Specifics Event Reviews

The sun was out man it was so hot there was just a light off shore breeze. I had just driven in to Mount Maunganui to support three of my clients in their first half ironman. It was only three weeks earlier I was in Taupo doing just this same thing now I'm at the Mount.

We had Simon Barlett, Jo Willmott and Evan Worts taking on the national champ's race as will good friends Shane Timp and Nicky Blackmore racing. It would be their third time at the mount half but I think that just means you know how much it's going to hurt.

It was a great surprise to see Victoria there. She had come up with Steph to support the guys as well Kelvin, Nicki and Ronda had made the seven hour drive up. It was like having the training camp group all back together again but this time it was for the real thing. As well Evan had his family up there that's what these events are all about, training hard with great people there to help in as well as out of training a big support team of family and friends will help you get to the start line.

Race day was cold so cold just a light wind but they tell me the water was warm. That's all that mattered. At 6.30am in the mooring, next second they were off. It was a strong outgoing tide competitors have to cite the buoys in the distance as well dodge the dozens of moored boats in the bay. It is a two lap's swim in which they all come out of the water very strong. We got to cheer them on as they speed off in to the distance.

It was about 8am and the day was heating up. By now we had walked around to the beach side to stop in to deck chair café for breakfast. The food is great there the view of the race course just as good. It was getting up to 28deg as everyone was racing hard on the bike course. Two laps out to the end of Papamoa and back in to the crowd at the mount. Simon was tracking for a sub five hour race,Jo was looking like a girl with a job to do and she was not going to stop till it was finshed,Evan as always a big smile as he pushes himself to breaking point.

The last leg but for most the hardest. The run another two lap race but with a deference this time the athletes get some off road running. Hitting the tracks around the base track of Mount Maunganui then back on the road to make up a 21km run as at Taupo it's the second lap of the run were we see how their training has been over the past season and by the look of the guys everyone had been doing what they needed to achieve their goals.

Simon had come in a time of 5.57 hours but took us half an hour to find him in the hundreds of people there at the finish line. Next Evan with a great time of 6.10 hours and not far behind Jo rocked in with a very strong 6.27 hours all great races with their own personal goals achieved in one way of another.

That evening we all got back together after prize giving for a nice quiet bbq at pilot bay were earlier the half ironman was. This time it was only a hand full of people, the sea gulls watching the sun set as the guys were going over there experiences of the race followed by an icecream 9.30pm on the beach. What a day.

This has been a very special season for me to help with training , coaching these six people of all different ability come to great events like the mount and taupo for their first half ironman and to be a part of it with their family and friends ,this is why I do this very special roll.

Well done to you all Theresa Stevens, Steph Murray, Jeff Asukuo, Jo Willmott, Simon Barlett and Evan Worts.

Am so looking forward to see what goals we set for this year.

Shane Tindall

Specifics Training Group

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