Pre Challenge Wanaka Training in Christchurch, New Zealand

All good to go and get on the Ferry to the South Island.

For a wee run in the Port Hills of Christchurch...

And Cycling of Course!

For the end of the year I headed down to Christchurch on the South Island of NZ to stay with friends in their Uber Haus on the cliffs over looking the Pacific Ocean...
A cool spot to train for my final prep for Challenge Wanaka over Xmas. Days are spent training, playing around with the kids and as there's no TV here there's plenty of time to sit around, watching the ships and discussing life over a bottle of wine or two :-)

I did do a little race down here... The Xmas Cracker Tri... 400m Swim, 15K Bike, 4K Run... where I really wanted to beat John Newsom from Epic Camp... my plans were soon scuppered as for some reason everyone else knew about the rip that took them out to the first buoy... so I was still floundering around in the surf while the Locals got a 50m gap on me... ??? Still at least I made it to the first buoy eventually... eh Graham! I gained on Newsom on the rest of the race but couldn't run him down... Darn it! :-) Still we were all disappointed in the end as Clark Ellice rocked up and John didn't get his bottle of Winners Red Wine. I felt good in the race though and the new Specialised S-Works Transition was flying on the flats :-)... fingers crossed I should be good to go for Wanaka!

There was an interesting race moment... I ran out of T2 with one athlete who was virtually sprinting... 'man I thought this is fast! I'll just try and tuck in behind him'... he then started asking me if I was 'Paul Westwood' and how my 'Wanaka Training' was going... WTF??? So just as I started to get into a full conversation with him he says 'I can't keep this pace up' and slows to a virtual trot... WTF x 2.
A good lesson in not really worrying how fast other people are going. He was "Bist Dem Arsch!"... I think that's the German expression... :-)

Morning has berrr-rowken...!

Here's my training for the 11 days post Xmas Cracker Tri. Not that I normally post my training diary... the worst mistake people make in Tri's is copying someone elses programme... especially the programme of some Pro Athlete... out of some magazine interview... who was probably just making it up at the time of the interview... ha ha!

Some of you may find it interesting though.

Unless stated all the intensity was steady aerobic state. Unless I was pretty wasted in which case I would just ride recovery (HR 110 - 120). All swimming was steady apart from a few hard paddle and band intervals (e.g. 100m x 5). When in heavy IM / aerobic training it's just too hard on the heart to try and get it to work at high intensities.

Bikkee and Pengy hanging out at the pool :-)

Monday

Bike to pool 50 mins.

Swim 4K

Bike home 02:30

Tuesday

Bike to pool 50 mins.
Swim 3K

Bike home 50 mins

Run 01:15 in afternoon

Wednesday

Run 01:50 Hilly

Thursday

Bike 50 mins to pool

Swim 3K

Bike 50 mins home

Friday - Christmas Day!

Run 01:15

Swim Body Surf :-)

Bike 02:00

Saturday

Bike 50 mins to pool

Swim 3K

Bike 02:00 home

Run 01:00 - Brick, Fartleck

Sunday

Run 01:05

Monday

Bike 05:00 + 30 mins Aerobic Th Effort.

Run 30 mins - Brick, Aerobic TH.

Swim 4K

Tuesday

Bike 03:00

Wednesday

Bike 50 mins to pool

Swim 3K

Bike 50 mins home

Run 02:30 Hilly

Thursday

Bike 05:20

Run 20 mins Brick

Thanks so much to Neil, Kathryn, Callum, Hanah and the rest of the Sumner Crew for looking after me... see you on the way back through :-)

So what else has been going on? Well Kate and Phil did awesome at the Rotorua Half IM both PBing in very difficult conditions... Phil said it was the first time he had been totally spent at the end of a race... looks like he is learning to govern his Central Governor.

Kat is going big guns in her build up Tri's for Challenge Wanaka and sneaking into the tops 10's! Sars was 4th at the Surf Breaker Tri at the Mt and Mike is looking very skinny.

And I know Nicky basically wanted to win her first ever Tri but she did make the Mid pack.

Tauranga Half Ironman this weekend Good Luck to Todd, Mike and Nicky... Dunc, Scott, Guy and the rest of the Massif :-)... Pity I can't be there but I have some Southern / German ass to kick!

See You in Wanaka,

Westy xxx

A crucial part of training... shaving!

Time for the Body Surfing Comp... Christmas Day.

Neil... a bit tired after a day with the kids and coming out on a long ride with me and going very fast on the first two hills... and then very slow on all the others... nice pillow.

:-)