.... the alternative MTB Nats build-up continued.....

My noble stead for the days "training" effort. Wasn't too shabby. Carried me to the fastest bike split of the event.... (although thats unofficial as the bloody transponder ankle fitting was too loose for my pinner wee ankles and keep sliding off. They are lucky its not on the bottom of Lake Taupo. I had to stuff it in my shorts leg.... consequently it didn't read)


And that bike split helped me to winning this.... the new NZ 30+ Sprint Triathlon National Champion.

So clearly I didn't line up at today's N-Duro. In my alternative MTB Nationals buildup I figured 1hr on the rivet at the 2011 National Sprint Tri champs at Kinloch was a better workout. It was actually going to be harder... I was going to race with the elite boys. Somewhat idiotic as I would've been over 2mins down after the swim, but I had thought the embarrassment of being so far back would make it an even harder/better trainiing day. TriNZ bent over backwards to bend the rules to let me in... 2XU was awesome trying to organise me an ITU compliant race suit at last minute... but courier post wasn't so awesome. No suit meant no race.

So age group it was. I was feeling pretty average with a head cold and a hard weeks intervals in the legs, so it was probably a good thing I was in agegroup. An average swim saw me 2min15 down starting the bike in about 65th or so. I felt below par on the bike, but smacked it as hard as I could. I very hilly 20km knocked out in 32min (fastest split), and I got off the bike 5th overall. Couldn't get really humming on the run but still did about 3rd quickest run. Was catching front but ran out of real estate. 4th overall, just 5sec off 2nd.

So a good solid hitout. Can't wait to get onto the MTB for some quality intervals tommorrow. Nic.... continuing to seek answers and vent frustration for her stalled training headed back to the farm and went deer stalking. Got two apparently so successful weekend allround. Can't wait for the venison. We are gonna need a bigger freezer!