What another cracking day yesterday for Race 4 of the 2XU Triathlon Series in Melbourne, with this race being held on the slightly tougher course at Sandringham.
We had some incredible individual performance from our athletes over the Sprint and Olympic distance events. Each with their own back story and race experience. And this is what it’s all about. It really isn’t just about what time is on the clock at the end, or what place you finish in your category. It is about the training, the challenges, the personal satisfaction, of the time, effort, sweat and dedication to just stand on a start line. Of letting go of fears or insecurities, of comparisons. Of being out there for YOU and no one else.
And as a Coach, I get to experience ALL of that with my athletes. I truly feel privileged to share those experiences. Not just the rewards and accolades at the end. So hats off to EVRY competitor out there racing. Of putting yourself out there, whether you feel ‘ready’ or not. Of whether you hit a PB or not. But pushing yourself regardless and enjoying this amazing sport of triathlon!
RACE RESULTS:
SPRINT DISTANCE: Jo Clarke: 1ST F 35-39 Swim 14:10, Bike 32:41, Run 20:02: Overall 1:12.22 Cracking first race back after 2 years. Could not of asked from more!
Ollie McNulty: 3RD Clydesdales Swim 15:54, Bike 38:04, Run 25:35, Overall 1:28.08 He’s been super consistent in training, and each race he’s been inching closer to that podium. Today he cracked it ! And with a most impressive run also. Great work !
Esther Toh: 11TH F 45-49 Swim 15:44, Bike 40:44, Run 29:04, Overall 1:31.59 After a year of focusing on an ultra run, we went in with no expectations. As daunting as that can be when you know you haven’t trained specifically for a race, nothing can stop you once the gun goes off! And a slight side fact – this same race she did way back in 2022 (10 years ago!) she has finished with pretty much exact same splits as this year. Not a bad feat !!
Evelyn Wilton: 16TH F 45-49 Swim 19:09, Bike 42:02, Run 33:44, Overall 1:42.49 She keeps chipping away and with each race, new learnings. With her first Olympic distance on the horizon, these races have been great for experience and a good overall training race.
OLYMPIC DISTANCE: Rachel Dols 1ST F25-29 Swim 23:39, Bike 1:08.43, Run 44:41, Overall 2:23.25 What can I say. A bloody mighty fine effort !! She’s been working her arse off, is one of the most diligent athletes I know, and with a diagnosis only this week of External Iliac Artery Endofibrosis – to go out and push through the PAIN of such a condition and win in such a convincing fashion while in so much immense pain is beyond me. My hat goes off to you young lady! If you want to follow Rach on her journey through here training, racing and her diagnosis follow on the socials here
2XU Triathlon Series Race 3, StKilda – 16 Jan 2022
A day that brought out the big guns in racing as it also doubles at the Australian Age Group Sprint Distance Championships. And how lucky are we to have them held here in our state of Victoria.
So the day had Sprint Distance (Aus Champs) and the first Olympic Distance for the 2021/2022 series, which always proves to be a great days racing.
Awesome work to each of our athletes who toed the start line whether it was eying off a podium position, aiming for a PB, utilising it is a stepping stone for long distance training, or simply a chance to learn from racing. Great work all !
SPRINT DISTANCE Rachel Dols – 2nd F25-29, 1:23:49 and only 7sec from the top position! After finishing 4th in her first 2 races, this was such a great result, and we still haven’t seen her best yet. Coming out of the water head to head with her fellow competitors, she had her strongest bike yet 2nd fastest in her age, and finished off a tough run for her but a bloody awesome result all round. And she can now call herself a Silver Medallist in the in Australian Age Group Sprint Distance Championships!
Ollie McNulty – 10th (clyd), 1:39:42. Another great consistent performance by Ollie, who after recently moving to Melbourne is really starting to find his feet – and his training consistency. And the results are showing. IM is calling !
Evelyn Wilton – 14th F45-49, 1:46:09. One of our newest athletes – although she doesn’t like to call herself that (yet!) Evelyn is relatively new to the sport but keen to learn lots and see where her commitment can take her – including to Half Distance! Good to get a race under the belt, see where she is as and where we focus our time and energy.
OLYMPIC DISTANCE Robyn Bourke – 9th F35-39, 2:52:58. A fantastic all round race from Robyn, a way to get in a good solid training day through racing. With a Half Distance coming up, this is a really good way to benefit both physically, but also mentally, plus look at any tweaks that could be made in the final build. Oh and a bonus 8+min faster than previous! Winning!
We had athletes take on a number of races over the past weekend, each with their own goals, their own journeys and their own stories, but one things remain constant. Each athlete took LOTS from their ability to race, and had ‘fun’ pushing their bodies to their physical and mental limits on the day. And that’s what it’s all about ! The results are a bonus!
GEELONG 70.3 IRONMAN A slightly tougher day on course this year compared to 2020. With a little current in the swim and some nice wind to greet athletes on the bike. But this is what racing is all about. Facing what the day gives us and working our race plans around that. Pre-race chats, and athletes were confident – with a few nerves thrown in for good measure. But athletes can always go in with confidence with sound race plans in place – and this doesn’t mean just focusing on the outcome. This means having a sound PROCESS in place, focusing on your own personal performance – and not that of other competitors, and controlling what you CAN control – your self-control and your own mental discipline. And simply give 100% of what you have on that day. Do this, and you will give yourself the best possible chance to have a well-executed and enjoyable race day. (you can read more on our race day mentality strategies here)
Results: Trav Hore: 35:33 swim, 2:34 bike, 1:59 run, 5:18:08 overall. With a 15min PB from this course last year, and 7min PB overall. And a goal of a sub 2hour run. You couldn’t have asked for a better executed race. Trav is well on his way to a good showing at his next Ironman coming up! A strong all round performance and great confidence booster.
Ollie McNulty: 40:39 swim, 3:05 bike, 2:30 run, 6:27:57 overall. We went in this race with one goal in mind. To have a nice consistent race as part of his training for his first FULL and get some take aways to assist us with the remainder of his IM build. And goal was achieved!
Caroline Houston: 54:08 swim, 3:36 bike, 2:25 run, 7:08 overall. 2nd F65-69 A longer day on course than planned, but in the same token, this race was thrown into the mix only a month or so ago. Why not! We said, with last years races wiped off the calendar, why not race 2 halves within a couple of months. 😉 And although she didn’t want recognition for her 2nd place finish – recognition is being given! Out yourself on the start line, no matter how many in your age group, and you are entitled to bask in your glory! 🙂 Well done C on a positive attitude and your discipline to training and racing as always.
Esther Toh: 36:24 swim, 3:09 bike, 2:24 run, 6:17:46 overall. What a fantastic video wrap up Esther posted in our private FB group. Goes to show her attitude and outlook on racing. The main message? She ENJOYED racing the Half IM again. She did her first (and only other) HIM in 2013 prior to starting coaching with CPC last year and she didn’t enjoy herself. She didn’t think she would actually do another one again. But alas, here she is, 8 years later. She put in tremendous amount of discipline and work to fit her training around her family and work commitments, and is a testament to ‘getting the job done’. A solid race. WELL DONE.
Darren McKemmish: 38:54 swim, 2:56 bike, 2:01 run, 5:47 overall Always with a smile, he started and finished in that fashion! Darren went into this as a training race – for bigger fish to fry in the coming months as he prepares for his first Ironman. We set a solid race plan leading in, and our goals were pretty much smack on! A great confidence boosting race, with a solid ‘training race under his belt, as well as some key takeaways that will lead him in good stead over the coming weeks.
Elise Fookes put her runners back on after focusing on cycling for the past few years. Without us preparing specifically for this event, we thought ‘why not’! Go out. Have fun, and enjoying being back out on the start line of a triathlon again! The plan? Letting go of any expectations, and simply racing to feel and for fun! The result? “the half distance I did 3years ago almost felt easier than the sprint!” 😂 We had a great chuckle at this – as short course racing does NOT mean easy racing. Well done Elise for putting yourself out there even when not ‘race ready‘.
BULLA SKY RUN 22KM A tough 22km trail run from Mt Buller Village, Mt Stirling to Mt Buller Summit and return to Mt Buller Village, covering 1200+mtrs of elevation
Louise Organ: A solid performance with a podium finish! 2nd Female over the 22km distance. Louise summed up her race afterwards: “Pretty brutal climbing up Mt Stirling and Mt Buller. Awful weather the day before, and training with a broken toe foe a month. Ready for a wine and a shower!”. A well deserved break now Lou, great work!
As you start to lead into a key race, it is important to go back and reflect on your training, to review the goals you had written down for your race and how well you have prepared for them. How has your race build gone? Has it gone to plan? How are you feeling about race day?
But at the same time, it is important to remind yourself that goals are OUTCOMES, and as you head into your race, you can actually be better served to focus on the PROCESS when it comes to race day, rather than the outcome (the result).
Regardless of what your race day goals are, your RACE PLAN should be your ultimate focus. Those individual tasks throughout the race that are in your control. That is your plan and focus. If you can keep your focus on these, the outcome will almost always take care of itself.
Your goal – is your desired outcome. What you want to achieve. Your system/process – is what will get you there.
It is important to be aware of what is going on around you, including your fellow competitors, but at the same time not be distracted from your own effort and strategy. Remember – your race should always be about personal performance, and not the competition. Self-control and your own mental discipline is what you can focus on and what you can control. When you are in control, you will be calmer, have ease of mind, and make better decisions.
So here are some of the areas that you can focus on and work on executing well:
– Race preparation – including the week leading in and the night prior – Your warm up – allow time and focus – Your race equipment – be prepared and organised – Race fueling and hydration plan – and following through with it – Your pacing and effort – what you have trained for – Your form and posture – as fatigue kicks in, form can slip, so bring your focus back – Mental mindset / mental fortitude – how you stay focused, in control and positive, even if things aren’t going to plan
If you give 100% of what you have on that day – how can you loose?
The work has been done to up to this point. All that is left now is show up to your race fresh both physically and mentally, and do as many things as possible in your control; as well as possible and then let the result take care of itself.
So it’s time to get out of your own way. Commit to focus on yourself, and what you can control, and you will give yourself the best possible chance to have a well-executed and enjoyable race day.
Over the past week/s we have really started to see and feel the real impact of the Coronavirus in Australia. We first started witnessing it in the supermarkets with many staple items becoming low or out of stock. Something that many of us jeered at when people first started to stockpile (in particular toilet paper!) but now is a real concern for many, including the vulnerable and the elderly.
And now this week the Australian Federal and State Governments have directed that all non-essential gatherings of more than 500 people be suspended from tomorrow along with recommending social distancing. Schools, may be closed for extended periods of time, gyms and play centres could close. Some may not even survive just as we have already seen in the hospitality industry. This is unprecedented and will probably not be seen again in our lifetime. The Government and Health Authorities action is to reduce the SPEED of the spread and the impact that it has – not just on the health of individuals, but on the economy as a whole.
Sporting events are now being impacted too. This week alone we saw the NBA put a hold on their season, the Formula 1 cancel the Australian GrandPrix, and closer to home for us as endurance athletes, Run for the Kids, and the remaining races of the local 2XU Triathlon Series have already been cancelled. Ironman also sent out an email whereby CEO Andrew Messick said: “We expect that there are going to be substantial and widespread event postponements in the coming weeks and months.” This comes on the back of Ironman already postponing 70.3 events in both Greece and Puerto Rico.
Given the Australian Governments action to date, and the advice coming from the World Health Organisation, there is a real possibility (and reality) that some – if not the majority of endurance races and events in the coming months to be cancelled / postponed.
SO – if this does happen, where does that leave age group endurance athletes? What does that mean for the remainder of the season ? (NOTE: I haven’t even touched on the impact this has on professional athletes who rely on races / racing for their lively-hood, or the impact on the broader triathlon / endurance community)
Some athletes are already feeling a little ‘lost’ – their A race/s taken away from them, their season abruptly cut short and so now even after just a couple of days are already feeling a little ‘lost’ or unmotivated. And that’s not to mention those athletes who seasons are still up in the air, with uncertainty on whether their upcoming races are even going to go ahead (ie Ironman Port Macquarie and Cairns and Challenge Shepparton to name a few) I see the same / similar feelings emerge after an athlete finishes an A race, a big goal or at the end of a season. When all an athletes training and focus was on one (or more) targeted race/s and the sudden loss / end of of the main purpose on what fueled their daily training has now been and gone – OR taken away in the scenario we are now finding ourselves in.
So – the question is, what now? Where do we go from here? How do we come back from this?
Adjust your training Firstly, you will need to adjust your training to reflect the changes in your race plans – whether the change was in your control or not, you can control how you react. Remember – you want to be peaking for your races, not for races that are now not to be. So this may mean heading into your recovery phase OR starting / continuing your base preparation phase instead of continuing your current race / competition phase.
Firstly – recovery at the end a season or major race is extremely important and can look and feel different for every athlete but generally should include a reduced load, focus and / or structure. Sessions during this time should be light, with a focus on active recovery, refreshing the body and the mind. Even if you didn’t get to finish off your race season, it is still super important to include this phase in your season. So don’t skip it..
If you have already served out a recovery period after your last A race and feel refreshed, ready and motivated, then get stuck into your base preparation phase. This phase aims to develop your base endurance while developing and correcting technique and refining your skills – it underpins your whole season. So great news is, you now have extra time to spend in their all important training phase!
So if your race season has been shortened, then now is the perfect time you should either kick start your post season recovery or dive straight into your base preparation training phase. This is the PERFECT time to get a head start on both!
If your races are still uncertain…. If you have a race in the next couple of months that have yet to announce a cancellation or postponement, then continue your training / build as normal. It’s all systems go. What may adjust ever so slightly though is the underlying factor and that base endurance is key, and reducing intensity if needed. This can help ensure that your immunity isn’t compromised too much in a time when the virus is at it’s peak, along with continuing to work on the foundations of endurance sport – aerobic strength and conditioning. So work with your coach, ensure you continue towards your goal, and cross the bridge of any announcements when they come to light.
Review your season Just like at the end of any season or major race of your season, it’s the perfect time to sit down and review your goals for the past / current season. So now is your chance to sit down with your coach and evaluate your year / season. This is important to make certain of your continual development and progression and ensure your next season is even better than the last ! Again, don’t skip this part of your season..
Shift the goal posts Just because your race day may be shifted, it doesn’t mean your goal has to. You can still have that goal of your first triathlon, your first Ironman, you can still go in search for your next PB, of qualifying for a World Championship – these goals don’t need to change. They can still happen AND if you think about it, may even come about bigger and better than you had planned. Giving yourself more time and more space to really hone in on your goals through further progression in your underlying base endurance, technique and mastering the skills of triathlon / endurance sports. So even though the race may not happen when you planned, your goal can and still will be achieved regardless of when.
Stay healthy During a health crisis such as we are experiencing, it is important that we keep ourselves fit and healthy so that if we do get the virus, our immune systems are in a good position to fit it off quickly and/or lesson its impact. So ensure you are doing all the right things such as good wholesome nutrition, sleep and recovery, maintaining our hygiene and exercising (read training).
In saying all of that, we should all be following the advice of the Department of Human Services – Victorian Chief Health Officer, so if you feel unwell, or if you have been in close vicinity of someone who has the virus, you should isolate yourself until you are all clear. More info is available here.
Remind yourself of WHY you train Of course having races and goals to train towards are a big part of that, BUT remember the underlying factors of WHY you love to train and the value it adds to your life and how it makes you feel. There are so many benefits to training, including the feeling of being fit and healthy, the social interaction, the sense of accomplishment… the list is endless. Enjoying the process of training and learning provides so much more. It’s not just about crossing that finishing line, collecting a medal and posting it on facebook / instagram! 😉
So don’t use the Coronavirus as an excuse to drop the ball on your training, health or fitness. See it as an opportunity for extra time to improve your strengths, work on your weaknesses, hone those skills that need extra refinement and become even stronger and more robust than before – so when we do race again – you will be your strongest and fittest yet!
I haven’t written a racing blog in a LONG time, so what better time to write one given it’s been a LONG time between races !
It’s been 3 years, and 2 babies since my last long course race. My youngest is nearly 10months old already. Wowee that time has flown, yet at the same time, pre kids seems like a distant memory. I guess now having two little ones keeping us occupied, plus working / running my own biz as well as back into full training – there really isn’t much time to just ‘sit and reflect’. 😉 So much has changed in the past 3 years though and it’s hard to even compare my life now to what it was like 3 years ago. But as all mums / parents would say – we wouldn’t change it for the world!
So making the decision to return to long course racing as a mum of a 2 year old and a 9mth old wasn’t taken with a grain of salt. I knew I wanted to, and my main driver was when I heard the 70.3 world champs were going to be in New Zealand. I have always wanted to visit NZ, and we would have loved to have gone for our honeymoon last year but I was 6mths pregnant at the time so we decided we’d go another time when we could really explore and experience what NZ has to offer. SO what better way as two outdoor loving people to go and race there at the same time! (well hopefully anyway!) So the idea was born to work on qualifying for the Half Ironman World Championships.
This racing blog I’d thought I’d write a little differently though – because, well why not! Instead of writing a normal race blog on how my race panned out, how I felt, where I could have done better… I wanted to share the added challenges of getting to the start line, and racing as a triathlete MUM. Of course there are challenges being a triathlete dad also, but this is my experience as the main care giver at home and there are definitely additional challenges faced being a female.
So whether you are a mum yourself or not, I hope this can give you a little insight into what it takes to get to the start (and finish line) as a triathlete mum and an overview of how my return to racing went.
Lack of sleep / broken sleep This one is REAL. And for anyone who has ever suffered from sleep issues, I FEEL your pain! Sleep is when our body goes to work in repairing and rejuvenating itself. So when sleep is disrupted for what ever reason – and not just the quantity but more importantly the quality, then your recovery is going to be impaired. This is something that really has to be considered in the training of athletes – and in particular mums who have to wake (or are woken) over night.
From the period of 6 – 8 months old, Edie woke just about every night. Sometimes 2-3 times in the night. So for a good 8 weeks solid, I did not have a full nights sleep. I wasn’t getting to bed until around 10/10.30 and waking 5am to train, which is only 6.5-7hours of sleep regardless, but throw in a few wakes during that time and all of a sudden i’m only getting 5-6hours of UNBROKEN sleep. I definitely felt this at the time and I had to modify my training accordingly. I couldn’t do any hard / quality training sessions in the morning, and even in the day/evening I had to be mindful of doing any back to back intensity days knowing that my recovery was going to be impaired. So this limited my training during the week some what. But despite this, I still felt I was able to make the most of the time and energy I had at the time and stayed super consistent and healthy – which was going to get me better results than a few days of hard training, then resulting in having to have a few days off as a result OR getting sick or injured. Next race hopefully I won’t have to contend with this and I’m happy to say that Edie is back sleeping full nights and so am I ! 😉
Balancing training with family life There is a quote that I remember seeing on social media a little while ago – ‘You have as many hours in a day as Beyonce’Implying that we should all be able to do as much / be as much as Beyonce’ . Yes – it’s true that everyone has the same 24hrs in a day, but we don’t all have the same help and support. I don’t know any working age group triathlete mums who have a personal chef, a personal trainer, a stylist, makeup artist, a manager…… so go easy on yourself. And remember, you can do ANYTHING you want, just not EVERYTHING. And it is your choice on what you choose to do with your time. If you choose more family time over training time, then go you. If you choose more training time over family time. Then go you too. Just don’t go comparing yourself and your situation to anyone elses. It will serve you no purpose.
For me, gone are the days when I’d happily train all weekend. Before kids, I would happily start training at 6am in the morn and not get home until after lunch and never thought anything of it. But when you have 2 young children at home (one still breast fed) then this wasn’t an option for me, nor did I actually want to. PLUS hubby is a cyclist and trains too, so we had to make compromises on the times we trained, when and for how long.
Did this impact my race? I’d say it probably did to an extent. I certainly wouldn’t have trained the same quality or quantity that some of my fellow competitors would have, but would I change it? Nope. As for now, finding a balance between training enough and still spending quality time with my family was important to me so I am happy to make that compromise for the sake of a slightly faster race time. 🙂
Body changes A couple of weeks before the race and I actually started to not only feel ‘race fit’ but I felt I looked race fit too. So I decided to try on my race kits from 3 years ago. ‘There’s no way I can wear that!‘ I thought as I glared at the image in front of me in the mirror. In that moment, all I could see were the little things that others would not notice, but through my own eyes was simply seeing what I thought were flaws. My stomach was firm, but it didn’t quite have the ‘abs’ that it used to have. My butt was strong, yet had this little sag I could’t remember having pre children. My boobs were lopped sided, thanks to two fussy children who only liked one side… So as I stood there in front of the mirror, being overly critical of myself I suddenly thought of my daughter. As women, we are far too critical of ourselves. We put ourselves down. We wish we could be better, smaller, firmer, stronger, leaner, taller…. And it was that thought that brought me back to reality and instead of being self critical and pointing out any perceived ‘flaws’, I started to be grateful and thanking my body instead;
So I thanked it for two healthy pregnancies. I thanked my stomach for growing two beautiful children. I thanked my boobs for being capable of feeding two vulnerable babies. I thanked my butt for giving me strength on the bike and run. I thanked my body for staying strong when I felt weak, for being the vessel to my soul and for being exactly who and what it is. I thanked it for allowing me to continue to train and do what I love.
This was a reminder to me that our bodies are far more on the inside than what they just look like on the outside.
These thoughts didn’t effect my race at all, but I wanted to include this. As our bodies do change post pregnancy. Some more than others. So I implore women to try and not to compare themselves to their pre baby body, simply to appreciate your body for what it is and remember how incredible they really are.
Hormonal changes The female body is INCREDIBLE. Just in case you didn’t know already. 😉 The changes it goes through to grow another little human inside of it still blows my mind. There are so many hormonal changes that happen in a females body during pregnancy to prepare the body for child birth, and even more changes postpartum (post birth) that it’s hard to even get your head around! I feel blessed that my body managed well with these changes and settled back into routine within about 5 months post birth. BUT it’s certainly not fool proof just yet. I track my ‘cycle’ on an app and by it’s calculations I wasn’t due for my period (yes guys I just said period) 😉 for another 2 weeks. But low and behold, I go for a pit stop at the race venue before heading into transition and HELLO female hormones! Argh! I had not prepared for this! Luckily I was there with another female athlete who helped a sister out. (thanks chick!) Otherwise I was going to have to make a quick dash to the medical tent. Lesson learnt – always come prepared, just in case!
Did it impact my race? Possibly. But I don’t feel like it did on the day. But it did weigh on the back of my mind throughout the race. At another race at a different time of the month and it certainly can though. So again, for female athletes this is something that should be discussed with your coach when you are talking about your training and racing planning.
The logistics Preparation for a race doesn’t just come in the form of training, it comes in the form of logistics. Long gone are the days when you can simply plan, book and organise a race without thinking about others. Given this race was going to be interstate, and I was going to be away for 5 days, this meant even more planning and organising. Hubby had to work the weekend of the race so he wasn’t going to be coming. (and let’s be honest, Penrith isn’t really an exciting holiday destination anyway) 😉 But given I was going to be heading up solo, kids couldn’t come up with me, so the process started in working out where they would be, who would be able to help look after them, what time Hubby could have off work, and then there was the issue of my youngest still being breastfed – being strong-willed (read stubborn) means she refuses a bottle!
So my race planning and logistics included not only myself but my family and the worry of ‘will they be ok without me?!’ (of course they would be but why is it that as mothers we always worry they won’t be?!) Thankfully we have fabulous family who were able to step in and help out Hubby while I was away. And no, my youngest didn’t take a bottle for the 5 days while I was away (bless her stubbornness!) And yes I had to express while I was away – including getting up at 3:15am race morning to do so !
Did this impact my race. No, not at all, but it does make it even more satisfying to reach the finish line knowing what you have had to organise behind the scenes to make it there. 🙂
Making comparisons As mothers we are told not to compare our children to other children. That every baby develops differently, in their own time and in their own way. Yet as mothers we still find it hard not to compare. I already see myself doing it with #2 child and comparing her to #1. By 9 mths Mr Mills was already well on his way to crawling. Yet at nearly 10mths Miss Edie hasn’t shown much interest at all and will happily sit and play all day long without going anywhere. I found myself going back into my development books to see what I had done ‘wrong’. Had I not given her enough tummy time? Has she had less attention due to being #2? Other mothers told me the second learns so much faster so why hadn’t she?
But then I reminded myself what I was doing. I was trying to compare two totally different individuals. Comparing one child to another – what purpose did that serve? Will it make her crawl faster? No. Will it instead create self doubt in myself as a mother? Yes.
The worst thing one can do is compare – as all that does is create uncertainty, self doubt, a feeling of ‘I am doing this right?‘ ‘Am I doing enough?’ ‘Should I be doing more?’ Instead of trusting in yourself and in the process of development – in this case, the development of our children, but putting it into context of athletes, in the development of their training and putting trust in the process.
So when I was planning out this race, I made sure I didn’t get caught up in comparing my previous training or racing to that of my current training and racing. A lot has happened in 3 years since I last raced, and my body has gone through an incredible experience – not once but twice! So I wanted this to be it’s own unique journey. Of course I knew what my previous training looked like and I previously trained A LOT more than what I did for this prep, but I was ok with that. I was ok swimming twice a week, not 3 or 4 like I used to. I was ok doing the majority of my bike training on the trainer. I was ok missing a session here or there if needed to for my family, or for my health. This was a totally different journey that my body was going on, so it served no purpose to compare.
Someone messaged me post race – congrats on your race, a PB post pregnancy!! And I smiled. I loved that. 🙂
Avoiding (unsuccessfully) bugs and germs If you have children you will understand the struggle! And this one was the biggest one that impacted me on race day, and my biggest take away from the race. Heading into the race I was feeling amazing, everything had gone to plan, everything was organised, I was feeling strong and ready both physically and mentally and I couldn’t wait to head to Sydney.
That was until Tuesday of race week things started to unravel slightly. I started to feel nauseous that evening and all of a sudden I had the urge to rush to the bathroom. Gargh! I had picked up some kind of gastro bug! Bad timing! Ironically a day before competing in the Melbourne Half Marathon I caught the same / similar thing and it impacted that race. But I thought to myself, I’ve been here before and it only lasted a couple of days. I still had 4 days until race day, I should be fine! Little did I know how stubborn this bug was going to be! (and I laughed later as I thought I must have caught it from my youngest given how stubborn she is!) 😉
So from there I did everything I could to get rid of this thing that was turning my stomach inside out and causing everything to go straight through me like an open sieve! (too much information?!) 😉 As race day got closer, I actually started to get a little concerned. I wondered if I was going to be able to make it through the race without needed to stop at every port-a-loo on course. Would there even be enough port-a-loo’s out there for me?! I had pictures in my mind that no one would want to see! Plus I knew my energy levels were declining every day. Any food I ate – which was minimal, was heading straight out the other end, and dehydration was a real concern especially going into a race where it was going to be warm. I can’t believe a gastro bug was going to derail my whole race prep !
A last ditch attempt the afternoon before the race I headed to a local chemist again to see if here was anything else I could take that would stem the ‘flow’! lol ‘You really should be going to a doctor’. The pharmacist warned me. I know. I know. But that won’t help my race tomorrow I pleaded with him. ‘Take 2 of these tablets every 3-4hours, if this doesn’t stop it nothing will’. The pharmacist assured me when he grabbed a packet from behind his counter. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I said. And a little hope was restored that I would at least get through the race without needed a toilet stop.
Race morning and I woke early. And immediately I knew I was in trouble when I had to jump out of bed and head straight to the bathroom. Not once. Not twice. But 6 times before I left for the race…. This wasn’t looking good! I was aslso slightly concerned about the toilet lines I was going to be confronted with at the venue and working out what story i’d have to tell the ladies in front of me as I rushed in. God help me.
So I guess you want to know if I survived the race? THANKFULLY I did. I got through nearly 5 hours of not needing to visit a port-a-loo and that was the most satisfying thing ever!! haha.
Did this impact my race though? Yes, I believe quite significantly. I went into the race under nourished and dehydrated and my energy levels were way down. At the start of the race I didn’t notice it at all, but as I had experienced the same thing prior to the Melbourne Half Marathon, I knew it was in the back half of the race that it was going to come and bite me in the bum (literally and figuratively). I knew it was going to be hard to manage my nutrition and my energy levels and I had to adjust my race accordingly. And it hit me at around the 60km mark on the bike. Up until then I felt strong and in control, but around 60km I could start to feel the energy wane, like you get that sugar low if you haven’t had enough nutrition. There was nothing I could do other than to drop my intensity and slow my speed down to counteract it. It took probably the next 15-20km at a lower intensity and continuing to drip feed myself with nutrition to balance this back out again and finish off the bike feeling ok. Not great. But ok.
Onto the run and I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold the pace / intensity that I wanted to. If I tried I knew it would end in disaster. So as I started out I did some calculations in my head and decided on settling into around 5km/pace (by goal was originally 4:40-4:45’s). I felt at this pace my energy levels were conserved enough that I could still finish the race consistently. And I did. And I was super proud of that. As I felt in control for the whole run AND didn’t need a toilet stop once ! ! ! Winning!
Lesson learnt: I’ve joked that I will be putting myself into quarantine before my next race. And that I might just have to ! (sorry family!)
Western Sydney 70.3 Results Goal Time: 4:45-4:50 Actual Time: 4:58:50
Apart from my goal time for the race, my main goal was firstly just getting back out there and racing and feeling good doing so. Despite the issue with the gastro bug leading in, I felt I executed my race day well, adjusting it through the day as I needed. And this is what I try and teach my athletes to do. It is all good and well to have a well laid out race and nutrition plan, but you need to be able to be flexible with it. If not, things can go pear shaped quickly. If I hadn’t have adjusted my intensity on the bike, my whole race could have finished off completely differently – and not in a good way! So I’m super happy with how I executed my race and I gave it 100% of what I had on that day – and that’s all that anyone can ask for. I did also have the goal of qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships – which I missed out my one spot, so although disappointing, I had anticipated this as a possibility so had already got my next races lined up. So here’s to a HEALTHY race prep into next race! 🙂
Big thank you’s Go out to firstly my family – Hubby Aaron especially for supporting me on my journey back to racing. He is the most amazing support person there is and couldn’t have got to the fitness levels I did without his support.
Jano and his team at Giant South Yarra. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jano for the majority of my racing ‘career’ now and I can’t thank him enough for his support. To head my return to racing on the fastest TT bike I have ever ridden – the LIV AVOW Advanced Pro 1 gives you that added confidence on the bike. And man does it ride like a dream! Seriously you can’t get better value for money in a bike than a LIV / GIANT. So thank you again Jano, one less thing for me to worry about when out there racing!
Jamie Edwards and his support with his coaching JET Coaching. As a fellow coach with similar principles and philosophies, we bounce ideas off each other, support each other at races and he’s been helping me in the pool with my swim. So thanks Jamie, nothing like learning and supporting other coaches for the benefit of the triathlon community and athletes as a whole and has definitely helped me personally as an athlete too.
My athletes – for being amazing yourselves! As well as being supportive in your own ways of my journey alongside your own. I have my own internal drivers for why I love to race and part of that is because of my athletes. It is important to me as a coach to be able to race and continue to share my experiences with my athletes so thanks to each of you for sharing the journey with me as coach and as athlete.
