So a couple days later and my body is still in shock from my first race in three months- well first one I got to finish. My quads, hammys, calves and feet are still unhappy. I was thinking about backing up this weekend at Geelong long course, but right now I’m really happy that I decided against it!
So I decided to go back to Gundi again. I did leave with a bitter taste last year but the Gundi tri crew are wonderful and the race itself, a bit of a toughie. The Gundi guys were happy to have me back and it was a great excuse to catch up with my oldest friend from childhood Kirsten as she was competing in the swim for a team and her boyfriend Ben in the run for another team. Left around lunchtime on Friday- Gundi is about 450km from Lennox and thought I’d be there around 5 or 6pm QLD time. Most people are aware to the incredible amount of rainfall western QLD and NSW had had with Moree 125km south of Gundi being split in two and my hometown of Roma going underwater for the 3rd time in about 2years. I lived there 21years and never saw a flood! Gundi was right in the middle of all the flooding. I got to Tenterfield and luckily stopped for some fuel and was greeted by a local:
“Where ya heading love?”
“Off to Gundi.”
“Can ya get there? It’s flooding ya know!”
“Yes, I know, but I’ve checked the roads on RACQ site and the roads look to be open.”
“Tune into the local radio station, that ‘ll tell ya more. Good luck mate!”
Lucky for me I did! I got 5km down the road towards Yetman and heard that the road was closed- I would have travelled about 100km before I got to the closure- so back up to Stanthorpe- Warick and then straight out west! What a journey! Got there are 7:15pm!
Dinner at the pub catching up with my good friend. This was actually one of the highlights for the weekend seeing a local 16/17year old kid Benny Nelson as the entertainment. This kid was amazing- Jason Maraz’s ‘I’m Your’s’, “sweet home Alabama’ and an original piece. This kid needs to get outta Gundi/ Warialda because he’s something special!
Off to bed, up for an early morning ride out along the course- flat tyre- great got that outta the way ;-) then a swim at the pool, sleep and a run in the arvy before briefing. Due to the excessive amount of rain the week leading up to the race, the swim had once again been shifted to the botanical gardens. This changes the entire format of the race to 2km swim, then a 3.2km run into T1 before the 80km bike and then you make up the remaining 16.8km of the run. The swim starts in the dark. It is 3 laps and becomes a washing machine of bodies after the first lap. When I was running back into my 2nd lap a wave was starting! I found myself swimming over and around people for the last 2 laps. I gave 2minutes away to super fish Kym Janke, coming out of the swim 3rd female with Sarah Crowley hot on my heels, passing me within a few hundred meters on the first run. I passed 2nd swimmer out about 1km in. Onto the bike and it was a long lonely 80km where I failed to put any time into Kym and Sarah rode a few more minutes into me. In saying that, it was the most ideal conditions. Normally known for an extreme headwind for the 40km back into town, bike records were smashed with Kym, Sarah and myself all riding faster than the previous female bike course record. Kym and Sarah came off the bike together and i had unfortunately given them both a 5minute head start onto the final run. The 3 lap run course becomes quite busy 2nd and 3rd times round but it does have some nice shady areas. I didn't put any time into either girl so crossed the line in 3rd. So even though I was 2nd open female, I was actually 3rd overall. I have raced against Kym since starting triathlon and she's always been a consistent solid competitor and this is the fittest I've seen her, watch out for her at IM Melbourne as I think she'll be taking a spot for Hawaii!!!! Sarah's a phenomenal bike/ runner and i think you should watch out for her making a mark on long course triathlon in 2012.
It was really nice to be out on a course where some of my training buddies we on to. To see Berkel almost run down Ollie and Luke (who’s doing the same training as me for IM NZ) come in 3rd male overall. So top three males where all Aeromax boys! Congrats to Matty Wilson for doing his first triathlon! Why he’d do Gundi is beyond me!
So for me Gundi was a great day to blow out the cobwebs. I wasn't thrilled with the end result but it's nice not to be injured and not to get a flat tyre for once!!!! (After having 3 in 3 out of 6 races I did at the end of 2011!) Still positive of the day was taking 16mins off my time from last year on the same course, so I need to be a little less hard on myself!! I’m definitely heading in the right direction.
So for me Gundi was a great day to blow out the cobwebs. I wasn't thrilled with the end result but it's nice not to be injured and not to get a flat tyre for once!!!! (After having 3 in 3 out of 6 races I did at the end of 2011!) Still positive of the day was taking 16mins off my time from last year on the same course, so I need to be a little less hard on myself!! I’m definitely heading in the right direction.
Next up will now be Huskisson long course as the Sri Lanka 5150 was cancelled so I want to have one more hit out before the big one IM New Zealand in just under 4 weeks! Flights and accommodation is sorted so it’s really happening!!!!!
Rachie xo
No comments:
Post a Comment