Overall Impressions
Perhaps there is no other event which offers you the opportunity to circumnavigate a whole city in an off road triathlon. Each leg is unique, and this is why the best thing is to do the whole lot. It is not designed to be easy or even possible; It basically connects all the biggest hills in Canberra, seemingly getting nastier as the race goes on.
This was my second attempt at solo. Two years ago I got lost on Mount Stromlo when faced with conflicting arrows from different events. Five hours later, dehydrated and depleted, I found my way to Lake Tuggeranong, the only place I knew on the course. Although friends encouraged me to keep going, I was only interested in food and sleep. This year was very different. Having lived in Canberra for 6 months I had made an effort to familiarize myself with the whole course. I even offered to mark out the Stromlo section just to erase any possibility of getting lost. Knowing the course is a big advantage. Even if it is well marked, just knowing where you are and where you are going takes a lot of stress out of the day. Plus, you can pace yourself better when you know what is coming up.
This year I was very lucky to have as my helper the great Trevor Fairhurst - 4 time winner and number 1 enthusiast of the event. Sadly Trev was unable to compete himself due to injury but wanted to come and help a solo. Trev was so organised and so focused that I never had time to feel sorry for myself. It was a one way express train with no getting off.
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| The final run - the best I felt all day! |
Knowing how punishing the midday sun can be, I was ready to battle with heatstroke, dehydration, cramp and nausea. But a miracle happened - the sun never came out. Instead it was the rain and wind which we faced - preferable any day for the endurance athlete. This made the day a lot more bearable. Coming from an ultra running background, I am used to the mental challenge of ever increasing pain and fatigue. But the great thing about the Triple Tri is that just when you have had enough you reach transition and launch into something else. Having said that, my illusions that it would be plain sailing after the long run-swim-bike combo were well and truly shattered by the torturous hills of the last bike and beyond. I think for many soloists the long slog up Mt Stanley must be the time when they lose or find themselves. Although the last bike is the shortest, it is probably the steepest and most technically challenging. If you are not from a mtb background it is really just survival mode. For some reason I enjoy the long swim across Lake Burley Griffin. Even though this year it was quite choppy, it is just nice to get off your feet and slosh around in a liquid world for a good hour or so. Like most triathlons, most time is spent on the bike, but without a solid running base you will lose most of your advantage.
In some ways having 8 transitions is tough because it takes time for your body to adjust to moving in a different way. Usually when you come off the bike it takes 10 minutes or so to get your running legs working. In the second half of a swim or run I would feel more relaxed. But the advantage of changing frequently is that your muscles get a break. On hotter days the swim is always welcome and is an important opportunity to cool down.
Everyone will have their own motivation for taking on this challenge. Most likely your friends are not all doing it. There is some hunger inside you to see what you are capable of. For many people the idea of the solo challenge is too daunting, but I believe that this is just a mindset. When you get out there and try it you find that you are capable of more than you think. The harder the goal that we set for ourselves, the more satisfying it is to achieve.
The fulness of life lies in dreaming and manifesting the impossible dreams.
-Sri Chinmoy
Training
The general rule is that you can never do enough training. Everyone has time and energy limits. Generally I just do as much as I can, always trying to increase, but back off when I get too run down. I like training. It feels good. Having a big event is just the motivation that makes training happen. Canberra is a great place to train for triathlon. Loads of trails and bike paths and not many people. The lakes are usually fine for swimming too, although most people still seem to go the pool.
Nutrition
I am always paranoid about hitting the wall in a long event so I try to keep eating even when I do not feel like it. Once you run out of energy it is very difficult to recover. I used high5 isogels, baby food and high5 energy bars mostly. Baby food is perfect - no chewing needed and usually very natural and nutritious. The bike is the easiest time to eat but it is not always possible. The second and third rides start with long sections on the bike path and this is the time to eat and drink. When you hit the trails you often need both hands on the handlebars. The end of the second ride along Cooleman Ridge is another opportunity. Trev put a Bento Box on my bike which was great as it is easy to grab food. The best thing is have bars unwrapped and broken up already. I would try to eat something every hour plus have gels and electrolyte. It is worth stopping in the middle of the long swim to have a gel. I had one stuffed in the sleeve of my wetsuit and this was not uncomfortable.
by Sukhajata Cranfield
