Team race reports MM2022

COACHES REVIEW

what can I say but everyone had a great race considering the conditioning with the heat on the run, everyone always expects a better performance but some days you just have to accept that you can push due to conditions and learn what you can do better next time to adapt to heat etc, most importantly pulling back that 5-10% on the bike to allow for the run to be smoother, on days like this salt tablets are essential.

It’s been an awesome season with everyone being so consistent with training and performances and it’s good to understand what everyone needs to focus on in the offseason to come back stronger in the new season.

thank everyone for your commitment to me.

The 70.3 distance is to be respected, they can be successful, or they can bite hard.  The heat nearly derailed my race for Murrayman 70.3

All started very well with the swim. Although congested at times, I could push through and also found some feet to follow. I came out feeling fresh and moved swiftly to the bike.  90km is a long way and I approached it differently with caution this year. I made sure to keep it easy all the way, not spiking or pushing too hard at any time, and also drinking more frequently. I took salt tablets as a precaution as it was forecast to heat up and I could feel it coming.  I found a rare opportunity to draft legally for a lap. I finished the bike and was feeling pretty good and was ready to run.

I purposely started slowly, but 500m in I started to cramp, I took my last salt tablet and walked, Still cramping, I stopped. Was my race over before it began?  But lovely Lisa, a fellow triathlete, offered some spare salt tablets she had, and I was so grateful, that I changed my race plan to a jog/walk which worked much better. The sun was still brutally hot. Thanks to the run volunteers who were so helpful supplying us all with drinks, ice etc. This was so welcomed and gave us momentary respite.  With 5km to go, I cramped again but had no reserve of salt.  Just then Lisa came jogging by again and offered some more. An absolute legend she was!! Thank you so much.  With that, I slowly made it through the last lap and was so glad to see the finish line, 1^st in AG.

Lyn Humphries

MURRAYMAN 70.3, Barmera – Amanda Carne

I arrived Saturday afternoon, registered, and took in the beautiful view of Lake Bonney at her finest. The weather forecast said it would be a hot day, so you had to be prepared!

I couldn’t secure my normal accommodation, so had an earlier start heading in from Berri. Barmera provided the most beautiful morning! The water was flat, with a light breeze and not a cloud in the sky. I arrive nice and early and rack my bike. Here I discover my bike bottle of Infinit has leaked, so I top it up with water. (Bugga) – this nutrition is now diluted. I cannot fix it, will just have to manage it.

All set with my snack bag attached to the top tube, it is time to meet Aaron and the others and set off for our warmup.

This year’s Murrayman has a Sprint race, an Olympic/Standard distance race (like Victor), and the Murrayman 70.3. The vibe is mellow … previous years there’s been a real buzz, but 2022 felt weary.

SWIM: The water is 21 degrees (wetsuits optional), but for 1.9k in freshwater, the wetsuit aids floatation. I set myself up with a direct line for the first buoy. The women’s wave is last as usual, and no one wants to compete with me out to the first buoy. On go, I head off strong, catching up with male swimmers from the previous wave. Pushing along the double-triangle course, I hit the sand and jog up the grass to the blue mats.  Matty White on the microphone announces I am the first age group female out of the water. Woohoo.

RIDE: T1 goes well – no issues. With a good steady mount and shoes on without issue, I pedal off the 4-lap out-and-back course that hugs the lake. (Dammit) I realise I have forgotten to grab my banana in transition, so reassess and space out what nutrition I have over the 90k.

I keep down in aero as much as possible. The first two laps click over… pain builds in my shoulder and elbow, so I am adjusting and readjusting as the laps click over.  On the return of lap 3 the wind has picked up. I do my best to hold the kph over the final lap. All my nutrition has been consumed as I come into transition relieved the 90ks is done.

RUN: Clunky dismount with stiff legs, but T2 goes okay. (I hope I have enough in the tank?!) I start my run nice and steady. Here I see Aaron just ahead! (OMG, something has gone wrong for him.) We sit together pacing the lap and he is doing it tough. The heat is at its max! I take on some nutrition and hope I have enough on board to hold.  I dig deep and then feel a muscle in each quad wanting to cramp. As we hit the water aid station, I walk a bit, splash myself with water, and restart my pace.  The run feels awful. It is hot and dusty but I gotta keep going – I don’t want to stop.

To preserve me in the heat I decide to walk through the one water aid station both ways. But on Lap 2 they’ve run out of cups and water! So, as we come back into the turnaround, friends and family are passing bottles of water to us to ensure we are hydrated. (This would normally be disqualifiable, but today was an exception.) Spectators are cheering us on and keeping our spirits up.

Heading out on lap 3, I find Aaron at the aid station doubled over in pain. I stop for a few seconds, tipping my cup of ice water over him, and then continue my way. On the return of lap 3, I take some Coca-Cola – it goes down well. In my last 2 laps, I am set in a nice rhythm. It may not be the PB I was seeking, but it’s about doing the best I can in the conditions. I ran the first 2 laps, then walked the grassed aid station section.

With the final lap in view… cheers of encouragement and I find a kick of speed to hit the blue mat with all I had left.

Final time: 5:31:55 (a 13:33min PB on MM last year) and a surprising 1^st in the age group.

My 2021-2022 Triathlon SA season has been a success. My consistent training has resulted in me winning my age group for each triathlon distance (sprint, standard, long), the duathlon series, the aquathlon, and the MM 70.3.

Thank you, Aaron, for the coaching, to my three kids for understanding their crazy mother’s pursuits, and to my like-minded tri friends for their constant support!

I’m looking forward to stepping up to the next level moving forward.

Murray Man 2022

As I walked from the caravan park to the transition / set up, I felt a warm breath of wind. It felt nice at 6:00 am but my initial thoughts were ‘oh shit, it’s gonna get hot. No issues with set up and donned the wettie.

Swim 

I went wide on the swim as this was the plan that we had discussed the previous day. I got a few knocks in the swim and if I am honest, I gave a few out as well. It’s just part of the sport. I managed to get some clear water and settled into a pace. I came out of the water in just under 42 minutes which put me towards the back of the pack. I wasn’t too worried about this because it was an improvement on last year. One thing I did forget to do was to start my watch to time the event.

T1 

No major issues. 2 min 16 secs and I know this will disgust some but I put socks on! I know, it’s outrageous but I guess I am a renegade.

Bike 

The bike started well, my speed was good and I settled into this leg quite well. Having got to the third lap, I started to fade a bit and the wind started to pick up which made it more difficult in parts. It was whilst on the home stretch for the third lap when the dulcet tones of ‘Buchan’ shout word to the effect of “come on, get on my wheel”, no worries boss, I am on it. It lasted about 25 seconds but this gave me some inspiration to push a little bit harder. I finished the bike only a few minutes over the 3-hour mark which was my goal.

As I was heading back towards T2, I was running some quick calculations in my head. Swim + T1 + Bike + T2 = 3hr 45 mins, therefore giving me 2 hrs 15 mins to break the 6-hour barrier. Game on!!!

T2 

Did exactly what was needed, in and out. I am not bragging, but I think I will get a ‘smiley face’ sticker from the coach for a quick T2.

Run 

Straight into the run and running 5:20min/km, I pulled back a little as I knew I couldn’t sustain that pace for 21km. But yeah, I am gonna smash the 6 hours! Yeah Nah, this is where it went to shit. When I say shit, I mean the runny exploding kind of shit, the worst kind of shit. That’s the only way to describe my run. I had sufficiently fueled on the bike but by the time I had started the run, it was  32 degrees and there was absolutely no shade. I was overheating and after only a few kilometres, putting one foot in front of the other was hard, really bloody hard. I was putting ice cubes inside the tri-suit, pouring water over my head and doing everything I could to cool my body. I went to pieces and was doing between 7 – 8 min/km. As I kept doing laps, I could see the 6-hour goal slipping away. My head went into a dark place and even started thinking about how I could cheat so I could shorten the run and if anyone would notice if I did 3 laps. I may get away with it, but I would know and that would eat at me forever. I completed every single kilometre and staggered over the line in a disappointing 6 hours 14 minutes. Everyone is shouting “well done” as you cross the line, but I know I did shit. Again, I am at the back of my age group, exactly where I don’t want to be, still chasing that middle of the pack.

The aftermath 

After finishing the event, I spoke to locals who tell me that the back section of the run is locally known as “The lava fields”. The following days have played with my head, I trained to be in the middle of the pack, I wanted to get under that 6 hours it all went to shit. After such a massive improvement at Victor Harbor, how did it all go so wrong? Yes, the heat was disgusting, but it was for everyone on the course and I still slid down the pack. Is the 70.3 my distance and should I stick to ODs? As Denis Waitley once quoted, “failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is a delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing and being nothing”. I will be back and I will get under that 6 hours, but at the moment I am nursing a bruised ego. I am hanging onto the positives of a better bike leg, a PB by 3 ½ mins and that only 0.007% of the South Australian population took part and finished the long course event. That’s because it’s hard and what we do is far beyond being average!

James Clegg