Final Preparations

It's only 3 days out from Forster, and as I look back on my preparation, I ponder what I have done, and things I would have done differently.

Well done

I started specific training 12 weeks out - any longer probably would have been too much, and any shorter not enough. I came into this period very fit.

I manage to complete 3 main pillar training sessions. The first was building up to a brick session consisting of 3 x (30km ride, 7km run), with each set faster. The second and third were a 3.8km swim, 5hr ride with intervals, and 1hr/1:20hr run, with intervals, taking caffeine, NaCl and Nurofen along the way. Needless to say, I was pretty trashed after each of these sessions, but they all went exceedingly well.

I practised race nutrition and tablet intake successfully.

Overall, my training was pretty consistant.

Things I'd Change

I slightly changed my bike setup, to a more forward position 1 week prior. I planned to do this long ago, but was waiting for a forward seat post I had ordered to come through. It never came, so I just used my Thompson seat post, which has a neutral position, and put the seat as far forward as it would go. Ideally, I would have a Cervelo P3 instead.

I would have like to have done more stretching and ab works. I did a bit at the beginning, but it got lost as I increased training volume.

I should have bought a new wetsuit a while ago, instead of tomorrow.

Looking back at those lists, I think the positives far outweigh the negatives, which is very pleasing.

What time are you expecting?

I get that question a fair bit, usually from fellow triathletes (I guess non-triathletes just see it as all day). I have been saying 9:15 or 9:20 - damn fast, but something I am capable of doing. But I actually want something better than that - nearer 9hrs, which would hopefully guarantee a pro license in the future. I want to at least give that time a chance. I know I have a fast run, assuming everything goes OK, so at the moment, I am looking at ~58min swim, a 5:05 ride, following by a "if the fast run comes, take it" 3:00 run. If a more normal run time results, I'd still be in the 9:20 time frame, but I guess time will tell.

So that's that out there.