‘Challenge’ – a call to someone to participate in a competitive situation or fight to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength.
2. a call to prove or justify something.
My BATEMANS Challenge
I always cringe when I read the words “race report” from a pro athlete. Why? That’s a good question – it just sounds so boring, so flat, so opposite to ‘juicy” (plain).
It’s a ‘report’ – now that says it all!
Why not title it “my sweat and tears” (corny I know) or “my emotional carnage”, or “my natural high”, or “sea of lycra” (well this could attract a TV spot at least, throw in the chamois cream aspect, & its now soft porn:).
Where is the info re what the athlete did before the race? Best food/coffee stop en route to the race perhaps? There is ALWAYS some drama in getting to the start line.
Where is the personal gritty stuff that could actually provide some relief to the rest of us.
Like the brand of chamois cream that works best?
Or the trick to taking off a wetsuit in T1 quickly (yes my T1 time was over a minute)J
What bra or race kit (one for the girls or maybe the ‘’chesty men”) is the most effective for race day?
What goes through one’s mind when you are resembling awkward seals in a white water frenzy on the start line?
What was the stand out in the event? And what could change next time to make it even better.
Well I am far from a Pro but Im gonna write it like I own it. I’ll start from the top –Pete and I had 2 weddings the Friday night in Sydney before driving the 5 hours Saturday morning to Batemans Bay for the “Half Distance” Triathlon – yes please note not ‘half ironman’ ‘Half Distance” – what has the world come tooooooooo!!!!
Before the gun went off my tyre blew in transition with 10min till race start. Lucky Andy from Hire Speed Wheels (http://www.hirespeedwheels.com.au) was there to fix it. Then realizing two holes in my wetsuit had conveniently grown. SO I was thinking at the swim start “don’t wee in your wetsuit Jaimie” and I wonder what we’ll eat after this”. The swim was smooth and easy (a must for any non confident swimmers out there), then onto the bike.
Imagine rolling hills, endless farm land, lake views amongst a sea of lycra. With a couple of 3hour rides before race day under my belt I was happy to enjoy both the scenery and the time on the bike in an area I had never been. Getting to see Pete a couple of times on the bike, both waving madly was fun too.
Onto the run. My racebelt was a goggle strap held on by safety pins for I lent my racebelt to somebody in need of it moreJ It snapped of course so I held the number in my hand for the run – resembling a courier with the sweats.
I did not stop smiling for one second the whole run. Not knowing if my foot was going to hold up I ran within myself, stoked to be just ‘running’.
*What I wore – I realized I didn’t actually have a race kit to wear the day before we were flying out. So in Sydney I brought a 2XU tri race suit and a Lulu Lemon Camo printed crop top.
- I had no tender ‘bits’t thanks to Aussie Butt Cream chamois cream.
- The Asics Gel Noosa Fast 2 Running Flats got me through the run without any drama from my foot.
- I wore Rudy Projects Hypermask Sports Performance in the white gloss and orange lenses for the bike and the Rudy Projects Noyz (Pink Fluro / Multi Laser Blue Lens on the run (note the colour co ordination of my shoes and sunnies)J
*Travel Tip – make it a journey, not a ‘job’. We did this by stopping in Berry at ‘the Sourdough Café & Bakery”.
*Nutrition Tip – Make snacks for both transit time and your destination! I made a paleo banana bread for the flight down (which we ate before getting on it), plus a raw food slice. Jen (pete’s mum) had made brown rice, sweet potato, spinach, tuna + chopped up fruit for us to have in the car.
*The highlight of the trip was meeting Nat and his better half from the Indigenous Marathon Project, and getting to don an IMP Asics Singlet with pride.
Hope your experience what it may be brings half as much joy as what Batemans Bay did for me.
xx
