NZ Triathlon & Multisport Magazine Column (June 2012)

Click below to read my article 'Travelling Kiwi'

V02 Max Magazine Interview (May 2012)

Click below to read full interview 'On the Crest'

NZ Triathlon & Multisport Magazine Column (April 2012)

Click below to read my article 'Travelling Kiwi'

Port of Tauranga Half/NZ Long Course Champs

Over the weekend I raced my favourite race - the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman which doubles as the NZ long distance Champs. I was crowned champion at this event last year following the DQ of Graham O'Grady who failed a drugs test, narrowly coming up short by 10 seconds, but I was more motivated than a teenage girl at a Justin Beiber concert to win the event outright this year. 


There was a slight issue with this idea as previous 8 time winner Cameron Brown wasn't copied in on this email and had other ideas. We had previously met twice, firstly at this event last year and also last month at Taupo Half where I had run away from him to win each time. But your only as good as your last result and over the weekend Cameron turned the tables on me and edged me by 36's to win and take his 9th title. He is 39 and showed why he has been the bench mark of Half and Full Ironman racing in NZ and around the World since the earth started cooling. 


It was rainy, overcast and fairly windy as the day grew on. Sounds like the start of a Tom Clancy novel. The swim was great for me in my new Orca Alpha wetsuit, I was able to push the pace on my Specialized Shiv and clear out with a German Olympic distance athlete, putting 1minute on Brown. I pushed the bike fairly hard and held our lead until 50km's when Brown and 2010 Champ Michael Poole joined us. The pace cranked up as attacks started coming from both Brown and Poole as we sent the German packing. I understand this is not ideal for tourism so I have contacted Sean and explained to him that Kiwi's are a competitive bunch.


It was disappointing to see Poole pushing the boundaries on the bike. I understand he may get excited at the sound motorbikes make, but accelerating onto the draft of the media bikes each time they pulled next to us was questionable. At times he was riding so close to Brown's rear wheel, that the dirt flicked up and caught by Poole's teeth provided temporary comic relief. I was happy to schedule a meeting for my foot and his backside as the run began and put this behind me. 

So after 1km into the run it was Brown and I running neck and neck. There were times where I felt good and others when I felt like I was carrying a piano on my back. I tried to be patient and let my legs come good. The first of the two laps around the hilly Mount Maunganui base track were quite romantic. Just the two of us. Running with the wind through our shaven heads. Spit on our faces. Spilt coke on our chests. Breathing like women at anti natal classes. 


We headed out onto the 2nd lap and at the far turn around Brown tightened the screws. I thought this was unfair as we had really bonded and got our breathing in sync. Our umbilical cord connecting us eventually broke at about 19km, halfway around the Mount track, as he shot off down one of the downhills and opened up a slight gap going on to win by 36's. I was unable to answer the attack and was outclassed. Two time Ironman winner and Aussie Tim Berkel had a great run and rounded out the podium.


What a great run by Cam and an extremely humble guy. He is a fantastic ambassador for our sport and has the sporting resume that is unlikely to be matched with 10 Ironman NZ wins and 4 Ironman Hawaii podiums. I have learnt a lot off watching him and its a privilege to race him. I learnt a lot from the race and have no doubt this will help me as I try to break through into the International Half Ironman/70.3 scene this year. I have no plans to race Ironman this year- like a fine wine, theres a maturing process which takes time.

It was great to have my family and close friends here to support me. I am merely the spokes person that fronts a very supportive network around me.


After a short rest, I will plan the upcoming International season where I plan to base and race from Boulder, Colorado. Unlike last year when I spent 3 weeks working on my Kim Kardashian booty and became injured, I'm having an active break of swimming, biking and surfing to keep the body in shape.


Callum
Click here for Results
Click here for Offical Media release
NZ Herald Article
Slowtwitch Article

Tinman, Taupo and Gangs

Two weeks ago I packed up my trusty car and shot down to Tauranga to defend my title at the Tinman Olympic distance race. Little did I know that my chariot of fire had other ideas. This race has a lot of history with past winners including 10 time Ironman champ Cameron Brown and 2004 Olympic Champ Hamish Carter. It was also a good chance to familiarize myself with the Half Ironman course and get out of the big smoke of Auckland. Michael Poole and myself went head to head and were stuck like conjoint twins throughout the swim and bike. Onto the run, and Michael took off like a white man in the London riots. I caught up with him shortly and went on to run away for the win. The conditions were fairly average with drizzly rain, but overall the time was within a minute of last year when I busted my chamois to catch Keiran Doe on the run to win. 


Following the race I headed down to my hometown of Hawkes Bay, planning on spending a few days between Tinman and Taupo Half Ironman in Magpie country. On Wednesday I packed up and was headed up to Taupo, 3 days before the race. Despite being 28, I have the time management skills of a 10year old, with some of my recent training sessions finishing after 10pm. While most males are tucked up in bed spooning their wives, I'm running in the dark rainy streets of the North Shore trying not to make eye contact with the occupants of 1980's red or blue Ford Falcons. So the plan was to get up to Taupo early, settle in and relax. I was leaving Napier, and noticed my temperature gauge was right up on the H for hot, or help. So I ducked into the petrol station and topped up the water and oil. Then 5 patched gang members walked in, just going about their daily business, probably doing something perfectly legal like buying milk and bread. The drive was going to take about 1hr 45mins, so long as there wasn't a head wind. I got 25km's out of Napier when the temperature gauge shot back up to the H for 'hell no your not leaving' temperature zone.


I could see my gang friends in my rear view mirror, driving their gang car, making gang jokes using gang puns. I had bought a packet of Fruit Burst lollies at the petrol station and was eating my emotions away, fearing that if something went wrong with my car, that my gang friends would pull over also. I've seen movies and these scenarios don't end well. I managed to get some speed up on a long downhill, and turned off on a side road at about 50 times the suggested exit speed of a McDonalds drive thru.


The bonnet had steam coming out the sides, and last time I checked, I hadnt picked up a magician nor had I stored him in there. I cut my losses and headed back to Napier, thankful that I wasn't hog tied in the back of a gang car. My car got about 20km before it proceeded to blossom from a beautiful butterfly into a lame caterpillar. Good bye car. 


I eventually found my way to Taupo, all set to race. The main contenders were 10 times Ironman NZ winner Cameron Brown, and 2011 Challenge Wanaka winner Jamie Whyte. The swim in Lake Taupo was awesome, although we swam slow and had a bus load of us exit the water together. Cam took off at the start of the bike, I was still getting into my shoes. Jamie was the only one to react to Cams move, as we dropped the other 6 in the group. It took Jamie and I 30km's to catch up and form the lead group. We eventually put 7mins into the group behind, so the race was with us. The conditions were consistent with wearing full cycle gear in the shower and staring at the shower head. It was 45km's out and 45 back. Very straight forward, unless you were the lead car, and at 80km turn off onto the wrong road.


Onto the run, I felt good and wanted to put down a good time. I managed to gap Cam and Jamie quickly and sat 30's in front for the remainder of the run. I can best a liken this experience to a spray painted pink duck on the first day of duck shooting season. There was nowhere to hide. I was reasonably happy with the run, but the final result with a course record by 9mins was the cherry on top.

We are now just over 2 weeks away from NZ long course champs in Tauranga. This is the race I have looked forward to throughout the year.


Merry Christmas to everyone.


Cheers
Callum


Click here for results
Click here for Race highlights and interviews
NZ Herald Article
TV One Coverage
TV 3 Coverage 

NZ season, Magpies and stricken Container-ships

Well I jetted back into Auckland just in time to watch the All Blacks win the World Cup and soak up the atmosphere down at The Cloud along with most of NZ. I had a stop over in Brisbane on the way home from Boulder, and reintroduced myself to the parents. Its always a little awkward at the arrivals area when your parents are hugging a backpacker thinking its you. After the initial mix up and some team bonding exercises in the car on the way home we were back to having a good time!

Before I left the Boulder, I shot down to South Carolina and did the Rev3 Half Ironman and came away with 3rd in a solid field. I was reasonably happy with the result, but more so to see the improvements I had made during the previous months.

So the past few weeks I have been back into training and last week I headed down to Rotorua to defend my title at the first round of the national series. This course is hard. There's more ups and downs then a brothel and the weather was bitterly cold as the race was 2 weeks earlier this year.  Mark Bowstead once again showed his class as we had a good battle changing the lead several times before I cleared out on the second lap of the run.

The weather in Auckland has been fairly average, but at least this keeps Magpies in their nests keeping their little terrorists warm. The last thing you want is a Magpie humping the back of your helmet during a ride. Its actually pretty terrifying but something my therapist and I are working through. I am trying to source an army helmet for an upcoming training week over xmas in Brisbane. They are protected there and angrier then a red headed teenage boy.

Next up is Tinman Olympic distance triathlon in 2.5 weeks in Tauranga. Its a fantastic place to race and reminds me a lot like home back in Hawkes Bay, except Hawkes Bay's ocean has 65 less missing shipping containers and you can safely light matches at the beach. The following week I will head to Taupo for the Half Ironman. I've heard good things about this event and will look to see what needs to be ironed out before my pinnacle event in Tauranga a month later.

Callum


TV One Rotorua coverage (only available to NZ residents)
Rotorua Results Click Here
Rev3 South Carolina Results Click Here

Running free

Photo Heidi Wagner Photography

I've been in Boulder, CO training for the past 4 months and have more red blood cells then Floyd Landis and Im ready to race again. In fact, in 2.5 weeks I'll be lining up in Anderson, South Carolina for my first half Ironman since Tauranga in January. I did the swim/bike of the Boulder 70.3 as training and it went well. I swam ok exiting with the lead group in around 24mins and rode a 2:07 and kept the gun powder dry as per physio's instructions.

There's a saying that bad things come in 3's. I appreciate this saying more so after my ride last weekend. Firstly, I was riding into the mountains of Boulder and had to cross over Baseline/Broadway Rd which is one of the busier intersections, I would say there were upwards of 50 cars, I cant recall because my vision was blurred and I was all panicky. Anyway, on my pedals I have a lockout pin-which is used to stop your shoe unclipping- and it had flicked on without me realising. So I rolled into the red light and proceeded to flop over like a turtle in his shell. I sorted myself out and got going again, however the hardest part is trying to clip back in while your legs are still shaking from the adrenaline of embarrassment. Its hard to make this kind of stunt look purposeful and self confidence takes a dive.

I was enjoying riding in the mountains when the road became packed dirt, which was no problem as I knew it was a loop and would come back to sealed roads according to Google maps. 15km later I come to a hick town called Gold Hill where it is highly likely cousins marry. Just as I was cresting the hill, this beast which had been tar and feathered in a vat of pubic hair or a Portuguess Spaniel dog, began running towards me. I love dogs and thought he was coming to sniff and run along side me like the fans in Tour de France. Turns out my leg looked like bacon and this dog did his best Jaws impersonation and bit my friken lower leg. It wasn't too bad, I had a couple of puncture wounds and my sock was torn, however my trust in hillbilly owned dogs has plummeted.

Once I came to the town of Gold Hill, there were only four ways out. I sure as hell wasn't going past fluffy Jaws again. The next two options involved more dirt tracking for at least 20-30mins, or the final option was to drop over into the neighboring canyon, on a road which was only a mile long but dropped a whopping 1000ft. This was my preferred option and I began to ride down. Turns out, this may also be the road people who are planning on climbing Mt Everest hike up. It was so steep and unsealed, that I had to get off my bike and walk down on my gammy leg humming Celine Dion songs feeling sorry for myself and blowing snot bubbles. I came through alright and finished off riding for another 4hours, having a lot of Dr Phill moments.

Training has been going well and I cant wait to mix it up again. The field is looking great for this race. I will update following this race as Im sure I will be spending a few days in the fetal position with warm milk recovering.

Cheers

Callum