The months preceding Chengdu had left me feeling slightly down on myself. However, shimmers of good form had begun to arise.
After pulling out, basically due to fatigue, on my 5th race in 5 weeks - I wasn't feeling very confident. However, at the very same race a glimmer of hope had shone through.
Over the past few years my run has been a weakness and it's something I've been working tirelessly on with our strength and conditioning coach, Harry Brennan, and coach, Danielle.
Each week since the beginning of base training in November I have been feeling stronger and more confident with my run, all the while getting stronger on the swim and bike too.
Chengdu was a breakthrough performance and I finally ran how I do in training. I know I shouldn't be hung up on the run but seeing as it is a weakness I'm stoked to be reassured that it's definitely coming along.
I only had 3 weeks between the 5th race weekend and Chengdu. So basically, just enough time to recover, get a two week block in and taper.
Things were looking really good in training, Danielle set a plan in motion slightly different to normal. It's something she had been planning for a while, and we executed it perfectly with the help of Harry and the Victorian Institute of Sports, Sports Scientists - Rod Siegel and Alex Bauer.
Once we arrived in Chengdu I was feeling slightly sore from a sharpen-up-session on the track, more than likely amplified from the long haul flights, but I did my best to relax and not let it affect my prep, mentally.
I had been completing the sessions target paces, watts and times etc. so that at least helped me stay calm with the tightness I was feeling.
Race morning crept up quite quickly which I was both really happy with and really annoyed with. I was unsure whether my preparation was going to be enough but I kept reminding myself that I had more than just 2 weeks behind me.
Of recent times I have been leaving the warm up procedures till later so I have less time to sit around and waste nervous energy. This enables me to focus on visualising the start-line-to-first-buoy, and focus getting what I need done during the warm ups.
Not sparing a second to think about scenarios and outcomes of the race has proven to be beneficial for me.
After the swim warm up I went and took my wetsuit off and jogged back over the the athletes line up. At this time all the nerves and anxiousness begin to creep up on me. I did my best to stay composed and remain focused on that first buoy.
The names begun being called out and before long I was jogging along the pontoon to the start line.
I had all of about 3 seconds to assess the start and who was where. I could see that the better swimmers were off to the right. Although, there were less athletes on the left and a huge gap in the middle - which is pretty standard.
I chose the left side because I knew it would be an absolute shit fight trying to get out quick enough to then move over and get the inside line around the buoy(s). Being on the outside of the buoys is a sure fire way to lose many places in the swim.
I feel that this tactic worked really well for me, throughout the swim I could tell I was closing gaps to athletes by being on the inside.
Another thing I noticed is that I was accelerating more at different times, when necessary, which shows that I'm handling the change of pace work we are doing.
Coming out of the water I knew I wasn't near the front, so I ran through quite hard to try and gain time. I made up a few places and would have shaved off a few seconds to the group I was to eventually be with.
Running out of transition with my bike, as always I checked in front of me and set myself up for the most free line and went absolutely nuts once I jumped on the Basso.
For those number crunching frothers - straight out of 1500m of swimming pretty damn hard my peak power for roughly the first 3 minutes was ~400 watts. At 67 kegs. Painful, but definitely one thing I pride myself on being able to do. Urgency is always key.
After that, things cooled down and I managed to remain in a mind-numbing position for most of the ride. With exceptions, moments after gel intake. I did roll a few turns here and there but I knew if I were to run well and in turn do everything I could to help myself with World Championship selection - I had to keep a lid on it.
Where it mattered I was either near or on the front and I remember saying to myself a few times that I wouldn't be surprised if there's an accident around that corner.
Lo and behold on two occasions there was, so I was happy with my positioning to say the least.
Rolling around on the final lap things always get a lot more sketchy so positioning was important and I made sure I was never getting boxed in and shelled to the back. I managed to dismount in 4th or 5th, I think. That meant running through transition was less about haste and more about nailing the process. I got to my rack and slotted the wheel in well, took off my helmet and threw it toward the box. Unfortunately I missed but I carried on with the process and once I had my shoes on I quickly ducked to the other side of my bike and put my helmet in the box.
Despite the minor error I was still out onto the run in about 5th, 3rd or so from our pack. Two athletes had broken away roughly halfway through the bike.
I quickly went to the front and was setting the pace. I wanted to be as comfortable as I could be and I find that comfort by setting my pace. I was holding back slightly and I kept telling myself to be conservative - especially because it was like kilometre 1 of 10. I was feeling really good but I knew I still had a way to go.
I basically lead for the first 2km until Wian Sullwald came up beside me. We ran shoulder to shoulder until basically 4km.
Running down the straight to complete lap 2 of 4 is when I found myself a few positions back, in about 4th in my group. We had caught one of the two athletes that broke away so essentially I was 5th at the time.
After lap two I was still feeling quite comfortable. I had to keep telling myself to relax, stay composed and hold my technique together. This definitely helped me get through the 3rd lap.
As we rounded the u-turn to head out onto the 4th and final lap a few of the athletes from behind crept to the front and upped the pace slightly. This is when a gap began to open up. Pevtsov of Azerbaijan had broken from our group and was 10 or so meters up the road. Followed by Wian, Ron Darmon and Martin Van Reil. Then another 2 meters I was doing my best to remain composed and hang on. I was tense and that was having an impact on my technique so I relaxed and let my legs move more freely and before I knew it I had bridged back up and we were meters from the final u-turn.
As we neared it I accelerated, not by choice. It just happened. I went around and remember thinking f*** that was way too soon, what have I done!
However a further 400-500m later I was still on the front driving the pace. This made me realise that everyone else was hurting as much as I was.
I lead through the chicane section and onto the final straight, this is when I knew the attacks would start. First Martin Van Riel went and nobody else came through. Halfway down the straight Ron Darmon and Luke Wilian came around me too as well as another athlete - I can't remember who.
Once Luke and Ron came around I said to myself that I can hang on to them - I accelerated slightly and got in contact with them. After about 100m sitting on Luke's shoulder I glanced to the left and saw Danielle and made out the words "come on matty hold on".
At that moment all I can remember is thinking that this already hurts, immensely, but I'm not just holding on. So I sprinted around Luke and Ron, and was gaining on the third guy very quickly. I didn't give the u-turn into the finish straight a single thought and I hit it at full speed, I went super wide and lost a meter or so on 4th place.
As soon as I was able to straighten up I went straight back into full gas and didn't stop until I was face down on the ground over the finish line. It was by far the best I had ever felt running in a race and I left absolutely everything out there.
I only found out the next day that I was only 1 second off getting on the podium, but I had no idea in the moment. I was just going as hard as I could, and my best on the day was 4th.
I'm already looking forward to the next training block and the races to come. But for now my body needs a tiny bit of down time. Back to the illustrious Central Coast for a week or so 
I want send a thank you to our support at the Victorian Institute of Sport. The staff and facilities are undoubtably unparalleled and they've most certainly helped me improve. We may have a tight knit group within the triathlon program but we're pushing each other everyday and it's a dream come true to be a part of it all.
Also a huge thanks to my family. I know they're always proud of me but it's nice to get a result that I can be as proud of as they always are.
