Mooloolaba triathlon in sunshine coast

So, i had a blast over the weekend. Flew on my own to Sunshine coast, Brisbane(Queensland) to compete in my 3rd Mooloolaba tri. Its also the Australian University Games for tri. So representing my uni as well. On sat, was lucky enough to meet Emma Snowsill again for a photo. Emma Snowsill is Australia's current favourite triathlete. She won the Commonwealth game's gold medal, also is 3-time world cahmp.

the next day, was my tri. cos i did not train, I was hoping to just go under 3 hours. My swim was 30min(terribly slow). so slow that while in the swim, i was saying to myself, "hey, i am not tired at all". I was sort of doing a very leisurely swim. then came transition where i took my time...spent 6mins slowly putting clothes on, drinking some water, etc. I was basically having a great time not rushing anything. Then the cycle....this is a non-drafting race. those who get caught, get put in a penalty box for a certain number of minutes. I was so slow on my cycle, that I was never worried of being in a penalty box cos everyone was overtaking me, and when they were infront of me, i never could hang on behind. So i cont, feeling not at all breathless(not cos I am fit, jsut cos i was going snail's pace). And then , i realised the pace i was going would land me over 3hours....so tried to go a little faster. Oh, let me tell you how slow i was. There was this guy just infront of me, who got caught for drafting, so he had to go in the penalty box up ahead. so he sprinted towards the box, which was a few km away. By the time I passed that box, I saw him, and he got out of the box!

So my run, reckoned I shld up the pace, since I was feeling very very fresh. And so i did, it then felt like a real race. did a 48min for 10k, totaling under 3hr so was happy with myself. Yarh, i remember the last 1k, i was going so fast, i was thinking that I had alot of reserves in me....then cool down was lying by the beach, in the water for a few minutes, before rushing to the backpackers to furiously pack and check out.

this is the running route. looks flat but there is this long hill that we have to go up twice....I was thinking..."thank you mr ram for the hill training I did with the team"

This is where we swam and where I cooled down

After my race was the ITU World Cup. The next few pics are from the ITU website. The Swim start

It was really hot...they were doing the run leg at 12.30pm

So the ones below are my pics

Transition: 1st is Portugal's Fernandes. 2nd is Australia's Snowsill. 3rd is USA Bennett. Fernandes is multiple world cup champion. won the World Chmapionships last year in Hamburg. Bennett noramlly gets top 3 for World Cup series. Emma Moffatt at transitions(sounds like more fat...haha). but dont be fooled, she is just 23 yrs, won her first wold cup recently, and i think even beat emma snowsill before. She came into the comp seeded number 2, infront of snowsill.

Below: Fernandes behind Australia's Luxford Annabel Luxford of Aust, going hard on the cycle, so as to secure a place for Beijing Olympics

Fighting it out on the run.....i was very close for the 1st 5km.

Liu Yun of China, just thought Pat might know her. Oh, just checked. She came to Singapore for the Asian Tri in 2005 and got 3rd. This race, she came in 30th with 2 hr 7min.

Fernandes running against Snowy

Erin Densham, who is my age, did 2hr 5min today, came in 21st.

this is at the start of the run...snowy still behind....

Supporter from China

cycling

So, after the lead runners passed me, I thought I shld make my way back. Then, i saw this lady in a swimsuit with "luxford" on the bum. I thought, hold on, didnt i just she her in the race? why is she here? so anyway, I asked if she could take a pic with me, then proceeded to ask what had happened. She was apprehensive abt the photo, and felt she was quite tired. Anyway, her ans was "injury". She then asked how i went, all i could think of was, "I am happy with my race". so thats what i said.....anyway, I bet she is super super stressed cos this was one of the selection trials for the olympics. I regret not wishing luck for making the olympic team.

So, emma winning(photos not by me)