Moreton Bay Olympic Distance Triathlon – 2nd

This race was a late addition to my 2014 race plans however the opportunity to race a fast Olympic distance triathlon which is just a 30min drive away from where I live was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.

The 6:30am start meant a very early morning and after a quick double Bare Coffee espresso and my banana and toast pre race meal I felt like I was in decent enough shape to have a real crack at this race. The goal was to get the win and use this race as my final hit out before Noosa 5150 Triathlon in a few weeks time.

I started the swim quite fast and soon established a good gap over the rest of the field. My HUUB wetsuit was great at doing what it does best…. swimming fast! Towards the end of the swim I felt a touch to my right hand, which of course was from a jellyfish (a common occurrence at this event). A few minutes later it was my left hand and then just a few strokes later I copped one to the face. If you have even been stung by one of these creatures before, you know the pain that these sea devils can inflict. I spent the rest of the swim trying to keep my head above the water to reduce the odds of another jellyfish to the face. I was very pleased to hit dry land even with a painfully red face from the sting.

I tried to forget about the terror of the swim and hit the bike with a small lead on the chase pack. The ride was 4 by 10km loops, which meant I could get a time check on my lead after each 5kms.

Despite riding quite hard, young gun cyclist Ben Cook caught me with just 5km’s left to ride and I let him hit the lead and tried to get my legs as ready as I could for the final 10km run. Kye Wylde who had been sitting off Ben during his chasing efforts put in a late surge and hit transition in first with Ben and myself right on his heels. 

Going onto the run Ben put a small gap into me that I tried desperately to shut down. Unfortunately for me my run legs weren’t up to the task and I found myself loosing a few seconds to Ben over each of the 2 by 5km run loops. I crossed the line in a comfortable second overall happy enough with my race effort.

This race was (hopefully) the perfect hit out before Noosa Triathlon in a few weeks time. After looking at my ride power numbers I know that I am pretty much right on the money at this stage of the season.

I can’t finish this race recap without saying a special thanks to everyone who cheered me on while I was racing. It was a very humbling experience and it really does make a huge difference to me when I am racing.