Ok, after challenge Barcelona i raced Switzerland 70.3, Which was another hard race.
The course in Switzerland was hilly as you would imagine for Switzerland but the back section of the bike can be quite technical and fast.I had another solid performance i thought, as their were only minutes separating the top 10. Which shows again the depth of tallent over here in europe.
Next i raced challenge Kraichgau in Germany, which like Switzerland was also very hilly, but unlike Switzerland race day became quite hot, as i had a solid swim/bike placing 2nd in both, but i end up suffering with cramps during the run which i struggled to finish, though i was happy with the performance considering the circumstances.
These racers have been more like a building blocks of training, trying to sharpen up and touch up some last minute performance edges for my goal race Ironman Austria.
Challenge - Spain Barcelona
The Challenge series is a new series which has a combination of Ironman distances such as the famous race in Roth and now with a selection of half ironman distance racers which are starting to spread across the world.
Myself, i am a stronge supporter of other race organisers having a go to open a wide market and selection for triathletes who wish to race other events outside the stonghold which WTC Ironman has other the triathlon market.
Saying that i still love to race WTC Ironman event's, i just like that their are other events such as the Challenge series 'having a go', which i believe is good for the sport of triathlon to get more of a global presence and more opportunities for triathletes within the sport.
Challenge Spain - this was the first year for the event, so saying that everthing didn't go perfectly. But all in all a nice race and venue for hopefully many years to come.
The race for myself was a very tuff race, as in europe i find that the depth of the fields are always very stronge, and Challenge Spain did not disapoint in that regards.
The swim was in the ocean, with abit of choppy sea's making it hard to navigate during the race.
The bike was fast but very undulating, with rolling hills, and a field of stronge euro biker's who new how to stroke a peddle.
The run was hot but very nice along the coast on some softer service area's such as hard sand or dirt which i prefer over the pounding of pavement all the time.
The Finish was up a hill which felt longer than it was, but with a big croud finishing in a athletics track, which helped abit with the pain.
The after party, a perfect venue for party life, every night where the race was held was a party night, so it was very hard to sleep before the race, but after lots of fun.
Myself, i am a stronge supporter of other race organisers having a go to open a wide market and selection for triathletes who wish to race other events outside the stonghold which WTC Ironman has other the triathlon market.
Saying that i still love to race WTC Ironman event's, i just like that their are other events such as the Challenge series 'having a go', which i believe is good for the sport of triathlon to get more of a global presence and more opportunities for triathletes within the sport.
Challenge Spain - this was the first year for the event, so saying that everthing didn't go perfectly. But all in all a nice race and venue for hopefully many years to come.
The race for myself was a very tuff race, as in europe i find that the depth of the fields are always very stronge, and Challenge Spain did not disapoint in that regards.
The swim was in the ocean, with abit of choppy sea's making it hard to navigate during the race.
The bike was fast but very undulating, with rolling hills, and a field of stronge euro biker's who new how to stroke a peddle.
The run was hot but very nice along the coast on some softer service area's such as hard sand or dirt which i prefer over the pounding of pavement all the time.
The Finish was up a hill which felt longer than it was, but with a big croud finishing in a athletics track, which helped abit with the pain.
The after party, a perfect venue for party life, every night where the race was held was a party night, so it was very hard to sleep before the race, but after lots of fun.
Germany
Well after 25hrs of travel time and a serious dose a jet lag i'm finally in Germany.
Usually this time the previous years i'm in the States doing the usually 70.3 race season and getting settled in Colorado and getting used to the altitude.
Well this year i wanted a change, both a training change and a race season change. I believe the only way to get better is to keep 'mixing it up', keep your mind and body guessing and theirs nothing more different than coming from the states and staying out on the green farmlands of Germany.
It is a very different way of living a training here, the sessons start later, the food is fresh straight from the fields and the breads are too die for.
Myself not really knowing a word of German and not able to cruze down town to 'hang out' at a local star bucks, theirs really only one thing to do, and that is TO TRAIN.
With the fresh air and the quite roads it's no wonder why German triathletes are typically good bike riders, i hope to learn a thing or two ove here, whilst taking on some of the best athlete in the world in this very competitive boarded countries which is Europe.
Usually this time the previous years i'm in the States doing the usually 70.3 race season and getting settled in Colorado and getting used to the altitude.
Well this year i wanted a change, both a training change and a race season change. I believe the only way to get better is to keep 'mixing it up', keep your mind and body guessing and theirs nothing more different than coming from the states and staying out on the green farmlands of Germany.
It is a very different way of living a training here, the sessons start later, the food is fresh straight from the fields and the breads are too die for.
Myself not really knowing a word of German and not able to cruze down town to 'hang out' at a local star bucks, theirs really only one thing to do, and that is TO TRAIN.
With the fresh air and the quite roads it's no wonder why German triathletes are typically good bike riders, i hope to learn a thing or two ove here, whilst taking on some of the best athlete in the world in this very competitive boarded countries which is Europe.
From Noumea - Byron ( 2x podiums in 1 week )
Well after China i was pumped to race again.
Though catch twenty two is that i got sick for 2 weeks and struggled to get any sort of decent training together.
Noumea International: staged quite a strong field with a depth of talent in the field; from Ironman Champions, 70.3 Stars and some young fast ITU guys it seemed like the perfect venue to knock out my first season race back.
The race went well, as i was concerned that training for Ironman would of made me too slow to race these Olympic distance events.
Noumea and Byron seemed to have a similar unfolding of the race, myself placing a strong swim, then opening up a gap on the rest of the field on the bike and holding a strong run together for a podium finish.
Though the two racers were not identical, but in Black and white version that's my very shortened summery of the 2 Olympic event which were only a week apart.
I am very happy with these results so far, firstly i only meant to race these as (training racers) to sharpen myself up from the slow Ironman training, and secondly it shows that if i can mix it up in my not ideal distance of racing, that i should be in impressive for for my goal racers which are the longer Half Ironman distance and Ironman racers.
A good return to racing and ready for Europe
Paul
Though catch twenty two is that i got sick for 2 weeks and struggled to get any sort of decent training together.
Noumea International: staged quite a strong field with a depth of talent in the field; from Ironman Champions, 70.3 Stars and some young fast ITU guys it seemed like the perfect venue to knock out my first season race back.
The race went well, as i was concerned that training for Ironman would of made me too slow to race these Olympic distance events.
Noumea and Byron seemed to have a similar unfolding of the race, myself placing a strong swim, then opening up a gap on the rest of the field on the bike and holding a strong run together for a podium finish.
Though the two racers were not identical, but in Black and white version that's my very shortened summery of the 2 Olympic event which were only a week apart.
I am very happy with these results so far, firstly i only meant to race these as (training racers) to sharpen myself up from the slow Ironman training, and secondly it shows that if i can mix it up in my not ideal distance of racing, that i should be in impressive for for my goal racers which are the longer Half Ironman distance and Ironman racers.
A good return to racing and ready for Europe
Paul
IM China (disaster)
Season 09.
Well i haven't been blogging at all lately, as the past 3 months i've been in lockdown just training and sleeping.(that's right no late nights out and partying, which has been really hard).
All this was for my 1st hit out of the season which was Ironman China.
I really wanted to race well in this one, as i had a point to prove to myself that i can be dominate over this distance.
Ironman China which didn't go as expected (it was a disaster, a really poor organised race), i got sent off course on the bike with Tim Marr by police vehicles ,which i was coming into 2nd place and only 40sec behind 1st place and we road off course for 25km before realising that we where off course.
Then we had to ride back 25km onto the course, which we continued to race, and then was able to ride back into 2nd and 3rd place but 25min now behind 1st place.
Later we got Disqualified for riding off course, as we were told at the race briefing that it was impossible to go off course (i guess we proved them wrong).
So all in all, it was very disappointing that i was unable to finish and complete the race the "right way", and finish the Ironman i was so prepared to race.
Back To the drawing board. Paul
Well i haven't been blogging at all lately, as the past 3 months i've been in lockdown just training and sleeping.(that's right no late nights out and partying, which has been really hard).
All this was for my 1st hit out of the season which was Ironman China.
I really wanted to race well in this one, as i had a point to prove to myself that i can be dominate over this distance.
Ironman China which didn't go as expected (it was a disaster, a really poor organised race), i got sent off course on the bike with Tim Marr by police vehicles ,which i was coming into 2nd place and only 40sec behind 1st place and we road off course for 25km before realising that we where off course.
Then we had to ride back 25km onto the course, which we continued to race, and then was able to ride back into 2nd and 3rd place but 25min now behind 1st place.
Later we got Disqualified for riding off course, as we were told at the race briefing that it was impossible to go off course (i guess we proved them wrong).
So all in all, it was very disappointing that i was unable to finish and complete the race the "right way", and finish the Ironman i was so prepared to race.
Back To the drawing board. Paul
Back in Australia
I'm finally home....
After on and off racing since January 08.
2008 has been my longest season away from Australia and also my largest year of racing; with 2 X Olympic distance / 11 X 70.3's / 1 X ITU Long Course World champs and a Ironman debut it has been quite a hectic and jam packed season.
What i have learned from this is that it's just too many racers in one season.
To get the most out of myself as an athlete and a competitor is to pick my battles, as training then traveling to all these racers can mentally and physically burn you out.
So now its a long overdue break for me, i need to get my head out of triathlon and go hang out with my old mates.
For me racing and travelling for the last 9 months has been tuff, as all i seem to do is think about triathlon, i have had fun too don't get me wrong, but for myself after a hard year of training and racing theirs nothing better to get fat and go out drinking and partying with ya mates.
So its time to get fat, unfit and wait for the new year to come, so i can come back mentally fresh and ready to shed those Christmas weight off.
cheers Paul
After on and off racing since January 08.
2008 has been my longest season away from Australia and also my largest year of racing; with 2 X Olympic distance / 11 X 70.3's / 1 X ITU Long Course World champs and a Ironman debut it has been quite a hectic and jam packed season.
What i have learned from this is that it's just too many racers in one season.
To get the most out of myself as an athlete and a competitor is to pick my battles, as training then traveling to all these racers can mentally and physically burn you out.
So now its a long overdue break for me, i need to get my head out of triathlon and go hang out with my old mates.
For me racing and travelling for the last 9 months has been tuff, as all i seem to do is think about triathlon, i have had fun too don't get me wrong, but for myself after a hard year of training and racing theirs nothing better to get fat and go out drinking and partying with ya mates.
So its time to get fat, unfit and wait for the new year to come, so i can come back mentally fresh and ready to shed those Christmas weight off.
cheers Paul
Season Over
Well theirs allot that have happened since my last blog, which was like months ago.
Here is abit of catching up;
I raced Monaco 70.3 which i crashed on the wet technical roads.
Got Back to Boulder, trained with some of the guys in the preparations for Hawaii.
Went to longhorn Texas to race another 70.3 for my lead up to clearwater, which i felt terrible all day and had to bow out on the run.
Moved back to Florida for my preparations for Clearwater.
Raced Clearwater, which later i believe now that my preparations for training in Florida wasn't ideal.
Which lead me to try my 1st Ironman Debut in Arizona, also didn't go that great, i don't believe i was conditioned enough, which lead to my marathon falling apart and having to walk and shuffle the last 8 miles of the marathon.
I know this posting is brief, but i just thought i would write a few cliff notes of my racers and where I'm at, at the moment.
Now I'm officially done for the season, i should have some interesting posts to follow.
cheers Paul
Here is abit of catching up;
I raced Monaco 70.3 which i crashed on the wet technical roads.
Got Back to Boulder, trained with some of the guys in the preparations for Hawaii.
Went to longhorn Texas to race another 70.3 for my lead up to clearwater, which i felt terrible all day and had to bow out on the run.
Moved back to Florida for my preparations for Clearwater.
Raced Clearwater, which later i believe now that my preparations for training in Florida wasn't ideal.
Which lead me to try my 1st Ironman Debut in Arizona, also didn't go that great, i don't believe i was conditioned enough, which lead to my marathon falling apart and having to walk and shuffle the last 8 miles of the marathon.
I know this posting is brief, but i just thought i would write a few cliff notes of my racers and where I'm at, at the moment.
Now I'm officially done for the season, i should have some interesting posts to follow.
cheers Paul
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