Back into the serious stuff

After 10day lay up i am now back into training, 25km bike yesterday and 11km run this morning and feeling good. now the tough stuff starts as the go natural is just around the corner.

Geoquest Rain could not stop us!

We arrived to Nambucca heads (HQ) to blue skies and ideal cool conditions for racing. Myself and Marky travelling up Thursday to arrive around 6pm, settled in to the cabin after a day of eating. Through the night the remaining team mates arrived.

After a a relaxed morning sorting gear, plus the hand out of our new race gear from of the heavy rain warming forecasts.No roads, 2XU and Area 51. The new gear is awesome and everything we could need. Now time to register for the challeange of our lives, at this time we started to hear Gazza now took control as it was time for photos in the new gear.

Friday afternoon consisted of competency testing to ensure we know what we are doing (nav, first aid) and our gear (jacket, first aid) meet all necessary requirements to survive the next 48hrs of racing. Team numbers were presented and maps were given out at 3pm, at this

point the 4 of us quickly changed into race mode and our marvelous crew were sent into the other room so we could focus on the maps which would be our life blood for the race.

6am Saturday we rose to good conditions as we begun the 1hr of eating and final prep before we headed to the beach for the start, which was a 15km ocean paddle to the north. We arrived to the beach 20mins early so we took our time to review the map and discuss our dep

arture strategy from the beach.

8am we were off running down the beach with our 7m double surf skis, and given we missed the gun we got a little boxed in and were bumping boats as we got in. Off the beach, over a couple of lifts from waves and we were out into the ocean, as we settled into the paddle leg we slowly picked through the boats in front. by around 9km up the coast the swell and wind can up from behind us and we started to pick up some long runners (100-150m) which pushed us further through the field as quite a few boats in front of us were becoming uncomfortable in the raising conditions. We hit the beach on a nice little wave in 2nd place to Gazza shock.

With a quick transition we set off on our bike to a split Mtb rogaine and into a pack raft which we had on board plus a PFD which gave us around 6kg each extra weight. 8km after clipping CP2 we had to go through a thigh deep colvert under the free way with dirty water and mud. from this point our feet did not dry out from the rest of the race. Shortly after pulling our selves from the mud we split sending the boys south in the hill to pick up 5 cps with Mel and myself

opted to go north and collect 4 cp then head to the TA for the pack raft. we got through clean, rushed to get ready for teh boys to arrive with the pump and the second airbed. But after a

few minutes they were nowhere to be seen? we were starting to think they were either lost or a bike mechanical. we were just watching teams push off, luckily most we half geo teams but it did make us think. After 40mins they arrived and they had

a tough ride with one small mistake. We inflated our queen airbeds and loaded 2 bike on the back and us on the front and pushed off. We moved really well and passed a team and later discovered we were equal second in the fastest time for this leg.

A quick change into skis and we were off down Kalang river, through the quick transition we picked up a team and through the paddle we caught a team and passed them with 2kms to go.

Pack raft 2 took us across the Kalang river and on to the beach for a 5km trot to the bike TA. On the with some stops on the way to collect Cp's which were in water logged valleys as the rain started to come down. We got through the bike in good time and

we hit all our marks. into the trek and by now it was around 10pm, with a quick hot snack and dry sock we went on to the assault of Mt Dorrigo via the syndicate track. the track took us straight up

the south eastern face where the old tram line did run. We climbed 800 vertical metres over a 15km trek, but most of the this climbing we did over around 4km, at some stage we were on all fours as a river ran under our feet due to the rain, almost 4hrs later we reach the top, we were cold and wet. so into cars and down the hill as the race director called off a part of the bike leg due to the wet condition. we were given 60min to make the car move and start racing, it took us 60mins to get to bottom as we had a car bogged, and a question on how to get to the bottom. after departing the CP 40mins late we pushed off on the bike.

I felt like rubbish for the next 2hrs i did not know if loose my last meal or not? luckily i got some more food and water into and me and everything started to settle down. Shortly

into the ride we passed through a stunning creek in the middle of nowhere and then through into a latana forest, luckily the leaders had smashed a did of a track through, just after this were to hit a CP on our next junction turn, but is was nowhere to be seen we hunted for 90min up and down roads, checked distances and everything seemed to fit, were were there with another team and it was decided to push on with out it, this later cost both teams 4hr penalty. From this point the ride went vertical and once agin after pushing our bikes into the sky we got back int othe saddle and heading to Bellingen.

Arriving into Bellingen was a pleasant site where we were welcomed by a tried crew with hot food and sun breaking through so the next trek leg allowed us to dry out some gear. we set out with a trek along the road before climbing back up onto the ridge 2 CPs on route and a couple more to get, next CP in and out to a creek. one more then all our trek legs were complete, we paused at junction were the CP was and we were quickly met by two other teams, Macpac and instant humans. We clipped first and headed for TA, shortly after the TA we were met with a camera vehicle and we were told that the race was cancelled and the time to the TA will be our finish time. so we ran for the lives and finish 7th on the track, but given our penalty we ended up 9th, The CP we missed was 250-300 up one of the track, we just did not go quite far enough. So close but so far. But another Geoquest down and our best result to date and good solid hit out for XPD

Back Running

Did an easy 5km run last night under darkness with knee taped, today all feels good, hopefully can do it again tonight, then push on from here towards Forster. Plus now doing leg weights and strengthening to get everything strong enough to preform.

Riding strong at the mo, legs a going well, rode Monday night in the rain with Marky, hopefully get in the boat tomorrow.

Dear Diary

I have been in this position for quite a while, this would have been due to a very relaxed training schedule, if you can even call it training. But it has been a big week for me so i thought i would document it.

1. Arrival of son number 3 - Curtis Stanley Price on Wednesday 19th 4.10pm 3.215kg 7lb1oz, another great day in my life. All recovering well after the experience.

2. Riding over 330k on a bike, mainly road bike

3. Bobbin head paddle on Saturday in stunning conditions

Currently patella tendinitis has stopped me from running! hopefully get given the green light tomorrow from physio. but no great rush as we have a big year ahead.

Starting from scratch

After another 2 weeks of R&R due to the flu and few days taken out for the Melbourne cup i almost feel normal, so it is official i am back into the swing of training, I do not think i have taken this much time off ever, but next year is a be a big year as entry for the world champs gets put in this week so bring on NOV 2011 in Tasmania.

But before then we have a lot of other races, including hopefully a few Lawson races, Club tri's, Ski races and once 2011 starts and the new addition to the family arrives i would like to complete at forester again in May, otherwise Geoquest, Kathmandu 24hr, then the big finale in Tasmania.

The body will hopefully never again feel like it does now, or the pain to get it back in condition as i need to drop 5kgs and spend a lot of time on the road or track.

Life back to normal

After a month from the spot light (thus meaning any training) i almost have a body that feels normal agian. Blood work showed i just had a very bad virus, but you get these thing when you sit in the airport for 8 hrs when virgin cancels flights.

Big weekend last week approx 5km run and 2.5km swim (not back to back), that is about the extent of my fitness so i have a steep hill to climb to get back to anywhere near i was in may for Anaconda.

I have had to withdraw from up coming races as the body would not cope? so the wife is happy as i am around the house more, taking care of the kids! i am sure i will get sick of that.

Any way thats a sumary of 1 months training. now back to work

Go Natural multi sport

After a extensive 16 day build up the body was ready to fire, or this is what i hoped!.

4am alert screened out in disgust, food in and gear in and on the car and off to pick up super mark (crew). Arrived to heavy fog and nice chill at Akuna bay at around 6am, i recalled the car telling me it was 6 degrees. Very fresh. registered and poured a hot cho

colate down the throat in an attempt to warm the cockles.

Gear all sorted i jumped on the bike for a 15 mins pre race.

Ride dropped a chain just before the turn around, so the bunch dropped me and worked to hard to get back.....

Paddle...toes were numb off the bike and could not get them into me booties, so lost time, on the water happy but should have pushed more, new boat was great.......

Run the legs were wanting and had to stop for a leak loosing time...... ran 12k

m no socks wore the skin of the top of toes!

Finished 20th 3hr 27min very happy