An impromptu decision by the family to head down to beach on Saturday meant that I was able to pick up my race pack and rack my bike early. Usually I would do all of that on race morning. The bike racks are not specifically numbered to each athlete, so it was nice to rack close to the exit for a change - I was the 4th spot from the exit. However, the drive home wasn't so pleasant, the Pacific Motorway was closed off in both directions due to a major accident and it took us 2 hours to get back.
Race morning, having done my pre race check in the day before meant I got some extra sleep in. Still got up at 4am to make sure I had enough time to set up my gear and visit the portaloos. It rained a bit overnight but it wasn't too soggy at the race site. Met up with fellow Southbank Tri Club members and my former Logan Tri Club for a bit of a chat and soon it was time to head to the swim start.
1.5km swim
Swim course is two lap triangles in fresh water with a comfortable temperature, no wetsuit. Visibility is decent and you can definitely find some feet in front of you to draft off. Which was what I did for most of the swim. There was one moment where I was forced the go on the left side, rather than the right side of the buoy. And it got a bit busy on the second lap when we converged with the later waves. But other than that, I had a pretty good swim. I hit the first timing mat in 22:14 which was shortly after we came up the boat ramp. Garmin recorded 1,341m and an average pace of 1:40 per 100m, which is close to what I my 100m intervals in the pool. I would have been around 24 minutes if it was 1,500m.
Transition 1
It was nice knowing that my bike is close to the exit so I just to run all the way to the front. I opted to wear my ITU racing suit sans the swimskin so chance of me forgetting to strip the swimskin off this time. I hesitated a bit more than what I would have liked putting on my gear, I guess I was just a bit rusty. It started pouring as I mounted the bike and I was a bit slow pushing off but better to be safe than sorry. Time taken 2:07.
40km bike
5 lap bike course shaped like a T, starting in the middle. For each lap, there were 3 u-turns, 2 left turns at 90 degrees and one roundabout at the start. Combine this with wet roads and my sub par bike handling skills, you bet I was cycling very cautiously. Thankfully the rain on the first lap didn't last long but there were plenty of puddles to watch out for. As expected, my mate Philippe passed me shortly after the first left turn. And another mate Ryan passed me somewhere on the 4th lap. If anything, I take consolation that I outswam them as we usually have similar swim times. I tried my best to bring up my speed but with a bit of wind, it was difficult. The course was mostly flat apart from some gentle inclines up and down a bridge. Strava had it as 250m elevation for the entire course. I had a bike split of 1:05:47, average speed of 34.9kph which was lower than last year but I had higher power output at 204 watts. Either it was windier this year or my bike is overdue for a service. The course is typically short and it's the same this year with Garmin clocking 38.3km. Official results had me doing 1:08:38 with both transitions.
Transition 2
Again, just run all the way to the front. Again, a bit of hesitation getting the helmet off and putting the shoes on. Grabbed everything else and put them on the go. I hit the button after I racked my bike and hit it again a bit early as I came out of the run exit. Time taken 20 seconds.
10km run
A 3 lap run just out and back, shaped like an L. The overcast conditions with light drizzle is a nice change from previous years when it was typically scorching hot. I was able to reel Ryan in shortly after I left transition but Philippe was too far ahead, and he was running well too. My legs felt alright, turnover was good but somehow I felt I didn't have that extra gear. Maybe it was still early in the season. I clocked just under 4:10 per km averages with the tailwind and closer to 4:15 with the headwind. Running past the tri club tents at the end of each lap was uplifting. Gave the final km an extra push to see if I can break 2:12 overall but alas, I crossed the line in 2:12:06. Still it was a minute PB on this course and I came in 4th in my Male 35-39 age group. Philippe was 3rd and he was 4 minutes ahead. My run split was 41:13 with an average pace of 4:10 per km, my fastest run here by a small margin. Garmin recorded 9.9km so was pretty close.
Post race, had nice chats at both South Bank and Logan tri club tents. Not a bad way to spend Sunday morning and to kick off the 2020 racing season. Looking forward to the season ahead!
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