Gatorade Triathlon Series Race 1 Report

This saw the first race of the Gatorade / Active Feet Triathlon Series. Yesterday saw our normal Saturday morning session at Elwood moved to St Kilda (home of race 1). The coaches run us through the course, a light bike/run/swim session followed by setup of Tri-Alliance tents and area. Our team tent was right on the finish line which meant heaps of cheering over the line come race day. The session was a little wet, but warm. I felt ready, oh btw: I had stepped up from Active Feet to full Gatorade Series. Around lunchtime I headed back to St Kilda to pickup my Series race kit and bumped into all the TA team mates from the mornings session. Did a quick walk through and headed home for a bit of R&R. I did have to head back to MSAC for a swim session later that day. Coach Ryan said he wouldn’t be pushing us too hard.


During morning session and rest of the day there was light rain. Approx 12 mm over night at 5am this morning (Sunday) Super Sprint call off the swim and replaced it with a run. I arrived at the transition area got myself numbered, dropped into the TA tent to say hi then kept going and put my bike into the transition area and setup my bike, etc. Felt a little strange with leaving the shoes on and not thinking about the wetsuit, etc, then back over to the TA tent drop the bag off and start catching up with team mates. Few of us went off to see the Active Feet start approx 20 odd of TA team mates were in this event and we supported all of them. After the last wave we went and watched the Active Feet Transition and then head back to the TA tent.

Cheering on the Active Feet TA Teams mates

With my wave time starting around 8:40am I had a long wait. I kept warm until approx 8:20am then started to warm up, short runs, stretching then at headed down to the start. Few of the TA team mates all kept together and started together with our wave group starts. The run the plan was not to go out hard for run 1 but do approx 80% the run felt good and strong, coaches and teams cheered me on as I came into T1 and dropped the shoes off, on with the helmet grabbed the bike and head out. Mistake time – mounted before the line, only about ½ meter before the line.

As we headed up towards Port Melbourne I slipped into my bike shoes and started to pedal then hit the head wind and felt so slow until we got to the turn around and then speed all the way down to Ormond point then back toward transition hearing the cow bell from TA members past by transition area and then the second lap. The head only really came in along just past transition area, basically lap 2 was just a repeat of lap 1. As I came along by the St Kilda sea baths I started to slip out of the bike shoes and did the professional dismount before the line with some of the coaches supporting us into T2 . Racked the bike, off with the helmet on with the socks and shoes grabbed my visor and run out of transition my legs felt heavy but ok as I head out on the run course Stan on the coaches was hand out water and cheered me on. The run was un-eventful but not fast. Out on the run course lots of TA people all gave thumbs up and taps on the back for support. As I came back up towards St Kilda baths I pushed hard for the finish came back into Transition and up to the finishing line with heaps of TA support! My time 1hr 21m 12s

I walked off the run got some fluids into me and went back to the TA team tent stretched and cool down and cheered more team mates over the line. TA do a really good job of supporting the team, heaps of support on the course and they had a BBQ going so I grabbed some food and chatted with other team mates and coaches.

After grabbed my bike and returning to the team tent we all went and watched the awards, where one of the coaches (Sarah) finished 1st.

How do I rate the race – great got a time to beat now! I did miss the swim and I’m in a great team!



More photos of the event soon.