Today was a lesson in self belief. Anyone who has read the posts from this week might have picked up on the fact that I was struggling a little with confidence heading into Mandurah 70.3. Well the race today taught me that I should perhaps stop thinking so much and instead put faith in the training.
The race today went well. Well that is probably a bit of an understatement. It went really, really well. I won my age group and managed to be the first age grouper across the line again, which was not something I was expecting going into the race. I also managed to be the 11th male over the line, which is something I am fairly proud of, given the field held names such as Michael Raelert (70.3 world record holder), Tim Reed, Luke Bell and some guy named Craig Alexander, just to name a few. I also managed a massive PB with a time that I am still trying to comprehend, 4.02.55. I read that time and still have to have a quiet sit down.
On the topic of Micheal Raelert, he said afterwards that he thinks he probably could have broken his own world record today, he just wasn't aware of how close he was to it (he missed it by about a minute).
It was a tough day today. In fact it was almost a mirror image of the race last year, with extreme heat coming to the party again. Temperatures in Mandurah got up to around 35 degrees today and they took their toll. I would be hard put to say whether either year was tougher. Fairly equal in my eyes.
Other than the heat though, which is just a little out of our control the race went close to plan.
The swim wasn't anything of divine inspiration, it was just swimming. I have been swimming well in training and that is what came out in the race. Not a lot more to say about that. The current assist was lovely as usual and it meant I got a thoroughly unrealistic time of 22.03. I did manage to secure a big lead in my age group in the swim though which was very handy.
For me this race was all about the bike. The bike has been feeling really good in training and I had a feeling that if I was going to do any damage in this race it would be on the bike. However, I also tried to ride fairly controlled. I didn't want to put myself in a hole from which I couldn't dig myself out. So I had my target power levels and I was determined to stick to them. All that went to plan on the first lap. I hit the turn around for lap two right on target. The outward leg on lap 2 though was where things went a little wonky. I just hit a real low spot, first physically and then mentally. However, just before the end of the second lap a particularly fast team rider went past and it turned out to be just what I needed. I then spent the rest of the bike leg making sure I was keeping him in my sights. It worked a charm. Once I had somebody to chase I got over my low spot and was back into it. As a result I managed a massive bike PB, finally cracking 2 hours 10 for a time of 2:09.11.
Heading out on to the run and the run leg of Challenge Gold Coast was finally put to rest. My run leg for Mandurah was not pretty, but it was functional. I put myself out there a bit in the first 5km, probably running a bit quick, but also giving myself every opportunity for a good run. I held that for most of the 1st lap, but heading into the second the fatigue and the heat started to catch me up and I battled to keep the run from slipping into survival mode. I think I managed it, just. The second lap was certainly a lot slower, but I think I managed to hold form etc through to the line. It just was not a thing of beauty.
All up I am stoked with how it went. I am even not too phased about the run, I have hardly had an ideal lead up on the running front. If anything I am slightly excited by the bad run, because it is an area where I could obviously pick up time. If I was ever to break 4 hours, that would be how.
As for the rest of the evening I have been instructed by my coach to celebrate, so that is what I am in the process of doing. Not too much though because I am flying up to Darwin tomorrow for work and so I also need to do some packing tonight. No rest for the weary.
With the trip to Darwin, there may or may not be an update tomorrow, I shall see how the day goes. As usual though I will get a race report done sometime this week, so watch this space.
As much as a pain as the trip to Darwin is in terms of time away from family etc, the silver lining is having a chance to catch up with Daryl and the Darwin folk (plus my parents) so that at least should be really good.
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