Keegan Williams's Blog

So, this last weekend I lined up at IMNZ for my second IM distance race of the season.

Race week went well with no dramas. I got the new Blue Seventy Helix suit on Wednesday and had a couple of short swims prior to race day, it has super thin arms and extra flexible arms so I really liked it from the first swim.

Friday was spent watching about 3 movies, doing a tiny bit of exerise to stay moving and racking the bike.

Next thing I know its Saturday morning, and we are all lined up in the lake, getting ready for the start cannon. I had quite a good start and got into a nice little group and we rolled down the lake. The orgainsers had numbered all the bouys down the swim course so you could see how far you had swim. I thought the numbers must of corresponded to the number of meters swam, so I got a nice suprise after bouy 12 i think when we hit the turn bouy at the near half way mark of the swim. I exited the water in a few seconds over 50min so a solid swim for me.

Onto the bike, the first 20k I always struggle and this race was no different, It always seems to take me a while to find the legs. After about 20k I formed a group with 3 others and we rode together down to the turn around. My spare tubular decided to unravel from my rear drink bottle cage, I had rode with it in training for about 6hrs so not sure why it decided to come loose. With no rear pockets, the only place to hold it was down the front of my shirt.

 I was quite suprised to see Terrenzo leading, then a gap back to Kerin and Cameron after the turn around. I thought he must be on some good legs. Just after the turn around James Bowstead came roaring past on a mission, I tried to hang with him, but only lasted about 20k, he was tearing up the road, and I was destroying my legs to try and stay there. So after that he had completely shelled my group and I rode the rest of the ride solo. The last lap was a struggle, the wind got up I just tried to limit the damage to the front and hoped I could pick up some casulties on the run. My lap times where about 10min difference so not the best pacing!

Come into transition in 5th, get my shoes on and realise I hadn’t put my running shorts on, no probs I managed to stretch the shorts over my shoes. Out onto the run and the legs didnt feel that great, so I just settled into a rythum I thought I could hold for the marathon, I was watching my k splits and I was ticking out between 4min-4min20 depending on the wind direction and hilly bits. Not great but the best i could do on the day. I picked up James at the 7k mark who was probably feeling the big effort he put in on the bike, and was hoping for some big fade at the front. Unfortunatly it didnt happen, but  I paced pretty well with the last 21k about 90sec slower and enjoyed the last 3k with the big Taupo crowd. I came across the line in 4th place and 2nd fastest run time. 

Overall, a good day for me, Cameron again displayed his dominance, now I know I have to find 15min to be mixing it with the big boys. So time for some hard training over winter to fix up my weaknesses.

Thanks to all the team sponsors, all the competitors in Taupo, the spectators and the volunteers. And a special thanks to my good mate Gog and Family, who let us stay with them at their family holiday house in Taupo.

Me running

Well, I am counting down to IMNZ, over a week and a bit it will be all on.
IMNZ in Taupo was my first ever Ironman back in 2007, I also competed in my first half ironman in Taupo a few months prior in 2006. I felt good on that first IM race, everything was really comfy until about 10k into the run, then I started to bonk bad. So the next 10k I was stopping at every aid station, getting as much coke as possbile, all the guys that I had run past had came back past me . But then I started to come right and got moving again and made my way upto 10th overall by the finish. I am pretty lucky I stayed there as I was enjoying the last ks and didnt realise #11 was close, very close infact, at the finish line I think I had about 3 sec on him, and we both got the same finish line photo! I was wondering after what all the yelling was about from some people…

So I ended up with a 9.11 so should hopefully get a big PB in 2010. The field has a strong Kiwi Line up with Cameron Brown, Terrenzo Bozzone and Kerin Doe all on the start line.

Photo below is from the swim exit in that first race

Ok, this blog is for all the clucky girls……..                                                                                                                                                                                

Dont worry Doc, the story won’t end with me saying Tracy is pregant. A couple of days ago I became a uncle for the first time. My big brother Emlyn and his wife Helen had a little boy called Heath.

Now Helen is a bit crazy, she entered Challenge Copanhagen for later this year, not sure if she realised she would have a little one to look after then :) 

Good work big brother

A couple of photos below

This month in NZ is Bike Wise Challenge, which bascially means companies and work places go Head to Head to try and ride the most kilometers. It is all about to improve peoples lifestyles and get them riding bikes.

At my firm www.cpg-global.com we have weekly spot prizes and a overall section for most ks biked and interoffice competitions, I am going to be most dissapointed if I dont take it out!. I am not sure if there are any cyclists in our other offices that might be ramping up a few kilometers, but will find out soon.

So if you want to know how many ks I am riding in preparation for IMNZ check out http://www.bikewisechallenge.co.nz/people/view/21890-keegan-williamsfollowing

Well, I have been getting a bit of shit about my hair lately, old friends that I havent seen for awhile think I have dyed it blond, the old guys at the pool are wondering if I am saving it up for old age. My mum says get rid of it and Tracy says no comment - not sure what that means????

I definelty havent dyed it, the outside pool and chlorine turns it blond in the summer

Time for me to give the full account

 - Swim, in a cold cold lake, started off well and got on to Brian Fullers feet who led the swim out, but dropped off after 400m or so, Gina and a few others came up beside and we swam the two laps together. I was glad there was someother athletes around as i made the mistake of wearing clear goggles and couldnt see much at all for the swim leg back into the sun.

- Onto the bike, and the first 40k section is a out and back, so it gives you the only chance in the ride to see where the competition is. At the turnaround Brian was extending his lead and I thought he must have really good legs or on a suicide mission, thankfully he slowed down later on. I rode to the 60k mark by myself and Richard Ussher and Pete V rolled up beside me. We continued together until the 140k mark when Richard split us all up and I finished the ride about 2min down with Pete a further 2min back. Unfortunately I made some errors at the aid stations and didnt get what I wanted and needed, which ended up costing me later on. Next race im taking extra supplies of everything. The legs felt good during the ride, much better than the year before.

-Run, after I had fumbled around in transition I got out into the run course. I tried to get as much coke down as soon as possible, but was feeling pretty bonky straight away so I knew it was going to be a long day. The ks came and went and after been in 2nd until the 30k mark, Justin Daerr came past in a reversal of last yr I had nothing left in the tank and rolled to the finish with a 2.55 run. The finish line kids gave me a hell of a fright again, they run with ballons behind you for the last 200m or so, for a split second I thought there was someone passing me!, but I had a gap of 20 or so minutes to forth

So a much improved race from my last IM where Bella chicked me, and now I have IMNZ to look forward at the start of March.

Some photos of the day below

SWIM START

GUESS WHERE I RODE DOWN THIS ROAD

NEAR TURNAROUND IN TOWN

SUNBURN

ME RECOVERING FAST IN MY COMPRESSPORT GEAR

Just a few details on my race, will post a full report soon.
Ended up 3rd behind Justin Daer and Richard Ussher, had a solid day. So I have got a 5th,3rd and 2nd here know, next yr must be time for number 1.
some interesting facts
- the water was cold - 13.7degree
- Peter V has finished 1 place behind me everytime i have raced here (3yrs)
- The Wanaka sun is stronger than Up North, I got a bit fried

Well time for a little exercise to loosen the legs

Normally cricket is about as fun as watching paint dry, but I have found out in the last few days that it can actually be pretty fun. Tracy’s little sibbling’s have been staying for a few days and brought their PS3 with them including Ashes Cricket. Manny and James have seen me get a little addicted to Fifa2008 and I am afraid the same has happened again.  Its probably a good thing as instead of thinking about triathlon, I am wondering when I am going to smash my next six or bowl a yorker….

And the training is coming along well, enjoying the sunshine and outdoor pool, I do feel sorry for all the people stuck in the snow

K

Today I had a little hit out at the Surfbreaker triathlon in Mount Maunganui, a sprint distance race with a surf swim, 1 lap bike and a run which takes in some soft sand for the last 400m. Today was the 25th year of the event and the orgainsers put together a very good booklet on its history. This event has had some big name New Zealand athletes on the result sheet, such as Bevan Docherty, Hamish Carter, Rick Wells, Cameron Brown and even our super cyclist Julian Dean who rides for Garmin.
Well my race went ok, struggled to get going in the swim and lost a bit of time trying my best to be a surf livesafer and run through the water. Then came the bike, which seemed to just be getting started and then it was over. I ran ok and ran through a few guys to make it up to 5th about 2min down I think on the winner. I then had the added bonus of a quick 90min run straight after as I missed my long run yesterday Next up for me is Challenge Wanaka in 3 weeks, so a couple more weeks to get even fitter and stronger…..
K

This past saturday I got to go down to Taupo to do the Taupo half Ironman. I have been looking forward to doing this race for a while as this would be my forth time competing at the race, and I was wanting to do a big PB. The weather conditions werent exactly the best, strong winds and rain and my bike handling skills.

The swim went ok, got dropped by 2nd place after loosing concentration and then swam into the finish with two others. I was quite suprised when i got to transition, as I knew number 1 was a Bejing Olympian from France and his bike was still in the rack! must be in NZ on holiday… So that was a good start to the day

Out on the bike and after about 10k there is a small out and back section to make up the k’s. On the way back down there is a T intersection which didnt seem to like me The road was a bit slippery and wet and I was obviously going to fast as half was through the turn, my wheels slipped from underneath me, and I ended up sliding across the road and eating the grass in the ditch on the other side.

I got up, found my ditched drink bottle, re adjusted the handlebars and got going again. The knee, hip and elbows where all starting to burn as I got going, but after 10min or so they didnt seem to hurt to much. I rode past a few guys that had overtaken me and ended up coming of the bike in second about 4min down to winner Duncan.

I started the run pretty positive, but the knee was aching so I decided after the first lap to call it a day. So a bit dissapointing, but Im sure it did me some good for Challenge Wanaka in 5 weeks time

1st place to Duncan Milne

2nd Brodie Madgwick

3rd Blair Jordan

Me in Transition

#2 Brodie Madgwick the Animal

My sore Knee

Tough guy volunteer - Thanks!