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 3rd. 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, 9th
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
