With a phenomenal line up of international athletes (being a regional championship race) Ironman Melbourne was a race all about gaining experience amongst world class talent and using the environment to push my personal potential.  

I was reasonably happy with the training done for IM Melbourne.  It didn't roll out as smoothly as I hoped for and energy wise, I was a bit up and down, but I felt I had done enough work to still be able to pull together a good race.  I had a cold 10 days out so just backed off the pedal to give my body some space to recharge for the ironman ahead.

I had a flight down to Melbourne on Wednesday.  Over the past 6 months I've been trialling Shotz Nutrition & found the product sits really well with my digestion system - fast absorption, consistent energy & easy on the stomach.  First stop was Docklands and a meeting with Darryl Griffiths - Shotz Nutrition who was extremely generous with his time, going over my race nutrition plan.  I then made my way to St Kilda to build the bike and do some training over the afternoon.  I haven't seen much of Melbourne so its was pretty cool to check out this funky part of town. 

Thursday morning I was invited to the Specialized product launch of the new Sitero saddle at the Ironman Expo http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Saddles/Specialized_Sitero_unveiled_3481.html.  
It was also a great opportunity to meet the Specialized team based in Melbourne including a visit to their Head Office and tour of their super cool workshop/training room.  I even got to test the strength of a Shiv frame by smashing it with a hammer!  I'm learning everyday about all aspects of Specialized - their products, research and technology, training opportunities...a dynamic environment to be part of.

Thursday I made my way down to Frankston where I was staying for the next 3 nights and Nigel joined me.  Friday we checked out sections of the race course and did some light training.  We also picked up a bike for Nigel to borrow for the weekend and a very big thankyou to the guys at Specialized for arranging this for us.  Saturday morning I was keen to check out the swim course at Frankston to get an idea of what it was likely to be on Sunday.  As you can see, there was already quite a bit of wind and chop! 

Saturday afternoon was followed by routine bike check-in and pro briefing.  There was already discussion of changes to the swim course to be a 2-lap triangular course and it wasn't anticipated at that point that conditions would be worse and further changes required.  

Race day
Strong winds & rough water conditions presented at Frankstron on race day.  The start time & swim course changed periodically throughout the morning - safety being first priority (@2000 age group athletes).  By 8.15am the female pro field were off (a few minutes after the pro men) with the course shortened to @1500m 'L' shaped swim. The change to the swim course & start times between  pro & age group athletes significantly changed the dynamics of the day.  Kristy Hallett & I did the swim together which was great as we gave each other support in the rough conditions.  With age group athletes starting their race 5 minutes after us it was only a matter of time before we were caught.  With the direction of the swell, I went off course & exited the water a long way from the beach exit, with Corinne Abraham (who eventually won the race). 

Given Melbourne's reputation of 4 seasons in one day, I didn't want to be cold on the bike and chose to wear my Skinfit long sleeve thermal.  It probably was warm enough for me to race without but decided I'd prefer to race hot than be really cold and loosing energy.  

With the age group men in the mix of the women's pro race it was chaotic pace and the draft fest environment was disruptive from the start.  Usually there is more space and I'm by myself and happy (usually age group athletes start the swim 10-15minutes after the pros).  It was impossible to be 12 metres, so opted to try and stay in a 'forward moving and overtaking position'...trying to ride to the front of packs which was very hard work.  There were 3-4 other pro girls also with me, we were all in the same difficult situation and a TO was with us for the first 45km of the race. 

There was also a strong head wind which made conditions tough.  I did enjoy riding the Shiv in the windy conditions - the bike feels glued to the ground and its frame design allows you to tack like a sail.

I then started to get a lot of pain on the bike (adductors & groin of all places!) which set in around 45kms and got progressively worse and significantly affected my power.  I slowed down, I had a bomb of salt (on top of what was already in my electrolyte drink), I then couldn't pedal properly and was constantly moving on the saddle to try and manage the pain (unsuccessfully).  At 94kms I stopped and stretched but just felt worse.  I had a similar problem a few years ago which was tendonitis and symtoms felt similar.  

I rode up the road a little further.  Stopped again, sat on the road for 10 minutes.  Then tried to ride again but the pain still very much there, getting cold didn't help either.  This is not why I race Ironman or achieves any personal goals.  Things were clearly not right early in the race and I'm not going to push my body into a situation that's obviously not good for it and going to cause more damage.  Incredibly frustrating and disappointing...especially after a disappointing race in Geelong.   

Since returning to Sydney, its been a process of catching up with my support team of specialists and assessing problems on race day as well as reviewing the past 2-3 months, what needs improvement and making decisions to move forward - Reminding myself of my personal motto...


"'Live your best life'...Pursue your passion, failure can be a gift, listen to your spirit, respect your body, gratitude is essential."

A big congratulations to all athletes who persevered with the conditions and decisions that were made at Ironman Melbourne 2013 - it was definitely a very challenging day mentally and physically and to make that finish line is a massive achievement and one that every athlete should be proud of.  I take my hat off to those pros who put everything on the line and threw everything at the race irrespective of how the day ended - your my inspiration.  There were multiple stand out performances including first time Ironman experiences which shows the bar in triathlon and Ironman is constantly raising, we have a super exciting future ahead in our sport. 

Thanks to my sponsors - Skinfit, Eyeline, Specialized, Saltstick, ISM Seats Australia, Team Latitude, Compressport, TriShave for your support and messages.  Also to friends and family, your messages of support mean a lot.  

Cheers for now
Bec

What better way to celebrate International Women's Day than being part of a women in sport initiative - 'Girls Get Active Day', promoting participation, access and equity for women and girls in sport and recreation in NSW.  

The event was hosted at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre - an International Women's Day Event presented by Womensport NSW with @300 secondary girls attending from schools throughout metropolitan Sydney. 

The day commenced with an introduction by Kiersten Fishburn, Director of Caasula Powerhouse Arts Centre, who has co-ordinated a fantastic exhibition 'Onside', which looks at issues for women in sport through an arts and cultural lens.  Susan Horwitz, President - Womensport NSW followed with some inspirational words for us:

"Sport is not just about a game or individual pursuit - its about health, happiness team spirit, leadership skills, positive outlook, sense of pride and personal achievement  - everything that can help you lead a wonderful life... "

Our MC, Stephanie Brantz - Australian Sports Presenter conducted athlete interviews amongst a highly talented and successful group of Aussie sportswomen, which I felt pretty honoured to be a part of, including: Libby Saddler (AFL), Lael Kassem (AFL) Danielle Brogan (Football) Heather Garriock (Football), me :-) (Triathlon), Alex Blackwell (Cricket), Elianna Walton (NRL), Naazmi Johnson (Gymnastics), Megan Black (Rugby Union) and special guest Marcia Ella Duncan - first indigenous woman to represent Australia in netball.  

It was incredibly inspiring to hear the experiences and journey undertaken by the other girls on the panel.  Many of the girls come from team sports (and big families with a lot of brothers!) and it was great to hear about the challenges and opportunities from an individual level as well as within a team environment.  My triathlon interview sparked quite a bit of interest from the gallery - which I thought was great feedback in terms of how much our sport has grown and developed over recent years and the importance of enhancing exposure and opportunities for our youth to participate and be part of our dynamic triathlon community.  

Breakfast followed formal introductions and guest speakers, it was pretty cool to talk on a more personal level with the girls and hear about their own interests and passions in sport, culture and arts.

The remainder of the morning included outdoor activities where the girls were split into smaller groups to partake and trial various sporting activities including hockey, AFL, NRL, Rugby Union, Soccer, Gymnastics and Triathlon.  I paired up with Sarah Koen - Triathlon NSW who did an amazing job organising the girls with activities and games followed by question time - so the girls could learn a little more about triathlon and the opportunities our sport provides.  

I had a fantastic time being part of this event and it was awesome to meet other successful women in sports outside of my own.  A very special thanks to Stef/Witsup for putting my name forward to participate in this event - It was an amazing and special experience to be a part of!  Thank you to Bree Calderwood - Administration Manager of Womensport NSW, who did a fantastic job co-ordinating this event which was a huge success.  And to Sarah Koen - Triathlon NSW who provided the girls with fun filled activities which brought a lot of smiles (and laughs!) throughout the day.

Cheers
Bec

Geelong Multisport Festival is another personal favourite triathlon event on the Aussie circuit and was super excited to be part of the action 2013!  A jammed packed weekend with loads of energy and enthusiasm with a variety of races for all abilities right through from Sprint to Long Course! 

A highlight of the trip was staying with Michelle and Dale Hemley in Torquay located 22kms south of Geelong on the South Coast, also known as the Gateway to the Great Ocean Road and Australia’s surfing Capital - where Rip Curl and Quiksilver originated and home to the world famous Bells Beach. 

I just love the area of Torquay and its relaxed coastal feel, its a fantastic place to train with loads of scenic cycling and running options in all directions and the ocean for swimming as your back door.  I crossed paths with Michelle and Dale a few years ago through triathlon and trip to Hawaii WC 2011 and love their energy and enthusiasm in life! :-)  Read more about Michelle and Dale's passion in sport through their dynamic business...'Get Set Up in Sport' - a Sports Consultancy with a specialist expertise in endurance and junior sports coaching, health, fitness and sport development - http://www.getsetupinsport.com.au/

It was a full house for the weekend with loads of athlete energy including Pro Xterra warriers Jacqui Slack www.jacquisblog.com and Ben Allen http://benallentriathlete.com also staying with with Michelle and Dayle as a quick visit to check out the new Aussie Xterra race - Great Ocean Road scheduled for 7 April 2013 http://xterraaus.com.au.  It was great to learn more about the sport of Xterra and Ben and Jacqui's racing and travels around the world.  Stu Durham (coach to up-and coming triathlon star Jaz Hedgeland http://www.trizone.com.au/20130214/jaz-hedgeland-the-future-looks-bright-with-the-western-australian-junior-triathlete) also flew in for the house party on Saturday evening (after a big trip from Perth) for the Geelong Triathlon event on Sunday.

I picked up my new Specialized Shiv from Jet Cycles, Sydney, on the Wednesday afternoon before the race.  There was limited time to get a ride in before Sunday's event but was keen to give it a test run and start working with the feel and fit of the bike.  First outdoor spin was in Torquay on the Friday afternoon - winds were at their element and the bike handled beautifully in these conditions, feels pinned to the ground and simply cuts through it! :-)

Saturday I had my first meeting with the guys from Specialized Australia at the Geelong triathlon expo.  It was great to meet the team from mechanics through to the marketing team, as well as meet with fellow Aussie Specialised Ambassadors racing - Mel Hauschildt and Sam Betten.  

The race itself included a red hot line up of professionals (both men and women) and was another great opportunity and experience to race amongst well class athletes!

Sunday's race conditions were near perfect with clear sky, light wind and temps up to @22-24 degrees.  I have raced Geelong Long Course in 2010 and 2012 and being familiar with the course layout, wanted to improve areas of this race which suffered previously, number 1 being navigation in the swim which I stuffed last time!  I have been flogging the swim training post Auckland and felt a lot stronger in the water, my navigation was on target and came out only a few minutes down from the second pack which I was pleased with (better than Auckland anyway!) - my goal being to close this gap as much as possible.   My race unfortunately didn't come together for various reasons which was disappointing, however I did take away a lot from the experience in terms of moving forward.  

There were outstanding results and races from the day and huge congratulations to Mel on her win against a tough field of competition including Emma Moffatt (Olympic medialist), Anna Cleaver, Tenille Hoogland and Michelle Wu.  It's awesome to see so much athlete talent stepping up to 70.3 racing - as a triathlon community we have an exciting future ahead in all distances of the sport.  

Given personal feedback from Geelong, my body and mind needed space from racing to settle down with recent changes, re-assess my lifestyle balance and make adjustments as need to focus on my bigger goals.  Special thanks to friends and family, Nige, my coach Gilesy, Kira Sutherland, Daryl Philips, Paul Penna and Mick Smith - a team of people I regularly work with and so lucky to have support from. 

Whilst I missed Huskisson Long Course triathlon this year (which was a hard call to make as I absolutely LOVE supporting Elite Energy Events), it was great to see a small handfull of athletes I have been coaching over the past few months see their hard work pay off and achieve huge goals in their own individual races.  Super proud of you guys and it was a special experience to work with you on this journey :-) 

My training has been coming together nicely over the past couple weeks, adjustments have been made to the bike fit and set up and I'm feeling in a good space leading into Ironman Melbourne.  The 2013 race season is well underway and with so many inspirational performances around the world I'm feeling motivated to continue to work on my own personal goals - to improve and grow my own potential in the sport.  

Cheers
Bec