Hazelwood Winter Tri Race Report

With Noosa some 8 weeks away and only two other Tri’s only some 2 to 3 weeks prior to Noosa this was the only race that I could do as a warm up or brush out the cobwebs before Noosa. Ellie and I liked the idea of a country race so we both signed up for the Hazelwood Winter Tri. Hazelwood is aPower Plant in country Victoria in the town of Morwell about 2 hours out of Melbourne. The Tri is held in and around the cooling pond of the Hazelwood Power Plant; the temperature of the water is around 21c all year around. So the swim is in the Pondage (aka lake) bike around the pond and the run is next / near to the pond.

Hazelwood Power Plant

Ellie and I headed down to Morwell Saturday afternoon and found the pond and checked out the course. The few days including the Saturday were quite windy in Melbourne but the lake seemed not too windy and the pond water felt warm should be great for racing.

We found our Motel unloaded the car and took it easy for the night. Nice pasta meal followed by bit of TV and an early night, Ellie painted here toe nails in team (Tri Alliance) colours.  Sunday morning we left for the course around 7am and we noticed the wind had picked up at the pond it did not seem too bad. We found the transition area put out bikes in and setup our space (we were next to each other) then registered and killed some time. We caught up with few other Tri Alliance people and other Triathlete’s we know. We went and watch the start of the Olympic Distance and cheer on others then it was time to put on our wetsuits and get ready to race.

Ellie's Team Colours

 When I jumped into the water for the first time and swam out to the turning buoy it felt great to be back in open water, last season I felt really comfortable in wetsuit in the open water and I loved the feeling again, I missed this feeling and I love it.

We all sat around near the start line as the race officials came down gave us a little briefing and without too much fanfare horn sounded and off we went. The swim felt ok not great. I came out of the water run across the grass into transition off with the wettie on with the Aero helmet grabbed the bike and out towards the road. The mount line was not well marked and I stuffed up the mount, that was ok this was cobweb clean out race. Up the hill out on the road, the first thing I noticed was it had become super windy. Great Aero bike, Aero Wheels and Aero Helmet. Down long the bottom of the lake and up the hill felt ok nice tail wind or out of the wind but up the top of the hill and around the rest of the lap it was windy. In addition the roads were not closed but the traffic was very light or next to none. On the second lap I felt my bike move sideways in the wind and I did not like the feeling.  I had no choice but to back off the speed or come off. Some guys were running disc wheels and I really don’t how they coped with the wind. I made it back to Transition on with the socks and shoes and off on the run.  As I was leaving transition Ellie came back in from the bike.

Race Briefing

Race Start

Out of the Swim Heading for Transition

The run was not pretty I hurt and felt sore in my left shoulder basically pushing up my body against the wind. The run felt ok going out about 1.5km Ellie caught me in the run and we run together. We turned onto the dirt road and headed up 1.5km hill. I was glad to be at the top and heading down back towards Transition and the finish line.

Both Ellie and I finished together which was nice. 

Ellie and I at the finish

 After getting some water, etc. We used the showers in the park to change and warm up. We put our gear in the car then what the awards and the headed back to Melbourne.

Hazelwood was a nice little race except for the wind and I enjoyed the hit out. The following few days my shoulder was a little sore but thanks to Kim’s major hands she made my back and neck feel less sore.

In other news 12 months of work and study finally paid off with Coaches Emma and Ollie signing off my Level 1 Triathlon Coaching Assessment. I’m now wanting for the paper work to be processed but I’m more or less a certified Triathlon Coach.