2008 To Date and Next Challenge

Well I am back in Oz after Ironman NZ which was my main focus for the first quarter of the year. Nick and the guys at Platypus Asset Management supported me to focus on this race including a pre-race training camp with Cameron Brown (winner of the race a world record 7 times including this year). I will be posting my race report but the low down was I came in at 19th pro male in 9:33hrs in what became a good day not a great day. I will post my race report here with all the usual details but I was happy that I was able to 'race' the ironman and let things fall as they may. I feel that I am now able to 'race' an ironman rather than going out and making up the numbers. I now race the people rather than time and would rather place well than aim for a certain time. But, a good fast time is always nice ;) .

This past weekend, after a weeks total rest from the ironman, was the State Sprint Champs at Kurnell. I backed up to test how the recovery was going. I am happy to say I won my grouping in the race which gave me the State Sprint Title for the M30-34yrs. I had only competed in 2 of the 4 race series but by winning the last 2 races I also won the Pointscore Series.

I love to race as much as possible including racing a few shorter distance races for training in a heavily fatigued state. My thoughts were that if I could perform in a 'dead' state, I could still be 'racing' the guys at the end of the marathon in the Ironman. For example, running 36km of 8x4km repeats plus a long swim, then the following morning riding hard race pace efforts over a 4.5hr ride with hills before immediately racing an Open Water Harbour Swim (lead until cramping in last 500m - note to self, no swim races after hard bikes). Here are my results for 2008 to date:

• Australian Aquathlon Championships - 2nd M30-34yrs, 7th overall;
• Sydney Triathlon Series Race#3 - 1st M30-34yrs, 3rd overall;
• Australia Day Harbour Swim Newcastle - 1st M30-39yrs, 9th overall;
• Sydney Triathlon Series Race#4 - 1st M30-34yrs, 4th overall;
• Sydney Triathlon Series Pointscore Champion M30-34yrs; and
• NSW State Triathlon Sprint Champion M30-34yrs.

My next major goal is the Miyakojima Strongman Japan Triathlon on April 20th. This is an iconic race in its 24th year. Held on the island of Miyakojima, each year 1500 people toe the line. Most are drawn from a ballot/lottery and get a delivered envelope on Xmas day preceeding the race year to tell them that they made the start line. Many thousands apply and it is an honour to get a start. Internationals are by invite only and each year approx 1 pro athlete from each continent is invited to race plus the top 10 from the year before. Winning the 2007 Asian Long Distance Championships, a 2007 Asian Half Ironman Triathlon and placing 4th ranking in the 2007 ITU Pro males is what got me my invite to this years race. The race is a 3km swim, followed by two loops of the island and its volcano of 155km, then a rolling hilly 42.2km marathon finished by running through huge ornate steel gates with a 400m loop of a running track in a full stadium. Drums are set at the entrance of the stadium with its huge steel gates. As the race finish time nears, spectators head to the entrance gates. The drums increase in tempo until they are a deafening roar and the gates close. Athletes listen for the drums and sprint to get through them before they shut whilst others are left stranded at the gates with the finish line in sight 400m away. This is all televised live for the whole race day including pre race conference and interviews. We go and talk to the local schools and also meet with the local council/mayor/committee plus other cultural experiences. Sure to be a great trip and something I have looked forward to competing in since hearing about it in europe in the early 2001.

I will of course be racing some smaller stuff before including this weekends Sparke Helmore Triathlon in Newcastle. I have some close mates racing and each year we have a handicap system to make things fair between us as we range from pro's to novice racers. Handicap losers buy the first round at the local drinking establishment ;) .

Train hard and safe,

Bevan.