Back at the helm

It has been over 4 weeks now and I am long overdue an update.  But rather than share stories of the numerous hours I spend in the library or the thousands of words I have typed in completing the several uni exams and assignments that happened to fall in the period while I wasn't training, which but a severe dampener on the shenanigans during my time off, I thought it would be much more entertaining to share something in relation to triathlon and of much more interest.

The two week break is done and dusted now and I have been back in training for 3 weeks now and am feeling great and just really looking forward to getting out there and racing and hopefully continuing with my run of good form and improving on that.  It was enough time to recharge the body both mentally and physically without losing too much of my fitness.

While recharging on that break I also had the chance to get a bit of networking done and with that I am pleased to announce that I have signed a deal with Ryders Eyewear and I will be using their sunglasses and hats in racing and training for the remainder of the season.  Their products are great and with their 'Vision Driven Performance," I can see great opportunities in working with Ryders over the coming year.  I will be racing and training in the Flame and Transition models so be sure to keep your eyes on them!  Also stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks...

Luckily I don't have long to wait until the next race which will be next weekend where I'll be competing in the BRW Corporate Teams Triathlon at the Gold Coast and with Queensland Gas Corporation putting us up at Q1 for the weekend it should be a very enjoyable weekend and also a great chance to get some race fitness under the belt so soon after the break.  But I might have some serious explaining to do come Sunday afternoon, with it not only being Mother's Day but also my sister's 19th birthday so I'll be darting back from the race to make myself present for the occasions.

Apart from this race it is looking like my next big race will be the ITU Continental Cup event in Gamagori, Japan towards the end of June which also happens to fall on my dad's birthday; so I'm not having much luck in that department this season by the looks of it but it is also the only race that falls while I am on uni holidays and can afford to get away.

So with all that out of the way and now well and truely back at the helm with both my training and blogging endeavours you can be sure there will be many more blogs in the coming weeks.

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Mooloolaba

Mooloolaba is one of my favourite holiday destinations and is also right up there as one of my favourite triathlon weekends on the calendar.  After a less than impressive race here last year in the open elite category as one of my first races as an elite athlete I was pretty keen to go out there and record a very different result as I know I am a much different and better athlete than what I was a year ago.  The race this year was an ITU Oceania Cup so had the added benefit of some glorious ITU points and this drew a heavily stacked field of close to 70 athletes.  I went in to the race ranked 14th and with a few guys being late additions to the World Cup race on Saturday afternoon I started the race ranked 10th and knew that if I had the race I was capable of I could finish inside the top 10.  It had been a hectic couple of months leading up to Mooloolaba and I was definitely looking forward to the end of this race and the 2 week break I was being treated to once I finished but I was trying not to think about that because the task at hand was to perform in this race.  Leading into the race I was feeling amazing and the taper was taking full effect and once I was on the start line it was down to business. 

I've been through the swim several times in my head and I still can't really explain what happened but it almost felt like I couldn't get in to top gear the entire time.  I had to just watch the main pack swim off and try and minimise the damage that was being done.  Fortunately I was sitting in a small group of about 10 guys and was just concentrating on staying with them with the knowledge that every other year this race had come together on the bike.  It wasn't until we got on the bike that the amazing feeling I'd had during the taper returned.  On the 20km trip out towards the turn-around we must've had an incredible tailwind because every time I looked down at my Bryton GPS Computer we were pushing close to 60km/hr.  The group I was with which included Brayden Tucker, who I train with still had to work pretty hard and it wasn't until about 25km into the ride that we made contact with the front bunch.  I think I lasted less than 2km sitting in this bunch because the pace they were travelling by this stage was similar to that of a leisurely coffee shop ride and going into this race my goal was to either be chasing down the breakaway or to be in one and now that I'd done the chasing it was my turn to be in the break. 

I went off the front with 5 other athletes that included 2 Aussies, 2 Kiwis and a Swiss athlete.  I was pretty sceptical about getting away because I thought everyone would react but to our advantage they were too busy watching each other and coming into transition we had a lead of close to 90 seconds. 

I managed to have a quick transition and lead out of transition and to almost the half-way point of the run before the fast moving chase group had closed the gap.  I ended up finishing in 12th place which was just outside the prize money and although it was a little bit lower than what I was aiming for I couldn't have been happier with the way in which I had raced and did exactly what I had intended to do on the bike and put myself out there for everyone to see.

The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying everything the sunshine coast has to offer and with the 2 week break commencing right away it was a very enjoyable evening with the training crew who have all had such long seasons.  Although I am now a few days into the break I haven't been able to completely shut myself off from the sport (my bike is still sitting in the garage without any wheels on it and race water bottles still attached) because I am busy trying to plan my next series of races which will most likely be a few continental cups over in Asia.  But in the meantime I am trying to use this time to catch up on several uni assignments that have been on the back burner for the last few weeks while training took priority so there is plenty to be done!

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Wellington ITU Oceania Champs

First off I have to say that I am getting better with the updates, the race was on Saturday and I am already writing about it on Tuesday!  Last Thursday I flew out to Wellington, New Zealand for the ITU Oceania Championships.  It was a crack field with over 50 of Australia's and New Zealand's best triathletes vying for the title of Oceania Champion and also National Champion for the New Zealanders.  Having competed in this race last year as one of my first elite races I was keen to see how I could perform one year on and was also prepared for what Wellington could throw at us after a freak storm on the Friday afternoon last year.

The preparations were going as well as could be hoped for apart from a slight tightness in the leg preventing a few run sessions in the days prior but nothing serious enough to put me out of the race or warrant any concern going into it.  Putting this aside I was feeling great on the Thursday and Friday over there and was ready for a big performance come Saturday.  Fortunately the late night tsunami warnings from the disaster in Japan didn't eventuate and we were greeted with really calm water conditions and only slight winds on the bike course (a significant difference from last year thankfully!). 

I managed to get a great spot on the starting pontoon beside a few fast swimmers and once in the water made the most of this by getting on their feet as quick as possible.  It was a pretty rough swim but as we ran into transition I found myself well positioned.  I didn't have the greatest of transitions and found myself chasing hard to make sure I got on the back of the main chase group.  Throughout the bike I positioned myself well towards the front of the group to make sure I didn't miss out on any opportunities and to try and catch the lead group of 8 guys up the road.  This didn't eventuate and towards the end of the bike there weren't many of us in the group willing to work so the gap extended and as we came into T2 they had established well over a minutes lead.  Heading out onto the run I didn't quite have the pace as some of the other guys from my bike pack and quickly found myself losing group to the quicker runners.  Although I didn't quite have the run I would've hoped for or feel I'm capable of I still finished the race strongly in 24th place which is a significant improvement on the previous year.  And also I have discovered that with this result I have now moved myself up to inside the top 200 on the ITU points list, now ranked 196.  Still a long way to go but definately feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Back in Australia and only two weeks out from my next race which will be the ITU Oceania Cup at Mooloolaba as part of the Mooloolaba Triathlon Festival where I will line up against well over 60 guys, many of them the same athletes as in Wellington.  It should be another cracker race where I'm keen to put in to practice all the hard yards from all of my training and racing thus far this season.

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Top Gear Live

I was lucky enough to get to go and see Top Gear Live last Friday night and thought I'd share a few photos from the night. 

In triathlon related news training has been going well and I leave for Wellington on Thursday for the ITU Oceania Championships this Saturday so will keep everyone posted in the near future.

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Australian Sprint Champs

The weekend just gone was the Australian Elite Sprint Championships down in Geelong and as almost every race has gone so far this season we were greated with some unusual weather.  The mens race was scheduled for Saturday afternoon and even before that got close there were rumors of the event being changed to a duathlon after the downpoor of rain on Friday night washing debris and contaminted floodwaters into the bay we were due to swim in.  Never the less we did the usual morning training session around the bay checking out both the bike and run courses and I was feeling really good.  Even though there were no significant hills in the course I knew it would be tough because we were exposed to a fair bit of wind for a majority of the bke course.  And anyone that was there would be able to tell you that this wind continued to intensify throughout the day. 

By lunchtime the conditions were incredible, people were finding it tough to stand still without being blown by the wind and the entire race set-up had either been blown over or cleverly moved to avoid it being blown away.  And just as I was sitting down to eat we got the call that all the events for the day had been cancelled and rescheduled to the Sunday depending on the weather conditions because it was deemed to dangerous to have us on the bike course in the conditions.

Fortunately we had a late night flight on the Sunday so the change wouldn't affect us but there were a few people that unfortunately couldn't change their flights so had to leave Geelong without even racing.  Take two of the race preparation began all over again almost as soon as we found out and it was back to our rooms to begin conserving energy again and going through basically the exact same routine as we had the day before.

Come Sunday conditions had improved significantly and not only would we get to race but because there hadn't been any more rain it would actually be a triathlon.  Funnily enough I almost felt more prepared on the Sunday. 

The 750m was fast right from the start and with 300m until the first can everyone was trying to get there first for best position.  I found myself getting held up a bit at the can and lost a few positions and as I exited the water I found myself in a long stream of athletes.  It split up on the bike and I found myself in the third main pack with plenty of work to do and fortunately everyone in the pack was willing to work and by about halfway through the 20km bike it had all come together apart from a small group not far ahead of the rest of us.  Although it doesn't mean much in draft legal racing I was pleased when I saw the results and I'd had the fastest bike split of the day.  However I think I paid for these efforts a bit once we hit the 5km run.  As could be expected Brad Kahlefeldt set a cracking pace and ended up running 14:38 for the 5km!  I finished the race in 20th place and am pleased with my result but at the same time I can walk away having learnt a lot to put into practice in my training to help improve further in races to come. 

I have 3 weeks now before my next race which is the ITU Oceania Championships in Wellington but in the meantime I'll be starting my postgraduate studies at The University of Queensland completing a Graduate Diploma in Education, which when paired with my training schedule won't leave me with much time for anything else!

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Kinloch Tri

So it's been well over a week since my last blog and my promise to update this with a race report from Kinloch while I was over there clearly didn't eventuate.  And with a big week of travel, training and organising uni and race plans I am only now getting a chance to sit down and write all about it.

Last Thursday I began my journey to Kinloch and it wasn't the smoothest start with an hour delay in Brisbane Airport followed by another hour sitting on the plane on the tarmac while they tried to sort out some issues with everyone's bags, all before we'd even taken off for Auckland!  The three hour drive from Auckland to Taupo was supposed to be nice and scenic but because of the delays there wasn't too much to see driving through the night.  Eventually after eight hours travelling I made it to my accommodation and well and truely looking forward to a good nights sleep.  Unfortunately sleep is somewhat difficult staying in a street with three backpacker hotels and seven different bars!

Because the race wasn't until Sunday afternoon the next few days were spent doing a little bit of sightseeing but mainly the standard pre-race preparation and spending a fair bit of time just laying low in my room.

Warming up before the race and the days prior I knew it would be a tough race, not only because of the athletes in the field but also because of the very hilly and technical bike and run courses but I was feeling good and ready to go.  Lining up on the startline ranked 16th, I had in the back of my mind that if I could finish better than my ranking I'd be pleased.

The swim was a non-wetsuit lake swim so there was little that could go wrong but unfortunately I wasn't as quick as what I wanted or needed to be and found myself in a small group almost 30 seconds off the front pack as we got on the bike.  With the nature of the bike course there were a lot of smaller groups as people went between groups either forwards or backwards as the hills got tougher on each of the five laps.  As we came in to transition we were almost two minutes behind the front group and clearly not the most ideal place to be with only 5km to run.  Having one of the top 10 fastest runs I managed to make up some positions but only as far as to finish 16th.  Finishing the same position as my race ranking I was pleased, with what I would consider an average result while there is still plenty of room for improvement in coming races.

And with the Australian Elite Sprint Distance Championships on this weekend down in Geelong I don't have to wait long for another opportunity.  Training has been going really well and I am even posting some of the fastest run times I ever have and with a small taper before the race on Saturday afternoon I should be nice and fresh and ready to fire come race time.

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Stroke and Stride

I'm currently sitting in my hotel room in Taupo, New Zealand in preparation for my next race this Sunday which is the Kinloch ITU Sprint Triathlon Oceania Cup.  This is the first chance I've had to sit down and update this blog all week and with no less than 7 rowdy bars and 3 backpacker hotels within 100m of my room this is how I'm planning on distracting myself from what is going on just outside my window!

Last Sunday saw the second race of the new Stroke and Stride series held on the Sunshine Coast.  Not being known as a triathlon club to take the easy option we again decided to ride up to the event from Brisbane similar to what we did for the first event.  Fortunately the weather started off a lot nicer than last time and we had a much bigger group of about 15 riding up there.  About 95km later, a fair amount of rain to deal with, three punctures (all to the same unfortunate person!), one crash about 5km from our final destination and a more than solid 34km/hr average we made it to Kawana.  To put this into perspective here is the map and details from the first time we did this ride just three weeks earlier:

http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView/2?id=15228

And here is the link to the ride from this weekend:

http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView/2?id=20717

A 95km ride before a race was always going to hurt but doing it that much faster than the previous time was always going to produce some interesting race results.  This time the race was run over a 1km swim and a 4km run.  It was also good to see that the field had more than doubled from the first race and all the guys at the Sunshine Coast putting the race on are obviously doing a good job.  The opening 1km swim comprised two 500m loops with a small run along the beach between laps and coming out of the water at the end of one lap there was a small group of about 5 of us in the lead.  We got a bit caught up in the second lap as we caught some of the slower women who had started after us and coming out of the water Ron Darmon had about a 10 second lead to me and three other guys. 

Unfortunately it was here that I first started feeling the ride and had some painful cramps all through my quads and I thought I was literally going to have to jog the run just to make it to the finish line.  It wasn’t until about 500m into the run when the three guys I came out of the water with all went past me with ease that I started to feel a bit better and just decided I had to go no matter how much it was hurting. 

I managed to bridge the gap to all but the leader who had taken off at an incredible pace and had established a comfortable gap on the rest of us.  By the end of the run I was again feeling the cramps coming on but by this stage I had established a gap on the other guys I was running with to be able to maintain my position to the finish.  Full credit also to training partner Brayden Tucker who finished in third spot just behind me and every other DAT member that rode up and raced and also to those who just did the race and helped make a very tough training day all the more enjoyable.

As I said at the beginning this race was more of a training session in the lead up to this Sunday’s ITU Continental Cup in Kinloch and I’ll be sure to get this blog updated as soon as I can while I’m over here.

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