Geelong 70.3 (Team Event) - Breaking it down...

So I have just raced Challenge Melbourne and the next (race) session to tick off the list is Geelong 70.3 where I will be doing the swim and the bike and a friend will be doing the half marathon.

The swim is a 1.9km P-shaped polygon (of some sort) of Eastern Beach. I remembered that I actually enjoyed the swim last year and sighted well. Another opportunity to work on sighting and pack-swimming.

The ride is a 2 x 45km loop which I enjoyed last year as it was not as boring as the Shepparton course. You have to ride through the park and then onto the main roads then into the side streets. The bike course is quite exposed and you do feel the winds. Hopefully this year I will have more confidence coming down the hills and more strength riding up the inclines. I will once again practice my race nutrition, alternating between my homemade gel (in flask) and Torq gels. I always have a mint Gu within the first few hundred meters of my ride to get rid of the salty taste in my mouth. Will have salt solution separate to water this time around to see how the body copes and if I still have the urge for a toilet stop.

After passing on the timing chip to Tim (Burger) Watts, I will then go for a run off the bike. I will see how I am feeling and push for 14km+.

After this weekend, I will be doing the long rides, long runs and long open water swims building up until March 2014. There is one more event which I am doing - it is the Big Bay Swm (3.2km) from Port Melbourne to Williamstown and then will be doing my long run in the afternoon.

Geelong Long Course 2013

Another reason why I wanted to do Geelong was to spend time with the family. We are currently still within the Chinese New Year celebration (week) where families spend some time together.