SCODY triathlete Sam Betten visited SCODY HQ recently for a fitting of his race suit. We work closely with our sponsored athletes to ensure that our products fit well, feel good and make them go faster! Improvements that we make to their race suits are integrated into the rest of our range. And, now that SCODY has partnered with Triathlon Australia to provide official Team Australia kit to all TA elite and age-groupers for the next 3 world championships, everyone who uses a SCODY suit will benefit from cutting-edge design.
Here is an excerpt from Sam's blog (more at www.sambetten.blogspot.com.au):
If you've been following me on twitter then you might have noticed I've been posting on my trips to one of my sponsors SCODY I've had the chance to work with the team on the Australian elite race suit as well as having a custom designed suit made for myself (stay tuned for this). Its great to have a sponsor who is committed to getting a race suit to fit perfectly and willing to explore state of the art materials to get the fit and function to an industry leading level.
It's a great setup they have going with everything done 'in house' so the time from design to completion is very quick.
I made a quick trip down to Geelong in Victoria over the weekend for the
Australian Sprint Championships. I was looking forward to another hit out before
some of my bigger races of the season.
I was happy with my swim. I was just off the back of the first chase group
going around the 2 buoys, but managed to swim up comfortably in the last couple of
hundred metres. I actually didn’t realise at this point that there were already 2 off the
front.
My group came out around 20 seconds down on Emma Moffatt and Teresa
Adam, and frustratingly we kept losing ground every lap on the ride. I think some
athletes get into the mindset of just racing within the group, and forget that the goal
is to actually win the race! I worked pretty hard on the bike and tried to focus on
holding good position, especially at tricky parts of the course.
I had an absolute shocker of transition going into the run and started at the
back of our group. I tried to make the ground back up as soon as possible but my
legs were feeling pretty terrible. It’s always a hard battle within yourself when your
body isn’t feeling and responding the way it should. One of the things I’ve been
working with my sports psychologist is positive self talk whilst racing, and I was
definitely trying to utilise it!
I got a 15 second stop – start penalty (for my goggles not being in my box in
T1) which I took with 1600m to go. 15 seconds feels like forever when you’re
watching athletes pass you. I tried not to think about it too much when I was running
and when I started again I focussed on trying to catch back up to those that passed.
It was frustrating as I still believe it mentally knocks you out a bit, and it’s hard to lose
those that you were running with. It definitely lost me a couple of positions in the end
result.
I ended up finishing10th and 6th Australian. Not an outstanding result by any
means, but there are plenty of positives to take. Over the last few months I have
been swimming significantly less than I normally would at this time of the year, and I
believe I am swimming as good (if not better) than I ever have, so it’s definitely a
step in the right direction! I am looking forward to incorporating some more speed
work and intense running into my program and building off the aerobic base from the
work done in Falls Creek. Another month and I’ll be ready to race ;) !
Thanks,
Charlotte
It's less than 10min till race start and no-one is in the water. I'm still pulling on my Blue Seventy wetty and neoprene cap. It's freezing. The race organizers highly recommend we stay out of the water until just before the gun goes. The air temp is about 5deg and it's windy. We are 1600m above sea level and the water temp is under 15deg.
1min till race start. I paddle up to the start line with Madeline Oldfield. Seconds after the gun fires, my arms and legs don't feel like they're working properly - not sure if they are lactic or just frozen but they're not working. My hands and feet feel like numb bricks. After a few hundred metres my arms start working and I eventually catch Maddy and we swim side by side the majority of the 2km swim. She pulls away just as we come into the shallow, emerging from the water 2seconds ahead of me. Running up the hill to T1 my feet are still numb and sore. Maddy somehow has a quick transition and is on her way. Me on the other hand, I struggle to get my wetsuit off with my frozen fingers. Finally I get there but then take some more time to throw on a jersey to try and keep warm on the bike. Coming from Queensland, I don't function well in the cold.
The bike course is 3 laps. Three hilly, cold and windy laps. I jump onto 'Shivy' - my new, bright red Specialized Shiv - and I catch Maddy not too far into the first lap. My quads are screaming. My fingers are only just working and I'm not sure if I still have toes in my bike shoes. Thanks to my newest sponsor Specialized, I have toe warmers on my shoes to block the wind. I have about a 30sec lead after the first lap. I head off for my second lap. I try to drink but the water is freezing. And with the altitude I find it hard to control my breathing enough to get a big gulp. The second lap I hold my lead but don't extend it. Not many bike courses do you have to go down into your small chain but this is definitely one. The course is very tough with long hill climbs. I hardly even look at my Garmin, it doesn't mean a thing on this course.
Lap three... I'm hurting but I finally feel like my legs have warmed up. I push a little harder and manage to extend my lead to about 1 and a half minutes. I dismount and jump onto the bitumen. Ouch! My feet still haven't thawed out. It's a painful jog back into transition. I put my socks on then try to quickly get my frozen feet into my runners. It's not happening. I can't even feel if I am putting my feet in my shoes. And my fingers aren't working to pull them on. It feels like I'm there for minutes. I relax and shake my hands out and try again... Ok, I'm on my way.
I grab my SiS visor and gel and run out while clipping on my Scody race belt. We head straight up hill as soon as we leave T2 then wind back down to jump on the beautiful Aquaduct trail. A couple of km's in we head up another long steep hill. I can really feel the altitude now, puffing all the way up the hill. We run back down and back onto the flat trail right out to the Falls Creek wishing well where we u-turn and head back
along the same trail. The run is two laps so there are plenty of spectators out and about as well as many friendly competitors on the course. I had so many other competitors yelling out my name, it really made me realize how much I love this sport. I felt really good on the run and got into a nice rhythm. And after about 6 or 7 km my feet defrosted and I began to warm up.
I'm on the home run, I pass my parents, my aunty and relatives and give them a little wave. I then head up the last hill where my running mates (all Olympians) are standing and cheering. Thanks Vicko, Elzy & Craig! I run down the finish chute to an ever enthusiastic David Hansen (Race organizer) and break the tape in a new course record of 4:14:39 and the title of AUS long course champion :-)
I loved my Falls Creek experience. Although the bike course was probably the hardest I've ever done and the coldest it is such a beautiful place. The swim was in the clean, refreshing dam and the run was a trail run which is a nice change to the normal bitumen courses. The race was fantastically organized and I owe a big thanks to David from SuperSprint for the invitation to compete in this amazingly unique race. Definitely a race to put on your 'to do' list!
Sam Betten is one of triathlon's rising stars and we're thrilled to have him join the SCODY team this year. Here is a recount of his experiences visiting students at Mansfield Primary School with netballer Amy Steel.
SCODY is a proud supporter of the ANZ Netball Championship this year and we were stoked to see triathlon and netball leading the way in inspiring the next generation of champions!
For more on Sam, visit his blog at http://sambetten.blogspot.com.au.
This week I headed to Mansfield Primary School along with Queensland Firebirds netball player Amy Steel to do a q&a session with the year 6 and 7 students. The afternoon was all about raising awareness for MP Phil Reeves initiative to get more kids to enrol in local sporting programs. All in all it was a great afternoon and really enjoyable. Some of the kids questions were quite interesting and my top 3 would have to be the following.
1) Do you like pingpong?
2) What sport do you hate?
3) Would you ever play netball?
SCODY is proud to announce today the signing of a 3-year deal with Triathlon Australia to be TA's official partner for uniforms and clothing to the Australian Triathlon Team.
The new partnership will give Australia’s world class elite and age group triathletes all the benefits of cutting edge technology as they prepare for the 2012 ITU World Championships in Auckland, the 2013 ITU World Championships in London and the 2014 ITU World Championships.
SCODY will provide outfitting, including the latest in its performance racing wear for Australia’s elite racing team, the Under 23s, Juniors and all Age Group representatives at the ITU World Championship grand finals.
In other major benefits SCODY will:
Continue research and development both independently and in conjunction with Triathlon Australia and relevant research institutions to ensure the best technologies are integrated into its race garments.
Become the official naming rights sponsor to the SCODY ITU Junior Australian Triathlon Series.
Provide official TA outfitting for each member of the Australian Age Group team selected for sprint distance, Olympic distance, Long Distance and Duathlon ITU World Championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and in a major coup;
Provide 3x$25 vouchers to each Triathlon Australia annual member for 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Triathlon Australia’s CEO Anne Gripper said TA was excited about the partnership, a three-year- arrangement “with a locally based manufacturer who had already worked to develop the best possible performance triathlon suits.”
“I know SCODY has worked closely with our own elite athlete Brad Kahlefeldt to develop their suits for all conditions and they are determined to achieve absolute perfection for every individual,” said Ms Gripper.
“What we are equally excited about are the benefits for our age group representatives, with the provision of an Australian polo shirt and shorts to every member of the Australian Age Group teams at the ITU Age Group World Championships.
“Our team in Auckland later this year for the ITU World Championship Grand Final will look absolutely amazing I’m sure.
“And in what is a real bonus, every TA member also receives $75 worth of SCODY gear which I know our members will be very happy about.”
SCODY managing director Bernard Schreiber said his Burleigh Heads-based company was proud to be “an Australian manufacturer making Australian suits for Australia’s elite athletes.”
“To partner with Triathlon Australia and the Australian team is a very proud partnership for us. Everyone at SCODY is very excited with the arrangement and we know we can make a difference,” Mr Schreiber said.
“To see the bottle green and gold suits rolling off our production line straight into the hands of some of the world’s best athletes is very satisfying for us.
“It is even more satisfying in the morning when you look out the window and see a group of riders going past all decked out in your gear.
“We work very closely with Brad Kahlefeldt to develop our suits in an ever changing technological world and we pride ourselves in being on the cutting edge of technology right here in our own factory on the Gold Coast.
“The benefits for us are the ability to clothe all Australian triathletes and to position ourselves as the leading Triathlon apparel brand.
“We can now do some genuine research that will benefit all Australian athletes with suits that will help them perform better.
“Our motto is that athletes who look good and feel good in their suits will perform at their best.”
Thanks to everyone who entered our caption competition on the SCODY Australia Facebook page. If you didn't see it, here's what happened...
We posted the below photo of SCODY superstar triathlete Mel Rollison at Noosa Tri and asked our followers to come up with a good caption for it. The best entry (judged as the one with the most Likes) would win.
We had a fantastic response and were in stitches with some of the comments. Congratulations to Liam Ryan whose winning caption 'I know the finish is around here somewhere, if I could just find my contacts...' got him 129 Likes, just pipping Kathryn Hatcher's 'Where is that Bloody Earring??' with 92 Likes.
Liam's efforts have earned him a SCODY jersey. Well done mate! Thanks to everyone who entered - we loved them all! - and join our Facebook page for new competitions coming soon!
SCODY's Mel Rollison had an amazing 2011. From the world 70.3 championships to Noosa Tri, Mel has shown that she is the woman to watch over every triathlon distance. Here's a short video to brighten your week of Mel at the Noosa Triathlon. If you raced Noosa in 2011, you might spot yourself too!
The Amazing, stunning, but ever so challenging- Challenge Wanaka 2012
6th Place
This was my first time racing in the spectacular South Island of New Zealand so Bern and I decided to make a holiday of the journey and took an extra week off work to travel around after the race. We had an amazing week travelling to Queenstown, the truly mind-blowing Milford Sound, and then down the West Coast to Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers where we did some beautiful walks and chilled out after the race ..
Wanaka is part of the beautiful Southern Lakes district in New Zealand’s South Island and Challenge Wanaka has a reputation for being one of the most scenic iron distance triathlons in the world, and believe me it certainly exceeds expectations! Whilst the lake can be between 13-18 degrees, it is so clear that you are not afraid to take a gulp of the water. The 180km one loop bike course whilst challenging, takes you through the full spectrum of amazing New Zealand scenery – alpine lakes, snow capped mountains, pine forests and beautiful farm lands. The run is also one of the most scenic in the world. Around 75 percent of the course is on hard packed trails along Lake Wanaka and the winding River Clutha. The course is simply stunning, but I would have to say that looks can be deceiving as it was also the hardest iron distance race that I have ever done!
I knew it was going to be a challenging course but the strong winds and bumpy dead roads made it so much more difficult than I had imagined. It was choppy for the swim and then the wind just built throughout the day and was really full on by the time we were out running. I really admire the slower athletes who pushed through an extremely tough day.
My swim was exactly what I was hoping for. I didn't get off to a great start but I don't think anyone did as the start gun went off without a warning. I felt really comfortable though and sat in a small group, coming out of the water with a couple of pro guys and in the lead with Gina Crawford. I took awhile to get moving on the bike (as with it being 8 degrees I opted to put arm warmers on), so Gina got away up the road. I was quite cautious not to push things early on as I knew it was going to be a tough long day and was surprised at the pace that some of the other girls were putting into the early stages of the bike to catch me. I honestly thought they would blow up later in the race but they didn't. A few of the girls were working together which definitely ended up being in their favour. Previous ITU athlete Julia Grant was storming along when she caught me at around 20km into the bike. Tamsyn Hayes and Candice Hammond were riding strong and got up to me at around 50kms. The girls were working together which was tactically very smart. I rode with them for a while but dropped off the pace which cost me precious time and was definitely the move which ended my chances for the podium. I felt like I took the bike quite conservatively until the 110km mark at Cromwell which was where I had been told that the race really starts, as the last 70km of the bike leg is straight into a headwind and some sketchy crosswinds in sections. Being a 1 loop course it was pretty lonely, so I was lucky to be able to pace off one of the lead age group guys for some of the way back which helped me to keep moving in those terrible winds! I think the kiwis are a lot more used to that kind of wind and the bumpy dead roads, which really took their toll on me and a lot of the other Australians. I hit the run and I was told that I was about 17minutes down off Gina but I had faith that I had a strong marathon so I was confident I could make up some lost ground. Unfortunately I only picked up one place on the run with 10km to go as the other girls all ran really strong. That was a slow marathon for me but I just didn't have anything left in the tank to go any harder. My hat goes off to the Kiwi and German girls who were a very strong force to be up against. The conditions did not favour my strengths as I would have preferred a hot day with no wind but that's NZ for you! It was so great to see such a strong calibre of girls racing, which made for an exciting women’s race. There are not many races where you finish 6th female and yet 20th overall, which really shows the depth of the girls. Whilst my day didn’t play out as well as I had hoped, it’s always these tough races that make you stronger and really appreciate the challenge of ironman racing.
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Heading out for lap 2 of the marathon (photo courtesy of Melissa Urie)
Thank you to Victoria Murray-Orr, Felix and the rest of the Challenge family for making both Bern and I feel so welcome in beautiful Wanaka and for putting on such a wonderful event. Thanks to my coaches Chris and Bruce, husband Bern, my family, and all my amazing friends for your continued belief in me. As always a huge thanks to my incredible sponsors for your continued support: Shimano, Trek, Scody, Nashys Pix, High 5 Sports Nutrition, Blue Seventy, Newton, Oakley, Turramurra Cyclery, Foot Levellers and Dan from DTR Sports Management.
Looking forward to an exciting 2012!
Stay safe and keep smiling,
Nic
