Season 2011 / 2012

I start my 2011/2012 Tri season this weekend at Lake Hood, Ashburton Sprint race


Back in May I entered this race Auckland Tri - it’s come around so quickly I can’t believe this race is in less than 3 weeks time.

I’m treating this weekend as a “training” race where I can try a race pace swim, T1, bike. T2 and a short run off the bike to see how I feel. I’ve been seeing a couple of amazing people who have been so helpful and all with the single aim of getting me to the start line in the best possible condition. I do not want to use my bad knee as an excuse but I do need to be cautious.


Thank you Sarah, Julee and Sonia – you are all AWESOME !!!! – this weekend will give me an indication of where I am, how I am placed and where I need to improve.

In 3 weeks time I have to be ready to step up and race the race of my life if I want to achieve my goal of qualifying for the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Championships in my age group. It started months ago but Sunday will be my first real test – I’ll let you know how I go next week.

Rugby World Cup 2011

I approach this weekend with trepidation – not really sure why but suffice to say, I was not expecting life to be like it is when the announcement was made 6 years ago for New Zealand to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

I remember watching the announcement draw live on TV back in 2005 and I remember jumping up and punching the air when Syd Miller, then IRB Chairman, read out those now famous words – “the host nation for Rugby World Cup 2011 is ………….. New Zealand"

And now, here we are 48 hours out from the Grand Final game between New Zealand and France. Pretty much everyone picked us to be there, almost no one picked France to be there (except my French Canadian wife) and I feel torn on so many levels.

So much has happened since that announcement, so much has happened here in Christchurch. The country is in party mode yet I feel like I’ve been given the invitation, told how great the party will be, bought the outfit and at the 11th hour, had my invitation so cruelly revoked.

I know, these feelings makes no sense at all.

While the rest of the country is partying, we are waiting.

While the rest of the country is partying, we are hoping.


But we will be partying this Sunday night and we will feel good when Richie McCaw lifts the William Webb Ellis trophy aloft – this will be a victory for the All Blacks, for every New Zealander but also for the folks of Canterbury.

After that, we will go back to waiting and hoping while the rest of New Zealand carries on.

Uh oh

Kinda freaking out (just a little bit)

The start list for the Auckland Triathlon next month have just been released, 199 entrants in the Sprint race, 29 starters in my age group and I did a silly thing and checked on the pedigree of my fellow age group participants and WOW, there are some pretty good triathletes amongst them.

This race is the first of 2 qualifying races for the ITU World Age Group Championships in Auckland in 2012.

A few weeks ago I went to the Canterbury Tri Club awards and dinner ( see previous post and I won Novice of the Year, stoked!! ) where Hamish Carter made a small speech and he made one particular comment that I will now share and more so for me – YOU can only control what YOU do and not what anyone else does, focus on this only and race your own race.

That’s why I’m only freaking just a little bit - this is a good thing though!