Age of Conan devs release their August newsletter
Filed under: Fantasy, Age of Conan, New titles, Patches, News items
The devs over at Age of Conan have just posted their August newsletter on the game’s official website. In it they look back over the last month and the announcement of the new AoC expansion, Rise of the Godslayer, as well as clarifying some titbits about the new expansion. This includes thanking players for their feedback and explaining why they chose to venture to Khitai (the Conan-version of China) over other lands featured in the original books. The devs also touch on the fascinating subject of world design and how player feedback has shaped the new armor they are working on.
The most interesting nugget in the newsletter is a sneak peak at what the immediate future holds for AoC in the form of the 1.06 update. This includes the possibility of splitting the update into parts rather than deluging players with a giant patch. They also look at the new level 80 dungeon, the House of Crom, the Veterans System and Tier Three Raiding. So if you’re an AoC player excited about the new expansion and the next big update, you might want to head over to the official site and check out the newsletter for yourself.
Age of Conan devs release their August newsletter originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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12:56.27!!!!!!
Wow, I am still a little in shock. I did not want to talk myself up too much before the race but I knew I was ready to go. But I even surprised myself. I though I was capable of getting close to the 13-minute barrier, but everything just finally came together. To tell you the truth I didn’t feel incredible leading up to the race. Before Berlin I felt like Superman, but in the week and half after I just was OK. But now that I think back you always feel a little crappy after a 10k. I think St. Moritz may be the place for me, though. I was able to go back and refocus in such a short period of time and that made such a difference mentally. I though it would be difficult for me but really I just have been enjoying everything so much that I just had fun training and racing and did not even think about the outcome too much. It is funny how sometimes things really just click when you are not trying to force them. I think it is hard to go out and put the pressure on yourself to hit a certain time and that is why so many record attempts fail. In the race I didn’t even really think about breaking the record until I had about 4-5 laps to go. At that point, however, I just told myself over and over again that I could do it. I actually felt awkward in the beginning of the race because it was so fast and I was off the back. But by the middle of the race I was almost just in “the Zone”. It was such an amazing feeling after so many years to actually be in the moment that I have dreamt about since I was a teenager. I almost felt like I was watching myself from the stands. I am so happy that my family was there to be able and celebrate with me. It was such a special night and I think that even if I run faster and do better in the years to come, this one will always be one of those moments in my career that I will look back and be the most fond of. It was a moment that reinforced in my mind that, yes, I can run with the best runners in the world, I belong on that starting line and I am as good as those guys who sometimes seemed unbeatable. Being able to see Bekele, the greatest distance runner of all time, within a reasonable range…
I am so thankful to everyone who has supported me over the years. I could not have done this without the people I have surrounded myself with. My coaches, friends, family, support crew and my fans. I am so thankful to all of you for sticking with me through everything and giving me the motivation to prove what is possible. Until next time…
Destination: Boise, Idaho
There is an extensive MTB trail network on the edge of Boise, Idaho. Photo courtesy Brett Magnuson/SWIMBA
The southwestern Idaho city of Boise could be written off as very mediocre in many ways. Boise is medium in size, with about 200,000 residents. Cost of living, education and cultural opportunities, climate — all pretty average.
But the mountain bike trail network just at the edge of town — extensive and easy to access — defies expectation. It’s well above average.
The quiet city is situated in a tree-filled river valley. But rising up just to the north of town are rounded, sage and grassland foothills that are positively blanketed with trails of all shape and size. Some of the more prominent double tracks and ATV trails are even visible from downtown, reaching into the hills like fungal mycelia.
Even better? The network of fully 125 miles of jeep roads, doubletracks, and singlestrack trail can be readily accessed from neighborhoods surrounding the north and east perimeter of the city. Even from downtown, trailheads are only a ten-minute pedal, and present portals to every segment of the foothills system. The North End neighborhood of funky bungalows is the most popular jumping off point, and includes the Hyde Park district of restaurants, coffee shops, and stores.
At one time, the mostly public land of the Boise Foothills was cut with unregulated motorcycle and ATV trails. But in the 1990s, as mountain biking, hiking, and trail running became more and more popular, the city, county, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service created a trail management partnership called Ridge to Rivers. The Ridge to Rivers program has improved and maintained some trails, closed others, and mapped the entire system.
The granite-based geology of the Boise Foothills and the dry climate of southern Idaho dictate the nature of the mountain biking. Trails are smooth, sandy, and non-technical. A few rock outcrops here and there present some fall-line challenges, but the bike to bring is, at most, a 4- to 5-inch travel cross country rig. In fact, 29er hardtails are popular for the many fast rolling, swoopy trail segments. Hutchinson Python, Kenda Small Block 8 or Bontrager Revolt Super X tires are a good choice.
If you go: Boise, Idaho
Must-do trail: Hulls Gulch to Corral’s, a loop that starts and ends in town and embodies the essential nature of the Boise foothills.
Best bike shop: the cycling community in Boise is small but fervent, and many shops cater to every need. But try Idaho Mountain Touring for the best variety.
Best map: The Ridges to Rivers map has all the info you need.
Best coffee: Too many great coffee shops to count, but Java Coffee and Café in Hyde Park has the best bean juice and breakfast.
Best bar/restaurant: Bitter Creek on 8th street downtown has a huge specialty beer list, plus their own brews and great food.
Riding Season: Almost year-round, but Boise is a four-season town with snow in winter and scorching dry heat in August. Best times are spring and fall.
Getting there: Boise has a good airport, and is right on Interstate 84.
Lodging: Plenty of options, but stay in the downtown area for best trail (and culture) access.
Other things to do: Lucky Peak Reservoir just outside of town provides boating and swimming opportunities.Web Site: www.ridgetorivers.org, www.swimba.org
Smack From The Back: Gore-Tex Transrockies Run Day Six
Beginning of the second to last climb of the race. Photo: Courtesy of Thomas Miller
The final day of the 2009 Gore-rex Transrockies Run took Thomas and Monica from Vail to the finish line in Beaver Creek, Colo. The last day totaled 21.4 miles and an amazing 4,607 feet of climbing.
92 miles 16,000 feet of climbing, five days of mountain running under our belts we dug deep to summon the strength and conviction to make it to the start line one more day. At the front of the race some teams continued to run strong and stretch their lead while others fought to hang on to their position with one more day to go.
For the last time we will direct you to www.transrockies.com for stage 6 and final race results.
To all the general classification leaders we salute your heroic athleticism and unwavering commitment and the show you put on for all the rest of us.
As for Moe and me…Day six is pretty much exactly as I described it would be throughout our training. Our legs are sore, our bodies tired, our minds trail weary from the effort already put forth. We find that last shred of enthusiasm to psych ourselves up for the final push. We begin the final day’s journey where we completed stage five at the base of Vail Mountain. With 21.4 miles and 4607 feet of climbing ahead of us we head out of Vail village running on a paved path that traverses I-70 for approximately two miles as we approach the start to our second to final climb. Due to the fact that when we hit the dirt we are on very tight single track coupled with our conservative pace puts us behind a group of about 50 runners slowly making their way up the 3500 foot climb.
After about an hour of a combination of hiking and slow running the single track gave way to a dirt road that allowed the field to finally spread out and settle into their own pace.
With very little left in the tank and Monica on the tow we once again began to march past our fellow competitors. Although both of us were exhausted and managing our own minor aches and pains we still had enough in us to hold our position as we worked toward the first check point at mile seven. From check point one to checkpoint two we stayed on the dirt road that continued to undulate and roll and we continued to work our way through the course at a consistent pace.
We arrived at control station two at roughly 14 miles, refueled, reloaded our Nathan Hydration packs and began the steep, narrow and overgrown single track for four miles into the town of Avon. The descent was slow going as there were many parts that were so overgrown you could not see what was beneath your feet…all the while wondering how quickly the elite moved through this same section. After what seemed like hours of descending we finally emerged into civilization into the town of Avon with another couple miles of pavement running to take us to check point three. We began our final 700 feet ascent from checkpoint three that would eventually take us to the final decent into the base of Beaver Creek at the finish line.
We saw our good friend Kelly at Checkpoint three and her infectious enthusiasm inspired us to go after the final climb with the same energy we had all week. Having raced the same course last year I knew how steep and demanding it was and what was required to get it done. I had prepared Monica for this moment for many months and hoped that she had heeded my advice and left a little in the tank for this final short but incredibly steep climb. As it turned out as with every great challenge that presented itself this week Monica was more than up for the task. I knew very well at this point how far she had to reach into her pain cave to summon the sheer will to climb up this final beast.
We huffed and puffed, we dug in deep, and we used our hands to push on our quads to pick up any additional strength that we could. When we got to the point that we felt like we had nothing left to give we finally saw the top. With two miles left to go and our heart rates red lining we walked for about three minutes and then broke into our final run to the finish.
Thomas and Monica Miller at the finish. Photo: Courtesy of Thomas Miller
We gingerly descended the final single track that eventually dumped us at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain with the finish line in sight and the always welcoming voice of Drew Bragg the event MC. At the finish line Monica’s sister B and her husband Peter where there to cheer us on and the emotion was high. For Monica….this helped give her the final push needed to get across the line. Once over the line we were greeted by the first place team in our division Gary Robbins and Tamsin Anstey to cheer us on and welcome us over the line. Sitting at the Beaver Creek Chophouse with Monica’s family, B and Pete Nigg we soaked in the experience and enjoyed a big hearty meal which was exactly what we needed.
In closing this blog would not be complete without some very sincere acknowledgements and thank you. There are several key elements and groups of individuals that pull together to make this the epic adventure and life altering experience that it is. First and foremost we want to give our appreciation and kudos to the athletes. The discipline that you bring to the preparation, the commitment necessary to see you through the months and miles of training are a victory in its own right. The authentic nature and positive attitude that you bring to race week at Transrockies and exhibit day after day is truly amazing. Monica and I wish you all congratulations and our deepest gratitude to those of you who showed so much interest in our race experience. Team Nike - Hal Koerner and Andy Martin, Team MONTRAIL - Gary Robbins and Tamsin Anstey, Team Nike/Goretex - Julie Lesure and Peter Courogen. Your ability to demonstrate so much concern for us and our race in the middle of your own performance continues to define your character both on and off the field.
To the Transrockies organization your unwavering commitment to the athletes overall race experience is second to none in the event industry.
Your ability to execute on logistics that are overwhelming even to the participants continues to exhibit your commitment for the integrity of the race.
Last but not least to the incredible event sponsors and partners;
WL Gore and associates
Salomon
Wind Stopper
Timex
GU
Salt Stick
Oregon ’s Choice Tuna
Beaver Creek Resorts
Continental Divide Trail Alliance
Colorado Headwaters of Adventure
Choose Outdoors.org
Peet Dryer
Michelob Ultra
Nathan Hydration Packs
Erin Bakers Breakfast Cookies
LEKI
Headsweats
Zorrel
Play Green Events
This event was made with your support. You not only invested your financial resources but the investment of your heart and sole continues to make this event all that it can be.
To all those of you that have tuned into our blog this past week we hope you found it entertaining and inspirational. Thank you for sharing in our experience. We look forward to once again sharing our adventure with you in the 2010 GoreTex Transockies Run. Until then…Happy Trails.
Down-Under Dispatch: Calvin’s Corner
Editor’s Note: Calvin Jones is Park Tool’s education director and the chief mechanic for the USA Cycling team at next week’s mountain bike world championships in Canberra, Australia. Singletrack.com will publish his journals leading up to the races this coming weekend. An archive of his journals is available on the Park Tool Web site.
Tuesday Sept. 1 (Down Under time!): Today we pack up the DH bikes and we are off again to the venue. But today is also my favorite event, the Team Relay. I love the team events like this one, because the USA will pit its best team of four riders against the rest of the world. Each team must be comprised of a Junior, U-23, Elite Woman, and Elite man. The coach decides the order, and this must be submitted to the UCI, and cannot be changed after that. There is much strategy here, and for the USA the order is Heather Irmiger (Elite Women), Russell Finsterwald (Junior Man), Colin Cares (U-23 Men), and batting clean up is Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Elite Men). One rider from each country starts. They do one lap only, and must “hand off” in a zone by touching their team mate. If they do not touch, or touch outside the zone, it is an automatic DQ.
A little about Calvin and the Worlds: Each fall, near the end of the racing season, the best mountain bikers gather for the UCI World Championships. This year, the event is near Canberra, Australia, where the finest cross-country, trials, and gravity riders will meet to do battle and name a World Champion for each discipline. To me, the Worlds is a special event. Most of the year, athletes represent their respective corporate sponsors. However, at the World Championships, they ride for their country, and each other.
I will be attending this year as the USA Team Chief Mechanic, and will attempt to post here while I am “down under.”
The real important work began months ago, and we are ready to roll. What is to be done? Develop daily schedules, time lines, equipment checklist, tool checklists, and checklist for rider bike preparation. Also arrange for security, tents, heaters, lighting, scrap rugs to work over and catch that stupid screw I just dropped. Then contact and develop relationships with hotel and local bicycle shop owners, because it’s all about making friends … friends they didn’t even know they had … us!
The USA Team looks to have 41 riders. But to a mechanic’s mind, this means of course there will be over 100 wheels and about 3200 spokes, not to mention nearly 2,214 inches of chain. The USA Team mechanics have worked these intense events out of garages, basements, dank dark pits, and closed down bars, but this year we are in for a special treat. This year we will work out of shipping containers! This kind of excitement keeps mechanics going.
The USA MTB World Championship Team for 2009:
Elite Women’s Cross Country
- Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C.)
- Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.)
- Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.)
- Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.)
- Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
- Judy Freeman (Boulder, Colo.)
Elite Men’s Cross Country
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.)
- Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.)
- Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.)
- Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass.)
- Carl Decker (Bend, Ore.)
U23 Women’s Cross Country
- Amy Dombrowski (Boulder, Colo.)
- Chloe Forsman (Tucson, Ariz.)
U23 Men’s Cross Country
- Colin Cares (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
- Rob Squire (Sandy, Utah)
- Tad Elliott (Durango, Colo.)
Junior Women Cross Country
- Jill Behlen (Boulder, Colo.)
- Essence Barton (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
Junior Men’s Cross Country
- Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
- Zach McDonald (Bainbridge Island, Wash.)
- Seth Kemp (Campobello, S.C.)
- Eric Emsky (Fall City, Wash.)
Elite Women’s Downhill
- Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.)
- Kathy Pruitt (Santa Cruz, Calif.)
Elite Men’s Downhill
- Aaron Gwin (Morongo Valley, Calif./Yeti)
- Kyle Strait (Riverside, Calif.)
- Duncan Riffle (Santa Barbara, Calif.)
- Luke Strobel (Renton, Wash.)
- Cody Warren (El Cajon, Calif.)
- Brian Lopes (Laguna Beach, Calif.)
- Joey Schusler (Boulder, Colo.)
Elite Women’s 4-Cross
- Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.)
- Jill Kintner (Seattle, Wash.)
Elite Men’s 4-Cross
- Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah)
- Mike Haderer (Concord, Calif.)
- Blake Carney (Camarillo, Calif.)
Junior Men’s Downhill
- Mitch Ropelato (Ogden, Utah)
- Kevin Aiello (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
- Luciano Worl (Woodinville, Wash.)
- Tom Neer (Arvada, Colo.)
- Geoffrey Ulmer (Troy, N.Y.)
Trials
- 26″ Elite Men: Michael Schiavone
- 20″ Elite Men: Ryan Cecil
For the 2009 Worlds, the USA Team Mechanics are:
- Than White
- TJ Grove
- David McMunn
- Calvin Jones
Background: This part of the article will provide some background and history of what I do at these events.
In 1990, the UCI held the first ever MTB World Championships in Durango, Colorado. As one of the volunteer mechanics working at the Shimano Multi-Service tent, I saw first hand that there was no dedicated support for the US Team. Athletes, including the USA riders, such as Steve Tilford, simply stood in a long line at the Shimano tent for as long as it took to get their bikes serviced. Some riders used a trade team mechanic, but there was no US National Team support. My early race work was through the US Cycling Federation (predecessor to USA Cycling), where the emphasis was team and team support. I felt that US riders should be treated as a team, with technical support services provided by a dedicated staff of mechanics. After the event, I began discussions regarding technical support with the Director of NORBA.
My vision for Team USA technical support was put into action at the 1994 World Championship in Vail, Colorado. This was the first time there was a staff of mechanics whose primary responsibility was service to the athletes at the USA team hotel. In fact, all USA riders competing at the World’s are welcome. I call this effort the USA TEAM SHOP, both to emphasize the team aspect, and to model the professionalism of a retail shop. As our reputation grew, we began to get more elite riders and their mechanics, needing service, or needing to borrow tools.
To me, the purpose of race support is to allow the athletes a chance to focus on their competition. To me, the World Championships are a very special event, an event where our athletes, and staff, represent the United States of America. Corporate affiliations dominate the racing life for most of the year, but at a World Championship, these corporate allegiances should come second to loyalty to the other riders on the US Team. It is my goal to have the USA Team Shop model this team attitude and behavior.
I believe strongly in a team attitude and team approach to athlete support. For one thing, it is simply more fun. Working within a group allows each our special skills to be best utilized. However, even if you consider yourself a “downhill mechanic”, when you work in the USA Team Shop you better be ready to serve any athlete, wash the rental cars, or fix the hotel washing machine. Working in a group, in a team approach, raises expectations in our selves and toward each other. It sharpens your game, as you are taking it to the next level. It allows us to ask for help or a second opinion without fear of getting a damaged ego. Working with one’s peers is its own reward.
A typical day at a World Championship begins early, about 0600, by unlocking and stacking the bikes for easy rider access. The trucks will be loaded and packed for the day’s training/racing. We keep a mechanic at the Hotel Shop because athletes come and go all day long. At least two mechanics man the USA Team Tent at the race venue. They will do any quick servicing needed, such as flat tires, but the heavy lifting such as bottom bracket, fork installation, etc., is done back at the Hotel shop. During the day, the athletes smash things up, as is appropriate, and in the afternoon everyone returns to the hotel, where the work pace picks up as we get the machines ready for another day. Riders are welcome to come and work in the Shop on their bikes, but we attempt to close the Shop to riders at 22:00. Left alone, we can finish work and hopefully begin cabling bikes and locking down by 23:00.
There is of course a certain level of chaos and tension at race events. Having documentation and a service check-in procedure can help maintain a sense of order and calm for everyone. By recording and documenting our service, we will be able to review the work at the end of the day. We track our repairs with a simple repair tickets printed on card-stock paper. By using a repair ticket, we know who was the service writer, who worked on the bike, and what was done (or not done) to the bike.
Our work at these events depends largely on correctly diagnosing and recording the athlete’s service needs. A very critical skill at these events I feel is technical communication with the riders and with the other mechanics. Each mechanic will be acting as Shop Service Writer at different times. This means we listen to our customers (athletes) and their perceived symptoms. We reflect back their concerns by asking probing questions, and then record this on the ticket for the work mechanic. The mechanic writing the ticket may or may not be the mechanic that ends up working on that particular bike, so writing the ticket so it is understood by any of us is important.
The classic mistake of any service department is allowing the customer to diagnose the repair without digging deeper. It is important that we review the symptoms with the athlete and then draw our own opinion, even if we end up with the same conclusion as the athlete.
Each year, I try to develop a Shop logo. Taking the classic Aussie saying as our motto let’s the riders know that under the USA flag are … no worries.
Run Proud In Texas—5K For ALS
Source: RunProud.org
Saturday, October 10 at 8:30 a.m.
Andy Brown Park West, Coppell, Texas
Six months ago Diane Proud was diagnosed with ALS—and the world-recognized triathlete, who holds every title in her age group, was given two to five years to live. In another six months, the head running coach at the Cooper Aerobics Center will be unable to talk. While there is no cure for ALS, there are some clinical trials available and Diane’s friends will do whatever they can to help her get the funds she needs to travel around the country for these trials… not to mention the funds for her regular medical expenses. And you can help too, by participating in Run Proud, a 5K run/walk sponsored by Run On and the Texas Orthopedic Association. Registration is only $20; half goes to the ALS Association, and half goes directly to Diane. Learn more at runproud.org, and race to support this local legend.
Prologue
There are three types of people in this world. There are the people who live fearlessly and eagerly do scary things like BASE jumping. There are the people who live cautiously and rarely do anything bolder than driving somewhere new without Mapquest. And then there are the cautious people drawn to scary things, the people who are anxious and guarded about most everything but sign up for stuff that feels crazy anyway.
Sign reads: "Warning. Snakes are active this time of year." I wanted a sign for snakes: "Caution. Runners are active this time of year."
I’m the third kind of person. It’s a bitch being a glutton for biting off more than I can chew, but that’s how I’ve always been. And that’s my trip to Australia. There is obviously a back story to my decision to spend 19 days running around the other side of the planet, as I was reminded every time someone in Oz looked at me quizzically for leaving my young son for almost 3 weeks to travel alone (and to go running, in particular). But as I should have told Henry the day before I left when he asked why I can’t just run in Massachusetts, “Sometimes people have to do hard things all by themselves.” Personally, I think endurance is the best trait a person can develop in life, and I’m not just talking about running.
The thing about the back story—and the front story of the trip, for that matter—is that I’m not quite sure where it belongs. On the blog? On paper? Or maybe it can only be in my head. I’m still working that out. How much do people want to know about this trip? I’ll write something up for the blog, of course, but it’s a work in progress, much like my trail running (as I discovered).
Mt. Sonder: 16 km return, hiked up & ran down
What I’ll say for now, on my first day back, is that the past three weeks were the hardest f—ing thing I’ve ever done in my life, from learning to run technical tracks on the rough Larapinta Trail to enduring air travel for 25 hours. The Larapinta, I’ve decided, is like the stereotypical alpha girl in school, the gorgeous one who is, quite simply and ironically, a total bitch once you get to know her. I have never run—or even walked—a surface so harsh and unforgiving. And I’ve never seen a part of the world so exquisite.
Bill Bryson, in his book Down Under, asserts that you haven’t seen Australia until you’ve been in the outback. I would add that I couldn’t have known the outback in the same way without traversing 58 insanely rough miles of it in six days and sleeping in a dry riverbed without a tent. Other than when my guide sang lousy top-40 songs on the trail, I didn’t cry, but it was, without a doubt, the toughest challenge I’ve taken on.
Uluru
From the moment I left Boston, I realized this entire trip would be one extended endurance test, from the endless hours of air travel to the fight against jet lag to the running during a heat wave in Central Australia to the agonizing one-day,1,000-km bus trip to see Uluru, one of the world’s freakiest natural formations.
With Richard (my guide) atop Mt. Sonder
My feet are shredded. My mind, frankly, isn’t much better. I haven’t been this mentally exhausted since doing my dissertation research, which in all honesty was easier. On the other hand, I’m faring much better spiritually—however you want take that when it’s uttered by an atheist. When I got back to Alice Springs from my week in the bush, I had a message from a friend welcoming me back to civilization. It made me think. Civilization and comfort, as we tend to think of them, kind of seem overrated. Worn and pained from a brutal 19 km run and sitting dirty, dusty, salty, and silently on a rock formation at the edge of a billabong with my running guide, taking in the reds and golds of some of the oldest landscape on the planet: this is about as civilized a scene as I can think of.
Sometimes, we have to do things are really hard, all by ourselves. Things that scare the shit out of us. Otherwise, we just go about the day until we realize we may have been napping through the better part of adult life. I do enjoy a good nap as much as the next gal, but one probably shouldn’t anesthetize one’s life against its more onerous opportunities. Distance running will never not frighten me. Running uninhibited down a steep technical track of scree will never not frighten me. But I think that’s why I do it. Because my comfort zone is terribly boring; it leads me to wander, as fast as I can go, looking for something interesting and robust to happen. And as hard and uncomfortable and stressful as it was, my runabout was also thick with the kind of experience only a cautious person doing something scary could have.
More to follow, as I rip the Band-aids off my feet, battle jet lag, and wrap my head around the last three weeks. To give you a taste of my trip, though, I’ll answer some of your obvious questions:
Did I eat kangaroo? Yes
Is Australian English spoken by an Englishman comprehensible to an American? No
What does a dingo sound like behind your head in the middle of the night? Bad
Does a baby koala eat its mother’s poop? Yes
What does Central Australia feel like in an August heat wave? Ever broil your own flesh?
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat
Rapp Takes Maiden Win as Macel Dominates Canada
Jordan Rapp and Tereza Macel dominated strong fields at Ironman Canada this weekend. But while Macel’s victory didn’t come as a total surprise, Rapp’s did. The American’s dominance of a race littered with seasoned pros means that there will be another contender to look out for in the countdown to Kona.
Men’s Race
Rapp was made to work for his win. Emerging from the water in 12th, he was already five minutes down on leader Mark Van Akkeren, and three minutes back on a pack that included Andi Boecherer, Luke Bell, Wolfgang Guembel, Brian Lavella and Mike Aigroz.
Boecherer and Bell quickly picked up the pace, working hard to chase down Van Akkeren. The pair passed the American at the 30km mark, and managed to stay ahead for much of the bike. Rapp, however, was quietly working his way through the field, and stole the lead in the final few kilometers in the approach to T2.
Coming out of T2, Rapp had a 45-second lead,which continued to grow on the run as both Bell and Boecherer began to fade. Rapp’s marathon time of 2:55:32 was the fastest of the field, giving him his first victory. Behind him, Switzerland’s Mike Aigroz ran his way from sixth to second for a final time of 8:40:17. Australia’s Courtney Ogden also had an impressive running, improving from ninth off of the bike to third across the finish line at 8:44:37.
Women’s Race
The women’s race was all about Tereza Macel. There aren’t enough superlatives to explain her dominance of Ironman Canada, but the Canadian led from start to finish.
Macel (51:11) exited the water some two minutes ahead of second placed Belinda Granger, and from that point on the Canadian never looked like being threatened. Granger tried to reel her in, but by the time Macel had posted the fastest bike split of the day (4:58:13), she had a 15-minute lead coming out of T2.
Carrying her momentum from the bike to the run, Macel posted a marathon time of 3:17:52 for the victory. Granger managed to hold off faster runners and crossed the line 29 minutes after Macel at 9:40:48. Canada’s Janelle Morrison ran her way from ninth to third to claim the final podium spot with a time of 9:48:54.
Ironman Canada
Men
1. Jordan Rapp (USA) 8:25:13
2. Mike Aigroz (SUI) 8:40:17
3. Courtney Ogden (AUS) 8:44:37
4. Jasper Blake (CAN) 8:48:29
5. Wolfgang Guembel (CAN) 8:50:27
Women
1. Tereza Macel (CAN) 9:11:20
2. Belinda Granger (AUS) 9:40:48
3. Janelle Morrison (CAN) 9:48:54
4. Haley Cooper (USA) 9:53:35
5. Tara Norton (CAN) 9:59:42
Zyemtsev and Kraft Win Ironman Louisville
On a cool day at Ironman Louisville, Ukranian Viktor Zyemtsev produced a lightning-fast marathon (2:43:44) to win the men’s race by just 34 seconds. In the women’s race Germany’s Nina Kraft led out of the water and powered through the marathon to take her first Ironman victory since 2007.
Men’s Race
If one thing was for sure in the men’s race, it was that John Flanagan would dominate the swim. The Hawaii-resident destroyed the field in the water, emerging in 44:54 - nearly four minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Japan’s Hiroyuki Nishiuchi. Nishiuchi was at the head of a strong group which included Luke McKenzie and Andreas Niedrig, who all worked to chase Flanagan down. But Flanagan was pushing hard, averaging 24mph over the first 22 miles of the bike course.
However, he couldn’t sustain it. Briefly pulling away from the chasing group, he was soon hauled back in by Australian Luke McKenzie, who was on course to set the fastest bike split (4:41:10).
Flanagan then managed to hold on to the chasing group of Viktor Zyemtsev, Swen Sundberg, Andreas Niedrig and Raynard Tissink, before the Hawaiian was dropped on the way in to T2.
McKenzie had built up a massive lead coming out of T2, with Zymetsev over seven minutes down on the leader. The Ukranian, however, kept a steady pace for the first part of the run, slowly turning the screw towards the 19-mile mark. As he closed the gap to first, Zymetsev and McKenzie ran side-by-side from miles 22 to 25, before the Ukranian finally broke away. Zymetsev crossed the line with a new course record of 8:25:27, with McKenzie just 34 seconds back (8:26:01) and Raynard Tissink in third.
Women’s Race
Nina Kraft was quick to stamp her authority on the women’s race, leading out of the water with a swim of 52:56. With many of the race’s top contenders struggling through the swim, Kraft was forced to work hard on the bike in a bid to pull away from Maki Nisiuchi.
However, having finally broken away from the Japanese pro, Kraft was quickly caught by Denmark’s Lisbeth Kristensen who put in a 5:02:24 bike split to blow the rest of the women’s field away. With a near nine minute lead coming out of T2, Kristensen looked almost unstoppable. But Kraft has a strong run, and a 3:07:32 marathon helped her to overhaul the Dane and take the win at 9:20:21. Kristensen easily earned second position at 9:23:57.
Despite posting a time of 1:10:24 on the swim, Loeffler slowly worked her way back on the bike and posted the fastest marathon of the group at 3:05:07 to earn the final spot on the podium at 9:38:23.
Ironman Louisville
Men
1. Viktor Zyemtsev (UKR) 8:25:27
2. Luke McKenzie (AUS) 8:26:01
3. Raynard Tissink (RSA) 8:39:09
4. Swen Sundgerg (GER) 8:43:36
5. Maximilian Longree (GER) 8:46:31
Women
1. Nina Kraft (GER) 9:20:21
2. Lisbeth Kristensen 9:23:57
3. Kim Loeffler (USA) 9:38:23
4. Kate Pallardy (USA) 9:56:45
5. Fernanda Keller (BRA) 10:00:22
MTB Worlds: Kabush on a Roll into Canberra
Geoff Kabush takes the win at the 2009 Yankee Clipper at Windham Hill in August. Photo by Dave McElwaine
Singletrack.com recently tracked down Geoff Kabush (Maxxis/Rocky Mountain) in Australia, where the Canadian XC rider - off a World Cup and two consecutive Pro XCT victories - is prepping for the Sept. 5 World Championships in Canberra with the essentials: a road bike and coffee-making gear.
ST: Wins at the Bromont World Cup, Mt. Snow Pro XCT and then the Yankee Clipper at Windham - obviously the form has been great. What do you do keep that momentum going into the Worlds in Australia on Sept. 5?
GK: The biggest thing I can do now is stay healthy and not over-train. Our downhillers were all sick on the East Coast swing so I was little worried out there. I had to quarantine myself in my bedroom a bit but I managed to escape without picking anything up. I have also managed to survive the travel down to Australia well and that can always be a big hurdle. I feel like my Team, Maxxis-Rocky Mountain, along with the Canadian National Team have provided me with all the support I need so it is just up to me to follow through on race day.
ST: What, if any, racing have you done between Windham and now to keep that form?
GK: After Windham I just had a short week back in Albuquerque, New Mexico where my wife and I have a place. It was a brief visit and I only had a little time to hang out with my wife and animals, eat some good food and make sure I had everything packed for the journey Down Under. I just made sure I recovered well from Windham and then did a few solid rides before jumping on the plane again. I traveled down to Australia with my road bike so I can continue to do some solid training leading up to Worlds.
ST: Australia is a long flight; those time zones can play havoc on the body. How early will you arrive before the race?
GK: I arrived in Australia on Aug. 26; a good 10 or 11 days before my XC race. I am also doing the Team Relay on Sept. 1 so it is nice to get down here in plenty of time to be rested for that. I don’t mind traveling west because it is a lot easier to adjust a bit by staying up late and sleeping in a bit before heading off. I also got lucky and got a full side row on the plane, which helped me sleep a little…
ST: How do you maintain a routine - be it nutritional or training - when on the road? That said, are you heading to Europe after Canberra for any of the World Cup races?
GK: I try to bring all the tools I have at home to make life on the road as normal as possible. When I need to train for long periods I really like to have my road bike along; I also make sure I can keep up my strength work, and all other aspects of my normal training. For the kitchen I always bring my own coffee, hand-burr grinder and little French press so I can start the day off right.
Luckily in Australia the availability of good food is awesome. There are lots of great markets when you can get wonderful produce, meat, bread and whatever specialty items you like. Whenever we can we stay in apartments or houses where we can cook our our meals.
Worlds is just the start of a long month so it is important I take good care of myself. After Worlds I am off to Europe for the last couple World Cups in Champery (Switzerland) and Schladming (Austria); then it is straight to Vegas for CrossVegas and Interbike for the week, and then straight to Wisconsin for the first USGP CX weekend; then I can take a little breather.
ST: Do you have any familiarity with the Canberra course?
GK: I know the Canberra course quite well from the World Cup last year where I placed third. It is a fantastic course for myself and it is really a lot of fun to ride. It really was good last year when we all came down from the Olympics a little blown out; we were all a little tired but the course made the week a lot more enjoyable. If I have good legs there is no reason I can’t be at the front of the race.
Q: How many bikes do you travel with considering that you may or may not know the course - i.e. hardtail or full suspension?
GK: For a remote trip like Australia, where I know the course, I will often decide beforehand which mountain bike I will race. For Canberra I will be racing my Rocky Mountain Vertex Team hardtail. I already know which tires and pressure as well from last year’s World Cup. Like I said above I also have my road bike with me for training and warming up on. In North America and in Europe we have a permanent vehicle so I will have all my bikes to choose from at each event; Vertex Team hardtail, Element full-suspension and Team RSL road bike for training.
ST: Other than yourself, of course!, who do you think has the form to podium on Sept. 5?
GK: It is too bad Ralf Naf got hurt a couple weeks ago because he was definitely a top-three favorite. There is a cast of characters that could win the race as well but I think, besides all the Swiss guys, Absalon and Hermida will be the ones to watch.
