Gatorade Race 5 – St Kilda Race Report

Sorry for the delay but here is the last race of the season was here. I had registered for this event 2 weeks post Challenge Melbourne. I wanted to race at least one more Tri before the season was over.

Saturday before the event our Club did our standard pre race day. It was cold, like long figure gloves. The plan was to ride the bike course, small run off the bike and swim. We headed out on the bike, I lead the whole way and put some efforts in. It was the 3^rd time on the bike post Challenge not a lot of bike time. My running and swimming I did keep up but the bike dropped away due to other events. My legs felt good, after getting back toughing the runners on a quick run down to Luna Park and back. Legs again felt good and fast. Coach Scott then did a bit of a briefing for the race and few went for a swim. During those swimming it Team Tent building time.

At the end I managed to bribe the Supersprint Staff and picked up my race pack early. Before heading home, chilling out and getting race ready.

Race day, it was a cold morning and clear when I got to St Kilda the Team Tent was empty, I opened the front up dropped my bag got my act together. Water and Food for the bike shoes on the bike, etc.  When a few more team members showed up I headed into Transition with all my gear. Found my rack space racked my bike and then headed back to the tent to chill out. 

Around 7am I went down to see the Mini Start and support a few of the TA crew. Before a quick run to the bathroom and back to the tent into my wettie and down to my own swim start.

Warm up Swim

Race Start

I jumped in and the water was fresh, very fresh, my face hurt. I swam out some 200m and back to the beach. Trying to warm up in the sun, it was not too long before my wave start, we lined up and the horn sounded. Off we went I couldn’t get my breathing right, the water was cold and couldn’t breathe, I slowed my stroke and force myself to catch my breath. By the first buoy I found my rhythm and I my breathing was under control.  Heading out through the boats and turning back around and heading home I felt ok, cold but my breathing was goodl. As I came out of the water I headed into transition I got my wetsuit off, still cold, on with the helmet and sunglasses then grabbed my bike and headed out. I was hoping that the sun would warm me up, but I still was cold the first lap and I half I was flying on the bike still cold but starting to warm up.

Coming out from the Swim

Having some fun on the bike

Trying to get warm on the bike

The 2^nd half of the bike was mad, people everywhere on the bike course. People overtaking and then not moving left sticking in the overtaking/fast lane. I and other fast riders yelled out for people to stick left. Some people listened and others didn’t. On the last lap it was not better, not wanting to get a penalty for drafting I kept yelling out. Coming back to transition I felt somewhat warmed up. I jumped off the bike run back into Transition racked my bike on with my Socks and Runners grabbed my Visor and headed out for 10km run. At the end of the first lap of the run I coped the standard amount of crap from the IM crew about my run not being quick nor going quick enough. The run is never my best part of a Triathlon but I kept it together, on the 2^nd lap and sprint to home I give it everyone I had.

Enjoying the run

Left for 2nd lap Right for Finish

Done and Dusted

Finished with a new PB for me 2hr 44m 50s

Off season is well under way with races already planned for the rest of this year and early next year.

Race Report - St Kilda Gatorade Race 5

Last weekend saw both Ellie and I race in the last Gatorade race of the 13/14 season. Ellie signed up for the mini and I signed up for the Sprint. Last race of the season is always big, lots of people, party time and yes, a race.

Saturday morning I did our squad’s pre race program, ride, run and swim, followed by putting up the TA Taj. Around lunch time Ellie and I headed back down to St Kilda for her to register and for us both to collect our kits, I felt racey after the morning’s session. On the way back to the car we walked through transition found our racks then spent the rest of the day went spent having lunch and a movie.

Saturday Morning Prep

 

Sunday morning at 4:30am the alarm up off, I got up had breakfast, shower and shaved, changed and then headed off to pickup Ellie and her gear and then we headed off to St Kilda, race day! We parked close by got our gear out of the car then headed over to the TA Taj where we found our Head Coach needing coffee and a sleep. You can see why in the photo below.

Ollie in need of Cofee

Ellie and I arranged our Transition gear then headed in transition. After I racked and got my transition area sorted I headed over to help Ellie out. She had most of her stuff right, except I offered a suggestion of racking her bike by the seat instead of the handle bars. She took my advice and swapped the bike around.

We headed back to the tent to chill out before Ellie’s race. Ellie changed into her wetsuit and we walked down to race start. About 2 mins before her wave start I sent her for a warm up swim. As she lined up for her wave start Dave from Supersprint did he’s standard yet me know if there are any loved one’s in the wave. I said Go Grubby, (her nick name) and Dave said “Go Grubby? you can’t call her that!” which I replied with you don’t live with her.

Ellie and TA Girls at the Swim Start

 

Ellie’s swim looked good but seemed to have issues getting out of her wetsuit as she headed into transition. I raced across the park to the road to catch her as she passed on the bike. Sadly I had to head back to my own race briefing I waited for her on the run but I had to head back to the tent to change.

Ellie heading for T1

Few of us walked down to the swim start got in and did our warm up swims before lining up. The horn sounded and off we went, I felt strong through the whole swim and applied Anna’s my swim coach swim techniques to the swim, the water was flat and fast. I came out of the water ran up the beach into transition, I got my wetsuit off grabbed my sunglass and helmet, unracked my bike and headed out, as I headed out to the ride the bike jumped loose from my hand but I caught it and kept going. Over the mount line and off we went.

Me at the swim start

Flying on the bike

I felt racey and fast and I was, I pushed hard and felt good. I passed lots of athletes and team mates. As I came back my the venue I heard the TA cheer squad (aka the Ironman Crew) yelling out. I dismounted with a little bit of kaos with a few people dismounting. I re-racked my bike and headed out on the run. I didn’t feel great I need a bathroom badly, I passed Julia and Pam found the bathroom did what was needed and kept on running.

TA Cheer Squad

Me on the run home

 

My run is still crap since breaking my toe. I reached the turn around and headed back to the finish, I could feel something rubbing I thought it was the timing belt so I stopped moved it and started to run again. As I came close to the finishing line the TA cheer squad was at its best; I ran as fast as I could over the line. As I walked a back to the tent feeling sore and happy I saw Ellie who run up and tried to talk me out telling me she had win her event. I was happy for her but I foot was hurting and I wanted to get my shoes off. I sat down took my shoe off and found that the back of my shoe had rubber the back of my foot and caused it to bleed a little. I waited in line for a post race massage and Karn did his best on my lower body. As people finished we all chatted about our races swapping stories when Ollie pulled out a big eskie of beer. Party time, photos were taken beer was drunk and then the podiums started. TA picked up our standard haul of medals and awards. 

Karn doing his work

Ellie and I getting our Pic

 

Beers

End of Season Team Pic

Ellie and I

My time ? well 1hr 24m and 50sec not my fast sprint race but a good solid effort.

Ellie’s First Tri

Today saw Ellie complete her first Triathlon. This has been in the making for some time but during an injury this was hold, last year she tore her plantar fascia. No running and  various treatment. About 2 weeks ago the doc she said she could start running again, but not more than 15mins. However she was able to train in swimming, and riding. She had completed 3 Open Water Swims lots of riding – minimum of 30km  up to 100km. Perfect for Olympic Distance Triathlons, however as the run was the weak part she would need to pick a short event. During one of my races (Elwood) she volunteered the event we she got  a free race entry. We picked St Kilda the last race allow her foot some time off to heal.

The last few weeks was crash course of transition practice, I went out and purchased the bits and made my own transition rack for around $100. 4 session later transitions later she felt ready. My next trick was to enrolled her in the Tri Alliance Race day tips and tricks. During the session our Tri-the-Try coach Bernadette asked who was going to run out of transition with shoes on the bike, Ellie was pointed out and said I know you are! Ahhhh my training paying off.

Transition Practice in the local park

This morning I picked up Ellie and drove her to the event, when we got there we walked over to the Tri-Alliance Taj filling up water bottles on the way through. After dropping he bags off in the TA Taj we went over to transition. I left her to rack her bike and setup her transition area. When she got back to the tent we went through everything in transition to ensure all was ok, it was not she had racked her bike the wrong way. A quick dash back in transition and change of setup ready to race.

Around 6:20 I asked her to start getting her wetsuit on, just as she was her mobile rang, her mum was coming down to see the event and Taxi had dropped her off at the wrong spot. I took the phone from Ellie and get her get the wetsuit on while I gave directions. Once the wetsuit was on time to walk down to the swim start and listen to the race briefing, followed by a quick warm up swim. Ellie’s mum found me and I arrange a spot where she could start to watch the event. As Ellie’s wave was about to start I got Dave to call out good luck to Ellie in her first Tri, the horn sounded and off they went. I found a spot on swim exit to support her, she came out and run to transition. As she worked her way through transition and out on the bike I cross over to the bike course to support. I saw her pass me approx 2.5km in and again at the 9km mark. I then quickly headed down to get pics of her on the run course, followed by a quick dash to the finish.

Swim Start

Ellie coming out of the swim

Heading out to the turn around on the bike

Heading back to transition

Heading out on the run

Final turn before the finish line

Ellie finished in 50m 44s, not bad for her first Tri.

We did a race debrief and Ellie knows mistakes were made, but at the end of the day the brief was to finish and have fun, which she did.