The latest news from In2Sport...

In2Sport heads for the hills

Tue, 7 Dec 2010 10:03:15 +1100

A strong in2sport contingent headed for the spectacular Victorian alpine region for the popular annual Tour of Bright. Amongst the riders, tour regulars Dave Deery (Men’s A Grade), Stephanie McGrath (Women’s A), Mick Skerritt (Masters 4/5), and Stuart Morgan (Masters 1/2/3) were joined by 2006 World Long Course Triathlon Champion Victoria Wilkinson, Simon Undrill (Men’ C), Julie-Ann Davie (Women’s B) and the rapidly emerging talent Leigh Chivers (Men’s C Grade).

The racing is always hotly contested amongst large fields, and the top placings are highly prized. The highlights for the weekend included Skerritt’s 4th placing in the Sprint King competition, Leigh Chiver’s excellent 3rd place on Overall Classification, and Stuart Morgan’s win on the Mt Hotham stage to claim the Masters GC and KOM categories.

Image the property of Tony Reeckman Photography.

Triathlon's Big Daddy

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:28:56 +1100

A belated, but very well earned congratulations to Craig Morgan and Vickie Wilkinson for their efforts at the recent 2010 Hawaii Ironman Triathlon!

The Ironman is the biggest event on the triathlon calendar, and just reaching the start line represents a significant journey of qualification races and years of preparation. Craig Morgan and Vickie Wilkinson both qualified with strong finishes at Ironman New Zealand and Ironman Australia respectively, so for both it was the second ultra-distance race of the year.

Unfortunately for Wilkinson the race fell short of her high aspirations, and a bout of vomiting in the final stages of the bike ride left her depleted for the run. Her finishing time of 11 hours 55 minutes was a disappointment, but she has vowed to return to the “Island” again...

Craig’s approach to the race was methodical and thorough. His training through the months leading to the event was excellent, and he arrived at the starting line brimming with confidence. He can surely tell his story best:

It is fair to say that there is nothing like racing in Kona - the atmosphere, the hype, the conditions not to mention the talent that congregates there is extraordinary.

In the week leading up to the race the tension and excitement is almost palpable. I have never seen so many ripped and lean triathletes in the one place, at the one time, getting around in/on the fanciest and most expensive kit money can buy.

There is also a fair bit of star spotting to be had and it was not unusual to be at the pool and see many of the big guns of the sport doing their thing. One of the more memorable moments was when Ollie and I bumped into Chrissie Wellington the day before the race. She was really lovely and was all geared up to race. Unfortunately later that day she came down with a nasty bug and was a non-starter on the day. Ollie and I have questioned whether we had anything to do with it but have arrived at the conclusion that we could not have possibly psyched her out and are not aware of any communicable diseases which may have been passed on during our chat.

A bit of philosophy
Despite all the hype and based on some conversations with Super Coach and resident Kona experts (ie. Dave Mac and Mitch Anderson) I went into the race with a couple of things front and centre in mind:

1. To race my own race with the main goal of finishing and making that hallowed run down the finishing chute in Alii Drive. I had put in far too much work only to blow myself and DNF. For this reason I decided to peg back my effort compared to other IMs and save my energy for those last 10 km on the run.

2. Treat the course with the respect that it deserved. My training sessions on the course had taught me that it was go to be a tough day and to expect the unexpected.

3. Enjoy the day and everything that it had to offer regardless of whether things went my way.

Anyhow, enough philosophy and into the juicy details:

The Swim
The atmosphere on race morning was electric and there were literally thousands of people out and about at 5am including spectators with blankets and pillows camped out on the foreshore to see the gun go together with helicopters buzzing overhead getting some early shots of the pier and transition.

With the start scheduled for 7am, Vickie and I congregated with the other 1800 or so competitors at about 6.35am and ventured into the water for a warm up. After about 10 mins the jostling started as everyone tried to find the ideal swim start position.

As a result we were forced to tread water for about 15 mins to defend our chosen starting position. I find this time of the day quite difficult as I just want to get on with it. However, before too long the countdown began, cannon went and it was on!

The swim start was absolutely nuts. I have never experienced such a physical swim and lost count of the number of times that I was kicked and hit. Two particular kicks between the legs caused me some concern but all was ok. The other thing that differentiated this swim from other ironman swims I have done is that I didn't have any clear water for the entire swim. Usually the field thins out after about 500 metres but not at Kona.

Ironically and coincidentally out of the 1800 competitors in the water, Vickie spied me out of the corner of her eye after about 5 mins into the swim and decided that my toes looked like a good place to be and remained there until the turn-around buoy. I was completely unaware she was there but have been assured by her that she was not one of the people who gave me a good nudge.

As we reached the pier I recall thinking that at least the contact side of the day was over. I exited the water, grabbed my swim-bike transition bag, entered the changing tent, got into my cycling kit, dumped the bag and raced to my bike. Upon reaching my bike I felt like something was amiss and then it dawned on me, I had left my number belt in my transition bag. SH*T!!!

What to do? Would I get DQ'd if I didn't have my number belt? I reminded myself that seconds didn't matter and that I had better deal with the situation. I approached a group of volunteers and asked what I should do. They told me to wait and disappeared inside the transition tent. After what felt like an eternity, a volunteer emerged only to inform me that I needed to speak to a timing official. I finally managed to track down a timing official who advised me after some deliberation that I should continue on my way without my number belt!

The Bike
The start of the bike was very fast and I really had to remind myself to race my own race and let them go. By this time the sun was up in the sky and it was really start to heat up. My plan for the bike was to ride up to Hawi (ie. turn-around point) very conservatively and focus on keeping my core temperature down by spraying water on myself and taking in fluids and food.

Fortuitously, for the first 60kms the dreaded trade winds were behaving themselves and I made it to the base of the climb to Hawi in a good state. I made the right hand turn to commence the climb and bang the winds hit! I am not sure how strong the cross winds were but they were strong enough to make it impossible to stay in the aero position. I could also see some lighter athletes being blown into the middle of the road and thinking "this is what Kona is all about".

After negotiating my way up and down from Hawi it was time to head for home. I had stuck to my race plan and was feeling good. It was however starting to get uncomfortably hot. I was subsequently informed that the temp got up to 48 degrees on the Queen K for the bike and the run. To prevent myself from over-heating I was obsessively pouring water over myself. At one point I passed a speedy chick who obviously took offence at me passing her and vomited on me. Nice!! Somehow it didn't quite cut it when she informed me that it was only liquid.

In the last 30kms I decided to lift my effort a bit as I was feeling good and started to reel in people who had gone out too hard.

Into T2 and onto the run. Given my experience in T1 I decided to take this transition nice and methodical and even took the time to apply some sunscreen.

The Run
I started the run feeling strong but again decided to hold back. Unfortunately, about 6 kms down the rode I could feel pressure on my bladder and decided to take the obligatory toilet stop. You gotta love a portaloo in 40 something degree heat! After exiting the portaloo and not feeling the need to vomit I started running again. I could however feel some hot spots on the pads of my feet. This was not good as it could only be a premonition of one thing - blisters!

After running for another 5mins and conjuring up images of me hobbling down the road toward the energy lab in the dark I decided to stop and inspect my feet. After pulling off my shoes and socks the news was not good. After 6 hours of pouring water on my feet, they looked liked they belonged to a cadaver whose feet had been sitting in formalin for the last 10 years!

This was very frustrating as the rest of me felt good. Fortunately I had made the wise decision to put a tube of vaseline in my fuel belt and quickly whipped it out and rubbed it over my feet. I then whacked on my shoes and socks and went on my way. After another 20 mins I was still having problems and decided that I had not put enough vass on my feet so I stopped by the side of the road and generously re-applied the vass to my feet. This strategy worked a treat and I am happy to say that while my feet were a bit sore after the race, I was able to run the rest of the marathon without any further problems.

The middle section of the run is a little bit of a blur and in hindsight went very quickly. To be honest I think I took my eye off the ball a bit. I did however remain focused on keeping my core temperature down by putting ice in my cap and consuming at least a cup of fluid at every aid station. This strategy actually worked too well and I had to stop for two further toilet stops. But hey, better to be over rather than under-hydrated.

Before I knew it, I was at the turn around point in the energy lab. Fatigue was starting to set in but I only had 14 kms to go. Time to pick up the pace for home!

Over those last 14 kms I saw a lot of people who were not feeling so good but I stayed focused on the task at hand and pushed for home. As I did in NZ I counted down the miles, "only 8/7/6/5 etc.. Miles to go". At last I was within 2 miles of the finish line and I started approaching the out skirts of town. This was a great feeling as I knew now that I would achieve my goal. I started to relax and soak up the atmosphere as I came across see more and more spectators. With about 500 metres to go I reached Alii Drive and was high 5ing everyone and anyone who put their hand out.

What a feeling! Dave Mac advised me to really enjoy every inch of the last 300 metres and so I did. I felt like I was smiling from ear to ear as I approached the finish line and heard Mike Reilly doing his thing. While it is a bit cheesy I never get sick of hearing his voice!

Overall it was an amazing experience and would not take it back for a second. I can only say that I have never experienced anything like it and will cherish my memories of the day and also the days leading up to the race. There is however no disputing the fact that it is, as Vickie put it, a brutal event.

Bev's Zofingen Odyssey

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 17:34:20 +1000

In2Sport coach and athlete Bev Thomas has finished 7th in the world’s hardest duathlon - the Zofingen Powerman. Featuring a 10km run, a 150km cycle and a hilly 30km final run, the “Zofingen” is an 8 hour brute, that was once described by 6-time Hawaii Ironman champion Mark Allen as the hardest he had ever done.

Racing in the Elite category, Bev opened her day with a 35 minute 10km run, flanked by race favourite and 6-time winner Erika Csomor of Hungary, but a “sprint distance” transition saw her out onto the hilly cycling terrain with a narrow lead.

The Zofingen is one of the richest and arguably the most prestigious duathlons of the year, and there was no shortage of time trial specialists eager to cash in on their strength and control the race. Bev and Csomor were joined by Swiss cycling powerhouse Martina Krähenbühl after about 25km before she opened a commanding lead, with Csomor struggling to remain in contact. Bev rode a strong cycle leg, but still conceded 28 minutes to the barnstorming Swiss champion!

After such a powerful display on the bike, Krähenbühl faded early on the run, falling over and skinning her knee at the 5km mark, and eventually failing to finish. This left Csomor unchallenged to claim her 7th title. Bev had managed her debut ultra-distance race with aplomb, and proceeded to post the 4th quickest split on her way to securing her goal of a top 10 finish.

As she reflected on her performance after the race, Bev described the mental effort required to remain on task, and to deal with some leg problems that had hampered her preparations.

All of the In2Sport group congratulate Bev on a fine performance!

Morgan Qualifies for Kona

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:43:45 +1100

Craig Morgan has qualified for the prestigious Ironman World Championship in Hawaii following a stellar performance at the New Zealand Ironman event on the weekend. Craig endured strong winds and challenging conditions at Lake Taupo to record a personal best time of 9 hours and 51 minutes.

Here is Craig’s wrap of the event:

The week leading up to the race passed pretty much without drama apart from being stung with a $200 fine upon arrival in NZ for possessing an apple which I had declared! Not happy Jan!

The other thing which caused me a bit of anxiety in the lead up to race day was the weather forecast. Five days out, the forecast was for sun, light winds in the low-mid 20s ie. perfect! Unfortunately, two days out, the forecast was revised to cloudy with gale force winds and the possibility of rain ie. very far from perfect!

Anyway before I knew it the alarm was ringing and it was 4.40am on Saturday morning and time to embark on Ironman number II! After consuming as much food as comfortably possible I packed my bags and walked out the door to be pleasantly surprised by a breeze and a very mild morning. This pleased me no end as I knew that I was almost guaranteed a nice flat swim.

I reached transition in plenty of time and set up my bike. I then made my way to the toilets only to be confronted by queues of people about 30 deep. Why do they never provide enough toilets at triathlons?

Unfortunately, it was 25 minutes before I got to go to the toilet and all of a sudden it was 6.42am which gave me 18 minutes to get numbered, make the 500 metre walk to the swim start, get changed, dump my clothes and warm up before the race! Things all of sudden were not quite going accordingly to plan and I ended up sprinting down to race start and putting on my wetsuit as if I was already in transition. I made it into the water with 5 minutes to spare. Phew! At least I wouldn't miss the start!

I then swam out to the area I wanted to start and within 1 minute the canon went and it was on. 1300 bodies all thrashing about to get position! I made a good start without getting battered too much and got onto some good feet! It has to said that the water at Lake Taupo is amazing! In fact it was so clear I was able to read my HR monitor without breaking stroke! I got the turn-around buoy in 29 minutes and was thinking that everything was on track despite the fact that I was probably working a little harder than I had planned. The swim back went pretty quickly and despite a good kick to the head I emerged from the swim in good shape and under the hour as planned!

I then made the 500 metre run to transition which included tripping on a step and almost fell flat on my face. (Note to self - lift your feet when running up steps you idiot!)

The volunteers in transition were amazing! By the time I reached transition they had already grabbed my bike bag and were leading me to a seat in the transition tent. They then tipped out the contents of my bag and passed each item to me as I called for it! Gold!

In a flash I had my gear on and was racing for my bike. BTW Bev (coach) - Yes I know it took 4 mins 30 secs to get in and out of transition but in my own defence it is worth noting that that included the run up from the beach!I

The bike consisted of 2 x 90 km loops. Despite trying to keep a lid on my effort I was flying on the bike and completed the first 90 kms in 2 hrs 27 mins and was thinking "shit I am going to do a sub-5 hour bike". This thought lasted for another 10 minutes until the wind hit and did it hit hard! All of a sudden my speed dropped from mid to high 30s to low to mid 30s with gusts clipping my speed to below 30km/hr. While this was a bit demoralising I decided that the best mental approach was to just put my head down and get into a rhythm and spin those legs. Surprisingly I still felt pretty good and was nailing my nutrition plan!

In hindsight I think I nailed it a bit too well as I found that I had actually over-hydrated and was needing to go for a pee almost every 20-30 minutes While this got a bit ridiculous I am now an expert in peeing on a bike and would be happy to give pointers to those who are interested... (sorry to those of you who find this a little disgusting but it is fairly standard ironman practice!)

Anyways after pushing in the wind for the last 45 kms I made it into transition and jumped off my bike. Jezza and Vickie - You are going to love this feeling! Your brain is saying run and your body is basically saying "what is that I only know how to ride a bike!". It is a very bizarre feeling!

Again the volunteers were amazing and helped me with my run kit and all of a sudden I was on the run course! All I can say is that the run hurt! In Port Mac I ran off the bike and felt great! Unfortunately, this did not happen in Taupo and I had to really work at it. It was at this point that my emotions started going a bit all over the place. One minute I was happy, the next I was sad, then I was angry and then I was happy again! On the start of the second lap I hit a pretty dark patch and my body was screaming at me to walk! But I forced myself to keep running. To Jezza and Vickie - I think the most important thing I can impart is "don't stop running!!" As one guy said to me after the race "your slowest run will always be faster than your fastest walk!"

The other thing which helped me was having Anna (Craig’s wife - Ed) and my parents out on the course! They were amazing as they would cheer me at one end of the course and then jump into the car and drive to another part of the course and jump out of the car and cheer me on again!

Fortunately I worked through the dark patches and made it to the final turn around point, 12kms to go!! This was a huge rush and I decided to throw caution to the wind and run as hard as I could! While this was a bit of a gamble, in hindsight it was worth it because if I hadn't I wouldn't have qualified! As I ran I counted down the kms..11, 10, 9, 8 etc...

Before I knew it, I had 200 metres to go and was running down the finishing chute. At this stage I turned around to look over my shoulder, saw that no one was coming and basically slowed to a walk. As I am sure Mick will testify there is nothing like the feeling of going down the finishing chute at an Ironman! Everyone is cheering and smiling at you and over the loud speaking you hear the call "Craig Morgan..You are an Ironman!!"

Meanwhile, Victoria Wilkinson and Jeremy Smith are currently finalising their preparations for the Australian Ironman Championships at Port Macquarie next weekend. We wish them good luck!

Lovelock and McGrath hurt but Morgan ready to go

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 19:05:04 +1100

Brad Lovelock and Stephane McGrath have suffered serious injuries in recent cycling accidents. Lovelock remains in Albury Base hospital with serious head injuries following a racing incident on the weekend. Details are still sketchy, but Brad is being treated for bleeding on the brain, in addition to facial cuts and abrasions. Thankfully, he is recovering well, and is expected to be released from hospital later in the week.

In a separate incident, Steph McGrath suffered a broken collarbone several weeks ago during a training ride. She underwent surgery a fortnight ago, and has returned to the road this week. We wish her a speedy return to form.

In more positive news, Craig Morgan is primed to set a personal best performance at the New Zealand Ironman event this weekend. Craig’s training has been excellent under the watchful eye of his coach Bev Thomas. Bev is confident that barring mishap, Craig looks set to unleash a highly competitive time as he aims for a starting slot in the famed Hawaiian Ironman this October.

Thomas and Wilkinson Show Bloody Good Form

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 20:42:36 +1100

In2Sport triathlon coach Bev Thomas won the 35-39 age category at the recent Australian Olympic Distance Championships in Canberra, adding to her extensive list of National titles. Bev took control of the race after exiting the 1500m swim in 2nd place, and then set about logging the fastest cycle and run splits to comfortably win her category.

Bev coaches a high level group of triathletes competing in events from the Olympic distance through to the gruelling Ironman, and a small number of positions are currently available in the squad. Training programs are highly personalised, and a number of weekly group sessions are scheduled providing a challenging environment for competitive athletes. Enquiries should be directed to info@in2sport.com.au.

In other news, English Channel swimmer (and keen Bombers supporter) Oliver Wilkinson finished 3rd in The Bloody Big Swim, an 11.2k journey from Frankston to Mornington last weekend. Oliver is preparing for the epic Rottnest Island swim in Perth, where wetsuits will be illegal, so clad only in Speedo’s, he polished off the event in a slick 2:24. The race was won my fellow channel swimmer John van Wisse, who although besting Ollie by more than 5 minutes, was aided by a wetsuit.

Tough Conditions at National Championships

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:31:29 +1100

Extreme heat, a brutal course, and some of the world’s best cyclists vying for the coveted National Champion’s jersey made for tough days at the Australian Road Cycling Championships at Bunningyong this weekend.

Undaunted by the task, Steve Robb, David Deery, Stephanie McGrath and Rachel Rayner all faced arguably the most difficult single day in Australian cycling for competitive riders.

In the Elite Women’s race on Saturday, riders set off for 10 laps of the very difficult 10.2 km circuit at Buningyong. The parcours features a long and steepening climb which tests the legs on the best of days, followed by a sometimes technical descent, and few opportunities to relax. Combined with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees on the summit of the climb, this day would leave nowhere for the unprepared to hide. The women’s field was headlined by experienced professionals including Alexis Rhodes and Vickie Whitelaw, plus recent converts to cycling Amber Halliday and Bridie O’Donnell, not to mention multiple World Champion German, Judith Arndt.

It was Arndt who took the race by the throat, and as the field initially rode with conservatism, mindful of the oppressive heat, Arndt set about building a lead of 2:30. Although the German Arndt was ineligible for the National jersey, a powerful chase group of 12 riders formed about 60 km into the race. Steph McGrath has been preparing assiduously for the event, but in this most difficult race she was unable to match the surge in pace, and was forced to chase doggedly for several laps before it was clear she could not rejoin the front group. Rayner also was a victim of the heat and pace, and she withdrew from the event. McGrath managed to complete the race in 20th position, clearly in distress, and was forced to seek medical attention after suffering dehydration.

Queenslander Ruth Corsett rode a highly polished race to claim the National title, after she was the strongest of a small group to join Arndt in the final laps. She was followed by O’Donnell, and the super impressive Arndt.

The Elite Men’s race was ominously foreshadowed by predictions of another day with temperatures over 40 degrees. The men’s event featured 16 laps of the same circuit previously covered by the women, and the field was equally brimmed with Pro Tour riders and Australia’s current crop of blindingly talented young riders. Former champion and In2Sport athlete Darren Lapthorne was joined by raging favorites Michael Rogers, Matthew Lloyd, and Allan Davis, plus the impressive Pro Tour debutants Leigh Howard, Jack Bobridge, Travis Meyer, and the 2010 National Time Trial Champion Cameron Meyer.

The In2Sport contingent consisted of Steve Robb, and Canberran David Deery. Again, as was the case on the previous day, the early pace was conservative in deference to the overpowering heat. Also, as was the case on the previous day an early break moved away without challenge. On this day, however, the break was nearly 20 riders strong, and included 3 riders from the powerful Fly V Australia team, as well as former winner Russell Van Hout, and new Garmin Transitions rider Travis Meyer. After the initial surge, this group set about lapping each circuit at an unwavering tempo, and forced a lead of nearly 8 minutes at the half way point.

In the large main field, all of the big favorites held their cards to their chests, and with the Fly V and Garmin teams represented in the break, the chasing duties fell to Roger’s HTC-Columbia team. Accordingly teammates Matt Goss and Leigh Howard tried in vain to significantly reduce the gap, tearing the peleton to pieces. Dave Deery fell victim to the change in pace, but Steve Robb looked in excellent form and seemed untroubled by the pace, waiting for an opportunity to present. Although a small group managed to pull away from the reducing bunch, none of the riders were able to seriously challenge the breakaway.

By the final searing lap it was Travis Meyer who launched a blistering attack from the bottom of final climb. His highly impressive speed after such a long breakaway in significant heat was too much for David Kemp (Fly V) and the surprising club rider Damian Turner (Total Rush). Fourth place was claimed by an equally surprising former National Champion Russell van Hout, who according to race commentators was returning to the event after a 3 year break from competition. Steve Robb finished in 23rd position, but was frustrated by the lack of urgency shown by the indecisive peleton.

In2Sport Prominent at Bright Tour

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 19:08:40 +1100

In2Sport riders made their presence felt at the 2009 Tour of Bright last weekend with strong showings across most grades.

Stephanie McGrath headlined the weekend and claimed 4th overall in the women’s A grade field behind Canberra riders Vickie Whitelaw and Bronwyn Ryan. Stephanie is a dominant climber, and she attacked her highly experienced rivals repeatedly on the final and steepest sections of the Mt Hotham ascent, cracking all but the cream of the field.

Also competing in a highly competitive men’s A grade field, David Deery rode strongly, but was detached from the front runners on the 1st stage climb to Mt Bogong, but fought on for a respectable midfield finish.

Both David and Stephanie are now in preparations for a tilt at the Australian Road Championships on the difficult Buninyong course in January.

Mike Skerritt put in a great effort in the strong Masters 1/2/3 category, competing against nearly 100 riders (many of whom are up to 10 years younger than he!). Mike set personally satisfying splits for the race, and will take his great form into the summer criterium season.

In2Sport’s “Canberra Office” was well represented also, and Brad Lovelock took aim at the C Grade Sprint King title. Backed up by the winner of that title in the past 2 years, Scott Sparkman, Brad rode aggressively to share the lead in the competition overnight. Fortune did not favour the ACT pair on day 2, however, and while unable to keep the title in the “family” for another year, Brad and Scott are both terrorising the fields at the Canberra criteriums.

McGrath wins 'Hell of the West'

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 19:58:59 +1100

Stephanie McGrath has claimed a big win at the “Hell of the West” on the infamous “Wall” at Mt Wallace. The 66km handicap event is a major race on the Northern Club Combine calendar, and is the final road event for the season. The race finale is contested up the gruelling “Wall”, a 1.3km climb at over 11% grade.

McGrath rode off a middle mark, and as the front groups merged Stephanie decided to test the group over the final 10km, where the terrain climbs gradually. Opening up a workable gap, Steph attacked the brutal final climb aggressively, and continued on to take a rewarding solo victory.

Stephanie has joined the In2Sport group as she prepares for an assault on the National Road Championships at Ballarat in January, and her win provides encouragement that she is building some great form.