Busselton Half Ironman - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

It was a very cold morning (9C) and from the beach the water conditions did not appear to be ideal; nothing like the flat surface I saw yesterday afternoon. I had a quick warm up swim but felt little uneasy with what I was going to be up against. I tried to remember all the things I've learnt dealing with 'rough' conditions and tried to remain calm and breath properly and not be too worried about people swimming over the top of me or getting punched/kicked. Think I swam a little further than 1900m as I was a fair distance away from the buoys. It was the first time I tried sighting on the swim which helped a lot. Very good coming out of the swim, no stomach/sickness issues! Not impressive but I already knew I would be near the backend

On the course it was cold and quite breezy. I think the wind picked up even more on the 2nd lap as my average dropped quite remarkably. Despite the wind I still think I did OK, was hoping for 32+ km/h but conditions weren't ideal. Probably could take on more fluid but didn't want to take too many pit stops.

I wasn't feeling well on the first 4-5 kilometres, I think legs were ok but felt something weird around my chest. Heart rate rising quickly to around 90% MHR, without the risk of getting a heart attack I dropped the pace and took a stop at the second aid station to take on water and walk for a bit. From here I marched on and somehow found some form. For the next 11 km I was between 4:57-5:17 pace but fatigue slowly set in and didn't have enough for a strong finish. Average HR 160 (86% of max HR). Heart rate did reach 180 (96%) at one point!

Swell conditions and wind.


My First 70.3 Ironman. This event was a massive goal for me, overcame many challenges and obstacles along the way. Can't believe the day had finally arrived and to put my training to the test. I am so happy to have come this far and complete this milestone. The event was run extremely well and I'll definitely be coming back for more!