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Dateline: MON 08 MAR 10 - Cathy Higman at the Tri Shave All Women’s Triathlon, Sydney Regatta Centre Leading up to today’s 4 events Try-a-try, Enticer, Midi Tri and Sprint event Tri NSW were unsure of how these events were going to be held due a blue/green algae outbreak at the regatta centre. Communications from Tri NSW were discussing various duathlon formats and it was nearly definite that there would be no swimming at the regatta centre. It wasn’t till Friday night that the clearance was given to swim in the warm up pond after successive clear water samples were taken. I registered for the Enticer event in to 40+ category (I’m 51) which was the 2nd event for the day, and after a near sleepless night at Penrith and waking up with some type of Flu virus I headed off to the Regatta Centre at 5.45 am. After my last race at Penrith in November 2009 which was done at 4pm in the afternoon and in 42 deg heat today was a more pleasant and cloudy 23 deg. There were 3 waves for this event with my wave being the 3rd and last wave. We entered the water and immediately found our legs getting tangled in the reeds while we were waiting for the siren to sound to start the race. After an uneventful swim (apart from the reeds then wrapping around our arms towards the end of the swim), I exited the water 4th last and headed off to the transition area where I gained several places and headed out on the bike leg which was 2 laps of the regatta centre, there I progressively made up time on the bike and managed to gain a better position in the bike leg and it was then back into transition and off for the final run leg. I felt strong in the run and made up more places before I crossed the finish line happy with another race under my belt. I did a PB from the November race (same distances), I took 7 minutes off my time (just over 2 minutes off each leg). I was 24th from 59 in my age Category and 95th overall out 195 competitors For any women that are interested, there will be another All women’s event held in October 2010 (see TRI NSW calendar for events next season)
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Dateline: MON 01 MAR 10 - 2010 Club Champs Team Finalised We are pleased to announce that for the first year at the Tri NSW Club Championships under the new banner, Central Coast Triathlon & Multisport Club will be fielding a team of 48 members who will be taking on triathletes from other clubs all over the state in the hope of bringing home the Best Regional Club trophy again. The team of Coasties who will be representing CCTRI and the Central Coast in the various categories is: M15 -17 F15-17 F18-24 M25-29 F25-29 M30-34 M35-39 F35-39 M40-44 F40-44 M45-49 F45-49 M50-54 F50-54 M55-59 F55-59 M60-64 M65-69 In addition, we already have one registered volunteer in Andrew Collins who will automatically score us a point or two on the day. If you'd like to be as cool as Mr Collins and put your name down to help out at this year's Club Champs, click here to sign up.
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Dateline: MON 01 MAR 10 - Dog's First Mountain Bike Race Okay, so it's not really a multisport event, and we're still only in the application stage of getting a multisport event that includes mountain biking, but I thought I'd share my thoughts on my first ever race with our neighbouring club: After achieving my goal of becoming a very average triathlete, I thought I’d try something different and have a go at racing with Central Coast Ourimbah Mountain Bike Club with the hope of becoming a very average mountain biker as well. I’m happy to say mission accomplished, and my first race was completed with no DNF or ITFMDIIAO’s* The races there have a similar start to us at Summerland Point – where everyone takes off together in differing waves depending on your grade and how many laps you are going to do. The A-Grade men who are going out for five laps take off first and scream away, then followed by the B-Grade men and A-Grade women who are going out for three laps, and then my C-Grade wave of two laps along with the B-Grade women. The start line is on Red Hill Road with about a dozen mountain bikers abreast, and there is a stretch of around 150m before hitting the narrow tracks which gives riders ample time to spread out depending on speed. Being my first race, I didn’t try and go mad at the start, knowing that as soon as we hit the track I’d just be holding people back or having ITFMDIIAO’s*, but was pleased to see that I was able to keep up with some of the more experienced riders in front of me. Once you’ve been in the race for a while you settle into your groove, and although you might occasionally catch up to someone in front or have someone overtake you, it’s awesome challenging fun. One of the things that you really notice is the fact that your triceps do a hell of a lot more work than triathlon cycling or time trials as they bear the brunt of absorbing all the shocks for your upper body. The other thing you notice is that in triathlons the trees rarely jump out in front of you. In mountain biking, you don’t just get to lean forward on your aerobars and concentrate on pedaling as you need to concentrate on avoiding ITFMDIIAO’s*. I finished the two lap race in 1:18, meaning that my average speed over the 18kms was just under 14km/h (even though in some spots going up big nasty hills it dropped to about walking pace!) My average heart rate for the race was around the 150 BPM mark, and although I have no idea where I finished in relation to everyone else I am just happy to know that I finished, and with no ITFMDIIAO’s* - Dog *ITFMDIIAO = Instant Termination of Forward Momentum Due to Impact with Immovable Arboreal Object (smacking into a tree)
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Dateline: MON 22 FEB 10 - Becky McGee's Huskisson Long Course Looking back, I’m not really sure what motivated me to register for a race that at the time of registration, I probably could not have physically completed. With only a handful of sprint and club races under my belt, I decided to launch an all out assault on Huskisson long course. A lot needed to change, I had to force myself out of spin classes and out onto the road. I had to learn how to change a tyre, to actually train and not just do a lazy few laps at the pool and call it a swim session. A NUTSAC session about 6 weeks out from the race signified the beginning for me, I hooked up with veteran iron-man Mad Dog McKellar who must have sensed the fear I was harbouring and took me under his wing and did what he could in the 6 weeks leading up to Huskisson. It is hard to begin a race report with race day because the preparation and emotions involved in the weeks and months leading up are huge. It’s also hard to capture the electricity in the air as you make the pilgrimage down to Husky. I imagine this is how the Israelites would have felt making their way to the holy land of Jerusalem to pay homage. It is easy to spot a triathlon pilgrim, bikes loaded in cars and on roof racks. We acknowledge each other with a nod at petrol stations - you get the feeling that although this is an individual event, we are all in it together. Anyway, I’ll start with the morning of the race and hopefully provide some insight into a novice’s attempt at a long course triathlon – maybe you will even find some inspiration in these words. Pre-Race Pre-race nerves kicked in the afternoon before the race when I registered. As I was sticking on my bike number it got caught in the wind and blew away, I found it – all stuck together and covered in grass and rocks. I then ripped it to pieces trying to straighten it out. Almost in tears, I bravely pieced it back together and gaffer taped it to my bike – already I looked like the poor cousin of all of the bikes on my rack, with bike numbers stuck neatly to their seat posts. I was way out of my league. The morning of the race, I was carb overloaded from the night before (I secretly signed up for this so I could triple my food intake and not feel guilty about it). After a leisurely morning setting up I realised I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet with less than hour until race start. I inhaled the usual pre-race breakfast and frantically made my way to the race, only to realise I had left my timing chip back at the campsite. I ran back to get it and arrived at the start line just as the race briefing had finished. Yet another of many novice mistakes I would make over the course of the next few hours. Race-Time! My wave was the second last to head out and I am a poor swimmer - so it wasn’t long before I was a lone black cap out there in the water. The team swimmers were overtaking me from all angles and I was struggling to breathe properly in my new wetsuit. Note to self – One 750 m wetsuit practice swim before a 2 k long course swim leg is insufficient. At one point the swim packs seemed to split and head in different directions, I stopped and thought the situation through. I decided to go with the pack that had the most caps the same colour as mine, in case the teams (in the green caps) had a different swim course to us. Note to self – Don’t ever be late for the race briefing again! After what seemed like 2 hours, I made my way to the beach and headed up the stairs to take on the bike. The row numbers were only written at the front of the bike racks, but I decided to take a short cut and enter from the back. BIG MISTAKE, I couldn’t find my bike and did a few aimless laps around the bikes before I saw my humble little Merida waiting patiently for me. I spent a fair amount of time thrashing around in a very undignified manner trying to get my wetsuit off. I looked over helplessly at the event crew, who just shrugged their shoulders at me. Note to self – incorporate a wetsuit removal session into my training program. The bike leg was pretty uneventful. I felt good but could definitely have pushed myself harder. The atmosphere as I rode into the transition area after my first lap was electric; I drew so much energy from the pumping music and cheering crowd Cath and Col Higman were waiting and cheering me on. I was a little disappointed by the second lap, when I rode in expecting the same reception, but by this stage the crowd had dispersed and moved on to the run. I was out there alone for the next 50 odd km’s. By the 83rd kilometre I was in agony. Never have I disliked my bike more than in that moment. T2 - I forgot every thing I had learnt in transition training and did it old school. Note to self - Dismounting and running in cleats after 83 km’s is probably not the most effective way to transition from ride to run. The run – so bitter sweet, my favourite leg but I made the decision to break the cardinal rule of endurance racing. I bought new shoes the day before race day and let the salesman talk me into racing in them. I ran into transition and felt as if I was hovering over watching myself do the stupidest thing I could have done, not only did I slide on my new blue Zoot race shoes, but I nonchalantly discarded my socks without even thinking about the repercussions. The me hovering over me wasnted to smack myself in the head. I was off! Me, new shoes – no socks and 20 kilometres. After 500 metres I knew I was in trouble. I could actually hear my shoes rubbing against my arches – the friction was so great. A constant reminder of the self-inflicted massacre I had subjected my feet to. Another problem had befallen me, every time my foot hit the ground - I felt a piercing shot of pain in my quads, as if I was being stabbed with knives. I looked up and like an angel sent from heaven my unofficial coach mad dog McKellar appeared. “My quads are cramping,” I screamed out, thinking it was all over and I was about to leave with a dreaded DNF against my name. “They’ll come good” Steve yelled back, “just keep on running”. It was all a little too overwhelming and the next thing I knew I couldn’t breathe – I felt like I was having an anxiety or an asthma attack. I fought back tears and reminded myself that I am no princess. I tried to control my breathing and eventually pulled myself together. The slight panic attack had taken my mind off my cramps and by the first drink/ aid station I felt good. In spite of the blisters I loved the run, I held a solid and consistent pace for the entire 20k’s. Although I must admit, I got a little cocky in the first 10 k’s – but my body soon reminded me that I am mortal and by the 11k mark all I could think about was putting one foot in front of the other. Once again, it got fairly lonely pretty quickly and by the time I made it to the last aid station, I has to ask for water as they were packing up and it wasn’t forthcoming. The Aftermath The world seems a little different today, it is as though I have crossed over into some secret society, a new member of some elite club. The sky is shining a little brighter than usual, the city is a little more bearable. A few times today, I have been asked by work colleagues how my weekend was. “Oh, okay” I respond, “nothing special”. The mountain I conquered over the weekend is my little secret I think to myself as I walk away. I am reminded of the race by my elite energy wristband and the remnants of my race number that can be seen faintly on my arm. I’m not quite ready to scrub them off completely. During the race yesterday I decided I would never do another race of this length again, however this morning after looking my results (and taking a lot of crap from Pearso, the triathlon Grinch) I have decided that I am not quite ready to hang up the new race zoots just yet. For one they have to be properly broken in and secondly, I can’t possibly retire on my current times. So bring on a half iron-man – but this time I will do it properly. Thank you to my CCTRI family, especially those who made the pilgrimage down to Husky - Kylie, Chris, Col, Cath, Mad Dog, Nathan, Matt and Anne, Brett the various Steve’s and Andrews – and anyone I forgot. It was an unforgettable weekend and CCTRI chalked up some stellar results.
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Dateline: MON 08 FEB 10 - Matt Porta's Geelong 70.3 1.9km/90km/21.1km Race morning dawned and I was ready to roll early. I jumped in the water and did about 5mins warmup which I found had really helped me the week prior to avoid a real "flatspot" after 300m or so into the race. We shuffled into the water - all 1200 of us for a mass start. Experience told me this was not going to be pretty. I was not proven wrong! Off we set to the first buoy, 800m away. It was pretty much 800m of carnage - it wasn't anyone’s fault, it was just crowded. My swim stroke felt messy and it felt like I was just fighting to move forward! At the first turn I got two solid kicks, one to the face and one in ribs. Once we turned we were swimming directly into sun. Thankfully the crowd started to dissipate and I was able to get into some sort of rhythm. Then the next crowd came along to deal with - it wasn't people this time, it was big ugly jelly blubbers. I think we had hit jelly blubber freeway, there were tons of them and I managed to catch a few with my hand while swimming and cop one in the face - grose!!! Anyway it made me swim a bit quicker and I exited the water in 29mins - very happy. Performance wise for where I am at I give myself 7/10 for the swim. I started the run and immediately set out running around 3:50 min per km pace. It was quick enough, but it didn’t feel as comfortable as usual. I put it out of my mind and continued on, concentrating on fast legs and taking in as much water/Gatorade as I could manage. The volunteers in Geelong were pretty amazing. Every aid station you were greeted by teenage guys and girls screaming at you, Gatorade, water, bananas, gels, coke – awesome stuff!!! On the return leg of lap one I saw Brett Stweart who I had travelled down with – I gave him a shout out, but as usual, he was in the zone, I like to call it “The White Zone” – see him race and his outfit and you will see what I mean!!! Lap two out of 3 brought with it some excitement, with me getting lapped by race leader Craig Alexander. The guy is amazing – I was still running sub-4 minute ks and he went by like I was standing still, and still managed to acknowledge and say thanks as I gave him a cheer when he ran past me. Imagine leading a race and being a nice enough guy to say thanks to every competitor you run past – he must be tired of talking, let alone running by the end of the race. It was at this point, that I got a taste of what it must be like to lead a big race. The race leader bike went past me, and I was running behind it for a few seconds, and he was yelling out “race leader coming through”, a lady saw the bike go past, saw me follow it, and gave me a cheer for leading the race, and saying well done...very funny. I very kindly said “oh, not me, he’s just there” as Crowie came storming past us both!! I hit the final lap, and felt ok, but I was evidently slowing. I was only slowing by probably 20-30 seconds per km, but it was still too much. I didn’t completely fail – I just didn’t have anything left. I got passed by a couple of guys in my age group, which is pretty rare at this point in a race for me, so I knew all wasn’t 100% well. I pushed on to the finish and just kept myself focussed on trying to go under 4:20 for the race. I managed to get there in 4:19:33, with a 1:26 run split, a little slower than I would have liked but not completely unexpected!! Still it was a PB over the Half Ironman distance by a mere 26 seconds – I’ll still take it!!! For the run, I probably rate myself a 5/10, as I know I am capable of so much more, however I know the cause (fatigue from, last weekend), so I am not too concerned. I was a little miffed in seeing that it still only got me 15th in the 30-34 age group – these boys are fast! So, now back into a couple of solid weeks, and then off to Huskisson for Long Course race number 3 of the season! Well done to other club members that competed and did well. Brett Stewart came in 2nd in the 55-59 age group, Peter Mauro put in a solid 4:30ish race, and newly turned pro Rich Munro put in a great race of 4:06, and finally realised his dream of out running me...lol!! I am not sure of others from the club that raced, if I missed you sorry, and I hope you had great races! |
Dateline: TUE 02 FEB 10 - Matt Porta's Hell of the West 2010, Goondawindi QLD 2km Swim/80km Bike/20km Run Thankfully it got better from there and I was pleased to see at the turnaround that it looked liked the lead guys had only gained about 100m within the first km - not too bad for me! I exited the water in around 32 minutes before a very lengthy run to transition. By the time I got to my bike my feet were on fire!! Into transition, and I was VERY happy to get my butt off the bike seat. My feet were not so happy with the bitumen run in the transition area. So onto the run, and one of the guys I had been riding with was just out in front, but as I expected by looking at his build – I thought, I bet this guy can run – his legs were skinnier than mine! Sure enough, I didn’t see him for the rest of the run J The aid stations were awesome, plenty of water, ice and coke on the 3 lap course – you didn’t have to go anymore than about 5 minutes with a drink – fantastic stuff!
I was running solidly, and was keeping an eye on my nephew Joel, who was racing in the open category. He was running well, and was only gaining slightly on me each lap. I went through the first 10km in around 37-38mins, so well on target pace and better than expected to be honest. It was just a matter of holding it together for the last 10km. Going through for the last lap, they called out that I was running 4th in my age group, and I knew that no matter how fast I was running, unless something drastic happened, I wasn’t going to catch the 3 guys in front of me. I finished solidly in 4:01 – I was chasing the sub-4 hour mark until I hit the far turn around on the run and coming back into the headwind, I knew it wasn’t quiet going to happen – oh well. I am not 100% sure of exact splits yet, as results are not up, but it was around 35 min swim (with 300m run to transition!!!), about 2:07 for the 80km bike, and around 1:18 or so for the 20km run. So 4th in my age group, and 14th overall for the day, something I am pretty wrapped with for my first race back. I feel tired but not too sore today, which is important, and I am attempting something else I haven’t done before – 2 long course races in two weeks!! So, an easy week this week to recover and onto Geelong 70.3 next weekend to validate my spot for Ironman Australia – I am looking forward to seeing how my body can back up. I’ll let you know how it goes! - Matt Porta
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Dateline: Monday 14 DEC 09 - Andrew Mildren at the Canberra Half Ironman Well, twelve months on from my first Half Ironman and I was there to put my demons to bed after a very hard initiation. I drove down Saturday morning and got there about 1.00pm, then went for a short easy ride around the lake before booking the bike in. The weather was looking perfect with the lake like a mill-pond (as opposed to last year force 10 gales with 2' swell) Back to meet up with the family and have something to eat and relax. Before you know it, its 4.30am Sunday and time to get up, usual routine cereal then visit to the toilet get dressed, get bottles out from the fridge, grab my bag, visualise what I need, then check I have everything then off to transition which was a 15min walk away. I get to transition and set up my gear, check then double-check everthing is all right. Out of transition I go for a 20min jog to warm up and help get focused. Back and on with the wetsuit. Start of the swim is about 150m from the shore so you had to time it well for your wave start, some people missed their start. My start was 6.50 gun so I give myself 5 minutes to get to the start ready to go. Treading water - then the hooter goes and Im off. I had in my mind to stick with the pack but I think I went off too quick as my legs and arms strated to hurt from lack of oxygen. I carried on going for a little longer but had to stop and take a breather and let my arms and legs come good, after that I started to get into my rhythm , sighting the buoys was good and finally out of the water 42min (could have been better). Next into transition and off on to the bike. This course is 3 lap of 31k. Came through in just under the hour for first lap - pretty hilly just as I remembered it from last year but less wind. I set off on the second lap but I needed to work out where to have a toilet stop after hearing about someone getting disqualified for going on the course. So I stop near a clump of trees about 30m off the road. What a relief! Back onto the bike a bit more comfortable and pushing it a bit to get back to where I was. Second lap just under an hour, off on the third and final lap pretty similar to the other two laps not getting easier but came in on 2:53 - not too bad. Ok final leg - the run. The part where I can make up some time. The temperature was starting to get up around 30+ degrees. Again, I had to visit the toilet (talk about being well hydrated!). I settled into my run , kept a good pace and finished in a short sprint 1:35. I'm very happy to finish strong and straight after jumped into the lake to cool down. That's when you realise how dirty that water is - you cant see you hand right in front of you. That's it, the demons have been put to bed with a 1:05 personal best. Total race time 5hours, 16minutes and 25th in the 40-44 division. Again I would like to thank Grant from Eclipse for his training programs and encouragement. Also all the boys for those training sessions it really helps. - Andrew
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Dateline: Monday 07 DEC 09 - Mud Run On Saturday 5th December, a handful of hardcore CCTRI members squelched their way through the annual Mud Run at Glenworth Valley. This 'interesting' bush running race makes a point of sending participants through knee-deep quagmires, along tidal creeks and through a specially dug mud pit at the end.
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Dateline: Monday 01 DEC 09 - Nepean Triathlon 1km swim, 30km cycle, 10km run
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Dateline: Monday 02 NOV 09 - Port Macquarie Half Ironman Results and Race Report With the Port Macquarie Half Ironman on over the weekend, several CCTRI members took to the mid-north coast to take on the course. Brett Isaac has written a very entertaining piece which makes you feel like you're right in there with him!
Race Report from Brett Isaac Phew - done and dusted! Today was the Port Macquarie Half Iron Man race, which also acts as one of the full Iron Man qualification races in Australia, and my target race is the Iron Man here in Port Macquarie on the 28th of March 2010. To say I was nervous from Saturday afternoon onwards would be an understatement, I was pooing myself. Especially after driving some of the cycle course which turns out to be pretty hilly for the first 10km or so (which was all I drove). So, armed with the thinking that the whole bike course consisted of hills only, and really worried about the cycle leg, I got up at 4am this morning, with my packed bag (I packed and unpacked this bag 3 or 4 times over the past 2 days) and headed off for Transition 1 (T1). I was there at 4.45am, one of the first athletes, christened one of the porta loo's with could very well have been some sort of abominable byproduct of nerves, chicken stir fry and 'Up n Go'! That out the way, I it was 5am, and the bike transition was open. It was awesome to see all that equipment, lined up, realising just how many athletes there were, and then, realising that the full Iron Man has double that number - sensational!! I finished oggling at the bike porn, and started to get my gear sorted, checked, double checked, checked again, pumped my tyres up and went for a nervous run with andrew and jase. they were pretty relaxed which was good to see. 10mins warm up, back to T1, wetsuit on and into the water to get going. After what felt like ages treading water, we were off for the 1.9km swim! I felt very comfortable throughout, except for the leach on my feet and ankles. Gave whoever it was a few boots to sort them out and remind them to do their own work, and I was out of the water in about 23mins. Not sure exact position, but apparently that was pretty much with the front group - great! And I felt fresh still! I was able to easily get into a rythm this time and stretch the stroke out. Into T1, onto the bike and away we go. Through the hills, HR right up there, and already getting passed by the strong riders. It was great, about 20mins into the ride, you actually get onto a highway which is pretty much flat for 20kms or so, and I sat on about 37km/hr pretty much all the way back to the hills. There was some serious drafting going on, but the draft busters were out in full, and showed a fair few yellow cards throughout the day...I did not get one. This race I did none! 2nd lap I tried to back off to 33km/hr but actually ended up a little faster. Got really hectic cramps going up the steep Flinders hill, and knew I was going to have a tough run. I knew I had over extended myself on the ride and coupled with heat and cramping it was making me worried about running a whole 21km and finishing. Into T2 with a bike split of about 2.34 (nearly 30mins faster than I had budgted for) couldn't find my runners because some muppet had put his bike in the wrong spot, about 40secs later, swearing at my socks because I had them on upsidedown, gels in the back pockets and we are off. 1st 4 kms at 4.10pace, feeling okay, but breathing heavy with cramps reminding me they are there, I come to the one and only hill on the course, slow down, and start to back the pace right off....I am feeling the fatigue and badly. I finish the 1st lap feeling knackered, over heating, cramping and now with a stitch which is inflicting pain in my gut which limits my ability to take deep breaths! 2nd lap was a dark one for me.....I was doubting my ability to finish, I walked a bit to try and relieve the cramps in the legs and gut, started taking in coke, High5, water at every aid station and pouring heaps of water over myself trying to cool off. My feet were on fire, my head was probably steaming, mouth dry, gut bloated, legs cramping, stomach sore, but with Rollo telling me I was looking strong (yeah right....) I soldiered on. Highlight of lap 2 was an Indian bloke (who looked like Jesus) with budgy smugglers on....what a site, but good on him for doing it. Lap 3, 4 Gels later, coke, High5, lots of cold water over me (my shoes were now sqwelching), stitch gone, cramping residing I was back to sub 5min/km (after being near 6min/km on lap 2) and feeling much much better. I was into a rythm for the 1ast time on the run, and now knew I was going to finish. The question was, in what time? I knew I would be close to 5hours, but it was not until 3km to go that Rollo said "sub 5 hour mate!" I picked the pace up, and like a horse, smelt the finish line. Into the finishers chute....had some ardvaark want to sprint, held him off and through the line in 4.47! WOW! I nearly shed a tear at the releif of finishing....Andrew M was a few mins (4.52) behind me, so a sensational race from him. INto the medical / recovery tent. The ardvaark who wanted to race the last 100m was poked....needed to be carried in. Serves him right for making me sprint! Good on him for finishing though. A couple of gallons of coke, water melon and ice-cream and fruit salad and NAdrew and I were off to cool off in the water. Just a quick note...in my opinion, the race organisers did a sensational job. There were 800 fantiastic volunteers (almost one per racer) made everything so smooth and easy. They were all so helpful, and friendly so alot of that experience is down to them making it so good. I will write to the organisers to say thanks, because I dont think people get told enough about the good things they do, we tend to focus on the negative, however, this was nothing but fantastic! Well done and thanks to them all! Also a quick note thanks to all those who supported me : my family (obvisoulsy), Rollo and Mitchell, Eddie and his family, Tony and Renee, cheers to you all for yelling out and keeping me going. Unofficially, I came in79th overall, and 24th in my age group which is beyond anything I thought I could do. This race certinaly shows I have a long long long long long way to go to be able to finish a full Iron Man, but Rollo, you have my trust sir! (he predicted I would do between 4.45 and 4.50), the mans knows my level better than I! SO, the unofficial summery from the race, with my goals I said last week are :
The run was a blow out because I pushed on the ride, but I learnt about that today! I will post the official results next week, but all in all, a really satisfying day, and I am so pleased and grateful I was able to do it. - Brett
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Dateline: Monday 02 NOV 09 - Sydney/Gong Ride Kind of like a Half Ironman but without the swim or the run or racing against the clock, Matt and Anne Porta took part in the Sydney/Gong Ride on Sunday 01st November. Former Ironman Hawaii competitor Matt managed to keep up with his wife Anne for the entire 90km, but she pulled away in the last kilometre to leave her husband in the dust!
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Dateline: Monday 06 OCT 08 - Gold Coast Half Ironman Results and Race Report Several of our CCTRI Club Members took part in the Gold Coast Half Ironman over the weekend, and did the Central Coast proud. Below are the times and results:
Race Report from Andrew Mildren Arrived on Friday afternoon 10 hrs drive that went quickly with a talking book CD (well recommended). Met up with Steve McKellar on Saturday, we drove up to book our bikes in. It was about a 45min drive from Coolangatta. When we arrived we went for a bike ride up part of the course. The wind was very strong and the course was very exposed. Started to worry a bit about the race and the temperature was about 30 degrees. - Andrew Mildren
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Dateline: Monday 21 SEP 09 - Blackmores Sydney Half Marathon Results CCTRI members Brett Isaac and Andrew Mildren both raced in the Blackmores Sydney Half Marathon on Sunday 20th September. Brett finished in 82:35 - finishing 65th overall and 17th in the 30-34yrs age group. This was a 40 minute improvement on last years' time for Brett, and a 4 minute personal best for the half-marathon distance. Andrew clocked 82:23 finishing 61st overall and 7th in his age group. Well done guys! |
Dateline: Monday 14 SEP 09 - Suzanne Chandler, World Championship The Central Coast can add another World Champion to the roster in the form of Suzanne Chandler of Picketts Valley - winning her age group at the International Triathlon Union World Championship Series Grand Final on the Gold Coast over the weekend. Suzanne completed the Olympic Distance 1500m swim, 40km cycle and 10km run a mere eight seconds ahead of her nearest rival in the 35 – 39 year old women’s race with a time of 02:08:54. (To bring that into perspective, Beijing Olympic Bronze Medalist Emma Moffat took out the Elite Women’s division at the same event with a time of 1:59:14) Other local triathletes and members of Central Coast Triathlon & Multisport Club to perform well at the World Championships include Adam Cartmell of Holgate who finished second in the Aquathlon World Championships (2.5km run, 1km swim and another 2.5km run) for the 25-29 male age group with a time of 31:49, and Sasha and Jasmine Frankel of Terrigal who competed in the 16 – 19 women for the same event. The twins finished 4th and 5th respectively – Sasha crossing the line in 36:39 and Jasmine finishing in 37:57. |
Dateline: Friday 04 SEP 09 - Best Enemies Okay, it's not triathlon, but two of our club members and good mates Chris Smith and Trent Hughes are facing off against each other in the Central Coast Football Premier League Grand Final. The Central Coast Express Advocate caught up with our two club-mates to cover their friendly rivalry. (Makes you wonder what their rivalry come triathlon season will be like!)
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Dateline: Sunday 30 AUG 09 - Lake Macquarie Half Marathon results Quite a few of our members skipped the August Duathlon to head up to the other end of the lake to take part in the Lake Macquarie Half Marathon on Sunday 30 AUG 09. Some of the results posted in so far include:
Viv Walker did the 10.5 Fun Run in just over an hour. More results will be forthcoming as more people check in, so if you'd like to see how your clubmates went, keep checking back. |
Dateline: Wednesday 12 AUG 09 - Wetsuit Sale at The Edge Cycles Massive 40% OFF all Orca Wetsuits. All wetsuit specs available on our site www.theedgecycles.com.au Please email or ring for availability on stock and sizes. Ph 02 43211566 or gettheedge@theedgecycles.com.au No return policy on Sale Items! |
Dateline: Monday 10 AUG 09 Several CCTRI members took part in the 2009 City 2 Surf in Sydney on Sunday 09th August, and achieved the following results:
These are just the results for those that have checked in thus far, but we're sure that more results will be posted over the next few days as club members send in their finishing times! Check back soon! |
Donna Egger and Donna Taylor recently competed as a team in the Kathmandu Adventure Race held at Glenning Valley. Here's the race report in Donna Egger's words: "We started off with a run up and around the mountain I walked most off that, it was hard on ur legs and bloody cold about 7 degrees ice on the grass still, when we got there it was 4 degrees. U have to find check points and there is a different hole punch for each 1. Once we where half way we had to scrub our shoes and step into disinfected. We made it to the top and then we got to run down the mountain jumping over falling trees boulders and slippery mud slides. Run across the paddock on to our bikes looking for check points this was ok and I thought I can do it, we were looking for last check point number 13 until we find out there is more, write up ur map for another 13 check points we where still feeling good at this stage until I found out we had to do climb of 2.2k up a windy road that was mentally and physically tough. I didn't want to go any further they told me its all down hill from here. So we went cross country riding through mud sand water this was good heaps of stacks it was like stacks on baby lol. This was the dangerous thing we had to come down a 400m drop with our bike no riding just dropping ur bike holding on to it and getting urself down it was an experience i wish never to feel again lol. Once down we had a 4k ride back to the start to hop on kayaks about 1.5 to 2ks not sure how far, then a swim across the river the water was 10 degrees bloody cold they had a rope there if u had to be pulled across. Then to finish off with a 2k cross country run. It took 4.5hrs happy I did it, and now I will do endurance training so i can do another 1. so who's in for the next one?" |
Dateline: Tuesday 05 AUG 09 - Two Donna's Get Adventurous
On Sunday 26th July CCTRI club member Roger Belmar competed in the NSW Masters Long Distance Short Course Swimming Championships at Kurri Kurri. Due to time restraints competitors could only enter two events, so Roger chose to do the 1500m freestyle and the 400m freestyle. In a 25m pool the hardest thing in a 1500m race is to keep count of the laps you have done and how many to go but luckily Roger managed to count to 60 correctly, and finished in a time of 19.20 which was quick enough for gold. In the 400m he also won gold in a time of 4:49. |
Dateline: Monday 27 JUL 09 - Roger Belmar at the NSW Masters
Dateline: Friday 17 JUL 09 - Club Name Change Less than two years ago, Mingara Triathlon Club had 76 active members and around 30 people racing each month. Fast-forward to today, we just finished the financial year with over 300 members. Our races which are limited to 100 senior racers are selling out and we often have 25+ juniors competing as well. With such massive growth in members, it has become increasingly obvious that we need to grow the club as well. We need more equipment to keep our races safe and enjoyable, such as more bike racks, more signage and course markers, improved swim exit matting, and more. We need a bigger trailer to cart our equipment around in. We may also look at computerised timing chips and a race time display clock down the track. As well as the extra equipment, we plan to hold more races around the Central Coast to cater to our increased member numbers:
With all of these increases comes increased costs. Whilst the club has appreciated Mingara Recreation Club's support over the past several years we now need the ability to approach businesses from all over the Central Coast for sponsorship dollars. We also need the ability to promote ourselves and our events without restrictions at other clubs and gyms. Lastly, we need to identify with the entire Central Coast from the Northlakes area to the Peninsula without tying our image or promotion to one particular area or business. Therefore, the club will now be known as Central Coast Triathlon & Multisport Club. This name reflects the fact that we have members from all over the Central Coast. It focuses on our traditional and core goal of providing high-quality triathlons for our members. It also says that we are also offering extra multi sport events such as duathlons, aquathons and may even include quadrathlons or adventure races in future. Thankfully, Mingara has also recognised our need to expand and is happy for us to rebrand ourselves and rename our club. They have agreed to continue supporting Central Coast Triathlon & Multisport Club and will stay on as one of our major sponsors. We have a new logo with has been designed in conjunction between a professional signwriter and a professional web designer. This will be included in all advertising and promotion we do - from signs and flyers to polo shirts and race uniforms. In conclusion, the name change from Mingara Triathlon Club to Central Coast Triathlon & Multi Sport Club illustrates our commitment to both tradition and growth. It will ensure that our existing triathlon races are maintained at the high level they have become as well as helping us lay the foundation for catering to our increasing number members and ensuring the health and prosperity of our club into the future. - The Central Coast Triathlon & Multi Sport Club Committee
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Dateline: Monday 16 MAR 09 - Tough Bloke Challenge The Tough Bloke Challenge (www.toughblokechallenge.com.au) was held on Sunday 4th July, and ten Coasties took on the dirt and mud of this unique time trial race. Everyone was a tad on the muddy side by the end, but all had an awesome time! Bus trip with CCTRI running singlets next year...
- 'Dog' Musgrave, Tough Bloke |
