Changes of plans for Australia Day

Normally every other Australia Day I would compete in the Illawarra Aquathon but after hearing reports of high levels of pollution from a sewage outlet in the Harbour I was not willing to take the risk as I have more important races in the following weeks. Instead I travelled up to Sydney to compete in the BSC Great Sydney Swim, a 2.2km open water swim in Sydney Harbour. This was my first time at this event and the conditions today were far from good, arrived to 16°C overcast and rain, water temperature sitting around 20°C with no wetsuit, it was going to be cold. I was off in the Elite wave at 0940 and was definitely not getting in for a warm up, some dry land work and that was about it.

Standing on the pontoon, freezing, and I hadn't even got in the water. We were expecting a start in the next minute or two but the official said there is still a 10min wait to let previous waves get ahead more, with a little bit of complaining from the competitors we were getting in the water ready to start in three minutes (a lot better than 10minutes). The start was fast but calm as there was only 20 athletes in this wave, through the swim I felt strong but was off the back of the main group. The conditions were very choppy and some currents running but maintained good lines and finished 15th overall for the day.

I now have 2 weeks of solid training before I head down to Elwood, VIC for the first major triathlon race for the season, the Elite Oceania Cup.

Below a photo from Kurnell last weekend

Sydney Triathlon Series Race 2

It was only last Wednesday that I realised this race was on and was very keen on getting out and racing on some local ground, thanks to Phil Dally at TRINSW for getting me on the start list with such short notice. The race was at Kurnell, NSW where I grew up as a youngster and started competing in my very first triathlons 5 years ago, the location and event is great. I hadn't been to race out there for a couple of years and thought it would be a good hit out for my first Triathlon back from Injury. This would also be my first race on the new Giant Propel from Giant Sydney, however, I was expecting to ride my new tubs as well but a pre-race ride the afternoon before resulted in a blow out in the rear tyre and ended up having to put on the heavy trainers. No race wheels and no aero-bars for a non-drafting race, I thought for sure I was going to be in trouble for the ride leg...

Early start Sunday morning, up at 0430 to be at Kurnell for a 0600 check-in, race start was at 0730 with the U30 males being the first wave. The course was a U-Shaped 750m in flat open water, the cycle was 20km out and back with a couple of very minor hills, the 5km run reminded me of school cross country, 3 laps of grass, hills, steps and a little bit of footpath.
After a good run and swim warm up I was on the start line ready to go. I had picked the very inside line to start, as I look to my left I see a huge gap of 20m or so and then every other U30 male bunched up shoulder to shoulder, jostling for that extra centimetre forward. I stayed with my first instinct. The race was on, several strides on the sand before hitting the water and a couple of dives before I was off swimming. As I breathe to the left I see the battle for clear water and I am here with no one else around me, the first buoy 200m away was directly in front of me and the rest of the group was 50m wide of myself. Almost at the buoy and I can see that I am level with one of the guys to the left, I knew that he still had at least 30m to come across to go around the buoy so he wouldn't be able to jump on my feet. Around the buoy and straight up to the other end of the beach for the exit. I came out of the water 1st and turned around to see that I had a huge lead, 45 second gap to be precise. I had a flawless transition and now onto the bike, time to put the Propel to the test, put my head down and pushed every stroke. After the first U-Turn in the side street I saw 2nd place, I still had a good gap but had only been riding for 5km, still a long way to go. I didn't notice much during the race without race wheels but definitely felt the difference not having aerobars, trying to posture up the best I could sitting on the hoods. I had now passed 2nd U-Turn and saw my gap to second place had increased even more, on my way back now and with a little bit of wind behind me, I was getting some weird looks from the other competitors heading towards the U-Turn, kitted with TT bike, rear disc, aero helmet and the rest, me on my roadie.
Coming back into transition now, legs feeling OK, quick transition and onto the run. Bit of a slow start first lap but my run only went uphill from that. Second lap the legs started turning over quicker and technique was falling into place, it wasn't until my 3rd lap I felt I was in full motion running but I was now crossing the finish line in 1st place. It was unofficially 1st as males 30+ were in latter waves but I was pretty sure I had it in the bag.

Finished 1st overall with a time of 56min 30sec, posting the fastest swim and run splits and 2nd fastest ride time of the day by only 5secs! That Propel is insane, so comfortable to ride at pace and extremely aero, can't wait to get the tubs on it #faster
There is a short time before my next race, I will be racing again this weekend even closer to home at the Australia Day Aquathon, looking forward to it.

I will be posting photos of me in action at Kurnell shortly, stay tuned.

Race results: http://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/Home/QuickResults?clientId=1&raceId=977&raceName=Triathlon%20NSW%20Sprint%20Series

2014 IS HERE!

Late last year I had intended to compete in a couple of races before finishing off the season but due to an injury that arose mid year that had still not fully recovered, I was not confident to race and decided to focus on getting it right so it would not continue through 2014. Instead I stated full time work with my Dad as a builders labourer for three months up till Christmas. Luckily, there was a heated 50m pool two minutes away from where I was working so I could have a swim before work but that required getting up at 04:30am which was very hard to get use to after getting up at 07:30am in Europe. After work I would concentrate on getting my injury sorted and run back to normal, it was a very slow start, running for 10-15 minutes around the oval and after building the time up on the oval I could start small on the road and progress each run. Finally after two months and treatment from the physio I was confident to start picking up the pace through my runs and would continue doing so.
I was disappointed I missed out on racing the Nepean triathlon and a couple of local races but to be back running normally feels great and definitely worth sacrificing a few races.
In December I competed in the Bondi2Bronte ocean swim which I finished 1st in the U19 category and also raced the 3PointsChallenge at North Curl Curl, and placed 3rd in the Elites. I was a little disappointed with the course change due to the huge surf conditions, it was meant to be a swim/run/swim/run/swim/run but was change to a xc run down to a protected beach and only a small wade then run back along the beach to where we started. Still a great event and will be back this year for sure.

At the moment I am back in my hometown at Scarborough, NSW training myself and loving the summer weather. However, as I need to fund my trip to Europe I will be resuming full time work as a labourer at the end of this month and will have to schedule my training around this. I have planned some upcoming races, I have the Australia Day Aquathlon in Wollongong on Australia Day which I am looking forward to. The first triathlon for 2014 will be in Elwood, Victoria on the 16th of February  which is an Oceania Cup and my first race in VIC. Next I will be heading to Devonport, Tasmania for the Oceania Championships on the 1st of March and last major race prior to heading OS will be Mooloolaba, Queensland for the Oceania Cup on the 16th of March. If any other races come up I will be sure to post them on my schedule.

I have already booked my flight to Europe this year and will be heading over mid May, the French Club was very keen on getting me back in the team and I have already signed the papers to re-new my contract. I learnt took a lot from last years experiences and having had to overcome a few mishaps including a bike crash the first week and an injury for the second half of my trip I will be much better prepared for anything and everything. Looking forward to this season overseas after having a year to learn and experience racing over in Europe. Will post schedule of races in Europe soon.

Watch this space for upcoming race results.

Happy New Year!

French Grand Prix 4

After Cognac I returned back to Issy Les-Moulineaux to spend my last week in Europe and I was also lucky enough to see some of the sights in Paris including the Effiel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre and Notre Dame. Spent five days training in Issy before we headed Noeux Les Mines for the last FGP race, was very glad this place was only a two hour drive away but will still stayed the night before the race. As we came into Noeux Les Mines, we saw an artificial ski slope which was pretty cool and the swim was in a wake board park, pretty awesome place. The weather was a little cold when we arrived in the afternoon but still got in an hour ride before heading to the hotel. The team picked a sweet Italian restaurant for dinner and had a round of ten pin bowling afterwards. Race start was at 1400 so we could have a little sleep in before heading to transition check in at 1100.

Race day was perfect, a lot warmer and no wind, although I found out that French professional triathlete Laurent Vidal was here to race and a lot of other tough competition. After check-in we chilled in the shade for a while to watch the racing and then it wasn't long before I started warming up. Another solid run warm up and this time a solid swim as well. The teams were called up by their ranking and placed into the gates, Issy was 7th, we managed to get about 4 across from the side so it wasn't too bad. With over eighty athletes lined up for a beach start race, it was going to be pretty hectic. We were underway, short run, one dolphin dive and I was in clear water already. The beach we started on was slightly curved so the two outside teams had a little advantage as I saw on the left and right side the guys got an early lead but I was able to swim over to the left lead pack and get on feet as it was a left turn first. The first two turn buoys I swam wide as the fight close to them was crazy and I wanted none of it. Came out of the water in about 10th position and with the best transition I have ever had, I was onto the bike in 4th. Was now in the lead pack of about ten or so and the first couple of km was insane but held a good position in the pack. There was a small chase group just behind and it wasn't long until they were in amongst us. The pack rode strong but there was a lot of people who didn't want to do any work at the front, I did my fair share of turns, even if they were short. On the 3rd of 4 laps, two guys broke away and no one reacted hoping that they would reeled in by the end of the bike, this was not the case, they kept putting more and more time into the group. Last km of the bike I moved my way up to the front and got off the bike in the top five. Super quick transition and I was onto the run with a small group. This run course did not suit me at all with 75% of it being cross country, it was extremely hard. A few guys had got a bit of a gap but throughout the run I got quicker and quicker and started pulling them back. Around half way I was running with two guys and it was not long till I dropped them both, I was now on the heels of 7th place in the last 500m. The finish consisted of a few corners before the final straight, I picked the last one to try and pass him but someone in the crowd called out and he saw me coming, it was very close but he had another gear and just pipped me at the line.

Overall very happy with 8th in FGP4, good end to the French Grand Prix series and also my European trip. With the results from other Issy members, we finished 5th and also 5th overall for the season which was really good. Hopefully next year we will finish in the top three and be promoted to 1st division. Huge thanks to Issy triathlon for the past three months, they have been great for travelling me to each race, feeding me and being awesome to be with. Cant wait to come back next year.
I Arrived back in Australia on the 11th of September and have 1 more race before I will break. In October I will compete in the Neapean Triathlon in Penrith, NSW. Really looking forward to that race as it is non-drafting and a very strong field is expected to turn up.

 
                             

French Grand Prix 3 (teams)

Could not believe my time in Vitoria-Gastiez had come to an end, I had an awesome three months with the Aussie crew and everyone else who came to stay. I had perfect weather 90% of the time, fair bit of rain the first couple of weeks when I arrived but a great European summer with one day peaking around 43 Degrees Celsius on my 3hr ride. On the 26th of August I left Vitoria-Gastiez to travel to France to spend my last two weeks with Issy triathlon and compete in the last two French Grand Prix races, I was lucky enough to have two weeks accommodation free with Issy members Regis Marchand and Linda Guinoiseau. During my stay I was able to see the sights of Paris and get some training done around Issy Les-Moulineaux, only 15min away from  Paris.
The third race of the FGP was in Cognac, five hour drive South West of Issy so we had to travel the day before and stay overnight in Cognac. We arrived late afternoon, just enough time for ride course familiarisation. The course was very undulating and technical which is not suited for a team time trial but there was a couple of straight roads we were able to get moving. Back from ride, off to dinner then bed, although we could have a bit of a sleep in as race was not until 1430 but had to be up to transition check-in at 1100.

 

Woke up around 0900 for breakfast with the team and a little briefing. This race was very different to anything I have done before as it was a team time trial triathlon. Each team had five athletes and had to finish the course in the quickest time possible with at least the top three athletes finishing together. Race start for the first team was at 1430 and each team started one minute after the one before. Issy Triathlon was off six minutes after race start. Long run warm up and only a short swim, I was now lined up with the team ready to start, Issy had a bit of team tactics for the swim. Myself and the other strongest swimmer was to dive in last and the weaker before, the aim was to fill the gap between the weaker swimmers around half way so they could sit on feet,  surprisingly this worked quite well. All five of us came out of the water together and was onto the bike leg fast. Most of the team had the clip-on bars while the strongest cyclist had a TT bike and disc which was a huge benefit to the whole team as he was able to drive the pack along those flat straights, then myself and the other guys would swap turns up the hills. We worked awesome through the bike leg even though we lost one of our athletes early on, we posted the 2nd fastest ride time for the whole race. The guy on the TT bike was now spent and decided he would not run and leave it to me and the remaining two guys. The run course was very undulating with a bit of cross country, steps and road running. One of they guys had been having a bit of trouble with his breathing the past few weeks so I was there to push him along during the run... and I don't just mean encouragement, I was running beside him with my hand on his back pushing him along, up and down the hills and grabbing extra water for him, luckily I was feeling really good. Just after half way we were going strong, still the three of us together but then the other guy started to battle and I was now running between the both of the pushing them along to the finish line. Coming into the last couple of hundred meters, every second counted so I decided to 'slingshot' them for a sprint and finished just behind them. I was absolutely stuffed after that run, one of the hardest runs I have ever done but we did good and ended up finishing in 5th overall.

The team was very happy with that result and I was glad that I am getting back my strength in the run after my injury. Back to Issy Les-Moulineaux for five days before I will race my last French Grand Prix which will also be my last race of the European season.

Tiszaujvarous Junior European Cup

Shortly after San Sebastian triathlon I got myself an Injury and was not running for almost four weeks, it wasn't until the end of the second week I actually found out what it was, posterior tibialis tendonitis. During this time I still competed in two races but was only able to do the swim and bike, went to France to race for Issy Triathlon and also Liverpool for the British Championships. Once I was able to run again it was very slow and only managed to get a weeks worth of running in before heading to Hungary for the Junior European Cup. This was one of my main races for the season as it was the only junior race I would compete in. My preparation was terrible for running but still had a lot of confidence that my swim and bike would be strong enough. The race format was a sprint distance, four semi-finals, the quickest seven from each semi and the next two quickest times qualified for the final the next day. Each semi had around twenty five athletes.

Was feeling fine before the race, my swim has been going great, riding strong and hoped to just hold on for the run. As soon as I dove in for race start I was in trouble, under the water for too long and came up underneath two athletes. With only one hundred meters to first buoy the fight was intense and I struggled big time. After the second buoy I was towards the back, a lot of energy wasted and I couldn't come back. Out of the water in the third pack. Straight onto the bike and put the pedal down, no time to waste. Went to the front of the pack and rolled turns with the boys, the group consisted of bout eight or so and the pack ahead was not far away. By half way we had caught the second pack and dropped some along the way. The group we caught had about five and we were down to the same so we now had a group of ten and kept pushing to catch the front pack. I was able to communicate with the group to roll through properly and we were flying. Unfortunately I couldn't catch the front pack but came off the bike under ten seconds behind. They only had seven and thought I still have a chance here.... got off the bike and I felt terrible. I was passed by the whole pack within the first two hundred meters, I didn't think I would be running this bad, the bike hurt but. The whole run was a battle but had to finish. Finished 18th, very disappointed as I expected a lot more, although it was first race back running I should have been out of the water in first pack but outcome focus took priority over process and it did not end well.

I will put that race behind me and focus on my run for the next 2 weeks before travelling to France to compete in the last two French Grand Prix Races.

San Sebastian Triathlon

It had now been just under a month since I raced my first Basque race which I crashed out and broke my bikes forks. Thanks to Ruben Gonzales at VIBIkE for lending me his bike since then, I only just received my replacement forks on Friday night, just in time for San Sebastian on Sunday. I was very keen to do this race, heard a lot of good things for example the weather and epic ride course. The drive to San Sebastian was only an hour away from Vitoria so we didn't have to leave until 6:30am. Also making the trip was training partners Charlotte McShane and Natalie Van Coevorden, they both raced this event last year and had a very good result. I was unsure about my competition, there was a few people the coach pointed out that were pretty good but other than that I had no idea.
Jamie dropped us at the top of the hill so we could ride the last 10k into San Sebastian as the ride down was very sketchy and the rain did not make it any easier. We got to the bottom, weather was slightly better than up top, registered and prepared for warm up. This was an Olympic distance race, swim was in the bay, just a 1500m loop around the boats. The bike course was very hilly, 40k loop with several short sharp climbs in the first 20k and a 6k climb which was brutal but finished with a 8k downhill back to race site. The 10k run was 3 laps just along the beach front.

The girls were off first at 9:15am and men at 9:30am. With over 500 men lined up ready for race start, I was ready to go. The athelets saw smoke from the horn but no noise, I didn't stop them from running out into the water for race start, it only took the official another go about a sec later and the race was on. I love beach starts, especially when there are a couple of little waves rolling through, had a very clean run and was out in the water 1st. After a couple of 100m I could see one of the athletes pointed out earlier about 50m to the left of me, he turned around first buoy about 10sec before I did. I maintained this gap through the rest of the swim and exited the water in 2nd position. It wasn't until after the race I realised I was not urgent enough through T1 which could have saved me riding 40k by myself, as I just missed Godoy and could not bridge the gap in the first few km's. The ride was very tough, the small hills at the start hurt the legs early but with 15k of relatively flat road, I had time to recover before hitting the 6k climb up from Orio. It wasn't too bad the first few km's but slowly started to feel the effects on having a 23 cassette on, although it was raining on the way up so I kept nice and cool. Finally over the top and ready for the sketchy descent which we rode earlier. I was very lucky though as the road was dry on the descent so was able to ride down solid. Last 500m I turned around and noticed 2 riders just behind me, I saw them about 2k into the ride and they must have been just behind all race. If I knew that I could have saved the legs and got off the bike fresher. In and out of T2 no dramas and it wasn't long until one of those guys caught up and I began to run with him. I ran with him feeling quite good until about 5k which he made an attack and left me for dead, he only managed to get 100m up the road and then kept that gap for the rest of the run. Crossed the line in 3rd position not too far behind 2nd place.

Very happy with my race, placing 3rd overall and first U23 with a time of 2:01:08. Was very suprised when I saw the splits, having 2nd fastest ride time overall, even doing the full 40k solo.