The 2011 Dextro Energy ITU World Championship was unlike any race I have ever done, but one I will never forget.
Today, I was one of 2200 lucky age groupers to compete in what was the most spectacular triathlon course in the world for the Sydney ITU World Championship. This hugely anticipated Olympic Distance event was the first of its kind for age groupers; a rare opportunity to swim 1.5kms of the harbour, ride 40kms over the harbour bridge & run 10km right in the heart of the city. Never before have age groupers been able to race in this event, only the elite, so needless to say, when entries opened, although the entry fee was exorbitant, I thought the opportunity far outweighed the cost. The organisers were going to close the Harbour Bridge & let us ride across it. This was the one event on the calendar I was not going to miss.
I constantly ask myself why we put ourselves through the torture of early mornings, racing in all kinds of weather, lugging equipment everywhere and constantly spending ridiculous amounts of money on race entries, clothes, gear etc. All I can say is that once you get involved in the sport, it is SO much fun, very addictive, and you meet so many people who inspire you to challenge yourself. Nothing ever compares to the feeling of crossing that finish line either, knowing that you have just completed three disciplines. You know what they say: before you make it to the finish, you have to make it to the start. And that in itself is a huge accomplishment that I think a lot of triathletes take for granted.
The day started at 4.15am. LJ caught the train from Maitland & came to stay with me at my new place. We were lucky enough to score a lift in the morning with Sarah (another one of Coach Mel’s athletes, from Coffs) & her husband Paul. The Bridge was closed from 4am, so we took the tunnel & I started to notice the steady incline on our way in, on what was going to form a large portion of the cycle course. Who knew the Bridge could be so hilly?!
After organising my stuff in transition, I got chatting to my training partner & one of my besties, Chris & decided to wait in line for the toilets…for 45 minutes! I don’t know what came over me but for the first time in a very long time, I started to get nervous. I got tingles in my hands & butterflies in my stomach. I had spent all week telling everyone I never get nervous because all I do is compete in races & I just get used to it! Talk about jinxing myself! Thankfully, the feeling passed after a few minutes & once I got sorted, I went down to watch the start of the race. The first wave kicked off at 6.45am. My wave (30-34 females) wasn’t until 7.44am so I got chatting to a few people I knew to try & keep my mind off swimming in the harbour. Imagine hundreds of people in wetsuits, looking like seals – it’s every sharks dream! I donned my new yellow compression socks under my wetsuit (so that my supporters could find me on the course) & off I went.
The swim was a 1.5km ‘M’ shape course. When the horn went off, I sprinted for the first 100 or so metres to try & get away from the washing machine. I ended up with water in my goggles but couldn’t be bothered stopping to try & get it out so I just kept swimming. I swallowed quite a bit of water & on the way back in, the sun was shining right into our eyes so I ended up going out too wide because I couldn’t see. My first thought was, ‘oh crap, I am by myself and a shark is going to eat me alive! Quick, find some people to swim next to!’ Once I saw the stairs, I swam as fast as I could to get out of the water. I felt slow in the swim; I didn’t really find my groove until about half way & by then, I started getting overtaken by the men in the wave after us – depressing! But I reminded myself to just focus on getting to the end of the swim because there was a LONG run to transition. The water wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was clean and I didn’t see any mysterious grey animals with sharp teeth, so I was happy.
The run into transition left me breathless; a mixture of hills, and uneven grass/bark to run over in bare feet. There was only enough space for about two people to run down the main aisle in transition so you had to get in quick or you would get stuck behind someone slow. And we all know The Fonginator only has one speed & it isn’t walking.
The 40km bike course went past the Art Gallery, up the Cahill Expressway & over the Harbour Bridge towards North Sydney before turning around & coming back towards the city, past St Marys Cathedral & back to the Botanic Gardens. We had three loops to conquer and boy was it a tough course. It wasn’t so much that the inclines were steep; they were just deceivingly long. But that meant fast downhills on the way back so I gunned it in my aerobars at every opportunity. I ended up getting a stitch on the bike half way through, but thankfully no flat tyres so I just told myself to HTFU. I have to say, I soaked up every minute of riding across the Harbour Bridge. It was a very proud Sydney moment for me & one opportunity I won’t be forgetting in a hurry. The best part about the ride was having my supporters scream at me everytime I went past; I hope my returned fist pump was a sign of how appreciative I was because when they yelled, I pedalled faster! To me, supporters are the 4th leg of triathlon. They make such a HUGE difference to your mental state in such a positive way. I don’t think I would race nearly as well without them.
Once I got off the bike, I got that jelly feeling in my legs; something I haven’t experienced since the Half Ironman last year. It took me longer than usual to get my shoes on (new laces were a bit too tight) & I didn’t do the usual Fonginator bolt as my lungs were still hurting from the ride. But by the time I put my lucky yellow cap on & started running, the sun was out in full force & I was determined to complete the run as fast as I could. After all, it was a favourite leg.
The run was 2 x 5km loops around the city, including the magnificent Opera House. The support on course in general was amazing (in particular, the turnaround point near the finish line) & the volunteers were also fantastic. The run included a lot of steady hills to keep you honest & there were times I wanted to walk, but I didn’t, and that was mainly due to the kids yelling at me to move my ass. Go kids. You rock!
When I ran past St Mary’s Cathedral for the first lap, most of the supporters were just standing there expressionless (I hate when people do that), so I yelled at them to clap & cheer. By the time I came down for the final lap, I had them all screaming. It was brilliant! Most of them complete strangers which made it even sweeter! The final 2km were mostly uphill but as soon as I saw those blue mats, I started grinning from ear to ear. I was literally smiling more than I have ever smiled in a race. Running over the mats felt just as amazing as when I did my first Half Ironman. The feeling of being able to race in your home town in the middle of the city was a very proud moment; the scenery doesn’t even compare to any race I’ve ever done. My support crew were out in full force in the last 100m (talk about feeling loved) so I put the gas on when I heard those two magic words…‘SPRINT FINISH (thanks Chris & LJ)!’ I gave everything I had left in the tank, possibly more, because I thought my lungs were going to explode. But it was totally worth it :)
I want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone that was out there on the sidelines cheering for me. I don’t think people realise just how important it is to have support during a race. The Kells’, The Moore's, The Nicholson’s, the BTC crew (Sarah, Hannah, Lisa), Erin, Em and my number one bag carrier, LJ who made the trek from Maitland. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of lung capacity & loads of time on your feet to be part of the cheer squad; it’s a workout in itself & the one thing in racing that gets me through the pain. Thank you also to Coach Mel for helping me get to the start line. WWMD forever. Congratulations to my fellow competitors for pushing through this very tough course (Sarah, Tracy, Anne, Cat, Kath, Kirsty, Robyn, Dave, Ben & anyone else I may have forgotten - sorry!). The Fonginator will be back next year, with a vengeance & possibly more yellow, so watch out! Results are yet to be posted.
Definitely feeling the triathlon love & fired up for The Busselton Half Ironman in 4 weeks!
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