SPARK HELMORE TRIATHLON OLYMPIC DISTANCE

What a good day it eded up turning out to me, so many mixed emotions and feeling by all around the race. from the days leading up so many questions and nerves in the air / social media going off the rails - will I use a roadie or TT Bike, is the water at horseshoe clean and what about the swim in the foreshore, are wetsuits allowed…. what its due to rain !! what about the bike course and the turns.. Watts street corner, who will they do in the wet :) will there me aid stations etc etc, the normal questions that runs through out heads…. clear thoughts and mind, focus on what you can control and do on the day, what you have do in training is going to be and have to be enough, too late to question now, just focus on what you have planed and adapt and control as it present itself on the day and in the moments of each factor of the race…

Nutrition of the race was as follows, had a cider with the wife the night before, my usual vegetable bowl with lean mince and pumpkin along with some 90% coco dark chocolate and cup of tea while we watched how tradition Saturday Night shows :)

Race mornings, kept it lite and only had a 100 calorie serving of tailwind with a bit prorate in 500ml water, half a carrot and teaspoon of tahini - random but thought why not :)

Packed on bike I had a Pro4mance gel incase i lost my bottle of 200 calories of tailwind with 500ml of water in the cage… plus a get in my race belt for the run and knew there would be something on course if needed at said station other then water..

I would make the best spot on course to fuel with my tailwind on each lap of the bike, allowing 5 fuelling marks, the best spot i found was the section as your enter the KEP after the Watts Street Climb… use that place on the 5 laps to finish the bottle on the bike course…

Riding into the race with Chris and Matt, quiet ride in and Chris said he was shitting himself and well lets say that was almost the case haha, keeping quiet myself as I like to switch into my comfort zone and focus on me, mentioned a few soothing words and some last timer pointers and tips for pre race and transition, sporting etc…

Seeing a lot of mixed emotions, first timers, venters in full focus, the previous Age Groups champs and contendors warming up, game faces and talking tactics, stirring each other, playing down their plans and fitness levels :) other finding the extra toilet stop, stoned faces, half smiles… but we are all there at the start line, heading into the water, finding out spot in the water on the start line, some heading to the side for a good line and or sitting back to have some space….. but the count down hit and it was go time - for most the Heart rate hits a max !! and the arms start whirring around, the splashes everywhere all begin little sardines in tin…..

the buoys were the hardest points with everyone trying to hold a good line and hit it on the mark saving time and preventing extra distance covered :) for the mid packers and slower starters (myself included) but getting through those sections and then getting in a good rhythm and line, heading straight down the foreshore, you forget how far it was down form horseshoe when you are in the water, will i did, but sure there were others walking up previously going geez it’s a long way back :)

Focusing on keep in check with some feet, breathing and my pull I was down onto the ramp pulling myself up the stairs on the way to transition, pretty much were i thought I would be out, out after me was Holly Kahn (female winner) I had a much better transition from last week in Husky, getting my helmet stuck and dropping the ice belt, I left that this time, hit the mount line and missed placed my foot on the shoe and it spun off, so was a little slow on the mount of the bike,

Hitting the foreshore with Holly and she didn't take too long to lose me once we hit the no passing zone at nobody’s…

Hitting the first start of the climb from Noah’s left it in a the big chain and smashed the pedals, getting a good tempo and was making progress on the riders ahead, stayed in the same great and heading into the KEP, I knocked it back to the small ring for that climb and was loosing the legs and climbed well… headed back down, took the corner a little too fast as wasn’t allowing for the extra hay bales on the corner, but all good, head back down.. 1 or 5done…. on the way around hitting the speed bump my new spare kit which i invested more money on and applying extra bands to hold it in the back cage when flying off, but kept going and would top and grab icon the way back, if there… so the first lap was okay, nit the fastest as was getting settled and marking point of the course to push and where to ease off, hitting the foreshore hard and making the turn for lap 1 done!!, i stopped an grabbed my spare kit, but was concours that it would go flying again, so was a little measured going over bumps, this lap knocked in in the small ring from Noah’s, thinking that I may need to reserve some energy for the 5 climbs.

Yes was a bit easier on the quads, but the distance per revolution was a little shorter, but had it at a higher cadence and did the climb in the small ring, getting back to the start the 3 lap i through the container to Chris and said hold this :) taking off for the 3rd, I kept it in the big ring all the way and found I was making more ground and was holding a greater pace and taking more on the climbs and was pulling away from others, keeping not of others on course to get a measure on if I was gaining and or loosing :) on the 4 descent back from the KEP, a female athlete was hitting the turn off Watts Streets, so gave her a little space avoiding any close calls and it was a no passing zone, but on the inside out of no where Tim Lang (the 3rd Finisher Overall) cut me off with no call or anything and almost took out the other rider… close call, silly take for a corner and for next to no time being lost.. but o well racing is racing but still could have be serious if i had not have seen him when I did….

Finishing the bike leg 5 or 5 laps done, hit transition, smooth dismount and off I was going, great support and huge crowd of people to cheers and was taken back all day from the local support and people out watching the race… had a great support crew there calling me along and that spurred me on and helped me dig deeper, especially Wendy Ward, thoughts she was going to have a heart attack, with her cheers.. love you passion !!

Hitting the run not use to being a 10km run, normally a half marathon awaits the legs, but not today and a 4 lap course, my goal today was to aim for 4min per km and to push hard, wanst happy with the run at Husky long courses, so time to get the head together and push the questions and learn form last week, hitting the first laps legs were okay, just kept saying its only 10km and the see the time on the Garmin ticking over 4:02, 4:04 and so on, I saw a 4:06 and was like no .. not today, so used that and pushed the legs harder, focusing on my form and trying to keep more on the forefoot to keep moving forward, keeping breathing in control, I took a gel at the 3.5km mark, leading up to just over a km forth aim start and to beginning of the 3rd lap.. grabbed a sip of water at each lap, and the 3rd lap, I couple see I was making more gains on there and had already taking a few that i had mark on the bike course… seeing the times hitting the 4min per km mark, I was happy but still kept saying I can go harder, don’t let up, lets see what you can do and i wanted to see how close I could get to fully giving it to myself and even passing out over the line if i could get myself there…. but that didn't happen haha,

Last lap and it was go time, could see I was hold pace with some for the elders for pace, and was running around the same as Holly Kahn….The Garmin was marking high 3min times now and off i was going, pushing the thoughts and questions aside using the cues and visualisation I had practiced many times in training and previous races, I guess the benefits of racing more regular you get to have those same questions and thoughts and are able to counter them and learn how to handle them better !! racing and learning, experience can’t be taught…

Hitting the finish line with all i could on the day and was buggered, thats all i could ask for.. happy days happy triathlete…

for the day my time was 2:25… happy with the type of course it as, good swim and run legs, bike legs was always going to be hit and miss with the technical aspect, of climbs and bends on courses and with no passing zones, but a great race and a great result…

Went straight out to cheers and support the fellow athletes and the team that were still out there and the others that were competing in the sprint distance, in which was so happy to see @Scott Marzato cross for first in his age group, closely followed by Bryce Macdonald in 2nd place :) they were both talking their games all week and Scott won on the day :)

So happy and prove to see Chris Howson / Matt Simpson cross the line on there first Olympic Distance Triathlon … legends… along with many others in the community and form the local triathlon clubs in the region !!

Hands down a great day and great race with all the support and teams linking up together for the Enticer - 2 Stroke No Limits Teams and a Solo — Chris Roberts… smashing the entires for the first time…. the girls linking up with Jane going solo !! Karen swim/bike Wendy Run & Melissa stepping on for the swim,Meg on the Bike and Belinda for the Run…… with Daniel and his wife teaming up also ...great work guys !!

The support crew in the morning - Kylie / Tania along with others mentioned running 9km before it all starter and chalking the course with Stroke No Limits and #bestversionofself #desiredeterminationdiscipline - I really loved it and used it for motivation on course, hope others did also !!!

Thanks again to everyone out there, H Events for putting on a great event for the local community Paul and Hanne Humphreys thank you both !!