For anyone who hasn't done Byron the swim starts up the beach with a square shaped swim. There was a strong sweep up the beach which led to a few different strategies on the way in (some better than others). The open males ran at least 50m up the beach before jumping in.
I ran 25m and couldn't help myself so started to run in early. Within about 2 seconds I had a wave coming at me which I unwisely decided to jump dolphin through (It was only 2 foot high) so I came up with goggles all over the place after I hit the ground with my face. Interestingly the three of us on the podium took completely different lines and merged together at the 200m mark. I'll take credit for the best line because the other girls were much better swimmers.
I was 1 minute 30 down after the swim. Not bad by my standards. I have worked out a solution to a problem I have always had in open water and it seems to be helping.
The Byron bike course is a little like a battle field. Cars, people, pot holes. I managed to worm through the obstacle course on the way out of town and settled in. The road does get better the closer you get to Lennox. I kept punching until I hit the lead but I couldn't get away off the front so relaxed and prepared for the run.
I had a slower transition than normal. My hip flexor cramped a little and I could not get my shoe on. I almost considered sitting down! Luckily the legs were good and I hit the run really hard. I clocked the first lap fast and then reduced the pace for lap 2 and 3 before building the last lap. I built a firm gap on the run so I was able to practice control and run a strong back end. More importantly the race was only 2 weeks after my 79 half at Noosa. Things are feeling good and I'm looking forward to my next race.
News URL: http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/byron-bay-triathlon0test-of-fettle-for-lennox-athl/2254825/
Cheers: Reddog Triathlon Training, Endura Sports Nutrition, Brooks Running Australia, Compressport Australia, Aussie Tom, Avanti Plus the Valley, Orca
