I wanted to give an update before race season kicks off shortly in Oceanside in a few weeks.  And with my writing habits, once I start racing who knows when I'll actually blog again?!  Indeed one of my goals this year is to not neglect my blog as I have in years past.  And I'm actually finding writing fun and cathartic and a better way to communicate with other athletes and people in general.  Thank you for all the feedback, I really enjoy it!                                                                                     Training with some lovely...

99% of all Challenge Philippines race reports will include the clichéd statement, ‘Challenge Philippines was challenging’.  Indeed it was. The 1% who do not state this in their reports are lying! The inaugural Challenge Philippines was undoubtedly, a tremendously difficult and testing course.  Taking place in Subic Bay, the race’s discordant and unsettling terrain contributed to its magic. On completion, I really did feel as though I had overcome a significant challenge.   A non-wetsuit legal swim saw the competitors swim 1900m in warm choppy waters near the Camayan Beach Resort. An uneventful affair, I exited the water on Laura Bennett’s feet. We started only 1 minute behind the lead men and had caught many of them by the time we reached T2.  Once out onto the bike, the hills were immediate.  The bike course meandered through villages in a third world rural setting, saw-toothing for a continuous 90km. The roads were at times barely paved and potholes, cracks and rocks dominated...

2014, marks 10 years of racing professionally. Like most good things in life, time has passed in the blink of an eye. I can barely believe that triathlon has been my love and my lifeblood for a decade. Knowing that my gig as a professional athlete will not last forever, I find myself thinking about triathlon in a different way than I did ten years ago.  How do I plan to write the last few chapters of my story? It’s not just a passion where the road seems endless anymore. Instead, it is a career that in another ten years time, I’ll be looking at in the rear view mirror. As most athletes in the second half of their career will find, time sensitivity adds a different dimension.  I know that training and racing with discernment and precision is key if I want to choose my own ending.  It seems that an unflinching observation of myself, and a willingness to try harder in the pursuit of the possible or the maybes is more important than ever.   I could look at my last two races and feel...

It has been an amazing summer and the past week it has been nice to get back out on the ocean and ditch the swim for a paddle. Nothing like a little cross training. Swimming and cycling has been going well since the knee surgery and today was a nervous and anticipated jog to test it out. That first run back is always a scary one as with every step comes scrutiny and assessment of every step. BUT it was nice to end it on a positive! Melbourne has been a buzz, and will be for the next few weeks. Moomba Festival is in full swing and lights up the city with parades, activities and the main attraction of the Moomba Masters water skiing and wake boarding. Next week rolls into full 'gas' with the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix racing followed the following week by the Asia-Pacific Ironman Championships. In short these are 3 major international events that attack a world focus right here on my home city (voted twice 'best city to live in') Melbourne. There is nothing like getting out...

Here in Maui, some days consist of  hard training with not much time for anything else but resting and eating. My first run off  the bike the other day! (HARD AND LONG bike ride and shorter run (4x1mile (1moderate, 1 tempo just to test things out. It all went very well!). It’s not all work, other days are balanced and allow for some adventures! Friday was a recovery day, one of those days we got to explore and relax.  We enjoyed the view at Ho’okipa! Though teammates Brent (MacMahon) and Chris (Ter Host) were also there for the great efforts of the week, today, it was only Dan, his sister Lucy and I , that would head out to the mountains in search of a fun new running trail for a 1h easy run. After an unexpected TOUR of several other roads in the area, we finally found our way to the Makawao Forest Reserve. We did not let the signs warning about wild boar or goat hunting discourage us. After all, each hunter can only bring back one of each and I am pretty sure this...

Thanks so much to the Oklahoma State Triathlon Club for having me last week!!! Good Luck in Regionals and Nationals we will be cheering for you!!!! Find out more about Oklahoma State Triathlon Club at: http://osutriathlon.wordpress.com/  

Don’t expect any whistles and bells this week, folks! Today I’m in the mood for some good old fashioned swimming! I did the set below at a Dynamo Masters practice earlier this week. I split the lane with my friend Alexis, who’s training for some super long open water swims this summer. It’s always nice having friends who are excited to knock out an extra 1800 yards at the end of practice! Tack this set onto the end of your own workout, and be diligent about the pacing! Number three of each distance should be FAST!!! Bonus: In ATL? I’m filling in for Coach Maria at tomorrow’s (Saturday, March 8th) Dynamo Masters practice at the Chamblee pool. Practice starts at 6:30am and I have a fun workout planned!! See you there!!

Caveman getting rid of frustration.                                                                   Pic by  Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust A week after a disastrous day long cramping episode* at XTERRA Grabouw, I had much pent up frustration to get rid of. *Cramps caused by Magnesium shortage. Will be taking Mg supplements for the rest of my life. (Normally I dont take any supplements at all) And of course, “I LOVE RACING!” Having finished 2nd (to Mannie Heymans) and 1st (on a prototype Specialized 29er) in 2010 at this event before, I was eager to hook it and see what comes out. The race was loaded with serious types getting ready for Cape Epic. The 1st 15km was flattish (Caveman terrain) so I started like it was a 55km TT.  The field strung out nicely and what I lacked on the climbs, Christophe Sauser made up. It was all fun and games till I started losing air pressure in the rear tyre from a small sidewall cut. Rear tyre getting dangerously flat. Johnn Rabie, Erik...

Three days after arriving home in Brisbane, I jumped back on a plane to fly across the country to Perth. At this point in the year, any flight is too long, especially a five hour flight. Nevertheless, I was keen to try my hand at the half-ironman distance and finish off the year with Mandurah 70.3. Mandurah Well, there is not too much to write about Mandurah, other than I led the swim, and had the Jamis looking splendid in T1 with an assortment of GU gels haphazardly taped to the top tube with gaffa tape. I hadn’t really given much thought to where these items would go, other than being quite sure that I did not want to use a bento box. The only bento box that I wanted to spend time with was the Japanese variety. At about two kilometres into the ride, I sustained a flat. With no spares or wheel support on the course, I was unable to finish. Having raced elite ITU events for ten years, only puncturing once, I was used to usually having two wheel stops each lap of a 6-8-lap course. I...

I call this race heartbreak race and it always is. Seven cracks at it now with the one victory back in 2009. In the weekend I was runner-up for the third time, but yet I keep coming back because I so much want another victory one day at my home Ironman. I love racing in Taupo. I find it really challenging, the cold in the morning, the mental aspects of riding 180k time trial; just me by myself on the bumpy roads with a stiff head wind which builds up to really hit you on that last 45k, and then that hilly run course when your legs are completely smashed from the bike ride. It's a pretty brutal course. But I love the swim, I love the crowds on the run, I love the community of Taupo and the race is always so well organised and the IMNZ team always looks after us so well. Plus in the weekend my son kept telling me how much he loves Taupo, the swimming pool especially and the Rotary train ride the day after the race, so I am sure we will be back!I wasn't disappointed in my race. It was one...