This was it, world championships, the big one! All I'd been
thinking about for the weeks leading up was the opportunity to wear the green
and gold on a world stage for the first time and experience racing on an international
scale whilst also watching the best of the best battle it out for glory and the
title of World Champion.
A week before racing my family and I embarked on the 14 hour
flight to San Fran before 3 hours to Edmonton, Canada. Edmonton put on a great
show, friendly people, warm days and a beautiful race site, everything was tip
top, aside from the potholes on the road doing their best Grand Canyon
impressions.
First up was the Aquathon on Wednesday. A 750m swim in Hawrelak
park lake (which becomes an ice-rink in winter) and a 4.6km stroll around the
outskirts of the park. Not racing for a long time I could tell the cobwebs
needed to be blown out and this race was going to be a shock to the system,
albeit a good shock. Paraded to the start line by a lone bagpipes-man, the
heart started to beat faster and I was reminded of how exciting it is to just
race.
"On your marks, set, *buzzer*”. One step and splash the Aquathon
World Champs had started. The first
turning buoy was hell, guys coming from the left, the right, I couldn't get a
stroke into the water without hitting someone and I felt pretty ordinary. On
the return back to shore I picked an outside line and just avoided the carnage
and got into my own rhythm.
I exited the water and made the long run to transition. Wettie
off and runners on I hit the pavement in the warm Edmonton sunshine. It didn't
feel like I was really running as good as I could've and it bugged me the whole
run. Only the last km I felt like I was starting to hit it well and as I
rounded for the finish line with no one in site I started to ease up and soak
in the atmosphere, giving out high 5's all round and thinking to myself 'how
cool is this, this is the world championships!'
Next up was the sprint triathlon on Friday. Leading up to it I
had a massage post Aquathon and didn't let go of my roller when back at the
hotel room whilst also sleeping in my BSC compression tights. The opening
ceremony for the world championships was next level, marching in the green and
gold finished off with dinner sitting at a table with a bunch of new friends
was definitely a highlight of the trip and an experience I thoroughly enjoyed.
Friday morning struck and Edmonton had put on the sunshine
again. Today I felt much better than
when I had the Aquathon and knew today was going to be red-hot with 70+ other
athletes from around the world on the start line. Taking in experience from the
Aquathon I chose an outside line for the swim start that would let me avoid the
first buoy fist fight.
Buzzer sounded and it was triathlon time. My swim was awesome, I
felt good, stuck good lines and ended up hanging onto the feet of some front
pack swimmers. Transition was smooth and I was out onto the 20km bike in no
time. Victoria hill was the first challenge of the ride, this hill was dirty
and I hit it hard out of the saddle. Coming back down there was a few tight
turns and must've been a mistranslation with some athletes forgetting in Canada
you ride on the right hand side of the road, making for an interesting and funny
style of non-draft racing. The second hill of the day Grout road was great, a
slow long uphill, hitting it on the big chain ring whilst keeping it smooth and
steady and thinking of all the times I'd gone up Waterfall hill at
training. Another lap and coming into
transition I was brimming with confidence, nothing had gone wrong yet.
Run time and I went out fast with the cheers of "Go
Australia" echoing in my head. 5kms starting off with a few km's of trail
running. A pack of two started to catch and I ran with them for a few minutes
before starting to hit the wall, slowly fading through the last km I could hear
the finish line in the distance and spurred myself on. The crowd was amazing
and running up to the finish line with the biggest grin I went all in and held
off an attack from an American to finish 50th in my age.
Over the next few days I got to meet new people, make new friends
and watch the best of the best battle it out whilst having a few well earned
beers. This is an experience I will never forget and something that will spur
me on to train harder and race faster to reach my dream of racing as an elite
athlete in the future.
I'd like to thank my coach Mick Delamotte for helping me reach my
goal at the start of the year to qualify for world championships and also
provide me with all his wisdom and knowledge to become a better athlete each
and every session. Also thanks to El, Pete, John, my training mates and
everyone at HPT, my sponsors Bad Max and RidgeView and finally my parents, thank
you so much for everything you've done to get me to this point and allow me to
chase my dreams.
Best wishes,
Ryan