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.
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