Latest / Happy Pace - a triathlon podcast / Episode 8: Cairns Is Calling 🌴 (Race Week Is Here)
Transcript
- Mardi: Hello welcome to episode eight of the Happy Pace podcast. ⁓ How you, Jaclyn? ⁓ I'm I'm good. How's the week been? Jaclyn: Hi, I am good, Marty, how are you? had a good week. It's our last proper like big week of, training before cans. and do know what, like actually at the start of the week, I was like, yep, I'm good. I'm ready. I was all pumped. Like Monday, was Monday morning. I was up and about. And then just kind of as the week went on, we, have like a little group that does like a social swim on a Friday morning, over at Richmond and we all rocked up and we're all a bit like, all right, let's just get this done. cut the thing. Yep. Let's get this swim done so we can get in the sauna and we can get to the coffee shop. Like that was the vibe. Mardi: Here we go. ⁓ my gosh. Yeah. I feel like, yeah, being just what is it, two weeks. it's weeks today ⁓ from Cans, like I feel like the later part of this week was the first time in the bill. Not the first time in the bill, but as in like the that typical point, that 10 to 14 days out when you're right in the peak of the volume ⁓ and you going into sessions fatigued and you're just like, ⁓ Yep, ⁓ forward the taper on this one. Jaclyn: Yeah. But you know what, as well, like going into those sessions and then like you tick them off and you're like, actually I'm fine. Like I can do this. Like we had a big session Thursday night and I was, was quite nervous going into it. and then at the end, like Molly and I were like, all right, we're done. Like that's, that's the last big run and we actually it. it was such a good session, but yeah, you know, right at the end of the build and you're like, I'm ready for a break after this, just a little one, Mardi: Mm. Yeah. Yeah. No, we actually ⁓ my week has good. We actually had quite a bit of rain in Brisbane this week. Not as much as a few weeks ago, just a couple of days. Gosh, I'm complaining again and as always to the wrong people. but it meant that Jaclyn: Have some awake pain. Mardi: I did a trainer session ⁓ Thursday night, was so incredibly sweaty. I forgot that when you're like riding outside you get a bit of breeze, kind of gets the sweat off. that was one of those sessions I when you are deep in the build, but then you do nail the session and you do tick it off and you're like, ⁓ yeah, okay, maybe I am fit under this fatigue and gets you excited to to put it out there on the race course. Jaclyn: Yeah, I wonder as well, like you're probably carrying a little bit more maybe fatigue than I am. Like you've had a few more races in there and, and things like that. Lots of lots more work travel. so hopefully now you're on the other side of that, a little bit of a taper and freshen up the legs and you'll be good to go. Mardi: Yeah, and I was actually talking about that with my coach this week. And like I did T one hundred Gold Coast and then about five, six weeks later was 70.3 Western Sydney. And then yeah, like five, six weeks later is Canned. So it is quite a solid block and not much in the way of recovery in between, like generally sort of heading straight back in, which I've felt really good about. Like I haven't ⁓ like I've been carrying any of that for sort of mental or physical fatigue outside of the couple of days of recovery. But I think it's probably the right thing bef for starting the build to Nice in September to have like a little bit of a reset, back to base a little bit across late June, July. Jaclyn: Yeah. And you know what though, like I reckon like there's something to be said for it. Cause I looking back now, like I felt rusty over long course, like I raced so much over the summer. Like I did all of, short course races in Melbourne over summer. And like, so I was racing like every two or three weeks over that distance. But then I just felt really rusty at T 100 over that longer distance. and I just actually think I don't race that distance enough. Maybe some food for thought for the second half of the year and going into next year is I think I want to, I want to race more often, I think over the longer distance. but I think it sets you up really well going into nice little break and then, ⁓ rebuilding on what you've already done this year. Mardi: Yep, totally. you do know though that Cairns it's the last race in Australia to get a spot for Nice. So there is still time for you to take one. Jaclyn: know. ⁓ age group though, you know, you know what they say, new age group, ⁓ new learning experience. ⁓ Mardi: Okay, okay. Well, there's still time. All it takes is going on to that ceremony. We'll see. I don't know. Literally so easy to convince, but we'll see. We'll see. but on the topic of cans, that is our topic of the week. ⁓ are doing a full rundown of Cans 70.3 and Cans Iron Man, which is coming up on the 14th of June. ⁓ we talked about last week, one of our absolute favorite races ever. We've both done it multiple times. Jaclyn: You it doesn't take much, does it? Mardi: Love the energy of race week, love the course, just love most ⁓ about that So that's what we're gonna be covering today. Jaclyn: Perfect, but before we dive in, Marty, what was your session of the week? Mardi: So my session of the week is open water swim, which feels like such a treat. ⁓ Such a treat at this time of year. every year. ⁓ Jaclyn: ooo I mean, I feel like now that you live in Queensland, maybe it's less of a treat than if you were living in Melbourne. Mardi: Yeah, I think it's a little bit more, But ⁓ yeah. there is some a little bit away from Brisbane that you can swim at, but generally you have to go up to Sunny Coast or Gold Coast ⁓ for like a good one. but yeah, Iron Man Group run ⁓ a half marathon, marathon festival ⁓ Noosa. every May and they do the runs on the Saturday and then on the Sunday they have some open water swim events so they have like 1k, 2k, 3.8k. ⁓ and I went last year with a group of friends we did the half marathon on the Saturday and then I was three weeks out from the Cannes Iron Man and I got to do the 3.8k swim at Noosa, which was perfect because it meant it was a real confidence builder meant I could knew going into Cairns that I'd done 3.8k in open water a few weeks before. So knowing that Noosa's now just up the road from me, I entered this year and headed up there on Sunday morning bright nearly a friend. ⁓ I actually didn't realise, but they had changed the course So previously they'd done just a straight out and back. If you know Noosa Main Beach, you can swim sort of out to the right hand side toward Little Cove and you basically would just swim out the one point six K. Is that half of Half a three point night? Jaclyn: It's 1.9, like Mardi: Great. right. 'Cause a half rain man is half of a nine man. you swim out one point nine K and then in ⁓ one point K, which was really nice last year. this year it had been a bit of a a bit of a wilder weekend weather wise, In Queensland. So yeah, they'd changed the course to be more of a triangle shape, which was actually okay. a little bit calmer. The idea was to stay closer to the beach. It was an absolute machine in the first four or five hundred meters. Like the water was just absolutely sweeping you back in and like just ⁓ I reckon it just took so long just get out four hundred meters. ⁓ but once I found my rhythm, I f I realized like I just really enjoy ⁓ Jaclyn: You Mmm. Mardi: now swimming in open water, especially when it's warm and I don't mind a little bit of chop. 'cause I feel like I get a lot of satisfaction out of remaining calm and like staying centered and just focusing on myself There's something really like mindful about that, which I really enjoy. But got about three quarters of the way around the course and looked at my watch and I was only at two point six K ⁓ and I could like see the finish. I thought, this is not gonna be ⁓ Jaclyn: Mmm. Thank ⁓ no! Mardi: Yeah, I'm like, this is not 3.8k. Yeah, so my watch ended up at like 2.95 or something. Yeah, yeah. And other people's were like more of like a 2.8, which tells you how good I was at starting that day. so yeah, that was a bit disappointing coming out of it. But at the same time, I was like, if this was last year, I would have been more annoyed about it because like I was going into the Iron Man then. This year I was like, you know what? This is a really nice Jaclyn: What a shame. ⁓ so like a full almost kilometer short. No. Yeah. Mardi: Morning was a massive rainbow in the sky, like ⁓ the whole back section the race. ⁓ Felt like you were like swimming into a rainbow. ⁓ as I said, the water swarm ⁓ went for a run in the national park, which is just beautiful. ⁓ if anyone has been there and done a run there. So ⁓ yeah, that was ⁓ was my session the week. Jaclyn: Can I? That sounds like a super ⁓ wholesome Sunday. Mardi: It was wholesome aside from getting up at four AM Jaclyn: The things we do. I also think as well, the thing when a swim, when an open water swim conditions are choppy and a bit harder, it makes the open waters, like the actual swim itself less physical in a sense that people aren't climbing all over you and things like that. Like this is what I found racing a lot over the summer was the swims that were more choppy, I actually enjoyed them more because then it becomes about just like focusing on what I'm doing. Mardi: Mm, yeah, yeah. Mm. Jaclyn: Whereas when the water was calmer, I mean, I raced in Melbourne, there was one nice calm swim. The swim itself was like physical, people swimming over the top of you, people pushing you. Like I just find that that's the difference in the water conditions as well. Mardi: Yeah. Yeah. And I think save versus like Western Sydney swim, which was dead flat and really easy to sight, like people were looking to draft in that those swims. Like people were trying to get on your toes or you were trying to get on other people's toes, because it made sense to. Whereas I feel like when you're getting thrown around a little bit, people are not looking for toes. Like you are looking at when the next wave is coming, so you're not getting a mouthful of water. ⁓ and also the sighting buoys aren't as frequent as some triathlons. So you're very much needing to focus on where you're swimming. Jaclyn: Be sure. Yeah. Mardi: Less so in relation to other people and more so the boys. ⁓ about ⁓ about you? How was your session of the week? Jaclyn: Nice one, very good. So on Wednesdays, we typically do a bike session and like the location of that bike session changes. So depending on where we are in the program, one week will be at Albert Park Lake, one week will be on Kew Boulevard and then the third week will be on Beach Road. So having that variety in the Wednesday session is nice, but often it's our kind of like key bike session. And this week I had a quality run off the bike as well. So my bike session was actually relatively mundane. I had, I think it was four by 4K and then a ramp at the end, but I was studying a little bit early and as I was kind of riding around, I just kept running into friends. So like Molly rode up behind me at one point and then as was going around, like another friend like rode up behind me like while I was on my recovery. And then as I finished my session, I could see my coach and another friend standing in the car park talking. So I went in and spoke to them for a little bit and then Emily rocked up. And so I finished like my cool down lap with him before I rode home. Mardi: Th this just feels like the girl at the nightclub who knows everyone. Except it's like six AM on a Wednesday morning. Jaclyn: That's actually how I felt. Yeah, exactly. ⁓ yeah, I just kept running into people. like, normally I'm a bit like, I just want to do my session. I just want to get it done. But I think the style of the session, it wasn't overly hard in that sense. So I was quite happy to just keep running into people and having a little chat throughout, which is kind of nice. And then I quality run off the bike. So I five by two minutes at just on or just below threshold, like so relatively hard, which I actually like, I was really happy with how I did when I don't tend to wear my carbons during the week. I don't wear my carbon shoes much at all, to be honest. And so I do feel like I pushed myself a little bit harder than maybe what I need to on those runs, but I was running around sort of between 350 and four minute pace for those two minute efforts. So it was a good confidence booster coming into Cairns. Mardi: I love that. And I have noticed on your Strava you'll put like quality run off the bike. From your coach's perspective, what does that mean? Jaclyn: Yeah, so normally that is just like when we have like efforts in our runs, ⁓ they generally tend to refer to it as like, ⁓ you've got a quality bike session today, you've got a quality run session, and that's when we've got sort of specific efforts in our session. So I'd only actually put it for me as a reminder of like you weren't running easy that day. I mean, I can look at the pace and go, I didn't run like super easy that day. Yeah. Mardi: Yeah, three fifties was not easy, yeah. Jaclyn: But ⁓ it's just a good reminder. you know, sometimes you look back, I think it's especially coming into a race. tend to just as a bit of reassurance, sometimes I just look back, like scroll back through my Strava activities or through my training peaks. I can see sessions I've done and I can see that I've actually done the work. And it's really helpful for me then going into race going, you've done the work, like ⁓ you're ready for race. Mardi: Mm-hmm. Totally. And I think as well, like I am a big fan, particularly with my clients, around differentiating runs, not just on numbers, but on like how they feel and like an adjective. So, you know, when I look at that, I go, Okay, quality means like you're maintaining good form. You're at a solid and steady pace. You're not sort of slogging, jogging along. whereas there are other runs where the point is to kind of slog and jog along and just Jaclyn: Yeah! for sure. Mardi: you know, take it really relaxed and really just get the time on the feet. So I think sometimes that's not relative to a specific pace, it's actually just about how that feels. Jaclyn: Yeah, exactly. And I think like there are definitely sessions during the week that like that is the purpose like to go for a joke. On a Saturday, we do run off the bike and normally it's like 15 to 20 minutes sometimes, depending where we are in like a race build, we might have longer more specific stuff, but those runs are more about like neuromuscular control and just being able to sort of coordinate your running when you come off the bike, which I think is super important. Like if you've 90 Ks, like you're going to feel a little bit like Gombe when you start running. Mardi: Totally. No, that's awesome. Jaclyn: Yeah. let's get stuck into our topic, which is, is Cairns. So Cairns race has a 70.3 and an Ironman distance. we are doing the 70.3, but we've also got friends who are doing the 70.3 and also friends who are doing the Ironman this year. As we said at the start, we love this race and it's actually, one of the most iconic races in Australia. Mardi: Yeah, it actually has to be. It's set on the Great Barrier Reef in Far North Queensland. So you are not swimming in the Great Barrier Reef per se. It's definitely a little bit bit murky in the swim at Palm Cove. but the bike is up the Captain Cook Highway, which is one of the most iconic coastlines in Australia. ⁓ then you come back into the run ⁓ run around the Cannes Promenade ⁓ a of laps and so many different vantage points of the coastline, the mountains, the town itself. So ⁓ Jaclyn: hehe Mardi: Yeah, Cannes absolutely has a lot going for it. Jaclyn: I think one year it was voted like the most iconic race in Oceania. Mardi: I mean, I'm not surprised. is it has a lot going for it. And I think versus ⁓ some of the other ⁓ 70.3 options in ⁓ Cairns is fantastic. I also really rate courses you've got the 70.3 and the full on on the same day. because you just have so many more participants, there's energy right throughout the day and night with people out on the course. ⁓ Which you just don't get at one off seventy point threes. Jaclyn: it's such vibe, isn't it? I have been there two years, too late the Ironman. And it's just actually really inspiring it's really cool you finish ⁓ the 70.3 and you watch the Ironman race. And it's really as you get later into afternoon to see everyone just achieving their goals. ⁓ Mardi: ⁓ absolutely. And I think Cairns is really special for me, obviously, because I did my first Iron Man there last year. And I really think that that came about from being inspired by seeing people do it in previous years. That was, fourth year I'd been to Cairns and I'd done the 70.3 there three times before that. And by the third one, that was when I thought, ⁓ I think I could. ⁓ I think could do it. Yeah. Yeah. Jaclyn: Maybe it's time. Mardi: And you get inspired by the people doing the IMAN, not only the people who are finishing in eight or nine hours, but the inspiration that you draw from the people doing it in fifteen or sixteen plus hours when you're coming back from ice cream or dinner and they're still out on the run course. And you go, firstly you go, ⁓ my God, that's such a long time to be doing your morning exercise. But like secondly, you're just like, this is so incredible that they are conquering this distance and it's really inspiring. So watch You may catch the Iron Man bug if you come to Cannes. Jaclyn: ⁓ absolutely. do kind of get the Ironman bug being up there. And I think because everyone like the town essentially is like shut down for the Ironman more or less. And so it's so different to doing a race at home or especially in Melbourne where people just get annoyed it's such a big community event up there, which really cool. And I think that makes it really special. Mardi: Yeah, a hundred percent. I did Cairns as my first seventy point three actually as well in twenty eighteen. My first impression was a little bit overwhelmed just by the logistics. So if you are entered in Cairns, you've probably read your athlete info guide by now and you're looking at all the different places and bits that you need to organize in the days before. it's quite unique in that T one is in Palm Cove ⁓ and then ⁓ Jaclyn: Mm, yes. Mardi: T Two is in Cannes proper, which is like half an hour down the road. So there is some logistics, which we'll talk through when we talk about the course. But I was of instantly overwhelmed, I think, by by the course. I thought, okay, how am I gonna sort all this out? But once you do work it out, it does become second nature. And I think going back year after year you work out what works and and go with that. So the swim in Cairns is in Palm Cove, as we mentioned, which is about half an hour north of Cairns there are buses transport you up. You just need to pre-book the in the days before and just jump on the bus. which actually get you there in plenty of time before the race. My little tip on that is to take some headphones. Because when you're sitting on the bus for half an hour, like yes, there are people to make small talk with, but if you're feeling a bit nervous about your race, it's really nice to have something familiar to listen to as you're as you're making your way up there. ⁓ pro tip. I should we should think of something better. Like a we're not pros, Jaclyn: That's a pro tip. Very good. Yeah. a age group tip. That's a frequent flyer tip. Mardi: Triad tip? I don't know. Like a frequent flyer tip. Maybe it's a then the swim itself is in the beach at Palm Crove. It can actually be quite choppy depending on the conditions of the day. the conditions can change a little bit after the sun rises. it's not a swim where it's easy to see. The water is quite dirty. So I think just being aware of that when you first jump in the water because if you are a little bit or a bit nervous heading into the water and all of a sudden you can't see anything, just Take a few breaststrokes, few light strokes, bubble bubble breathe, lean back in and continue on your way. it's a bit of an out of sort of a box shape course. and then the last section you head out, head on an angle into transition, which ⁓ is a bit a ⁓ a bit of a gaslight because you can see it. And then because the water's like pulling in the other direction, it actually takes you a whole lot longer to get there than you first thought. Jaclyn: Yeah, the thing to remember as well with this swim is it is usually a wetsuit swim. The water temperature is higher than what would usually be for a wetsuit cutoff. However, due to, I guess the stingers ⁓ ⁓ the water in Palm Cove, it's almost always a wetsuit swim. So it is something to keep in mind that because the water temperature is higher, is you can start to feel quite hot in your wetsuit, especially over the Ironman swim. Usually for the 70.3, it's not too bad. but it is definitely something to keep in mind that usually a wetsuit swim and it's going to feel a lot warmer than probably what you're used to. But the upside is because it's a saltwater swim do get a lot of buoyancy from the saltwater as well. So it can feel really overwhelming going into the choppy water where you can't really see your hand or anything else for that matter. But I think the main thing to remember is that ⁓ as we said the other week, Mardi: Mm. Jaclyn: The race swims are super, super safe. There's plenty of lifeguards out on course. You're in a wet suit. you're gonna have that buoyancy and the saltwater is going to help you. Mardi: Yeah, absolutely. And if all else fails, bubble bubble breathe. I know about you, but I have always ⁓ not or I've always tried to avoid looking at my photo, the race photos after the swim. Because every time I'm coming out of the can swim, I have like a five o'clock shadow ⁓ from dirt. Yeah. ⁓ Jaclyn: Hahaha Yep, yep. And it lasts, it lasts all day. Mardi: Yeah, totally. I think as well, ⁓ ⁓ know, coming into T one. ⁓ T one you will need to set up the day before the race. So there's a few options to get your bike up to Cairns. If you're registered, you will have already got ⁓ information about bike transport. ⁓ you were going to get your bike up ⁓ a truck from Cairns that they'll put on your transition rack, or you just drive it or ⁓ it there if you're staying in Palm Cove. ⁓ and you also need to ⁓ bring in your or I'm pretty sure you need to bring in your T one bag for the seventy point three the day before, or can you bring that in on the morning? Jaclyn: the T1 bag you can do on the morning. You can take that with you. ⁓ anything that you will need on your bike, you can do on the morning of the race. We'll talk about T2 in a moment after we've spoken about the bike course. But ⁓ anything you need on your bike ⁓ on day, so your nutrition, ⁓ your or your Garmin bike computer, ⁓ your helmet, your bike shoes, all of those things you can put onto your bike ⁓ in. T1 in the morning. And just another sort of tip is, especially if you're running tubed tires, so tires with a tube in them, just deflate them a little bit. When you leave your bike there on the Saturday, just due to the air temperature, you don't wanna rock up to your bike on race morning and have one of your tires popped off the rim. So bring your bike pump on race morning and before you go down to the swim start, just pump up your tires. Mardi: Yeah, awesome. So yeah, you come in transition, do thing. The full they've got like a tent that you run through and you've got people to help you take your wetsuit off and ⁓ get your bike shoes on if we've got to put them on in the transition area. And then yeah, leave your bag in T1, get to your bike. As you come out of the transition, there is quite a bit of almost like bluestone type pavement just after the mounting line. And every year there are videos of people like either hitting the deck or losing bottles or crashing into someone in front of them just because it's a little bit to navigate, especially if you're feeling a little bit disorientated out of the swim. So I'd say just don't rush that mounting area. There's ⁓ yeah, not worth it. Jaclyn: I will just say, So for the you actually need to put your wetsuit into your T1 bag. And as you run out with your bike out of transition, you need to put your ⁓ bike bag into a crate and that will get delivered. ⁓ Yeah, so that will get delivered down, but you don't leave it in the tent. You won't go through the tent the 70.3. Mardi: ⁓ Yeah, that's actually the same for the full. Yeah. ⁓ sorry, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. put all your stuff together because the last thing you would want is for your wetsuit or something to get lost or or taken. ⁓ ⁓ Jaclyn: So onto the bike course, I think the main thing like is taking the scenery. This is an absolutely beautiful bike course. ⁓ It is not a flat bike course. It is definitely rolling. you'll get to the top of Rex's lookout at about 18 Ks into the bike. ⁓ If you're doing the full Ironman, you'll to do that twice. ⁓ But for the 70.3, you just do it once ⁓ and make sure that like, as much as you're racing and wanting to perform really well or meet your own expectations, just take a moment also to just take in what is going on around you. I think it's very easy to get caught up in head down, right arrow kind of thing. On a really good day, it can be I will say last year, ⁓ it was quite windy. on the bike course and I've got some friends who have done Cairns many, many, many times and they said it's actually the windiest day that they've ever had in Cairns last year. So good on you. Mardi: Last year. ⁓ okay. That makes me feel better about Yeah. Geez. ⁓ yeah, I think at that time of year there's always ⁓ wind coming from the south. So the course goes from Palm Cove, it goes north, for the full you come Down back to Palm Cove and you do another loop up and then straight back down into Cairns, whereas for the half, you just go up and then straight back down into Cairns. And if it is that wind coming from the south, there's a high chance that you could be going most of that way into a headwind. So I think being mentally prepared for that is really, really important. know, I think if you've got a coach, talk about it with your coach about how you want to go about planning that. If you've got a power meter, if you don't have a power meter, Just having some strategies for how you're going to manage the course because the last thing you want is to like get into cans and be totally burnt to a crisp and just really struggle on the run. So make sure you're still getting your nutrition in, work out how you're going to strategize that headwind section. ⁓ ⁓ one of the best bike courses in the world. How could you not enjoy it? Jaclyn: I agree. I think as well, like from that section from Palm Cove back into Cairns, it's really windy, you will feel like you're grinding a little bit, ⁓ but as much as possible, just try and like stay engaged in you're doing. There are some sections where it gets really, really narrow. You've got car traffic ⁓ traveling through as well. And ⁓ the section for the bike Mardi: Hm. Jaclyn: is quite narrow and it can be hard to sort of overtake in some of those sections. But I think the main thing is it's hard like around that kind of third, that 60K mark, start to, it starts to feel hard. try and stay engaged as much as you can and just ⁓ keep riding within yourself and just know that you you will get through it and once you're on the run you'll have hopefully ⁓ friends and family watching ⁓ but even if you don't you'll have the club tents and you'll have people who you don't even know cheering for you. Mardi: Yeah, absolutely. And I think in moments like that, and also I'd say if the swim is a little bit choppy, is like just remember that everyone else is racing the same course. Like you are not being singled out to have a headwind or to have a choppy swim. Like Jaclyn: That has saved me so many times, that mindset. Mardi: Yeah, we're all in it like we're all in it together, literally. So, just take comfort in that Jaclyn: I think the temptation on that course is to, is to ride hard early cause it's hilly. Um, but I think just ride within yourself and err on the side of being a bit conservative so that you can enjoy the whole day. Mardi: Totally. year I feel like, heading up, ⁓ you knew that in sections you were having a tailwind. And so every kilometer we were traveling like north. I'm just like, ⁓ no, this is gonna like I don't wanna turn around. but I think once we passed the seventy point three turnaround, you kind of knew everyone around you was doing the Iron Man. And so there were people that Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: I mean, out there for like I was out there for nearly six and a half hours. So like cat and mousing with different people, it actually just kind of pushed each other along in some of those harder sections. there was a lady in Nadine who had a similar trek bike and we cat and moused a little bit a lot of the way. And it was just so motivating knowing that there was someone else there ⁓ Jaclyn: hehe Mardi: And knowing that we were all having our day, like that this was everyone's big goal that they were all working towards. I think just drawing on all of those sorts of things in the hard moments can really, really push you on. And I think doing the seventy point three versus the Iron Man, like in the seventy point three, I feel like the last twenty, thirty K of the bike, you are just like, ⁓ my god, get me off the bike. Like when will this end? Which is not always the headspace. As I said, try and draw on those tools that we've mentioned. ⁓ but in the seventy sorry, in the full I was just so excited in the last twenty or thirty Ks because I was like, ⁓ I've been out here for how many hours? Which went so fast in retrospect, but I'm like I'm gonna see all my friends soon and I knew that you guys had done the f half were there. I had some friends who came to watch and I was just really excited to see So don't forget the value of that as well. Jaclyn: Yeah. I remember sort of being at our club tent and I was just so excited to see you. Mardi: Yeah. so there's so much that's good about it and it's made even better when you've got friends ⁓ on the course and on the sidelines. mm. Jaclyn: or sure. So once you finish the bike, you will come into T2. in the 70.3, you you to have checked in ⁓ bike to run transition bag on the So on the Saturday, if you're staying in Palm Cove, you need to go down to Cairns and take your ⁓ red run bag. You have that to ⁓ the racking poles then you'll have of your run in there. You won't have access to your red bag on the Sunday. So you need to have your runners in there, ⁓ your cap, your sunglasses, if that's what choosing, your nutrition that need for the run, and your race with your bib. So all of that be there together. So you run in, rack your bike. My age group a tip ⁓ would be ⁓ Mardi: And your race race build. Mm. You come from a tip, yep. Jaclyn: would be to empty, just tip the bag upside down, empty everything out of it and grab what you need. Put your helmet in the bag and I think You just hang it on your bike. Mardi: Yeah. Yeah. I think this year I am gonna try what we saw Liz Charles Barclay do and a couple of the other pros in recent races where they had a s yeah, they had a snaplock bag with their run stuff in it. So like Sunny's and nutrition, race belt, things like that. So they could just like grab that and essentially chuck on their runners and start running. So watch this face trying something new. Jaclyn: Yeah, I'm doing this for sure. You do need to have your belt on. So that would be the first thing you want to pull out of that is you do need to have your belt on before you go out onto the run course as well. So just a little bit of a tidbit there. Mardi: so the Iron Man for T Two, they actually have bike catchers. So you basically just come in off the bike and there are some really great volunteers who grab your bike and they go and put it on a rack and then you go into the tents. ⁓ They have change tents with seats. can grab your transition bag off the rack. ⁓ they got mail and female, which I have to say in both T1 and T Two, this is where I was like, actually I don't mind the fact that there's Only eighteen or twenty percent women in the field because we have plenty of space. Jaclyn: kind of nice really Mardi: really and also just have a moment with the gals, you know, like I think there was I came in with a few people who I'd I had sort of been on the ride with and we just like had a little had a little talk. ⁓ and I think I gave someone some panadol from my bag. So yeah, I think it's just like a really nice little moment that you can have with your fellow competitors. ⁓ and you can also get changed and stuff in the full if you'd like to. Jaclyn: Mmm! A little hack, and one of my friends does this when she does an Ironman, is she actually puts like one of the little bottles of mouthwash in her run transition bag. And if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. So she's super conscious of like flavor fatigue and just having like so much sugar on the bike. And she then knows she's to go and run a marathon after that. And she just puts like a little bottle of like mouthwash in her run bag. And she just like does a little swig and a little mouth rinse before she heads out onto the run. Mardi: Mm. Jaclyn: actually just enough for her to reset and be able to then take on nutrition on the run. So something worth considering if you are doing the full Ironman, take it or leave it. Mardi: Mm. Yeah, I actually love that idea. And probably a few things like I wouldn't recommend putting too much stuff in your transition bags or having too much stuff in transition, ⁓ But I think ⁓ for cans for the 70.3, having some spray sun cream would not go astray. because it it can be exposed on sections of the run course. and even just like some water or some different nutrition as a bit of a backup because if you are feeling quite ⁓ quite tired ⁓ the bike, particularly that last section, even having like something slightly different just to grab and chuck in a pocket could just be the little push that you need. Jaclyn: Do you do that? Do you change your nutrition between the bike and run? Mardi: I actually I do, yeah. So I generally do I do carbinks and sometimes some jelly snakes on the bike and then on the run I'll do gels. 'Cause I used to find that if I had gels on the bike that I then didn't feel like them on the run, like I'd have flavour fatigue on the run. So that seems to work pretty well. Jaclyn: Yeah, same. Yeah. Yeah, same. do like a carb mix ⁓ the bike and then I'll do ⁓ gels on the run. Yeah. And it just changes the texture, changes the flavor a little bit. Yeah, it helps. ⁓ talk about the run. Mardi: Yep. Totally. Yeah, so the run course is a multi lap course. For the f half you do two laps and for the full you do four laps. So the course heads out, you pass the finish line quite quickly after transition, which you know, if you're heading out onto the first lap on the full often there'll be some people finishing at the same time, which is Jaclyn: Nuddy it is, it. Mardi: Real good, real motivating. But ⁓ yeah, like I'm just gonna run a quick marathon while you relax there. But ⁓ in the full the sun starting to go down potentially or it's getting to the afternoon ⁓ or it's getting to the of the day if you're coming out on the 70.3. You head south along with the boardwalk, past some restaurants, then you turn around and head north ⁓ and go up towards Cairns What I really like about this course is as much as it's flat, which is good, ⁓ it also just has some light and shade in terms of the scenery and the kind of vibe. So like when you head out, as you know, I said you see the finish line, but then you go past some restaurants, then you come back, you go through the club tent area and areas of town with lots of like bars and restaurants. So you have a lot of people cheering. And then out towards the airport, it's quite ⁓ I don't want to say lonely, but it's like a little bit more exposed. And there's also just not really any crowds, it's really just the competitors in the race. So I liked that because it meant that you had the periods where you were getting Crowd support, but then you also had time for yourself. Jaclyn: I agree. I actually really love this run course. It's flat. It bodes well to being able to run ⁓ So if you haven't over biked and you've been able to get all your nutrition in and you're feeling good, like it, it's a good course to, to run really well on. ⁓ the spectator support, like ⁓ for the 70.3, like you coming in kind of mid morning ⁓ of time, Mardi: Mm-hmm. Jaclyn: And so people are kind of who have been up in Palm Cove are just kind of getting into town. There may not be a lot of people at the club tents when you're first coming through, but by the time you're on your second lap, there should be a few more people around. And ⁓ don't remember being particularly lonely on the run course. ⁓ think that sometimes those times away from the crowds just to reset yourself and whatever the running equivalent of bubble bubble breathe is in those quieter moments is actually really important just to sort of check in how we going where we at kind of thing. Mardi: Yeah, absolutely. And there is quite a few aid stations on this course. So they're around every 2K. most of them, but not all of them will have ice, which is really helpful as a cooling strategy. So on both the half and the full, the heat and the humidity can really get to you. ⁓ putting some ice like down your top or in your hat can be really useful to help keep yourself cool. and they have, yeah, Coke at the Aid stations, which have sugar and caffeine. And I think if you are struggling to get your nutrition down, if you've got that flavour fatigue, Coke is a really great fallback ⁓ in case of emergency per se. Jaclyn: Yeah, normally little bit flat. Like it's quite easy to stomach and get in. Like I've not had, it's actually probably in the helped settle my stomach in some cases, ⁓ just to change things up a little bit and ⁓ can definitely be helpful. Mardi: Mm. Yeah, absolutely. And I think they do have mortem gels, both the caffeinated and non-caffeinated, as well as vegemite, wit for salt at some of the aid stations. and at some of the aid stations have got like half bananas and things like that. I'm always one to just BYO on the race nutrition, but if you typically do like morton gels, is helpful to be able to pick them along the pick them up along the way. ⁓ and I think more than other races just because of the heat being such a factor. things like having coke electrolytes and water as options that you may not be carrying, I think is really important to be aware of and to use as tools to support your run. Jaclyn: Yeah, for sure. I think the other thing on any 70.3 Ironman race course is it's okay to walk the aid stations. I have done that several times, like definitely at 70.3 Worlds in New Zealand. I think I walked every aid station. ⁓ if you are starting to feel hot ⁓ overwhelmed or fatigued or whatever it might be, just give yourself permission to walk the aid stations, the nutrition that you can get in, ⁓ whether it's water, electrolytes, ice, ⁓ an extra gel or it is, the nutrition that you get in ⁓ by walking that aid station will be far more valuable the eight seconds that you'll save by running through that aid station, you know? Mardi: Yep. And I think just helps to keep your temperature in check. ⁓ You stops you from getting into that red zone where it's really hard to kind of get out of or get down from, which is much more of a factor at this race than any other I reckon I actually found the Iron Man run easier than the seventy point three runs there. I reckon it's so easy to us to underestimate the run in the seventy point three, like we've mentioned with the heat, ⁓ and also potentially coming in after quite a hard little section on the bike. The times I've done the best have been when I have paced myself really well in the first part and ⁓ and walked some of the aid stations to keep the temperature down and keep the ⁓ keep the fuel and nutrition in check with the full it was good because I wasn't running until like 3 30 or something in the afternoon or four o'clock. So it did mean that the hot part of the day was over and it was actually quite a nice temperature for running, which I really enjoyed. But I think probably what got me through that was thinking about the run as four laps rather than it being 42K. So in my mind I knew I'd come past that club ten area where all my friends were I knew I'd come past it eight times. Like once on the way out once on the way back. And so I kind of counted those rather than counting the kilometers on my watch. And that made such a huge difference. So I'd say just thinking about the laps, thinking about those landmarks or points where you're gonna see people or turnaround is a lot easier to think about than it is to focus on the kilometers. Jaclyn: Oh yeah, for sure. And I think like there's something to be said for breaking down a run course like that. Like often Ironman and 73, 70.3 courses are lapped courses. I remember at Melbourne 70.3 a couple of years ago, I had some friends watching and my friend's husband actually said to me, Jack, up and back one more time. That's it. He's like, up and back is all it is. ⁓ And you know, like, it's so funny because I often now think that when I'm racing or even when I'm like doing a session that's hard, I'm like up and back, that's it. And then it's done. Like, and it's, it's not that deep. Like that's all it is. ⁓ Mardi: But and then you're not getting lost in the it's not that deep. Well that's it. And I think you're just not getting lost in the data then. You're not looking at your average pace, you're not looking at your kilometres and things like that and doing that sort of ⁓ run math in your head. I think it's just just think of the course, like yeah, yeah. Jaclyn: Yeah. Yeah. And the good thing about the half is like, once you kind of run out to the airport once, like you only have to do it one more time. So like, you can also tell yourself that you're like, I only have to come out here one more time. I only have to run on the concrete pier one more time. Like just having those kinds of things in your head. Like it's not like you're doing it, especially in the half, you're not doing it multiple, multiple times. Mardi: Hm. And the most important part of run, which is the finish. the famous red carpet of Iron Man's and Iron Man 70.3. ⁓ So ⁓ Jaclyn: YES! Mardi: I think any finish line is special, but the finish line of your first seventy point three or your first Iron Man or or any really, I think is a moment to savour. And I knew, you know, for me last year coming in for the Iron Man finish that that was gonna be a really special moment. So I knew coming back down from from that far point of the course that I'd get to the last two K and that's where I'd see ⁓ family and friends for the last time. ⁓ which was just I think I had already started soaking it in at that point, I remember coming into that last couple of K's and it's never felt more magical. it was dark ⁓ There's just the lights of the street lights and of of the race course and got to see friends and I literally like and hugged people along way. ⁓ which was really special. And ⁓ I'd been running with ⁓ a guy in the last ⁓ lap. ⁓ ⁓ as we were coming in toward the ⁓ we ⁓ we like introduced ourselves to each other because we hadn't done that. We'd just been making small talk and pushing each other along And then ⁓ it was his second Iron Man and my first. And I just said, ⁓ you go ahead, like go have your have your red carpet moment. ⁓ and I just of slowed down a little bit so that I could go through that red carpet by myself. Jaclyn: Hahaha! Mardi: ⁓ I think for me the day felt like such a dream ⁓ it just I don't want to say it felt easy because it definitely wasn't easy, but ⁓ I was just present for the day and I think it hadn't really hit me at any point of the race how far I'd gone and how well I was doing like physically and mentally throughout the race. And even when it got to that last K and seeing all my friends. I still was in a bit of disbelief that I'd gotten to that point of the Iron Man. And I thought, ⁓ like, when am I gonna get emotional about this? Cause this is just And I don't wanna sound like, you know, full of myself in the sense like, ⁓ it felt easy, it felt good, or anything, but I'd I'd done all the prep and I was so mentally ready for that day that ⁓ I was so present to everything throughout the day. ⁓ Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: And ⁓ anyway, so I I'd let the other guy the other guy go. ⁓ ⁓ ahead of me. And as I was, probably two, three hundred metres from the red carpet, ⁓ I hearing, ⁓ I hearing Mr. Brightside by The Killers ⁓ playing the finish. And that's a song that reminds me of my uni days. ⁓ And sadly, a couple of years ago, one of my uni friends passed away of cancer. And so that song always reminds me of him. And in that moment, it just ⁓ Jaclyn: ⁓ wow. Mardi: It all hit me right before I hit the red carpet that I thought, gosh, like Jake is here with me and I'm here doing this thing that I never thought I could do. And then all of a sudden I've done. And so if you actually look at my I've got a video, but also my race photos, I am burst out in tears running down that red carpet. And it's funny because it wasn't really about the Iron Man, it was like the gravity of like Jaclyn: Hehehehehe Hahaha! Mardi: hearing that song of it hitting me that I was doing this thing and I'm just so glad that it was that little sign from the universe because it grounded it for me and I rang that first time a bell. They have a a bell right at the end of the red carpet, which you ring if it's your first time doing an Iron Man. And I ran toward the finish. ⁓ Pete, who's the announcer, called me over the line. I actually like tripped over the finish line and nearly like into him. but it was so special and then two of my friends Alex and Taryn were just after the finish ⁓ and they'd both inspired me with their first Iron Mans as well to do it. So yeah it was just so incredibly special and everyone has their own unique ⁓ your own unique moment finishing finishing an Iron Man but also finishing a 70.3 like I remember every 70.3 I've done like It becomes surreal as you enter that red carpet, you see the finish line, you always say to yourself, I'm gonna slow down and take it all in. And I don't know about you, but I just like still run straight for it every single time. Jaclyn: ⁓ Yeah, that I know that Ironman was super, super special for you I think just like you've never seen someone more happy on an Ironman course like and more present like for the whole entire entire run and just like every time you came past you were just having the best day. So I think if it is your first Ironman or your first 70.3, just really lean into that because ⁓ we're not sitting here talking about Marty's performance on the day, which was incredible, but we're sitting here talking about how much fun she had, which I think is, the most important, important thing. Mardi: so many emotions that can come with it. I think like obviously the the joy of like finishing this goal or if you've had a particularly rough day being like, ⁓ my god, thank God that's over. I finished. but also I think you've put ⁓ a lot into the and you've sacrificed a lot ⁓ worked really hard in So think having all that. Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: kind of hit you at once can be a really big emotion. But it's something you should be so, so proud of. And when you're going through those tough moments at any point in the race, like thinking of the red carpet, thinking of yourself crossing that finish line is a really motivating thing. Jaclyn: Yeah. Mardi: ⁓ after the race if you've done the 70.3 highly recommend heading back out onto the run and spectating the full and also going to the finish line area ⁓ After dark, there's something really, really special about watching people being called over the Iron Man finish line late into the night. Like I already have goosebumps thinking about it. I'm so excited to head down there this year and watch people achieve goals that they have set their minds to. Jaclyn: Yeah. There's nothing to inspire you to do an Ironman more than that, I reckon. other thing I will say just on like logistics of like when you finish, ⁓ you're staying in Palm Cove, there are a few logistical things that you can kind of do, but I always chuck like a change of clothes and like shower stuff. There are some public showers where you can have a shower, get changed if you don't have access to like your hotel room in Cairns. Mardi: Yeah. you need to pick up your bike on the day for the seventy point three. They bring down everyone's T one bags, ⁓ like transport it down and your straight gear correct? ⁓ into cans so you can collect everything on the day ⁓ and then for the full you can actually can pick it up that night or you can leave it till the morning and deal with your sins the next day. Jaclyn: and your straight gear bags. What did you do? Mardi: I dealt with my sins the next day. But I did say so. One thing I didn't mention was the special needs bags, which you can have on the bike and the run for the full. So they are little like lunch bag esque size. You can pay a little bit extra through registration and have those. I think it's like a the 80k and the 160K-ish mark on the bike. And then on the run, it's at a point out near the airport. So you pass it four times on the run. in there you can have literally anything you want. Jaclyn: Good plan. Mardi: In my bike bag, I had some spare tubes and some spare nutrition items as well as like panadol, cramp fix, and a couple of other items. And then on the run, I had like a spare pair of socks, spare nutrition, some electrolyte mix, which I really liked. And yeah, just good to have as a bit of a backup. I swapped nutrition on the bike so I didn't have to carry a lot of bottles ⁓ ⁓ the bike for cans. And then on the run. I stopped for some electrolyte mix and I think I also changed my socks as well. I just really sat down and had a nice time. But yeah, they are really helpful if you are doing the full. The only thing to note is that you potentially may not get them back just because I don't know, they could lose them in transport, someone could take them by accident. So I did get my bike bag back, but I didn't get the run one back. So just don't leave anything valuable in there. Jaclyn: Yep. Good call. Mardi: great. Jaclyn: All right, Momads, it's your fourth time doing the 70.3 at Cairns this year. What are your goals? Mardi: Yeah, I was thinking about my last couple of cans experiences. I think I have raced on a different bike every time. So the last time I did the 70.3 here, it was on my other TT bike. But it was a beautiful day two years ago, weather wise. ⁓ mm. That's where I was like, I could do the full. And then the next year was super windy. But ⁓ yeah, we actually had a really good, pretty flat day for the swim and the bike in particular. ⁓ I did a Jaclyn: ⁓ it was! A windiest. Mardi: PB for a 70.3 there, which was cool. year ⁓ am just wanting to try and be really consistent with the bike performances that I've had at T100 and Western Sydney. ⁓ think both of them were flat courses. This one has a little bit of elevation to it. ⁓ I think just I've got some ⁓ for my power on the bike in particular. And then for the run, I think just really not letting the heat get to me. I feel like In my years of doing 70.3s, I really have been very consistent with my run times and my run performances. They've all basically gone the same way in terms of like running really well, then needing to pull back a little bit to manage heat, to then yeah, running, doing what I need to to get through. And I feel like I always land around that like 152 to 154 mark, like quite consistently on every single run. So if I can do a really strong bike. And then still maintain that run performance. I would probably be happy with that in the heat of cans. and I think for me, like we've talked about having a few weeks off after this race, it's been a big block. I really do want to just enjoy it. I've got some coaching clients and friends also doing the race. so I'm really looking forward to the lapped course, being able to see each other out there and just bring back some memories of of the Iron Man last year as well. Jaclyn: Yeah, it's a really special week, regardless ⁓ what, what event you're doing. like, as we spoke about last week, it's getting away a race. Like it's so, so fun. so yeah, I'm so to see you out on course. Mardi: Yeah. What are your goals, Jacks? Jaclyn: For me, ⁓ ⁓ that the biggest goal for me is to ⁓ fall into this trap of just getting myself so worked up over the race. And I think I have high expectations ⁓ of myself, my and my family and we'll know that and you're sitting there ⁓ nodding, ⁓ knowing me I tend to have pretty high expectations of myself. ⁓ biggest goal is to kind of just let it come and let it happen as it happens. I'm really, really excited to be out on the race course with you and with Molly and a few of the others that are racing. We've got quite a big group, from my squad going up. So I'm really, really looking forward to that. And I just want to go and have fun. Like I had fun at Gold Coast team 100. I had fun in Cairns last year and I just. I really, really want to lean into that because ⁓ Lucy Charles Barclay actually made a comment after Lanzarote and she's like, you can't compete with someone who's having fun. And I really, really want to lean into that in this race. Like I have, I have some outcome goals and, and I have goals for my power and I have a really big goal for my run. But I think that success for me in two weeks time will be walking off that race course knowing. that I did everything that I could and that I had fun. And even over the summer, my biggest thing was just focusing on the process and what needed to be done to have my race and not worry about what was going on around me. So I think that's my biggest thing. Mardi: Mm. I love that. And I think you do have your best performances when you are having fun per se, like when you are enjoying it and you know, you are pushing yourself, but you're pushing yourself for the right reasons. It's because you want to get the best out of yourself and because you want to be able to show the hard work that you put in. ⁓ yeah, but I think being happy regardless of of the result being it time based and that it's still feeling like a success. Jaclyn: Yeah. And I think the other thing is, and like, this is for me, this is for everyone is like knowing that things will go wrong. ⁓ I had some conversations with some people and I've listened to some podcasts and it's just about ⁓ that over a five hour, four and a half hour, five hour, six hour, 70.3 or over an iron man. things are going to go wrong and just mentally in your head, like ticking those things off. as they happen, you're like, yeah, cool. Something's going wrong. Like that, that's fine. ⁓ Mardi: Mm. Jaclyn: because there's probably so much else that's going right for you as well. Mardi: Yeah, absolutely. Very good. And so if you are racing next weekend, I hope you've gotten something out of this segment, out of this topic. respect the conditions is probably what I'd say. We've talked about the wind ⁓ and the heat in particular, but it is an absolutely special day out, regardless of whether it's your first, fifth, whatever it might be, Cannes experience. And there's a lot to be grateful for. Jaclyn: for sure. There is also a pro race next weekend. let's have a chat about the women's race first. It's a very, very local, local favorites kind of race. Mardi: So last year's Iron Man Cans was a pro series race, which meant it attracted quite a strong field ⁓ in both the men's and side. This year there's actually 70.3 in the US, which is a pro race on the same day, which is 70.3 Happy Valley, which means a lot of the pros who are targeting the pro series are racing that race. So notably Hannah Berry, who is a New Zealand pro, she has done cans. she's leading the pro series at the moment. So I think it it makes a lot of sense for her whole season to be able to race Happy Valley rather than Cairns. I had been not sure if Grace Tech would do Iron Man Cairns, but again, she's targeting the pro series race at Happy Valley, off the back of her performance at Texas. ⁓ so on the women's side we have Regan Hollyoak, who is ⁓ an Aussie pro. She's from Ballarat, and she is probably the biggest favorite coming into this race. She's a really consistent athlete across swim, bike, and run. Then we've got Beck Clark, who's from New Zealand. She is a particularly strong swimmer. I actually saw her at the Noose swim last week. Penny Slater, who is another Aussie pro. ⁓ ⁓ had Jaclyn: who historically has raced quite well in Cairns. I don't think she's ever cracked like the win, but has historically raced quite well. Mardi: Mm. Yeah. And she probably has been having ⁓ less strong results than she has previously, I'd say in the last couple of races. She had a particularly strong year last year, ⁓ and late the year before. So we'd really love to see Penny do well at this race. Then rounding out the pros, Kate Gillespie Jones, Chloe Hartnett, Daniela Elberre, Caitlin Davis, and Laura Dennis. So it's only a pro field of nine women. Jaclyn: Hmm. I'm still excited to watch. And I think I'm especially excited to see sort of the matchup between Regan and Beck. Like they're both really strong swimmers. Mardi: Yeah, absolutely. Jaclyn: got Nick Thompson, an Australian athlete. We've spoken about him a few times and he's yet to get a Ironman Pro win. So hopefully this will be his day in a couple of weeks. We've got Jack Moody from New Zealand, Caleb Noble from Australia and then A few others from the US and interestingly, and I guess it makes sense, like this race in Cairns does tend to attract quite a few Japanese athletes as well. Mardi: Yeah, absolutely. ⁓ I I do think it is interesting that it's not attracted more of a pro field internationally. I know last year Jackie Herring from the US, who won the women's race, mentioned at the live podcast that I attended that the pros actually get taxed quite a bit in Australia for their prize money. And that's like an Australian government thing, obviously. So it does take quite a bit to lure international pros, both from the travel perspective and also by the sounds of income perspective, to do a race over here. I just had in my mind, like given that it's one of the last races for a Kona qualification, that you might have had some male or female pros taking their chance to come over here, race in hot conditions, kinda like Kona, and bag a slot to the world championships. Jaclyn: No. Yeah, interesting. We'll see how it plays out though. Mardi: In other race news this week, so last week there was an Iron Man in Lans of Roddy, which is an Island of Spain. run by a sport on the island. It's actually going to be the last year of that race this year, because their franchise license runs out. but ⁓ Lucy Charles Barclay, who has won the 70.3 worlds twice and is a former Man World Champion as well. won the women's race, Sam Laylo the men's race, also an X Iron world champion. I think with this race it was it was both of their races to lose. It didn't have a super strong field. but I think a really great hit out for both of them to validate their spots to Kona at the Iron Man World Championships ⁓ and also race some really hot conditions. Jaclyn: Mm. Yep, definitely. probably too unexpected. We did have T100 Spain, which was women's only race. ⁓ It won by Georgia Taylor Brown who, ⁓ Mardi: Yeah. Jaclyn: We will also speak about in a moment, ⁓ an athlete who's sort of moving between short course WTCS racing and T 100 racing, which is really exciting. second we had Julie Daron and then third had Spivey. Taylor Spivey also raced the WTCS race that we'll talk about in a moment, Mardi: This was actually a really tight race to watch. I think without some of the big hitters on the swim, it was actually just a massive group in the swim. There were about fourteen girls swimming together and it was a beautiful course, so the visibility was really good. ⁓ And that then produced all of them coming out together on the bike, and With the 20 meter draft rule, they were all just like moving around, jostling for position right throughout the bike course. on the bike, Alana Siffit was the fastest. I feel sorry for Alanis because she gets ⁓ so bullied online her bike position. It's actually not fair. she just has a really interesting bike riding Her bike TT position is very aggressive. I'm gonna say aggressive, like. Jaclyn: He does. She does. Mardi: Her head's down quite low and her bike seats up quite high. Aggressive aerosition and she kind of rocks back and forward on her bike seat. But every time a video gets posted of her on the bike, people just comment such rude and inconsiderate things about it. And I don't know. I'm like each to their own. she's producing the fastest bike split. Jaclyn: to an aggressive arrow position. Mardi: If that's the most comfortable position for her to ride in and she's happy with that, just let her go. Jaclyn: She's injury free, like let her race. yeah, we don't need to be talking about that in comments on social media posts. Like it's just not it. ⁓ Mardi: Yes. Yeah. And I mean, as I said, fastest bike split, like the numbers do the talking. Jaclyn: Exactly. Holly Lawrence also raced, she finished fourth. she's super competitive over this distance. and also for someone who's in the middle of an Ironman build I know that she is looking to get a Kona qualification as well. ⁓ So like to finish in a really fast race, like when you're racing against potentially younger athletes, but also athletes who are used to really fast racing, fast transitions and things that. I think that's massive for her. Mardi: Mm. Jaclyn: Imogen Simmons also finished seventh. So she's had a really nice start to the year and has shown some really good consistency early on. Mardi: Yeah. Yeah. Taylor Spivey in third. So like you mentioned, Taylor has then backed it up with the World Trath on Algera race the week following. She did an Instagram post after the race and she was very much surprised that she got a podium. Like surprised that she did well. Yeah. She was like, ⁓ I just wasn't really Yeah. ⁓ She just like, ⁓ I just wasn't prepared for this. ⁓ I which is so nice. ⁓ she has ⁓ Jaclyn: ⁓ I didn't see it, that's amazing! ⁓ bless. Mardi: Yeah, obviously jumped up from short course and is now sort of bouncing between obviously with the world ⁓ with the Olympic qualification period starting up. But I just love to see her do well. she's a consistent athlete. She's been on the World Tri Circle for such a long time ⁓ and I think really nice to see her sneak onto the podium in this race. ⁓ we did have an Aussie racing with Nat Van Coviden who won Western a couple of weeks ago. she unfortunately was a DNF on the race. She out 'cause she was feeling unwell. She'd just come off obviously a couple of days of travel getting over there and just couldn't stomach anything. So hopefully she is ⁓ gonna be recovering well for the rest of her season over in Europe. Jaclyn: for sure. we had probably what we'd consider to be the race of the weekend. We had the WTCS Alghero I think the thing about this is ⁓ the WTCS races are typically behind paywall to be able to watch them. ⁓ And World Triathlon actually made it free for this race, which at the beginning of the Olympic qualifying period is really cool. And do you know what? I think I'm converted to watching short course racing after last night. Mardi: Yeah, it was so exciting to watch. And I think we did say last week how comforting it is to have ⁓ an Iron Man or 70.3 on in the background. I think it's comforting because like it's predictable and not much happens. Whereas I was up watching the end of the women's race last night and I was hooked. I my heart was beating. I was like, this is I don't know how this is gonna end, what's gonna happen. Like it was so compelling to watch. Jaclyn: ⁓ yeah. ⁓ for sure. And I think prior I didn't have a good appreciation for short course racing. I was just kind of like, ⁓ that's an Olympic thing, but World Triathlon have won me over. the women's side, we did have Cassandra Bogan take the win. I'm not sure what went wrong, but was 13 seconds behind coming of ⁓ T2 onto the run. ⁓ And ⁓ in a short course race where the run is only 10 Ks, that's a position you want to be Mardi: Mm. But then again, she did just break the French five K record and so I feel like she's someone who you don't want to start ahead of you coming into the run. Yeah. Jaclyn: Yeah, I wonder how different that run would have had she had not ⁓ that 13 seconds. then for the run course was four laps. ⁓ ⁓ the start there was kind of five girls in that group. ⁓ then each lap kind of someone dropped off a little bit until ⁓ was four left, And then coming into last lap, we weren't sure who was going to win. Mardi: Mm. Yeah, so they had Cassandra Bagrand, Beth Potter, Lisa Turch and Jeanne La Hare, of running together. So you like the three most recent world champions running together ⁓ up until what was it, the last probably two K was like Jaclyn: hair. Mardi: Jeanne Le Hair like dropped off and then it was three and then yeah, Cass just like pulled away ⁓ and pulled away from from Beth and and took the win. Jaclyn: Yeah, it was, it was also super strategic by that point as well. And I think Cass was just kind of buying her time a little bit. She didn't want to go too early and put herself in a position where she could run down. Like those girls are still amazing runners. but on that last, ⁓ was kind of pushing it on the downhills of the run. but think that other girls had a little bit more on the up and they managed to kind of shake her a little bit just before the last downhill. And it was just enough that she wasn't going to be able to get back on. Mardi: Yeah. Yep. second place, Beth Potter. So Beth has now had three podiums out of three races. I was reposting some stuff on Instagram yesterday and ⁓ I I see her as a doffelganger for you, Jacqueline. I see ⁓ I see it. ⁓ Jaclyn: If only as only as as fast as her hey Mardi: ⁓ one day, never say never, but you're also a gun runner and as is she. ⁓ it was really good to see Taylor Nibb back on the start list from the US. This was her first, so she didn't end up doing didn't end up doing Yokohama, even though she was on the start list, she put up last minute, but she yeah, has obviously been racing T one hundred, Iron Man's, Kona, and sh she came eleventh, so she's back in the mix. Jaclyn: What the Yokohama. Yeah. And I think to finish at 11th on a course where these girls are only racing WTCS races, they're only racing all short course and then a few in the middle distance. she was probably just lacking a little bit of that speed on the run that she did have a couple of years ago, but ⁓ so invested in, in what's to come. Mardi: Yeah, I agree. And we had also from the US, Taylor Spivey backed up the T one hundred race last weekend, as did Georgia Taylor Brown from Great Britain. Both of them didn't do too badly. And I think they're just in the mix of just like racing every weekend. So ⁓ it's just a really great time to to lean into World Triathlon races. It's gonna be two years of qualifying, basically. ⁓ but every race will count and all it takes is ⁓ ⁓ A couple of races to be missed or injuries, things like that, and all of a sudden people's Olympic qualification hopes are are in jeopardy. Jaclyn: Speaking of, so going into the men's race, this was wild. was hot. Mardi: it was hyped. It was hyped before the race, because this is gonna be the first time since the Olympics that we had ⁓ Alex Ye, Hayden Wilde, Matt Hauser all on the start line together. So Matt Hauser in particular, like he probably came, I think, seventh in the last games, but he's the reigning world champ. So this was really the opportunity to see three of the big hitters race against each other for the first time in a while. it battle never happened. Hayden had to pull out the day before because he was sick, ⁓ which was of good for Aussies because Braden Mercer got to make it onto the start list. He's one of our Aussi male pros ⁓ and he ha make quite an impression on the Yokohama race. ⁓ Manhouser crashed. ⁓ It was nasty. I don't know why they like ⁓ it's like Tour de France where they post the crashes to Instagram and Jaclyn: mmm can't watch it. Mardi: I know, I know it gets people watching it, but I just feel like really ick about it. Jaclyn: Yeah, and I don't like watching it. I can't watch it. Mardi: I hate watching it. and then Alex Ye pulled out after the swim. So he put on his Instagram that he had ⁓ a s ⁓ injury or like an ankle issue after the Rekce swim the day before and also just I think coming in or out of the swim. So he just pulled the pin then which super disappointing as well. Jaclyn: Yeah, such a shame, but it was a good day to be from Portugal. Mardi: Mm. Yeah. it did mean though that Vasco Veliko Velika Valenko. Vasco Valenka. ⁓ he had nine podiums in the last year, like basically the last year, the last two years, and no wins out of it. So ⁓ Jaclyn: I Mardi: He won one of the races earlier this year out in Samarikhand and he just took his second win. So it's really nice to see him having some W's, even if is off the back of some nasty crashes. ⁓ Jaclyn: Yay! It's massive. And like, I guess it's one of those things like once, once you kind of learn how to win in this and, and you always hope that it's like, it's not because other people crashed. Like you can almost get yourself there a little bit more, know. Mardi: Mm. Yeah. And I think looking at the top ten on the men's sides, like there weren't a lot of recognizable names. I think they were all European as well, like no US, no Australian and no great British athletes. ⁓ so it's really great opportunity for those for those athletes to get some points on the board. Jaclyn: Hmm. Yeah, hopefully we get to see those Matt Houser, Hen Wild and Alex Yee match up again soon. Mardi: Yeah, totally. next weekend we have the men's T one hundred in San Francisco. Hayden Wilde was planning on backing up the the World Triathon race this weekend with T one hundred next weekend. ⁓ think he's still gonna do it, hopefully. I don't don't want to wish or injury on anyone, but ⁓ him a little bit less than a hundred percent. May make it a more exciting race next weekend. Jaclyn: we did say ⁓ last time after the last men's race in Singapore, like we found it a bit boring watch for lack of a better word. so hopefully some of the others coming into the race, ⁓ Rico Bogan, ⁓ Pearson, Martin Van Riel, hopefully, Mardi: Yeah. Jaclyn: they're in a position where they can step up and make their first T100 appearances and sort of give Hayden something to work with. Mardi: Yeah, totally. And some fresh news this week. Yelly Gaines, who is the reigning seventy point three world champion. He is not gonna be racing San Fran as planned because he has a stress reaction ⁓ which is not gonna ⁓ in his FEMA. Mm. Jaclyn: Yeah, you and I spoke about this this week like that there I guess it is a chance that he can get back and race but femoral stress reactions and femoral stress fractures don't just happen. It's a big bone in the body and he's going to want to make sure that that's that's healed properly before making a return to racing. Mardi: Hm. Yeah, and he had been very overt in setting his goal as Kona this year. He doesn't have a qualifying spot yet. The race is in October. He had planned on doing like Iron Man Lake Placid after Sandfran, which is in July. I don't know if he'll make it And I think for his sake, I just hope that he doesn't try and like come back too quickly and then injure himself again he's been so at seventy point threes. he's been world champion twice now. So I think it would be a shame to see him kind of lose that sparkle just because he wants to push and go longer. Jaclyn: For sure. I do have to agree. like, I know this, this is his job at the end of the day. Like this is how he, how he makes money. but I definitely know if that was an age group or I'd be saying to them, like triathlon is always going to be there. Kona will always be there. There's, there's always next year. I, maybe that premise changes a bit when you're a pro. Mardi: Mm. Yeah, absolutely. Jaclyn: Yeah, so exciting weekend of racing next weekend. Mardi: so next time you hear from us, we are gonna be in cans. Jaclyn: Enjoying the warm weather and the sun. Mardi: Yeah, absolutely. So we will record hopefully an episode in Cairns. ⁓ and we're gonna try and release this one a little bit earlier so that we get you all the info you need for Cairns before you head up if you're doing that race. I'm really looking forward to it. Jaclyn: I can't wait and I'm looking forward to seeing you in person. Perfect. Mardi: I know, I'm so excited. It'll be great. All right. Well, thanks everyone for listening, and we look forward to speaking to you from Cairns.