Have you entered an event and then said, “OMG I don’t think I do it”? This is more common than you think, when a new athlete joins me and suffers from this anxiety, I treat it as more of “I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I’ll find out”. The great thing about entering an event outside your comfort zone is that you will finish because mentally you are prepared to finish!
Wanaka Half Ironman by Wendy Spray
Had an awesome day and managed to get to both the start and the finish line which was brilliant :) The swim went really and was probably my favourite part of the day. It was a bit daunting to see how choppy the lake was, however I'd been out the day before in similar conditions so knew it was fine. I had a great warm uproutine thanks to your sessions which really helped relax and focus me. I started quite a way out to the right (left hand turns through the course) so had a lot of space to myself. It meant no one to draft off but in the conditions that would have been hard anyway. At the first turn the lake suddenly got very shallow, it was so odd being able to see this gorgeous sandy bottom and I had to constantly fight the urge to put my feet down and see if I could touch the bottom!
Auckland Triathlon Bike Course
Last month I was up in Auckland visitIng friends and meeting up with the Triathlon NZ director of coaching. While I was there I hired a mountain bike and cycled the bike course for the Auckland triathlon as part of my race preparation. For those of you who are entering the race and have not had the opportunity to cycle the course then check out the information below. I can tell you that it is a hilly course but the climbs are short and there are only a couple of steepish ones. I've also added some photos of some of the climbs for you to visualize, as well as the elevations.
Spring Challenge by Susie Cole
This Years Spring Challenge was epic for me. It took a long time to get a team sorted for the event. For some reason there's not that many woman I know who are chomping at the bit to do a 6hr adventure race! There were a few women who said they'd love to but couldn't afford the entry, a few who said it sounded great but they'd never be able to do it. So after registering 1 team and pulling out, I slotted into a friends team who had an injury. After weeks of training together and only 3 weeks from the race 1 of the team members pulled out due to pregnancy. We were really lucky to get a another woman to join the team at such late notice, especially one who was such an athlete.
JD Duathlon, The Enduro
What fun there is to be had in racing, the battles you have during the race, the body pumping with adrenaline, the muscles screaming at you to stop and the exhilaration when you cross that finish line! The Enduro is a 2.6km run, 9km bike, 1.3km run, 9km bike, 1.3km run and is the 3rd and final race of the JD Duathlon Series.
As I’ve been in Denmark for 2 months I had missed the first two duathlons, but was determined to make this one. Spent the morning before the race putting on my Tri-Planet wheel covers, they are really cheap and do the same job as a disc wheel (well almost!), go to www.wheelbuilder.com to get some!
JD DUATHLON – THE APPETISER - 25th Jun 11 - By Charlotte Gavin
Christchurch – Ruapuna Raceway - Novice: 1.3 km run, 13.2 km bike, 1.3 km run
Who would have thought 18 months ago I would be heading into my 13th competitive sports event. Before this the last sports event I was involved in was “dragon boating” and this was over 11 years prior, which to be honest didn’t require a very high level of fitness to paddle a boat for just over 60 seconds.
Rise Up Team Challenge
The Rise Up Team Challenge was created after the earthquakes that recently struck Christchurch, this was a fun event catering for everyone designed to start people back on the road to a healthy active lifestyle. Any profits from the event went towards re-building triathlon services in Christchurch. With this in mind I couldn't help but enter a Tri-Planet team to show our support to the people of Christchurch. Very little arm twisting was required and in no time at all I had Caren and Natasha signed up for Team Tri-Planet!
NZ National Triathlon Champs - Wellington 2011
Firstly thanks to all those who gave me words of encouragement, support and congratulations. Especially Craig for his last minute “tweaking” maybe my swimming isn't a lost cause after all. This race was a target for me and it was an absolute buzz, blast and adrenaline rush to complete it successfully.
Race Day
Conditions were calm….unbelievable for Wellington. The dawn atmosphere at transition was tense and electric. Not sure if that was the anticipation of racing or a result of the possibly pending tsunami on its way.
Pegasus Race Simulation
We had a great eight weeks of coaching and training for all the participants in the Summer Triathlon and Duathlon Boot Camp. Learning techniques for swimming, cycling and running as well as things such as how to sight during the swim, mount and dismount the bike and pacing for the run were to culminate with the North Canterbury Triathlon. During the last few sessions before the race we had covered everything they needed to know about setting up and performing transitions, racing and open water swimming.
Unfortunately the cancellation of the North Canterbury Triathlon meant that the team were not going to be able to race. However Tri-Planet to the rescue with a simulation race out at Pegasus. And they thought they would get off lightly without doing a race. no way! Carefully plotting the course the wheels went into motion.
The outcome was a triathlon with a 200m swim, 20 km bike and 2.5 km run, a duathlon with a 2.5 km run, 20 km bike and 2.5 km run (approximately!).
Woke up on Sunday morning to a very cold and strong southerly wind and headed out to the course. The Canterbury Triathlon Club had also been informed about the simulation race as it was a good opportunity for them to practice ahead of the national champs in Wellington. When I arrived everyone was wrapped up warm and uncertain about the weather conditions. After the race briefing we set up transition and discussed who would be racing what, some were doing a triathlon, others a duathlon and others an Aquathlon (swim and then run). There were a few that decided not to race in the conditions, but not the boot camp disciples they were keen as mustard to race!
So under starters orders, on your marks....get set.... GO! And they were off, lots of splashing and running as you would expect at the start of a race. The first person out of the water was Debbie, 'Geez its warm in there' as she sped through to transition. The lake is heated so I'll be testing that out in winter.....not! Wetsuit off, shorts on, shirt on, jacket on, socks and shoes on, helmet and cool sunglasses. So under starters orders, on your marks....get set.... GO! And they were off, lots of splashing and running as you would expect at the start of a race. The first person out of the water was Debbie, 'Geez its warm in there' as she sped through to transition. The lake is heated so I'll be testing that out in winter.....not! Wetsuit off, shorts on, shirt on, jacket on, socks and shoes on, helmet and cool sunglasses.
Then out of transition and off on the bike into a nice head wind! At least there was a back wind at one point to push them along. Daniel was first in on the bike after a blistering effort, then hammered out on the run determined to race to the end. Jacqueline was next in but too far behind Daniel who was way out in front. Debbie arrived next very casually with a big smile on her face and then off on the run with high knees. Oops I think she took the coaching a little too much to the letter!
A great race by all with a strong finish by Daniel and a determined run from the rest. Thanks to the athletes for making this happen and also to the supporters for braving the weather to shout support and encouragement.
Thanks also to Lynette from the Canterbury Triathlon Club for the coffee and tea and some mighty fine cakes and savouries, I think you have set a precedent for the future! The photos are courteous of Paula who did a mighty fine job!
Congratulations to everyone for graduating from Boot Camp, I know that some of you are racing the Contact Tri Womens race on the 03rd April. All the best and remember its not how you start but how you finish!
Triathlon Festival Pegasus Bay
The triathlon festival held out at Pegasus Bay on 19th December was a fantastic day. With around 400 competitors and a range of races that catered for all levels including children, beginner, intermediate and elite triathletes this certainly was one event I couldn't miss out on...
Only recently returned from 2 weeks in Denmark at temperatures well below 0 degrees I had 4 days to acclimatise and also recover from jet lag. I did manage to get a few swim sessions and running sessions done while away but my fitness levels were not great. Still this would be my first race in New Zealand and not far from my home town, so I couldn't say no. The day before the race temperatures soared to the mid 30s and I had visions of the Barcelona Half Challenge where we had high temperatures and I got heat stroke (managed to finish that race though). Luckily on the day the temperature was cool and perfect for racing.
I cycled out to the race and set up in transition, talking to some of my fellow competitors. Everyone seemed to be donning their wetsuits even though the water was warm enough to swim without one. So it looked like I was going to have to wait a while longer to do my first non-wetsuit triathlon. Having entered in the Pegasus Classic I was in the first wave so we were the first event of the day. Beach start and a short run into the water and then the chaos of an open water swim began. Settling into a good rhythm I managed to get a draft off a few people but my swimming was sluggish and well below my best. Still I was racing and loving it. Out of the water and a short run to the transition area. This is where the fun began; I didn’t quite get my foot out of my wetsuit and did a sort of wetsuit dance nearly tripping over myself as I tried to kick my foot out again. At least I didn’t hit my head on the bar holding my bike up like I did in the Dublin City Triathlon one year! Helmet on, out of transition and then there is the jump on the bike and then fumbling my feet into the bike shoes as I cycle away. The bike course was a fast 3 laps and was very enjoyable, a good surface and some great marshalling keep it safe on the unclosed roads. Keeping my cadence up and my legs pumping I flew around the course. Some of the other races had started so there were a few people starting on their first lap as I was about to finish my last. So it was feet out of the shoes and then off the bike, and into transition. No drama this time so a quick transition and out on to the run course. Unfortunately I had strained my hamstring training in Denmark so I knew my run was going to be slow (well that’s my excuse anyway!). I focused on keeping a good tempo and maintained that throughout the two laps around the lake. Felt good but knew I couldn't push myself like I normally would, it was very difficult to resist chasing anyone that passed me. Finished the race (without a sprint finish) and was happy with my overall performance.
A job well done by the race organisers, they really put on a great event. There were plenty of supporters and sponsors there selling products and you could even buy a fresh coffee! Congratulations to all the athletes that finished the Try a Triathlon race for beginners, perhaps I can tempt you to join our boot camp and learn some valuable techniques and build your fitness?? Anyone that braved the rain and waited for the Elite race was in for a treat as Tony Dodds and Andrea Hewitt showed everyone how to race. A definite race for next season’s calendar.