Mitch’s
Race:
ITU Australian
Sprint Championships- Geelong (Feb 10)
It’s
now one year on from my first ITU race in Geelong last year and I’m left with
mixed feelings about my progress since then. The effort has always been there
but at times the quality of my training has been compromised due to a lack of
direction, unclear goals and an overly flexible training regime. My knowledge
of the game has increased tenfold, however I’m still using the phase “it’s a
good lesson” far more than I care to say it. Nevertheless, it’s important to be
aware of these lessons, hence the changes I’ve made to my life to accommodate
them!
I
have now spent two months in Canberra with Darren Smith and his “DSquad” and
I’m absorbing the value of a quality training structure. I have been broken
down into little pieces, both technically by Darren and metaphorically by the
Physio, “Tricky Ricky”. It’s common for athletes to hide their weaknesses when
they train alone, altering sessions to suit their mood or misguided belief of
what’s good for them. I have been no exception! Darren has exposed many of my
weaknesses that would inevitably restrict my capacity to go faster in the
future. Therefore, most sessions focus on making technical improvements, rather
than trying to expand the size of my engine, or “hayshed” if you like. The
mental drain has well matched the physical, and it often takes multiple doses
of “comfort” cereal to wind down after training!
All
the athletes get along really well which makes it a pleasure to get out of bed
and lace up for punishment each day! There’s a good balance in the squad and we
all share similar goals and attitudes. After struggling initially to adapt to
the training load and other pressures associated with moving away, I have been
much more settled of late. It can be easy to feel obliged to race each other in
training given the streaks of competitiveness we share as athletes, however we
are starting to respect the strengths of one another and have been able to use
that to improve the quality of each session. Whether its some technical advice,
a wheel to follow or a cover story as to why someone has an empty drink bottle-
there’s always someone there to help.
The
first ITU race for the year was the Australian Sprint Championships in Geelong.
I was a bit hesitant going into the race without having the time to master my
new technical prowess, however it was the perfect opportunity to test myself
under race pressure.
I
had used my new regime to prepare for the race and felt good after the warm up
and was clear with my race objectives. Unfortunately, as soon as I jumped in
the water those plans went out the window and I resorted back to some old
habits. This made it difficult to stay afloat let alone maintain pace with some
of the fastest swimmers in the country. I exited the water off the back of the
main field and never rejoined the race. Upon reflection I was quite pleased
with how I executed the bike and run, although I couldn’t help be disappointed
with finishing in a similar position to what I had twelve months ago. The race
was an eye opener and it had confirmed my discoveries of the previous weeks, as
my weaknesses were laid out on the table. My road trip buddy and training
partner Greg Rouault (FRA) won the race without dropping a bead of sweat on the
course. His impressive run split was no surprise to me and we can look forward
to watching him fly in some bigger races down the track. Cam Good (AUS) also
had a great race finishing one step behind Pete Kerr (VIS) who took out the
Australian title. Cam has a great work ethic in training and has become a role
model in that regard, however I would be wise to find other sources of guidance
when it comes to dating advice, diet and Pilates. It was good to have these guys
around to keep the morale up and offer their thoughts after a slightly
disappointing day at the office…
Greg’s
high spirits were enough to get us back to Canberra straight after the race
with the intention of training as usual the next day. Unfortunately, I slept a
little too long that night (14 hours) which delayed my return for another day.
I think I needed it!
Mitch’s
Next Race:
ITU
Oceania Sprint Championships- Devonport (Feb 23)
Mitch’s Pictures:
With thanks to "Triathlon In Pictures"
Hanging out the washing at home...
Out for a pedal...
Mitch on the run...
Mitch still on the run....
French Champagne...
Greg's Big Adventure...
