Australian Junior Series Race # 2 and QTS # 5 - Australian Sprint Champs - Race Update

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