Melbourne 70.3 and Covid

this race i deferred to from geelong 70.3 and was a bit of a risk considering it was only three weeks out from busselton ironman.  my training had not been great.  bike was okay but i really started to hate swimming and running was barely happening.  i didnt taper but just went straight into it.  

found a great bnb right in the middle of st kilda and five minutes from the race start.  only negative it was a bit noisy.  built my bike up and then took it into the bike shop down the road the day after arriving.  usual weather in melbourne.  sunny one minute then raining in the afternoon.  did the usual of hitting woolworths for supplies which was two minutes from my little pad.  back to pick up the bike which looked great and by all accounts ready to go.

thursday i decided to go for a run and explore the neighbourhood.  headed down to the beach and then towards the city.  cut through and past some beautiful terrace houses to albert park.  then back around to home.  i think about 8k and it actually felt okay.  walked back down to the race location and checked in - picking up another blue shirt and not much else.  afterwards walked down past the old luna park and acland street.  picked up some supplies and back for another early night.

friday i caught up with my cousin lee and we headed back down to ackland markets and a nice little italian place for lunch.  

saturday i got out on the bike and headed down the infamous beach road and race course with thousands of others.  something was wrong with my tri bars and they seemed to be at a different level.  i looked and tried to correct but i didnt want to screw around with things too much so i left it.  i would have to ride while feeling like i was leaning forward.  did final checks and then took the bike down to check in then home to rest, organise gear, pasta and an early night.

The finish line

the weather looked okay if a little windy.  up early and walked down.  set up my transition, got the wetsuit on and then dropped off bag.  then heard the news that due to the swell and wind the swim would be reduced to a 900m swim.  okay with me.  the beach did look pretty rough and quite a few waves and swell.  i should of been worried but didnt really give it a second thought which was really strange.  as my turn came i ran out and dived through the waves and started heading out.  that was the hard part.  after turning the first buoy it was a bit nasty as i had to breathe to my least favourite side so had to be careful to stay on course.  a few people got in my way as usual.  i felt okay swimming which again was surprising.  once i turned the last buoy things were good as we swam with the swell and waves.  a 20 minute swim which wasnt great but not terrible either.

the run/walk up to transition was very long and very painful.  they had the odd bit of carpet but most of it was bitumen and rocks. ouch on the feet.  so then i was on the bike and facing a windy two lap ride on weird feeling tri bars.  it is a nice course with a few lumpy bits and decent roads.  few too many newbies drafting and doing stupid shit though.  i was as bit disappointed with how i felt and my bike.  road just over 3 hours and glad to get it over with.  back in transition i spotted lee who had come out to cheer me on which was really nice.  the run felt like it was going to be a real bitch but in fact it was the part i enjoyed the most.  i ran the whole way except for the aid stations.  jogged really but it wasnt walking.  so i was super happy with this effort considering i hadnt even run 10k after cairns.  

another finish line crossed and collected another towel and a very pretty medal.  garmin had the cheek to tell me my effort was unproductive.  how rude.  lee helped me carry my gear back to the bnb and then headed off after giving me a bag of goodies.  too generous and i couldnt believe she stayed the whole time.  

so a bit of rest and then started packing the bike up as having to fly out the next day.  it was actually a late flight and should have organised a late check out.  felt okay the next day and not too bad considering.  legs a bit sore but otherwise all good.

arrived back in perth to discover my bike had gone to brisbane.  so major stress and freak out.  in the end they dropped it off the next morning all in one piece.  picked cooper up from the holiday doggie camp.  he had a great time having a couple of swims in the dog pool.  also picked up sylvester from kitty prison.  back to work and caught up with the JV swim squad.  felt okay too.  wednesday still feeling alright but didnt train.  as soon as i woke thursday i knew something wasnt right.  still got dressed and went into work and did a rat test. boom.  positive for covid.  back in the car and home for what turned out to be 10 days.  damn plane and feral people.

Cairns 2023

 my third trip to cairns with the last being 9 years ago in 2014.  the day it rained.  this event has grown into being totally awesome.  very much on a equal footing with new zealand for crowd support.  nz has the better swim but the cairns bike course has better views.  the runs come out about equal.  while my result was very slow (the slowest so far) i had a great time.  i loved where i was staying and enjoyed the town and the race was just fantastic.  

landed late on the wednesday and grabbed a taxi to my hotel.  bike survived flight and was okay so i started to unpack as i had to get to the bike shop early.  had booked into the giant shop and they were great.  expensive but did a great job.  while waiting for the bike headed down to the esplanade and grabbed some breakfast before wandering across to the expo and then to check in.  same backpack as busselton but with a nicer coloured cairns logo.  picked up the bike and then headed off of  to the shopping centre to grab some supplies.  i am staying in a great central spot but still had to do a bit of walking.  dinner down at a local brewery bar with fantastic burgers.

friday was an easy day with relaxation and just getting things organised for transition bags and gear as saturday was going to be busy.  went for a ride early to make sure the bike was running smoothly.  then had to drop it off to be transported up to palm cove.  once that was done then drop off run bag at the transition in cairns before catching the bus up to palm cove to check the bike had arrived okay and drop off the bike transition bag.  back to cairns and just rest up.  pretty well organised so ironman have it set up well.  first time staying in cairns central and it works well.  then just rested up, had pizza and tried to get an early night.  didnt feel that stressed at all so that was a good sign.  

up at the crack of dawn and with wetsuit, drinks etc it was a five minute walk to the bus stop.  didnt have to wait long and we were on  the move.  pretty quiet on the bus so a few nerves maybe.  i was feeling okay.  got to my bike and set up drinks and food then headed down to the swim start and the porter potty.  the water wasnt as flat as the above pics taken on the saturday which would have been nice.  had to wait around as the 70.3 people go first.  got the wetsuit on and waited in line talking to a guy who was doing his first ironman and his first triathlon.  crazy person.  didnt sound like he did that much training and i never saw him again.   before long i was in the water and the day had begun.  

same old murky water and people swimming all over the place and not keeping a straight line.  i think i swam around 1.17 which seems standard for me.  once in transition not much to do but wipe the brown sludge off the face, grab shoes and helmet and on my way.  still took 12 minutes.  WTF ?

the ride wasnt too windy and most sections are protected.  not really hot either but probably swaeting more than i realised and felt that when i got off the bike.  they have changed the course so we do not go into port douglas but take a detour to a plantation estate that is quite surreal.  we do this part of the course twice including riding over rex's look out twice.  the worst part for me was my back.  this hasnt happened in a very long time so i was surprised.  but it fucking hurt and was very painful for probably 75 % of the ride.  as per usual the last 20k back in to cairns was heading into a nasty wind and was quite an effort to keep up the pace.  bike time was 6:53and mainly due to the back.  stopped a few times to stretch.  last time i rode just under 6 hours. bit disappointed with this.  felt terrible in transition so took my time - a whole 13 minutes.  who gives a fuck.  i am not there to win anything.

so out on the run and it was just fucking awful.  i felt like shit.  there was alot of walking.  some running. then a bit of shuffling.  the crowd were awesome.  especially the drunk girls out the back part.  everyone was calling out your name and cheering you on.  no stupid comments about hanging in there or not far to go.  the view of cairns looking over and across the wharf at  night was spectacular. i loved this run but i have to admit i never felt very good.  i dont think i drank enough on the bike or even ate enough.  i didnt count on sweating so much.  i was covered in salt. talked to a few people who were not having a great day or just hadnt trained enough to run the whole marathon.  no matter how bad though i had a great time.  the triathlon alley was great fun and support.  i would have to put this event up with new zealand.  last time it rained so much the crowds were very quiet but this was a whole new experience.  i did not feel like i was away racing on my own but had alot of people cheering me on.  

so finally crossed that finish line in 15:11:52.  first time i have a fifteen hour finish.  whooo hoooo.

so that is two 12 hour, 2 thirteen, 3 fourteen and one fifteen hour finishes.  i have to make sure it doesnt keep going up.  

After the race i managed to grab all my gear and head back to my room.  so glad it was close.  my whole body was pretty sore and back spasms.  next day up and collected the bike. started the packing and managed to enjoy a nice swim in the hotel pool.  back to the brewery bar for a giant burger and a beer.  basically had a great race and a great trip.  really enjoyed this little adventure. back home the next day and the bike made it so the trip was perfect.  ironman number 8 done.

An Ironman Race Report

so about six weeks ago i finished ironman western australia for the fourth time and my seventh ironman overall.  first time back at busselton for the full distance since 2014.  this was probably the most fun i have had racing busselton and the most enjoyable triathlon experience since ironman new zealand in 2020.  i have come to the conclusion that i prefer the longer distance.  70.3 gets far too serious.  it is a faster race so my pathetic lack of run speed stands out and i dont enjoy the  atmosphere.  people treat you differently.  not once during the full did anyone tell me that i could do it, to keep going or it wasnt far to go.  it was awesome.  

arrived in busselton on wednesday and straight to registration.  the expo is pretty much non-existent.  as usual they make you walk through the merchandise tent and it is a TRAP.  for the $1100 entry fee i received another cheap chinese back pack (or as ironman refer to it - the athlete 'gift') and a small red bull.  the ugly finisher man shirt would come later along with the pretty but thinner finisher towel.  

my nerves were nuts.  you would think at this point in my illustrious triathlon career i would be cool as a cucumber.  i know that it is just a swim, bike and run and yes this is not my first.  however the common sense brain cannot control everything.  so i spend wednesday through friday feeling like shit.  however i am sleeping well and by saturday i am starting to feel better especially when i am busy.

i am very good at tapering. thursday i rest, friday open water swim and saturday ride down to the jetty.  morning tea catch up then finish packing the bike and run bags.  drop the bike off, pick up pizza for dinner and home for an early night.

the only thing i hate about the 70.3 being at this race is they start before us but we still have to arrive early to get a decent parking spot.  the time seems to go quickly and not as many toilet trips. the nerves are pretty bloody GOOD.  get the new wetsuit on and it feels awesome.  weather looks okay but it will be windy.  cant control it so just let it go.  

this swim course is just awful.  swimming around the jetty was iconic and just fucking special.  there were probably always sharks out there.  we just didnt know.  so i suffer through two laps of a lumpy course with people swimming all over the place.  garmin has me spot on at 3700m but it felt like i swam further and at 1.20 it was slow (5th in age group so maybe we all had a shocker).  i thought i kept missing the swim buoys and was always trying to get back on course.  never found any good feet to stick with either.

transition was pretty ordinary.  keeping to one outfit certainly helps.

the bike was fucking HARD.  crosswinds all day and every now and then some relief in protected parts.  but otherwise it did not stop.  first lap felt good.  the roads really are not that smooth and too many out and backs.  on the second lap i started to think that i had taken a wrong turn and was heading the wrong way.  wind induced hallucination.  at some point i realised i was going okay and if i maintained the effort my time would reasonable.  my back was good, my legs okay and my shoulder better than expected.  i was starting to miss my good cycling bibs though.  i think from the splits my second lap was just as good as the first.  4th in age group. 

transition was slow.  i took my time.  on purpose.  i knew the run was going to be long and tough and i needed a moment to get it together.

the longest i ran in training was 10k so i just had to do this four times.  was it hard, yes.  but the people i saw out on course made it just a little bit easier and in a way fun.  did i have some low points - absolutely.  my feet got all messed up as the socks i had on were too thin and my feet just not prepared for 42k.  however experience paid off and i had put a thicker pair in my special needs and that saved me.  i was lucky that at each end of the course there were people i knew and in between the huge crowd around the finish line.  the encouragement was the right kind.  positive and not condescending. running a marathon after a 180k bike and 4k swim just brings a different vibe from people.  i focused on the same approach i had at NZ and that was to maintain the same average pace over the 42k.  i remember fiona giving me my requested shit comments of encouragement - loved it.  stopped and spoke to brett but no idea what i said.  alex played my favourite song (go faster - black crowes) and i did for about 500m.  my nutrition was all over the place and i need to think about that.  i was very happy to finish and loved that the song playing as i tried to look impressive and sprint the finish line was nutbush city limits.  very age appropriate.  

so the medal was awesome and chatted with a few people i met at the pre-swim while eating the best hot chips and icecream ever.  managed to get all my gear together and loaded the car.  nice hot shower, cold choc milk with left over cold pizza and then bed.  finish time was 14.10 so not my best and not my worst.  not great for busselton though.  bike was 6.12 so based on the wind factor that was a great effort.  this gives me some good confidence going forward - especially if i do the full training required.  but my love and enjoyment for the sport is coming back and that makes me happy.