The good guys at Taranaki Engineering and Big Media have been as so kind to put me up again on the mainstreet for a wee while.
All is clear and a stunning sunrise tonight to make that baby shine.
Kia Kaha good to be home
Clarky

Go to about 5mins 30 on for the article, came out really well.
stoked to get all me sponsors out there in the article and the surf was super on time for the article, cheers muma blue.
Godspeed
Clarky

Back beach aka taradise

last race of the year, game on bro

nerves gone, hurt on

Well it all started with a beautiful ray of light shining through the curtains at 730am Sunday morning and something said in that brief moment of waking up today would be a good one, Sunday 20th November 2011.
After such a long season one must give thanks to his maker for keeping my head strong and belief greated over the course of a season which I feel has never ended, since starting racing way back in January with the NZ half ironman champs, where I finished a credible 3rd in my first real shot at the longer distance.
Sunday started with Mass at St Patricks Church on Wyndham St, I am not a catholic, in fact I am what you would call a clever christian, being born again at 18 I tend not to get to technical on which donomination I am, I prefer to tell everyone I have a strong belief in God, whom has gifted me with some epic talents and my glory is due to his spirit that burns strong within.
Soo…

Finding me stride again, running home 7th

After Mass it was time to get me game face on, a big feed of eggs benedict, bircher meusli and plenty of juice cheers Heritage hotel, free accom and Breakfast rocked, big ups to ITU for putting me up there for the weekend, great to get some recognition for me efforts and ranking in 2011.
Then a wee shocker occurred round lunch, mum shot out to get me and her some subway, only to be locked in a broken lift for half an hour in the hotel upon return. Pretty horrible and I really felt for Mum coz yeah I can only imagine the claustraphobic feeling and not being able to do much.
Fortunately the technician could get to her within half an hour as I was concerned he would get to the hotel with all the road closure for the race. Cest La Vie Mum was rescued and we got on with the job ahead.

I felt really good warming up and the atmosphere at the viaduct was electric.
The crowds lined the viaduct for the swim start for what was an extremely inspiring atmosphere and I thrived on it for the start.

Its been a long time for triathlon to get to this level of exposure in NZ, now live TV coverage and the biggest city in NZ shut down for an afternoon of triathlon, does it get any better?
My swim went brilliant

exit lap one, me number 12, in the top 5

I had a stunning first lap exiting in the top 5. Unfortunately I got pretty beaten up in the second lap and lost a bit of momentum, with a good kick in the eye and a scar to prove it today. But held my form to come out of the water in the top ten. I over exerted myself a bit to get on the back of the lead pack towards the end of the swim, fighting for clean water.

This cost me for the rest of the race really, going into serious oxygen debt in the first lap of the bike and watching Docherty ride away from me on the first climb to the lead pack was pretty heart wrenching and I was unable to have my prayers answered to go with him.

After all the base miles I had put in, I had solid strength but the ability to redline and initiate some serious watts was simply not available after such a long season and so I was stuck in no mans land with James Elvery whom also blew a gasket to try and get on the back of the lead pack in lap one.
I worked my guts out on the bike as I knew many would not be keen to work on such a hard bike.

setting the tone on the bike and dealing with a frustrating time gap

I basically just rode my race, as the course was by far the hardest I have ridden this year. Due to the nature of it, it didnt really matter if u were up front, if anything it was an advantage and i stayed 4th to 5th wheel for most of the bike. Rana and Vidal worked well also, as did Giglymyer of austria, Banti of Monaco and a stunning ride by Jarod Shoemaker, whom previously I wasnt sure he knew how to ride a bike, but he proved otherwise with a breakaway from our pack solo in the last lap of bike and held on to finish 5th end of the day.
Coming off the bike we were a good two minutes down on the pain train jammed by Kris Gemmell and Tom Davison, a stunning ride by this little junior, full respect to him and he hung on to top 20 in the end.
It was Gemmells day to shine though and he smoked it home to eat the field on the run. He has had a rough season with viruses and ups and downs like myself, so really proud of him for winning and seeing his level surface at the end of such a long season.
I pushed hard on the run, as this photo will show

death stare

I ran home strong though and floated through the second portion of the run, recording a 32.20 run split, picking up 5 of 8 men in the breakaway. So for what some would say we werent really in the race I definately redeemed myself by being back in it after my run.

letting my kinvaras float me home

Ivan Rana put up a good fight to hold me off for 6th and I had my own little battle going on with Ryan Sissons, as where u finish a season tends to set a tone in ya head for the beginning of a new one.
The crowds lined the street and sent goosebumps up my spine everytime i went back up Queen St. I came home strong and proud to be a kiwi with four NZ males top tenning and two on the podium, what a day for us.
The girls proved to be worth their weight in gold also with the ever consistent Andrea Hewitt destroying the field and winning, again.
But two to note especially were Sophie Corbidge and Teresa Adam.
Teresa dominating the swim, exiting first and a solid performance on the bike in the lead pack on the bike also. After 6months of injury, she was never going to ace the run, but still pulled out a top 20 end of day I think, big ups Westy.

Sophie came home with a beautiful run and I really sympathise with her being dropped from the high performance programme in the last few months, what is awesome though is she has turned it round to the goods, racing beautifully yesterday, so dont count her out yet TRINZ, shot Sophie your a champ.

All in all wicked day and great to catch up with all post race at the snap dragon, loved the atmosphere and would race again in a heart beat, the Grand Finale of the WCS next year will be awesome and cant wait.
But for now feet up and time to enjoy a much awaited off season, first stop surfing in Raglan.
Godspeed and stoked to finish the season with two top ten finishes in me last two races in NOOSA and yesterday in AKL.
Form is definately coming back to the surface and pretty excited about 2012, Olympia I coming to get ya.
Cheers to all whom back me, epically inspiring stuff to get a Naki boy charging.
Clarky