Little Athletics State Championships

The past week has been pretty busy for me due to racing and school commitments and I’ve found it difficult to find time to write. Last weekend I competed in the Little Athletics Queensland (LAQ) State Championships, here in Cairns.  I was nominated to race in the 800m and 1500m and to be completely honest I had no motivation to race in either event.

I arrived at the track on a wet and miserable Saturday morning for my first event, the 1500m, and all I could think about was missing out on my bike ride that morning. I completely missed my warm up due to that fact that I was called to marshalling early, and then having to wait there, because my race was delayed by ten minutes. By the time I got to the start line I had convinced myself to give it my all and as the gun sounded that’s what I tried to do. The first kilometre was on track, running it in approximately 2minutes 52seconds, but after that as I slowly lost contact with the leaders, my determination perished and I began to run at a jogging place. I finished the race in fourth place in a time of 4:44 which is twenty-one seconds slower than my personal best. I labelled it a horrible race, but I can’t have asked for anymore because it was my own fault.

Sunday morning proved to be a little better…weather-wise because I was able to ride to the track to make sure that I got at least the slightest warm up. Today I was determined to prove to everyone that I was better than what I was the day before and I took the race somewhat more seriously. This unfortunately made me anxious and walked up to the start line feeling as though my heart rate was over my maximum of 204BPM. I knew that today I was capable of standing on the podium after the race and I wanted to show my coach Jill that that was what I could do. I ran the race hard from the gun and I was sitting in third place, just good enough for a bronze medal. I knew that this would make me proud. As I came into the last 150 metres I could not feel one part of my body due to the immense lactic acids build up. This slowed me down and I ended up finishing in fourth, again, except this I knew that it was a good race and it was something that I could be proud of.

Unfortunately I didn't receive the medal I so desperately wanted but I can’t complain. The first day was my own fault and I know that if I didn't give up, I could have been in with a shot and in the 800m, I know for sure that I couldn't have asked for anything more of myself. It was a half-successful championship and this slight disappointment makes me even more determined to succeed in my up and coming triathlon on the Gold Coast and the local cycling and running events.

Finishing off my 1500m

Woah my legs hurt!

So after a few weeks now of sickness I am starting to get back to form. I have absolutely smashed my legs this weekend with 115km on the bike yesterday, followed by a 3km road run race, which I won, even after going the wrong way! This meant that I came away with an extremely slow time but I am still happy that I was able to get the win because in the last 1500m, I was in third place with a substantial gap between the two leaders and myself. I just had enough strength and determination to claw my way back to second place and from there I felt even stronger and was able to run myself into the lead position with a few hundred metres to go.

This morning I raced in the first of the Cairns Cycling Club criterium races. It was my second race in A grade and the field was very small with of only five riders. My only goal for the race was to stay with the main group and not get dropped. Fortunately for me the older riders were nice enough in backing the pace off for me when I dropped on the first occasion.

The field split dramatically, early on, and there was only three riders left which included myself. Paul Mashford, arguably the fastest man on a bike in Cairns, surged a number of times to weaken me and the only other rider, Brett. Mashford’s final acceleration led him to success and this left Brett and myself in a frantic chase to get back on to his wheel. Brett, who put down an explosive surge, left me dangling off the back where I found myself alone. I lapped one of the riders who had dropped off earlier and he jumped on my wheel. As I came up to closing the gap on Brett, who had fifteen metres on me at the time, I hit the U-turn too fast and tried to pedal too early which caused my inside pedal to hit the ground, this caused me to wobble and all I could think of was my last crash, so I directed my bike to the gutter where I was safely able to land on the grass. I got back up and Damian the rider who had been dropped helped me back onto my bike paced me to a third place finish.

I couldn’t have asked for anymore out of this race. It was a fantastic way at gaining some more experience in the A grade field and despite my little mishap, I finished the race in a strong position. I think that I am strong but not strong enough and now that my flu has gone, I am able to start putting in some worthwhile kilometres.

Working hard or hardly working...three laps to go!

A lack of training

It’s been proven that you can’t win a race without training and it's the same with most things really, practice makes perfect. At the moment I don't feel that I’ll be winning anything because of a lack of training, my presence at training has been scarce and running feels abnormal. I have State Club Athletics in less than two weeks and the Luke Harrop triathlon on the Gold Coast in just under a month and I am struggling to get out of the house. Since I have returned from State Triathlon in Hervey Bay I’ve been marred with sickness that has strangled my training and brought it to the ground, to the point where I don't have motivation. Just the other week I clocked up 300km on the bike during a school week and the next week I hardly have any motivation to even touch my bike. I’m really starting to worry as to why me? Why now? People have told me that I need a rest, but I hate to break it to them, I simply don't have time for a rest. Something’s got the better of me and I can’t work out why?

A change of pace now… over the past few months I have been able to wear two sophisticated helmets, the Specialized Prevail and the Lazer Genesis and I thought that I’d give a comparison between the two brands.

Specialized Prevail:

I first got this helmet not long after it came out and I was blown away by how light it was. At the time Specialized had an ad in the triathlon magazines claiming that their helmet was lighter than the magazine in your hands and quite frankly I think they were spot-on! There are plenty of air vents for those hotter climates, like up here in Cairns and this allowed for good ventilation and kept the sweat away. The lightweight design meant that during a three to four hour ride you didn't notice it too much on your head and for such a light helmet it had an excellent safety record. It came in at a costly price of $330 when I bought it and I’m not sure if this has changed, but it is well worth the money.

Lazer Genesis

I got this in Adelaide this year so I have only had this for a few months now and to be honest when I first tried it on I didn't like it. My other helmet fit my head better and it felt more ‘snug’ compared to the Lazer Genesis. After some serious effort to stick with it and use it a bit more I have come to like it and I’m now used to its feel. I think it’s shape, along with plenty of ventilation, make it a good helmet. Although I have complained a little bit with this helmet and it is a little heavier than the Prevail. Thankfully, it only sets you back $250 retail and I think that it is still worth the money.

Overall the helmets are both very good quality and I would recommend both to any buyer in the market. So, if you are looking to purchase a high quality helmet step no further from the Lazer Genesis and the Specialized Prevail.

Richie Porte stepping up to the plate

I follow the cycling tours year after year and my love for the sport grows every minute. I’m always checking what’s going on with all the races around the world and today I found this article on Richie Porte. It was posted on Cycling Central’s website and titled, Porte: Tirreno ideal for Giro build-up. I feel almost sorry for Porte because he is always the second man behind Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins on the Sky team and in the 2013 Tour de France he had to look after Froome and it looked as though he didn't have the chance to ‘have a crack,’ although maybe he just isn’t the best. I completely understand that when you ride for a professional team there has to be domestiques to help the other riders and that is Porte’s job when it comes to those bigger races with the team leaders but personally I feel he should be given the chance to be the team leader to show them what he’s made of.

The article explains how Porte’s goal this year is the Giro d’ Italia and with Froome having to drop out of Tirreno-Adriatico due to a back injury this has allowed Porte to drop Paris-Nice where he didn't feel he had a chance at defending his title to become team leader at Tirreno-Adriatico where the course is more suited to his Giro preparation. I think it’s good that he is able to get more roles as the team leader rather than the domestique.

I had the opportunity to be able to watch Porte ride at this year Tour Down Under in Adelaide and saw him first hand win up Old Willunga Hill with such power and beating big names such as Cadel Evans and Simon Gerrans. Richie Porte is someone that I admire and I think that he is a little bit underestimated and he deserves more than to be the domestique. There is a lot more to come from this great Australian rider and I look forward to watching him this year in the Giro and Tirreno-Adriatico.

The full article can be found here:  http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/53310/Porte:-Tirreno-ideal-for-Giro-build-up

Richie Porte (wearing black and blue sky jersey) protecting Chris Froome in the 2013 Tour de France. 

I Just Made Four Dollars

Everyone has been to a school canteen, whether it was yesterday, last week or last year. There’s one in every school and one thing that I’ve noticed is that the food they sell there is setting students up for a midlife heart attack. There is one kid at my school, who walks around the cafeteria asking for money everyday, then spends the money on fatty foods and the other day he made four dollars! He was proud and for a change he didn't want to spend it, however this hasn’t been the norm for him and clearly, from what he has consumed over the weeks and months, he doesn't understand that fat, salt and sugar in these canteen foods are harming his body.

At my school they serve hot chips, wedges, cream buns, pizzas, chocolates, soft drinks and there is even an ice cream tub. I used to eat all these foods quite regularly and it had to do with the temptation of it all being there right at my fingertips. I filled my body with oily deep fried foods and still tried to train my guts out to be the best that I could and I can tell you, it didn’t work. Having a bucket of chips and a can of coke for lunch and then run training in the afternoon counteracted. I had no energy and I found it hard to get through some of the basic sessions. I’ve now learned that your body is like a car and if you put the wrong fuel in, you aren’t going to get very far from the petrol station.

There isn’t one healthy option at my school, even the salad sandwiches are only available on white bread, and they wonder why our generation is so overweight and obese. Fast food chains dictate to us, everywhere the media bombards our thinking and the other reality is that it costs a lot to eat healthily. I know from having two different eating lifestyles that eating nourishing foods make you feel better. Unfortunately, teenagers don't understand this and all they want is the sugary foods because that is what they've been fed all their lives and their body is craving it. To me it’s very similar to smoking, its addictive and it can’t be changed overnight, it takes time to repair the body.

The foul addictive fatty foods.

The student from my school who shall remain nameless is thin but I don't want to imagine what the insides of his body are like. Acidic drinks like coke are eating away at his insides and the greasy high fat foods are clogging his arteries. You can save more than your four dollars a day by taking a wholesome lunch to school. We need to realise what this is doing to us and if the weight gain continues at current levels, by 2025, close to 80% of all Australian adults and a third of all children will be overweight or obese. These figures are astonishing and it is something that I find hard to comprehend.

This is what a healthy meal looks like.

A Big Weekend

Over the weekend I clocked up over 200km on the bike. I am pretty happy with this effort considering I have just stepped up my cycling again. Over the last week alone I rode over 300km which has been my biggest week since Adelaide. I am really enjoying being able to get out on the bike, I just get a feeling of satisfaction when I can push myself like I do. 

I haven't done any other training lately due to the fact that my sore hip hasn't fully recovered and because I have recently been sick with a head cold, I have stayed clear of the water. 

My Mum has just registered me for a race on the Gold Coast in early April so that will be my next race that I'll be training for. Hopefully my body will recover and I'll be starting full triathlon training again soon. 

Feeling Shattered

It's not normal for me to not have energy and for my body to have muscle soreness. I'm not sure what it is but last night had about thirteen hours of sleep, I was wrecked. Today on the bike my legs just didn't feel like they wanted to turn over and I had a soreness in my back. Everything has been good, diet, water intake, I haven't been training so this doesn't make sense to me. I think I am going to have to wait this one out until I get another massage.

Feel free to comment any solutions.

Tips from Tim Reed, Australian Triathlete

I’m writing this in response to Tim Reed's Tips for Starting Out Triathletes, which can be found at on his website. Tim is an Australian professional triathlete who races long course triathlon. He is someone who has made a name for himself and looks to have a good future, despite saying on his website that he is only looking to keep on improving.

1. Remember that Triathlon is simply how fast you swim, ride and run. It doesn't make you a better person because you do this well

I think this is such a great point. You can train all that you want, but if you get into the pool with an unhappy negative attitude you will still have the same negative unhappy attitude when you get out of the pool or get off the bike. 

2. Balance in life is everything. It will keep motivational levels high, make you train more effectively and hopefully keep the most important aspect of life, relationships, healthy and happy.

This is so important! There are too many people out there that become triathlon/sport obsessed and their life becomes revolved around that rather than their families or other important life requirements. Keep everything balanced and it will definitely help.

3. Don't waist time doing junk kilometres. Get physiological testing, get a good coach and let your coach help you train efficiently so that every session has a specific purpose and increases your improvement whilst reducing your chance of injury.

I have had a few coaches now tell me that it is quality over quantity or train smart. What Tim has said here sums it up. Many of the people who are triathlon obsessed are the ones doing junk kilometres, which ends up destroying your body.

4. Learn and understand the ‘power of the present’ and how to have fun while racing 

I am a big fan of this. My mum has always tells me to have fun when I'm racing and I always tell her that it is harder said than done. Although she is right, we should understand this ‘power of the present’ because it is something that I have found that a lot of people don't do very well.

5. Stay injury free – Work on your core strength, ensure body balance and learn correct technique before getting stuck into conditioning work.

This is the most important tip in my opinion that is given. Too many people have poor running technique or swim with their arms everywhere. I have seen it too much where athletes are at the cognitive state of learning and they are trying to do drill or exercises that are far too advanced. Tim is right, get your technique sorted and then build up to more difficult work.

These are my responses to what Tim has said and I think that they are very good. More of his articles and information about Tim can be found at timreed.com.au.

Recovering

This week is going to be a very easy week after my race last Friday. Since Sunday night I have started to come down with a bit of the flu and sore throat and although I have only had it a short time it's driving me insane because it might mean that I have to start training again later than I wanted too. I absolutely hate feeling this way and I am trying very hard to flush the bug out of my system by staying hydrated and eating lots of healthy foods. Hopefully I can get rid of it soon and start training again.

I am having a massage on Thursday which should be really good as I have a few sore spots after the weekend. My hip is still giving me a bit of grief so hopefully after this treatment I'll be back to full speed.

The last piece of news that I have is that on Saturday when we had the relay event my team that I was in came 5th. I thought this was a pretty good effort considering I didn't think that we would even come close to getting a medal.