So the biggest mass participation triathlon race in the world looms large this weekend, the Noosa Triathlon!
Noosa the biggest triathlon in the world
Over the past 3 months I have swam 26.2km, cycled 1,619.1km and ran 324.5km. I have dialed back my running mileage over the past two weeks, as a result of a minor calf injury on my right leg, which evidently also gave the Achilles on my left leg a chance to settle down. Timing is everything and while I’m trying to recover to race well at Noosa, I am also acutely aware I have a Challenge race in Shepparton in a fortnight and am about to commence a 16 week training block to my next ironman in New Zealand. So being injury free at the start will be a huge step in the right direction!
So lets talk about this weekend, here is my schedule, plan & predictions:
I head to Noosa on Friday, maybe mid morning toward lunch! I have entered the 1km ocean swim, which is an event I haven’t competed in since 2011, where I clocked a very modest 19:45. So the goal is to improve on that time this year, I have no expectations entering this event, just to swim it comfortably and try to keep my stroke ‘long & strong’. I will also find time in the afternoon to register for the Triathlon and check out the expo to see what specials are on offer this year! We will also layout and setup my daughters gear, so she can check (& double check) her kit for the kids tri on Saturday.
Saturday begins with the kids tri, my eldest daughter, Ella, will be racing for the 3rd year in a row and she absolutely loves these events because there is no timing and the focus is on participation and having fun! We almost always hang around to watch the special kids tri and the presentations, because it is really inspirational watching the kids faces light up! After the kids tri is done and dusted, I will head out for a quick last minute gear check ride, before heading to transition to rack my bike. With that done, I generally lay out all the transition requirements on the floor and go through each leg of the race a few times over in my head, ensuring I have all the necessary equipment and nutrition to get through.
Sunday is all about the process, I become a little OCD until after the race. Methodical about my preparation is my approach & always has been. Up early to have a breakfast, probably french toast with banana & maple syrup. Heading to transition when it opens, I tend to use almost every moment before my race start. Reviewing and visualizing each leg and each transition, checking the layout of my gear and double checking it again. The race will look after it self, there is little I can do now to improve my performance, but there is plenty I can do to sabotage it! So between now and then it is all about being mindful and visualizing the process.
My goal for the race is simple, a swim of about 23 minutes, ride under 1 hour 5 minutes and run as close to 45 minutes as possible. Including transitions I am hoping to break the 2 hour 20 minute barrier. Lets hope that by putting that out there I can make it a reality on Sunday!
If your interested in following any event over the weekend, feel free to download the Noosa Tri App, be sure to follow athlete 854 (me) on Sunday!
With the race done and dusted I have a couple of days holiday with my family in the beautiful Noosa. I’ll hopefully be blogging about a super successful race on Monday!
I should take a quick moment to thank my amazing wife for supporting my through another winter of training and getting ready for the summer race season. Your patience is never ending & words cannot explain how grateful I truly am! As I embark on my next journey this summer having you by my side is my true north. Thank you for your unending support. To all my friends competing good luck, trust your training, enjoy the race and keep smiling.
If you’re not active at the moment & need some inspiration, follow me on Strava, Instagram and like my facebook page and let’s get back out there swim, bike or running. The biggest regret we can have in life is to not TRI!
Till next time build consistency, keep smiling and live to Tri!
SO, YOU WANT TO BE AN IRONMAN? 
best of luck man! Can’t wait to hear how it goes!