Thomas K. Somerville

  You may have recently seen my Triathlon NZ/Suzuki Tip of the Week. Well that wasn't the only tip. For your viewing pleasure, here is the full collection of tips. With these, you'll be no better off to be perfectly honest. Enjoy. The first tip (all of them really, but the first in particular) is brought to you by Suzuki. How you get to the race is important. Start the day as you mean to continue. Secondly, this tip will ensure you continue to benefit from excellent, wholesome, entertaining content just like this in the future. And finally, a reference to my ill fated day at the 2022 Tauranga Half. Don't be like me. I hope you learnt something today, even if it was not to be like me. I'd prefer to be unique anyway.

  Earlier in the week, I was sitting at my desk/kitchen table, working from home like the socially responsible citizen that I am, when all of a sudden, there was a knock on the door. Who could it possibly be? (I knew who it was because there is a window next to my front door, and because I was expecting a visitor). It was none other than Canterbury Classic race director, John Newsom ! What a privilege and honour! What could he possibly be here for? Like I said previously, I was expecting him, so knew what he was doing here. What I wasn't expecting however, was a special delivery on behalf of  T riathlon New Zealand  and an ever so slightly awkward presentation on my front doorstep of this here stunning national championship medal. I thought to myself, this medal is so nice, and I am so arrogant, I'd better make an Instagram post showing it off. All my idea. Anyway, as you can see, it's very shiny, and the unique shape really draws the eye in to some of the more intricate ...

 Watch out Sea to Sky, there's a new challenger for toughest race in town. With the cancellation of the Triathlon NZ standard distance national championships in November, the honour of hosting the event fell to the Canterbury Triathlon Club. Usually, this would mean the race being hosted at the iconic and hilly Corsair Bay course, but because some big shot sailors by the names of Peter and Blair couldn't make up their minds about whether or not they wanted a summer holiday in Christchurch, the race was moved to the lovely, but even more hilly, Wainui, for the rebranded Canterbury Classic. Wainui, for those not familiar with niche Canterbury geography, is a small town, just a collection of baches really, across the harbour from Akaroa, which you may have heard of for having very small dolphins or being slightly French. Given that this race was just a week after the Tauranga half, I hadn't planned to do it, but entered on a whim, not wanting to pass up a chance at a natio...

  Summer had grown bored and Winter had taken over for the day. Motivation to escape Christchurch was high and the prospect of some Bay of Plenty sunshine was an attractive one. Good thing I was heading north to the Tauranga Half. Given I'd like to buy a house some day, I forwent the luxuries of a hire car, uber or taxi from the airport. I even employed the principal of marginal gains and chose not to take the bus. I elected to walk instead. After the five km trek to my accommodation and a brief excursion into town to find something to eat, it was time to wake Trev from his slumber. He made the journey unscathed, wrapped up in an Orucase frame protection kit, although his assembly was hindered by a small but essential aero bar fitting which had found its way into the depths of his stem. Unfortunately, my helmet was not so lucky. It had picked up a few dings on the temples in transit (likely due to how it had been packed). The structural integrity was most likely compromised (this...