Geelong Triathlon

It has taken my a lot longer than anticipated to get this blog posted as I had originally planned on having it done soon after the completion of the race and had even made time in the days leading into the race to pre-write some of it but that never eventuated.  The reason for this is mainly due to the fact that for myself personally Geelong was one of those races where nothing went to plan and I am very disappointed with my result and it wasn't until I read the above quote that I have stopped thinking about what I did wrong and started thinking about what I can  and will be doing in the coming weeks leading up to the next series of races to make sure I have a better result.

However in recent times many of my blogs have had more of a team centered theme to them and the achievements of the entire DAT Racing squad and Geelong is no different in that sense with several athletes making the trip down to compete in the Olympic distance race to try to accumulate as many points as possible to go towards selection in the Australian age-group team to compete in the World Championships later in the year as well as Brayden Tucker and myself to compete in the ITU Premium Oceania Cup that also doubled as the National Sprint Distance Championships.  As seems to be the trend of late there were several outstanding performances whcih gives me some great stories to share instead of only being able to share my individual race stories.

There was only a small contingent of us flying in to Melbourne on the Friday as many of the other athletes chose to organise their own travel arrangements but 5 bikes and 9 people still required a bus to get us from Melbourne to Geelong and as you can see it was somewhat of a puzzle to fit all of us and our luggage in!  Luckily no one's bike recieved any damage from the airlines or our own handling of the bikes!

Melbourne is well known for producing 4 seasons in one day and Saturday was a perfect example of this with the day beginning with an easy run instead of the usual bike ride because of the overnight rain and continual drizzle that greated us upon wakening followed by glimpses of sunshine and heat throughout the day before our afternoon run ended with what could only be described as an absolute downpoor!  It was very reminisant of 2011 when our Saturday race had to be postponed until Sunday because of the gailforce winds.  With the race scheduled for Sunday this year there was no worry of that and the day was very leisurely and even included an unintentional tour of the sights of Geelong when our 2min drive to Anaconda so Dan could get himself a rainjacket ended up taking us halfway back to Melbourne because our backseat drivers were too scared to interupt the conversation to let us know we were going the wrong direction.  And the day was not without more drama with the afternoon downpoor making its way inside Elyza and her mum's room through a not so ideally situated leak that proceeded to saturate their suitcases, not exactly the preparation you want the evening before a big selection race when you have already had a minor crash earlier in the day on the way down to rack your bike!

The morning of the race was not too different from Saturday evening with the age-group athletes waking to cool conditions and rain not too far off.  Never the less the entire DAT crew are never phased by a challenge and with all of them starting within 30min of each other there was plenty of spectating to be done.  Having to save myself for my 3pm start time my spectating was limited but with the run going straight past our hotel I couldn't help but find myself a shady spot on the side of the road to help keep my mind occupied while cheering them on.  Robbie, Courtney, Elyza, Lotte, Kate, Geoff, Simon, Dave K and Dave S all had great races and are well on their way to representing Australia later in the year and without going in to too much detail on each of their races I must point out a few special stories:

• Courtney had an outstanding race to finish 4th in her age-group just off the podium and in her first big race in who knows how long she is bound to improve out of sight from here and also managed to catch Robbie in the swim who was unable to shake her throughout the 40km cycle leg in what was described as painfully hard rain.
• Anyone at DAT Racing will be able to tell you how hard Dave S pushes himself at training and racing is no exception.  Unfortunately the weather gods had a good old time with Dave who came unstuck not once but twice out on the bike course but to his credit he continued on, battle scars and all to not only finish the race but to finish inside the top 10 in his age group!
• Unfortunately injuries are part of the game and it looks like Lotte will need to undergo ankle surgery following the race and as much as this is a major dissapointment we all know she will be back stronger but this still didn't stop her from finishing the race in a very respectable and impressive position.

With the age-group race done and dusted, Sunday afternoon was all about the National Championships for the pros and with Brad Kahlefeldt not taking the start line a new champion was going to be crowned.  With close to 60 guys taking to the water for the start of the race the start was crucial and unfortunately for myself I got stuck right in the middle of the washing machine of arms and legs and struggled to find any clear water and was still struggling to get going by the time I'd made it to the far end of the course.  As I exited the water the majority of the bikes were already up the road but still managed to get myself into a pack with plans of pushing as hard as I could to make up lost ground.  Throughout the very technical 20km our group did catch a few of the groups ahead of us but all the main players were still ahead in the first few packs.  It was only about half way through the ride that I first spotted Brayden who had swam well and positioned himself well within one of the bike packs further up the road.  I was still hoping for a solid run off the bike to take something away from the day but unfortunately it was not to be my day and although I had periods where my running felt good there were also periods where it didn't, resulting in anybody I'd caught passing me again.  I finished the race in a disappointing 41st position while Brayden finished in a very pleasing 26th position for his first big race in a pro field. 

But rather than kicking myself for what I could've done differently I'm learning as much as I can from the experience and moving on and with the next race scheduled for next weekend at Raby Bay before heading down to Devonport 2 weeks later there is not only plenty to learn but plenty to gain from these races.

Read More

Caloundra Enduro

It was a bit of a last minute decision to race in the Caloundra Enduro Tri this morning but one that I am very pleased to have done.  The result itself might not necessarily reflect that but there were plenty of positivies to take away from the morning and with a firm eye on the bigger picture and the more important races coming up very shortly that is definitely what I am focusing on.

The race was a very unconventional format, being held over a 400m swim, 7km cycle, 1.8km run, 200m swim, 7km cycle and a final 1.8km run.  There arn't many events around similar to this but it reminds me very much of the older F1 style of racing that used to attract so many people to the sport and something that I remember watching back when it was regularly broadcast on tv.  I'd love to see and compete in more events like this because as hard as they are they are also great fun.  This style of racing has the tendancy to be action packed right from the start and today was no exception.

It was a relatively small field with only 5 girls and 10 guys competing but what it lacked in depth it definitely made up for in quality with every athlete having represented Australia in at least an ITU Continental Cup level and numerous World Cup, World Series and World Championship starts and wins within the field.  The girls were given a 4:50 headstart and an extra $500 was on the line for the first male or female to cross the finishing line.  With only 10 of us on the start line you would think the chaos would be at a minimum but with everyone still aiming to be the first to the first turning can there were arms flying throughout the swim.  The pace was quick and after one of my best weeks in the water for some time I was pleased to have positioned myself in with the main players as we exited the water.  Being just on the back of this group I was pushed to the absolute maximum for the first 2 laps of a 5 lap bike course before I was able to get myself settled in the middle of the group containing Courtney Atkinson, Ben Shaw, Cam Good, Ryan Fisher, Josh Amberger, Drew Box and Jack Hickey.  The first run was where it really split up with the combination of the pace on the bike and the pace at which Courtney took out the run seperating the field.  Personally I didnt have the best of transitions and was left behind before I even left transition to start the 5 lap run.  The remainder of the race played out with little to write home about but essentially Courtney, Ryan and Drew maintained their lead to finish in that order but were unable to chase down Emma Jackson who not only won the womens race but claimed the battle of the sexes to be first across the line.

http://www.usmevents.com.au/Triathlon___Multi_Sport/Gatorade_Queensland_Tri_Series/Media___Gallery/Media_Release_-_Positive_start_for_Olympic_hopefuls_Atkinson___Jackson.htm

Of course this wasn't the only race of the day and as much as I enjoyed the rather abnormal feeling of not waking up at the crack of dawn to drive down to most local races with our race scheduled for a 10:00am start I still made sure I was there in plenty of time to show my support for the other DAT athletes racing.  And as usual there were plenty of notable results but it is hard to go past the open womens race with Sarah Deuble claimed first place with a blistering run and Emily Bevan backing up from her outstanding 2nd place in the ITU Junior Elite National Championships down in Canberra the week prior to again be in that second position on the podium.  The girls are certainly giving us guys something to think about when it comes to race results at the moment but on the guys side of things Jake Freeman certainly showed he is capable of doing just that after leading the open mens field through the swim and bike portion of the race before having to withdraw with an injury.  And thanks must go out to these guys and everyone from DAT who stayed around for the enduro event and especially to those who made the trip to Caloundra even though they weren't competing just to show their support.

With many of the clubs junior athletes using the race as a final hit-out before they head to their school state championships in the coming weeks things look like they are well and truly on track and with myself heading down to Geelng next weekend accompanied with Brayden Tucker to compete in the Elite National Sprint Distance Championships and several of the age groupers making the same journey in search of those valuable World Championship points there are sure to be many more posts to come in the near future!

Read More

Australia Day Aquathlon

Versatile: the ability to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities.

One of the things I am striving towards as a triathlete is the ability to be more versatile and this is perhaps why I feel so compelled to challenge myself to compete in my first Ironman 70.3 event later this season.  Not only do I feel this distance gives me a great opportunity to work my strengths but the challenge of racing over all distances from supersprint right up to Ironman 70.3 and having big expectations of myself in all of them in the one season is something I cannot wait to tackle head-on.

The first challenge along the line is fast approaching with the Geelong ITU Sprint Triathlon Premium Oceania Cup doubling as the Australian Elite Sprint Distance Championships being held in 2 weeks time.  While training has been going along in great fashion since returning from our DAT training camp early in the new year, the plan had always been to spice things up and get the body firing for the big race with a hit out on Australia Day.  The event of choice had been the Burleigh Swim Run which was made up of slightly unconventional distances of a 400m surf swim followed by a 3.84km run.  Needless to say this event attracts several big name surf swimmers who try to out-fox the triathletes in challenging surf conditions but with the likes of Brad Kahlefeldt and Emma Moffatt on the 2012 start list this would always be a tough task. 

Unfortunately this event was not to be in 2012 and with what can only be described as torrential rainfall for the majority of the week all over Queensland the event organisers were forced to cancel the day prior.  While this was far abnormal with several Australia Day events also being cancelled due to the wet weather, at DAT we tend to do things a little bit differently and with the cancellation of that race we decided to put on our own that would be sure to test our versatility!

And so I present to you...the DAT Australia Day Aquathlon:

Come Australia Day morning the stage was set at the well known DAT training headquarters of the Stafford State School Pool and while the 20+ athletes commenced their warm-up and the 10+ junior stars of the future showed off their bomb diving skills, coach/race director/technical official Dan Atkins set about organising what was bound to be a testing event.  Forget the standard aquathlon formula of a run/swim/run, this enduro style format would comprise a 300m swim, 2km run, 300m swim, 1km run, 300m swim and a final 2km run to make sure the legs and arms were well and truly hurting by the end.  With our 25m facility becoming somewhat crowded during a regular swim session the decision was made to start the race in waves and with age-group superstars Dave Kelly, Dave Sangster, Dave Macdonald, Simon Leeper, Craig Madders and Robbie Mullins making up one heat the racing was going to be fast!  With each wave going off the competitiveness increased and with no real idea of who was where in terms of positioning it was all about pushing yourself to your limits except for the cheeky tactics of timing your re-entry to the water so you could get a nice bit of draft off whoever was already ahead of you. 

I could claim there was no single winner on the day but that is just a dead giveaway that I wasn't the first one to cross the line and as I came to the finish there looked to be far too many who by the looks of things had had enough time to compose themselves and look like they were ready to go again.  So, sticking to my original story; everyone walked away a winner from the inaugural DAT Australia Day Aquathlon having pushed themselves to the limit and more importantly had a crack at some short and fast racing in preparation of the more important races coming up very shortly.

But wait, there's more...while the junior stars of the future may have been spectating throughout the main race the stage was set for them to strut their stuff over the modified but still challenging distances of a 150m swim, 800m run, 100m swim and a final 800m run.  Each and every one of these kids performed outstandingly and are without doubt stars of the future and by the looks of how much fun they were having will be back for more in no time!

And finally, while the majority of us were challenging ourselves and each other in the aquathlon there was a small contingent of DAT athletes not present.  As I write this blog I am somewhat torn between coming up with an entertaining story while keeping one eye firmly glued to the twitter updates of @DATRacing (thanks Craig, you continue to do an amazing job and I almost feel like I'm there!) as Emily, Holly and Bonnie take on the best of the best in the ITU Junior race in Canberra and with Tom, Luke, Angus and Corey set to tackle the guys race shortly I won't be moving from my post any time soon.

http://www.danatkinstraining.com.au/canberra2012.html

Read More

DAT Training Camp

While the festive season is usually a time when people sit back, relax and enjoy all there is to offer, for the high performance athletes of DAT Racing there was little time to indulge as we were smack bang in the middle of what is commonly referred to as hell week.  To the average person hell week would carry on for a period of 7 days but as years have gone by the 7 day theory has been thrown out the window, instead replaced with an ever growing period of time with no specific end point in sight.  This year’s edition culminated in a week long training camp in the delightful setting of the Sunshine Coast of Brisbane.  All of this couldn’t have been possible without the hospitality of Mick, Patti, Luke, Sean, Jack and of course everyone’s favourite new training partner, Wallaby for opening up their house.  And while many of the nations top sporting institutes are currently in or have just come off their own training camps at much more well known facilities around the country, I doubt any of them were treated to the experience we were all fortunate to be a part of.

Wallaby keeping an eye on the training

Friday 6^th of January marked day one of the camp but not before our regular Friday morning sessions in Brisbane before car pooling arrangements ferried us all to what we have referred to as the “Farrell Ranch” or for those twitter folk out there, the #FR.  And for all those twitter and facebook folk out there, there was little activity on the social networking forums throughout the week as we all decided to stick with our catchy trend of #whathappensatDATstaysatDAT and instead let our race results speak for themselves in due time.  

With upwards of 15 athletes congregating at the “Farrell Ranch,” Mick and Patti might have been questioning what they had gotten themselves into for the next 7 days but with the men quickly setting up camp in the garage which was quickly renamed the “DAT Dungeon” and the girls taking over the front living room as their sleeping quarters, we were all assembled and ready for session one.  And with our familiarization session involving a run along the waterfront and finishing up with a stroll out the back gate right onto the beach for a swim, what more could one ask for with these facilities literally right at your doorstep?

The DAT Dungeon

Keeping with the trend of #whathappensatDATstaysatDAT I won’t go into detail of each and every session but this post would be somewhat boring if nothing was shared so instead I have taken some of my favourite moments from the week to share and give everyone an idea of what we did get up to:

My mother often swears I go close to eating her out of house and home on a weekly basis and she would have definitely had a heart attack if this number of hungry athletes had invaded her kitchen for one meal, let alone an entire weeks worth of eating.  In contrast, Mick and Patti remained cool, calm and collected throughout and put together an impressive collection of athlete worthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners, as well as several cakes, muffins, lollies and treats that were demolished so quickly that if you weren’t quick would be gone before they’d even had a chance to cool down. 

I can’t let this post go by without mentioning Nutrend Supplements and the fantastic support they provide me and I must have been quite the sight entering the kitchen each morning armed with my daily supplements and training food ready to go.  I may have even progressed myself as a salesperson by convincing a few of the guys to give the Carnitin Liquid a try.  But perhaps more impressive than the supplements were the care packages provided to Jake by his lovely mother Mandy and unfortunately for him this secret lolly and coke stash was discovered early in the week and quickly became communal.  While Jake might not have been too happy to share this stash, something he was more than happy to share were his leg splints.  He claims these things do wonders for your calves by providing an endless stretch when you sleep in them.  Now if Jake isn’t on commission with whatever these contraptions claim to achieve he should be because by the end of the week almost everyone had given them a go and had to sit through his rant about how good they are but if we look at the facts, there was only one of us that had to visit a physio throughout the whole week and I’ll leave it up to you to work out who that was…

While the training was long and arduous, we still found the time to enjoy ourselves and each others company throughout the week.  With the beach in such close proximity to the finish of all of our sessions the best recovery often involved a frolic in the ocean and a bit of body surfing to finish off each day.  There was even time for an evening meal out at the local Kawana Surf Club where not only were good times had by all, there was even time to share a few beverages but as the saying goes; “one’s recovery, two’s a party,” we were still home and in bed early enough to do it all again the next morning.

And last but not least, the training. 

• Of the 168 hours we spent at the Farrell Ranch approximately 35 of those were spent training
• We got through upwards of 25km in the water and being a 25m pool that equates to 1000 laps, with the last session also involving an unprescribed 200m, 100m and 50m dived effort at our own discression just to add to the competitiveness
• There was over 500km logged with my Bryton Rider 50T providing some valuable data on the bike with the Malvern Star Oppy C7 Team handling it excellently (and on a side note the 2012 version of this bike looks amazing and should be in my possession very shortly so keep a look out for that!)
• And to top it all off we got close to 100km on the run, so much so that the Nike Vomeros were well and truly worn thin by the end of the week but a massive thanks must go to Chris from Nike Australia with a new pair coming very shortly.  I haven’t trained in anything but the Nike Vomeros for 3 years now since Scott at Allsports Podiatry put me on to them and there is no chance of me straying any time soon! 

• With the rules being set at a minimum of 5 spare tubes per person, at one point we counted 63 tubes in the Farrell Ranch with Tom using a bit of creativity by claiming to have 4 tubes (two on his wheels and two spares) but only two punctures were recorded throughout the whole week, both going to Dan! 
• There was also a total of seven times we had to continue past our finishing destination all in the quest to clock up that final minute or km in what we like to refer to as number crunching. 
• And finally, another common phrase from the week was, “who won the workout?” and while it wouldn’t be wrong to say that at one point during the week everyone went above and beyond their expectations to win the workout in my opinion the winner of the workout for the week would have to go to the one and only Dan Atkins.  Following an incredibly strenuous 120km on the bike on one morning where several tempers flared and the once sizable pack had significantly diminished with those left behind forced to find their own way home it’s fair to say motivation wasn’t overly high for the midday swim session.  Cue one very impressive coaching performance who through his pooldeck motivation lifted every single person to produce collectively the session of the week.

Now back in Brisbane and straight back into it with no less than a glance back, instead fixated on the 2012 race season less than a stones throw away.  With some athletes attending the National Talent Identification time-trials this coming weekend, the junior elite contingent jet-setting off to Canberra the following weekend for their national series race and the Elite National Sprint Championships in Geelong shortly after, there is plenty to look forward.  And after a week of such solid training with every athlete stepping up to new levels in their training each and every one of these races provides the opportunity to shine.

Read More

Whoever said triathlon was an individual sport never trained with DAT Racing

The weekend just gone was the first race of the junior elite national series down at Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast.  This is a unique racing experience because it is a total of 7 races held over 3 days combining individual swimming, cycling and running races as well as multiple short distance triathlons with all of the athletes collecting points in each event and an overall champion being crowned by Sunday lunchtime. 

DAT Racing was well represented with Tom Ryan, Angus Gibson, Luke Farrell, Jake Freeman, Holly Grice and Emily Bevan all taking to the startline on Friday afternoon.  The black and magenta was well represented off the field as well with what many quoted as being the most vocal and recognisable support crew over the entire weekend.  There was no way I was going to miss this weekend after how hard not only these guys have worked individually but also how hard we work together as a group every single time we turn up to training even if I wasn't competing. 

The group achieved amazing results and it was truly inspiring to watch them all race and personally I can't wait for the new year and the big events on the calendar for 2012 but in the meantime here is my summary of the weekend:

The weekend wasn't without mishaps and unfortunately for Angus, he was forced to withdraw after a nasty fall in a testosterone filled 1km sprint on the Friday evening that left him with a shoulder injury and unable to swim.  However no one will question his devotion to the team and for the remainder of the weekend he did whatever he could to make sure the other athletes had whatever they needed to perform at their best and we all hope he has a speedy recovery before the next junior elite event in Canberra in late January.

In the same event Jake also fell heavily but comtinued to compete for the remainder of the weekend with a heavily strapped and what I'm sure was an incredibly painful wrist.  X-rays at the completion of the weekend confirmed the worst and he is now resting a broken wrist but that doesn't even begin to describe the determination that he raced with all weekend.  Performing well enough to qualify for the B grade final on Sunday, Jake outraced several competitors much older than him and all with a broken wrist that left tasks like getting himself out of the pool, getting into his running shoes and even getting out of the saddle on the bike not only difficult but I'm sure incredibly painful but he fought on to produce a very guttsy result and again hope he has a speedy recovery.

The remaining 2 DAT boys, Luke Farrell and Tom Ryan produced fantastic results and in a hotly contested men's field gathered enough points to be well inside the top 16 and qualify for the A grade final on the Sunday morning.  Both produced moments of brilliance all weekend with both boys recording personal best times in all of the swimming events and Luke narrowly missing out on a win in one of his heats.  Their final was action packed with both boys working extremely hard on the bike to bring back the leading 2 before Tom narrowly missed a crash coming around the turn on the final lap and Luke had to chase hard just to avoid the split in the group.  Both boys finished strong and never once gave up and with the results improving throughout the weekend we can expect bigger and better things in 2012 when the worlds selection races begin to heat up.

On the girls side, both Holly and Emily showed they not only are already forces to be wreckened with but will go into 2012 even stronger with both girls letting their results speak for themselves.  Both girls easily qualified for the Sunday A grade final with Holly going into the race ranked 4th after winning the cycling criterium and finishing on the podium in her heats in almost every race across the weekend and well and truly capable of progressing up further and Emily ranked 6th and progressing further up the leaderboard with every race all weekend.  The final wasn't without drama and stress with Holly having to resort to a different bike after a mechanical issue pre-race and with the changes in set up completed made it to transition check in with only moments to spare.  It was a nail-biting final to witness with the early leader being reeled in mid-way through the bike leaving Holly and 3 other girls in the lead pack with Emily and another 3 not far behind in chase.  Going into the final lap of the bike Holly made her move off the front and led the girls onto the run but was run down for the win but stayed strong to record a second place finish with Emily moving her way through the field to be in a sprint finish for 4th and 5th place, finishing 5th in the final.  Easily the race of the weekend for me and it was spine-tingling stuff to see these girls in action!  For the first time this season Holly finished off the podium in 4th place by a meer 1.5 points and Emily finished 6th place, with that final sprint finish being the deciding factor between 5th and 6th.  Both girls can walk away extremely satisfied but I know that these results will only drive these girls even more to make that next step up and be even more dominant in 2012.

And last but not least the weekend wouldn't have been what it was without the likes of Craig, Katie and all of the parents responsible for organising the logistics of travelling, accommodation, ice baths and food, just to name a few.  Special mention also needs to go out to Wyatt and Britt who are too young to compete in the event and Bonnie who had to withdraw early with injury but travelled for the experience and did whatever the athletes needed over the weekend and will go into this event next year with some valuable experience under their belt.  And finally Dan Atkins, the man who deserves the most praise and it probably isn't possible to describe how much he does for all of us and how much we all appreciate it but to say that we are all like family is an understatement!

What a weekend it was with impressive results from everyone that competed and with everyone that attended as part of the support crew thoroughly enjoyed.  All I can say is that if the results thus far this season are anything to go by then 2012 is going to be a very enjoyable and successful year for everyone at DAT Racing and one that I can't wait to be involved in.

Read More

Raby Bay Triathlon

I had my last race for the 2011 calandar year on the weekend and I am pleased to say that although my last few races haven't produced disasterous results, I was hoping for more out of them but this race was a significant improvement and one that I am a lot more satisfied with.  Raby Bay played host to the third race of the Queensland Triathlon Series and after a week of nothing less than horrible weather for a Brisbane summer I was more or less expecting the same come Sunday.  Raby Bay exceeded expectations in this department and we had almost perfect conditions and got to race in the blistering heat.

The preparation wasn't perfect with my ever troublesome car having some brake functioning issues on the Friday leaving me firstly transportation-less until it can be resolved and secondly very anxious for the remainder of the drive home after it occured.  Fortunately the front of our house often resembles a carpark at times and I was able to use a more reliable car to get me there.  It seems to be that the transport to races is almost as challenging for me than actually completing the race!  I also had to work all weekend and let me just say that running a warehouse after racing Sunday morning is a recipe for a seriously early bedtime on Sunday evening.  The Saturday night beforehand was also our staff Christmas party which wasn't ideal either but it did allow me to relax after a long day at work so can't have been too harmful and maybe something I should consider adopting on a more regular basis!

The race was over the sprint distance of 750/20/5 and having positioned myself beside noted swimmers Bryce McMaster and Ben Shaw I got off to a great start and was straight in on their slipstream.  Along with Kenji Nener, the four of us immediately put a gap on the rest of the field and as we exited the water we had close to a 30sec gap on the next group of swimmers.  Getting onto the bike I thought the four of us would end up working together and increase our lead and perhaps I was a bit too complacent because Ben immediately put his head down and got on with the job and was able to open up a gap on the three of us and together we couldn't get any fluency together to be able to close down the gap.  On the final lap I made a small break on both Bryce and Kenji to enter T2 with a 15sec lead on them but close to 45sec down on Ben.  I set about closing the gap as quickly as I could and being able to see Ben out on the course was a massive advantage and by the end of the first lap I was hearing that I had already pulled back 20sec.  The second lap was much the same and as I could see the gap getting smaller my confidence grew but unfortunately I just ran out of road and after closing another 20sec on the final lap I rounded the final corner with 50m to go to see Ben claim the victory.  Full credit must go to Ben for digging deep to not only take his first victory in the series but also the style in which he did it.  It not only makes the racing that much more exciting for everyone watching but it is also that much more satisfying to know that a true swimmer, cyclist and runner did the hard work to win the race and that you need to be on top of your game in all three disciplines at all times in this sport.

It's a very satistying way to finish the racing year knowing that all the great training sessions I have produced and the times I have logged have been reflected in a race but at the same time coming so close to a victory is something that is already driving me to find ways of being able to step on to the top of the podium next time.

(picture links to the USM media release from the race)

With the first race of the junior elite series at Runaway Bay and a World Championship selection race for the age-group athletes down in Canberra this coming weekend there wasn't a large DAT contingent present at Raby Bay as they all prepare to tackle these challenges.  In saying that I am looking forward to heading to Runaway Bay this weekend to support Tom Ryan, Luke Farrell, Angus Gibson, Jake Freeman, Holly Grice and Emily Bevan do battle with the best juniors in the country and I am sure every single one of them will be at the pointy end of the field if their pre-season form is anything to go by!  Similarly, with all of the age-groupers beginning their campaign towards national representation for the 2012 World Championships in Auckland, I look forward to hearing all of the stories of success when they return!

Read More

Nutrend V2.0

Since I have been using all of the Nutrend products for the last couple of weeks now I thought I'd share with everyone a few more details about their products and when I use them and when they are best used.

I have been using a combination of the Isodrink, Profidrink, Powerbar, Voltagebar, Carbosnack and Endurosnack for all of my training and as well as all tasting great, I have found them to be really beneficial and training of late has been going great.

Both the Isodrink and Profidrink are electrolyte drinks that come in powder form.  The Profidrink comes in either a lemon or orange flavour and is designed more for endurance activities lasting longer than an hour.  I've been using it for a lot of my long rides where I'll have one bottle with water and the other with the Profidrink mixture in the other and have found it to be really useful as well as tasting great.  The Iosdrink on the other hand is designed more for shorter duration activities lasting up to an hour.  I have found this drink to be really beneficial for some of my afternoon sessions that tend to last around an hour in duration or even to have before an afternoon session if I have been at work all day to give me that extra boost before I start.  As well as coming in the lemon and orange flavour, the isodrink also comes in an apple flavour that is probably my favourite product out of everything I have tried.

Similar to the drinks, the gels Nutrend produce come in two different kinds depending on what your needs are.  The Endurosnacks are similar to the Profidrink and are more designed for longer lasting activities whereas the Carbosnacks are designed for the shorter duration activities.  I've been trialling all of these gels in my training lately to try and work out what works best for me but the benefits of both of these gels are that they are in a tube form so unlike most other gels they don't need to be consumed immediately and can be taken as you need and are more easily stored.  They also come in a wide range of flavours with the Endurosnack coming in apricot, green apple, orange and red fresh and the Carbosnacks coming in apricot, bitter lemon, blue energy, blueberry, caramel and green apple.  I am currently having more problems trying to work out which flavours I should order next more than anything because they all taste great and are really easy to get down when training at high intensities.

I've also been using the Powerbars and Voltagebars both during and outside training.  The powerbars are very similar to those made by a lot of other nutrition companies and after sampling all of them I am hooked on both the mixed berry and passionfruit bars.  The Voltagebars are similar to the Powerbars but are a bit more substancial and I've used them on a few occassions before a training session or on those longer rides where something with a bit more substance is needed.

With many more products on the horizon be sure to check back again with anything new I manage to get my hands on to share with everyone.  And I wouldn't be able to finish this blog with again thanking Nutrend Supplements for their support and if anyone is interested in any more information or ordering anything feel free to get in contact with me or jump on the Nutrend website at http://www.nutrendsupplements.com.au/ and head to their online shop to get it delivered straight to your door and with free shipping on offer at the moment now is as good a time as any!

Read More