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Ready Deb for U23 World Triathlon Champs

  • Tisza?jv?ros World Cup

      18 August 2014

    Tisza?jv?ros, Hungary was stop number three of my overseas racing season. Situated 180km from Budapest airport, this 50 years young town definitely showed its age with brightly coloured, more modern looking houses than those found back in Banyoles. The format of racing over this weekend ? two sprint distance races run as heats and finals ? would make for fast and furious competition. The key to do well at this race is to be as close to the front as possible at the first swim buoy (a whoppingly short 110m) and hang on for dear life for the next three laps of 250m. Unfortunately everyone else has the same race plan. I was the sole kiwi in heat three of three, needing only to make the top nine in the heat to guarantee myself a spot in the final. After finding myself in an ideal position on the pontoon, second from the end, I was preparing myself for a blinder. This is where the excitement ended, as from the dive to the end of that crucial opening sprint I was a flailing mess, arriving more than a few positions short of the ideal ? dead last from what I could tell. From there it was a matter of picking up my swimming arms off the bottom of the pond and go in to damage control, getting out just off the main chase group. Catching up to girl on the bike who hadn't quite made that group looked promising to being able to bridge up to that tantalizingly close group ahead, with the help of a few friends I brought along. Alas, it was not to be, as only a few friends were prepared to help me out, and the other now acquaintances, were simply along for the ride. Running legs kicked into gear a few minutes too late, as though I still caught a few of that group, I was 30 seconds off receiving an invite to the next dayfs party ? one of my acquaintances scooped up the last invite. The next day it was back to training and enjoying the festive atmosphere put on by the hosts for the finals, which included the top 20 put up on stage in the evening to receive plaques ? dancing not compulsory but highly encouraged! Definitely a race I would like to come back to. Itfs been back to the drawing board since, fixing up a few defects in technique, and getting some hard sessions under the belt ? good confidence boost more than anything. Just on two weeks until that all important race of the seasonc.Edmonton World Champs. Thanks once again for allowing me to focus on getting better at what I love instead of worrying about that ever increasing food bill! Herefs hoping it will all come together come race day. Ifll let you know how I get on. Cheerio, Deb xx

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  • A long overdue update

      7 August 2014

    Well this update is well and truly overdue! Keeping my supporters (Mum and Dad included) up-to-date is decidedly a weak point of mine, but let's truck along anyway. My final weeks in Cambridge (the NZ one) went by without a hitch. I got totally spoiled in the food department by my great aunt and uncle, Marjorie and Des; packed, re-packed and re-re-packed; and most importantly, ticked off some key sessions, leaving me confident of being in pretty good nick leading into my first race of the overseas season. First stop: Osaka, Japan, for the sprint distance (750m swim/20km bike/5km run) Asian Continental Cup. All the training with multiple thermals back home had not prepared me in the slightest for the heat and close on 80% humidity that hit us upon arrival in Japan, but with hydration (and rice consumption) at an all-time high, I was excited and prepared for racing fast. Race morning dawned cooler and wetter than expected (remnants of the typhoon that passed by, perhaps?), but this all cleared up before we got started. Pre-race procedures were all going as planned until a minor disaster struck on my way down to the swim warm upcmy race suit suddenly had an extra opening that was not in the design specifications! A few of my finest expletives followed, along with some panicked running around to get my spare suit, but I managed to get my head together to be on the start line on time. My race was decidedly not half as exciting as its build up. Following an excellent start, I became complacent in the swim, happy to sit in the bunch and take it easy. On the bike I didnft get desperate enough and follow another wheel to get up to the front group (more complacency), and they made a fair bit of time on my group. The run was most disappointing, especially after having some really good run sessions back home, with legs that struggled to turn over at a respectable rate, and I found myself steadily going backwards through the field. I ended up finishing in 15th position, not a complete disaster I suppose, but nowhere near my best. Second stop: Banyoles, Spain, for the standard distance (1500m swim/40km bike/10km run) European Cup, as well as the training base for the NZ triathlon team in the build up towards the world champs at the end of August. The training here is second to none. The riding options are endless, the running trails continue to surprise me, and the lake is beautiful for open water swimming. The hot weather is a bonus, with the mercury hitting 30 degrees at a minimum, my Dunedin suntan is steadily being replaced by a golden Spanish tan. The race for the women started at 9am, so was expected to be relatively cool (only 27oC at to start with), so no complaints there. No uniform malfunctions to speak of this time, so already a good improvement on two weeks ago. Again, I had an excellent, clean start to the swim, and kept pushing to exit the water with the leaders. With a steady stream of girls getting onto the bikes, and a flat, fairly non-technical bike course, a lead group of twenty girls formed and the pace settled to that of a casual Sunday ride. I made a few errors at this point and came to the front more often than need be, tried to push the pace along, and forcefully encourage the other athletes to roll through and take a turn at the front. Frustrating it may be, but this is a part of international racing I need to get used to and appreciate ? not all rides will be this easy! With a few more matches burned than necessary, the run fell a bit short of expected. Not a disaster by any means, but stuck in gear two, and struggling to access gears three through five. Final finishing position was 11th, which was a marked improvement on the Osaka race with a stronger field and a better execution of the race plan. A group of us head off to Tiszaujvaros, Hungary for a World Cup event this weekend. Itfs an exciting format with heats on Saturday selecting a total of 30 athletes for the final on Sunday ? both sprint distance in length. The second oldest World Cup event on the triathlon calendar, and part of a week-long triathlon festival, it should be a bit of fun! Thanks for supporting me on my triathlon endeavours! I shall do my best to keep you on top of what Ifm up to. Cheers, Deb x

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