Fast as you can, or fast as you need

Here's a hypothetical to consider…you're in a race, at or near the lead - but off pace from a PB - and feeling confident that you've got the measure of the field to take out the win. Do you:
a) Go as fast as you can to gain as large winning buffer as possible?
b) Go only as fast as necessary to maintain a comfortable gap and ensure a win?
c) Get cocky and put on a "show" for the spectators?

I'm guessing your answer will be "it depends" because it depends on so many things, like how hard the course is, the length of race, how long will it take to recover…when is my next race, what are the rewards, what is at stake, motivation and more. At the end of the day they only hand out first prize to the first person across the line, so the consummate professional athlete might look to minimise risks and get the job done…albeit without much spark or pizzaz. It would be a little like watching Roger Federer toy with some hapless qualifier in the early rounds; dour but effective.

However, if I was watching from the sidelines the purist in me would love to see an athlete stretch themselves to demonstrate the range and extent of their capabilities and talent; to put on a show of relative excellence as they clear away from the field. It’s a show of quality rather than a cocky show-off, where spectators can watch, see and appreciate an athlete at the top of their game. Think of someone like the late Sammy Wanjiru clearing away from the field in the Beijing Olympics marathon – all class while going as fast as he can.

Therein lies the contrast between going as fast as your can, or as fast as you need…the scenario will usually dictate which course an athlete ultimately takes. There’s a lot more factors which might contribute to a performance decision which eventually plays out in front of the (paying) public…if not through tickets then through their support of sponsors being promoted by athletes.

The ability to be successful by only going as fast as you need is self-fulfilling…allowing athletes to race frequently, winning prizes and keeping their sponsor’s product(s) front and centre. These athletes learn the art and skill of self-preservation, and it’s all seemingly ideal until the athlete is shown up and put in a situation where they actually do need to go as fast as they can in order to be competitive, which at the very least upsets their routine and more likely is a wake-up call.

Only going as fast as you need can be somewhat of a comfort zone, where the only problem is that these athletes may not reach or achieve the full extent of their talent or abilities. It's a bit like someone who races consistently well but who misses the high peaks of an athlete who sacrifices some performance because of the bigger goal event - and performance - later on, when they do indeed need to race as fast as they can. It takes courage to plan long-term like this where the implied reason is the rewards (and stakes) of the goal event exceed the benefit of multiple "small time" successes.

Case in point is the IM circuit - and to an extent the ITU circuit however the World Championship Series has changed that - where there are literally dozens of IM races around the world...but only one that really counts...Kona. There are multiple athletes capable of winning multiple IM races each year - and some do - which, as mentioned, serves them well in a career as professional athletes who are maximising and protecting their earning capability. The IM circuit has really only become a rough / loose form guide for Kona because there are so many different place getters...some of whom may not even bother with Kona because they know that even to go as fast as they can won't be competitive.

But once you're in Kona racing as a pro, then there are a lot of athletes planning a race strategy to hopefully get them their best placing possible. All these athletes know that the most important time to be leading the race is in Alii Dve, which brings me to analysis of top-10 historical race split times. By analysis I'm not talking averages or standard deviations, but what it shows in terms of when it's most important to be fastest in the race, to go as fast as you can.

The swim is for ego and glamour. None of the top-10 ever fastest men's swim times ever finished in the top-10 overall, a bit like the fun runner who sprints at the start but fizzles by the first corner. The top-10 ever fastest women swim times does includes several top-10 overall finishers, but that is where it ends. The truism stands - you won't win an IM in the swim, but you can lose it.

Onto the bike and the top-10 ever fastest men does include some winners - and podium finishers - although not necessarily in the year they won or placed in the event. This bears out the pattern of uber-bikers trying to set up a winning lead off the bike, but who mostly failed. Notwithstanding that, the fastest bike riders does closely relate to top-10 overall place getters.

The top-10 ever women bike riders almost reads like a winner's roll-call, with only a few exceptions. That is, most of the women who rode top-10 ever bike splits also won the race reflecting a greater level of consistency across the race than the men achieve.

Then we get to the run, where another truism comes to the fore - especially for the men - that the ride is for show, and the run is for dough. Six of the top-10 ever men's run splits won the race. Women's run split patterns are similar but less decisively weighted in run split order. 5 of the top-10 ever women's run splits won the race.

The common element is that the run is no place to be holding back, where you need to go as fast as you can to close out the race.

Having written all this, I'm certainly not meaning to pass judgement on whether or why athletes might only go as fast as they need rather than as fast as they can, or if in fact this is the case. A win is a win, and in a world where you're only as good as your last race, a solid win ranks higher than a sparkle and pop poor result. And there will always be different opinions depending on the perspective you have of what is important. For me, I love witnessing the pursuit and execution of individual perfection, something that I associate with going as fast as you can.

What it's like being injured

Put your hand up if cannot think of anyone you know who doesn't currently have an injury. I bet there are no hands in the air...unfortunately sporting injuries are a fact of life. A further, revealing question would be to ask how long those people have been injured for - 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or more? Unfortunately, endurance sports injuries have a habit of lasting for a while...overuse injuries which occur over an extended period of time can also tend take an extended period of time to recover.

Then you have athletes who are on the long-term injury list, especially including those who needed surgery to repair the damage done. Regrettably, I was recently one of those suckers having had surgery on my Achilles last June, although my good news story is that I just returned to running racing after exactly a 1 year gap...it wasn't meant to be that long...

This is an article about what is it like being on the long-term injury list - a story numerous other people could also tell - when the physical, mental and emotional demons take their toll on your very being. The experience tests your resolve, and teaches you more about the perspective of life and sport than any book. Inevitably, almost all sports injuries do recover and you do get back in the game more worldly than before, but in the meantime you'll feel like a black sheep in a white flock, and get sick of being asked about it.

Of course, all injuries are different and in my case I was fortunate to have a fairly clear, albeit extended, path to recovery. But for others the only thing worse than not knowing what an injury problem is, is not know how long it will take to recover and the rocky road you must traverse en route. There are multiple points of rock-bottom along the way, perhaps the worst being the news of how bad an injury actually is - the honest truth is often hard to hear, rarely more so when it relates to sport that is part of your life, and an extension of you.

When it comes to injuries, magical silver bullets are few and far between, mainly because there are rarely any quick fixes. Rest to an athlete is like a four-letter word to a saint - it doesn't fit well. When you don't have a timeline for recovery, it is the unknown and lost hope that wears you down. Sports people are generally optimistic by nature, always marking their calendars with upcoming events, but imagine having a blank calendar because you just don't when - or even if, in come cases - you'll be competing again. It sucks.

Athletes are not the only ones to suffer through injuries as those close by also cop the grumpiness...to put it mildly. Spouses, family members, friends, colleagues will all feel some brunt from the injury. When you're injured it's easy to feel that other people just don't get it, which in some cases is probably correct, however it is usually fair to say that whoever is injured loses a bit of perspective about the impact of it, after all, we're not talking life-and-death (I hope!!).

Unfortunately the emotional picture I'm painting is not all that rosy, which is the equal biggest issue along with the physical injury, because as I mentioned earlier one of the biggest lessons from being injured is revised perspective of life and sport. For most of us sport is a passion and an indulgence in an otherwise busy life. In a balanced life an injury would just represents a (temporary) re-balancing of the aspects of life so that it is still fulfilling and enjoyable. The worst thing is to wallow around in endless self-pity...you'll win no friends that way. You need to get over yourself and get on with life.

When you are on the injury list - short, medium or long-term - the best people to help are the ones who are already around you. Good friends prop you up and take your mind off your main problem. I found that putting my energy and support into their endeavours (via coaching) was returned through appreciation and mutual support for my return to activity. Staying involved with your sporting friends - rather than shrinking away - also gives them an insight into your situation. What comes around goes around, so remaining upbeat and optimistic is the best way to deal with what might otherwise be a crappy situation. It's all about perspective.

Suffice to say, no amount of karma - given or received - will necessarily improve your injury condition, but it surely helps to shift your focus until the time comes when you can actually get going again, no matter how small the baby steps are. Rejoice in what you can do, and be sensible...the best predictor of a future injury is a prior injury. Have some humility in that you're not bullet-proof and grateful to have another chance at your sport.

The road back is no less fraught with dangers than the injury path itself. Sometimes it feels like one-and-a-half-steps forward, one-step (or more) back. As long as you keep moving ahead then that is progress. The hardest part is realising that getting back to the fitness level you had before can reasonably take almost as long as the time you had on the side-lines, and not to fast track things because you've had a good day. Week by week your confidence will increase in line with your fitness, and be careful not to fall into old, bad habits which may have led to the injury in the first place. In fact, understanding why an injury occurred is as important as the recovery and re-hab process. I'd say that about 80-90% of injuries are due to mistakes in training of some form or nature.

When you finally line up again in a race, the feeling is like being a new kid at school - excitement, nervousness, anxiety and more. You kind of remember what is ahead and what it will feel like, but there's nothing like the first-hand experience again to shock you back into reality. But the overall feeling is immense joy and satisfaction; the happiness of being "back in the game".

Back in the game!!

When you don't do something for a long time you almost forget what it was like to do it, and wonder if you ever can / will be able to again. I've been in that situation for months post-Achilles operation, even while I've been back running for a while...I hadn't done a running race since 2nd May 2010 at the Puffing Billy Train Race, and the concept was feeling a little foreign.

So with the annual Puffing Billy Train Race being on again last Sunday, what better time to renew my acquaintance with racing than to do it...12 long months later. It certainly wasn't meant to be such a long gap, but it was, and it certainly refreshed my memory of how hard running races are, how much your legs can hurt afterwards...and how much I enjoy the whole experience. But gee, did my legs hurt on Monday and Tuesday...

I've done the Puffing Billy race about 5-6 times before last weekend and love it for the challenge of the course (it is hard), the concept of the race (against the train), the setting (in the Dandenong ranges), and the good times when friends also participate. Each of these things were to the fore on Sunday, which all made for a great day out.

This year we had 11 from our running group entered, with two teams being formed amongst them competing for bragging rights, plus some supporters (spouses) also heading up to cheer us on. Some of us were chasing PBs, some there for the first time, and some really wanted to beat the train which recorded a scorching time last year. Best of all is that everyone wore their "Love the Run" tops!!!

After a delay, an interview with Tony Abbott (visiting Melbourne for the weekend) and the train driver, the 3200 runners were sent on their way for the 13km from Belgrave to Emerald. The first km is mostly downhill, and fast, but then the road turns upwards, downwards and upwards - and onwards - in varying grades, for varying distances - it is a hard course to race on!!! Along the way the train crosses the running route four times, where runners must give way and thereby stopping momentum and slowing overall time.

As for me, well being 12 months short on racing form, and doing little in training to suggest good form, I started conservatively and used my knowledge of the course to (hopefully) measure out my effort across the full distance...which is easy to say!!! So the start felt quite good, especially down the hill, and still strong up the first hill from 1.5 - 2.5km. Then came a long, gradual downhill which feels great to be able to stride out and run smoothly with little effort - bliss!!!

As we approached the first crossing I could hear the train, then see the train coming alongside and couldn't believe it - the train NEVER goes this fast. I was in about 10th place and could see only the first two runners getting over the crossing before the train, which is unheard of. I came to a halt (costing about 10sec) with a group of others which bunched us up as we waited for the train to pass...which seemed to take forever. When we got going the field spread out again, and I settled into about 9-10th placing.

All the downhill makes for a fast first 5km (16:45min), which counts for little since right after 5km mark the route turns left onto a dirt road and upwards, starting out at about 4-5% but feels really hard. This is the hardest stretch of the course, 1.5km of gradually steeper dirt uphill. Even in slowing down I still caught a couple of place to about 6-7th place but with my legs really struggling...although apparently less than the guys I passed, I guess!!! Up to the top it barely levels out and one guy pulled away a little along the plateau before a steep downhill kick.

We crossed the train line twice more but without delay - the train was stopped, waiting at a station right alongside one of the crossings - and I ran steadily in about 7-8th place as the course went along the bitumen road for a couple of kms. The final crossing is just before the Emerald station, at the 10km mark (36:03min), and the road runs alongside the train track before crossing it, and as fate would have it the train drew up alongside as we headed towards the intersection...dammit. It was clear I wasn't going to get through and so along with 4 other guys we stopped, again, to let the train pass...this time for about 20sec.

The only good thing about the stop was seeing the train passengers and getting some cheers, including our group's supporters, which was nice.

The train slowly passed and yet we had to wait a little longer for the flashing lights to stop, then we were on our way for the final 3km to the finish. As if to torment us, the train waited at the station as we ran past, perhaps waiting to make a final sprint itself down to the finish...

Anyway, the 5 runners all ran on and once again spread out for the gradual downhill finish, filling places 5th to 9th. I came in at 8th placing just not having the leg speed to keep up with the faster guys, in a time of 46:22min. Pre-race I thought that top-10 and sub-46min would be a good day, so perhaps without the stops I would have achieved both goals...so in all, a pretty good return to racing.

But our running day wasn't over as 6 of us ran back to the start again, making it a good long run day, and fully deserving of a fantastic brunch at a cafe on the road back home. In our group three of us ran < 50mins, ahead of the train that did an even faster time than last year, in 50:32min. Some more details of our results are here, and photos are here.

The days after the race reminded me of the other parts of racing...sore legs!!! But it was a good kind of sore, and it felt good to be racing again and seeing there is good room for improvement as running continues on. So I think I can say that I'm "back in the game"!!!

New York marathon...false start. Re-start!!

In January last year I wrote an excited blog post about having just entered the New York marathon, however, as events turned out - an achilles operation, in particular - I couldn't run it and instead transferred my entry to this year. Today I received the official confirmation that I'm in and entered, and hopefully 3 others from our running group will be coming along also!!!

It will be an amazing race and trip...now I've just got to get to the start line in one piece.

5 reasons Chrissie Wellington rules the triathlon world

This article is another written from the suggestion of http://www.firstoffthebike.com/ - check there for more great triathlon news and stories...including several of mine!!

It is surely a sign that you've made it in your field when you're simply known by your first name, with no further explanation needed; like when someone mentions your name and everybody just nods in agreement. Think of people like Tiger, Roger, Madonna...and now add to that list, Chrissie. Sure, the circle of interest around triathlon is small, but certainly within the triathlon world - Ironman and I'd also suggest, ITU - Chrissie can be none other than Chrissie Wellington. She needs no introduction.

Chrissie Wellington's feats and accomplishments are well documented, and equally well marvelled at. But in the same way that great sporting champions almost transcend their sport, Chrissie is well on the way to doing the same in triathlons. Here's some good reasons why she rules the triathlon world.

1. She is good.
This is stating the obvious, of course, but Chrissie has the aura she does because in her chosen event she is unbeaten, and unbeatable. Some might say that in order to rule the triathlon world she should have a wider range of performance in other triathlon distances, like tennis players winning on all surfaces, golfers on all courses, etc. However when history is written her results and performances over Ironman distances will stand the test of time. The only other athlete I can think of with a similarly perfect winning record is Herb Elliott over 1500m / mile distance, whom history has elevated to legend status. They both won/win every time.

2. She has raised the performance bar
The greatest athletes in history were not just good, but set new standards of performance in doing so. They performed and won in ways - and by margins - that hadn't been seen before, and became the benchmark for how to compete, whether it's in endurance or more skill-based sports. Athletes like Sergey Bubka, Usain Bolt, Martina Navratilova, Paula Radcliffe and others are in this category and dominated their sport. The history of sport shows these people popping up at infrequent intervals, but whose legacy was to give their competition a kick in the pants to raise their own performance in order to be competitive. And surely, over time, the field caught up only for another standard setter to emerge. Chrissie has had a similar effect in Ironman triathlons.

3. She is humble
To quote from her recent Sth African IM race report, "As I have said before, my goal is for self-improvement, to do justice to my hard work...and to continue to challenge my own limits. I never expected to break the World Record...and in doing so I have challenged my own preconceptions about what is possible. I don’t find it easy. I endure highs and lows just like any other athlete, there are times when my body is screaming, when I don’t know if I can finish, and when I question why on earth I am actually putting myself through this torture. But that’s where the mind takes over, and I draw strength and confidence from people who inspire me."

As much as she is an amazing athlete, she is also very humble in how she assess what she strives for and what she achieves. She manages to maintain a connection with the real world aspirations and dreams of everyday athletes and not appear arrogant, complacent or aloof. She's the kind of rival you'd want to hate, but can't, and in doing so earns the respect and admiration of her peers at all levels.

She also writes the best race reports ever!!

4. Her background is unorthodox
In endurance sports athletes are (usually) rewarded for years - even decades - of consistent toil and hard work from an early age and often peaking in their late-twenties and into their thirties. Chrissie defies that norm and yet is the best in the world after only a handful of years, which followed what seems like pretty average sporting participation growing up. In doing so she developed a very rounded life and perspective - also perhaps a little unorthodox - and could seemingly walk away from the sport and back into a professional working role whenever triathlon loses interest for her...Ian Thorpe gave a similar impression, in my opinion. To have that entry point into triathlons, let alone becoming the best in the world, is just not how it is usually done and only adds weight and credibility to comments she makes about the sport.

5. She is known outside the sport
The best athletes in the world are recognised outside of their sport for the excellence they bring to arena, and their impact on their event. All the people already mentioned easily fit into this category in terms of recognition and admiration for their abilities. Chrissie has gone the closest of any triathlete to achieving such recognition outside of triathlons. The renowned and widely respected web-site, The Science of Sport, named her as their Sportswoman of 2010 with detailed analysis of her performances in a male-female comparison, followed up with similar article after her Sth African IM victory.

In writing about Chrissie receiving this award they commented, “But to be an overall sports person of the year, you can't just win against your rivals, you need to dominate them, move your sport forward a generation, change its history, and become "mainstream".” and, “The conclusion I'd draw then is that Wellington has taken women's Ironman distance triathlon and bounced it forward by virtue of her amazing performances.”


Chrissie Wellington is the “big cheese” in triathlon currently. Although some may argue the merit of a Hawaii IM victory against an Olympic Gold Medal, it is the manner of her performances and what this has done for the sport is why she rules the triathlon world. This is all without mentioning the positive influence she has on female participation in not just triathlons, but sport in general.

I can do that!!

I'm writing this after two of the annual "big city marathons", London and Boston, where some incredible running was put down out on course by the elite runners, and also by a few runners I know who travelled to Boston...knowing some people there makes the results and performances seem a little closer. The same thing happens when you witness live the best athletes in the world compete - you feel like you're a small part of their performance.

Regardless of how near or far you are from great performances, witnessing or hearing or watching or reading enough about them leaves you with the same feeling, "I can do that!!". The best in the world, or even the best in your neighbourhood, make things look easier than you find it and inspire you to believe that you can achieve a level if not the same, then better than you currently are.

The same thing happens after the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and other big sporting events. The number of people who join their local club are great for participation levels, with surely a good number of them sticking to it and becoming long-term members. It seems to be a win-win for everyone, and over time increases the chance for more sporting champions to emerge and inspire even more people.

It all starts with something as simple as people thinking "I can do that!!".

The only problem I can see with the surge of motivation is for people to bite off more than they can chew, and (literally) run into problems. Sometimes the lesson is quick and simple, like the first lap of the block an unfit person might run!! But sometimes it can take longer and more effort to realise that a progressive approach may have been more prudent, like a person signing up for an Ironman and realising a sprint triathlon might have been a good first step as they wallow around in a sea of fatigue. These are extreme cases of a simplistic scenario.

In many cases, and for someone like me, seeing these great performance from both the elite and my peers gives me confidence to step up my preparation a notch and strive to be like them, and believe that only some carefully planned hard work is all that lies between now and my own great performance. It's the stuff of day dreams and goose bumps to be motivated by the outcome, crossing the line bathed in pride and satisfaction about what you've achieved, and provides the energy to push on through the ups and downs. When your goal become part of you then motivation is never an issue.

So if you ever want for some inspiration in chasing your goal, just look to people around you achieving their own goals and say to yourself, "I can do that!!".

When to do the long run

In any endurance sport training program the long session is the foundation and back-bone of the schedule, around which all other training is / should be planned. Put simply, the long session is part of the training constitution!!

In triathlons the need for a long bike and long run session (swimming is a different scenario) must to be planned around competing needs for different types of sessions, recovery, logistics, time, family, work and more. As a result the 'default' solution is usually for the long ride and run to be done on successive days, on the weekend - Saturday and Sunday morning. This approach has served many athletes, however that does not necessarily mean it is the 'best' way of scheduling these sessions.

The 'best' solution would be a situation that is not bound by a 7 day week routine, but since that is reality for most people then you need to be practical and realistic within the prevailing circumstances. So we need to think laterally to consider what is an optimal (as opposed to best) routine for fitting in long ride and run.

A number of well credentialed and experienced coaches advocate NOT doing a long run the day after a long ride, but doing it on a Tue or Thur, for a few good reasons including the following:

• You're better to do your run when your legs are fresher, allowing for a quicker pace.
• The recovery cost of back-to-back long ride and run is greater than by separating them by a few days.
• Sat ride and Sun run is not a true simulation of running of tired legs like you experience in a race.

These are good points that I agree with...to an extent. I could make some counter points summarised by saying that your legs are rarely "fresh" as a triathlete, it's just degrees of tired. Where mid-week may not have long rides, it will have hard bike sessions instead. Get used to it.

As an athlete, and now as a coach, I've considered switching long run timing but have stuck with Sat-Sun routine for the following reasons:

• Age group athletes often don't have time for a long run mid-week, and still get the recovery afterwards during a M-F routine. That is, it is not ideal to do a long run before work, or to run late into the evening.
• If an athlete is struggling / too tired to do a long run the day after a long ride (Sat-Sun) then perhaps they're not fit enough to be doing the distances they're attempting, or they're not making sure they recover well enough on Saturday.
• If you do a long run on Sunday then you have another opportunity mid-week for a medium-long run / double run to boost mileage. If you do a long run mid-week you miss this chance.
• For most athletes, IM athletes in particular, there are only 8 weeks or so (+/- 1-2 weeks) during pre-race build where volumes may be high enough to warrant this kind of change, where changing routine introduces more complications that it solves.
• Long runs are a great chance to run in new and different locations without the hassle of a bike (or consuming even more weekend time), which is only practical on a weekend (Sunday).

These are just a few points, and it is not to say that either approach is 'best', but reflects the different philosophy and routine of athletes and coaches. It is a balance between many things, not the least of which is life schedule and practical logistics - in my judgement, optimal training needs to fit around them in order to have a long-term and sustainable involvement in any sport.

Either way, fitting in the long bike and run should remain as the top priority in any training routine, and ultimately, each athlete will find a schedule that works for them and meets their goals and objectives. To achieve that balance is the greatest success of all.

Patience and Persistence

Athletes the world over fit very nicely with the Type A personality definition, such as being impatient, highly competitive, hostile and aggressive(??), and incapable of relaxation. A very familiar ring for many, I'm sure, which makes two key ingredients of sport rather ironic...patience and persistence. After all, who wants to wait around when you're trying to take on and beat the world?!?!

Patience and persistence are ideal bedfellows - they need each other - and without them you'll never reach your potential.

Patience is the ability to wait with a calm feeling for something you want desperately. It's an area that many of us really struggle with, but improve as we get older...which is experience. As kids, it's hard to see past the here and now; to see the forest for the trees. You know the saying...if only I knew then what I know now...it would all be different (or would it?).

And it can frustrate you to tears, like having to wait until you're 18 to drive a car (or drink!!). The lesson of patience, and the sense of perspective that comes with it, is one that can only truly be learned over time. That's what patience is, allowing the passage of time to unfold so all the variables can play themselves out...even if the end result is the same as you predicted. Learning takes time. Hasten slowly.

Patience is realising that the process of improvement and development takes time, repeating the big and little things over and over and over, each time making a micro-improvement on the previous time. Patience in sports also plays out in competition, in being the steady pace tortoise and not the hare that burns out before the end. Patience allows you to forsee what might happen, and take pre-emptive actions.

Persistence is having the drive to just keep on doing it, overcoming the roadblocks and detours in pursuit of your goal. Persistence can overcome it. If you simply can't figure out how to quite do something, can't recognise when it is time to quit time to accept that you haven't got a chance. The ability to, no matter what the disappointment or set back, to continue to move forward one step at a time is, perhaps more then anything in this sport, an absolute requirement.

So how do you develop persistence and patience? Well the same way you develop as an athlete; practice. You make yourself wait and accept waiting. You make yourself go out the door for those miles when your tired, when it's raining, when it's late at night, when it's zero, when it's snowing. No matter what, and each individual time is a victory. You are going to miss days, you are going to lose. But then somewhere down the line you will think back and realise you can't remember the last time you didn't get out the door, then as Zatopek said "Motivation is no longer a problem."

So the next time you have a crappy race or training session and then have to get up for a session the next day it's raining, remember we have all had these days and the champions are made right there on the mornings when you want nothing more then to sleep a little longer.

New Zealand photos

Earlier this month I was over in New Zealand, initally in Taupo, Nth Island, to support at the NZ Ironman, and then headed to the Sth Island where I met up with Andrea the Christchurch airport and we headed off for 7 days travelling around to see some of the spectacular sights. And spectacular sights they were...here's just a selection of the photos...



On the road from Christchurch to Greymouth on the west coast, over Arthur's Pass, some one of the brilliant views.

Heading up the west coast alongside the mountain range covered in thick forest and some clouds.

Just one of the dozens and dozens on single-lane bridges we crossed that traversed huge river beds filled with snow and ice melt. They would be raging torrents in spring.

A waterfall along the side of the valley leading up to the Franz Joseph glacier.

The Franz Joseph glacier winding down from high up in the mountains.

Another waterfall cascading down, quite dry at the moment but would come to life after rain.

Franz Joseph glacier again, caught in a stunning reflection.

The outflow from the Fox glacier, with chunks of ice washing down the river.

Fox glacier, not quite as spectacular as the Franz Joseph glacier, but stunning nonetheless.

A funny sign which actually means a cattle grid in the road!!

Lake Wanaka in the morning with Mt Aspiring in the distance.

"Engagement hill"...actually called Rock Peak, where I proposed to Andrea. She said yes...phew!!!

Milford Sound - just stunning and spectacular.

Andrea and I did a sea kayak trip to the head of Milford Sound.

Stirling Falls, fed from a glacier and was very windy at the base...we got with about 2m of the base.

One of the other sea kayaks up close to the falls.

Andrea and I on the Tasman Sea.

A mushroom - lots of these along the walking tracks.

A stunning view of a lake on the way back to Queenstown. All the lakes are spectacular.

A gate we went through on the walk up Queenstown hill.

Some rock arrangements further up the Queenstown hill walk.

An artist installation high above Queenstown.

Andrea and I on the top of Queenstown hill - a great view.

The main street of Arrowtown, a historic gold mining town.

 Mt Cook, across a lake on the drive through the middle of the Sth Island.

A statue of a dog on the shore of Lake Tekapo.

View from the hill above Lake Tekapo of the bare and barren mountains in the distance, some with snow and ice on them.

Triathlon tool box

Triathlon is a complicated sport. Not just do you need to master the performance in the three legs - swimming, riding and running - but there's a myriad of equipment you need just to participate, not to mention the planning and coordination to complete training, let alone the logistics of getting everything to a race!!! Who ever said life is simple??

Anyway, once you've got the basic pieces together - swim, bike and run gear - there's a number of other things that I rate as valuable and important to include in your triathlon tool box, that can help both your enjoyment and thus performance in the sport. Here's my top-5 things to include (in no particular order):

1. Power meter
I consider a bike power meter - and running speed/distance device - as the most valuable training and racing tools around. The things you can learn about yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, power profile and more is worth its weight in gold. Then, the way you can use a power meter for training and racing, and maximising your performance is endless. There's a truism that says you can't manage what you can't measure, and a power meter and GPS running device are the ideal measurement devices to provide valuable information to boost how you manage your training and racing. The key thing is, though, to use them as a tool and not be a tool using them!!

2. Recovery strategy
This is not so much an item as a commitment to doing the little things that make a difference to your overall performance. Recovery is everything you do between finishing one session and starting the next one, and rates equally as important as the training itself. You can never over train, only under recover.

Recovery strategy includes the products you use, from self-massage tools, ice baths, nutrition, to complementary activities you perform like sleep, stretching, relaxation, and so on. The better you execute your recovery strategy...the more productive your training will be...and the more improvement you'll achieve.

3. Sunscreen
This one is simple. Australia has a very high rate of skin cancer, and in every bunch of triathletes you'll see all range of sun tan lines on arms, legs and back. Sunburn is dangerous, unhealthy, hurts and is a performance inhibitor. But it is also a preventible performance inhibitor. There's a range of good products to help athletes cover up, eg, summer arm sleeves, not to mention great sunscreens that last. But they don't last forever so make sure you pack sunscreen every day.

4. Efficiency
This tool box item is a skill that is not just limited to triathlons in that the athlete with greatest level of efficiency will get the most return for the effort they put in - the most 'productive' athlete. Think of a race being made up of as many efficient minutes as it takes to complete it, which takes into account both your equipment and your level of physical preparation...and your tactics in combining both of these to maximum effect. Efficiency is developed and practiced during training, from being streamlined in swimming, aerodynamic while riding, and efficient when running, and should become a lasting skill you practice al the time.

5. Passion
Last but certainly not least is an essential attitude you simply must have in order to experience – and achieve – the most from your sport. Passion. Have a passion for training, for knowing your body, for pushing yourself, for learning about performance, for racing, for the people, for being fit, for being outdoors, for your body, for being part of the sport. Immerse yourself and have passion and you’ll never grow tired of it all.

5b. Perspective
A supplementary tool box addition is a healthy perspective about your involvement and participation in sport. Keep it in perspective and keep it real.