RACING » NELSON MANDELA BAY
The shortened swim leg did not alter
my plan, and I swam hard. As expected,
there were no real groups. I ended up
swimming on my own, and with my terrible
sighting technique, I exited at the swim
start, making it a longer run to T1. Going
into transition, I heard I was in fourth and
‘in the mix’. My exit from T1 gave Rafal and
my supporters a real scare as I hashed
the mount. (I think we’ll need to set aside
specific training on how to get on the bike!)
My bike style is to build as the ride
progresses. In the initial stages, there
was a line of three female pros with the
lead swapping while retaining the legal
distance, even with the wind. I felt the pace
was erratic so I moved ahead to stay in line
with my plan. T2 was quick and, as usual,
the volunteers completely magnificent.
Running onto Marine Drive, I followed
instructions and used the initial uphill on
the slightly changed route to warm up
my run legs. As the race progressed, the
wind picked up but so did the intensity of
the crowd – PE is totally awesome with its
spectators and their encouragement.
I entered into a great headspace on the
run where I had no idea if I was running
fast or slow, just at my planned pace.
Surprisingly I did not look at my watch at
all. My race nutrition had worked and I felt
strong, and as the crowds gathered, they
gave me greater strength.
I saw the third place cycle flag and
pushed through to third. I had done the
mental maths and with Lucy Charles-
Barclay only needing to validate her Kona
slot, I knew that if I finished third I had the
potential of getting a Kona slot. However,
as we all know, an IRONMAN only starts
in the last 14km.
It was a great last leg of the run for
me. The support was just incredible,
and I was lifted by the shouts of
encouragement from spectators and
from fellow athletes out on the run.
I was being willed on by the cheers to
catch the second-place female, and if I
had known that the split went down to 40
seconds at one point, I might have put
in another effort – but I was focused on
making sure I got to the finish line.
Entering into the final 2km, two friends
almost stopped their races to literally run
across the road and scream that “I had
done it”. My smile in response said it all!
With all IRONMAN races, the
red carpet is so special, and I really
absorbed the moment. Port Elizabeth
is an exceptional venue to race and the
crowds, the wind, and being a South
African placing on the podium, made it
incredibly special. With the excitement
with which the announcers welcomed
me onto the red carpet and the finish
line, I knew that the day was a win for me
as much as it was for the South Africans
supporting me.
My race plan was executed. I delivered
on my training and was at the sharp end
of a very competitive pro field. I am now
looking forward to the next phase and am
as excited as I have ever been to build the
next block in my race plan for the season.
It is important for me to reflect on
where I have come from over the past 18
months. As triathletes, we work incredibly
hard, and sometimes the results do
not reflect that. Sometimes when you
doubt yourself or want to give it up, you
need to give it ‘one more shot’. If after
Port Elizabeth, you feel that you came
up short in terms of your expectations
– it just means you are about to change
direction, so push through and success
is right there just after the next transition,
training block or race.
"MY RACE PLAN WAS
EXECUTED. I DELIVERED ON
MY TRAINING AND WAS AT
THE SHARP END OF A VERY
COMPETITIVE PRO FIELD”
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