Woohoo! 4 days in Cairns without the kids! How exciting! That was one thought, but the main feeling I had leading into race day was relief. Entering the 2020 Port IM in 2019, it had been more than 3 years of waiting. Even Port this year was halted for me 4 days out when I had Covid.
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Now Cairns isn’t my favourite course, but it’s relatively easy to get to and the swim suits me.
The logistics of this event make the Saturday anything but relaxing as your race gear is dropped at 2 locations, but getting frustrated or stressed at this stage is counterproductive, so you just go with the flow. Having the calming influence of my wife Sarah (she was racing the 70.3) certainly helped me prepare for what is a mentally and physically challenging day.

Race day arrived and as expected the SE wind was beginning to build. This would mean a choppy swim (woohoo!) and nearly 100k of headwind/crosswinds on the bike (boooo!!!).

Into transition to prep my bike and the only minor stress I had was when the volunteers stopped athletes from using the restrooms inside the transition area (What the?).
(Side note- one pre race restroom stop is rarely enough….)

I was feeling relaxed as I left transition, knowing I still had 1 3/4 hrs before my 7:40 am start (way too late). Finding Sarah and sending her off for her half was as emotional as ever. Now, I don’t know why I get teary before IM races but that’s what happens and it only lasts a few minutes.

I sat and waited, listening to music, thinking of my family and missing my kids. It was the first time they hadn’t been here (since they were born) and it was also the first time Dad wasn’t toeing the start line with me. I was relaxed and feeling good.

T-20 mins, time to suit up and warm up. 4-500m, DONE. Time to stand on the beach and wait and wait…….and wait. Rolling starts are rubbish! Anyway, I was moving closer to the front and was in the back third of start group 1. Plenty of feet to find and a good drag to have heading into the chop. Sat on various feet for the first 3.5km and then chose my own line to the exit, Swim, tick, done!

Now T1, visualising where my gear bag is, grab it and off to get changed. Now I don’t know what the ….. I did in there but I eventually came out and found my bike. A very slow T1.

Got my head in the game nice and early, something I didn’t do in my last race at Husky. Learning lessons from 2019, I knew that I had to conserve more early, because the last 60k is a headwind, roads are bumpy and somehow every athlete seems to disappear. The bike is my weakness, so I can only ride to how I feel and what I’ve done in training. Doing anything else is a short term plan and unlikely to work out (sometimes you may fluke it).

The course layout allows you to segment the bike and focus on each section. As I made the final turn at 117k, I was feeling good and in control ( the opposite to 2019). A few times I distracted myself by counting the rear spokes of the bike in front of me (12.0000001m in front hehehe). At this stage the wind was getting stronger but the important thing is to stay aero, keep the nutrition up and don’t go anaerobic…… there’s a little run to finish this thing.

Coming into T2 is a massive relief, your butt needs a break and your bike is covered in all types of whatever. Again, a lack of racing sees me have a slow transition, I even put my number belt on while seated. Exiting T2, I’m 16 mins ahead of where I was in 2019. I await the first k split on my watch while focusing on technique and keeping a low HR. Beeeeeep 4:54, ok good! 23:01 first 5k. Hmmm, ok, it’s a little quicker than my schedule and my training runs. Uh oh, gut pains, not once, but twice. On lap 2 then on lap 3, quick but pointless pit stops. Those 2 1k splits 6:34 & 7:01 (ahhh crap).

Legs still felt good as the business end of the marathon (30km) began and Sarah tells me Manly had won. At this stage my confidence was sky high, I kept the nutrition up and only 4 athletes had overtaken me. The last lap felt great, it was tough, but the splits reflected my effort so I was happy. A 3:21 marathon, faster than any of my previous IM races and a solid 10:15. I had made up 21 spots in my age to finish 21st. So happy, so tired, so hungry!

Next stop Kona…

I do not consider Club Champ as a pure race event. For me it’s about having FUN & JOY with an amazing group of club buddies and proving again and again that WTC is the best triathlon club in NSW (or maybe even worldwide?)
 
I never have questioned if I should go to Foster or not. For me it’s MUST BE ON MY CALENDAR event as you just soak up this atmosphere not depending on any circumstances. My way to triathlons wasn’t easy and classical. I had never swum more than 1 km before I started my swimming lessons with a coach at 31...And I was always afraid of ocean swims until I got my Bold & Beautiful addiction almost 3 years ago… I had never been able to run 1 km non-stop until I became 36 and joined a running club... I had never ridden a road bike until I joined a WTC at 39... From the moment when I joined WTC I felt a fantastic support and extremely friendly club atmosphere. That’s why participation in NSW Club Champ is a yearly tradition for me.
 
Is it an easy event? Hmm… Danger could be everywhere: sharky swim last year, very hilly ride (luckily we are from the Northern Beaches) and even stormy weather this year, extremely hot run 3 years ago.
 
Is it the best event? YES!!! Comfortable Club accommodation? Done! Done! Bag with WTC presents? Done! Sunrise club photo on the beach? Done! Outstanding support from team mates before, during and after the race? Done! Best photographer in the world? Done! Club tent and refreshing drinks after the race? Done! Delicious celebration dinner and best energetic dancing? Done! And a glue which links all these ingredients - HAVING FUN!
 
I’m very proud to be part of the best triathlon club in the Universe and can’t wait for the next Club Champ (fingers crossed it’ll be in Port Stephens)

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​What’s next?
Club Champs in May Forster.

​SWIM (3KM) – Even if recent floodings have affected the Jindabyne Lake and we could see previous pathway and public lamps under water, the water was delicious (20 degrees) since the outside temperature when you start (12 degrees) is a bit colder than our usual Manly area. 3 laps to do in brown water, almost like double Manly>Shelly these days after the flooding, but without the salt joy!

BIKE (117KM) – Total ascent 2,546m (895m> 1,783m) – 5H39 – Max speed 68Km/h - Starting from Jindabyne lake, we ride towards Thredbo first. You need to know well the way before starting, because race signs are very limited! I took the first left (instead of the second one), and just realised I was on the wrong route when I saw other cyclists continuing on the main road haha! (end the volunteer I saw didn’t tell me it was the wrong way). Road bike or TT bike? I selected road bike to keep a good control of the bike, even if you do have opportunities to accelerate a bit more with a TT bike. The way to Thredbo was nice, I was able to catch with other cyclists (I’m always stronger on the bike than on the swim!!), and I discovered couple of hills that reminded me where I was… in the mountains area! The first 50km where all up and down, like roller coaster, with 2 strong hills. During that time, it was great seeing all team cars supporting you and cheering, with easy to recognise stickers (yellow sign ‘’cyclist support’’ in front and orange sign ‘’Cyclist ahead’’ in the back of the cars). First catchup with Ange in Bulllocks Flat, even if we were already in touch by phone before (always helpful to share your google location when racing this kind of event!). I see her and Sarah smiling at me, and I got the feeling that I was arriving at a triathlon bar: ‘’do you want banana, cereal bar, bonbons etc? This 2 minute break was great to share emotions, replace your water bottles, and start again with a new energy and stronger mindset. Going back to Jindabyne lake the same way, a bit of downhill where you experience super fast-changing conditions: when you could be super hot climbing the hills, you’re getting really cold with the wind in the descent! That’s what the Warringah winter jersey long sleeve that I worn at the top of my WTC trisuit was comfortable: I could zip and unzip both of them during the all race depending on the feeling. I saw Ange in the car couple of times again, when she was checking me on the side of the road (with extra food and drinks), taking pictures and cheering on me, really great to see your support many many times during that race! Between Jindabyne lake is starting the really hard job… a non-stop hill of 20km (around 80 to 100km) which was a legs killer (+8.7% at some stage)! Making a second stop at Mount Kosciuszko discovery center, in the middle of that crazy hill was good to relax a bit the leg and evacuate all the water I drunk so far. The last 20km of the bike were the one where I suffered the most, and at the end I got the feeling I’ve done 160km of a ride with all that energy spent! Final downhill on the left to Charlotte Pass, where you see the finish line and where you park your bike. Ange and Sarah cover my body of sunscreen since I was burning before despite all the sunscreen I already applied in the morning. Once again, this support crew was fabulous to get ready!

RUN (22KM) – Total ascent 500m (1,738m> 2,211m) – 3H01 – First 200m of the run are hard, since it’s uphill as soon as you start! Not even easy for Ange on her Mountain Bike! Fun fact, she had 41H recovery on her Garmin watch after the race vs 39 for me haha! After leaving the main road, we arrive on the trail run area where we meet Laura Cameron and her support Mel – she looks strong! And I will discover later she will finish 1st of the woman category, when Chris (that I didn’t see at all) finished 3rd… legends! Pretty large roads, another set of very scenic landscapes, you feel in the heart of the mountain! Climbing on the way in to Mount Kosciuszko, I needed to do walk/run/walk/run to be able to arrive to the summit. I meet Mark Page and his son Jack?– they are already going down the hills on the way back. Your mountain bike support needs to stop 2km before the summit and finish you with a run before taking back the bike again. Arriving at Mount Kosciuszko for the first time of my life, I got the feeling I was at the Everest, ready to cry with such a beauty area, and fantastic achievement I’ve done, thinking about my friends, family and the one I love in this unique moment… Event Energy crew gives me wristband, and I take time to enjoy this moment with pictures on the rocks, when some others prefer just to turn back immediately. Magical. Yes, magical. My heart is full, I’ve got chills, it’s time to go down. This time I feel much better, going down like a jaguar between rocks (instead of trees). 

I join back Ange, and she’s also taking the best of that journey, full of smiles and passion in these mountains. Sharing this together was part of the beauty of this race. We meet other AAA Extreme participants on the way back, and this is where I realise I was in the middle of the pack, and lots of others have still couple of hours in front of them! Final descent on the main road, I can hear the speaker cheering finisher already. Then this is my turn, couple of minutes later… I’m crossing the lines with some little tears in the eyes, proud of the extreme efforts I accomplished, with extreme beautiful mountains in my background, and with Ange waiting for me with her extreme smiles. A fantastic journey I will never forget. Harder than a full Iron Man? Probably! Have a try and tell me! But don’t compare time, just compare smiles and amazing souvenirs! ​

To say that I was feeling the pressure at my first Warringah Triathlon Club Race was an understatement. Having dropped half the deposit for a house on the Bower for the Uber to get to the start line, it quickly became clear how competitive the race would be. The international field was stacked with a who’s who of triathletes from the Northern Beaches. George “Two Guns” Davis, Patrick from Cork, Alex Buhlman representing the USA, Johan “The French Champion” Lequien to name a few, but the real danger man was Roy Gibbs, an ex open-side flanker from Cheshire who is an absolute greyhound once he’s on dry land.
Race conditions were ideal, mid 20s, clear sky and not a breath of wind. Club President and stalwart of WTC, David Wiles was kind enough to walk me down to the start at Collins Beach, and explain the layout of the course. The long walk down from transition added to the excitement, as I quickly realised the race would be swim, run, bike, run. Due to COVID restrictions, the race start was in waves of two, which suited me fine. Having recently arrived from New Zealand I felt privileged to race again, the level of organisation was fantastic, the club and committee should be proud to have organised such a well-run event.
 
Being aware of Roy’s clear threat I made the tactical decision to start one wave behind him and his girlfriend Helen. Thanks to my 8 millimeter wetsuit and at least 20 dolphin dives between the beach and buoy one I managed to pass Roy at the start of the second lap of the swim, this proved to be no more than false hope though as my narrow lead quickly evaporated on the 2.8km hill climb to T2 (bike transition).
 
As I left T2 I could see Roy in the distance and was in close proximity to the French Champion. For those who are yet to do the latest bike course, I can only describe it as technical, the mixture of speed bumps tight corners and sharp rises reminded me of Paris Roubaix, which clearly played into the French Champion’s hands, on the first lap at the bottom of the hill on the first lap I lost my chain and the French Champion dropped me like a bad habit. In reality my main focus on the bike was to stay in one piece.

After completing the 7 laps on the bike I came into transition with the French Champion and could see Roy already on his way out; to catch him was clearly going to take something miraculous! In hindsight my first kilometer at 3 minutes 40 seconds was clearly confusing ambition with ability, while I managed to pass the French Champion on the first hill, after two km in it was clear that Roy had the win sewn up. I quickly slowed down at the start of the second lap, and well and truly managed to positive split the run, ie I was way slower on the second half of the run
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​I would like to thank all of the volunteers and Race Director Deana Waters for putting on a fantastic event, we were even given our race splits at the finish line with a QR code, which is a first for me.

​Having recently arrived from Auckland New Zealand, I was sad to say goodbye to my other club North Harbour Triathlon Club, however in the short time I have been in Sydney I have very much enjoyed training and racing with WTC, we are a great club, bring on Club Champs in May, let’s get it on!