December 22, 2011

Christmas newsletter
Sea swims
Good news and bad news lately. On Wednesday we were forced to cancel this week's swim on the available evidence (which was that the water was still too mucky). On mid-afternoon Thursday the latest test results came through. Lo and behold, the water is now okay.
That's good news for the future, normal swims can resume next week. The tide then will be low at 7.43pm, so we'll very little current to concern ourselves with.

In the New Year we have the Eyebright Mile at 9.40am on Saturday January 7. This is the classic race of the summer, now up to about its 25th incarnation. Along with our regular swimmers we have entries from 36 swimmers from Aquagym in Christchurch, who'll give everyone else a run (or swim) for their money. We don't have a short option for this race - it's a test of your resolve, but most regular short swimmers are well capable of the distance.

We had to cancel the Christmas barbecue, but we'll plan a summer holiday barbecue instead on January 12.

Nelson Mail Aquathlon National Championship
This will be upon us quite soon. The world championship is held in the days leading up to the world tri champs. You'll hardly have been able to miss that this is in October next year in Auckland. The same sorts of selection criteria apply as for triathlon - you must race in the nominated selection race and be in the top 20 in your age group. If successful, you'll have to obtain an international competition license from Tri NZ. You only need one for the year, so if you've been selected already for the triathlon, that's one bill less. If you've missed the point of all this, the selection race is in Nelson on Saturday February 11. You can find all the details and enter online at www.aquathlon.co.nz Entries are rolling in already, mostly from outside the region, but already on the entry the entry list are world swim champion Ben Van Dyke, world triathlon champ John Hellemans and national swim champ Derek Eaton, not to mention top triathlete Flossie Van Dyke, who'll be back from Sweden in the nick of time.

Sea swim website
For some reason, the aquathlon address took a while to point to the right place and now the sea swim address is misbehaving. If you try www.nelsonseaswims.co.nz you may or may not get through. We told the company that hosts the address that it wasn't working - they say it is. It seems the odds are about 70-30 that you won't be able to reach the site by typing in that address. Before we go completely berserk, please let us know if it works for you (it doesn't for me). Rest assured there's nothing wrong with the site itself. If you can't get to it through the normal address, use https://regonline.activeglobal.com/builder/site/?eventid=1001822 Once you have the site, you may want to Bookmark it until we have this problem sorted. And if we have any computer geeks on our mailing list who can offer suggestions before we dump our host company and go somewhere else, please let us know.

Triathlons
We are a triathlon club after all. Entries are rolling in for the Philip Wareing Memorial Multisport Triathlon on Sunday January 8. You can choose from a standard tri, a multisport option starting with a kayak, a duathlon, and short options of triathlon and duathlon. You can link to the entry site from the tri club website www.nelsontriclub.co.nz

The entrant lists for the January 21 Challenge Wanaka and Lake Wanaka Half were released this week and more than 30 of our club members are entered in one or other, with a dozen or so other local swimmers, cyclists and runners entered in teams. It's the biggest hathering ever of Nelson triathletes outside of Nelson. When you consider our other club members who'll race through the streets of Wanaka the night before in Tri NZ's sprint race, there'll be close to 50 of us there. It'll be a great occasion. Of course many will also take the chance to race in the Tri NZ sprint race in Pegasus on the way down the previous weekend. It's going to be great.

Nelson Mail Team Triathlon
This is scheduled for Saturday March 3. Although it's mostly the same as last summer, there have been a few changes. One is that there'll be an elite section for mixed teams of three (at least one man and one woman). The winners will receive cash training grants of $500 each. The school section will also be restricted to mixed teams with any combination from any school and the winners receiving bike training gear to the value of more than $300 each from Stewarts Avanti Plus. As last year, the top business team will be up for a $2000 advertising package from the Nelson Mail, while the top Mates team will be trying on shoes to the value of $300 each from Shoe Clinic. Loads of other prizes too. Start getting your team together now. If you're new to all this, migym are offering a heavily discounted two-montsh membership and training programme that will bring you up to speed and we may be able to help with swimming too - just working on that.

Club membership
We now have 280 club members. The way that's counted means that from the time you join, you're a member until you resign. We've had membership cards printed for everyone, but if you're one of the 80 or so who hasn't renewed from last year, you won't have received yours yet. You can renew via the club website and be eligible for race entry (20%) and sponsor discounts. If you have renewed or recently joined and haven't yet received a membership card, please let me know.

And now
There's nothing more to add but Merry Christmas, have a safe and prosperous New Year. May your training go well - we'll see you on a start line somewhere soon.

Peter, Dick and all the committee

October 30, 2011

Ready or not, summer's nearly here and that means it's time to race. In three weeks time, more than 20 of our members will be racing in Auckland, trying to gain selection for the 2012 world champs, also in Auckland. To get them off to a good start, we're kicking off the season early, with a sprint race at Rabbit Island next weekend. You'll need to enter online, click here
If you don't fancy swimming, there's a duathlon option and if the Sprint distance doesn't suit, there's a shorter option. If you think you'll race, but you're not sure, please enter anyway, choosing Pay at Event (rather than Credit Card) from the dropdown menu. That way you won't be penalised if you don't race, but we'll have your details for registration and timing if you do.

Membership Cards

The order for 256 of these was placed about an hour ago, so if you're a 2010-2011 member or a newly joined member we'll have a card for you, personalised with your name and date of birth and with discount options on the back. You have to be a member for the 2011-2012 year to claim your card - about 100 people have already joined or renewed. If you're unsure of your membership status, click here
If your membership is good for the next year, the renewal date should be November 2012 (if it's January, that's a system error, please email me at peter@nelsontriclub.co.nz and I'll fix it). If you need to renew, visit our membership site If you're not a member at all, but join the club soon, we'll have a fresh print run of new cards in a few weeks.
The new cards will be distributed at next week's race and at the first sea swim on November 17. If you need yours mailed to you, please send me an email.

Ocean Swimming

You can swim all you like in the pool, but sea swimming brings a new dimension, with the jostle of other swimmers, navigation, currents, wetsuits and a host of other things to think about. If you want to improve your sea swimming, Lionel Padial is offering a two-day workshop in November. Numbers will be limited to eight, that's four swimmers per instructor. To find out more, click here
Entries are open for both the Port Nelson series of 17 Thursday night swims and the Clements Endurance Swim Series of four longer swims, including the traditional Eyebright Mile (actually 2km) on January 7. Even if you only plan to do one swim to try things out, you must enter online so we have details for registration and timing. It's much cheaper to enter for the series, especially with the 20 percent club member discount, but if you just want to enter for one, you can. You can chose just one swim on your online entry. Choose Pay at Event and you can turn up to any swim - it doesn't have to be the first one. You'll just have to pay $5 each time you come, but we'll have all your details for registration and timing and you'll have a race number assigned to you. You won't get a series cap, but you can buy one ($5) or bring your own. Swimmers who sign up for the series get a free cap the first time they swim. You can enter and find out more at www.nelsonseaswims.co.nz

Training

Loads of people have expressed an interest in training with other, but no-one really wants to organise it. The best bet is for you to signal your training intentions on our Facebook site, click here

October 22, 2011

Membership cards

Why do we need one?

People competing in Auckland on November 20 will need proof of club membership, while members competing overseas often need proof of membership of the national body. Our membership card will verify your membership both in our club and of TriNZ (which is an automatic benefit of club membership). Remember, you don’t have to live in Nelson to join the club. We have members in Christchurch, Marlborough, Wellington and Sydney. The main benefit for most is the 20% discount on all our races. Since the cost is only $15 (less for families and school students), you can make that back just by entering the sea swims.

On the back of the card will be listed businesses that support the club and which will give discounts. This will remind you where you can get deals and your card will identify you at those places.

We’ll be ordering the first batch of membership cards on Monday and will distribute at our sprint race on November 6 and at our first sea swim on November 17. Cards will be printed for all existing members and yours will be available once your membership has been renewed for the 2011-2012 year. If you’re not an existing member, but you need a card for the Auckland selection race, please join now, otherwise you won’t be on the database we use when we order the cards.

If you’re not sure of the status of your membership, check the MEMBERSHIP LIST

Because of a website glitch, for which we have been promised a fix, new members, or those who have changed their email address, may find a renewal date of Jan 1 when they get their confirmation email. I’m watching for these and will adjust manually to November 1, 2012.

To join the club, go to the MEMBERSHIP SITE. There’s also a link from the front of the club website, www.nelsontriclub.co.nz
(By the way, photographer/triathlete Martin Bennett has spent this afternoon updating the slide show at the top of our website front page. It's worth going to the website to take a look)

Training groups

With more than 20 members competing in Auckland and possibly twice that number in Wanaka in January, there’s been a call for a way of letting people know where they can join others for swims, runs or bike rides. This weekend, Dutch elite triathlon team coach John Hellemans moves into the team’s summer training base on the Ridgeway in Stoke. You can expect to see these triathletes at our events and joining in our training groups and John will welcome club members to some of their sessions too.

The easiest ways I can see of helping people communicate what they’re doing are:
1. The club Facebook site. Just let people where and when you’ll be, where you’re going and maybe indicate the ability level.
2. If you’re not into Facebook (or even if you are), let me know your email address. I’ll compile a group email list so that you can email your intentions to the people who are likely to want to know.

For example, I’m biking for 3-4 hours tomorrow, leaving town about 11am (Sunday sleep-in) and heading south – maybe across towards Motueka, or Dovedale. I bike slow – 25-26kmh average. Email me for details if you’re keen.

Peter Gibbs

October 17, 2011

The AGM was sparsely attended, but those who were there were treated to a moving insight into the trials and tribulations of a professional triathlete, as Britta Martin told the story of her past year's racing in New Zealand and Europe.The committee farewelled Clive Holyoake, who has performed the role of treasurer for at least a decade and is repsonsble for the extremely healthy financial state we are now in.
Paul Thornton, Kerry Bateman and Andrea Livingston have stepped down from the committee over the past few months, but we've welcome our new treasurer Alison Pientak and committee members Gillian Watson, Sarah Downs (our minute secretary) and Nigel Burgess.

Membership
Now open for 2011-2012. You can renew your club membership HERE If you're uncertain of your current status and renewal date, you'll find a link to the membership list on the right of the front page. The site has been a little shaky - once you've renewed you should be good until November 1 2012. If that's not the case, send an email to peter@nelsontriclub.co.nz and we can fix it immediately.

Port Nelson Summer Sea Swims
Entries also open. Check the new website for the coming season at www.nelsonseaswims.co.nz Note that if you have this bookmarked from last year, you may get last year's site, so type in the address again, or click HERE

This Thursday's swim
You don't have to be registered for the Masters Games to take part. The swim is open to all. We have a standalone website for this, HERE

Summer Sprint Triathlon Series, Race One
For the benefit of the 20 or more club members who are heading to Auckland for the November 20 selection race, we're starting the season early to give them all a good hitout. Come and join in. Entries are now open,with links from the front page and the events page of the club website, or click HERE

August 21, 2011

This morning the sun came up at our house nearly half an hour earlier than in the depths of winter. If it's not quite summer, there are plenty of signs of spring, with bright sunny days forcast for at least the next six days. There could be some cloud next Sunday morning, if you can believe the long range forecasts, but conditions should be near perfect for Race One of our Spring Duathlon Series.The race starts on the east end of the beach reserve at 10am. The run course will be one we used a couple of years ago - along past the main changing block , then left through the bushes and back on a part road/part grass course for 2km - twice for the long race. The bike course will be on the road at first to the boat ramp road, then following the course of the mid-winter race through forest tracks. If you haven't yet entered, click here for details.

Looking ahead

Plenty of racing to come over the summer and already people are starting to target a big race or two to give the season some shape. Locally, we have repeats of the duathlon in September and October. The October race will double as the Masters Games duathlon, but it's open to all. You can find links to all the duathlons on the event page of our website, click here.
You'll also see there a heap of triathlons and swim events.
If you're targetting the 2012 world champs, you're probably aiming to qualify in Auckland in November, although there are further chances for the sprint race in Taupo in February and for the standard course in Wellington in March. If you need help with travel or accommodation, try our travel sponsor Wildside Travel at www.wildsidetravel.co.nz/
Loads of people are doing sprint, half or full ironman distances in Wanaka in January. If you're looking for accommodation, our club member Rod Jones has moved down there and is managing a lodge about 2km from town. Here's a note from Rod: Altamont Lodge is a great, relatively low cost at $69 a double room, accommodation option,and I am sure that we can do better for Nelson tri club members. It is quiet, clean and comfortable,with a great kitchen and lounge and great grounds. So if club members are down for Challenge or Contact series, skiing or other reasons, contact us to see what is available. Email altamontlodge@xtra.co.nz, Website http://www.altamontlodge.co.nz/

Quizz night

The Tasman Bay Kayak Racing Club gives us great support throughout the summer at our sea swims. Now's your chance to support them on September 9. Details, click here

Dutch triathlon team

This group was here briefly at the end of last season. They're hoping to return, which would add some additional international flavour to our swim series and triathlons should they choose to compete. Can you help them? Here's a message from coach John Hellemans:
The Dutch Triathlon team is looking for accommodation in Nelson for the summer months, from october 18 2011 till early april 2012. We are looking for a house with at least 4 bedrooms or 2 or 3 selfcontained flats/apartments. The team will consist of 4-6 females and 1 or 2 males. Please contact the head coach John Hellemans on john1953@xtra.co.nz. if you can help.

July 3, 2011

There hasn't been much down time since the autumn duathlon series, but we're looking forward to our next events already.

Mid-winter multisport triathlon and duathlon, Sunday July 31
Held at Greenslade Park on Rabbit Island, this race includes:
Triathlon - 8km kayak, 18km mountainbike, 4km run
Long duathlon - 4km run, 18km mountainbike, 4km run
Short duathlon - 2km run or walk, 9km mountainbike, 2km run or walk
Part of the bike course and all of the run course is new this year, with the bike course taking in some new tracks on the east end of the island and the run moving away from the coastal squelch (there'll be a high tide at the time, so that'll be under water)
For details and to enter, click here

Gibbs Hill Challenge, Sunday August 14
This event is run under the umbrella of the club, but is organised by Wouter De Maat and his team in Golden Bay. Because much of the event is held within a national park, there's a limit of 70 entries and already 33 have been received, so don't hold back if you plan to be in the race.
Here's a description of the race from the entry website: A duathlon starting from Takaka Primary School and involving a 23km road cycle to Wainui car park, then into the Abel Tasman National Park for a stunningly scenic run to Totaranui via Gibbs Hill and on round the coastal track back to Wainui car park - 21km, finishing with the reverse of the cycle leg back to Takaka Primary School. (See online map for details of run course). This event can be done as an individual or as a team comprising 2 - 5 members. For the run, transition places are Totaranui and/or Whariwharangi, and the cycle legs can be done by the same person or by two people.
For details and to enter, click here

Spring duathlon series, Sunday August 28, Sunday September 25, Sunday October 16
The courses have yet to be finalised for these three races, but the bike will be mostly the same course as that used in the mid-winter race. The start/finish and transition will be in the horse paddock area at the east end of the beach reserve. Distances:
Long duathlon - 4km run, 18km mountainbike, 4km run
Short duathlon - 2km run or walk, 9km mountainbike, 2km run or walk
Race three will incorporate the SI Masters Games duathlon event. If you've registered for the masters games, you must enter race three via their website. Otherwise, entry for all three races in the series will open in the next few weeks.

October Madness Sea Swim, Thursday October 20, 6pm
This 1200m sea swim will follow the usual format of the Port Nelson swims, heading off from the Nelson Yacht Club at the slightly earlier time of 6pm. We're putting on this event especially for the masters games and entries are open for those people at the games website. The race is also open to all other swimmers of all ages who just want to get in and have an extra swim early in the season. There's no short swim option.
For details and to enter, click here

Summer triathlon events
There's a draft summer programme on the club website, click here. We'll have final details and dates following the club committee meeting this week

Summer sea swims
Port Nelson is enthusiastically returning as sponsor of the Thursday night Port Nelson Summer Sea Swim Series and Clements Windows and Doors, equally as enthusiastically, as sponsor of the Clements Endurance Swim Series. The Port Nelson series starts on Thursday November 17 and continues through to the middle of March. Entries to these events won't open for a couple of months, but judging by the number of people in the pool over the winter we're in for an increase over the average weekly turnout of 142 experienced last summer.

Training
Now the Tour de France has started, there's a good excuse to blob out in front of the TV for hours at a time. Make the most of it by joining the team at migym for a bit of spinning. Here's some details:
Are you sick of the rain? Don’t finish work till dark? Tired of boring wind-trainer sessions on your own?
Le Tour de France is coming to migym!!
Test yourself against the best in the world.
Have YOU got what it takes to earn the Yellow Jersey?
Join us at migym for an awesome 1hr wind-trainer session while watching the Tour de France on the big screen!
Tuesdays 5:30pm, Wednesdays 6:30pm, Thursdays 5pm, Fridays 5:30pm
Pick one night per week, or come to them all!
Starts Tues 5^th July, runs for 3 weeks
BYO bike & windtrainer (leave your windtrainer there if you like)
Free for migym members, $5 for non-members
All levels welcome
Register your spot in the peleton today!
To register or to find out more, email the team at info@migym.co.nz

June 20, 2011

Mid-winter Multisport Triathlon and Duathlon, July 31
Entries for this event are now open. Details are available on the entry site, click here. In addition to the kayak-mountainbike-run, there'll be long and short duathlon options, with distances similar to our autumn series. The course is still being finalised, but the bike course will be that used for the Masters Games duathlon, so here's you chance for a sneak preview.

Master Games
        
Our club is organising two events, an ocean swim and a mountainbike duathlon. You'll be able to enter both these events through the club website, without registering for the masters games, but you won't be eligible for medals.
 If you want to be part of the games, the end of the early bird registration is June 30. Anyone can register and then at a later date enter more events. The registration fee covers the party events during the week as well as accreditation. If registered before July 1 you will save themselves a few dollars as well as be entered into a draw to win a trip to Sydney. Registration and entries can all be done online. Posters, entry booklets and flyers can be collected at Sport Tasman. For more information, www.simasters.co.nz

Bike trails

The Nelson Tasman Cycle Trails Trust (NTCTT) will be conducting their Roadshow Presentation at Sport Tasman this month.  The presentation will include both the Tasman Loop and the Dun Mountain Loop where the latter is due to open in October with an invite sent out to both John Key and Sarah Ulmer to attend this opening.  This is a great opportunity to learn more about both NTCTT projects.
Details: Sport Tasman Boardroom, Thursday 30 June 30, 6pm to 7:30pm-8:00pm

May 29, 2011

No sooner have we finished the 2010/2011 season than we're looking forward to the next two.

Many members will be aiming for the world championships in both sprint and standard distances to be held in Auckland in October 2012. The first selection race for both these distances is on the Auckland course on November 20 this year. Entries opened last week and since there's a limit on numbers it would pay not to wait too long. You can find more information and put in your entry now, click here

Ten places for each age group in each race will be confirmed after the Auckland race. (Another ten places will be available for the sprint race and the standard race at their respective national championships in Kinloch and Wellington respectively, later in the season.) All the conditions and details are on the website. You can indicate your interest in being selected for the 2012 race at the same time as you enter, or closer to the qualifying event. For that you'll need current membership of your local club. Like most clubs, our membership year coincides with that of Tri NZ, so it's not a current membership that you'll need, but one for the 2011/2012 season, which starts on November 1 and will cover you for the summer ahead as well as the world championship race. Tri NZ has indicated that it will want to see proof of club membership. We're investigating having a membership card printed for next summer and that will be available when you renew your membership on November 1. If it's possible to alter our entry site to take out a 2011/2012 membership earlier, we'll let you know.

Details and selection procedures for other world championships including long course and duathlon are also available on the TriNZ website.

Duathlon roundup
This year's Shoe Clinic Mountainbike Duathlon Series seemed to go well. If you're interested in cumulative times and places in the age groups, click here. It's interesting to see how most people inproved from one race to the next. Thanks to our statistics and results guru Gillian Watson for preparing this table.

Other recent emails
We get lots of emails from businesses offering services to club members. In handing on this information, we're not necessarily making a recommendation, though on the other hand, it seems likely triathletes would benefit from the services mentioned.

If you're interested in a trail run in Greta Valley, North Canterbury, July 3, here's an entry form: click here

From Marlborough Harriers: The Mount Vernon Grand Traverse on Sunday June 19 2011 is an 18K and 11K off road run organised by the Marlborough Harrier Club starting from Wither Hills Farm car park. Details from mapmyrun: http://www.mapmywalk.com/s/routes/view/run-jog-map/new-zealand/blenheim/7894784

Tri NZ Duathlon National Champs 2011
Date: 14th August 2011
Location: Taupo
Categories: Schools/Age Group/Elite
Website: click here

May 15, 2011

As the final race of the Shoe Clinic Mountainbike Duathlon Series approaches, it's been fun assembling the pool of prizes. The overall race leaders are already wearing their Tineli tops and all four seem likely to retain their positions at the top of the standings after the final race. There are 23 Brooks T-shirts in the process of being printed with a series winner message and they'll go to the winners of the various age groups. The winners will be the individuals with the fastest total time in their age group for all three races. The cumulative times for the first two races will be online later today. You can check them out on the news page of the race website, click here

The rest of the prizes will be awarded as spot prizes.
You must be at the prizegiving to take away these prizes.
The major prizes include:

• Three pairs of Brooks shoes
• One Avanti Black Thunder mountainbike
• Two Polar heart rate monitors
• Two Camelbak hydration systems
• Five Avanti cycling tops
• Weekend holiday accommodation for a family of five including mountainbike and spa use
• Sports Therapy physio/massage package

There'll also be many other prizes including massage and bike and run accessories

Coast to Coast movie
Robin Judkins is sounding pretty enthusiastic about the latest Coast to Coast movie, produced by Steve Knowles (who also runs the Sportzhub website). Robin is touring the movie around the country and it'll be here on Wednesday, June 15, 7pm, at the State Cinema in Nelson. The good news is that it's free. The bad news is that you can't book. You'll just have to turn up early and elbow your way in. To read more about it, click here

Willing worker
One of or top young triathletes, Josie Wilcox, will be back from the University of Tulsa in a couple of weeks and looking for some work for two months. If you have anything to offer, let me know and I'll forward it on to Josie.

May 1, 2011

Duathlon series

Race two of the Shoe Clinic Mountainbike Duathlon series is just a week away. If you haven’t yet entered, or would like to check out the details, click here:
http://regonline.activeglobal.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=952477

Wanaka Challenge

The Challenge Wanaka roadshow comes to town on Tuesday May 10, 7pm at Waimea Intermediate. It is intended to be an informal seminar to provide details about the event, the course and perhaps some further information on nutrition and training. As well as a Q&A session. There’ll be some local colour with guest speakers Richard Ussher and Caro Gates, who have both had success at Wanaka. All attendees will be in with a chance to win 2XU gear and a race spot for the next Challenge Wanaka on January 21 2012. You can find out more about Challenge Wanaka and the Lake Wanaka Half at: http://www.challenge-wanaka.com/

Mountainbike workshops

If you were interested in following up on Emma Bawtree’s Wheel Woman mountainbike workshops, I made it hard in the last newsletter by not including Emma’s contact details.
Here they are now:

Emma Bawtree
PO Box 445 Nelson
03 5402678
0276245368
emma@nztraveldesigners.com
There have been a couple of enquiries from men too, so if you’re male and would like some mountainbike instruction, give Emma a try.

International news

Interesting news of event development from the International Triathlon Union. Possibly reacting to pressure from the expanding Xterra franchise, the ITU has launched the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships, as well as a cross duathlon event. The inaugural events are taking place this weekend in Spain. For more information, check out the race website: http://www.elanillo2011.org/default_eng.asp

The ITU has been very responsive to changes in triathlon in recent years and one event that the various member countries are starting to take notice of is team triathlon. The importance the ITU attaches to the team event is underlined by its bid to have the event included on the Olympic Games programme for Rio 2016.

The format is much the same as the Nelson Mail Team Triathlon in March. In the world event, two women and two men combine and race over distances of 275m swim, 6km bike, 1.5 km run, so it’s an all-out sprint. Australia is smarting over not having won the event yet, that honour going to Switzerland in the first two years of the event. Read more about the Aussie challenge at: http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/an_interview_with_team_australia/

The ITU Sprint Triathlon World Championships will be held on the same weekend as the team event, August 20-21 in Lausanne, Switzerland. More information: http://www.triathlon.org/news/

See you at Rabbit Island next weekend.

April 24, 2011

Here’s some reading for a rainy weekend.

Race one of the Shoe Clinic Mountainbike Duathlon Series attracted 153 starters. If you missed the race or the newspaper report, catch up with the details on Sportzhub: http://www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12105&Itemid=1

Race two is on May 8. If you haven’t yet entered, you can find out more by following the link from the club website www.nelsontriclub.co.nz

Our club members have been winning races all over the place in the past few weeks, but we just haven’t had the resources to keep the news coming. You can help by supplying us with details of your races and how you did, or at least what you’ve entered and where the website is. Here’s a recap of the things we know about:

As a result of summer selection races, Carol Cooper has been selected for the world champs over the standard distance in Beijing in September. Chris James, Marie Sorrell and Josh Stephens will race the long distance champs in Las Vegas, US, in November. Marie and Josh are based in Christchurch and are among the growing number of out-of-town members of the club.

Speaking of club things, with new members joining to take advantage of discounts to race entries, we now have 203 current financial members. We have a plan for next summer's events and these will be on the cub website: here

It was a great day at Xterra on April 9, with Richard Ussher winning the main race and Susie Wood and Fleur Lattimore taking second and fourth in the women’s race. Jon Linyard and Gary Milbanke were third and fourth respectively in their age groups.   Elina Ussher won the mountainbike-only event. To check out all the results: http://www.xterra.co.nz/

For Sportzhub’s race report: http://www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12044&Itemid=73

Richard has made no secret of the fact that his main target for the year is the Xterra world event in October. For his own story of the Rotorua race on Sportzhub: http://www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12145&Itemid=1

Richard had one more hitout to round off the summer and that was in the Anaconda race in Forster, north of Sydney. Here’s his report: http://www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12146&Itemid=1

Also this month, Derek Eaton and Margaret Johnston swam in the final race of the State Ocean Swim, series, the King of the Bays race. Derek won his 65-69 age group, while Margaret placed third in 55-59. Both took the same positions in the overall series, taking their best three results from the five races. You can find all the results from the series: http://www.oceanswim.co.nz/

New Club sponsor

Alan Cleaver and Sharon Jackson of Massage Therapy are in attendance at the Shoe Clinic series races, giving 10-minute post-race or pre-race massages. As part of an agreement with the club, Alan and Sharon offer reduces rates to all club members

$10 off 30 minute treatments, $35.00 (usually $45.00)
$10 off 45 minute treatments, $50.00 (usually $60.00)
$15 off 60 minute treatments, $65.00 (usually $80.00)
$15 off 90 minute treatments, $105.00 ( usually $120.00)

For more information check out their website: http://www.massage-therapy.co.nz/ 

Challenge Wanaka info evening at Waimea Intermediate

Plenty of our members head for Wanaka during January for the Ironman-distance Challenge, or the Lake Wanaka Half. Race director Victoria will be in Nelson in May as part of a national roadshow and we’ll be hosting her either on Monday May 9 or Tuesday May 10 (to be confirmed). Here’s an extract from an email: 

“It is intended to be an informal seminar to provide details about the event, the course and perhaps some further information on nutrition and training. As well as a Q&A session. All attendees will be in with a chance to win 2XU gear and a race spot for the next Challenge Wanaka on 21 January 2012.” 

Mountainbikes to buy and borrow

One female competitor in the Shoe Clinic Series rode race one on a borrowed bike, but can’t get access to that bike for the next two races. Does anyone have a small bike they may be able to loan?

Another mountainbike question – does anyone have a medium-size bike they’d like to sell to an enthusiastic male?

Email me at peter@nelsontriclub.co.nz

Wheel Woman Workshops

Emma Bawtree is again running mountainbike familiarisation sessions for women and has donated one free session to be drawn as a spot prize following race three of the Shoe Clinic series. Here’s some more info from Emma:

I will be running my WHEEL WOMAN workshops again for the months of May and June. The workshops will include the Beginners and Intermediate workshops again with the addition of an Introductory level beginners course run at Rabbit Island, this will be aimed at those that are starting out or who are returning to cycling after some years away from the sport.

In summary the three workshops will be as follows:
1/ ‘Introductory Mountain Biking’ at Rabbit Island - “An all women workshop for those new to off-road mountain biking. Learn the basic skills to keep safe, gain confidence and enjoy riding!”.
2/ ‘Beginner Single Track riding’ at Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park - “A workshop for women looking to learn the basic mountain biking skills required on single tracks and build confidence in a supportive all women environment!”
3/ ‘Intermediate Single Track riding’ at Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park - “Extend your single track mountain biking skills and confidence in a supportive all woman environment. A workshop for women with some experience looking to take it to the next level!”

The workshops are designed to follow on from each other, depending upon your riding abilities my general recommendation is to start with the Introductory or Beginners Workshop first then spend some time practicing before doing the Intermediate Workshop, of course if you can only make one or you feel you are more suited starting with the intermediate then this is fine we can accommodate you.

Workshop Dates:
MAY
Saturday May 7th Beginner Single Track Riding
Saturday May 14th Introductory Mountain Biking
Saturday May 21st Intermediate Single Track Riding
JUNE
Saturday June 4th Introductory Mountain Biking
Saturday June 11th Beginner Single Track Riding
Saturday June 18th Intermediate Single Track Riding
All workshops include up to 3 hrs of coaching in small groups and are run from 10am and 2pm
The price of the workshops are $60 per workshop if you sign up for the two or more, (a single workshop is $65).

Xterra run events in Wellington

If you fancy a serious trail run workout and you're planning to be in Wellington, try some of these:
• Race 2 - Sunday 1st May - Akatarawas  
• Race 3 - Sunday 22nd May - Orongorongos - Rimutaka Forest Park  
• Race 4  - Saturday 11th June - Starlight Event - Wainui
Check out the details: http://res.nz.eventdirector.net/XTNZ/SITES/1145/

Training week in Wanaka

Here’s something different you might like to try from July 24-31. It's a triathlon/duathlon training week and also involves cross-country skiing. You’ll need to confirm by the end of May. Info:

1: Snowfarm
Accommodation in Lodge up on the mountain (3 per room) including 2 buffet meals (morning & night) is NZ$100 per day per person. XC equipment rental is NZ$ 225-250 (over 15 years) and $125-150 (<= 15)
Then only the transport to and from needs to be sorted, but car pooling (from Christchurch) to Wanaka should provide for the cheapest transport. Ok, you do not know how to XC ski? No problem, we will learn. I am a fully qualified alpine and nordic ski instructor. Unlike alpine skiing, there are no lifts involved and it is one of the best fitness and skill development sports that i know. You will get pretty damn tired racing round the courses up there. But there is more: in our winter, there are often a number of international top athletes around in the lodge and it is quiet cool to rub sholders with these guys or even talk to them over dinner. I grew up with a lot of fitness training on skis and like to start this again here. It is also a very nice way of staying healthy and injury free, as it is quite gentle to joints and the equipment tends to break easier than the bones of the skier (unlike alpine skiing :-)).
Since the Duathlon season start in August, I suggest to bring along your MTB and running shoes for a complete cross training experience. The camp could serve as ideal preparation for the National Duathlon Champs (all categories) on 14 AUG in Taupo! If there is interest we can also go for two swims in Wanaka during the week. There will be no charge for my coaching or organisation for this first camp, I only like to cover my cost (transport and snowfarm cost) and suggest to divide by number of participants. That should result in very small additional fee.

2: Camp Date and Cost:

• 7 day camp from Sun 24.07. to Sun 31.07.2011 (Sun and Sun are travel days, 6 full days on mountain)
• All prices per person
• Accommodation: 7xNZ$ 100 = NZ$ 700
• Ski Hire: NZ$ 125 or NZ$ 225
• Travel: approx. NZ$ 50
• Snacks for lunch NZ$ 50 (max)
• Coaching Fee:
• TOTAL: NZ$ 925 (<=15) 1025 (>15) + small shared fee

Steve the manager - Nicki Samuels husband - knows what triathletes/duathletes are and what they need. Please if you are keen could you please let me know asap. Thank you!
Axel

 Axel Reiser
117a Huntsbury Ave
Huntsbury
Christchurch 8022

Phone: +64 (0)3 337 9165
Mobile : +64 (0)29 982 2966

Other news 

Keep an eye on the club website for general news, also the Shoe Clinic Mountainbike Duathlon Series site for news about the series

Happy training
Peter Gibbs

April 12, 2011

Entries are rolling in for the first race in the Shoe Clinic Mountainbike Duathlon Series this Sunday. It looks as if we'll have somewhere in the region of 150 competing. You can enter by following the link at the club website www.nelsontriclub.co.nz or click here

Although it's a bit late, you can download a poster and pin it up somewhere to encourage your friends to race too, click here

The year ahead has plenty of events on offer. As most of our triathlon and swim races are a bit tide-dependent, we've put together the programme for the next 12 months.

Highlights include the Masters games in October, when we'll be organising two of the events on the programme - a 1200m ocean swim and a mountainbike duathlon at Rabbit Island. These events will also be open to people not involved in the games.

On November 20, many Nelson triathletes will be aiming to qualify for the 2012 world champs in either sprint or standard distances. The selection race will be held on the world champs course based at Queens Wharf in Auckand. To help with preparation, we'll hold a sprint triathlon two weeks earlier. That means the season will be off to a very early (and possibly chilly) start. The programme has been printed on a card and will be available at retail outlets, gyms, etc soon, or you can pick one up at the race on Sunday. If you want to see it early or even print your own, here it is

If Challenge Wanaka or the half distance are on your list for next summer, race director Victoria will be here as part of a publicity road trip in May. ''It is intended to be an informal seminar to provide details about the event, the course and perhaps some further information on nutrition and training. As well as a Q&A session. All attendees will be in with a chance to win 2XU gear and a race spot for the next Challenge Wanaka on 21 January 2012''. The presentation will take place at 7pm at Waimea Intermediate on Tuesday May 10. More news about that later.

As our events grow bigger and there are more of them, we need to expand our team of helpers, both at the races and behind the scenes. If you'd like to be involved, we need help specifically for this Sunday from someone who can tow our large trailer to the race, arriving by 8am. We would also appreciate support with cooking the barbecue, timing and pointing people in the right direction.

In the future, we could do with some new blood on the committee. You don't need to wait for the AGM to roll around. Winter is a good time to start, as there's a lot of planning goes on during that period.

If you can help in any way, send me an email or just collar a committee member and have a chat about what's involved.

March 10, 2011

Last week's Nelson Mail Team Triathlon Challenge brought many people to the sport of triathlon for the first time. If post-race comments are an indication, many of them will be back next year to that race and to other races the club hosts. If you're planning to do it again, all things being equal it will be held on Sunday February 19, 2012.

The next event for people of all abilities is the Shoe Clinic Mountainbike Duathlon Series in April/May. To avoid Easter, the first race will now be on April 17. The series continues on May 8 and May 22. Entries are now open for this event. Follow the link from the tri club website, or click here

Next week, March 17, it's the last race in the Port Nelson Summer Sea Swim Series. It's been a great season, with average turnout so far 142 swimmers a night. As a trial, we won't hold the series prizegiving that night, but will defer it until the following week, March 24. On that night, the Mad Hatters swim returns. You must make a hat using one of two themes: Built for Flow, or Built for Show. Celebrity judges will decide on the winners. Your hat must be seaworthy and you'll have to do a short swim to prove it. Also that night, there'll be a free barbecue and a prizegiving, where the winners of all age group categories will be recognised. The final points will be from your best 12 swims, so if you've done more than 12, your worst will be dropped.

On Sunday March 20, the Clements Windows and Doors Endurance Series concludes with a 2km swim off Kaiteriteri at 11.30am. There'll also be a 1km option. You can add this swim to your online entries or, if you've already signed up online, we'll have your details and you can just register on the day.

February 19, 2011

The fourth race in the Clements Endurance Swim Series is tomorrow. The 3.8km Ironman Challenge starts at 11.40am from Tahunanui Beach, so we'll arrive at the northen end of the course and swim across to the dolphin right on a huge high tide of 4.6m at 12.10pm. From there it's south and west around the bottom of Haulashore to the second navigation dolphin and back to the beach. Travel prizes sponsored by Wildside Travel and massage vouchers from Allan Cleaver will be handed out as spot prizes right after the race. Registration on the beach from 11am.

A reminder that in two weeks (March 6) it's the Weet-Bix Tryathlon on Tahunanui Beach. It's traditional for our members, particularly the swimmers, to volunteer to help with the swim course. For this we need about 15 people in wetsuits to stand in the water for the two hours or so it takes to get all the swimmers through in their waves. It involves standing in line, encouraging the swimmers to swim (and not walk) and giving a helping hand to the ones who need it. We need an indication of who's going to be there, so could you please drop me an email at peter@nelsontriclub.co.nz

if it's your intention to help out (we have four volunteers already). Remember how many people provide volunteer support for our own swim series - this is your chance to repay the favour.

The Nelson Mail Team Triathlon is the day before (March 5). Entries have been received from 70 teams and will close when they reach 100 or on Tuesday March 1, whichever comes first. There's a prize pool of more than $10,000, divided between the winners of categories and spot prizes. Items are being added to the online prize list as they come in. Recent additions to to website include a race timeline. Check it out and enter at www.teamtri.co.nz

If you can't compete, we still need volunteers to help around the course. It's going to be an exciting event.

Next weekend, it's the national multisport championships and associated events at Kaiteriteri. Here's a letter from race director Nathan Fa'avae"

LETTER FROM NATHAN FA’AVAE

Kaiteriteri Beach Adventure Race and Events

www.kbar.co.nz

February 26th & 27th 2011 

“Nelson – Multisport Capital of NZ”, Thanks to Rich, Sophie, Elina and others performing at the Coast to Coast, we’ve been making national headlines.

Very soon we are also hosting the inaugural NZ Multisport Championships at Kaiteriteri Beach. This is obviously a multisport event (paddle, bike and run) but added to the event is also a whole array of other adventures, a lot of single discipline events, paddling, mountain biking, running, orienteering, duathlon and also a great offroad triathlon (Xterra) plus an ocean swim.

I’m well aware it’s not a great economical climate to launch a new event but a large motive for the NZ Multisport Champs is to build credibility for the sport and also to meet SPARC’s definition of a sporting code.

The Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve Board has also embraced the event concept with the hope more people will enjoy the location.

Those things combined means I’m chasing a target of 150-participants spread over the events. As of February 17, 2011, we are at 95, so I’m really hoping more people will support the event.  

It’s not your money the event needs; it’s your presence, your vote so to speak.

I’ve been to a lot of local events, swims, runs, orienteering, biking, paddling etc, I know we have a huge number of people active and enjoying our sports, I really want to encourage you to support this event in some form.

It can be a fun social weekend especially if you form a team and just do a stage in the multisport event (that’s what I’m doing).

If you want to see multisport and related codes grow and develop, this is a chance to have a say.

I personally think this is the future of multisport. Moving towards surfski paddle stages, mountain biking and trail running (get off the roads) and also a non-supported race (no support crew needed). The race is shorter duration, not an epic backcountry mission and the courses at Kaiteriteri I reckon are excellent.

If you really can’t be bothered getting a sweat up, we could use your help for part of the weekend as a marshal.

Entries are taken on the day but it is cheaper and WAY easier for me if people enter online sooner than later. The event is not going to be a huge extravaganza [this year], more just a group of friends having a heap of good times at a superb location, be great to have you there.

Nathan

February 4, 2011

Sunday’s triathlon is going to have a big field, with entries close to 60 and the normal expectation of a last-minute frenzy. If you’re planning to be there, please enter online before Saturday 5pm. If you’re not sure, please enter anyway. You can choose the ‘pay at event’ option. If you don’t come, that’s no problem, but it’s a hassle for organisers if you turn up on race day and have to be included in the timing programme (maybe holding up the race start). Remember there’s a kayak option. If you’ve forgotten all about it, this is our second in the sprint series (but the first was blown and rained out). The scheduled third ace is now the team event, so this is your only chance for a sprint race (or shorter course) on the Rabbit Island course. The main sponsor is Avanti and there’s an Avanti road bike as the major spot prize. Your chances are much better than Lotto.

With four weeks to go, the Nelson Mail Team Triathlon event is now one third full, with 33 entries. Business and Mates categories are the most popular,  followed by Clubs, with School entries making a move now that the holidays are over. Families and Walkers are slower to start, but at least one Nelson MP has entered as part of a family team. It will help with organisation if you enter sooner than later, but entries are capped at 100 teams, so don’t leave it too long.

The world triathlon championships are being held in Auckland in October next year. Up to 25 competitors may be selected in each age group band for both standard and sprint distance, meaning that if you want to do the race, there’s every chance you can.

This week came the announcement that the Auckland course has been included in the ITU World Cup circuit this year, with a race on November 20.

Triathlon New Zealand has already planned to trial the course for age groupers at that time and plan to make it a world championship selection race. Now there's the added attraction of watching the world's best in action in our own back yard.

What that means is that you can qualify in November for the World Champs the following October (2012).

Mark that on your calendar. If you take a break after the autumn duathlon series, then start training in earnest in July, you’ll be in good shape by November.

Finally, something mundane. The club lost property bag is filling up, particularly with swim caps and some quite expensive goggles. Last night we added a couple of pairs of jandals. At next week’s swim, we’ll lay it out on one of the benches at the yacht club. Take a look and see what’s yours. Next week, high tide is 3pm, so it’ll be going out. We’ll head north to a buoy somewhere towards the wharf, back to the dolphin, then in to the Boat Shed and back to the ramp. Short course to the first buoy and back. Courses and more exact distances online in the next few days

January 29, 2011

We’re at the busiest time of the year for triathletes and swimmers.

There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes preparing for the Nelson Mail Team Triathlon Challenge. If you haven’t yet formed a team and put your entry in, don’t leave it too long. There’s an entry limit of 100 teams and although this isn’t an issue yet, it’s helpful to the organisers to know how numbers are building. If you want to take part but don’t have a team, we’re doing a bit of matchmaking, so drop us an email and we’ll put you in touch with others wanting to build a team.

Today, many of our members took part in the State Ocean Swim Series race in Wellington. Conditins were rough and colder than we’re used to at 16-17 degrees. There was also sun in the face, making it difficult in the first leg.

With apologies to those I’ve missed, here’s some results from our regular swimmers. In the 2.8km race, from just over 500 competitors:

Jono Lee, 34.30, 15^th overall, 11^th elite male

Denis Cooper, 38.36, 25^th overall, 19^th male, 1^st in M50-54

Dick Bennison, 42.31, 73^rd overall, 53^rd male, 3^rd in M55-59

Derek Eaton, 42,41, 81^st overall, 57^th male, 1^st in M65-69

Margaret Johnston, 48.17, 198^th overall, 65^th female, 3^rd in W55-59

In the 1000m race, Tim James swam 19.33 for 83^rd of 158 starters, 49^th male and 18^th M40-49

Tomorrow (Sunday), it’s our own Eyebright Mile swim at 7.40am, with some members instead taking the trip south for the Triathlon NZ Contact race at Pegasus, just north of Christchurch.

If you’re planning to swim in the Eyebright Mile and have already registered on the swim site for the Port Nelson or other endurance swims, you can just roll up and get numbered – we’ll have all the details we need. If you have a supporter with some medical skills, our normal attendant is in Wellington and we could do with someone being on hand. Spare hands are also welcome to help with timekeeping or spotting in one of the three inflatables. Send an email to peter@nelsontriclub.co.nz or let us know in the morning.

The start is at the yacht club and the finish at the beach, so you may want to park your car at the beach in advance. There’ll be a car there at 6.45am dropping off flags, tables etc, so you may score a ride back to the start at 7am. The same car will act as a gear wagon from the yacht club, taking your spare clothes etc to the beach during the race. The weather forecast is for mainly fine, some early cloud. Sea breezes. Nothing like the 50kmh gusts that are being recorded today

If you’re feeling a bit tired when you get home from the swim, you may want to put your feet up for some TV viewing at 3pm when Tri TV features on TV1.

Next week, several club members are heading north for Tri NZ’s national sprint championship on Saturday. On paper it looks as if those competitors could bring back a few medals, so we wish them all the best of luck (although the work they’ve put in is going to matter more than luck).

On Sunday next week, it’s our final race in the summer sprint series. With the December race cancelled and the March race swapped for the team tri, this is the only chance for a fast workout on the Rabbit Island course. Entries are pretty good early on and everyone will be in with a chance to win the Avanti road bike, which will be the major spot prize.

On the same day, the Lake to the Sea bike ride finishes at Rabbit Island on the same stretch of road as we use. The first finishers in that race aren’t expected until noon and we’ll be well clear by then, but you’ll be able to get a glimpse of some of the finishers after our race.

Among those heading to Taupo is Tom Curtis, the young British triathlete who’s been training here over the summer and will be racing as a Nelson tri club member. He’d like to have a lighter set of wheels to race with up there, so if you can help him out, please drop him an email at tommycurtis1@hotmail.com – he’ll be leaving mid-week with the Van Dyke family, so needs to know soon.

On the subject of gear, Vanessa Price has outgrown a couple of small wetsuits. Here’s the details: Orca Sonar size small, only worn twice.

2XU E.O. Elite  XS as new (worn 10 times)

 Phone 542 4044.

January 12, 2011

Among the aims and objectives of the club is the goal of making triathlon accessible, exciting and visible.
Members of the committee have worked hard over the past few months to bring a new event, fulfilling these goals, to the heart of Nelson. Now we're ready to launch the event.
The Nelson Mail Team Triathlon Challenge follows the format established by the ITU for short, intense relay-type events.
The event will be held on March 5 in the marina area and Akersten St.
Three-person teams will undertake a 300m/8km/3km triathlon, with each team member doing the entire course before tagging the next person.
The distances have been chosen so that those new to triathlon won't be too intimidated by the swim, while experienced triathletes will welcome the chance to race at high speed over a multi-lap course as part of a team.
There are six entry categories, each with a prize valued at $1000-$2000 for the winning team, making a total of about $8000 in prize money for winners. Spot prizes to a similar value will be handed out too.
One of the categories is for clubs, where three members of a club compete for Avanti bike clothing to the value of $450 a person. If you decide that your team is going to be composed of financial members of the Nelson Triathon and Multisport Club and you're prepared to race as a club team, wearing club T-shirts (either the blue shirts with club logo only, or the black shirts with club and sea swim logos), we'll give you the shirts free.
You may choose to race with your mates for the Wildside travel package valued at $1780, with your school chums for up to $900 worth of shoes from Shoe Clinic, with your family for a $1065 migym package, as a business team for a Nelson Mail advertising package worth $2000, or as a walkers team for $1000 worth of services from Rejuvenate Massage and Nutrition.
As well, we'll recognise the top men's, womens, mixed, junior and senior teams across all categories.
You can find out all about the event at the race website: www.teamtri.co.nz - you can enter there too.
Take a look - assemble your team - get your entry in. It's going to be an incredibly exciting event.

January 1, 2011

Happy New Year,

So many events this month - here's a reminder of what's happening.

The Port Nelson Sea Swims continue every Thursday until March 17. We've had seven and there are still 12 to go. With the best 12 results counting towards series points, it's still possible for a newcomer to start next week and win the series (but not likely).

Tomorrow (Sunday) it's race two of the Clements Endurance Swim Series. This is the 2.8km Haulashore Circuit. There's a short option of 900m - to the Dolphin and back. Racing starts at the yacht club at 8.30am, so you should aim to arrive and register by 8.15am. So far we have 70 entries. If you're still thinking about it and you've already done a swim during the summer, you don't have to register online - we already have all the details we need for safety reasons, so you can just front up and pay ($10).

Next Sunday is the Philip Wareing Memorial Multisport Triathlon at Lake Rotoiti. This event has options of a standard distance triathlon or, if swimming's not your thing, you can start with an 8km kayak (multisport tri), or a 5km run (duathlon). There's also a sprint distance tri or a short duathlon. You can also choose team options. If you're planning to compete, please enter online by Friday (www.nelsontriclub.co.nz).

On Saturday 15, it's Challenge Wanaka, with iron and half-iron distances. The day before, it's Tri NZ's third race in the Contact Series. Many of our club members are competing in one of these races. If you are, please flick me an email at peter@nelsontriclub.co.nz It's good to get newspaper stories about how our members are doing in other locations, and it's easy to miss reporting them if you don't know who's doing what, where.

The following weekend, there's a choice of two events (you can do both). On Saturday 22, it's the Anakiwa Triathlon, hosted by the Marlborough Multisport Club. The next day, it's our own Gaye Evans Beach Aquathlon at 10.30am. The event is a lot of fun - 2km run, 1km swim, 2km run. There's also a short option, 1km/330m/1km. You're guaranteed to enjoy it.

On Sunday January 30, the third race in the Clements Endurance Series takes place. Traditionally the biggest field turns out for this one - the Eyebright Mile, which is actually 2km from the yacht club to the beach, with a short option from the Richardson St steps.

That brings us nicely to race two of the Avanti Summer Sprint Triathlon Series at 10am on February 6 at Rabbit Island. There's an Avanti road bike on the line as the major spot prize. Note that this date may differ from the one you have in your calendar.

In place of the proposed third race in this series, the club is organising a team triathlon for March 5. This is our major event for the summer. Full details will be announced in the Nelson Mail when the event is launched on Friday January 14, but club members will have a chance to enter the day before. The format is a 300m swim, 8km bike, 3km run (or walk). It's a team race, each competitor completes the whole thing before tagging the next team member. Each team has three members. If you want to form your team early, you can choose categories of business, family, club, school, friends or walkers. Entry will be $30 per person ($90 a team). Already in excess of $10,000 worth of prizes have been assembled with more to come (we welcome businesses who may want to be involved). The winning team in each category will receive a prize package with a value between $900 and $2000.

On the following day, March 6, it's the WeetBix Tryathlon at Tahunanui Beach. Traditionally the club looks after the swim course. It's quite pleasant standing in the water with your wetsuit on guiding young swimmers. We need at least a dozen volunteers. If you can help - flick me an email.

December 19, 2010

For the first time in more than 20 years, we cancelled a triathlon event today at Rabbit Island. Although at 6am things looked pretty good, it was pelting down as we set up the course soon after 7am. By 8am, with rough seas, wind and plenty of rain, we canned the swim, then with the prospect of both rain and wind increasing until 11am, the decision was made to scrap the race.
In the end, just over 30 people did a 5km run and they all got spot prizes, which should have been some compensation for coming out on such a rotten morning.
There'll be an email going out later today explaining what will happen to entry fees paid (which will be refunded or credited to a future race).
In the meantime, there's some urgency to find freezer space for a few days for 20kg of sausages. If you have some room for them until Thursday, could you please give Andrea Campkin a ring on 5466526 or email her at campkinholdings@yahoo.co.nz
Those sausages will have their day on Thursday when we celebrate Christmas after Thursday night's swim. The swim will be a little shorter - about 1km - and then we'll have a barbecue for swimmers, kayakers, support crew and families. There's no charge for bread, fish and sausages, but if you want to bring anything extra to cook, a beer or soft drink, then go for it. We'll be lighting up early so the hot stuff will be ready as you finish the swim. The course for the swim will go up on the swim website - www.nelsonseaswims.co.nz - later today.
There's no pause in the Thursday Port Nelson swims this year, but remember that there are 19 and only your 12 best count for points, so if you want you can take a break for some family time and still be in the running.
Our next big event is the 2.4km swim around Haulashore, race two of the Clements Endurance Series,at 8.30am on Sunday January 2.
The following weekend, Sunday January 9, it's the Philip Wareing Multisport Triathlon at Lake Rotoiti. Entries are starting to roll in for that race, so don't hold back.
In the meantime, have a great Christmas, find some time to fit in a little training and we'll see you at the races.

December 12, 2010

I get a lotto ticket every week. I’m not sure of my facts, but I think I’ve got about one chance in 80 of winning the lowest prizes of $20-$30.

If you enter the two races of our summer sprint series, you’ve got about one chance in 60 of winning an Avanti road bike.

Stewarts Avanti Plus Nelson are the sponsors of the series and will be providing spot prizes of cycling gear at both races. After the second race on February 13, all those who’ve done both races will be in the draw for the bike. As well as the sprint distance triathlon, there’s a kayak option, a duathlon option and short versions of the triathlon and duathlon.

Entries aren’t yet open for race two, but you can enter race one by clicking the link one the front page of the tri club website, www.nelsontriclub.co.nz.

Several other events follow in quick succession.

On January 2, race two of the Clements Endurance Swim Series starts at 8.30am. This race is the Haulashore Circuit and the 2.4km course takes you from the yacht club to the dolphin, out through the Cut and around the island, returning to the dolphin and then back to the start. A test for those who have so far just done the short course swims is the option of swimming to the dolphin and back, a distance of 900m.

On Sunday January 9 it’s the Philip Wareing Multisport Triathlon at Lake Rotoiti. This is our only standard distance triathlon. There are also options for multisporters, starting with a swim of nearly 7km, a duathlon and a sprint triathlon.

At about that date we’ll be launching the new team tri race, which takes the place of race three of our sprint series. We’re still confirming sponsors, but it looks like there’ll be a prize pool in excess of $10,000, divided between performance and spot prizes.

Race date is March 5. You can enter in one of five categories, which are business, family, club, school and individual.

We can’t yet announce the venue or the sponsors, but from the early January launch date there’ll be an eight week buildup, with weekly training programmes available online.

If you’ve never had the confidence to tackle a triathlon because the swim seemed too hard, this is your chance. The swim will be 300m. It will be calm, there’ll be something within metres to hold on to, there’ll be kayaks all round and there’ll be two of your friends confronting the same fears.

It’s too early to enter, but not too early to start forming your team and getting some training done.

November 14, 2010

In just a week we have our first triathlon of the summer. It's Huria's Challenge, at Cable Bay. The options include a sprint or short distance triathlon, a multisport (kayak) option and a duathlon. Please enter online before the weekend if you're planning to race. It's an interesting course. After the first section of the race (run, swim or kayak), the bike course climbs up from Cable Bay, heads out the Delaware Bay road and does a section out towards the main road before the return to the beach and a run on gravel roads.

A reminder that although we welcome all competitors at all our races, even on the day, our smiles are stretched thin by those who just wander along to enter at the race - you're just making work for us through your own thoughtlessness. Please ensure you enter online at least two days prior to any race. There's a good chance that at some stage we'll not take entries on the day at all, since it's so inconvenient to our voluntary staff. Remember, you can enter and choose to Pay at Event, instead of Credit Card payment. Should you chose this option, you won't be charged for a no-show.

Swims
Four more days until swims start. On Thursday night the water temperature was 19 degrees, so we should hit 20 by Thursday this week. Last year on opening night it was 18 degrees, so we're off to a good start.

If you haven't yet entered online, please do. With well over 100 people to process, it's important we have your details. We can't start swimming until we have a record of your emergency contact number. We also need to assign you a number, get you into the timing programme under the correct age group and a myriad of other tasks which we can perfom in advance. Although you may be able to sign up on the night, we discourage this. As already stated, you'll be a nuisance and you'll hold everyone up, so register online. That way we can assign you a number and start the race with a minimum of fuss. As well, you'll receive email updates and results just a few hours after the race.

We've prepared an information sheet which will help you understand how things work, including information about extra services like showers and after-race coffee and snack. Please read this prior to race night. It's attached here

. It's also available on the swim website and we'll have copies available at the race.

November 7, 2010

Since opening club membership and swim entries a week ago, 37 people have joined the club and 34 have entered the swims. Entries are also open for our first triathlon event, Huria's Challenge, a sprint distance race which has a short option, a kayak option and a duathlon option. The race takes place at Cable Bay on Novmber 21 - just two weeks away.

But first, it's the swims, which start at 6.15pm on Thursday November 18 at the Nelson Yacht Club ramp. Please enter online before you come to the first swim, even if you plan to pay week by week. In order for our registration and timing systems to run smoothly we need to have your details before the race, then we can get everyone into the water with the minimum of fuss.

If you're planning to enter the entire Thursday Port Nelson series ($45), the Clements Endurance Series ($40), or the whole package ($75), then it'll be worth your while to join the club first and get 20% off these prices. Club membership is $15 ($25 family), so club membership plus the whole package will still be $75 and you'll be entitled to discounts on entries for the next 12 months.

Links to all these entry locations are on the front of the club website, www.nelsontriclub.co.nz

In order to run the sea swims safely, there's a fair amount of background work has to be done. We have a comprehensive safety plan which will introduced to key people including safety boat crews, kayakers, shore staff, the harbourmaster and yacht club officials this week. To ensure the load doesn't fall on the same people all the time, we need more people to volunteer for these tasks, particularly to man the inflatables. If you'd like to have training in handling the boats, or if you can be an occasional spotter, we'd welcome your involvement. Spotters get the best view of the race and can easily do the job on an occasional basis. If you're a swimmer, perhaps your partner or parents would like to take a more active role. The Nelson Kayak Racing Club is taking a key role in organising kayak support, but if you'd like to join them you'll be welcome.

If you can help, the training night is Thursday this week, 6pm at the yacht club. If you can be there, please let us know. If you'd like to help, but can't be there on Thursday, please let us know that too. Send me an email at peter@nelsontriclub.co.nz

October 9, 2010

Spring duathlon race three

The course at Saxton Field certainly provided an interesting challenge for the first two races, but the persistent rain has meant it’s been a constant mudbath. Accordingly, race three has been moved to Rabbit Island. The race will be based at the old domain, which is at the east end of the beach reserve. The run course will be part beach, part forest road and the bike section will be a 4km draft-legal road cycle loop (twice for the short race, five times for the long race). You can enter online via the club website: www.nelsontriclub.co.nz

Tri club AGM

Coming up this week (Wednesday 7.30pm) at the Saxton Field pavilion. That’s the main pavilion, not the soccer pavilion where the Steve Gurney evening took place a few months ago. The guest speaker will be Ben Van Dyke, just returned from the World Masters Swim Champs in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Ben gathered a few gold medals. Also in attendance will be Tri NZ CEO Dave Beech and membership manager Claire Attwood, who will be able to give us some information and answer questions.

Triathlon New Zealand has this year changed its