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TEAM VORTEX AT TOUR DE BRIGHT 2008

TEAM VORTEX AT TOUR DE BRIGHT 2008

Enjoy!,

Best
Coach J-R

Team Vortex at Tour of Bright

TEAM VORTEX ROCKS AT TOUR DE BRIGHT


The team of four, Team Vortex, rocked up at Bright to put to the past months of training to the test.
The three-stage race over two days, in the beautiful picturesque location of Bright and the surrounding hills (& mountains) was complemented with great weather. The only downside of the whole weekend was the absence of a decent coffee shop in Bright…
Arriving in Bright Friday afternoon, the team went for a recco on bike (with the yours truly, Coach J-R!) of the TT course. Then back to the Team HQ, after some bike maintenance, it was then off to sign in at race rego for the next two days racing.
Nick was able to clinch a place in the weekend of racing, having missed the cut off date due to his injury and having only got the all clear from his Physio to race just a few days before. Luckily he managed to enter at the race rego, last minute, so Team Vortex was back to the four strong gruppo!
At race rego we met some of the Vikings V mobile guys, including long time friend and all round great guy, Jamie Young. It was good to see some friendly faces.
As team manager & coach, I was looking after all the teams needs (well as much as I could!) and this was certainly a new role for me, however not a worry, once back to Team HQ we set up the bikes for the next day, with my advise on race and bike preparation to help the guys.

It was the first time for each in the team to take part in such a stage race, and indeed the first season of bike racing for all of them, so this was going to be a first. A mix of preparative emotions, concentration and readiness was thick in the air during and after a evening meal in Team HQ, followed by a short prep talk, it was then a early nite for all.


Stage 1:The “GAPS” loop; 105 kms PC050066_JPG

Beautiful morning on Saturday, the first of the two-day race weekend.
Well it was until Chris and I couldn’t find any decent coffee or decent coffee shop in the whole of Bright! However, luckily I had brought along my own special ground mixture with a small coffee machine, so the day was saved, after that, we didn’t care what happened! ☺
After accompanying the team to the race start, and a last minute “power get together” with Kid Rock, I left the team to it, and set of on the reverse direction of the race course to wait for them at the water station with their favourite drinks and food.
On the way there, as many may have seen, I used up a box of chalk on the road writing encouragements for the team on the road surface, just like in Tour de France!

At the Tawonga water station it was good to see Tor and Chris coming through with the main C pack, in which they were racing, and able to give them their drinks and fuel.
Nick and Julz were a little way back but doing well, they grabbed their drinks and food and continued on the tail of the second pack, around 7 minutes behind the first pack.

Once all the main packs had passed, I jumped in the team wagon and headed up the mountain to encourage them at the KOM point at the gap.
I missed out on Tor and Chris but was there for Nick & Julz.
Julz was suffering a little on the climb but holding in there like the trooper he is.
The guys motored on over the gap and flew downhill to the end. Meeting up with the guys on the way out of the finish, a couple of them climbed on board for the short ride back to Team HQ


Team Vortex Stage 1 Results:
Chris Geelan: 14th, 3’ 08” 27 (+2’ 24”)PC050105_JPG
Tor Lattimore: 24th, 3’ 09” 24 (+3’ 30”)
Nick Claydon: 76th, 3’ 29” 15 (+23’ 21”)
Julz Carmichael: 78th, 3’ 29” 51 (+23’ 57”)
Happy with the results and efforts, once back to race H.Q and a debrief, I sorted a decent recovery lunch for them and got ready for the afternoons second stage, the TT.


Stage Two: Individual TT 15.7 kmsPC060123_JPG
After warming up on the home trainers near the start of the TT, the guys set of in the order of Tor, Chris, Julz and Nick.
Back in the same order of with Chris excelling, followed by Julz, Nick and Tor.
General feeling between the team was of disappointment in their performances, which they felt a little undepar to their real abilities…


Team Vortex Stage 2 Results: PC060126_JPG
Chris Geelan: 63rd, 25’ 52” (+3’ 36”)
Julz Carmichael: 70th, 26’ 28” (+4’ 11”)
Nick Claydon: 76th, 27’ 13” 15 (+4’ 57”)
Tor Lattimore: 80th, 29’ 01” 24 (+6’ 44”)
Mixed feelings on the results and efforts, however I was personally pleased with Julz being as strong as he was on the TT, especially after experiencing a lot of fatigue from the mornings race.
However, the day ended with all the guys ready to go give it their best shot for the Mt Hotham hill climb third stage…
Back at Team H.Q, bikes were prepped and pimped, food of all sorts was eaten and the guys hit the sack pretty early while I enjoyed a glass of Brights finest micro brews!


PC060136_JPG Stage 3: Mount Hotham climb, 55kms (uphill…)
The last day of the stage race dawned a little wet, but soon cleared up by brekkie time. Getting a quick brew of coffee on the go and getting the guys ready to race the Mt Hotham climb was my priority. Team spirits were good, and after mothering them to make sure that they each ate enough of the right type of food (no easy task for anyone, I sympathise with their mothers/girlfriends/wife…), I set off up the hill to be at the finish with recovery food & drink plus the arm & leg warmers for the descent.

Running out of chalk to encourage the team halfway up Mount Hotham, I continued to the top of Mt Hotham. Wow, a beauty spot, but so damned cold with the wind chill factor, despite the sun and clear blue skies.

PC060143_JPG

After an hour wait, I see Tor coming up over the top crossing the finish line, (the mountain goat that he is!), followed by Chris, and then Julz and Nick not far behind.
Tor found it a great challenge and enjoyed it (in his own way), Chris more or less the same, Julz stated the obvious that is was a hard climb, and Nick came in tongue hanging out, (slowing him down) but happy to have finished the stage race, as were all the team.

PC060151_JPG


The guys put in a great effort on the last stage, just going to do the best they could, (as it was obvious that they were not amongst the contenders for first five places in their grade), but each seeking a personal best effort and experience, overcoming the challenge and difficulty of the three stages that accumulated in their legs.






Team Vortex Stage 3 results:
Tor Lattimore: 21st, 2’ 09” (+4’ 24”)
Chris Geelan: 26th, 2’ 12” (+6’ 45”)
Julz Carmichael: 68th, 2’ 33” (+27’ 51”)
Nick Claydon: 72nd overall, 2’ 35” (+29’ 45”)

PC060156_JPG

Team Vortex General Classment Overall (C GRADE)
Chris Geelan: 26th, 5’ 46” 45 (+10’ 55”)
Tor Lattimore: 29th, 5’ 48” 30 (+12’ 29”)
Julz Carmichael: 73rd, 6’ 29” (+53’ 50”)
Nick Claydon: 74th, 6’ 31” (+55’ 54”)
Out of 81 finishers in C grade I reckon that a big congratulations are due to each team member, and especially to Julz and Nick who dug deep to help out Chris and Tor on stage 1 and 3, without regard to where they finished themselves. That’s great teamwork, and I really respect that, so well done guys.

Tour of Bright wrap up
I don’t know what the guys got up to once they arrived back to race HQ after the last stage, as I had to nick back off to Sydney sharpish due to a busy schedule. I sure hope that they had a few of the great microbrews of Bright, enjoyed a pizza or two together and had a laugh about all the pain they went through.
I had a great weekend with the team, and are sure proud of their efforts, each one of them. Thanks guys!


Checkout the video “Team Vortex: Tour of Bright” by following this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWx2s5OkkS0


Coach J-R

www.vortexperformancesports.com

The 1' 03" ChiRun

1' 03"... This may not represent much to anyone, but it does in fact represent the personal best (PB) of Anne Gacquerelle in her first ever road race; The Sydney Bridge and Soul race.
Anne has never run in road races, and before starting training six weeks ago, she never ever run more than 3 kms or so... So when she chose this 9km race as her first event, just over 6 weeks ago, she seriously started training for it. Twice a week ChiRunning sessions accompanied by myself, correcting her on the run and finding different focuses so that she could ChiRun with ease the whole 9kms of the road race.
That, along with a weekly 40 minute run that she completed by herself every week, Anne soon became more and more at ease with the ChiRunning technique, as well as her ability to hold a faster pace for the same effort level, whilst at the same time, improving her fitness levels.
Race day, as planned, I ran the race with her, by her side to coach her through the race, encouraging her in her technique and to hold the goal pace of an average of 7.15min/km.
Placing ourselves at the 1 hour mark at the start line,it was with no nerves or fear that Anne lined up, ready to go.

A beautiful Sunday morning in Sydney, with the Qantas A380 flying low overhead as it landed into Sydney International on it's maiden flight, being delivered from Blangnac, Toulouse.
Any clouds soon disappeared and at 8.30am, the bridge run was underway. With a three minute "shuffle" to the timing mats.
Once out on the beautiful Sydney Harbour bridge, the sun was out, the clouds gone and the "crowds" of runners (and walkers) soon dispersed, allowing Anne (and everyone else) to get into their own pace.

It was a fun experience for Anne, and myself in fact as well, as this was the first time that I had coached someone on the run, in an actual race just like Lance has in his Marathons!

For those that aren't familiar with ChiRunning, it is all about running energy efficient which in turn helps you run injury free, in both the long and short, and immediate term.
In the first few kms, I noticed many runners running hard, and in all sorts of strange running techniques, that were anything but energy efficient, let alone injury free!
And many of those that i saw bolt off at what I guess was more than their fitness allowed, or their lack of running technique would comfortably allow, well we passed on by later on down the road, cramped up, or seeking medical help, not to mention many slowing right down or stopping altogether!

Back to Anne.. So during the race, Anne held on to her pace that we had designated throughout the race, and very comfortably so. No hurts, no pain, no complaining.
As we enjoyed the race, the views and the moment, it became very clear that by running efficiently, with great technique as the ChiRunning affords, that anyone who takes the time to learn ChiRunning, whatever their level, can run comfortably, easily, efficiently and enjoy the whole process. I was very impressed with her ease of ChiRunning and ability to hold her pace and technique...

The ease with which she ran really confirmed my belief and experience that only ChiRunning allows this ease of running...(I knew from my own experience of ChiRunning, but this was really the first time that i was so close to seeing someone else really benefit in a race from ChiRunning), from experience and from what I saw this morning, that traditional running doesn't allow this... And for a debutant ChiRunner with no running experience at all to finish easily, with no pain, no soreness her first ever 9km road race in
1' 03" is a testimony to this...
Anne is now looking for her next run challenge, so do come back soon and see what that may be! In the mean time, congratulations to Anne and her inaugral road race in 1' 03"

Nike Free running review

Nike Free 5.0 and Nike Free Everyday review:
I was fortunate to be asked to try out the Nike 5.0 and the Nike Free Everyday running shoes. Mike from Nike, the Australian Nike guy that represents Nike in Australia is a genuine guy. Meeting up with him, we discussed ChiRunning, and other ways of running so that he could get to understand the ChiRunning concept. Whilst awaiting that he comes and joins in on a ChiRunning workshop that I invited him to (so that he could actually experience the ChiRunning effect), he asked me to try out a couple of pair of Nike shoes. Now my very first pair of “modern” running shoes back in 1980 were Nike Pegasus (much different from the same model of today) and I loved ‘em. However, to be honest, over the years my love affair with Nike waned, until now…

Nike Free Everyday: Now these pair of shoes are ultra light, soooooo very flexible and without any extra fancy padding and support, and you know what, they are comfortable, even for a guy that has wide boat feet like myself.
Now as someone that prefers running barefoot (when I can and my soft feet allow me to!) or in Vibram fives, I must say that although the Nike Free Everyday don’t measure in the same league as the Vibrams, they are good, comfortable and lightweight shoes. They have the “right” amount of support without it being to much or too little, are flexible, so that your foot feels at ease in them, and very, very light, without any disadvantage that is usually associated with light weight shoes and are great for any distance for anyone. And for those that like gizmo’s, well they come equipped ready to insert the great Nike running pod!
Definelty a pair of running shoes that i would reccomend!

Nike Free 5.0: Ok, so i will go out on a limb here... If Nike made these shoes in a extra wide size, then i would definelty be able to really try them out! Hey Nike, we don’t all have thin Cinderella feet you know!!!!
So what happened here was that in picking up and looking at the Nike Free 5.0, i thought “Wow! A extra-ultra light pair of running shoes that are flexible” ( you can fold them in two, no worries). The Nike Free 5.0 has no unnecessary support, or padding (ideal for ChiRunning...), are well made, and look the part. I say look the part, as when i put them on, my wide boat size feet, were screaming out to be released!
However, i insisted, and went for a quick run round Centennial Park with them on (no socks to make more room for my feet!) Other than the fact that they were not wide enough, i still had the impression that these Nike Free 5.0 were a great runninng shoe.
Despite my feet being squashed inside, i did notice that these Nike Free 5.0 are comfortable, shaped to the foot (As long as youdon’t have my feet!)
Now as you know, when ChiRunning you don’t heel down or push off, as you can come down on mid foot. A lot of brand running shoes you feel “transported” to roll to the front due to the high heel and “support” (which is no support, it just is a marketing gimmick!) However in the short time i ran with these, just as with the Nike Free Everyday shoes, there was a total absence of that feeling, and your feet don’t feel clumsy in them at all.

I can’t really recommend these Nike Free 5.0 , as i haven't done more than 3.5 kms in them, but i do believe that, for the slender footed reading this, that these are definetley worth looking at! Try them out and see!

Catching up on time gone by...

Hi Everyone
Wow, over a month gone by since my last blog and now we are halfway into 2008, time really does fly by...
Thing is, the difference in between watch time going by (or waiting for time to go by) and not seeing time going by is a remarkable contrary perception of using ones time. But actually catching up on time gone by i do not think is really possible...

So over the next few days i will be adding some blogs to catch you all up with what's been going on with some very interesting experiences...
A tout a l'heure...