Live High, Train low, another couple of weeks at Snowfarm
6th March 2008
The air up here!!
My two weeks of fun up a mountain are over... Well at least for now.
I've been staying at the Snow Farm lodge in the Cardrona Valley. It's an amazing place situated at 1600 meters above sea level.
The training here is great with endless cross country ski trails to run on as far as the eye can see. We are using the "live high, train low" method of altitude training by traveling down to Wanaka for our swim and bike training. The timing for this camp has been really good with my long build up heading into the Olympics in August. Most triathletes are getting ready for the Oceania Championships this weekend in Wellington.
The group we had up here was full of training superstars from Hong Kong, Germany, Syria, Spain, Scotland and Maungaturoto! In other words a very multicultural camp. Throw into the mix some fine support staff and it was a worthwhile two weeks in the clouds. As I mentioned this weekend's event is the Oceania Championships in Wellington. It will be a big event for many athletes, especially ones that are still to qualify for Beijing.
For myself it will be the first real chance to spin the wheels, and test out some of the stuff I've been up to the last month or so. It's also always really great to race at home. I can't think of anything better than racing hard to the enthusiasm of a partisan crowd lining the street. The race will be a fast one for sure with many of the guys only a few weeks away from peaking for olympic qualifying.
I'll be giving it all I have with my current form. Lets just say the petrol tank is full but it's burning at a very low octane level so speed will be my biggest issue!
After Wellington I'll continue with my current block of training. I'll then start to add some more specific sessions over the next 4 weeks heading into my first World Cup event of the season in New Plymouth. I've had a couple of good races there the past two times the event has been held. But the top spot on the podium has eluded me thus far. I should be in some good nick by then and will aim to give it a real push for the first time this year if all goes as planned in the lead up.
So look out for whatever eventuates this Sunday in Wellington. With the chance of becoming an Oceania Champion or a New Zealand Champion up for grabs I would expect some fireworks along Oriental Parade this Sunday. Hopefully I can get some sleep before the big event.
Exercise Science Guru Robert Creasy has had me on these new energy patches he's preaching about. I've been smashing myself up here at altitude and paying for it in the energy level stakes. To be honest I'm expecting the miracles he so enthusiastically describes Otherwise his campaign for the rest of the year hangs in the balance haha...
See ya along the parade.
Kris