Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Happy Easter (or happy chocolate eating)

Happy Easter

Good Friday tomorrow (if you’re into that whole thing) and have just had the weekend surf report emailed – looks like a nice one ahead.

I have this mindset that I only surf in New Zealand from Labour Weekend (end of October) to Easter (April) as that’s when the water is at its warmest. I’m too old and my knees are too buggered to surf cold water and to be honest, I’d rather be doing something else like planning a surf trip somewhere HOT!!!!!!

Looking forward to the weekend and spending some time in the garden, got an email from the tri club and they are getting a few people together to go and have a swim in a “gated community” just out of town, they have their own fresh water lake and are keen on getting some exposure in the local area. The idea is to get a few “athletes” (I say that tongue in cheek as it’s me I’m talking about) all with the sponsors gear (2XU wetsuits) and get a series of photos done for promotional purposes.

Sounds cool and looking forward to it. ( never had photos of me taken for promo purposes?? )

Plan to get wet in the morning – will update you on how the weekend goes. Later.

Surf Report:

North East Coast:

Cracker of a weekend ahead with a relentless little East swell that should hang around the 1-2ft mark on good Friday with another glassy day in store, light offshore winds in the morning clocking light NE in the arvo. Saturday brings similar conditions as Friday with the swell hanging in there and the light winds buffing out the beach with boardies and bikinis galore! Bit of a change on Sunday with a slightly smaller East swell and fresh SW winds that will clock SE around lunch to mess things up. Small rising South swell of around 1-2ft on the exposed coast with the weak front. Great weekend to hang out at the beach, bring ya sunblock and fish! Yearrrhhhh!!!!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Our puppies

A few weeks ago we were messing around with the camera and our puppies were very inquisitive about this - so we managed to snap these pictures - very funny

Monday, March 15, 2010

Sunsets

Last night as we sere sitting inside the house, we noticed the night sky and the sunset - just had to take a couple of pictures and share. Just beautiful.
These were all taken in about 20 minutes total - enjoy.

Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses OR take time to watch a beautiful sunset.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Tag

I have read a “tag” from Tall Guy and also from Julie – from what I understand, a tag is a list of 10 things about yourself that you are prepared to share with others – stuff that they wouldn’t necessarily know – well, here goes, enjoy (I think)


1- I have been surfing for 28 years, swimming for 40, playing soccer for 33 and doing triathlons for less than 6 months.

2- I own my own business and have 4 staff working for me.

3- I have lost 2 people close to me from suicide – my father (10 years ago) and a good friend (2 years ago) – these 2 events have had a profound effect on the way I live my life.

4- I do not suffer fools – time is precious, don’t waste mine.

5- I never intended to get married – until I met Sonia.

6- We have 2 Papillion puppies.

7- I have done some things in my life that I’m not proud of and can’t change, but I have learned from them.

8- I collect coins and banknotes. Does that make me a “geek”

9- I am loving this blogging and the feeling that writing gives me – even if no one is reading it.

10- I miss my dad.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Friday Surf report

Woohoo - Friday afternoon and the weekend surf report has just arrived in my "in-box" - looking good to get wet.
Have a great weekend all!!!

Middle - North East Coast:
Bit of a cold weekend ahead with those strong SW winds backing off for a time on Saturday afternoon and clocking light Northerly, plenty of swell on the southern facing coast with a solid 3-4ft of SSW swell all day. Sunday brings a much beefier 3-4ft+ of SSW swell to the exposed coast with a good 13sec period and fresh WSW winds for ya dawnie clocking strong SW around lunch. Smaller 1-2ft on the ChCh beaches all weekend that will get bigger as you head up the coast!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Results to look back on

My triathlon efforts for my first season ever – done!

I will look back fondly on my efforts and try and put it in context of what I really wanted to achieve and see if I’ve “ticked all the boxes”


Events entered over the last few months: (with times)
11th Oct 2009 – Blokes Triathlon, Event 1 – 100m swim / 10km bike / 3 km run ( 42min. 43sec )
08th Nov 2009 – Blokes Triathlon. Event 2 – 200m swim / 15km bike / 4km run ( 1hr. 1min. 56sec )
13th Dec 2009 – Blokes Triathlon, Event 3 – 250m swim / 20km bike / 5km run (1hr. 11min. 28sec )
20th Dec 2009 – Xmas Cracker Triathlon – 400m ocean swim / 15km bike / 4km run ( 1hr.5min.18sec )

Surf and Turf – Ocean swim series of races:

20th Jan 2010 – 600m – 9min.36sec
27th Jan 2010 – 700m – 11min.14sec
03rd Feb 2010 – 600m – 9min.56sec
10th Feb 2010 – 1000m – 20min.23sec
17th Feb 2010 – 700m – 11min.21sec
24th Feb 2010 – 500m – 9min.41sec

27th Feb 2010 - Sovereign New Zealand Ocean Swim Series – Corsair Bay – 750m swim – 10min.18sec – won the gold medal for my age group (40-49) and 4th overall out of 148 competetors – this is a result I am most happy about!!

07th Mar 2010 – North Canterbury Triathlon – 100m swim / 15km bike / 3.5km run – no time as yet because the results have not been posted (computer issues on the day)

Wow – when I put them all down on paper I can really see what I have actually done. I have achieved the goals that I had set for myself when I started. I finished the footy (soccer) season last year injury free and a few kilos “heavy” – my main goal was to complete a triathlon, push myself a little, get fit, lose a few kilos and have a fun.

Well – I completed more than one triathlon, I really pushed myself in the latter stages of these events, I am so much fitter, I’ve lost 6 and half kilos and I have had a ball. It has been so much fun. Thanks to a good friend and mentor Sarah for pushing me and giving me advice when I needed it, thanks to my old mate Macca (thanks for watching and supporting from above) and a huge thanks to my wife – she is my #1 supporter and fan. I couldn’t have done this without her – simply put, she rocks!!!!!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Very Cool News

Well, it’s Friday afternoon and I’m sitting at my desk at work, it’s raining outside, nearly the end of the day and I’m looking forward to the weekend ahead.

Out for dinner tonight as a very good friend has left one job (and leaving town tomorrow) starts training on Monday for a week and then starts her new job the following week. She is beginning her career in the industry that I am in and it’s very cool to have been a source of advice for her and I hope that she knows that she can call on me anytime for advice or mentorship – I would be honored.

Tomorrow morning, hope to sneak in a surf as there is a new swell on the horizon BUT I have my last triathlon for the season on Sunday morning so will make a judgment call when I have a look at the surf early, if it’s really good I’ll go out and probably suffer on Sunday – I will keep you posted !!!

Sunday afternoon I will have my ass well and truly parked on my couch watching a game of football (soccer to those in the USA) – our one and only team from New Zealand is playing a semi final match in the Hyundai A league Australian competition – they have had an awesome season and fully deserve to be there so “good luck boys” – I’ll be cheering for you!!

Anyway – the heading of this post is very cool news and here it is – I have just been advised that I am off to Scandinavia later in the year with one of our suppliers – all expenses paid, How cool is that?

In any sales industry, you have targets to meet and sales to make – every year, one of the coach tour companies takes away their top sales people on a trip overseas. They take the top from both New Zealand and Australia and treat them like royalty. Last year they took the top 5 people from New Zealand, I was number 6 – this year I made sure and am number 1 but this came with a lot of assistance from my team.

The old adage of “you support us and we’ll support you” is so true BUT I also want to stress, our mantra is “what is best for our clients, first and foremost”

I haven’t received any of the details thus far and don’t expect to. They like to keep it to themselves and keep the mystery of it which is kinda cool in itself – watch this space.

Have a great weekend