Postcard from Sardinia

Luke McKenzie regularly drops us a line updating us on his latest travels... Hawaii, Brazil... and now Italy. Tough life huh?

Hey guys,

I am happy to report I won the South Sardinia Olympic distance triathlon in Villasimius, Italy over the weekend. After a successful week long training camp with 15 Italian age group athletes in what can only be described as "paradise," we finished with one of the mostly spectacular but challenging Olympic distance races I have entered. In it's first edition, the South Sardinia triathlon attracted 150 athletes mostly from Sardinia and the Italian mainland. I led the race from the gun, exiting the water with over one minute lead and continued to pull away on the bike to go onto the run 8 minutes ahead of the next competitor. Only two weeks after Ironman Brazil and with one easy week of training in Sardinia I was glad to afford the luxury of cruising the run to take in the scenery and cheer for all my new Italian friends.

I really enjoyed the race not because I won but it was very exciting to watch all the athletes who had been part of our camp crossing the line with huge smiles on their faces. They were a really great bunch of people and their enthusiasm and vest for life is contagious! Plans are already well underway to return to Sardinia in 2011 to once again host the June training camp and compete in the South Sardinia triathlon.

Ciao!

Luke

Luke drops us a note on his IM Brazil win

Luke dropped his a line about his 5th IM win in Brazil, and in record time no less!

Wow ... what a day! As an athlete you are constantly in search of that perfect race. I am a firm believer that no race will ever go perfectly but yesterday I felt like I almost got it.

Ironman Brazil is a mass start and we were told we would have a 10m gap between the professionals and the amateurs but by the time the horn sounded it was pure mayhem. I got off to a good start and hit the lead straight away. Swimming a little off course on the return to the beach the first time, I exited the water with two other swimmers right on my heels but as we ran the 100m beach section to begin lap two I was alone again in the lead, and I began to pull away.

I was first out the water in 42.27 with a handy 3 minute lead on the group behind including Reinaldo Colucci, Eduardo Sturla, Oscar Galindez and Ezequiel Morales. I rode at a good pace over the first 40km and saw that the group hadn't eaten much into my lead, so I kept my head down and worked on staying ahead. At the 90km turn-a-round Sturla was leading the group and they had my lead down to about 2 minutes but I was still determined to push on solo and make them work to catch me. On the second lap the group behind me began to split which worked to my advantage and now only Sturla and Galindez were within striking distance. I actually gained some time in the last 40km and finished the bike with a 4 minute gap. My bike split was a career best for me in 4 hrs 26 mins 50 seconds.

Now the real race would begin. I knew both Sturla and Galindez are good runners and I had to nail one of my best marathons to ensure I held them off if I wanted to win. Galindez charged at me hard in the first 10km and at one stage he was about one minute behind me but after the one tough hilly section of the course I was able to stretch it back to 2 minutes. From that point I continued to build my lead on my pursuers having a good 7 minute lead at 30km. The order behind me had changed somewhat and now Ezequiel Morales who is a phenomenal runner was beginning to gain on me. With 5km to go I could see he was at about 6 minutes back and I knew I had the win.

At the 3km to go marker my Brazilian friend Rodriego came up to me on a bike and told me to keep pushing because I was on pace to break the 8 year old course record of 8.11. The last 2 km was lined with crazy spectators and the adrenaline kicked in and I pushed hard to the finish line. I broke the course record and clocked a career best time of 8 hrs 7 minutes 39 seconds.

It was seriously the best experience of my life. I have won races all around the world but yesterdays race was something I will treasure forever. The Brazilian people are amazing spectators and made the win even more special. Thanks Florianopolis and thank you Brazil!

I am looking forward to a week off training and some fun in Rio before we head to Europe for next weeks training camp in Sardinia. I have made the decision to make some slight changes to my racing schedule leading into Hawaii. I am now purely focusing on a top result there so the plan will be to select a few Ironman 70.3's and Olympic distance races in July and August in the USA and save the Ironman legs for October.

Luke McKenzie wins at Busselton

Our mate Luke pulled out yet another great race to take the win at Busselton Half Ironman in Australia on the weekend. He finished just 15 seconds slower than the course record he set the previous year, and would have probably beaten it if he hadn't got a bit lost in T2. We reckon it was because he was preoccupied - worrying that our very own Guy Crawford might be catching him... but Guy will have to wait to fulfil his life long goal of beating Luke McKenzie... At anything.

Just like Luke, Lisa Marangon exited the water first, and had a strong bike to hold off fast finishing Kate Bevilaqua for the win.

Check out the full race report and top 10 results at slowtwitch.com

Luke Mckenzie updates us on his win at the Western Australia Half Ironman

photo by Sarah Hall

"I have just arrived back home after a successful weekend at the Western Australia Half Ironman in Busselton. I won the race in a new course record time of 3.47.01.

We arrived in Busselton on the Friday morning prior to the race to unexpected chilly weather. Our morning swim in Geograph Bay was freezing after training in the warmer waters of Noosa and some uninvited guests (1 million Jellyfish) decided to take up residence on the swim course. The afternoon prior to the race was busy with media commitments for the local and state television and newspapers and an appearance at the kids tri and signing hundreds of autographs for the young ones. We crashed into bed after a long day ready to race the following morning.

Race morning dawned and ideal race conditions came to the party. Blue skies, not a breath of wind and ideal temperature ment it was going to be a fast day. Warming up for the race I learned that TIm Berkel who had won the Ironman event in December and recent third place finisher at Ironman Australia was out of the race due to illness which was a little disappointing as I was looking forward to a rematch against him and Pete Jacobs.

Warming up for the swim I dove in and took 3 strokes only to find the Jellyfish had seemed to increase in numbers overnight and I got stung across my face straight away. I ditched the idea of a swim and decided it would be best to do a dry land warm up with some arm swings and stretches. Luckily my BlueSeventy Helix wetsuit kept me from getting stung on my body once the race started but my face hit a few more stingers throughout the 1.9kms. I swam comfortably on Pete Jacobs feet and we exited the water with a good lead over the chasing group.

Exiting transition and onto the bike I put my head down and went for it, managing to drop Pete through the technical town section before we hit the fast open roads. My Scott Plasma 2 was humming along the open stretches and the front Zipp 1080/ rear Disc combo was roaring, the bike almost felt like it was motorized! I continued to pull away at every turn-a-around and by the end of the 90km bike leg I had established a six minute lead over Pete, Courtney Ogden and Sean O'Neill. I was really surprised with my ride as I felt like I had been struggling in past weeks in my bike training but I just had one of those days where it all clicks and I was stoked to ride to a new bike course record of 2.05.42.

Onto the run and I felt comfortable and in control. I was initially worried that maybe my effort on the bike might have tired my legs but as I found my rhythm I knew I was going to back up the bike with a solid run. My K-Swiss K-ona's bounced along the course and I ran well within myself to maintain my winning break and crossed the finish line in 3.47.01, a new Western Australia Half Ironman course record time. It was awesome to come down the finish chute to see all of Amanda's family cheering me on and celebrating the win with me. Thanks for coming to support guys!

After an overnight red eye flight to Brisbane we are now back in Noosa and back into training. Only 10 days left in Australia before we head to Hawaii for the Ironman 70.3 and our training base for Ironman Japan in June."

Congrats Luke! Triple threat....

Another win for Luke McKenzie

blueseventy athlete Luke McKenzie just rocked to another Ironman title with his win at the 2009 Ironman Malaysia. Congrats Luke. Bryan Rhodes was the runner up. Go Rhodesy.

Top 5 men:

1. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 8:26:48
2. Bryan Rhodes (NZL) 8:32:52
3. Brian Fuller (AUS) 8:38:06
4. Hiroyuki Nishiuchi (JAP) 8:48:23
5. Petr Vabrousek (CZE) 8:50:48


Top 5 women:

1. Belinda Granger (AUS) 9:21:10
2. Nicole Leder (GER) 9:36:40
3. Maki Nishiuchi (JAP) 9:57:13
4. Donna Phelan (USA) 10:03:18
5. Christine Waitz (GER) 10:05:32

Congrats Gina and Luke

Gina Ferguson won the 2008 Ironman Western Australia in a record time of 8:59:24, after having had the fastest swim in her blueseventy Helix wetsuit. Luke McKenzie led all the men out of the water in his blueseventy Helix wetsuit and after dealing with some technical issues during the bike segment, Luke eventually finished third.

Congrats Gina and Luke.

blueseventy athletes out in force in Kona

Desiree Ficker picks up her new pointzero3 17...

Matt Lieto gets his goggles on...


Terenzo Bozzone gives us a grin...

Tim from nuun and Leanda do 'blue steel' with Dean from blueseventy...

Jimmy tries on the new pointzero3 17...

Chris Lieto

Chrissie goes for a quick dip...

Leanda Cave and Fee Docherty catch up in Lava Java....

A hungry Luke McKenzie

Luke McKenzie is a very hungry man, and while we see him here eating at Lava Java, we are talking about him being hungry for his best race yet in Kona. :-)

And along those lines, if you want to meet someone in Kona, just go to Lava Java and you'll find them sooner or later.

blueseventy Kona arrivals

Kona is already starting to fill up with athletes for the most important race of the Ironman calendar year - the Ironman World Championships - to be held next Saturday the 11th of October. blueseventy's Stadler and his teammates catch up with Guy at Lava Java...

....and blueseventy athletes Chrissie, Luke and Luke's sister Jac get snapped at the pool.

Luke McKenzie you are an Ironman CHAMPION

Luke McKenzie, you have just won the 2008 Ironman Japan in a course record time and have thus earned your first Ironman title. What are you going to do next?

Luke McKenzie close at 70.3 Hawaii

Luke McKenzie started the event with the fastest swim split of the day among pros in his blueseventy pointzero 3 and then had a fantastic race to finish second to 2007 Ironman Hawaii World Champion Chris McCormack.



70.3 Hawaii, May 29, 2008

1. Chris McCormack (AUS) 4:04:22
2. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 4:12:05
3. Tim Marr (USA) 4:15:17
4. Luis De La Torre (USA) 4:19:53
5. Andrew Mackay (NZL) 4:22:13

Luke McKenzie wins Honolulu Triathlon

Blueseventy athlete Luke McKenzie won the 2008 Honolulu Triathlon and we are very happy for him.