I am unsure if there are any unwritten rules on race report subject copyright. If there are then I offer my sincerest of apologies, Bugz.
But,
"Sometimes, you just suck."
My warm up procedures left me feeling as I usually do pre race.
However, I was a little more stressed and anxious than usual because of transition access being delayed due to lack of preparation (not on my part).
Like always, I'd taken time prior to the start picking my spot. I'd decided on the right hand side and, luckily, I was fourth in line for introduction so I managed to get exactly where I wanted.
Space was left for, hopefully, some cluey competent swimmers.
As optimism prevailed I found myself out in front of the main pack trailing the super fish Shane Barrie.
I kept contact up until the first buoy and I was pushing incredibly hard to maintain contact. Shortly past the first buoy my phosphocreatine system had been exhausted and I had to back off and find a more sustainable pace to hold.
Ticked that box then upon swim exit I even had a bonus gap on the main pack.
Running to transition was fairly cruisy. No urgency needed because of said gap.
I jumped on the bike and started out hard just to get through the rolling hills and out to the highway.
The pack caught me just before we turned and got on the highway.
I'll keep the recap of the next 55 minutes short because it was all but pathetic.
Every year the majority of the field comes together and so everyone switches off. There were about 6-8 people trying to change that. The rest were soft and useless and unwilling to work.
The 'soft and useless' proved they were capable cyclists at the turn around where a few of us tried to breakaway. Everyone of the leech's hung on.
Respect lost but I suppose, kudos.
Onto the run!
I was just about last into transition because all of a sudden the whole pack dangerously crossed the double lines and weaved precariously through one another coming over the last hill.
Things were looking grim. I noticed Jake Montgomery was first out. I had just put my shoes on and he was almost at the roundabout. A solid 250m away. Panic button had been pressed, pressed again, hit, punched, double fist pounded and jack hammered. I was trying to remain calm but I was down, too far back for anybody's liking, particularly mine.
I went out at a pace I knew I could hold in order to catch up. Not thinking beyond that really.
I had managed to bridge the gap by the time we got to the bottom of 'the Mooloolaba hill'. By this time I wasn't feeling too good I had gone too hard, I knew it and there's nothing I could do now.
Conveniently, as I caught up and uncomfortably settled to the pace a move was made. Then Birtwhistle cranked it up.
I managed to hang on for a bit, but by the time we got to the turn around I'd dropped off. I tried not to panic and thought "just relax and you'll be able work your way into a solid rhythm".
The further we ran the bigger the gradual gap opened up. By the time we hit halfway they had, from memory, about a 50m gap.
I hit the downhill for the second lap and metaphorically continued going downhill.
After the cloud of disappointment had cleared I was able to derive the positives and the what-not-to-do's out of the race and the preparation.
So that's about it.
Currently in discussions about what I'm doing over the coming months. Much to be revealed in next instalment of the monthly reports. But firstly, A plan needs to be set in place.
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