As you may know, New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch, was devastated by a 6.3 earthquake at lunchtime on Tuesday 22 February 2011. There have been at least 130 fatalities and five days later over 200 people are still missing.
Kiwis out of Christchurch and people around the world want to know how they can help, and the answer's short. With money. But we all want to feel like we're doing more than just typing our credit card numbers into a box and clicking submit. So we thought we'd go for a run. Wearing red and black, to show the people of Canterbury we love them. And we'd like you to join us for a virtual run. Wherever you are.
Check out http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/run4chch/ for more info
Join me and others in the run!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
IMNZ + Team Timex camp
Well all my new team mates at TeamTimex have been in New Jersey USA at a little pre season camp getting to meet each other, do some testing and sponsor commitments . Me, well I have been head down training, with IMNZ coming up in ten days time. I have seen some of the photos on the net and I cant wait to get hold of some of the new kit though....
I have been having my own little training camp for the last week, with Hiro and Maki from TeamTBB staying at my place, they are both competing at IMNZ. You can see below Maki's JUMP photo, she has a selection of these from all around the world. It a few of the guys after a open water swim last weekend.
At this years IMNZ Timex have a stand and myself and Jo Lawn will be there 11am Thursday and Friday if you want to come by and say hello, you can also check out some exciting new products from Timex.
Time to go, got to fit in another run and bike today....
I have been having my own little training camp for the last week, with Hiro and Maki from TeamTBB staying at my place, they are both competing at IMNZ. You can see below Maki's JUMP photo, she has a selection of these from all around the world. It a few of the guys after a open water swim last weekend.
At this years IMNZ Timex have a stand and myself and Jo Lawn will be there 11am Thursday and Friday if you want to come by and say hello, you can also check out some exciting new products from Timex.
Time to go, got to fit in another run and bike today....
Sunday, February 13, 2011
New Plymouth Half Ironman - 1st place
Well, Saturday morning Tracy and I drove down to New Plymouth which is about 3hrs from Cambridge for the Inaugural New Plymouth Half Ironman. Selwyn and his team put on a great event with the best race pack I think I have ever seen at a race in New Zealand, it wasn’t full of advertising but stuff you could actually use, some goggles, chocolate, squeezys and even a towel + more
Sunday was race day, and it was an absolute cracking Taranaki day, lots of sunshine and quite a strong wind. The race started at the very reasonable hour of 7.30 so we got a little sleep in. Pre race favourite Mark Bowstead took off like a rabbit at the start of the swim and we were all left chasing right from the start. I ended coming out of the water with Brodie Madgwick and another athlete about 1min40sec down on Mark. Up through transition and we even had change tents! Just like Challenge Wanaka or IMNZ, Brodie decided he wanted to check out the action in the girls tent and went in there.....
So onto the bike and it was basically a big tail wind out to the turnaround plus the numerous hills to negotiate, I think the longest piece of flat road was about 3k so it was a definite testing course. At the turn around Mark had increased his lead by about 20sec which I was very happy with as he and his brother James are well known for their biking ability. And Brodie was about 10sec back from me.
We all struggled back in to the head wind and over the hills, I remember going past a sign with 27k to New Plymouth and since I don’t use a speedo thinking “man this is a long long ride” as I thought I must be only 10-15k from home. The last 3-4km is basically all downhill so you can roll down the hill and into transition, I had opened up a small gap to Brodie of 30 odd seconds and Mark had increased his lead out to 3mins.
A pretty slow IM transition for me, straight up Bayley road and Brodie was on my heels, we ran the first lap pretty solid and cut Marks lead down to 1min30sec and I started to feel very confident we would catch him and me and Brodie would fight it out. The 2nd lap we eased up and ran up to Mark at the about the 12 kilometre point. Running along the esplanade it was pretty sheltered and it was getting very hot and sticky. Going into the last lap I made a little dig going over the top of a hill and felt Brodie slide off the back and then ran through the last lap pretty controlled to take the win. My first for TeamTimex.
I was pleased to get the “Monkey off the back” after my disappointing day in Wanaka a few weeks back, so next up is IMNZ in 3weeks where I hope to improve on last year’s performance.
My athletes from www.Vo2coach.com had great days, with Candice Hammond demolishing the womens field for the win and Grant Tuffery 2nd in his age group by only 10secs
Again a big congrats to Selwyn, a very well run event which is excellent timing for anyone who is lining up for IMNZ in 3 weeks time.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Potential
Over on the TBB forum there has been a nice little thread about training in Kenya/coaching and I thought I would paste here a few thoughts on athletic potential I wrote there
I will give you another little Lydiard story, in his joggin book I think
He talks about a runner he helped out when he was in his teens, he said he had no
talent, any was only midpack and thought he was destined to be there his entire career
Now this young runner obviously liked running and kept at it, kept at it, kept at it
And 15years later he ended up winning the New Zealand Marathon title in a 2hr15min
Not a bad time for someone with no Talent
So thats a big people cant get over in todays society, the NOW factor
we need everything NOW, not in 2 year time or 10
I think every athlete is guilty of it
And the above just shows you,
No one actually really nows how much aerobic potential to improve your body has
Everyones rates of improvements are so different
Some fast and some slow
Just like children, some grow faster younger, some older, but they end up the same size
I will give you another little Lydiard story, in his joggin book I think
He talks about a runner he helped out when he was in his teens, he said he had no
talent, any was only midpack and thought he was destined to be there his entire career
Now this young runner obviously liked running and kept at it, kept at it, kept at it
And 15years later he ended up winning the New Zealand Marathon title in a 2hr15min
Not a bad time for someone with no Talent
So thats a big people cant get over in todays society, the NOW factor
we need everything NOW, not in 2 year time or 10
I think every athlete is guilty of it
And the above just shows you,
No one actually really nows how much aerobic potential to improve your body has
Everyones rates of improvements are so different
Some fast and some slow
Just like children, some grow faster younger, some older, but they end up the same size
Sunday, February 6, 2011
New Plymouth Half Ironman
Next weekend I have decided to have a little hit out for Ironman New Zealand at the New Plymouth Half Ironman. Its perfect timing being three weeks before the full distance and its set over a challening course which will be a good strength workout.
I have a couple of athletes I coach racing from Vo2coach, Candice Hammond in the womens, Candice has come from a rowing background and another years time I am sure she will be suprising a few people, she is also lining up at IMNZ in a couple of weeks
Grant Tuffery in the older mens category, who is looking to build on his big PB from Tauranga. And finally Ogrady is also lining up, fresh from his win at the New Zealand Half Ironman Championships, again this will be a good training race for him in preparation for Abu Dhabi early next month.
Its a sunday race which is not very common in New Zealand, but I think a good idea as you can work friday as normal then have a relaxing drive on saturday to the race rather than late friday night. It also means the traffic is normally a little less on the course which is always a good thing when racing.
Out
Keegan
I have a couple of athletes I coach racing from Vo2coach, Candice Hammond in the womens, Candice has come from a rowing background and another years time I am sure she will be suprising a few people, she is also lining up at IMNZ in a couple of weeks
Grant Tuffery in the older mens category, who is looking to build on his big PB from Tauranga. And finally Ogrady is also lining up, fresh from his win at the New Zealand Half Ironman Championships, again this will be a good training race for him in preparation for Abu Dhabi early next month.
Its a sunday race which is not very common in New Zealand, but I think a good idea as you can work friday as normal then have a relaxing drive on saturday to the race rather than late friday night. It also means the traffic is normally a little less on the course which is always a good thing when racing.
Out
Keegan
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