Ok yes im slack at keeping you guys updated weekly on my U.S adventure...
So heres the apology... Im Sorry :P
Now you all have forgiven me this is what I have been up to...
Training, Eating and Sleeping!
(oh and a lot of coffee whilst playing UNO)
haha yep pretty cool catchup huh..?
But no seriously I have been training very well and its finally come to a Taper for Branson 70.3 this coming weekend in Branson, Missouri.
I am very excited to get back into the racing as I have not raced much in the last few months and have been spending a lot of time getting my endurance base up. My last 70.3 was in May at Busselton 70.3 and since being in boulder I have only raced twice as being 1 olympic and 1 sprint.
The course is set to be very challenging especially on the bike, as last last years pro winner Ben Hoffman told me "The bike course is a Monster". It was also a bit of a cooker that heated up the run to just add a bit more of spice into the mix.
However with all the training I have logged since arriving in boulder and the lovely hot weather on offer I am confident to tackle all the course has to offer on the day. My riding has probably been the most significant improvement that I have noticed. With a lot more attention in focusing on body position whilst riding and good pedal technique, I am looking forward to see what I can achieve on the weekend.
My Goals For The Race
TO WIN and HAVE FUN... :)
haha thats why we do the sport right...
But no seriously I am focusing on my performance for the day and not on the uncontrollable's such as positions and the like.
This race is a perfect time to measure my fitness for ITU Long Distance worlds that follow after in 7 weeks. The course offers a similar profile so I see it as an opportunity to practice my race nutrition which will be one of my main focuses for the day as I have not really ever dialled it in properly before.
As for the swim in past races I have always found myself doing it solo except for busselton earlier this year. So the plan is to try and position myself to stay with a pack, however if for some reason it doesn't work out I will relax and give a solid sustainable effort to shore to set myself up for the bike.
My plan on the bike is to try and keep a good consistent average effort throughout the 90.1km with a higher cadence. With it being a rolling hill course I have to try and not get sucked in to the attack, attack, attack attitude. This is how I gained my nickname "SONIC"(thanks to Guy and mark) because at some point in the race I end up going "BOOM"and its generally within the first 6kms of the run..
And in saying that after analysing all my past races I have found I have never executed my true potential on the run from the result spoken above "riding to hard and not smart".
So this race I am focusing on running well and to do that iv realised if i have to ride 5min slower and keep the legs fresher I may be able to get 10mins quicker on the run...
So the run goal is to run on a perceived exertion rate with a result of negative splitting the 21.1km and not run out of transition at full speed like a greyhound cocaine junkie...
Some outcome goals that would be nice to achieve;
70.3 Race Run PB (21.1km)
(current 1:38:00)
- 1:35:00 great some improvement
- 1:30:00 solid effort with improvement
- Sub 1:30:00 my work has paid off and let the beers flow :)
Qualify for 2012 70.3 IM Vegas World Champs
I have based my goals from my past results and are keeping them realistic but challenging on that basis. If on the day I do a lot better than expected its a bonus and I can take extreme confidence with knowing my training has been working. As for my journey to becoming a professional triathlete I acknowledge where I currently stand and don't expect to all of a sudden pull out sub 4hrs. I am still young and inexperienced in the sport and look forward to the many years on the road to perfecting my skills and fitness. If I can achieve a 04:30:00 or under on this hard course, I will get on the flight back to boulder a happy athlete acknowledging my days achievements and re design new goals to keep me improving and moving forward.
As For Training
My last good hit out on the schedule was this weekend and gee was it a good feeling to get the last bit of hard work in.
Saturday morning I was happy that a few boys had not gone to compete in Vegas and gave me a group for that little extra motivation...
We did a 3hr ride with 3x 20min TT's increasing by 20watts on every one
(The Group: Torsten Abel, Dirk Bockel, Eric Young, Myself and taking the picture was Todd Neville)
An awesome ride that had me on the rivet at times and a great lesson in mental strength that I am hoping to take with me from now on.
I rolled back home and whacked the running gear on for a solid 30min tempo run. The legs felt great and I was having to slow myself down to a more realistic half marathon race pace.
A great days training was finished off with enjoying a treat of frozen yogurt at BoomBoom Matty Reeds new "Boom Yogurt Bar". I demolished the first bowl and then went back for seconds! It would be great to have one of these places back home.
Today was a double run and swim, I also had the great motivation of watching the 70.3 IM world champs in vegas with alot of fellow mates racing.
So all in all it was a perfect weekend
Keep Posted For Branson 70.3 Results
you can also track me on www.ironman.com with the link provided
A big thanks to
Science In Sport
Garland Cycleworks
Armando Sports
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