Gold Coast Enticer Rising Stars Race Report
 
Race Details
Date - 9th of April, 2017 - Sunday
Distance - 300m/10km/2.5km
Race Start - 0700 am
Race Result – 6th Place and 9th Overall
 
Pre-Race
As always, pre-race warm-up consisted of a light jog, followed by some run drills and explosive sprints before.
 
Swim
The water was choppy due to the current weather conditions. As this was a beach start and not a deep water start, I positioned myself in line with the buoy. I managed to jump on the feet of a faster swimmer and came out of the swim leg in approx. 6th or 7th. Overall I was happy with my swim position. Still struggling from a cold, I felt flat running into transition from the swim leg.
 
Bike
My transition in and out from the bike leg went smooth. On the bike my legs felt really heavy from the extra training that I have been doing with the Rising Stars Program, the TQ Camp and battling a cold. The bike was a lot slower than usual. I had lost ground on the riders in front and I knew that I would have to try and catch them on the run.
 
Run
My transition from the bike to the run felt fast. I was struggling a bit with my breathing and my legs continued to feel heavy. My goal now was just to finish the race.
 
Post-Race
After the race, I congratulated my fellow competitors and hydrated with fluids.  My body was aching, so I headed back to the apartment, showered and fell asleep hoping my body would recover ready for Queensland Schools National Triathlon in a week’s time.

School Sport Nationals Triathlon Championships - 20th of April, 2017
 
GOAL
My Goal for this event was to finish in top 10.
 
Race Details
Distance - 400m/12km/3km
Race Start - 7:25am
Race Number - 132
Race Result - 11th Place Junior Male
 
Warm up
Consisted of light jog for 10 minutes, followed by some run drills and explosive sprints to warm up the legs.
It was a non-wetsuit swim. I jumped into the water turned the arms and legs over so my muscles did not lock up due to the cold water.
​
Swim
I had watched the previous race start and then chose the best position that would suit me. The starter held us for a long time in the cold water, but I made sure kept my legs moving in the water in anticipation for the start. Positioning was going to be very important for this race, I had raced a number of these boys at the Triathlon Australia National Series so I had a good idea of their strength in the water. I was happy with my swim leg, I managed to come out of the water with fellow QLD team members, which I knew would be an advantage going into the draft legal bike leg. When ran strongly from the exit to transition, hoping to keep in contact with the first pack.
 
Bike
Transition was relatively smooth; I managed to jump on just behind the front pack. Unfortunately, I involved in a minor bike crash where one of the other riders slide out/fell on the turn in front of me, I quickly got back up with no injuries or damage to the bike. This incident was detrimental to my raced, as I was now off the pack and chasing the whole race with my QLD team mate Harry Chapman. I knew I had used a lot of energy both physically and mentally. The run leg was going to be touch. 
 
Run
Transition from the bike to the run was smooth. I knew I had some work to do. My legs were heavy; I was not comfortable at all with the race. After the first lap of the run I was sitting in 9t or 10th place as I had a caught some competitors but started vomiting on the run and lost those positions. I was slowly fading in the last quarter of the run and I was pasted on the last lap by other athletes and finished overall in 11th place. Not the result I was looking for. 

Post Race
Spoke with Coach Toby Coote, hydrated with fluids, then went for a light 10-minute cool down and stretched. I was disappointed with my result; however I knew I could not let this race get to me. Tomorrow is the relays and I was determined that I would have a better day of racing.
 
Team Relay –AA
I was ready to race again, I dived of the pontoon into the water, I had a great swim leg, I jumped on the back of one of the faster swimmers, which helped me push through the water. I ran strongly up into transition to my bike. I was able to jump on the with fellow QLD Col Curry and worked together on the bike taking turns up front to ensure we kept a consist time. My transition from the bike to the run could have been a bit smoother, I felt good going into the run leg and confident I would make up for the day before. My run leg was fast, I had put our team into second position it was now up to fellow competitors to finish off.
 
Overall Analysis
I was happy with my performance. I have gained a wealth of knowledge and learnt heaps over the season. I would like to thank Head Coach Toby Coote and Sunshine Coast Triathlon Academy/Protector Aluminum Junior Scholarship Sponsors for their ongoing sup

AYTS – Race 4 Perth – 4th March 2017
 
GOAL
My goal for the tough race was to finish in the top 3.
 
Race Details
Distance - 400m/16km/3km
Race Start - 10.30am
Race Result – 2nd Place ITU Youth B
Australian Youth Triathlon Series (4 Races) – 2nd Place ITU Youth B
 
Warm up
I went for a light jog for 10 minutes, followed by some run drills and explosive sprints before, doing a swim warm up before the race start.
 
Swim
Once again, I knew I had to try and position myself next to a faster swimmer. The race started arms and legs were everywhere again, luckily I had a pretty good start again and knew I would just have to try and stay with the faster swimmers, to ensure a fast swim. Again the exit was narrow, slippery and tight, with competitors falling over on exit from the swim leg. Unfortunately, I too slipped due to the slippery concrete exit, however I managed to get myself up off the ground quickly. As I was running out of the water I realised I must have had a slower swim or the other competitors in my age group had a faster swim. Once again, I was a part of a large pack. I was sitting about 5th place, with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th only meters in front of me.
 
Bike
Once on the bike, I realised that my pack consisted of 2nd, 3rd and 4th in my category.  I was given some valuable strategy/advice from my Coach Toby Coote regarding the bike leg in which I deployed in this race. In this race other competitors were willing to take turns at the front. There were attacks from riders to break away, but no breaks were successful. Coming off the bike I made sure that I was going first into transition, so I could get onto the run as fast as I could. I knew I would just have to go hard or go home on the run.
 
Run
My transition from the bike to the run felt a little slow, my bike was positioned at the bike exit compared to my fellow competitors who were closer to the run exit. My legs felt good, I knew I had to go as hard as I can, as the run was the only 3km and a it was a three lap up and down course not suited to my running style where I like to continuously run without slowing down and speeding up. I was positioned in 4th place when I hit the run exit only meters behind my fellow competitors. As I started running my legs felt fresh and I quickly moved to 2nd and was catching the leader. I was confident I could run him down.  Three quarters of the way into the run I was very close to catching the leader, I was chasing 1st. At the turn around mark I knew that it was a little downhill to go and I pushed myself, down the hill then a short flat run and into the finish. I could see 1st place in my sights but I was running out of track. I sprinted to the finish too finish in 2nd place and 2nd in the series.

Post-Race
After the race, I congratulated my fellow competitors, spoke with my Coach Toby Coote, hydrated with fluids and then went for a light 10-minute cool down followed by some stretching ready to stand on the podium for Race 4 of the Australian Youth Series.


Queensland Triathlon Series Race # 7 Super Sprint Race Report:
 
Race Details
Date – 26th February 2017
Distance -  400m/16km/4km       
Race Start -  0830am
Race Result – 2nd Place 13 Years   
Queensland Triathlon Series (7 Races) - Series Champion 13 Years Male     
 
Pre-Race
Consisted of light jog for 10 minutes, followed by run drills and explosive sprints before, doing a swim warm up before the race start.
 
Swim
Once again, positioned myself next to a faster swimmer, as I knew the race would be similar to the day before. The race started arms and legs were everywhere again, luckily I had a pretty good start again and knew I would just have to try and stay with the faster swimmers, to ensure a fast swim. Again the exit was narrow and tight, some of the competitors were falling over left right and centre. I came out of the water in 2nd place and was really happy with swim.
 
Bike
On the bike my legs felt really heavy from yesterday's racing. The bike was a lot slower than usual. I lost a little bit of ground and I knew that I would have to try and catch them on the run. This was probably due to the fact my legs were tired from All Schools.
 
Run
My transition from the bike to the run felt a little slow, my bike was positioned at the bike exit compared to my fellow competitors who were closer to the run exit. Even after the bike my legs still felt heavy and lethargic. The run was 4km, I was positioned in 2nd place when I hit the run exit, I was a fair bit behind but I thought I could work hard on the run to try and make ground. I was confident I could run 1st down.  Half way into the run, I did not feel as comfortable as I usually do; I tried to maintain my race pace and finished off knowing I would be backing up in a week’s time for the final of the AJS series. I finished across the line in second position, and overall first for the 2017 Queensland Triathlon Series.
 
Post-Race
After the race, I congratulated my fellow competitors, debriefed with my Coach Toby Coote, hydrated with fluids, went for a light 10-minute cool down followed by some stretching ready to stand on the podium.  

Race Report - Ryan Marsh
 
GOAL:
My goal for the tough race was to try and finish in the top 6 and qualify for Nationals, as well as racing relaxed.
 
Race Details:
Day/Date - 24th of February, 2017 - Friday
Distance:  400m/12km/3km
Race Start:  9am
Race Number: 149
Race Result: 5th Junior Male / Selected in Queensland Team for National Schools Triathlon Champs 

Warm up:
I went for a light jog for 10 minutes, followed by some run drills and explosive sprints before, doing a swim warm up before the race start.
 
Swim:
The race start was going to be hectic as there were over 80 people starting together. I knew I would have to position myself well for the swim start. I started on the inside next to a stronger swimmer, which I believed that tactic would advantage me as I would have someone faster to try and swim off. The race started, arms and legs were everywhere, luckily, I had a good start and knew I would just have to try and stay with the faster swimmers to ensure a fast swim. But my plan didn't work out and I didn’t have the greatest swim. I ran into transition in 44 position, I managed a fast transition and gained positions that I lost in the water.
 
Bike:
On the bike, I didn’t focus on how far back I was to the leaders but focused on coming off the bike in the top 3. While riding, I pushed myself very hard to try and catch up in to the top five. I capitalized a strong bike leg that saw myself come off the bike with the 2nd fastest time in 5nd spot.
 
Run:
On the run, I knew I had to go as hard as I could and try and stay in front of other athletes, which were chasing me. After the first lap of the run I was sitting in 3rd place, but I was slowly fading and I was passed on the last lap by two people and finished overall in 5th place to qualify to represent Queensland in the School Sport Triathlon Team.
 
Post-Race:
Debrief with Coach Toby Coote, hydrated with fluids, then went for a light 10-minute cool down, stretched. After looking at the result I knew the race was close but not as close as 23 seconds separating 1st and 5th. I was really pleased with my result after coming 31st last year.

Race Report - By Ryan Marsh

GOAL:
My goal for the AYTS Race 3 was to try and finish in the top 5 and race relaxed.
 
The Format:
The original race format consisted of a 400m swim in Lake Patawalonga, 14 km draft legal cycle leg along the road adjacent to the lake finishing off with a 3.5 km run around the path of the Lake over the bridge to the finish line. Due to some issues with swimming in the Lake it was later changed to an ocean swim which meant we had a run-in beach start up the ramp to our shoes. All items, goggles, cap etc. had to taken back on the run leg, back over the bridge and placed into tub at transition. The run was approx. 500m +. Due to the swim/run/bike/run the final run leg was 3 km.
 
Race Details:
Day/Date: 4th February, 2017 - Saturday
Distance: 400m/500m/14km/3km
Race Start: 10:20am
Race Number: 71
Race Result: 3rd ITU Youth B
 
Warm up:
Consisted of a light jog for 10 minutes, followed by some run drills and explosive sprints before, doing a swim warm up before the race start.
 
Swim:
Like the AYTS Race 2 held at Robina, the race start was going to be hectic as both youth A & B were starting together. Again, I knew I would have to position myself well for the swim start, however we were made to stand in number order which positioned me at the furthest point in the line very wide for the buoy. The race started, arms and legs were everywhere, luckily, I had a pretty good start and knew I would just have to try and stay with the faster swimmers to ensure a fast swim.
 
After watching the girls start, I knew I had to position myself towards the inside of the buoy turning tight back to the beach, as there was a strong current pulling swimmers off course if they went to wide. Coming into the exit of the swim, I ran from the water, up the ramp and put my shoes on. I was extra careful not to drop my goggles and cap as they needed to be placed in the transition box. My run from the swim to transition felt good, I was able to make up some ground and found myself in a pretty good position; unfortunately I just missed getting onto the pack in front on the bike.
 
Bike:
Once on the bike, I tried to reach the pack just in front, I was riding as hard as I could to get onto the pack and my speed was starting to drop out as I just rode one and a half laps by myself trying to catch the pack in front. Leading into the second lap I was caught by another lone rider like myself so, until the last lap I worked with the this rider, until I started dropping off the back and once, again had to go hard to try and catch back up. Jumping off the bike and running into transition my body was hurting a bit as I led a majority of the cycle leg.
 
Run:
I was currently in 4th place and had the top 3 in my sights. As I started running my legs felt cooked and were in pain. A quarter of the way into the run, I knew I had to go as hard as I could to try and catch the competitors in front.  Three quarters into the run I moved into 3rd place and could see 2nd and 1st ahead. Coming into the finishes I sprinted to try and beat 2nd but he just crossed the line in front of me by 2 seconds. I finished in 3rd place and was happy with the result.
 
Post-Race:
After the race, I congratulated my fellow competitors, hydrated with fluids and then went for a light 10-minute cool down followed by some stretching ready to stand on the podium.

A big weekend of racing which saw the Australian Junior Series Race # 2 on the Saturday and then backing up for QTS # 5 on The Sunday

Australian Junior Series Race # 1
GOAL:
My goal for the tough weekend of racing ahead was to finish in the top 6 overall.
Race Result:
2nd Place ITU Youth B
 
The Format:
The format saw 2 separate races during the afternoon where the times were combined together to work out the overall winner. Youth A + B (13-16 Years) raced together over 310/7/1.3.

Race Details
Day/Date - 21st of January, 2017 - Saturday
Distance - 310m/7km/1.3km x 2
Race Start - 12.30pm and 3.50pm
Race Number - 79

AYTS - Super Sprint Race 1:
Warm up:
I went for a light jog for 10 minutes, followed by some run drills and explosive sprints before, doing a swim warm up before the race start.
 
Swim:
The race start was going to be hectic both youth A & B were starting together. I knew I would have to position myself well for the swim start. I started on the inside next to a stronger swimmer, which I believed that tactic would advantage me as I would have someone faster to try and swim off. The race started, arms and legs were everywhere, luckily I had a pretty good start and knew I would just have to try and stay with the faster swimmers to ensure a fast swim. Coming into the exit of the swim, it was crazy the exit was about two meters wide and there was a large group coming in which I was a part of. I managed to get into transition in a pretty good position of 3rd in my category.
 
Bike:
Onto to the bike, I went out of transition, once on the bike, I quickly realized that no one really wanted to do any work. So I decide to take charge and lead at the front holding a solid pace. Up the bridges, some of the other athletes decided to go to the front. On the bike, I made sure I was leading into the corners as the roads were wet and if anyone went down I wanted to avoid the possibility of crashing myself. Jumping off the bike and running into transition my body was really sore as I did most of the work and I knew I would just have to go hard on the run.
 
Run:
On the run, I knew I had to go as hard as I can. As the run was the only 1.3km, I was positioned in 2nd place, with 3rd right behind me. The other competitor was in the same bike pack as me and I knew he would have fresher legs than mine. As I started running my legs felt cooked and were in pain. A quarter of the way into the run I was passed by the 3rd place competitor. I started to pick up my pace to try and stick with a 2nd place, but he outran me and finished 5 seconds in front. I finished in 3rd place with about fourteen seconds between myself and 4th place.
 
Post Race:
Spoke with Coach Toby Coote, hydrated with fluids, then went for a light 10-minute cool down, stretched and prepared myself for the next sprint race.

AYTS - Super Sprint Race 2:
Warm up:
I went for a light jog for 10 minutes, followed by some run drills and explosive sprints before, doing a swim warm up before the race start.
 
Swim:
Once again, I knew I had to try and position myself next to a faster swimmer. The race started arms and legs were everywhere again, luckily I had a pretty good start again and knew I would just have to try and stay with the faster swimmers, to ensure a fast swim. Again the exit was narrow and tight, some of the competitors were falling over left right and center. Unfortunately for so was I and I tripped getting out of the water however I managed to get myself up off the ground quickly. As I was running out of the water I realised I must have had a slower swim or the other competitors in my age group had a faster swim. Once again, I was a part of a large pack. I was sitting about 6th place, with 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th only meters in front of me.
 
Bike:
Once on the bike, I realised that my pack consisted of 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in my category.  I was given some valuable strategy/advice from my Coach Toby Coote regarding the bike leg in which I deployed in this race. This race other competitors were willing to take turns at the front. There were attacks from riders to break away, but no breaks were successful. Coming off the bike I made sure that I was going first into transition, so I could get onto the run as fast as I could. I knew I would just have to go hard or go home on the run.
 
Run:
My transition from the bike to the run felt a little slow, my bike was positioned at the bike exit compared to my fellow competitors who were closer to the run exit. My legs felt good, I knew I had to go as hard as I can, as the run was the only 1.3km. I was positioned in 4th place when I hit the run exit only meters behind my fellow competitors. As I started running my legs felt fresher than the last run. I was confident I could run them down.  A quarter of the way into the run I overtook the other competitors, I was now chasing 1st. At the turn around mark I knew that it was up a hill, down the hill then a short flat run and into the finish. I could see 1st place in my sights but I was running out of track. I sprinted to the finish to finish in 2nd place and 2nd place overall for the weekend.

Post-Race:
After the race, I congratulated my fellow competitors, spoke with my Coach Toby Coote, hydrated with fluids and then went for a light 10-minute cool down followed by some stretching ready to stand on the podium for the first time in an Australian Youth Triathlon Series race.

QTS # 5 - Robina Triathlon
Race Details:
Day/Date - 22nd of January, 2017 - Saturday
Distance - 300m/10km/2.5km
Race Start - 6.50am
Race Number – 408
Race Result – 3rd Place U/14 Male
Warm Up:
Light jog for 10 minutes, followed by some run drills, stretching and explosive sprints before, doing a swim warm up before the race start.

Swim:
Once again, I knew I had to try and position myself next to a faster swimmer, as I knew the race would be similar to the day before. The race started with arms and legs everywhere again, luckily I had a pretty good start again and knew I would just have to try and stay with the faster swimmers, to ensure a fast swim. Again, the exit was narrow and tight, some of the competitors were slipping as they tried to get out of the water onto the mats. I was sitting around 6th place for my age group as I came out of the water.

Bike:
On the bike my legs felt really heavy from yesterday's racing. I did not feel as comfortable on the bike as I did the day before. After the first lap my legs had warmed up and I began to feel much better and in control of my bike. I still had some work to do on the run to catch the leaders.

Run:
My transition from the bike to the run went smoothly. My legs felt fairly good, I knew I had to relax, control my pace if I wanted to catch the other competitors in from of me. I was positioned in 6th place when I hit the run exit only 200m meters behind my fellow competitors. As I started running my legs felt pretty good, but were still sore from yesterday’s races. I was confident I could run them down.  A quarter of the way into the run I overtook the other competitors; I was now chasing 1st t and 2nd. At the turn around mark I knew that there was not far to go so, I started to run even faster to try and catch them. I could see 1stt and 2nd place in my sights but I was running out of track. I sprinted to the line to finish in 3rd place.

Post Race:
After the race I congratulated my fellow competitors, spoke with my Coach Toby Coote, hydrated with fluids and then went for a light 10-minute cool down followed by some stretching ready to stand on the podium.

Next Race will be Round # 3 of the Australian Junior Series in Adelaide on 5th February

Round one of the Australian Junior Triathlon Series (AJTS) – Runaway Bay Super Sprint Race Weekend Report

It was going to be a fast and furious weekend to accumulate points, in short, sharp, sprint races. I was excited, but a little bit nervous, as it was my first ever competition under super sprint race conditions over a two day period. These events primarily cater for triathlete’s that are short sprint racers (not me). The weekend Youth A & B consisted of 5 races different races: aquathlon, criterium, track run and two triathlons. Humid, hot conditions were forecast for the weekend. Racing was conducted mostly during the middle of the day; therefore, my plan to avoid dehydration was to hydrate with electrolytes and plenty of water from the moment I woke up until I went to sleep in preparation for the following day’s events.
 
GOAL:
My goal for the tough weekend of racing ahead was to finish in the top 10 overall

RACE RESULT - Overall for the weekend
6th Place ITU Youth B
 
Day 1:
Race 1 - AQUATHLON - 200m swim/1200m run:
This was my first race of the day so I was nervous, but at the same time looking forward to it. The only time to do a warm-up swim was before 9:45 am. I would have preferred to have warmed up prior to the race however with so many athletes and use of all lanes for the events meant I had to warm up 3hr prior to the first race which started at approx 12:10pm. This threw me a little as normally I would warm up ½ prior to an event; I felt I was going to go into the first event feeling stiff.  For my swim warm up, I focused on my tumble turns as they always need work. I also swam laps to loosen the muscles and get a feel for the pool.

When the time came to do my run warm-up, I did 10 minutes of jogging and run drills to warm up the legs, then a few explosive sprints to fire up the legs ready for a hot race. I spent another 5-10 minutes of stretching. Since we had to do the swim warm up at  09:45 am, my only opinion of warming up my arms was to swing them around and stretch before my race start. For all my other races I completed a similar or near identical warm up.

I felt that I started strong; I dived in and quickly started to swim my hardest as I knew I am not the strongest swimmer. I was equal with everyone for the first 50m but after that, I held my pace as I watched all the other competitors start to speed up even more to get a small lead. I was losing seconds on my tumble turns. The lead swimmers did not have a sizeable lead and I thought I might be able to catch them on the run. I sprinted into transition and put on my Mizuno running shoes and on I quickly went to start the 1200m run. I felt confident in my run and started to go past competitors that were leading the swim and I managed to only catch a few competitors as it was only 1200m, I then sprinted to the line to finish 9th overall for my first race.
Result - 9th Place
 
Race 2 - CRITERIUM (Le Mans start) - 300m run/ 4km bike/ 300m run:
For the criterium I wanted to make the front pack. The event started with a Le Mans Start of a 300m run on the running track into transition. I knew I would have to sprint as hard as I could to make the font pack. After the first 100m of the run, I had a quick look around to see where I was positioned. After looking around I realised I was nearly last at the fist corner then, I ramped the speed up even more. Then I started to make my way to the front. After leaving transition I made the front pack and worked together with the other competitors for the next 4km. Approaching the transition/dismount line I made sure I was in a good position to ensure I had a clear run off the bike ready for the final sprint run to the finish line.

My transition was a little slow, as my bike was position up against the rail and there was not a lot of room to get my bike in. After leaving transition I knew I had to go hard. On the final straight it was a sprint finish for third and fourth. As we were nearing the line I leant forward to try and get in front, which worked as a photo shows my body leaning forward and taking third place. After the race I went off a nice easy jog ready for the 800m track run, which I knew I needed to try to finish in the top 8, to get some much-needed points. I knew this was going to be hard as I am not a short distance runner.
Result - 3rd Place
 
Race 3 - RUN - 800m Track Run:
The gun went; I had a terrible start and was caught up in a fall shortly after starting. I worked hard around the first turn to pull myself up into 10th. With one lap down and one to go, I tried to move up into the top 8 which was my goal. With 200m to run all I wanted to do was finish as my body just had nothing left from the previous racers. I was working hard and felt like I was going nowhere. I sprinted as hard as I could, coming in 8th place with a time of 2:32. That concluded my day. I then did a short recovery run and mentally knew I had to go into recovery mode ready for another day of tough racing.
Result - 8th Place

Day 2:
I woke nice and early ready for another day of racing. Today I was a little nervous but fairly confident that I was going to finish in the top ten and complete my goal. I was currently in 7th place and was already getting closer to finishing in the top 10. My next goal was to try and place even better and still complete my goal. I did the same warm up as I did yesterday for both races which consisted of a swim – stretch/laps, then practiced my starts, finishes and tumble turns. For my run - 10 minutes of jogging and run drills to warm up the legs, then a few explosive sprints to fire up the legs.
 
Race 4 - SUPER SPRINT TRI - 200m swim/ 4km bike/ 1200m run
The race started, for the first 100m, I was level with the pack, then the faster swimmers took off and gained a small lead out of the water. I went into transition feeling relatively confident I could catch the front group on the bike leg.  Unfortunately, on the bike my group did not really work well together, I spent a majority of the race at the front as the race pace was not consistent and the group dropped off in roll outs. I was determined to catch the leaders on the bike I eventually moved into 5th place, I knew I had expelled a lot of the much-needed energy I needed for the run. The run was fast and furious and all I was trying to do is not to let the other runners catch me. My tactic didn’t work as I was caught and finished in 7th place. After the race I completed my post-race warm down of a light easy jog, followed by a stint in the ice bath for recovery before the next super sprint triathlon final.
Result - 7th Place

Race 5 - SUPER SPRINT TRI (Grand final) - 200m swim/ 4km bike/ 1200m run
The final race of the weekend, I was a little nervous before the race start, but as the race started I put my nerves behind me. The swim leg again left me working hard in transition to make up seconds lost on the tumble turns.  On the bike my goal was to try and catch the leaders. Leading onto the second lap I had already moved into fourth place and was gaining on the competitors in front. Coming into transition my bike got court up with my green box to discard my equipment in. I was sitting in 4th place for the start of the run catching third. I was eventually court by two faster runners in my age group, I ran hard to jump on the back of their feet. I finished the race in 6th spot. After the race, I congratulated the other competitors, spoke to my coach Toby Coote and did a recovery run before jumping into the ice bath one last time with some fellow competitors.
Result - 6th Place

Post Race:
Overall I was happy with the weekend’s efforts, I came away with some valuable lessons learnt and race strategy for upcoming races. My future focus was now set on the next AJS Race 2 at Robina in January. Thank you to Head Coach SCTA Toby Coote and well done to all the other athletes that raced on the weekend.

Race Report - Ryan Marsh
QTS #4 Super Sprint

Race Details
Day/Date: Sunday 11th of December, 2016
Distance: 400m/15km/4km
Transition: Sunday: 5:15am-6:15am
Race Start: 8.52am
Race Number: 1109
 
Race Plan & Goal:
Sunday will be my third QTS Race and Super Sprint race ever. Moving up to a longer distance is challenging and I will have to push myself. I believe that I will do well at this longer distance as I really enjoy the distance associated with the sprint events. As always my goal is not to doubt myself, stop being nervous and race relaxed and stay hydrated.
 
Race Report – QTS #4 Super Sprint:
Pre-race
Hydration was going to be very important today as my race started at 8.52am sharp. Although a little overcast you could feel the sun and it was going to be warm. Therefore, before the race I made sure I was drinking enough fluids, I was hydrated and that I had eaten early and had a banana and a gel for fuel to ensure that I would get the best possible results. 
 
Swim
I knew the swim was going to be important, as I am not the strongest swimmer for my age category. As I was about to start, I positioned myself next to a strong swimmer on the sides of the swim start. The swim was pretty good as in training I have been working on my stroke not my speed. Midway swim I saw that I was swimming with some strong swimmers from other age categories which boosted my confidence and I started to swim faster.
 
Bike
At the start of the bike, I knew I had to catch anyone in front and keep the distance of the other competitors already behind me. For the bike I tried to remember to get out of the saddle for each corner and to keep my head up while riding. This all paid off as I had a really strong bike, one of my best ever after going up the slight hill on the first lap of three I was in the lead and riding strong and getting time on the other competitors.
 
Run
At this point I knew what I had to do. I had to not be complacent and let the runner behind catch me. It wasn’t going to be easy but it was possible. Leading on to the second lap I saw that I had a reasonable lead on second and third which were running together and pushing each other. I knew as the race leader that I can’t let the runner behind catch me so then I ramped it up little but not too hard. I picked my leg speed up and eventually had 1 min 20 seconds on the runner behind. I finished strong and took away the first place.
 
Post-race
After the race, I congratulated second and third place. I made sure I rehydrated with fluids and got the heart rate down. Then I went for a nice and easy 5 min cool down run and an easy swim as the day was starting to become hotter. I moved to the shade and stretched, and then I changed into my SCTA polo and shorts and waited for the presentations to commence, while keeping hydrated and claimed my first place.
 
Race Result
1st Place 13 Years Male