NEXT EVENT:

Ironman 70.3 Japan

Challenge Roth - Germany

Here is just a quick re cap for those of you that were interested in how my race went at Challenge Taiwan full distance. Swim - It was a non wetsuit swim for us as water temps were 24-25C (age group could still wear suits, mainly for safety reasons in Asia) I treated it like a 70.3 swim to hang onto Dylan McNiece who is on exceptional swimmers in our sport (Has led the Hawaii IM out of water) - time 48min.

 Bike - smooth roads and a rolling hilly course along the coast, actually a very nice bike course Dylan and I wanted to keep pace high as #1 we raced last weekend or 6 days ago actually (Challenge Melb half...not ideal but part of a "package" with Challenge) and knew fatigue would set in later no matter what #2 we wanted to hold off the "king of asian racing" Freddie Cronenberg. It rained a little during bike so although there was cloud cover the humidity was quite high, still air temps around 30C... not good coming from Melbourne.
Bike times:
Through 90km - 2.08
180k - 4.20 (wind picked up on second lap)

 Run - Dylan and I ran together for 20km at a steady clip (on track for a 2.55-57 marathon) that we thought was comfortable and manageable in the 'warm, humid' Taiwan conditions.... not record setting but it didn't need to be. However, and I think mainly just due to fatigue (2 races 6 days + travel) I cramped up in left adductors..This has happened a few times before. From there it was trying to manage cramps home so made for a little longer back end of marathon and quite a few stops to stretch it out... humidity didn't help either with incased sweat rates. Anyway Freddie caught me at 32km and I slipped to 3rd where I stayed. Time - blew out to 3.12 (not ideal but best of a bad scenario)

 Lesson from race!
- Back to back races in hard/painful!! or a Half and a Full in 6 days in 2 different countries.
 - The swim is in a man made lake or more like a 1.3km long swimming pool.... water is filled by a fresh spring so clean, see the bottom all the way as 2.5m deep. Amazing.
 - Course was fantastic swim bike and run were all quite nice interesting and never boring.
 - People here are crazy and lover the sport. Over the weekend there are 4k+ athletes racing as there is a Full, Half (Saturday) Olympic and Kids race (300 kids) Sunday,
 - I did see some people riding in Crocs with pedals on $10k bikes
 - I did see some people running in rubber thongs with socks.
- The aid station that I thought had coke on it ended up being Ice Tea!
 - I may now have eaten my weight in Dumplings.....

 Thanks for all the well wishes, It was a blast. Luke

                  .........RIDING bike, RUNNING after dreams and helping people achieve goals.

    www.trivelocoaching.com.au

UP COMING RACES: Challenge Melbourne Half - 1.9km / 90km / 21km

                                      Challenge Taiwan Full - 3.8km / 180km / 42km

2018 a new year, a new beginning, a new baby girl Harriet for Matilda to be a "big sister" to and..... time to put the University studies and 16+ years of racing professionally and learning from some of the best minds in the sport of triathlon to good use. I am excited to join the Gerard Donnally and the staff at TriVelo coaching and share everything that I have learned and also to keep on learning, adapting and evolving.

                www.trivelocoaching.com.au

   ..............Riding towards a new year and new adventures...........                            Photo:Koruptvision

It is that time of year to switch off relax and hang out with the family. 2017 has had a little bit of everything but always enjoyable!

2017 "highlights" package
3rd - Challenge Wanaka, New Zealand (Full Distance)
2nd -Challenge Thailand
4th - Ironman 70.3 Qujing, China
3rd -Challenge Shepparton, Australia
-----
* Ironman Cairns - fractured ribs at swim start.
* Ironman Busselton - "fractured" bike thanks to Virgin Airlines.

Challenge Wanaka Iron Distance

Video clip/ race recap from 3rd place at Challenge Wanaka. If you want to visit an amazing place in NZ go check it out!

https://vimeo.com/207766622

Welcome to 2017..

With one week locked away already the year has gotten off to a fun start.

Last weekend was spent down in Lorne Victoria hanging out at the "Pier to Pub" swim event with 5000+ other swimmers. It is always a great weekend away with the family and Lucy was able to notch up #20 (Double Shark Bait) with her father.

This weekend sees us head down to the "2 Bays trail run" which I am very much looking forward to after so many people have mentioned how stunning the course is. Last years event was put on hold with a fractured pelvis from a bike accident.

http://www.twobaystrailrun.com

All these events are fun and in preparation for Challenge Wanaka in New Zealand on February 18th. The full Iron distance event is run in and around the Wanaka region well know for its surroundings.

http://www.challenge-wanaka.com

Always be active.
Luke

Ironman 70.3 Ballarat - Race ambassador.

Rounding out the year is always nice at an event and town where things all began for myself. As a teenager and giving triathlon a 'go' Ballarat was one of the first events with fond memories so it is nice to get back there and help bring triathlon and Ballarat to the Ironman World.

This year Ironman and myself are looking at doing a "FaceLive" feed leading into the event so you can see the 'goings on' pre and post event. I guess it will allow you a little insight as to how the professionals go about things.

See below the ling to the Ironman event race site for all details.
http://ap.ironman.com/triathlon/events/asiapac/ironman-70.3/ballarat.aspx#axzz4QPwJxTcX

 

The run leg taking in the "Steve Moneghetti" track.

Challenge Shepparton Half

Please see a quick link below from Challenge Shepparton from over the weekend where I assisted with "Facebook Live" updates of the race. It was a little bit of fun and very well received by the public.

Along with this I was in and out of commentary throughout the day. As I was unable to defend my title it was nice to still be out there and involved cheering everyone on. Scroll through and you will see all of the updates and comments through the race!

https://www.facebook.com/challengesheppartontriathlon/?__xt__=33.%7B%22logging_data%22%3A%7B%22profile_id%22%3A283639585129366%2C%22event_type%22%3A%22clicked_view_profile%22%2C%22impression_info%22%3A%22eyJmIjp7Iml0ZW1fY291bnQiOiIwIn19%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22www_events_permalink%22%2C%22interacted_story_type%22%3A%22540610469432174%22%2C%22session_id%22%3A%22dc199c6ec4e8e5da195f44165eaef1d1%22%7D%7D

 Best Luke.

NEXT EVENT

Challenge Vietnam followed by Challenge Jeju South Korea Half distance races. Looking forward to these 2 events. Ticking boxes warm, sunny and in parts of the world that we have never been to.

Please see link below for Challenge Vietnam
http://www.challenge-family.com/challenge-vietnam/

Also check out link below for Challenge Jeju
http://www.challenge-family.com/challenge-jeju/

...meanwhile I will continue training away in "Sunny San Diego".......

Ironman Oz

Hello,

Just a quick update post Ironman Australia Port Macquarie. Unfortunately I due to a substantial cut in my front tyre at the 130km mark while in 2nd position (group) with one person up ahead, I had to withdraw from the race. (Please see photo attached for pic of slash in tyre - I could also not be angry for long when Matilda walked over that night with my helmet on... perspective!).

As a recap once I obtained the cut tyre I instantly spotted the sealant (used to block/clog any small holes) so I quickly put in my CO2 cartridge hoping to be back and rolling in no time.... however all the air just blew out the side and I quickly found out the size of the gash. From there I quickly changed my spare however with no air to inflate it. I was also still quite a distance away (apx 5km) from the "mechanical zone" points which are used at Ironman Port Macquarie. In short I got some air to put in my tyre about 25mins later and was back rolling.

At this point I was well off the pace but was keen to do a solid marathon to burn off some frustration and try and peg back as many guys as possible. However word from the coach was to be "smart" and save it for Ironman Cairns, The Asia Pacific Championships (Ironman Championship event) in 6wks time rather than bust the body for the sake of burning some frustration.

After the normal roll of emotions of anger, frustration, disappointment, acceptance it was time to move on and get back into the swing of things. The positives were the body felt great. I had great swim to put me in a nice position on the bike and was riding/racing smart. At the point of the flat I had only averaged 142hr and 251w... all smiles. (3.4w/kg - quite low, most events are around the 3.8-4w/kg range).

Port Macquarie Ironman Australia is always a fantastic event and one close to heart. Ironman Australia was my first ever Ironman, I have placed 1st and 2nd there. It was great to see another successful event completed there. The atmosphere is always electric.

Thanks to everyone for their help, support and kind words. Things were looking the goods! Lets carry it onto the Asia Pacific Championships in Cairns.

Best Luke.

Comfort, Style and Speed.

Visit the link below and it will run you through the gear that I will be using during the cycle leg of all my events this year. There is some nice new and some improved products all designed for comfort and speed. 

https://vimeo.com/163969139

"Hot Wheels...."

For those interested please visit the link below that will run you through my "race" bike for 2016. The new and improved Giant Trinity TT. Enjoy.

https://vimeo.com/163814877?utm_source=email&utm_medium=vimeo-cliptranscode-201504&utm_campaign=28749

Everyone enjoys "taper time" and I must say I am no different. With Ironman Australia, Port Macquarie just under two weeks away it is always satisfying to sit back and reflect on all the hard work, fun times and great training sessions that have been completed. Ironman is far from an individual sport and it is the people around you that help you get to that start line with a smile on the face, and ready to, as my friend Brett Stephens always tells me, "give your best effort"! Brett spent 6 years working with Professional Tennis play Pete Sampras... Hey if Pete Sampras lives by the rules of "best effort" every time he walked out on court then it is good enough for me lining up at Ironman. 2016 definitely started out a little different than I had expected with a small bike crash January 4th, while actually on a recovery ride that resulted in a fractured pelvis. With the great help and it diagnosed early we were able to manage the training and keep the early season goals of Ironman Australian and the Asia Pacific Championships in Cairns. Although the little hiccup of not abiding by my rule of "keeping the rubber side down" the build has gone as good as I could have hope for considering all things, so I will be on the start line on May 1st and worrying about the only 2 things that matters... myself and getting to the finish line as fast as possible!

    Ballarat Running - Photo Delly Carr

Next up IRONMAN Ballarat 70.3

Challenge Family Shepparton Half 2015

It has been a while since racing in Shepparton however I have fond memories of holding the course record on the previous track. The event now is conducted in the heart of Shepparton drawing on the towns support of sporting events.

Race day temperature was as close to ideal as you could ask for, a little chilly to start with, however perfect for racing once you got going. My plan was to take advantage of the strong swimmers Sam Betten, Nick Kastelein (Jan Frodeno's training partner), Mike Phillips and Matt Pellow both from New Zealand, sitting on their feet and trying to keep the heart rate low so that once on the bike I could take advantage of the gusty conditions.

After the five of us exited the lake in just over 23 minutes it was onto the bike. I took the first 5km to settle myself down and get comfortable before turning into the block head wind and surging to the front. For the next 20km I put my head down and focused on holding pace until the first turn around where I was surprised to see that I had already build a 2 minute lead. The remainder of the 90km bike leg I concentrated on keeping things strong. Riding a 2.06 for the 90km and obtaining a new 20min peak power output for a race scenario at the beginning. Happy days.


Dismounting the bike at T2 and onto the 3 lap 21km run my lead had built to 6-7minutes. I just wanted a smooth, steady run and to keep things in control and let the guys battle it out behind. Finding my legs straight away and settling into a steady tempo it was nice to enjoy the spectacular run course which covers bushland, park and lake taking in the support from athletes, family and friends eventually crossing the finish line in 3.51. Sam Betten edged out Nick Kastelein in the final 1km to take 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Challenge Shepparton Half was a fantastic event and I have always had fond memories of racing in the area. A race as good as any and one that I would recommend to anyone.                                                         Best Luke Bell.

                                                                   

Melbourne has turned it on for our arrival back. The summer has started early and it sure does make it easier to get out the door. 

As soon as I arrived back I have been consulting various medical practitioners and nutrition specialists to investigate what may have contributed to the severe dehydration that ended my day in Kona. For those that do not know the day ended being loaded onto a stretcher at T2 with a blood pressure of 80/40 and 3x 1L IV bags. After 3hrs in medical and the IV’s I still came in 2.5 pounds under morning race weight. The medical staff in Kona were excellent and I can't thank them enough in assisting my recovery, I had none other than the well known AFL (Australian Football League) doctor Peter Larkin literally pick me up off the pavement at T2.

Moving forward we are back into the swing of things as there is still some racing to do in the Asia-Pacific region to round out the year starting with Ironman Mandurah 70.3. It is always a fast race and will be good to go at it with Terenzo Bozzone and a few of the European boys out for the summer. Last year we rolled around under the course record chasing Michi Raelert pre his big Challenge Bahrain win. 

On another front I have been welcomed to be a part of the Penrith Triathlon Clup (PTC). PCT is the largest triathlon club in Australia and has some of the strongest age groupers getting around, each year taking out the club championships at Ironman Australia in dominant form. It will be great to work with these guys as they have a great balance of Triathlon and life getting the most out of every aspect. 

http://www.pantherstriclub.com.au

Along with working with PTC I will also continue to work with Ironman here in the Asia-Pacific region racing, promoting and getting young, old and new people involved in triathlon and an active healthy lifestyle. I have always been a believer of “Life long activity”. 

It is a busy few months to end the year and to start 2016. I love being involved in our sport so would not want it any other way. The 2016 race schedule is starting to take shape so once it is all sorted I will be sure to let you know. 

For now I will keep you all posted on the races and activities to round out the year. 

Best 

Luke 

With a quick stop off in Melbourne (quick as temps were 2 degree C/35F ) to see the family and for Lucy to spend some time at home with Matilda I was off to the Gold Coast to finish off those long hard miles that everyone posts about leading into Kona. Only a stones throw away now as the days tick by.

Being on the Gold Coast and Mooloolaba only a 2hr drive away (also being the 2016 70.3 WC course) I decided to break up the training with a weekend away with friends for a hit out. It was never going to be pretty with no rest and in hindsight I should have realized that lead in races never fare well for me.

The course is spectacular and with an ocean swim and add in some waves, it made for a more enjoyable and interesting swim than the standard races.  From the gun I was on the rivet to hang onto the lead guys setting the pace and things did not change from there. Onto the bike and the body decided not to turn up to play. The high end threshold rev limiter exploded soon after T1 and as we rolled onto the motor way hitting speeds of 55-60km/hr and I watch the guys disappear up the the road.  Tim Berkel, Terenzo Bozzone and Luke Mckenzie had a close and cracking race for the podium positions.  These boys had turned up to race while I had chosen to keep things rolling in the build to next month. It is always hard to predict where and what your competitors are doing one month out from Kona.

This past week involved a few days easy recovery before getting back into the final 10 day block before resting to absorb all the hard work.  To give you an idea of what things have looked like, the past few weeks have included some long rides ~200k (124 miles), some solid riding behind the motor bike pacing at 45-50k (~30 m/hr) to deal with the top end speeds and descent from Hawi, Some LSD runs to harden the legs along with solid tempo sets. There are 50m pools and squads a plenty up here on the Gold Coast so there is never a shortage of surf swimmers to keep you honest and kick your butt in the pool.

All in all, things have gone well, training has been hard but enjoyable and the time up here has been productive. Today it was nice to head down to Byron Bay to catch up with a few of the boys (Tim Berkel – 7^th Kona 2014, Tim Reed – multiple 70.3 Champion and Clayton Fettell) for a long run through the forest and looking for whales! Laughs a plenty, what it is all about.

From here it is wrapping things up and trying to live by my 3 simple rules. Be consistent, don’t get sick and don’t get injured. Lucy, Matilda and myself look forward to getting on the plane and getting to the sun, sand and surf of Hawaii.

Luke J