Ironman 70.3 Ballarat - 3rd

I decided to make Ironman 70.3 Ballarat my last race of 2016 and try to end the year on a good note. This year I have made a big coaching change in what I hope will equate to being able to elevate my training and racing in the months and years to come. Working with Lance Watson (LifeSport Coaching) over the last few months has really challenged me both mentally and physically and I felt like I was just starting to adapt to the new style of training in the weeks leading up to Ironman 70.3 Ballarat.

Race Day:

A nice 12 degree air temperature and a 16 degree water temperature made race morning a little chilly. I started on the far left side of the swim start and within the first hundred meters was in the lead. On the way out towards to the first turn buoy I swam hard and settled into a good rhythm. I kept the pace solid but nothing too crazy for the rest of the swim leg and emerged from the water in the lead.

I was a little slower than usual in transition but still went onto the bike leg with the first few athletes. Clayton Fettell set the tempo early on with a small lead to the group but was reeled back in before the end of the first lap. The two lap bike course had a few technical parts as well as a long out and back straight where the wind played a factor. I spent the first lap settling into a good pace and felt very comfortable heading out onto the second 45km lap. 

At the 60km point Tim Berkel put in a surge and this is where I decided to make my move and put in a big effort to break up the lead group. The effort paid dividends and I managed to split the group just before the far turn which meant that Tim Berkel, Denis Chevrot, Luke Bell and myself entered transition with a 1min45sec lead on the chasers. 

Heading onto the run my legs felt good and pretty quickly it was Frenchman Denis Chevrot and myself battling for the lead. We ran side by side for the first of three run laps and heading onto the second lap I lifted the pace to edge out a small lead. 

I held a 50 meter lead for the entire second lap before Chevrot then bridged the gap back up and surged. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to respond and with just 4km left to go fellow Australian Peter Kerr passed me which dropped me back to 3^rd. By the finish line the podium spots between the three of us were separated by just over 1 minute.

Another Ironman 70.3 podium for the year was a great note to finish 2016 on and I am now looking forward to having a few weeks off over Christmas before starting training again for the 2017 season. It has been a huge year of racing which has included 2 x IM70.3 Podiums, 9^th at the ITU Long Distance World Championships and 5 other race wins which would not have been possible without some incredible sponsors, family, friends and my partner. See you all in 2017!

images jaimijoy.com

Challenge Shepparton – 5th

Having finished 2^nd at Challenge Shepparton in 2015 I was really looking forward to the opportunity of improving upon this result. Following my win at the Bellevue 5150 the week prior in the Philippines I spent 72hrs at home in Brisbane before once again getting onto the plane this time bound for Melbourne. In the days leading into the race I started to feel quite good physically and felt excited for race day.  

Race morning provided some challenging conditions with 12-degree temperatures. I put in a decent warm up to prepare the body for a fast swim and when the gun fired this meant that I could really lay down a solid tempo from the get go. The ‘M’ shaped swim course was very simple to navigate and I found myself leading all the way to the far turn marker where ex-training partner Dan Wilson took up the pace setting. Having trained together previously for many years we both adopted the unspoken plan of swapping off the lead at each turn buoy. Sharing the work up front worked to our advantage and we exited the water side by side with a healthy 70 second lead on the chasing group.

I had a quick transition and headed out onto the 90km bike course in first and spent the next 25kms swapping the lead with Dan. 

Just before the 45km turn around Lachlan Kerin bridged the gap to Dan and myself to make it a lead group of three. At the 50km point I found myself really struggling to hold my usual power output and slowly dropped behind. With 15kms left to go Matt Burton came past and I came into transition in 4^th feeling totally gone.

Hitting the run leg I tried to keep thinking positively and just going about putting together the best half marathon that I could. The three-lap run course meant that it was easy to spot if you were gaining or losing time on the other competitors. By the end of the second lap I knew that I didn’t have the leg speed to run myself back onto the podium. The final 6kms were a huge effort to hold on and with 1km left to go I unfortunately lost 4^th position. With nothing left in the body I just tried to hold onto 5^th place and the final prize money position. I only just held off a fast finishing Levi Maxwell in a sprint finish to take out 5^th place.

In all honesty my result at Challenge Shepparton was a very hard one to process. Going into the race I felt as if mentally and physically I was in great shape however the final result just didn’t reflect this on the day.

*Images Getty Images* 

Bellevue 5150 Triathlon - 1st

Last year was my first time racing on the island paradise of Bohol and to win the event was a real highlight of my 2015 racing calendar. Coming back to the event in 2016 as the defending champion added some additional pressure and I was really motivated to win again. On a personal note, whenever I race in the Philippines it is always an unforgettable experience. The stunning event locations and professionalism with how the event organisation runs races such as Bellevue 5150 needs to be seen and experienced in person to truly be appreciated.

There had been some heavy rain the night before the race making the temperatures a little cooler than usual for race morning. Usually, the Philippines heat and humidity make racing that much harder so the rain was actually a welcome change. The plan was to go hard from the get go and just to enjoy pushing hard and testing myself out on the course. I hit the gas in the opening few minutes of the 1500 meter swim leg  and soon had a growing gap which extended to just under a minute by the time I hit transition over German, Henry Beck.

Image Anthony Yu

Image Jamil Buergo

I was careful to pay attention to the wet roads out on the bike course but still pushed the opening kilometres of the 40km bike leg quite hard wanting to extend my lead. 

 Image AsiaTri.com 

Image AsiaTri.com 

The bike course was flat and fast and I finished the bike leg with an average speed of 42.5km bringing me into transition in a bike split of under the hour.

Image Anthony Yu

The out and back 10 kilometre run course was deceptively tough with the humidity and heat rising steadily. I took out the opening few kilometres quite solidly before lifting off the pace during the final 5-6 kilometres.

 Image Anthony Yu

Image Jamil Buergo

Usually I would thrive in putting myself in the hurt box by running as hard as I could but with another race (Challenge Shepparton Triathlon) the following weekend the smarter option was to ease off the pace.

Running down towards the finishing line on the white sandy beach outside the five-star Bellevue Resort is something special and to win the race for the second year in a row was a great feeling.

Image Anthony Yu

Image AsiaTri.com 

ITU Long Distance World Championships – 8th

Having raced the ITU Long Distance World Championships over the last 2 years finishing 9th in 2015 & 8th in 2014 I felt like I was in better shape in 2016 to improve on these performances. I chose to spend the final few weeks in St George, Utah in order to get used to the heat and the long travel from Australia to the USA. On paper the course looked quite ‘easy’ in regards to the 4KM lake swim, 120KM flat bike course with a few rolling hills and 30KM pancake flat run course. However, come race day the weather conditions proved to be a major factor making the race a tough battle.

Race Day:
It was good to see that the strong winds across the lake had resulted in a very choppy swim which I knew would play to my advantage. The swim course was like a washing machine with no rhythm to the choppy waves and was unlike any other swim leg that I have done. I sat in around 4th place for the majority of the swim leg and emerged from the water just a few seconds back from the lead.

I was excited to get onto the bike leg and push the pace early on. In the opening 20KMs the tempo was quite solid and two athletes dropped off leaving myself and 3 others leading the race. At this point the speed slowed up a little and I chose to go to the front for the next 20KMs and just ride to my own power numbers.

I went through the first hour with an average speed of 46KPH and was hoping that this would be the status quo for the remainder of the bike course. However the winds really started to increase along with the heat. I really focussed on making sure that I was getting in enough gels, water and electrolytes as well as staying consistent with my power output.

I came into transition in 5th pretty spent from battling the wind and heat out on the bike course but right next to the defending World Champion Cyril Viennot.

Exiting transition next to Cyril I knew that I needed to run with him to have a shot at the win. The 3 loop out and back run course meant that we faced a decent headwind on the outward journey. I managed to run with Cyril for 5km before dropping off. I was really cramping badly and just tried to run with a good turnover. After the first 10KM loop I was holding my own in 5th place and motivated to try and stay inside the top 5. Just before the 20KM turn around point Craig Alexander made the pass on me and soon after that I lost 2 more spots. In the last 10KMs I managed to hold my position and came across the line in 8th place.

In all honesty I was somewhat disappointed with the result as I had higher expectations of myself in regards to the overall result. In saying that, I couldn’t fault my preparation or race execution and know that I gave everything I could on race day. This result was my 3rd ITU Long Distance World Championship top 10 in as many years, which at least shows that I have been a consistent performer at the World Championships. Add the result to a top 3 at the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships a few months ago and it has been a very positive year for my performances at major championship races.

Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships Cebu – 3rd

This year marked my third time in Cebu racing the Ironman 70.3. For me this race is undoubtedly the best Ironman 70.3 event in the world and a perfect location to hold Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships. The stunning location, impeccable organization and insane local crowd support are just a few reasons why this event is so special. Having finished 2nd in 2014 & 6th in 2015, I knew what to expect from race day and just how brutal the heat and humidity can be. Being that this year Ironman 70.3 Cebu played host to the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships, the professional field was deep with talent. Following my win at Regent 5150, Subic Bay in June, I had spent the last two months training specifically for this event.

Race Day:
I felt pretty relaxed on race morning and during my swim warm up. The gun went off at 6:20am and I managed to get a good start and take up the lead before Jake Montgomery hit the gas and swam away from the front group. My plan for the swim was to be smart and expend the least energy possible by keeping my heart rate low in the 27 degree water temperature so I wasn’t too worried about pushing the pace myself. After the first 500 meters I slotted into the group in around fifth position which is where I stayed until the second last turning buoy where I managed to take the inside line and slip into second behind Canadian Brent McMahon. Just before the swim exit I lifted the pace ever so slightly to lead out of the water. Behind me was a select group of 10 pro men who all hit the big leg together.

The pace was on from the start and a few athletes were dropped from the group in the opening few kilometers. At around 15 kilometers a gap started to open up in the group and I had to put in a big effort to ride past Brad Kahlefeldt & Braden Currie to rejoin the front group.

I tried to ride smart and ensure that I kept focused on those just in front of me throughout the entire bike leg. The pace was on during the bike leg with some big surges up front which saw an average speed of 43.7kph.

At about the 75 kilometer mark a gap opened up in front of Leon Griffin which forced me to overtake him and spend the next 4 kilometers chasing back up to the lead group of 5.

Our group of 6 entered transition together and I headed out onto the run in 5th place. My plan was to run the opening kilometers conservatively and stick to a 4min per kilometer pace to ensure that I didn’t blow up out on the run course in the heat and humidity. At the 5 kilometer point I passed Brent McMahon and took up 4th position.

I could see that I was  slowly gaining on Frenchman Antony Costes but kept focused on my own pacing trying not to rush making my move. Just before the 10km turn around point I passed Costes putting me into 3rd place.

For the final 3 kilometers to the finish line I had to dig very deep and was really struggling in the heat. Coming down the finish line in third at the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships behind fellow Australians Tim Reed and Craig Alexander was an unbelievable feeling and I crossed the line completely spent.

A podium performance at the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships in Cebu was a career best performance for me and a result that is honestly still sinking in. A huge thank you to those who support me and it is an amazing feeling to be able to share a big performance like this with so many people who help make it happen behind the scenes. A special thank you to those people in Philippines - Sir Fred Uytengsu, Sunrise Events & Alaska Milk for another amazing Ironman 70.3 event in Cebu

Regent 5150 Subic Bay – 1st

Having won the Regent 5150 Triathlon in Subic Bay, Philippines in 2015 I went into the race with a little more pressure having the title of ‘defending champion’. The race is one of the hardest Olympic distance triathlons that I have done due to the hilly 40km bike leg and of course when racing in the Philippines the heat and humidity. Having missed my connecting flight in Singapore I arrived in Subic Bay late on Friday night which meant that I was still able to support the Alaska IronKids event early on Saturday morning. This is something that I really enjoy attending as well as doing whatever I can to help to support the next generation of triathletes in the Philippines as part of my partnership with the Alaska Milk. 

Race Day:
Race morning was a little more stressful than usual as I had to deal with a rear wheel puncture repair before setting up in transition. With this little issue under control I managed a short swim warm up before lining up on the beach ready for the start. I had a great start and took up the lead early on. 

The out and back swim course made navigation easy. This allowed me to settle into a good rhythm only needing to lift my head to sight the swim turn buoys every 20 strokes or so. The water temperature was very warm so I was wary of pushing myself too hard. When the water temperature is particularly warm it so easy to cook yourself by swimming too hard and so I focused on keeping my heart rate as low as possible through technique and stroke efficiency. I hit the beach with a very healthy solo lead of around 1 minute and set about maximizing this advantage during the early portion of the bike leg. 

 With the first section of the bike course being on the Subic Bay airport runway it provided a good opportunity for me to get some time checks on the rest of the pro men on each u-turn at the end of the airport runway.

The bike course then headed uphill, into the jungle where the humidity levels rose significantly. Over this very hilly part of the bike course I tried to keep an even tempo before turning and then descending back down towards transition.

I had built up a good lead during the 40km ride and hit the run knowing that I just had to hold a reasonable tempo and keep cool in the heat. At every aid station I took the opportunity to pour water over my head and cool off as much as possible. The entire 10km run was a battle against the heat with temperatures close enough to 40 degrees Celsius and high humidity. I kept focused by just thinking about ticking off one kilometre at a time. 

I was able to relax a little on the final stretch to the finish line and was very happy to cross the line having earned back-to-back wins at the Regent 5150 Subic Bay Triathlon. For me personally it feels extra special being able to win an international race like this as the defending champion for the second year. A big thanks to the team at Alaska Milk & SunRise Events for their support and putting on another amazing event.

Ironman 70.3 Vietnam - DNF

I was in two minds whether to even write a race report following what was a very disappointing result but I think it is still important to share the bad races along with the good ones. 

Vietnam 70.3 is one of the most amazing race locations that I have been to. The race hotel is stunning and the entire team at Sunrise Events does an amazing job in making the race something special. The days before the race were spent doing some light training as well as doing some photo and video shoots with one of my sponsors Alaska Milk as well as getting the opportunity to learn more about their products and all that Alaska Milk does to help give back and support the community though events.

Race Day:

The beach start is something that usually favors me. However I got off to a rough start and had to swim hard to make my way back up to front. Truth be told I never really felt comfortable swimming even though I was leading the group. Normally I swim a lot quicker and can break away from the main group however I just couldn’t seem to lift my pace. I exited the water first however with just a small 7 second gap back to a pack behind.

Image: Korupt Vision / Australian Triathlete 

Image: Vinicius Santana / AsiaTri.com

Heading onto the bike Luke McKenzie and Tim Reed put the hammer down early on which left me in a group of three with fellow Australian Tim Berkel and  New Zealander Matt Franklin. At around the 20km mark Frenchman Cyril Viennot came charging past and this is where I dropped from the group. 

Image: Korupt Vision / Australian Triathlete 

Image: Vinicius Santana / AsiaTri.com

My power numbers were 30% down on what I would usually ride and I was unable to ride any harder. After another 30 kilometers of riding solo my hamstrings and glute muscles tightened up to the point where I couldn’t stay in the aero position and found it hard to even turn the pedals.

I made the very hard decision to withdraw from the race at the 80KM mark knowing that with the cramps I would not be able to make it through the rest of the bike leg or be able to run.

I was really disappointed to have had to withdraw from the race in what was my first Ironman 70.3 DNF and what I hope will be the last.