Since about 2006, when I found out the World Champs were going to be held on the Gold Coast, Australia in 2009 I planned on being there.
With Ironman being my main priority over the past 2 season, this year was all about getting faster over the Olympic distance to get out to Oz. Winter training was all going really well and I was supper positive about my chances of getting in the team. However a cold over Easter and a dip in performance at the first qualifying race back in May at the Little Beaver tri start to make me think that I may miss out.
Sunday Past was D-Day, Strathclyde park Olympic distance and the final qualifier for the worlds, it was do or die time. With the previous weekends race at the Scottish sprint champs not going great I was left doubting my performance and hoping it was down to fatigue after a hard block of training.
The week running up to Strathclyde start great with a really tough swim with the club where I was flying, excellent great start to the week. However my next 2 session on the bike and back in the pool blow all that confidence as I was feeling tired and had no power on the bike or in the pool. It was a taper week anyway so the rest off the week consisted of rest days and short aerobic sessions to help keep my legs moving. However rest just didn't feel it was enough so I headed to the Fitnessbox to get a pair of compression shorts just to help with any recovery that my legs were needing. I also started taking ice baths, one a day helps keep the doctor away, or is that apples? I always forget. Anyway I the combination of the rest, compression shorts and ice baths worked and by Saturday my legs were starting to feel fresh and rearing to go.
Race day morning as as so often is the case when I race as Strathclyde it was cold and wet, which I was actually thinking could be in my favour as the English guy's may find the water a little to cold for their liking, I couldn't see it being colder than the Firth of Forth at the start of May so I felt I'd be ok. And I was the right, the water temperature was really pleasant, a nice temperature for racing.
The swim was a deep water start with 2 rectangular laps. As seems to be my track record with Starthclyde swim starts I got off to a shocker. As soon as the hooter went and I put my face in the water to get going I got clocked right in the face by the swimmer in fronts feet. My goggles didn't come off, but I couldn't see anything as both sides had filled with water and been suctioned on to my face. The next 50-100meters was head up survival swimming until I could get my goggles fixed. Finally managing to get my left eye sorted so I could see I managed to get into my rhythm and just not bother about seeing out of the right hand side. Apart from that nightmare start I actually had a really good swim, maybe it was the adrenaline maybe it was just the swim training, but I managed to get going and pass a lot of the guy's who got away from me a the start and exit the water in 20:08, I'm pleased with that.
On to the bike which is always me weakest discipline, so I knew I had to give it everything and not let up for a second. The multi lap course at Strathclyde really helps me as there are always people up the road for you to pick off, even if their not in your heat or that your might actually about to lapping them. Like the at the British Champs David Moffat was racing, so yet again I was using not being caught by him of the bike as motivation to keep going. And like the British it worked as he didn't catch me until the start of the final lap, as he said when he went past "either he's getting slower or I'm getting quicker" I'd like to think it's the later. I came off the bike having passed more people than passed me, I think, it does get confusing on that course with who's where on the course.
Coming out of T2 another E athlete came past me right away so I just jumped right onto his feet and used him as pacing for the first Km. after the first km we were starting to pull David back so I moved to the front to close the gap even further. At the first turn point I noticed I had distanced myself to the competitor I left transition with by about 10-15meters, so knew that if I could just keep this pace up I should be able to stay away from him. For the rest of run David managed to keep about a 15meter gap on me , I just didn't seem to be able to close the gap and it wasn't until the final turn at 7.5k that David managed to get away from me and I really had to dig deep to keep off the guy's behind me and pass a few more guy's on the way back to the finish. When the finish finally came into view it was a welcome sight as my legs were really starting to hurt, I had given it everything I had, now I had to wait to find out if it was enough.
In true Hollywood dramatic style the organisers announced that there had been some problems with the timing system so the results would not be out as early as they had previously thought, more waiting. Finally on Wednesday afternoon the British team manager had made it through the E's on the results had had posted the qualifiers, YES!! success Graham Leitch (Fusion tri) and myself had taken the first 2 of 4 slots in the E category. Gold coast here we come.
Even better news , I also found out that I was successful in my application to the GB long distance squad for the World Champs in Perth, Australia on 25th October. 10 weeks in Oz, I can't wait, I just need to get my flights and accommodation booked as I plan to leave in under 5weeks, AH!!
Finally I have to say a big thanks to Sooz, her Mum and Linda who all came out to support on Sunday and shouted at me endlessly throughout the race, I even heard Linda shouting at me on the run from across the Loch, thats some serious shouting, she's normally so quite as well :-)
Well I better get booking and training as their is still work to be done before Oz.
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