Ironman 70.3 Busselton - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Perfect conditions, dead flat seas and crystal clear water - you could see the bottom all the way round. I was kicked in the face about 200m into the swim and nearly lost my goggles. I had to stop a couple of times to try to reposition them on my face but still finished the rest of the swim with water in my right side sloshing around. It also took another 200 or 300metres to calm down and get back into a good rhythm.
The gun swimmers from the next wave start swam over the top of me on the return leg but all I could think was that at least my navigation was probably spot on.

Learn to swim when I was younger!! Like so many this is my biggest weakness.

Could have been faster if I hadn't fluffed around deciding whether to wear arm warmers or not.

Start practicing with shoes already on the bike

My pace seemed high to start off with but I was feeling comfortable and relaxed on the bike. Not having a power meter I was basing my effort on RPE rather than HR and I was comfortable with the effort I was putting in based on my training leading up to the event. I knew I could run well of a hard bike effort so I kept the pace up and rolled the dice.
With no liquid calories available on the bike course, only water or electrolyte, I decided to carry 3 bottles figuring the weight penalty would not be an issue on a flat course.

Nothing that immediately springs to mind. Each race however is a learning experience and there is knowledge gained to take forward to my next race.

Went according to practice and planning.

The crowd support along the run leg was fantastic. My running form leading up to the event was as good as it has ever been and I was eagerly looking forward to this leg to see what I could do. My three lap times were incredibly even and I felt strong when I finished. I managed a PB for the half mary by 17 seconds ( my first half mary, a stand alone event 2 years ago). I had hoped to run a little faster but I knew the big bike effort would take some toll.
I had never used hammer nutrition before and so my goto calories on the run was going to be the cola. I had done some training with it and knew from previous experience that my stomach could handle it when nothing else would do.
I was shocked as I hit the first aid station to see the volunteers pouring cups of cola from 2 litre bottles, ie fully carbonated! I made the decision to stick to plan but spent some effort belching gas after each aid station. Overall it did not impede my efforts.

Practice drinking from plastic cups on the run, I did lose a few seconds each aid station as I stopped quickly just to guzzle my drink down.

I am beginning to understand more the importance of recovery, especially at my age and so I took the time to stretch properly, drink plenty of recovery fluids, enjoy the fruit and muffins provided and massage. After leaving the recovery area I headed straight back to the beach and spent 15 minutes easy walking in the cool waters. I changed into my compression gear after that. As a result I have felt very little soreness after such a big effort


My swimming. I never learned as a child (or an adult), and till now been too stubborn to go to masters swimming. As a BOP swimmer I have significant room for improvement in my swim performance. Looking at the results a 2.5 minute gain on the swim would have seen me move up seven places in my age group.


I came off the couch 3 and a half years ago, lost 20 kgs and then fell in love with the sport of triathlon. I have seen my health and my performance consistently improve since then. Today was the culmination of all that effort. With three IMs and two HIMs under my belt today was the day that all my ducks lined up in a row. For the first time ever, in the days leading up to the event, I said to my wife I felt as though I was racing the event, not just participating. I also did not feel an imposter when I went to the roll down and took a slot for the 70.3 world championships.
I also recognize that none of this would have been possible without the support and encouragement of my wonderful wife.