I was taking part in a race when you did your last doubles win - so I was very pleased to hear that you have done it again! Congratulations to you both!

Hee hee!   Happy to have made your day Scottie! Hope James isn't too upset!

You've put a lot of work in selling these boys Bek!! I hope they appreciate it!! Having looked at both - I'd go for Scottie D!

P.S. I didn't end up in your neck of the woods, but I'm having a great time down Melbourne way! 

Thanks for everyones advice - the trip is all arranged, I leave in less than a month. Trouble is the venue has changed!!! It's all to do with the University that I'm being hosted by, this has turned out to be Monash, Melbourne!

I'm going to be staying in a place in Elwood, right near the beach, and only 3 miles from the Melbourne Aquatic Centre. Hopefully I have chosen well....

The only bad news was that I found I couldn't take my bike, the cost of it was almost as much as my air ticket  just couldn't do it. I'm hoping I can find either a second hand cheap run around, or some really good spinning classes as a desperate second, just to keep my bike muscles there. I'm only going for 3 months, so i may just scrape through... I'll have 5 months to get back on form when I get back before the first race. Otherwise, well, my run can always use work, open water is on the door step and a 50 meter pool just down the road. I'll look for the positives! 

Hi Steve

I've actually heard of your work - my background is in Sports science/health so I kind of keep up to date with interesting things like that, hope it's all going well? Although it is looking like Sydney it's not all confirmed, so if I end up in Perth maybe I'll look you up!?! It sort of partly depends which University I can get some affiliation with. All 6 states from the Motor Nerone Disease Association want to be involved, and there are branches everywhere, so from that point of view I'm reasonably flexible. Wherever I end up I'm likely to fly to other places for working visits anyway. Last time I was in Perth I stayed at Cottesloe - loved the beach there....

Would Hunter's Hill come with a recommendation from you of somewhere that's nice to live? It's hard to find out what areas are good/not so good from such a long way off...

I have sent an e-mail off to Hills already, as I found them on the interenet - not heard anything back as yet, I sent it to their general info address so not sure how often that gets checked. If you were happy to put a good word in for me on transitions for me I'd really appreciate it! I've just signed up there but have to wait to be approved by an administrator.

Thanks for replying, and helping out.

Amanda

See I do kinda agree with you there Beck, Sydney wasn't my first choice - but trouble is I have to put my research first instead of triathlon...

I did open links with James Cooke Uni, (was looking at Townsville area) but the logistics of moving around was looking too difficult. MND is quite a rare illness, so I have to maximise my chances of being near as many people as possible, which means being in a city. Trouble is that I'm not a city dweller here at home, so I hope it won't be so bad!  

Hello Everyone

I know there has been a post similar to this some time ago, everyone was so helpful that I thought I'd try to get some info too!

I'm a post graduate researcher going to Sydney to undertake an element of my research/data collection (Motor Neurone Disease), the easier bit was organising the academic side - the triathlon/acccommodation bit seems to be a little more problematic at the mo... The plan is looking at me heading over from the beginning of Sept to end of November.

I would like to be near Gladesville, as that is where the main Motor Neurone Disease headquarters is based, but I don't necessarily need to be on top of it - as long as there are good public transport links.
I'm in the process of organising an affiliation with one of the Sydney Universities - NSW or Macquarie as 2 possibles. So to be too far out would make things more difficult. Essentially the main rason I'm going there is to meet people with Motor Neurone Disease, to see what we can do about improving quality of life measures - therefore I will need to be somewhere with good train/bus links so I can get about.

What I'm hunting for is some decent but affordable accommodation (I'm a research student on not a huge grant), and a good club of friendly people that will show me the ropes and hopefully let me tag along. I don't want to let all my hard training slip away over the 3 months I'll be there!

I guess my ideal situation would be to find a nice room somewhere with some like minded people, and who don't mind renting a room on a temporary basis. I'm very quiet, and like my sleep as I work and play hard -so a party place would not be my thing.

Can anyone offer any thoughts? Be it clubs in the area or anything else? I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks everyone

Amanda

(P.S. - I posted this under the races/events section by accident so moved it over here...)

If I were you Stephen I'd get that form back, and ride, far far far away from Beck! 

Although the combo of a killer bike leg mixed with the unusual tactic of psyching your opponents out by being able to sing Glee's version of MC Hammer might just give you an unexpected edge.... It might scare people, but in the war of competition that's not always a bad thing!

Oh Beck - that's so cheesy! I know I'd ride my bike quicker if only to get away from these guys! 

Seriously though Stephen, I hope you get back on usual good form soon.

All the best

Amanda

This is all getting quite deep and philosophical - I like it.... food for thought on long bike rides.

Of course I've now just realised there will be no live updates! Exmoor is virtually a no signal area!  ::)Having raced there the last couple of years, so not needed to think about these things, I forgot that no info gets in or out until you leave a certain catchment area!

We'll all have to survive in suspense until the race is won, and you write your race reports up to fill in the details....

Doc - I wish some people I know would think like you! There's a few people round me that just don't understand about strong and weak competitor fields.

To them they think it much better to win or be in top 3, yet can't seem to see this means very little outside of the very small town and local surroundings....

Go outside of this, think a little bigger, have to push a little harder, not look quite as good on paper - but inching ever forward those results feel so much sweeter!

Hi Tamsin

Just wanted to wish you some good mechanical luck for UK 70.3 this weekend. I'm dipping out this time, racing in other places so this doesn't fit, but with this weather and water (today anyway) being 18.5 degrees, you should have favourable conditions.

Have a good one,

Amanda

Hi Bella and Stephen - I won't write on both....

Just a quick post to wish you both good mechanical luck this weekend, I will be watching with anticipation! Glued to the live feed! And willing you both to win!

I'm not racing this venue this year, choosing to venture abroad for some races instead - which is typical because the weather is so good at the moment and a great temperature for racing! I took part in one of the 3.8k open water long distance events today (13 minute PB, and now getting within pull buoy and paddles distance of the magic hour mark...), the water was a positively toasty 18.5 degrees!

Have a good one, I look forward to reading your reports.
Amanda

I was out on the run course when you finished (wearing my TBB visor in support of course!), my 'supportive' partner moaned to me when I finished that to cheer me on he'd had to miss your most exciting finish!!    I'm sorry I missed it too!

It was one of you guys on here that recommended this race to me in the first place, and I wasn't disappointed - especially since it was almost a PB for me. What an atmosphere in the stadium! And even though I clearly was no winner they even held up the finish tape for me to run through. What with the full (and very loud!)stadium it certainly made it my most memorable finish.

You've certainly had a storming start to your season, I'm hope - even though you were only just second this time, that the next race your the one in first! Good Luck.

Amanda