Running around in Circles

I think the last time I ever did a track running race was in 2008 at the Intra-School Athletics champs. It was the 1500m, I had luckily (through much effort) avoided being coerced into any races (and hence public humiliation), but an illness to one person meant I was called up. All I remember was that I narrowly avoided being lapped by Harry Smithers (who pulled out a lazy 14:40ish 5k last night). 

As I was an unattached runner and had no AthsVic membership, I had to pretend to be an interstate runner, representing my adopted home-state ACT. My sisters took great delight in cheering ‘ACT!!’ along.

The weather leading up to the race had been horrific, 100km/h wind gusts, rain, thunder. My legs were feeling rubbish let alone I was in a general state of exhaustion, ready for the season to end. In that sense, the poor weather was almost welcomed, it was an avenue to pull the pin on the night. Then by 6pm, it all cleared up and the weather was near ideal. 

If you want to feel self-concious about your weight go to a running competition. At 182cm and 66kgs, I am by no means heavy, yet compared to some of the whippets there I felt like I needed a visit to the Biggest Loser. Sighted in the crowd was triple Olympian Tamsin Manou (ne Lewis) and Craig Mottram. I couldn’t have felt anymore out of place.

After copious amounts of caffeine, a good warmup and watching the A Grade 5k race (which mercifully I was bumped out of at the last minute) I was actually feeling quite keen for the race.

The week before my coach had said he expected me to run about 16:30, on account for where I was at, how I was feeling and it being my first track race. I was hoping to run faster (i.e. sub 16), a few thursday track sessions had suggested I was capable of sub 16. In fairness though I was realistic knowing that I’ve been feeling very fatigued/lethargic ever since we backed off the volume 3 weeks ago, my run at Portarlington (last weekend) was nothing short of pathetic. 

Moments before we lined up, all bar one of the stadium lights switched off. Now at 8.32pm (to be exact) this is not idea! We were to race in almost complete darkness. 

As the fastest seed I was to start on the inside. The gun went off and I found myself at the head of proceedings. As is always the case the first lap felt good (only 11.5 to go). I went through 400m in 1.08 and the first K in 3.03. After that Jack Van Stek (another triathlete) took over the pacemaking. At the 3k mark (with me back at the front) we were on 15.45 pace (9.27 3k). 

The pain of a 5k is so different to a 5k off the bike. In a triathlon, your legs are in pain and the pace, whilst solid, is by no means near your open 5k pace (need to work on that!). Conversely an open 5k rather than being painful, the legs feel fine, nothing is that sore. It’s just the heart, which is at or near max. I can’t hold a 190BPM average in a run off the bike, but in an open 5k I can. I was feeling nearly delirious, for once I wasn’t over-thinking anything. 

From the 3k mark, things started to go downhill, my cadence fell and I started to yo-yo off the lead runner. 

Pre-race I had a rough idea of what my splits needed to be each lap, I assumed that through the pain I would be able to calculate them. I was very wrong. Any attempt at general cognisance beyond the action of running and not falling over (which was quite hard in near virtual darkness) was rendered useless by the pain I was in. 

By the 800m mark runners started to make their move, I slipped from 2nd to 7th place with that any hopes of a sub 16 were gone. 

I crossed the line in 16.17, spent from a hard race and a long hard season. In many ways it felt like the end of the school year. I was ready for a break, but at the same time sad it was all ending for another season.

I wasn’t stoked with my time, yet nor was I that disappointed. Given it was my first 5k (next time I will have a much better idea of pacing etc.) and the state of my  body (rubbish) I couldn’t of asked for much more. Moreover I was spent at the finish, I knew I couldn’t of pushed any harder.

Til next time……

This is around the 2k mark. The winner (at the front) was happy to stay behind us until 3.5k’s and then just took off. He ended up running 15.40. Jack (yellow singlet) and I had a good battle throughout most of the run. He pipped me by 6s at the finish.

PODIUM! Xosize Race 5

Most race reports this year have taken a similar tone….they generally bemoan my mediocre swimming ability and frequency of self-inflicted mistakes….oh and they are all at least 1200 words. If that’s your thing apologies in advance (for the first two points), finally I’ve had one of those races where all things came together (but the report is still long). From the outset I knew this season would be ‘character-building,’ but for my overall well being I needed at least one good result, to show that things are heading in the right direction and to reinforce the improvements I am seeing in training (bar some deplorable swim TT’s). Sunday was such a day.

 This being my second last race (the Gatorade race at Portarlington this Sunday being my last) I would be lying to say that motivation hasn’t somewhat waned. Coupled with starting at Melbourne University and picking up a mild flu, the week leading up to the race was far from ideal. I wasn’t expecting much. My lack of training, brought about by illness/winding down the season, brought about one of my legendary prolonged ‘taper tantrums.’ Basically me being tired and grumpy all week. When I was at college last year, valuing my friendships, I’d have to extricate myself from any social contact.

I put it down to the reduced endorphins and being unable to eat as much food (a perk of training so much).

Regardless, I woke to yet another 30+ degree day (the 8^th in a row!), the conditions were picture perfect. I always have a close affinity with the Brighton course, it being the sight of my first triathlon in November 2009and my first draft-legal race in 2012.

 

It was another small field that would contest the race, yet still quite strong. We had the first and second overall place getters at the Australian Age-Group championships. Nathan Barry (the winner) is one of the best swim/bikers going around and Tom Rodgers (2^nd) pulled out a lazy 4.06hr Half-Ironman last month, not bad for a 20yo making his debut! Rounding out the general threats were Matt Goessler a gun junior and fellow EnduranceTeam member Jeremy Drake who races a number of ITU Continental Cups each year.

Two things dampened my pre-race mood.

1. At the swim warm-up the guy next to me pulled out a 5cm piece of broken glass, right by where we would jump into the water.

2.With the swim being 750m, I was ‘surprised’ to hear over the radio that the boat taking the buoys out would go 400m out from shore. No matter what way you look at it 400m out won’t convert into a 750m swim.  No surprise the swim times were very slow (12mins).

Finally…….the actual race!

Swim:

I had a good start and found myself next to Matt. I stayed on his hip holding a decent tempo until the first buoy. The whole elite field swam well of course. To the point that one of the rescue boats came up and started shouting at us…that’s what happens when there are only 4 buoys marking a 750m swim. At the turnaround at the 400m mark I lost Matt’s feet. I gradually slid back, eventually locking onto Tom’s feet. His epic kick was appreciated as I concentrated on not losing him otherwise I knew my day would probably over. I exited the water 25s down on the leading three, much better than the usual minute I sacrifice to Barry. I am going on the premise now that the worse my TT results in training the better I swim in races. Running out onto the deep/soft sand I managed to trip over myself, performing a graceless faceplant into the sand. Fortunately I recovered well, pulling out the fastest T1 of the entire race.

 

Bike 

Our group of four were 25s down out of T1 (thanks mum), the pace in those opening 7k’s was obscene! 2ks in we dropped one hapless rider. At stages I felt like I was going to join him. The first 5k’s of the bike, including mounting, 180degree corner and a small climb (the 10m elevation gain is the veritable Alpe D’Huez of the pancake flat Beach Road) was done in 7:21. I was struggling to get my bike legs, resorting to resting on the front (clicking up rather than down a gear) rather than sucking Tom’s wheel (it was easier!) I dished out some abuse for people rolling through too hard (the reality being I was trying to avoid getting dropped). At the 8k mark the lead group were only 50m ahead, they looked around and gave up. Our leading group of 6 had a sizeable gap over the remainders, so the pace became bearable. Kudos to Jeremy for avoiding taking any meaningful turn at the front whilst I was given a spray for not taking enough (whilst doing more than my fair share), ITU tactics is still a weak point. In many ways the race re-set. Those pre-race nerves kicked in again in anticipation of the forthcoming run.

Showing my still-developing ITU skills I lost 5s to Jeremy and Nathan Barry in the last 200m of the bike. This would hurt me on the run.

Run

From the opening 200m it was clear that it was going to a four-way race for the podium. Tom and I ran shoulder to shoulder gradually clawing back that 20m lead Jeremy and Nathan had. At the 1500m mark we caught up. I moved to the front, keen to push on and see if I could gap any of them. This didn’t happen.

We ran in two rows of two. With Nathan and I sitting at the front setting an agonizing (for me) pace.  This status-quo remained as we ticked through the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th k’s. With 800m to go I put in a little surge, nothing eventuated. Jeremy was the undisputed favorite at this stage with his run pedigree. Tom’s run has improved markedly too, with a 1.20hr half off the bike at Geelong being testament to that. With 250m to go I made my move, sprinting like a man possessed, it was a final straight sprint, not one with about 50s left of racing. As what has become quite common in our Thursday brick sessions a puff of smoke could almost be seen as I popped with 75m to go. I was first passed by Jeremey and then Tom. In that last 75ish meters I lost 7s to the eventual winner, Jeremy.

I crossed the line in 3^rd, smashed beyond recognition but with a new result and run pb (16:35) to my name! I ran an almost identical time to the winner, just shows the importance of a good bike dismount/T2

Overall I was stoked with the result, it is nice being back on the podium after a long hiatus! Hindsight is a great thing, I wished I timed my sprint better, but to win races you have to take risks. I learn from those (and many other mistakes I’ve made this season) and hopefully not repeat them again.

A result like this is great motivation for the off-season and it shows that all the work I’ve been doing in Geelong/Falls Creek with the rest of the EnduranceTeam crew is really paying off.

 Till Portarlington on Sunday…..

The Podium

Did find this quite funny, ‘Support Dude’ taking pics of his wife on the podium…..hope your taking notes family :)