I have never bought pics from a race before, but because I am in Australia I caved and decided to get the pics from the Canberra HIM, Six Foot Marathon, and IM Australia. Only the Canberra pics have come through so far. After seeing them, I don’t know why I decided I needed such flattering pictures in high resolution.
Ironman Australia has to be the best organized, best supported, and best vibes I have ever seen and felt at a race. Port Macquarie gives a warm welcome to all of the athletes and their friends and the entire town transforms into a community dedicated to supporting the race. The volunteers are friendly and excited to be part of the event. Pre and post race, the carbo dinner, awards dinner, and meltdown party flowed smoothly, served good food and drinks, and the entertainment and speakers were lively, comical, and provided depth. I highly recommend IMOZ.
The course is both challenging and scenic. There are flats on both the run and bike, but there are also hills. The course runs along the coastline and through national forests providing nice views to participants, spectators, and volunteers. Aid stations are well spaced and well stocked. I posted some pictures from the event below.
If you get to Port Macquarie, make sure to eat at Winky’s on Clarence. They serve breakfast all day and here is what you get for $12. I ate three meals here during my stay and enjoyed it every time. Winky’s breakfast is now my favorite breakfast.
My previous favorite breakfast was from a pub in England. The pub is located in the Imperial Hotel. “All Day Breakfast” pictured below:
Here is a picture of the awards ceremony while everyone was getting food and eating
Female 60-64 category winners – Gotta love 60 year olds that still get out and do things
The meltdown party was retarded – me included
Flynn’s beach recovery
Passing on this video I got by one of the readers of the post on helping others with your computer. It highlights one of the WCG’s projects focused on clean energy.
Pre-race, I have some time to upload a few pics from race weekend and the past couple of weeks.
The race packet
The portable towel rack and race bike
The obligatory messy race prep room/command center/sleeping quarters
On friday, I had the opportunity to visit a Koala Hospital
An interesting bird was watching our tour
This is pretty much all koalas do
A picture of the start of the swim course
The carbo dinner – first come, first serve – Experience dictates you show up early
A lot of competition in this years pro field – Tim DeBoom(two-time world ironman champion), Tim Berkel(IM Western Australia 08 Champion) , Patrick Vernay(won IMOZ past two years) – The women’s field is just as stacked. Lots of pain this Sunday.
Got the bike racked
Registration(Rego in Australian) Tent – the rain has made it a marsh
IM Village
The finishers chute – see ya tomorrow evening
I started lifeguarding at another pool in Petersham. The pool is outdoors and a hidden jewel that is not frequently visited, making it an ideal place to get some laps in.
I made it to Port yesterday. It stopped raining long enough to bike to the hostel and explore parts of the town. Port is a small beach town with a relaxed atmosphere and good vibes. The race area is set up, but I didn’t feel like snapping any pics. The ground is a marsh from all the rain that has been hitting the east coast this past week. After exploring Ironman Village, and the transition area, I picked up some groceries from the Coles and had a snack at the hostel. This is the most quiet and relaxed hostel I have ever been in. After the snack, I went to look for some grub in town and decided to see a movie. Slumdog Millionaire was playing, so I bought the ticket and took the ride. Turns out all the hype about Slumdog Millionaire is justified. It has been a while since a good movie has come out and I feel refreshed after seeing it. Today, I am going to pick up my race packet, take a short bike ride, and run part of the coastline.
