2006 almost over....
After a turbulent year, 2006 is almost over. I spent most of the year trying to figure out just what the hell I wanted to do. I'm glad I decided to finish the year with the trip to Australia. Probably the best decision I made all year.
Since my post about starting my training season again, my life has revolved around getting back to a regular routine and improving my diet. Eat, work, train, sleep. Pretty simple stuff, but much needed after a month and a half of moving around and too much fast food.
I should explain "improving my diet". This has meant, no dairy, no sugar, no bread. It also means no booze... but there's too much good Aussie wine for that to happen. If you can get in Canada, you should also try
Coopers Beer, great stuff from a commercial brewery, especially thier "Best Extra Stout". The new diet has done wonders for my energy levels, and hopefully my overall health. I still cheat now and then.... my addiction to bakery goods is strong!
There has been time for some entertainment.... I went to the new James Bond flick, Casino Royale. In my opinion, best bond movie ever! As well, there was a Christmas party/piss-up downtown with Heather's co-workers. A few too many pints that night, but all good fun, partying with the Aussies was great.
Before moving to Adelaide I posted to the Australian triathlon internet message board to get more information on the best place to live and train in Australia. I already had a good feeling I would end up in Adelaide, so I started communicating with Helen who runs the
Tribe Triathlon Club. She gave me tips on where to live and train before moving. I met Helen, and her partner
Scott at their small club triathlon in Woodside, a small town in the Adelaide Hills on Dec. 17. About a week later, Helen sent me an email asking me if Heather and I would like to house-sit thier place in Balhannah over the Christmas holidays. It sounded like a great chance to get out of the busy city into a quiet rural setting, so we said ok!
So, right now, I am writing this post from their house in Balhannah. It is approximately 25km outside Adelaide in a community that is retirees, livestock farmers, wineries, and orchards. It is gentle rolling hills covered with excellent bitumen roads for cycling and running. There is a pool about 6km down the road we can swim in as well. The first couple days out here were a bit dreary. For the first time since moving to Adelaide, we have had some cool, rainy weather. A welcome relief from incessant heat and sun, but we had hoped for nice weather to enjoy Christmas. Oh well..... I guess I could be fighting snow back home!
We've managed to get a few decent training sessions in the hills. The roads are even better than I imagined. The drivers, while fairly aggressive, seem to respect cyclists, I never feel in as much danger here as I do back home. I have heard horror stories about how the drivers treat cyclists in other parts of Australia, so I am pleasantly surprised. I suppose it has something to do with the sheer number of cyclists here.
Yesterday, a trip down to Brighton Beach for my first long ocean swim. The water is only about 19C, so we opted for wetsuits. The ocean here is sheltered by the Fleurieu Peninsula, so the wave action is pretty minimal. It is surprisingly clear, and quite salty, but lacks much sea-life near the beaches. I have yet to see anything in the water. That's not such a bad thing.... because if you have schools of fish.. you get sharks! The beaches are also patrolled by land and air (to spot any sharks) by the Surf Lifesavers.
Today (Dec. 29) we went out for a run in
Belair National Park. We both felt a bit tired, so it turned into a hike. A very interesting place. It's a mix of typical Australian bushland, and a mish-mash of non-indigenous plants planted by various settlers in it's early development. Strange to see four California Redwoods in Australia.. that is for sure! We followed that with some good pizza and a pint from Grumpy's, the local craft-brew pub down the road.
On another note, I'm starting to adapt to the Australian way of life. I bought myself a pair of "boardies" (surf shorts), and a pair of "thongs" (flip-flops, no... not the underwear). I swear if Australia had a national shoe.. it would be the thong. I've also watched a bit of the Ashes Cricket series... the Australians have far outplayed the "Poms" (British) and won the series.
Not much planned for New Years Eve. We will probably move our gear back to the city from Balhannah, then probably go to bed early. Yeah, I know... booooring! I'd rather get up early on New Years day and ride down the coast while everyone is still sleeping off their hangover from the night before. I kinda wish I was in Sydney though, the fireworks display from the Harbour Bridge is one of the best in the world.
Ok, hope that is a good enough update for now! Sorry, no pics, I keep forgetting the camera. I promise to try and remember is from now on.
Something Silly...
While I take the time to finally update my blog, here's a time waster...
Find the "theme song" for you life by entering the date of your
18th birthday, then clicking on the American flag (for the american music chart), or the UK chart if you wish...
http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/member/birthdayno1.php
Victoria International Half-Iron announced
Just announced, a
new half-iron race, May 26 at Shawnigan Lake, which is about 1 hour NW of downtown Victoria.
I like the timing of this race better than the New Balance 1/2.... I think I may do it!
New Triathlon Race Series
The Halifax and California races are very tempting...
http://www.trioneoone.com/Free entry and home-stays for pros.. and good prize money.. shoud bring out the competition!
2007 Season starts today!
Today is the official kick-off to my next triathlon season. A much needed 3 weeks off after Canberra has me feeling fully recovered, refreshed and mentally ready. Now, 6 weeks of nice, easy training, building the volume slowly, to get myself ready to do some hard work again. I've updated my race schedule, just picked a few races I might be doing... nothing in stone as I haven't figured out where/what I'll be doing when I return to Canada yet.
I'm hoping to do many short course events next year, as I miss the fast paced racing. There is a small possibility I may be crazy enough to enter a
late season Ironman race. For those who like to read my training logs.. I will be updating them again, starting today.
And for all of you back home stuck on your bike trainers... the riding here is OUTSTANDING. Hot, sunny and dry every day, and more routes through beautiful vineyards than I can possibly explore in the time I'm here. :-)
The pic above is Norwood Pool where I do my swimming.
I never thought I'd say this...
It's TOO HOT for me. It's 11:55am here.. the temps are almost at the projected high of 41C. My electric bill from the A/C is going to be outrageous. There's not much we can do in this, but pack our gear and head to the beach. I know.. tough right? But you can only spend so much time at the beach as the UV index is extreme. I think when I return to Canada, it will be to a nice temperate climate like Victoria.... either extreme of heat or cold is just very unpleasant!
And some good news, Heather finally found a REAL job doing her chemistry work! She was hired, as she had hoped, in the wine industry at a bottler/distributor doing some sort of quality control testing.. or some other chemical thing I don't understand. It was looking likely, before yesterday, that she would be working as a waitress. They are not fond of hiring temporary visa workers in skilled positions in Australia, and I don't blame them.... travelers are usually unreliable.
ITU World Long Course Championship 2006 Race Report
After traveling to, but not competing at, the ITU LC World Champs in 2005, I was determined that I would get myself a spot for the 2006 edition. I have always wanted to compete for Canada, and I thought the distance was just about perfect, 4km swim, 120km bike, and 30km run. Also known as the “O3” distance (triple Olympic with shortened swim), or the “Nice” distance, I felt this distance was suited to my abilities and my training schedule. It also took place November 19… at the end of the North American season, so I had no reason not to get some solid training in. I secured my spot at the Victoria ½ Iron. While I didn’t have the best race there, just completing the course was enough to get on the Canadian team. Each country is allowed 8 competitors per age group, and none of the age groups was completely full. After finalizing my flight for Australia, I contacted Triathlon Canada, paid for my race fees and uniform and was ready to go.
THE COURSE
2 lap swim in Lake Burley Griffen central basin. Great views of the parliament and various capitol landmarks.
4 lap bike around the capitol, including a tough but short climb out of Coppins Crossing each lap. Some duller highways, a few pretty scenic sections, and right through the center of town past parliament.
3 lap run – starting/ending at transition in Commonwealth Park and running along, and around the spectacular National Museum of Australia.
MORNING
04:00 - the alarm went off and I was running around at top speed trying to get all my stuff sorted. 04:45 - taxi arrives to take 6 of us from U of Canberra to race site
05:10 – arrive at race site. Temps are a bit cool, but rising fast. Put on sunscreen (not enough!)
06:00 – bike is ready, warm-up complete, put on wetsuit and wander down to watch elite start
06:30 – elite men start, looks pretty aggressive!
06:32 – elite women start
06:35 – age group women start
06:40 – men 40+ start, I jump in water and swim the 250m to the start line. Water temp is perfect for racing… about 17.5C.
06:45 – WOOT! Air horn signals the under-40 male start. The large start line allows plenty of room. I set off at a steady-pace… trying to hold back.. long swim ahead
SWIM
Lap 1 – very hard to site tiny yellow and white buoys, I go a bit off course, land-marks are decent though. Foot cramps at 1900m. shake it out and continue.
Lap 2 – haven’t had anyone to draught for most of the swim. Legs are full on cramping now.. arrgh! I try to kick more… it makes it worse. I start to pass the slower 40+ men and a few women.
I leave the water… in about 1:10? Finish the long run (400m) to transition. Plenty of bikes gone… but no worries, I didn’t expect to be tops in the swim. Sun has fully risen.. it’s going to be a hot one.
BIKE
Lap 1 – getting into nice rhythm about 5km in, I notice my chain is skipping. Damn. I put the connector link on backwards. Easy fix, but have to stop, lose about 45 secs as I switch it. I get going again, and notice draft marshals are out in force, eager to bag their quota of penalties. A little nervous about picking up a penalty in the tight field, I push it a bit to keep passing. I think I burned a few too many matches here and would pay for it later.
Torbjorn Sindballe RIPS by me, with Kieren Doe close behind. Torbjorn (the eventual race winner) commented after that it was one of toughest courses he’s ridden. It’s definitely tougher than it looks on paper. Kieren DNF… probably not a good idea to try and stick with Torbjorn!
Lap 2 – Starting to find a rhythm. It sure is getting hot, air is calm. Wish we had some wind. Notice plenty of people fixing flats… lots of tiny thorns out here, not a good course for clinchers. Brand new tubulars keep me rolling. Legs aren’t feeling that good… heavy and almost like they will cramp. I pass Heather, she isn’t smiling, looks to be toughing it out though.
Lap 3 – The wind I wish for arrives. Hot and dry, straight from the north… feels like a furnace! I stay low in the bars and make progress to the back side of the course. I wish there was no wind now! A pack of European pro’s lap me, the only blatant drafting I saw out there. Finish my last bottle and toss it passing transition. Water and V energy drink to get me through lap 4.
Lap 4 – legs feel like crap! Yes… went too hard early on. I back off and try to recover for the run. I pound my can of V. I have no sugar the last 20-25min of the bike... I should have grabbed some Enervit at the last aid station... oops! I drink my water... feeling weak.
I slowly dismount and jog into transition. The pavement is rough chip-seal and hot… tough to run on. Ouch! 3:48(?) bike time.
RUN
Lap 1 – Right away I know things are bad. My legs are on the verge of cramping and I can barely run 5:30/kms. I know I'm low on calories, and probably electrolytes as well so I start pounding the Enervit. Temps are now in the high-20’s or maybe over 30. There is little shade. I'm regretting forgetting my salt tabs in Canada.
Lap 2 – things aren’t going much better. I get plenty of cheers from the Canadian spectators. I keep seeing Heather on the out and back sections at the same point, keeping pace about 4km’s behind. One of the Euro pro's from the earlier draft pack on the bike passes me on his final lap.... he cuts a corner on the course right in front of me. Wonder if he found a way to cheat in the swim too?
Lap 3 – I start to revive a bit, don’t know if it’s the Enervit, coke, or just knowing it’s my last lap and I can get out of this hot sun! I walk the last hill at 4km to go… my legs cramp when I try to run it. I keep my speed on the downhill and suffer to the finish. It feels like I’m moving so fast, but really I’m just a bit faster than before.
Run time.... 2:45? I'll take it! Honestly... I was surprised I didn't walk the whole thing. I don't think I've felt that bad on a run since my first Ironman in 2002 where I went in way under-prepared.
I cross the finish line with a Canadian flag in hand, and make a quick beeline to the nearest shade. Surprisingly, I’m 4th Canadian across the line. Overall time was a couple seconds over 8 hours. I have a nice sunburn and a few aches, but I don't feel nearly as bad as after an Ironman.
A very fun time, I wish I could compete next year in France, but my funds probably won’t allow it. Found it tough to train for a late season race, I just wanted to rest and relax with everyone else during the fall. Now, 3 weeks of almost ZERO training to recover and get ready for next season.
A place to live
Finally, moved into a nice
apartment in Leabrook, an eastern suburb of Adelaide.
In case you wanted my snail mail address it is:
15/15 Statenborough Street
Leabrook (Adelaide), SA
5068
It's a long way from the beach, but it's less than 2k from the hills (great riding and running), and right between two 50m outdoor pools, both about 1km away. Sweet!
The weather is slowly heating up.... high of 38C tomorrow. Most days peak over 30C. The locals tell me February can really cook into the 40's. Most of Adelaide goes to the beach in that kind of weather... I'll be there too! The oddest thing about the weather... never any clouds. It's perfectly clear and sunny every day. There was a short rainstorm one day and that was it.
Went down to the
beach on Tuesday for a short ocean swim and some sun. Forgot the sunscreen.... oops! That meant no more than 1/2 hour out there the UV index was probaby 12 (extreme). I'm definitely going to have to invest in a rash guard (that's protective surf shirt for all you prairie people) even when I remember to bring sunscreen. The water is clean and clear... and decently warm.. probably over 20C. No jellyfish or sharks to report, yeah!
Adelaide, almost settled
It's a been a trying couple of days here.
After getting setup in our hostel since we arrived in Adelaide we have been searching desperately for accommodation. With the city quickly filling up with travelers and other visitors for the summer, the competition for furnished apartments and shared housing here is fierce. With several days left in our stay at
Hostel 109, we let a few of the first places we looked at go. No worries, right?
Monday evening, we booked a
cheap tour of the McLaren Vale, one of the premier winery areas in the country. Smaller than some of the other regions, but renowned for great wine. We figured it was too good to pass up. Well... we're waiting Tue morning to go on the wine tour when the hostel owners tell us that our room has been overbooked! They figured we could get more days, but the Cricket fans started to fill up all the accommodation in Adelaide for the Ashes test on the weekend. We had to pack our bags immediately, and the hostel owners would move them while on the tour.
After the wine tour, we were moved to friends of the hostel owners who had an extra bed in their house. The only problem.. they have just sold their house and are preparing to move. So our time is very limited here as well! We have been going over the apartment listings every day and there hasn't been much to view. However, we have FINALLY found a place, which we look at tomorrow morning, which unless it's a crack-house, we will take. And on the plus... it's in our price range and has the best location of any place we have looked at! Close to TWO 50m pools, the hills, not far from the CBD.... it's where we originally wanted to live when we arrived in Adelaide.
Anyways.... I'll post here tomorrow after I move (HOPING I MOVE!), and will try and get some pics up of our
McLaren Vale wine tour and the apartment.
FYI, the wineries we toured were:
Wirra WirraHugh HamiltonD'ArenbergChapel Hill WineryOh yeah... more cool events going on in Adelaide:
Kylie Minogue just played here
Robbie Williams is on Sunday
Ashes Cricket Test til Tuesday (I think)
Adelaide Internation Tennis tournament (prelude to the Aussie Open)
Tour Down Under cycling stage race in January (pro cycling... woo!)
Clipsal 500, stock car race in the CBD
That's just a few.. Adelaide has a lot to offer!
