As I wheel the P5 into the shop the following morning, Ricardo who is one of the bike mechanics looks at me and says 'What happened?" I tell him the story and he looks down at the rear brake and touches it then looks at his fingers to see fluid on them. He tells me to leave the bike and come back later.
The day goes by and I have heard nothing from the bike shop. I finish my day and then head back to the shop. As I walk in I begin chatting to Mike and I fill him in on what has happened. We start talking about a ride on the weekend and he invites me to it. Whilst I am talking I can see another mechanic in the background looking like he wants to say something. I turn to speak to him and he tells me that the bike is not ready. I am then informed that the bolt that I had undone was actually the bolt for the hydraulic brake fluid and by pressing the break lever I have bled my breaks. To fill the fluid back up again they have pulled out a plastic screw which is now broken and needs to be replaced. They have to order the part in and it will hopefully be in on Saturday morning but most likely not until next week. I am not happy however it teaches me a lesson though. Gone are the days of simple mechanical fixes on a bike, they are now going to be complicated fixes only to be performed by skilled bike mechanics. The last thing that I do before I leave Capital Cycles is book in my old bike for a service. I need it to be working to the best of it's ability even though I will be spending most of my time on my new bike. I will need it when riding in packs as well as some of my training of course any long rides or sprinting will be done on the P5. My old bike is in a bit of a state. Just before the Auckland Orca Half Ironman the gear shifting became extremely difficult, to the point that I could not change into the big chain ring on the front. I struggled through the race in Auckland but it was now time to get it back in full working order. I had negotiated a set of peddles for this bike so that my new shoes could be used on it rather than me having to switch back to my old shoes. I leave the shop with my tail between my legs embarrassed that I have been the major cause of the problem with my new bike and upset that for the weekend I will not have my new ride.
Monday, 13 May 2013
Taking the P5 home
I ride my motorbike to swimming on Thursday Morning before driving to work excited with the prospect that I am picking up my bike that afternoon. I have a busy day at work and before I know it is time to walk to the shop to pick up the bike. The bike is ready for me and looks amazing. The tube light has arrived and it is shown to me but I am not happy with it but have limited options. I ask about drink holders. We only have one position for a drink holder on the frame of the bike and we find one that matches the colouring of the bike and install it on the frame. I also ask about rear drink bottle holders off the back seat as I will need at least two drink bottles when going for long rides. We discuss the options and unfortunately there are none in stock so we need to order them in. I then have the bright idea that if we mount a drink bottle holder on the rear of the bike, we can mount a light of that. Mike agrees and shows me the options before we place an order for them to be delivered the following week. Paul tells me to take the long way home and enjoy the ride and I suddenly realise that I have no spare gear should I get a puncture on the way home. The light is also starting to fade and I have no rear lights. I have a back pack on and we quickly mount a loan light on the rear and then Mike gathers a spare tube, tyre levers and a C02 canister and chucks it in a bag for me to use if required.
The time has come for me to wheel it out of the shop. I am extremely nervous as the time is now around 4:45pm and I will have to ride home in virtual peak hour traffic. I say goodbye to the boys and head out the door before joining the road and beginning the ride. I hit traffic lights straight away and have to unclip my shoe. It is very different to what I am used to and I am praying that I will not tip over. I start to get used to the gearing and peddling down Willis Street before passing work and heading home. As I hit an area with limited traffic I change up into the large chain ring and it makes a grinding noise before the chain comes off and jams on the bike. A dropped chain is nothing major but I am a little embarrassed that it has happened and pull over to put the chain back on. It is very hard to get the chain back on as it is really jammed between the frame and the chain ring. Eventually I free the chain, put it back on and continue the ride. The ride home is full of traffic and I am not confident to be down on the bars which is the most efficient position and will provide me with the greatest gain in speed compared to my previous bike. Due to me not being able to get down on the bars as well as the stop start of traffic, the bike does not feel as amazing as I would have expected it to be. Once I have ridden along the flat it is time to go up hill. This bike is not built for climbing so again I will not see significant gains. I make it home and proudly show off the bike to Victoria. The first question she asks is how it feels and I tell her that it does not feel that different. For the price I paid she is mystified how that is possible. I get changed and go for a quick run to warm down before heading back home to admire my new purchase.
As I move the bike into the garage, the wheels move which is nothing unusual but I notice that the front wheel is spinning freely whilst the rear wheel has stopped. I take a closer look and spin the wheel whilst watching it. The wheel is not spinning freely and I discover that the rear brake is rubbing on the wheel. No wonder I felt nothing special on the ride home, the brake must have been knocked when the chain came off and I have then ridden all the way home with resistance on the back wheel. I grab some towels and turn the bike upside down to have a look. The brake pad is definitely rubbing on the wheel. I try to adjust it but cannot move it. There is a panel that is hiding the brakes and I go and get some allen keys to have a better look. I take off the cover but cannot move the brake lever. I see a bolt that looks like it is holding the brake lever into position and start to unscrew it. Nothing happens but I see some fluid coming from the bolt. I squeeze the brake lever and the distance between the brakes and the wheel increases. I tighten the bolt but now the brake is no longer working at all. I am devastated! I have had my bike for less than 1.5 hours and it is already broken. After playing with the brake leaver for another 20 minutes or so I finally am resound to the fact that I will have to take the bike back to the shop. I want the bike back for the weekend, surely it is an easy fix! As the bike is unridable I put the bike in the back of the car before driving it to work so that I can wheel it to the shop in the morning.
The time has come for me to wheel it out of the shop. I am extremely nervous as the time is now around 4:45pm and I will have to ride home in virtual peak hour traffic. I say goodbye to the boys and head out the door before joining the road and beginning the ride. I hit traffic lights straight away and have to unclip my shoe. It is very different to what I am used to and I am praying that I will not tip over. I start to get used to the gearing and peddling down Willis Street before passing work and heading home. As I hit an area with limited traffic I change up into the large chain ring and it makes a grinding noise before the chain comes off and jams on the bike. A dropped chain is nothing major but I am a little embarrassed that it has happened and pull over to put the chain back on. It is very hard to get the chain back on as it is really jammed between the frame and the chain ring. Eventually I free the chain, put it back on and continue the ride. The ride home is full of traffic and I am not confident to be down on the bars which is the most efficient position and will provide me with the greatest gain in speed compared to my previous bike. Due to me not being able to get down on the bars as well as the stop start of traffic, the bike does not feel as amazing as I would have expected it to be. Once I have ridden along the flat it is time to go up hill. This bike is not built for climbing so again I will not see significant gains. I make it home and proudly show off the bike to Victoria. The first question she asks is how it feels and I tell her that it does not feel that different. For the price I paid she is mystified how that is possible. I get changed and go for a quick run to warm down before heading back home to admire my new purchase.
The Final Fitting on my P5
Paul arrives and again apologises for being late for our fitting. I forgive him as I can't wait to jump on the bike. We put it on the wind trainer and begin to look at my positioning. We have done the basic set-up on the bike and it is now time to make the final adjustments. We start with putting my shoes on and again I am back down into the aero position similar to the other fitting. Due to the measurements that have been taken on the previous fittings, no adjustments are required.
Paul then looks at my foot positioning. He asks me to peddle whilst he sits on the floor. He doesn't want my foot moving around too much as any major movement will result in loss of power. I peddle around 8 times and then stop at the top of my stroke. Paul then adjusts the cleat to my natural position when my foot hits the top and we do the whole process again around 5 times until he is happy with the minimal movement. After we have completed one foot we move onto the other.
Paul then shines a laser on my leg as I am peddling that shows the line of my stroke and too see if I am going up and down and pushing through the peddle. He shines the laser on my right leg and is happy with the position. He shines the laser on my left leg and identifies a problem. He asks me if I feel my left foot moving around at the bottom of the stroke. I tell him that I have felt this during my rides on my old bike. I thought it was a weakness in my left leg so I have been intentionally concentrating on pushing harder with my left leg. It definitely feels different to my right leg but I never knew why. Paul tells me to sit on the counter and he marks where both my left and right leg hang whilst I am relaxed. He then puts a spirit level against the two and finds I am 8mm shorter in my left leg. He grabs my shoe and goes into what he describes as his 'bits and pieces drawer' to try something. He pulls out some foam which is around 5mm thick and cuts it into the shape of the innersole of my shoe. He then puts both the innersole and foam in the shoe and asks me to put it on. It is extremely tight but he just wants to see the difference. I jump back on the bike and begin to peddle and amazingly I feel a difference. He brings out the laser again and the difference is extraordinary. Rather than me searching for the peddle at the bottom of my stroke resulting in a loss of power, I am now powering through the stroke with both legs and the laser is straight up and down my leg. Paul knows that the foam in the shoe is too uncomfortable so decides that he will instead build up the cleat outside the shoe. Final adjustments need to be made including the tape on the bars and the brakes installed. By Thursday the bike will be ready for me to take home.
Paul then looks at my foot positioning. He asks me to peddle whilst he sits on the floor. He doesn't want my foot moving around too much as any major movement will result in loss of power. I peddle around 8 times and then stop at the top of my stroke. Paul then adjusts the cleat to my natural position when my foot hits the top and we do the whole process again around 5 times until he is happy with the minimal movement. After we have completed one foot we move onto the other.
Paul then shines a laser on my leg as I am peddling that shows the line of my stroke and too see if I am going up and down and pushing through the peddle. He shines the laser on my right leg and is happy with the position. He shines the laser on my left leg and identifies a problem. He asks me if I feel my left foot moving around at the bottom of the stroke. I tell him that I have felt this during my rides on my old bike. I thought it was a weakness in my left leg so I have been intentionally concentrating on pushing harder with my left leg. It definitely feels different to my right leg but I never knew why. Paul tells me to sit on the counter and he marks where both my left and right leg hang whilst I am relaxed. He then puts a spirit level against the two and finds I am 8mm shorter in my left leg. He grabs my shoe and goes into what he describes as his 'bits and pieces drawer' to try something. He pulls out some foam which is around 5mm thick and cuts it into the shape of the innersole of my shoe. He then puts both the innersole and foam in the shoe and asks me to put it on. It is extremely tight but he just wants to see the difference. I jump back on the bike and begin to peddle and amazingly I feel a difference. He brings out the laser again and the difference is extraordinary. Rather than me searching for the peddle at the bottom of my stroke resulting in a loss of power, I am now powering through the stroke with both legs and the laser is straight up and down my leg. Paul knows that the foam in the shoe is too uncomfortable so decides that he will instead build up the cleat outside the shoe. Final adjustments need to be made including the tape on the bars and the brakes installed. By Thursday the bike will be ready for me to take home.
Sunday, 12 May 2013
My purchase of the Cervello P5.
As I have stated numerous times in many of my blogs, my current bike needed to be changed. In my investigations it has turned out that my current Cannondale bike is not only very old it is the incorrect size for me. This means that I am stretched on the bike and peddling something bigger than what I need to be peddling resulting in some fairly uncomfortable positions. I knew that this year a new bike was on the cards so I began my investigations looking at all types of bikes. I knew that I needed a time trial bike. There is no point in purchasing an expensive road bike and then for races, slotting on some aero bars and trying to go fast on it. I needed a bike that was specifically designed for racing. I would use it for training as well as the Cannondale but regardless, it would always be ready for racing with no adjustments required.
So I begin my search in late January looking at all major brands. Googling best time trial bike in the world and reading my triathlon magazines. Eventually I make it to the Cervelo website and discover a new bike that it soon going to be released. It is the Cervelo P5. Looking at it on various websites and reading about it, it comes across as the ultimate and fastest time trial bike, and I convince myself that it is way out of my reach. I am happy to admit it but I begin to fantasize about this bike. It becomes my Excalibur (Waynes World) and eventually the only bike I want is this one. The problem is that it is near impossible to track down. I can't find one for sale anywhere on line and I spend months thinking that it is a lost cause. I continue to search for a P5 for sale, trying to find a price for it and someone who I can talk to about it. Eventually after much searching I find that Capital Cycles in Wellington is a distributor of Cervelo products. I send them an email along with a couple of other shops across the country asking about the P5. Capital Cycles is the first one to come back to me (and the only one in the end). Unbelievably they have a P5 on loan from Cervelo and they have it currently displayed in their shop. I arrange a time to go the shop and speak to Paul who is the owner who will talk to me about what I want to achieve and whether this is the right bike for me.
I count down the days and eventually a couple of days later it is time for me to head to Capital Cycles to view the P5. I walk into the shop and just like Excalibur in Wayne's World, it is hoisted up in the centre of the shop on a stand, above all other bikes. I love it straight away. I begin to talk to Paul and we discuss my needs. He measures me and we discover the bike he has is the perfect size for me. The bike is on loan from Cervelo so he has no great demand to sell the bike. The price of the bike is a little more than what I was expecting but I am given a commitment that he will make this bike fit me like a glove. He also tells me that he will include a pair of shoes and peddles of his choosing but that they cannot be chosen until he sees me on the bike. I need to make a decision as I am told that a shop in Christchurch has an interested party and they want the bike down there for display in a couple of days time. It is Friday and I tell him that I will come back to him on Monday. He tells me that he will ignore the Christchurch phone calls until then. I toss back and forth that night and Saturday and have great discussions with my wife. The bike is a lot of money and there is no guarantee that it will make any major difference. Regardless, I decide that it has to be mine!! I email Paul on Sunday and negotiate a deal, hopefully I am not too late.
I receive an email whilst away at a conference and am told that the bike is mine. I am ecstatic but then a dread comes over me that I have made a very expensive mistake. I soon push that fear away and realise that this is something I deserve and it will be the right decision in the end. I organise payment and schedule in my first fitting. A week goes by and I am so excited to head down to the shop to finally sit on the bike. I get changed from work and walk to the shop. I get there and there is huge anticipation but I stop in my tracks when I realise that the P5 is not on the wind trainer waiting for me and Paul is no where to be seen. I speak to one of the other guys in the shop called Gareth and ask where Paul is. Paul was getting married the weekend prior but was meant to be back at work on the Monday. Gareth apologizes as Paul is not in and I tell him that I am here for a bike fitting. Gareth again apologises and states that Paul may not have been thinking straight as his mind was on the wedding. I am disappointed, I have almost been counting down the hours to this moment. I ask Gareth to call Paul and he is reluctant but offers to reschedule. He asks what bike I am being fitted on and I state the P5. He replies with an "Oh what!!! That bike!! Let me give him a call." A couple of minutes later he comes back to me and tells me that we will have to reschedule. I make a booking for two days time.
Two days has passed and I am back in the bike shop. This time I see the P5 sitting at the end of the shop on the Wind trainer waiting for me. I see Paul and he apologises for the other day. I am half listening to what he is saying but I am fixated on the bike. Only the essentials are on at present as I soon learn that this bike will be custom built for me. Every inch of the bike will be cut and glued perfectly for my body.
First things first, bike shoes. I have bought shoes in the past for my bike and to me, if they fit you and look good they are fine. Wrong!! It is more than that and Paul explains to me that there are various differences in shoes with regards to the level of support they offer as well as what will work for my body and positioning. He chooses a pair of shoes and I try them on. They feel amazing already. He puts the cleats on them and then attached the corresponding peddles onto the bike. The peddles are like nothing I have ever seen before. They are tiny little circles and look nothing like a peddle. They are a minimilist peddle as I discover. The big peddles that I am used to are long gone. I learn that the peddle needs to be small as the power from the foot needs to be transferred straight into the bike and nothing should be lost on a clunky peddle. The next thing to adjust is the seat height. This bike has a carbon fibre frame with a carbon fibre seat post. Paul wants to get the seat height exact. Once he has the seat where he wants it he will cut the seat post so that it is resting on the bottom of the frame. This way there is no way the seat will move and it will be easy to remember the seat height if I take the seat post out. We measure the seat and then it is cut to perfection. Next job is the bars and bar height. My arm angle is measured to ensure that my forearm is at right angles. Once these are done the handlebars are glued into position. After around an hour the basics are done. There is nothing on the bike except for the bars and wheels so the rest of the bike needs to be built including brakes, gears and minor things such as the tape on the bars. Another appointment is made for a couple of days time. It is Thursday so I am going to have to wait for a weekend before I get to see the bike again. It is so close now until that first ride and I just can't wait.
I return back to the shop and walk in. Again the bike is not on the stand and Paul is not in the shop. I catch up with Mike who is another guy who works in the shop. Paul is stuck in a meeting but will be in soon. I take the time to start organising the bike for me to take home later in the week. I will be riding this bike both morning and night so need some lights as well as a seat bag to carry tools. Mike starts helping me out and showing me some of the options however as soon as I look at the options, I am immediately limited in what can go on the bike. For example, the seat post is thick and will not hold a normal saddle bag. The options that I have is a seat bag that will sit on the back of the seat which is fine but the bags on offer do not allow for a light to be on the back. The light options are even harder to decide upon. Out of all the options that we have nothing will fit on the bike. Eventually it is decided that we will put on a tube that sits on the rear frame of the bike and go with a seat bag made by the company that makes the seat itself. By the time we have discussed the lighting options Paul arrives.
Crash and Burn
I am looking forward to my break. It is well deserved and needed. But a week into enjoying the sleep-ins and casual drink, I get a gastro bug from Lachlan. I try to push through it thinking it will go away but after a couple of days of it I decide that the only thing I can do is starve it and eat nothing for a couple of days. I am meant to be indulging yet I spend 2 days of a weekend without eating a thing. It is a great weight loss technique though with 3 kilos shed in 2 days. By the third day I am eating rice crackers and after 5 days I am eating simple foods. This is not the way that I wanted to spend my time off! Eventually I am back to eating normally again but the gastro bug has taken it's toll on my body. A week after overcoming the bug, I am struck down with the flu. Again the worst of it is over a weekend so I am stuck in bed for two days. The worst thing though is that it is Easter. Again I should be out enjoying myself and catching up with friends, something I have not had a chance to do for months. But no, I am stuck in bed, my body aching just hoping to get better soon. After a week, I am feeling a lot better. Work now takes over and for the next two weeks I am flat out traveling and catching up. Before I know it 5 weeks has passed and the worst thing is, I feel like I have not had a break! I have missed the start of the swim term and begin to get frustrated that I am not dong anything. Regardless of the fact that my body has not had a huge rest, it is time to get back into the pool.
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
The Rest Begins
After my last race I am exhausted and looking forward to a break. That breaks begins not long after the Orca Auckland Half Ironman when I am sipping on a beer as shown below.
I underestimated the mental impact that the season would have on me and to be quite honest, I was mentally and physically exhausted by the end of it. I had been looking forward to the end of the Auckland race but another piece of me was going to miss the training that had been done. The fact that I was going to miss it was a good sign, not missing it, hating it would be an issue. I had decided to cut all ties from training and do nothing for at least 4 weeks. By that stage I would be craving a run or ride and if that was the case I was ready to get back into the training for another season. I would enjoy the sleep ins and late morning starts. I would enjoy the early evenings and glasses of wine with dinner. Would four weeks be enough?????
Monday, 29 April 2013
16.03.13 Orca Auckland Half Ironman
Sorry for the absence of my blogs after the last couple of months but I thought I would give you a quick refresher starting with my last race of the season in the Orca Auckland Half Ironman.
Pre Race
It had been a long week at work yet it was only Wednesday and I still knew that I needed to come home, pack up my bike and get ready for the flight to Auckland the next day. The bike was quickly put in the bike box (getting good at this now), taped up and the case packed. I arrived in Auckland on the Thursday evening after a busy day at work, eventually chilling out at my Mother in Law's before having an early night in bed. I woke up the next morning feeling pretty good and relatively relaxed. I had to register today and the registration was taking place in town. It was a quick drive into town to the Triathlon shop where the registration was taking place. A couple minutes later I was down the road ordering a nice coffee and a muffin and then sitting on Mission Bay beach enjoying the sun. We went back home and then it was time to do the official gear pack for the following day. Again this did not take long as after two races already, I had a technique in place. Before not too long all bags where packed and ready for the race the next day. This race there were two bags however as for the first time I had to pack a transition bag which is a bag you pick up from transition 2 as it would be located in a different location to transition 1. You had to ensure that all your gear for the bike was in the bag as if it wasn't you may find yourself doing the run leg with no shoes... The car was packed and the bike put on the back of the car and after a quick dinner it was into bed.
Race Day
I was really looking forward to this race. The two main reasons where the fact that it was a low key race, not all the razzle dazzle of an Ironman Half Ironman, and the fact that the swim start was just around the corner from my mother in laws, in fact it was on the beach that I have swum in on numerous occasions. I was feeling pretty good fitness wise also. The fact that I was mentally exhausted and this was the last race of the season also provided added incentive and of course there was that cold beer that I had been waiting over 2 months for. I drove down to the start line with my mum and the first thing I noticed about the low key event was the ability to park right out the front of the start line. I looked on the grassy patch to my left to see what looked like a fairly small transition area which I thought had not been set up yet but quickly realised that it was finished, just very small. It was not going to be a big field today, less than 300 competitors on my count. Low key and I was loving it. Yep, today was going to be a good day and I was going to go hard on the bike. I really wanted to get a good time and after all the training I had been doing, felt like I deserved a good time. That dream was quickly shattered though when the announcer started talking about the course, explaining that it was not a fast course and the bike course was a hilly one that would take it out of you. The best time by a pro was around 4:15 which in comparison was 30 minutes slower than the pro best time in Tauranga...it was going to be a long day!! I was going to enjoy it though, there was a break from all that training just around the corner, I just had to get through 5.5 hours of pain first. Whilst getting ready the announcer saw one of the competitors and recognized him as Garth Barefoot who was one of the owners of Barefoot and Thompson Real Estate. He had just competed in the New Zealand Ironman and unfortunately DNF due to coming in after the 17 hour cut off time, just 5km from the finish! He talked about his race and the course and everybody just stood there in awe listening to him. He managed to calm everyone down and by now everyone was pumped for the race start.
The Swim
The weirdest thing about this race was the fact that the race did not start until 8:00am. The main reason was that it was still dark at 7ish so was unsafe. By the time that 8:00am came around, the sun was shining and it was warm, not the nicest conditions to be in when wearing a full length wetsuit. It is race start and everyone starts together. No seperated age groups or men or women. If you are racing then you are in the pack and ready to go. The hooter sounds and I am quick into the water, duck diving before getting into my rythym and heading towards the first buoy. I have sighted the course already and even though the sun is rising and making it difficult to see I am right on target for rounding the first buoy. As I round the buoy I can see that there is a pack in front of me and a large pack behind me. From what I can tell though I am near the front of the pack. I start heading to the second buoy and half way through I am heating up. The water is really warm and the sun is now beaming down on me. I feel like I am sweating and if I am sweating then I am becoming dehydrated, something that I don't want on my first leg of a 5.5 hour race. I make the second buoy before heading back into shore to complete the first lap. I hit the beach, get out of the water, run around the turnaround and then back into the water ready for the second lap. Although really warm, I am feeling good and decide to really push the rest of the swim leg. Before I know it I am heading back into shore to Transition 1. I enter transition and cannot find my bike anywhere. I head up and down the short isles before realising where it is losing valuable time in the process. I strip off my wetsuit, chuck on my helmet and glasses and bike shoes before packing up all my swim gear into a bag as nothing can be left in transition, it is all going in a truck down to the finish. I wheel my bike out of transition and the bike leg begins. The swim has taken me 38.11 minutes, the 35th best time in the open age group. The swim leg is below
Auckland Half Ironman Swim by IronmanBarefoot at Garmin Connect - Details
Bike Leg
I jump on the bike and am looking forwards to the course. I know half the course as when staying at my inlaws, I have regularly ridden it. Past that point though, I have no idea of what is ahead of me. I am feeling good on the bike. I look down to see what speed I am doing as well as distance and realise that my watch is not working for some reason. It has jammed and whilst the timer is working I have no idea of distance travelled or current speed. This is going to be a tough bike leg. What is making it enjoyable however is that all the supporter cars are now making their way to the finish line and with no roads closed for this event, they are cheering you on as they drive past. It is nice to see my mum and wife and son drive by, stopping every now and then to allow me to catch up and cheer me as I go past to do it all over again 10 kilometers down the road. I finally make it to Kawakawa Bay which is the half way point. There is a crowd there and we get a good cheer as we go past. Despite it being hot during the swim, the conditions are no longer that bad and it is quite a comfortable ride. That is until I turn out of Kawakawa Bay and hit a hill. This is a huge climb and something that I was not expecting. After what seems ages, I see cars at the top of the hill clapping people and come to the conclusion I must be near the top. As I pass the cars and turn the corner I begin my decent down hill. It is starting to spit so I am careful heading down the slippery road. I hit the relative flat and it is now a 15km time trial until the turnaround point. The rain is pouring down now but it is humid and although I am soaking wet, I am very comfortable. As I hit what I think is around 10km to go a person goes past me and I confirm there is indeed 10km to go. He asks why I don't have a speedo and I quickly point out the issue with my watch. He goes past me for a bit and then I catch him up before I disappear in front of him again. I hit the turnaround and know that I have 25km to go and again it will be another 15km time trial back until the start of the undulating hills followed by the climb. My back is killing me now. I am over my bad position on my bike and decide that no matter what, after this season it is time to start looking for a new bike. I make it to the base of the climb and begin stomping on the pedals. The chain slips off as I am halfway up and I can't get it back on. I am not pulling out of the race this close to the finish line and eventually manage to get it back on. I continue the climb before reaching the top and my decent back down to Transition 2. As I reach transition my back is really hurting and I can't wait to get onto the run. I pull into transition, see me family who ask how I am and I tell them about my back. I grab my back that I packed earlier in the day and put my bike on the rack. I take my helmet off, put on my Vibrams, grab some energy gels and I am away. It is a 3 hour 16 minute bike leg, my longest yet.
Auckland Half Ironman Cycle by IronmanBarefoot at Garmin Connect - Details
The Run
I am glad to be off the bike. After the bike leg however, my watch has started working again. At least I will have something to judge my pace on for the next two hours. I begin the run and start to feel really good from the start. It is a 3 lap out and back course so I begin to break it down. It will be 3.5km to the turnaround and then 3.5km back to complete the first of 3 laps. 3.5km...I can do that easily. I pickup the pace whilst feeling good and am averaging around 5 minute kilometers. I pick up the pace before finding the nearest bush as I am busting to go to the toilet. I hit the first turnaround and begin heading back to the finish. There is a mixture of slight uphill and down hills but mostly flat and I am finding my rhythm. I hit the finish line turnaround for the first time before heading back out onto the course. As I head out I start to recognize the faces of people coming back the other way. There are people hurting out there and I am starting to now overtake a few of them in front of me. I go past one lady who yells out 'Geez, you are light on your feet. I am like a bloody elephant compared to you'. I reach the turnaround and one of the volunteers asks if I am on my way to the finish and I quickly explain that I have one more lap to go. I am starting to hurt now but know that I have around 10km to go. Knowing I am only halfway hurts mentally but as soon as I make it back to the finish line turnaround, I only have 7km to go. I head back and see my family before heading back onto the course one last time. I am passing quite a lot of people now, some people are really suffering. My pace has dropped but I am happy with the 6 minute kilometers I am producing. I hit the turnaround and remind the same volunteer that I am now on my way to the finish. As I am heading back the thoughts that this is my last race for a while bring on emotions. I am enjoying this last 3.5km. On my way back I see Garth Barefoot and yell out to him ''C'mon Mr Barefoot". He gives me a smile and waives. I am heading home now, I can see the finish and really push the last 1.5km. I reach the finish chute and see my wife and son cheering me on. I grab Lachlan and run to the finish line with him. Three Half Ironman races are now complete in my first season and it is time for a break. The run has taken 2 hours and overall it is the longest race I have ever done at 5 hours 55 minutes and 8 seconds. Auckland Half Ironman Run by IronmanBarefoot at Garmin Connect - Details. Attached is the photo of me and Lachlan at the finish line.
Pre Race
It had been a long week at work yet it was only Wednesday and I still knew that I needed to come home, pack up my bike and get ready for the flight to Auckland the next day. The bike was quickly put in the bike box (getting good at this now), taped up and the case packed. I arrived in Auckland on the Thursday evening after a busy day at work, eventually chilling out at my Mother in Law's before having an early night in bed. I woke up the next morning feeling pretty good and relatively relaxed. I had to register today and the registration was taking place in town. It was a quick drive into town to the Triathlon shop where the registration was taking place. A couple minutes later I was down the road ordering a nice coffee and a muffin and then sitting on Mission Bay beach enjoying the sun. We went back home and then it was time to do the official gear pack for the following day. Again this did not take long as after two races already, I had a technique in place. Before not too long all bags where packed and ready for the race the next day. This race there were two bags however as for the first time I had to pack a transition bag which is a bag you pick up from transition 2 as it would be located in a different location to transition 1. You had to ensure that all your gear for the bike was in the bag as if it wasn't you may find yourself doing the run leg with no shoes... The car was packed and the bike put on the back of the car and after a quick dinner it was into bed.
Race Day
I was really looking forward to this race. The two main reasons where the fact that it was a low key race, not all the razzle dazzle of an Ironman Half Ironman, and the fact that the swim start was just around the corner from my mother in laws, in fact it was on the beach that I have swum in on numerous occasions. I was feeling pretty good fitness wise also. The fact that I was mentally exhausted and this was the last race of the season also provided added incentive and of course there was that cold beer that I had been waiting over 2 months for. I drove down to the start line with my mum and the first thing I noticed about the low key event was the ability to park right out the front of the start line. I looked on the grassy patch to my left to see what looked like a fairly small transition area which I thought had not been set up yet but quickly realised that it was finished, just very small. It was not going to be a big field today, less than 300 competitors on my count. Low key and I was loving it. Yep, today was going to be a good day and I was going to go hard on the bike. I really wanted to get a good time and after all the training I had been doing, felt like I deserved a good time. That dream was quickly shattered though when the announcer started talking about the course, explaining that it was not a fast course and the bike course was a hilly one that would take it out of you. The best time by a pro was around 4:15 which in comparison was 30 minutes slower than the pro best time in Tauranga...it was going to be a long day!! I was going to enjoy it though, there was a break from all that training just around the corner, I just had to get through 5.5 hours of pain first. Whilst getting ready the announcer saw one of the competitors and recognized him as Garth Barefoot who was one of the owners of Barefoot and Thompson Real Estate. He had just competed in the New Zealand Ironman and unfortunately DNF due to coming in after the 17 hour cut off time, just 5km from the finish! He talked about his race and the course and everybody just stood there in awe listening to him. He managed to calm everyone down and by now everyone was pumped for the race start.
The Swim
The weirdest thing about this race was the fact that the race did not start until 8:00am. The main reason was that it was still dark at 7ish so was unsafe. By the time that 8:00am came around, the sun was shining and it was warm, not the nicest conditions to be in when wearing a full length wetsuit. It is race start and everyone starts together. No seperated age groups or men or women. If you are racing then you are in the pack and ready to go. The hooter sounds and I am quick into the water, duck diving before getting into my rythym and heading towards the first buoy. I have sighted the course already and even though the sun is rising and making it difficult to see I am right on target for rounding the first buoy. As I round the buoy I can see that there is a pack in front of me and a large pack behind me. From what I can tell though I am near the front of the pack. I start heading to the second buoy and half way through I am heating up. The water is really warm and the sun is now beaming down on me. I feel like I am sweating and if I am sweating then I am becoming dehydrated, something that I don't want on my first leg of a 5.5 hour race. I make the second buoy before heading back into shore to complete the first lap. I hit the beach, get out of the water, run around the turnaround and then back into the water ready for the second lap. Although really warm, I am feeling good and decide to really push the rest of the swim leg. Before I know it I am heading back into shore to Transition 1. I enter transition and cannot find my bike anywhere. I head up and down the short isles before realising where it is losing valuable time in the process. I strip off my wetsuit, chuck on my helmet and glasses and bike shoes before packing up all my swim gear into a bag as nothing can be left in transition, it is all going in a truck down to the finish. I wheel my bike out of transition and the bike leg begins. The swim has taken me 38.11 minutes, the 35th best time in the open age group. The swim leg is below
Auckland Half Ironman Swim by IronmanBarefoot at Garmin Connect - Details
Bike Leg
I jump on the bike and am looking forwards to the course. I know half the course as when staying at my inlaws, I have regularly ridden it. Past that point though, I have no idea of what is ahead of me. I am feeling good on the bike. I look down to see what speed I am doing as well as distance and realise that my watch is not working for some reason. It has jammed and whilst the timer is working I have no idea of distance travelled or current speed. This is going to be a tough bike leg. What is making it enjoyable however is that all the supporter cars are now making their way to the finish line and with no roads closed for this event, they are cheering you on as they drive past. It is nice to see my mum and wife and son drive by, stopping every now and then to allow me to catch up and cheer me as I go past to do it all over again 10 kilometers down the road. I finally make it to Kawakawa Bay which is the half way point. There is a crowd there and we get a good cheer as we go past. Despite it being hot during the swim, the conditions are no longer that bad and it is quite a comfortable ride. That is until I turn out of Kawakawa Bay and hit a hill. This is a huge climb and something that I was not expecting. After what seems ages, I see cars at the top of the hill clapping people and come to the conclusion I must be near the top. As I pass the cars and turn the corner I begin my decent down hill. It is starting to spit so I am careful heading down the slippery road. I hit the relative flat and it is now a 15km time trial until the turnaround point. The rain is pouring down now but it is humid and although I am soaking wet, I am very comfortable. As I hit what I think is around 10km to go a person goes past me and I confirm there is indeed 10km to go. He asks why I don't have a speedo and I quickly point out the issue with my watch. He goes past me for a bit and then I catch him up before I disappear in front of him again. I hit the turnaround and know that I have 25km to go and again it will be another 15km time trial back until the start of the undulating hills followed by the climb. My back is killing me now. I am over my bad position on my bike and decide that no matter what, after this season it is time to start looking for a new bike. I make it to the base of the climb and begin stomping on the pedals. The chain slips off as I am halfway up and I can't get it back on. I am not pulling out of the race this close to the finish line and eventually manage to get it back on. I continue the climb before reaching the top and my decent back down to Transition 2. As I reach transition my back is really hurting and I can't wait to get onto the run. I pull into transition, see me family who ask how I am and I tell them about my back. I grab my back that I packed earlier in the day and put my bike on the rack. I take my helmet off, put on my Vibrams, grab some energy gels and I am away. It is a 3 hour 16 minute bike leg, my longest yet.
Auckland Half Ironman Cycle by IronmanBarefoot at Garmin Connect - Details
The Run
I am glad to be off the bike. After the bike leg however, my watch has started working again. At least I will have something to judge my pace on for the next two hours. I begin the run and start to feel really good from the start. It is a 3 lap out and back course so I begin to break it down. It will be 3.5km to the turnaround and then 3.5km back to complete the first of 3 laps. 3.5km...I can do that easily. I pickup the pace whilst feeling good and am averaging around 5 minute kilometers. I pick up the pace before finding the nearest bush as I am busting to go to the toilet. I hit the first turnaround and begin heading back to the finish. There is a mixture of slight uphill and down hills but mostly flat and I am finding my rhythm. I hit the finish line turnaround for the first time before heading back out onto the course. As I head out I start to recognize the faces of people coming back the other way. There are people hurting out there and I am starting to now overtake a few of them in front of me. I go past one lady who yells out 'Geez, you are light on your feet. I am like a bloody elephant compared to you'. I reach the turnaround and one of the volunteers asks if I am on my way to the finish and I quickly explain that I have one more lap to go. I am starting to hurt now but know that I have around 10km to go. Knowing I am only halfway hurts mentally but as soon as I make it back to the finish line turnaround, I only have 7km to go. I head back and see my family before heading back onto the course one last time. I am passing quite a lot of people now, some people are really suffering. My pace has dropped but I am happy with the 6 minute kilometers I am producing. I hit the turnaround and remind the same volunteer that I am now on my way to the finish. As I am heading back the thoughts that this is my last race for a while bring on emotions. I am enjoying this last 3.5km. On my way back I see Garth Barefoot and yell out to him ''C'mon Mr Barefoot". He gives me a smile and waives. I am heading home now, I can see the finish and really push the last 1.5km. I reach the finish chute and see my wife and son cheering me on. I grab Lachlan and run to the finish line with him. Three Half Ironman races are now complete in my first season and it is time for a break. The run has taken 2 hours and overall it is the longest race I have ever done at 5 hours 55 minutes and 8 seconds. Auckland Half Ironman Run by IronmanBarefoot at Garmin Connect - Details. Attached is the photo of me and Lachlan at the finish line.
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