Devonport OTU Oceania Olympic Distance Elite & U/23 Championships

Happy Monday!

Third time lucky....  Enjoy the read :)  

Last Friday I headed down to Devonport Tasmania, with the HPT gang. This trip away consisted of 4 great Youth & Junior athletes, Mick; Coach, peace keeper and equally a shit stirrer haha, and myself.  It was my second visit to Tassie, 12 months ago I was heading down as an Age Grouper looking to earn my Professional Triathlon license and this time round I was heading down with that license as an Elite U/23 Pro looking to be aggressive and take on my first, but the races 30th anniversary, of the Oceania Olympic Distance champs, & for me that was already a little win - If all else fails Persistence always prevails!!

I love Tassie, set the clock back 20 years and you've got air that just breathes lighter, with beautiful blue coastline facing North onto the Bass Strait, and the little tucked away town of Devonport. 

A town small enough that just about every squad of athletes were eating at the same Italian restaurant for pre race dinner!

Ironically Tassie was having a heat wave for the weekend, as locals were telling us it's rare enough you get one day where the thermometer pops over 30 degrees, let along two days in a row! And boy oh boy did my back and shoulders have to show for that.... Hello trisuit cossie tan, time to get undoing... 

Meanwhile poor Queensland was being hit with a category 5 tropical cyclone, with extensive rain, wind and storms, with some athletes not able to make it to the Brisbane airport to get the race, so no complaints!!

We stayed at the lovely hospitable Dannebrog accommodation which as the slogan goes is "probably the best accommodation in town" ... Now I don't know, but if it were me I'd 'probably' just say "the best accommodation in town" and leave it at that haha. It was our second stay here with the beautiful Milka who's calls us "her champions" as we come and go all weekend. Stocking the fridges with every kind of food for us hungry athletes!

Race day came on Saturday packed with action, starting with the National Championships for the Youth event then the Close knit National Elite Junior races, before the Oceania Championships kicked off for the Elite & U/23 females starting at 12pm, and the Elite Males following at 2.30pm. A sleep in on race day, how ironic!! I could get used to these later Elite race start times, and could equally practice my nutrition plan pre race, dare I say I need to get used to EATING & DRINKING MORE pre and during the race! 

The water was a warm 20.7 degrees which being above 20 for elites meant a non-wetsuit swim. The conditions were tough, hot, onshore winds, and that swim was choppy! So much there was a wave to be caught into the shore! For me I loved it, with all those years growing up racing in Surf life saving, this was a walk in the park.  The swim went to plan, I was able to sit on Rebecca Clarke the strong kiwi swimmer's feet, and came out 2nd. 

With a quick Transition i was out onto the ride leading the start of what would be my toughest bike course to date, and one of the toughest you will come across in Elite ITU racing... so I am told. 

The ride was an 8 lap 40km course with one massive hill to conquer each lap, North St, famous among triathletes for the Burn and grief it gives! In saying that, coming into the race "the Hill" was the one objective i was most concerned about. 

Afterwards although I would be sick in the head to say I enjoyed it but it was a really aggressive, tough and testing hill/course, which also made for a big challenge! For me each lap I stuck with that front pack of 7 riders, 3 Aussies & 4 Kiwi's, was one more than i thought i could hold, and before I knew it the mental count down game was down to 2 more reps, and i was feeling a truck load more confident in myself and was not about to let the pack get away! A big tick and step in the right direction, looking back 3 weeks earlier in Kinloch, where i had been dropped first lap, first hill! 

As our front pack of seven remaining survivors came into transition, poor Grace Musgove(Aus) had a tumble, through no fault of her own, that shit happens! It made for some nasty photos frames taken, and a good story for Grace who battled on to finish 5th, Big Kudos!! 

With a flat, fast and hot 10km to go i was feeling hot, flat and slow! I really struggled, the legs didn't give me much despite my hardest efforts. But without losing the plot i chugged along, noting the level of those front runners as they escaped down the road away from me, storing it in the mental bank as the level I need to work towards, one step at a time! You always know shit's getting real when the coach is crossing the road each lap to dish out double the amount of encouragement..haha. 

Not to mention the finish... just when you think your coming round that last bend, & you hear heavy breathing behind and you know its on! I had 2 girls catching, time to dig real deep for a rough 200m last "sprint" effort to finish, coming out on top.

I  think i started to cry before I even crossed the finish line. But as Mick has always said, "I either want you vomiting or crying when you finish" ... Now I always used to laugh at it, until this race,  I was super happy with the race but finished and couldn't stop crying, and of course the tears kicked off again when it came to calling home; mum and dad! And I should note I don't cry... I could easily count on one hand how many times I've cried in front of someone other than my mum ... it doesn't happen often! Put it down to whatever you want but for me, i think it was a combination of absolute fatigue from pushing myself to a level i didn't think i was capable of, mixed in with pride and that surreal rush of reaching that next level you never knew you had in you. 

 Lying down splattered across the finish/recovery area i wasn't getting up too soon. All i could think was water water water, sculling one water, the other pouring all over myself, a key wrong move and area to work on leading into the next few races- being able to handle taking onboard water and gels for the 10km run, without getting a killer stitch!

Finishing the weekend off with a 11th overall in the Elite female Oceania Olympic Distance Champs and a 5th in the U/23 Oceania Championships, with some valuable ITU World Ranking Points!

Back at home now, its back to Uni next week, where i will finish my Second Year of Nursing (specialising in paramedics) studying under the Elite Athlete Program at the University of Sydney. A program that i can't thank enough for helping me to continue my studies, although part time, but managing stuff like, timetables, missed classes due to being abroad racing, top race trip funding, and a wide support network of services! 

This weekend coming is the Richie Walker Aquathon, a 1km swim/ 5km run for a bit of racing fun as the F1Tri Round at Cronulla, scheduled for this date, had to be postponed. 

With a relaxing day off today, and week filled with all things athlete related; acupuncture, Chiro, Physio, massages, and a trip to the Sydney float tank (Plus friends to see, a social life to try keep, a beautiful horse to ride and feed plus family to see... oh and a nasty tan to undo) Its straight back into the hustle and bustle of The Athlete Life. 

x Em

Kurnell NSW Sprint Series // Race of Dreams 15/2/15

Hello Again,

For those that read my first attempt of a blog upload last week, thankyou and I hope you enjoyed it! Hopefully ill get better along the way…. And if not, then don’t tell me haha!

 I had in my head I wouldn’t write another little chapter until next week after the Devonport Oceania Olympic Distance Elite and U/23 Championships, but after having an absolute dream race yesterday I’m going to share my cloud 9 experiences from that, because in this sport you got to take those races with 2 hands cause you don’t know when the next one will be!! (Although I’ll add that in every race there is always a chance to go out with purpose and objectives and seek positives and things to work on after)

Yesterday was the third race of the Triathlon NSW Sprint Series in Kurnell, a popular race amongst age groupers, and yesterday their was even more hype with the brilliant Wollongong Wizards, a Wollongong based Elite Training Squad made up of WTS Level International athletes from all over the globe and full of talent, with Current ITU World Champions, ex World Champions and ITU Grand Final Winners. I was pumped to get another opportunity to come up against these guys in my own backyard! Another factor adding to the day’s hype for me was the very special appearance of my Dad coming to watch me and cheer me on, a rare oppourtunity for him to be able to be there, so I wanted to make it a good one!! (No offense given to Mum, I take my hat off to the mother of 4 active kids, a true “Supa” mum & for many years she travelled all over the place with me as a junior and she’s definitely my number one supporter)

It was an early start, the weather was tame and the day was warming up quick! Race site had its usual buzz of nervous athletes and very long toilet queues! It wasn’t long till us Elites were off to the beach/Bay for a start. I had a clear race objective in my head and was racing with a purpose, thanks to the Best coach & good mate Mick, Head coach with the great Pete Clifford at HPT (High Performance Tri) and I’ve got to say, not many squads will you see athletes, on their “day off” heading down before the sun’s even up to come along and watch & support their fellow athletes. A credit to Mick and Pete with the positive and always encouraging environment they have set up!!

Starting 1 minute behind the Elite Men & it was on like Donkey Kong! Off to a clean and quick start which helped set up the race for me, allowing a gap to emerge between me and current ITU World Champion, and clear favourite Gwen Jorgensen, who jumped on my feet, and the other Elite Women chasing. Emerging form the water together the pace was on to get to the bikes quick and get out there! The bike course starts with a bit of undulating up’s and downs, along some road in desperate need of resealing, before turning around at the Botany Bay National Park Whale watch lookout and heading back past transition, and out onto the flat out and back remainder of the course. My goal was to not let Gwen get away from me, but as we got into the cycle leg I was feeling great & strong so I pushed the pace and by the time we got to the flat remaining ¾ of the course I was in front with a small gap and put my head down, on the aero bars and pushed hard on my beautiful Avanti CORSA DR Di2 Racing machine, supplied and kept in the best of knick by the legends at my local Narrabeen AvantiPlus store.

Playing mental games to pick boys up ahead to try catch one by one, who were all from the Elite Male wave so I was putting myself out at a hard effort which I thought if I could continue to do it would keep me ahead, and that is where I helped to further set up what would be a race I will remember for years to come! At the turn around I could see the lead I had established between the other girls and myself and this further boosted my confidence.

As many will agree I’m sure, there’s just something about that feeling you get when your in the lead, somehow you just hurt that touch less and have that added pump of adrenaline spiking you up.

As the race was not draft legal, the opposite to ITU racing style where we can ride in bike packs and draft off one another, it meant you had to be conscious of the gap you gave to the next rider and if passed there are rules surrounding dropping back, and so forth if you are the passing rider, as there are always officials out on the motorbikes waiting to give penalties to anyone pushing the limits. I was lucky in that the group of 6 or so riders I had set my pacing off in a steam train single line formation were all playing it fair and leaving decent gaps whilst still playing a classic game of cat and mouse.

Heading into transition, I got called Gwen (no issues there haha), then the announcer apologized and said that their were no females yet to come off the bike, before having my identity returned as I headed off onto the run leg with a solid lead on Gwen and the rest of the world class Elite Female field following.

Trying not to pinch myself as I was running , I couldn’t believe where I was sitting, and pre race had not even considered this to be a situation. Off I set, turned out I had pulled the 5^th fastest overall bike time of the day (watch out boys haha) and put 2 minutes onto the other girls. In saying that, anyone that has ever watched a bit of top end ITU World Triathlon Series Racing will know how Gwen stands as an all time best back-end Runner, and I knew she would be coming for me! Lap one passing the squad, coach and Dad, I went buy chucking out a little personal joke and in return got loads of encouragement and a real lift from the guys! Lap 2 I could see Gwen hadn’t gained much ground to my surprise, although spurring, I was fading as the legs started to really fatigue!

I must comment on all the amazing support off everyone on course, Aussies love an underdog, and to be beating the current World Champ and my idol, along with many other elite female athletes I aspire to in the sport was surreal!! The encouragement was flowing in thick and fast but lap 3 I knew she was closing in! You always think post race you could have ran faster that last km or pushed it more, but post and during are two very different things! Lap 3 of that run hurt and despite my efforts, the absolute legend and champ passed me with a mere 200m left to the finish. Exchanging a few broken words of encouragement to each other as she sailed through, and if someone was going to beat me, I couldn’t have picked a better athlete!

 I was proud of the effort levels I had to push Gwen too in the battle to claim the win! For me, I was over the moon with the race, a post race bear hug from Dad at the finish line, and what I can be proud to say was a level, and mutually respectful, athlete to athlete post race debrief with Gwen. Topping it off with some solid PB’s.

Standing on the podium next to Gwen and Anne Haug 2012 World ITU Grand Final Champion (Where I watched her win the World Championship race at my very first World A.G. champs as a little 17 year old just starting out) The day was one to remember.

I was definitely swapping that post race classic ‘chocolate something’ with a glass of wine to celebrate.

Back to the office this week, recovery today and a week of tapering before flying out to Devonport, Tassie, this Friday for the OTU Oceania Elite Olympic Distance Champs on Saturday. Travelling down with some fellow HPT Junior athletes for a solid hit out. Ready to take on the cooler ocean temps (hopefully big swells…) 8 tough hill reps up the famous North St, and 10km run to the finish.

I’ll finish with this all time favourite quote of mine, “DARE TO DREAM”

Until next time J

Em. x

Kinloch OTU Oceania Elite Championships

Kinloch OTU Oceania Elite Championships

Hey Bro,

What an experience, racing in the beautiful NZ in Kinloch, about a 5 hour drive south of Auckland. We stayed in the Lake side town of Taupo, right on Lake Taupo.

Compared to the last time I was over here in 2008, where it was a warm 15 degrees, where brain freezes came complimentary, Global warming has kicked in and it was a barmy 20.1 degrees, 0.1 too warm for a wetsuit swim, unlucky!

race day was Sunday the 1/2/15. Elite Women Kicking it off at 12.45pm followed by the elite Men. Although I was told before leaving by the Kiwi physio that it hadn't rained since Christmas, we were treated to some heavy rain which us girls swear, started the second we jumped on the bike!

The course was a 750m beach start lake swim, followed by a 5 lap, 4km loop, tight, technical and hilly bike course, made even more challenging with the rain! Followed by a 5km fast run with some slight ups and down, and a single lane super bridge to finish off, all tucked away in the small  but classically NZ beautiful town of Kinloch.

For me the race got off to a good solid start, I got away early in the swim, pulling away slightly from the main pack with 2 others to come out of the water 3rd. I quickly learnt the lesson of aim when throwing as my cap and goggles missed the box and I had to make more of an effort than I would like to back track getting it in. Jumping on the bike, I knew I was in for a very solid hit out if I was going to stick with the chasing front pack not far behind, with the likes of 2012 Olympians, World championship medallists and current Olympic Silver medallist (decided by image replay between the gold) Lisa Norden from Sweden. Lap 1 Hill came around quick, and the girls were even quicker  hitting the hills with a surge, laying effort upon effort, and I found my first key area I need to work on as I drifted behind the pack, and so the race continued, the girls surging, me loving it but battling at the same time, until I found my happy place on lap 3 of 5, in the second chase pack. I was comfortable leading that pack sitting towards the front, and sat in until we got back into transition. I must note, we were lucky missing a nasty slide out crash round one of the sharp corners on the downhill, hearing screams and watching it right in front as you bounce around is never nice!

Onto the run leg, took awhile to get those run legs working, too long for the likes of a 5km sprint race, another area to put some work in. Come lap two I was feeling better, moving better and had lifted my cadence up to bring home a strong finish against a quality field.

Overall I earned myself some ITU World Ranking Points with my 16th overall in the elite women's Oceania Champs, and 8th in the U/23 Oceania Championships.

Lot's of positives to take away, even more to learn from and now put to use in training before the next few Races come around. Overall I was a happy girl! A well earned post race Chocolate ice cream treat!

Check out this awesome little clip from the Race, it really highlights the tough course and gives a little more of an insight to elite racing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422579428&x-yt-cl=85114404&v=gXv2nPve7s8

Looking ahead, its a busy busy period with the following Races coming up:

• Kurnell NSW Sprint Series Race, 15/2.
• Devonport Tassie - OTU Oceania Olympic Distance Championships, 21/2.
• Cronulla F1Tri Race - 28/2.
• Wollongong Sprint Conti Cup Race, 7/3.
• Mooloolaba Olympic Conti Cup, 14/3.
• Pink Lady Women's Tri, 21/3.

Look's like Sunday sessions are the new thing in my world....

Sweet As, Time to Rip in!

Until next Time!

x Emma