Canberra 70.3- 2nd place

Canberra 70.3 was not part of my original plan for racing in 2013. Since my last few 70.3's have been hampered by the dreaded flu, I was keen to add another race to my calendar to see what I could achieve racing healthy. Canberra fitted in nicely, and so it was off to the nation's capital for a nice little hit out.

Whilst the pro female field was relatively small, it was not my final placing that I was focusing on. My main aim for the race was to get my zip back that has been lacking in my last handful of 70.3 races. If I could get that feeling back, then I knew I would put together a good race.

The race began with a nice 1.9km swim in Lake Burley Griffin. I felt pretty off during the swim but tried to remain positive and focus on staying present rather than letting my mind wander. I exited the swim in 4th place and jumped on my Avanti Chrono Evo TT ready to tackle the hilly 3 lap bike course. If there's one thing I do love, it's hilly bike courses. My aim for the ride was to work the uphills, recover a little on the downhills and push hard on the flats, all while keeping the lap times relatively consistent. I managed to achieve this aim and entered T2 in 2nd place.

Next it was out onto the 3 lap 21.1km run along the lakes edge. Coming off the hard bike I wasn't too sure how my legs would be feeling, however I often run better after a hard ride, so I was confident the run was going to go well. My goal for the run was to hold 4.15min/km's. I have been able to achieve this in training, however have struggled to transfer it to the race track for quite sometime. Thankfully it all came together and my Brooks Racer ST 5's propelled me to 4.11min/km average pace and my second quickest run over the distance.

I crossed the line in 2nd place pro female and with a huge sigh of relief. As previously mentioned, it was not the placing I was chasing, it was getting back that feeling of racing that I love. Of being able to push myself and be in a world of hurt, yet still loving every minute of it. That was my main goal for the race and I'm stoked that I achieved it. 

Congratulations to all other competitors and to Bek Keat for the 1st place. Thank you to Tri-X Events, the volunteers and all of the support out on course, including the best supporters in big sis Laura and Dad. Also, a big thanks to longtime mentor and mate Sean Foster, for his help over the past few months, appreciate it a lot.

For now it's time for a few weeks of festive cheer before getting back into training in preparation for Challenge Melbourne in February.

Thanks for reading :)

Avanti | AvantiPlus Brunswick | Giro | Brooks Australia | Selle SMP

Mandruah 70.3

The Australian Pro 70.3 Championships were held in Mandurah, WA over the weekend. I had targeted this race as an "A" race and was really keen put in a good performance and build on my 1st place at the Victorian Olympic Distance Championships two weeks prior. However unfortunaltey I came down with a chest cold a few days prior to the race and was fighting a loosing battle to recover in time. I tried to convince myself I'd be fine to race, however once out on the course it was a real battle and I was up against it all day. Looking back, the smartest decision would've been to DNS, but that's the beauty of hindsight I suppose! Despite my mediocre performance, I'm still proud of finishing the race and came away with 9th place pro female.

Mandurah was great location for a 70.3 and the organizers and volunteers did an amazing job to host such an event. Congratulations to all the other competitors for toughing it out in some of the hottest racing conditions I've ever experienced. Big thanks to number 1 supporter, Mum, for travelling with me and cheering me on!

For now it's time to get this body right before tackling Canberra 70.3 next month.

Thanks for reading :)

Avanti | AvantiPlus Brunswick | Giro | Brooks Australia | Selle SMP

Victorian Olympic Distance Champs- 1st

Yesterday saw the running of the Victorian Olympic Distance Champs at Yarrawonga in country Victoria. I had originally planned to race Port Macquarie 70.3 which was on yesterday too, however for a number of reasons I decided to give Port a miss, and instead headed up the Hume for a shorter hit-out and the shot at claiming the title of State champ. My prep has  been a bit of a scatter over the past month or so, so I wasn't sure how I would fair. However, I needed to put in a good race, more so for my confidence than anything else.

We entered the chilly 16 degree waters of Lake Mullawla on Sunday morning and kicked off at precisely 7.31am. The two lap, 1500m swim saw me exit the lake in 5th place. Since the bike was draft legal, I had some work to do during the 40km ride to reel in the fish up ahead. I managed to catch two of the girls and we worked fairly well together to take some time out of the lead girls. Coming into T2, I wasn't sure how my legs would feel heading out on the run. However, luckily I was feeling pretty good and managed to catch the two lead girls within the first lap of the 10km run. .

All in all it was a successful weekend. I found my mojo somewhere out the back of Yarrawonga, and I really enjoyed being out there amongst it all again.

Triathlon Victoria put on a great race, and thanks must go to all of the organizers and volunteers. It was one of the most professionally run and safest races that I have competed in. Congrats to all the other competitors who raced in one or all of the events over the weekend. Final shout-out to Brooks, Avanti, AvantiPlus Brunswick, Giro and Selle SMP for their ongoing support.

Since it was a solo expedition I haven't got any pics to share yet but will upload a few if I can get my hands on some.

Next stop, Mandurah 70.3 (Aus Pro 70.3 Champs) in 3 weeks.

Thanks for reading :)

Avanti | AvantiPlus Brunswick | Giro | Brooks Australia | Selle SMP

Yeppoon 70.3

If there's one word to describe my day at Yeppoon 70.3 yesterday it would be "tough".   After a year away from racing the half ironman (70.3) distance due to injury, I decided to pick Yeppoon 70.3 as my first race back. The race has been my motivation to train through Melbourne's wintery weather and I wanted to use it as a guide to see where my fitness is at. 
  
In the months leading into the race, I put in some really solid training sessions and I know that I am swimming, biking and running the best I ever have. I have been loving the training and have taken so much confidence and satisfaction from the sessions I have been able to get through; and for the first time in a long time I am  getting pure enjoyment out of training, I am doing it for myself and it makes me happy. However, as I found out this weekend, having the confidence and the numbers in training means very little if it can't be transferred to the race track!

On race morning we woke to perfect conditions...bright blue sky and very little wind. The 1.9km ocean swim was almost dead flat. I managed to find some feet to sit on in the small field of 5 pro women and had a pleasantly uneventful swim. I exited the water in 3rd place, ran up the sand dune to transition and unracked my Avanti Chrono Evo TT bike. I was planning on pacing myself through the ride with my  power meter,  however within 100m of mounting my bike, my Garmin bike computer suffered the effects of Yeppoon's famously rough roads and went flying off into the distance, only to be seen 7 hours later in lost and found! I made the split second decision to continue riding and just focus on perceived effort instead. 

Once out on to the 5 lap 90km bike course I knew almost straight away that it was going to be a tough day. I just felt "off" physically and mentally and really struggled to get through the ride. The nature of a 5 lap course also made it super tough mentally. At the end of each lap I was sure I would call it a day, but there was something telling me to continue on, hoping I might come good. My only saving grace was how smooth and aero my Avanti felt...if only my body would come to the party too!

By the the time the 5th lap came around the wind had picked up and the temperature was rising. I exited T2 in 5th place and knew it would just be a case of "getting through" the 21.1km run. The 3 lap run course was pretty awesome, with 1/3 on road, 1/3 through trees and 1/3 winding through the resort. I focused on trying to enjoy the run leg and concentrate on my form. It was great to see so many spectators, volunteers and fellow athletes out on the course which definitely made it a little easier and more enjoyable. 

Finally the finish banner was in sight, and as I made my way down the finishing  chute I felt a huge sense of relief knowing that I had actually finished. While it wasn't the result I was after, it was still extremely satisfying to know that I had accomplished my goal of racing 70.3's again after almost certainly giving it all away this time a year ago. I'd have to say that my own personal journey preparing for this race has been the most satisfying part for me and it has been more than just training for another race. I've learnt so much about myself over this past year and this race was really just the reward and a reminder that I can still do it. 

I've taken a lot away from the weekend, and definitely have a few things to work on for the next one which is Port Macquarie 70.3 in October. I finished 2nd in Port Mac in 2011, so have some fond memories of the course and can't wait to test myself again! 

Congratulations to all the competitors who toughed it out over a great day of racing and to X-Tri for putting on such a fantastic event.

Until next time, thanks for reading :)

Avanti | AvantiPlus Brunswick | Giro | Brooks Australia | Selle SMP

July Update

The last few weeks have been exciting, which have included the renewal of my Brooks sponsorship for season 2013/14, as well as the beginning of a new partnership with Avanti and Avantiplus Brunswick. My Avanti Chrono Evo TT is one amazing bike that I am super excited to be riding.

I also raced in Race #1 of the Brooks Victorian Duathlon Series yesterday to a). test out my fitness and b). take my new Avanti bike for a spin. The guys at Avantiplus Brunswick have spent hours putting the bike together for me and they had it ready in time for the race which I am very appreciative of, as I know it was no easy task! My setup also felt superb thanks to Paul Parker from Cycle Finesse.

The race went well and I managed to put in a strong effort over the 5km run/20km cycle/3km run to come away with the win. A big thanks to the organisers, Bayside Triathlon Club and Triathlon Victoria for putting on a great local event.

*photo courtesy of Steve Davis*

After putting in five months of consistent training, and with my body feeling great I have also had the confidence to put together a solid race schedule for the coming months, which all going to plan the major races will include Yeppoon 70.3 in August, Port Macquarie 70.3 in October, Mandurah 70.3 in November and Challenge Melbourne in February.

It's only six weeks away until Yeppoon 70.3 and I am just about to hit my final block of training for the race. The days are starting to get longer and the sun is slowly starting to get warmer which is definitely making it easier to get out the door :)

The blog is back...

Phew...it has been quite sometime since I have visited blogger.com and put pen to paper (so to speak). So long in fact, that I forgot my log-in user name and password. But what better time to start blogging than with an exam and two assignment due dates looming in the near distance. Ahhh blogging...the procrastination tool of the century.

The real reason I have decided to blog again however is because I am sick of the depressing, injury ridden blog that is currently taking place on my homepage...it needs to be shifted down the page a few mouse clicks out of sight.

A lot has gone on since that blog 8 months ago. It has been some of the toughest few months I have been through, and it was not a time that I felt like writing about. However, since things have been on the improve for the past few months, it is time to get this blog alive again!

When injury strikes, some people like to document the process, keep fellow blog-readers informed and remain in a positive frame of mind. I was of the opposite. Upon learning of those pesky stress fractures in my femurs on that wintery August day, I preferred to go into lock-down. I was burnt-out physically and mentally. I didn't want to have anything to do with the sport that once used to made me so happy, and so 12 weeks of inactivity (apart from the odd swim) and sadness followed.

But thankfully, with the support of some awesome friends and family I am now in the position of being able to to say I am a stronger and smarter athlete because of that time off. Looking back on it all now, time away from the sport was exactly what I needed. I needed to get away from it all and get a bit of perspective. Triathlon can often be a very self-centered sport, and luckily I have had the chance to learn that there is so much more to life than riding a bike all day, following a black line up and down a pool or running around and around an athletics track. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for all the opportunities the sport gives me, but at the end of the day, it is just sport, and if it's not making you happy then why do it.

So after a few months of reflection and with a renewed vigour and passion for the sport, I decided to attempt running again. After about 3 months of rest I knew my body would be a bit out of sorts, so I decided to try running for just 30 seconds, and then two days later, I added another 30 seconds, and then two days later, another 30 seconds. Getting the jist?? After 6 months of slowly increasing the volume, I am stoked to say I am now up to 90 minutes of pain free running. It was a long process, that at times I thought I would never get back the fitness I once had. But luckily I am not one to give in too easily, so I stuck it out, and after a confidence-boosting bike time trial and run race this past week, I know I will be fine and I'm on the right track.

I have made a few changes to training over the past few months to ensure that my body stays strong and gets me through the next phase in my athletic career. I am so excited to get out racing again, and all going to plan I have my sights set on Yeppoon 70.3 in August as the first big one back which I can't wait for.

An extended break also gave me time to do some other things I have not had the chance to do over the past few years. I went mountain biking for the first time (think I'll stick to the road from now on), got my surf on with the girls and went over to Colorado to go skiing for a few weeks. While in the USA I also had the chance to drop by Boulder to check out the town in its winter colours...so pretty! So it definitely hasn't been all gloom and doom!

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Boulder in winter

Skiing at Vail

Not all smooth sailing...

I've been putting off writing this blog for a while, but have figured I have been M.I.A for long enough, so may as well get to it. Unfortunately after my last race 5 weeks ago (Boulder 70.3), things turned a little pear-shaped and I decided to cut the season short and head back home to Australia. Unbearable pain in both legs when running, mediocre performances in training/racing over the previous month and a few other factors all helped form this decision. At the time, it would've been easier to stay in the States and see out the season, but I knew that if I were to continue racing into the future I had to make the tough decision to come home, sort out my body and mind and get the fire back in the belly.

It proved to be the correct decision as once I got home I found out that I had 2 stress fractures...one in each femur. As sad as I was, it was a relief to know why my legs had been so sore, as the pain from femoral stress fractures is like nothing else and is so difficult to describe.

Consequently, I have had to take a fair break from all forms of physical activity involving the legs...which is not ideal for a triathlete. It has certainly been tough, going from 25/30hr training weeks to the odd 30min swim, but I know that in the long run I will benefit from this break both mentally and physically. As frustrating as it is being injured, it has given me a chance to take a step back and look at my training and racing from a different perspective and figure out what I need to do to be a smarter and stronger athlete in the future.

I'm looking forward to building up my fitness again once I get my body right, and after watching the World 70.3 Champs over the weekend, I can't wait to be back out there!

Thanks for all the support and I will attempt to keep the blog alive over the coming months :)