Lake Dunstan Triathlon 2nd January 2009

Link to results http://www.cromwell.org.nz/raceresults.asp

Well I drove up to Cromwell for the Lake Dunstan Triathlon to be held on Friday 2nd January. As we drove into central the wind seemed to get stronger and stronger, by the time we got to Cromwell there was a really strong Westerly wind blowing – the race had a Kayak Cycle Run, Swim Bike Run or Duathlon option. I was all geared up for a fun time in the Kayak Cycle Run race only to be told tat there was to be no Kayak Cycle Run race as the lake was too rough – I always enjoy the rough as it sorts out the paddlers from the highway paddlers. Anyway the option was to do the duathlon or the swim triathlon. I had thrown my wetsuit and goggles in the car for some reason so decided to do the swim tri (about 100m into the swim I remembered why I prefer multisport races and Kayaking!) Anyway the swim was pretty short 300m or so, I took off at a good pace only to get a good gulp of water in the mouth about 100m into it which had me having a small coughing/gulping/spluttering fit! Anyway got the swim out of the way – not at great speed really, but onto the bike and time to hammer it a bit. The cycle stage was an out and back 22km so I gave it heaps here and was passing cyclists all the way – one advantage of the slow swim – playing chase all the way and then onto the run which was about 5km around the lake side – gave it heaps here and continued to reel in lots of people, Finished the raced in 1hr10min – a pretty short quick race compared to the usual races I am used to., Quite enjoyable having a crack at trhe swim tri as it has been a while since I have been foe a swim let alone done a swim tri! Finished 9th Open Man.

Kaitangata Black Gold XC MTB Race - 16th November 2008

An awesome 45km MTB race around some fantastic purpose built single track along with farm land, forest roads and a very small amount of sealed road. The race started off on tarmac at the Crescent Rugby Club before entering forest terrain with and undulating tracks. There is a moderate climb followed by a fast narrow single-track descent back into the forest. Racing took us across farmland, alongside the Clutha River and through bush before the finish at the clubrooms again.
Awesome weather and a great turn out of riders, felt pretty good most of the way and loved the single track stuff. Jumping around 4th - 5th - 6th place for a lot of the ride, but lost a couple of places in the last 5km to finish 8th which i was still pretty happy with considering the numbers and level of riders there. An awesome event - back again definetly!

Kelly's Canter October 2008 - Palmerston - Running

Well a great day for the annual run up to the top of Puketapu Hill and return (about a 4km blast to the top of the hil and back to the town centre). Having been up and down this hill many many times over the years i felt pretty good on this run. A hard pace alll the way and my lungs screaming for Oxygen as i went up and then the legs just holing together as i descended! Leather GArden gloves on for the rough Down hill part at the top made the thistles and rocks less painful! Anyway a great blast up and down, placed 4th overall - 2 seconds off 3rd in a sprint finish.
Won the Chip Dunkley Memorial trophy for the first Open Man home!

Monday 17th March - Goldrush Day 3 - Race

A fantastic 3 days of racing, i think i actually got quicker and stronger over the 3 days which seems crazy, had a real blast and looking forward to improving on some things and coming back next year. Overall i finished up 13th open man individual, pretty happy with this result.

full results from the goldrush can be found at www.goldrush.co.nz

Sunday 16th March - Goldrush Day 2 - Race

Goldrush Day 2... here soon

Saturday 15th March - Goldrush Day 1 - Race

Day ONe Goldrush... Here soon

Sunday 27th January - MTB Race - Otago Peninsula Challenge

Well a great morning for this race, the long course MTB covers 46km from Smails Beach in Dunedin out to the end of the harbour, covering some pretty amazing terrain and scenery(not that there was any time to look at the scenery!) There were about 180 riders lined up at the start for the long course mtb. I went inot this event in the mindset that i would just ride as hard as i could and see how i go. Well off at the start and pretty much into a good solid climb, legs were feeling great and i set into a solid pace and just pushed hard the whole way, som e enjoyable down hill sections followed a lot of the climbing. About 3/4 of the way through the couse i passed a man watching and he told me i was in the top ten!! so this gave me m ore energy to just keep hammering it. Well a really solid race pushing hard the whole way, all my hill rides are paying off. Came in in 2hrs31min and ws 7th really happy with this result.

MTB Race 7th, 2hrs 31min, 46km

Saturday 29th December - Race - Clutha Classic

Went up to Wanaka to paddle in the annual Chutha Classic Kayak race, a paddle from the Wanaka lake front across the lake to the start of the Clutha River and then downt he river to Maori Point near Tarras. A total distance of 59km. A good solid paddle, the river was flowing very fast and high at about 300cumecs which made for some big boils, swirls and wave trains. This was the first time i had been on moving water since Coast to Coast in Feb 2006!!! So really just a recce down to see how things are looking for the goldrush in March. The first part of the paddle across the lake was pretty much a solid crank into a light chop, playing chase as my boat is classified as cat1 and all paddlers in these started on a 23min handicap! Down the river there was a fast flow and even on the flats in this river you need to keep working as the biols and swirls are quite unpredictable on your paddle entry and strokes. The first noteable rapid to come to is the Pioneer rapids, a big long bouncing wave train that curves around a bit, I actually thought this was still to come and it weasn't until i found myself bouncing through some massive waves that i thought , oh shit i'm int eh wrong line of this one, 2 waves from the end and i stuffed up a stroke and tool a tumbe! tried for a roll but was heading for trees and other obstacles, quickly a throw rope from a jet boat and a tough tow to the side to empty out and carry on, carried on down the river playing a bit of chase on the 10min or so lost to the swim, Around the 'Devils Elbow and through 'Shitters Ditch' no worries, a few people taking the wrong lines through 'shiters Ditch' as there were some massive waves and a few swimmers getting plucked out as i passed through it no worries. Grind onto the end to fuinish the paddle in about 3hrs, not a confident and strong as i would have liked for today but gives me some things to focus on in my training over the next month or two.

Kayak 3hrs 59km

Saturday 15th December - TEVA Race Methven

Well i had a great day in Methven on Saturday racing in the 'Teva Methven Big day at the office' multisport race. There was a pretty strong field of athletes lined up to race, there were some prett solid efforts put in by all and the heat was just sizzling!!

It all started with a mass cycle for 40km, this ride was a good warm up for the run, the first ride was over in just over an hour and it was onto the run for the 24km around the Mt Somers walkway and over the saddle int he middle of this run, this run last time I raced this race severely punished me so I knew what I was in for and stuck to my pace and plan for the run, it worked because I ran the run 25min faster than the last time i raced, coming out of the run in 3hr2min i felt pretty good, onto the bike and formed a small bunch with a couple of others and once we had a few words to a couple of 'hitchikers in the bunch and got them working we made some good efforts for the next 30km, onto the paddle after this and i was feeling about as dry as a rasin! chopping back the fluids and pushing on to cover the 9km paddle and 3km run to the finish in an ok shape! So true to name a big day at the office!! Felt much better than the previous time i raced this and finished an hour faster. Came in in 6hrs30min and was 18th Open man and 30th in the whole race, really happy with this and puts me on track for the other events planned for the season. Here is a link that will direct you to the website with the full race results: http://www.ashburtononline.co.nz/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=93515&Itemid=226

Race consisting of Cycle 40km/Run 24km/Cycle30km/Kayak9km/Run 3km = 6hrs 30min

Results Teva Multi Sport Race 2007

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Sunday 4th November - Kayak Race - Pilots Beach

24km Kayak race from Pilots Beach at Tairoa Heads down the harbour to finish at Vaxuhall Yacht Club. The race was hld on the incoming tide so this was of a good assistance. The first 30min i was feeling a little average until i got inot the rythmn of things. I paddled hard the whole way to finish 4th in the line placings in a time of 1hr43min. The fastest time of the day was 1hr 32min. I am unsure of my placing relating to time. below are the reslts from the ODT Paper

Kayaking OTAGO Results of the final race of the winter/spring kayak series from Pilot’s Beach to Vauxhall (24km) held yesterday.– Handicap placings: G Swanson, 1hr 45m 15s, 1; G Ramshaw, 2; D Wilson, 3; A Sloan, 4; B O’Neill, 5; G Newton, 6; F O’Connor (fastest time), 7; S Thomas, 8; D Allan, 9; C Neiper, 10; J Revie, 11. Series winners — Men: D Wilson, 1; S Thomas, 2; G Newton, 3; B O’Neill, 4. Women: J Revie, 1.

Sunday 14th October - Outram Hill Free Half Marathon

Well I brushed off the most of the cold/cough last week and went out to Outram on and ran the R&R colours around the roads in the Half marathon which incorporated the Otago Half Marathon champs race. Feeling ok but not 100% I had an ok run.
The race was completely flat so I anticipated a quick time but there was a massive southerly wind with rain just pouring down so it was cold windy and wet!! Running in a group of 4 pushing along the first 10-15km went well and held onto 4min ks for this but the cold had my chest gasping a little and the last kms were a little slower, finishing a windy course in 1hr30min41sec, not my fastest but the winning time of 1hr18min was down a little on expected times possibly due to wind and weather.

Overall a good hard run which will all help in build up for summer multisport racing.

I finished 5th Open man and 14th overall from about 70 runners.

Sunday September 9th - Dunedin Marathon 2007

Well the Dunedin Marathon has been and gone. The race started out at Otakau which is at the end of the Otago Harbour. Starting at 8am we ran from here along the harbour edge towards Dunedin before heading back out the other side of the harbour to the finish in Port Chalmers.

As this was my 4th Marathon I am becoming wise to some of the strategies in running this distance... Start slow and build into it, the race and the effects of the distance don't really take effect until after the 30km mark!!

Heading from the start inot town I settled into a comfortable pace, running about 5min/k's which was a nice easy pace to hold onto. I saw a few eager punters steaming along puffing at about the 10km mark, as they passed me I thought to myself "I'll be seeing you later on down the road". Along the way I was very lucky to have Cherie cheering me on and providing drink and motivation, a big help in a run this length. As I neared Dunedin I had to make a quick stop at the Vaxuhall Yacht Club Loos - a very welcome relief.

Passing along the head of the Harbour and around to Logan Park past the 30km mark I was still feeling fine and maintaining a comfortable pace. It was here we met up with the half marathon walkers and started to pass them, it was here also that I started to see and pass other marathon runners who had gone out too hard in the first part and they were walking and cramping up, a lesson I had learnt in previous marathons.

Still with the support of Cherie I made my way towards the end, the last 5-7km were pretty painful as my muscles were now pretty fatigued. Up over the Roseneath Hill with Cherie running alongside and over to give it all I had left for the last 2km to the finish, the last km you always seem to get a little spike of energy from somewhere.

Anyway along the road and down the finish shoot to finish in 3hrs35min. Not the fastest time I have done, but by far the best I have felt, managing to run strong and steady for the whole duration. More learnt now for next time!

Placed 22nd Open man and 46th overall from the 132 runners. for full results you can go to http://www.moromarathon.co.nz/


Run 42.2km, 3hrs35min