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Hey team. Hope everyone is well. I haven’t been in touch for a while, it has
been head down bum up training getting ready for the first block of the
international season which got underway today at the Bussleton 70.3 Ironman
(half ironman), Western Australia.


The course is dead flat and is known for being extremely fast. This sort of
course suits the fast runners and there was a good bunch of top Australians
racing who are renowned for their running ability amougst the field of 20
pro men. However some of them raced last weekend at Port MacQuarie, so
despite the course suiting them, there was an opportunity to catch them out
on tired legs.


We all exited the water together. It was a massive group with just two guys
up the road. The big bunch was moving pretty slowly, so after 10km it was
timed to test their legs out. I pinned it on the front several times to try
and break the pack up, but with the bike course being fast and flat it was
very hard to create any gaps. Finally with about 15km to go I hit it hard on
the front through an aid station and finally got away with familiar company
in Australian Josh Rix, who I rode with off the front for most of Challenge
Wanaka.

Entering T2 with the second fastest bike split I had moved up to 3rd (a good
start for racing on the new Cervelo P4!) But the breakaway was too late in
the ride to really distance ourselves from the chasing pack of runners. A
the first lap of three, I was over taken by a fast moving group of
Australian including Tim Berkal (eventual winner), Matty White, Tim Reed,
David Dellow and Leon Griffen, which meant I was back in 8th and off the
podium. I stuck at it and overhauled the initial leader off the bike, Guy
Crawford, and then caught Leon Griffen back. When David Dellow blew up and
pulled out I was back in 5th and held that place through to the finish.



It was also a new personal best time for me over the Half Ironman distance
in 3:57:10. Of my last 6 starts in Ironman 70.3 events I have top 5 podium
finishes in every one.


Huge congratulations to our Kiwi Ironman legend Jo Lawn for winning the
womens race only 6 days after also winning the Port MacQuarie 70.3. Two
great results for her and is in some seriously good form!


I fly out for Cairns tomorrow where I will train for the next 4 weeks
leading into Challenge Cairns (Ironman distance race). I am looking forward
to getting stuck into some quality training there and ramping the form up
for the big race.


Thanks to everyone for taking a moment to read my race update.


Hope everyone is well and I will be in touch with soon with how the
preparation goes for Challenge Cairns.




Best regards,
*Jamie Whyte

Well the gamble to go race the Taiwan 70.3 on just a few weeks of training payed off. I managed to pull off my highest ever placing in a 70.3 Ironman event crossing the line in 2nd!

It didn't come easy. The course was very honest with strong winds making each leg of the race challenging. The water was choppy for the swim and a cross current made it more difficult. Fellow kiwi Kieran Doe lead the swim out. I exited the water with a small bunch about 2 minutes back. The bunch included the race favourite, Marcel Zamora of Spain, who has an incredible 5 Nice Ironman titles! So I was in good company but six other athletes were up the road with Kieran leading the charge on the bike.



I was feeling good on the bike today. I was able to drop Zamora after 10km and by 30km I had caught everyone up the road except Kieran. By the end of the bike I was a minute on down, and started the run with the eventual winner of the race Jonathan Hotchkiss of Great Britain.

He quickly established a small lead over me but I was holding him at about 30 seconds. We run past Kieran after about 5km.Half way through the run I put in a sustained effort to try and bridge the gap to the top spot but I couldn't get across. My attentions then had to shift to the fast running Zamora coming from behind. With less than a kilometer to go he caught me and run straight past, which is never a pleasant experience at the end of a half ironman. I quickly tucked in behind him and decided to hang on for as long as possible.



I thought the finish line was just around the next corner and wanted to hit him before he hit me, so I put in a big surge to establish a gap and then try hang on. I think this caught him by suprise and around the corner I went with a small lead. But the finish line wasn't as close as I hoped - still over 100m away! I felt my body die and sensed Zamora running back on to my shoulder. If he run passed me now I was history, so I dug deep once more and found a second serge I didn't think I had in me. Looked back ,10 meter gap - stoked!! 2nd place in the bag. I collapsed in a heap across the finish line!


This result has capped off a satisfying international year for me. I placed top five in all four of the 70.3 Ironman's I have raced. I now have all the placings in these events from 5th to 2nd - so just one more to go! The top spot!

That will have to wait for next year though. The New Zealand season is next. I am planning to race Tinman Triathlon, Taupo Half Ironman, Lake Hayes Triathlon, Tauranga Half Ironman, and Ironman New Zealand. Epic summer of racing - can't wait!

Big thanks to my loyal sponsors who have helped me out this year.

Hammer Nutrition - Big thanks to the US team for taking care of me in north america. And to Rachael Button in New Zealand for always keeping stoked up with the essential nutrition needs back home.

Biosport - Greg and the team have been so supportive. Your Pilates sessions rock - looking forward to Wednesday's session (sort of?!)

Blueseventy - Wetsuit swim today - I always feel more confident of a good result once I have the Helix on. Your new race suits are perfect for long distance racing. Cheers team.

Another big thanks to my understanding employers at Woods. Thanks for providing the flexibility needed to pursue my triathlon ambitions.


Back to NZ tomorrow. Hope everyone is well.

Talk soon. Jamie.

What a day. Very hard race but a great experience.

Things got off to a great start swimming a sub 50mins and making the chase pack including the big hitters from Europe, who eventually dominated the day. I felt good through the first 80km on the bike. Once we hit RichterPass the European boys launched a pretty solid attack that split our group up. I was able to hang in with them and go across the top of the 30miunte climb. So things were going well, I was where I needed to be has we hit the hard and windy out and back section of the course.

Then bad luck hit at the 105km point on the bike. My rear wheel struck a stone that immediately broke a spoke. I rode the next 15km with the wheel was rubbing on the brake pads as I tried to find technical support and lost contact with the group. I was able to get a new wheel from tech support at 120kms (an average training wheel!). The last 60km was pretty ugly, riding a lot of it solo and couldn't hang in with the strong riders coming though from behind - the big effort up Richter pass was taking its toll - good lesson learnt there!

I was able to string together a solid run - just over 3 hours which meant I finished under 9 hours in 8:57:45 and placed 13th. So very happy to go under 9 hours in my first Ironman which had always been a goal. A little bit disappointed with my placing, but wasn't helped by the bad luck I had on the bike. That's racing though.

So the North American season has come to an end for 2010. I was happy with how the 70.3 racing was going with a 5th and two 4th placing. It has been a lot of fun racing on the 70.3 circuit again and I am looking forward to returning and racing more of them next year under the new ranking system. Obviously a bit of work to do over the Ironman distance, but it was great to get one under the belt and learn from the experience.

Big thanks to my girlfriend Fiona, who made the journey from New Zealand to watch my first Ironman. Your support was awesome today.

And a big thanks to you all for your support over the last few months. Much appreciated.

Looking forward to catching up with my Kiwi friends back in New Zealand soon.

Be well,

Jamie.

Hi all,

Well I have completed the last half Ironman of my north american season with a another top 5 result in the Calgary 70.3 Ironman this morning. So I couldn't quite repeat my top 3 placing from here last year, but still happy with my third top 5 finish of the season.

The conditions were tough for racing with heavy rain over night that continued during the early stages of the race.

The swim went well this morning, exiting the water in the chase pack not too far back from the front group. Then the pace really went on during the bike today. Fellow kiwi Keiran Doe was going solo off the front and everyone who was riding well was committed to chasing hard, which was great to see. This made for a very solid 90km bike leg.



To make the bike ride even more difficult, my gel flask bounced off my bike when crossing a bridge immediately after leaving T1 (I know...rookie error!!). So I rode the first 35 km without fuel and had to settle for a
sticky power bar from an aid station for fuel on the bike. I missed my Espresso Hammer Gel today!

I came off the bike in 7th, so again had to run well to move into the prize money positions. By half way through the run, I had moved up to 4th place and had my sights set on Australian Paul Mathews. I was always closing in on him but just couldn't get across the gap as he held on for 3rd.

Kiwi Kieran Doe performed one of his classic victories leading from start to finish, with American Brian Fleishmann in 2nd.

Once again I have had the pleasure of being looked after by a fabulous homestay. The Naphin's of Calgary have been great all week and have made me feel right alt home. And well done to my host, Mark, *6 foot 6",* Naphin for
completing the race in a good time today. Good effort big fella.

Back to Penticton tomorrow where I will train for the next four weeks in preparation for Ironman Canada on the 29th of August. Looking forward to the new challenge of my first Ironman.



Attached are a few pics from prize giving.

I trust all is well with everyone. Talk again soon.

Best regards,
Jamie Whyte.

Well my time based in Santa Cruz training has come to an end, as yesterday I took the 3 hour drive north to the Sonoma area where the Vineman70.3 Ironman will be held on Sunday morning.

When Fiona and I raced here in 2008, we met Bob and Cherie Collins, a lovely family that home stayed us back then. I am fortunate enough to be able to come back to stay in their new house they have built in the hills above Santa Rosa. The place is amazing with great views across the valley and looking down over the Vineman course. Bob Collins will also be racing in the 45-49 age group so a big good luck to the local legend!! 

Training has been going really well in Santa Cruz so I am looking forward to putting it to the test on Sunday. It has been 5 weeks since placing 5th at the Boise 70.3, so I am definitely feeling ready for another race!

The pro men’s field has a strong kiwi contingent with Graham O'grady and Kerion Doe racing. Former Kiwi (now based in America) James Cotter is also racing.

Thank you all for reading. I will be in touch with the race report soon.

Blog Title: The Off Season – Beating the chill

Maintaining a strong training program through the winter has been the Achilles heel of many a West Australian triathlete.  With few races to look forward to, a pesky 10 hours of sunlight, and a very warm blanket, getting out of bed in the mornings can sometimes be a big ask, especially when you know you have 4 hours of riding in the rain ahead of you.  And just like every other year I tell myself that I will be more disciplined than last season, and I will get all my sessions done; but no matter how motivated you are, it is still a struggle.

 

This season I have found that the best way to ensure I get up for every session is to train with the right people.  If you can find a bunch of people who are more motivated than you, who will get up to train day in, day out; rain, hail, or -0.6 degrees then it makes everything a bit easier.  It also helps to have the coaches words resonating in your head when you first wake up: “Every time you feel like pressing the snooze button, just think that somewhere there are hard bastards getting up, and doing the hard work” – may not be word for word.

 

Currently I am swimming with a big squad of clubbies on week mornings under veteran head coach Rick Turner, who has formerly coached Australian Junior Champions Liz Blatchford and Ciaran O’Kane, and Olympic Gold Medallist Todd Pearson.  Training with a big strong squad like this really keeps me honest, as there is always a set of feet to chase.  Although we have been moved to the outdoor pool this winter, there is still no better feeling than a hot brekkie after a big set, with special mentions to running buddy/self-proclaimed Masterchef Dave Bryant, who makes a killer batch of pancakes on Wednesdays.  The weekday arvo’s are made up of rides and runs, none of which are more exciting than the progressive tempo run around Kings Park on a Wednesday night.  Here I am joined by some of Perth’s most established distance runners who seem to think that tempo means ‘run the legs off the poor triathlete’.  I just hang on as long as I can.

 

Saturday morning, and it’s time for the long ride.  In recent weeks I have been riding with a very keen group who ride as though they don’t have a long run to do the next morning.  We head up towards the hills or ‘Perth Alps’ which are not quite like the real thing, but still throw down some challenging climbs.  Last week somebody read of their Polar that is was -1.7degrees as we were dipping down into a 3km descent.  Needless to say, it took a few coffees before we could feel our faces again.  This session has, on several occasions, had me hurting pretty badly, but I assure myself that it will pay off.  Evan Esar, the 20^th Century American Comedian can attest to this with his inspiring quote: “Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration.”  However painful it may be, there is always the Welshpool Road descent to look forward to at the end of the ride, where an epic battle of ‘who can go the fastest’ occurs.  This always gets the blood pumping.

 

In the past few weeks, I have been heading out to Helena Valley, the ‘Mecca’ of West Australian distance running for the Sunday morning long run.  We tackle a challenging 24km loop along  a trail, which can often be quite scenic, but at other times is a bit treacherous.  This is always a very enjoyable session.  There is often a lot of bantering and a big ego battle between Perth’s big guns.

Aside from these key weekly sessions that keep the winter program fun, I find it best to pick out a few races, at least one a month to keep the adrenaline flowing (if the Welshpool road descent doesn’t do it for you!)

 

Hope you enjoyed the read; keep following as next time a talk about one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever had to make as an athlete.

 

Cheers,

 

James

Country: Australia

Athlete Year of Birth: 27/7/79

Athlete Place of Birth: temora

Athlete Sponsors: Giant Bikes, Asics, Professional Investment Services,Oakley, Mavic, Skins

Athlete Coach: Chris Lang

Triathlete Tribe: Brad first of all thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You had a great start to the year taking out the Mooloolaba ITU World Cup event. It must have been a great confidence booster winning the first major event of 2010?

Brad:Yes it was great to win Mooloolaba. It is always nice wining Mooloolaba World Cup. It is a great weekend of triathlon on a tough course and always nice to win on home soil.

Triathlete Tribe: You had a rock solid performance in Seoul where you finished 3^rd. Let us know your thoughts on the race?

Brad: Yes Seoul was a fast race. The field was quite strong. The bike was very technical which made for an exciting race. I just missed the jump by Courtney and Frodo out of transition, they set off at a very fast pace. Unfortunately I couldn’t run up to the two guys. I held on for 3^rd which was a solid performance.

Triathlete Tribe: You finished the 2009 season 7^h in the World overall. What were the highs and lows of this season and what are your goals for the 2010 season?

Brad: I had a good start to the season in 09. But unfortunately coming into transition in London after the bike I put my foot through a competitors rear wheel  and sliced it open. This set me back and I had to have surgery over in London. I had to have 3-4 weeks of no training before Gold Coast finale which wasn’t ideal. So it wasn’t the best end to my season.

Triathlete Tribe: What did it mean to you to take out the 2006 Commonwealth Game Gold in Melbourne? Is it a major goal of yours to repeat in Delhi this year?

Brad: To win in Melbourne was great. To have all the Aussies cheering you on along the course was great. Unfortunately they couldn’t find anywhere to swim in Delhi so there is no triathlon this time around.

Triathlete Tribe: Can you give us an idea of a typical training week for yourself in terms of swim, bike, and run (km’s)?

Brad: Roughly

Swim28k,bike 350k,run70-100k

Triathlete Tribe: Favourite Movie? Anchorman

Brad: Anchorman

Triathlete Tribe: Favourite Food?

Brad: Pancakes with icecream,Maple syrup

Triathlete Tribe: Brad, We wish you all the best this season.

Many thanks