I just created a personal blog page for those of you out there interested in my musings! I hope to make this an interesting and informative page and not one dedicated to self promotion. If you don’t think I am achieving this let me knowJ!
Last time I put the fingers to the keyboard to bash out a personal update was 10mnths ago after a performance at Ironman Western Australia
My focus since Busselton has really been on improving my riding ability. Training with power is marvellous in that the numbers don’t lie and tracking my progress has been easy. It is conclusive that I am a lot better bike rider now than 10 months ago. The process designed by coach Kristian Manietta at Tri Specific has been enjoyable, challenging and most importantly it works. I won’t get all bike geeky and rattle of the figures, which proves this (but if your interested let me know).
BUT I am interested in results and how I transfer this improvement into better race performances. Over the winter I raced a couple of events to break up the training and enjoy myself with some success. Two duathlons for a 2nd and 1st and a Half Marathon for a 1st and pb of 69:30. It was fantastic to get some good results, improved performances but at the end of the day these events are not the focus of my training.
I have finished the first two races of what I am calling my spring carnival. Forster Ultimate Triathlon 2/120/20 and Yarrawonga Olympic Distance (Victorian Championships)
Forster: Not the swim I thought I was ready for and came out of the water over a minute behind the chase pack who were three minutes behind leader Clayton Fettell. I rode well and caught the group in front within 15km then continued with a group of four others to work to catch the remainder of the chase pack Michael Fox and Tim Van Berkel. My power numbers indicated vast improvement from previous seasons and I felt in control. However once catching Tim and Michael the surges started to happen as Tim, Adam Gordon and Michael tried to get a gap, which they where successful in doing. This hurt me a little, I lost focus descending just after the last turn around got inside the 12m draft zone of the guy in front then drifted out as the rode flattened out. Bang I was given a minute draft penalty. Livid at the time I argued, lost my focus even further and proceeded to lose more time in the last 20km back to T2. Feeling sorry for myself after a mental lapse cost me the chance I had created. For the first time I could have been in an ideal position to try and run for a spot on the podium. After serving my penalty I was 9minutes down on 2nd, starting the run in 12th position. I ran ok but not great and finished in 7th.
Results: http://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/RaceTecResults/Results.aspx?CId=1&RId=753&EId=1
I learnt a lot from this race.
1. I have improved.
2. Mental training is just as important as physical. When you get tired mental lapses cost big chunks of time quickly. Mistakes are made.
3. The back end of long / hard training sessions is where you have to teach yourself to perform under physical stress. Mentally do you listen to this fatigue or learn to be able to operate at the level you are capable of despite it?
Yarrawonga:
I got sick on Tuesday before this race, not too bad just blocked sinus, chesty cough and really flat feeling. When you train all winter and only have a few key races you have targeted it’s hard to make the smart decision not to race. I decided to race and thought I would feel a lot better than I did. Once you are on a start line there are no excuses your racing or your not.
I was forced to eat my humble pie on the weekend coming out of the water 2 and half minutes behind the chase pack, my swim is a struggle at the best of times and on Sunday I was not good enough. Having a renewed confidence in my ability on the bike I set about trying to bring back as much of this gap as possible and I was pegging back time on some of the younger blokes, holding the 4:30 gap to original race leader Peter Kerr the same but losing time to Leon Grififn who had ridden into the lead by T2. I had no bike computer for this race as I stupidly left my charger in Melbourne, which was kind of a blessing in disguise as it allowed me to race by feel and not be dictated to by numbers, which I am sure would have been down.
My run was steady and I managed to work my way into fourth position by the end of the run just 30 seconds behind Jamie Huggett. However Leon and Pete smashed us to Timbucktoo, having a 6min gap at the finish.
Results:
http://www.triathlon.org.au/Assets/Triathlon+Australia+Digital+Assets/VIC/PDFs/Activites+by+Tri+Vic/Yarrawonga+results/Yarrawonga+Olympic+Distance+Results.pdf
It’s time to put these’s performance behind me. At the end of the day I have had a couple of great weekends away, with great people in beautiful country Australia
Time to re-focus and turn this improved form into improved results. Next stop Shepparton 70.3.
