DAY 1: 15km mtb-14km lake paddle-46km run-5km mtb
I hadn't had the greatest lead in to this years event. With Anaconda two weeks previous and a hectic couple of weeks at the gym I was open minded about how I would fare. None the less I had my trusty crew which included Mum, Dad, Rach and my brother Jason all amped up for a great race. The day opened with cooler than expected temperatures prompting me to wear a thermal under my race kit. I was to later find that leg warmers would have been a worthy addition also!
So with the crew off and a warm up complete we rallied in the start zone ready for action. The great thing about this race is that there's no mucking around and at 7am on the dot we were off. Although my biking has improved the pace off the start was considerably more sedate than 2010 giving me a great chance to settle myself and establish my own game plan. Soon the lead bunch was down to 3, including Richard Ussher, myself, and John from the team "Jam Sohn" and this continued all the way to the 1st transition.
Quickly onto my ski I got onto Rich's wash and felt the pace was manageable. This soon changed with the introduction of a moderate but sloppy side chop. My focus changed from keeping up to forming my own rhythm. With superior skills in the side chop Rich extended just over 2 minutes of water between us in the stage.
Next up, a 46km trail run and the crux of the day's racing. Transitioning well I immediately discovered that my legs were frozen. The 5 degree air temperature on the lake combined with surf ski paddling had not been a good one. This was more than a superficial cold and had chilled all my leg muscles. Such was the issue that it took the best part of an hour of relaxed running to warm them up. Although not feeling particularly rhythmic I was moving along well enough and after less than 2 hrs of running had caught Sam Clark of "Jam Sohn". Soon after to my ultimate surprise I spotted Rich running ahead and without too much effort I caught and settled in behind Rich. We continued like this into the Korokoro landing/ mid run transition where I refueled and replaced my empty camelbak.
Soon after this transition the pace became too hot so I let Rich head off on his own. I wasn't at all phased only surprised I had caught him in the first place. What followed was a yo yo type battle where Rich would drop me then my steady pace would reel him in. This happened several times before he seemed to concede and allowed me to settle in behind. Panakere Bluffs again provided some compulsory walking and at this stage I began feeling decidedly rough. Fortunately this was temporary and I perked up enough to begin running across the range tops.
From here I began to feel better and better something I detected Rich was not experiencing. Holding the pace back I rationalized with the theory that there still was a big day of racing tomorrow. By Panakere hut however I sensed Rich was suffering more than normal so I left him to grab a drink and put my best foot forward. Over the next hour of running I managed to squeeze out a gap of 17minutes between us and jumped on my bike elated with the fact that I had beaten him in a day of racing. Day 2 was of no relevance right now as I finished a great day of racing happy I had played it well.
Nothing is assured in this game but I had given myself a shot...
DAY 2: 23km mtb-42km road bike-21km paddle-16km run
After my day 1 efforts I wouldn't have complained if a weather bomb cruised in and caused day 2 to be cancelled. No such luck. Today I would have to line up against a less than happy Richard Ussher with a fire cracker up his backside.
The day started exactly as I expected. Rich took off like a man who needed time fast and I took off like a man who knew every second would count. Unfortunately for me I knew instantly that my body wouldn't perform how I wanted today. I just don't recover as well as Rich......never have.
After what was a very tough 23km of mountain biking I came in to transition 7 minutes down. I was pretty happy with this as I had factored up to 8mins in my pre-race estimate for the day. What I didn't realise was that once I got onto the road section my legs would really suffer. Rich on the other hand was racing like a man possessed smashing up and down the small rises in the valley. By the end of this section he would have another 10 minutes on me leaving us dead even overall. I had nothing to lose.
Going into the kayak section I was pleased to be off the bike but in probably the lowest point I'd been in all race, not particularly because of the time splits but because I was having to fight just to keep myself moving at what should have been a moderate pace. At this stage with nothing to lose I took time to refuel before paddling off down the river. The pace picked up and I actually felt as though I was racing with intent again. By the end of the paddle I had lost another 4 minutes and needed a damn good run to pull the race back.
I did have a damn good run, so much so that I ran 8 minutes faster than the same leg last year. Unfortunately Rich also had a damn good run and took a further minute out of me. It was simply not my day. Despite having a cracker day 1 effort and a day 2 time much improved on last year I had been out classed and full credit must go to Rich for a legendary come back.
So my focus moves to next year now. Plenty to work on and plenty to take away. Many thanks again must go to my sponsors: R & R Sport, Thermatech, Rasdex, The Frontrunner, La Sportiva and migym Nelson.
Many thanks also to my awesome crew: Mum, Dad, Rach and Jase. No problems there!
