The alarm went off at 3:30 in the morning but I was already awake. Ironman Cozumel had arrived and I was ready to give it my all. After going through the race morning routines, we filed into our rental car (a 1970 VW Beetle convertible) and drove down to the race start.  
 
The professional field assembled on the Mexican island was super strong. Forty male professionals including five previous Ironman champions were all present and wanting to have a great day. 
My training was done and barring a few nerves about the swim I was
focused on having a perfect day. 

We filed into the water and were allowed a limited warm up before treading water on the start line. The water was a balmy 27 degrees (no wetsuits) and 100% visibility but I  wasn’t taking much notice of the reef and colourful fish below.  
 
The gun went off and the pace was on very early. It was one big rectangle lap making up the 3.8km. I got to the first buoy in a fairly good position although my heart rate was through the roof and I had to work for every stroke.  The few lead swimmers broke away and after about 1.5km the pace settled and I was swimming very comfortably within the main pack. I exited the water in 48:58 and only three minutes behind the lead swimmers.  It was a personal best time for me by four minutes and it was pleasing to
see that my swimming had improved to allow me to stay in the main group with relative ease.  
 
I exited T1 and jumped on my bike looking forward to carving out a fast ride.  The main group of athletes were only 300m up the road and knowing that a few great cyclists were 20 seconds behind me, I was in a great position to perform on the bike.  While the first few kilometres were great, it was at the 5km mark that I experienced the worst cramping in my left glute.  I was trying to stretch it out quickly while freewheeling, however, this only made it worse. I had no choice but to get off my bike and fully stretch it out. It took five minutes on the side of the road to get it under control. Once I got back on the bike my power suffered substantially and I was only able to push about 70% of my goal power output throughout the entire ride. Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to ride with the main group and went solo for the remaining 175km.  
 
I got into T2 with a ride time of 4:40. While this still was a personal best, it could have been so much quicker had my cramping issues not occurred. I put on my running shoes and started the three lap marathon.

The first five kilometres were on target but I was starting to feel a little nauseous.  By 7km I vomited what felt like all of my nutrition from the past few hours. Before heading back into town I threw up again and at the 21km mark I had slipped into 20th but finally started to feel much healthier. I got some calories on board and picked up the
pace.  
 
I managed to pass seven athletes in the second half of the run and crossed the line in 13th spot in a time of 9:05. I am really disappointed with the result overall considering how good the preparation had been.  However there are some positives to take out of the race and I am committed to work hard at what needs to be improved to have a great Ironman in 2012.

A couple of months on from Japan, we have had time to reflect on what was not a great race.  I crossed the Ironman 70.3 finish line in seventh and although I did accumulate a few KPR points for 2012 World Championships, I was mostly disappointed with the way I dealt with adversity during the race.  I had nailed every session Kristian had given me, and after coming third at the Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon four weeks prior, I was more than confident.  

The gun went off and with a shorter swim due to the weather conditions, I exited the water in 6th spot a little over 90 seconds off the lead.  After recording the fastest bike split in Yeppoon, I was ready for a similar outcome in Japan, although it simply was not to be.  I had underestimated the bike course which not only was very hilly but super technical which did not suit my training. I got caught by a few guys and we rode together throughout the course. Every acceleration, every u-turn and every climb were taxing my legs to an extent that I was not expecting. 

We entered into T2 and while I wasn’t feeling  fantastic, we heard the leader of the race had pulled out due to heat exhaustion.  There was only one other athlete ahead of us about 4 minutes up the road.   I matched the pace of the first couple of athletes onto the run.  The heat and humidity throughout the run was far more oppressive than I had ever imagined. The first kilometre was completed in 3:35 and with the second in 3:43, I couldn’t keep up that pace. It was fast and I was becoming increasing uncomfortable.  By the end of the third kilometre I struggled to run under 4:00 and was hanging on for fifth spot.  With visions of chasing down  the leader, less than 15mins prior, I was walking through an aid station in sixth spot.  My mind had given up and so had my body.  I walked a lot of the half marathon and finally crossed the line in seventh spot. 
 
I learnt a lot of things from this race.  While I had the fitness leading into the race, I had forgotten to train my mind. I had nailed all of my training sessions without needing to rely on my head to get me through them.  As a result when my body got to its first serious test, my mind surrendered.   Something that I will not let happen in the preparation and racing of Ironman Cozumel.  

After spending all of July in Lake Tahoe, California, we decided to race Ironman 70.3 Yeppoon to see where my race fitness was compared to the strong professional field assembled.

Despite supremely calm weather leading up to the race, we woke up Sunday morning at the Capricorn Resort to very windy and damp conditions.  The ocean had become very rough, a stark difference to the glass like conditions, 24 hours prior.  We did the usual 1.7km walk down the beach to the race start and got the warm up out of the way.  
 
The hooter sounded and we were met with a metre swell that stayed with us for the entire swim.  Despite a good start, I never really felt
all that comfortable and hit T1 in 24:22, a bit over 90 seconds off the lead.  

I jumped on the bike and started the 5 lap bike course, notorious for its granular surface and false flats. I instantly felt great on the bike and within 10km had pick up Matty White and moved into fifth spot.  The technical officials were kept busy all day as the 12 metre draft zone seemed to make little difference to the actual distance between riders.   By the 45km mark, the watts were still  high and I passed good friend Ollie Whistler and we moved into first and second place respectively.  Due to my lack of running leading into the event, I knew that the only way to hold onto first or second was to put in as much time into Matty as possible.  I put my head down into the headwind and continued to push the pace until T2.  
 
After 2:11 of riding the Pinarello, I jumped off the bike with Ollie and we lead the run out with a lead of 2.30 mins in front of third place.  By 4km I knew that I didn’t have the legs to contest for the win so I was doing my best to hang on for second.  Into the second lap, I was 40sec from the lead and 1:30 from third place.  I was struggling and the lack of running was coming to the fore. At the 17km mark I was overtaken without much resistance.  I very happy to cross the finish line in third in 3:58, a bit over 90  seconds off the win.  
 
 Everything considered, I am stoked for reaching the podium today.  Massive congratulations to Ollie for holding Matty off by a mere 6 seconds to take the win!

Thanks must go to my coach, Kristian Manietta from Tri Specific, Skinfit, SGTi Racing, all my other sponsors and especially my lovely wife Lisa (the best looking volunteer this weekend!). I am looking forward to getting stuck into some decent run training over the next month in  readiness for Ironman 70.3 Japan.

Cheers
RT

www.facebook.com/richardthompson85

After only forty-eight hours from stepping off a long-haul flight to San Francisco, I was putting on my SkinFit Plasma tri suit in readiness for the 2011 Treasure Island Sprint Triathlon.  I hadn’t raced since February due to my achillies injury and hadn’t raced a sprint triathlon for almost two years, so the result was going to be anyone’s guess.

I had a long warm up in the San Francisco Bay, which was needed as the water was a chilly 14 degrees.  The hooter sounded and we were off. I had a great swim and came out of the water with a 30 second lead. I jumped on my Pinarello FT6 and started the three lap bike course.  By the end of the first lap I was joined by Californian based athlete Scott Kolofer and the pace was on.

After averaging over 41km/hr for the 20km ride, I entered into T2 in first place and with a quick transition, I was in my Brooks Racer STs and onto the run course with a 10 second lead.  Fortunately my lack of training did not show and I managed to cross the finish line in first place overall with a run split of 17:55.  It was a great result and a fantastic way to kick start our three week altitude camp up in Lake Tahoe.

After a long and hard 5 days at Lake Tahoe, we went back down to San Francisco to do the notorious Alcatraz Aquathon. It comprised of a 2.5km swim from Alcatraz Island to the mainland and an 11.3km run over the Golden Gate Bridge and back.  I put on the Plasma Tri Suit underneath the wetsuit and before the sun got up we boarded the boat that was going to take us out to Alcatraz.

There I was sitting in a boat with 600 people in their wetties, knowing that the only way back to the mainland was to swim across the San Francisco Bay.  The announcer advised we had 5mins until the doors opened, so I threw down a Powerbar gel and got ready to jump into the freezing cold water.

When the doors opened we instantly found out how windy and cold outside really was. After the national anthem the 15 second countdown had begun. I managed to be one of the first athletes off the boat and with an all mighty leap I jumped off the boat and into the Bay.  With all the other athletes jumping off the boat, my first objective was to swim hard so nobody landed on top of me. The water was cold, bitterly cold and even with two swim caps, my head was frozen.  I struggled in the water for the first half of the swim and was very happy to get onto dry land. 

I put my shoes on and started the run towards the Golden Gate Bridge in 5th place but only 30 seconds behind the leader.  I ran very hard early and managed to hit the lead at the start of the second kilometre.  The run course was extremely hilly and took us up a long flight of stairs as well as through a little tunnel, where we literally had to duck our heads to get through the other end.  Once I got to the bridge it was easier terrain to deal with. At half way, I was happy to see I had a comfortable lead of 90 seconds on second place.  I pushed the pace on the way home and after running a 41:05, I crossed the line in first place. It was a satisfying result considering how fatigued my body was from the altitude.

At 6:30am the race director informed us that the professionals were not allowed to wear wetsuits for the swim. I was a little disappointed at their decision however, as I was wearing my brand new Skinfit Plasma tri suit, I knew I still had a great advantage. The hooter sounded, albeit 20mins late, and we were underway.  I got off to a great start and felt in control of my stroke. I found feet early but after 500m I soon realised that the athlete that I was following wasn’t keeping up with the leaders. At the first buoy I had a look and saw  the leaders were 50m ahead and was annoyed that I didn’t notice earlier in the swim.  Despite numerous attempts to go after them, I succumbed to the fact that I was going to be playing catch up all day. 

As I ran up the steps into T1, I was told the gap to the leader was 90sec. I started riding  fairly conservatively to see if I could work with the guys around me. Within the first ten minutes I knew we needed to be riding a lot harder, so I made the decision to attempt to catch the group by myself.  After 30km, I was surprised to hear from Lise that the gap had grown to two minutes. The lead group must have been working well together so it was going to take a huge effort to bring back time.  At 35km I went for my Powerbar gel flask only to find that it had fallen off at some earlier point on the ride.  I didn’t panic but by the time I reached the next aid station at 60km I was desperately in need of calories.  All I could take from the aid station was the race nutrition energy drink which was not sitting well in my stomach throughout the final lap of the ride.

After riding 80km solo, I arrived into T2 disappointed to be in 9th place and the deficit to the leaders remained at two minutes.  I threw on my new Brooks Racer ST 5, and attacked the early portion of the run.  I found my rhythm early and within the first 5km I had passed two guys. At the halfway turn around I realised I was gaining on most of the guys in front although my stomach was feeling very queasy. After receiving some encouraging words from Lise on the sideline, I made the decision to run the next 5km like a time trial but only 1000m later I was walking in desperate need of a toilet.   Thankfully I found one just in time but any chance of catching the guys in front had gone. I crossed the line in 7th overall a little disappointed with the morning’s efforts. 

The purpose of racing Huskisson was to see what areas I need to work to best prepare for Challenge Cairns in June.  While the race could have gone a lot better, it certainly allowed me to see what needs more focus heading into Autumn.

Thanks must go to my Auntie Suzie, Phil and my Cousins Ella and Zoe for having us stay with them in Sydney and Aileen and Ollie in Huski.  Thanks must go to all of my sponsors, especially my major sponsors Skinfit and Sgti Racing. With their help, we are one step closer to achieving our goals this year.

The end of January meant only one thing – the annual road trip to Goondiwindi for the Hell of the West Triathlon.  Due to the heat out west, it is an early start with transition opening at 3.30am. The recent flooding of the local river meant the race was a little different this year. It was announced the course would be a 2km consisting of 3 laps in the Botanical Gardens Lagoon, a 3km run into town, 80km ride and a 17km run to finish off.

At 5am, before the sun rose, the race was under way. We were following the LED light on the back of the lead kayak which unfortunately became further and further away as the swim progressed.  While I couldn’t keep up with the top swimmers, I did find myself in the second pack with two other guys. Jumping out of the water, running around the timing mat and diving back in for the second and third laps made the swim a lot of fun although somewhat more exhausting.  I got out of the water in seventh spot but with a quick transition and an honest run into town, I managed to jump on the Pinarello in 5th place, 2mins off the lead.

I took the first portion of the bike relatively easy,  having  water and a Powerbar Gel, all while allowing my heart rate to settle and my legs warm into the ride.  Just after the 10km mark, I dropped the hammer and started to ride hard.  Surprisingly my legs were feeling great and by the 35km mark I hit the lead. Between 40km and 60km with the tail wind on my back, I was keeping the speed high but not forcing the power.  After approaching the final turn with 20km to go, I had a 90sec lead.   I worked hard into the tail wind and arrived into the final transition a little fatigued, but not surprised considering  my solo ride.
 
I put my Brooks Racer STs on and flew onto the run.  I didn’t know how much of a lead I had, so I took the first lap out with intensity.  After the first lap I was very happy to see the gap to second place was over 4 minutes.  It was such a buzz running through town for each lap – the crowd was very supportive and carried me through a lot of the run.  By the 10km mark my body was feeling the effects of racing an Ironman two weeks before.  My hips were tightening and I couldn’t extend my stride so I pulled back the throttle, started to smile more and focused on getting to the finish line in one piece.After a very warm final lap I maintained my lead off the bike and crossed the line in 3:53:41 - winning my first triathlon as a professional. 

Five years ago at the Hell of the West I won my age group for the very first time.  It gave me the confidence that I used over the following three years as an age group triathlete.  Now racing professionally, it seems fitting that my first overall win was at Goondiwindi as well. Needless to say I am expecting bigger and better things in the next couple of years.Thanks must go to Rhiannon Mackenzie, Anna Dawson and the Goondiwindi Tri Club for once again putting on a great race for everyone.  This was my fourth race at Gundi and I am certainly looking forward to my fifth next year.  A big thanks to SGTi Racing, Pinarello and all of sponsors, my encouraging friends and family and most of all thanks to Lise for her tireless and often over the top cheering that got me to the finish line. Bring on the remaining eleven months of 2011!

It was 3am on 15 January 2011 and I rose out of my sleep, ready for my first Iron-distance race in over two years. Usually I am woken up by my alarm clock, but today the sound of howling wind stirred me thirty minutes early.

Challenge Wanaka 2011 – the photos and the stories from past years made it seem like the perfect race. While the weather all week was impeccable, race day was upon us and mother nature had presented some very trying conditions.

It was a surprisingly strong professional men’s field this year. There was the 2010 Challenge Barcelona champion Jimmy Johnsen, the 2010 Ironman Western Australia Champion Courtney Ogden, previous Challenge Wanaka podium finisher Keegan Williams, not to mention Josh Rix and the New Zealand pair of Jamie Whyte and Bevan McKinnon. Being my first professional iron-distance race, I was certainly out of my depth but the training had been good and I was ready to do battle against them.

The hooter sounded and we were under way. The pace was high early but I found the feet of the leaders and got into a great stroke. At about 1000m into the swim, Ogden surged around me and passed the leaders. Despite my attempts to go with the top 3, I dropped off their feet and had to work hard for the remainder of the swim. I exited the swim in fourth spot overall in a time of 54mins which was a mere 100 seconds off the lead swimmer. It was by far the best swim of my career and I was eager to get on the bike.

Transition 1 was a whirlwind and before I knew it I was one my Pinarello going 45km/hr. My left glute was cramping immediately on the bike. I threw down a Powerbar Gel earlier than planned which quickly solved any cramping issues. At the 40km mark I was in a group with Johnsen, Mckinnon and Williams and we were 3mins back from the leader. After a hard 30km of riding we had dropped Johnsen and we were flying down to Lake Dunstan. Holding speeds upwards of 60km/hr, by the 100km mark the gap to the leader was now holding steady at 5mins. I was feeling fantastic although I was consuming much more calories than I had planned . At 120km we made the turn around Lake Dunstan and went into a headwind that I have never experienced before. All of sudden we were working extremely hard just to hold 20km/hr. We averaged 20.4km/hr for the next two hours of the race. I was quickly running out of gels and because of the headwind it took an hour to get to each aid station. My energy stores were being sapped quickly.

By 160km we were only 200m off second place but I was so depleted in energy I couldn’t bridge the gap. Mckinnon and Williams rode off and left me to ride the remaining part solo. After five hours, I was very happy to be getting off the bike. I had managed to lose my salt tablets early in the ride which did nothing to help the state of my legs when running into T2. I had a gel in transition, put my shoes on and tackled the start of the marathon in 6th spot.

Within the first few kilometres I knew it was going to be a long day in the runners. I got to the first aid station and was in desperate need of some calories. Surprisingly all my stomach wanted was solid foods, so I took a helping of cookies and kept running. The run course, although incredibly beautiful, was demanding on the legs and it took 20km before I got into a rhythm. I unfortunately slipped back a place in the later stages of the run but my primary goal at that stage was just to finish. In 9 hours and 29mins I crossed the line in 7th place overall. It was an incredibly hard first professional Ironman but I am very happy that I got through it. I felt a little dejected as it was a case of what could have been had I packed more Powerbar Gels. Nevertheless, the best lessons are often learnt by our own mistakes, and I am looking forward to racing in 2011.

My first professional Ironman couldn’t have happened without the support of a great team. I would like to thank Felix and Victoria Murray-Orr for putting on a wonderful event and making us feel very welcome. I would also like to thank our homestay family who made our week in Wanaka a truly memorable experience. Thanks to Barbara, Mike, Hannah & Seb for allowing Lise and I into their home and making us feel like family. To my sponsors for sticking by me through a testing 2010, this is only the beginning of a wonderful year of results. To my family and friends for their continued support and to my new coaching team at Trispecific – you got me to a race fit and healthy which hasn’t happened for twelve months, so thank you. Finally, I have saved my biggest thanks to my fiancée. Lise was incredibly encouraging all throughout 2010 and I am looking forward to making 2011 a great year with some excellent racing and for our wedding in September.

3rd Overall - 3:56:18 (26:11 / 2:12:11 / 1:17:54)

The 2009 Shepparton Half Ironman was my second race as a professional. It was a strong professional male field with Jimmy Johnson from Denmark, Jason Shortis, Tim Berkel and Matty White all fit in their final hit out before Ironman Western Australia in December.  

At 7.10am we were away in the freshwater of Lake Kialla. I had a good start and immediately found the feet in front of me. I was swimming comfortably and thought I was in the main group. It was only until the 500m mark when I looked further ahead and discovered a gap had formed and I was in the second group.  I stayed in this group for the remainder of the swim and got out of the water a little over 60 seconds behind the leaders.

Out of T1, Ollie Whistler and I rode hard for the first lap determined to bridge the gap to the main group of six riders.  At the point of exhaustion we turned a corner around the 24km mark and saw them in the distance.  I got word that Jimmy Johnson and Michael Cupitt were already 3mins ahead of the group.  My legs felt fried after the effort on the first lap so I decided not to ride after them and save my energy for the run. Thanks must to go to Gilbo and the team at DeGrandi Cycle and Sport for the outstanding pre race bike service, making my Pinarello FT1 as fast and as smooth as possible. Before I knew it I was in T2 and with a good transition I was onto the run in 5th place.

While the two leaders were already 5mins in front of us, Tim Berkel and Matty White stormed out of T2 at a rapid pace.  Despite only being 20 metres behind them for the first couple of kilometres, I couldn’t bridge the gap.  Matty dropped back and we ran together for the first and second lap of the three lap run course.  During the second lap of the run, we overtook Cupitt and we were now racing for 3rd and 4th. With 6km to go my legs were holding up well. I had my final Powerbar Gel, increased my tempo and was able to put a couple of hundred metres into White.  I ran around the lake for the last time and crossed the finish line in third position overall with a time of 3.56.18. To come top 3 in my second professional race was a big surprise and very satisfying.  Completing the distance in a 14min PB time made the long months of training in Geelong with endruanceteam.net all worthwhile. 

Thanks must go to my main sponsors - Triple Play, Pinarello & Compass, all of my other sponsors, my coach, friends and family and in particular my girlfriend Lisa for her overwhelming encouragement and support for our quest to become successful in this sport. Hopefully this is a little taste of what is to come.