Hannah Lawrence Pro Triathlete: Auckland Half Ironman 2015

Auckland Half Ironman 2015 – Race Review

Matt Tuck's voice echoed over the loud speaker as we gathered in for the final race day briefing of the Auckland Half Ironman " This is definitely the worst swim conditions we have ever had in the 12 year history of this race...." Awesome just bloody awesome... I muttered to myself and questioned seriously as to whether I had a history making worst weather conditions cloud following me to every race... Seriously though putting my pessimistic inner monologue aside this time I wasn't feeling intimidated. I had done a big swim block in the last 5 weeks and had seen some pretty significant break throughs in the pool and was determined to bring that new found swimming confidence with me to the race. I was excited to do this swim regardless of the chop... Although let's be honest I was not born a natural 'fish' so a clear, calm, flat, pool like ocean would have been much more inviting!

So far my morning and race prep had gone really well and to plan. Marc was away doing the Tour of Northland so I had enlisted the help of good friend Malcolm Tweed to be my support person for the day and I was looking forward to not having to do an 'at home' race by myself.

The swim start was fast as usual and I got off into a great position... Well actually I couldn't see the buoy at all and there was no colour differentiation between the male and female caps so I just followed whatever feet I could and just kept swimming. There were no big buoys today only Kayakers attached to anchors. Visibility was bad and maybe I have failing eyesight and it was just me, but they were pretty hard to see in the conditions. Getting to the first buoy was fine as it was just a follow the feet kind of affair, but as we all turned the groups spread out, I felt like I was just swimming blind as I had no idea where the buoy was and just could not get a sighting of it no matter how hard I tried, so I just followed whoever I could, but I obviously picked the group that swam a bit off course and we seemed to have to do a bit of a detour to get to the kayak once we eventually sighted it.

Heading back to shore the group thinned into a line but the feet I was on dropped off a bit and it was too late to get around and back on the next feet so from then even though I ran as fast as I could to make up that ground at the lap 1 turn around once we hit the rough water again I couldn't bridge the gap and then had to swim solo for the most of the second lap. And to be honest I don't think I did that very successfully, as at one point I thought I had finally seen the kayak and I started swimming hard towards it only to realise that it was also moving and was just a random kayak not the anchored kayak I had to swim around.

At that point in desperation, thinking I was last as couldn't see anyone else around me I stopped and just tried to figure out where the '^#~<>,!?,' the buoy was only to realise I wasn't alone someone was on my feet and they swam into the back of me. They were like 'what the hell you stopping for?' Anyways we finally sighted then swam more directly to the correct kayak and then headed back to shore.

I have not had many more race days that I have been more relieved to touch land and exit a swim, (okay so maybe the day I swam sick with an infected gal bladder was worse!) that is until I got up and started to run out of the water only to trip and fall flat on my face into the water again...right in front of everyone...."Awesome just bloody awesome"... That pessimistic monologue was back and still had a bike and run to go...

I gave myself a short sharp kick in the backside and telling off and got back into race mode, leaving the thoughts of the swim in transition and headed out onto the bike.

I had still managed to exit the swim in 5th but was a about 4-5mins behind the lead girls and they were mostly together. There weren't to many guys around me either for that matter and so for the most part it was a pretty solo ride. The positive was it allowed me to just put my head down, settle into the day's work, ride my own race and not burn to many matches in the first 30kms out to Kawakawa Bay, which can be very tempting to do and then cause you to potentially struggle from Snake Hill onwards which is where the real hard work of this course begins. I felt strong on the hills (thankfully as in this race there are many!) and in the wind and I rode consistently - maybe a tiny bit to conservatively but I still gave it a solid race effort, and came into T2 confident that I could still run well.

I was aware though that I hadn't made up much ground in the ride on the other two girls and that even though I had ridden myself from 5th to 3rd that I still was about 4 or 5mins down on first and second who were still on each other's heels.

My running had definitely improved in the last training block since the New Plymouth Half and I had an idea of what my legs could handle pace wise but I wasn't sure it was enough to make up that time difference. I had planned to again focus on my swim/bike today and look after myself in the run, but obviously as quite often happens in Triathlon the 'A' plan hadn't gone to plan and I was going to have to dig deep in my reserve or back up plans to pull this win back.

I still didn't have a lot of confidence in my run, and after the first km when I felt okay I very quickly felt like crap. My back hurt, my hips were stiff and I was feeling the lack of my yet to be gained strength in the hills. But I gave myself another quick kick in the butt and firm talking too, refocused and just put my head down and concentrated on my form and on making the best of what I could do in this moment.

Somewhere on the last part of lap one people started to tell me that I was gaining on second place but I didn't believe them, going off how I felt it couldn't be true and I couldn't even see her.... But then somewhere on lap two my hips suddenly freed up and my running legs returned! Gees, finally something was going right today! As I neared the end of lap two I stumbled upon and passed second place, and then kept chasing. I came around to the turn around and got a split from someone that said first place was about 40-50 sec ahead and that I was closing that gap quickly.

Malcolm had been giving me splits at the end of each lap and this time he didn't he just told me to keep focused on my form and hold it together and I would catch her. I yelled at him for a time split but in reality it didn't matter the tables had turned for the better. It's been a very long time since I have felt like I had the upper hand in the run leg of a race and the realisation of that came with a refreshed confidence and self-belief.

Somewhere on the course spectators’ s comments of encouragement had changed from "your doing well" to "your looking good! You’re going to catch her!" and suddenly there it was, the forever coveted lead bicycle and the lead female. As soon as I saw her I stuffed in some cliff blocks and put my head down and closed the last of the gap, and then the bike was mine :)

Even if I had let myself fully believe I may catch first I didn't think I would catch her with almost a whole lap to go, and now I had the lead there was no way I wanted to loose it, but.... my legs still haven’t done the full mileage in training yet and today running at this pace was still a big ask... My right calf was flicking signs of a full blown cramp and I knew if it went and I had to hobble home I would loose the lead, so the rest of the lap was about maintaining a pace that was fast enough to make and keep a lead and keep the cramp at bay. I had been chugging down cramp spray the whole run and with 3 km to go i wanted to pick up the pace but each time I did the twinges of cramp warned me not to push my luck... I was on my last few drops in the bottle of cramp spray... I desperately wanted a split to know if I had to risk the cramp and pick up the pace to not risk loosing my lead but I didn't get one. The last one had said she was a minute behind and I had to just trust that that hadn't shortened.

I wouldn't allow myself to look back or get too excited in the last few km's. I needed to make sure that I sealed the deal and crossed the finish line first before I allowed any celebration so I just kept pushing. I eventually relented and allowed myself a few quick look backs as I entered the final patch of grass leading to the finish and when I was sure I couldn't see her a huge grin opened up on my face, first with the realisation that I was going to do it and then the reality that I had done it as I crossed the line....

I was so relieved to get the win. I had backed myself quietly before the race that I could win on this course but I had used my confidence in my swim and bike to feel this way, so when they had both really not gone that great, it took a lot to allow myself to re-establish that confidence in my running ability that has been on the back foot for a long time with injury. So yes it was exciting to win, but it was also a huge relief to see that my running legs are well on there way to returning to full capability and that although it was not an overall fast race time, that after all the setbacks and disappointments of last year that it is possible to pick myself up, overcome them, and continue to move forward into been the athlete that I really want to and can be.

It was far from a perfect day, and once the excitement of winning had settled I felt a hint of frustration at how I had not swam and rode to a level that expressed the hard work and improvements I had gained in training, but putting that aside I have to look to the positives that on a day that wasn't going to plan I managed to hold it together mentally and stay focussed and in the race, right to the end, and regardless of how the day panned out still managed to achieve the desired outcome/result and with that I am very happy :)

In Hindsight It's almost as though my swim, bike, run had a conference without me pre race and decided that the buck was shifting back to the run, that if the legs felt they were ready to prove to me that they were back then the swim and bike would back off to allow the opportunity for the run to shine again... And that they did :)

Photo Credit: Scottie T Photography.