Ultimate Triathlon Forster 2106 - Race Report

Was a long few days leading up to the race with work, on feet for 12 + hours each and some late night.

But was fine for the race, ate a little too much for dinner on the night before, note not to over eat on the sweet potato.

Was a lighter breakfast then usual for it, sweet potato / banana and tahini & 1/2 banana an hour before race.

Normal feelings of nerves for the swim, but kept them down due to catching the same thoughts as always, got in the group and started the swim, getting on some toes and kept a straight line through the entire swim, mind drifted a few times, but tried to keep focused on the pull and straight alignment with stroke being shoulder width. got out of the water in an okay position. but thats when the trouble hit :) as I was running trying to pull the zipper from the wetsuit it was not moving, so kept trying until I got to the bike, still no luck, but just took a breath and kept my cool, keeping relaxed as I can't do anything about it, run back down transition to an offical, still not luck and then Emmo, Jay and Seb all tried to no luck so they went to the back compound and got a pair of pliers and broke the zipper open so I could get out :)

O well time lost but there was nothing I could do, so got out on the bike and started, knowing a #pb may not be on the cards so I just pushed as much as I could with the goal to catch the people that I had lost time too in the T1.. took a gel every 45 mins and kept just pushing myself to stay focus on the now and not worry about the run leg, focused on the sections of the course to keep pushing, tough bike leg with a few hills and had some sections with a slight head wind.

Legs felt okay not 100%, just felt like they had one speed, but just held onto that and the power i could produce.

Hitting the run leg and it was go time, took off with the goal to leave no questions unanswered and nothing in the tank, goals was to keep around 4:10 pace and that was the time I held for the run / through the hillier sections with trails I was around 4:20 but marked people on course to catch and gave it my all to catch them, Luke Walker and another familiar athlete I see at racers were big markers to catch and got him them 6km to go... and had a Team Prawn member that helped push me in the mid section so that was good to focus on, saw my client ahead and was struggling with blisters so even more drive to push myself harder.

Took 2 gels on the run, did plan to have cola in the last 5km but the vol dropped the cup as I went pass, so just pushed on, took water from almost all stations bar a few. legs felt good on run, but as always still more work to be done :)

Finishing with the 2nd fastest run for the day in category .. happy with the run and had a lot of people come up to me afterwards to congratulate me on the run leg and laugh at me about the wetsuit issue.

Really over all happy to equal last years time even with the loss of time in T1.

Mental notes to keep on with the visualisation during training and day to day rituals to keep focused,

Work on is still the swim leg, stream line and glide - Also some more improvements with the power on the bike to step up in a better threshold ....

Love Triathlon / #Swim #Bike #Run #Nutrition & #transition :)