Karri Valley Triathlon has been going for 10 years now and It's a must do on the WA calender.
However if your looking for an easy race this would not be it. Fresh water swim, Hard bike and off road run.
My lungs are still feeling the pinch from the race. But after racing there last year I couldn't help but return for another round of punishment.
Kate and I traveling down to Bunbury from Perth on the Thursday before the race to do school visits for the kids triathlon coming up in May. WOW...If you get the kids right after lunch they are pure maddness....
I own a Cat and I practiced herding her the other day and it was actually easier than teaching kids fresh off a sugar rush!!... Teachers you deserve more pay...(that said I have a great time doing the school visits and the kids have all been awesome)
We travelled onwards to Karri Valley on the firday and got there with enough light to go for a short jog and set up camp.
Race morning rolled round and I rolled out of bed at 7:30AM... yep that was 7:30am... the race doesn't start till 10:30 AM. Pure awesomeness...
After we set up our bikes and headed back to the hotel room to mince about, I had the great idea of eating more than I usually do because I'd burn the calories later and my stomach could take it. So away I ate, Banana, Choc milk, gel, salt tablets, elctrolites...We'll get back to this part later in my novel of a race report.
I got in for a swim warm up in the 20.8 degree water with my trisuit on and it felt pretty chilly but I was happy with the decision for it to be a non wetusit race, Although my warm up ended up being a bit more of a shiver down.
It was a beach start which I love, due to my gangly body I seem to always get a good start.
The start was good we had a relatively small group of men and women in the open/elite wave and I found some clear water straight away, I managed to hold a soild pace and put about 90 sec's into the guys chasing.
Onto the bike and I felt ok, I was fighting the pedals a bit and the rhythm I had at the state 80K TT champs earlier in the week wasnt there, but still I was riding soild and at the first turn I had about 90sec to James and then about another 90sec to Yohan, Ben and a few others. But the other race within the race was for a beer prime between Matt Illingworth and myself, "Beers on the fastest bike split of the day" he was riding well as you'd expect from an ex Olympian and commonwealth medalist.
During the bike leg James and Ben both suffered bike mechanicals which put them out of the race, however Yohan (6th place at IMWA) was riding strong after having a good swim and this kid can run faster than a scorched cat, so the pressure remained on, I exended my gap on the bike by a small margin and came into T2 with about 3:30 lead.
I was very happy to ride that well considering my breakfast was all over my shoulders and arm's, I spent the first 40K of the bike throwing up all over myself every time I drank. "good times" Lucky for me my stomach settled for the last 20K. I'm the guy you ask "what not to do" because I've probably done it. (Dont go changing pre race meals)
After a quick transition it was straight up a nasty grass hill and onto the first of a 3 lap run.
The first lap I really built into and was happy to see Yohan was still 3min down towards the end of the first lap and that the other Pursuers, Mike Gee, Matt Illingworth, & Matt Jennings were a ways back from Yohan.
Onto the 2nd lap and I ran into Kate who was starting her first lap, I'd like to say I gave her words of encouragement and support, but I caught her at the top of a hill and all I could offer was a grunt, I told her a grunt can-not be defined by words It means that much more!!
See the Pic below of me about to catch Kate.
hitting the final lap the gap back to yohan remanined around 3mins and I could start to relax a bit, I like to be the hunted, but being the huntee seems a little less stressful.
I finished the race in 2:43 and change with about 2:30 to Yohan.
1 GUY CRAWFORD 22 0:23:20 1:34:37 0:45:39 2:43:36
2 JOHAN BORG 1 0:25:57 1:35:39 0:44:33 2:46:09
3 MIKE GEE 5 0:27:33 1:39:26 0:47:35 2:54:34
4 MATHEW JENNINGS 7 0:26:11 1:36:40 0:52:27 2:55:18
5 TIM CARPENTER 2 0:30:25 1:38:53 0:46:40 2:55:58
6 MATT ILLINGWORTH 6 0:29:22 1:33:21 0:56:03 2:58:46
Needless to say I'm stoked with the win, how my running is going and my overal fittness. Next up will be Kalgoorlie Olympic then Challenge Taiwan before returning to my favoite half Ironman Busselton 70.3.
Ohh and it your wondering, Matt won the beer challenge, even though he got stuck in his 53/11 on a hilly bike course.
I'll have to let his tyres down next time.
Thanks to the Stadium Tri club and Rob for putting on a great event.
Also a massive thanks to my sponsors and supporters It's going to be an exciting year.
blueseventy, Wattie INK, K-Swiss, Ceepo, Infinit Nutrition, Vision, Rolf Prima, 110% Play Harder, ISM, Recovery Pump, Churchill Cycles, Super Ruth Physio, Rocktape, nuun, Challenge Tyres, CompuTrainer, Ryders Eyewear, Jeff Shilt, Swimsmooth and a special thanks to my coach Pete Mckenzie at Race Pace Coaching.
Cheers
Guy
