Training Log Archive: sal.

TREX Tri at Fingal Bay. Was a really nice area, although a lot more sand than i am used to.
Race start was 9:45am.

Swim
This was 2 x 750m laps in the ocean. About 90% of the field had wetsuits on and i was a bit nervous about that as I only had a singlet top and tight shorts. I went and stood in the water before the start and within 30sec the cold went away. Once i started the lap i was thankful that i didn't have a wetsuit.
I swam like a guppy for the first couple hundred metres before i figured out how to breathe with the waves and look ahead to see where i was going.
The course was a rough T shape. Coming back along parrallel to the shore, i could see the little sand formations on the bottom. They did not seem to be moving which meant that i didn't seem to be moving. That was hard.
Then going back into shore was tough as the waves kept trying to suck you out and then throw you forward. Once i could stand, i got up and waded through, back to the beach. Then it was a turn around the flag and straight back into the water.
Coming back on the second lap, I had just stood up to wade back to shore, when a wave caught me and caused my left calf and right hammy to cramp. That wasn't pleasant.

MTB
Running from the beach and into transition, we had to run through a park that was riddled with bindi's :( Ended up picking my way slowly across.
Once on the bike, I quickly caught a girl that had left transition before me. She was walking down one of the hills so I am not sure if she had a mechanical or was just being cautious.
After that, it was pretty much SAND everywhere. If it wasn't sandy, then the gravel was soft because the sand was underneath it. This sapped so much energy and strength from my legs.
Coming down the descent right before i started my second lap, i did a slow motion crash. The sand was really deep here and my front tyre went sideways causing my right foot to unclip. As the bike went down and i planted my right foot on the ground, the bike twisted such that it allowed my left foot to unclip and i just sort of walked off the bike. Best downhill stack i've had!
Saw Steven at the point where i either go left to transition or right for another lap and excitedly told him about my recent crash (:
Started for my second lap knowing what to expect and so pushing when the track got the slightest bit softer.
Got to a bend in the track and saw Steveo had somehow gotten there before me and was once again armed with his camera.
Steveo then came along with me for a couple hundred metres before peeling off and waiting for me further along at a tricky descent.
Again, he went racing past and met me at the top of a very steep climb - which he said that he rode! He was talking to the volunteer at the top of the hill and he said that only the top 3 elite men had managed to climb that hill, and 2 of them had only done it on their second lap.
Finished this leg feeling positively pooped.

Run
This started along the MTB lap, before peeling off and starting up some sandy hills.
This run was pretty much, ALL sand. I ended up walking each hill, the legs not having much spring in them after all that sand on the bike. Plus, the bush that the track was on only had shrubs surrounding it meaning that there was no shade.
Went through the bush and then up and over some headlands. At the top of one of these headlands, i stopped for about 10sec and just took in the spectacular view - such a cracking day!
Once the bush was over, we descended onto some rocks that wrapped around the side of the hill before landing on the beach.
Once on the beach, i ran all the way on the flat, hard sand to the start of the swim where a drinks station was set up. Steveo was here and stood with my whilst I had a drink.
Then i continued on along the beach for another 2km, the tide steadily pushing me up into the soft sand, and the erosion from the wind and water causing the bank to become quite angled.
Started making deals with myself. If i could run to those fisherman, then i could walk for a bit. If i could run until I got in line with that lady running towards me in the distance, then i could walk. And so on...
Got to the spit where a gentleman was none too happy to find out that i wasn't the last person and that he had to keep standing out in the sun. I didn't blame him, i was cooking.
From the spit, I turned left with the beach and made my way to the end of the beach and around a flag in the shadow of a cliff. Chucked a u-turn and went back to the spit to find that the gentleman had left and was replaced by a chatty woman.
Seeing that i only had about 1500m to go before i could stop, i plowed ahead. Continued making deals with myself to get my tired self to the finish.
Ran in to the preso being well underway and Steveo standing in the middle filming my exhausted finish.

Finish
Had a couple ladies come up to me telling me how well i did and that i stuck it out and finished even though i was out there so long.
Went to the cafe for a chocolate milkshake and either a burger or chips and they had just finished serving hot food :(
Packed up my stuff from transition, had my milkshake and the vegimite sandwich i'd made that morning, and went home.

Then off to a Hens! Only stayed for a couple hours though, and drank about a litre of water.

C • Well done Sal. 6

Didn't have very long before netty - plus my tri is this Saturday - so just did:

300m w/u with fins
5 x 100m with 1min rec - no fins
400m kick with fins
4 x 50m pull with 20sec rec

Had wanted to do 300m pull but ran out of time. No warm down as was about to jump out and play netty.

Whole game at WA. Angel's took the win and are now top of Div 2.
We were smashing the first half and i then i think a couple position shuffles resulted in a closer second half. Still fun all the same (:
2 week break now for Uni holidays :(

Just took it easy watching an episode of House.
Legs are quite fatigued from the weekend.