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Hey there Sports Fans.

After some ramped up training last week, family gatherings, and a night of gallivanting I am back in Hamilton starting my final 2 builds towards first IM Wisconsin, the Josh, and the big one… IM Kona. Yeah, I’m going to be there and I’m going to be ready. I’ll tell you the low down and secret plans the weeks before those events as they approach.

Right now, the Subi is retired, and I will be renting a car (Subi will even meet the rental… poor girl) to get to the races. Maybe I will put a blanket over Subi, or park the enterprise around the corner, so Subi doesn’t see…

So the race this weekend is the 2008 Bulldog Triathlon in Chatham. My mother grew up around the corner from the venue, and I’ve never raced this close to her home. So there is a connection to the venue. Also it’s been a few months since I’ve raced a Triathlon, and to say I am fired up to compete would be an understatement.

Add to that watching some friends in the Mens Heavy Eight Boat (I cried after they crossed the line) and Coach Barrie Shepley calling Simon Whitfield’s amazing comeback to a silver… Yeah I am pumped to race. Of course that’s why I race.

Just read the Press Release:

“Nat is a competitive guy and he has many years of endurance training in his massive legs, but qualifying for Hawaii takes many people 4-5 years” said Shepley. Faulkner moved to C3’s winter training base in Tucson Arizona and instantly qualified in March for the Hawaii Ironman this fall by being the top amateur at the California 70.3 Ironman Race. “I knew Nat would do well, I just didn’t realize how strong, fit & competitive he was” said Shepley.

Coach Shepley is so confident in his athlete, that baring a mechanical bike problem, Shepley will give away his training DVD free to anyone who can finish their bike split within 3 minutes of the C3 superstar (relay teams included)!

There you have it… nothing like the challenge of having to beat everyone by 3 minutes on the bike. Ha ha. In a radio interview last week the interviewer said ‘I heard you’re a really fast cyclist’. I was silent for a second. ‘I guess’ I answered, ‘I’ve had some bikes splits which were fastest, and some that weren’t.’

To be honest I’ve been setting personal best times weekly in the pool of late, and I would be waaay more excited to be .01 seconds faster out of the water than 3 minutes faster on the bike. But then I take biking fast somewhat for granted, swimming quick is icing on the cake.

None-the-less I will make sure to do the little things. I will be down there the day before pre-swimming riding and running the course, so that as little as possible will be left to chance.

The night before the race I’ll be at the Lighthouse Inn. I’ll see you there…

Natty B.

PS this is the competition debut of my latest SUPER bike…