In the previous years, we ventured off to Pizza Hut for all you can eat dinner the night before but this year, I decided to eat something which my stomach is used to - white rice (with coconut oil & salt), grilled salmon and a yoghurt and cucumber salad. Easy on the stomach and I didn't feel too bloated going to bed.
In the morning, I woke up at 4:30am but leaped out of bed by 4:45am. Had a banana and yoghurt for breakfast with half a bottle of gatorade. Got all my drinks and stuff ready for the day. We drove to the lake at about 5:30am and there was a traffic jam but luckily I just hopped out of the car and then the Canadian parked the car at the competitor's parking area.
In transition, I had everything set up to what I was use to in previous races. I stopped running with a hat around November of 2012 and haven't had one since. I don't wear socks in the bike ride and not in the run for a 21.1km (I wear socks in the Ironman run only). Left the Vaseline in transition to apply after the bike ride to either soothe or prevent further chaffing for the run. Thank goodness I didn't forget anything this year.
Went to do my last minute toilet visits in the transition area (as the line for the main toilets looked too long for the ratio of toilets available) and then I headed off to the TA tent for suiting up. What I had forgotten to do before I put on my wettie was Vaseline (between the legs and I paid for it big time - rookie mistake).
The wave starts changed to minimise congestion so the Male 40-44 (largest wave) started after the pros. For me Female 30-34 started at 7:07 instead of 7:00. Not much difference. The infamous walk to the wave start took forever and I didn't have enough time to warm up (I got into the water after the pro men took off) but had a few minutes to acclimatise to the cold temps of the lake.
Swim - 39:23 (37 out of 57)
I decided to stay to the right of pack (my comfortable position). When the gun went off, it took a while before I found any space but I did stick by people's feet for a bit. The first lap was good. I sighted well and made sure my technique was consistent. I increased my intensity during the long swim past the exit. I even found myself passing a few people from the previous wave.
The swim back pass the starting line was when the wave behind me caught up and they tried to swim above me. I had a huge punch in the back of my head which sent me down into the lake and out of breath (more from shock) for a few seconds. I quickly composed myself and tried to get the heart rate down. This was the only part of the swim where I stopped to look up.
Prior to that I saw (what I thought) was a yellow turning buoy but it ended up not being part of the course...confused the hell out of me.
When I saw the swim exit again, I kicked my legs more to get the blood flowing and to also stop the people behind from trying to swim above me. The two area where I find the most aggression in the water is the start at the exit.
When I saw that I had a 3 in the finish time of the swim, I was happy as I knew that I had done a swim PB for this course.
Nutrition - 1 caffeine gel 15min before wave start and 0.5 bottle of Gatorade.
T1 - 2:34 (19 out of 57)
I don't put on cycling knicks or cycling gloves and I think this is where I did make up the time in transition. No eating a banana in transition like last year either.
Bike - 3:10:24 (43 out of 57)
I got really frustrated on the bike leg. I always get passed by hundreds of people. This time around, there was little wind so the intensity was pretty consistent all the way around. I enjoyed the bike more than last year as I didn't have lead legs.
Had a gel at about 2km from T1 and then every 35min. I decided to try a different hydration strategy this year and had a salt/gatorade solution instead of a concentrated salt solution and water separately. I tried my best to drink on the bike but just couldn't finish a whole bidon within 45km. I think I drank about 2/3 and threw it out before moving the 2nd bottle to the front.
I was so happy to see people when I came back from the first 45km. I smiled from ear to ear.
I only drank about 1/3 of my second bottle of hydration on the second lap as I felt I was busting to go to the toilet.
Nutrition - 6 x Gels. 1 x 750ml of Gatorade/salt solution.
T2 - 2:35 (26 out of 57)
This was a quick transition for me as well as I didn't have bike knicks to remove over my shoes unlike last year and I just dropped off the bike, took off helmet and slipped on my running shoes.
Run - 2:33 (52 out of 57)
As I mentioned in my previous post. The wheels came apart in my run. I cramped from about 2km onwards. A jog when I was feeling OK and then a walk through the aid stations and whenever my quads and toes seized up. I had only had one experience of this before at the half marathon in October and only when I spoke to my coaches and then subsequently my dad that I found out it is actually cramping.
I guess is is why my quads hurt for weeks after my events as I am trying to push myself when I am cramping and hence impacting on the knees.
One toilet stop on the first lap of the run (after I grabbed my first wrist band) and this is where I dropped my pain killers into the toilet. Booooo!
Had coke and water at every aid station and poured water over my head to cool down. I felt that it was much warmer this year compared to last year. I knew I had exceeded my goal time but I kept pushing through the day. The aid stations distances were not as well placed as Melbourne but I kept with my nutrition plan as much as I could. I stuffed up my Garmin (same as last year) and so I had to make sure that I was properly timing myself to have nutrition at every 30min.
Nutrition - 4 gels, plenty of water and coke.
My total time was 6:28:31 coming in 47 out of 57 for my age group. I am disappointed that my run didn't pan out the way I had "hoped" but I couldn't expect anything better as I had done no running since Noosa. Although water running helps with the running muscles, it doesn't compare to actually getting out on the road and your feet hitting the bitumen.
Just comparing times from last year (and conditions being slightly better this year):
Swim: 2012 - 41:23, 2013 - 39:23 (an exact 2min improvement)
T1: 2012 - 3:58, 2013 - 2:34 (improvement of > 1:20)
Bike: 2012 - 3:13:18, 2013 - 3:10:24 (improvement of approx 2min - less windy this year, higher average)
T2: 2012 - 2:49, 2013 - 2:35 (went up the right rack and less clothing changes)
Run: 2012 - 2:14:42, 2013 - 2:33:32 (about 15min slower than last year)
I went back to Geelong to my parent's house to pick my my little dog Lucy and was speaking to my dad. Apparently, cramping is something which is quite big in my family and something which I use to get more often when I was little. My dad told me that my little brother had to be brought into a hospital once as it entire body seized up and couldn't move - his arms, fingers, legs and toes all clenched from cramping! I hope that doesn't happen to me anytime soon.
Lessons learnt:
- Apply Vaseline to needed areas before putting on wetsuit. Now my "area" looks like I have slit myself with a small knives
- Repair, Run, Recover (a new set of legs would be awesome too)
- Increase salt intake up to a week before event, start training with salt tablets.
- Tape painkillers on the bike
- Swim-drafting behind someone's feet really does help but you have to monitor the intensity!
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Running towards finisher's chute
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