Cameron Watt's Blog

It’s been nearly 3 weeks since my last race (attempted race anyway), Ironman Australia. I physically recovered really quickly from it, as I pulled out after 14km and a lot of the physical damage done in ironman is from the remaining 28km of running that I didn’t do. I admit though that for a week after the race I struggled to mentally recover from for lack of a better word, dissapointment. I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to race for the win, but I guess that I want it so bad and have worked so hard for it for so long it was painful to watch others achieve what I know could have been mine had I not injured myself.

My girlfriend Mel, kicked my butt everyday as she knew I was down, Brett was swift and to the point with me too, and then at swim training the coach much in the same way Brett and Mel said reinforced it, I got no time to waste, so stop feeling sorry for yourself. Pretty soon I was distracted by training pain, instead of mental weakness pain.

So I have put in a few good weeks of training now, and some great running on my improving foot. It’s feeling much the same now as it did the middle of last year, and it wasnt long after then that I was running 100%.

I am racing next weekend in Noumea, New Caledonia; which is an French owned Island in the Pacific Ocean just east of Australia. It is an Olympic Distance race that has been going for a long time and if you ever get a chance to skim through the past results you’ll see how prestigous a race it once was. Mark Allen in the mid ninties came 8th!!!! Greg Welch, Brad Bevan, Scott Molina, Spencer Smith, SImon Lessing,Craig Alexander, Chris McCormack, you name it they’ve raced there, and not all have won it.

The race is put on by Guy Vernay, father of Patrick Vernay, winner of Roth 08, and Ironman OZ three times and they are very gracious hosts, hey it’s the least they can do when Patrick , the quintessential athlete, keeps coming to Australia and winning our races!!!!

well the mud has settled from ironman oz for 2009. The whole week rained and race day was no different.
I took off hard at start and lead for first 1km but probably a bit too hard but I wanted to make a selection early, but once pete Jacobs came round me and surged I had to loose his feet and then watch him swim 25m ahead of me for the remaining swim. Once onto the bike a group formed of deboom, hect, thompson and Jacobs but they were sitting on and not looking like they wanted to push pace so I pushed hard and opened up about 2min which stayed like that for 150km. Behind me the group had swelled with all the top runners such as vernay and tim Berkel. Into transition I had 3min and settled into my rythem and pace that Brett had planned for me, as our goal was to be able to run the whole 42 and maybe that pace could get me 5th or so which we would of been estatic with considering my pretty much non existant run prep. I lost the lead at the 6km mark to vernay and Berkel then dropped place after place. After 12km my foot started to niggle so I thought best not to ruin it for another month for no reason so I pulled out after 14km.
So last year I was first outta water here, this year first off bike so next year will be first after run!!! I’ve won the half ironman here so just have to work on joining the pieces together….
So I’m looking toward next race which is in noumea,new caladonia home of patrick vernay on may 3rd
Now off to presso to celebrate beks 2nd n abi’s 4th!!!