From Setbacks to Worlds: One Failure at a Time

You often read stories of heroic efforts, hour PB’s and seeing your enemies driven before you, when you read of peoples world championship builds. Well this year, wasn’t that for me, in fact the ever since before the World champs in 2023 in Finland it hasn't been. This isn’t a ‘woe is me’ story, its one, that I hope will inspire you to keep going, no matter what and you will hit your goals eventually, even if you feel your goals are hitting you and legging it a year up the road.

It hasn’t always been like this.  I moved in 2022 to Koa Sports, under Tim Ballintine, whom in my humble opinion is one of the best coaches in the world. I had an amazing first season, clocking into Ironman Sunshine coast 2022 at 4:23, Ironman 70.3 Melbourne 2022 at 4:27 and Geelong 2023 at 4:36. All huge PB’s and I was feeling amazing going into 2023. The season ended with an Age Group 2^nd place in Subic Bay 70.3 in some of the worst conditions I have raced, with a World Champs spot earned to Finland. 

The build was solid going into Finland but a disappointing race, coming distinctly middle of the pack and just shy of 5 hours and with a well earned break took the month off post race. Setting up for a solid build on the return, to chase a Taupo spot, which apart from being close to home in Melbourne, it also had a pretty special place in my heart as it was a worlds race that was cancelled for everyone due to Covid.  

Race schedule was packed and training expectations were heavy. 15 – 20hr weeks were in the build and racing was scheduled for Melbourne, Hobart, Geelong, Subic and Cairns.

At the same time, work travel really amplified, stress increased through a recent promotion and expectations on nights out and drinking (I'm a non drinker) really started to pop up. Melbourne got cancelled due to a work trip which sucked, but onward and upward. I had a huge build into Hobart, 140+ TSS scores flowing, I was ready to get things done. Hobart as a course doesn’t suit me, lots of climbing, as a 83kg 6ft 3 guy, I'm always at a disadvantage, but went out feeling fit.

For those that didn’t go, the bike course on the day was a disaster zone, having not rained for a few weeks, we had a solid bit of rain the day before coating relativity good tarmac with oil and the twisty and fast descending course, saw a lot of folks come off their bike, many seriously. I went down shortly into the bike, which had me rolling around for 10 minutes in pain until I decided to get back on the bike and finish. I managed a 10^th place but not enough for a roll-down spot. But a good start.

Geelong, being a grail race for Melbournites on home turf was next. Again 140+ TSS scores flowing. Again, work travel for two weeks straight, but each night out for dinner and heavy socialising resulted in my getting Covid 4 weeks out from the race, which ended up locking up my back, so much I couldn’t grab the TT bars 2 days before the race. Yet again a cancel.  

Subic was in the sights, once again big international travel, which as anyone knows starts to cause stress at work and at home, 8 weeks out, and bang, Covid again. Sigh!

As Triathletes I think were a positive and driven bunch, but I have to say, apart from the financial hit, the impact of 3 cancels and 1 crash really started to hit home. You put in all of the effort for the year before, especially in the last 8 weeks and without a race, what is it for?  Sure, the training brings huge benefits, but we come together as athletes to drive towards a goal on the day. So why bother?

My coach being the sage gent he is, convinced me to get back up and train for Cairns 70.3 at the end of June. Theoretically I had a solid base across the year so could quickly recover and put out a solid effort. Travelling up with the family I had a solid day out, with 4:57, 20 minutes slower than what I wanted to do.

Melbournites coming out of a Melbourne winter tend to suffer in the paradise of Cairns, but I got it done. As it happens I came in 15^th, so within roll-down range. I was hoping that it’s the end of the season, with all of the fast dudes taking their spot already. I was chewing the fat with a gent during the (painfully ran, as everyone who was there knows) roll-down who came 16^th, whom I later found out was 3 seconds behind me, who lives in Tapuo, so he could have rolled out of bed on race morning. We all stood up, as is the fashion when it rolls past 5, and 10^th, 11^th and 15^th grabbed a spot!

Elated and somewhat disappointed for my newly made mate from the land of the long cloud, I stood up, took the spot and proceeded to defund my childrens education with the world championship fees. Finally! And 3 seconds made all of the difference.

So what did I take from this? Well, the biggest lesson for me is to be more selfish with your time, especially the 6 – 8 week window before the race. For sure, work travel and fancy dinners seem nice, but it's not just the day or hangover the next day that’s affected. The impact of travel, training overseas, dinners and all the revels, certainly have an impact on your stress and overall wellbeing.

I remember looking at the HRV impact of a 2 hr flight, requiring a recovery closer to a half marathon recovery time, with work dinner increasing my ‘high stress’ measurement every time I was at one. This impact flows not onto training metrics but also your overall wellbeing and often onto the family, increasing stress which lasts weeks beyond the day after. 

Questioning if that work trip or dinner most certainly will be on the agenda next time.

Secondly, racing isn't the be all and end all of the game. It's the lifestyle and community that surround Triathlon, is outstanding. Theres genuinely amazing people in this group, who in my opinion stand above non triathletes with their healthy habits. So feel proud to turn down the beer, drop the steak for salad and go to bed before 9 (not that we could stay up anyway 😊).  

Oh, what did I learn from the 3 second qualifying spot? Drink less coke, walk a little bit less, push 1 watt harder, it could cost you a spot at next year's world champs!