Here you will find stories of challenge, achievement and fun by our members at recent races. Enjoy!
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TreX Port Stephens with Tom Fisher
Port Stephens, 21 September 2019
Race morning was pretty windy, and the swell was up. This meant a tough swim. I would have to focus on my entries and exits where critical time could be made up through timing the waves. After a short jog and some dynamic stretches, I suited up and made my way down to the swim start. The starting music began and they started to call us one by one to the line. This is one of my favourite parts of racing; it really gets the adrenalin going and the mind focused on the race.
The gun went off and I made a pretty good start out through the breakers. I was struggling to hold the lead pack so I dropped back and drafted someone knowing I needed to save myself for what was going to be a tough 1km swim.
After taking in a few mouthfuls of saltwater and getting knocked around a bit by the swell I finally finished the swim. I managed to catch another competitor in the long 300m run to T1 where after a quick assessment of transition I knew I was sitting in 5th. The bike course proved to be pretty quick as it was mainly fire trail and gravel roads. This was a bit of a disappointment to me as I enjoy the technical single track which can give me an advantage over my other competitors. The legs felt a bit tired after the tough swim but I focused on maintaining my cadence and powering over the hills, allowed me to maintain my position of 5th
After a pretty quick T2, I was onto my run leg. The legs were feeling quite fatigued by this stage and it was really starting to warm up. I decided to back it off a tad and focus on getting comfortable, as I knew there was a lot of tough sand running ahead. Finally, after 3km of steep undulating sand running I came across the first drink station. After another 3km of draining sand running and rock hopping came to the final 2km on the beach which was tough due to the high tide forcing me to either run in the shallow water or the soft sand. Running through the water seemed to end up being the easiest option!
I finally crossed the line in 5th place; I was a tad dehydrated as I’d not anticipated it to be quite so warm
Overall, I am pretty happy with my result of 5th, as I went into it to see where I sat being the first time racing open elites. Of course, I would have preferred a faster swim, obviously I need to get out in the ocean a bit more, try some training in rough swells. Overall it was great fun, and definitely one of the hardest courses I’ve raced. The road trip was fun too! See you at Bendigo in November.
Off-Road Action at Blores Hill - Riviera Triathlon Club was well represented at the Peak Adventure Trek Carnegie Winter Series Race 3, held at Blores Hill and Lake Glenmaggie on Sunday 4th August.
Peak Adventure hosted the third and final event of the Trek Carnegie Winter Series at Sandy Point Park on Sunday 4th August. Serious adventure racers opted for the long course triathlon, consisting of an 8km kayak/SUP paddle, followed by a 14km mountain bike ride and an 8km trail run. A short course ‘sprint’ triathlon was also on offer, consisting of a 2km paddle, 10km bike and 3km trail run. For those not so keen on paddling in the cold weather, the duathlon was the sport of choice. Long course (2km run, 14km bike, 8km run) and ‘sprint’ (1km run, 10km bike, 3km run) were the duathlon options available.
Riviera Triathlon Club was well represented, with Tim Boote and Rodney Smith competing in the long course triathlon while Tom Fisher, Toby Smith, Alexandra Keith & David Kinsey competed in the long course duathlon.
Rodney Smith got off to a flying start on the paddle leg, only to have a lack of recent kayak training see him capsize twice into the freezing water. Tim Boote led the pack around the first lap, having some difficulty identifying the turning markers with nobody in front to show him the way. Once out of their boats, Rodney & Tim headed into Blores Hill Mountain Bike Park for the bike leg, flying around a dry and well-marked track with relatively few technical obstacles. The final leg was a tough trail run along the edge of the lake, alternating between soft sand, loose gravel, fallen trees and stretches of sharp rocky outcrops. Tim raced away to finish first in this event, however Rodney still hadn’t emerged from the bike leg when the event presentation commenced. Toby Smith went back to search for his brother, and found him repairing the second of two flat tyres he had experienced on the course. Unfortunately, just one of those hard luck days for Rodney ‘Rocket’ Smith.
The duathlon competitors had a slightly easier day, starting the race with a shorter 2km trail run around the lake. Tom Fisher sprinted away from the pack, while the remaining athletes tried to negotiate an optimal path between the water’s edge and the sandy bank. Tom was well in front heading into the 14km mountain bike leg, and only extended his lead further as the race continued. As a current Australian Cross Triathlon Champion, Tom’s mountain bike skills are exceptional. In second position Toby Smith was being careful not to scratch his new mountain bike, while Alexandra Keith led the women and David Kinsey brought up the tail. These positions remained the same for the second, longer 8km run leg, with no athlete able to gain a significant advantage across the sand, mud, gravel and rock course.
Everyone was happy to cross the finish line and cheer their fellow competitors’ home, while indulging in the hot soup and chocolate brownies kindly provided by the race organisers, Peak Adventure. Race prizes also involved chocolate, with Alexandra Keith winning the female long course duathlon as a hard-earned birthday present. Tom Fisher (male long course duathlon) and Tim Boote (male long course triathlon) also brought home wins for Riviera Triathlon Club, with Toby Smith picking up second place in the male long course duathlon.


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