Happy New Year

Like all good athletes - a bowl of pasta for tea, watch the children's fireworks display at 9.30pm and home to bed.

Happy New Year everyone!

What can I say???

Boys will be boys!!!

Sleeping Beauties???

All three boys are having a nanna nap. The view from our motel is sensational.

Rest Day

Just arrived in Burnie. The weather continues to be glorious. Having lunch at the Hellyers Road Distillery where the views are just magnificent.

Devonport Day 2 - Wrap

No joy for our small team of runners today although the running was interesting and the cycling exciting if you could bare to watch. Another big crash tonight with a couple of cyclists and a couple of spectators injured when one cyclist and his bike ended up over the fence.

Stephen ran his first 300m of the season and was happy with his performance and with the fact that he finished injury free.

Cal and Lach were both disappointed with their performances in the 200m.

The big races of the night (200m women's and men's) were won by Lauren Boden and Tom Burbidge. Both finished clear of their nearest rivals. Very strong running by both through the heats, semis and in the final.

We move onto Burnie tomorrow. The boys will have a chance to rest up tomorrow before competition on New Year's Day.

Pre race preparation

This morning after a bit of a sleep in Gav and I went for a swim at the beach in Devonport. Initially it was quite cold however it wasn't long before we adjusted and it didn't feel too bad.

Now we are enjoying a nice lunch at Inndulgence.

Lachlan

Devonport Day 1 - Wrap

Devonport Gift

Heat 1

Stawell Gift winner Tom Burbidge was a late inclusion in Heat 1. He ran in the blue off 18m and won easily.

1. Burbidge 48.88

2. Matt Hargreaves

Lach finished 6th.

Heat 2

Olympic representative and Commonwealth Games gold medalist was the favourite in Heat 2 however he was beaten into third spot by Tasmanian 400m champion Max Waldron and Daniel Reeves.

1. Max Waldron 46.98

2. Daniel Reeves

3. Brendan Cole

Heat 3

1. Darcy Lahey 48.09

2. Adam Coote

Heat 4

LaTrobe Gift winner Andrew Robinson ran a very fast final 100m to come from behind to win the heat.

1. Andrew Robinson 47.11

2. Chris Hargreaves

Heat 5

1. Jarred Gilroy 47.57

2. Mark Nichols

Heat 6

1. Edward Gates 47.49

2. Luke Storta

Cal finished 7th.

Daniel Reeves and Brendon Cole were the two fastest non winners to make it through to the final and it was Daniel Reeves running of 32m who held off a fast finishing Edward Gates and Max Waldron to win.

The women's gift was won by local teenager Abbey Delamotte.

The men's 70m was won by another local Brendan Smart and Melissa Breen (Commonwealth Games representative) started from scratch and ran down Laura Jane Hilditch right on the line in the women's 70m.

Currently Stephen has bragging rights as he finished second in his heat of the 70m and therefore made the semis where he was the front marker but gave the other runners in the race 30 years. He finished on well for an old bloke but just couldn't mix it with his much younger opponents.

Devonport Carnival - Day 1

The 74th running of the Devonport Christmas Carnival gets underway later this afternoon. The Gift is the 400m and will be hotly contested with runners arriving from all over Australia to compete. Lach runs in Heat 1 at 5.38 and Cal in Heat 6 at 6.00. It is cut throat with only the winner of each heat and two fastest times qualifying for the final at 9.19 tonight. Depending on how they go in the 400m they may run in the 70m event. Stephen will certainly be competing. He is in Heat 3 at 6.49.

The weather is absolutely spectacular. The boys have walked over to check out the track and have a light jog.

Stay tuned for an update later today or early tomorrow morning.

Reception in this part of the world is a little patchy so fingers crossed.

LaTrobe Gift

Weather - fantastic

Track - very green and a bit soft but good times were recorded

Lachlan running in yellow finished 3rd in his heat of the Gift. His heat was the second fastest and therefore he and Robbie Vidler both qualified for the semi finals. Running in pink in the second semi Lach missed the start and finished 4th. A credible run! Only the first two in each of the three semis made their way into the final. Lach and Cal's Tassie friend Andrew Robinson from Launceston won the gift in a very tight finish with Matt Hargreaves.

After sitting around all day for his heat of the 400m Cal found it a little difficult to get into the race. Lach also coasted in his heat. Both will be much better for the run.

LaTrobe is a very pretty town about 15 minutes out of Devonport. The ground itself is picturesque with its beautiful old grandstand which dominates the home straight. Like most of the gifts in Tassie the running is interspersed with bike races. A big contingent of riders from all over the world was in attendance today which made for good racing. The day was marred by an horrific crash right in front of us. Two riders were badly hurt and taken to hospital by ambulance. One young man ended up over the edge. It was terrifying to see his body hurtling through the air before crashing into the rail and onto the seating. The screams of his mother and father as they ran towards him were even worse. We heard later in the day that they would both be alright. I'm so glad neither of my boys wanted to race bikes.

A rest day tomorrow enjoying all the Country Club has to offer!