Tauranga half report (very late edition!)

Right - it is time to get this Blog back in action!!! I wrote the vast majority of this a while ago (obviously - the race was in the beginning of January!). But I am turning a new blogging leaf over - and getting back into action!

Well - Tauranga has rolled around again!! My my how time as REALLY flown! I have just rolled through some semi-consistent training. nothing spectacular, but also no major hiccups - which I think has actually made more difference than spectacular training alternated with breaking down injured on a semi-regular cycle.

The race report!

When I entered, I had slightly grander plans - figuring on training quite well for world champs in Perth, and then kicking on to the Tauranga half. The build-up to Perth was quite injury interrupted, and then I decided to leave the running for a month after Perth, to let the legs settle down a bit. So I did end up going in a fair amount under-down than anticipated, but the aim was to just go out and enjoy the day and enjoy racing! Hopefully not too much groveling.

I was pretty relaxed getting into the water, and headed out for a good warm-up and to check to see what the tide was doing. after a couple of minutes of swimming out to the first buoy, I had covered 3-400m. Hmmm - might be a bit of an out-going current running. I decided to head back to the swim start - still 15 minutes or so to go, but it was not quite so simple. I was not making much headway! Might have to put a bit more steady effort in - or swim to shore, walk along and swim out to the start! After around 10 minutes of swimming, I am back at the start line. Definitely the left side is good to start out with that current running!

Lined up on the start line, and only Walter (thorburn) and myself were out to the left, and everyone else was lined up on the right. The usual Pro start line drift started, with the usual - "get back behind the start line". Then to add a bit more spice to my race, what sounded like 200 of the age group men (lined up behind for their start 2minutes later), a chant of "OHagan get back behind the line - you cheat"... Which was followed by the race starter searching for "OHagan in the green cap". Thanks guys! The gun goes off and everyone takes off fast! I got a bit dropped, but I also headed well to the left, for the current, while everyone else was going right. By the time I hooked back in to the first turn buoy, I was in the middle of the main group - great! swimming across was a bit of a chore, as you were at right angles to the current, but OK, and then for the leg back (first lap of 2) I basically swan as shallow as I could (less current to swim against) - and managed to swim past a few that were swimming a straighter line out in the deeper water. Coming out of the water to start the second lap James Bowstead absolutely sprinted through the water on the run out and back in. There was a small group just ahead (10-20m), but again taking a right line. Rather than follow and go with the group, I decided to follow my own line and went more to the left. As it turned out I swam quite straight, perhaps not quite enough to the left for the "good" current, and ended up at the turn buoy a little further back. Next up was the first excitement of the day. About the second sighting stroke around the turn buoy I found myself pinned against a boat! A combo of the strong current and a couple of waves swept myself and the swimmer next to me onto the boat and the waves really did pin us there. We looked at each other with a "WTF - and what do you do now??". The water pressure relented and we were off again. I ended up swimming close to shore back, pretty much alone, and not sure why others were swimming deep, as I did make up a bit more ground. Out of the water and Walter was just in front - good news! A couple of the leading women contenders were also around (Sam Warriner and Jo Lawn), so that is pretty good news on the swim front too.

Walter had 3-400m on me after the transition, so I stomped on the pedals pretty hard after I was sorted, and caught up to him after 3-4km and sat in behind and had a drink. there was a small group another 2-300m up the road, so I jumped away from Walter and rode up to the next group of 3 riders hoping is was a couple of strong riding pro's. Unfortunately when I arrived, there was a pro male, and an age group guy tucked in behind a female Pro - that was probably not the combo I was hoping for, so I sailed on passed and kept going. I was sort of hoping not to have to do 90km on my own, but at the first turn-around the next proper groups of riders were a bit too far to catch-up, when I saw who was leading the groups. Too hard without absolutely killing myself getting there anyway! Killing myself on the bike was not in the plan today! A little further down the road I did get some company - Michael Kelly and a friend - I rode most of the Ironman bike leg with Michael last year. So I sat back around 10m behind, and got a little assistance with some legal draft, but also some good pacing motivation. The wind was a little fluky which made getting a good legal draft not so effective. It was still good riding with someone else. I stuck with these guys until the start of the second lap, and felt fine. We were making good progress on those in front as well - which I considered a bonus. Early in the second lap there were a few surges, which I am usually fine with, and while I could go with them, I did feel the efforts were a bit above what I wanted to do. I think it was a little bit of me going through a flat patch and the pace going up. It would have been good to have the power meter on at this point - so I could know if it was one of the other - that would make the decision to "let them go" or "harden up and get on with it" a bit easier. I decided to go conservative on the bike, so I did not really suck on the run! I was riding alone again! Around halfway though the second lap another group caught me - being dragged through by Robin Reid - a pretty handy cyclist! He was obviously the only one doing any work, and the others (a few names that should not have been behind me!) were really hanging on for dear life. I sat in behind, and shortly after Robin put in a solid little attack, and normally I would have jumped up and on to him, but everyone just decided to sit in behind the next sap (me!). To be honest - he was a bit like drafting behind Ant Gardiner - pretty much no draft at all! So I literally sat up and forced the next riders through - I really was not in the mood to drag a few other elites through to burn me off in the run. Toward the end I did jump away a bit, as they were going pretty pathetically slow.

The run - I had not do a heap of run training - about 5 weeks worth. It had gone quite well, and the calf had settled down quite well too. I decided to wear the garmin, to get a reasonably accurate indication of pace. I did feel pretty good on the flat, and was cruising at around 4:15 pace mostly. I did have to calm myself down a few times - and I think that paid big dividends in the end. the first time around the base track the legs felt a bit average, and the pace did drop off a fair amount on the up-hills. But I continued to look after myself and try to get along as quick as I thought I could. The only person I was keen to beat really was Walter, and the first time we crossed over (after I had turned at half way), he yelled out "how is the calf holding up", I smiled and replied that I was "nursing it home". He looked quite motivated to catch me! I still had a good advantage over him at this point, and felt that if I kept a solid pace going - I would be fine. I did manage to keep going well to the far turn around (~6km to go), and headed for home. I was getting pretty tired, and was having to do a fair amount of teeth gritting to keep the pace solid. I tried to relax a little and took a few deep breaths. When I spotted Walter approaching I picked the pace up to around 3:45/km and tried to put on the "I am just cruising now" face. I worked, and Walter snapped! His shoulders dropped and he began to drag his butt on the pavement! I loved it! The next goal was to try and beat the leading woman home. Unfortunately they looked far better than Walter did, and I had my work cut out holding them off. Starting around the Mount base track and the upward slope really hit me and I started to creep. Then the leading woman mtb went past. Damn it! Sam Warriner then flew past, and I made a comment along the lines of not being that happy about being "chicked" - but good on you. I got no reply. Then the next female went past about 5m behind - so that explained the silence. I would have liked to been able to go with them, but I had no chance - the legs were pretty shot on the ups and downs. I was still running OK on the downs - but it did hurt. I was happy to be on the flat heading to the finish.

I managed to finish in 4:18, with a 29:52 swim, 2:17 bike, and 1:29 run. It felt way faster than last year at 4:19 - but this years swim and bike were a lot harder/slower. I would be one of the slowest bike times I have ever done on the course I would think. Might need a slightly different plan for next year!