End of Season Recap!

End of Race Season!

A bruise is a lesson...and each lesson makes us better.

   - Arya Stark    Game of Thrones

The past few weeks have been crazy! I brought another bike but this time I swapped the thin wheels for fat, mountain ones. I brought a 3500 D Trek Mountain bike from Yellow Jersey Bike Shop. This bike had it all for a beginner mountain biker like myself! It was light, durable, fast and cut through the rocky trails like Valaryain steel. On the Easter Friday I took it out for a spin with the group. I was so nervous as this was my first time mountain riding. Soon enough I was hooked! I could have spent hours out on the trails. It was challenging, muddy and adrenaline pumping and I loved every moment of it. Stacks and all! 


Crossing the finish line a Christchurch Duathlon. Photo Cred: Sovereign

The TQ Sprint triathlon event down at Redcliffe was on as well. That was a great event, finishing 1st 18-19yo and 2nd U19 female. I was so pleased with my swim, dropping over a minute from last year's time! Everyone had fantastic results and hopefully the points collected push Vision Tri club over the line to win Small Tri Club of the year for the 3rd year in a row. #uptheStarks!

However, the event to cap off this great race season was flying across the Narrow Sea to my homeland New Zealand to compete in the last Sovereign Tri Series Race, the Christchurch Duathlon. Christchurch was not only a test of my fitness and ability to adapt to different climates but a test of my maturity and self reliance. Due to the fact I was completely on my own. No parents, no coaches, no dragons, no training friends and not a single competitor that I knew of. I had to organise everything from food to hair to taxi service.  

Somehow I had brought a cold snap with me to Christchurch. I was welcomed with wind, rain and 11 degree weather. Coming from sunny QLD where anything slightly under 20degrees calls for ugg boots and pjs. Going from QLD to Christchurch is like travelling from Kings Landing to the Wall. Winter is coming sweet summer child!

The fear of failure was high for Christchurch. Anything could have gone wrong on the day. I was nervous. What if I came all this way, spent all this money and did all this training to crumble under the pressure. What if I get a flat again? For a moment on the bike, sheer panic seeped in when I actually believed I did get a flat. There are a couple of things I would have changed in that race. For example, I would change the amount of time I spent worrying where second place was than just focusing on running to the finish. I wasted energy in looking back where I should have just solely looked forward.

In the end, my hard work paid off and I finished 1st place. Running through the zoo was incredible, although I didn't look around to see the animals, I did run with a swan for about 10metres. Afterwards, it was great to warm down by the lions and hang out with the Meerkats. Sadly no direwolves or dragons were to be seen. I was so tempted to take one home! (meerkat, of course).

This race season was filled with many good memories, some not so good and some truly fantastic results. I've learnt and grown (in maturity not height, sadface) with the sport. I am appreciative of the time and commitment my coaches, club, parents and supporters have given me this season. Now I am ready to tackle the gruelling early morning starts, winter chills and quad- burning hills.

What do we say to the god of sleep....Not Today.
 Valar Morghulis and remember R +L = J ;)
Can you tell I'm keen for the Game of Thrones Season 5 première?


For more info on the Christchurch Duathlon click the link below:
 http://triathlon.kiwi/blog/idChchreview

Feeling Flat - Devonport OTC

Pun intended.

Sometimes luck just isn't on your side. You can do everything right. You can sleep well the night before, eat properly in the lead up, drink your body weight in water and recover with your compression game on point. But in the end a mechanical failure is what it is. In the end all one can do is wipe the tears and get back to the grind.



Cornering slightly on my speedy Emonda SL5,
Courtesy of Yellow Jersey Bike Shop.
Photo cred: ipimage 

This is exactly what happened to me at the Aus Junior Triathlon Champs in beautiful and remote Devonport, TAS. After a rather struggling wetsuit swim in 0.8m swells, I was head down, bum up, chasing the pack. My speedy trek Emonda flying up the 20% gradient hill. Then lap 2 of a 4 lap bike course I felt a wobble in my back wheel and heard a slight noise. Dread burned in the pit of my stomach and I knew it was a flat.

Why ???? (insert series of curse words and fist shaking at the Tri Gods)

No spares, no wheel, no race. I watched hopelessly as the packs went by. When the officials came I was forced to mouth the words that felt like acid. A phrase I NEVER want to repeat again - I pull. It was a long, disappointing walk back to transition. Having a DNF is the worst feeling in sporting history!!! Honestly, I'd rather go out in flaming style, like overshooting a corner and feel the bike slip out from underneath me. All the while I gracefully soar through the air into the ragged arms of the bitumen. Not from a small, minute, pathetic little tear in a tube caused by either a leaky value or stranded piece of glass! Ughh it makes me mad just thinking about it! I'd rather be disqualifed from a race than not finish. No matter what, I'd rather finish what I set out to do!

Astrid and I post relays.
Literally just after.

Pain is temporary but this disappointment lasts forever. This horrible feeling still hasn't left. Instead it's been repressed, deep into the back of my subconscious. Until next year, I'll unearth the feeling and use it as fuel to redeem myself over the U23 Olympic distance. For now, that file is locked.

The weekend wasn't a complete disaster story. On the Sunday we particpated in the relays. Both youth and juniors combined because of limited numbers, so I had the chance to race my training partner Astrid. Who did an amazing job in coming 4th in the Youth Girls race! I feel like a proud sister! I was in a team with my other training partner Tyler, who also did a great job in the very competitive junior mens race and came 33rd. Fantastic job! I came out of the 250m swim with Astrid and we entered the 4km bike leg together. As training partners we ride together almost every cycle session. Soon enough we built a solid pace, rotating with ease and caught two other girls in front. On the last corner I sneakily got the inside edge and took off in front, getting a 10m lead coming into T2. On the 1.2km I could feel my legs turning to jelly but I pushed on to the end knowing it was only around the corner. Collasping over the line with Astrid hot on my tail, I felt the relief course through my body. I finally got to race. I finally got to release the racing vibes that had been bottled up from the tragic day before. I realised then and there why I do 20hours of training a week. It's addicting! The excitiment and nerves and the feeling of joy you get when you cross the line knowing you put everything into it. I'm addicted to racing.

The Squad shot with professional long course triathlete
- the hilarious and inspirational Jimmy Sears.
(left, with the hair Einstein would be jealous of)

In the end, there is nothing I can do about a mechanical failure. I just need to move onto the next race. Hello, Christchurch! To be honest, I don't think I would have survived the weekend without Astrid and her mother Robyn there for support. (And photos!) Astrid with her encouraging words and Robyn with her motherly like hugs, I felt well looked after. I couldn't be more grateful for their presence. Also I want to thank Triathlon QLD for having me in the team and taking good care of me over the weekend. I like travelling with a small team. It gives me a chance to bond with other competitors and learn all the goss in triathlon. I want to praise long course professional triathlete Jimmy Sears. I learnt a lot from him about life as a professional triathlete, how bad sugar is and how wonderful hard boiled eggs are. His hair may be crazy but enclosed is a head full of knowledge. I'd give him a follow on all social media platforms if I were you! I would of course like to thank my parents, because well.. they are my parents. I couldn't thank them enough for what they do for me. And lastly my coaches and support team at VTC. For constantly pushing me towards my goals and helping me out when the wheels start to go flat.

Onwards and upwards!!! Redemption is coming...

Watch this space

Mine and Astrid's Compression Socks Game on point!

 

Astrid and I after the relays, smiles all round!

Project DOVE - little kindness goes a long way

I was proud to take part in such a wonderful charity event run by the Vision Tri Club. Project DOVE is about raising awareness of drugs, obesity and violence through exercise.  Project DOVE was started by the one and only Brett "the Doc" Sutton. He is an Australian triathlon coach and a former professional boxer, boxing coach, greyhound trainer, racehorse trainer, elite swimming coach and current mentor for my wonderful coach- Cath. He has trained numerous athletes into World and Olympic champions. Including Ironman world record holder, Chrissie Wellington, and Olympic champions, Nicola Spirig and Emma Snowsill. Just to name a few. This man, in my opinion is the king of triathlon coaches and one day I would love to have the honour of him coaching me to the top.

Currently many athletes and supporters of triathlon have seen entry fees sky rocket to the point where the athlete can no longer feel like a 'participant but more like a customer.' Sutton states that he has seen 'Elite/professional athletes so isolated to the point their existence is at stake.' This should not be happening in this great sport, hence why this foundation was created. Project DOVE aims to 'bring back equality into the sport of triathlon for pros and age groupers alike.'

'I believe triathlon can be a great vehicle for community spirit and activism and that’s why I started DOVE.' 

- Brett Sutton

Crew getting ready to take off. Nice foggy 6am start.

So to add our two cents, the Vision Tri Club ran a swim training event. Participants had the option to chose to do; 100x 100m, 50x 50m or 25x 25m. We worked in pairs of similar ability and I was partnered with Andrew to do the 100 x100m, who is gearing up for Hell of The West in Goondiwindi in a few weeks. All up I would be swimming 50 x 100m or 5km.

Easier said than done.

By that statement, I meant that in two years since I left school I have already forgotten how to count!! I quickly lost track of where I was up to and often (pretty much after each 100m), had to check with my lane buddies Julia and Clare. Thank God they can count! As I neared towards halfway I was even more delighted when I discovered someone had brought along a box of giant white marshmallows, red skins and Minties! You literally had to eat the marshmallow in two bites. They were so good I only had one.... maybe two... ok I had three. Sorry coach...But believe me, after 3km of constant swimming your energy begins to fade. So I say its a fairly reasonable excuse.   



Phones are now water proof. Photo cred: Bronwyn Jennings Photography  

Overall, the event was such a success with the whole club turning out to participate and even brought along two pro triathletes Ellie Salthause, Felicity Abram and 1984 Olympic 400m Bronze medallist Justin Lemberg for a swim! The event ran so smoothly even with a full pool. Although I felt like I was going to kick my lane buddies in the face every time I tumble-turned, despite being assured that I was nowhere near them. (It was a 25m pool for your info). The ladies doing 25 x25 even continued on to do 50x25m! An amazing feat by everyone!

All money raised is being split up between Project DOVE and Ellie's charity Still I Rise. An amazing not for profit organisation providing counselling and rehabilitation services to Australians living with cancer. I would like to thank Just Sport N Fitness for opening their facilities to us, Cath and Greg for organising the event and the whole Vision club for a spectacular day in the sun.

Ready for the next round!

For more info on Brett and Project DOVE:  http://trisutto.com/dove-project/
Ellie Salthause's charity organisation: http://www.stillirise.com.au/

red faced, goggled, post 100x100m photo.

Even got to take home a certificate




The Twins and I, post swim.

It's All A Learning Curve - Oceania Champs 2015

WELCOME TO 2015 YA'LL!

I hope your still staying true to your new years resolutions! If not then that's fine, cause I didn't. Impulse buying is a serious condition!!

On to more important things.. Last weekend was the Oceania Junior Triathlon Champs held in Penrith, NSW. Actually held at the Sydney Regatta centre which hosted the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games where Michellie Jones got the silver medal. It is also home of the oldest triathlon event in Australia- The Nepean Triathlon. You learn something everyday!

I was so excited for this event. Its a great experience to race with the big fish. The competition is fierce and the atmosphere is intense. I admit I was nervous before the race. We were given a weather warning before the start, with temperatures expected to reach 37 degrees with high humidity!
I was pacing around with my cap and goggles in hand, impatiently waiting for the swim warm up call. The swim is in a man made fresh water lake so no current. The temp was also around 27 degrees. Perfect temp for a fast swim. The only thought running through my head is please goggles stay on! I was banging the goggles against my eyes in hope they stay on for the close knit pontoon start. Everyone knows I struggle with my swim, its not my best leg but it is something I work on consistently. My plan was to go hard and draft behind a pack, preferably the middle one. For the first 300m we were all fairly close together still. It was on the long stretch to the swim exit that we split up and I ended up swimming with the athletes between the main packs. Damn! I hadn't realised until the last buoy 250m to the exit that they were pulling away from me.

As I entered transition I saw the main pack I needed to be with at the mount line. My heart was racing, I need to catch them before the adrenaline dies!! It was a fast transition, I mounted well and took off. The bike was 4 laps around the Regatta and a relatively flat course. I could see the pack, they had about 10-15 athletes. I was gunning it to catch them. Pushing my new Trek Emonda SL 5 down the road and making good time. But alas, I was alone with the adrenaline begining wearing off and the main pack still out of reach. Soon enough I was caught by the group behind me, there were 4 of us from Victoria and ACT and we were flying! The pace never dropped but we never caught the main pack.

It was on the run I started to flake. I had put everything in to catching packs in both the swim and bike that when it came time to the run I had little left with no one in arms length to catch. My shoe wasn't on properly and the weather was really starting to heat up. So happy I decided to wear my Pink Gale AMO sunglasses, perfectly protection from the bright sun and sweat. But overall I am disappointed with my run. Coming from a running background I should have pulled my head out and moved myself forward. It wasn't until the last lap (of the 3 lap run) when I was catching more athletes that I put in to the finish. Still losing in a sprint finish. The end time being a 1:06.

Afterwards instead of feeling euphoric, all I felt was disappointment. I walked away, got my bike and allowed myself to process what just happened. I just wanted to do the race all over again! I was exhausted but I know I can do better. I can get a 1:04! Then the cruel little 'ifs and buts' snaked their way through my head. 'If I was closer I would have done better, if I swam faster I would have had a better bike/run, but they were too far ahead.' I started to receive calls and texts from my coach, parents and friends at Vision praising me on my efforts. But I wouldn't accept them. It wasn't until my good friend Bronwyn sent my a text simply saying: Righto I want 2 things that didn't go well, 5 things that did go well and 2 ways you can improve. It was from that message that I actually took the time to process the positive side of the race. Only took me two hours to get out of the crappy black sad cloud I'd put myself under!

What went well:
1. I completed the race. I didn't crash, I didn't faint, and I pushed through to the end.
2. Goggles didn't fall off in the chaotic pontoon start! Must have been all the suction from pressing down so hard.
3. Worked fantastically in the pack of 4 on the bike.
4. New bike PB on over 20km by 2 whole minutes!
5. I wasn't overly nervous before the race. Yes I paced around a little but I wasn't using up vital energy being sick or crying.
6. My new bike, courtesy of Yellow Jersey bike shop was amazing! I worked well and smooth and I felt fast on it.

The next day was the relays. The relays were set out ITU style, so super sprint races - 300m swim, 5km bike, 1.5km run. Fast and hard. They were so much fun. Because I was representing NZL at the champs, I was put in the NZL team. The NZL athletes were super nice and great to race with. So pleased to have the opportunity to represent my home country and will be in the future.

Overall, from that terrible race I learnt that there are positives in any situation. A lot of people focus on their physical strength in preparation for a race. But how I see it now is that a race is 40% physical capacity and 60% mental strength. You may be the fastest in the world but mentally if you are not willing to put in the 120% needed then you won't get far and you inevitably won't be happy about the result. So mental strength is a skill that consistently needs to be worked on.

In the end, no matter how bad it seems, a race is just a race. There is always another- in this series there is, in exactly a month. I am so excited and determined now for Davenport. I am determined to redeem myself and have a much better race. Also first flying to Tasmania! I want to see if the locals are as crazy as everyone says they are. I am so thankful to have a great support network too. Also to Triathlon QLD for looking after me while at Penrith. Aside from the race I did have fun. Especially riding down to the local Coles with the Youth Girls, decked out in riding gear and lining our very expensive bikes up outside the store. (Don't worry, I stayed to keep an eye on them!)


Now to prepare for the #roadtodavenport. First things first, I need to book a tan for the race. I look like a ghost!

*Sorry there are no photos from my race. I didn't get in any and I had no one down there to take any. Next time!  Pinky Promise.