New Zealand Round 2 + Sydney WTS

Back on the grid, back to posting ramblings about not a lot besides training, racing, and Misc. After a consistent block of training in Victoria throughout February we headed back to the Snowy Farm that is New Zealand for another dose of Flat Whites, roadkill, 13k dirt road, and stunning backdrops. The first three weeks were spent up at Snow Farm with the New Zealand, French and Dutch. After Mooloolaba the crowd thinned out significantly for the last week, but with Kris Gemmell having the voice of ten men "The Shining" did not ensue. We then moved down into Wanaka for three weeks to sharpen up for Sydney. The camp had many hard sessions, but my heartrate probably hit it's peak one early morning driving down from the farm where I nearly drove us off a cliff. Jucy, our van rental, took a lot of abuse on that trip but I was sure as hell happy that she managed to right herself inches from toppling over that drop.

Matt with his steed near the Neck Waters of Hawea and Wanaka Lakes

Getting Warm before a chilly lake Swim

Early morning Quality Run at the grass fields of Pembroke Park

Posing with a Warbird Credit: Simon Whitfield

Imported Some of New Zealands Finest...on sale for 10$/can @ craigslist Finishing up in Arthurs Point, near Queensland, we hopped accross the Tasman to Aussie for the first round of the WTS series. It was my first visit to Oz and I enjoyed it and the hospitality of friends Dave and Kira. Staying out in Manly Beach I was in and out of the city via a 30' ferry that gave you quite the perspective of Sydney, its beaches and general layout of the the harbour. Expecting to have a solid race, I was instead given a shocker. The race was really over for me about 1000m into the swim. A slip on the bike was just icing on the cake for a disappointing DNF to 2012. With a week to reflect on the outcome I had quite a lull in motivation and desire. This was in fact the issue I believe in the race, a lack of fire from within to compete and to resist complacency. In racing you can never be content with where you are. This current week has offered a couple of opportunities to rekindle. Last night I raced in our local Crit Road series up at Caleb Pike. It had been over two years since I'd rolled in one of these and as I rode up to the start some fond memories started to resurface. Caffeine pills Sharpie? In the A group we had about 20-25 riders start. Amongst the pack were a few Cat 1's who would make this one quite interesting. It became quite apparent that I had been away from crit racing when I clipped in and found myself almost being dropped within the first 500m. I couldn't have asked for a better sim of an ITU bike. We rode for just over an hour and avgeraged 280W, normalised to 337W! A lot of sprints and surges.

On Sunday I'll run the Times Colonist 10k downtown in what should be another great event to get the juices flowing before a revisit to WTS racing in San Diego on May 12th. Stay tuned.

Once you think you've got it, someone else is GETTING it.

In the last 4 days i've watched this clip dozens of times. Everytime it reminds me of a phrase, sport pyschologist Dr. Bruce Pinel, based here in Victoria, told me a few years ago.

"Don't race to the finish line....race through it"

Pulled Pork on Pancakes

Noa and I are fans of Diners Drive-Inns and Dives, wait, who isn't?

Anyways, a while back, Guy visited Vancouver and went to a cafe in East Van called Red Wagon. Known for its modern comfort food, one of its specials is Pulled Pork on Pancakes...... this was the seed to what ranks up there as one of the best dinners I've had, no joke.

Noa, has a recipe for Swiss Chard Cakes that is top notch on its own, add to that some 6hr slow cooked pork w a chocolate/cayenne rub, bbq sauce from scratch and her complimenting kale slaw and this is what you get:

For sure to be a part of her sport nutrition cookbook in early summer, I do enjoy being her #1 tester.

Trust

Right about this time of the year the mind can start to wander. Winter has truly set in and your looking for some light. Training is going well and your itching to race, but the real stuff is still a ways away.

The head needs to stay down, blinders on, trust the program and coach.

Case in point: Cole Trickle, NASCAR extordinaire, back to racing after his near fatal smoke screen accident with Rowdy Burns must face his fear in Daytona. Trust in himself and his coach....



and just because it is one of the best movies ever, the final laps....

Tough As

Kiwi's are tough.

Not that we are soft, just softer. Like a pear to an apple.

Tough as:

- Setting up base at top of 13k suspenion blowing dirt rd w snow in summer

- 300k ride

- Squeezing in another run at 20:30

- Iguana Wrestling

- Challenge Wanaka

- Having 16 year olds toe up with Vidal, Gemmell, Sissons..

- Those same 16 year olds not getting lapped out on a 8 x 2.5k bike loop.

- Win Road Nationals, then 160k ride , then heart surgery, 2days later back at it

- Boxing out

- Inventing Zorbing

- Rugby

- Disregarding any earthquake below 5.0

- HP Director in the Kayak with 4ft surf

- HP Director w a sub 9 Kona clocking

- Snorkel being standard for all 4X4

- Crown Range in a 12-23 after 3.5hrs

- Back flip off Albert Town Bridge

- Raising $10,000 for sprint race, putting it all on line for first, and donating it all to charity if you win.

Take away message: Sunny day over the Vic Waterfront today but rode towards the black clouds over Metchosin.

"Nothing came easy growing up on the dairy farm." - K.Gemmell

So many Sheep

time for an update.

After a great Christmas visit (thank you Mhairi and Tim for a great week) with family and some time to relax with festive foods I found myself on a plane New Years eve headed to New Zealand.

An experience I have been looking forward to ever since it was mentioned has lived up to the expectation and more.

When you fly into Queenstown, it is a landing you'll never forget. The landing pattern takes place between two mountains that two planes would have trouble squeezing through. Upon arrival Marilyn Adams, team physio extrodinaire, picked Simon, Matt Sharpe, and I up. Climbing the 13k dirt road up to Snow Farm I think we were all thought, "where are we headed here???"

Snowfarm, @ 1600m, is a nordic centre / winter car testing site by winter and an NZ altitude centre / lord of rings / 10,000 BC movie site by summer. Welcomed by some of the NZ crew here we settled into training and the culture quite quickly. Ginger brews and driving on the left went down smoother than pepto.

On the first ride i took down 4 to 5 flies as the jaw hung in awe. The riding is brilliant, amongst others we've climbed the highest sealed road in NZ up Coronet Peak, a 4.5hr Crown Range Loop each sunday, and a windy windy out and back towards the wild west coast.

Running up at the farm is ideal. The surface is soft dirt with almost a 'tar sand' feel (possible exploration?? patent pending). Loops within loops within loops that can be done. You could literally choose loops from 15' to 2h30. Down from the farm the running is unreal. Whether along lake wanaka or lake Wakatipu in Queenstown you have hundreds of km of trails to run on. Today we ran West Wakatipu which included flat shoreline, single track pine forest, rolling gravel golf course, and rugged bluffs.

Swims have been at the Wanaka pool and wetsuit in the lake. The lake has given us varied conditions from glassy to ridiculous chop. Having to change your stroke over these varied conditions has been great practice. We did have one swim that took place at a Hippie Commune which i might take back. Many had quite the battle with that pool, including scars to show from the cheese grating lane ropes. For me it got personal with the pool quite quickly. I began to personify the ropes, the walls, the bottom which had no black line, as they were all 'out to get me'. With 7k on the board the pool had plenty of time to get under my skin and have me tap out. By 4k i had experienced all that it could throw at me. Over the last K it was quite rewarding to rub it in the pools face I must say.

Perhaps the best part of this camp has been the ability to see how these kiwi's and dutch train. A common difference to N.American programs is that the training is done without compromise. The hours in the day are there to simply get the work done.
The volume here is higher. Weekly totals I thought were unreachable are routine to them. There is no fear in 'overtraining'. I could write on and on about the differences i've seen, but the last thing i'll mention is the approach. With the amount of hours done here, the only way I see the athlete accomplishing the training and hungry for more is by it being enjoyable. With ever-present banter amongst the group, the miles click by. It is a job and they enjoy it.
When within a 20m radius of Kris Gemmell, you've got a comedy club, gossip girl, and trivia pursuit 24/7.

It's no secret that companies research how to improve their employees job satisfication. The more you enjoy your job, the more productive you become.

This Friday we will all be racing the Tri NZ Wanaka Contact Sprint Cup. Nicknamed 'The Doddsy International' from local NZ international Tony Dodds, the race will take place at 8pm in front of Friday night pubs along the lakefront. Cannot wait for this one!

In the lake post run

In Queenstown do Fergburger.

5 Rings

Inside The Olympic Dream from cameron sylvester on Vimeo.

The Rowers seem to always have the best videos.