My Noosa Triathlon 2013 Experience

Before I get into the juicy details of my Noosa triathlon experience for this year, I just have to say a massive thanks to Claire for wrangling the kids, both on the day of the race and during all the lead up things I had to do. A task which was made more difficult by her back pain. And also thanks to Graham, for road tripping for up the day to add to my cheer squad, take photos, and help wrangle kids.


Pre Race


Due to the massive number of competitors at Noosa, check in and kit collection is done on the Friday arvo or Saturday before the race, and bikes are racked the day before.


So Friday arvo arrived, and I joined the far queue for check-in, and of course it was in the blazing hot sun...

After getting the race kit, and checking that my ankle timing tag worked, I ventured into the expo. I wasn't happy with my current aero water bottle, I wanted one of the torpedo style aero bottles... Bingo! I found one in the expo, and I was going to do something that you should never do on race day, try something new...

Saturday morning we headed back into Noosa, so I could rack my bike. Unlike some races, where you get an allocated rack position based on your number, the racking at Noosa is a free for all, with a section for each age group.


Bike racked... Tyres deflated... Row number noted...

Now off to the beach to find Claire and the kids. Once I found them, the next stop was the beach coffee cart – the fact the barista was in a bikini was just a bonus...


After I had a little play in the water with the kids, I felt like a short swim around the “swim between the flags” buoys. I forgot how much my board shorts acted like a parachute... That was harder work!


Then it was off to the Noosa Surf Club for light lunch a few last minute liquid carbs.


After lunch we came back to Coolum, spent the afternoon relaxing, and got my race day kit together.

It was then time for an early, dinner, and early off to bed...


3:30am … BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ!! …


RACE DAY!!!!!!

With so many people racing Noosa and the relatively tight course, wave starts are the order of the day.

The Elite men and women start at 6:15 and 6:16 respectively, followed by another 41 waves of age group competitors, then 12 team wave starts. Totally 55 waves from 6:15 to 9:44... I was due to start at 8:26.

Due to the early start time transition closed at 6:00, which meant being at Noosa by about 5 am – which was very early for the awesome support crew!!

After my transition was set, I had breakfast, a coffee, ensured I remained hydrated and watched the Elites (and early age groupers) set off...as well as the Elites finish.

Downing a bottle a gatorade an hour before start time and I was ready to go!!

SWIM....SWIM....!!!

Unlike many triathlons, where the event starts from the beach and the masses run into the sea, Noosa is a deep water start.  About 20 minutes before i was due to start, i made my way from watching the Elite male winner cross the finish to the start.

At this stage i'm always nervous that i've got the wrong time for my wave. Luckily, each wave has a different colour swim cap - my wave had pink! Quick check...yep, plenty of pink caps mingling and warming up. So into the lagoon i dove...trying to forget about the sea-snake which had freaked out the Elite females, at their start!

Rolling the arms around, with a few efforts, felt good. Out of the water i got for a few minutes rest before the start, and i ran into a mate who was starting in the wave after me. All of a sudden, the pink caps all entered the water...wished Andy good luck and then it was GO TIME!!

I know i'm not the world's fastest swimmer so i started toward the back of the wave. Last year at Noosa i copped a few punches and kicks in the swim, which freaked me out a bit and i struggled for the rest of the swim.  This year my plan was to relax, concentrate on my form and breathing and what ever happened - DON'T STOP SWIMMING!

Well it worked...my swim was a few minutes faster than last year (and apparently it was long - with people's Garmin data showing between 1650m and 1750m.)

RIDE...!!!

So into transition i ran, goggles off, swim cap off. Some people just ditch the swim cap - but mine was pink, and Em loves pink...so swim the cap was saved!

...ok...where's lane 42...ah there it is.  Now, in my previous attempts at Olympic distance races it's been quite easy to find my bike ... this time however, there were actually a number of bikes around mine still racked!! WOO HOO!! My swim is getting faster!!!!

OK...gel down ... drink some water ... helmet, sunnies, bike shoes on (still keeping it simple and not trying the flying leap into shoes whilst running with bike) shove a few gels in pockets ... grab bike and off i go!!

The first bit of the ride is quite technical - narrow sections, round-a-bouts, speed humps - then the roads open up and it's a great rise...

About 10 km into the ride we head up! It's about a 100 m rise in 3 km - so it's not tough but it does interrupt your rhythm.

As i started to ride the hill, i sat up out of the aerobars and thought i'd take a drink...well...that didn't go too well! I grabbed the bottle from the cage behind me seat, and it slipped out of my hand and started to roll back down the hill...

FUCK! 

... ok... pull over, get off bike, run down hill after it... Ordinarily i would have left it, but as it was hot i wanted to ensure i had enough water (with electrolyte).

So, back i the bike i jump and get about completing the rest of the hill...

 

I found the ride a bit tricky to pace - i didn't want to go too hard, as i knew i still had to run and it was only going to get hotter.  There were a number of cyclists on the road who were significantly slower than me, and a few who were significantly faster.  In theory, Noosa is a non-drafting ride, meaning you can't just sit behind somebody else. But in reality, the course is pretty crowded, so to not draft you need to sit a bit further out in the road... So now we have people passing some people, people passing everybody, and people trying not to draft. This leads to a lot of looking around and general upsetting of rhythm. I suppose with experience this'll get easier.

 

Now it was time for the downhill - which drops the same 100m, but in about 1500m.  Long term readers of my drivel may remember that I'm the world's worst descender, so while others were smashing down at speeds approaching 80kph (or more) i was gently rolling down in the mid 40s. My max speed for the ride was actually recorded on the slight downhill just after the turnaround.

 

Passing the local Primary School, i can see the temperature has risen from 29 C to 34 C while i was on the bike... aarrgghhh...this run could be fun!

 

 

 

Back into town was uneventful, again dodging weaving, and being dodged and weaved, as the course tightened again...and through the cheering crowd. 

 

 

there's my entourage "Woo, Hoo! Hey Gang!!" - and on to the transition.

 

 

RUN, RUN, RUN...!!!

 

And off the bike i get...my legs give it a bit of "whoww...what are we doing now..." but after a few seconds it's all good.  Before i enter transition a quick look to the right and i can see those who started earlier finishing and relaxing under the hoses...ok, focus, rack bike and go!!!

 

Quick change of gear, mouthful of water/electrolyte, grab a gel, and GO!!

 

Onto the run, quick thumbs up to Claire, the kids and Graham and run!

 

The. Run. Was. HOT!!  

 

Last year the run got the better of me, so this year i was determined to go a little easier, monitor my HR, and get through.

 

The first few km's were good, HR at a good level, pace good, and i was grabbing a sip of water at each aid station, running through hoses - everything i could to keep cool and assist my body to keep cool so i didn't put that extra stress of cooling on my system.

 

Through 5k, still feeling pretty good - but at 6k the wheels fell off...i think i was just cooked! Between 6k and 9k I employed a run / walk strategy.  I downed a gel at 7k but that didn't really help - having said that, it didn't actually hurt either.

 

By 9k I was feeling ok again, and with the noise coming from the sides and knowing I was almost home I was able to run properly again!

 

The support toward the end was great (actually it was great for the entire course), cheers from random people -  supporters of other athletes, other athletes, and just random supporters, and High 5's from kids is enough to get you home!

 

It was also great to get the cheers of support on course from the other MPTC crew competing!

 

AND DONE!!

 

At the end of the day i was pretty happy with my performance - yes, i would have liked to get through quicker - but for my first hit of for the season (and getting back recently from injuries) there's no complaints. I'm really happy that i got through the race without injury!!

After a quick dip in the lagoon, a drink of about 47 litres of sports drink and water, and eating 16 watermelons, it was time to go and find the family...

There they are!!

Not sure what i'm saying here - but was i was suggested that i was saying how far off winning i was, to which Claire replied "there, there dear - you've had too much sun..."

Massive thanks to Claire and the kids for the support, and Graham and Cameron from coming up from Ipswich!!

And look... Em and Cameron were cute on at least one occasion! 

I can see clearly now....

How can the Jamaican Bobsled Team not inspire you?!?!
and, thank goodness the weather has cleared up in Melbournetown!

Swim sprint reps... not so much faster, as just less efficient...

I've really enjoyed swimming with my new Garmin 910xt - Happy Father's Day, from my awesome Family!

It's giving me all sorts of great data...well actually, it's giving me data, that's not as great as i had hoped for.  Essentially, what it's telling me is - Yes, i can swim and keep swimming, distance is no drama...but speed...um nup, nothing, nada, zilch...

So this morning i thought, OK...i'm feeling good...short, sharp swim - let's hit some sprint reps.  So ok, session went thus...actually i thought session went thus...

Warm up - 500m easy.

Main Set - 25 flat out / 25 recovery, repeat X 10.

Cool down - 500 easy.

So no distance, but a hard main set (for me).

Now, thanks to the wonders of Garmin...what actually happened...

Warm up - 500 easy.

Main set - 25 hard (actually going no faster than my 3k pace) / 25 recovery (going about 5% slower than hard.

Cool down - 500 easy.

So it appears that my version of swimming hard is to waste a lot of energy, going no faster than when i just relax and swim.

With Noosa triathlon about a month away I don't think i want to re-learn to swim before then. But after that it's over 3 months until Challenge Melbourne and over 4 months to Ironman Melbourne...so after that i think i should get some stroke correction / technique lessons, and consider squad. 

Watching the Surf Coast Century - my random thoughts!

This post has taken a long time to write, and kept getting really long winded and, well...crap!  So i've just cut it back to something that is hopefully readable.  Also, i think it needs some pics, I might add some later....

So...GO!

My previous post was about somebody else's amazing journey around a 100km trail run. Graham's Surf Coast Century in pictures. This post is about what i got out of the day, from the various people i encountered.  

Watching / supporting an endurance event, such as a 100 km trail run, isn't like watching somebody do a short fun run or triathlon. In those events, you generally stay in one spot and just wait up to an hour, and the people you're supporting come back.

With events such as the Surf Coast Century, you could have just stayed at the start / finish area, but his would only allow sightings at the start, the half way and end. Even if you went to all the checkpoints / fuel stops, this would still only mean seeing people every hour or so.

Luckily, i'm fairly familiar with the area, had a good map, a 4WD and a sense of adventure. So i set about to generally catch up with Graham so often that by the end of it he'd think he was hallucinating...

If memory serves correct, i think i managed to appear by the side of the track 18 times (including the start and finish).  

By the 70km mark (or thereabouts) a few of the 100km competitors, other than Graham, were commenting to me that i was everywhere. And by the 90km mark they were actually thanking me for my continued support of them throughout the day!

As an athlete myself (that bit still sounds crap - but it's what i wanted to say) i know how good the support of random strangers can be, so hopefully i helped make the 100km just that little bit easier for a few others. 
There's been ongoing discussion about whether an IM tri, or a 100km trail run is harder. After witnessing both, i don't think it's fair to compare. Hopefully one day i'll be able to make an informed judgement (from experience - never say never!)

But either way - the winners from both events finish in the 8 hour range, and the rest of the field tootle in at a later stage - they're both hard work and require dedication and commitment to training, a realistic race plan, and well planned nutrition plan!

Obviously watching Graham and the other 100 km runners was a huge inspiration, and gave me a glimpse of what my day may entail on IM day.

Some of the runners i saw at the 10km mark already looked slightly stuffed and like they were in for a very long day - interestingly, most of them looked the same every time i saw them over the next 11 hours!

What i also found interesting, was nutrition plans. While some people stuck to, what would be considered, the "normal" endurance plan were going places i can't consider even when i'm not training/racing.  There was one particular lady, that i saw at every food station, who had a slab of cake and a can of red bull!  I suppose that just goes to show, that whatever works for you is great - but just practice!!

Unfortunately, endurances races sometimes don't go to plan and this was the case for one of the female competitors i encountered about 55km in, out the back of Anglesea.  As it turns out, it was last years winner, Shona Stephenson (here --> http://trailrunningaustralia.com/) and her asthma had got the better of her.

Being the all round nice guy that i am, i gave Shona a lift back to the start finish area. Not being a massive follower of the trail running scene, i had no idea who she was at the time.

Even though she was obviously shattered from having to withdraw from the race, she was still friendly and we chatted about random things from kids, to asthma, to injuries, and running shoes - who knows, i may even check out the Inov8 range now (but i'm pretty happy with my Vibram 5F).

And i suppose that just sums up the trail running spirit...even at an elite level, it really is a friendly sport!

Graham's Surf Coast Century in Pictures...

Watching others undertake crazy adventures, is what drives me to continue on my path to craziness.  And not just the actual event, but also the training.

With the advent of "social training media" such as Garmin Connect, Strava, run keeper, etc, i can keep track of what my crazy friends are doing, whilst i do similar.

At present i've got friends training for marathons, and all sorts of triathlons...

But at present the Captain Crazy Award goes to a good mate of mine, Graham Whittaker, who over the weekend competed in the Surf Coast Century 100km trail run.

Linky to race details --->>> CLICK HERE 

It's a run through along the Surf Coast beaches and through the near coastal parts of the Otway Ranges, linky to the course --->>> CLICK HERE 

To quote from the website... 
 

The Surf Coast Century will lead competitors through an incredibly diverse range of beautiful landscapes across the complete 100km... from running below towering ocean sea cliffs to weaving between towering tree ferns, competitors will run past lighthouses, waterfalls, scenic lookouts, renowned surf beaches (heard of Bells?), surf life saving clubs, remote wilderness and almost everything in between. This will be a 100km journey where no two footsteps are the same.

Graham has never ran a 100km ultramarathon before, his previous longest run was the 56k Two Bays Trail Run. And it's fair to say that this year he smashed it!

And Graham being the kind, giving person that he is decided to raise money to help a local (to Graham) Ipswich boy Blaise, who is suffering from Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy --->>> CLICK for more info or to donate to Blaise.

I could go into heaps of detail about the race, or i could just post pictures. Because as all runners will know you can tell a lot about how someone is going physically, mentally, emotionally just by their running form and expression.

So, on with the show!!

If you need to wait somewhere for the runners, looking from Point Addis toward Bells Beach & Torquay isn't too bad a spot!

Entering the 10k checkpoint at Point Addis.

And you thought the rocks were fun...welcome to the world famous Bells Beach, here's some soft sand!

No Graham, you can't go for a surf until you've run another 85k...

Leaving Bells Beach...

Graham and fellow BTR runner Michelle, playing up to the cheering crowd at Torquay, about 21km in.

Thumbs up! 21k down, 79k to go... 

On the trail above Bells Beach, about 27k down.

Damn it's hard work sitting in the sun watching and waiting...

Little creek crossing at Anglesea, approaching half way...Graham charges through, while the bloke behind looks a little sceptical...

Creek crossed...thumbs up - all good!

49k checkpoint done, let's go!!

70k down, and getting stuck into some AmazeBalls!

Powering out of the 77km checkpoint... Mentally strong, physically...hmm...well mentally strong!

86k down, heading into Airey's Inlet, hurting but still positive. Graham was starting to doubt whether he'd go sub 12...

92k down, struggling down the hill onto the beach. The second he saw the tide was outgoing and hard sand awaited, he was happy (in a thank god it's not soft sand sort of way!)

How far to go...5km! The end is nigh!!

Just in case you missed it...that's 95k down, 5k to go!

Finishing chute...enough said!

Emotional overload...what a day!

And DONE!!!...Happy...Shattered...

Well done mate, a great run and i was glad i could be part of it!!

A Relaxing Weekend In Lorne ... Alternative Title - Damn Those Hills Are BIG!!

This weekend just passed was that time of year, when cyclists of all abilities descend on Lorne to race 110 km (or ride - depending upon your goal) along the Great Ocean Road, and the Otway Ranges to raise money and awareness for cycling safety, in the name of The Amy Gillett Foundation.

For those of you who are unaware of the Amy Gillett Foundation...this line is a link...CLICK IT!!

Those of you who have been long-term listeners of my ramblings may remember that I got gastro en-route to this event last year, and instead of racing spent the weekend in bed.  Fortunately, this year was a happier trip!

So as is our way, Friday after work / school / kids' swimming lessons, we set off on a family weekend away to Lorne.  We stayed in an apartment on the main street of Lorne, so we were never too far from the activities.

Saturday morning I had a little sleep in before heading out for a run.  I think i missed the memo which said that this weekend was only about cycling...

So i donned my trusty Vibrams and set off. The run was a mix of beach (sand with a few rocky sections), boardwork, graded undulating gravel tracks and a bit of a mid run hill climb. The hill was about 700 m with an average grade of about 7%, up a muddy, grassy path. I didn't know that ground that steep could get that wet! But ankle deep mud in the Vibrams was kind of cool and it gave me an excuse to head home via the creek, to clean then!!

For those that know Lorne, here's a screen shot of where i went...

And here's a pic of my muddy shoes (which afterwards got hosed down, and are still drying) and my Garmin...riveting stuff, i know!!

 

After breaky and stuff we went to find coffee, and play in the park. That was closely followed by the kids playing multiple board games, because 1 board game at at time just isn't challenging enough!

Ok, back to the reason where here... Amy's Gran Fondo!

Prior to the race, is the mandatory race briefing and number / race pack collection.  The race for the door after the briefing, and subsequent avoidance of the long queue, is almost as hotly contested as the race!!

As all endurance athletes know, the key to a great race, is carbo-loading.  Well, as most of us are also aware, a lot of holiday accommodation doesn't cater for preparation of massive meals.  This pan was full, of chicken and veges, before the pasta was even thought of!!

And of course, you can't actually compete in an event of any type without laying out your gear the night before and posting a photo of it on your chosen form of social media.

Oh, and just for the record, the beer was last minute carb loading ;)

I got up early on race morning, wandered down the street to find coffee and was greeted by this sunrise...which was nothing short of amazing!

As the start time approached, i gathered up my awesome support crew...

...and wandered toward the start.

In accordance with the Rules of the Velominati, gear on the bike is limited to two frame mounted water bottles (i think the little under seat baggy may have contravened the rules though). With the remainder of my gear jammed into the jersey pockets....rain jacket, nutrition for 120km, extra nutrition in case i drop stuff, pump, phone... It's amazing how much crap you can fit in 3 pockets!!

Ok...bike ride.  Everyone who has driven along the Great Ocean Rd will know how spectacular it is...

So, once the ride began, i was faced with two options:

1 - sit on the wheel of the cyclist in-front of me, and try and hang on in a peloton for 110 km. OR

2 - ENJOY THE VIEW!!

Easy call really!

The ride itself, as shown on the map below, starts in Lorne and travels about 40 km along the undulating, winding coastal road. This section of the route is just awesome - some of the most spectacular roads you will ever travel along, and NO cars!!

I knew that at 38.5 km, we would be turning right and heading up. The whole way along this stretch of road, the cliff to your right is quite steep. In fact on more than one occasion i was wondering how the hell we were going to find a way up the hill!

But right on cue, there it was...the climb. There was no easing into, it was go... pretty much 5% from start to finish. There were a few flatter sections, but none to really give you too much of a chance to relax...

For the data freaks out there, the climb from Skenes Creek to Skenes Creek North is as follows:

• 9.52 km
• 491 vertical m
• average grade 5.2%

As far as climbs go, i found it quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, i had stomach cramps not long after the start of the climb, so thought i'd better try and climb with a reduced heart rate. 

But, i'm still pretty happy with the climb:

• 42min 20 seconds
• ave speed 13.5 km/hr
• ave HR 148
• ave power 180W (estimated by Strava)

The ride then continues across the ridge line for another 7 km or so, before dropping down the back of the range...The next 20 km was all downhill and i did it no faster than the flats... 

I CAN'T DESCEND!!!

After the major descent, the next 25 km, were flat / undulating.  That was fun again. I mostly rode solo, occasionally catching a group and then jumping off the front trying to drag them along...just for a bit of fun, but no-one was really playing ;) Still jumping off the front of packs is was a great workout!

The other major climb is from Deans Marsh up to Benwerrin. This climb starts near the 100 km mark.  I did this climb earlier in the year, so i knew what i was in for.  Overall, it's a longer climb that the first one, but doesn't have anywhere near as much gain. It also has several areas of flat and downhill - neither of which existed on the first climb!

The data on this climb is:

• 12.1 km
• 262 vertical m

My details (and the details from my previous attempt are:

• 46 min 40 sec (April 49:15)
• ave speed 15.7 kph (April 14.8 kph)
• ave HR 144 bpm (April 157 bpm)

As i mentioned earlier, the Climb started after 100 km this ride, having already climbed Skenes Creek Hill.  In April the climb started after about 73 km of relatively flat riding.

I was pretty happy with this climb, and think that my cycling fitness and strength has improved markedly in the last 6 months.

I'm also very happy with my nutrition / hydration / electrolyte plan - at no stage did i feel low on energy or cramp.

As i sit here and write this (the day after) my quads and calves are a little sore, but that also may have been the run on Saturday...

Hopefully, in the next 12 months i'll learn to descend, and come back and give the top 25% of my Age Group a shake, and get one of those medals!!

So to every cyclist out there...YOU NEED TO DO THIS RIDE!

And to every non-cyclist out there...YOU NEED TO GET A BIKE, GET FIT & DO THIS RIDE!!