Eh up the gang
So, my first race since the move over here, in the hometown of the Auzzie Rules Footy team I’m now a fan of. The reason for that being their vest looks like a Highgate Harriers vest and the first AFL game I ever watched a few years ago was Geelong beating Collingwood. Very exciting stuff :) Been training with a tri club over here that have a great set up. Swim squads at two pools of your choice each morning and avo, bike and run sessions to join in on also, great banter. Anyway, onwards to the race report
Swimming – straight from the beach.
Sea swim, beach start. Here’s a tip some of the guys (ex surf life savers) told me after the race (cheers guys) – don’t start at the front for a beach start. Perfect spot is somewhere you can get a clear run but be a few rows back. You’ll have more speed when you hit the water and Bob’s your uncle.
As for my effort, course was a triangular loop kinda and water was a bit choppy on the way out, bit warm-ish too. Not much drafting to be done as waves went off in 3 minute intervals and you ended up having to dodge the stragglers from groups ahead. Didn’t feel like was making good time, but never really do in the swim. Into T1, short enough, bikes all racked right by the beach. Row 19, wettie off, away I went onto…
The bike
Windy day, and even though I had the disc on it felt fine actually. One loop for the course but not a straight out and back, a few hairpin turnarounds and a bit twisty to get out onto the open roads right out of/back into transition. Turns out the wind was much more with you than against for the first half of the course, even though it felt like it was pretty even. Hit halfway and smack, wind all the way back into T2…total killer. I picked up a straggler at 37 km. It was the dude who came just ahead of me in my age group for the race. I called him for drafting but his response was “Dude, you passed me, there was nowhere else to go”. I really had no response. Hand him the rulebook maybe but I didn’t have one handy.
The Run
Out of T2 with my drafting buddy and some other guy in from our age group. Drafting buddy (Troy) flew. Other dude was slow. I was somewhere in between. Gutted I couldn’t jump off the bike and kick Troy’s arse and have the rulebook ready and waiting for him at the finish line, but I’ve had a buggered knee since October pretty much and have just started being able to get out running once to twice a week in the past month or so, so really didn’t have the legs for it. Course was out and back also, random part being you ran back through transition at about the 4 km mark. Rolling gradients, bit twisty for first 4 km. I was giving it all I had but I felt slow and heavy. Still, chin up, keep calm and carry on chasing Troy. Felt like crap until 8 km then magically opened up and felt good on the final 2 km, fast also even dare I say it.
So there you have it folks. Podiuming in age group in first race over here, and first race in some Auzzie race series which takes in my next two Oly’s (Mooloolaba in March – Adam Chaddy and Mark Brikkie from the club are racing that one too, anyone else I haven’t mentioned?, then Sydney in April).
Also racing the Victorian State Sprint champs tomo morning and feeling better about my running, had a few good sessions this week. Might even chuck up a race report about that, I’m sure you’re all very excited at the prospect. Yarn.
Deeeeeyyyaaaas.
Stephen (aka Bungle’s main man, Kermit’s partner in crime, Zippy’s beeee-atch, Grover’s sidekick)