Wetter But Better at Challenge Melbourne

Twelve months ago in Melbourne we were swimming in a calm, clear Bay, speeding along picturesque Beach Rd and fighting dehydration. And I finished the day standing on top of the podium. Last Sunday Melbourne showed its ugly side – we slogged through half a metre of chop, raced through heavy rain and gusting winds… and fought hypothermia. Talk about a contrast!

I was disappointed not to have been able to defend my Challenge Melbourne title, but my 2015 result was definitely a step in the right direction and a big step in my preparation for the IM Asia-Pacific Championship back in Melbourne on March 22. Here’s how my race went down…

Swim

It was dark, overcast and there was a howling on-shore wind whipping up the chop on the Bay for the start of the swim leg. Conditions were rough and visibility in the water was really low. Obviously it’s hard to maintain good technique when you’re constantly trying to avoid sucking in a mouthful of delicious Port Phillip Bay water. I sat in the main group, coming out not too far behind the three guys in the front – which including Clayton (Fettell) who ended up having great swim and bike legs.

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Bike

Despite the assurances from the commentator that ‘Things are going to fine up… just wait and see!’, the rain set in and was continual through the ride. The wind was coming off the Bay, swirling around in some places to create a serious headwind at times. The combo of rain and wind certainly took its toll on some of the competitors, with Luke Bell retiring in lap 2 of the bike leg. Spectators said he’d turned blue and was shaking with the cold. The wind chill factor can certainly suck your energy in a big way.

With visibility so limited it was hard to keep track of who was where and how far ahead they were. And I definitely had to keep my wits about me when turning – wet roads and lots of competitors can be a dangerous combination if you’re not onto it all the time.

I didn’t feel like I had a great bike leg (2:13) but entered into T2 around 6th and about 3 minutes off the pace.

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Run

After getting buffeted on the bike it was good to get out on the run. I started off well and felt really good. Matt Reed took off hard and then Robbo took off. By the end of the first lap I was still only 3:30 back from Griffo, but starting to drop back.

It’s a tough run course, especially when you’re running through the single-track areas. Fortunately running in the wind didn’t bother me, because it was howling!

The Bottom Line

I finished up coming in 6th with a time of 03:54:06. Of course, I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to defend my title, but in terms of my preparation for IM Melbourne the race has served me very well. Plans for the Asia-Pacific Championship are progressing nicely, but I know there’s still a lot of work to do before then.

Despite the crap weather, Challenge Melbourne was definitely a worthwhile outing. Congratulations to Griffo for a well-deserved win in very trying conditions. And thanks to the Challenge Melbourne team for putting it all together. Good job, guys!

Oh, and a special thank you to the guys from First Off The Bike who tweeted about my ‘coordinated colours’. A bloke’s got to look good out on the bike, right.