Devonport

This year the Oceana Sprint Championships had me headed to Devonport, Tasmania, Australia.  Previous to this I’d never been to Tasmania, and I was looking forward to the first race of the year in a new location for me.  It’s no secret that I need to work on my front end of triathlon (swim/bike).  I’ve been working hard on my swim with Jamie Turner and the Wollongong crew so I was excited to see how I was progressing. It was a scenic race: Ocean swim, with a bit of a swell, followed by a flat bike course along the Ocean with two 180s.  On paper it was a fairly easy bike course, however the wind added a nice element.  Race day provided a steady 40kph wind, near perfect temperatures and blue skies. The goal for me in Devonport was to execute everything to my best, knowing the results would follow.

There was a surf in the Ocean, causing a very choppy 350m to the first buoy.  However, I was well prepared as two days prior we were swimming in North Wollongong with 2m waves.  I knew the swim would be tough, and entered the water ready to race.  Because of the tough conditions, the swim split up fairly quickly.  There were large gaps between groups as we exited the water.  I ended up being in the first chase pack on the bike.  I should have been in the first bike group,  but I made some mistakes in transition and in the first part of the bike.  As the race went on, the group of three in front gained time, and our group came into T2 about 45 seconds down.  Jodie Stimpson was in the first bike group and held the 45 second gap on me through the finish.  I ended up second for the day.  Congrats to all the competitors, it was a tough day and some fast racing!

Overall it was an extremely fun way to start the season – a fun, fast, race in a beautiful location.  Michael did a wonderful job putting on the triathlon in Devonport.  I hope I get to return to Tasmania. Everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly.

I had an easy weekend outside of racing thanks to my homestay.  They drove me around to race briefings, media appearances, the race, and more.  They also fed me really well, with fresh eggs from their chickens in the morning and delicious meals in the evening.  I didn’t want to leave when the race was over! They had two well-behaved, adorable kids (See picture).  My first weekend in Tasmania was a success and I hope to return.

I will now continue to focus on my front end of the triathlon with Jamie Turner and the crew in Wollongong until Auckland.

Better safe than sorry

fires2

Yesterday we went for an afternoon run around 4pm.  We could see smoke from bush fires less than 15k away.  We were told it was fine, so most of us relaxed and went on with our day.  I returned home to shower and prepare dinner when Jamie Turner knocks on my door.

“You need to be ready to leave in 2 minutes”

“What? Why, Jamie?”

“You need your two minute evacuation plan.  Be prepared to leave in two minutes in case we need to.”

“But what about Pat? He’s not here.”

Jamie didn’t seem to bothered by this, but I was nervous as Pat out for an afternoon spin without his phone (this is why one should always ride with a phone.)  Meanwhile, this is what happened to Pat:

I went out for an evening spin, and to check out where the smoke from nearby fires had traveled to. At the beginning of my ride I bumped into a young junior triathlete who was visiting Falls Creek for the training. We chatted for the next thirty minutes. During our ride back, the kids father came looking for him, “there’s a fire warning”. This was the first I have ever been in a fire warning, and honestly didn’t think much of it. If one were to look in the other 270 degrees you would only see blue skys. However, within my 20 minutes of being home, I was packing my bags.

I finished packing my things, just as Pat arrived.  We remained calm as we were told it was just precautionary measures to pack.  After our things were set, we went upstairs to have dinner.  We were about to eat when Jamie informed us that we needed to pack up the cars and leave.

Two hours later, 12 bikes, 14 people, two dogs, and enough luggage to last a few months were packed into three cars and one van.  We headed to Albury where we stayed last night.

This morning I woke up thankful we were all safe.  I went for a light jog.  The most interesting thing I saw was what looked to be a 50m pool.  Hope we get to cool off in the water later today.

An Unexpected Year

I had a year I wouldn’t have predicted.  Before World Championships, I would say I had a disappointing season.  I had subpar races, bad luck, and mediocre results.   My competitors were racing smarter, and possibly harder.  I went into World Champs knowing a good result wouldn’t make up for my Olympic (or other) performance, but I was determined to prove to myself that I am good enough for this sport. Auckland World Champs Race:

I dove in the water and tried to get to the front.  I was having a mediocre swim, and came out of the water further back than I’d hoped.  I mounted my bike and tried to look up the road to catch the front pack...it didn’t happen.  Anne Haug bridged up solo to the front pack on the bike.  I have no idea when this happened in the race, but I know that someday I hope to do the same (or just always be in the front pack when I start the bike).

Entering T2, I was over a minute down.  I raced out of transition thinking I could maybe get top 10, if I could just focus on my run form.  With two laps to go, I realized I might be able to catch the front pack.  I was almost in disbelief.  The entire crowd seemed to be willing me up to the front group.

On the last lap, I was with the front group (except for Anne who had already dropped the rest of the group).  I tried to just keep running strong and was in shock when I was sprinting to a podium finish.  My 10k time wasn’t outstanding, and the other girls may or may not have been running a technical race. It was a tough course and the hills on the bike course took a lot out of my legs. I am happy with my effort and that I was able to finish the race strong and never give up.

World Champs left me more motivated to stick with ITU triathlon.  I could make more money in draft-legal racing; however, it’s not money I want.  I want an Olympic Gold Medal.

I’m taking a month or so off of training.  I’m relaxing, cooking, visiting friends and family, and doing some “spring” (fall?) cleaning.  I am also going to travel a bit – I am going to San Francisco for a vacation with Patrick.  We are big foodies and are looking for recommendations of what to do/where to eat. Have any suggestions?

gwenbike

gwenrun2