The Last Supper

Call me crazy, but when we first pulled into town here in Noosa in October, I just got the feeling we'd arrived in a special kind of place. Put it this way - it's not every town you arrive in where sports stars are more common than butchers, bakers and candlestick makers.
Ever since we've been here, most days have been marked with one of us turning to the other saying "Wasn't that...?" Fill in the blank with names such as Gordo Byrn, Lori Bowden, Belinda Granger, Grant Hackett, Pat Rafter, AJ...
You're starting to get the picture...This place is sports star central.
We've loved it all, it's been absolutely superb, and tonight was our last night in Noosa so a load of our Noosa friends came down to our favourite haunt, the good old surf club, for The Last Supper. With the waves crashing in just 50m away and the stars twinkling above us as we tucked into steak and spare ribs, it seemed pretty crazy to think that soon we'll be back in Oxford where it's dark, grey, cold and miserable. Tonight we've been sitting out in shorts and vest tops the whole night without being cold. God help us...we are doomed. I feel like I'm heading back into the greatest depression ever. Prozac anyone?
Before closing, it seems only right to say that, although this time in Noosa has been crazy cool for sports stars, great guys like John & Scott have totally made it. They are pranksters extraordinaire and were trying so desperately to pull a prank on me tonight with a sand crab. They gave us a Christmas card which felt like it had a badge or something in. All excited, I opened it up and fortunately, because the light was pretty poor out on the surf club terrace, I failed to notice that the 'badge', or the lump in the envelope, was actually a sand crab. Yep, that's right, they'd walked along the beach en route to the surf club trying to scoop up a crab to put in our Chrimbo card.
As I tore it open, I didn't realise until there was a shriek further down the table that a crab had just run out of the card.
God knows what pranks they'll have lined up for us when we head to BC in the summer for the Worlds - they'll have six months to think them up so we're fearful already!
Anyway, it is definitely my bedtime here Down Under. This is me signing off from Noosa. We're off to the Whitsundays tomorrow...Goodnight.
Eek x

Kangaroos and Kayaks

On our rest day we headed off with John and Scott, a comedy father and son duo over here from Canada, to go kayaking. The first place we went to get boats was a lake in the middle of nowhere and felt really weird. You could almost hear the banjos playing and pig f*ckers ready to kill us ‘outta towners’ for no reason what so ever. Luckily a group decision meant we were out of there.
Before we left though we thought we’d get close up and personal with the kangaroos which were kicking around. When I got too close trying to get a snap they stood tall and put up their dukes. Well one did and the other in bad boy style grabbed his crotch. It was pretty funny. All they needed was a pair of boxing gloves and the cartoon would have been complete. Well apart from me getting a right hook of course!
We went back to town and paddled near Noosa on the estuary. It was a great time and we saw a huge great ray that casually swam below our boat. It was a great way to see town from a different perspective and follow part of the swim course we’d raced round at the start of our time here in Noosa. Big thanks to John and Scott for driving us around for the day, keeping us entertained and all the lifts home from the pool. Cheers guys. See you in BC next summer.

Going Long

When I started out in this whole triathlon thing I always had one desire and that was to do Ironman. I’m sure Dr James can verify this as I used to bend his ear on Thursday runs with the Headington bog trotters.
In my first year of this tri malarkey I worked my little legs up to a half IM or 70.3 as they’re called these days. During this first year I was bought the book Going Long by Gordo Byrn. At the time I was so scared of doing a half that the full seemed like a long way off but I read this cover to cover, inside out and back again. I was hooked.
Funny that today just a couple of years on I have not only got through three Ironman events (thanks to all the support from my family and friends) but I was sharing the very same pool as the geezer who’s fodder for all things long changed the way I live my life. When I saw him I almost felt like I knew him because I’d read his words, blogs and various training features in magazines and on the interweb.
I wanted to shout to Eek who was swimming her recovery with the Grangers but thought better of it not wanting to be a complete tri geek. Next thing Max, our swim coach, is hugging Monica Caplan (She even swam in my lane for a bit but rightly got moved up as she was killing us)and chatting to Gordo. It appears that Max has had these guys in his squad in the past too. Eek and I have been saying how great we think Max is as a coach and it’s no surprise that the best in the world have studied under him.
It makes me feel very lucky that not only have I been swimming under Max’s watchful eye but he’s someone I’d call a friend. Shame today was the last of what has become a three a week habit with the legend. So big props to Max and great to run into Gordo, a man who’s words at least, helped inspire this kid all the way through 140.6 gruelling miles on several occasions.

I love Australia but...

...I really don't like these 'orrible eight-legged creatures. They totally freak me out. I was just minding my own business getting out of the shower last night when this monster jumped out of my towel. Being a completely useless girlie who is petrified of spiders, I shrieked my head off and called for back-up from my rugged SpiderBuster (aka Ozzer). Needless to say, he sauntered into the room, laughing at me, already knowing what I was about to say.

I had to get out of the room as I was starting to get the cold sweats (I honestly do have an irrational fear of spiders) and asked Ozzer to dispose of my terroriser somehow. Back at home he'd obviously have no fears about doing this, but he later admitted that picking up a spider Down Under wasn't on his Top 10 Things I Must Do in Australia. In fact, it's probably on the Top 10 Things Not To Do List.

Anyway, Oz being Oz, he decides the best thing to do is actually get the camera out and photograph our new 'companion' (meanwhile I'm standing dripping wet in a towel in the lounge). I decide to be brave and poke my head around the corner to see what's happening and who's winning, Oz or the spider, when Ozzer just looks up and says "Ahh, he seems to have escaped. But I've got a good photo, if that helps". I didn't really appreciate that much. Until now. Thanks to my SpiderBuster (or SpiderSnapper) I can now show you all the source of my post-shower anxiety last night.

Moving on from the spider, we had a great day today larking about on Fraser Island. I would just like to add to Ozzer's account that when our guide first spotted the dingo, he stopped the bus and suggested people take pictures from inside. Three-two-one, Ozzer the Dingo Hunter leaps up: "Can we get out? Can we get out?!" All of a sudden, the Wee Man is standing on the beach, shark-infested waters to his right, a wild ferocious dog to his left, snapping away. And so, once again, Ozzer's brave selfless acts when armed with a camera and faced with Australian wildlife has spawned yet another brilliant pic for our blog...

Dingo Island

Today the kids had a day off their usual training so used the time to visit the legendary Fraser Island. It is the famed home to the wild dog known commonly as the dingo. Yeap, the very same dingo that ate someone's baby. There are less than 200 on the Island these days (30 were culled after the baby killing) and spotting one isn't a cert. I unhappily found this out once we'd signed up, paid and were on route in the back of what can only be described as a four wheel drive dustbin wagon.

I also found out that swimming in the sea is a no no 'cos of man eating sharks, to be careful of snakes and don't forget the spiders. Headington this isn't. Luckily we were taken to the 7th most desired place to bathe (allegedly) at Lake Mackenzie. It's a beautiful crystal clear fresh water lake with fine white sand and beautiful place to swim. This made for the perfect place to play with the new Olympus 795 waterproof camera (you have a lot to answer Graham!). After Eek and I nearly drowned from laughing so much while trying to snap shots we finally got the hang of the new toy. Can't wait to take it out in the surf and the Whitsunday Islands...

Anyway, going back to Fraser Island: we were dragged around the tourist sites with a truck full of peeps most wouldn't chose to be with. And the whole time I was waiting for the local dog to show its fierce little face. As the day drew closer towards the end and we were heading for the ferry home, somewhat disappointed at the lack of spotting I have to point out, the driver managed to get our 4x4 50ft long beach dragster sideways. At first we thought the problem was the tide as we motored along the beach with the waves now ripping under the wheels.

Then the moment arrived just a few minutes before we due off the island. A dingo was spotted. In a comedy moment that felt like it had just left the stage post drink and ciggy while complaining at wages for appearances, taxes for dogs and bloody tourists, the scrawny ruffled creature kicked around to have its photo taken. I didn't care though. A dingo is a dingo and snapping it from just a few feet away was better than the koala asleep up a tree, the roos on the golf course and the dolphins at Byron Bay. Luckily there were no babies aboard so no problems there. What a day.

As for this week training has been going well and life at the pool is never dull when it comes to stars in the area with Grant Hackett kicking around and sharing a lane with local coach Nick Croft's mum, a former Commonwealth Games medalist. Nuts.

Bloody Buses

As you have probably read from Eek's post the kids did the local club tri race this morning. Beforehand I wasn't really that into racing the thing but just chugging round for a fun session. Then when the flag dropped the b*llshit stopped and I was gripped by race fever. It's great to be competitive and not worry about a world where everybody is a winner according to modern PC thinking. What utter rubbish! And the chance to dish out a certain amount of pay back to a certain young lady who spanked me in the Noosa race was also being kicked around the circle. I wont start with excuses along the lines of clean swims and crazily different transitions...
Anyway back to today's massive event. I left the water with the Eek out in front as you'd expect. It was great to then over take her getting on to the bike, although not so good when she came past a mile or so in. I will have stop pushing her on the bike;-). We played cat and mouse all the way to T2 legally while watching some young guy draft the leader all the way in. Into T2 it was here that this kid showed how slow old IM go through transition and run 1500m. Luckily it was enough to keep my head high for this race at least.
Meanwhile the young guy who had been drafting the leader had been dropped and I was catching him. I was shocked to see him look over his shoulder, see me, stop pedalling and wait for me to go past. Only seconds later the kid was on my tail in the draft zone. Only for him to come past about a km from T2. This really put the bit between my teeth, as those that know me, drafting is a pet hate. Doctor Draft, SJ and Eek all have form and previous but hopefully being caught and serving their penalties has changed their ways;-).
So I was ready to do anything to beat this darfting scally . I managed to beat him out of T2 and never saw him again on the run. In the third and final swim which felt like glue I managed to stay ahead and shot out on the bike somewhat pleased cheat boy was dusted. Never say never though 'cos he came flying past about a 2kms down the road a good 5km/h faster. It was like he'd had a rocket shot up his butt. Somewhat shocked I dug in and chased to make sure he didn't put too much on me before the run. Fortunately he slowed and I went past to keep hold of my place.
Out on the run I never once looked back putting my head down and going for broke. I had the racing mist. It was ace. Luckily he couldn't go with it but I never once backed off keeping the hammer down in true race style. I crossed the line second, a fair way off first, and was really happy with the result.
As I cooled off my legs in the shark infested waters (at least it wasn't crocs) the young guy told me how he only caught me and went past on the third and final bike lap 'cos he'd drafted a bus, which he thought was ace. I told him I liked to race fairly and each of his laps drafting in whatever form didn't impress me. He just laughed and told his story to the guy next to us. I left quickly to enjoy the post race brekkie of coffee and chocolate cake.
Besides racing the kids went to Byron Bay last weekend and stayed with our friend Graham. I'd just like to say a massive thank you for letting us stay and showing us all the best places. I can see why you left wet and grey Britain.
There are some amazing beaches around Byron and we had a blast checking them out. I even had a quick play on Graham's long board, which has given me the surf bug again. Luckily there are no second hand long boards for sale around here at the mo.
Hope everybody back home is well and not hating the chilly weather too much.
Ozzer

The kids go head-to-head

Apologies for not posting up an entry for a while, we've had quite limited access to the internet here in Sunshine Beach, but fortunately this weekend have been able to use a neighbour's broadband, so thank you Piet.
As I type the sun is beating down, we've just returned from the beach and Ozzer is doing the washing up. Not a bad little set-up I have here! ;-)
Training has been going well and it feels like we've really settled in to the Aussie way of life. Like with most things, it can take a little while to get the lie of the land, and now we have, it's certainly going to be difficult to leave. For me, leaving the Noosa Aquatic Centre - the outdoor 50m x 25m pool where the sun always seems to shine - is going to be damn tricky. Barton Pool is nice and all that, but it won't quite cut the mustard compared to Noosa's jewel in the crown.
This morning, Ozzer and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 5am (damn crazy Aussies do insist on doing everything at silly o'clock) to take part in the Noosa Tri Club's monthly race. Each month it arranges a race of some kind, be it a full Olympic distance tri or a Christmas mystery race (next month is reportedly going to be swim-drink beer-run). Today it was the Enduro Race which sees competitors do a 150m swim, a 6km bike and a 1500m run. Before you complain that's far too easy, I'll tell you that you do actually have to do it three times through non-stop. Cue comedy scenes for us two Poms who just aren't used to swimming off the run. At one stage I realised I was heading to the water with my Oakleys still on - what a donkey!
With Ozzer and I having different strengths and weaknesses over a tri, it was really good fun racing each other (oh, and the fact I beat Ozzer at the Noosa Tri meant I think he really wanted to stamp down some authority!).
I was out of the water first, but he soon caught me on the bike and a few of us ended up getting clustered together a little over such a short bike course. On the first run, Ozzer spanked it down, putting a fair bit of distance between the two of us - but I knew I should be able to catch him in the water as we went into the second set of swim-bike-run. I did, just about (!) but the little blighter kicked my ar$e in the next transition and that was the last I saw of him. I think there was about a minute between us by the finish line, so I'll have to work on my transitions to make sure I don't lose him next time...
All in all, it was a great race. The Noosa Tri Club has a brilliant set-up with its own mini clubhouse set in the park where the Noosa Tri was held earlier this month and laid on a great post-race brekkie as well as a raffle in which everyone seemed to win something - not bad! After the race, everyone waded into the water to cool off, although I can't say I was too keen on hanging about in there, given the fact there have been numerous bull shark sightings. I have to admit, they were on my mind as I was racing through the swim. When I later admitted this to Ozzer, he said he hadn't even thought about it, but would have only been worried had there been crocodiles in there...this then opened up the debate: which would you prefer to be eaten by - a croc or a shark? Answers on a postcard please...

Australia Alfred Hitchcock style

I've experienced a few crazy things while out on the bike - Ozzer's wheelies over speed bumps, 95mph crosswinds riding in Lanzarote, skidding through ugly rotting roadkill - but our latest rides have come up trumps for the scariest, most bizarre bike experiences: we've been attacked by birds. Not the drunk Aussie Sheila variety, but the two-winged type. I kid you not.
We were about an hour into a hot and humid ride, foolishly timed mid-afternoon so we were sweating like ba$tards, when we crossed a bridge and admittedly I was starting to struggle as we'd been putting the hammer down for some time. The next thing I know there's squawking in my ear and then my helmet's knocked sideways. Freaking out thinking I've lost the plot, I then see the shadow of a bird swooping down at me for take two and realise a huge magpie is trying to peck my lovely Specialized Decibel off my little bonce. I waved it off a couple of times before it finally realised I was not bird food, but it was seriously scary. Ozzer thought I was nuts when I told him about it the next time we stopped - until our return journey saw the magpies swoop down for a bit of Ozmeat. Ha ha. We are now going out riding armed with not just Powerbars and energy drink but catapults too...
Apart from the wicked magpies, all is good in Sunshine Beach. We've been training hard and have logged about 12 hours so far this week. We're off to squad tomorrow (swimming). Earlier in the week I ended up in the same lane as Belinda and Justin Granger (she's an awesome Ironman athlete) and got sent to the front of the lane - that had to be the hardest 5k swim session of my life!
Off to Byron Bay this weekend so will report back soon with more news of our adventures.
TTFN, Eek and Ozzer

5am Hell

Those that know me understand I'm not a great early bird. So life here is tough right now. No honestly. Getting up at 5am is never easy even after an early night. I am really struggling to get into this Aussie way of training at silly o’clock. It’s just not something I have had to do.

I know the sun is smiling at 4.30am and it’s best to train before the heat but my poor little body refuses to move properly at this hour and I look like a mole on valium. Peeps here do all their stuff early doors and look at me as if I’m nuts if I question this protocol. I guess I’d better start getting used to it.

We recently joined a swim squad and yes you guessed it they kick off at 5.30am. Gutted. Having never done one before I had no idea what to expect but thought it might be like tri club swim session. 4.5km later in the 50m outdoor pool, knackered and ready to eat a small Shetland pony I knew it was a bit more than our average session.

It was great to get some good coaching from Max though and look forward to hopefully improving over the coming weeks. At the end of the session Max let it slip that he does the same squad session at 9.30am. I didn’t know whether I was tripping out from tiredness but gave him a kiss anyway. So at least three days a week we’ll be getting some coaching along with one session in the sea, which is just too warm to wear a wetsuit in.

Apparently both Greg and Laura Bennett come along to the squad as does Belinda Granger so we’re swimming with some good kids. Hopefully their speed gene will pass through the water and help my swim times;-).

PS I wrote this last night and at our more civilised 9.30am session this morning Eek had to lead out Belinda Granger and her hubbie. I’m sure she’ll tell you more soon.

Glorious Chook

This is a pic for Taff. I saw this Chooka place and laughed so much thinking about Taff and his love of chook. Jokes aside Taff you’d love this place it’s a true chicken emporium. All it sells is grilled chicken from wings to whole birds.

Talking of food and Taff he’d love the pie shops here too. They sell just pies, only these are actually tasty and contain what they say unlike the classic dog shit slice Bucky used to have every morning when working at the Ming. Naturally I have had to give these up in the name of training but the one I sampled was delicious. I haven’t eaten one of these things back home for over a decade, probably two.

One Pom, Mashed and Fried

As Ozzer has explained, it’s been damn near impossible to get on the internet recently. It is worrying how much you take it for granted and then when it’s gone – yikes! The same can be said for my fitness following Sunday’s race L After the Worlds in Hamburg in early September I had promised myself a bit of a break. Unfortunately, for one reason and another such as moving house and organising our trip out here, that break became a two-month spell with no real consistent training. I tried to put in a few speed sessions in the fortnight leading up to the race, but deep down I knew it was a case of too little, too late. This was a real shame as I’d been entered into the elite age groupers race with 20 or so of the top Aussie girls. I knew the competition was going to be tough. And boy, wasn’t it just...
Unusually for me I got out of the water mid-pack, had a disastrous T1, and then took ages to find my biking legs. Considering I’m usually a lover of the fast flat bike courses, it was strange to find myself really enjoying the winding 2k 10%+ climb about 8k into the bike course. I then clocked a fast and furious 47mph on the main descent in a bid to make up some of the time on the five or so girls ahead of me, but it seems they were no slouches on the drops either. And then came the run. Uh oh. It was an absolute scorcher. 30 degrees C and 85% humidity. I usually take the run out at around heart rate 160 (160 beats per minute) but knew I was in trouble when I looked at my watch and saw HR 169 on my Polar. That’s high for me.
I’d drunk so much water and race fuel to keep hydrated that my bladder was bursting and I just felt like I wasn’t racing, more surviving. A 44-minute 10k said it all and I crossed the line in ninth place in 2:19. What was frustrating to see was the girl who won my race (and who pocketed AUD$500 prize money) I’d stuffed in Hamburg, so it just goes to show that when it comes to fitness, if you don’t use it, you most certainly lose it. I felt like a Pom who’d been both bashed and fried by the competition and the conditions, but hey, as our new landlord and 25-time Noosa Tri legend Peter O’Neill told me in typically Aussie fashion: “If you don’t train, EK, what else can you expect”.
In many ways, having this type of race has put the fire back in my belly to get training for next season and fulfil my potential rather than squander it.
Laters, alligators
Eek

Long time no chat

We started out well with our blog and it might look like we’ve lost interest. Don’t worry it’s not the case. Post race we moved to our new home at Sunshine Beach and there’s no wireless. So we have been struggling to do all things computer. We did go to a backpackers with wireless but were so busy with work didn’t get anything on the blog. Sorry peeps.
It was quite funny being in the backpackers seeing kids walking round with hangovers, living off fry ups and watching telly rather than going to the gorgeous beaches, especially as it was sunny. The last day or so though has seen far too much rain. Our morning ride that we set the alarm for (at 5am!) was called off as the peeps don’t like to ride in the rain apparently.
Yesterday we ventured into the national park and ran along the sandy trails through tropical forest. After getting my off road head on (many of you know I don’t love this type of running) I started to ‘enjoy’ it even though it was lashing down. Naturally we got lost and the planned hour run turned into 1:30. It was quite weird as things started to get dark but luckily we escaped before the demons and trolls came out.
As for the race, which seems like so long ago, we had stinkers. My wave was after the elites, open racers (Eek’s lot), all the old peeps and women. So it wasn’t long before we caught the waves in front and the carnage began. It was busier than an Ironman swim start yet lasted the whole last km(even worse then Antwerp Goblin). I had my goggles kicked off twice and head dunked too many times by the aggro style of the surf lifesavers. I even saw peeps running on the sandbanks on the sides. What’s that about?
Out of the water and into T2 I eventually got to my bike a zillion miles away and headed out. Getting on was hard with so many people stopping in front to get on while stationary. I even had a faller directly in front of me. Out on the bike it was huge train for as far as the eye could see. As for drafting it was inevitable with 5500 peeps on the course at the same time. Less said about that the better. The big climb was the best bit ‘cos I broke away from the packs and just zoomed past lots of peeps hoping they were my dunkers in the swim.
If the bike felt hot then the run was like being in a furnace. With little shadow the heat really was hard to cope with. Aid stations each km couldn’t come quick enough and most of the water went over my head to try and cool down. Even though it was only an Olympic race it felt like Ironman - survival rather than racing. I guess no training and bad living never equals great racing.
We have since changed our ways eating and sleeping well while putting in the miles again. I certainly feel better already. The really big news though is that Tom and Helen are getting married. What a brilliant couple who we know will be ace together. They’re a great team, wonderful peeps and we send you our love from down under. We can’t wait to the wedding Mr & Mrs Statto.

Race Eve

Before most races the plan is to stay off your feet and not spend too much time in the sun if there is any. Here in Noosa things are set up so you have no choice with all the cool stuff going on such as the women's bike crit, the Noosa bolt 5km running race and the Ridley Dash men's crit.

Firstly we had to rack our bikes before 4pm. We left it until a little later to avoid the heat and not spend too much time on our feet. Bad move 'cos like a hotel pool surrounded with German towels it looked like the early bird got the worm or rack places in this case . When over 5000 bikes are racked in front of you finding that one spare spot in a free for all set up was like getting cash out of Peros. Lucky for Eek being in the open category she got a special slot next to the elites.

After this we caught the end of the women's crit and settled in for the 5km Noosa Bolt. It was four laps and the atmosphere with so many spectators was electric. Watching the men turn it up for the line was simply amazing to watch. Martin Dent took his third win but was chased hard by Collis Birmingham all the way to the tape. In the women's race Lara Tamsett snapped the others on the final lap for a convincing win.

After we hooked up with Welsh bloke Paul, a friend of a friend, and met his mates Luke and Brad to watch the Ridley dash. With $50, 000 on the line and a couple of $5000 sprints the racers were red lining from the start. They were so quick it was scary. Robbie McEwen showed his skills but didn't take the cash. At the line it was the Astana rider whose name escapes me. He just happens to be staying in the room next door to us.

Once again the crowds were huge and going nuts. It felt like the final event yet the tri, which is still to come, is the top dog that we're told draws the biggest crowds. It's great to see tri as the grand fromage for a change rather than being viewed as a group of skinny fools racing around a field in the arse end of nowhere where even the local wildlife gives it a miss.

I can't wait to be part of this big event. Just hope I get to the end in one piece and not collapse in the heat. That's about it from us as we do the mandatory pre-race shave and gather our stuff ready to race tomorrow morning.

In the swim - or is it spin?

As a kid, I did a fair bit of swimming. My first memory of swimming lessons involved the instructor taking my mum to one side and saying "Err, Mrs Eek, your daughter seems to have more than her fair share of talent in the pool" as I effortlessly swam back and forth through the water while the other kids could barely do doggie paddle.

Aged about 9 or 10, I signed up to a small swimming club and then a couple of years later joined a larger club, Tigersharks, in Swindon, which had a full-time professional coach and was one of the best teams in the South West. I was soon in the top squad and from the age of 13 to 18 would spend upwards of 10 hours a week in the pool, competing at national level in sprint freestyle events and racing at the European and Commonwealth Trials.

Although I have never been a brash or arrogant person, my years of swimming at elite level have led me to always be quietly confident in my aquatic abilities and this is something I have certainly enjoyed carrying with me since getting involved in triathlon two years ago.

However, after signing up for the Noosa 1000 Ocean Swim today, I can honestly tell you that for the first time in my life I felt very nervous about a swim race!

After handing over my 35 bucks and signing on the dotted line there was no way I could go back and Little Ozzer was jumping about with excitement at the thought of me tearing up the swim, but as soon as we stepped onto the beach and I saw the huge waves crashing in I did a bit of a double take. I was going to have to swim through that?! Yikes!

Fervently trying to hide my nerves I went off and put my kit on and said to Oz I ought to get in and warm up before kick off. Off I go into the ocean with the surf crashing down and I'd barely got a few metres in before I was literally knocked off my feet. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" I kept telling myself and kept battling through the giant waves - and all this was 'warm up'.

Those who have been around me pre-race know I'm never at the start line on time so I was eager to make sure I didn't repeat my favourite mistake and turned around after a few minutes to make it back to shore ready for the start. The waves were getting no smaller though and before I knew it I was actually being flipped 360 through the surf. At one point I realised I was actually just spinning around, my head near the sea bed and my feet in the air doing handstands through the water - nothing like swimming in the Dragon! This was like being in the washing machine on ultra spin!

When I finally surfaced I realised my goggles had been whisked off by the sheer force of the waves so I bobbed about for a bit trying to remember my name, where I was and more importantly where my fave race goggles were. Miraculously I found them, found Oz on the shore (who was trying not to laugh too much) and then went down to the start.

The gun had soon gone off and before I knew it I was getting barged and battered by the Aussie chicks all racing across the beach and into the surf. We were all diving through the waves attempting to get through them in the line of least resistance but I soon realised there were a lot of girls here who are surf dudes and just knew how to cut through the crashing surf. There was barely any swimming involved here - it was more a case of who could ride the waves best, swallow the least water and not get too battered by the ocean. What was really ace was the fact you got to run onto the beach and back out into the ocean at the halfway point, at which point Ozzer was yelling at me "C'mon Eek!". I got back in, made up some places and was soon racing home towards the finish line, which was about 50m up the beach. As you'll see from the picture, as I was battling through the waves for the final time I realised I had a girl right on my shoulder. "Chinatown", I thought (that one's for H!), and just outsprinted her up the beach to the line.

I well and truly got my butt kicked - not just by at least a handful of other chicks, but by the ocean - an untameable beast - yet still had a totally brilliant time. Definitely one to remember!

Cross Dressing

Today I had to get up early and take pics of the fun run that was happening at silly o'clock. At 6.30am this mole certainly wasn't ready for blazing sunshine and bright light or being out of the land of nod to be perfectly honest. Naturally Eek took the sensible option of staying in bed despite saying last night she wanted to watch the fun.

The event is a bit of classic where both men and women dress up in pink, wear bras and generally glam it up. It was great to see so many young kids taking part as well as stars of footie (that's rugby and Aussie rules), big name marathon and 10km runners along with the odd tri pro. Once down and snapping I had a top time and loved watching people give it their all whether they were winning or at the back of the pack. Not sure the pink bras and wigs are for me yet but you never know;-).

After a quick amble back up the hill to our place I woke Eek ready for breakfast and headed off to the press launch with all the big names such as Craig Walton and Emma Snowsill along with the great Robbie McEwen (Tour De France sprint champ). It was great to hear the sprint master chat and I can't wait to watch him in the crit (short looped town race) tomorrow. Be interesting to see who hits the top spot in the men's tri too with Courtney Atkinson looking like he might topple the mighty Walton.

After 'work' we went to look at the expo and tried to spend money on new lairy flowery shoes but luckily for us they didn't work with our gaits. That said we were given equally lairy flowery singlets (vests) in our goody bags when we registered for the event. Mine is rather special though. Unlike most events where small still usually looks I've borrowed it from my big brother these are the opposite. Once stretched over my little body the offending item looks like a bikini top. I wasn't the only one with this problem though. I saw many large men around trying to squeeze into theirs, which really made me laugh especially when they tried to pull them over their bellies only for them to ride straight back up.

After my little fashion display the Eek managed to stop laughing long enough to take part in the 1000m ocean swim. After sorting her entry and slipping on a fetching neon orange hat she was out in the waves being battered about on the fastest spin cycle. She wants to tell you all about it so I'll just say I was dead proud as she battled through a tough and truly scary looking swim. I was certainly happy to see her at the end in one piece and smiling. In the top ten I think based on my spotting while trying to snap her exit. Well done Eekster!

A special place, a special race

There can be no beating around the bush here: Noosa is awesome.

We've been at this Aussie tri mecca for about 24 hours now after the comedy journey up here from Brizzy which Ozzer has already touched upon. I guess it was meeting the likes of Olympic marathoner Lee Troop on the bus journey which made me realise we were travelling to something special.

The Noosa Tri is no ordinary tri and something tells me this race experience will be no ordinary race experience. It's Australia's biggest race, which is one thing, but its appeal seems to stretch way beyond the tri world. Superstars and legends from all sports are being shipped into Noosa by the bus load ready to either race, spectate, commentate or just 'be seen' at the Noosa Tri Festival.

Although the triathlon isn't until Sunday morning, before then there's a whole host of events and races. For those in it for fun there's the breakfast fun run, the waiters' race - which sees waiters from Noosa's restaurants and bars go head to head carrying trays full of drinks along the main street, or the search for the Noosa Tri model. For the more competitive, there's the Noosa 5k Bolt, the 1km Ocean Swim and the bike crit, all of which attract athletes from these respective sports who are legends in their own right. I'm going to sign up for the swim tomorrow and apparently Kieran Pierkins (the David Beckham of Aussie swimming), Grant Hackett and Ian Thorpe are regulars in the race. That'll be me as the shark bait then ;-)

I guess the most amazing thing about the race is that this year is its 25th anniversary which, for a triathlon, is a pretty huge deal. Considering the legendary Hawaii Ironman was only started in the mid to late 80s, the fact this race was started in 1982 when tri was barely known says a lot. Back then volunteers recorded the race results with paper and pencils as triathletes crossed the line and the two founders camped in transition overnight to look after the bikes. Twenty five years later there are thousands of competitors coming into Noosa from all over the world and there are TV crews, media managers and a limited edition Asics trainers dedicated solely to the race. One thing's for sure, although I'm far from being in peak condition for this race, it's certainly going to be one to remember for more than just swim-bike-run.

Sweet Home Noosabama

We arrived in Noosa last night after a somewhat crazy five hour trip that should have taken two max. After lots of missing peeps and pick ups we got a low down tour all the way to Noosa by Ray, our driver, who just happened to know everyone.

One of our fellow passengers was marathon runner Lee Troop, an Olympic runner with a PB of 2:09. He was a great laugh and genuinely funny guy. Apparently he has a reputation as a party animal, which we can believe, but from what we hear a great athlete with a half Marathon PB of 61mins. He told us he’d put on 5kg since Berlin with little training and too much good living. By the looks of things this doubled his weight.

Naturally the kids were up early today eager to see the place so went out running to figure out the layout. After just a few minutes the heat and humidity left us hot, sweaty and wondering what we’d let ourselves in for when it comes to racing this weekend. During our pickups we got our heart rates up to silly levels without actually going that quickly. One funny thing though was the crazy turkey like birds that strut about the place and nearly pecked our feet as we ran past. If that wasn’t mad enough I saw a woman feeding one chips while we ate lunch.

Talking of creatures we also had a visitor in our room when a small lizard decided that he fancied a kip on Eek’s pillow. We did try to return the long tailed critter to its natural habitat but it disappeared under the door slider. The hotel we’re in as part of Eek’s prize is all good with huge rooms, large bathroom and all mod cons. We even saw up to date Neighbours complete with new titles and music on the flat screen TV earlier;-). Luckily riding the bike course kept us from sitting in front of the box for too long. Eek just loved the 1.2km 20% hill we climbed. At least I thought they were expletives of joy.

I do wish that Tom and Sam could have told us how awful this place was going to be to live with white sandy beaches, lush green vegetation and blazing sunshine. So today’s pic is dedicated to the surfing duo who stayed here way before any of us even thought about this multi-sport malarkey. I can’t believe this is going to be home for the next six weeks or so. Quality training and great living here we come. Enjoy those fresh autumn days and wrapping up warm back home.

Random

This one is for Anna B as she's worried we're just going to be boring tri geeks on our blog. Wandering around Sydney we came across several street performers. One guy did some pretty crazy stuff with a ladder and flaming juggling clubs while swallowing a sword.

The one that was really nuts though was the lady in a jar. She was the most bendy person I have ever seen. It was almost to the point of being sick. Anyway she worked the crowd and eventually contorted, deformed and twisted herself into a tiny 16in clear plastic box. I was amazed that she could still talk throughout the whole process. If it wasn't scary enough getting into the box I was worried about her over heating. It must have been like a greenhouse in there. Funny how the mind wanders to one random practicality rather than worrying about her being all buckled and never untangling herself again.

Settling In...

Life Down Under is hot, hot, hot. As I sit typing this in Brizzy (that's Brisbane to Poms), I am guzzling back the water and Ozzer keeps sniffing under his arms, worried that the humidity is winning the battle with his deodorant.

It's Wednesday morning here and we're at a friend's place in Brisbane, having spent last Thursday through to Tuesday in Sydney. It has taken about this long to rid ourselves of jetlag and settle into a 'normal' routine. Although the flight from Heathrow seemed to be far less painful than we anticipated (13 hours to Singapore, hop off the plane, buy dirt cheap Ipod, 7 hours to Sydney), its legacy has been crazy sleeping and eating patterns. I actually fell asleep in Sydney Aquarium on my feet mid-afternoon despite the fact a bloody great big Bull Shark was lurking in the gigantic tank in front of my nose... Nevertheless, being the dedicated tri geeks we are, we soon sought out the nearest places to swim, bike and run and on our second morning in Sydney went for a fantastic 45-min run around Circular Quay heading past the Opera House and that awesome Harbour Bridge into the city's Royal Botanic Gardens.

It was while on this run that we found the Andrew 'Boy' Charlton Olympic pool(pictured), which is known as Sydney's best pool and is earmarked "for serious swimmers only". Wanting to stuff it to the Aussies even during a training swim, we both got into the fast lane the next morning and it certainly wasn't like swimming at Marston Ferry. The standard wasn't as crazily brilliant as everyone made out it might be and it was just fantastic to be swimming outdoors in a 50m pool with the sun blazing down on us. Oh, and Ozzer loved the fact that the pool also turned out to be the city's ultimate gay pick-up point. I understood why he came out of the changing rooms still stinking of chlorine...He'd been too nervous to bend down and pick up the soap ;-)

Off to Noosa this afternoon - our new home from home for the next six weeks. Racing there on Sunday for what sounds like a blinding race. Can't wait!

More tales from Down Under soon...

Eek

From A Land Down Under

Here's a quick line from me as Eek has been busy tapping away letting you know what we have been up to in more detail. Right now we're at Eddie's in Brisbane but we head off to Noosa in a few hours.

Spent the last few days in Syndey being tourists checking out all the amazing stuff there. Hooked up with Squawker Goldhawk (aka Our Gypo Dad/ Sean Hawker) and naturally much ale was slurped. Great to see him, Karen and cute son Rory for the first time. Thanks guys for letting us stay - much appreciated.

The pic here shows Eek on our morning run past the opera house on route to the botanical gardens and beautiful 50m outdoor pool for a few laps.

Ozzer

One Day and Counting

As the weather takes a turn for the chilly we can't wait to flee these shores for the sunshine of Australia. In fact this time tomorrow we will be aboard the mobile cinema creating news ways in which to sleep in an 'armchair'. Both of us are super busy so I will keep this short. I still can't believe we are going tomorrow.

We'll miss you all and be thinking of you as we cruise along the roads in the heat, run through the national parks and swim in the outdoor olympic sized pool just down the road. I guess there's always those lush white beaches to hang out on if we get bored;-). Hopefully my man flu will pass soon as right now I feel awful. Any ideas I had of training yesterday or today went straight down the plug hole. I guess I'll have to wait until we touch down in Sydney.

Both of us will have our computers so feel free to drop us line and let us in the know with what you're up to over the coming months. Right I'd better go and start packing. Keep smiling and we'll see you at christmas you dingos.

Finally

We thought it time to join the blogging ranks, especially as we're going to be flying the cold raggedy shores of GB for the sun, sea and surf of Australia for a couple of months. Now we can keep you up to date with our happenings down under, race results, training regimes and exploits as we avoid the daily grind. And stats for Tom of course!

As a little note I'd thought I'd let you know that I went mountain biking at Cwm Carn in Wales today. The weather was glorious sunshine and I finally realised that Autumn has arrived as I climbed through the oranges and reds that illuminated the Welsh valleys. Beautiful.

I left the heart rate monitor at home but did laugh when Pete reached the dizzying HR of 194. Great to see the coach rip it up firstly off the small drop off and secondly, after two great jumps, he lept off the medium one showing his new found skills. Very impressive. We had a quality ride and it was great not to be looking at times, heart rates or worrying about painting the house. Good times although my knees scream otherwise;-).

Right as it's silly o'clock I'm keeping this first post short and sweet as my bed is calling.