Australian Sprint Champs and Helicopter Lesson

Hi Guys,

Well the hour of pain went well on the weekend at the Australian Sprint Triathlon Championships in Forster. It was great to have a hit out after some time off. I had one objective - to podium and obtain an automatic qualifying spot for the ITU World Sprint Triathlon Championships on the Gold Coast in 2009 but I aimed to win and gain a national title. After leading the swim and bike (go the norminator kuota kalibur), I was passed on the return run leg from Tuncurry by 1 guy. I finished 2nd, podiumed at an Australian Champs again for the year, and gained my spot to the worlds. It was nice to race again in Forster after the Ironman has moved to Port Macquarie. I tried out some new gear which seemed to go well (compressport calf guards) and had a ball racing some mates. I also have to say thanks to the "Lee Clan" for letting Sam and I crash at their place in Elizabeth Beach/Pacific Palms - it certainly helped out a great deal being able to have a quick kip before the race.

I didn't get to enjoy the Forster festivities and free beer because I had to drive to Newcastle for a helicopter (Robinson 22) lesson with Aerologistics. This has been a long time coming as Sam gave it to me as a present last year and circumstances have dictated many missed opportunities for the lesson. I got to fly the chopper over Newcastle, Swansea, and the surrounding regions. It is such a lovely area seen from the sky and I found many new training grounds to try. We also flew over our house in Cooks Hill and just enjoyed the beautiful sunny day up in the sky. Flying a helicopter is very precise with very limited movements of the controls giving huge movements of the chopper. But you can do some pretty awesome turns and you speed along deceptively. Perfect conditions made for an unforgettable experience and one I hope to continue doing in the future. Thanks Sam.

Cheers,
Bevan.

Countdown begun, Developments, and Thanks

The count down has begun in the household. Four weeks left until the due date and we are welcomed with either a baby girl or boy. Our baby is now 'full term' meaning it could come at any time. We had our last baby class Sunday and so now are all 'trained up' for the arrival. I must say Taryn presented a thoughtful and very helpful course. Sam and I feel more prepared now and mostly gained an insight into the onslaught of sleep deprivation that our bundle of joy will invoke upon us ;) . Seriously, it was great to gain pointers into signs that can help us better judge the needs of our baby, be better prepared, and have some insights into what we are embarking upon in a few weeks time. It would certainly be a massive change if you were not alerted to the changes that will be occurring and I can see how some people have trouble coping. At least we now have our eyes open to some of the things that will be thrown our way and have some direction in options for us as these events occur. Anything that helps is a bonus I say. We also cannot wait to welcome our child into this world and I am truly looking forward to the moment.

The shop has been going great guns with the sales. We are clearing out a large amount of stock and there are people in continuously.

The house in Newcastle is nearly ready. Just a few more things to complete on the inside and some minor aesthetic things on the outside, and the house is done. We received the king-sized bed from Sleepyhead (thanks George and Mike) on Monday. I cannot wait to sleep in it and have some leg room for once. It will certainly help with the recovery. The way this house has gone up is a tribute to Frank, Jan, and Dave (plus the others roped into helping). It is miraculous how fast it has been completed.

Training has been going well. Time has been short, but the sessions completed have been pure quality. Lets hope that the hour of pain this Saturday goes well (Australian Sprint Champs in Forster) and I get a win/podium. We'll see how the short course speed is going on the long course training and lack of sleep ;) .

New car is going great guns. Anthony, John, and Gabriel from Peter Warren Ford helped us out with the Kia Sportage V6 and tricked it out with a bike rack also. So much easier to get the bike, training gear, and casual stuff into the car plus have leg room with left over space. It suits us to a tee and will fit in the bub, bike, us, and gear with room aplenty. It is also pure comfort on the road compared to the no air-con, non-power steering, Toyota echo that has been the transport vehicle of late.

A big congrats also to Craig Alexander on winning the 2008 Hawaiian Ironman World Championships. A fellow physiotherapist from Sydney Uni, it is great to see such a nice bloke win.

Train safe,
Bevan.