Ironman 70.3 Cebu - 8th

After finishing 2nd one year ago at Ironman 70.3 Cebu I returned again this year hoping for some similar success. Things this year were a little different as I was coming off the back of my goal race of the year, ITU Long Distance World Championships whereas last year I was heading towards Worlds. Nevertheless this race was something that I was really looking forward to. After experiencing the race for the first time last year I knew that those racing were in for a treat. This race really is the gold standard when it comes to the insane crowd support which lines every inch of the race course. Add a world-class men’s field into the mix and the race was set to be one to look forward to.

Race day approached and with a deep-water start the race was underway just before 6:30AM. I knew that I had to swim hard to put pressure on the rest of the guys and I led the swim for the first 400 meters. Clayton Fettell moved around me at this point and we both swam hard to get as much of a gap as we could to the rest of the main players. Clayton and I emerged from the swim with just over a 1 minute lead to the chase pack.

I had a fast transition and hit the bike leg in first and immediately set about setting a solid tempo. I was surprised not to see Clayton with me and spent the first 15kms or so out front solo. Soon enough the catch came and I settled into the pack. I tried to stay in the front few riders however there was a lot of shifting of positions going on with everyone trying to stay as close as they could to the front of the pack while still maintaining the 12 meter non drafting zone.

Just after the far bike turnaround point a gap opened up 2 riders in front of me and I tried to get across the gap however just couldn’t bridge up to the leaders. I was forced into the chase group and set about trying to limit the gap to the leaders for the remainder of cycle leg. In the last few kilometres I caught Craig Alexander and after transition I hit the run leg holding down 5th place.

Unfortunately it was at this point where my day really came apart and I suffered some bad stomach cramps. Craig Alexander and Mitch Robbins came past me and I spent the first run lap of two chasing Luke McKenzie and trying to hold off Pete Jacobs. Half way through lap two my stomach was in knots and Pete Jacobs made the pass on me to take over 7th place and put me in 8th which is where I stayed until the finish line.

Ironman 70.3 Cebu was a real disappointment for me performance wise as I know that I am better than the performance I delivered on race day. The race is something very special with the amazing crowd support and top notch organization making this a very fitting place for next years 2016 Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships where I look forward to once again tackling this course.

My next Ironman 70.3 race will be Sunshine Coast which I am very much looking forward to.

ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships – 9th

This was the race that I had targeted all year and was the one race of the season where I wanted to base my year around. After finishing 8^th at the World Championship last year I was really on the hunt this year to put myself in the mix to win. Training leading into this race had been almost perfect and during race week I felt ready to go.

Race Day:

Unfortunately the 4km swim was shortened to just 1.5km due to the cold water temperatures. The deep water swim start suited me and I pushed the pace early on to ensure that I stayed with the front runners. 

The shortened swim made for quick swim leg with no one willing to hold back over the short 1.5km out and back swim loop. I exited the swim leg in 6^th position right up with the front group. A quick transition and of course being careful to make sure that my wetsuit and goggles went into my transition box I hit the cycle leg.

As soon as I started the ride the pace was really on and I had to ride harder than I had hoped for to keep up with the pace being set up front. I only stayed up in the front group for 25kms before the pace being set got to me and I dropped off. After riding well in training I thought that I would be fine on race day but for some reason I just couldn’t keep up with the pace on the bike. The wind started to pick up on the 2^nd and 3^rd bike laps and slowly more athletes caught and passed me. For the entire bike course my legs just wouldn’t respond which meant that the race went up the road and I was left to play damage control. I came into transition 14 minutes down on the leader, which was well down on where I had originally hoped to have been. 

Going over this race in detail weeks before race day I set myself the goal to run 3min30seconds per kilometer which I knew based on past results would be what I would need to run to have a shot at winning. This was of course based on if I came into the bike to run transition with the leaders. Heading onto the run I just focused on running 3.30min/1km and after a while managed to get myself into a good rhythm. For the duration of the 30km run I continued to catch athletes and finally crossed the line in 9^th place.

 9^th place at a World Championship isn’t a bad result however it was far from where I had hoped to finish. However, there were a lot of positives to take away from the race which included a 1hr49min20sec run time which was the 4^th fastest of the professional men. Unfortunately it was my bike leg where I lost a big chunk of time and the chance of winning the race.

In other news from the race, I was part of the Australian team which received the silver medal for the elite teams category with myself in 9th and fellow Australian team members Joe Gambles in 7th and Josh Amburger in 18th. 

Regent 5150 Triathlon - 1st

I have been doing a big training block over the last few weeks in preparation for the ITU Long Distance World Championships. It just so happened that the Regent 5150 fitted perfectly into this preparation as well as my travel to Europe for the World Championships. The week before flying out I had pushed the envelope a little more with my training but still felt quite good. With some good work in the legs done, coach Stephen Moss gave me a few days to freshen up for the race which fell in nicely with my travel from Australia to the Philippines.  

Race Day:

One thing you have to expect racing in Asia is that it is always hot and humid and race day in Subic for the 5150 was no different. As soon as the gun went off I swam hard to the first turn buoy hoping to separate the field and ensure that it was a smaller group that hit transition heading out onto the bike course. Unfortunately my efforts was unrewarded with 4 others still in the group after the first 400 meters of the swim out towards the first turn buoy. I swam in front trying to keep things conservative until just before the final turn buoy towards shore when Clayton Fettell took over the lead. Running into T1 I pulled down my HUUB swim skin and pulled up the top section of my Scody AIR race suit in preparation for bike leg. 

The first 10km was held on the Subic Bay International Airport runway and consisted of riding to the end of the runway 3 times. Clayton was riding like a man possessed and I had to really push hard to stay in touch. I was looking down at my bike computer and seeing close to 400 watts during this flat and fast section. This move by Clayton helped to split the group of 5 down to just myself, Clayton and last year's winner and defending champion Casey Munro.

The bike course was very hilly with not much flat after the opening airport runway section. The heat and humidity were building steadily but the 3 of us spilt the workload to extend the lead over the rest of the field. I led for most of the final stretch back into T2 before Clayton picked up the pace hitting transition first with Casey & myself just a few seconds behind in 3^rd and 2^nd respectively.

After some big run weeks in training I really backed myself to run strong and had a very fast transition to hit the run course in first. I went out quite hard keen to build up a lead out towards the first 2.5km turn around point. As I hit the turn I noticed that my lead to Casey and Clayton had extended out to a decent sized gap and I kept pushing to keep my pace high. 

I started to fade slightly with just 4kms left to run but held onto a sizable lead to Mitch Kibby who had run himself into 2^nd place. I crossed line in just under 2 hours to take the win at the Regent 5150 Triathlon. This was a big win for me and more importantly it was so rewarding to see that all of the hard work in training and discipline outside of the training sessions themselves are paying off.  

The Philippines have been a happy hunting ground for me with this win as well as my 2^nd place at last year's Cobra Ironman 70.3. I am looking forward to racing more and more in the Philippines in the years to come and hope my results continue along the statuesque. I now head to France to finish up my World Championship preparation before flying into Sweden in late June.

Ironman 70.3 Vietnam - 7th

After taking 3^rd at the Noumea International Triathlon a few weeks ago I knew that I was swimming, riding and running pretty well. I didn’t feel ‘fast’ in Noumea but I did feel strong so I hoped that this would transfer over to the half distance that faced me in Vietnam. The training in between these two events had been going well and with a strong field assembled for the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Vietnam I was looking forward to testing the legs and having a crack at the podium. With scorching temperatures on race day in the high 30 degrees C and the ‘feels like’ temperature closer to 50 degrees C I knew that this race would test a bigger athlete such as myself. More often than not it is the smaller muscle mass athletes who performance better in the heat which means that hot races are not usually my strong point. Add that to a pinched nerve in my back just before flying out and I knew Vietnam would take a calculated effort to get the performance I wanted.

Race Day:

Race day approached and I felt ready to go and lay my cards on the table. During my pre race swim warm up I noticed that there was a large sand bank to the left of the start line that I planned to take full advantage of. In assessing the swim start area it looked like the quickest line to the first right turn buoy would be to the right of the start area. I was one of the last names to be called out to choose my starting position and it came as a big surprise to me that every one of the pro men except for Trenzo Bonozi, Justin Granger and myself choose the right side of the beach. When the gun went I ran into the water and took full advantage of where I had started. While the majority of the other professional athletes started towards the right side of the start line were swimming I kept running along the sand bank in knee deep water putting at least 20 seconds into the rest of the field by the time I hit the first right turn buoy. Once I was out in front I settled into an easier pace and let Josh Amburger come to the front and take up the pace keen to conserve my efforts. I sat very comfortably on the feet with Clayton Fettell just behind making up a group of 3. Being 6ft4 tall has its advantages when coming out of the swim and I was able to stand up earlier than Josh and Clayton to lead out of the water.

I headed out onto the bike feeling good and ready to ride solidly. Clayton soon took the lead and really put the hammer down over the first few kilometers. Trenzo then took over the lead before Tim Reed managed to bridge the gap to the lead pack making it a group of 5. The ride was pretty solid not to mention hot and I just tried my best to stay cool. I chose before the race to bring my S-Works Evade helmet which helped to keep me cooler over wearing a closed in TT helmet.

Heading into transition and getting off the bike the legs actually felt quite good and I was really forward to the final 21.1km run. This feeling lasted about 1km into the run before the heat caught up to me and I totally fell apart. It was at this moment where I was fighting with myself just to keep going and give the run whatever I could. Every time I tried to lift the pace my body refused. 

I spent the entire 21.1kms in the hurt box, cramping and melting. I crossed the finish line in 7^th place well off what I had hoped and immediately passed out and was put on an IV drip and oxygen apparently. I can’t really remember much between crossing the finish line and waking up in the medical tent.

Vietnam was a hard performance to swallow but I can honestly say I gave the race all I had on the day and left nothing else out there. I couldn’t have done anything differently on the race course and I am satisfied with the fact that I hung tough and got through to the finish line.

Noumea International Triathlon – 3rd

The Noumea International Triathlon is one of the longest running triathlons in the world with this year marking the 30^th anniversary of the race. When planning my racing schedule for this year I hadn’t originally planned to do this event, only signing up to race a month prior. The race location is pretty amazing with the swim in the calm and clear waters of Noumea and the bike and run being held on the coastal road overlooking the water. Being that I had never done this race before I arrived in Noumea early Friday morning which gave me enough time to do a bit of course recon.

The swim start in Noumea is a mass start with all the competitors going off in one wave. Being that all the announcements on the start line were in French it was a nervous few minutes before the race start to ensure that I didn’t miss the starting gun. After the first hundred meters of the swim, myself, Ryan Fisher and Peter Kerr broke away in a trio of 3. Peter kept the pace up taking the lead with Fisher and myself happy to sit back swimming side by side just off the feet of Kerr. The swim was 2 laps of a 750 meter triangular swim loop and by the time we hit dry land there was a sizable gap back to the rest of the field.

I have been riding well over the last few months and was excited to stretch the legs out on the bike leg and took up the lead early on. I had expected Fisher and Kerr not to be as strong on the bike purely due to the fact that they are more used to racing on road bikes than time trial bikes. At the end of the first lap Fisher came to the front over one of the small climbs before I took back the lead a short time later. I was happy to ride in front and didn’t really expect to be able to break up our pack of 3 due to the 5 meter draft zone imposed in this race. My goal for the cycle leg was to ride strong but stay comfortable while continuing to extend the lead to the chasers on the road.  With a 3 lap bike course I could see that each lap I was extending the lead which ended up being around 4 and a half minutes by the time I hit transition with Kerr and Fisher in tow. I finished the ride under the hour with a 43kph average speed and a nice 361 average wattage to show for it.

I had a quick transition and lead out onto the run for the first kilometer before ITU speedsters Fisher and Kerr came past me. I tried to hang onto them without too much luck and after the first 2.5km loop was around 15 seconds back. I pushed hard on the 2^nd lap to limit the gap and then backed off my run speed on the final 2 X 2.5km run loops with a 3^rd place secured. In the back of my head I knew that I would be racing Ironman 70.3 Vietnam in 2 weeks time so I didn’t want to overdo the back end of the run. I crossed the line in 3^rd place with Ryan Fisher taking the win and Peter Kerr in 2^nd place.

A big thank you to all my sponsors, coach, as well as the race organizers in Noumea who did an outstanding job with the running of the 30^th Noumea International Triathlon.

Julia Creek Dirt N Dust Triathlon - 1st

It doesn’t seem that long since I raced this event for the first time 7 years ago. My first outing at the Dirt N Dust Triathlon I finished 2nd to one of the greatest triathletes Australia has ever produced, Brad Bevan. Having won the event for the last 4 years I was excited at the chance to add win number 5 to my résumé.

Race Day:
Diving into the muddy waterhole I started on the inside and had a good start. I swam the first half of the swim quite hard and then settled into a good tempo for the second half of the swim leg. Getting out the water I saw that I had built up a nice lead and started the bike ride with a good gap over the rest of the field.

I have always enjoyed the tough 25km ride back into town braving the headwind. Every year there has always been a strong headwind which means a consistent tempo is required if you are after a fast bike time.

This year the first few kilometers were faster than usual with the headwind not having a big effect. This meant I could ride at around 45-50kph for the opening stages of the cycle leg.

After the opening section of the cycle leg the headwind picked up which was as expected and I settled into a good rhythm. I finished the ride with a nice 361 watt average showing on my bike computer.

Dismounting off my S-Works Shiv I started the 5km run leg through Julia Creek feeling quite good. The temperature at this year’s event wasn’t as hot as it has been in previous years with a ‘cooler’ 36 degrees. I really enjoyed the final 5km run and just keep ticking the legs over at a good tempo.

It was a nice feeling crossing the line just under the hour mark in 59:40 and with my 5th win in as many years at the Julia Creek Dirt N Dust Triathlon.

Photo Credit: Tom Adam / North West Star 

Tweed Coast Enduro Triathlon (1.9km/90km/21.1km) - 3rd

Tweed Coast Enduro (1.9/90/21.1) – 3rd

Leading up to the race my training has been going pretty well. After racing the ITU Oceania Cup at Mooloolaba just 2 weeks earlier I was feeling pretty confident about where the body is at for this stage of the year. I am swimming great, riding strong and the run speed is getting better and better. However this didn’t seem to matter when it came to race day on the weekend due to a few reasons which I will highlight below.

With a 3AM alarm I drove from the Gold Coast to Pottsville which hosted the event. The start time was pushed back due to low light which meant the open men’s field  started a little later than the planned 6:30AM. As soon as the gun went off I found my way to the front of the race and swam stroke for stoke with Clayton Fettell for the entire 1.9km swim with Shane Barrie just behind making up the lead group of 3. Hitting dry land we had around a 40 second lead which was enough motivation to ride hard and extend the lead. Clayton was first out of transition and set the pace for the opening kilometers of the bike before I took over and started to crank up the pace. I continued to lead until just before the end of lap 1  where Clayton came to the front.

Hitting the turn Clayton missed the turn around point and dropped back slightly meaning that I took the lead once more. Going onto the 2nd lap of 4 I cranked up the pace and rode away from Shane Barrie and Clayton Fettell. I have been riding quite strong in training over the last few months and was motivated to ride hard and build a lead.

Looking at my wattage/power output during the bike leg I was hitting around 380 watts and working hard. Being that the bike leg was 4 times out and back I had a chance to see what kind of a lead I was building up twice every lap. Each lap I had the chance to see the chase pack, which seemed to be doing a good job of a teams time trial with two people in particular deciding that they wanted to swap turns and sit 1 meter off the back of each other. In the race briefing before the race it was make quite clear that it was a 12 meter gap which athletes were required to maintain. Heading back on the 3rd lap of 4 I was caught by the group and proceeded to keep the required 12 meter gap to those in front of me. Just before the end of lap 3 Clayton crashed in front of me and with enough space between us I had time to get off the aero bars and maneuver myself around him.

I witnessed the riders in front continue the teams trial time for the remainder of the ride and when I had a word to one of the athletes involved about their draft distance I received some verbal abuse back. Honestly I was pretty angry about the situation on the bike leg with supposedly ‘professional athletes’ acting far from professional. Personally I think that I have a responsibility while racing to compete professionally and within the rules and it is disappointing to see other  ‘pro’ athletes completely disregarding the race rules.

Hitting the run I was feeling a little worse for wear but managed to keep the body ticking over and held my position to finish 3rd.

While 3rd isn’t a bad result I was hoping for much better and feel like my result didn’t match up to the effort exerted out there on the course. I am pretty angry at what I happened on the bike leg and received several Facebook messages after the race from those who saw what went on out there in the pro mens race. Reports of two particular pro male competitors swapping turns and blatantly drafting off each other while jumping on anyone who tried to come to the front is just one of the messages I received post race via Facebook from an athlete who was racing.  It is down right disrespectful to other competitors and those out there who choose to follow the rules.

On a positive note, for the first ever Tweed Coast Enduro event the organizers did a great job on the course and a big thank you to the organisers for putting on a race like this. The course was pretty awesome to race on and I can only see this race getting bigger and better in the future.

*Photo 1 & 2 credit: VeloShotz*