Taupo Half Ironman and Other Stuff

I am writing this blog from my delicious shiny new Samsung laptop - oh my.  And I am all techno-ed up so maybe my Samsung laptop and my Samsung tablet and my Samsung smartphone will all talk to each and seemlessly transfer photos and information and mean that I become committed to blogging more often. Actually I am now so far into cutting edge technology that all these devices should probably write my blog for me.  In any case I have some new toys which are fun to play with.

So back to triathlon news.

Last week I competed in the Taupo Half Ironman with a rather relaxed attitude due to the relaxed-ness of my training leading up to it but also with a bit of apprehension since I was on the Elite start-list and was feeling not so worthy of being there.
The race went ok - the swim was a bit embarrassingly slow, the bike was ok and the run was actually pretty good.
I was riding without power so was riding with gay abandon and hoping to break 2.40 - rolled into transition in 2.39.  There were a lot of bunches on the bike but also a lot of marshals handing out penalties, actually where I was there weren't really bunches which were sticking together it was more like just lots of people getting in everyone else's way.
The run went surprisingly well despite all the crap long runs I had done in preparation (approximately all 3 of them) and I even managed to hold my pace to the end thanks to a girl who ran up to me at halfway and it took me about 5km to shake her off.  My goal was to break 1.40 and I did 1.39 (or 1.38 if you don't count my toilet stop...).  My final goal was to be in the top 10 and I came 10th so can't really complain.  I went through the usual mental anguish after the swim of being the slowest elite, I don't belong here, people will be looking at my low race number and snickering about how slow I am, etc, all those normal thoughts I get when I race elite/pro.  I even wonder if I would have had a slighter better race if I had of been racing age group because then I would have been at the front and not at the back.  But I guess someone thought I was worthy since they offered me the entry although not too sure if I will be asked back based on my result though!!
Anyway the highlight of the race was FINALLY seeing the plane in the paddock on Broadlands Road! I have ridden along that road probably 30+ times and I thought it was a myth.  Not sure how I have missed it all those times but I was very excited to finally see it.  I was even so excited to see it that I scrolled through Google Maps so I could see it again.

Not much has occurred since the race especially with the usual pre-Christmas kerfuffling and over eating going on.  With no races locked in it may be a bit difficult to find some motivation to train and I am getting sick of the shocked look people give me when they ask what race I am doing next and I say nothing, so I may have to find something to enter.
I shall leave you with a lovely picture gallery of some photos I found on my phone that I took on one of my lunchtime runs when I had my femoral stress fracture and was a bit unsuccessful with running so I took my camera phone and took some photos instead.  This track is about 30 sec run from my work and is one of three trails I can run on - LUCKY!

And some photos of me in lycra at Stroke and Stride locked in The Battle of the Midgets.

All fun and games in T1

Not so fun anymore

Spot the difference - not much

 Oh and a final thought to His Royness who had a spectacular and mysterious crash yesterday (hit a rock? went to blow a snot rocket and lost his balance?) and fractured his clavicle and four ribs - we salute you Uncle Roy, get well soon.