1 race down 2 to go

I've now been in Oz for almost a week and settling in well. My accommodation is perfectly located to the race venue and is really nice as I have my own entrance, living space, bathroom it's just the kitchen that we share. Jo my flat is really nice, a hyperactive Kiwi who loves her rugby. I finally found out that she's a touch judge not a player, as I was getting confused when she emailed saying she was a goal assist, I couldn't figure out what sport that was from. I've impressed my self already, I was only in the country a few hours and I'd managed to get a bird back to my room.



It's hard no to like it here when the weather is so nice, it's just a nice temperature warm but not too ridiculously warm that you can't train. I've meet up with a few guy's from the GB team, Dean who I met on the plan and the rest of the Scottish guy's that are out, Brad Gilbert, Craig Dale, Graham Cox, Shona Girdwood and Dan Sims and we have been out for a few easy swim, bike and run sessions. With the race on Saturday I'm not wanting to do too much, just enough to stay fresh after the 20+hrs of traveling.

They have a great set up for training here, especially swimming. The first day I arrived I headed down to the local pool with some of the team, there was a 50m pool, 25m pool and a diving pool with 25m lanes in it as well, all open air. It really does put us to shame, with our 1 50m pool which is closed. Along with the great pool, there is a 100m shark proof pen in the sea where we have been doing most of our swims. It's not Porty but it will do :-)



Today was the World Aquathon Champs (2.5krun, 1kswim, 2.5krun). I figured it would be a good short, but fast race to give me one really hard session to help get my body into race mode for the week, and I'm really glad I did. going into the race I really wasn't sure how my running was going, I know I was swimming well as I had some good hard sessions before I left home. The start of the run was the most Bizarre thing I have ever seen at a race. My wave was made up of the male 16-39 athletes. When we got to the start line everyone did the usual and found a place on the start line ready to go. This obviously isn't the way the aussies do it. We were told to form a line in number order, smallest to largest. with me being 1198 (1000-1200 racing) I was pretty far back at the start. Once we were put into order we were allowed to enter the start pen, where I was still about 15 rows back, not impressed. When the horn went, the start pace was so slow due to the massive pack, I'm sure I go faster at the start of marathons. I managed to work my way through the field over the first run and enter the water fairly high up the field, I think, it's hard to tell when there are that many people racing. The swim was great, water temperature was 22.5oC so swimming without a wetsuit was really pleasant and a first for me. And I'd have to say I wish I could do more often as I made up a lot of ground on the swim as those fast runners were missing the buoyancy of their wetsuits. Coming through transition for the final time I was adamant that now one would pass me on the run. I felt great coming out of the water and wanted to test my legs out and push the final 2.5k as hard as I could. I felt great, I must have picked off more that 30 folk and nobody came past me. I really feel like my running is back to where it was at the start of the season. I've not seen the results yet, but I've been told I was fairly high up, hopefully things will go that well on Saturday, if the water stays the way it is it will be a non wetsuit swim, fingers crossed it is.


Me and Craig before the Auqthon.

Anyway I thing that's been more than enough for today, I'll post again after the worlds on Saturday.

mg