Tim Berkel

Well this is my first trip across the Tasman to race, but it’s also my first time here as a visitor.  New Zealand is awesome, and in just the three-hour ride from Auckland took me through some beautiful country.  I arrived a few days early, so I was able to do some light training on the bike and run courses, and I had a swim in the bay as well.  The water was crisp, to put it nicely.

The few days before the race, was blue sky and warm.  But the day before the race, the cool weather set in and it was overcast and drizzling.  They promised better weather on race day, and although the rain wasn’t there, it was cold.  While I was setting up my transition area it was blowing pretty good, then about 15 minutes before race start, they called us into the water. I entered the water for a warm-up.  Those words do not reflect the pain I experienced as parts of my body submerged below the surface.  My body went numb after a few minutes.

I was looking forward to the start, so I could get the blood flowing and hopefully some added warmth.  The swim was a small triangular first lap, then onto the beach to run around the BlueSeventy swim flag, then out around a larger triangular loop for the second lap.  I was swimming fine, but the course was choppy and pulling us in towards the beach, so you really needed to keep checking, to stay on course.  The Kiwis tend to be strong in the swim, so I guess I was happy to come out 13th in 27:45, in this field.

Once I got moving on the bike, I was trying to get some feeling back in my legs.  I was still cold and numb from the swim, so it took the first 45 kilometre lap before I was over the swim.  By that time, my 2:20 minute deficit out of the water, had grown to 6:20, so I knew I had my work cut out for me.  I was riding with a few other Kiwis, but I didn’t know any of them and they weren’t interested in sharing the pace setting, so I pretty much drove the whole way.  When I got off the bike, my gap was only 6:40, so I hadn’t added to any damage that I had created in the first half of the race, but I still had a job to do to make it on the podium…

I was in sixth place, and led the group that was riding with me into T2.  I think there were about 5 guys behind me, but I was only focussed on the 5 ahead.  I made a quick transition and hit the run before the rest of those boys.  I got some good support from the crowds, and was able to catch Jamie Whyte around the five kilometre mark.  My rhythm felt good, and I was feeling strong.

After a few more kilometres, I caught Kieran Doe as I came around the mountain on the first lap.  The last time I saw Kieron, he was hammering it on the bike, with a several minute lead over the chase pack, which included the Bowstead brothers (Mark and James), and Michael Poole.  So I wasn’t sure where he faded, but was glad to pass him none-the-less, because I saw him as my biggest threat after Cameron  Brown pulled out several days before the race.

On the second lap I was told I was 3:20 down from the leader, but I still didn’t know who that leader was, or if they were going to be “catchable”.  But I only had 10 1/2 kilometres to chase down the remaining three guys.  I chased down Mark Bowstead around the 14 kilometre mark, but chased the other two in vain because I ran out of road and finished third, 28 seconds behind James Bowstead, and 2:07 minutes behind the winner Michael Poole.  I got to hand it to those boys because they hit it hard on the bike, and held their own in the run.  I had the fastest run of the day with a 1:14:29 half marathon, so it’s consistent with my last few Half Ironman races at the end of 2009.  So all-in-all I think I’ve had a good solid start to 2010, and looking forward to the year, and coming back here in 2011.  Great event, and beautiful course.

Cheers,

Tim

Well it’s my fourth race since my less-than-ideal performance at Roth.  In August I went into the Capricorn Half Ironman in Yeppoon Queensland ill-prepared, I surprised myself with a second place finish.  That was a good confidence booster for not having done any real training for the 5 weeks prior to the event.  I then went up to Port Douglas and won the Long Distance Triathlon up there for my second year in a row.

I came back from that race with some focus, and started to put in some good training sessions, which got me another second place finish in the Gold Coast Half Ironman on October 4^th.  I was a little disappointed that I let such a large gap form with Clayton Fettell on the Gold Coast, but he just put together the perfect race, with an awesome swim/bike combination.

I knew I was going to up against some good cyclist in the Scody Half Ironman here in Port Macquarie, so I had to be aware of the time gaps. So on race morning, I was feeling pretty good, and I was getting a lot of good feedback from the local crowd. I love racing, but racing in Port Macquarie gives me that added buzz.

I was figuring that Cam Watt and Boyd Conrick were going to be the early leaders out of the swim. But I knew with cyclists like Bryan Fuller, and Adam Holborow racing, it would be likely that their lead would get taken back in the bike. I just wanted to be in a position to keep pace with those boys. But as it turned out, Boyd didn’t have the swim I expected, and a relative newcomer named Jamani Francis came out of the water with just over a minute lead over my pack. I still felt that I was in a good position, because I had Joshua Rix, Adam, and Bryan Fuller in there with me, as well as the new young gun, Mitch Robbins and a few other boys.

I had a good transition, and I was hoping that I could keep with that group for the first few kilometers as we rolled through town. We had only gone about a kilometer into the ride, and Adam went off the front as we rolled through the center of town. Just as we started the slight rise up Clarence street, when Brian attacked. I was still struggling to find my legs after the swim, and I wasn’t able to go with him. By the time I reached the top of Clarence Street, I could see Adam and Brian were together a few hundred meters up the road.

I knew that they would be focused on trying to catch Cam and Jamani, and I was hoping that the group that I was riding with, we’re going to work with me in not letting the gap blowout to the race leaders. When we passed the boys on their way back from the first turnaround, I could see that they had opened up a gap of a few minutes. There were a few guys riding with me that weren’t willing to do any work, and maintaining the pace, so I had to drive the group for the majority of the race. Although I was happy to see Mitch Robbins up there in the front with me, and having a go.  Mitch, being a local Port Macquarian, and racing in his first major event in the open category was pretty cool to witness. We were both getting huge cheers from the crowds as we passed through the course.

I think we did a pretty good job of maintaining the pace, because by the time we made it into the transition area after the bike leg I was told that Brian and Adam were just under four minutes ahead of us on the run course. I knew that if I was going to have a good day, it would be my run that would make the difference in this race. I quickly went to work of trying to chase down the boys. With the new three lap run course, it was easy to see if I was carving any time into their lead. I saw them for the first time about three quarters of the way through the first lap, and I knew I had already ran some time into that four minute lead. By the time I completed the first lap, I had already run down Adam, and I had Brian about 45 seconds up the road from me.

I was running a little too hard, and I could feel the pace taking its toll on me, but the crowds were spurring me on, so I maintain my pace until I passed Brian to take the lead. As I passed him, I felt that he didn’t have enough left in the tank, to respond to my attack, so I surged ahead, and I immediately felt much more comfortable with my run. I was only halfway through the run leg, but I was able to relax a little bit, and focus on my turnover. I had a nice smooth rhythm and it felt great, so I was able to appreciate the crowds, and I think I even smiled a few times. On the three lap course, I could see that I was running away from the other boys, but I could see my good mate Mitch making his way through the field. Adam struggled a bit on the run, but once he found his rhythm he was able to hang in there for fifth place. Mitch ran his way into second, so it was incredible for Port Macquarie to have the winner, second place, and Adam rounding out the top five. I ended up posting the fastest run of the day with a 1:15:30, which was four minutes faster than the second fastest run of the day.

Having come out of the Port Macquarie Half a little disappointed with my race, I was excited to return to Shepparton, where I raced my first Half Ironman, and I was far more relaxed (I have to say), than two weeks previous at Port Mac. The calm nerves seemed to be a good omen because I had such an enjoyable race and was relieved and stoked to have some good form and an awesome result !

The swim around Kialla Lakes gave me a good start and by the second buoy I found I was in the lead, and from there I led the swim out of the water with about 12 seconds on the group with a time of 24:49, a great feat for me as swimming is usually my weaker leg.

I got onto the bike where I was quickly joined by fellow Port Mac training mate, Adam Holborow and we had a nice little lead on the chase group. I was feeling awesome on the bike, considering the rain and wind, and ended up averaging over 40km/hr. With about 10 km to go, I was feeling good and got a gap on Adam, entering transition with 1:20 on him and 6 mins on the chase group, with a fastest ride of the day, a time of 2:14.

I got onto the run feeling pretty good and was able to maintain a solid pace throughout, and came across the line, lapping up my first win and PB of 3:58:36, with the legend Pete Murray once again calling me in as Commentator. In all it was an awesome race for me, I really enjoyed it and was happy with the form I had on the day.

A big thanks to all the support from my mates on the day and a congratulations to some notable efforts: Adam Holborow and John Cornish who were doing an awesome job on the ride before they flatted, a bit of bad luck guys.

1. TIM BERKEL 3:58:36
2. Matt White 4:03:48
3. Troy Drinigan 4:05:14
4. Adam Holborow 4:08:45
5. Klayten Smith 4:14:39