Well after an almost perfect day in Taranaki today, I couldnt help but blog what might be my final race blog for 2011, due to this one being the last race of 2011. This afternoon the water was gleaming in a glassy offshore breeze, enjoying an afternoon in the sun post my last serious day of training, I got it all out of the way by 2pm to enjoy the weather.

It was almost as though mother nature heard my thoughts sending a pod of orcas duck diving merrily along the foreshore and cruising through the breakers in a seriously casual but fun way. Many walkers and bystanders were loving it as was I to end a stunner of an afternoon here at home.

On another note, definately triathlon related, always good to know how to switch off mind too, build up has been super.
I have had almost a good solid 8weeks at home, 2weeks off to get healthy sort out my stomach bug I caught in Beijing, get som iron injections, do some much needed planning for 2012 and get back on the horse and do what I do best, swim, bike and run.

The main thing that has helped me think and act clearly is a solid 6weeks of training myself like a true, educated professional, focusing primarily on the swim and run and getting a good stable, consistent support network around me.

I had a great confidence booster recently with a 7th place finish in NOOSA elite triathlon and split the fastest run of the day. As biking wasnt really a major focus for me, it hurt me a bit as those non drafting boys can push some serious watts, which left me with a pretty heavy deficit going into the run.

I have put some big cycling weeks in since with local pro Michael Torckler a true champ whom has come back from knee reconstruction and rehab in the off season to recently dominate the elite mens field in the k2, riding the last 60k solo and the best is yet to come for this little powerhouse, a member of Pure Black racing team. Have really done some great work with him since Noosa, getting on top of my climbing and tight cornering crucial for AKL.

Swimming has also ramped up considerably with the help of team aquablades under the watchful eye of Sue Southgate and Donna and a lot of time upping my kick ethic and strength component of swimming, hello band work.

I guess being home and having some amazing people around me to get me strong and healthy again has really transferred into some quality miles and I guess an urgency to up my anti, redeem myself from a very under par 2011 ITU season being plagued with bad luck, lung viruses and simply far too much travel and interruptions in between races, due to French Grand Prix team committments, but I feel probably a lack of belief on the back of not seeing or feeling my level.
Huge thanks to Roger Gooch strength and conditioning trainer, Doctors Steve Smith and Barat Bakta for getting me to the all clear and healthy stage and Rachel and her amazing team at Hardys healthy living to get me fizzing, balanced and  on the right supplements to get me firing and loving my job again.
My only wish is that the form I am currently in had surfaced back before London and Beijing, which is probably a comman oocurance for many. You can plan and work strategically as much as you want towards a pinnacle event but sometimes the body simply has other ideas.

Hoping to tune into that side of my body in the next six months and may that start this weekend with a head turning performance, time to get some momentum of excellence rolling my way again towards Olympic selection.

Godspeed

Kia Kaha Kiwiana

Clarky

As another cracker week of training comes to an end I cant help but be almost a little bit disappointed that I have to have a three week break after AKL W.cup next week. Everything is running like clockwork, am swimming the best I have all year, I am super stoked to be out training injury and sick free and simply just loving the goodvibes and people around me at the moment.
Have put in some pretty meaty weeks post Beijing with a sum of five 100k run weeks and four 30k plus swim weeks. I am all about basehunting this time of year in order to be ripe and ready for some heavy work with Team Dillon on the Gold coast in 2012, my last dab at sealing the Olympic deal.
To go with these 100k run weeks one must run smart and so a lot of my training has taken place on the many amazing trails Taranaki has to offer, up Huatoki, HereKawe and Te Henui Walkways, scaling Paritutu a few sneaky times and the serinity of Lake Mangmahoes trails also.
To help clock up those kms, these little numbers have been worth their weight in gold.

The Saucony Peregrine 2011 edition. Cant help but love the tongue caption on the shoe, run everywhere as its literally where I have been the last month round here.
I love trails, but ya standard road shoe just wouldnt fit the gluggy bogs of the rougher side of Te Henui and some of the streams to jump out at Mangmahoe.
I heard the Brownlees are all about mountain running and cross country for solid strength in those off season months, so why not follow suit. The great thing about trails is it doesnt pound the legs out either.
Tomorrow I stray away from the trails though and head out to Opunake with my strength trainer Roger Gooch to be a part of the Rampage fitness Gym round the mountain relay.
I always love to participate in this race annually and its awesome to see heaps of locals out running and walking on this day. Rampage is also my local gym and Roger at his business Bodysmart, has been working closely with me lately to help iron out my muscle imbalances of a 6foot 2 lank of spank.
He has been doing a brilliant job though and its so mint to be able to climb longer on the bike with less pain and run longer also.
One week and a bit to go to AKL World Cup and then its me last dab at the ITU for 2011, ranking points are crucial this time of year to keep me in the Olympic mix.
Feeling strong keep moving on.
Godspeed
Clarky

Well all in all a result on the board, beautiful weather for the week in NOOSA and a pretty respectable result in a field of truely non drafting specialists.
Dave dellow was the man of the day, showing me the transition from draft legal racing to non drafting isnt such a major one if u put the wheels in motion and change properly and affirmatively and his result proved his decision to leave ITU end of this year.
With what I saw post London I must say I am definately not far behind him, I love this style of racing it is so truely honest, no hiding and really is a pure swim, bike, run a true test of what I feel a real triathlete is.
ITU is great but its always a breath of fresh air to step away from it and not have to bother with the most intense race briefings in the world of ITU and get that feeling for what we all love about this sport, enjoying it for what it is.
Without the Olympic dream in the forefront of my thinking this format of racing is right up my alley, but until London comes and goes I must stay on track to that goal.

True to how I train as an ITU athlete my result panned out just as that. A great swim, got owned on the bike and a solid run. Although I was absolutely astonished how much further this sport has gone with non drafting guys on the bike in the last 6years, when I rode the same bike split if not a minute slower and came off in a pack of 15 guys.
This time round we were all strung out over a good 4min gap to the front at the end and yeah 55mins was a the standard of riding 40km yesterday.
I managed to claw back a bit with my run, but not enough to be anywher near the major prizemoney, making me realise u do either or these days, non drafting or ITU to reap the full rewards of the training needed to specialize and do well in this kind of racing.
Was great fun tho and I had an awesome crew around me over the weekend with my good mate ANDY small, Michael Poole and their respected family.
Much Aroha to such an awesome crew to be around over the weekend and a huge thanks to Campbell Mattson at location homes for funding the majority of this trip.
One more race for 2011 in AKL World Cup to score some much needed ITU points at season end and then it all begins again with some serious man miles in the off season.
Cheers
Clarky