Endurance Fitness conducts L.D. Training weekend for the Rockingham Tri Club 

Learning to use rollers 

The early Saturday  ride to start the weekend had to be delayed as the over nite 100kph winds were still causing a bit of havoc on the roads. So the group started with a session from Mark Eden Massage on  how to use rollers and massage tools for recovery in the right areas...
Some saw this as an omen for the weekend -- recovery techniques and we haven't started ?? But really it was all about any long distance training needs ongoing recovery sessions for athletes to get through weeks/months of training sessions.
The it was all about getting a wet-suit on properly for maximum swim speed with EFS and a  series of hints on using wind trainers and power meters to enhance home training sessions at  home
  

Lets get this show on the road 

Finally the wind dropped and it was bike time .Out towards the hills and up through Jarrahdale and back saw the group putting in a real honest effort throughout as there was still strong winds in many exposed roads
Back to Rockingham for a 10km run off the bike to Pt Peron and then  the recovery learnt earlier  was put to  good use together with legs in the Ocean.  Mark Eden Massage also had a table going in the car-park for those who needed serious work -- the locals didn't blink but a few tourists looked twice /three times at the strange goings on......

No Drafting here 

Downhill soon ??

Sunday saw blue skies and calm waters. Today making use of Garden Island -which we were lucky enough to be allowed to use in certain areas.by the Australian Navy ---- saw a great EFS wet-suit swim session in the still  very cold ocean waters. Then it was all about the Duathlon  on a nice little bike loop with a hill run and a scenic beach visit to the west side ---soon had the 2 teams working hard against each other for bragging rights. Was it to be Team Crowie or Team Macca as the  winner?

After a final creative Team session on the beach it was time for final  recovery session . The RTC crew (thanks) had some club members busy cooking a BBQ to finish the EFS training 2 days for some hungry triathletes after a great weekend

These Transitions are getting harder !!        

Big finale' at the EFS Training Day Duathlon

The hills were not so quiet with the stomping of pedals and lots of heavy breathing as the EFS crew made short work of the "hot Dog" circuit for the last of the magnificent winter training days

The BIG Hill

What sort of aid station is this ?

   

How many  laps ?? 

A double points system ensured the lead was going to change a few times ...with the coveted FERAL RAT Award for 2012 up for grabs ,,,,as the FR leader after rounds 1 & 2 -Lucky Luckin was away racing in the USA at 70.3 Worlds

In the end the double double saw Buddha Ant get past the Big Kiwi  with a strong run on the BIG hill and head straight into the specials needs for the left overs -- tough or what !!! Choc Mud Cake & Green Cordial after 2 x duathlons back to back .   A worthy winner of the 2012 EFS Feral rat Award -well done Ant !

winner 

Winners are grinners

After a successful 2011/12 season , locally in Perth, around Australia and all over the world  some of the endurance triathletes took time out for a bit of a trophy show & tell . A couple of the team were missing for the photo day and the trophy selection would then have needed another table
Well done to all.. a great job & a great season from all competitors

Wins and Podiums in all the WA State Series
Wins and Podiums in Busso IM and also Busso 70.3
Wins and Podiums in Singapore 70.3
Runners in Boston & New York Marathons
Podium places in WA Triathlete of the Year Awards
Podium at Ironman France
Selection of Athletes for Australian Age Group Worlds Team - in Auckland  NZ
Qualifiers to World 70.3 Championships - in Las Vegas USA

Enjoying the Trail Runs in the Perth Winter

The hills are one of the great secrets of the Perth Training environment.The
Endurance Feral Rats tackle a winter block each year challenging themselves to get that early season strength into their legs.

Running through trails with a chill in the air and the sounds of kangaroos bounding away as you approach. Plenty of birds and a green landscape that is so different from the brown summer dryness --its a different world!!

Then there are the never ending  hilly bits, the tree roots that grab at your ankles and the dry leaves hiding a pea gravel slide.....so much for the  soaring heart rate to deal with !!

                                                                   

      Playtime in the Bush                                  
                 

Busso 70.3 May 2012 

There were over 45 efs members out there for the individual event plus another 8 in teams --all in all a huge turnout by the efs rats ....
How about that 7 podiums in the Age Group fields... fantastic effort by all
The conditions were tough with grey sky's early and the swim change running parallel to the beach - it made sighting hard and waves and swell on top of you all the time. Thanks to plenty of open water practice the efs group pushed thru the conditions well and got out in reasonable condition for a gusty & windy  ride

It was all about head down,fluids in for the km and stay out of the drafting zone..a few punctures after the showers -but the roads soon dried up just in time for the infamous Busso run (which always manages to be hot & sunny) .Big (huge) crowds est around 6000 kept the riders absolutely at the top of their bike splits
By now the efs group were pumping and the podium getters right down to the back of the pack finishers all zoomed thru the laps and aid stations heading towards the  the line with big smiles having enjoyed a tough day in the tri office........winners, 2nds  and 3rds it was all happening in the finish chute..... its gonna be a big after party
Final count -- 10 went under 5hrs    15 went under 5hrs 30   --- lots of PBs --   2 x DNFs  1 x car crash (on a closed course)  and he still finished    What a day !!!!

Singapore 70.3

Singapore 70.3 March 2012
The endurance fitness race team for Singapore flew in on various red eye flights to all be booked into the Roxy Mecure on Thursday morning. It was a series of bleary eyed "hello 's" as we all caught up .hanging around the lobby waiting for rooms to be ready. The it was food & a bit of a swim and some food and check out race site

Friday was the start of expo. Not very big -- no race memorabilia --no food vans --so it was 1km to McCafe where Blair had a few days start on road testing what was good,average or fantastic in all the local cold drinks.....
Team dinner that night and of course it was....PASTA  (plus Svwensons ice creams afterwards)
Saturday  was swim the course morning then the rego.. A strong current pushed swimmers 20-30 mtrs west  from the turning buoy which worried a few of the competitors . . The efs boys just toughed it out!!

Back to hotel and time to give the No 1 Pro seeding some advice and let him be photographed with the WA efs boys.Ollie Whistler was very grateful and listened to every tip.....
Sunday was race day...the mini bus turned up...really it was a real "Bryce machine " Every piece of glitter and velvet velour on it with a  big sound system, bar ,special blue  lights and "Lexus " badging on the bonnet. WE let some of the Pro field travel with us to give them some "star " experience and improve their image a bit !!.    Unbelievable and what an omen for a great race day

Race time . HUMIDITY 95% and the drone was active filming the race above the swim start like some gigantic dragonfly. A group of drummers added to the atmosphere and it was all happening. A beach start with a 2 lap swim coming in onto a 30 mtr beach run and out after lap one past a water station & back in for lap 2

Luke,Mark and Scotty led their wave and stayed together for the swim then a gap appeared in the 400mtr run to T1 .Scotty took off and the other 2 didn't panic and just kept to their plans. Blair and Ollie were also having great swims and Gareth was right up there in his wave also.

Bike time and Scotty charged to front. Mark and Luke rode comfortably in the heat taking on plenty of fluids...off the bike at T2  it was Scotty 1,Luke 2,Mark 3 .with humidity down to 85% but temp up to 36C Blair was holding 39kph and having a big bike leg whilst Ollie & Gareth continued to tick away with ease. 

The run bought plenty of carnage due to the heat ... many in the Pro field struggled ...including the No 1 seed Mark passed Scotty in lap 1 of three laps and Luke passed Scotty into lap 2 . 

That is how Singapore 70.3  ended.A strong break through race for Mark Luckin winning his first 70.3 Age group title and qualifying for Worlds in Vegas . Luke Burton joined him on the podium with a gutsy 3rd. Ollie in his first ever long course race did a 5.03 in the heat ----wow! and Gareth cruised the run nursing his archillies to finish well. Blair succumbed to the heat along with lots of others and stopped short in the run -- practicing smart self preservation !!Lots of West Aussies also had wins , Megan,Bob,Al all with win grins!!

Rockingham Tri March 4th
Fantastic conditions greeted the EFS athletes at the Trievents Rockingham  Pursuit series # 4. Sunny, a high tide, no wind ...just perfect.The big turnout ensured you had to know your wave start time and the course was full of spectators. The long weekend drew some to Albany but many had decided to race local.

Those racing from EFS were in the various Age Groups with all having some strong swims and a 50 mtr wade to the beach before getting into T1.  Then a fast bike course awaited and it was fast with bike speeds  hitting mid 45kph ++ out there within the open field division.
Solid bikes saw all coming into the run under control for a fast flat 5 km through the crowd as a 1 loop course. Big win to Audrey in her age group set the bench mark for the other girls if they want to get near her at IM
All of the others- Gary, Chris,Andrew,Bob and Tracy, Janet all raced well --with their sights  firmly on May and Busso 70.3 this was always going to be an interesting race day  and recovery test. The 2 Marks battled out the short course bragging rights with today  Marky Marky being the man....