Well August '05 will go down as a landmark month in my life. Several reasons, lets just say for now that there has been a lot of soul searching, and also some answers found!
Yeppoon Half Ironman was right in the middle, my first race in the open category which ended up with a solid result of 5th. That has a nice kind of clarity to it; not having to say "I finished 7th overall, won 25-29 and was the 2nd age grouper home etc etc..."
I had an excellent race. Plenty of time to warm up including a 1.5km beach walk which I jogged with my good friend Phil Dove. We met the previous year racing as age groupers at the same race and he shared some of his racing philosophy with me on the way to the start. I was pretty pumped on the start line, thinking "this is it, my first pro start...". It was a buzz when the gun went - RACE UNDERWAY! The water was pretty choppy and the swim seemed to last forever, especially considering there was supposed to be a strong following current! I exited with a few other guys. I was 13th onto the bike and settled into race rhythm. My SRM's were giving some bizarre power readings so I just rode by feel. Phil was a minute ahead of me onto the ride but he was going like a train, on his way to the 2nd fastest bike split of the day and 4th overall.
By the 3rd lap I was starting to catch plenty of people who had gone hard at the start of the bike leg and also Timmy Porter (from HERT - my old training group) fresh out of the sin bin where he had been 'resting' for 5 minutes, tut tut! Dan McGuigan (from Aeromax - my new training group) was riding strong and caught me near the end of the ride. He led the charge to T2 and we started the run together despite his brief but intimate encounter with the tarmac in the vicintiy of the dismount line. Tim was around 50m behind and we set off for 3 laps of the resort and surrounding bushland. Dan was running strong and turned the screw a bit heading into the bush on lap 1. At one point it was all I could do to stay with him and I hoped we'd be able to work together into the top 5. Dan eased the pace slightly and I took the lead but after a few hundred metres there was no more Dan.
Tim was always in the back of my mind and sure enough, he soon came by at a decent pace. I decided to let him go and focused on running well in my own rhythm. If I'm honest, I probably wouldn't have been able to match his pace for long so I decided to be patient. On the last lap I passed Matt Clark to move into 6th and later spotted Timmy through the bush, about 100m ahead. Yeppoon has one of those run courses with limited visibility, so Tim was actually quite close by the time I saw him. This time it was my turn to surge past, doing my best to look invincible! Into the top 5 and that was where I finished.
Top placings were:
1. Leon Griffin - 4:14:22 (click to read his race report)
2. Cameron Watt - 4:14:35
3. Mathew Tippett - 4:15:58
4. Philip Dove - 4:16:30
5. Dunstan Bertschinger - 4:21:04
6. Tim Porter - 4:22:55
7. Jason Crowther - 4:23:28 (winner of 25-29)
8. Stephen Hemy - 4:23:45 (winner of 40-44)
9. Callum Millward - 4:24:28
10. Matthew Clark - 4:25:45
11.Dan McGuigan - 4:26:05
12. Brett Currie - 4:26:13 (winner of 30-34)
Some other solid results were
Ben Wearing - 3rd in age with 4:32:11
Greer Sansom - 4th in age with 5:11:04
Mel Ashton - 2nd Pro Female with 4:35:55
Special thanks to my sponsors, Ainsley, Robyn, LLewelyn and Russ at Inner City Cycles and Pauline and Murray from Pharmanex for their continued support.
My final preparations for the big race in Kona on Saturday 15th October are going really well. I'll be flying out on the 6th. More soon, including my latest racing photos...
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Gallery Jack
My friend Matt Fawl has taken over an art gallery in Surry Hills. His aim is to build a thriving art studio and gallery with a unique focus on creative opportunities for those who would not otherwise get them. Here is Matt's Mission Statement. I hope you find it interesting. Ring Matt or leave me a message here if you want to get involved ;-)
Gallery Jack (working title) - Mission Statement
Gallery Jack’s main focus is on providing a charitable outreach program to teach art classes and help develop creativity for the underprivileged people of our society.
Gallery Jack will also focus on providing a thriving gallery / art studio space amongst its peer galleries in the inner city suburb of Surry Hills. Its aim is to achieve this by promoting to everybody, not only the underprivileged, but to the whole community as a Gallery space to exhibit and as a place to work and develop creative processes in its communal area and studio work spaces.
This is where Jack can succeed by hosting its outreach classes in an environment which is used by people who rent the studio spaces, through to established artists exhibiting in its gallery.
Where Gallery Jack is right now
Jack has a large, well established galley / workshop in Surry Hills offering, upon its lease ending towards the end of the year, the space for Jack to fulfil its mission. These premises are absolutely perfect for Jack’s objectives and the bonus is it has already been known as a successful gallery space for 4 years.
Even in Jack’s conceptual stages it has attracted some very keen interest in setting up affiliations and programs with large organizations such as The City of Sydney Council, Art Gallery of NSW and the University of NSW College of Fine Arts.
Jack has already come a long way in setting up structures and sourcing teachers and general advice as a team of very committed people are working around the clock to ensure its success. However, we are in need of help. Our biggest problem is lack of funding, lack of building material and art materials.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dated 22/07/05
Matt Fawl, Director.
Mobile 0418 415 828
Gallery Jack (working title) - Mission Statement
Gallery Jack’s main focus is on providing a charitable outreach program to teach art classes and help develop creativity for the underprivileged people of our society.
Gallery Jack will also focus on providing a thriving gallery / art studio space amongst its peer galleries in the inner city suburb of Surry Hills. Its aim is to achieve this by promoting to everybody, not only the underprivileged, but to the whole community as a Gallery space to exhibit and as a place to work and develop creative processes in its communal area and studio work spaces.
This is where Jack can succeed by hosting its outreach classes in an environment which is used by people who rent the studio spaces, through to established artists exhibiting in its gallery.
Where Gallery Jack is right now
Jack has a large, well established galley / workshop in Surry Hills offering, upon its lease ending towards the end of the year, the space for Jack to fulfil its mission. These premises are absolutely perfect for Jack’s objectives and the bonus is it has already been known as a successful gallery space for 4 years.
Even in Jack’s conceptual stages it has attracted some very keen interest in setting up affiliations and programs with large organizations such as The City of Sydney Council, Art Gallery of NSW and the University of NSW College of Fine Arts.
Jack has already come a long way in setting up structures and sourcing teachers and general advice as a team of very committed people are working around the clock to ensure its success. However, we are in need of help. Our biggest problem is lack of funding, lack of building material and art materials.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dated 22/07/05
Matt Fawl, Director.
Mobile 0418 415 828
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Who are my Sponsors?
In my athletic endeavours I'm fortunate enough to be supported by a lot of people. These are people who know me and understand the nature of my journey. My aim is simple:
"to be the best triathlete I can possibly be ... no more ... no less"
Inner City Cycles
Its the best bike shop Sydney. Why? Because they understand and deliver what I need. During my final preparations for my first Ironman (Forster 2003), I had a critical mechanical faliure which could have kept me from racing but Ainsley and the crew came through for me, located a replacement part and got my bike ready in time.
Ainsley is also the person who has given me the best explanation of how an upright road position should translate to an aerodynamic TT position (clear and simple concepts are much easier to understand). These are just a couple of examples of my good experiences with the shop. I know that great customer service is the rule rather than the exception so I feel really good about recommending Inner City Cycles.
The staff are all enthusiastic cyclists with a wealth of experience in triathlon, road, MTB and BMX. The shop is well connected to the triathlon scene and sponsors both Canberra City Half Ironman and Star City Triathlon. Besides this, Inner City Cycles offers an abundance of easily accessible expertise and exceptional value for money.
Overall its a pretty cool shop!
Pauline Lindsay and Murray Smith from Pharmanex supply me with Lifepak, Cordyceps and Overdrive nutritional supplements to enhance my training, recovery and general health.
I first met with Pauline at the Gold Coast Half Ironman in 2004. More recently Murray (and most of his family!) travelled up to Port Stephens for the Club Championships. It was great to have their support whilst I was racing and several of my friends took the opportunity to get scanned.
Working as a teacher in an enclosed space and coming into close contact with 240 children from over 20 different schools means I get exposed to whatever is going around! During the 2004 winter (before I started using LifePak) I missed some key training weeks with a pretty nasty flu. Since then I have worked to improve my chances of staying healthy. I believe that using LifePak, eating better, more rest & improved life balance been key changes. I've been in great health in 2005 and I've been able to enjoy training consistently at a new level.
Lifepak is a high quality source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients with a big difference. Pharmanex have developed the BioPhotonic Scanner - it represents a big advance in technology whereby a low intensity laser is used to measure the amount of carotenoid (a key antioxidant) stored in your skin. This is indicative of your body's ability to deal with free radicals, harmful chemicals which damage body cells, accelerate ageing and can cause cancer. Free Radical levels in the body are elevated by exposure to pollutants such as cigarette smoke, car exhaust fumes and excessive exercise (eg Ironman!). My skin carotenoid score was good to start with and has risen consistently since I started using LifePak. It's great to know that my body has the best protection available when I'm subjecting it to the rigours of intesive overloading aka training harder than I ever have in my life!
Cordyceps and Overdrive are two extra supplements that I have been using for endurance and recovery in my specific preparations for the Ironman Worlds in Hawaii in October.
Cordyceps is a natural extract from the Cordyceps Sinensis mushroom that has been used in China for over 1000 years! It is said that the Chinese Emperors used the mushroom to help them to keep up with their concubines!!! I'm using it to boost my life vitality during training and at work.
Overdrive is a herb, mineral and vitamin formulation which aims to replace key nutrients that are lost during intensive exercise. I'm using it to help me to train better and recover more quickly.
I had a really interesting experience at the NSW Club Championships soon after starting to use these 2 product. When I'm racing hard it usually feels as though I come up against a ceiling of speed which prevents me from going faster without 'blowing up', kind of like a boundary line that I can't cross without paying for it later. This race was different. It's hard to describe but I felt as though the line became less solid and I was able to push myself to go faster. I felt really strong despite the lack of any specific preparation (the event came soon after racing the Forster Ironman).
I have had some excellent experiences with the 3 products I have been trying out. You can follow the links to find out more and I have no hesitation in recommending that you try out the products if you want to experience the benefits that I have experienced. If you have any questions or comments please leave me a message.
"stay balanced, train effectively and enjoy every moment of it"
"to be the best triathlete I can possibly be ... no more ... no less"
Inner City Cycles
Its the best bike shop Sydney. Why? Because they understand and deliver what I need. During my final preparations for my first Ironman (Forster 2003), I had a critical mechanical faliure which could have kept me from racing but Ainsley and the crew came through for me, located a replacement part and got my bike ready in time.
Ainsley is also the person who has given me the best explanation of how an upright road position should translate to an aerodynamic TT position (clear and simple concepts are much easier to understand). These are just a couple of examples of my good experiences with the shop. I know that great customer service is the rule rather than the exception so I feel really good about recommending Inner City Cycles.The staff are all enthusiastic cyclists with a wealth of experience in triathlon, road, MTB and BMX. The shop is well connected to the triathlon scene and sponsors both Canberra City Half Ironman and Star City Triathlon. Besides this, Inner City Cycles offers an abundance of easily accessible expertise and exceptional value for money.
Overall its a pretty cool shop!
Pauline Lindsay and Murray Smith from Pharmanex supply me with Lifepak, Cordyceps and Overdrive nutritional supplements to enhance my training, recovery and general health.
I first met with Pauline at the Gold Coast Half Ironman in 2004. More recently Murray (and most of his family!) travelled up to Port Stephens for the Club Championships. It was great to have their support whilst I was racing and several of my friends took the opportunity to get scanned.
Working as a teacher in an enclosed space and coming into close contact with 240 children from over 20 different schools means I get exposed to whatever is going around! During the 2004 winter (before I started using LifePak) I missed some key training weeks with a pretty nasty flu. Since then I have worked to improve my chances of staying healthy. I believe that using LifePak, eating better, more rest & improved life balance been key changes. I've been in great health in 2005 and I've been able to enjoy training consistently at a new level.
Lifepak is a high quality source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients with a big difference. Pharmanex have developed the BioPhotonic Scanner - it represents a big advance in technology whereby a low intensity laser is used to measure the amount of carotenoid (a key antioxidant) stored in your skin. This is indicative of your body's ability to deal with free radicals, harmful chemicals which damage body cells, accelerate ageing and can cause cancer. Free Radical levels in the body are elevated by exposure to pollutants such as cigarette smoke, car exhaust fumes and excessive exercise (eg Ironman!). My skin carotenoid score was good to start with and has risen consistently since I started using LifePak. It's great to know that my body has the best protection available when I'm subjecting it to the rigours of intesive overloading aka training harder than I ever have in my life! 
Cordyceps and Overdrive are two extra supplements that I have been using for endurance and recovery in my specific preparations for the Ironman Worlds in Hawaii in October.Cordyceps is a natural extract from the Cordyceps Sinensis mushroom that has been used in China for over 1000 years! It is said that the Chinese Emperors used the mushroom to help them to keep up with their concubines!!! I'm using it to boost my life vitality during training and at work.
Overdrive is a herb, mineral and vitamin formulation which aims to replace key nutrients that are lost during intensive exercise. I'm using it to help me to train better and recover more quickly.
I had a really interesting experience at the NSW Club Championships soon after starting to use these 2 product. When I'm racing hard it usually feels as though I come up against a ceiling of speed which prevents me from going faster without 'blowing up', kind of like a boundary line that I can't cross without paying for it later. This race was different. It's hard to describe but I felt as though the line became less solid and I was able to push myself to go faster. I felt really strong despite the lack of any specific preparation (the event came soon after racing the Forster Ironman).
I have had some excellent experiences with the 3 products I have been trying out. You can follow the links to find out more and I have no hesitation in recommending that you try out the products if you want to experience the benefits that I have experienced. If you have any questions or comments please leave me a message.
"stay balanced, train effectively and enjoy every moment of it"
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
... introducing Rob Higley...
Rob is one of the most inspiring and 'human' people I have ever met. He has dedicated the last 28 years of his life to travelling the world in order to discover the secrets of human running. In recent years Rob has refined his model to the point where he is now able to impart his technique through a series of connected exercises and drills as a 'running teacher'.
Rob has just 'gone public' with the publication of his website at www.robsrun.org and will soon be travelling to Europe to work with athletes and to present his ideas.
This is a very exciting time for Rob and I'm delighted to announce that Rob will be giving a Seminar & Demonstration @ the '303 School of Life' in Surry Hills this weekend. Rob will be accompanied by Todd Hardie, one of his young, developing athletes.
Date - Sunday 26th June 2005
Time - 3pm to 5pm
Location - a stone's throw from Central Station. Leave a message if you need directions
Cost - $20 per person, free for under 16's
Nutrition - healthy snacks & refreshments will be provided
Bring - a bean bag if you have one...
... and no, you don't have to wear your school uniform this time ;-)
See you there,
Dunstan
Rob has just 'gone public' with the publication of his website at www.robsrun.org and will soon be travelling to Europe to work with athletes and to present his ideas.
This is a very exciting time for Rob and I'm delighted to announce that Rob will be giving a Seminar & Demonstration @ the '303 School of Life' in Surry Hills this weekend. Rob will be accompanied by Todd Hardie, one of his young, developing athletes.
Date - Sunday 26th June 2005
Time - 3pm to 5pm
Location - a stone's throw from Central Station. Leave a message if you need directions
Cost - $20 per person, free for under 16's
Nutrition - healthy snacks & refreshments will be provided
Bring - a bean bag if you have one...
... and no, you don't have to wear your school uniform this time ;-)
See you there,
Dunstan
Monday, June 20, 2005
Falling off bikes!!!
Committed Blog readers will remember reading about my crash on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in December.
(Click here if you missed the article and photos!)
Well despite managing to elude the all-seeing-eye of my phone camera on that occasion, Wendy has put in more regular appearences of late, notably at the 303 'back to school' party where she tied for 'most convincing schoolgirl' with Dan!
Her most recent adventure made me chuckle so I decided to share it with you! Enjoy.
Lancette's Diary: Clip in pedals - Day 1.
Scene 1: Next to the table, inside.
"It's kind of hard to get my feet into these new bike shoes, I hope they loosen up a bit. Maybe if I just jam my feet in really quickly, it'll be easier...
What's that? Hmmm... my bike light. Might be needing that later. Ok, feet in shoes, now onto the bike".
Scene 2:Outside the house, on the neighbour's driveway, standing upright.
"I hope I don't get a flat. I'd be stuffed if I had to walk to work in these shoes. And late. I'm already late. Maybe I should get the pump. Where is the pump? Bugger the pump, I haven't got time to find it. I won't get a flat... surely. Let's just get into these pedals. Ok, left foot first..... hey! Bingo! How cool is that? Is my foot in properly? Yep, I think so!"
Scene 3: Outside the house, on the neighbour's driveway, not standing upright.
"What the F*%! Ouch. Bloody bike. How did that happen? Did I just fall off? I must have. That's concrete. Ok... I'll just get out from under it. Huh...? My foot won't move. How do I get out of these bloody things? Hmmm... Easy, huh? I'll love my cycling? Huh...?"
Scene 4: Outside the house, on the neighbour's driveway, on the MTB.
"If I'm late, I'm late. At least I might arrive alive".
Wendy Andrews aka Lancette
Editor's note: Readers facing a similar 'bike-shoes-and-matching-clip-in-pedals' adventure might like to losen off the spring tension adjuster to facilitate easy foot removal in the event of sudden, inexplicable loss of balance! For others (you know who you are - TDBB) even this precautionary measure is not enough ;-) !
Please see Dan's comment (below) clarification on this last point!
Happy pedalling!
(Click here if you missed the article and photos!)
Well despite managing to elude the all-seeing-eye of my phone camera on that occasion, Wendy has put in more regular appearences of late, notably at the 303 'back to school' party where she tied for 'most convincing schoolgirl' with Dan!
Her most recent adventure made me chuckle so I decided to share it with you! Enjoy.
Lancette's Diary: Clip in pedals - Day 1.
Scene 1: Next to the table, inside.
"It's kind of hard to get my feet into these new bike shoes, I hope they loosen up a bit. Maybe if I just jam my feet in really quickly, it'll be easier...
What's that? Hmmm... my bike light. Might be needing that later. Ok, feet in shoes, now onto the bike".
Scene 2:Outside the house, on the neighbour's driveway, standing upright.
"I hope I don't get a flat. I'd be stuffed if I had to walk to work in these shoes. And late. I'm already late. Maybe I should get the pump. Where is the pump? Bugger the pump, I haven't got time to find it. I won't get a flat... surely. Let's just get into these pedals. Ok, left foot first..... hey! Bingo! How cool is that? Is my foot in properly? Yep, I think so!"
Scene 3: Outside the house, on the neighbour's driveway, not standing upright.
"What the F*%! Ouch. Bloody bike. How did that happen? Did I just fall off? I must have. That's concrete. Ok... I'll just get out from under it. Huh...? My foot won't move. How do I get out of these bloody things? Hmmm... Easy, huh? I'll love my cycling? Huh...?"
Scene 4: Outside the house, on the neighbour's driveway, on the MTB.
"If I'm late, I'm late. At least I might arrive alive".
Wendy Andrews aka Lancette
Editor's note: Readers facing a similar 'bike-shoes-and-matching-clip-in-pedals' adventure might like to losen off the spring tension adjuster to facilitate easy foot removal in the event of sudden, inexplicable loss of balance! For others (you know who you are - TDBB) even this precautionary measure is not enough ;-) !
Please see Dan's comment (below) clarification on this last point!
Happy pedalling!
Friday, June 03, 2005
"What now between you and me?"
"...there is no 'you and me'..."
I've got one final weekend of shenanigans before I settle back into my full training routine. Tonight at the Clock for a few drinks to say farewell to Pauly Morris ahead of his European adventure, tomorrow afternoon for Emma's housewarming in Balmain and tomorrow evening at the Arthouse to REALLY say goodbye to Paul!!! He had better not change his mind and come back in 3 weeks! ;-)
I've been working on my core strength and flexibility and have been doing a few sessions with a strong technical focus.
Now I'm ready to ease back into a full workload and push on to the next level!
I've got one final weekend of shenanigans before I settle back into my full training routine. Tonight at the Clock for a few drinks to say farewell to Pauly Morris ahead of his European adventure, tomorrow afternoon for Emma's housewarming in Balmain and tomorrow evening at the Arthouse to REALLY say goodbye to Paul!!! He had better not change his mind and come back in 3 weeks! ;-)
I've been working on my core strength and flexibility and have been doing a few sessions with a strong technical focus.
Now I'm ready to ease back into a full workload and push on to the next level!
Back2School@303
Editor's note - have you found one of the links to the photos?
I had a great time at our party last Saturday: there was an awesome group of people with some very convincing outfits and the warehouse space came alive as a 'school'!
Quote of the evening has to be from a guy who wondered in looking for somewhere else, took a quick peek at our setup and said:
"What is this, a bar or something?"
...nice...
Headmaster's Report
Faculty Staff:
Mr Dunstan Bertschinger – Principal
Mr Adam Sanford – Vice Principal
Miss Catherine Bellini – Graphic Design
Mr/iss Eric(a) Clarke - Science
Mr Scott Fink - Sport
Baden Reynolds - Maths
Mr Thomas Zatare - Latin
Mr Ross Pulido - Careers advisor
Trudi Davies - Cheerleader (to motivate the sports teams of course!)
Prefects:
Thomas Carr
Peter Abraham
Pupils:
There was good attendance from most of the pupils and good standards of dress were observed by boys and girls alike, although there were actually more of the former despite the school gender ratio being even
;-)
Awards were given for:
Standout graphic design work – Greer Sansom (Year 12 – on exam leave)
Best presented hair – Carole (Year 10)
Outstanding sausage rolls made in home economics – Christie Wong (Year 10)
Best Art Project – Melody Williams (Year 11)
Year 9 High Achiever award - Anna Turk
Outstanding photograpy project - David Tickler (Year 9)
Best Long-Island-Iced-Tea - Ali & Zeno (Year 8)
School Hopscotch Champion - Zoe (Year 8)
Sexiest Hula-hoop performance - Alex(andra) (Year 7)
Best dressed Schoolboy – Philip McDonald (Year 6)
Highest Swing (both feet on ceiling!) - Gaz (Year 10)
Most convincing schoolgirl – Wendy Andrews (Year 9) (although Dan in Year 9 was a close 2nd)
Most litter collected during after school detention – Ben Wearing (Year 7) & Erik(a) (75 483 bottles and 6 201 cans the following morning)
Make sure you leave a message, especially if you wagged off school last Saturday and especially if you were there but didn't fill in the register (guestbook).
Let me know if anyone wants a yearbook CD - I'm holding out on a few more people sending in their pics (Grainne, Al and perhaps Maria...)
Love you all,
Dunstan
I had a great time at our party last Saturday: there was an awesome group of people with some very convincing outfits and the warehouse space came alive as a 'school'!
Quote of the evening has to be from a guy who wondered in looking for somewhere else, took a quick peek at our setup and said:
"What is this, a bar or something?"
...nice...
Headmaster's Report
Faculty Staff:
Mr Dunstan Bertschinger – Principal
Mr Adam Sanford – Vice Principal
Miss Catherine Bellini – Graphic Design
Mr/iss Eric(a) Clarke - Science
Mr Scott Fink - Sport
Baden Reynolds - Maths
Mr Thomas Zatare - Latin
Mr Ross Pulido - Careers advisor
Trudi Davies - Cheerleader (to motivate the sports teams of course!)
Prefects:
Thomas Carr
Peter Abraham
Pupils:
There was good attendance from most of the pupils and good standards of dress were observed by boys and girls alike, although there were actually more of the former despite the school gender ratio being even
;-)
Awards were given for:
Standout graphic design work – Greer Sansom (Year 12 – on exam leave)
Best presented hair – Carole (Year 10)
Outstanding sausage rolls made in home economics – Christie Wong (Year 10)
Best Art Project – Melody Williams (Year 11)
Year 9 High Achiever award - Anna Turk
Outstanding photograpy project - David Tickler (Year 9)
Best Long-Island-Iced-Tea - Ali & Zeno (Year 8)
School Hopscotch Champion - Zoe (Year 8)
Sexiest Hula-hoop performance - Alex(andra) (Year 7)
Best dressed Schoolboy – Philip McDonald (Year 6)
Highest Swing (both feet on ceiling!) - Gaz (Year 10)
Most convincing schoolgirl – Wendy Andrews (Year 9) (although Dan in Year 9 was a close 2nd)
Most litter collected during after school detention – Ben Wearing (Year 7) & Erik(a) (75 483 bottles and 6 201 cans the following morning)
Make sure you leave a message, especially if you wagged off school last Saturday and especially if you were there but didn't fill in the register (guestbook).
Let me know if anyone wants a yearbook CD - I'm holding out on a few more people sending in their pics (Grainne, Al and perhaps Maria...)
Love you all,
Dunstan
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Starting my Journey to Hawaii^2 2005
A month ago I achieved my goal of qualifying to race in the 2005 Ironman World Championships which are held in Kona at the start of October. I'm also hoping to race the Olympic Distance World Championships which are in Honolulu the week before; hence "Hawaii squared"!
This is a pretty unique opportunity to race both events in Hawaii, since the Olympic Distance Worlds are held at a different location every year! I am at my best in the face of a challenge and when I get out of my comfort zone. This adventure will certainly fulfil both of those criteria!
About Triathlon
The sport is divided into Age Group and Elite / Professional categories. Age groups are divided into 5 year intervals and I've just moved up into the 30-34 category. This is often the largest age group and is certainly one of the most comptetitive; in big events the winner of 30-34 will often place amongst the professionals. In order to race as a professional, and be able to compete for prize money you need a license. This ensures a certain standard of racing but the age group system means that athletes can continue to be competitive for many years, sometimes into their 70's. Triathlon didn't exist when those people were my age so it will be interesting to see what the senior age groups are like by the time I'm 70!
During the 2 years I've spent in Australia I've committed a lot of time, energy and money to my racing and training and have become a "good age grouper". My best results are:
12th in 25-29 at Olympic Dist Worlds in Dec 2003 (Queenstown, NZ)
63rd (17th in 25-29) at Ironman Australia in April 2004 (Forster-Tuncurry, NSW)
5th (Winner of 25-29) Yeppoon 1/2 Ironman in August 2004
7th (Winner of 25-29) Gold Coast 1/2 Ironman in October 2004
14th (3rd in 25-29) at Forster 1/2 Ironman in October 2004
14th (2nd in 25-29) at Australian Long Course Championships in February 2005
Winner of 25-29 for Ironman qualifying series (on results Yeppoon, Gold Coast and Forster 1/2 IM)
33rd (8th in 30-34 and Kona qualifier) at Ironman Australia in April 2005 (Forster-Tuncurry, NSW)
Well I took most of April off training. My focus for May is to get back into my training with a focus on: establishing good daily routines, developing core stability and functional strength, maintining aerobic fitness and organising as much as possible for the next 24 weeks so that I can focus 100% once I begin my serious training in June. This term I'm also aiming to put extra time and effort into my job at NumberWorks, Pennant Hills.
Feel free to post any quesions or comments here... :-D
This is a pretty unique opportunity to race both events in Hawaii, since the Olympic Distance Worlds are held at a different location every year! I am at my best in the face of a challenge and when I get out of my comfort zone. This adventure will certainly fulfil both of those criteria!
About Triathlon
The sport is divided into Age Group and Elite / Professional categories. Age groups are divided into 5 year intervals and I've just moved up into the 30-34 category. This is often the largest age group and is certainly one of the most comptetitive; in big events the winner of 30-34 will often place amongst the professionals. In order to race as a professional, and be able to compete for prize money you need a license. This ensures a certain standard of racing but the age group system means that athletes can continue to be competitive for many years, sometimes into their 70's. Triathlon didn't exist when those people were my age so it will be interesting to see what the senior age groups are like by the time I'm 70!
During the 2 years I've spent in Australia I've committed a lot of time, energy and money to my racing and training and have become a "good age grouper". My best results are:
12th in 25-29 at Olympic Dist Worlds in Dec 2003 (Queenstown, NZ)
63rd (17th in 25-29) at Ironman Australia in April 2004 (Forster-Tuncurry, NSW)
5th (Winner of 25-29) Yeppoon 1/2 Ironman in August 2004
7th (Winner of 25-29) Gold Coast 1/2 Ironman in October 2004
14th (3rd in 25-29) at Forster 1/2 Ironman in October 2004
14th (2nd in 25-29) at Australian Long Course Championships in February 2005
Winner of 25-29 for Ironman qualifying series (on results Yeppoon, Gold Coast and Forster 1/2 IM)
33rd (8th in 30-34 and Kona qualifier) at Ironman Australia in April 2005 (Forster-Tuncurry, NSW)
Well I took most of April off training. My focus for May is to get back into my training with a focus on: establishing good daily routines, developing core stability and functional strength, maintining aerobic fitness and organising as much as possible for the next 24 weeks so that I can focus 100% once I begin my serious training in June. This term I'm also aiming to put extra time and effort into my job at NumberWorks, Pennant Hills.
Feel free to post any quesions or comments here... :-D
Monday, May 02, 2005
Pure Madness - "Drag Racing in NY"!!!
If you've ever wondered what a bicycle courier race is like then wonder no further!
Click HERE for the link if you've got broadband (or are just really patient!)
Thanks Nige for the link!
PS Look out for the guy riding fixed wheel and please don't try this at home!
Click HERE for the link if you've got broadband (or are just really patient!)
Thanks Nige for the link!
PS Look out for the guy riding fixed wheel and please don't try this at home!
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Planning the next Chapter
I've just been putting some dates into my diary for the rest of this year.
Click here to see the calendar
If you have a digital calendar you can click on 'subscribe' to put the dates into your diary :-)
I've also included the links so you can just click and go through to the event websites.
... hope you find it useful, please leave me a message or email if there are other events you'd like me to include.
Enjoy,
Dunstan
Click here to see the calendar
If you have a digital calendar you can click on 'subscribe' to put the dates into your diary :-)
I've also included the links so you can just click and go through to the event websites.
... hope you find it useful, please leave me a message or email if there are other events you'd like me to include.
Enjoy,
Dunstan
Monday, April 18, 2005
Sydney 24 hour Mountain Bike Race
16th to 17th April 2005
Part 1:
Are you feeling the post-IM blues? Is the thought of riding to Waterfall again making you saddlesore? If so, then here is some food for thought...
imagine...
A 10k off road loop featuring climbs, descents, moguls, jumps, dropoffs, and single track; up to 6 riders in a team, 24 hours to complete as many laps as you can. The N-ZO Sydney 24 Hour MTB Event is one of the best organised events I've ever taken part in: there's a timing team typing race numbers into a computer as you finish each lap, and there's even a tent with 5 computers where you can check your team's position and individual lap times! I've just had a hot shower, there's a live band playing, I'm tucking into a big bowl of pasta from the excellent Bush Fireys food station and I'm hanging out in the campsite with my courier mates. Does life get much better?
The riding is amazing, especially in the dark, our team is sitting in 4th place in the 4 man category and I can honestly say that I haven't had this much fun with my clothes on in a very long time! Something tells me that I'll be doing plenty more riding on knobbly tyres in the off-season! Oh yeah, did I mention it's really good for core strength and bike handling skills too? As a bonus I just won a cool N-ZO shirt in the track stand competition for staying still on my bike with one hand off the bars ;-)
One of the great things about being sponsored by Inner City Cycles is that they know their mountain bikes too; especially useful if you don't know a hard-tail from a dual! When you do something as different as this you are on a huge learning curve and good advice is invaluable. Thanks to Ainsley, Russ and Llewellyn for going well beyond the call of duty to get me + bike onto the start line!
Thanks especially to 'Dangerous' Dave Tickler for lending me his sexy Stump Jumper to ride and also Jana, Kristian, Charlotte and Pete for lending me the lights! Believe me, its nice to see what's ahead when you are riding a rough trail at speeds of up to 50kph!
Part 2:
Our lack of co-ordination and absence of a support crew became a big factor during the night. We lost time to the better organised teams but managed to keep a rider on the course for 90% of the time. Our team slid to 13th place but some inspired daylight riding in the morning moved us back up for a 10th place finish with a total of 38 laps.
Our riders were Tim, Ruido 329, Bado 332 and myself 398 (but riding for Adrian Kingsell as a substitute) and rode under Team Boris as a tribute to Jason 929, a courier and mountain biker who is really seriously ill :-(
If you think that racing an Ironman is the ultimate test of endurance then you might need to rethink. The winner of the solo category completed 35 laps; that's over 350km of riding, OFF ROAD and half of it in the dark! 3rd placed solo was Steve, another courier (who was so well organised that he even had a spare battery to lend me when I had run ouf of light) rode the whole thing on a SINGLE SPEED !!! You might like to bear that in mind next time you snap a gear cable!
Photos to follow soon. Click here to see some other upcoming events.
Part 1:
Are you feeling the post-IM blues? Is the thought of riding to Waterfall again making you saddlesore? If so, then here is some food for thought...
imagine...
A 10k off road loop featuring climbs, descents, moguls, jumps, dropoffs, and single track; up to 6 riders in a team, 24 hours to complete as many laps as you can. The N-ZO Sydney 24 Hour MTB Event is one of the best organised events I've ever taken part in: there's a timing team typing race numbers into a computer as you finish each lap, and there's even a tent with 5 computers where you can check your team's position and individual lap times! I've just had a hot shower, there's a live band playing, I'm tucking into a big bowl of pasta from the excellent Bush Fireys food station and I'm hanging out in the campsite with my courier mates. Does life get much better?
The riding is amazing, especially in the dark, our team is sitting in 4th place in the 4 man category and I can honestly say that I haven't had this much fun with my clothes on in a very long time! Something tells me that I'll be doing plenty more riding on knobbly tyres in the off-season! Oh yeah, did I mention it's really good for core strength and bike handling skills too? As a bonus I just won a cool N-ZO shirt in the track stand competition for staying still on my bike with one hand off the bars ;-)
One of the great things about being sponsored by Inner City Cycles is that they know their mountain bikes too; especially useful if you don't know a hard-tail from a dual! When you do something as different as this you are on a huge learning curve and good advice is invaluable. Thanks to Ainsley, Russ and Llewellyn for going well beyond the call of duty to get me + bike onto the start line!
Thanks especially to 'Dangerous' Dave Tickler for lending me his sexy Stump Jumper to ride and also Jana, Kristian, Charlotte and Pete for lending me the lights! Believe me, its nice to see what's ahead when you are riding a rough trail at speeds of up to 50kph!
Part 2:
Our lack of co-ordination and absence of a support crew became a big factor during the night. We lost time to the better organised teams but managed to keep a rider on the course for 90% of the time. Our team slid to 13th place but some inspired daylight riding in the morning moved us back up for a 10th place finish with a total of 38 laps.
Our riders were Tim, Ruido 329, Bado 332 and myself 398 (but riding for Adrian Kingsell as a substitute) and rode under Team Boris as a tribute to Jason 929, a courier and mountain biker who is really seriously ill :-(
If you think that racing an Ironman is the ultimate test of endurance then you might need to rethink. The winner of the solo category completed 35 laps; that's over 350km of riding, OFF ROAD and half of it in the dark! 3rd placed solo was Steve, another courier (who was so well organised that he even had a spare battery to lend me when I had run ouf of light) rode the whole thing on a SINGLE SPEED !!! You might like to bear that in mind next time you snap a gear cable!
Photos to follow soon. Click here to see some other upcoming events.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Why … is Dunstan … riding a bike naked?
It was all in the name of raising money for kids cancer research and having a good laugh at the same time! The first ever Sydney Body Art Ride was held last Sunday. It was a simple concept – you rock up, chose your colour, strip off, get painted up and then ride as part of a ‘human rainbow’. Many of my friends expressed an interest in the early stages of planning but when it came down to it, ‘Dangerous’ Dave Tickler was the only one brave enough to join me on this adventure!
That said, there was a sterling effort from my non-participant friends on the previous night where a quick whip around raised $305, including $100 from Richard at Café Niki up on Bourke Street. Did I tell you how great they are?
Dave and myself selected ‘sky blue’ and ended up looking like Smurfs, although not the innocent sort that appear in children’s books!!! The ride started at Randwick Racecourse and meandered its way down to the beach in Maroubra where everyone had a body surf and scrubbed ourselves back to a flesh colour. Reaction from the public was generally really positive, especially once the people on the route realised we were raising money for charity! I’m still finding bits of blue in strange places but it was a fantastic experience – kind of like running the City to Surf dressed as Santa, only a bit different!
To be continued + photos to follow shortly...
That said, there was a sterling effort from my non-participant friends on the previous night where a quick whip around raised $305, including $100 from Richard at Café Niki up on Bourke Street. Did I tell you how great they are?
Dave and myself selected ‘sky blue’ and ended up looking like Smurfs, although not the innocent sort that appear in children’s books!!! The ride started at Randwick Racecourse and meandered its way down to the beach in Maroubra where everyone had a body surf and scrubbed ourselves back to a flesh colour. Reaction from the public was generally really positive, especially once the people on the route realised we were raising money for charity! I’m still finding bits of blue in strange places but it was a fantastic experience – kind of like running the City to Surf dressed as Santa, only a bit different!
To be continued + photos to follow shortly...
Monday, March 28, 2005
Paul and Clements win at Kurnell
Inner City Cycles athletes Charlotte Paul and Yvette Clements both won their age groups at the 3rd and final race of the Kurnell Triathlon series on the Easter weekend. Both athletes were using the sprint distance race as a final hit out ahead of next weekend's Ironman Championships which will take place in Forster-Tucurry. It was a chilly start to the day, with a 750m swim in the choppy waters of Botany Bay, followed by a flat 20km ride and a 5km run in the picturesque setting of the Botany Bay National Park, now warmed by fine Easter Sunshine.
Clements set a blistering pace on the run course, recording the second fastest female run split of the day (within 4 seconds of outright winner, Swedish champion Lisa Norden) to win the 24-29 category and place 4th overall. Paul placed 2nd overall, winning the 30-34 category for both the race and the series with a comfortable and solid performance. Husband Kristian Manietta took 3rd place in the series.
Top 5 for Men and Women were as follows:
1 Chris Mccormack 0:53:27.4
2 Benjamin Harley 0:54:14.7
3 Phillip Dove 0:56:44.1
4 Blake Field 0:58:28.6
5 Peter Slijkhuis 0:58:52.6
1 Lisa Norden 1:00:11.1
2 Charlotte Paul 1:04:57.4
3 Lisa Tulic 1:06:25.3
4 Yvette Clements 1:06:43.9
5 Eva Rongard 1:07:09.1
For full results click here
Clements set a blistering pace on the run course, recording the second fastest female run split of the day (within 4 seconds of outright winner, Swedish champion Lisa Norden) to win the 24-29 category and place 4th overall. Paul placed 2nd overall, winning the 30-34 category for both the race and the series with a comfortable and solid performance. Husband Kristian Manietta took 3rd place in the series.
Top 5 for Men and Women were as follows:
1 Chris Mccormack 0:53:27.4
2 Benjamin Harley 0:54:14.7
3 Phillip Dove 0:56:44.1
4 Blake Field 0:58:28.6
5 Peter Slijkhuis 0:58:52.6
1 Lisa Norden 1:00:11.1
2 Charlotte Paul 1:04:57.4
3 Lisa Tulic 1:06:25.3
4 Yvette Clements 1:06:43.9
5 Eva Rongard 1:07:09.1
For full results click here
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Dunstan is looking for housemates!
Well Adam moved in a couple of weeks ago. Definitely a good choice as we get on really well and he likes the place a lot! We also have a lot of common interests and overlapping musical tastes that we are just beginning to explore...
At the end of April I took over the lease on my house. Its the end of a 303 era with lots of happy memories! Melody has moved over to Clovelly but we still see plenty of her so that's ok. Matt is back in France as his working holiday visa has come to an end - hopefully he'll carry on running so that we can hook up for some training next time I'm in Europe! Jane is in New Zealand for a year - the place will definitely miss her creative energy!
In any case, I love it here. The warehouse has been my home now for over a year and suits me really well. Its a great location with easy access to the City, right next to Central for my commute to work, really handy for training in Centennial Park and the ultra-fast, ultra-cheap broadband is a definite bonus! Not to mention the abundance of living space, the cute quirks of each room and the great potential for movie nights, dinner parties, etc!
Click here to see some photos of the place!
Well the bottom line is that we're looking for 2 really awesome housemates! One room is available NOW, Carole and Tommy (some friends of Mathieu's) are staying here until the end of May so the other room will be available then.
There are 4 rooms in total; we're looking for 2 girls so that the numbers balance. We're happy to consider someone for a short term but are looking to build a stable house in the long term.
Rent will be $620 per month ($145pw) , including electricity, gas, broadband and phone rental. Bond will be $550.
We've always had a 'no television' rule but watch DVD's instead - it means that people interact more with each other when they are at home, but of course the place is big enough for everyone to have plenty of space to themselves.
My vision is a shared space with happy occupants.
People who have lots in common but who also do different things.
A household where all of the tedious stuff like bills and cleaning are well organised so that housemates can just enjoy hanging out with each other!
If you are interested then get in touch. You can send me a short message via the link to the photos or a longer message from the advert on Domain
Tell us something about yourself: what you like, what you do, what you do when you're not doing what you do and anything else you think we'll find interesting!
Dunstan and Adam!
At the end of April I took over the lease on my house. Its the end of a 303 era with lots of happy memories! Melody has moved over to Clovelly but we still see plenty of her so that's ok. Matt is back in France as his working holiday visa has come to an end - hopefully he'll carry on running so that we can hook up for some training next time I'm in Europe! Jane is in New Zealand for a year - the place will definitely miss her creative energy!
In any case, I love it here. The warehouse has been my home now for over a year and suits me really well. Its a great location with easy access to the City, right next to Central for my commute to work, really handy for training in Centennial Park and the ultra-fast, ultra-cheap broadband is a definite bonus! Not to mention the abundance of living space, the cute quirks of each room and the great potential for movie nights, dinner parties, etc!
Click here to see some photos of the place!
Well the bottom line is that we're looking for 2 really awesome housemates! One room is available NOW, Carole and Tommy (some friends of Mathieu's) are staying here until the end of May so the other room will be available then.
There are 4 rooms in total; we're looking for 2 girls so that the numbers balance. We're happy to consider someone for a short term but are looking to build a stable house in the long term.
Rent will be $620 per month ($145pw) , including electricity, gas, broadband and phone rental. Bond will be $550.
We've always had a 'no television' rule but watch DVD's instead - it means that people interact more with each other when they are at home, but of course the place is big enough for everyone to have plenty of space to themselves.
My vision is a shared space with happy occupants.
People who have lots in common but who also do different things.
A household where all of the tedious stuff like bills and cleaning are well organised so that housemates can just enjoy hanging out with each other!
If you are interested then get in touch. You can send me a short message via the link to the photos or a longer message from the advert on Domain
Tell us something about yourself: what you like, what you do, what you do when you're not doing what you do and anything else you think we'll find interesting!
Dunstan and Adam!
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Where ... is Dunstan ... training?
Just concluding an excellent weekend of training. Was off training ill for most of last week but had another excellent physio session with Kylie on Friday; always come out of there feeling really good :-D. Work has been pretty mental with the first week of the new term so I put in a few extra hours to get on top of things.
Saturday was a recovery ride - a 170km loop around the Hawkesbury valley starting at Turramurra & taking in: Galston Gorge, Maroota, Wisemans Ferry, Gunderman, Spencer, Mangrove Creek, Peats Ridge to Calga along part of the ATTA time trial route, then returning along the Old Highway (Mt. White, Brooklyn, Pie in the Sky) and back to Turramurra via Hornsby.
Its a beautiful ride, it was a perfect day, Ursula was running smooth and we had a great crew (10 of us). Click here for pics and maps! Thanks to Walter Stanish for 2 of the images.
Stats were as follows: Distance 170km, Average 27 kph, Total Time 7h, Total Dist Climbed 2000m, Time in Re: 2h10, Time in E1 3h05, Time above E1 17 min (oops!), Average HR 118 (right between Re and E1 as it was supposed to be :-D).
On Sunday I ran 16km over to Manly for the Cole Classic.
Met up with my mates Mick, Tony and Piers for the 2km Classic Challenge. Good results all round for the 4 of us:
Michael hasn't been training much but cruised home in the 20-24 wave with a 20 second lead (although he is a bit of a swim freak and won the whole event in 2002). I'd only talked Piers and Tony into it the night before and they both had awesome races. I was really happy with my swim but somehow managed to end up in the 13-15 Category with an extra 5 min on my time!!! LOL. Interestingly enough I wouldn't have made the top 10, not even in the 13-15 girls!!! Click here for results
Sydney is an amazing place to train! Bring on some more :-D
Saturday was a recovery ride - a 170km loop around the Hawkesbury valley starting at Turramurra & taking in: Galston Gorge, Maroota, Wisemans Ferry, Gunderman, Spencer, Mangrove Creek, Peats Ridge to Calga along part of the ATTA time trial route, then returning along the Old Highway (Mt. White, Brooklyn, Pie in the Sky) and back to Turramurra via Hornsby.
Its a beautiful ride, it was a perfect day, Ursula was running smooth and we had a great crew (10 of us). Click here for pics and maps! Thanks to Walter Stanish for 2 of the images.
Stats were as follows: Distance 170km, Average 27 kph, Total Time 7h, Total Dist Climbed 2000m, Time in Re: 2h10, Time in E1 3h05, Time above E1 17 min (oops!), Average HR 118 (right between Re and E1 as it was supposed to be :-D).
On Sunday I ran 16km over to Manly for the Cole Classic.
Met up with my mates Mick, Tony and Piers for the 2km Classic Challenge. Good results all round for the 4 of us:
Michael hasn't been training much but cruised home in the 20-24 wave with a 20 second lead (although he is a bit of a swim freak and won the whole event in 2002). I'd only talked Piers and Tony into it the night before and they both had awesome races. I was really happy with my swim but somehow managed to end up in the 13-15 Category with an extra 5 min on my time!!! LOL. Interestingly enough I wouldn't have made the top 10, not even in the 13-15 girls!!! Click here for results
Sydney is an amazing place to train! Bring on some more :-D
Saturday, February 05, 2005
The Little Differences
Its often the little things that are different here in Australia; a few weeks ago I was doing a swim coaching course and discovered that the innocent child's song, "The Hokey-Cokey" somehow transforms itself into the "the Hokey-Pokey" somewhere over the equator!
Some quick research on Google revealed that something we use to teach co-ordination and "left / right" to young kids was actually invented by Protestants who were ridiculing the Roman Catholic tradition.
HILARIOUS!!!
If you have too much time on your hands you might like to check out a couple of sites that clarify (???) the situation.
The original Google search
... a very informative article...
...explains connection with hocus pocus...
... apparently American GI's were to blame!
... gets a little rude!
... another perspective...
ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS!
Thanks to my new friend Lydia for pointing out the difference after she read my blog!
Some quick research on Google revealed that something we use to teach co-ordination and "left / right" to young kids was actually invented by Protestants who were ridiculing the Roman Catholic tradition.
HILARIOUS!!!
If you have too much time on your hands you might like to check out a couple of sites that clarify (???) the situation.
The original Google search
... a very informative article...
...explains connection with hocus pocus...
... apparently American GI's were to blame!
... gets a little rude!
... another perspective...
ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS!
Thanks to my new friend Lydia for pointing out the difference after she read my blog!
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Aust Swim Teaching Course
Last weekend I went along to Ravenswood School in Gordon to complete the 2nd part of this course. 0830 to 1730 on each day proved too much for some, especially on the Sunday, with a few taking impromptu 'power naps' during the theory sessions. You know who you are! Anyhow, it was really useful to get some ideas to use for teaching kids to swim. I learnt a whole load of fun games and now I also know the words to the 'Hokey Cokey'! The course was packed full of information about water safety: did you know that 80% of the 270 people who drowned in Australia last year were male and heaps of them were washed into the sea from rocks?
Our facilitators Sonya, Melissa, and Karina were really enthusiastic and did a great job of getting us through all of the mateial we know in order to pass our exam and become qualified swim teachers. Click the link to see photos and a video of some of the pool activites we did which were really good fun. I thought that there should have been more emphasis on some of the personal qualities that makes a good swim teacher such as being a really positive person who loves swimming & teaching it and how to build a good rapport with kids. Perhaps this is something that is a pre-requisite for being Australian and that's why it doesn't need to be covered! In any case, all of the people on the course seemed like they would make great swim teachers anyway! GO YOU GOOD THINGS :-D
I'm a Total Immersion coach. We run weekend workshops with a 100% focus on freestyle technique where we use underwater video footage and teach a clever sequence of progressive drills to transform the swimmer's stroke into a more efficient one. Last workshop there was a guy called Steve who improved from 22 strokes for 25m at the start of the workshop to 10 strokes at the end. AWESOME! It was good for me to see that some of the key TI concepts are present in the Austswim way of teaching, but I felt that the concept of 'balance in the water' should be introduced at an early stage in the teaching progression and emphasised throughout as it is probably the single most important consideration for efficient swimming.
I had a very constructive discussion about 'principles of movement' with Melissa Rickwood and she asked me to demonstrate one of the TI drills we use to teach swimmers how to 'lean on their lung' and 'hide their head' in order to swim downhill (ie in balance) rather that uphill (head out of water and legs sinking). On the TI workshops we have a teaching ratio of 1:6 or better and we give very specific feedback to our participants. Next summer I'm going to organise a Total Immersion Swimming Camp For Kids and I'm looking forward to implementing some of the Austswim ideas.
In the meantime, all you soon-to-be swim teachers should definitely sign in and leave me a message on this blog. Its really easy and it would be great to hear how you are all going with your swim teaching! ;-D
Dunstan out.
Our facilitators Sonya, Melissa, and Karina were really enthusiastic and did a great job of getting us through all of the mateial we know in order to pass our exam and become qualified swim teachers. Click the link to see photos and a video of some of the pool activites we did which were really good fun. I thought that there should have been more emphasis on some of the personal qualities that makes a good swim teacher such as being a really positive person who loves swimming & teaching it and how to build a good rapport with kids. Perhaps this is something that is a pre-requisite for being Australian and that's why it doesn't need to be covered! In any case, all of the people on the course seemed like they would make great swim teachers anyway! GO YOU GOOD THINGS :-D
I'm a Total Immersion coach. We run weekend workshops with a 100% focus on freestyle technique where we use underwater video footage and teach a clever sequence of progressive drills to transform the swimmer's stroke into a more efficient one. Last workshop there was a guy called Steve who improved from 22 strokes for 25m at the start of the workshop to 10 strokes at the end. AWESOME! It was good for me to see that some of the key TI concepts are present in the Austswim way of teaching, but I felt that the concept of 'balance in the water' should be introduced at an early stage in the teaching progression and emphasised throughout as it is probably the single most important consideration for efficient swimming.
I had a very constructive discussion about 'principles of movement' with Melissa Rickwood and she asked me to demonstrate one of the TI drills we use to teach swimmers how to 'lean on their lung' and 'hide their head' in order to swim downhill (ie in balance) rather that uphill (head out of water and legs sinking). On the TI workshops we have a teaching ratio of 1:6 or better and we give very specific feedback to our participants. Next summer I'm going to organise a Total Immersion Swimming Camp For Kids and I'm looking forward to implementing some of the Austswim ideas.
In the meantime, all you soon-to-be swim teachers should definitely sign in and leave me a message on this blog. Its really easy and it would be great to hear how you are all going with your swim teaching! ;-D
Dunstan out.
Friday, December 10, 2004
Why ... is Dunstan ... lucky?
Click here for photos: WARNING - NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED!
The Stack...
On Monday Eve I rode up to Pennant Hills to get things at work ready for the painters to do their thing. I was riding across the Sydney Harbour bridge towards the city on the cycleway from N. Sydney; past the middle and heading downhill with a tailwind so probably doing about 40-45 kph. A girl was coming the other way on her MTB and we were reaching an extra narrow section so I moved over to the left to give her plenty of space. Just as we crossed I hit a bit of metal that was sticking out from the pipes on the handrail. The first I knew was I heard a metallic 'clunk' (actually the sound of my brake lever hitting the bit of metal) and then I was flying through the air in a 'Superman' position.
The Aftermath...
I came to a rest after sliding about 10m and dead opposite where the security guard was. My initial thought was to get back on my bike and ride on to avoid embarassment but I quickly realised that wouldn't be a good idea. The guard helped me off the cycleway and Wendy (the girl on the MTB) cleared my bike out of the way - I later discovered that I'd clipped her as I came off but fortunately only lightly so she wasn't hurt. We were soon joined by another security guard and they called an ambulance. I knew that I had a big hole in my elbow and suspected I had broken my forearm. At this stage I was sitting on an old tin of paint with my back against a wall. I began to have some really lucid thoughts and then everything faded to white (why do they call it 'blacking out'?) for what must have been a couple of seconds. Then the security guard brought me round and helped me to lie down. The 4 of us were soon joined by Elaine - she had been leading a Bridge Climb group and had seen me sliding along the path! Elaine covered me up with her jacket to keep me warm and she, Wendy, Sam and Paul (the security guards) were great company; even agreeing to a few photos! I called Ali, Hani and Jane and they co-ordinated arrangements to pick up my bike.
The Hospital ...
Once the paramedics (Nathan and Kylie) arrived they put my arm into a sling and helped me to my feet. I felt a lot better by this stage and was able to walk down the stairs unaided - getting a round of applause from Elaine's boiler-suit clad group on the way past. The rest is less interesting: lots of waiting around in the hospital, Some X-rays, a clean up for my wounds and some more waiting. Al, Hani and Trudi came to see me in the hospital and brought me a heap of goodies :-) The 4 of us had been planning to go to a Tango class in Broadway and I was really grateful to them for cheerfully downgrading their evening to come and keep me company. Great news when I got the all clear as far as broken bones - so relieved!!! By the time it came to the stitches Hani was the only one who didn't feel squeamish (good job being as she's a vet!)
I must have been feeling the benefits of a whole load of adrenalin and endorphins 'cause it actually didn't hurt too much, even though I had persuaded Mike (the doc) not to use anaesthetic, much to everyone's bemusement! Good choice - I certainly felt alive and anyway, I knew I'd need a good cold beer once I got out of the hospital!
4 stitches and a few dressings later I was discharged.
Why am I lucky?
1. I met some amazing people who really went out of their way to look after me and check I was ok. Thanks Elaine, Paul, Sam & Wendy.
2. My friends and all of my housemates were great - its nice to feel truly cared for.
3. Because it happened during a maintainence phase of my training and not before a big race.
4. Not to have broken anything! A cast would need 6 weeks and my serious training starts in 3.
5. That I didn't bang my head!
6. My bike isn't as bad as it could have been.
7. I managed to stay in control mentally. That's gotta be a good life experience!
8. I ended up wih a great story and some cool pics for you, the blog-reader, to check out!
The Stack...
On Monday Eve I rode up to Pennant Hills to get things at work ready for the painters to do their thing. I was riding across the Sydney Harbour bridge towards the city on the cycleway from N. Sydney; past the middle and heading downhill with a tailwind so probably doing about 40-45 kph. A girl was coming the other way on her MTB and we were reaching an extra narrow section so I moved over to the left to give her plenty of space. Just as we crossed I hit a bit of metal that was sticking out from the pipes on the handrail. The first I knew was I heard a metallic 'clunk' (actually the sound of my brake lever hitting the bit of metal) and then I was flying through the air in a 'Superman' position.
The Aftermath...
I came to a rest after sliding about 10m and dead opposite where the security guard was. My initial thought was to get back on my bike and ride on to avoid embarassment but I quickly realised that wouldn't be a good idea. The guard helped me off the cycleway and Wendy (the girl on the MTB) cleared my bike out of the way - I later discovered that I'd clipped her as I came off but fortunately only lightly so she wasn't hurt. We were soon joined by another security guard and they called an ambulance. I knew that I had a big hole in my elbow and suspected I had broken my forearm. At this stage I was sitting on an old tin of paint with my back against a wall. I began to have some really lucid thoughts and then everything faded to white (why do they call it 'blacking out'?) for what must have been a couple of seconds. Then the security guard brought me round and helped me to lie down. The 4 of us were soon joined by Elaine - she had been leading a Bridge Climb group and had seen me sliding along the path! Elaine covered me up with her jacket to keep me warm and she, Wendy, Sam and Paul (the security guards) were great company; even agreeing to a few photos! I called Ali, Hani and Jane and they co-ordinated arrangements to pick up my bike.
The Hospital ...
Once the paramedics (Nathan and Kylie) arrived they put my arm into a sling and helped me to my feet. I felt a lot better by this stage and was able to walk down the stairs unaided - getting a round of applause from Elaine's boiler-suit clad group on the way past. The rest is less interesting: lots of waiting around in the hospital, Some X-rays, a clean up for my wounds and some more waiting. Al, Hani and Trudi came to see me in the hospital and brought me a heap of goodies :-) The 4 of us had been planning to go to a Tango class in Broadway and I was really grateful to them for cheerfully downgrading their evening to come and keep me company. Great news when I got the all clear as far as broken bones - so relieved!!! By the time it came to the stitches Hani was the only one who didn't feel squeamish (good job being as she's a vet!)
I must have been feeling the benefits of a whole load of adrenalin and endorphins 'cause it actually didn't hurt too much, even though I had persuaded Mike (the doc) not to use anaesthetic, much to everyone's bemusement! Good choice - I certainly felt alive and anyway, I knew I'd need a good cold beer once I got out of the hospital!
4 stitches and a few dressings later I was discharged.
Why am I lucky?
1. I met some amazing people who really went out of their way to look after me and check I was ok. Thanks Elaine, Paul, Sam & Wendy.
2. My friends and all of my housemates were great - its nice to feel truly cared for.
3. Because it happened during a maintainence phase of my training and not before a big race.
4. Not to have broken anything! A cast would need 6 weeks and my serious training starts in 3.
5. That I didn't bang my head!
6. My bike isn't as bad as it could have been.
7. I managed to stay in control mentally. That's gotta be a good life experience!
8. I ended up wih a great story and some cool pics for you, the blog-reader, to check out!
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Forster Half-Ironman '04 Race Report
I had a pretty good race - my dumb goggles filled up with water in both eyes (despite a perfect seal during my warm-up swim) about 100m into the swim so I discarded them and felt my way around the rest of the course as best I could! It is good to know that I can get through a swim like that without goggles, without too much stress and all importantly without losing my contact lenses! I Swam well for my current ablility and clocked just under 29 min. My investment in Total Immersion swimming is definitely starting to pay me some good speed dividends!
My bike leg was strong - I caught and passed heaps of people but couldn't manage to get away. At the first (24km) turnaround I saw the race leader and eventual winner, Jason Shortis out on his own (phenomenal rider) then a 'chase' bunch of 10, then a small group of 3, including my swim coach Steve Croft and training partner Paul Morris. I also realised that there were about 40+ people right behind me, despite my best efforts to break clear on the hills. After 35km I used an aid station and a sharp pinch to get away from the bunch. Determined to stay clear, I was able to bridge the gap to the group of 3 within about 10km :-)
Crofty was riding strong - we worked well together but stayed legal, again determined that we wouldn't be swallowed up by the big bunch. At the end of the ride we were still a couple of minutes clear. My plan for the run was to settle in for the first 5km and then see what I could do. Well as it happened I didn't find my running legs until 14km in and managed to finish 15th overall and 3rd in my age group (the other 2 both made it into the chase bunch).
All in all it was a pretty hard day; especially knowing that I was too far away to run anyone down + trying to hold off the faster runners behind me when I had nothing left in my legs. I learnt a lot from the race - It was the most tactical triathlon I've ever raced and I really enjoyed that aspect. One of my main aims now is to work another couple of minutes off my swim so that I'm not forced to play catchup from the start of the bike leg!
For full results check out the Forster 1/2 IM website.
My bike leg was strong - I caught and passed heaps of people but couldn't manage to get away. At the first (24km) turnaround I saw the race leader and eventual winner, Jason Shortis out on his own (phenomenal rider) then a 'chase' bunch of 10, then a small group of 3, including my swim coach Steve Croft and training partner Paul Morris. I also realised that there were about 40+ people right behind me, despite my best efforts to break clear on the hills. After 35km I used an aid station and a sharp pinch to get away from the bunch. Determined to stay clear, I was able to bridge the gap to the group of 3 within about 10km :-)
Crofty was riding strong - we worked well together but stayed legal, again determined that we wouldn't be swallowed up by the big bunch. At the end of the ride we were still a couple of minutes clear. My plan for the run was to settle in for the first 5km and then see what I could do. Well as it happened I didn't find my running legs until 14km in and managed to finish 15th overall and 3rd in my age group (the other 2 both made it into the chase bunch).
All in all it was a pretty hard day; especially knowing that I was too far away to run anyone down + trying to hold off the faster runners behind me when I had nothing left in my legs. I learnt a lot from the race - It was the most tactical triathlon I've ever raced and I really enjoyed that aspect. One of my main aims now is to work another couple of minutes off my swim so that I'm not forced to play catchup from the start of the bike leg!
For full results check out the Forster 1/2 IM website.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
When ... is Dunstan ... racing next?
This weekend is the Forster Half-Ironman .
This will be my 3rd 1/2 IM this season. Yeppoon was a real breakthrough race for me back in mid-August, I won the 25-29 age group and was 5th overall. Gold Coast was at the start of October, I won my age group again and was 7th fastest on the day.
At Half-Ironman and Ironman distance triathlon competitors are either Professionals who race for money (regardless of age) or 'age groupers' (like me). So far this season I've only been beaten by 3 age-group athletes; I'd like to keep it that way and am aiming to win the Michael Atkins Memorial Trophy this weekend for the fastest athlete outside of the Professional category.
My coach Mark has kindly lent me a full-carbon Trek with full Dura-Ace for the race. Its a bit lighter than my trusty old Cannondale and feels a bit more responsive on climbs too!
Watch this space for results!
This will be my 3rd 1/2 IM this season. Yeppoon was a real breakthrough race for me back in mid-August, I won the 25-29 age group and was 5th overall. Gold Coast was at the start of October, I won my age group again and was 7th fastest on the day.
At Half-Ironman and Ironman distance triathlon competitors are either Professionals who race for money (regardless of age) or 'age groupers' (like me). So far this season I've only been beaten by 3 age-group athletes; I'd like to keep it that way and am aiming to win the Michael Atkins Memorial Trophy this weekend for the fastest athlete outside of the Professional category.
My coach Mark has kindly lent me a full-carbon Trek with full Dura-Ace for the race. Its a bit lighter than my trusty old Cannondale and feels a bit more responsive on climbs too!
Watch this space for results!
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