Monday, March 17, 2014

Melbourne Summer



The past few weeks in Melbourne has been buzzing with sport with the Moomba Festival of Skiing and Wake boarding followed by last weekends Formula 1 Grand Prix of racing held around Albert Park. This weekend sees the 3rd running of the Asia-Pacific Championships - Ironman Melbourne. The St Kilda area is being transformed into the Ironman Village and athletes are beginning to roll into town from all around the world. It is an amazing event and one that I am glad to be hands on and apart of although I would still rather be racing.

With the Formula 1 Grand Prix in town the chance arose to spend some time swim, riding and running with a passionate and avid triathlete in Mclaren driver Jenson Button (3rd in the Australian GP). The boy is fast on 4 wheels but I must say he holds more than his own on 2 wheels. It always amazes me how sport brings people together and deep down no matter the sport athletes are driven by the same motivations and love of it.

LB

Monday, March 10, 2014

It has been an amazing summer and the past week it has been nice to get back out on the ocean and ditch the swim for a paddle. Nothing like a little cross training. 

Swimming and cycling has been going well since the knee surgery and today was a nervous and anticipated jog to test it out. That first run back is always a scary one as with every step comes scrutiny and assessment of every step. BUT it was nice to end it on a positive! 

Melbourne has been a buzz, and will be for the next few weeks. Moomba Festival is in full swing and lights up the city with parades, activities and the main attraction of the Moomba Masters water skiing and wake boarding. Next week rolls into full 'gas' with the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix racing followed the following week by the Asia-Pacific Ironman Championships. In short these are 3 major international events that attack a world focus right here on my home city (voted twice 'best city to live in') Melbourne. 

There is nothing like getting out and amongst all the energy!
Luke 

 

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Season 2014

Time flies and I must say it was nice to have a relaxing Christmas split between home in Melbourne and Adelaide with family. Summer has been fantastic so far and we have been very spoiled with the weather which makes for easy training... well easy to get out the door. I guess that is the benefit of living summer to summer is 90% of the time you are always happy to wake up and get out the door.

The other nice thing about Melbourne is there is no short of cycling buddies, with friends like Greg Henderson (Lotto-Belisol), Koan De Kort (Giant-Shimano) and Simon Gerrans (Orica GreenEdge) I am always assured to be short of breath.

The first part of the year has been about getting miles done and having a nice solid block of training. This was somewhat interrupted due to a knee scope and clean out as a result of an incident with a media motorbike during the cycle leg of Ironman Western Australia at the end of 2013. With that now out of the way it is nice to be back into the full swing of things.

With the interruption of the scope the focus shifted from Ironman Melbourne to defending my title at Ironman Australia in May before heading back to San Diego via Hawaii 70.3 to begin the US season.

Along with the training it is always nice to do articles and extra media things that pop up, but more on that later....

remember do what you love and love what you do.
Luke