Korea race report 4th May 2009
Afternoon all, (Or good morning if you knocked off early..)
Well it was a race and a half yesterday!! The other half I'm still looking for somewhere in Korea in the last 300 meters.. No really jokes aside a great start to the season for myself and to be involved in such an exciting race until the last 300 meters was fantastic.
Everyone wanted to start the World Championship Series off with a bang, and yesterday the boys heeded the calls. The new World Championship series has been great addition this season and there was a lot of expectation heading into round one in Tongyoeng Korea. The Women went first on Saturday and then we hit the road yesterday in some what overcast conditions you would say. But with a nice bit of humidity to deal with as we hit the run.
As always your start in the swim can make or break your race.. Either you get free early and into some nice clean water, or prepare for what best be described as fighting to stay alive! I did get whacked around a bit but got free enough to stay in the lead group. I was towards the back but out of trouble and exited the water in 26th place 16 seconds behind the lead man. Once on the bike I was quickly in the first group and watching out for the possible breakaways of any big threats. The course was very fast and so even to get away was going to take quite a lot of energy. A couple of big names slipped away early but it seemed like not the best idea to chase so early on in the race and conserving energy was more important. Late in the bike two Russian athletes broke away. It was a really good move and they made time very quickly as we all started to look around and think about the run. That move would pay big dividends further on for one Russian athlete and for me too!
Coming into the second transition I positioned myself at the front of the big pack of 40 guys. I hit the ground running and got my pumas on quick smart and went to work! As I exited transition I got the calls that we were 1 minute behind the front two, and 45 seconds behind the two russian guys. After the first lap of 2.5k a chase group had formed. In it was Myself, Brad Khalafeldt, Bevan Docherty, Jarrod Shoemaker, and Laurent Vidal.
The five of us stayed together for most of the next lap and also reeled in all of the lead guys except Dimitri Polyanski. As we hit 6k we dropped Shoemaker and Vidal, and by 7k had caught the front running Russian. So with 3k to go there were 4 of us left to fight for the victory. All of us thought Polyanski would just drop off as we moved by but he hung tough and surprised us all. Still At this point I was feeling pretty good. I had managed to control my rhythm and was thinking about every meter as I approached it over the last lap.
My coach had told me to wait until the last K before making any kind of a move. It was my go button and it was creeping ever nearer and I still felt good. I moved out at this point and changed my pace to make a move, no sooner had I done so when a sniper hit me from the trees!! Really from one moment to the next my legs lost out. With no warning signs I started to get cramp and quickly tried to tuck back in behind the guys and hope they didn't see I was suffering and hoped they thought I was bluffing.
Well with 300 meters to go they called my bluff and hit me hard. I tried to go with the final move but my body just wouldn't allow it. Bevan and Brad ended up having one of the most amazing sprints you will ever see in sport let only triathlon. Bevan ended up wining by an inch on the photo finish. But then the photo was disputed by Brad and there was nearly an hour that went by before they announced that the original placing would stand.
I stammered home in 4th wondering where I went wrong in the last few moments that meant the most. Sport is about moments and I've had my share of moments in this sport. To be part of the first round of the new World Championship Series was great and to be involved in a sprint finish like that ( well sort of ) was amazing. To finish 4th first up is a great start to the season for me. It leaves me with something to work on and I know all the guys will only get faster.
Well the plane is about to board for my flight to the US to start my next block of training in Boulder Colorado with Bevan. Im sure it will be a lot of fun and that we will continue to push ourselves to new heights as does the competition. I look forward to the next races in the series in Madrid and in Washington DC and look forward to showing you all back home what hard work and perseverance can accomplish.
Cheers,
Kris