27^th SRI CHINMOY TRIATHLON FESTIVAL SAT & SUN 17 & 18^TH OCTOBER 2009. From Paul

At 8:30 am and after a minute’s silence in typical Sri Chinmoy style(peace) we were off in the Classic distance Tri. The initial shudder of very cold water entering my

wetsuit made me think “can I do this”. Then after treading water to empty my goggles I noticed the rest of the field 75 metres in front. I commenced swimming again, firstly breast stroke, then sidestroke and lastly backstroke until I reached the first buoy(300m).

On the next leg the water in my wetsuit had reached a comfortable temp and I started freestyle. Incredibly, I was catching up to the other stragglers behind Spinnaker Is. My arrival time was 31 plus minutes, 1 minute slower than last year.

The bike leg was a relaxing experience after the horrid swim but at 8 mins slower than last year, not very rewarding. I apparently was using too low a gear (big cog on the back wheel). I was reminded of the danger Tri’s can be when approaching the Molonglo River I noticed some people & cars on the bridge. A rider had crashed into the bridge railing and was laying on the road clearly unconscious and was being comforted by another competitor who told us that an ambulance had been called and to keep going. He guy is back at work a bit sore but OK. One mishap I had was whilst riding out of the Molonglo River I jammed the chain between the cluster and the rear axle. I must commend the volunteer marshalls on the bike leg . They were fantastic giving directions & replenishing water bottles. In Canberra they stop the traffic to let us though.

At the bike transition onto the run I took a little time to massage my thigh muscles which cramped in each of the previous 3 Sri Chinmoys. It slowed me down in the pits but worked well (probably the lower gears on the bike helped plus the magnesium tablets) no cramps at the 3 k mark. I stretched out after 3 ks and passed a young runner who had zoomed past me at 2 ks. I set my goal to stray in front of him and to catch what looked to me to be a fellow over 50’s runner about 750mts in front of me.

I accomplished both goals easing past the Master competitor with 150 mts to run. The young runner was catching but I was safe. That was satisfying and my time of 48 mins was 3 mins faster than last year.

In summary another great Tri, well organised, great course (especially the “Peace Mile” on the run). A bit cool at this time of year but a nice start to the Triathlon season. Next year it will be held 30/31^st October ……lets hope that some of the Virtual Feral Tri’s will give it a go.

Update from Helen ... (Nov 09)

Just a quick note to let you know I backed up from the Olympic Distance Worlds on the Gold Coast by heading over to Perth for the Long Distance Worlds 5 weeks later. I was probably looking forward to this race more, because the distances suited me better – 3km swim, 80km bike, 20km run.

When race day dawned I knew it was going to be a tough one – it was blowing a gale, and the river looked like Bass Strait (but browner). We swam 2km straight into the chop and it was a real struggle, but then coming back with the wind behind us didn’t seem any easier – it was just plain hard. Swallowed a fair bit of water. Anyway, I came out of the water in 3^rd place in y age group and jumped on the bike. I had decided not to use the disk because of the wind and I think that was a good decision, there were parts of the course where I was battling to keep the bike on the road anyway. I had caught the two in front by the 15km mark, and was still in the lead at the end of the bike. Averaged 35.6km/h which is pretty good for me, especially in those conditions.

Started the run with a 4 minute lead and still held that after the first 5km. I was starting to think maybe I could do this. Then things started to turn a little bit ugly – the soles of my feet started burning, then my knee and hip were giving me grief. I kept going, trying to ignore the pain and even saw 180 on the heart rate monitor, which I don’t do very often. It was also quite a hot day, well over 30 degrees. I was still in the lead with 5km to go, when alas, my main rival caught me and ran past me like a gazelle. Bugger! Still, I held on for 2^nd and certainly can’t complain about another silver medal! Finished in 4.45 which I was pretty pleased with.

Of course, the day after the race was cool and cloudy, not a breath of wind and the river was like a millpond. Perfect for wine tasting ;-)

Bit of R&R now, then heading to Adelaide in January to see Cadel and the boys at the Tour Down Under.

From Helen Roach - one time feral is still racing competitively at recent ITU World Championships:

I actually had a really good prep for the worlds, probably first time ever I went into a major race with no illness or injury. I was using the aquathon as a hit-out before the main event, but at the same time I thought I was probably a better chance of doing well in that given my lack of cycling ability. As expected, the first run was very fast and I had no idea of my age group placing because all the women started together. The swim felt horrible, it was like I was in slow motion and couldn’t go any faster. But I was passing a few people on the way back and when I started the second run the crowd was a bit thinner. In the back of my mind I was thinking about Saturday and was tempted to save something, but then I thought “$#^$* it, this is a world championship too” and kept hammering. It was a good thing I did because 3^rd and 4^th places were only 6 and 10 seconds behind me, so if I’d eased up I would have been out of the medals. Pretty happy with the silver.

Now as you know, I’m not 24 any more. Consequently I was very stiff and sore for the next few days and was dreading having to back up on Saturday. Another 24 hours would have been nice. Anyway, I swam ok (not great) and came out of the water with one of my main aussie rivals. The two of us rode hard but legal the whole way, until she dropped off a bit in the last 5km. Absolutely flogged myself, and when I came into transition the commentator said I was first in my age group. I knew I wasn’t, because I had watched one ride away from us at the start and I thought there were probably more up the road. But I was right up there. Then I started running and immediately knew it was going to be a hard slog. I could still feel the effects of Wednesday’s aquathon, combined with a hard bike. I ran OK considering, but several women in my age group ran past and I couldn’t do anything about it. Finished 8^th.

I still have the long course worlds in Perth in 5 weeks, so that should suit me better. 3km swim, 80km bike, 20km run is right up my alley. Back on the bike today for a 100km ride, felt like hard work after all the short stuff I’ve been doing lately.

Cheers

PS Caught up with Jackie Hallam at the race, her hubby was racing in the sprint tri. Her little girl is full of beans, I wonder where she gets that from ;-) And Dellis Egan (formerly of Griffith, used to do tris when she lived in wagga) came to watch as well. So there were a few familiar faces around.

From Heff:

Just a brief note to let you know I had the pleasure of running with the Jamberoo Jogger’s club back in January, which was started by Bob and Colleen Behl around the end of 2007. They have a timed and handicapped run every Saturday afternoon at the local sports complex just down the road from the Jamberoo Pub.

I have attached a photo of some of the Jamberoo Joggers I had the opportunity to meet, and as you can see they are also a family orientated club. (Bob & Colleen are on my left)

Jamberoo is located approximately 40 Km south of Wollongong and 10 Km west of Kiama. The scenery is green, the weather fantastic and Bob promotes the “Feral” philosophy of enjoyment at all cost. I recommend if anyone is in the Jamberoo area looking for a bit of exercise, to contact Bob on 0421 167 129.

NB: The local community sponsor has refreshments just a stroll from the finish line.

From Gerald on his odyssey:

Hi to all you ferals,

Hope all is well. Have been keenly following the progress on the website. Well done! Been gone 4 months now travelling and working around Oz. I am now in the small town of Pingelly WA, 90mins from Perth for my last stop before coming home. Started off at Easter on the Central Coast which was a nice stop, kept the running going up there. Then headed down to Tasmania and spent 5 weeks working in Hobart. A bit chilly but managed to run along the beach (Picture1)and swim at the pool. Fantastic scenery and food, had a little too much of both, but at least we saw most of the island. We then headed for warmer weather in Tennant Creek. Kylie got work in Alice Springs in the swine flu clinic, while I spent 3 weeks in Tennant. Beautiful scenery out of town but the town itself is falling down. Aboriginals here wonderful, shy and polite, but when they touch alcohol, very different. Very busy at the hospital here, even had to treat a dog on my last day. At least kept up the running out to the local dam, 5km. After this stint we had 3 weeks off and so we travelled through central Oz, Darwin, Litchfield, Kakadu (Picture2) then to Broome and the Kimberley. Hope to see you all on the hill soon.

Gerald

From Sarah…………..at the Gold Coast Marathon (I only did the 10 km race)

My morning jog on Sunday the 5^th of July was somewhat different in contrast to a leisurely run along one of the rocky and dusty tracks on Scenic Hill. Firstly my jog was alongside five-and-a-half thousand other people, and secondly it was through the streets of Surfers Paradise. Despite the coastal location, I had to brave the crisp 10 degree conditions that the Gold Coast put on for the kick-off of the 10 km run at 6.45 am. The gun sounded and all of a sudden Surfers Paradise became ‘Runners Paradise’ with a sea of keen joggers flooding the streets. Highlights of the run included the unique beach views, running on a totally flat track and crossing the line in approx. 44 mins for my first competitive 10 km run. It was also fantastic cheering for the leading marathon runners as they passed once I had finished my race. Here are some embarrassing finish line shots of me on the run.

(editor: Sarah did ask that I not put up all the photos, but I think they are great. As for embarrassing, I think the guy in the yellow shirt has more to be worried about than our Sarah). and, is that Chris O'Neill behind Sarah in the third photo?

from the Gales ... Gold Coast Chapter of the Ferals

I can’t believe it has been a year and a half since we moved to The Gold Coast and what a journey it has been. We have been busy and find it hard to fit everything in that we want to do.

Jen did the Gold Coast half marathon last year; she then went on to compete in the Gatorade triathlon series. She was able to compete in four and went from 38^th in her first race to fifth in her forth race. Last weekend she went to Noosa and swam in the 2km ocean swim which she was not than keen to do as she is not a big fan of swimming in the ocean.

Chris has also been busy with his karate and now holds the state title for non contact and runner up state title for full contact.

Taylor and Mitchell have been trying their hand at a few different things and even had a go at the Kool Kids triathlon and both did really well.

We are all planning to have surf lesson when it warms up again and we are all looking forward to the triathlon series to start up again in October.

We live about 10kms from Dream World and have annual passes so we hang out there a bit on weekends as well.

We are all enjoying the new experiences and if you guys are up this way give us a call.

Chris, Jennifer, Taylor and Mitchell Gale

from the grapevine… well not actually a postcard but this website will help to explain why Peter Q was injured and couldn't run on the hill this week … bad landing apparently! Showoff! www.treetopasia.com

A photo from Simon in Queenstown New Zealand:

From Jezza in Kent his account of the 40 mile Compton Challenge.

From Adam:

Hi

I just thought I would let you know how Ayla and I are going in Canberra. We both made the ACT triathlon team and we are going to go Tasmania to compete at the Nationals All Schools Triathlon Championships from the 20th of March to the 23rd of March. When we get back I will send through our results. Ayla is racing in the junior girls division and I am racing in the senior boys division.

Adam

Update: 25/03/09

Just thought you would like to know ayla and my results at Nationals on the weekend.

I came 16th in the senior boys division and ayla came 29th in the junior girls division.

Adam

From Neil and Johanna:

We saw the bottom half of lots of hills, had some stiff southerlies as we rode, er, south and saw lots of farming country with sheep and cows. There were days with a bit of sunshine. We spent one such day at Curio Bay. Yellow eyed Penguins, Hector's Dolphins and New Zealand Fur Seals. Camping in amongst the flax. There was nowhere to sit for dinner so we sat at the tables for the shop overlooking the bay. We watched, enchanted, as the fur seal came up the steps and ramp to the grassed area, although watchful that he wanted to share our meal. We should be so lucky! As he sauntered off further into the camping area, Neil followed. Five minutes later he was back saying "You should go and have a look, but you wont be happy". He was right.

		2009 Postcards
	27^th SRI CHINMOY TRIATHLON FESTIVAL SAT & SUN 17 & 18^TH OCTOBER 2009. From Paul At 8:30 am and after a minute’s silence in typical Sri Chinmoy style(peace) we were off in the Classic distance Tri. The initial shudder of very cold water entering my wetsuit made me think “can I do this”. Then after treading water to empty my goggles I noticed the rest of the field 75 metres in front. I commenced swimming again, firstly breast stroke, then sidestroke and lastly backstroke until I reached the first buoy(300m). On the next leg the water in my wetsuit had reached a comfortable temp and I started freestyle. Incredibly, I was catching up to the other stragglers behind Spinnaker Is. My arrival time was 31 plus minutes, 1 minute slower than last year. The bike leg was a relaxing experience after the horrid swim but at 8 mins slower than last year, not very rewarding. I apparently was using too low a gear (big cog on the back wheel). I was reminded of the danger Tri’s can be when approaching the Molonglo River I noticed some people & cars on the bridge. A rider had crashed into the bridge railing and was laying on the road clearly unconscious and was being comforted by another competitor who told us that an ambulance had been called and to keep going. He guy is back at work a bit sore but OK. One mishap I had was whilst riding out of the Molonglo River I jammed the chain between the cluster and the rear axle. I must commend the volunteer marshalls on the bike leg . They were fantastic giving directions & replenishing water bottles. In Canberra they stop the traffic to let us though. At the bike transition onto the run I took a little time to massage my thigh muscles which cramped in each of the previous 3 Sri Chinmoys. It slowed me down in the pits but worked well (probably the lower gears on the bike helped plus the magnesium tablets) no cramps at the 3 k mark. I stretched out after 3 ks and passed a young runner who had zoomed past me at 2 ks. I set my goal to stray in front of him and to catch what looked to me to be a fellow over 50’s runner about 750mts in front of me. I accomplished both goals easing past the Master competitor with 150 mts to run. The young runner was catching but I was safe. That was satisfying and my time of 48 mins was 3 mins faster than last year. In summary another great Tri, well organised, great course (especially the “Peace Mile” on the run). A bit cool at this time of year but a nice start to the Triathlon season. Next year it will be held 30/31^st October ……lets hope that some of the Virtual Feral Tri’s will give it a go. Update from Helen ... (Nov 09) Just a quick note to let you know I backed up from the Olympic Distance Worlds on the Gold Coast by heading over to Perth for the Long Distance Worlds 5 weeks later. I was probably looking forward to this race more, because the distances suited me better – 3km swim, 80km bike, 20km run. When race day dawned I knew it was going to be a tough one – it was blowing a gale, and the river looked like Bass Strait (but browner). We swam 2km straight into the chop and it was a real struggle, but then coming back with the wind behind us didn’t seem any easier – it was just plain hard. Swallowed a fair bit of water. Anyway, I came out of the water in 3^rd place in y age group and jumped on the bike. I had decided not to use the disk because of the wind and I think that was a good decision, there were parts of the course where I was battling to keep the bike on the road anyway. I had caught the two in front by the 15km mark, and was still in the lead at the end of the bike. Averaged 35.6km/h which is pretty good for me, especially in those conditions. Started the run with a 4 minute lead and still held that after the first 5km. I was starting to think maybe I could do this. Then things started to turn a little bit ugly – the soles of my feet started burning, then my knee and hip were giving me grief. I kept going, trying to ignore the pain and even saw 180 on the heart rate monitor, which I don’t do very often. It was also quite a hot day, well over 30 degrees. I was still in the lead with 5km to go, when alas, my main rival caught me and ran past me like a gazelle. Bugger! Still, I held on for 2^nd and certainly can’t complain about another silver medal! Finished in 4.45 which I was pretty pleased with. Of course, the day after the race was cool and cloudy, not a breath of wind and the river was like a millpond. Perfect for wine tasting ;-) Bit of R&R now, then heading to Adelaide in January to see Cadel and the boys at the Tour Down Under. From Helen Roach - one time feral is still racing competitively at recent ITU World Championships: I actually had a really good prep for the worlds, probably first time ever I went into a major race with no illness or injury. I was using the aquathon as a hit-out before the main event, but at the same time I thought I was probably a better chance of doing well in that given my lack of cycling ability. As expected, the first run was very fast and I had no idea of my age group placing because all the women started together. The swim felt horrible, it was like I was in slow motion and couldn’t go any faster. But I was passing a few people on the way back and when I started the second run the crowd was a bit thinner. In the back of my mind I was thinking about Saturday and was tempted to save something, but then I thought “$#^$* it, this is a world championship too” and kept hammering. It was a good thing I did because 3^rd and 4^th places were only 6 and 10 seconds behind me, so if I’d eased up I would have been out of the medals. Pretty happy with the silver. Now as you know, I’m not 24 any more. Consequently I was very stiff and sore for the next few days and was dreading having to back up on Saturday. Another 24 hours would have been nice. Anyway, I swam ok (not great) and came out of the water with one of my main aussie rivals. The two of us rode hard but legal the whole way, until she dropped off a bit in the last 5km. Absolutely flogged myself, and when I came into transition the commentator said I was first in my age group. I knew I wasn’t, because I had watched one ride away from us at the start and I thought there were probably more up the road. But I was right up there. Then I started running and immediately knew it was going to be a hard slog. I could still feel the effects of Wednesday’s aquathon, combined with a hard bike. I ran OK considering, but several women in my age group ran past and I couldn’t do anything about it. Finished 8^th. I still have the long course worlds in Perth in 5 weeks, so that should suit me better. 3km swim, 80km bike, 20km run is right up my alley. Back on the bike today for a 100km ride, felt like hard work after all the short stuff I’ve been doing lately. Cheers H PS Caught up with Jackie Hallam at the race, her hubby was racing in the sprint tri. Her little girl is full of beans, I wonder where she gets that from ;-) And Dellis Egan (formerly of Griffith, used to do tris when she lived in wagga) came to watch as well. So there were a few familiar faces around. From Heff: Just a brief note to let you know I had the pleasure of running with the Jamberoo Jogger’s club back in January, which was started by Bob and Colleen Behl around the end of 2007. They have a timed and handicapped run every Saturday afternoon at the local sports complex just down the road from the Jamberoo Pub. I have attached a photo of some of the Jamberoo Joggers I had the opportunity to meet, and as you can see they are also a family orientated club. (Bob & Colleen are on my left) Jamberoo is located approximately 40 Km south of Wollongong and 10 Km west of Kiama. The scenery is green, the weather fantastic and Bob promotes the “Feral” philosophy of enjoyment at all cost. I recommend if anyone is in the Jamberoo area looking for a bit of exercise, to contact Bob on 0421 167 129. NB: The local community sponsor has refreshments just a stroll from the finish line. From Gerald on his odyssey: Hi to all you ferals, Hope all is well. Have been keenly following the progress on the website. Well done! Been gone 4 months now travelling and working around Oz. I am now in the small town of Pingelly WA, 90mins from Perth for my last stop before coming home. Started off at Easter on the Central Coast which was a nice stop, kept the running going up there. Then headed down to Tasmania and spent 5 weeks working in Hobart. A bit chilly but managed to run along the beach (Picture1)and swim at the pool. Fantastic scenery and food, had a little too much of both, but at least we saw most of the island. We then headed for warmer weather in Tennant Creek. Kylie got work in Alice Springs in the swine flu clinic, while I spent 3 weeks in Tennant. Beautiful scenery out of town but the town itself is falling down. Aboriginals here wonderful, shy and polite, but when they touch alcohol, very different. Very busy at the hospital here, even had to treat a dog on my last day. At least kept up the running out to the local dam, 5km. After this stint we had 3 weeks off and so we travelled through central Oz, Darwin, Litchfield, Kakadu (Picture2) then to Broome and the Kimberley. Hope to see you all on the hill soon. Gerald From Sarah…………..at the Gold Coast Marathon (I only did the 10 km race) My morning jog on Sunday the 5^th of July was somewhat different in contrast to a leisurely run along one of the rocky and dusty tracks on Scenic Hill. Firstly my jog was alongside five-and-a-half thousand other people, and secondly it was through the streets of Surfers Paradise. Despite the coastal location, I had to brave the crisp 10 degree conditions that the Gold Coast put on for the kick-off of the 10 km run at 6.45 am. The gun sounded and all of a sudden Surfers Paradise became ‘Runners Paradise’ with a sea of keen joggers flooding the streets. Highlights of the run included the unique beach views, running on a totally flat track and crossing the line in approx. 44 mins for my first competitive 10 km run. It was also fantastic cheering for the leading marathon runners as they passed once I had finished my race. Here are some embarrassing finish line shots of me on the run. (editor: Sarah did ask that I not put up all the photos, but I think they are great. As for embarrassing, I think the guy in the yellow shirt has more to be worried about than our Sarah). and, is that Chris O'Neill behind Sarah in the third photo? from the Gales ... Gold Coast Chapter of the Ferals I can’t believe it has been a year and a half since we moved to The Gold Coast and what a journey it has been. We have been busy and find it hard to fit everything in that we want to do. Jen did the Gold Coast half marathon last year; she then went on to compete in the Gatorade triathlon series. She was able to compete in four and went from 38^th in her first race to fifth in her forth race. Last weekend she went to Noosa and swam in the 2km ocean swim which she was not than keen to do as she is not a big fan of swimming in the ocean. Chris has also been busy with his karate and now holds the state title for non contact and runner up state title for full contact. Taylor and Mitchell have been trying their hand at a few different things and even had a go at the Kool Kids triathlon and both did really well. We are all planning to have surf lesson when it warms up again and we are all looking forward to the triathlon series to start up again in October. We live about 10kms from Dream World and have annual passes so we hang out there a bit on weekends as well. We are all enjoying the new experiences and if you guys are up this way give us a call. Chris, Jennifer, Taylor and Mitchell Gale from the grapevine… well not actually a postcard but this website will help to explain why Peter Q was injured and couldn't run on the hill this week … bad landing apparently! Showoff! www.treetopasia.com A photo from Simon in Queenstown New Zealand: From Jezza in Kent his account of the 40 mile Compton Challenge. From Adam: Hi I just thought I would let you know how Ayla and I are going in Canberra. We both made the ACT triathlon team and we are going to go Tasmania to compete at the Nationals All Schools Triathlon Championships from the 20th of March to the 23rd of March. When we get back I will send through our results. Ayla is racing in the junior girls division and I am racing in the senior boys division. Adam Update: 25/03/09 Hi Just thought you would like to know ayla and my results at Nationals on the weekend. I came 16th in the senior boys division and ayla came 29th in the junior girls division. Adam From Neil and Johanna: We saw the bottom half of lots of hills, had some stiff southerlies as we rode, er, south and saw lots of farming country with sheep and cows. There were days with a bit of sunshine. We spent one such day at Curio Bay. Yellow eyed Penguins, Hector's Dolphins and New Zealand Fur Seals. Camping in amongst the flax. There was nowhere to sit for dinner so we sat at the tables for the shop overlooking the bay. We watched, enchanted, as the fur seal came up the steps and ramp to the grassed area, although watchful that he wanted to share our meal. We should be so lucky! As he sauntered off further into the camping area, Neil followed. Five minutes later he was back saying "You should go and have a look, but you wont be happy". He was right.
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