New Bike.......the Triad SL

August update..

Its 28 days until |ronman Canada, nothing much to report apart training, training & training.

I've been in Kelowna over a month, staying at my folks in Lower Mission. My father is Canadian & my parents moved out here 5 years ago now.

Although cool here today (BC day), he temperature has been breaking the mercury point of late, riding mountain climbs to likes of Silver Star, Chrystal & Big White ski centres has been good character building & heat acclimation If any else.

The H20 centre, Pinnacle sports gym & physio are about a mile down the road so Im well situated for facilities. I've been hooking up with James Fry for some bike session regularly & also met the Wurtles (Trevor & Heathrer) this past week for a long run on the KVR railway. 
I've also been tying in with Okanagon Masters twice a week & also with Dave Kirks Brick workout at the Apple track once a week.
Powerbar Canada, Neovite & Computrainer have also supported me with  nutritional energy gels & recovery powder. and I have the computrainer set up  to allow me some specific power zone session's in my daily shedule. I've been made very welcome here.

The Pro start list looks to stiff with local talent, past Champions & multi Ironman winners - its gonna be tough

July 20th update..

This past weekend I entered a couple of races near Kelowna, firstly the across Lake swim in the Okanogan Lake & then the BC triathlon champs the day after (The Peach Classic, Penticton).

The Open water swim was fun with over 400 starters with some fast club & national swimmers racing.
The swim was enjoyable, maybe I started too fast felt affixiated early on but had a second wind at 1/2 way & bridged up 3rd & 4th placed finisher but as we rallied in the finish the sharpness wasn't there to ramp up the final 100m dash. I guessed i would swim about 23 mins something & I did, so happy enough but 5-7% off race fitness ill be at next month

http://www.acrossthelakeswim.com/results

The triathlon I didn't know about until chatting to triathlete friends after the lake swim. I figured stretching the legs under race scenario would be a break from the riggers of training & a chance try out some nutrition strategies under race conditions. A phone call in the afternoon I had my entry in.

The swim was pretty physical for the 600m, more so than Im used to but at the turn around point the chop & blinding sun calmed things down & I managed to get into a break with the eventual 1st & 2nd placed finishers & first group out of the water.

Onto the bike I was 2nd then went into the lead after the 1st km . Initially it was flat & fast in a small out & back section in town before embarking a series of lumpy rollers along the lake - very much a strength bike course, which i like & made a significant gap to 1st leader eventual winner.
I guess being a newbie on the course didn't help & i missed of 2nd turn around point (I thought there were only 2 but there were 3) & went well by with the 2 marshals not communicating anything to me even as I went by them.
I overshot for about 2-300m when a by stander told me to turn round at which point my chain came off as i turned. I had to stop & untangle the chain before get back going again.
From there I was in chase again & pushing in another hard effort & got to about 40 secs or so to the front 2 at the 1/2 way point.
I could visually still see them in the steeper sections & still in the race.
When i came back into town I had the mis fortune of another missed turn & entered in T2 after my correction in 4th place loosing further time.
Onto the 2 lap 10k run I pushed the first 3k to get into 3rd place again & settled into a decent pace to the finish.  Although disappointed I didn't have a race i wanted it gave me chance to swim part of the IMC course & get feel for the environment to expect next month. I guess ill have come another year to win the Classic.


http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2010/multi/PeachClassic2010Olympic.html

http://www.tri247.com/article_7251_Home+Nations+Iron+Distance+Records+%5BUPDATED%5D.html?region_id=&category=

 

 

2011 IRONMAN PROFESSIONAL PRIZE MONEY &
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING RULES - FINAL
With Comments for pro athletes

Introduction

The following rules and policies are final and will be applied during the 2011 qualifying season beginning with races after September 1, 2010.  WTC thanks those who submitted their personal input. This has been a challenging process with many considerations (such as existing venue and sponsorship contracts) playing a role that may not be apparent to those outside our offices. The comments and ideas received were for the most part constructive and supportive.

We believe that these rule and policy changes are equitable and will provide a platform for the pro aspect of Ironman racing to grow and develop.  We also recognize that some fine-tuning may be required after a full year's experience with these rules and policies. We continue to welcome the further comments of our pro members and expect to announce any modifications about this time next year.

Please note that in response to the weight of comments received, several changes were made to the draft that was circulated to our pro membership. Note also the comments below explaining why changes were/were not made to certain rules and policies.


I.              WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING

Pro Qualifying Program - Ford Ironman World Championship

Definitions

"Kona Qualifying" means qualification to the Ford Ironman World Championship held in Kona, Hawaii each year.

"Kona" means the Ford Ironman World Championship held in Kona, Hawaii each year.

"Races" means Ironman branded full-distance and 70.3 events worldwide that are authorized by the World Triathlon Corporation.

"Qualifying Year" means the period between September 1st and August 31st.

"Kona Pro Rankings" (KPR) means the ranking system to determine pro athlete eligibility for race at Kona.

All dates and times stated refer to Eastern USA time and date.

Effective September 1, 2010, the single-performance slot based system for pro athletes will be discontinued.  Beginning with Races after August 31, 2010, pro athletes will earn points for Kona Qualifying correlating to their finish position. The top 50 male and top 30 female pros* in the KPR at the end of each Qualifying Year will qualify to race in Kona.

* The proportion of male to female pros may be adjusted in future years to reflect the then current percentage of male and female WTC pro members that are racing in BOTH Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events

Comment: The above note now clarifies our original intention that the number of pro members racing full-distance Ironman races will determine the split of slots between males and females.

KPR will be determined as follows:

a)     Athletes will be ranked according to the number of points they accumulate during the Qualifying Year (see Points Table below).

b)    Each athlete's five highest scoring Races will count toward their KPR. All lower scoring Races will be "thrown out."

c)     Athletes may accumulate points from any combination of Races PROVIDED that each athlete completes a full-distance Ironman race during the Qualifying Year.   A maximum of three Ironman 70.3 races can be included in an athlete's score.

d)    Athletes are not required to do more than one full-distance Ironman race in the Qualifying Year to be ranked.  Athletes may score five full-distance Ironman races.

e)     Athletes finishing Kona will be awarded points that are retained during that Qualifying Year and can be included as one of the athlete's five highest scoring races.

f)     Scoring points in Kona DOES NOT fulfill the requirement that each ranked athlete must score in a full-distance Ironman during the Qualifying Year.

g)    No other points carry forward from one Qualifying Year to the next.

h)     The 5% rule is no longer applicable.

i)      The KPR will be posted at Ironman.com and updated weekly as Race results are finalized.

Comment: This new section specifies our intention and commitment to post updated rankings on-line. All  relevant information will be hosted on  a new independent web site to be launched in August - www.ironmanpromembership.com

July Qualifiers

The highest scoring 40 male and 25 female pros in the KPR as of July 31st will be qualified to race in Kona. These athletes ("July Qualifiers") are assured of a slot in Kona provided they enter the event according to registration procedures.

No more than 40 males and 25 females may be July Qualifiers. Ties resulting in more than 40 male or 25 female July Qualifiers will be broken by the Tiebreakers, below.

Example - As of July 31st, six male athletes are tied for 36th position on the KPR. The final five July Qualifier slots will be determined by Tiebreakers.

August Qualifiers

The highest scoring 10 male and 5 female pros in the KPR, not including the July Qualifiers, as of August 31st will qualify to race in Kona. No more than 10 male and 5 female pros may be August Qualifiers. Ties resulting in more than 10 male or 5 female August Qualifiers will be broken by the Tiebreakers, below.

Example - Athlete A has 2000 points as of July 31st and is ranked 40th on the KPR. Athlete A has qualified for Kona. In the final KPR standings (published after August 31st) 11 male athletes accumulate more than 2000 points and are ranked ahead of Athlete A. Ten of those 11 athletes as determined by the Tiebreakers will qualify for Kona.

Comment: The change to July Qualifiers and August Qualifiers is made in response to the most frequent comment that August 31st was too late for athletes to know if they have qualified for Kona. While our simulations indicated that the vast majority of qualified pros would have been assured of their qualifying slots well before August 31st, this change will provide an early resolution of most qualifying slots for pros by July 31st. Note that under the old qualifying system as many as 20 pro slots were awarded at August races.

We also liked the suggestion of automatic qualification for athletes meeting a point threshold at any time during the season.  Since at least one year's experience with the system is required to set the threshold, this suggestion will be revisited for the 2012 Qualifying Year.

Automatic Qualifiers

Past Kona champions will receive an invitation/exemption to enter the pro division in Kona for a period of five years after their last championship. Past champions will not be required to qualify during this five-year period. Past champions entering as pros will be required to validate their entry by completing a full-distance Ironman race during the Qualifying Year.

Comment: The former champion exemption was increased from 3 to 5 years due to the weight of comments from pros who are not former champions.

In keeping with the tradition started by Valerie Silk, past champions will continue to have a lifetime invitation to race in their appropriate age group category. Past champions making this election will not be required to qualify or validate their entry. Past champions must abide by all WTC, national and international federations rules regarding professional and age group status and switching between these categories.

Automatic Qualifiers will be accepted into Kona in addition to the 80 pro slots. If, for example, a returning champion is ranked in the top 30 women, the 31st ranked woman will qualify for Kona.

Tiebreakers

Ties will be broken as follows:

1st Tiebreaker -- The total of each athlete's (up to) five highest scoring full-distance Ironman events

2nd Tiebreaker - The athlete's highest scoring race

3rd Tiebreaker - The athlete's second highest scoring race

4th Tiebreaker - The athlete's third highest scoring race

In the event that two or more athletes remain tied after the 4th tiebreaker, all tied athletes will qualify.

Entry & Roll-Down

The final KPR will be published as soon as possible after the last Race of the Qualifying Year (end of August) but not later than September 3rd. Qualified athletes will have until September 7th to complete on-line registration for Kona. A roll-down will be held for any unclaimed slots with entries rolling down to the next highest ranked athlete. Details of the roll-down procedure will be made available at a later date.

Wild Card Entries

WTC retains the right to award "Wild Card" pro entries into Kona. While Wild Card entries may be awarded at the sole discretion of WTC, these entries, if used, are intended to "fix" any holes in the new qualifying system. Wild Card entries are not intended to provide any athletes relief due to injury, illness or other external factor.

Comment: This was the most misunderstood of the policy provisions. Wild cards are a failsafe system in case of a systemic failure and for this reason will remain undefined. Wild Card entries will not be used to recover or add any specific athlete (including Alexander, Wellington and Armstrong) if they fail to qualify. We expect to drop Wild Cards once we are assured that the system works. Many athletes were concerned that this provision would be used to qualify Lance Armstrong or other similar athlete into the pro division.

Another point that seems to be generally misunderstood is that WTC does not determine eligibility to race as a pro athlete. Professional/elite standards are set by the national federations. Just as a top triathlete cannot just show up and race in one of cycling's Grand Tours, no athlete can be "waived" into an Ironman pro field without first meeting their home country's pro or elite standards. As standards vary widely from country to country, WTC, through the KPR, is left to cull out those pros qualified to race in a world championship.

70.3 World Championship Qualifying

Pro qualifying for the 2011 70.3 World Championship will be based on a similar format with the primary difference being that full-distance Ironman races will not count in the pro rankings for this Championship. Details will be announced as soon as the 2011 70.3 World Championship race date is announced.


II.            PRIZE MONEY POLICIES

All Ironman races will comply with these prize money standards.  This does not include World Championship events, which have separate prize standards.

Championship Events
Ironman                        $100,000+ (Paying through 10th Place)
70.3                                $75,000+ (Paying through 10th Place)

Includes Asia Pacific 70.3, US 70.3 and European 70.3 championships; regional Ironman championships to be announced

Ironman Series Events
Ironman Series events will offer prize purses in one of two amounts:
$75,000 (Paying through 8th Place)
$25,000 (Paying through 6th Place)

Comment: Paying through 6th place (rather than 5th) at the $25,000 races is responsive to many responses requesting deeper prize money.

70.3 Series Events

Ironman 70.3 Series events will offer total prize purses in one of two amounts:
$50,000  (Paid through 8th Place)
$15,000  (Paid through 5th Place)

·         At minimum 2010 events will pay prize money as advertised.

·         The 8% Rule is no longer applicable.


III.           PRO MEMBERSHIP POLICY CHANGES

Pro membership will include entry fee waiver for qualified athletes into Kona.

One-Race Pro Membership
A one-race Pro Memberships will be offered for the following fees:

US$200 for a 70.3 race
US$400 for a full-distance Ironman race

One-race memberships may be "upgraded" to an annual membership with one-race fees credited toward the annual $750 annual membership fee.

Any athlete wishing to apply for a one-race membership or a first-time annual membership must do so at least 60-days prior to the stated event in which they are planning to compete. There will be no exceptions to this 60-day period.

Comment: Determining Kona qualifying on a point series plus the pro membership program requires that all participating pros be included in the drug testing pool on a year round basis. No longer can athletes achieve qualification with a single performance, disappear, and jump out of a phone booth before Kona. The 60-day membership requirement eliminates a loop-hole in the drug testing pool that would otherwise allow one-race and first-time annual members to wait until the last possible date before their first Ironman race to take out the pro membership and avoid inclusion in the drug testing pool in the lead up to the race. Once included in the drug testing pool an athlete may be tested at any time even after his or her one-race membership race.

Scholarship Program
Athletes from developing countries who can't afford to pay the membership fee may apply to their local Ironman race director for a pro membership scholarship that will waive or reduce membership fees. Local Ironman race directors will consider applications from athletes in their region and recommend deserving athletes

 

 

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Opinion/Wellington_on_WTC_changes_1418.html

PROFESSIONAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING,
PRIZE MONEY & POLICIES

Athlete Comment Distribution Draft
Ironman Professional Athletes

Introduction

WTC is circulating this document to all its pro members. The policies and rules changes stated in this document are not final.

Before announcing a final version of these rules and procedures, WTC will take into consideration all constructive comments from our pro members. Comments must be submitted to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it no later than July 2nd, Tampa USA dateto be considered. Please include your name and pro number on all comments.

WTC intends to publish the final version of these rules and policies on July 9th with the changes having an effective date of September 1st 2010.

These new rules and polices are the product of long-hours of debate and consideration by WTC's pro working committee. The committee concluded that the current pro incentive policies, which have been in place for over 25 years, are outdated and that the new rules and policies are best calculated to achieve these five primary goals:
Rewarding the sport's best athletes for their performances
Creating income opportunities for new and regional pros
Qualifying the most deserving athletes to the World Championships
Controlling the number of athletes qualifying for the World Championships to assure fair and exciting racing
Creating additional media interest in pro races through points standings and more frequent head-to-head racing

I.  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING

Overview and Philosophy/Rationale

The objectives in creating a points based  World Championship qualifying system for pros are to assure that the most deserving athletes qualify and to limit the number of athletes in order to assure fair and exciting racing.

Pro Qualifying Program - Kona World Championships

Definitions:
"Kona Qualifying" means qualification to the Ford Ironman World Championship held in Kona, Hawaii each year.
"Races" means Ironman branded full-distance and Ironman 70.3 events worldwide that are authorized by the World Triathlon Corporation.
"Qualifying Year" means the period between September 1st and August 31st.
"Kona Pro Rankings" (KPR) means the ranking system to determine pro athlete eligibility to  race at Kona.
Effective Sept. 1, 2010, the  single-performance slot based system will be discontinued.

Beginning with Races on Sept. 1,  pro athletes will earn points for Kona Qualifying correlating to their finish position. The top 50 male and top 30 female pros* in the KPR at the end of each Qualifying Year will qualify to race in Kona.
(* The proportion of male to female pros may be adjusted in future years to reflect the then current percentage of registered male and female WTC pro members.)

KPR will be determined as follows:
Athletes will be ranked according to the number of points that he or she has accumulated during the Qualifying Year. See the Points Table below.
Each athlete's five highest scoring Races will count toward their KPR. All lower scoring Races will be "thrown out".
Athletes may accumulate points from any combination of Races PROVIDED that  each athlete completes a minimum of one full-distance Ironman race during the Qualifying Year.   A maximum of three Ironman 70.3 races are included in an athlete's score.
Athletes are not required to do more than one full-distance Ironman race in the Qualifying Year to be ranked. Athletes may score five full-distance Ironman races.
Athletes finishing the Ironman World Championship (Kona) race will be awarded points that are retained during the Qualifying Year.
Scoring points in Kona DOES NOT fulfill the requirement that each ranked athlete must score in a full-distance Ironman during the Qualifying Year.
No points carry forward from one Qualifying Year to the next.
The 5% rule is no longer applicable.


Example/Fast Freddy
Based on his 5 highest scoring results after September 1, 2010

Race                                                                   Place     Points

2010 IM Kona                                                      2nd          2200

2010 AP 70.3 Championship                                   1st          1500

2011 $75,000 IM                                                  3rd            780

2011 $50,000 70.3                                                1st           500

2011 $15,000 70.3                                                1st `        250

2011 $50,000 70.3                                                2nd          440

Total Points                                                                     5,230


Example/Steady Eddy
Based on his 5 highest scoring results after September 1, 2010

Race                                                                                    Place       Points

2010 IM Kona                                                          32nd        150

2010 $25,000 IM                                                       7th         260

2011 $75,000 IM                                                       20th         20

2011 $25,000 IM                                                        7th        260

2011 $25,000 IM                                                        5th        300

2011 $25,000 IM                                                        3rd        390

Total Points                                                                            1,120


Automatic Qualifiers - Kona

Past Kona champions will receive an invitation/exemption to enter the pro division in Kona for a period of three years after his or her last championship. Past champions will not be required to qualify during this three-year period. Past champions entering as pros will be required to validate their entry by completing a full-distance Ironman race during the Qualifying Year.

In keeping with the tradition started by Valerie Silk, past champions will continue to have a lifetime invitation to race in their appropriate age group category. Past champions making this election will not be required to qualify or validate their entry. Past champions must abide by all WTC, national and international federations rules regarding professional and age group status and switching between these categories.

Automatic Qualifiers will be accepted into Kona in addition to the 80 available pro slots. If, for example, a returning champion is ranked in the top 30 women, the 31st ranked woman will qualify for Kona.

Entry & Roll-Down

The final KPR will be published as soon as possible after the last Race of the Qualifying Year (end of August) but not later than September 1st. Qualified athletes will have until September 3rd* to complete on-line registration for Kona. An on-line roll-down will be held for any unclaimed slots with entries rolling down to the next highest ranked athlete. Details of the roll-down procedure will be made available at a later date.
(* Tampa, Florida USA date)

Wild Card Entries

In 2011 and following transition years, WTC retains the right to award "Wild Card" pro entries into Kona. While Wild Card entries may be awarded at the sole discretion of WTC, these entries, if used, are intended to "fix" any holes in the new qualifying system. Wild Card entries are not intended to provide any athletes relief due to injury, illness or other external factor.

70.3 World Championship Qualifying

Pro qualifying for the 2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship will be based on a similar format with the primary difference being that full-distance Ironman races will not count in the pro rankings for this Championship. Details will be announced as soon as the 2011 Ironman 70.3 World Championship race date is announced.



II.  PRIZE MONEY POLICIES

All Ironman races will comply with these prize money standards (This does not include the two World Championship events which have separate prize standards)

Championship Events

Ironman     $100,000+ (Paying through 10th Place)
70.3           $75,000+ (Paying through 10th Place)
Including Asia Pacific 70.3, U.S. 70.3, European 70.3 and regional Ironman championships to be announced

Ironman Series Events

Ironman Series events will offer total prize purses in one of two amounts:
$25,000 (Paying through 5th Place)
$75,000 (Paying through 8th Place)

70.3 Series Events

Ironman 70.3 Series events will offer total prize purses in one of two amounts:

$15,000  (Paying through 5th Place)
$50,000  (Paying through 8th Place)
Notes:
The total amount of 2011 prize money will exceed the total amount of prize  money offered in 2010.
At minimum 2010 events will pay prize money as advertised.
The 8% Rule is no longer applicable.
The prize money break-down for each prize purse amount and the 2011 event listing will be provided at a later date.

III.  ADDITIONAL POLICY CHANGES

A one-day Pro License will be offered to allow local and regional pros to compete at events in areas of the world where there is only one Ironman race such as 70.3 Philippines. A one-day license will be more affordable for these athletes to participate in one event. The suggested one-day fee is $250 USD for 70.3 races and $500 USD for full Ironman races. One-day licenses may be "upgraded" to an annual license with the one-day fee credited toward the annual $750 fee.
A Pro membership 'scholarship' program will be available to waive or reduce membership fees for athletes from developing countries who can't afford to pay the membership fee. Local Ironman race directors will recommend deserving athletes.

 

Scott Neyedli heads to Canada...

http://www.tri247.com/article_7179.html

British professional Ironman triathlete Scott Neyedli has been in great form in his recent Ironman races. To his Ironman UK win in 2007 (and a second in 2008), Scott added further second place finishes at Ironman Western Australia at the end of last year, and also at Ironman Australia in March. Partick Vernay was to prove his conquerer in both events.

Scott is now second only to Stephen Bayliss in terms of total British male Ironman® podium finishes (four), as highlighted last week in my British Ironman success article, charting the history of British male athletes in M-Dot racing.

This summer, Scott's plans were to take on the infamous Challenge Roth event in Germany, aiming to break the all-time UK iron-distance record currently held by Stephen Bayliss, and perhaps even challenge the eight hour mark. However, recent illness has meant a change of plan, and Scott is now basing himself in Canada for the summer in the lead up to his new goal of Ironman Canada at the end of August.

I tracked down Scott, to find out more about his mid-season changes.

Can you tell us a little about your illness, and the impact on your training?

I picked up a sinus cold mid week before the first TriGrandPrix race and in hindsight it would have been a smarter thing to sit it out for a complete recovery, but that's not in my nature, plus I had paid my flights already.

I was committed to TriGrandPrix Series and I was pumped at the international start list drawn to Kent. I gave my all, but the racing didn't do me any favours. Once back at the hotel - my head was in bin, pardon the expression!

I resumed training there after, travelling to Spain and the the cold moved onto my chest, putting extra load on my respiratory system - I have asthma...

So basically when training at what is normally a comfortable pace uphill I would feel like I'm going anaerobic or an intensity work out, and at the same time blowing my nose for Britain.

I tried training through and raced the second TriGrandPrix race in Zarautz. I performed better and felt better afterwards but on reflection, still 5% off 100% healthy.

You raced (and won) recently the Scottish Champs at Olympic Distance, so I'm guessing that the decision not to race Roth is based on lacking the required mileage/base?

I had a good race, rest was what I needed. Normally I would be straight back into training after an event but returning home from Spain I went cold turkey - no training - until the Scottish Champs, firstly to completely get rid of the bug in my system and also to restore my run down energy levels from the two recent 1/2 Irons and travel.

Pretty much, my key banking miles and sessions are done through this period (now) and obviously they are not banked. I could race Roth next month and still could do well, but I don't want to go there to do well. If I race I want to be there to challenge.

The time period between now and Roth is too tight to spike the training load, to be where I need to be. I did this already this season when I fractured my toe prior to Ironman Australia and after discussions with Joe Beer and my manager, it was a simple or smart decision to reevaluate my summer goals, take a step back to look longer term to the rest of the season.

 

Various media links to articles...

http://www.tri247.com/article_7179.html

http://www.tri247.com/article_7158_British+Ironman+success%3A+Men.html?region_id=&category=

http://www.triathlonscotland.org/newsArticle.cfm?id=468

http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2010/07/01/race-world-pros/

Scottish Olympic Distance Champion - New Course Record

Loch Swim 1500m / Cycle 42Km / Run 10Km

http://results.racetectiming.com/Results.aspx?CId=33&RId=123&EId=1

This was the first year the Scottish Championship was to be held at my club triathlon venue at knockburn, so i was super motivated to win at the weekend & grab a national title too.  This year there was no ironman Lanzarote fatigue in my legs but I had my bike mechical woe's instead - luckily Boydy was on hand to reprieve a pretty stressful start to the day.

I swam well leading the first lap, until Craig caught & passed me heading into the 2nd half of the swim. Onto the bike it was pretty blustery conditions & on a very much stregth lumpy 42k bike course. Initially I pullled away from craig, for him to reel me back & pass me at 10K, but after brief repreive of a min or two, I tightened my cycle shoes, took some powerbar nutrition & fluids and passed craig again intent to making descive time before T2.
By the time of the climb back up to transition I had opened up a signicant lead of about 1 min 30 in a new bike course record on my Blue Triad. Onto the run I felt pretty fresh but my hamstrings were on the balance to cramping at any time. With a run course that begins off-road then then climbs uphill for 7 k's there's no give.
Thankfully for the first time I had no stopages for cramp and picked up my 3rd Scottish title - that being my 2nd at the stanard distance.
Spotting Bert from MPH at the finish i stopped to shake his hand but still in good time to take 4 mins off the previous course record set by Graeme last year.

A big thankyou to guys behind the scenes & the club volunteers for putting on another great race at knockburn yesterday. With the 2010 Scottish Champs being awarded here for the first time, its vindication of how good a race that all people behind the scenes put in Ewan, Henry, MPH, Bert, Norwell, Willie, the fleet volunteers. 
I have been here most years since the first open water event as triathlon rookie & age grouper, when Bert dug us loch & farm track & each years event has built on the last.
Even being one of the toughest standard distance triahlons on the UK calender its always a must do race when Im in the shire.

Future Plans:
Admist a lingering cold since Kent, Ive had a race event re-shuffle.
I plan to race Ironman Canada instead of Roth then hit Hawaii 6 weeks later. A really cheap flight ticket came available this week so I head to Kelowna for some heat acclimation, 50m pool swimming & home cooked dinners from mum's place as a base.
I think I may enter the Ossyoss Desrt 1/2 at the start of July as training race then it'll be head down till Penticton & Kona

Congratulations also to up and comer Fleet Feet club mate Lewis Murchie who won the Scottish Junior title.

Photo Galleries at the following link: http://imacimages.co.uk/cart/photocart//index.php?do=photocart&viewGallery=2359

 

Scottish Open Water Triathlon Champs at Knockburn article

 

British Ironman success: Men article on Tri247

http://www.tri247.com/article_7158.html

Zarautz Trigrandprix Triathlon 2010 men's race

Tri Grand Prix Race 2 - 11th

Scott    NEYEDLI    04:08:04      00:34:46      02:15:47    01:17:31

The Zarautz race was in it 24th edition this year, one of the most popular races in Spain & to many of the Basque triathletes there World Championships...
Seriously... If you told them you won Hawaii they would say "yeh.. whatever but how did you go in Zarautz!"

The swim was a mass beach start & a point to point course from an Island off the coast line & finishing in the surf town of Zarautz.
After a rough physical battle in the first 400m (see the video) to make position the pace was fast, but I felt comforatble in about 3rd or 4th position.
Australia´s Paul Mathews leading out. Being a sea swim a big swell hit in and around the mid way point & swimming smart riding the waves efficiently was key.
Unfortunetly I found myself on the wrong side of a big wave and was gapped by the leaders with about 800m to go. This was frustrating when I lost momentum for a period but I eventually got together again coming into T1 with a small 2nd group around 30-50 secs back of the first swimmers in.

Onto the bike Inially I was joined by Torsen Abel then later by Xavier Le Floch & Hector Lannos.
The bike course was pretty demanding and positions jossled back and forth through different sections of the course. The profile had some decent climbs, fast sections & rollers before hitting "The Wall" in the last 20Ks.
"The Wall" is one best features of the race - gradients ranging between 20-25% for a 8k section. The crowds on this part of bike was the like doing a tour climb...
Simply awsome...
The Wall broke things up, I felt great with only Le Floch making about 20 sec or so. Hector was still within sight - I felt strong to push past in the last 500m as I him  him in but with a large descent and wet, damp corners the smart thing to do was watch Hectors race line - no one knows the course Lanos´s.
Having said that I almost lost it in 1 corner... and took things super careful until back onto the Zarutz town road.
Entering Zarautz and T2 things were back together again.

Starting the run, Initially I felt fine energy was good & I was holding a gap of about 10 secs back off the Torsen & Le Floch sitting in about 8th spot, then things went flat again at about 2k, my calfs pulled tight & then the blood circulation stopped going into my feet. I tried pushing as hard as i could go but heart rate wasnt going any higher neither was my cadence. I lost a few positions on the run but the crowd atmosphere was amazing and kept me pumped. Although I didnt feel great running with pins and neadles in legs they returned normal again at km 19 for the finish. The town spirit, carnival atmosphere & encourage was amazing. I thought I was still in top 10 so a little miffed I was 11th.

A big thankyou to Jose, Dann, the Tri Grand Prix team and Eneko Elosegi and the Elosegi family for looking after me in Beasin prior to the race. I look forward to coming back and racing here again - the race is simply awesome, the coutryside is beatuful & the people are so helpful & super friendly.

I travel home tomorrow & race the Scottish Olympic Distance champs this weekend - Knockburn, Aberdeenshire.

results
http://www.triatloi.org/clasificaciones2010/zarautz_archivos/zarautz%20masculina.pdf

June update..

On Sat (12th) I race the 2nd Tri-Grand Prix in Zarautz. This past weekend I checked out the swim & bike courses with some the local sthletes & fellow professionals Eneko Lanos, Jo Lawn & Dann Brooke.
The swim distance or time will depend on the Sataerday afternoon tide and been told it could be 2k or 2.5k. The bike profile is tough with 20 percent+ assents in the last 20 km of the bike leg (see the profile below). This race will consist of a 2.5km sea swim, 82k bike then 20km run through the town streets.

I was pretty disappointed in Kent albeit not 100 healthy, so Ive placed no expectations but basically perform better. I travel to Zarautz on Thursday and will attending the press conference at town hall mid day. Race start time is 2pm Saturady afternoon.

http://www.zarauzkotriatloia.com/ing/recorrido.php

Tri Grand Prix Race 1

Scott    NEYEDLI    04:12:18      00:26:10      02:27:06    01:17:01

I guess after the race I was pretty disappointed not to place higher. I came down with my first cold of 2010 on Wed & I had been blowing my nose for Britain since. By Saturday I felt fine & optimistic for a good performance... Training had been going well.
This race was always going to tough, a very challenging profile & great prize money to the top 5 luring a stacked International field.
The swim went well as expected, Initally I found myself 3rd place before I was muscled back to about 5th spot around 400m but by 1200m I got myself back to 3rd position behind Cartmell & Mathews - incidentenally also wearing the new 2010 Blueseventy Helix.
After that is was backwards for me. I working well to position myself contentily entering T1 but this was undone missing my peg & then forgetting & having to run back for my no. belt.
Still I was was within touch of the first group out. The first 5 miles was uphill & with the extra effort I pushed too hard at the start I lost the main contenders at 4 miles. From there I went through good & bad spells spinning out downhill & never comfortable in gear selection - I was absent of 2 gears maybe from a bump on some of the rougher roads at the beginning.
I eventually entered T2 with Zamora, Bayliss & Hotchkiss.
Exiting T2 Zamora took off like rocket - I seriously have never seen anyone run that fast after checking now - 1:07 1/2 marathon split & ran into 5th spot... wow
From then on it was a pretty flat like effort run
- I dont think my speed vary´s too much from middle to long distance of an Ironman so in that respect my fastest 1/2 marathon 1:17 in 1/2 Iron event is positive.

Congradulations to Fraser, that was dominate display & well earned victory. Fraser took from the Go - very Impressive Chappo

Im now in Beasin, Spain not too far from the Zarautz race, hopefully I can shake this cold & build on last weekends result.
Scotty

May blog update....

Below are some of the magazine publications over the past few months. some I've only just came to view some of them due to my travels & racing.

This week my plan was to fly to London on Friday & race the first of the Tri Grand Prix 1/2 Iron series but BA are striking so I have to fork out additional money for a sleeper to get there - very frustrating...

May blog update....

Ming the Merciless Madness Endurance 15 May 2010 - 2nd 3:02
Money raising event for the Nordic skiiers

I cut this from there site:

This Open Event, is organised by the British Nordic Development Squad, comprises a fun endurance run and cycle.
Endurance - 2 courses available, no prizes. Greattea & light refreshments!

The long course is a 14 mile run followed by a 30 mile bike ride.
The run provides impressive views over the Clashindarroch Forest and the Strathbogie countryside, notably on descent from Muckle Black Hill.
The cycle involves a fairly remote & demanding push up towards the Cabrach on the southern side of Tap O' Noth.

My comments - Pretty much an Xterra type run, hard as nails up to a hill top through grass mountain trails, mud & heather followed by hard 30 mile road cycle to the top of O tap & back again.
I'm not noted for my cross country ability in fact, I'm pants truth be known, but being out-with your comfort zone was what this session was all about.
The run conditions were favourable & running on even surface Im not bad. The first & last miles were on concrete then onto grass & dirt & mud trails to the highest point where there was still a little snow lying.
I was 3rd at the hilltop, seconds behind 2nd place and maybe maybe 2 mins off the cosmic hill basher going like bat out hill back down the the hill side.
Uphill I was fine still but then i had the downhill - O dear... I lost 3/4 mins descending from the 2nd place man & a further 8 mins off the leader.
Onto the bike I weaponised my self just with my Rolf Prima Echalon training wheels as road surface was pretty lumpy in parts - in fact at about 5 mile I hit a pothole was almost launched off my bike but caught the handle bars just.
I pushed as hard as I could and moved into second near the beginning of O tap climb making good time on the leader & passing many of the team & single eventers. In the end after pushing 55 - 60k hr I was only able make up 8 mins of 10 min deficit & came 2nd man home.
Still I thoroughly enjoyed the race, the sun was out & it stayed dry.
I changed my kit, had my Powerbar protein shake & ginger bread & pedalled 60 miles back to Aberdeen. Thank-you Natasha for the lift out there. Good luck to the Nordic skiiers & the World Junior Champs when come around next winter...

The next month is pretty busy, I head down to Milton Keynes on Thursday for a velomotion bike reteul fit with my bike sponsor competition Blue cycles, then a catalogue shoot for Fusion my clothing sponsor then into the Wind tunnel for areo bike testing with Simon Smart & Joe Beer at the Brawn Drag2zero facility.
I then return to Aberdeen & will make an appearance at the Banchory academy kids duathlon race before heading back down South again for the first Tri Grand priz series race in Kent - The Outrageous half. From the race I then travel onto Spain to stay & train with a friend in the Basque country before racing the 2nd series race in the Zarautz Triathlon again 1/2 Iron distance, then I fly home to compete in the Scottish Olympic Distance triathlon champs which happens to be held in Knockburn by Banchory - my club race fleet feet triathletes.

Busy but exciting times..

I did a video blog on Tuesday at the summit of the Cairn O Mounts.
This is where i do a couple hill climb sessions from Aberdeen (sea side) with 12, 14 & 16% graients up to 1500ft. It was very windy & I dont think you hear anything until about 1-2 mins into the blog.
Last week I rode through the climbs in hail,sleet & snow  - I wondering if spring will ever come.

http://www.trigrandprix.com/team/professional-athlete-team/scott-neyedli/

http://www.britishquadrathlon.org.uk/view_article.php?article_id=219

http://www.huntly.net/

May blog update....

MPH Turriff sprint triathlon- 1st Course record

This was a last minute decision to enter Turriff after arranging a lift with young Mikey Adams (triathlon national squad short course racer).
Although a training exercise for the both of us it was still going to be very competitive. Mike is super quick in the water (15:15 1500m fc short course pb) & eager to win here with his triathlon skills really maturing in the past 2 years. For sure Aberdeen's new young gun along side Westhills Lewis Murchie.

Turriff is about 50 miles north of Aberdeen with a very hard bike & always guaranteed gale force winds - seriously Kona training could be done If it weren't for the lack of heat :)

I last raced & won this race in 2006 over strong Striling biker Andy Turnbull so the pressure was on to make a repeat performance albeit a changed run route.

The race format followed a 760m swim (38 lengths of a 20m pool), a 21km windy hilly bike and then a 5km out and back run - marvellous.

Mike as predicted rocketed off, lapping me once with a 8.25 swim time in our 4 man lane.
Exiting the water I had about 30+ seconds to chase down - And yes I had my Blueseventy PZ3 & wearing it with pride ;) (Adams launches ITU protest - http://michaeladams-triathlete.blogspot.com)  -totally legal until September 2010
- I think for the amount of stroke time in a 20m pool & taking the thing off in T2, any gains would be negligible.

150m run down steps, dirt & tarmac I was onto the bike. Seeing Mikey in the not too far distance I got my head down & began to work.
For a sprint race 9km up lumpy hills into a headwind full gas, this is hard going for a distance lad.
At about 14 ks I got up Mike & made 30 secs-ish entering T2. My Rolf Prima TT wheels, BB30 SRAM red cranks & Rotor Q-rings on my Blue Triad felt super fast & responsive - the optimum choice in these bike profiles... For sure this will be my set-up in the Kona Hawaii World Ironman Championship this October.
Onto the run I set about business once more initially gaining time to the turn around point then holding my lead to the finish.

A new course record - thats 2 course records in 2 weeks  :)

Scott, 1.01.50

Mike also went well under the previous fastest mark 36 sec back

My next pro races will be the  new Tri Grand Prix race series, firstly The Outrageous Half (Leybourne,Kent, UK - 1/2 Ironman) then The  Zarautz Triathlon (Zarautz, Spain). Then its onto to Germany for Quelle Challenge Roth.

Roth will be my summer focus firstly challenging the next best field outside of the Hawii World Championship & aiming to take the British all time Ironman record.
This is same course where Lothar Ledar became the first triathlete to go sub 8 & where Luc Van Lierde's World record still stands at 7:50:27!!!!! in 1997.
There ill be tackling Pre Hawaii favourites like Normann Stadler, Rute Beke, Rasmuss Henning, defending Champion Michael Goehner, Richard Usher & Pete Jacobs to name but a few.
I've never raced in Germany before, although I raced for a German team the previous 2 years. I've heard so many good things about this race that I'm eager to get to that start line.

 

http://results.racetectiming.com/LiveLB.aspx?CId=33&RId=117&EId=2

http://results.racetectiming.com/MyResults.aspx?CId=33&RId=117&EId=2&AId=28915

cheers

Scotty

Tri Magazine cover....

Tri Magazine

May blog update....

I competed in the Deeside Adventure Race this past weekend & won by over 13 mins to the 2nd place finisher, setting a course record.

- The course was altered this year, the bike routes remaining the same starting in Braemar, the location of the Highland Games & then a race back to Aberdeen.
The run course was exended from 10 miles to 12.1 miles which took you over a the shooting Greens hill near banchory then running down the opposite side of the River Dee through offroad grass & mountain bike gravel trails into T2 at Cathes Castle Bridge compared to the previous flat profile 10 miler which was much on road.

 

54km bike, 19.5k run, 25km bike

I left fairly early with my sister Mhairi as my support crew & we picked up Mike Admas (www.michaeladams-triathlete.blogspot.com) - Aberdeen's & Scotlands up and coming triathlon points racer & headed to Braemar.  It was cold in the morning.. & driving by Balmoral Castle it started to snow & then by time we arrived in Braemar it was dry but -3C.

 

The race was set off TT style @ 30 secs with Mike & I were given an addition time delay to make us work a little harder to catch up the first competitors.  I left last 15 mins & 30 secs behind the first racer gone. It was seriously cold! In 2007 I raced the old course in course record in proper May day Weather weather:  I had on a Trisuit & arm warmers for the first leg & a big tail wind.

This time my race Gear was:

full compression socks, cycle shoes, winter booties, race shorts, full compression top, race compression vest, arm warmers, body warmer, head beanie, race helmet, glasses & high vis wind proof race vest & 2 pairs of gloves!   - I kept this on through out the run & second bike still loosing feeling to my left foot & hands

I was off last off 2 mins behind Mike. I basically TT as hard as i could to see If I could get close to my time in my last outing - not today!I began in a cross head wind - the reason I knew this was because 5 mins in I cycled into snow & hail blowing infront of me until I came past Balleter.

The first 15kms were lonely initially hitting a high heart rate before setling into my rythem  until I caught sight of my first hunted competitor. The weather had gone dry again after 20ks & I would catch racers more frequently now.

About half way through the bike I felt slight vibrations or knock or 2 that made me think I had a flat but then thought Its in my head because I was holding good speed - when you feel a different sensation your probably right - Once I was home I re-checked my tyres - I was right, I had a slow leak.

Into T1 I was a little shy of catching Mike (competing the 1 leg only) but i still reccorded the fastest bike splits of the day. Onto the run you ran up what seemed a never ending hill over the shooting Greens then hard down hill on a hard mountain bike track to the river Dee side.  The new course was adventurous going through some private land, 3 gates to open & 1 fallen tree to hurdle... lots of fun

My aim was to be first accross the line including the teams & my handycap time as I did this in my last race here. I reeled in the last competitor 2 miles before T2 but I was told there were 2 still ahead (which turned out not to be) as they were doing the canoe adventure triathlon race.  Onto the bike again I pedalled as hard as could but having a little gearing issues & I forgot to put my 2 pairs of gloves on again - this was a bad move as they almost froze stiff from the wind chill.  Still I got to the finish line first man home & rode onto my house nearby where I needed 30 mins to thaw out in the bath.

Thanks again to all the marshalls & racer car support crews to getting the race on, without these guys the logistic of running the race would 'nt be possible.

 

pre race media

Press and Journal

Scott

PS

- I think its pretty plain from looking at my 2007 & 2010 times (excluding the run being differnent) how much weather influences bike time from good to bad conditions.
B1 54km         B2 25km overall

Scott Neyedli 2007  01:07:43    01:03:28    00:27:24    02:38:35
Scott Neyedli 2010  01:18:00    01:21:40    00:32:00    03:11:40

 

Catching Up With Scott Neyedli

 

Six months training in Australia and two second-place Ironman finishes (Busselton and Port MacQuarie) can be counted as a winter well-spent for UK Ironman Scott Neyedli. Now that he’s back in Blighty, we thought we’d catch up with him on his plans for the rest of the Season.

The next major race for you is Quelle Challenge Roth?
Yeah, that’s my next main focus: Challenge Roth in July. I’ve got a few races before that like the new TriGrandPrix Series – The Outrageous Half in Kent at the end of May and then Zarautz Half in the Basque Country two weeks later. So I’ve changed my Summer schedule a little bit.

Originally I planned to do the UK Ironman 70.3, but because I signed up for the TriGrandPrix series, three half-Ironman in four weeks would be too much.

The TriGrandPrix Series is looking good…
Yeah, it’s got a really solid field – Cameron Brown, Timo Bracht, Fraser Cartmell, Eneko Llanos, Pete Jacobs. It’s going to be an awesome line-up and great preparation going into Challenge Roth and Hawaii.

But my focus is Ironman; I don’t tend to do so well at Half’s. However, it should be interesting to race over the shorter distance. I use half-Ironman as a hard training session or a stepping stone with my A-race goals being the Ironman.

Do you think you can go on to win Roth?
If I have a good day then I could do well. A win in Roth would be special, but I would have to have the race of my life. Outside Hawaii that’s the next strongest field that you’re going to race against alongside Frankfurt. A lot of Hawaii favorites will start in Roth…it’s going to be close – Normann Stadler, Eneko Llanos, Rutger Beke, Rasmus Henning and Chris McDonald to name but a few. There will also be a great number of the top German and European Pros. Patrick Vernay won here in 2008 but I think he is starting in Frankfurt.

It should be a great, exciting race to follow. I’ve already bagged my Hawaii slot so I can give it my all there. I’m pretty sure that I’ll be able to do a good fast time there; this is the course that Lothar Leder first went under nine hours and Luc Van Lierde’s World Record still stands. Everyone talks about the race and how good it is.

What will you take away from your winter in Australia?
Firstly, lots of good memories and great new friends. Australia wasn’t in my 2009 plan but I knew I had good form prior to Kona. Part of the decision to travel out there was to show that, firstly in Busselton and again in Port MacQuarie.

January was a little frustrating with a minor operation and then a toe fracture, but on reflection it’s been great opportunity to keep the training going rather than having my normal winter break and also avoiding the Winter-time bugs back home. I feel as though I’ve built on what I had last year so that will probably set me up for the season. Obviously having access to training in a 50 meter pool is huge – they’re only 25 meter pools back home. It doesn’t seem like much but it does make a big difference.

And some of the training partners were second to none – there were a lot of pros that I could hook up with through the Glen Parker and War Rides, and then there’s the consistently good weather – it’s been better than Aberdeen! Last week there was still snow back home! So being in a training friendly environment has given me better surroundings – I don’t think you can get it better anywhere else in the World.

What do you want to have achieved by the end of this year?
I want my first top-ten in Hawaii – I know I have the ability to do that. I also want to lower the all-time British Ironman record at Roth and challenge for the medals there. So I guess the UK Ironman record and a top-ten at Hawaii.

I also want to add to my Ironman win tally. So far I’ve had one win and three seconds so I know I’m knocking on the door. On another day or in another race I can win. But I’ve been really happy with my most recent performance performances, I’m a much stronger all-round athletes these days. If I stay injury and illness free I know I’ll do well.

April blog update....

The last 6 months have flown by so quickly, its hard to believe I've been in the land down under so long.
I've made a lot of new & wonderful friends in Perth. The local facilities and training conditions were perfect to my needs.
The cycle paths in and around the city make navigating the city a lot safer to cyclists, wonderful run trail choices through Kings park, Perry lakes or by the sea side to the awesome facilities available at Challenge Stadium to countless other 50m pools around the town.

My initial Intention's were to race Ironman Western Australia & head home last xmas... after the loss of my main sponsorship, I stayed put & missed xmas & family, but knowing Aberdeen was amidst its worst winter in 50 years It was the smartest move to do.
December was a little bit stressful with my last minute changes, but Australia has been good to me & maybe even emotional...
With one broken toe & two 2nd places at Ironman Western Australia & Ironman Australia last month it been a successful past few months.

A big thank you to Kate Bevilaqua & her family (http://www.katebevilaqua.com) that first welcomed me in during my trip to Bussleton. The Delaurentis's, Todd Skipworth & Matt Illingworth for all their help whilst I've been in Perth.
It's been an enjoyable stay here & wouldn't have been the same without the great people & training partners I've been lucky to meet through The Challenge Stadium Triathlon club, the Glen Parker & WAR ride groups, The swim smooth team & Total triathlon.
Its all contributed to my time here.

I've been lucky to train in Australia the last 3 years & I've only just questioned myself "why have I not raced here earlier?".
2010 has got off to a great start my fitness is good although I have caught the bug for Perth & its gonna be hard to leave but I am looking forward to returning home, If not for the Scottish Highlands, to sleep in my own bed once more.

I fly first thing tomorrow but I plan to race the Braemar Duathlon this weekend (2nd May) before I start my summer campaign, firstly the Tri Grand Prix series in Kent & Basque Country before hitting my main summer target Quelle challenge Roth. There I'll be taking on the likes of Normann Stadler, Rasmuss Henning, Eneko Lanos & Rute Beke to name but a few.

Next stop Scotland.

Scott

Scott, Lisa & Brianna Delarentis group cycle


The last supper at Jus Burgers, Subiaco Perth

April video blog update....

 

Video: Scott Neyedli Swim Stroke Analysis

 

Scott Neyedli is widely renowned as being one of the fastest swimmers in Ironman racing. However, a 44:35 at Ironman Australia a few weeks ago confirmed that Scott is, in fact, one of the fastest swimmers in the sport ever (although he concedes that he was tide assisted). That is why this video of Scott’s stroke by the guys at Swim Smooth makes fascinating viewing – and offers some good advice for all of us.

Read more: http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2010/04/21/video-scott-neyedli-swim-stroke-analysis/#ixzz0luRp3VQ4

 

Interview And Video Analysis: Pro Triathlete Scott Neyedli

This week on Feel For The Water we have an interview with Pro Triathlete Scott Neyedli and an accompanying video analysis of his stroke. A couple of weeks ago Scott swam 44:35 at a slightly tide assisted Ironman Australia, we're sure you'll find the interview and video analysis a fascinating insight into swimming at the very front of the pack.......

To read the full interview click on the Swim Smooth image below

video analysis of Scott's stroke....

 

 

Swim Smooth with Paul Newsome & Adam Young of team core from 21/03/2010

Below is the utube viseo uploads of the swim videos taken last month at Challenge Stadium run by Paul Newsome & Adam Young of the Team Core www.theteamcore.com

 

Tri247 Weekly Newsletter      31st Mar 2010Issue 155

Welcome to the newsletter

Don't you love it when a plan comes together? The world of professional Ironman racing is a pretty tough one. While the likes of 'Macca', 'Crowie' and ' Chrissie' may be able to enjoy the (much deserved) benefits that their undoubted talents and performances have earned, you don't have to be too far down the Ironman performance hierarchy to be struggling to survive financially.
At the end of 2009, Scotland's Scott Neyedli lost the crucial financial support that his Commerzbank Team membership provided, when his contract wasn't renewed. Despite that, he finished second  at Ironman Western Australia in December, recording one of the fastest times ever from a British athlete. When we spoke to him in December , Scott revealed that he had decided to stay in Australia during the winter rather than travelling home to manage his budget.

He set his sights on Ironman Australia this past weekend, and despite a few crashes and injuries in the build up, his dedication paid off with another second place finish to the Ironman Australia specialist Patrick Vernay. Ok, so the perfect story would have ended with a victory, but it was another great effort from the 2007 Ironman UK winner who has gained the valuable support of a number of sponsors over recent months. Ironman isn't glamourous, it's hard work and takes a lot of dedication - chapeau! Scott. We look forward to following Scott's racing during 2010, as we know he feels he has the ability to take the British Ironman record. Plenty of great racing action this past weekend at home and abroad - check it all out in our roundup below, for everything you need to know about triathlon.

 

Tri247 : Neyedli close as Vernay takes Ironman Australia

Vernay and Lester win 25th anniversary Ironman Australia

Patrick Vernay (NCL) is becoming the king of Ironman Australia - and Ironman events in Australia. Today he won his fourth consecutive Ironman Australia, having also won Ironman Western Australia last December. In that race, Scotland's Scott Neyedli set a national record in finishing second to Patrick, and once again Scott finished second to the pre-race favourite today. Another great result for Scott, and vindication for his decision to remain in Australia training specifically for this event through the winter, as well as reward for his new sponsors.

In the weekend preview, I tipped Carrie Lester (AUS) as the one to watch in the ladies event, saying "Don't be surprised if this 'new' name tops the podium...", and am happy to proved correct, as the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon fifth place finisher - who surprisingly drew little pre-race coverage - won her very first Ironman event ahead of the second fastest ever iron-distance finisher, Rebekah Keat.

(Here is the full report from the Ironman Australia team artcile by clicking on image above)

Ironman Australia  - 2nd Place :

Video Link:NBN News

http://www.nbntv.com.au/index.php/2010/03/28/vernay-wins-fourth-ironman/

More videos & pictures of Ironman Australia race day online at Marathon Photos coverage

http://www.marathon-photos.com/scripts/event_entry.py?event=Sports%2FJRAU%2F2010%2FIronman+Australia&new_search=1&match=4

First of all thanks for all the great messages of support and well wishes both prior & after my 11th Ironman finish.
This was my first Ironman Australia & I was really inspired to put on a good show knowing I had great new sponsors & wonderful friends in Perth & back home in Scotland routing for me.
The lead up to the race was a rocky road to say the least but nothing I haven't dealt with before. I was able cram in a good final 3 week run block since my toe fracture that gave the same confidence I felt going into Ironman Western Australia in December last year.

Race day temperatures were predicted to hit above 30, good news for me as much of my training in Perth in the West Coast has been hotter & I faired well in my last outing in Bussleton.
The swim start I wasn't too crazy about, first we had a mass swim start, different to previous years & we were told we'd be given at least 10m gap for a clean start. Suffice to say the age groupers managed to crept forward enough to start right on our heels with no control as briefed.
I positioned my self far left, away from where most of the main pro pack positioned & in the countdown, a horn went off instead of the cannon which caused the main pro pack to my right to go & the rest of the field to launch! how do you stop 1500 swimmers for a faulse start... no answer, you cant.

I was upright in the water with canoes around me shouting get back false start. I thought okay they'll come back - Wrong, 15-20secs later I looked to Jason Shortis & he looked as if to shrug his shoulders,when I turned he went.   I was then Boll*cks - GO" & set the hammer down to work through the pack already jumped well ahead of me - If its called back they get me.
Looking back I didn't panic too much & strategically worked through the washing machine frenzy & got to the lead by 400 or 500m where Ambrose joined my side, we lead for 100m or so until another swimmer came through.  I had expended quite bit energy to get upfront and settled onto the lead feet & Ambrose on to mine.

I had a good swim on reflection but the chance of any break away was gone by the nature of my handicap start.  I came out the water 2nd with the lead swimmer setting a new swim course record 44:30 ish which I guess is an Ironman swim pb for me (but tide assisted).  So another 2nd out the water - (2nd out the water - Lanzarote '09, Bussleton '09, Pot Mc Quarrie '10)

Running into T1 I saw Vernay made the lead swim pack... damn
Its gonna be a long day I was hoping to get some time on him here. Onto the bike leg, Marceu went into the lead early before Ambrose, Vernay & myself chased down the leader at about 10 km out of town.

It then remained this way through the rest of the 180k's as I found myself leading or 1st 2nd or 3rd wheel with Ambrose, Vernay & Marceu pushing at the front & the other 2 competitors sitting pretty at the back.
After the 1st & 2nd lap our lead held at about 3.30 to the next competitors & Ambrose made a break and pushed hard as the winds picked heading down the final flat with 40 ks to go but I was back at the front leading into the ghost road (final turn around).

It was clear that the lead 6 would not break & our lead extended to 7 mins by the bike finish.  Into T2 Ambrose entered first, Marceu 2nd Vernay 3rd & then me.

Vernay quickly ran down Marceu & they ran side by side as they both passed Ambrose @ 2km who was then leading. I passed Ambrose just after the first turn around & could see I was 1 min down on 1st & 2nd & now comfortably in 3rd place. Heading through town I knew the hill section would be a killer for most and Marceu cracked as I caught him descending down "Berkle Hill".
From then on It was chase for Patrick & the win. Early on in the 2nd lap I had my first of 2 toilet stops which weren't avoidable (I have 2 lawns to clean up) but I was surprised 1 km later after both stops on lap 2 & 3 I got to within 30 sec's of Patrick at the settlement point turn around - Partrick was leaving the aid station as I was entering - Game on.

I tried pushing hard to reel him in but it was hard running around the competitors on the narrow run sections and navigating the aid stations to what I required but I was still in contention. Heading up the hill climb for the last time I cramped badly to a walk & stop then couldn't move until them muscle released on the way up. A a gap of 2 mins was made then again on the decent near the same spot.
The crowd were amazing and gave me the energy to get back going again.  The win had slipped away once more & the final 4 ks I was hurting and it was management control to get to the finish making sure I got the right fluids & coke to make it.

Thanks again for the great support, Port Mac your were awesome.

My summer Ironman goal will be Quelle Challenge Roth on 12th July.
Ill be re-acquainted with my former team captain Normann Stadler in competition & Ill be looking to take the UK Ironman record down to towards the 8hr mark before my preparations start for this years World Ironman Hawaii championship in Oct.

cheers

Scotty

Top 10 Men

1. Patrick VERNAY 8:23:54

2. Scott NEYEDLI 8:27:58

3. Trent CHAPMAN 8:32:52

4. Courtney OGDEN 8:35:54

5. Matt WHITE 8:36:39

6. Paul AMBROSE 8:38:24

7. Tim BERKEL 8:40:46

8. Adam HOLBOROW 8:48:36

9. Luke HARRISON 8:55:28

10. David MEADE 8:56:14

Powerbar Seminar Friday March 26th with Greg Cox, Scott Neyedli & Leon griffin

 

 

Media News feeds below:

Rolf Prima Scott Neyedli takes second at IronMan Australia
http://www.rolfprima.com/news-10-3-30_neyedli-imaust.php

Video Link:NBN News
http://www.nbntv.com.au/index.php/2010/03/28/vernay-wins-fourth-ironman/

press and journal: Neyedli fights all the way Down Under but has to settle for silver medal in Ironman Australia
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1666721

tri247.com: Neyedli close as Vernay takes Ironman Australia
http://www.tri247.com/article_6729_Neyedli+close+as+Vernay+takes+Ironman+Australia.html?region_id=&category=

triathlete-europe: Vernay and Lester win Ironman Australia
http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2010/03/29/race-report-vernay-lester-claim-ironman-australia/

tri247.com:Big international weekend roundup
http://www.tri247.com/article_6731_Big+international+weekend+roundup.html?region_id=&category=

triathlete-europe: Neyedli Looks For Win At Ironman Australia
http://triathlete-europe.competitor.com/2010/03/26/preview-neyedli-win-ironman-australia/

portnews.com: Patrick Vernay is simply four-some
http://www.portnews.com.au/news/local/sport/general/patrick-vernay-is-simply-foursome/1788130.aspx

ironman.com: Vernay and Lester win Ironman Australia
http://ironman.com/events/ironman/australia/josh-tinson-reports-on-the-25th-anniversary-race-in-australia

firstoffthebike.com: Vernay and Lester take out Ironman Australia
http://www.firstoffthebike.com/races/1281-vernay-and-lester-take-out-ironman-australia

trizone.com: Patrick Vernay Wins the Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia Triathlon 2010
http://www.trizone.com.au/News/10-03-28/Patrick_Vernay_Wins_the_Urban_Hotel_Group_Ironman_Australia_Triathlon_2010.aspx

xtri.com: Vernay and Lester win Ironman Australia
http://www.xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=6369&CAT=23&xref=xx

trijuice.com: Vernay Wins 4th & Lester 1st Ironman Australia Titles
http://www.trijuice.com/2010/03/vernay_wins_4th_lester_1st_ironman_australia_titles.htm
http://liveupdate.ironmanlive.com/ppv/newathlete.php?rid=276&race=/events/ironman/australia/&bib=1&beta=

teamtbb.com: Results from IMOZ!
http://www.teamtbb.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=960

theage.com: Action man Abbott races into political pink
http://www.theage.com.au/national/action-man-abbott-races-into-political-pink-20100328-r55g.html

tweednews.com: Lester takes out Ironman
http://www.tweednews.com.au/story/2010/03/29/carrie-lester-takes-out-ironman-triathlon/

triathlonmagazine.eu: 2010 Urban Hotel Group Ironman Australia results
http://www.triathlonmagazine.eu/home/further-news/2-news/261-2010-urban-hotel-group-ironman-australia-results

Media interviews & press releases update:

Blog update: Swim Smooth & Thunderstorms!

As I wind down & pack up for this weekends Ironman, It wouldn't be like me to encounter some sort of act of God... (the last one - Hawaii  earthquake in 2006). Thankfully I was indoors at the time & missed most of the mayhem seen on highways & roads.

At about 3:30pm, western time 22nd March, megastorm Frankie as its now been named was proceeded by 30 min long hailstorm - when I say hailstorm,  I mean blocks of ice bigger than rocks & boulders were hammering down onto the roof tops & smashing cars.
The city traffic was soon into chaos as many schools, community centres & offices were evacuated from there buildings. Its e

stimated that well over 100 million dollars of damage will be incurred by the city from the 2 hr long frenzy.

The Thunder & lighting storm shortly came in, causing flash flooding, land slides & shutting down many communications, traffic light systems & electricity. Parts of the city are still down today with many schools cancelled.

During this time, my friend Lisa drove through the storm from her 4pm physio to pick my Blue Triad bike! which was being retro fitted Q-rings to fit my new SRAM red BB30 cranks - good job! but I doubt I would have done that myself...
So the bike got home safe & sound at about 5pm :)

This morning was was clear & calm, like the perfect day but with sand, branches & debris across many of the roads. Most outdoor pooIs were closed today but I was still able to get a swim in at challenge stadium's indoor pools before a school gala started.
The only damage I incurred was a smashed dash board on my scooter, but otherwise functions as normal. Attached is some pics at Lisas house damage where I was during the storm & my poor scooter.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wa-braces-for-severe-storm-hail/story-e6frg1rc-1225843883475

Perth Storm videos

 

My other news: Swim Smooth with Paul Newsome & Adam Young of team core

The day before megastorm Frankie I was lucky to get the chance of a slot with the Swim Smooth Video Analysis clinic run at Challenge Stadium run by Paul Newsome & Adam Young of the Team Core www.theteamcore.com

Out of the 3 disciplines of triathlon - swim, bike & run, swimming is the most technical of the 3.
I have long believed that only from underwater & water top shots, can you as a swimmer get a concise swim stroke analysis.
From seeing yourself in the water it shows first hand of what your actually actioning in the water to what you think your doing. More
Going back to my club swimming days at City of Aberdeen Swim Team I found water-top videos beneficial to my improvement & now.
Although I was able to do a cross analysis between my Blueseventy wetsuit, fastskin PZ3 & normal trunk comparison, Paul & Adam were specifically doing a swim study on different types of swimming strokes identified from various levels of swimmers stemming from old to new swimming teaching methods.
For more information about there Swim clinics "Swim Smooth" & tri coaching programmes see their website.
Paul is former GB elite triathlete in the 90's over the olympic distance & created The team Core.

Ironman Australia: 28th March


This weekend as i race in Port Mac, Scott my manager from Xosize will be adding updates & hopefully pictures to my facebook page as I race on Sunday
- you can gain access to this on my contact page.

Likewise as normal split times & updates will also be online at www.ironmanlive.com

 

 

TRAINING IN THE AUSTRALIAN SUNSHINE HAS NOT COME WITHOUT SETBACKS FOR Aberdeen triathlete

Trouble in paradise as Neyedli gears up for new season               Aberdeen Press & Journal       Published: 23/03/2010

 

Aberdeen triathlete Scott Neyedli is thriving in the Australian sunshine despite having suffered a few setbacks ahead of the new season.

The Great Britain international will start as one of the favourites to win this weekend’s Ironman Australia title at Port Macquarie, New South Wales, after shrugging off recent injury problems.

The Fleet Feet Club member has been based in Australia since the tail end of last year and has enjoyed idyllic training conditions while his clubmates back home have endured the severest winter weather for at least three decades.

But it hasn’t been all plain sailing, as Neyedli has endured a few difficulties along the way.

He said: “I fractured a toe about six weeks ago in the City of Perth triathlon.

“Another competitor clipped me and I took a tumble.

“I didn’t know I’d fractured it at the time. I carried on racing but afterwards it became very sore.

“I needed a few stitches and I got it X-rayed and was told I had a fracture in the knuckle and had lacerated the tendon. With the stitches and the bone fracture, plus a bone infection, I wasn’t able to swim, bike or run for two weeks.

“More recently I had a crash during a bike session. I got some cuts and bruises, but I didn’t break anything so that’s good.”

This coming weekend Neyedli hopes to go one better than last year when he was beaten by three-times Australian champion Patrick Vernay (New Caledonia) in the gruelling ironman race which features a 2.4-mile open water swim, 112 miles cycling and a 26.2-mile marathon run.

He said: “Last year’s race was decided on the run and if it comes to that again I know I’m in with a pretty good shout. I’m solid in all three disciplines and I’m prepared for different scenarios.”

Neyedli will return to Aberdeen at the end of April and he plans to compete in the Braemar duathlon at the beginning of May.

He said: “I like coming home to the north-east as this is my training ground and I like to support my local races as much as my professional schedules allow me to.

“I last raced the Braemar duathlon in 2007 with perfect race-day conditions, recording a course record of 2hr 38min 35sec, which I think was about 10min better than the previous mark.

“Obviously race-day wind influences point-to-point races significantly, but I’m a much stronger allround athlete these days and given similar conditions I would hope to improve on this further.”

Neyedli also intends tackling the Scottish standard distance triathlon champion-ships at Knockburn near Banchory in June before finalising his preparations for his major summer target.

He said: “My goal is to set a British ironman distance record at the Quelle Challenge Roth in Germany on July 18.”

 

 

March  Video blog update 2....

March  Video blog update....

 

Media interviews and articles....

From Ironman.com : Port Macquarie prepares to host Ironman Australia's 25th anniversary celebration

original article on ironman.com

New Race Kit preview...

 

 

March  Video blog update....

Front cover of this months Triathletes World magazine....

New Sponsors onboard....

I’m excited to announce that through the UK Multisport Distribution I have signed bike, clothing apparel, helmet & eye protection sponsorships with Blue Competition cycles, Fusion & Ekoi respectively.

In addition to the awesome equipment supply for 2010/11 I will be further supported by MultiSport Distribution by optimizing my equipment & body positioning at the retul velmotion studio in Milton Keynes & also at Simon Smarts Drag2Zero wind tunnel facility later this year.

 

TCR Show

The TCR Show www.tcrshow.com is the UK's largest and most established multipsort show, and once again takes place at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey this weekend of 13th and 14th February. Please visit any of my sponsor booths that will be present to have look at the new kit & equipment I will be using this coming season.

Rolf Prima Wheels @ TCR 2010

(image hyperlinked)

Blue Competition Cycles makes its TCR debut

(image hyperlinked)

Also attending is Joe Beer, I have been working with Joe for 18 months, he will be at the TCR this weekend doing a few things, check his schedule at  www.JBST.com

- Live MaxTest & Seminar
- 1-2-1’s @ 220 Tri Clinic
- Dave Scott interview
- Special podcast recordings

 

Cycle Etiquette

I came across this the other day & found it quite amusing.

Typical pre-ride conversation

Typical post-ride conversation

Media Releases - Out Now

Television

IMG Ironman Western Australia 2009 was screened on Australian television already - Channel 9 on the 10th January at 10am. Stay posted for repeats.
Andrew Kerr, a migrated fellow Scot tells me I was heavily featured in the highlights show that was aired on Sky Sports in New Zealand recently
"... you were named the "Dark Horse" a whole heap of times"
For my friends back at home in the UK check the SKY & Channel 5 listings for repeat airings throughout the year.

Magazines – Available Now

Triathlete Europe magazine Issue 310
(February-March edition)
Scott Neyedli Triathlete feature Interview - 7 page spread

www.triathlete-europe.com

220 Triathlon magazine Issue 243 
(February edition)
2 page feature on Ironman Western Australia & my race for 2nd - A4 picture + article

www.220triathlon.com

Australian Triathlete Issue 17.4
(February-March edition)
Ironman Western Australia report - Scott Neyedli the surprise package p44-47 includes finish picture & race article

www.oztri.com.au

Triathlon & Multisport Magazine (Australia) Vol 13 No. 1
Ironman Western Australia race article p48-p52

www.triathlonmag.com.au

Sponsor Announcements

Travel Sponsors

I am grateful that Scottish company Macintosh Plant Hire & Melbourne based XOSIZE will help me in my travels for my next Ironman race in Port Macquarie

Macintosh Plant Hire (MPH)

Macintosh Plant Hire is the North East of Scotland's leading Earthworks and Heavy Haulage Company. MPH will assist me in the 2010 Ironman World series by supporting the costs needed to protect my equipment in travel.

www.mphltd.co.uk

XOSIZE

Is a Melbourne based Sports company, shop & clinic that covers a range Sports Needs. Xosize Active - athletic performance wear, Personal training, Corporate Health Management, Massage & Events.

www.xosize.com.au

Rolf Prima Wheels

I'm happy to announce, I will be teaming up with Rolf Prima wheels for 2010/11.
I will be racing in Rolf Prima Carbon TT wheels 1315gm (545gm/770gm), along with the Carbon Disc (930gm).
The high specification engineering principles behind their wheel designs are beyond 21^st century.Please check out their product range & wind tunnel data available on there website.
Rolf Prima supports the land rover orbea cycling team & great International triathlon champions such as Hunter Kemper, Gina Crawford & Matthew Seymore.

www.rolfprima.com

Powerbar Nutrition

Powerbar will continue their support with my sports nutrition to my next Ironman race. Powerbar products such as there powergel carbo gels & recovery shakes helps me train effectively for longer durations & aids in my muscle recovery replenishment vital to the body’s high demand s of Ironman training.

www.powerbar.com

Keywin Pedals

My pedal support will continue with Keywin in 2010. I have been pedalling Keywin since 2008. The pedal design is stiff & can be adjusted to be in either fixed or float positions. When you include the cleat weight , Keywin pedals are one the lightest pedal systems available in cycling. Additionally Keywin go beyond the realm of producing standard pedals like many other brands & offer pedal sets in standard, -3mm, -6mm, +3mm & +6mm pedal axle sizes.

Keywin support International winners such as Kris Gemmill, Terrenzo Bozzone & Gina Crawford

www.keywin.com

Blueseventy Wetsuits

Blueseventy have supported me through 2 full seasons & I will continue to race in the Helix wetsuit & PZ3 fastskin in 2010.

www.blueseventy.com

Computrainer / Racer Mate Indoor Trainer

Computainer will continue their support from 2009 with a sponsored Indoor trainer allowing me to train specific to Ironman race profiles, visualization & power specific work outs pertinent to the demands of triathlon cycling

www.computrainer.co.uk

Scott Neyedli Video Blog 2010 4 - recovery run in kings park, Perth down under

Video Blog 2010 3 - 2.5km open water WA series race

www.scottneyedli.com website of the week - tri247.com

Posted by: Annie Emmerson Posted on: Wednesday 20th January 2010

Iain has worked with many top athletes as well as being the official photographer for several national governing bodies and events.
www.tri247.com article www.scottneyedli.co.uk
Credit for the new design of my site go's to Ian Macintosh of ImacImages
ImacImages is an editorial, commercial and advertising photography company located in the West Coast of Scotland, owned and operated by Iain MacIntosh, a photographer with a passion for sports and sports photography.
www.imacimages.co.uk

 

Scott Neyedli Video Blog 2010 2 - Mundaring weir climb Perth Hills part 1

Scott Neyedli Video Blog 2010 2 - Mundaring weir climb Perth Hills part 2

Scott Neyedli Video Blog 2010 2 - Mundaring weir climb Perth Hills part 3

Scott Neyedli Video Blog 2010

Scott Neyedli: athlete profile

Scott Neyedli - a meteoric rise and ambitious goals

There has hardly been a more meteoric rise in the long-distance triathlon world than that of Scott Neyedli. The Scottish athlete only took up the triathlon in 2004. At that time he was still working as an engineer in the Oil & Gas Industry and decided to take up the sport to improve his fitness. The former swimmer made astounding progress and surprised himself by taking third place overall in his first Ironman distance race, after just three and a half months of focussed training. In 2006 he placed third in his age group at the Ironman World Championship & won the European Age Group Championship at the ETU Long Distance Championships, before making the decision to concentrate full-time on the sport. “It was a hard decision at the time to give up the security a well paid job but I knocked the job on the head and started professional training in January 2007. At that point I wasn’t sure how far I would be able to improve – I trained hard and let the rest just happen.” At Ironman South Africa, the Aberdeen native raced for the first time as a professional and came in seventh place – despite a sprained ankle 7 days before.

In the same year the British athlete took part in his second professional Ironman, this time in his home country, despite the fact that the Sherborne course is considered one of the toughest in the Ironman series. The new professional athlete was first to cross the line at Ironman UK, setting a new course record with 8:35:53. Just a few weeks later he gained 31^st place at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, and came top amongst the British professionals. A year later he came second in Ironman UK at the start of September, but this time the short recovery period wasn’t enough for him to take part in Ironman Hawaii in October.

“The past year has shown me that I need to change my schedule in order to be on peak form in Hawaii in October,” says the 31 year old. At the end of 2009 Scott narrowly missed out on his 2^nd victory recording an amazing 8hr 17 min 47 finish, the 3^rd fastest time ever by a Briton, setting a new Scottish record and guaranteeing him a coveted place in Hawaii for the 2010 World Championship.

His forecast? “Apart from Hawaii, I haven’t placed lower than 10^th in my professional Ironman career. My ultimate aim therefore has to be the top 10 & to better the current best GB finish there. The current best place finish is by former 2 x short course World Champion Spencer Smith, 5^th place in 1998, it's an ambitious goal but I believe I am capable of this.” In order to achieve this, Neyedli is preparing meticulously to be in his best possible form ever in a training camp in Australia. “When you’re from Scotland, you’re not a fair-weather or hot weather athlete. Australia offers this as it is there summer months just now giving me security in terms of planning and good training surroundings. The training conditions are just fantastic. When you push yourself as hard in training as we do, you need consistency.”

“I’m going to be based in Perth until the end of April, its 2 hours drive up the coast from where I competed in Bussleton last month.

I love the location, lots of out door 50m pools to choose from, Challenge Stadium, great training partners & cycle groups and awesome trails to run in, like Perry Lakes or Kings Park.

I am also here to race and confirmed to start Ironman Australia on March 28^th. I look forward to taking on defending Champion Patrick Vernay again as well as Australia’s best Ironman professionals Pete Jacobs, Mitch Anderson, Jason Shortis and Tim Berkel.”