Challenge Wanaka 2023
My first podium in a competitive race! It was not expected at all. In truth I had really been questioning my fitness and ability over the past few months. With racing IM WA and although knocking 20mins off of my PR I expected to be faster. Especially in the swim.
But this day was a different story. First in the water and straight into survival mode, swimming the first 200m way way to fast I eventually settled into a nice pace and sat on some feet to aid with drafting. Getting to the turn bouy breathing out of my arse I knew I had to calm down. So I allowed the pair of feet to get away from me and I started swimming by myself not worrying about other people around me. Then it clicked, I no longer felt like a baby elephant trying to cross a running river for the first time, it was more a feeling of swimming like dolphins. I’ve cracked it I thought. Don’t thrash myself to keep up with others. Last turn bouy and we where headed to shore I put in some extended efforts but kept it sensible and got out of the water in 32 mins… 4 mins faster than 5 months ago.
Due to these extended efforts in the swim, standing up and getting the legs to work again was abit of a mission. Feeling like I’d just done the 400m mens race in the olympics I arrived at my bike. In a time considerably slower than those in the Olympics. For some reason I decided to tidy my little area in transition instead of rush through. Not normal for me but I was here to enjoy it right?
Grabbing my bike bike shoes on, I wasn’t too keen on running on gravel barefoot today. The first 100m of the bike was gravel. With my wheels spinning like crash bandicoot’s legs I sprung into action. It was an eventful 10km. Almost being knocked off my bike by a suddenly braking marshal on his bike to getting stuck behind a car for 1km I was abit frustrated. But alas this did not stop me making race car noises past spectators and enjoying the ride. I ended up catching up with a group and pulling a couple of guys along for the journey and it was quite an enjoyable ride. The hills where tough but not a problem. Time for a little run.
Off the bike and time to run. 2km on the flat then up. Hair pin bends on single track. Have to say it was one of the hardest runs I have ever done. After the inevitable over bike my legs were pretty cooked, it I had one rule. Don’t walk. And I did not, no mater how hard it got I did not let myself walk. Even if at times it would of been faster to walk. To the top of the hill and it was a long down hill back to the start for a second loop. I was running with a fantastic handlebar moustache but he decided he was fed up with my chat and run off half way around the first lap. Que coming down hill for the last time and seeing him on the side of the track having a stretch. I shouted ‘no time for that’ and ran off with him in hot pursuit. He must of been pushing pretty hard when he caught up with me with 1 km to go because I near enough had to carry him over the line. Well I left him with 500m to go.
Through the finish in 3rd. Qualified for the Challenge Championship. This year is getting busy.