Mountain Biker, Triathlete or Runner, Mountain Biker?

You may think that is an easy question to answer, and well you would be right.  Mountain Biker!!! but I have enjoyed a year of mixing it with Runners and Triathletes.  Making great friends along the way, and getting fit with a difference.  Yes I will still be doing Triathlon and Run stuff going forward but for the next 3 months I am going to concentrate on running my 2nd and hopefully last ever Marathon.  You see I made this silly bet with myself along time ago to run a certain time for a Marathon before I kicked the bucket, kinda like a bucket list tick really. Karl Paterson you can stop rubbing your hands together, I will be back on the MTB in time to get ready for a big season.

2012/2013 has been filled with a plethora of fun and games.  A little of your time and I'll give you a break down, mainly pics.  For Clive Bennett's benefit there is the odd R18 section in here, yes top off.

..ooOOoo..

World Triathlon Champ

Big thanks to:

Lamason: Wellingtons only siphon-brewed coffee bar 

Prestons Meats Porirua

On Yer Bike

 No shit these things glowed in the dark

 Bushlove Bliss

 Fcuk knows how to do this shit still

 The "Robot" in action... Hey shut it, it works!

 ANNNND I'm done!

Race breakdown went like this.  

42th out of the water, can a Tiger swim??? Well its like a cool beer on a hot summers day after a hard ride.  You love the taste and feel of the beer, but you just want to take it slow and savor the moment ;)  On from the Swim it was onto my favorite discipline the bike and I smashed that shit.  The run, smashed that to!! I am a runner after all.  Finishing with a sprint finish with and Ozzy (got him!).  Putting me 5th overall and 1st kiwi home in my age group. Favorite part of the race, beating the Ozzy in the sprint.  Master Card moment, watching him throw up at the finish line hehee

..ooOOoo..

National MTB Cup WLG - 3rd in my age group

Brrrraaaaapppp!!!! Was hanging out to get back on the MTB.  Fun between my legs, dirty play and all bring it on.  I'll admit it was hard going into a national cup event that you have not really trained for.  But as it has it my fitness transferred from Triathlon across to Mountain Bike well enough.  Mt Vic put on a stunning day once again and the place to be was on the Saddle, just after the crueling climb from the Velodrome.  Many pic was taken of athletes looking their "best", not! at the top of the climb. 
Much fun and "horsing around" was had.  I found myself up the front with the now full time burglar Brendon Sharrett ;).  For at least 5mins... when he decided that was boring and dropped the hammer to smash the field.  Back to where the real battle was going on between Karl Paterson and Gavin McCarthy.  I manage to hold my own until dropping my chain at the bottom of the Velodrome climb where Karl took advantage of my misfortune, which I was never able to gain back.  This left Gavi and I to battle it out for the scraps of the podium.  "Bring it!" Gavi I thought.  Up hill Gav would pull me back in, Downhill I would make him work.  down to the wire of the last lap and even to within 1km from home.  I was coming down the last descent with a good margin on him only to make a rookie mistake on the soft stuff.  As I picked the bike up I could see Gavi steaming me down and it was neck and neck with one lap of the Velodrome to finish.  On the first hairpin he snuck past me only to give the lead back around the top of the velodrome.  Into the sprint I had 10mtrs on him and dropped the hammer... Gavi held on suprisingly well but was never going to catch this Tiger's tail.
Happy with 3rd, will be back next year to climb back to the top of that podium, see you there Brendon :)

 Angry feeding the pony while wife Trudi looks on

 Lookin good... at the start :)

Cheeky pink bits

 ..ooOOoo..

National MTB Champs - 4th in my age group

Not sure there is a lot to tell about this one.  Loved getting out on the MTB again and another good ding dong with Karl the dirty Weasel :)  Giving in to him on the last lap, nice race big fella.  No big Tri season this year, so see you at the nats good and strong.

 

Dusty fun

 Skidz!!

..ooOOoo..

 Karapoti 

 One of the biggest MTB races of the season and what did I end up doing.. 1hr 30min of running with my bike, riding only 2hrs of the course LMAO.
Karapoti! sometimes you just gotta love the challenge it brings. So I begun my Karapoti morning feeling excited about a day of fun and friends and finished it the same way :)
As the race started NOTHING. Could go wrong, I was first through the river and had a good 50mtrs lead into the road. Steaming along just waiting for the "Good Roadie" Clive Bennett to catch up which he did by the bottom of the gorge. From there there was a bit of Bushlove domination to warm up climb. After a smashing climb the I came over the brow of the first hill 1st and feeling fantastic!
The harder I rode the better I felt. Rock garden - semi perfect, devil's staircase - well I am a running "smoked that shit", Big ring - I knew I had to concentrate and steamed along and LOVING the ENVE's rolling speed and stiffness. Still a good distance in the lead and feeling great, until BOOM! Mechanical!! As I struggled to sort it I watched nearly the whole expert field ride past!
Finally I had to conceded I was not going to fix this one and started running, there was NO WAY I was going to DNF.
After an hour of running, and multiple people offering to help, someone with the right part I needed came past. I fixed my bike and steamed off too far back to catch even the last of the top expert riders. Still coming home in a decent 3hrs 30mins I was happy to see the smiles of my friends and Family.
Time for beers and more Poti stories.

Bushlove Moose call

 Broken but happy

..ooOOoo..

Thanks to the Wheelworks guys for hooking me up with a mint set of Enve carbon wheels.

Had THE BEST race at Xterra with the added bonus of coming away with the win that I have sooo much wanted this year. Big thanks to Tristan Thomas at Wheelworks for the use of the Enve Wheels. Made all the difference on the Vegas trails, sooo fast, mega stiff and roll like a fat kid down a steep hill. Mint ROADTRIP and company

Xterra - 1st in my age group

 

Perfect day for a race.  Best Mum in the world for bringing the meanest picnic ever.  Bacon and Egg pie with the eggs from the chickens on her farm.

 

Tri Porn

Wheelworks FTW

Looking forward to a bit of cross training.  Yes I am going to give a Marathon another shot for S&Gs.  Sub 3 BABY!!!!

See you all back on the Mountain Bike in about August, just in time for the PNP MTB Series
Cheers
Tigs