February ~ The Romance Continues

Between me, myself and I.

I didn't mention this in the previous race report because it was that. A race report. Some of you may have noticed at the bottom, however, an addition.
ZEALOUS Swimwear must have liked what they saw in my proposition for an ambassadorship. They've got some quality gear and these days its all about looks, they have it all covered! Glad to be on the team.

The only semi-relevant photos for the month would be ones in relation to Valentines Day - which was spent in a hotel room alone, watching Valentines Day - and ones from The Australian Sprint Championships. Which have already been used. So no photos in this edition of the 'updates'.

Instead here is something I saw in the twitter-sphere the other day. It went exactly like this:

"Opportunity follows struggle. It follows effort. It follows hard work. It doesn't come before."

Brilliant string of words. Borderline preach-able I'd say!



The decision to race at the Australian Sprint Championships in Elwood wasn't a huge surprise. Deep down I had a feeling it was coming and I did want to race but only felt I wasn't up to it just yet. However, in the end I was quite happy after a few days of letting the thought sink in.
The shock was a proposed decision to race Devonport OTU Olympic Distance Championships.
On a Monday afternoon run just a week before the Australian Sprint Championships at Elwood Keiran said to me
"So have you entered for Devonport?"
"why!" I said.
Quite literally more a statement than a question. I made comment that I'd rather race Elwood and have the chance to recover properly and also the opportunity to squeeze a little bit more out of myself in the few weeks before Mooloolaba Continental Cup.
I feel that he agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Whilst waiting in the ASADA doping control room a few hours after I crossed the line at Elwood he'd brought up Devonport again. My performance had given me confidence in my ability so I was more easily persuadable at this point in time. Still unsure about it though.
Nothing had been set in stone and we were still struggling with the decision a few days later.

Usually Keiran has a clear cut and very reasonable answer. But this time he was still as unsure as I were. The stakes stood at seizing the opportunity to race Australia's best athletes and in turn not recovering in time for the bigger focus, of which is Mooloolaba.
Or not to take the opportunity at Devonport to see how I rack up against the best Kiwi's and Aussies and aim to have a cracker at Mooloolaba.
We were running out of time so I decided asking for other opinions would be somewhat of a step forward, hopefully in the right direction.

I sent a message to Keiran saying would you mind if I asked for Craig Walton's opinion, immediately Keiran called me back.
Semi expecting a "why?" I answered, and straight away Keiran giggled and opened the conversation with
"I just got off the phone to him."

Wunderbar!!

He said that Craig mentioned I won't get the opportunity to race in a quality field like this very often. And if we get the recovery right then it will not be a problem at all to race both.

And thus the decision was final. Devonport OTU Olympic Distance Championships was next on the agenda.

2014 OTU Australian Sprint Distance Triathlon Championships

Well, what a fantastic day. Non-figuratively speaking, as those of you who were in Melbourne would know.
Pre race day the sun was shining, athletes were in abundance and there was not a negative facial expression to be seen for miles.
It was widely known that there was going to be a slight weather change that afternoon and leading into the next day but it didn’t seem to bother anyone… Especially me!

The surf conditions were set to worsen. At first, yeah I was worried. After some typical earnest discussions with the man in charge I’d come to realise, I wouldn’t be the only one in the terrible forecasted conditions. Also, my open water swimming has proven not too shabby in past reputedly tsunamic seas.

The morning of the race was pretty gloomy. 6am and the wind was already flowing strongly on shore, the thick and dark shady clouds in the distance were rolling in quick as well.
At this point it wasn’t raining, before long however only the brave and loyal parents and spectators faced the windswept conditions as their kids took to the beach for their early wave starts.

Not too much time after I found myself on the shore, wetsuit on for warmth, and rushing through the warm up procedures. I had deliberately left it a little later than planned mainly because I had, had sufficient warm up out of the water and wanted to push into the final seconds of allocated swim warm up time. All gone to plan and a mere 5 minutes after walking around I had taken off the jumper and wetsuit and found my way to 25th position in the line ready to shuffle onto the starting position.

Walking through the arch and onto the start line, my insides were itching to begin, nerves and adrenaline were galloping through my body and my heart was racing just as fast. On the outside I was placidly swinging my arms and jumping up and down to keep warm.

I couldn’t get to where I wanted on the start line so I hesitated for half a second after the horn then shot off to the left and executed my dive and subsequent dolphin dives perfectly and before I knew it I was in the lead. Eventually Dan Wilson emerged from the right and got in front of me. So of course I moved over and got on his feet. By the time all this happened we had less than 75m till we turned.

First and second buoys were rounded and I was expecting people to begin coming around us. About halfway back in no one had yet come around so I decided to do a quick roll to see what was going on, surprisingly there was a 10m gap between us and the main group of swimmers.
I rolled back over and for a second there I think I had a smile on my face.
Anyway, into the final 100m. It was time for business. I don’t remember it but I was told that I got a little wave and stopped moving my arms to ride it in. I suppose that’s a good sign, it’s just become automatic. I knew it was too deep where we were to stand up and dolphin dive so I just kept swimming into shore. Dan tried to stand up and soon realized the same thing. That split second allowed me to get in front without any extra effort, I stood up right on the shore line and ran hard up the beach. I heard Keiran say calm it down (mentally) so that I did, whilst maintaining speed, and began thinking about the process of T1.
Unfortunately, a vital mistake on my part, I ran past my bike. Luckily I wasn’t in a situation where every millisecond counted.

As I was running through transition I saw that Ryan Fisher had gotten in contact with Dan and I. Slightly behind but in a position where he could catch and ride with us. I jumped on the bike and without a moment to spare Dan and I were into it, as I rolled back for the first time I saw that Ryan had caught up. "And then there were 3…”

I wasn’t sure what we were going to do and if we would be able to hold of the large pack behind us. All I knew was that we had wasted no time getting stuck into it and these guys wanted to do everything they could to stay away. I wondered whether they were prepared to sacrifice the energy in the beginning with every chance we could be caught over the next 20km.
Either way, I wasn’t going to be the weak link. They’re giving this small opportunity everything they had, so that’s exactly what I was going to do.
10k’s into it at the end of lap 1 we noticed a larger gap had been formed, thus adding fuel to the fire. Nothing was said but we all knew they were looking at each other wondering who was going to chase.

The end of the bike saw us with, as I’ve been told, a minute and fifteen second gap. Everything was going well… Almost too well!
Then it happened, as I dismounted I was coming in too quick and started to lose control. A mix of strong wind, slippery surface and a bit too much speed resulted in my bike meeting the asphalt and I found myself grinding and slipping and to a halt, a solid 5m later I’d turned and ran back to where it had fallen. This resulted in Dan and Ryan creating a small gap. I ran through transition quickly, but slowed it down as I was trying to find my spot so I didn’t run past it again. By the time I got my shoes on I'd noticed they were already on their way out of transition.

I ran through all the twists and turns and hit the pathway, Keiran was there and I heard him say run controlled you’ve got 1:15.
I know you all may be thinking, are you crazy? Smash it and catch them! Well they were my exact thoughts as well.
There is always method behind the madness though. I didn’t question the coach’s orders, I hadn't done so yet and I didn’t plan on doing so then.
As instructed I ran controlled. The distance between them and I was maintained from the start to the turn around point, approximately 50m. As soon as I turned it felt like I hit a brick wall, the wind was incredible!

Here’s the kicker. I stayed strong, maintained form and built through the remaining 2.5km. Going out controlled really paid off!
Of course there is the "what if’s”.
What if I had caught up?
What if I had the opportunity to sit on them into the headwind?
What if I did then came to a sprint finish?
What if I did catch them but got dropped on the return trip with an added headwind?
What if I didn’t make it to them by the turn around and had expelled too much energy?
What if I tried, blew up, and didn’t make the podium?

Post race discussion left us asking these questions. But we both came to the conclusion that what was done was the smartest option. Because hay, for my first proper seniors race I got on the podium. And it was a quality field.
I played to my strengths and had an fantastic race, I am now looking toward two Olympic Distances races within a month. It is going to be a huge challenge but I don’t want to miss the opportunity to race against the best in the country.

See you all soon!!

Given An Inch. Taken A Mile // Metaphorically Speaking

January has brought 20 hours of boredom.
The rest, exuberantly fulfilling!

First off, huge thanks to Giant Bicycles and National Talent Academy for the steed of 2014. Keen to give it a whirl!

Expected from an athlete or a rather odd teenager of this generation I did not end New Year's Eve in a gutter or unfamiliar location and unaware of how I got there.
Instead I was in bed early in preparation of a 10 hour drive to the Sunshine State of Australia.
The idea of making the move to Queensland to be coached by Olympian and renown elite level coach, Craig Walton had been on my mind for a while. Toward the end of 2013 I consulted Craig and soon after, took the initial steps to setting the idea into reality.

My home environment was perfect. But I felt there was one thing missing. A key ingredient if you will.

No matter who you are or what you do, you need motivation. I wanted to find somewhere which had both a motivational aura within a group and a coach who is capable of helping me achieve the great things that I am driven to execute.
The Gold Coast had both of these elements. It was the perfect place really. I liked the training and the people. And that helps. A fair bit!

Over the years I’ve learn’t that my mind is my biggest rival. Be that as it may, I've somewhat tamed my thought processes and learned to make the right decisions and think of what's best for me long term rather than what will get me where l want to be now and unsure of what the future will hold.
Therefore, due to some uncontrollable's, I have moved back home to NSW. It was a tough choice but I feel it was the right one.

My training up there was going really well. I know what I am capable of and I had made the initial steps to getting there before I left NSW. Once I got to Queensland I only improved week to week and I have had a much needed confidence boost thanks to Craig, some of the athletes and other members of the Queensland sporting community.
I learned a lot of things. One of which; racing doesn't have to be a big deal. Going out there and having fun, getting a feel for it and testing yourself is all apart of the process.
That I did, twice, and couldn't be happier!

I wrote this before anything else on the document, it didn't really fit in anywhere so think of it as a foot note or notable quote..



If you lose confidence, almost all hope of achieving your goals is lost along with it.
However, if you stick it out for a while you'll find your feet again. And when you do, the result is incomparable.

I've found my feet.



Slightly hubris, cocky, bumptious and arrogant of me but the feeling is good.

The Un-Foreseen of Twenty-Fourteen

I had been telling myself that Mooloolaba would be my first and possibly last race of this season mostly because I wanted to get stuck into training and not have to deal with any interruptions.
It wasn’t easy heading down this path but in the back of my mind I thought it was the right thing to do. Training has been going quite well. Improvements are being made and self-management has kept me on my feet.

One lovely Friday morning after swimming I was told I might as well have a hit out this weekend.
In an instant the part of me that wanted to race shouted, ‘DONE! We are racing, and there’s no changing your mind.’ Remaining skeptical was the other part of me, wondering whether it would be a good idea. ‘What if I’m not ready?’ ‘What if I have a bad race?’
To my surprise and much to my delight, things were different this time round.

Just breaking up the text with an appetiser...

Round 5 of the Queensland Triathlon Series. Nothing major, just a state level race... So I assumed.
The un-foreseen hit out left me feeling slightly un-prepared (mentally) so I took on the mind-set that it-is-what-is and you’d give 100% like always. So treat it like training!
That seemed to work pretty well. Nerves were non-existent the night before, until the good luck messages started coming in from the family. As rude as it sounds, I tried my hardest to ignore them. However, it was for the best.

As I rolled into the event area and headed to transition I started to see many familiar faces. Faces that are recognized worldwide at very high levels of racing.
Those nerves that were non-existent. Well, now they were existent. In an exorbitant amount!
Nonetheless, it was time for business. Got my head around it and begun the race prep.

More interspersed photographic brilliance...

Finally it was go time. The horn/whistle/hooter, whichever one it was, sounded and we were away. I had a great start thanks to all the practicing and I found myself in clear water. Not quite in the lead however as there was a group of swimmers off to my right. But I was leading the brigade on the left.
I had chosen a good starting position, maintained a good line and found myself rounding the buoy in 3rd or 4th position. There were some very strong swimmers in the race so I was pleased with how I went and where I was for the whole swim.
I held my position to the exit but had a slight stumble and ended up exiting the water in 5th with a small gap between the leaders and I. It felt like I was floating through transition so the gap was easily closed. I even made up a place!

As the lead group jumped on the bike there was a bit of sorting out with positions. Soon after the stronger riders found themselves at the front and were setting a solid pace.
During the third lap a gap had been created between another athlete, the lead bunch and myself. I decided to take my time to catch up and use the corners to my advantage. Most of the field were riding time trial bikes so my bike was much faster in and out of U-turns and around the round a bout. Eventually I caught up and tried my best to spin my legs in the closing kilometers.
Again a little gap had been opened up but I knew I would be faster through transition so I allowed the gap to be created as I spun the legs over. Just as planned I jumped off the bike and caught up fairly quickly.

Onto the run!
I wasn’t sure what to expect, I had been running well in training, but that was in training. So I just ran my way to second places shoulder and just sat to see how it played out.
I was telling myself not to make a move yet but I was feeling fantastic. I moved into the lead and took the 4 of us around the first turn. Not long after that Dan Wilson came flying around me, I decided to wait and see if one of the other boys were going to attack and I would be ready for it and go with them.
Eventually we got to the second U-turn and I had a chance to see what was going on. Surprisingly there was a gap between Mitch Kealey, Ben Shaw and I. So I just kept turning the legs over.
At about the 4k marks I felt myself beginning to lose it with technique. Mitch came around me at this point and I was unable to go with him either. We made the 3rd and final turn and as I got back up to speed a voice in my head said “relax and turnover”. All of a sudden I was back feeling great (still very much hurting inside though).

Fading:

Thats more like it:

The gap that Mitch had created was no longer increasing and I may have gained a meter or two. It was hard to tell though.
I finished off in 3rd position, very pleased to have raced especially having a good one!

Usually when you find out the course is long you whinge and complain. At first I did this but if it weren’t for the extra distance then I may not have found my form again and finished off strong.

Some early plans have been put in place and it looks like Mooloolaba will be the 3rd race of the season. And to think I was only going to do one… Who was I kidding, that was never going to happen!

January’s update is on its way!
Thanks for your time.


Would just like to send a huge thanks to Leanne Handreck Photography for supplying the photos, even though she would have no knowledge of me using them I though it be appropriate I acknowledge her.

The December Shenanigans

December 2013 Wrap-Up

In spite of the festivities, let's be real. For an athlete, there's on 3 days of exciting times in the month. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The rest of the days are filled with the manic, organised, "early bird's" followed by the last minute shoppers which stupefy the majority of us.

Point being, the roads were permeated with drivers. Most of whom, would not pass today's P1 Provisional Drivers license test. From a cyclists standpoint, this is not an ideal circumstance.
Thankfully there wasn't much happening outside a 10 kilometre radius of any major shopping centre so the GIANT and I spent the most of our hours together in the more rural areas. Many New South Waliens will know, the rural areas don't have great roads, but it certainly beats the traffic. After all, Safety First!

For the most part riding was different and mixing it up makes things easier. Happy days!

Not much 'mixing up' has been done with swimming though. Unfortunately, I have not come up with a way to change that black line. I feel I never will.
Any who. Mid-month I went to Race 1 of the Australian Junior Triathlon series (sadly, only to watch) because my brother was racing and I figured this was a great chance to catch up with fellow athletes and mix things up with training even more. It was great fun!

Waiting to give some advice to Mitch ^

I spent about a week on the Gold Coast on a 'family holiday' which was more like, spectating, training and sitting at coffee shops rather than hangin' with the fam. But hay, priorities. Right?

Despite the good times there were nerve racking times. Like when Keiran said, "you may as well jump in and do the 1km TT on Tuesday morning."
A mere 12 months ago I was thinking, no more runaway bay 1k for me. How wrong I was!
However, it wasn't a terrible experience. Not a PB but 'home-coach' and coaches alike were surprised and pleased, respectively, with my performance given the..hiccups in the earlier days of the season.
Must say I wasn't expecting any less of myself but nonetheless, surprised and happy!

I was torn between watching the cloud formations and the races.

Back home and into the madness.

One thing I was looking forward to was the Christmas set in the pool. Everyone does 100 100's, so we are doing one hundred-and-one. As our coach took pleasure in saying.
Before you get the wrong idea, I didn't do 101 100's. Like always, priorities! So the instructions were 60 to 70 at the most.
Stressing about the 1:20 cycle I was doubtful in the beginning. However, I was feeling confident at 20. Starting to struggle at 40. Then BAM! Hit the wall at 61 and used the stairs to get out.

Was a fun and challenging session and I am already eager for 2014's Christmas special. I've got a feeling the aim will be to out-do 2013's efforts.

Nothing exciting has been happening with the running side of things. Just building and building and building.

All in all I guess things have been going swimmingly...

Let's hope January 2014 is fun filled and electrifying.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thank you for your time.

November - The Month That Eludes Me

For the 19th time, the illustrious MO was non-existent.

Despite the disappointment experienced with 'Movember' there is good news. Copious amounts of good. Albeit in two forms.

Firstly. I've had some positive feedback after getting in contact with the Highly regarded BONT Cycling who are supporting me for the upcoming 2013/14 Triathlon Season.

Secondly. Training is well underway.

The end of November, as it shall be referred to from now on (until I can produce a decent moustache), marked 4 weeks of consistency. Being a fan of new things and intense sessions, training has been mundane. Long rides here, long runs there, kay's for days in the pool. Nothing much has changed week to week, thats base for you though. However, the alone time on my Giant is second to none.
However, motor-pacing (sneakily jumping on a postie bikes wheel in this case) is a good way to derive fun out of the 3rd hour of ridin' solo.

... Not exactly on his wheel, fun to imagine though.


I am sure Keiran is just about sick of me and my ceaseless requests for a solid run session. A local running group have quality sessions every Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Every single instruction I was given for the last 4 weeks a response was conjured within milliseconds. "Run on Tuesday" "Can I run with the boys" "No, not yet". "Run on Thursday" "Can I run with the boys" "No, not yet". I kept telling myself, it'll work the next week.

Seasons planning's saw me racing Forster mid way through the month. Im going to go with fortunately here. Fortunately Keiran advised against it. I was feeling fit, but certainly not race fit. back to the drawing board.
After much deliberation we decided that the best aim will be mid January at the earliest. For me this is weird. I grew up racing at every opportunity I was presented with. My thought process stumbled upon, "Think long term, Matt. Think long term". So that I shall do.

Many hours spent exhausting my slow twitch fibres lead me to sitting in coffee shops pondering...

... "What is coffee. WHO ARE YOU? Who am I?"

December will bring many more joys. things to look forward to:
- Buying a kitten
- Some intense training
- More coffee
- My December update.

Oh.. and Christmas!