ITU Junior Race 3, Devonport TAS

After having a couple of disappointing races earlier this year, I approached this race at a completely different angle. My training lead up, diet (morning of the race) and race preparation had a change for the better. After training with Jamie Turner's group down in Wollongong from the end of January to this weekend I was confident going into the race. During this time I saw massive improvements in my training and especially my run which has been my let down each race. A couple of weeks back I did a 5km run Time Trial where I ran a 15:15.7, over a minute PB. This gave me a huge boost of confidence for my run.
Race 3 was the first world team qualifier and Oceania Sprint Championships. I have been down to Devonport a few times now and the course has always been very similar. It's a 750m ocean swim but normally the surf is flat, this time it was very choppy and 1ft waves were rolling through due to the strong NE wind. The bike course is 20km (4 laps), mainly flat with a few slight rises and a very strong crosswind. Run is 5km (2 laps) and is on the Eastern end of the bike course. Race time was at 12:45pm on Saturday, wind was up all day and temperature was around 20 degrees. The ITU Junior male field consisted of 39 competitors including a couple of New Zealand athletes.

A short run along the sand before entering the water made it very congested, the waves did not help either. My start was smooth but definitely not quick , by the time we got out the back it was swimming at the tail end of the lead pack. On the way back in I had found my rhythm and started picking off other athletes, I was unfortunate to have not caught a wave all the way in but managed to get a few smaller ones to help me to shore. Out of the water in 9th position and onto the bike. There was a small group about 30sec in front and another group of 2 between my group and the leaders. After lap 1 we had caught the 2 just in front and continued chasing the front group. The bike leg felt a lot harder than it should have been, I was in a pack of 6 or so and struggled to hold a turn for more than 5 sec. I had been riding really strong it the lead up but definitely did not show in the race. By the last lap the front group had put another 10sec into my group. Come off the bike 2nd in my pack with some of the fastest runners in the race but a quick transition put me out onto the run ahead of the group. Just as I came out of transition, about 5 guys from my pack sprinted past me, I decided not to chase and run my own run. Shortly after I started picking off those guys who ran past me a the start, one by one. After the first lap I had caught 3 guys from my pack and 2 from the lead group which put me in 5th and continued to put time into them. Held my position to the finish line placing 5th in the Oceania Sprint Championships and 4th in the Australian Junior series race.

Very happy with this race, hard to remember the last time I was overtaking people in the run. Big thanks to Jamie Turner for getting me back up to speed, it goes to show what a few weeks of training with him and his squad does, thanks guys. Also Stevens bikes for their support with the bike, Zensah and Injinji.

I now look forward to resuming my training with the group to prepare for Race 4 of the ITU Junior series in Wellington, New Zealand which is also the last chance to qualify for Junior Worlds Team.

                                                                                           

Australia Day Aquathon

It is now 2013 and what an exciting year it will be. My last year as a Junior Triathlete and the first year that I will be travelling overseas to race in Europe. The annual Australia Day Aquathon was held last Sunday at Wollongong Harbour, this was my 5th time racing here and enjoy it every time. This year saw the strongest field the Aquathon has ever had, with International triathletes from France, USA, UK and Australia's best. The long course event consisted of a 900m swim and a 7km run which saw over 360 competitors.

The first wave for the morning was the U30 males at 8am.
My start to the swim was good, kept out front with the lead pack for the first 300m and was feeling strong. On the way back to the shore I suddenly started to feel very fatigued and the lead pack began to get away. It felt like I had already been swimming for an hour and made it a lot harder as competitors started to pass. Out of the water and a short run on the beach to start lap 2, dove into the water and was swimming amongst the second pack. This lap felt no better than the first and slowly lost more ground. Finally the swim was over, out of the water in 13th position. Started my run feeling not good, very fatigued and legs felt extremely heavy. The first few km's was a battle to get through but the next 4k's was really good. Pace picked up and legs started to feel strong, was able to close the gap a bit between myself and the runner ahead but ran out of time before the finish was in sight. Across the line in a slightly disappointed 12th and 2nd U20.

The NSW Institute of Sport squad has now arrived back in Wollongong and have started my training back with them this week. Really looking forward to this months training in preparation for my next race in Devonport, Tasmania.

Towards the end of 2012 I was in contact with a compression company called Zensah through a mutual friend, Andrew Hedgman (Ultra Marathon Runner). He mentioned how good the compression garments are and that I should get in contact with them to try and gain some support. After correspondence with Corey Gill, I was lucky enough to have been asked to join team Zensah and promote their product through the sport of Triathlon. I have been wearing their compression since the new year and have definitely noticed a difference in my recovery after each day of training. I wake up with my legs feeling fresh every time I use the compression socks, the calf sleeves are awesome for those long runs and the compression top is great to wear underneath the jersey on cold morning rides and after hard swim sets. Thanks again to Zensah for accepting me on their team and I look forward to working with them in the future.

Be sure to have a read of my post below to find out what I was up to towards the end of 2012, some great training and racing.

End of 2012

10 weeks have now passed since my last blog entry and what a busy 10 weeks it has been. On the 28th of November I headed down to Falls Creek, Victoria with the National Talent Academy and the NSWIS squad to engage in some quality altitude training. This was the second time I had been to Falls Creek and it is always a great opportunity to be asked to come down as the standard of athletes/coaches is extremely high with the likes of Aaron Royle (U23 World Triathlon Champion), Brendan Sexton (2012 Olympic Triathlete) and Bobby McGee (One of the worlds best run coaches).
I was in Falls for 2 weeks prior to my first major race of the Triathlon season. I left Falls on the 12th of December and flew Straight to the Gold Coast, Queensland to compete at Race 1 of the Scody National Junior Series at Runaway Bay on the 14th. The temperature difference between Victoria and Queensland was insane, a couple of days before I left it was snowing and in the minus degrees, upon arrival in Queensland the temperature was over 30 degrees Celsius. Only had 2 days to adapt before I went into competition.

Race 1 of the Junior series was a Super Sprint Weekend, 7 races in 3 days. Day 1 included 50m, 100m and 200m swim time trials, 8km criterium race and a 1km run time trial. Day 2 included an Aquathon (400m swim, 2km run), Super Sprint Tri (300m swim, 6k bike, 1.6km run), Ultra Sprint Tri (200m Swim, 4k bike, 1.2km run). Day 3 was the Grand Final Triathlon (400m swim, 8km bike, 4km run). After each race athletes were awarded points depending on their position, top 16 gained points.
Day 1 went really well, huge PB's in the pool (50m= 26.5, 100m= 58.1, 200m= 2:06.6). The criterium race was not as good as I hoped, the run before and after let me down. There was a 200m sprint into transition before getting on the bike and then 300m after the bike leg. Got off the bike in 1st but due to my lack of speed in the run ended up in 5th. Run time trial was very impressive for me, ran a 2:35 in my heat which put me through to the final in which I ran a 2:36 placing me 9th. After Day 1 I was sitting in 6th position.
Day 2 had the Aquathon in the morning, was pretty happy with my race in the heat but when compared to the other heats I was placed 10th, picking up only some points. The Super Sprint Triathlon was a terrible race, had a really bad swim coming out of the water mid pack, bike was OK and suffered on the run after getting cramps just after two laps. Managed to finish but did not pick up any points for that race which put me back to 11th position overall. The Ultra Sprint that afternoon was a better result able to pick up some points but not enough to move up the ranks. Recovery was a major focus that night with the last race the next morning and keen to give it a good crack as I was in the A Final.
Day 3 had finally come around, Grand Final Day. The best 16 Juniors were put into the A Final to race each other one last time. I was feeling quite good that morning considering what I had done the past two days and keen to get racing. Come out of the water in the lead pack and had a strong bike leg coming off in first. My legs were shattered as soon as the run started but as the laps ticked over my pace kept getting quicker and started catching back up. Was glad to have passed a couple of people in the last laps but was enough and had to settle for 7th.
After the race weekend, the best 45 Australian Junior Triathletes were selected to attend a development camp. This was my 3rd time at the camp and was really looking forward to it once again. The standard of coaches that attend this camp has always been really high and was definitely the best this year without a doubt; Bobby McGee, Sara Carrigan (Olympic Gold Medallist) and Craig Walton (2000 Olympic Triathlete) just to name a few. Learnt a lot form the camp and gained many new techniques to incorporate into my own training.

 

Huskisson Sprint Triathlon

It was a bit of a last minute decision to go race Huskisson two weekends ago but couldn't let the opportunity pass to race close to home and at an awesome place. I have not raced a non-drafting event for quite some time, almost all of my races through the season are draft legal but had been feeling strong on the bike lately so thought I should have a crack.
Left home just after 4am Sunday morning to arrive at Huskisson at 6am which I rode in from the bike turn around for a warm up. Arrived at the event went to registration and then racked my bike in transition. At that time there was not many people as the Enticer race was up first and is usually only a couple of hundred entered in that event. The Enticer was the first race at 7am and my race (Sprint) was at 8am so had a good amount of time for a solid warm up. The course was a 750m swim in Jervis Bay, an undulating 20km cycle out and back and a 5km run out and back along the footpath that runs next to the bay. The weather for my race was perfect, only the slightest breath of wind and air temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

The U20 males was the first wave off in the Sprint with 34 competitors. The combined field in the sprint was 404 competitors. The race start was a bit delayed but just after 8am we were off racing. I had one of the best starts I have ever had, smashed myself out to the first buoy and already gained a 20m lead. Felt really good throughout the swim, maintained a solid pace and came out of the water with a 30sec lead. The run from swim exit to transition was extremely hard, coming off the beach and then up 50+ steps and then another 100m to bike. Was now out onto the 20km cycle leg, the course was fairly hard, there was no major hills but the constant up and down made it difficult. Felt really strong on the bike, was aiming to average 40km/h for the ride so kept looking down at the computer to make sure I wasn't slowing down at any point. Just after the turn around I was curious as to where 2nd and 3rd place was, it was not until 500m or more after the turn around I saw 2nd and 3rd place riding together. It was a bit of a relief that I had that much of a gap but still kept pushing along to increase the gap. Got off the bike feeling not too bad after how hard I rode and now had to focus on completing this 5k run in a decent time. Felt a little sluggish on the run but still managed to post 3rd fastest time overall in the sprint. Coming into the last 100m 1st was the best feeling and going through the finish banner was awesome in a time of 59:29.

Overall really happy with my race placing 1st in the U20 male by over 3min and 1st outright in the Sprint by over a minute. Would like to thank Murray Mackne from Alltrack Bicycles at Heathcote for getting the Stevens bike tuned to perfection and Troy Fisher at Stevens Bikes-Australia. The Stevens Stratos definitely helped me to post a ride time 2 minutes faster than anyone else in my age group and 2nd fastest time for the day.

Forster Pro Tour Triathlon

The first race for the 2012/13 traithlon season took me up the NSW coast to Forster. I have been up to Forster a few times now to race and love the spot. This race was also round 1 of the Shimano Pro Tour which attracted a very competitive field, including Brabara Riveros' brother Gaspar Riveros who I had been training with alongside the NSWIS (NSW Institute of Sports) Squad a couple of weeks prior to the race. Training down in Wollongong has been awesome the past few weeks as the  NSWIS group has just returned from their trip in Europe along with some 2012 Olympic Triathletes, Erin Densham, Brendan Sexton, Gwen Jorgensen, Sarah Groff and Vendula Frintova. Gaspar Riveros and I drove up on the Friday morning to arrive just after lunch to go for an easy ride for course familiarisation and an easy run afterwards. Weather was extremely hot on Friday with temperatures around 35 degrees Celsius but luckily temperatures for Saturdays race was only about 20.

Race registration was at 5:20am, very early start. We rode out to the race and arrived just after 5:30 to register, rack our bikes and get a warm up done before the 6:50am race start. The Pro Tour event consists of a 750m swim, 20km bike and a 5km run with 22 U23/ELITE males lined up for the start.
The race was underway and I was out to a good start in the first 100m of the swim. Had a good swim, was placed between 4th and 5th position throughout. Transition 1 was not so good as I lost some ground a just missed the front pack on the bike, although I was lucky enough to have 2 other athletes just behind to chase down the front pack. The lead pack consisted of 4 riders, all very strong, it took us 8km and a lot of hard work to catch the leaders but very glad when we joined the group. The lead group now of 7 worked well for the remaining 12km and put more time into the pack of 10+ riders behind us. I came off the bike in 2nd place with the others closely followed, a good T2 led to me coming out on the run still in 2nd. The run course was mainly flat, 2 laps but half of it was on grass which made it a little harder. My run was OK, although I lost a couple of places as I was very fatigued from chasing the front pack in the bike. Still did a good time to put me in 5th place at the finish.

Overall really happy with my first race for the season, it gives me a good indication of where I am at in relation to my competitors and what areas need to be improved on. Finished 5th out of 22 U23/ELITE male competitors with a time of 57:07. Was really pumped to do my first triathlon race on my Stevens Stratos, it was awesome. Had some mini clip-on bars as the course was flat straight out and back and posted the 2nd fastest ride time for the race. Thanks to Stevens Australia and Alltrack Bikes Heathcote for their support.

  

 

Criterium Race

Did not race last weekend as I was on a training camp on the Central Coast which was awesome. Did some solid training and had great weather while I was up there. Drove up to this mornings race as I was doing a run straight after the race so had my run gear in the back of the car ready to put straight on when I got off the bike. Arrived around 7:40am, registered and did a few laps warm up before the race start at 8am. Weather was perfect hardly a breath of wind and wasn't too cold, although only 6 riders turned up to race A Grade. Even though there was only 6 riders, Tirian McManus Junior Track World Championship Gold Medallist turned up to race which was awesome and Joshua Cornish who is also a National Track cyclist. Some stiff competition, looked like it was going to be a good race.

The race consisted of 20mins of track 2 and then 6 laps of track 3 around Sutherland Bike Track. Race started just after 8am and we were off. Fairly easy pace was set for the first few laps but it wasn't long until we started working and the race was on, there was no breakaways throughout the whole 20mins and we were now started on track 3. The bunch worked really well, with everyone taking turns and working hard on the front. The hill on track 3 started to take it's toll on the riders as they pace slowed up a bit and one guy dropped off the back. It was now the last lap and still no breakaways had been made and the pack consisted of 5 guys including myself, going down the back straight we were almost at a stop as everyone was waiting for someone to attack. We past the climb and still nothing, it wasn't until the last little rise before the last corner one of the guys made an attack, Josh was straight on his wheel followed by Tirian, me and then the last guy of our group. The guy who made the attack shattered at the last corner and we lost the guy sitting on my wheel. So it was now down Josh, Tirian and myself, a Triathlete against a national and world champion track cyclist. I gave it my all, Tirian made an attack around Josh with about 50m to go and I sat on his wheel for as long as I could. He passed Josh with about 20m to go and I finished 3rd Just behind them both.
I then did another couple of laps which I then put my run gear on and ran 2k solid off the bike and then 4k easy. Pretty tired after I had finished but it was a good morning out.

It was really good to see some quality Juniors come out to race this morning, pretty happy with my race finishing 3rd. Looking forward to the next race.

Criterium Racing

Had an awesome weekend of riding last week. Was only planning to go up and race on Saturday at Sutherland Cycle Club Criterium but Troy Fisher (Stevens Bikes Australia) asked me to come up on Sunday and race Southern Cross Cycle Club Criterium with him. Made the most of training on the weekend as the weather was perfect, although a little bit of a Southerly wind made it difficult on the ride home from the races.

Sutherland Cycle Club only hold one crit race a month (first Saturday of the month) which brings a lot of good riders to the race. Had planned to meet a group of guys at 6:30am that morning to ride up but slept through my alarm and woke up at 6:50. It was a mad rush as it usually takes me about an 1hr 15 to get there and race start was at 8am. Left home at 7:10 and smashed it all the way up there, I was absolutely buggered but arrived at 8am, to realise everyone was sitting around drinking coffee ready for an 8:30am start. Had about 30mins to rest before I raced at 8:30am in A Grade.
Big turn out, A Grade had about 20-25 riders in the race and some really strong guys. Looked to be a good race. Race started and everyone rolled out at a steady pace, race was 20mins plus 3 laps. It wasn't long until the pace picked and the race was on, everyone worked well throughout the race, only a few sat at the back trying to save themselves for the finish. A few guys got some unfortunate flat tyres but other than that the race was clean. I had positioned myself towards the front of the group the whole race and did quite a few turns on the front. Rode comfortably throughout the race, it wasn't until the final few laps people started attempting attacks. One guy went and I saw he was going to get a good gap on the field with 2 laps to go so I chased after him. When I caught him, we had about a 70m gap which was good but he was dead, nothing left in his tank he just sat up and waited for the group. I was almost going to try and ride the rest myself but knew they would have caught me at the finish, so I sat up and jumped back into the group. I was surprised I still had a bit in me and was able to go for the sprint at the end, finishing 4th.
It was now the ride home, pretty tired but managed to get back home at a decent pace. Ended up with 90km for Saturdays ride.

Met Troy at his house in Helensburg Sunday morning to ride up to the crit. It was a lot easier ride this time, being 15km's less and leaving on time. Cruisy ride up and felt a lot fresher on arrival. Not as many people this time, was only about 10 in A grade but still a fairly strong field.
Pace set during the race was a little slower than Saturday's race but included the longer track which has a steep little hill half way, race was 20min plus 6 laps of the longer track. Found this race alot easier to sit in but was stuck on the front most of the race doing the work. Came down to the last 3 laps and no breakaways yet, one rider attacked on the downhill but no one chased as we thought we would catch him within the next km. By the last lap we had not caught him, smart move he made at a good time. Troy and I were sitting on the front going down the back straight just waiting for someone to attack, up the hill and still no attack. Troy took to the front and I sat behind him, he drove the pack up the rest of the hill and then the attack was made. 4 guys went around, Troy was stuffed but I jumped straight on 4th wheel. One guy cracked, then another,  I was sitting on 2nd wheel and could see the leader not too far in front. The guy sitting behind me went around and I got on his wheel, he had gone to early, I made my attack with about 100m to go and flew past him and almost caught 1st who finished about a second in front.

Great weekend, got up some km's on the bike and had a 4th in A grade in Saturday and a 2nd in A Grade on Sunday, coming away with $20 from Sundays race.