Race 1 Sunsmart Triathlon Series Hillary's 2015

I was very excited leading up to this race as I finally had the opportunity to compete with the elite triathletes in the open category for the pursuit distance. I had no idea what to expect but I was just hoping for a top 5 finish.

On the morning of the race I was trying to get myself into race mode through visualising my performance and where I wanted to be in the field. Getting into that zone is something I do struggle with doing but as soon as the horn goes off, it all clicks and I realise why I am here doing what I do best. I had a bit of an idea of who would be competing in the open category and I knew that it was going to be a tough race, but I was up for the challenge. As I was racking my bike in transition the other girls in my category came up to me and spoke to me about me stepping up and how good it was to see me getting out of my comfort zone. I was a little intimidated by my competition at first but I couldn’t let the intimidation get to me, so I continued with my usual competition preparation. 

After I had set up in transition, I headed over to my training buddies and we did a 2km jog as part of our warm up. When warming up, I took notice of where the 1km mark was so I knew how much further I had left to run during the race. Soon after the run I started to prepare myself for the swim. The wetsuit was optional for the swim and I was still unsure as to whether I was completely confident in racing with it. I made the decision to swim with it for my warm up and I would see how I went after that. I did end up swimming with my wetsuit for the 750m swim and I’m so glad I made the right choice as it could of had a great impact on my performance if I didn’t race with it. Down at the swim start, I dove into the water and did a couple of sprints to get my heart rate up ready for a quick and fast swim. After my swim I got out of the water and headed over to the swim start, making sure I kept my arms moving around by doing arm swings. 

There was a 1 minute warning before the start of my race…then the 10 second warning. This was it, the race that I was going to prove to myself that I actually can do it. The horn sounded and we were off. I was so happy not to face plant into the water this time as it is something I usually do diving into the water. The start was rough and there were people everywhere but I made sure that I went hard for the first 100m or so to get myself into a good position and settle into a comfortable but fast pace. As I got further into the swim, I managed to move myself up the field into second place with Jo Maynard right along side me. Coming into the final straight of the swim, I ensured that I was thinking about my swim exit, getting my wetsuit off and having a quick and fast transition. As I came out of the water I ran fast up the sandy hill and got my wetsuit off nice and quickly coming into transition. I was second out onto the bike and quickly managed to take the lead after about 1km into the bike leg. 

Racing in the open category is completely different to racing in the usual age group category as you have to know how to race smart. I went into the bike leg thinking that I could just go hard and give everything that I had left for the run but no, I soon realised on the last lap of the bike that I had to race smart. So instead of smashing myself trying to get into first position I just sat back and made sure that I was right up there with the leaders, which I was. Coming into the dismount line was the moment of truth as to whether I would be able to run fast off the bike or whether I had just blown myself up and not left anything for the run. Surprisingly I felt alright, but I could have felt better. 

I came into transition hearing the commentators talking about the two other girls performances who were right in front of me and didn’t hear my name being mentioned. So I decided to become a ninja and had a super quick transition and headed for the run exit so fast that the commentators didn’t realise I had even come into transition as they were surprised to see The Aleisha Wesley leading the open women. I think I got a little excited on the run and went out a little too quick as I was running like Channing Tatum was watching me. 

I was expecting the other girls to come flying past me on the run because I knew they were all faster runners than me. At the 1.5km mark, Katy Gibb came running past me at a really quick pace that I knew I couldn’t hold onto. I told myself I had to run my own race and not try to smash myself and blowing up trying to keep up with the faster girls. Then Kerry Mulhollin and Alise Farrelly both came past me at a pace that I should have been able to hold onto but to be honest, I was giving it everything I had and I had nothing left in me to hold on. By the time I got to the half way mark I was mentally preparing myself for a negative split on the way home but I don’t think it happened. I managed to maintain a fast and reasonable pace for the rest of the run and coming into just over 1km to go, Katy Duffield came running past me and I knew that I had to try and hold onto her for as long as I could, however the gap was gradually getting bigger. As I was coming into the final 300m of the run, I could hear everyone cheering me on and telling me how well I was performing. When I had the finish line in sight I was so relieved for the race to finally end. All of the competitors in my category congratulated me on my performance and were telling me how much I have improved since last season. I was so proud of myself for placing 5th and only being a minute behind the winner.

Looking back to a year ago, I never would have seen myself where I am today, stepping up and racing with elites and also competing in draft legal races. I have learnt so much from this race and really did enjoy the experience. I hope to compete in more races like this to help open new doors and opportunities in my triathlon career.

I would just like to thank my coach Stuart Durham, my parents, my training friends and everyone who helped contribute to me becoming the athlete I am today. I only strive to go big and hope to keep on improving as an athlete.

“You may see me struggle but you will never see me quit”

If anyone wants an autograph from The Aleisha Wesley, please don’t hesitate to ask ;)