The week after the Seven Mile Beach tri was a fantastic week of training. I managed to clock up 26.5 hours and although I did feel like I was walking around half asleep by the end of it, I was very happy to look back on such a solid week.
This past week has been pretty slack in comparison which, with the time left until Coles Bay, is a little disappointing. But as they say you learn more from your failures than your successes, and while physically I may not have gained a lot from the week, mentally I have taken on board a lot of lessons. It's been a good reminder of how important it is to keep an open mind and keep learning from everything you do and, importantly, everyone you meet (a point that I will come back to later).
One of the biggest lessons I've really had drummed into me this week (and you know, I can be told something 1000 times but it won't be til I've actually done it that I'll understand) is not to let the little things get in the way of the big overall goal.
Case in point: I'm training for the Coles Bay 100, which is a long course triathlon, and this of course forming part of my base for hopefully another crack at the World Long Distance Championship (finance depending!). Therefore volume of endurance training should be my focus. And as we all know the ability to do this depends on making the most of the time we are not at work (unless you're a pro of course, or a teacher, or a student....)
I had an entire day off on Thursday which the previous week equated to about 6 hours' training - and how many this week? 50 minutes! Why? Because I let my ego talk me into going to a, excuse my french, $#!**y little triathlon race for State series points, which ultimately adds up to what? Annual kudos from Tri Tas and maybe a few dollars prize money.
Sure, race practice and the intensity of racing is great training, but not at this stage of my program, a fact that was probably realized by a lot of my more experienced training partners - hence the big names missing from the entry list on the day.
Latrobe starts with a 400m swim in a river that's about 20m wide. Imagine almost 100 people trying to get around three buoys in that space and if you come up with an image akin to a very wet mosh pit, you've got it about right. Melissa even asked the race organisers if we could have men's and women's waves, but the answer was just 'no' with no good reason. Anyway, after being kicked, punched, swum over and drinking half the duck pond, I got out a mile behind Grace Row-Smith and Melissa, and close behind Kate and Millie Chapman. After a terrible bike mount (there's another thing that needs work) I managed to overtake all of the girls but it wasn't long before I started feeling the previous day's training in the legs and Melissa and Kate proceeded to overtake me and ride far, far away into the distance. After messing up the second transition as well, I got onto the run and ran reasonably strongly to pass Melissa and finish in 2nd place, though well behind Kate.
Not a bad result and I'm by no means saying I'm unhappy with 2nd - it's more the race preparation and performance I wasn't thrilled at.
The day befor the race I had done roughly an Olympic distance triathlon - after 3km in the pool with the swim squad I was persuaded to participate in the "Launceston 70.3" which entailed another swim in the pool, an hour after the first one, immediately followed by a time trial ride and then a run (45km/8km for me - the guys did 85/20). Then I went to work for five hours and then we headed straight to Latrobe. I felt like the walking dead I was so tired - NOT an ideal race preparation!
So what did I learn? I learnt that if you are going to race, you need to be 100% committed to the race, not just on the day but in the lead-up, and if you're not then you shouldn't bother racing.
I also learnt that you shouldn't just spontaneously join into other people's training just because it will be fun - yes it was, but it trashed me for the race. Yes Johnno, Trent, it appears I really can't have everything! I could have done the Launceston 70.3 and then a long ride and a swim on the Thursday, or I could have ditched the 70.3 and done well in the race, but not both. And given the focus is long course, the former would have been a far better option.
Having said all that, I still intend to race Beauty Point sprint tri this coming Sunday!! At least it's 750/30/5 and I can ride home :)
As an aside to the Latrobe race, it was my last race in the Cycle Torque & Coffee kit. I'm so grateful for the support I've had from the CTC team, for the opportunity to work with them, and all the wonderful people I met along the way. However times change, life changes and new opportunities arise as one has for me and I believe in taking opportunities with both hands.
I am very excited to join the Bike Central team this week. I'm assured I'm going to be turned into a "strong cyclist" which is also exciting, but I'm not sure who has the most work to do - the coach or the student! More training, more learning, as usual! It's going to be a lot more pleasant training on the new Specialized Ruby though. First proper ride on her yesterday - unbelievably comfortable and stable. Love, love, love it.
Speaking of coach and student brings me back to the point I wanted to make earlier.
I have probably waxed lyrical on this topic before but it warrants covering again.
Yesterday I was once again struck by how lucky and priveleged we are in northern Tasmania to have amazingly talented athletes who continually offer us advice, support and help with our own careers and aspirations. The generosity with which they donate their time and skills to further the sports that they love, for no obvious personal gain, continually astounds me. There are many that I have had the pleasure of talking to and training with, who I look up to and respect and hope to continue to work with. I know I'll forget someone here but some that I'd like to recognise include Craig Boon, David Brasher, Trent & Wade Hadley, Peter & Mollie Fraser, Joe Gambles, Rob, Kim & Jenny Gillard, Harvey Griggs, Sharon & Tim Gunton, Casey Mainsbridge, Ben Mather, Mark Matthews, Paul & Peter McKenzie, Mark & Louise Padgett, Paul Turner, Andrew Willis, Jen McMahon & Chris Zehntner.
Thankyou guys for your tireless efforts in either promoting and encouraging young/new sportspeople or for helping raise the bar for those of us who have slightly higher aspirations! That Tasmania punches far above its weight in producing top sportspeople is a reflection on your efforts and I hope that one day I will be able to do for others what you have done for me.
A but unfair to call the Tasmanian State Series Races, 'Shitty' little races. A lot of people put a lot of time (their own as they are not supported or sponsored by others)into organising, training and competing in these races!! They are the building blocks of our sport and the more people we can get to attend these races the better it is for triathlon as a whole. Without these people and the 'shitty' little races you and others would not be competing at the level you may want to compete at. I could say alot more but I think a bit of appreciation for the hard work others do to help you, me and many other competitors needs to be your focus.
ReplyDeleteI apologise for the fact that you misinterpreted where I was coming from with that comment. Wrong choice of words yes maybe but hey that's why it's a blog and not any kind of official commentary. What I meant by that was that they are of no real consequence in the wider world of triathlon, as evidenced I suppose by the fact that some of our best competitors i.e Natalea, Jacob, Dylan, Amelia etc choose to race on the mainland where possible instead. I also think I was mainly talking about Latrobe with that comment and you must admit that it is a strange distance to compete over as part of our state series - if it was a proper sprint distance at least, it would be more appropriate. And you can't tell me the state series is not unfairly weighted to the state's short course athletes!
ReplyDeleteYour 'a bit of appreciation' comment amuses me as you clearly don't know that I am actually on the LTC committee so not only do I give back to the sport to show my appreciation, I actually help organise LTC's two events that make up part of the state series. My husband is also on the committee and one of this state's few Technical Officials. Both of us are also on the committee of the Launceston Athletic Club and the Three Peaks Race. So if you are looking for someone who does not appreciate the hard work it takes to organise and run sporting events, you need to look elsewhere.