantastic views all around the peninsula. It is truly one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand to be on days like this.
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