Daz Parker

Volcano training camp and race. Club La Santa again!

daz parker — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:43:20 +0000

Back from the sunnier climes of Lanzarote that is the fantastic and highly recommended Richard Hobson volcano camp. It was a full on 10 days concluding in an Olympic distance race on Saturday. Richard Hobson was the no 1 Coach and we had Sarah for Yoga and our lovely massage team of Richard and Ron. (very welcoming) Fun filled and hard training in the sun (well mostly)

Club La Santa has something I dont know what but just something.. YOU either love it or hate it. Most come back for more and some leave within a few days. The rentless winds usually knock people out and so does the full on timetable .

I took the first few days a little easy, and opted for a steady get back and see what happens.. It had been just a few weeks since any formal training since my break of a year. This was a treat to see where I was in fitness and how my arm would cope with some proper swim sets. It turned out that my swim times were little slower and the wetsuit was not a good thing for the shoulder, it seemed to make my arm go numb and slow down. But I coped with the volume of work and play!!

The race was an added extra as the week went by we didn’t really consider the race until the FRiday before when evryone suddenly snapped into their own individual race prep mode. The wind and rain the previous night spelt a rather hard bike leg but as the morning arrived the sun shone and wind died down making for near perfect race conditions.

I was about to swim without wetsuit but the previous day tried it and froze.. so wetsuit it was. Race day the sun shone and the water was warm ish..boys first in a crazy mad frenzy start and girls after 5 mins , bliss.

I took it pretty easy for the start and then built up. However I was still 3.5 minutes down on my swim time. In transition I had my helmet on, bike and bike shoes clipped in..running out making up for lost swim time and as I ran out the gates all I heard was shouts ‘RACE BELT!!! but in Spanish, so I carried on as it couldn’t be me right? Wrong, race belt? On the bike? I was so used to racing XTERRRA that I forgot the ITU rules.. I had to go back to transition otherwise would have been DQ’ed.

That added a few more minutes to my time, so I then had to do some more catching up on the bike. I had borrowed a fab road bike from the lovely Tony at my sponsors Bike and Run . the Trek Madone 5.2 great on the hills and the hills were a-plenty in Lanza!

Felt pretty ok on the bike but didn’t get the rules as some overtook on the inside and others outside some drafting some just plain crazy.. Non-Drafting not sure how far I was supposed to be so overtaking was tricky. I guess I’m also used to drafting on the MTB .which is allowed. T2 was smooth and the run off was pretty ok. Three laps seemed pretty long, as we had to do a lap around the track per lap. I had overtaken a few girls and thought I may be in top 10 position but wasn’t sure until the finish. Came in 5th in the end so pleased with that result. Thank you to Blue Seventy for the wetsuit, Craft for the fab kit, Clif bar for the nutrition on the camp and in the race. Suunto for my new Quest watch..love it!, Bike box alan for the eye catching blue bike box which still keeps my bike safe and sound, shock absorber for the swim suits and tops, bike and run for the loan of the bike!

All of whom I could not do without. XX

My times were down on all three disciplines from 2009 when I race there last, but that is inevitable, now an easier week and prep for Alabama. World Cross Champs.2012 19 th May bring it!!!!!!!!

XTERRA Philippines race report.

daz parker — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:40:20 +0000

The race I used as a test of how my arm was going to hold up . It seemed ok, I was only around 1.5 mins down on my swim time. Pretty good considering I haven’t been able to swim for 9 months. Or train for that matter.

It was a great trip back to the Philippines as we always get such a warm reception and teated like celebrities from the minute we touch down at CEBU to leaving.

Staying at the fabulous CRIMSON hotel the press conference was an abundance of press from all over the Philippines, the hype and excitement grew every day . Race day itself was twice as big as last year. With thousands of specattors. The race grew that much, local celebrities had joined the fun and that pulled the crowds in.

It was very exciting to be part of such a great and fun race. On race day I was feeling pretty ok if not a little nervous. The gun went off and I stayed at one side out of trouble incase of any mishaps with arm entanglements!. My swim felt ok except a numbness that appeared half way through. The sea was pretty calm and very warm, no sign of any of the ‘sea lice’ that tend to give a nasty sting.

I came out of the water around 26 mins and headed for the bike ( ripping my swim skin off as the zipper got stuck (Blue Seventy- need a new suit!) not surprised the rest of the pro bikes had already gone. The start of the epic 2 lap bike course had changed somewhat from a flat road race with a little technical bit at the end to pretty technical all the way round. Added some mileage, a 36km and hard work on the legs. One of the challenges was to navigate across a very narrow section with a sheer drop to the ocean that the age groupers were not allowed to ride. Then a very stoney section which was bearly rideable unless you were equipped with a 29′er (which most pros had)

About 10 minutes into the bike and I was shocked to see Carina Wasle (also my room mate) running down the path toward me She asked me for a tube, as she had a flat.

I duly gave her my only tube without question along with my tyre levers. I carried on my way until I veered off course 20 mins later and bang/ fizzzzz I had a blow out. Now I was stuck. No tube and no levers.

Asking the many passing riders who whizzed by, most had no spare tube. I eventually got one from a kind soul. However I had no levers of C02 left. I then had the fortune to have Paolo ( what a STAR!!!!) stop and help fix the puncture and I was on my way again after around 10/15 minutes of delay.

There was a very tricky part of the course called the graveyard this was the heavily populated by the crowds to see many spectacular falls, BUT I did not oblige this time and sailed smoothly down.

I then saw that Carina was 5 minutes behind me so I put the foot down and rode fast. It was only until the end I realised she was on her first lap when I saw her! I had assumed she fixed the flat and was on her way to catch me up as I was now in third position. The bike’s second lap really was now more tricky and I began to suffer, the many thousands of cheering locals all along the course helped lift me tho when I was flagging. Luckily the heat was not so bad as last year, it was overcast and had rained.

I managed to negotiated the tricky section with a few issues as I was getting tired but came out unscathed, into transition in third place, headed for the run. A 10 km multi terrain pretty run along the local roads, hand made bamboo bridges, sea crossings, parks and streets lined with school kids with more waving and chanting! Fabulous.

I was convinced that Carina was close behind so tried to stave her off for as long as I could, but she never arrived.I got to the finish 3 1/2 hours later. Carina was not just behind she was actually one hour behind.

I also missed the section just for pros as well as there was a volunteer standing with a flag who told me not to go there as he assumed I was an age grouper. I thought maybe they had closed it for some reason could not stop to argue so had to make a quick decision. At he end of the race I went straight to the race organiser to tell him of my mistake and they informed me that it wouldn’t make any difference due to the time of the fourth position. Congrats to Renata (1st ) and Jacqui ( 2nd) what a fantastic job. And to Cedric, Olivier and Ben (3rd to first)

What a nerve racking come back. My time was not great but at least I completed the race knowing I have it in me to get back now for the season and can only get faster.This is just the beginning…

HOORAY it’s XTERRA racing time again!

daz parker — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 23:53:39 +0000

.Well it’s time to head off again to warmer climes and the Xterra race that is first on my list: XTERRA Philippines! My decision was built on if I can get through one race I can do more.. so I planned the Philippines as I had such a nice time out there last year with great hospitality and amazing biking experience with the locals crowding the small and dusty streets cheering us on with flags and happy smiles.:)

I got the all clear from my surgeon to begin to race again at Christmas. So back on it and raring to go!…. Shoulder is the best it will get so just have to cope with the pain and impingement from the operation oh and bone particles still in the supraspenatas. muscle..But hey it is so much better than it was in April last year! When I couldn’t move it at all..

It’s been a long journey of ups and downs, The summer was amazing once my head got round the fact that I couldn’t do any training I just let go and enjoyed my time out…

Now my coach is back on board (Simon @ the triathoncoach.com) and my first day back formal training was yesterday The swim was a shock to the system , but I was treated to blue skies and a clear blue 50m pool . Bliss. Not being able to swim was the worst of it for 6 months. Have you ever seen someone do buuterfly with only one arm or one arm back stroke?? Well that was me everyday in my gym..Kicking for the first few months. Hell, it was only until this year I was allowed to swim at all…. (officially)

Spinning teaching has been my saving grace, as it has kept the firmess levels up nice and high and kept me motivated.

I stuck it out with my stunt work ( after a few months off) and I must say I missed going away and getting some good old sun and racing in…but I had some fun jobs…WATCH HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc7xddsG-yw

Very colourful! Cadbury's advert doubling Rebecca Adlington Oct 2011

Last weekend saw the yearly Tri Show it was fabulous as ever and I picked up some shiny new sponsors!!

Namely:

NUUN
Blue Seventy
Compresssport
Newton shoes

I look forward to working with them in the future.:))

Xray of shoulder with pins.

daz parker — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:16:28 +0000

So here is the news on the shoulder. Surgeion seems happy but we”l see if that is going to affect my performance. Still have stunt work and spin teaching like mad.

I here Lance Armstrong is going to do an XTERRA race ..good for him. It’ll show how tough it really is to the outside world…

UPDATE OF SHOULDER OP & RECOVERY.

daz parker — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:35:55 +0000

So it’s been a while since my last update and news on the recovery of my operation on my shoulder. (two major muscles sewn back and bone screwed together)

Seems that it’s been pretty succesful thus far.. Back to work, back to doing tricky and dangerous stunts and back to..no not full time training yet but soon..

I’ve had a good few months enjoying the summer in London not having to fly all over the world- although it was fun..:)).September sees my return to Strength and Conditioning training with my lovely massage thearpist/physio and mender of broken limbs.. Bruce Butler. Hoping to do three sessions in the gym a week , should make me stronger, then the plan is to get back into full time training in Ocotber with a stint at the wonderful Club Las Santa in Lanzorate to get the body back into shape.

I must say it took a wee while get used to the lack of excersise -then I discovered the London bus and various lovely restaurants and fabulous bars in the evening.. had some summer fun out there.. but now its getting to that point where I have to start to get things back to ‘normal’ ..swim, work, bike, work , run, work..and then EAT for three people..:))

Don’t get me wrong -I’ve certainly kept my fitness up with my spinning classes, love em! Especially the 1.5 hour on a Saturday – I make it real tough!

I am up to two spins a day and a swim, tho the swim was only technique to strengthen my arm. And running…well lets say that got left behind a bit, managed some treadmill runs twice a week. All in good time.:) The rest I had for three months previously was really lovely and my body felt full of energy everyday so just doing my work was seemingly a doddle without my few hours of training as well.

As soon as I could i had a flurry of good stunt work that involved a dive through an 18″ square glass window , jerk back for ‘Casualty’ and girly fight sequence complete with being set upon by a chav in a turquise shell suit in ‘BOUND’.. all in all came out with a few bruises and pulled muscles but THE ARM HELD up to it.:)

AND I had a chance to wear yet another silly wig on set: with my fellow stunt girl Therese Chavez on Casualty for the BBC

I have 90% motion now and all is needed is some strength work and I’ll BE BACK racing .next season.watch this space….:)))