Race Details
Day/Date - 9th-10th of January 2016
Distance:            
Saturday - 750m/18.8km/5.1km - Draft Legal
Sunday - 750m/20km/5km
Registration:
Transition:         
Saturday - 2:45pm-3pm
Sunday - 5:30am-6:30am
Race Start:         
Saturday - 3:30pm
Sunday - 7:00am
Race Number:   
Saturday - 109
Sunday - 680
 
Race Plan & Goal:
Saturday -  My goal was to improve on Canberra’s race and hopefully get into the top 20
 
Sunday - After yesterdays poor race I am a changed triathlete, my new goal is to stop doubting myself, stop being nervous and race relaxed. #kickinghabits

Race Report – Australian Junior Series Race # 2 - Race 1 for the Weekend

Preparation for the race –  Hydration was going to play a very important part on this weekends race. It was predicted to be very hot and humid, drinking enough fluids and the correct in-take before the race to ensure that I would get the best possible results.

A day before the race I found some troubles…eating, turns out I can’t well or shouldn’t eat as much as I did before a major race. Staying up late due to vomiting isn’t something that I would like to experience again before any race again. The nervous also kicked in but not like normal they were really messing with me worse then usually.

Leading up to race preparation I had severe headaches and couldn’t stomach any water or food to try and off-set the feeling.

Transition set up – We had specific places based on alphabetical order, this time racing we where aloud to have a towel down in transition due to there being no boxes our goggles and caps had to be placed on our towel if not you will be penalized.

Briefing for race – I understood the course and I was ready to go, I was really looking forward to what laid ahead, this was going to be another great learning experience for me that will benefit me greatly for my future.

The race start was great for me – unlike Canberra I didn’t miss the start at all and actually took off well....that was the positive I can take out of the race. I didn’t swim well and punished myself for the bad placing coming into T1.

Bike Leg was strong....not as strong as Canberra but I tried my best but couldn’t shake the headache (no excuses), just had nothing to give and that was noticeable coming into T2 when I didn’t even have the strength to lift the bike onto the Transition bar for racking. It was a quick transition and I took off for the run and that's when the wheels fell off the race completely.....Spent the next 3-4 minutes on the side of the road vomiting heavily.....felt a lot better to finish the race but it was over for me today.

There isn’t much to write here. It was fair enough to say it wasn’t my best race. Only positive thing to come out from this race is that I have LEARN’T A LOT FROM THIS RACE.

Times for Race
Swim- 9:20mins       Bike- 28:51     Run-21:37       Total- 1:00:50
 
Summary
Adapt to different times – stay relaxed....believe in myself and stop over thinking!

Race Report – Australian Sprint Championships - Race 2 for Weekend

Preparation for the race
Going to bed early really helped with the recovery process just relaxing and had a heart to heart with Dad....this made me feel really good about where I have come from, where the future lays and more importantly that there are two parts to this sport of Triathlon – Physical and Mental. The boys (Taj, Jacob and Lochie) also paid me a visit...this was a great way to relax and take my mind off Today’s race completely.

Today’s Race is in the past....I cannot change the past but CAN control my future....this was a phrase I have now etched into my thought process.
We arrived at the race in plenty of time....I felt very focussed and more relaxed than ever – this was going to be my race today....no nerves just excited to race

Transition set up
We had specific places this was because it was not just an ordinary QTS Race – it was Australian Sprint Championship Race (Well I found out after the race)

Briefing for race
I understood the course and I was ready to go, I was really looking forward to racing this race and seeing what I can do but this time without stress. I have raced here numerously and knew the course layout – today I am going to target the Bike leg and ride aggressively.

Swim Leg
Started to the left once again of the start line the difference was I was wearing my Xterra Speed Suit, as the horn went off I took off, there was a pack of three swimmers to the right of me that soon got in front of me just before the first buoy. I had one guy in front of me that I took the inside lane and got side by side with and it was race to the next buoy little bit of contact came into play but after the second buoy I kicked and put a bit of distance into the others and was heading straight to the last buoy, once I hit the last buoy I turned and made my way to the ramp. Stepping onto the ramp and undoing my Xterra Speed Suit and pulled it down to my hips with ease. I was in about fourth place after the swim and felt very good – took the Transition aggressively again, starting to target this phase more and more.

Transition 1
Running into transition with the speed suit down around my hips took off my goggles and cap and was heading to my bike. I went to my rack stripped the speed suit down and put my helmet on and took off with my bike running to the mount line with guys right on my tail and with hopes of gaining on the guys in front. Mounted the bike well and started the ride.
 
Bike
I was up and going from the start I saw two guys ahead and I was determined to catch them, once I caught up a bit I was determined to stay with them and unlike races before focussed on staying in touch during the ¾ mark to the finish of the bike leg. On the third lap of the bike a big back of about 20 riders had caught up, drafting galore. I tried my best to not draft and compete within the rules but to hold on to the pack and not draft was near impossible with this amount of riders together. I was more aggressive with the ride and really attacked the exit of the roundabout staying out of the saddle for a lot longer than normal. I felt like I ride better than Canberra.

Transition 2
Running into transition with the pack weaving in and out of some of the people quickly making my way up to my shoes. Once I got there I racked my bike shoes on helmet off and ran like the wind – took off and felt really strong.

Run
I was off catching up to Noah Deubel once I got to him Brandon Copeland and Kieran Storch had caught up to me I was leading the pack until the first bridge when both Copeland and Storch took off, My goal now was to catch Kane Richards as both Copeland and Storch had now put some time into me... I could see Kane just ahead so I really started to lift. I was gaining and kicked in the last lap of the run and passed Kane on the way into the final part of the race....what a great feeling it was to actually pass “Kane Richards”, an Australian representative and very experience and quality athlete he is.

Managed to race into 4th place overall and 2nd place in U19 age group. Was ecstatic to race so well the day after one of my worst races ever and this feeling was completely honoured when I was named 16-19 years National Champion – This was only due to Brandon Copeland being a professional he is unable to qualify for this title – this was also a shock I was unaware until the announcement was made over the loud speaker – National Champion....I like the sound of that and now want to strive for more and more titles.

Again, none of this would be possible without my Coach Toby Coote, the Sponsors of the Sunshine Coast Triathlon Academy / Hybrid Concepts Australia Juinior scholarship and of course my Family support as always is the reason I can even compete.

Times for Race
Swim- 8:14mins    Bike-32:50mins     Run- 17:02mins             Total- 58:07

Race Details:
Rainbow Beach Double Triathlon         
Day/Date: 22/08/2015- 23/08/2015
Distance:      
Day 1 - 2.5KM run/20KM Bike/2.5Km Run
Day 2 - 750m Swim/ 20KM Bike/5 KM Run
Race Start:               
Day 1 - 3:30PM
Day 2 - 7:30AM
Race Number: 32

Race Plan & Goal:
To have a strong first triathlon race for the start of the season. I am very excited to be back racing again and cannot wait to see how training in all 3 disciplines have progressed. This is my first Triathlon back and its a double!!!! Recovery will be important with another race the next day. This is a major test for where I am situated for the season ahead and will test my bike leg

Race Report
Race 1
Preparation:
As per previous races my preparation started a couple of days out with hydration and eating the correct foods before and after training. Last year the swim was cancelled on the first day due to bad weather and it turned into a Duathlon…. 2.5KM run/ 20KM Bike/ 2.5KM run. After checking the weather forecast I was preparing for similar conditions to last year…hopefully nowhere as bad!

This year’s weather again has forced the swim leg to be cancelled and turned the first race into a Duathlon….disappointing but let’s get on with it!

Transition set up:
Set up is getting quite similar now but after the cramping at the Lake Side Duathlon I am making sure I have the correct amount of hydration on board ready to go at all times. Both drink bottles where filled x2 one water and one Endura Raspberry flavoured electrolytes. Endura Gels were in place on the bike. I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to choose where my bike went but I wasn’t going to let that get into my head I had more to contend with now…..one of Australia’s best Juniors, Matt Hauser, is now racing along with Tayte Dixon plus others….this is going to be on quick race and a good opportunity for me to race alongside these two.

Briefing for race:
With the change in race format from Triathlon to Duathlon it was important I understood what was going to happen. My Race plan was pretty simple and I didn’t want to lose the front pack, especially on the long bike leg.

1st Run & Start:
At the start line it was obvious it was going to be quick with Hauser and Dixon on the start line so my goal was to try and stick as close to them as possible because if I didn’t then the race was over as they are far quicker on the bike then myself. So when the starter pressed the green light I took off more aggressively than previous races and just hoped I would keep the endurance later I the race, when I hit the base of the hill I was about 10-20 off them and it was now time to lift to make sure the hill didn’t break me….it felt good to maintain the same pace as these guys and coming into T1 I was not far of them at all but I was determined to stay as close to the front pack as possible.

Transition 1:
I thought that I had a fast transition taking my shoes off while putting my helmet on was the most efficient way as I have worked out from previous races. The front pack was only just ahead and still.

Bike Leg:
The bike was tough I could see the front pack slowly and slowly riding off ahead of me, I was by myself no one behind no one in front I know that it was going to be a hard ride but I had to dig deep. These style of rides challenge me as they are long, not tight and exciting like previous races.

Transition 2:
I feel as if my second transition was also good I racked the bike by the seat and put my shoes on while taking off my helmet. I was with a group of 3 other people I wanted to put time into us ASAP.

Run:
Legs felt a little bit heavy coming off the bike again and into the run but I pushed through it the hills were hard especially the one out the back but I knew that the time would be important so I had to lift the intensity.  

Lessons learnt:
IT was good race and very valuable learning experience as my debrief with Toby helped me understand the value of keeping the intensity on the bike leg and how important it is to maintain the pace while on your own…..experience is something I need to be patient with and take away from every race.

Times for Race – OVERALL: 51:47.5    Position: 7th overall

Race Report
Race 2
Preparation for the race:
I had stretched constantly overnight and packed the bag….I was ready, and was feeling good – The Swim was on and it was also going to be a wetsuit swim which meant this would be my first actual TRIATHLON of the season. Hauser’s flu had got the better of him and he decided to pull out of today’s race which is a shame for him and after Tayte’s impressive win yesterday he was certainly the one to beat.

Transition set up:
I racked my bike put my helmet in place with my race belt ready, my towel down and shoes down. Once again I had my bottles filled x2 one water and one Endura Raspberry flavoured electrolytes. Endura Gels were in place on the bike, no second guessing today….left Transition and was focussing on my race ahead…..i wanted to improve the bike leg today and maintain my focus out on the road.

Briefing for race:
I understood the course and I was feeling good and ready to race, a quick swim warm up with a few efforts got me ready for the race.

Swim:
“GO”….the adrenaline filled my body, I was so excited to be racing in a triathlon again wanted to get off the start line strongly with a strong swim. I was the first to hit the water quickly wading then into my dolphin dives started to swim then we had hit another sand bank back up and dolphin diving again. Once we got out of the breaking waves it was straight to the buoy, there was two people in front and 3 people next to me, I felt I had a little more so pushed to get to the front group and succeeded, it only took me a little bit of an effort, which gave me confidence that my swim has improved. A few meters later it was just Dixon and I, swimming side by side out in front. When we got to the last buoy I was just in front but I had trouble catching a wave in and was caught by Dixon and Baldwin. It was then a race to T1….

Transition 1:
The hill up into transition was really big and I had to work hard to get up it, once in transition once again I had some trouble getting out of my wetsuit (I have to get these legs cut) and it took a while to get off, this wasn’t my best transition but I could make it up.

Bike Leg:
My Mount was good and I was up and pushing hard to stay in touch with the front group with Tayte’s bike leg being so strong I wanted to test myself today but putting my feet into the shoes proved a little difficult for me today and I fell off just down the road.

After yesterday’s disappointing ride I was determined to maintain aggression and focus today and I was feeling much better on the bike. I thought it was tough course the long way out and back but I also thought I was a lot more focused. Coming back into transition there was another pack just behind me, so I had to really improve this transition time….

Transition 2:
This was a better transition then the first one, I was putting my shoes on while taking my helmet off. Once I had my helmet off I was off….. heading out to the run with a guy just in front that I was determined to catch before the hill and a group just behind….i was feeling really good.

Run:
I had my first goal achieved very early in the run and passed the guy just in front and I was determined to catch up to the next person ahead of me. The hills hurt a bit more than usual bit I dug deep and felt the pain while going up, my goal for the run was to try and keep as close to about 3:30KM/pace as possible and catch up to the people in front. I could see Todd Baldwin just ahead and I knew I would have to work hard once we hit the turn around to go back up the hill I made sure that I put in a surge to catch up faster and it paid off. I could see him start to lift and I said “That’s it Todd you’re looking good” as I ran passed him….I was now after my next challenge and as I got to the top of the second hill I could see an SCTA Uniform and was my opportunity to lift and lap Brett, this was my learning now to start to lift and set goals during the race and keep raising the bench marks….so my next goal was to catch him before the turn around once again digging deep I could start to see him more and more. I passed him just before the downhill and picked up the pace….. heading down the final stretch in pain but a big smile for the camera’s and the final sprint for the line. I was really happy with my race today and an improving bike leg that still has so much more to learn from. IT was awesome to be swimming in race conditions again and very pleasing to be able to match the swim leg with the likes of Tayte Dixon and Todd Baldwin…..my run leg will continue to improve but felt really strong today especially after racing the day before.

Times for Race:
OVERALL: 1:01:55.2  Position: 5th overall
Overall Position for the Rainbow Beach Double…
1st in my age category 16-17 Years….Another Medal at Rainbow Beach
5th Place Overall for the Two Days

Reflection:
Very happy with the 1st Place and overall placing for the two days – massive improvement on last year and still so much more learning to do with this sport…..very excited to start the season off and cannot wait until the next race.

Race Details:     
Day/Date: 9/08/2015
Distance: 5KM run/20KM Bike/2.5Km Run
Race Start: 7:30AM
Race Number:   239

Race Plan & Goal:
My goal for this race was to have a strong run and stay in contact with the front pack for the whole race. Hopefully ending up in a podium finish for my second race of the season. First time at this course and I am looking forward to racing against Luke Harvey again, to see how we both have trained during winter – this will be a good test for bike leg against Luke as this is his strength.Staying Warm before the race will be a very important issue as the weather is predicted to be single digits.

Preparation for the race
The preparation started a couple of days ago with hydration and eating the correctly before and after training. After last week’s race being hindered by cramping in the legs I am loading up on Magnesium and will have my Salvital the day before drinking at least two litres to make - I know that it won’t be very hot but I want to have a good race as it Race 1 for the QLD Nissan State Championships and points are up for grabs…..so I am not taking any chances.   

We arrive at the track around 5.50am and it was as predicted……freezing, had to even wear my gloves to carry the bike to the race registration.

Transition set up
by the time we walked to the venue, set the bike up then registered I had arrived a bit later than normal into the transition and found myself with limited spots available to rack and set up transition. I found a small gap in between bikes and not wasting any time (still FREEZING) set up my shoes but this time I put 1x 600mL bottle of Endura Lemon lime Re-hydration into the cage. I decided not to have any gels on my bike because I was testing how my body would react without them and as it was colder than normal thought this was a better idea to test rather than a hot day.

Briefing for race
Race briefing was 5 minutes before race start and it was basically just going over how many laps and where to go. I understood the course and I was ready to race. The weather was still very cold but I had decided to just race in my tri suit, my thoughts where by the time I start running I will warm up pretty quick, so I dropped the extra layers and made my way to the start line with my Endura Raspberry Gel. 

Run & Start
My goal was to try and stick as close to the front group as possible if not be leading by the end of the second lap. My positioning on the line wasn’t the best as I had a street pedestrian barriers and some poles to run in-between before I had a clear path way down the starting chute.

The start line was the first time I was with my competitors so it was a good chance to see who will be competing – Luke Harvey, Alex Young, David Pinto, Mitchel Bradbrook, Max Dennerstein and others but the calibre of runners in this field I knew it was going to be quick.

As predicted the run was once again a fast start, but again my brief with Toby he re-enforced last week’s brief and told me to control myself in the first 1km then start to get into the race and as this plan worked well last week I again found myself in control and at the first corner in a top 10 position – David and Mitch had blown away in front to lead the boys out into the run leg.

As we came to start the 2nd lap of the run I was in with the chase pack and was determined to get the leaders. I felt really strong and started to lift the race rate and as the second lap was running out of time I started to put in harder to try and gain on David and continued to move through the pack until I found myself in 2nd position coming into transition – this was giving me a better chance at placing.   Transition 1 – My transition was a little bit slow today coming in at 2nd and coming out in about 4th or 5th I knew that I had to have a good bike and catch back up – I didn’t feel slow but maybe they were just quicker….transition was completed with a good mount even though it was an uphill incline.

Bike Leg
I got my shoes on quickly after the first little rise, once they were on I was gaining on the other racers. By the first U-turn I could see 2nd and after the first quarter of the lap I was behind Luke and in 2nd place. I felt as if I was riding really well, cornering well and had really good gear selection throughout the course…was feeling very strong but knew Alex Young was in the field behind me and he can ride….so had to keep up the pace. On the last lap and coming into transition 2, I was passed by two people (Sadler and Young – which was no surprise given their riding experience).

I knew that I had to stay in touch with them on the final stages of this leg to give me any chance of a podium finish – I knew this was going to be hard but I had to dig deep, as much as it hurt they put some distance into me.

Transition 2
My second transition was much better once my bike was racked I was putting my shoes on took off my helmet and grabbed my race belt and was in pursuit of Sadler and Young first then was after Luke – this was not going to be easy.

Run
Coming into the run leg and out T2 Sadler was only just ahead of me and Young a little further ahead of him. After the first corner I had passed Sadler and was gaining on Young and I was feeling really strong, so good that when I ran up alongside Young I told him to “Come with me”, thinking nothing more than if we worked together we would have a better chance to catch Luke. Once we were out the back and Young hadn’t “Come with me.” I decided to try and put some distance in-between all of us and try to gain Luke on my own. Coming down a little bit of a downhill was the perfect place the leg speed went up and I started to pull away down and around the U-turn and back up the hill hard. Once I had a bit of a gap I just had to hold it, I could see Luke just down the hill so I knew I had to dig deep once again to try and close the gap between Luke and I but I was running out of time and distance in the race.

I could see the finish line as I came around the last bend all that was left was the famous sprint finish to the line to take out 1st Place for my age and 2nd place overall. I was very satisfied with the race outcome and again will look at the race to take out the positives and look for more potential growth.

Times for Race – Run-16.29        Bike- 31.38          Run- 9.34         Overall: 57.42
Result - 2nd Male Overall
16-17 years State Champion

Summary
Today was testing conditions and completely reversed to last week’s heat – arriving at the course with 5 degree temperature was a first. Took on the Ride with a new found aggression and it paid off…..this was my best ride in race….probably ever. The running was composed and felt strong and considering I attempted the bike without a Gel found to have enough power in the final stages of the race to hold onto 2nd and felt strong.

Again thanks to Toby and my SCTA family and support crew and to all the sponsors of the SCTA / HCAUS Junior Scholarship

I was very happy with taking out 1st place for my category and an overall 2nd place behind Luke….this is going to be a great season ahead and I can’t wait until we have a swim leg as well.

Race Details:  
Day/Date: 1/08/2015
Distance:        
Race # 1 – 2km run/6km Bike/2km Run (Short Course)
Race # 2 - 2km run/ 9km Bike/1.5km Run/9km Bike/1.5km Run (LONG)

Registration - OPEN: 10AM CLOSE 11AM
Transition - OPENS: 10AM CLOSES: 11AM
Race Start -11:15AM and 1:15PM
Race Number - 223

Race Plan & Goal:

RACE PLAN
To have a good strong first race for the Season, I am very excited to be back racing again. This is my Second ever Duathlon and will be very interesting to see my race fitness after the Winter block.

Recovery will be very important as well because I have Springfield Duathlon next week, which is a major race.

Race Report

Race 1

Preparation for the race
The preparation started a couple of days out with hydration and eating the correct substance before and after training. I was preparing myself for my first ever Long Course Duathlon, however on the morning Toby through us a curve ball and put us into the Enduro competition, which meant we were now going to do both the Short Course and the Long course races with an hour in between. This meant there was next to no time to properly warm up, as we literally had to race to get to the start line. I was quite surprised at how well I actually dealt with this last minute scurry to the line as it really didn’t seem to phase me too much…..the OCD was kept to a minimum. I was determined not to let this affect my race ahead and felt comfortable with the stronger competitors in the field and along side me….guys like Adsy Gordon, Nicholas Hull, Dean Cane and Tyler Allan to name a few.   

Transition set up
I was set up and ready to go the bottles where filled x2 one water and one Endura Raspberry flavoured electrolytes. Endura Gels were in place on the bike and 1 x ready for the run leg as well…..just in case.

Briefing for race
This was taking place as I was getting changed due the lateness of the change of mind for the Short Course Race now but I understood where to go and was more worried about getting as much warm up in as possible before I needed to make my way to the start line….all I can say is thank god the TQ Official had a microphone and loudspeaker.

The weather was very warm as well which meant the body didn’t really need too much warming up but had to still get the blood flowing.

1st Run & Start
My goal was to try and stick as close to the front group as possible. The look of the hill was quite daunting and proved to be a bit of a struggle on our first attempt up it but once we got over it the rest of the run leg looked pretty flat with a slight incline toward the back of the course.  

The start was quite rushed and the normal aggression I showed in previous races to sprint off the line has been something I have been working on controlling in the off- season and my last instruction from Coach (Toby) was to “Control yourself and control your pace at the start”….this sat in my head on the start line and when the official started the race felt myself standing on the line while other competitors took off…..I felt in control but also felt a sense of urgency to stay in touch with the lead pack so moved through the field with a controlled pace to be sitting in the top 10 at the base of the hill climb….Through the hill I moved into 6th place coming down the front side of the hill and remained in touch with the lead pack…..the run leg stayed this way right through until transition 1.

Transition 1
I thought that I had a fast transition taking my shoes off while putting my helmet on was the most efficient way. Moved up a place in Transition and the leaders weren’t that far ahead of me….it was now up to my bike leg….how has the Winter block treated me….this was my chance to prove it.

Bike Leg
The Hill again proved to be tough and on the first lap felt like I was struggling a bit but didn’t have anyone pass me and in saying that I don’t think that I had used the right gears, Pedalled strongly down the back of the hill and through the corner to try and take as much away from the next incline as possible …… coming back on to the straight for the first time proved to be just as tough as the hill due the strong head wind…..felt like I had slowed right up but could now see Sadler just ahead of me…this gave me an extra sense of urgency heading into the hill climb for the 2nd time and this time I felt I nailed the gear selection….by far a better attempt….I was gaining on Sadler through the next lap and by the time I came into transition 2 came in ahead I had one ahead of him placing me in 5th place…..I felt I would have the strength in the run to hold onto 5th place but knew I would have to still run very strong.

Transition 2
I feel as if my second transition was also good I racked the bike by the seat and put my shoes on while taking off my helmet to help streamline the transition…..now I was off on the run still  in 5th place and feeling quite strong for the final run leg.

Run # 2
Legs felt a little bit heavy coming off the bike again and into the run but I pushed through it and I believe that I had a strong finish.

Thinking about the race I thought it went really well considering the lack of preparation for warm up and the last minute OCD occurrence. Felt good to back racing and now had to warm down quickly as the next race was an hour away from start.

Hydration and stretching was the focus and Toby had both Savannah and I on the rollers….which was quite daunting considering all the curious on-looker’s….was determined not to fall off.

There were no Times for Race – but finished in 5th place….this is a massive improvement from the previous year where I struggled to finish in the top 20.

Race Report

Race 2

Preparation for the race
Warm down was critical and stretching while resting and staying in the shade. Had a banana and half a vegemite sandwich, took on water and Endura Raspberry Hydration – approximately 600ml.

Warm down included a 5 minute light jog and 10 minutes on the rollers. Stretched on the towel in the shade and realised I should have packed my roller to roll out the legs but again wasn’t aware I was going to be racing the extra race…..still next time I will definitely be including it as this race was about to take an unknown twist.

Transition set up
I set up my bike put elastic bands on my shoes and put 2x Endura Raspberry Gel on the floor under my bike for when I get off the bike and start the run and filled the water bottles but noticed I hadn’t really taken on much water from the first race…..again leading to the race twist.

Warm up this time was back to my normal routine and I felt quite relaxed but the legs were felling quite tight.

Briefing for race
As toby had instructed me to keep moving and stretching while the race brief was taking place and more importantly to keep moving on the start line, as I had now done the Short Course race I knew where to go and I was ready to race.

The start line
Positioned myself in between 2 strong runners in Nicholas Hull and Tyler Allan….I knew this was going to be a quick start but was not taking part in any rush of blood off the line and this was found to be true when we were set off…..Allan took off and headed straight for the lead while I placed myself well back and in the field with other weaker runners surrounding me and was now a test to make sure I did not fall in the early stages…..by the time we hit the hill I had moved through the field and placed myself in connection with the lead runners and in 7th place heading  down the back of the hill and as the two runners just ahead of me hadn’t run the first Short Course race I felt I had the course understanding to be able to take them before the first transition and this proved to be correct as I took them one by one around the back of the run leg and was placed now in 5th coming into T1. I felt really good on this run as I was closer to the front pack in this race then I was in the first race and I was feeling good.

Transition 1
Once again I put on my helmet while taking off my shoes and was off – felt like a very quick and smooth transition keeping in touch with the lead riders heading out on the first leg of the bike.

Bike Leg # 1
Coming out onto the bike I felt the head wind had picked up and felt like I was riding slower then in the first race, the hill gearing was under advice of Toby to get into the big chain ring for the hill climb….again felt tight in the legs and pedalled right through the downhill and corners….this continued through the first 3 laps there was no place changes, however on the last lap going up the hill both of my calves tightened up and started to cramp….thought to myself this will be ok once I get onto the run I’ll stretch it out.

Transition 2
This is by far my worst transition I have ever done….My feet tightened up and I knew something was going wrong as I came into transition which threw me off my thought process the bike was racked but the shoe transition was terrible ……coming out of transition I felt the right calf cramp so badly I had to stop and try to stretch it out it….this was the worst feeling actually stopping in a race…took back to running after about 1 minute of stretching at the entrance to run leg….now the race had changed for me….it was now about finishing not placing…..dropped back 3 places while stretching and was determined to make it up once I started running again. My run was slower at the start but I picked up pace and started to feel better again and ran through 2 competitors back into transition 2

Transition 3
this time my transition was pretty quick because there was no time to lose really I couldn’t afford to give away any more time so the focus was to get back onto the bike leg and start the final bike leg

Bike Leg # 2
The cramping was becoming more and more frequent and seemed to take place each lap at the entry to the hill climb making the hill even harder and tougher…..Each lap I started falling back in cadence on the hill climb and was taking its toll….felt good each time pedalling down the hill and cornering fast to hit the incline out of the hill descent…..the back end of the course was quite protected from the head wind that took it our of your down the straight……I felt disappointed in this leg as I dropped about 4 places….and all in the same stage of the leg – up the hill.  

Transition 4
The entry into the final transition was going to be a real test to my body here as the legs were again going from the bike to the run but if felt quite good….the run in was strong and much smoother then my second transition….I was feeling good than when the shoes went on my feet tightened again. The run out of transition was where it took me on the last time and again took hold of me as I entered the run track….the right leg again cramped severely and worse than the first time and my right calve was now in excruciating pain. I felt like I was ready to give up for the first time ever …I was on the side of the track….stopped and in pain….Toby was telling me to pull my feet back I just couldn’t get them back, I then walked for about 30 meters and decided to run through the pain all I wanted now was to finish the race. As the run went on I felt better and there was no better sight then the home stretch….as soon as I saw the home stretch I felt strong and ran as fast as I could to the finish line I just gave it whatever I had left (not very much).

Finished the race in Top 10 with 8th place – which considering the time stopped with cramping was strong….There is a lot to take out of this race.

Points to take away from this Event.
Cramping is by far the worst pain I have felt so I will never forget to take my Salvital and never leave my roller behind….you never know what my change come race day.

The bike leg I need to get lower on the bike and more over the front wheel, resting is important for Duathlon where you can….like downhills, more aggression taking on the hill and lighter load on the legs coming down the hill. The need for more hydration and water on the first Short Course race would have helped prevent the cramping and assist with hydration. Another banana in between races and a more effective stretching routine (with Roller) would have helped.

Recovery on the Saturday night included double dose of Magnesium with ICE bath, stretching using the roller and a good nights rest ready for the recovery ride in the morning.

As always a huge thanks to Toby for his coaching and mentoring and support and a massive thanks to the SCTA / Hybrid Concepts Australia support crew for my reassurance while racing….this was by far the toughest event I have ever raced in was a test of mental strength to get through and I know there words of support was the telling factor.

This was a good hit out in readiness for Springfield next week and the learning curve here will start again Monday….preparation with heavy focus on Hydration and stretching throughout the week.

Jake Hynes