Tag Archive for Triathlon

| May 15, 2013
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Matty White – Busselton 70.3 Race Report

Busso 70.3 2013;

Busselton 70.3 is probably one of the best run 70.3 events in Australia and when I was invited to attend again I had no hesitation in jumping on the 3 hour flight across the Nullarbor to Perth. After having numerous podiums out west across both distances and finishing 2nd here the last few years I was confident of another podium finish. The last 6 weeks had been full on after travelling to Melbourne and then jumping on a plane to France for a few weeks holiday, but I was still confident of gaining enough fitness back from my Melbourne prep to do well here.

The pre race activities include a chat with the pro athletes which give people an opportunity to ask questions in a fun relaxed environment, plus a charity breakfast on Friday morning which was informative and interesting. The race is a Saturday race and has a great feel to it with most people staying Saturday and can head home Sunday in ready for work Monday.

The field for this race was exceptional with Brad Kahlfeldt entering late which only added to names like Tim Reed, James Hodge, Sam Appleton, Courtney Ogden etc, Each year the field in Busso just gets better and better, add to the fact that the numbers for the race exceeded 3000 people this has to be one of the Countries premier 70.3 races.

Race morning kicked in and we were greeted to a calm Busselton morning with a clear view to the iconic Busselton Jetty and more importantly calm waters, which was a relief after last years Sydney Hobart conditions. The swim for me was by no means  exceptional but I was still in sight of the lead group about 1:30 down. Tim Reed who came out just ahead managed to ride across to the main group with a very strong ride and I was caught about a minute or so down with a group of about 8 athletes and I was in a hurry to get across to the main group containing Kahlfeldt etc as I knew that it would be race suicide to let these guys have a gap going on to the run. I made a break after the first turn around on the bike to limit my loss as I was getting no help apart from Ogden in this group, this attack got me a gap of about 45 sec onds on the 2nd group and I had about a minute to the front guys leaving me in no mans land for about 70km, only to be caught at 89km by the second group. This was especially frustrating from a racing perspective as the guys in the second group were happy to sit in and conserve for the run, which essentially meant that they were all happy to race for 5th or 6th place at best when you consider the guys up the road can run sub 1:15s! We lost a good opportunity to bridge the gap in the first 20km which was annoying to say the least.

On to the run I was a shell of a man as I attempted to hold a reasonable pace while getting hooped by most of the 2nd group that caught me toward the end of the bike. I managed to settle down after about 5km and run it out to the finish in 10th place. Not the ideal position for me but considering how the race panned out and my tactics not surprising.

Overall, the sport of long course is in a very interesting place at the moment with a host of ITU guys coming through and I think we saw that on the weekend with a 1:10 half marathon run by Kahlfeldt and a I think that in the next few years this will be the norm to podium in these races which will be great to see. It just means all of us have to really step up and be ready for the next level of pace that will be injected into this sport.

A big thanks must go to the Tri WA staff, including Ash Davis who does a great job in not only looking after the pro athletes to a standard that should be done at most races, but getting us involved in the whole festival such as the Kids Triathlon, Chat with the Pros evening, Charity Breakfasts and School Visits.

Next stop for me is the Cairns adventure festival where I will be competing in the Coral Coast Triathlon and the 70.3 events so hope to see most of you up there at that great event.

Thanks

Matty

Category: Matty White Posts | Tags: , ,
| April 28, 2013
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Galveston & New Orleans 70.3 Ironman Race Report

Galveston 70.3 Ironman
I arrived Friday into Huston, Texas to then be picked up by Mitch Robins and his home-stay family The lovely Gibbons. I firstly wanted to thank them for making me feel so at home and looking after us Aussie boys over the weekend at your beautiful property.

So game day went like this. I had a reasonable swim, coming out in the middle of the second pack. I then went onto ride the fastest bike split of the day with a 2:07:58 helping me ride myself into 2nd position. Many thanks to Ivan From Retul for getting me dialled back onto my stead (Giant Trinity).

Earlier during the week Andrew from Newton gave me the opportunity to test the a prototype of a newton shoe that they gave to the Olympic runners to wear. I found the shoe to be very light weight and fast but also stable enough for me to have the confidence to go hard. I went on to post the second fastest run time being 1:14:24. Overall I had to settle for 2nd place, not a bad result considering I only got to the states 2 weeks earlier.

New Orleans 70.3 Ironman

Following Galveston 70.3 Ironman I had two weeks to prepare for New Orleans 70.3 Ironman. So the weather in Boulder hasn’t been ideal for training due to the sever cold and constant snow, I also had a niggle in my hip that was not 100% come race morning.
The swim went to my usual swim standard of around front of the second pack, I was happy where I was positioned thus far in the race. Onto the bike I wasn’t feeling the way I did in Texas, my hip was pinching me but still managed to do a 2:08 putting me in 4th position off the bike. My run was damaged due to my hip, I didn’t have my usual spring in my step, in turn causing me to fade to 8th position. Lets just say I was happy to see the finish line!

Now I’m back in Boulder and I’m getting some much needed treatment done on my hip. I will be here up until I my next race back in Australia at Busselton 70.3 Ironman.

I also wanna give a big shout out to my boy Mitch Robins for his come back after a year of racing getting 6th and 5th and posting a Smokin 1.12 at Nola.

Big thanks again to all my wonderful sponsors: Scody, Giant, Newton, Daikin, Endura, Altitude Training Systems, Shimano, Blue Seventy, Oakley, Garmin, Continental Tyres, Jet Black Cycling and of cause my Coach Grant Giles from Team Aeromax.

Looking forward to getting back to Australia.

Missing my girls!

See you all in Busso



Category: 70.3, Race Report, Tim Berkel Posts | Tags: , ,
| April 19, 2013
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Keeping things in perspective – Leanda Cave

Since turning to long course racing, early season form has never been my focus. For this reason, despite the high expectations triathlon media and fans have placed on me, I am actually happy with my 6th place in the Ironman 70.3 San Juan this past weekend. It is impossible to stay in peak form all year round because the body and mind need rest. No rest can result in chronic fatigue, injury, and ultimately a very short career in sports.

I am coming off one of the longest breaks in my 14-year career as a professional triathlete. In addition, the new list of obligations and commitments from winning the Ironman World Championships less than 6 months ago has grown exponentially. Unlike some of my competition, I have not had months to prepare and train for this event. And to be perfectly honest, in the grand scheme of things, my goal is defending my Kona title and this is when I will definitely have my “A” game. 6th place is not a “sub-par” performance for me this time of year. It does not mean that I did not give 100% in San Juan. This race hurt a lot! It was a tough course, hot conditions, and the competition was fierce. There were also some new faces on the start line who were keen to show they mean business in their IM 70.3 distance debut. These girls were the ones who stole the show on the day, with Helle Fredrikson claiming victory.

Winning in Kona is a day that seems so far from my immediate reference of fitness and state of mind. But after being a professional triathlete for so long I know what I need to do to be hitting my peak when and where it matters. I love what I do and sometimes it is very hard to justify calling it a job. Racing and trying my best to win races is all I know and at the time, that was what winning Kona was all about: doing my job as best I can. My office is anywhere in the world. My co-workers are some of the fittest, nicest, and most driven people on the planet. Sometimes I stand on a start line in the shape of my life with my eye on the big prize and sometimes I am simply on the journey to that place.

Racing in San Juan helped me recognize in a profound way that what I do is not a pursuit of a selfish goal, but a journey that enables me to inspire, motivate and encourage people of all ages, in and out of triathlon. I have had many humbling experiences as a direct result of finally reaching the ultimate goal of my triathlon career. I’m excited about future races so that I can continue this journey. The next race on my schedule is the Ironman US Pro Championships in St. George on May 4.

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Category: Leanda Caves Posts | Tags: , , , , ,
| April 4, 2013
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Are Pro Athelets too Soft these days?

By Guy Besley, Team Latitude,

Let me start this topic by pointing out that these comments are purely my own, that may or may not be shared by members of Team Latitude, and is in no way meant to be derogatory or negative to any stakeholders or supporters of this great sport! I should also point out, I am not doing any extra research here, just going off memory, so cut me some slack!

Ok, now that’s out of the way here goes!

Let me take you back many years, yes I am “old School”, the year was circa 1984, the runners in the Westfield Ultra-Marathon (remember Cliffy Young) were making their way into Melbourne after a lazy 900km on the road! A Scotsman (whose name slips my mind) was in third place with only 7kms to go, I’m pretty sure Yannis Kouros had already crossed the line in first (as he always did), anyway back to the Scotsman. He was done, spent, cactus! Only 7km of a 900 km run to go and nothing! Collapsed coincidently out the front of the Kew cemetery. His support crew dragged him into his van and in came a sport physcologist. 2 hours later he emerged; stood still for a few minutes then slowly put one foot on the ground in front of the other, another minute passed and the next foot followed.

It took the best part of another hour before he was moving again, not running, but a stagger, albeit a solid stagger. I was following this on the television, then made my way up to Doncaster road as he was nearing the finish line. Suffice to say, he DID finish, ended up coming 5th. How would you be, getting overtaken with only kilometres to go in a 900 km race. He was taken straight from the finish line to hospital, and suffered amnesia; didn’t remember a thing of the past week! Tough! or stupid? I say tough and inspiring, many say the opposite.

2 years later, if I recall, a similar fate hit a South Australian by the name od David Standeven, he was leading Yannis Kouros by a small margin to be fair, Yannis started 24 hours behind the field, he is my vote for greatest athlete of all time in any sport, in the dying kilometres he was passed by Yannis, and another guy and came third, only to be also taken by ambulance and also receiving a dose of amnesia.

The moral of that, these guys, to name only a few in this legendary event were tough!

Lets go to a sport close to all our hearts, again back to the 80′s, Julie Moss! Ill say no more on that, it doesn’t need more said. But I believe her “toughness: inspired generations of not only triathletes but athletes in general!

A bit closer to the modern time, 1997 :-) an Aussie Legend in my book, (not to mention making a comeback to Ironman racing in Melbourne IM finishing a very credible 5th) Chris Legh. You may recall Chris Leaving half his stomach behind in Kona! TOUGH! Hell yea! A bit of trivia, that year Thomas Hellreigal won in a time of 8.33, a time that would have made him 13th in 2011, and 9th in 2012, hold that thought!

Also in 1997, remember the “Ironman Crawl”, no that isn’t a dance! Sian Welch and Wendy Ingraham crawling to the finish! Tough? No shit!!!

So lets get back to the question, Are Pro Athletes too Soft these days?

It seems that just about every big race a solid percentage of pros fail to make the finish line, for many reasons. This has become exceedingly topical after a tough day at Ironman Melbourne a few weeks ago, when many big names and strong athletes failed to even make the run course. Why is this?

Well Matty White wrote a fantastic article in response to some criticism by us “armchair critics” which really summed it up well, have a look at  http://firstoffthebike.com/news-and-features/its-not-just-about-the-t-shirt/ he points out the demands placed on the modern pro triathletes and I think covers some very good ground.

Personally, I was never a great athlete at all, but I prided myself on being tough, “old school” I’ve never had a DNF in any activity I have partaken, and never would or will, BUT lets be honest there is an enormous gap between what the pros do, and what I could ever have done, so for me, it was “only about the T’shirt” as it is for the majority of people on a starting line of any distance race in any given endurance event. So, yes, I was one of the critics that said “soft” not in a negative way, but more of a gentle tease. I personally know quite a few of the guys that pulled out at IM Melbourne, and they are not soft! What they are is over worked, over tuned, elite machines trying to stay at pace. Just like a Formula 1 car; if they are not at the pace and things are going wrong they have to be smart and withdraw; to fight another day. The cost becomes too great to continue.

There is no money in this sport, every penny counts and the depth of people in long course battling for a measly buck is immense, and getting tougher as the ITU guys make a move over to the “glamour” of long course.

So Soft? Hell no! but highly tuned machines doing their job, trying to eek out a quid off a small prize pool. And if you have the view “sponsors pay em”, you clearly have no idea of professional triathlon. They will all make less that you! and one thing is for sure, they work a damn site harder than you!

So you cant call modern day Professional Triathletes soft, its just not appropriate. lets go back to the IM times now compared to only a decade ago, they are substantially faster, last year in Melbourne 2 people (nearly, as cam Brown only missed by seconds) broke the elusive 8hr barrier. So please people, have some respect, and Race Directors and Race Organisers, its not just about money, this is triathlon, a lifestyle and a passion for many, so please pass a little over to the guys that do it for a living and fill your pockets with their relentless promoting and inspiring performance on and off the worlds race courses.

I must sum up by saying this though, those old athletes, well they just had a different meaning for tough!!

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| March 3, 2013
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Creating your perfect environment – A Simple Formula For Success

Creating your perfect environment – A simple formula for success by Ollie Whistler

Two Monkeys Cycling - My Specialized Shiv

Two Monkeys Cycling – My Specialized Shiv

You’re doing it all wrong if you’re living from day to day hoping for a breakthrough… I was. Rather than hope, you need to create the opportunity. Start by building the perfect environment, and have the best people to help guide you to your vision. The theory applies to achieving any goal, but I learnt it racing as an elite triathlete chasing the circuit around the U.S hoping for that one race, that one result that would change everything – In short, that ‘one race’ doesn’t exist.

I’ve been racing as a professional triathlete since the start of 2010, and am lucky enough to have a 70.3 title and multiple other podium finishes to my name. Each has given me the inspiration to continue chasing my vision of creating a living from triathlon that will enable me to pursue my ultimate goals in the sport, and the hope that it’s possible. However, not one result has ever created that opportunity, and it’s no one result that will. You might get a day in the sun and a small influx of casheesh that once you factor your costs of preparing and traveling to get there, might be enough to support your caffeine addiction for the next couple of weeks. Whilst still being highly important, what you really need is an environment that’s conducive to infinite progress… a foundation that’s strong, reliable and most importantly constant.

Using my mistakes as a lesson to all, the last three years I’ve either sold my car or taken a loan to race the summer in the northern hemisphere in hope my results would pay it back, or I’d go to work when back in Australia. Neither one of these is either constant, or a reliable methodology. Rather, it’s the perfect example of chasing hope instead of providing the best chance of performing at your peak. All this really achieved was to put a huge emphasis on the result instead of the process required to get one, and with every misfire came more and more hope and the pressure for me to perform. It’s not to say that investing in yourself isn’t necessary, it’s the best investment you can make, but invest into making your environment as close to perfect for achieving your vision – stable and suitable living arrangements (accommodation and location), meeting financial obligations, constant education etc. must be honed before later working on your most opportune training environment (coach, training facilities, partners etc).

When you’re highly motivated, it’s easy to focus only on the physical requirements of racing and completely overlook the effect your suboptimal working conditions and the handbrake they’re applying have on your progress. It can quickly become a vicious cycle that becomes extremely hard to change when getting small tastes of success, but one that’s paramount to your longevity. It’s something I’ve had great difficulty changing on the fly, but is so important that if it requires you to take a backward step from racing in order to overcome, then a backward step you should take.

The hardest thing for me since recognizing the need to change my approach was to trust in the process and justify losing some fitness to properly address the situation. It’s as much a commitment from your support network as it is of your own; so in establishing your foundations for high performance, it’s someone like-minded that encourages and believes in the process that will best guide you to your vision. Pete Clifford, of High Performance Tri, is an example of a coach that understands the importance of creating an environment that “makes the hard seem easy”. Every individuals going to have slightly different circumstances, but all require this phenomena to get through the intense discomfort of the preparation, a prerequisite to being competitive.

Returning from the U.S disappointed with my achievements and as a result of trying to race under the aforementioned, non-conducive circumstances, it was Pete who helped me develop a plan to restructure my training/racing around building a more stable foundation. Rather than the one-dimensional approach used by so many coaches, it’s a holistic view that incorporates all aspects affecting performance (living, financial, education as well as the training environment) that Pete uses. In the end, it’s as much about the journey as the outcome, and it’s his approach that creates a mindset with the ability to control and enjoy the process (present mindset) rather than living for the product (the wrong mindset) – the secret.

I think this is why so often we see a sigh of relief and what looks like an overwhelming sense of fulfillment when some of our greatest athletes are crowned Ironman World Champions. It’s a reflection on a process that’s taken a lifetime of planning and commitment to create an opportunity… and for some, the opportunity to live a dream. You musn’t ever be afraid of taking a backward step, as sometimes it’s fundamental to moving forwards. It’s about aligning all the arrows so they’re all pointing in the same direction, working in unison, towards your vision and goals! I’m very excited about the opportunities created by changing my approach, and to anyone in a similar position, I challenge you to do the same.

 

 

 

Category: Ollie Whistler Posts, Racing | Tags: , ,
| February 28, 2013
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Race Report – Beautiful Coles Bay “just finish this lap”

Coles Bay Half distance Triathlon;

Race time rolled around again and it was time to pack the bike up for destination Coles Bay half distance Tasmania.

OK, Im ready..

OK, Im ready..

For people not quite familiar with Tazzy it’s a beautiful place and once you board your form of travel and start heading around the coast towards Coles Bay and the Freychinet region you soon realise that the little island is a post card and absolutely beautiful part of the world.

Coles Bay was our Team Latitude’s second outing and one that was full of laugh’s and plenty of travel time to bond in the the van as we drove up the coast.

Coles bay is a beautiful Bay just 200km from hobart and it’s surroundings of land scape and beautiful crystal blew water show cases the ultimate scenic and unknown race with a massive opportunity to blossom as a race to put on your bucket list.

Unfortunately with a case of a solid chest infection I had been carrying for a while leading into the race I was restricted on power and heart rate threw the race as I would end up in a coughing attack and constant passing of bodily fluid made for a challenging  day i exited the water with zero energy and told myself just finish one lap of the bike and it will be ok, I hit the bike and was thinking the whole time it’s ok just do one lap and then pull it, I was riding in 7th at 45km and thought maybe I will just do the last lap, and so I did all along thinking it’s ok will not run just enjoy the ride and as the day unfolded this “just finish this lap” was the order of the day

"Yes mum, I am looking after myself!"

“Yes mum, I am looking after myself!”

As I put on my On racing flats –  the run being 21km made up of 5km concrete 16km of sand and 4 lap run course was again “just finish the lap” and I can stop – this repeated threw my head 3 laps and I found my self running along side team latitude team mate Dan Robins for a few km’s and I remember saying this place is beautiful.

To sum up my debut experience I would happily and honestly say the Coles Bay Half outweighs most races I have ever done whether in Australia, America, New Zealand, it is often the bigger races that people rave on about but until you get back to grass roots triathlon and community filled racing you surely do realise that there is more to triathlon than glitz,glamour and a red carpet.

Coles Bay 10 out of 10.

A few of the Team

A few of the Team

Big thanks to Guy Besley and the team at Team Latitude for a great weekend and can’t wait for the next adventure - Coles Bay Team Latitude athletes Dan robins, Michael murphy, Hadley and Matty White; all great lad’s giving back to triathlon well done guys.

Finally a quick shout out to the guys at Bikeride in Hobart for a last minute repair. It looked as though my race was over before starting, we shot into Bikeride and the team there couldnt do enough to help us on the spot! Thanks guys, much appreciated! So if your in Tassie and need a bike shop you cant go past these guys…

Stay safe

adam (adsy gordon)

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Category: Race Report, Race Reports | Tags: , , ,
| February 25, 2013
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HSD Team Latitude in Australian Triathlete

oztri coverBe sure to grab a copy of the March Issue of Australian Triathlete magazine (on sale NOW) and checkout the write up about the Hahn Super Dry Team Latitude. :-)

Plus an interesting 3 part article on drugs in Sport…..And heaps more of course!!

Also check out their website.. www.oztri.com.au 

 

 

oztri article

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| February 25, 2013
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Coles Bay 2013, Race Report

mattycolesbay

I was asked to race in Tasmania as part of Team latitude which is run by my good mate Guy Besley last month and I had no hesitation in saying yes as I have never been to Tassie before. Team Latitide is a concept whereby our main focus is to support local grassroots triathlon and give back to the sport where we all came from. We raced the Port Douglas Long Course in September as part of the team which involved Mitch Anderson, Tim Berkel, Dan Robins, Adam Gordon and a few others, I managed to win that race in a sprint finish with Tim Berkel so I was hopeful of doing the same in Tassie.

My last race before Coles Bay was a success in some ways by winning the Albany Long Course race early January but unfortunately being disqualified after crossing the line first, taking that in to account I was still looking at going 2 from 2  to start the year off. Upon arriving in Hobart I was totally prepared for a wild, windy and cold couple of days on the coast, but I was pleasantly surprised by warm and somewhat tropical weather (yes I did say tropical and Tasmania in the same sentence).

The Race setting in Coles Bay is probably as close to perfect as one could possibly imagine, with picturesque surroundings, crystal blue waters and white sands lining the coast around the region which is located about an hour and half drive from Hobart. The roads are hilly and by no means easy in terms of riding, and after driving these roads I held no doubt that this race would be a tough one. Last years winner and local hero James Hodge was not racing after competing in Geelong the week before, but my work would be cut out with fellow Team Latitude member and Sydney local Michael Murphy, Adam Gordon, Dan Robins and some Tassie locals.

A few of the Team Latitude Boys

A few of the Team Latitude Boys

The race started on the beach in Coles Bay with a 2 lap journey in the crystal waters of the bay where I exited the water in 3rd behind Murphy and a local athlete. After having a week in Thailand on a holiday the week before this event and not having touched my bike I wasn’t at all hopeful of a strong bike leg, so my main objective was to stay in touch and unleash a solid run. I managed to ride with a strong Tassie local Hayden Armstrong and caught Murphy at the 20km mark. I was utilising this race as a form finder with the main goal of Ironman Melbourne next month so this type of training and hard riding was crucial.

I hit T2 with Murphy and Armstrong after a solid bike ride and hit the run with the idea of maintaining a consistent pace throughout the 21km run, the run leg at Coles Bay was 16km of sand running which certainly added to the toughness of this event, but in saying that I really enjoyed the challenge as I gradually pulled away from Murphy half way through the first lap.

Me and the boys

Me and the boys

I held the lead for the whole 21km and crossed the line about 3 minutes ahead of Murph making it a Team Latitude one, two!

This race is certainly one that I will come back and race again, as the scenery and beauty of the place is unsurpassed, the only unfortunate thing was that I could only take it in during a 4 hr half ironman!

A big thanks again to the organisation who facilitated our team to come down and also guy Besley who works tirelessly in organising an unorganised bunch of athletes! This was certainly a weekend I will not forget in a hurry.

Thanks Tassie

 

Matty

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| February 8, 2013
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Coles Bay Half ironman, here we come!

coles bay half

Written by Guy Besley, Latitude Travel Services,

Team Latitude prepares for Coles Bay;

Next Saturday the might and power of the Hahn Super Dry Team Latitude :-) will be hitting the course of Coles Bay for the Coles Bay Half Ironman Triathlon. Expectations are high for the boys, looking to snag all podium spots, although it may not be so easy. Matty White is relaxing in Thailand as we speak and the great young hope, Justin Brewer hasn’t seen his legs since Busso 8 weeks ago and has done no training.

Team Latitude

Tim Berkel

So it looks like the pressure will be on Tim Berkel, Current Australian 70.3 champion, to bring home the bacon, although he is racing Geelong this weekend which will make it hard for him to back up! But I have faith. Also, lets not look past Dan Robins, another of the young guns set to prove himself next weekend, and Adam Gordon, coming off a second place in the Pro men at the Hell of the West last weekend.

That said, I will have eyes on Murph (michael murphy), he is the BP of the team (the quiet achiever, lol) and he could pull out a win, I reckon he will be out to prove a point against the big names of White and Berkel.

Either way it will be a cracking race with some great talent both young and old racing at Coles Bay in Tasmania.

Team Latitude

Murph on the Charge

I am hoping to be able to watch the race, as I am hitting the starting line for the Team Subsidiary; Team Fatitude, in the sprint race and I’m already feeling the pain, compounded by a disastrous return to the bike last night… lol. So chances are I will be non compus to watch much of the half.

I should mention the “fill-in” Chef de Mission, Woodsy, he will be having a crack at the sprint too, he believes he may be inducted into the Team Fatitude hall of Fame, but his times will need to fall substantially to even get a look into the eclusive Team Fatitude Subsidiary!

Our main man, and Chef de Mission, Dr Mitch Anderson, is a late DNS, he decided that the competition was too fierce from the boys in the Team so has decided to sit this one out ;-) OK, not exactly a true story, but Ill run with it…. :-)

Mmmmmm

Mmmmmm

We are all looking very forward to a race and having a few Hahn Super Drys with the Taswegians at Coles Bay!!! Bring it on…

Want to know more about Team Latitude? Check our website. www.teamlatitude.com

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| January 7, 2013
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Trek Albany Half

albany2

I signed up to Race the TREK Albany Half Race after meeting the race organisers in Mandurah at the 70.3 event last year, and I love supporting new inaugural races and even more love coming over to WA as I have had some success there of late especially after coming close to winning Ironman WA, so the decision was easy to forego my xmas break and head west in early Jan.

After Ironman WA I usually have a break until the new year, but looking at my schedule this year I really did not have much racing on until Ironman Melbourne this which made me push through with my training until Albany and see what happens and more importantly to see if the body had recovered from a hard Ironman. A week before Albany I raced a triple sprint aquathon at Glenelg as part of the Bay sports Festival, I had not raced this event for about 5 years as it really does not suit me with the 1.7km run/2x250m swim/1.7/2x250m/1.7km format just so fast and involving a lot of wading and surf skills, but the race director is a good supporter of mine and I decided to support him by racing the event even though I was not confident at all of even finishing in the top ten with so many young fast guys there.

I shocked myself and managed to finish 3rd in the event just behind a couple of young Nutri Grain surf ironman guys, who really taught me a lesson in how to wade in and out of the water. The only thing I did win however was best vomit across the line! (and I didn’t get DQd for that either!) as the speed and format really took it out of me and I was over the moon to do well in a sprint event 3 weeks after an ironman so the signs were good for Albany the next week. I left on Thursday morning early and had a massive delay at the airport causing me to miss all my connections to Albany and having to stay in Perth for the night, I was not aware at the time but should have known this was a sign of things to come for my adventure west!

After checking into my fantastic accom at The Pelicans Resort I met up with Matt Burton, Leon Griffen and Mikey Gee for a cruise around the bike course and a few coffees. After that I was ready to hit the ground running and try and take a victory in this picturesque event. Being race number 1 added a bit of pressure obviously and my main concerns were Griffo and Guy Crawford, Guy is a great athlete and when he is on a good day he can really do some damage on the swim and bike, he did this in 70.3 Busselton a few years ago so I was well aware of his abilities, and Griffo needs no intro as his results across the world speak for themselves making him one of the toughest athletes I race against.

albany1

Race start was early as usual in WA with the sun rising at 4.30 and with a beach start I watched helplessly as Guy’s long legs bounded out toward the Great Southern Ocean like a Giraffe bounding away from a game hunter! he quickly gapped my small group which contained Griffo and Simon Billuea and we came out the crystal clear ocean with about 1:30min deficit.

This race is tough that is for sure with a steep climb straight out of T1 for a few kms then a steep downhill which was fantastic as it provided great views of the Gulf and Ocean, plus it took away the pain of the earlier Berg! I felt good on the bike and tried to peg back Guy with Griffo. Billeua decided to ride his own race and wait for the run much to man from Bendigo’s disgust and this was played out on the podium later on in the day! The ride is an out and back 90km with some solid undulations and some false flats so if you are a strong rider this race is for you!

At about the 60km mark I took on a small energy drink which accidentally slipped out of my mouth and in doing so I attempted to catch it, which then ended up on the road as I hit a slight bump while drinking it! Unfortunately there was an official there who gave me a red card, I asked if that was it and was I DQd? And he stated that we will talk about it later. To straighten out this whole thing, I am not disputing the call at all, it was an accident and no matter which way you look at it rubbish landed on the road from me so there was nothing I could do about it but to accept the call. There was no point argueing or wasting energy as I had clearly dropped the bottle outside an aid station, my point in this matter is why I was not DQd there and then?

albany

I hit T2 and heard that I was about 4 minutes down on Guy who was obviously having a cracking day in his home state of WA. I set off in chase knowing that my running has been going well lately I thought I might have a chance especially with half of the run being on the sand plus I took off hard as I was worried about Griffo. I eventually caught Guy at about 12km and really worked hard to make the catch. Once I had about a minute lead I decided to find a rhythm and get to the finish to take the win.

Crossing the line first was great as there was a huge crowd and a lot of local support for me which is why I love heading West to race, plus heaps of media as well which was great for the race promotion. I ended up doing about 4 media interviews and photos before I was told I was DQd for littering on the bike. This annoyed me more than anything as I felt sorry for the race organisers who made an effort to attract the media down there in the first place and they had wasted their time talking to me who was now DQd. I just wish the penalty would have suited the crime as no advantage was gained from this at all for the me. In retrospect I received a 5min penalty for accidentally cutting the course in Shepparton a few years ago when the lead car took me through the wrong roundabout, and as most people have said in response to this you would get less for drafting!

albany3

Overall to all the people who have made their own judgement on what happened I hope you read this and respect the fact that I admit to dropping a bottle on the course and have no issue with this, I am sure everyone has had this happen in a long course race. The issue I have is the harshness of the penalty especially when we are racing for a livelihood and to support a young family. The 2nd point is that being made to run a hard 21km when I should have been DQd at the time was just ludicrous as it would have given Guy the chance to cross the line first and limit the negative publicity for the race itself.

I really enjoyed my time in Albany and a huge thanks to the organisers for making my stay memorable. I am sure this race will double in size in a few years as its not only a great unique race but a nice holiday destination for familes in the new year. I hope this clears everything up and thanks everyone for their support that weekend, it was a great way to start the year with a win albeit not official and good to know the form is still there after a long year. Also a big congrats to Guy Crawford and Kate Bevilaqua for winning in their home state, and with the prize money they can now get their cat out of quarantine and give it a full manicure and pedicure package!

Matty

 

 

 

 

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