So, this last weekend I lined up at IMNZ for my second IM distance race of the season.
Race week went well with no dramas. I got the new Blue Seventy Helix suit on Wednesday and had a couple of short swims prior to race day, it has super thin arms and extra flexible arms so I really liked it from the first swim.
Friday was spent watching about 3 movies, doing a tiny bit of exerise to stay moving and racking the bike.
Next thing I know its Saturday morning, and we are all lined up in the lake, getting ready for the start cannon. I had quite a good start and got into a nice little group and we rolled down the lake. The orgainsers had numbered all the bouys down the swim course so you could see how far you had swim. I thought the numbers must of corresponded to the number of meters swam, so I got a nice suprise after bouy 12 i think when we hit the turn bouy at the near half way mark of the swim. I exited the water in a few seconds over 50min so a solid swim for me.
Onto the bike, the first 20k I always struggle and this race was no different, It always seems to take me a while to find the legs. After about 20k I formed a group with 3 others and we rode together down to the turn around. My spare tubular decided to unravel from my rear drink bottle cage, I had rode with it in training for about 6hrs so not sure why it decided to come loose. With no rear pockets, the only place to hold it was down the front of my shirt.
I was quite suprised to see Terrenzo leading, then a gap back to Kerin and Cameron after the turn around. I thought he must be on some good legs. Just after the turn around James Bowstead came roaring past on a mission, I tried to hang with him, but only lasted about 20k, he was tearing up the road, and I was destroying my legs to try and stay there. So after that he had completely shelled my group and I rode the rest of the ride solo. The last lap was a struggle, the wind got up I just tried to limit the damage to the front and hoped I could pick up some casulties on the run. My lap times where about 10min difference so not the best pacing!
Come into transition in 5th, get my shoes on and realise I hadn’t put my running shorts on, no probs I managed to stretch the shorts over my shoes. Out onto the run and the legs didnt feel that great, so I just settled into a rythum I thought I could hold for the marathon, I was watching my k splits and I was ticking out between 4min-4min20 depending on the wind direction and hilly bits. Not great but the best i could do on the day. I picked up James at the 7k mark who was probably feeling the big effort he put in on the bike, and was hoping for some big fade at the front. Unfortunatly it didnt happen, but I paced pretty well with the last 21k about 90sec slower and enjoyed the last 3k with the big Taupo crowd. I came across the line in 4th place and 2nd fastest run time.
Overall, a good day for me, Cameron again displayed his dominance, now I know I have to find 15min to be mixing it with the big boys. So time for some hard training over winter to fix up my weaknesses.
Thanks to all the team sponsors, all the competitors in Taupo, the spectators and the volunteers. And a special thanks to my good mate Gog and Family, who let us stay with them at their family holiday house in Taupo.
Me running
). Throughout the day I normally snack on a few lollies and honey if I feel like something sweet.
