NR Racing stands for Nic Riosa Racing…
or anything else you want NR to stand for…
I am currently a specialized marathon kayak paddler however I have competed in Triathlons [including 5 NZ Ironman], Duathlons, Multisport racing plus the odd cycle and running race.
My sporting fascination started when I was 9yrs old, while attending St Marys Primary School in Avondale, Auckland New Zealand. On this particular day my class and I had to do an 800 or 1500 meter run around the sports track. Off went the start gun and I was in last position from the start. I did not really want to run as I was overweight but I was told to get running. The race leader was on his final lap nearing the finish and was about to lap me. I did not want him to pass me hence I put in a sprint to make sure he would not pass me. He did not and when I finished I was pleased that I was not lapped. At this time, a girl named Therase Leach came up to me and told me off. Boys being boys I laughed at her saying as if… What she told me that day has continued to inspire me and will for a long time to come. How are you inspired? What gets you out of bed everyday? What she told me was ‘I could of won that race if I put my mind to it’ When I tried to dismiss her comment she added, ‘If you put your mind to it, you can achieve what you want.’ At the time I did not really know what she meant however 20 years on, her comments then, are still inspiring me today...
When I was 13yrs old, I started to cycle to school, first to the train station, then later on to the school itself. I enjoyed cycling and was on the bike whenever I could, going to the shops or delivering the morning newspaper. One day I was watching TV and the Ironman Hawaii was being shown… I liked the idea of swimming, cycling and running. In 1984, I did my first triathlon, it must of got me hooked as over the next 6 years I was a regular competitor. Up to the end of October 1986 all the triathlons I did were for school, I did my first public event which was actually a duathlon, in November 1986. It was not a good start as I managed to get 4 flat tyres on the day and ended up not finishing the event. That day I also meet David Croxton, who is a good friend…
March 18 1987, I was about to start in the biggest event that I have ever competed in, it was ‘The NZ Ironman’. It was the shorter course, only 2 mile swim, 100 mile cycle and 20 mile run. That was long enough for me… I knew that I could finish the swim, which I did in 1hr 3mins. The cycle was going to be interesting due to the hills near the half way point but I managed to finish the cycle in 6hrs 11mins. Then the run… well should I say walk, I struggled but I was not going to pull out, 3hrs 42mins later I crossed the finish line with a time of 10hrs 56mins and 41secs. Yes, Yes, Yes… Here I am just finishing the NZ Ironman and I was only 16 years old. Although my body hurt from the day, I enjoyed it to the max.
Picture: after the 2mile swim, heading for the bike...
I missed the 1988 Ironman however was back in 1989, 1990, 1995 & 1996. I finished then all, I never entered to try and win them, I entered them to see if I could finish. After the 1996 race, David Croxton gave me a challenge to race him hence my next Ironman is planned for 2001…
Pictures: Speights Coast to Coast, Prestart & well, its downhill from here...
Multisport racing is similar but totally different to Triathlons [work that out]. Multisport racing comprises of whatever an event organizer wants to put into a race and if people show up, there you have a race… Mostly a multisport race is made up of the following: kayaking, cycling, running, & mountain biking. There is no hard and fast rule on distances, which makes multisport so unique… After the 1990 Ironman I took a break from all racing, however on my return from my OE, I started to get fit again. I started my fitness program by learning to kayak and with my background in triathlons, I started to cycle and run once again. I enjoyed the training and enjoyed even more the racing… my running was and still is my weak point in my racing however it never stopped me from enjoying the sport. I competed in event such as ‘The Speights Coast to Coast,’ one day event. ‘The Mountains to Sea’ a 3 day event, ‘The JLW Challenge’ Mt Buller to Melbourne, 2 day event. ‘The Tongariro Classic’ just a dame hard event, and ‘The Bethells Superdune’ a small but challenging event & ‘The Head to Head’. I occasionally still compete in Multisport events, whether it is as part of a team or as an individual. My strong discipline throughout my multisport racing was kayaking hence in 1997 I specialized.
Pictures: The Mohaka Madness Mulitsport race...
Pictures: Prestart 1998 Liffey Descent, K1 Start World Cup 2 in Tyn Czech Republic, Munich Regatta course
I started kayaking in 1993 after my OE, I needed to get fit and made a decision that the way to get fit was to kayak. I started to kayak on Aucklands waterfront from Fergs Kayaks. I found out there that the kayak to paddle was a K1. So before I knew it I bought one. I also joined up at a kayak club named “Waitamata Canoe and Multisport Club” [WCMC]. Every Wednesday night they have a time trail and well I turned up to show them… Well I did, I showed them that I can paddle a K1 if there was no waves and I did not have to turn… Those in the know, would know that to paddle a K1 properly takes time. I ended up falling out twice that day. The 1st time before the start and a now good friend Richard Couchman [Couchie] came to the rescue. After that day I stayed away and paddle on my own trying not to fall out… I never liked falling out, not because of who will see but because of the weather, it was winter and cold, so every time if fell out, I froze. When I made my next appearance at WCMC, my balance was a lot better however I was still falling out. I fell out that often that I acquired the nickname “Turtle”. It stuck for a year or so however I am pleased to say I have improved my balance hence reduced the number of times I fall out…
In December 1995, I went to Australia to compete in the Murray Marathon, it is a 5 day kayak race covering a distance of 404km. I flew into Sydney and then cycled 700 odd km to the start. It was a challenging race, not because of the distance but other things that happened.
1996 was the year where I competed mostly in multisport races, here in New Zealand and Australia. February 1997, I competed in the Speights Coast to Coast, which ended up being my 2nd to last multisport race, before I specialised. The last race was the Tongariro Classic.
I went back to school in 1997, where I attained my Certificate in Sport Science. 1997 was also the year where I competed in 2 long distance races in Australia, the 1st being The Avon Descent in Perth, a 2 day interesting kayak race, and the 2nd, The Hawkesberry Classic, an overnight 111km kayak race. The week before the Hawkesberry Classic, I competed in the NZ Marathon nationals where I was 2nd in the K2 division with K2 partner Andrew Newick.
On my return from the Hawkesberry Classic, Andrew asked me if I wanted to go to Europe to race over there. I thought about it for a while, about a day and said yes.
Pictures: Andrew & me in London, view from Prague castle
Neither of us new what we were getting ourselves into, however I started the planning.
It was difficult to plan races to compete in from New Zealand but I was able to put together a race schedule that seemed ok. By the time we were ready to leave, we were both nervous. A friend of mine from Germany, said we could use her car as she was traveling and was not using it. In hindsight, it was the best thing that happened to us and gave us flexibility.
We left NZ mid May and flew into Frankfurt to meet up with Willy Neumann. He is a kayak manufacture and new more about the races then we did. We found out quickly that the races that we had planned were mostly sprint races. This did not suit us as we are both marathon paddlers.
After we picked up the car, we went to Tyn in Czech Republic. This was where the 1st World Cup was being held. We found the organizers and asked if we can start 2nd line. We were both informed that there was no 2nd line start but they invited us to start 1st line. Like any athlete we accepted. Andrew got sick the day before the race and ended up in hospital. As a result he was not able to start which left me to only race the K1. It was my first international race and a major learning curve. I finished the race learning a lot. Also at the event was the Dutch team, who invited us to Amsterdam to compete in a couple of their marathons.
So off we went to Amsterdam, we ended up staying on the inside a kayak club, sleeping on the weights room floor. We raced both the races, the 2nd one being the Dutch champs.
Pictures: Ship heading out of Amsterdam, 1998 Sella team, & our broken K2 after the Sella race...
After 2 weeks there, we went to the UK to compete in the UK nationals. The event was being held in Norwich, on our way there we stopped for a couple of days in London. Andrew’s brother and sister were there, so we spent a day with them and a day at Richmond Canoe Club paddling on the Thames.
When we arrived in Norwich the day prior to racing. We entered both the K1 division 1 and K2 division 2 events. The K1 race was first, and both Andrew and I were squashed out of the front line. We both landed up not finishing the race… The next day was the K2 race so we concentrated on preparing for that. Andrew’s sister came up to watch us race. The start line was interesting, the wind was blowing and we found it hard to get onto the line. The race itself was good & challenging. After watching the video reply, it determined that we one the race by less than 6 inches.
Leaving Norwich heading toward Amsterdam once again. We planned to say at the kayak club for another 2 weeks that allowed time for us to train and for me to finish a paper that I had to email back to my tutor.
Our next race was in France, it was the 2nd World Cup. A couple of days before we left Amsterdam, I got an email telling us not to start the race or suffer the consequences… after emails being sent back and forth, Andrew and I decided to start 2nd line, the French Champs… Andrew was 3rd and I was 4th. I received an email after the race weekend telling us that we can start at the 2nd World Cup in only the K2… A bit late… The whole incident caused a lot of psychological stress… We were there to race, to learn, to experience… however politics stepped in.
The Monday was spent relaxing, the Tuesday was spent driving to Spain for a race called ‘The Sella’. There we met up with 2 other kiwi paddlers, Aaron Cox & Phil Dooney and their partners. The race itself is an 18km paddle down a shallow graded river. We were all competing in the K2 division… It is hard to explain this race, it needs to be lived to be believed.
There were over 1000 competitors on the start line, lucky for Andrew and I, we were seeded in 9th position. With over 100, 000 spectators watching the event plus live Spannish TV coverage, it was overwhelming. Race mode came when the start gun went. All nerves gone, the racing had begun… it did not last however within 10mins somebody tried to cut our K2 in half which meant water filled the kayak and our race was over. We did cross the finish line well down the field… What an experience… The K2 was a mess, when we dropped it back to the organizers, we thought that we would have to buy a new one however they said not a problem… I saw it again in 1999 and they had repaired it like new. The actual Sella race is an experience, so was the street party that night. The next day was a K4 race, with over 30 K4’s starting the mens division.
Over the next 10 days we raced in Spain, for every race we showed up to, we were given ‘pocket money’ for being there. The amount you got was work out by a system that only the organizer knew.
My last race in Spain ended up with me falling out of my K1 and dislocating my right shoulder [twice]. I managed to put it back in and then tried to get back into the kayak however it went out again. I decided it better to pull out and get it seen to. Although I had disappointment at this race, Phil and Aaron did not, they won the race.
I now had to drive to Munich to drop off the car, it was time to say good-bye to Andrew, Phil & Aaron + partners. It was a 3-day drive and I got to Munich tired. My shoulder hurt like hell and I had run out of painkillers. I stayed at a friend of a friend’s place in Munich where I was to leave the car. I could not do much at all, all exercise hurt.
I had one more race planned, which was the Liffey Descent. When I left Munich, I flew to Ireland for the race. I was not sure if I was going to paddle or not however I had to be at the race to pick up my kayak which later I sold. You guessed it I did race. Probably the best thing that happened to me was that I fell out at the 1st weir. That took all the pressure off, and I ended up enjoying the paddle. My shoulder did hurt however I had to finish…
Pictures: The 1998 Liffey Descent, prestart & portage
From there I went to London where I spent a few days, I met up with my friend who I borrowed the car, she showed me around London, for the first time I was a tourist. Then back to New Zealand I went…
I learnt a lot from this trip, a lot about myself, and what I can do. We made a lot of mistakes whilst there, however we did not know better… I was there to learn, to experience and I did.
Once I returned from Europe in 1998, I was keen to go again to put what I learnt into practice. My shoulder was getting better however it was nagging me. I was getting regular physio on it however it never seemed to be 100%. I kept this mostly to myself as it could have affected my fundraising. Andrew had decided that he did not want to go to Europe in 1999.
I departed New Zealand heading for Munich on the 1st of May 2000. When I arrived there my kayak was damaged and as a result I needed a new one. The plan was to base myself in Munich for a few months going to races and then return to Munich. I stayed with Helga, the friend who lent me her car in 1998. I trained at a kayak club, ‘MTV Munchen’ who was based on the Munich Olympic regatta course.
My 1st race in Europe was a sprint regatta near a place called Ansbach, Germany. I traveled with MTV Munich to the regatta. They literally organized everything. All I had to do was put up my tent and race. I went ok in the sprint races and won the 10km race.
Pictures: Pavia Bridge, built in 2nd centry, rebuilt after WWII, MTV Munchen club members...
My next race was the 1st World Cup in Pravia Italy. I did not have a good race at all, I was 25th however my time was well off the pace. The following day, I was taken aside by South African team member, Lee McGregor, and he proceeded to tell me how to improve my technique and training habits. His inspiration was what I needed, I listened to him and soaked up his words like a sponge does to water.
On my return to Munich, I put his ideas into practiced and trained under his program. A few weeks later I went to Amsterdam to compete in the Bosplann Marathon. Although I had a slow start I was pleased with finishing 7th. I returned to Munich, eager to train, Lee’s program seemed to work however I lacked speed off the start line. I then pulled out my training program that I had gotten from my NZ coach Mark Sutherland. I basically, fiddled around with both programs until I combined them into something I could do.
My next major race was the 2nd World Cup in Tyn Czech Republic. My race went very well, I still was slow off the start however I paddled 9 minutes faster than 1998 over the same course.
Pictures: K1 start and me doint a portage [yes I am running]
I went back to Munich, did some more training. I was training approximately 4 hours per day, 6 days per week. I was sticking to my training program like glue. I did not do much else but train, when I finished each session I either went for a sleep in the clubrooms or back to my apartment. From where I stayed to the regatta course was about 15km. I tried to drive there once a day. I would cycle there in the morning and drive in the afternoons.
My next race took me to Gyor Hungary. I was there to race in the Hungarian Marathon Champs & finished 11th. Then back to Munich for a couple of weeks. It was time to leave my base eventually re-basing myself in Racice Czech Republic. On the way their I finished 4th in the Bavarian 10km champs and picked up Simon McLaren and Finn O’Conner who flew into Frankfurt. They were competing at the World Champs. Their K2 was redirected to Munich that meant we stayed there for a night before picking up the kayak and making our way to Racice.
Once at Racice, the training started to slow down. The main reason being my kayak was stolen which resulted with me being in a depressed state… We trained on a regatta course similar to the Munich course. We stayed in a cottage next to the course which meant we had to only walk about 100 meters to get into our kayaks. The week before the Worlds came around and we then left Racice to head for Gyor Hungary. Our 1st night in Gyor was challenging. We stayed in a single room with 3 beds, if you would call them that. Simon shoulders actually was wider than the bed. The next morning, I went in searching for better accommodation that I eventually found. After settling into our new accommodation we went to the registration area. On our arrival in Hungary, I was told that my visa was invalid an had to get another one I paid another NZ$160 however was told that once I left the country I would need another visa. This caused a problem, as I was to pick up the rest of the NZ team at the Airport in Vienna. I made other arrangements for the rest of the team to be picked up.
I ended up being the unofficial manager as the actual manager was jet-lagged and was too busy doing his own racing to attend meetings. Somehow my name ended up on the K1 entry list for the mens division. 3 minutes before my start I was asked to leave the water… For the 1st time whilst in Hungary the actual manager done his job… As a result of me being unavailable to race for political reasons no other New Zealand athlete participate in the K1 mens event. Which now left 1 person in the womens K1 and Simon and Finn in the K2 event.
I left Hungary, accompanied with Finn and a South African nicknamed ‘Surf Ski’. We were on our way to Spain for the Sella races… Our first night was a stop in Munich, the following day we picked up Simon at the Train station and continued our 27hr drive to Spain. We arrived tired however knew that we need to trip the river. Once the kayaks were sorted out, we tripped the river. We also met up with 2 other Kiwis who were paddling K2. Race day came along and I was on the start line in my K1. I finished 44th in my division, Simon and Finn in the top 10 which also meant they got some cash. The other two had stability challenges however finished the race. I can not remember their placing however it was a good effort.
Pictures: 1999 Sella team, in a car, prestart K4 race & the K4 start
That night the party was on, we joined up with the South Africans for a while before heading for some sleep, preparing ourselves for the K4 race. I watch the K4 race, it was an awesome spectacle. In Spain, kayaking is the 2nd largest sport next to soccer. Monday was another race however bad weather spoilt it.
Next on the agenda was to drive Simon and Finn back to Frankfurt. Over 20 hours later, we arrived, had a shower, then to the airport… I was then left to drive back to Racice to drop off their K2 and continue my training.
This is where my original plans changed. I was going to stay in Spain for a couple of weeks then go to France and then Denmark for races… I changed my plans as Simon and Finn needed to get back to Frankfurt. I needed to save some money as I had spent to much on new kayaks, hence the reason to head back to Racice and train.
Once there I had a few days rest from the long drive. I got back into the training, preparing myself for my final few races. The Berlin marathon came around and I felt good that I had done paid off with a 6th placing. The next week was the Dresden marathon, I was 2nd to the German champion and my last race in Europe 1999 was the Czech Republic marathon national where I was 4th.
The last 3 races showed me that if I focused on the tasks at hand and was willing to sacrifice other areas of my life, I can achieve my goals that I set myself and will endeavor to set and achieve goals for the future.