Jonkershoek GoPro debut

Some good clean fun in Jonkershoek with my New GOPRO Hero 2 and a few mates

Mtb skills in need of the refresh button though haha..

Better and edited movies coming soon, just need to get my hands on a MAC !

Totalsports Challenge 13km Road Run Vid

Totalsports Champions Pro Team

                               L-R: Christoph Sauser, Richard Murray, Tim Don, Heerden Herman, Heinrich Schloms

 

So tomorrow is the Totalsports Challenge, with 7 events and a TEam like we have above… It should be an amazing day in the sun !

I made the brash choice of racing the 13km road run for the Totalsports Champions Pro team and hope that my 5min/km base training pace will take me over a fast 13km tar run HAhA ..

It is been great so far in stellenbosh  “the Bosh” , the 5 days we have been here , and planning/training and socializing is on a new high!

A EPIC race report shall be to follow after tomorrows immence event from Gordons bay to Kleinmond

http://www.stillwatersports.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=86&Itemid=91

DISCIPLINES:

Surf Ski	12km
Swim	1.5km
Road Bike	50km
Road Run	13km
K1 Canoe Paddle	13km
Mountain Bike	25km
Beach Run	9km

Back to basics

I will be able to state, that this past holiday of mine was realy something special ..

Anton Ruanova ” Spanish Pro triathlete”  arrived on the 11th November and since then, We have been all over the Western Cape and even to Namibia ! I have seen, that I really havent done much sight seeing in the mother City “Cape Tow” and that Having the SPANIARD here has really been great.

Other than running around and getting really fat and unfit, Anton and myself, Paddled down the Oragne River, Saw the Big 5, saw penguins, went to the PUMA Social club year end party, BSG year end function and some land sky diving !

After this holiday, I realized that things would be hard to start of with, BUT I never realized that I would feel like it was the end of a season HAHA

Tomorrow, the 4th of Jan, I will be 23years old and it will be my last year to race U23

I find that things have gone really well last year, and that I will be able to do bigger and better things this year with the correct planning in place.

This weekend, Anton and myself will be moving to Stellenbosh, where we will be training with Jan frodeno, some germans and other international triathletes ..

With a LOT of hard work and miles needing to be put into my swimming this base period, I hope that swimming with a group of exprienced pro’s will do the trick !

My 1st race of the season will be South African Sprint Championships in Blouberg on the 19th February and then soon after this, MAYBE the Xterra Grabouw Sa Champs.

This year, I know that I will make it to the Olympics, and all I need to do is believe in myself and DO IT

With a New bike, and great sponsors such as BSG , PUMA , Triathlon South Africa and an AMAZING support structure from my family , I cant wait to get this base done and start with the Build phase of my London2012 prep ..

The next 2 months shall be long slow miles for me . “back to basics”  This is to build endurance and strength so that my season will be able to last from March to September/October..

Over and Out

Rich **

Christmas Present from My Mum … WAS insane

 

Orange River ADVENTURE

Enough Said !

BSG-energade Triseries WIN …..

From the age of 16 I have been waiting to win the BSG energade triathlon series …. This past sunday, that became possible ..!

Starting triathlon at the age of around 14-15years or age, my progression in the water has been VERY slow and painstaking . I have realized that as soon as I get my swim up to date, I will be able to achieve great things in triathlon .

After a MONSTER or a european season I returned to the BSG-energade triseries and a puncture at the Potchefstroom event of the series..

With a week of contemplating wether to continue with the series, I decided, WHY not

With a win in Midmar , P.E and Worceter all was needed was for me to finish 1 place behind Erhard Wolfhaardt “Multiple series winner” to clench the title !

A travel with Anton Ruanova , Greg Reis “CEO of BSG” and  Vicky van De merwe  ,the time spent in Joburg was great fun !

The final of the BSG-energade triseries was at Vanderbijlpark and was a fast and furious event indeed.

A  drive from Sandton to Vanderbijlpark took around 1hour with thanks to Gerg’s fancy driving and our great 300kw Van from Budget  car rental ::-)

Transition was good fun with Chris Hitchcock around taking some VERY interesting pics !!!

A rush through transition and a call of nature in the bushes 0_o It was time for some trash talking and a warm up run !

All the big hitters taking part in the males and females, and the race being COMPLETLY sold out, things looked very good for the final event.

With water temp being 24degrees, no wetsuits were alowed . Without faffing trying to get my TYR wetsuit on we  had more than enough time before the start Our normal faimly type trash taking took place just before the start of course .

Normal distances took place with a 750meter swim, 20km bike and a 5km run!

24 Elite athletes took part in the males, and  I had a great start to my  swim untill we hit the 4th bouy.

Starting on closest to the middle was the plan from Anton Ruanova, and this helped us get a better speed towards the 1st bouy.. With faster flowing water being in the middle of the stream, I was glad to choose that line

A good swim was had untill around 500meters where my whole body went numb again due to the altitude

Im very glad I had a good start and placing in the begining of the event, as near the end of the swim I was going backwards!!

Coming out around 5-6th spot, I was really thinking that Erhard had gotten away and my race was over with!

Coming out of transition, I saw that my race was not yet over as Erhard was right ahead of me, and the game was still on for the WIN!!!

The bike was a real ” I’m wotching you, your watching me affair” although Erhard was the one putting in all the sprints to blow me off ..

We managed to close the gap to the leaders half way through the bike,  Abrahm louw managed to get a small gap on us near the end of the bike…. BUT my race was with Erhard Wolfhaardt!

Off the bike and into the transition the race was now a running race, and I LOVE my running..!

I PUSHED it as hard as I could go for the 1st 1km and then noticed that I had a small gap by the half way point .

All I needed to do was to hold off the lanky Potchefstroom atahlet and Abrahm  to win the series for the 1st time in my triathlon career .

With around 500meters to go, and a HUGE crowed shouting for me, I couldent  help starting to smile !!!

I won the BSG-energade triseries , and to anyone that knows of it … ITS the biggest triathlon series in South Africa and Africa im sure !

Im SO happy to have ended my season with such a high!!

I would really like to thank my Sponsors

BSG    –                            my biggest sponsor for 2011 and beyond

PUMA        -  For keeping my feet  FAAS in the race and looking stylish

Triathlon South Africa   -  For being such  good help year round

PEPTOSPORT  & PEPTOPRO    – for keeping me fueled in training, racing and in health

TYR  -  For the great setsuits and tri-suits

Rudy Project   – For the yearly eyewear and helmets

Chris Hitchcock    – For his amazing photography in the BSG-energade Triseries

This year has been a dream year for myself and I really appreciate allthe  support from everyone  who believes me

2011 ….. DONE …. Holidays …. HERE I COME ..

2012 and the all important Olympic year is around the corner , And Ill be ready !

Exploring Cape Town with the Spaniard

Anton and myself decided to ditch the indoor swiming pool and head to Sea Point 50meter pool..

With a PERFECT day in my favorite city in the world, we headed down the N1 towards the BIG mountain

Road works by the seapoint pool and main road was a bit of a nightmare and we needed to park in Kloof road !

Getting to the pool around 11:30pm we had plenty of time to hit out an easy swim set.

With water being about 18degrees and our body fat not that high, we were absolutly FREEEEZING!!!

Had to BRING out my Gun SHow

 

Anton managed around 1km in the pool and then was almost dying of hypothermia, but with a little more cushoning I managed an easy 3km set

A stop at the Kiosk and 2x chicken Mayo and 2 x Poweraid’s we head off to the top of Signal Hill to show of Cape Town !

After a random bit of banter with an old guy at the pool, we headed uphill for a bit of sight seeing …. AND was it amazing !!

Trying to find some out of the ordinary shots, Anton decided to do some jumping shots …. They are profile picture material !

 

After a HUGE jump, almost falling down the mountain and a bunch of Asians laughing at me, we took a few pick and a Shaweet video driving down the hill!

THE SPANIARD GETTING HIS POSE ON !

 

No wonder Table mountain is the 7th wonder of the world …. Just look at it … Blws my mind everytime I drive to cape town!

 

 

Glorious Ashanti Dam – Open Water Swimming

 

With plans of upping my swimming this next  3months Nov-Feb , Open water swimming is on the cards..

The 1st event of the Open Water Swimming challenge took part on the 5th November and the 2nd on the 26th Nov ..

 

Myself and the spainiard “Anton Ruanova” managed to gte out from the covers this morning at 9:30am and headed down to the Ashanti Dam near Paarl ..

Arriving with minutes to spare before we hit out 3km open water swim,  I met a few fellow triathetes coming to take on the 1km loop

The water was flat, and the cute lifesaving chicks were on their boards … Water temp +- 20degrees and we did it non wetsuit !

I managed a 3rd spot on the 6th of november, and all I wanted to do was have a blast

A great turn out, and the 10km and 5km already done, we got body marked and were all into the dam . I will admit, that these kids can really swim and that my chances at a podium in the ” masters categorie” is no easy task !

What a great day in Paarl , and I managed a 40min36sec and 3rd in the 16-30 age group  and was just beind me

  MY 1st medal in a swimming event !!!!

Really do enjoy living the life less ordinary !! Love not beeing known at an event and just having fun

Results are below… Im off for a RUN … PEace out

KEEP PUSHING peepz

1 Minute Down

With a successful P.e Energade  Triathlon Series there was a week before the Brandvlei Dam event ..

Great training week between events with new training partner Anton Ruanova – http://www.antonruanova.com/ set us up for a good 6th event of the BSG tri series..

Brandvlei Dam only about 1hour drive from my home in Durbanville , and the race pushed 1 hour later , it gave us PLENTY of time to get to the event on time in the morning

With the weather holding out “Surprizingly ” we were all set up in transition  and amazing background

Brandvlei really a good event for the Cape Town leg of the BSG Triseries

New tv crew were at Brandvlei, and a good bit of chatting before event is always fun

This event was a rather important one for me, as I had already won 3 events and needed to do well to gain the overall series Title on the  4thDec !

Great to see Wickus Weber back on the scene and Theo Bilignaut back in action after a bout of sickness.

Anton and myself stuck together like glue we went for a pre-race warm up run, and were then off down to the water for a swim warm up

With my mate Nic Muhl chirping me that he is going to  deliver some HURT on the swim, we needed to hit a small pose !

I was expecting a good swim, much like the pervious events , BUT boy was I wrong .. I dislike it when people moan on their blogs about if’s and But’s , BUT my goggles for some reason misted up and I was really battling to see where we were swimming this weekend .

On the way back from the last bouy in the swim I really battled with the choppy water and fogged up goggles, and lost the feet in front of me

Out of the water, and some work to be done in transition, I ran into transition on the wrong side and had to run around a rack to get to my bike. This then gave me even more work to catch up, and with a sticky wetsuit by my ankles I was in BIG trouble ..

out into the bike with Wikus Weber and Anton Ruanova , I thought that we would manage to catch Abrahm louw,Henri Schoeman and Claude Eksteen about 30seconds up the road!

WIth the rain coming down in buckets and there a HUGE head wind +- 40km/h for the 10km out and back loop, some INSANE cycling was needed to catch team mate Abrahm LOuw.

ON the bike we caught Theo Blignaut-Jeff Norton and Pieter Van De mesch within 4km and then It was almost a Time trail for myself till the turn around point on the bike..

WIth Theo Blignaut and Anton Ruanova coming through after the 10km point, we then needed to catch up 1 minute before the end of the bike!

WIth a steep down hill and transition, caution was the name of the game

Off the bike, and down the sand dune into transition , I was 1minute down on Henri Schoeman, Claude Eksteen and Team mate (BSG ) Abrahm Louw ..

I knew that I needed to KILL my run, keep my head down and run them down by the end of the event ..

By the half way point  (2.5km) I had closed down on Henri Schoeman and was closing down on Claude Eksteen …

Abrahm Louw was just ahead of Claude and pulling away for the win .

With +- 1.5km to go I gave it all I had and managed to reel in Claude and we were flying over the dam Wall of Brandvlei Dam .

I knew If I dug really deap I would rain that 45 seconds back and take the win !!! With around 500meters to go I pushed again and caught Abrahm louw and passed him at the bottem of transition . With 1 last hill left to go before the finish line Abrahm louw was right on my heals and I still needed to dig deep!

I managed to push through the pain, and come away with a win I thought not possible at the start of the run . This was by far one of the hardest runs I have done ALL year and was all worth it in the end . I have learnt, that If u believe in yourself and your capabilities you can go way further that you realize ..! NEver give up untill the finish line

Pos Dist		Surname	Name			Time	Swim	Bike	Run
1	1	Murray	Richard			0:59:10	0:10:25	0:33:21	0:15:23
2	2	Louw	Abrahm			0:59:18	0:10:03	0:32:47	0:16:27
3	3	Eksteen	Claude			0:59:38	0:10:16	0:32:30	0:16:50
4	4	Schoeman	Henri			1:00:43	0:09:46	0:33:17	0:17:39
5	5	Ruanova Fernández	Antón			1:00:57	0:10:13	0:33:50	0:16:53