Last weekend I was up at Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast for the Australian Ironman triathlon, held on Sunday. Held over the distances of 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42km run, an IM is an unique event because of the inspiring deeds of those who compete - and complete - it. To watch and witness what people accomplish is amazing, from those finishing in 8+ hrs to those in 16+ hrs.
For me the trip to Port Mac is bitter-sweet - this was my 6th visit to this beautiful spot on the NSW coast. On my first trip in 2004 I surprised myself to win the Australian Long Course Ch'ships in my age group, and prove to myself that, in fact, I could be competitive over distances longer than Olympic Distance...which led to stepping up to IM races. Then came the bitter part - IM races were simply a bridge too far, and an event I never felt I raced well at. In particular, the Port Mac IM course humbled me more than any other triathlon I ever did...on two occasions.
The fact the most recent of those occasions was my last ever triathlon, two years ago, lingers as a non-ideal way to bow out of the sport. I can't explain the relief at waking up on IM race day and NOT lining up to race. For me, life has moved on to running as my participation sport, and coaching, supporting and spectating at the Port Mac IM is involvement enough for me.
In watching from the sidelines I strive to pick out the subtle - and obvious - differences between the athletes, for the things that give one athlete an advantage over another, and allow them to endure the rigors of the event better. It's not a race of speed, it's a race of endurance and tolerance - in a race that long, there's a million different influencing factors to look out for. From a coaching perspective, there's a goldmine of tips and information to uncover.
Now my task is to digest what I saw and use that to help the athletes I coach. Next year I'll be back again to watch and learn again...still happy that I'm not lining up to race again myself!!
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