Welcome to my website - I hope your visits are enjoyable and informative and you come away with a sense of who I am and what I do. In this diary section I will provide regular personal updates on what is happening in my life and particularly in racing and training. If you have any suggestions of what you would like to see or hear more of in the diary, email me through the fan section as I would love to hear from you!

Cheers Pip

22-12-08 A really quick one – just to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and New Year!! And also to take the opportunity to thank all of my sponsors, supporters, training partners, family and friends for their commitment and support. I feel very privileged that I am able to continue to follow my dreams and target goals within the sport of triathlon and appreciate that without these very important people none of this would be possible. So thankyou, thankyou and thankyou again.
2009 is shaping up to be a big year and one that I am very excited about….. I will be launching a new website soon along with the announcement of several new sponsor partnerships. Keep an eye out too for my monthly column in Triathlete Mag on sports nutrition starting February 2009. My race calendar is busy and BIG! This will all be confirmed over the coming weeks and up on my website….
Merry Christmas – I hope Santa is kind to everyone and best wishes for 2009.
Pip

22-11-08 My life of the endless summer continues – I am now back in Australia and enjoying the warm weather again, but most of all I am enjoying being home!! I must admit it was a very disappointing end to the year for me in Clearwater and I am just now really looking forward to starting afresh in ’09. Despite being in great form for World Champs, I was not able to finish the race – during the swim I got knocked around quite a bit and took on a fair amount of water. As soon as I was on the bike I started feeling pretty sick but still thought I would pull through OK after I settled in. Unfortunately things got worse until I pulled out with dizziness and black spots after throwing up most of what I had managed to drink. My day ended in the hospital for a few hours having various tests and a couple of IV drips. Not where you want to end up during a race. However that is in the past – what I am excited about now is my race schedule for 09 which is starting to unfold. There is a huge amount of racing happening next year and some big opportunities and you can mark my word that I will be ready for it!!
On another note I am now writing a regular sports nutrition column in Triathlete Mag, the first of which will be out in the February edition. Make sure to check it out and if you have a question yourself write to me at the magazine!!!
Thanks to everyone for all the support during the year and I look forward to sharing some details and plans for 2009 very soon, including some new and exciting partnerships. For those in the northern hemisphere enjoy your time off – for the rest in Australia – see you at the beach (or at a race!!).
Take care, Pip

23-10-08 Just over two weeks now until the race to end the season – 70.3 World Champs, and I have to admit I am really starting to look forward to getting to that start line! I feel as though every day now I am stronger, fitter and faster than the day before and it is a very satisfying and enjoyable situation to be in. This year has been a little frustrating – things started well but a couple of mid season injuries really laid me low and meant that coming into the back half of the season I was really trying to race off far-from full-fitness and certainly not the amount or quality of running I would have liked. However I am beginning to think this was a blessing in disguise as it now means that I am on the up and up, getting in good quality training sessions and really starting to feel as if I am moving in all three disciplines. Timing is always a bit of a trick over such a long race season and I think it is best to be on the up going into a race rather than peaking too early and trying to hang on – so hopefully my timing this year is perfect!!!!
It has been a really good couple of weeks since Longhorn 70.3. I really enjoy being in one spot for several weeks at a time and having the opportunity to sink my teeth into some quality work. Justin has put together some fantastic and challenging training and I have had a great training partner to help push me every session (thanks Joey!!) past what I think I can do. I have to say though that in the last few days the weather has taken an alarming turn – alarming for two reasons: 1. I am from Australia and 2. I have not had a winter for the last 8 or 9 years. So any hint of coldness is a bit of a shock and the last few days have definitely had a bite in the air. Lets hope it warms up a little for another week or so and then I am back to summer in Australia! I know I could definitely not live somewhere over winter where it snows – that would be just too much time spent on the wind-trainer!!!
Aside from training, eating and sleeping I am managing to fit in a little study – I actually sit my final exams for my Sports Nutrition degree in only a few days and will be relieved when that is over. Look out for some more articles in the New Year in a popular USA tri mag…..
Thanks to everyone – sponsors, family, friends and fans – for your continued support, something I value highly and greatly appreciate.
‘til next time, take care
Pip

27-09-08 A busy few weeks but I am finally back ‘home’ in my US base in Kansas. A lot of travel, three race weekends all eventful and probably the most exciting – Interbike Las Vegas.

The first race of the three was LA where I was actually pretty happy with how I raced but unfortunately got the bad end of a stagger call – where no matter how far behind the next rider you are you cannot be in the same line. I had moved over to avoid some rough pavement coming into a dead turn when I got pulled over for a few minutes penalty. Very quickly I went from 3rd to 6th. However I felt solid throughout and was looking forward to racing longer the following weekend at the Muskoka 70.3.

Unfortunately that race was over before it even started for me – on Friday night before the race I fell on some stairs at my homestay’s house. (Warning to all – do not wear socks on wooden stairs.) I was in considerable pain and on doctors advice with suspected fractured ribs and even possible kidney damage did not start the race – instead I spent a few hours in ER getting X-rays and watching the strange sights and activities of a weekend ER. So extremely frustrated and still in a lot of discomfort but with no major breaks visible, I decided to make the trip down to Mexico the following weekend for the Cancun 70.3 race. To cut the story short the objective of getting my qualifying slot of World champs was achieved along with the fastest swim and leading onto the run. The rest of the run is best not to mention but heat stress combined with major GI problems sets the picture…..!

And now for the best part – Interbike. Wow! What can I say? Unless you have been there it is impossible to describe. Everyone who is anyone in the bike and related industries is there in a convention centre that is so big you need a map to navigate and in the three days that I was there I never even made it around the whole way. Exciting new products, famous faces, wheeling and dealing and so much bling that Vegas really is the only appropriate place to hold such an event – it was exhausting but oh so much fun!!! I even had my own posters to sign although I am pretty sure that Lance had a bigger line up than me. It was great though to be able to catch up with my personal sponsors all in the one place outside of a race environment – they are all fantastic and support me so well, something that I am endlessly appreciative of.
So from here I have a few days before the next race – Longhorn 70.3 in Austin Texas and then am really looking forward to bunkering down to a good solid 5 weeks training and preparation for World Champs in Clearwater. I know it is possible to finish this season with a world title and that is the target.
More news when I get back from Texas…..
Pip

11-08-08 I am now well and truly settled into my second home……an historic Victorian style house in Lawrence Kansas. It has been three weeks now since I arrived back in the US and things have been going amazingly well – the training is fantastic and the people here have all been just so welcoming and helpful. I also could not be happier with how things have been going training and fitness wise these last few weeks – my injuries which forced a slight mid-season change of plans as well as a small break are totally mended and everything seems to be on track for the back half of the season culminating in the 70.3 World Champs in November. What I am really looking forward to is racing again this weekend – it will be my first race back since June (which I can’t even really count as I had two DNFs due to injury) and although I don’t really expect to be firing I am confident that I have enough fitness and strength behind me to get through quite competently. It is a 70.3 though and no matter how prepared you are that is a tough distance and I am by no means underestimating what a test it will be. The main objective for me this weekend is to get my World Champs slot sewn up as well as have some painful fun!!!
From now on it looks as though I will also have to report on the race results of another PIP!! I may even try and get some photos of PIP in action……….that’s right I now have a boat named after me! My dad is a world champion masters rower with a new bright red boat with a fast name. So if you happen to be out on the water in Sydney and see the PIP speed past give him a wave (and slow down or stay well away if you are in a power boat and don’t want to incur his wrath!!).
Next report and more news after the weekend including the wrap up from Timberman 70.3!!
Take care,
Pip

13-07-08 I am very excited to announce I have just signed with Profile Design - whose superior equipment I have already been using on my bike this season. However the arrangement will also see me wearing Profile Design wetsuits (looking forward to some speedy swims!!), as well as Bellwether cycling clothing and utilizing Fuel Belt products. I really appreciate the support Profile Design have given me – as an athlete it means a lot to know there are people and companies that believe in the goals that I have set for myself.
It is just 5 weeks now until I will race again and already I am looking forward to it! The back injury that came to the surface last month forced me to step back a little and to sort things out - but it was also a opportunity to get a mini mid-season break. This break, although not at all planned or asked for, has actually been fantastic and very refreshing both mentally and physically. Triathlon has become a sport where it is very easy to race year round at big events and this can be exhausting as well as a bit to tough on the body. And in an already demanding sport sometimes the body just doesn’t want to forgive the constant punishments it is handed out. So this small hiccup in the middle of the year may in fact be the best thing in terms of looking forwards to the back end of the season and 70.3 World Champs. It definitely was a shame to miss Life Time Fitness as well as the New York City Triathlon as they had been some of my goal races, but I now have new focus towards November and the months in between. First up race wise will be Timberman 70.3 followed by Chicago. From there I am just confirming a few race details but will likely include LA, certainly Dallas, another 70.3 race and a select few other events – so a very busy year to go. In fact I won’t end up doing any less racing by dropping the two events I have.
In other news it is whale season on the NSW north coast and every day out riding I have seen at least one whale as I come down the hill towards the beach. But when out walking near the headland, with a bit more time to stop and look we have spotted up to 12-20 whales within a 20 minute period. Amazing!! I am trying to get a last look this weekend as by next Sunday I will be back in Kansas and I am sure not too many whales are to be spotted there!
I hope everyone is well, training hard and racing with a smile. Hope to see you at the races sometime soon!!
Pip

15-06-08 Well it has been without doubt possibly the worst week and a half of my triathlon career to date. Two races and two DNFs despite training myself into possibly the best form of my career. I was so happy with where things were at two weeks ago and really confident leading into two of my goal races for the season – Escape From Alcatraz and Kansas 70.3 – I was completing swim and bike sets stronger than ever, running fast and recovering well. That is until a tiny niggle in my back and leg developed overnight into pain and weakness throughout the whole leg – from the ankle right up through my butt and into my back. I still got on the plane though determined that things would be fine with some treatment, stretching, massage and some care. Escape From Alcatraz was not pretty though – onto the bike and straight away I could feel my back starting to spasm up as I slowly lost power through the leg until the whole leg actually went numb with a pulling sensation all the way down both inside and outside. Needless to say this does not lead to a very fast nor very enjoyable bike ride and I barely hobbled out onto the run before retiring in some pain. Not to worry though I thought its on the mend and with some more massage and treatment and all will be fine for Kansas the following weekend. In fact I knew I was in serious trouble but as a typical athlete I managed to talk myself around so that I had myself believing that it was a blessing as now I would be fresher for Kansas!! So I got on another plane determined to make things right and for the work that I had put in over the previous months to come to fruition. Several painful treatments later to try and release off the spasms and clinched nerves and spinal joints and even a few rides later I was feeling confident that I would be able to race hard (and fast). This was not to be – once again out onto the bike as soon as I tried to put the pedal down there was no power and by the 15 mile mark I was in agony through my back. I hate having to stop in any race and there is always an internal debate that goes on whenever I know there is something not right and possibly causing injury. And given the discomfort levels as well as the fact that I am not 100% sure of the cause I was quite worried about doing some serious damage – after all a half ironman is not easy on the body at the best of times. So yes I am bitterly disappointed – I know I am in good form and have worked very hard for these races. The priority now is to get things treated and focus back on my next events starting with Life Time Fitness in four weeks time. The other major disappointment is missing out on some prize money at these races!!! – always makes the finances a little tougher but there is even more incentive now to get back into things and get to the top of the podium!!! I know I have great form and I just really want to put the power down!!! I promise I will come back fighting and even fitter and faster next month.
Thank you to everyone for your support during what has been a disappointing and at times demoralizing past two weeks. Yes, there have been quite a few tears but they have now been replaced by a steely resolve. The preparation for my next race has already begun.

26-05-08 In less than a week I will be back in the US. I decided after my race in Wildflower to return to Australia for a few weeks - catch up with family and friends and prepare for Alcatraz and I have to say the time has gone very fast! The weather has for the most part been spectacular and even though we are edging into the start of winter we have still been able to swim at the beach, no wetsuit. It is hard sometimes to not feel like I am on holiday when I am at home here – small town by the beach, no traffic or traffic lights, farmers markets and Freckles fish shop for all the best and freshest foods, and all the old familiar training routes and training partners – these are the things along with family that I miss the most while I am overseas – and of course the best part is that I am able to unpack for more than a week or two at a time and don’t have to build and rebuild my bike or negotiate airport security. Having said that though I am actually really looking forward to getting back to the US - I feel as though I am ready to race again and seeing as though I actually spend more time in the US than I do in Australia at the moment it is starting to feel very familiar as well. San Francisco is also one of my favourite cities and that is the first stop for Escape From Alcatraz and then the following week I will fly to Kansas for a 70.3 race. This will be a new one not only for me but for everyone as the inaugural race and also a first time visit to the land of the Yellow Brick Road!!
I know I have been slack in the updates for a few weeks (I told you I felt like I was on holiday here!!) but promise to be more regular over the coming weeks – I should also have more to report on too following races and travels!! Thanks too to everyone for the emails of support – I do my best to try and get back to everyone but apologies if this does not happen due to lack of time or access to email and do know that they are very much appreciated.
Take care and hope to see you at the races!
Pip

27-04-08 So I am sitting in my hotel room a few hours after when I should have been crossing the line in St Anthony’s. Needless to say after that sentence I did not finish – my first and very very unexpected DNF of the season, something that always leaves a sour taste. I am very disappointed knowing that I have been training really hard, have set some new training benchmarks and was excited to test this new fitness in a race. Even this morning I woke up excited and ready to race. Everything seemed the same as usual – I got up ate my pre-race breakfast and lay down again for a while and relaxed. I got up, unfortunately my breakfast also decided to come up. I didn’t and don’t feel queasy or that unwell but nothing stayed in my stomach from breakfast and during the race (apologies to anyone behind me). I did start but really didn’t feel myself at all. I had what I thought was a horrible swim (considering how I know I am training at the moment) and things just got worse and worse throughout the bike. I tried to push things but my legs felt like lead and I think I was just going backwards. There was no power there at all and every muscle seemed to be screaming at the same time. I made it through the bike – but only just and with every fiber just hurting!! I know you are meant to hurt in a race but this is a totally different feeling and not a good one – one of the worst empty feelings you can have during a race. Even now, having not even done the run, I feel exhausted and sore! I have no idea why this happened but am hopeful it is just a one-off and just something I ate/drank this morning as I know have only 6 days until my next race and really need to pull things together again. I have no intention of letting my training go to waste – even though when something like this happens it is really easy to start questioning yourself – I am confident that I truly am fit and ready to race well. So while I am bitterly disappointed I guess I just have to try and forget this weekend and look towards the next and Wildflower. I will also definitely have to return to St Anthony’s – it is a great race, a great course – it just has not been kind to me – the last time I raced here a few years ago I suffered a puncture on the bike – so will have to return for revenge sometime.
On another note I am also super excited about going back to Australia for a few weeks after Wildflower. Can’t wait!!! It will be great to catch up with family and also get in another good block of training in preparation for Escape From Alcatraz.
Pip

14-04-08 My second race of the season and my second second place – not quite the one you want but not too bad either. The race was the Aflac Iron Girl race in Lake Las Vegas and there was a quality field of pro girls there – Mirinda Carfrae won, Becky Lavelle 3rd and Sam Mcglone 4th. It was a great weekend – the second all women race I have done and they have both just had a great atmosphere and sense of fun mixed in with friendly competitiveness. It is also great for me as pro to be surrounded by women of all different shapes, sizes, backgrounds and reasons for racing and reminds me of the simplicity of the sport, why I first got into it and what it is I love about the sport.
Race day turned out to be warm but quite windy – so the chop was up on the swim and the wind definitely made things a little more challenging on the bike. Added to this, and making me fear for my life, was the helicopter flying down very low to get camera footage and nearly blowing me off into the desert several times. I was actually very very scared and convinced that I was going down on a number of times as the ‘death wobbles’ took hold so was just really happy to get off the bike with all my skin intact and head off onto the run. I also felt that I wasn’t able to really get down and ride as hard as I would have liked as I was too busy just trying to stay upright!! Mirinda , myself and Becky all came off the bike not too far apart and Mirinda really blasted out on the hill out of transition and was away. She got a good gap in the first mile or so that I was never able to get back but it seemed to stay the same as we ran through the desert, again contending with the dust storms kicked up by the helicopter!! I was happy though and felt strong for the rest of the run and feel like I am in a good position to get another two really solid weeks in before my next race in St Anthonys, Florida and then onto Wildflower. Big congratulations to all the women who raced and finished with a smile – it was definitely a tough course for anyone especially any first timers – and hope to see you at another race again sometime soon!
Take care, train safe and have fun
Pip

28-03-08 The end of another week in Tucson. Although to be honest I never really know when the end of the week is – Friday or Sunday or whenever you finish the last set before a day or afternoon off??? Anyway I had a massage this afternoon so that seems to me like a nice ending to the week before things kick start again in the morning with a hard (and long) ride. Training has been going pretty well here – I have been humbled every day by kids half my age at the pool, had my first encounter with some ‘roid rage’ boy at the gym and have got some solid rides and tough runs in.
I grew up swimming and was actually a really good kicker. In fact I think most of my stroke was kick. Now, as a triathlete I am generally one of the faster kickers so when I am swimming with the kids in the squad here in Tucson, some of whom are really almost half my age (scary) and they are kicking to keep up with my pulling I am definitely being put back in my place. Rorick the coach there has been great though and never once laughed at me, or my atrocious turns (I have always been really bad at these and in a 25yard pool I can’t imagine how much time I must lose) – at least not that I have seen!! Anyway hopefully it will all pay off.
Obviously over here in the US my accent makes me stand out. But also many of the words that I use confuse people. I would like to think that I have adapted to many US words – I am pretty comfortable now using my “cell” instead of my mobile and having to order an “entrée” as my main meal. There is one word though that I absolutely hate and refuse to use and hopefully never do by accident. The word is “workout” . To me “working out” is what you do when you are reluctantly following the Healthy Heart Guidelines or obliged to get on the stairmaster so you can still fit in your pants after accidentally inhaling that Krispy Kreme. Working out are those infomercials of wannabe celebrities advertising the latest butt clenching miraculous fat melting eat all you want DVDs. To me it implies direction-less and goal-less exercise. Training on the other hand is what athletes, of all levels and abilities do when they are working towards a specific goal, event or race, following some sort of plan or tracking improvement. And training is what I like to do – to have a reason for getting out there everyday. I am not mindlessly “working out” so it irks me when I am asked what I am doing for my “workout”. Sorry to sound so pedantic but when you think about it, it is not – have a reason for what you are doing and do it. So there is my rant for the week. Everyone should have some sort of goal so get out there and train yourself towards that goal. And please don’t ask me how my ‘workout’ went!!
Now happy training – hope to see you sometime out on the roads/trails or at the races.
Thanks for the support
Pip


18-03-08 I am back in Tucson again after a quick weekend trip over to Miami for the 1st ever Miami International Triathlon. It was great to be back near the ocean and also great to have my first real race for the season. I was pretty happy with the result – 2nd to Sarah Haskins – especially for how I had felt during the week (ie pretty damn bad) and the fact that I was racing on a brand new bike and new position. Now though it is time for some serious hard work – I have a good solid block of training time until my next race and am confident I can and will see big improvements again.
A big thank you to Dan, my homestay down in Miami too who looked after me for the weekend and made the trip enjoyable and as stress free as possible. I think the race itself will continue to grow over the years and be a major season opener – for the first year of the event they did a great job and I don’t think there could have been too many complaints (except maybe the short swim – but then again I am sure some people were really happy about this!!).
I am also happy that I don’t need to get on another plane for a few weeks at least. Airport queues, check-ins, security, lugging around huge bike cases (and always paying extra for them too), packed planes, loudly snoring fellow passengers and passengers a little on the large side (to put things politely) taking over half of my seat as well as their own , can really wear thin. Ah the joys of travel…
Anyway had a great run this morning along the Rillito River here in Tucson – it was quite cold actually and I know it is snowing on Mt Lemmon nearby and that on the weekend while I was away there was sleet!! And I thought it never rained in Arizona! And tomorrow I am planning on doing that apparently ‘must do’ ride of Tucson – up that same Mt Lemmon to see the snow (and the 8000ft altitude) which I am looking forward to (I think!).
I also want to thank everyone for their support – I have received many emails recently and I have done my best to reply to all of them as I am truly appreciative of the feeling that I have a network of friends and supporters all over the world looking out for me. This sport/job can get lonely at times and of course it is easy to hit difficult mental patches especially when you tired so it really helpful to know that there are others who also believe in you and what you are doing. So thank you and thank you again!
I hope everyone is training hard (or not!) and keeping well and happy. Hope to see you at a race or out training somewhere – please come and say hello.
Take care Pip

7-03-08 I know it has been too long since my last posting – but things have been crazily busy!! I am currently in Tucson, Arizona and will be here for the next two months training and in between a stack of races I have planned. I flew in for TRIFEST last weekend which was a fantastic weekend and also personally very exciting for me catching up with some current sponsors as well as meeting face to face for the first time with a few who I am really pleased to be working with for 2008. I know I will be riding fast this year on my new Kestrel Airfoil and after working through the new set up this week I can’t wait to get out and do some of the riding around Tucson which I hear is awesome! I always love catching up with the guys from TYR too – they always look after their athletes well and it really does feel like a family – they even made a birthday away from home lots of fun for me!
Tucson is obviously the home of Trisports and even though I have checked it out online many times I really was in shock when I went into the shop. Not only was I blown away by the size and scope and efficiency of what they have going on, but even more amazing are the people there – you really could not meet more friendly or helpful and it is obvious they do actually really care about their customers staff and community. They have been great to me in terms of getting me settled here too.
The plans from here are pretty simple – train hard and get to the early races in good shape. First up will be the Miami International in just a week and a half – a flat and fast course and perfect for testing out the Airfoil. Next up is Oceanside 70.3 which I have also never raced but looking forward to a lot. So while things have been hectic – including moving houses just before I left Australia, travelling and jet lag, sponsor commitments, new bike setups, new swim squads…..things are also going really well. I have a fantastic homestay and have already been out for some beautiful runs through the desert, some chilly morning rides and a pretty long swim session tonight (7km – long for a Triathlete anyway!!), and am confident that things are on the right track to where I want to be later in the season – on top of those podiums!!
Thanks to all the support and help I have received from many different sources of late – all of it is very very much appreciated and I really could not be doing my job without this support. I am off to bed now – but train hard, have fun doing it and see you at the races!!!!!
Pip

12-12-07 It has been a while since the last diary update and for that I apologise. I can’t even blame the amount of hard training I am doing because the fact is I am enjoying a bit of a break right now! With my race season not starting until March, and with the bulk of the serious stuff coming after June – I am trying to hold back, get some rest in and refresh mentally before hitting things again in the New Year. So for now I am enjoying some ‘ad hoc’ workouts (can’t even really call them training sessions!) when I feel inclined, although I am getting into the gym to get that strength, control and co-ordination base that I think is really important but gets harder to fit in when the intense training and racing starts.
2007 has been a fun year for me triathlon wise. The biggest joy for me was to just be able to get back into some training and racing again after sitting most of 2006 out. Given that the focus of the year was really just to race, enjoy it and learn as much from the US circuit as I could. All that knowledge and experience I am planning on using to full advantage in 2008 where I have set some more focused and thought out goals and race plans. I am finalizing the actual race schedule now and will have my calendar up after Christmas. However I can say that it looks very exciting and I am really looking forward to having a season, for the first time in years, where I have had the luxury of being able to plan and make some specific race goals. So bring on 2008!!
Thanks to everyone for your support and help throughout the year – I am very fortunate to be able to do what I do and I know that it would not happen without the assistance and backing that I receive be it from sponsors, coach, advisers, training partners, family, friends or fans.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas, New Year and holiday period – enjoy the time off and hopefully Santa is kind to everyone!
Pip

3-09-07 Only a couple of days left now until I get another opportunity to race. I was obviously very disappointed to get a flat in Chicago so am looking forward to racing in LA this weekend. Sometimes those rough city streets can be very cruel!! You have to put things is perspective though and understand that it sometimes comes with the territory of bikes and races – now if only we had those quick neutral wheel changes on motorbikes like in the Tour!
Despite my bad race luck though I had a good trip to Chicago – met some great people and really enjoyed the city – it is much greener and cleaner than I had expected having never been there before. I am also really keen to return there next year in good form as I really believe it is a course that suits me very well and one that I can excel on. It was also quite an amazing experience in terms of the sheer size of the race. I think there were 8500 participants and the waves started every 4 minutes from about 6.30am through until 11am, meaning that there was literally a never ending stream of people at all stages of the race. I must admit that having never done the race before the whole scale of the event and the fact that it is a big city race can be a little confusing and daunting. However now having done the race (or at least started it!) I have a good picture of how things work for next year which is always helpful – so bring on Chicago 2008!! In the meantime though my immediate focus is on the LA Triathlon this weekend. Another big city event and another race I am yet to do – so I am sure it will be yet another weekend of big learning curves (both about the race as well as about myself). And that really is what my whole season has been so far – learning the ropes for next year where I will have some definite plans/goals and strategies of attack for the season!
I am feeling good at the moment though – fit and excited to be racing so am expecting to have solid race this weekend. Good luck to anyone else also racing – I know the Annapolis Triathlon is also on this weekend (where I am based at the moment) and that should also be a fantastic!! Hopefully next year there will not be a clash of dates and I will be able to do that race also.
Take care whatever you are doing and I promise to have some better news post LA than Chicago!!
Pip

21-08-07 Another weekend has passed with another race and another podium – 2nd (that makes it 6 podiums from 8 starts so far this year – along with a 4th and a 5th). So still not the top spot but not too bad for what was really a training race. Conveniently the race – RYKA Iron Girl Columbia was held just 35 minutes from my base in Annapolis, Maryland, so my training was really not interrupted at all by travel which was great. It was an amazing event though – very low key and friendly with the emphasis firmly on participation and having fun. It was a women’s only race thus accounting for the very friendly chatty vibe in transition, the clean(er) race loos and the excited screaming as each wave was sent off. Just fantastic to see though for the sport - over 2 thousand women and girls of all ages and abilities all doing the same thing and nearly all with a smile too. GO THE GIRLS!!!
I now have a few days until the race in Chicago – the third in the LTF series in which I am currently placed third. I am really looking forward to this race – another big city event in a city that I am yet to have been to. I am also really looking forward to this race because I am meeting up with my Mum there. She will then be staying with me through until LA two weeks later and I haven’t seen her since I left Australia back in May. That is a long time for me!!
I have been pretty happy with my season so far – for me it has been a season just to get back into the racing (after my break last year) and just race, race, race – get used to the non-drafting scene, get to know all the US races and courses and really build up some race fitness to hit next season even harder with some definite goals and plans. It has also been a big learning season – although I have been in the sport of triathlon for some years now I am still very much learning the game and what it is exactly that I as an individual need to do to perform my best. This is true for both in training and preparation as well as key race tactics and racing smart – all the very very small things in races that actually add up to huge differences – the differences between 1st and 2nd, the difference between being happy with your race or frustrated. I may be a slow learner but I feel as though finally I am starting to get a pretty clear understanding of many things and will be making a concerted effort to sit down and consolidate all this learning to really hit next season hard. For now though I will concentrate on giving everything I have in Chicago and then LA – you can’t do more or give more than what you have on race day – sometimes it is enough and sometimes it isn’t!! I know I have the fitness and preparation behind me so from here it should be fun!!
Thanks for the emails and other support I have been receiving. Take care and all the best with whatever comes your way.
Pip

13-08-07 It has been a record breaking week here in the US – temperatures all over the country rocketing horribly and uncomfortably high and forcing me inside to the air-conditioning for much of the day!! I have been down in Tennessee for some new scenery and also to watch my Dad rowing in the US Masters Championships. Both my parents row and are very very competitive – training every day and kicking butt around the globe. It is great having my Dad here for the week in Annapolis before he flies back home and then my Mum is also coming to visit!! I am very lucky as sometimes things can get a little lonely on the other side of the globe when you are away from home racing and training.
Some of you may have noted from my schedule that I did not end up being able to race in London. My tight racing schedule made me wonder about the extra travel as well as the fact that due to the terrible weather and flooding in the UK I could not be certain that the race would continue to go ahead as a triathlon (aside from swimming in the questionable flood water of the Thames!). I decided that it was just too far to travel to take that risk. So I have instead taken the opportunity to get in some solid training before Chicago and LA and have also added the Ryka Iron Girl Triathlon to my schedule. That race is actually this weekend and once again it is nice to be based in a location where I can just drive to the race instead of having to worry about bike boxes and airline fees and delayed flights and lost luggage! I am feeling good though and must admit that it has been great to get in some training – it is very difficult when you are racing so much to actually get any training in, which, although fine for a while there comes a point where you can feel like to you really need to go away and do some solid work again. The Iron Girl event should be great – I just can not believe that it is a women’s only event and the event is sold out with over 2200 women!! This is just fantastic for the sport and where it is headed – go Girls!!!
Thanks once again for the support, emails and cheering at races – it truly does make a difference! Good luck to anyone with an upcoming event and take care. Check back for a new update after the weekend!
Cheers, Pip

25-07-07 New York, New York!!! Three days after the New York Triathlon and I am not sure what it is I am recovering from – the racing or the city itself. It is just an amazing city but also so intense – constantly on the go with no respite from the chaos and density of people. Even on Sunday morning walking to the race site at 4.30am the number of people out on the streets, the shops open and the traffic on the roads was unbelievable. I am pretty sure though that all the other people were still out and about as opposed to up and about – I think only crazy triathletes must get up on a Sunday at 3.30am to have a sandwich before a 5.53am dive start into the Hudson River.
I felt as though I had recovered well after Life Time Fitness in Minneapolis the weekend before and was really looking forward to the race in New York. I had proved the week before however that feelings are really irrelevant when it comes to racing. The days leading into Minneapolis I felt terrible – extremely tired and not confident at all of feeling strong in the race – I came out on race morning and had a great swim and bike and a solid enough run and was really happy with my 5th place in such a quality field. Coming into NY I felt much better and was looking forward to a really good result. However it just seemed to be one of those days when you can’t get going or get any power down - and I was fairly disappointed with both my swim and my bike. I headed into the run though determined to race the whole way to the line and try and push the run if I could. Surprisingly I felt good on the run – so maybe I just needed a really long warm up to get going!!
I am happy now to have a weekend off racing and will try and recover back at my US home in Annapolis (with the Annapolis Iron Crabs!) then try to get some training in before the London Tri on August 5th. I have to say I am loving racing and training in the US at the moment – the sport of triathlon is just booming and seems to be making a push into becoming a mainstream sport. You constantly see triathletes and triathlons referred to in mainstream media and popular magazines and the number and range of people being attracted to the sport is incredible. What has impressed me the most is the number of women and girls of absolutely every age at the races and the equipment they are buying. I have never seen so many discs on bikes as what I saw at Minneapolis and many of these were being ridden by girls!! How fantastic!!! The only downside is that often triathlons are the only place where the queues for the ladies toilets were actually shorter than the men’s due to competitor number differences – this is no longer the case.
Thanks for support and I wish everyone all the best with their training/racing/life in general!!
Take care, Pip

10-07-07 Only a few more days to go until the Life Time Fitness Triathlon in Minneapolis. This year it is the first in a new series of 5 events incorporating most of the big city US races that will no doubt attract one of the years best start lists. Training in Annapolis has been going well – I have really enjoyed being based here – the facilities have been great and the people have been unbelievably helpful and generous. The last two days the thermometer has gone close to hitting 100 degrees F, along with pretty high humidity so hopefully things are a little cooler for the race this weekend!!
After racing at such a high altitude at Midway, Utah the other weekend I had to laugh during one of my training sessions where I was doing run intervals on a trail that runs between Annapolis and Baltimore. Along the trial are mile markers as well as various other info points, including one which informed us we had reached the peak of the trail – a high of 141 feet above sea level!!! So not too much altitude training to be had here.
There are some training obstacles though that are a little different to what I encounter at home in Lennox Head, Australia. When training at home I am always aware of snakes when out riding and running and magpies when in swooping season. Here though, I have found that you need to be on the lookout for deer, squirrels and turtles!! Even though Annapolis is a decent size town and is really not that far from Washington DC, deer can be seen everywhere and on a run yesterday I came face to face on the trail with a mother and her fawn – very beautiful and graceful animals – who stood her ground facing me until the young one had retreated far enough away. The turtles too seem to be out and about and are definitely not something you want to hit while on your bike.
So far my racing schedule has been pretty hectic and I am now heading into another two weeks of back to back racing – Minneapolis followed by New York. I then have a week off before heading over for the London Tri. I am hoping that after I get back from London I can squeeze in a little time to take in a bit more of my surrounds and perhaps even get into Washington. I guess it is the reality of triathlon and racing – lots of travel but not really much time in any place to really take a breather and a good look around. Still I would not swap it for any other job in the world right now – I love what I do and all the opportunities that come with it. I certainly appreciate all the support I receive too that allows me to follow these dreams and thank sponsors, family and friends for this.
Take care and I hope to have some good news to report from the race this weekend!!
Pip

3-07-07 Another race and another podium – although I am yet to grab the top spot it has been a fairly successful past month of racing! Last weekend was the inaugural Battle At Midway Triathlon and I have to say it was a fantastic weekend – the setting was spectacular and the race was just so well run and organized and I was lucky enough to also have a fantastic homestay. I would highly recommend this race to anyone however this recommendation does come with a warning – consider taking an oxygen tank with you, or at the very least do not fly from sea level to this event and expect stellar results – Midway is very very high in the mountains. Before I went to the race I knew that it was at some elevation – after all it was the setting of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and the run course even followed the Winter Biathlon race course – however I was not quite prepared for the lack of atmosphere as well as zero humidity accompanied by searing sun during the day and chilly evenings and mornings. The mountain desert location meant that although the days would reach temperatures of almost 100 degrees F, the mornings were pretty cold. In fact on race morning on the way to the transition the car thermometer read 47 degrees F!! So pre-race was freezing, during the race we warmed up slowly - although feet still frozen when getting off the bike, it was comfortable during the run for about a 9am finish and then within 20 minutes or so of finishing the sun begins to make being outside almost unbearable. I also struggled during the race with the altitude and dry air – breathing was very difficult and although my legs and body felt OK, I was really limited in my effort by the amount of air I was able to suck in. Given this I was reasonably happy with my result – 3rd behind and in form Emma Snowsill and also Lauren Groves, who overtook me in the final minutes of the run – the toughest run course I have ever competed on.
So I am now back in Annapolis – my current ‘home away from home’ and enjoying the humidity again! The plan is to get in some high quality training over the next 9 days or so before heading up to Minneapolis for the Life Time Fitness Triathlon. I am really looking forward to this race – I raced in the very first LTF triathlon a few years back and have not had the opportunity to return until this year, and hopefully my string of podiums will continue….the prize money at this event would certainly come in handy!!!
Take care and hope to see you at the race,
Pip

21-06-07 Another three days to go until another race!!!
I am now pretty settled into my new ‘home’ in the USA. I am basing myself out of Annapolis, the capital of Maryland on the east coast, just out of Washington DC which has been just so convenient in terms of getting to all the races I am doing as well as being a huge triathlon hotspot in terms of growth and general participation. It has been a pretty busy couple of weeks – I travelled from Australia to San Francisco to race Escape from Alcatraz and then across the country to race the following weekend in the Eagleman 70.3 (half ironman distance race). Since then I have had a weekend off to recover and take a bit of a deep breath before I race this weekend in the Philly Tri and then the following week in the Battle At Midway Triathlon, both of which will be lead up races to the big ones – Life Time Fitness Triathlon, New York, London, Chicago, LA and Dallas.
Things have been going well though – with two podiums in 8 days, although it would have been better to have been standing on the very top of the podium in both events!! Escape from Alcatraz was my first major race back after my extended time out on a break, and it was nice to be back as a player in one of the World’s toughest and most respected races in triathlon. It truly is a race like no other. We raced in freezing cold conditions, not to mention the icy water, with fog surrounding both the bike and the run. The swim is an adventure all of its own – jumping off a boat right next to Alcatraz island and swimming to shore with no marker buoys and a strong current and huge chop to contend with – all the time with the Golden Gate bridge in sight. The bike is a challenge too – one of the hilliest and most technical courses in the sport and it was time here that cost me the race. I had decided to play it pretty safe on the descents – first race back and a crash is not what I was after!!! – whereas Leanda really attacked all the down hills so she managed to get a gap going into the final transition along with Becky Lavelle (the winner from 2006). Although I was able to shut down Becky early the gap to Leanda stayed constant pretty much the entire run leg – a run that traverses every terrain imaginable from beach soft sand to single tracks to stairs to road to gravel and grass. So a 2nd place finish at Alcatraz – but I will be back again in 2008 trying to go one better.
The weekend after Alcatraz I was in Cambridge Maryland for the Eagleman 70.3. The women’s field for this event was probably the strongest ever assembled at any half ironman distance race outside of World Champs – and resulted not only in the World Record being broken but the top three or four places were also among the fastest ever. I was happy with my race here and obviously surprised quite a few people judging by some of the controversy that come out after the race. I had the second fastest swim – behind Linda Gallo but ahead of all the professional men and was first out of transition and onto the bike course. I rode the entire bike leg like it was an Olympic Distance race – absolutely flat out. The course was flat and fast and the perfect opportunity to get down in the aeros and make the most of the disc!! With only 6 or so miles to go on the bike Natascha Badmann flew past me on the bike and coming into T2 had about a 1.30min lead. Behind me was Desiree Ficker, down another minute and then around 7 or 8 minutes back to 4th. The first 6 miles of the run I felt good – strong and comfortable and was closing the gap to Natascha and really thought I could continue to do so. However on the turn for home the effects of the hard bike started to show – and badly!! I started losing time and slowed a lot but now it was more about getting home than anything else. Fading considerably I was passed in the last mile by Mirinda Carfrae who had the fastest run of the day and I ended up finishing third. Still not too bad for my 2nd race at this distance and one in which I put it on the line and went for the win. I was also very happy with my bike and how strong I felt for the entire 90km – something I am sure puts me in a good position for the upcoming weeks.
So two races, two podiums. Pretty happy but at the same time know I can do more – I don’t believe I am anywhere near race fit yet so am looking forward to seeing what I can do in the next few weeks. Check back here for the results and news!!!
Thanks for the support,
Take care, Pip


14-12-06 It has been some time since my last update for the simple reason that I have been enjoying some time off. The break I have had has been fantastic – the best thing I have done both physically and mentally to get me back on track and looking towards next season. Over the past year I have really struggled – I got sick and never fully recovered and then proceeded to train myself into a hole. Obviously the smart thing to do (and what everyone else around me could see) was to take a short break and recover, however when that is suggested to an athlete, there is immediate panic and the tendency to launch into more and more and harder and harder training. Not surprisingly you don’t actually get better but continue to slide until it is impossible to ignore and really the only option is to step back. It is amazing too what you can see and learn once you have made this decision – it seems as though suddenly I have a much greater understanding of myself and what I need to do and all of the lessons learned over the years are finally put into a meaningful perspective.
So now I am back into the training and loving it again!!! It had got to be just a real slog and every session a real effort, no matter how small or easy. I am even able to get my heart rate up on the occasional sprint session (and back down again) which is something that I had lost the ability to do – thus also explaining some of my lack of ‘spark’ in races. I am progressing things slowly – giving my body time to readjust and rather than trying to fit into a weekly program I am doing everything on feel. And slowly but surely things are feeling a lot better. And I am excited about racing again too and I expect that within the next few months I will be back. Over the next few weeks as my training increases I will have a better idea of my race plans.
One of my latest training buddies has been the Garmin Forerunner 305. It is like a little brain strapped to my wrist but it can tell me (and my coach) all sorts of things about my training that I never knew! It is going to be incredibly useful especially once I am back into full training and in more of a routine. It records and plots absolutely every parameter you can think of, as well as the many functions that I am yet to get a full handle on…
and you can check out some of my recent training rides and runs at www.ptaylor.motionbased.com (you need to sign up for a free account to view).
I hope that training is going well for everyone – I can’t believe that we are already at the twilight end of another year – I still have a lot I want to squeeze into 2006 so I had better get going!
Take care, Pip

4-07-06 For the first time in quite a few years I am now having a winter. I am back in Australia – having cut short my racing trip in the US with a niggling injury. I decided to come home and get things sorted out and look to return later in the year for the back end of the season. There is nothing worse than being overseas with the purpose of racing and not being able to, so the best thing to do was to come home to familiar surrounds and do what I need to do. While this has been a disappointing decision to miss the races I had planned it is also quite nice to be at home again. And yes I am getting a bit of a taste for winter, although I have to admit it is not too much of a winter at 22 degrees and beautiful clear sunny days!! So for now I am recovering and looking towards September and onwards for the rest of my racing season. The good thing is that although at the time I felt like I was missing lots of racing there is actually a lot happening throughout the world in the last few months of the year and I will have a lot to choose from.
Thanks again to everyone for their support – good luck and well wishes and I will keep you updated on my plans and developments!!
All the best, Pip

22-05-06 I am back…not quite home but what I am calling my home base for the next few months anyway. After a last minute decision and entry I decided to head back down to Florida and race the Florida 70.3 race. This was to be my first half ironman distance race and although I was confident of my fitness I knew that I also had not been quite as consistent on the bike as I would have liked had I known that I would be doing this race!! I also knew that my preparation up in Victoria had not been ideal in terms of acclimatization – the temperature had barely been above 15 degrees up here!! However I was really excited to be heading to a race again after the disappointment of my last trip to Florida where I flatted in the St Anthonys race.
Florida 70.3 was held within the Disney complex which while unique and exciting (especially for all the kids that got to travel with mum or dad for the race!!) it also presented some issues. The first was accommodation and transport to the race. Thankfully all of these problems were solved by two extremely generous and fantastic guys who offered to take me in for the weekend. They were from Ohio, both competing and we had never met until the Friday when they picked me up and we drove out to out cabin in Disney. They continued to look after me all weekend, driving me around and looking out for me and by the end of the couple of days I felt as if I had known them forever!! Thanks Dave and John!!!
Race day came and I was pretty excited and looking forward to getting out there….that is until I got to the swim start and saw the signs warning about no swimming due to the alligators!! Hmmm…..what was that item on the news the night before about the woman out jogging who had been taken by an alligator?? Anyway no time to think about that – I had a race to do. I got off to a good start with a strong swim and transition and onto the bike first. I was feeling strong and comfortable and welcomed the fog which kept the temperature down for the time being. Onto the bike though and I started to feel a bit uncomfortable in the stomach. I had to force myself to drink but couldn’t manage to eat, and anything that I did eat didn’t want to stay down. I knew this wasn’t so good and sure enough towards the end of the bike I started to get that depleted tired feeling. Not so good when you know you still have 21.1km to run and not only have a few girls passed me by now but I know there are a few more coming up behind. Given this the first lap of the three lap run course was ugly…I was not only energy depleted and struggling to stumble along but my gut was in all sorts of trouble. I guess most athletes will either have experienced what I am talking about in either a race or in training and know that it is one of the worst feelings, both physically as well as mentally. Anyway after a while I knew that I was no longer ‘racing’ as such but I was never-the-less determined to finish and get through and so kept putting one put down after the other. After a while I managed to force an Enervit Gel down and despite having to stop off at one of the ‘amenities’ actually started to feel a little better. All of a sudden I felt that I was actually running again and with a lap to go was determined to try and make up some ground. I actually had the fastest second half of the run and managed to run several minutes into a couple of girls ahead of me to run back up into 6th. My assessment was that while I was pretty disappointed with the result and what happened, I was really happy to get through, know that it wasn’t my fitness that held me back, and also to see that despite my problems and stops, I wasn’t as far behind as I had thought. All positive for the next go!!! The next race at this distance will be Vineman at the end of July and now that I have done one I am really looking forward to it, especially since I also qualified for the 70.3 World Champs through the Florida race.
Next though is Escape from Alcatraz. I have heard so much about this race and watched it on TV for years and always wanted to be there jumping off that ferry and now it is only a week and a half away and I will be there!!
Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement – sponsors, family, friends and fans.
Happy training, keep safe and well and check back soon for my next update!!!
Pip

7-05-06 I am now in Victoria, BC (Canada). I can’t really say I am in sunny Victoria since it is 13 degrees outside and looking at the forecast for the next week or so it looks as though I had better get used to it. So much for triathlon being a summer sport!! Still, aside from the cold, things are going well over here. After flatting at St Anthony’s (which was bitterly disappointing) I have finally started to catch up on some sleep and get back into some good training. For over a week since leaving Australia, traveling and racing in Florida and then traveling up to Vancouver Island I had been averaging only about three hours sleep a night!
The race at St Anthony’s was fantastic – the organizers were great and I had a wonderful family home stay. The whole atmosphere of the race was amazing and different to what I have experienced through World Cups, and really the only negative, and unfortunately it is a major negative, was the fact that I got a flat!! I was about a third of the way through the bike leg and although I felt I didn’t have a good a swim as I would have liked (in the extremely rough and choppy waters) I was starting to feel good and get into a real rhythm on the bike (on my new TT bike!!). I think the only thing worse than getting a flat is crashing, so at least that didn’t happen. After I had stopped I crossed the road to the policeman on the corner of the road blockage only to be told that there would be no vehicle picking up riders for at least another five hours. And I was 10 miles away from transition. I knew this because I could see the 10 mile marker across the road. Aside form sitting on the side of the road and waiting for five hours my only option was to start walking. The policeman warned me not to try and get a lift with anyone as we were in the less than savory part of town (according to him). So I did start to walk, but only a few hundred metres later and car stopped and I was offered a lift. I though of what the policeman had told me and I also thought about what every parent warns their kid about – not getting into a car with a stranger. However I was cold, barefoot and over 10 miles from where I was staying and so I accepted a lift. My driver was ‘Willie’ and he was great – so thank you again Willie your help was very much appreciated. This incident got me thinking later though about what a sad state the world is in when we actually have to think twice and be wary of people offering assistance. I think we are taught to always think the worst of people when in reality I believe that most people are indeed genuine and willing to help. Willie definitely went out of his way to help me and I was grateful. Maybe its something we should all try – helping someone for no reason at all.
Anyway that is my moralizing for the day!! For now though back to training and preparing for the races ahead. I am thinking about perhaps doing Baja 70.3 in two weeks time given that I didn’t get to complete St Anthony’s, but I will finalise that decision in the next couple of days. After that will be Escape from Alcatraz and I guess the training here will be perfect for that – especially the cold open water swimming which should get me ready for the cold waters of San Francisco.
Oh and in other race results, look out for my parents rowing at State Masters and for Justin racing in the Byron Bay Winter Whales Ocean swim, bringing home the results for the family!!
‘till next time, safe training,
Pip

18-04-06 It has been quite a while since my last update and in those weeks a few things have happened! I have made a trip to the Middle East, raced against the greyhounds at the dog track, got sick, got better, done lots of hard training, got onto my new bikes, and mapped out and booked my travel and races overseas!
The week after Aussie Long Course I traveled down to Hobart at last minute notice to race the ITU Oceania Cup event. This had definitely not been on the race calendar, but as Loretta Harrop announced her pregnancy and a spot opened up in the Commonwealth Games team, it was an opportunity I could not let pass. I knew that after the Long Course race, which had been my first at this distance, that I just needed to recover and that come race day things would either be really good and really bad. As it turned out it was really bad! - I was just completely flat, with no speed at all. I withdrew during the bike leg having learnt a lesson about recovery and different styles of racing.
The trip to the Middle East was to Doha in Qatar for a World Cup. This was just a few weeks after Aussie Long Course and I knew that I was fit and looking forward to racing. Unfortunately I got sick on the long trip over - every athletes nightmare - and then got sicker while I was there and even more so on the trip home. Needless to say the race itself was less than memorable (for the record, I finished 15th). More annoying was the fact that the illness seemed to hang around for far too long.
The most interesting race I did was against the greyhound dogs! Every year our triathlon club uses this unique event as a fund raiser where they organise a human to race against the dogs, with of course a substantial handicap. This was my first time at a dog track and I knew that they were fast but being there and seeing them live was amazing. Nothing is able to distract the dogs, once released from the gates from chasing down the 'rabbit'. The rabbit itself whirs around the track making quite a disarming noise. When it came time for my race, I knew before I even started that the handicap I had been given was more than over ambitious - it was a little ridiculous - and I knew it would be only a matter of time before I was caught. I was right - in fact in seemed as though I had barely started when the rabbit whizzed past, and a split second later, the dog flashed past and I was still on the bend of the track!! Luckily I had moved out slightly because there was nothing that was going to stop the dog from getting to the rabbit and neither one of them would have worried about the slow triathlete blocking the way!! It was good to see though that after the race the dog was taken away for drug testing (seriously).
And now to the exciting stuff....my new bikes have arrived!! I am on a Bianchi D2 Chrono Time Trial which I will use for the non drafting races I am focusing on this season, as well as a Bianchi 928L, for other races. The Time Trial bike is amazing and is actually hard to ride slowly on it at all. With a front Campagnolo Bora and rear Ghibli it seems to fly with barely any pedal pressure!! I can't wait to race on it!! And in terms of races what I have coming up is this...
St Anthonys - a non drafting Olympic distance race in Florida; Escape from Alcatraz; Muskoka Long Course in Canada; Life Time Fitness Triathlon; Vineman 70.3 (Half Ironman); Chicago Triathlon (the world’s biggest); and LA Triathlon, as well as the possibility of a number of other races thrown in as needed or as they come up. This will take me through to September and then I will look at the end part of the year but I will plan on racing the 70.3 World Championships in Florida.
Even just looking at my race calendar makes me excited - I am really looking forward to this year of doing something completely different. This will give me a different experience and perspective on triathlon as the US races are very different to the World Cup circuit which I have been wrapped up in until now.
I will head straight into St Anthony’s and use this race as a start point - to get a bit familiar with US style racing, get used to my TT bike, and just to get a good race in. It is less than two weeks away now, so I have a bit to do here in terms of organising for the trip and being away for the next 5 months. I will post another update before I leave.
I hope everyone had a very happy and relaxing Easter and a profitable visit from the Easter Bunny!

Cheers Pip

12-02-06 It is just after 11pm and it has been a long day since the alarm went off at 4.25am this morning!! A quick breakfast and I was down on the start line for the Australian Long Course Champs down in Jervis Bay. This was the first time I have raced anything over the Olympic distance and I felt a bit like it was my very first triathlon again. I was both excited and a bit nervous not really knowing what to expect or how things would unfold.
I did know that I had done some hard work in training and that how I went on the day would not be a matter of the physical but of the mental. I was also prepared to go through some tough and ordinary patches but was determined to keep a smile somewhere close and a positive frame of mind right to the finish line.
The day dawned cloudy with a bit of a breeze and come start time at 6.30am it was still dark enough so that combined with the choppy water I had absolutely know idea where the swim turn buoys were. I knew that I had to try and take advantage of my swim but have no idea where the course was that I ended up swimming!! It certainly was a lot different from the day before where the water was smooth as glass and crystal clear!! Heading out onto the bike the storm clouds were gathering and after only few kms into the first lap (of three) the road was awash and the vegemite sandwich I had stuck to my bike was getting a little soggy as the foil wrapper flapped in the wind. I rode by myself for the first 45km or so and then was swamped by a large pack of men which also contained all the other elite women. It was at this point that the rain really came down – unbelievably heavy and quite painful especially in the face and eyes. The pack never broke up from this point and everyone came into transition together. Transitions are normally a strength of mine however I got tangled up with a couple of others in the frantic mayhem of everyone trying to rack in different places and lost a bit of time. Sarah Fien was lighting fast into and out of transition and already had a decent gap by the time I made my way out. She held this gap the entire run despite my best efforts and the fact that I felt strong throughout. I was happy with coming in second and even happier that I just had an awesomely fun day!! I must admit too that I couldn’t stop smiling through the run and really enjoyed and appreciated the crowd. In fact I was enjoying myself so much that I missed the finish turn and would have kept on running had it not been for a spectator (thank you again!!) quickly directing me back in! A big thank you to all the spectators as well as all the athletes for all the encouraging cheers/smiles/etc which really do mean a lot. It was just great to start the year with such a positive race particularly after the horrible season I had last year and remember again why I love the sport of triathlon.
In case you are wondering why I am still up – I don’t know! I can never ever sleep after races. It doesn’t matter what distance or what the start time is or how I have gone I just can’t seem to sleep even though I know I am tired. Unfortunately I know it will hit me tomorrow.
Now I have three weeks until my next race – the World Cup in Doha, Qatar – plenty of time for some recovery and some speed work into what should be a fast and hard race.

6-02-06 It is now less than a week to go until Aussie Long Course Champs at Jervis Bay!! I am really excited and can’t wait to get down there and find out what a Long Course race is all about!! I have been feeling really good in training – strong but most importantly consistent. It has made such a big difference compared to my preparations of last season where for various reasons such as badly timed illnesses I really didn’t get enough consistent hard work in to give myself a proper chance.

Not having done a longer race before I don’t really know how I should be feeling a week out and don’t have any reference points in terms of preparation but I feel happy and confident in what I have done. It has also been great to have various training partners to keep smashing me about in training and keep the motivation up.

I will be really interested to see how I come out the other side and how preparing for this race will help me with the shorter races I have planned coming up. The next race on my calendar at the moment is the World Cup in Doha, Qatar which is three weeks after Australian Long Course, so hopefully all the fitness will be there and it will be a matter of recovering and then getting some speed in quickly for the shorter race. I am also spending some time at the travel agent again this week looking at flights for the rest of the season so when this is better sorted out I will get a race calendar up!
Happy training – hope to see some of you down at Huskisson!!

12-01-06 Happy New Year to everyone!! I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Years – I know I did!! I must admit though that I did not make it to midnight to welcome in the New Year. I must either be getting too old or be training too hard at this time of year because even when I try to stay up I can’t seem to make it past about 10 or 10.30pm. Usually I would get up early the next morning for what has become my traditional New Years Day 20km run, and enjoy the quiet streets and laugh to myself and the revelers still struggling home or crashed out on the beach face down. This year however I enjoyed a very, very lazy day sleeping, reading and feeling very shabby with a high temperature after getting a bit of a virus. So I started the year with a few days of rest – which given that I am in the middle of pretty hard training probably wasn’t such a bad thing in the long run as I now feel more refreshed and better able to tackle another few weeks of solid training before Aussie Long Course champs.

I am really looking forward to racing and I have been very happy with how things have been going preparation wise - I am really enjoying the different training emphasis and feeling like I am getting both stronger and fitter each week. I can only hope that I will also enjoy the race as much as I am sure it is going to hurt!! Hopefully too by then the weather will have cooled down slightly which should make a bit of difference to comfort levels. After Aussie Long Course I will sit down and map out properly the rest of the season including race calendar and travel plans.

Safe training/working/resting and hopefully I will see some of you at either at Long Course in Jervis Bay or at another race throughout summer or overseas!!!

Thanks for all your support and well wishes,
Cheers, Pip

19-12-05 I can’t believe the year is nearly over!! In many ways I am looking forward to the start of a new year and lots of fresh opportunities. 2005 was not a great year for me personally in triathlon but I am confident that 2006 will be!

Everything is going well right now – I am training hard and loving it and slowly getting fit again. I am using this summer period over Christmas to get in some basic aerobic training – a bit more volume but less intensity, something I have not done properly for a few years due to hectic race schedules year round! My first race next season will be Australian Long Course in February. This will be the first time I have raced over a Long Course Distance and am excited by the challenge and very much looking forward to it. The idea was to both try something new as well as to force myself into getting in the base training I will need for this race which should hold me in good stead for the shorter races I am aiming at a few months down the track. As to those races and the rest of the season I would love to do some of the major races in the States such as Escape from Alcatraz, Life Time Fitness and Chicago, as well as some other international races in Japan and World Cups over the season. Again this will all be decided over the coming two months.

To all my sponsors, supporters, friends and family, thank you again for everything this year – there are a lot of people who help me to keep chasing my dreams in this sport and I am extremely appreciative.I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and New Year, eats way too much Christmas pudding and gets lots of presents from Santa!!

Merry Christmas, Pip

9-11-05 I had my first proper race on the weekend after several months off!! Noosa, the biggest race in the southern hemisphere is always a fun weekend and for most people kicks off the Australian summer season. I went into the race with few expectations, knowing that I am probably at about 60-70% fitness, and just wanting to go in and race solidly for the whole distance. Given that, I was pretty happy with 4th, finishing behind the World Champ (Emma Snowsill), the World Duathlon Champion (Michelle Dillon) and Olympian (Rina Hill), with World bronze medallist Laura Bennet finishing fifth. So now I am looking forward to getting fully fit again!!
This coming weekend I am racing in New Zealand at the New Plymouth World Cup so hopefully the hit out at Noosa has given me a bit of race fitness and worked out some of the rustiness that comes from lack of racing. I am also really looking forward to a couple of days holiday in New Zealand after the race!!
..so next update after New Zealand!!
congratulations to anyone who raced at Noosa and good luck to anyone with upcoming races!!
Pip

6-10-05 I was watching this years’ Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon on TV on the weekend and decided that next year I would like to be there. It is an exciting and different event - one of the classics in the sport and one of the biggest in the world. I have also decided that after quite a few years in the sport chasing the same races around the world, driven by ITU points and World Cup rankings, that it perhaps time to look at some new experiences within the sport. When I first began triathlon, within months I was racing at Junior Elite Worlds and then in the senior ranks of the Australian Triathlon series. The next year I did my first World Cup (in Tokyo 2000) where I placed 5th and since then I have purely raced draft legal and mainly ITU races. So after 5 years now I am looking at taking a fresh approach.
I would love to race some of the bigger races in the USA - races which I have heard a lot about and even considered racing, but because of my commitments to the World Cup circuit have never been able to make. So 2006 provides the opportunity to do that. It will be an opportunity for some different travel, different styles of racing, different experiences and some big learning to be done!! This is not to say that I do not still have goals and aspirations within the World Cup circuit including World Championships, but is merely a different way of approaching things and one that I think will be mentally refreshing more than anything. It will be quite exciting putting together a race calendar for the year!!
For now though there is plenty of training to be done in the coming weeks leading up to both Noosa as well as the World Cup in New Plymouth the following week!!
Good luck to everyone heading over to race in Hawaii!!
Cheers, Pip

6-09-05 I really am enjoying being back home!! I might be a bit biased, but I honestly think that of all the places I have travelled to and stayed, both in Australia and overseas, that this is the best place to live and train!. Without doubt, being overseas and on the road only makes you appreciate home all the more – wherever that may be!!On the weekend I raced in the Evans Head Triathlon, which is just down the road from me and run by my club, the Ballina Triathlon Club. It was a great race and it was so good to see so many locals as well as people who had travelled to race, including first timers. It is very refreshing after racing elite high pressure races like the World Cups to come back home and do a local race in which anyone of any age or ability can enter and get out there and hurt and have some fun!! It makes you remember what you enjoy about the sport.The Evans Head race marks the beginning of the Australian season, meaning that there are many many more races to do in the coming months. For me the next major focus will be the Noosa Triathlon in November – the biggest race in the Southern Hemisphere.
All the best to everyone!!
Cheers Pip

31-08-05 Well it is definitely very nice to be home!! Being a Triathlete means a lot of travel throughout the year - and while this can be a fantastic way to see a bit of the world, meet new people and new experiences, it also means a lot of airports, planes, hotels, dodgy water (and food) and A LOT of packing and unpacking not to mention airport trolleys (or lack of them which is even worse when carrying bags, bikes, spare wheels etc etc etc!!!).
So I have enjoyed being home, taking a bit of time out, catching up with family and friends, being in my kitchen again and especially my own bed!! In fact I have been in bed quite a lot - I think there is several months of compromised sleep to catch up and in the last week or so I have certainly done that. However I am also planning out the rest of the year in terms of races and triathlon goals and have some exciting prospects. I will share all of these with you over the coming months as races become confirmed but I will definitely be racing Noosa later this year and am looking forward to it already!! As you may or may not know I will no longer be racing at Worlds in September. This had been one of my goals for the year but after some bad luck (including punctures and concussion) in the races I needed to qualify, I am not in the team. However disappointment has not lasted long and I am quite excited looking at other opportunities which have opened up as a result.
On the way home from Europe I stopped over in Macau to race an International event. Although jetlagged, suffering badly in the humidity and carrying a few excess kilos (gained after the last few more casual training and nutrition weeks in France!!) I still proved to myself that I had decent form and more importantly that I still enjoyed racing and wanted to be there. This has given me the direction and enthusiasm to start looking at race calendars and get excited over races again. For this coming year I have also decided not to limit myself to World Cup races and am looking forward to doing new races, new challenges and focuses and in places I have never been to before.
I will have more diary updates soon as I work through all the options for the year and share my ideas with you!!
Thanks again to all supporters and sponsors who make everything possible!!
Till next time, Pip

11-08-05 Well it has been some time now since the last update and in some ways there is much to report on!! It has not been a good few weeks race wise. Things have been going well in training and I have been feeling fit and strong but it seems at the moment that it just one thing after another when it comes to racing and bad luck! Corner Brook saw me have my first puncture ever in a race which was really frustrating as I had really been looking forward to the race over the hilly course for both the bike and the run and was confident I was in good shape. It is not much fun watching the rest of the race unfold from the sidelines when there is nothing you can do. It was even more frustrating as this was one of the races that I had been focusing on in terms of securing a spot for the World Champs team.
Two weeks later I was again lining up for a World Cup race, this time in Manchester. I always enjoy this race as it one where you are always well looked after by the organisers, it is well run and the crowd is always vocal and supportive. It also holds good memories as where I won my first World Cup, now two years ago. Unfortunately again it was not my day and I finished a disappointing 16th. Not too sure why but just one of those days where you are not quite on top of things and at the elite level this tiny margin is amplified in terms of placings.
The next week at Hamburg (only a few days ago) was my final chance to secure a place in the Australian team for this years World Champs. I started well but the swim goes under a bridge which is not particularly wide and very very dark. Unfortunately I was caught on the edge of the group and in all the thrashing and punching that goes on while jostling for position I got smashed into the brick side of the tunnel. Feeling a little dizzy I just wanted to get out of the pitch black tunnel full of thrashing arms so I just kept moving forward. At the turn around where you climb out of the stairs and then dive back in I was again knocked from the side and spun backwards, this time hitting my head on the metal hand rail. As I went to try and stand again my head spun and I collapsed back into the water. At this point it was all over – I was dragged out to the medical tent and examined.
So the day was over and I also knew that I was not going to Worlds. However I have seen this as not all negative and in fact in my mind it has opened up quite a few opportunities. I am actually looking forward to getting home and taking my training to a new level as well as looking at some new goals and focuses. I feel that not racing at Worlds is also giving me the time to put everything in place and do everything necessary that you often don’t get the time to do when going from one season to another. So now the real goal is to get fitter, stronger and faster across all three than I have ever been before. When I come back and race I really want to be racing!!! At the moment I am thinking that (aside from racing an ITU points race in Macau on the way home to Australia) the main goals will be towards Noosa in November as well as possibly a Half Ironman in October. This will be a new challenge for me and one that I would be doing to benefit my short course racing and as a focus for my training. After that I plan to pick races that I find exciting when I know I am in very good form.
So all in all while it has been bit of a shocking trip really in terms of races and results, it has also been very positive. I have learnt a lot and know right now where I am headed and what it is I want to do. There is also a lot of pressure off which has been quite liberating and I am really looking forward to just getting on with it!!
Hope all is well for everyone else and thanks again for all the support and encouragement!!
Cheers, Pip

14-07-05 Since racing in the Asian Championships in Singapore I have been in Toronto, Canada with most of the other Australian Institute of Sport Triathletes getting ready for the next few World Cups. I was pretty happy with my race and second placing - it was just a good racing opportunity - not a focus event but good training preparation and another opportunity to get in the important intensity that can only be replicated in races. It was another really hot and humid race too so I was happy to get through feeling relatively strong throughout despite the suffocating heat!!
However, although here in Canada there is not the humidity of Singapore, there has been no respite from the heat with the temperature rising above 35 degrees for the last few days. This has obviously made training difficult and rather unpleasant at times as well as draining. I must admit I am looking forward to going to Corner Brook for the World Cup this weekend if only because it should be a little cooler!! Corner Brook is always a tough race - held on a hilly course with steepest hill leading from the swim to the bike transition!! The hills continue throughout the bike as well as the run and the race is a real test of mental and physical endurance. It is also a great place to go - the people are always welcoming and friendly and get right behind supporting all the athletes.
After Corner Brook I come back to Toronto for just one day to get packed up and head over to Europe. I will again be with the AIS team at what has been our base in France for the last few years now and from where we will travel to the European World Cups. Hopefully things are a little cooler over there too!!!!!
Thanks again for all the emails of support which I really appreciate especially when overseas away from home!!
All the best to everyone,
Cheers, Pip

21-06-05 Just back from another weekend trip to Japan!! This time the race was in Wakayama, not far from Osaka. It is held in a Marine city built as a replication of a mini Europe and so the swim is held in of course the Venetian Canals!! The bike and run course also loop around the mini Europe, with part of the run over 'cobbled' streets!! The race was an International Triathlon event held as part of the Japan Cup which is the main series of races for Japan. I wanted to do the race mainly as a good hit out - as an indicator of training - what I have done so far and what I need to do to get to my goal levels over the coming months. The trip was also a good opportunity to meet up with Asics Japan. Asics has been a long time sponsor and supporter here in Australia so it was fantastic to visit the Head Office in the country from which the company originates. The field for the race was mainly Japanese with only a few other internationals and so the style of racing was very much suited to the locals who are used to racing each other frequently. I exited the swim with a handful of other girls and rode with them for several hundred metres until the first hill. From that point on I was on my own and just had to go for it. The bike was 8 laps out and back incorporating a bridge with a hill which was deceptively steep and taxing. The girls behind me where in a pack of about 12 and I could see that they were chasing and rolling turns well. But I decided not to wait - I knew the possibility that if they kept chasing and didn't catch me then they would eventually give up and start looking at each other for the run. However they were catching me and got the gap down to about 20 seconds at one stage. Then one girl from the group attacked and tried to bridge over to me. I saw her coming and decided to wait. So I had some company for about a lap and a half. On the final lap I again dropped her on the final hill to have a lead going into the run. It was once again a steaming hot day and I new it was going to be a tough 10km in that heat especially since I was already feeling overheated from the bike!! However I managed to put together a solid run for the fastest run split of the day (despite the run course being significantly longer than 10km!!) whilst being conservative in the heat. It is always good to get a win and even better to come away positive from a race. I know there are areas I can improve on but the race indicated that things are going well and that training is on track. So next stop is Singapore where I will race Asian Championships. Until then I have a week at home to relax, pack and enjoy the beautiful north coast of NSW!!!
All the best, Pip

8-06-05 It definitely must be getting close to the time to head overseas as I am having to wear jumpers during the day and ride in arm warmers!! It has been quite some time since I have actually had any sort of a winter as for the last few years I have already been overseas. I know I can't complain too much since winter for here usually means a chilly 18 - 20 degrees celsius (!) at worst, but I am really noticing that the days are getting shorter and shorter. However that will all change in a few short weeks - I will be back to summer!! I will be racing an ITU points race in Japan next week and then at the beginning of July head off via Singapore to Canada. Here I will meet up with the Australian Institute of Sport Triathlon squad in Toronto where we will be based for about two weeks, including racing the Cornerbrook World Cup. Then we will move on to France to where we have based for the past few years and race in several more World Cups including Salford (Manchester) and Hamburg. Having this base is important as it allows us to settle in a bit and creates a familiar environment for training especially in the period leading up to the World Championships in Japan - which we will race on the way home.
The trip for me his year will be about 10 weeks - so long enough to settle in and get some good races in, but not too long that it is unmanageable. The life of a Triathlete is a good life and one of the best bits, but also one of the hardest bits is the travel - constantly being on the move and living out of a suitcase, packing and unpacking the bike and trying to smile sweetly at check in to get the excess baggage fees waived. However I am looking forward to the trip and also to racing - I feel as though everything is going well training wise and it is time to get back into the races!!
I hope all is going well for everyone else and I will report back after the race in Japan next week - one of my favourite places to race!!
Cheers, Pip

16-05-05 I always enjoy travelling to and racing in Japan. The travel from Australia is short enough that you can go over just "for the weekend" and the same time zone means there are no jet lag issues. But the main thing is it is always fun!! The people are great, the races well organised and the culture and food are something I always look forward to. Perhaps one of the best races on the ITU circuit and one of the best places to go is Ishigaki. It is on a small island in the Okinawan region south of Japan and is surrounded by reefs and so is a major diving tourist area. The race is fantastic as all the locals and schools come out to watch. They literally line the road all day long, from the age group race in the morning right through until the end of the men's race at night time, creating a great atmosphere. So I was really looking forward to getting over there again and also knowing that I was in good form to have a solid race.
As it turned out my race was not fantastic, however there were definitely a lot of positives to be found. Once again I got a little pummelled and caught up in the swim and so exited the water down on where I should have been. This left me in a pack of 'hangers on' - girls happy just to sit in and not even try and either make up ground on the lead pack or attempt to get away from the pack behind. However I felt strong and was happy to have a good ride despite being frustrated by a lack of commitment by any others. I was really looking forward to the run as this is where I have been training really well and given the distance between our pack and the girls in front, I was still confident that with a decent run I would be a podium contention. As it turned out I was right - Sam Warriner who got off the bike with me ended up winning! The only problem was that I didn't have a decent run at all!! In fact as soon as I got off the bike the intense heat and humidity hit me and I felt like I was spontaneously combusting from the inside!! I was not the only one who suffered - it seems nearly anyone who did any work on the bike paid the price in the near 100% humidity and heat and the results were very unpredictable.
Perhaps the highlight of the trip was meeting the guys from Asics Japan. Asics has been a long term sponsor of mine and all their support is very much appreciated so it was great to meet the top guys from the company's homeland!! They treated us to a great night out on Sunday too!! I am very much looking forward to going back to Japan again and racing and it looks as though my next race will indeed be back there in a few weeks time. Until then there is some more training to be done!
Cheers, Pip

7-05-05 A happy day today after winning the Byron Bay Triathlon!! It really is the perfect spot for a race and that is not just because I live just down the road. You actually ride past my house during the cycle leg - so it really is my home race!! But you can't really ask for much more from a day - wake up after a bit of a sleep in, go for a swim at the beach, read the Saturday newspaper and then head into Byron for a Triathlon race! It is always a great race too, relaxed at the same time as running well and like all events this really relies on the race directors and sponsors such as Becton and Free to Ride Byron who put it all together so us athletes can get out there and just enjoy racing. Enjoyment really is the most important thing and something I think comes quite easily for everyone at this race! I was pretty happy with my race - apart from a very poor start (need some wading and surf skill practice - not really much use in most of the World Cups though!!), the rest of the swim came together when I wasn't distracted by the fish and turtles underneath. The bike was pretty tough with a stiff headwind on the way out which made the tailwind home quite enjoyable, just as my legs started to feel the effects of training yesterday. The run showed also that things are starting to come together with only two of the pro men running faster. This is where I want to be right now - certainly not in top form (happily I know I have a long way to go), but still keeping the focus on September and October for the World Champs and Commonwealth Games selection. It is also a bit satisfying to finish after last weekend at Mooloolaba where after copping a booting in the head at the swim can (things can get rough out there!!) I was unable to finish the race.
So now it is back into some more training before I fly out next Thursday for the World Cup in Ishigaki Japan. Also stay tuned for some more detailed race plans which I am finalising this weekend and will include more World Cups in Europe and North America. So while for most (Australians) today's race was the last of the season and they are now kicking back with a glass or two - for me the season is about to begin!!
To everyone now on a break enjoy it - it is a deserved and important time - and spend it doing all the things you neglect at other times.
Hope to see you at a race or on the beach sometime soon!
Cheers, Pip

14-04-05 It has been quite some time since my last diary update which means I have been pretty slack!! However despite this there is not really that much to report - life is going on filled with lots of training, sleeping and minimal study(!). I have begun racing, however as you can see from my last entries things have been a little frustrating in this respect. In the lead up to the Hobart race I was extremely and unexplainably flat. After this race I felt good throughout training and was looking forward to having a solid race at Geelong. Well things started off well in Geelong - I was a comfortable second out of the water and with a group of strong cyclists (Annabelle Luxford and Nikki Hackett) and just off Emma Snowsill who had jumped out of transition and I was still feeling quite good until suddenly everything seemed to drain out of my body and I experienced extreme light headedness, dizziness and black spots. I continued to ride for half a lap or so before withdrawing before I blacked out completely. It was a very strange feeling and not one I have experienced before either in training or racing. However after some thorough checks and some investigative talks it seems likely it will never happen again and that it was related to something viral I had pre Hobart, which also adds some explanation to that time. So now I am feeling a bit more confident in knowing what has been going on and also feeling happy training again. In that respect things are going well and I am happy with where things are headed.
Last week I also headed down to Forster for Ironman. I was racing in the 1km Ocean Swim as well as the Asics 5km road run and most definitely not the big race on Sunday!! While I have no current intentions or ambitions to attempt such a race I do have utmost regard and respect for all those who do and I love watching and cheering on those I know as well as those faces who are obviously suffering through. Congratulations to all those who raced and finished and hope you are not feeling too sore and tired now. Although if you are, then you know who to blame!!!
As the days are starting to get a little shorter and a little cooler (for me this means the occasional thought of arm warmers on a morning training ride - not that even that has happened yet!!) it must be nearly time to head overseas to race. And that is what is being planned at the moment. At this stage I am definitely racing the World Cups in Mooloolaba and then Ishigaki, and then after that plans are to be confirmed.
In the meantime, for those of you now on a break - half your luck - enjoy it and for those still slogging it out, happy training and hope to see you at a race sometime soon!
all the best,
Pip
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