April Blog Update - The adventures continue

A big hello everyone!

Where is 2016 going... I cant believe we're now in May, almost at the end of Autumn, or that I'm just 30 Days away from heading over to Europe for my first International Racing season. As someone who loves being out in the sun, it's certainly exciting to be chasing my first "athletelife" endless summer!

But lets not get ahead of myself with one month left at home tapping away training, plus my Supa Mum might start to get early onset separation anxiety if I start to talk too much about packing up & heading over to my new European home.  (Vitoria Gasteiz, Basque country- Spain)

April was another busy month, kicking off with my second World Cup Race which saw me making my way back to the beautiful New Zealand. This time to New Plymouth, on the west coast of the North Island. A town which has hosted the world cup event multiple times over the past decade. With the mighty snow capped Mount Taranaki as a backdrop over the town & fabulous trails, cycle ways, rivers, & coastline to train among & coffee shops to explore- its a travelling triathletes dream!

The World Cup athlete briefing was followed my an awe inspiring cultural Mauri Ora performance, finishing with the Haka, a brilliant show of strength that left a room full of international athletes silent. Not to mention the Dinner served up was one of the best vego lasagne's I've ever had!!


Race Day, 3/4/16, the weather gods were kind as the rain eased & the sun came out. The women kicked off the days racing with the likes of Gwen Jorgensen (USA) & Andrea Hewitt (NZL), at the pointy end of the field, starting their ITU 2016 seasons. A beach start saw us head off into the harbour Port over the 750m Sprint course distance. I got off to a good start & had established myself clear water early. As we made our way out to that first buoy the pace was ON, & no one was taking their foot off the accelerator! Elite World Cup racing with the added emphasis of Olympic qualification points on the line, no one was there for a cruisey Sunday spin!

I got out of the water in about 4th, having sat on the feet of the front girls after turning the last buoy. The urgency was there as everyone wanted to make front pack on the bike. I got off & away & positioned myself into this front group. The 20km, 4 lap course was technical & had some punchy little spikes in it with some uphill sections & plenty of turns. Girls were popping & dropping off the back!

What started as 22, quickly diminished over the fast & furious bike, till we hit transition with just 14 athletes still in that front pack. With strong riders in the mix, there were some small attacks thrown in & this certainly stung my legs as I experienced a new level of hurt on that course. I learnt that at this elite level, feeling just slightly off your game & a bit flat, where usually you can tuck in & play it  smart, well that safety rope is not here- there is no where to hide, a bad day really shows! I worked hard to stay focused on my processes, but some small technical mistakes took their tax & after that tough bike leg I hit the run & .... to be blunt... went backwards.

A disappointing finish leg to my second World Cup experience, not a reflection of the hard work Mick & I had been putting down at training to continue developing. A missed oppourtunity to push myself against the best in the world, & instead it was an internal battle to the finish line. Just ask training buddy Kaidi from Estonia or Grace & Tammy form the Wizards, who were out on course giving feedback on form which turned to encouragement by the later laps ... haha thanks girls!

Not stressed over the outcome finishing in 33rd, just disappointed & frustrated but I have taken away many lessons from this race which Mick & I have implemented into training to set me up so that next World Cup I am ready to rumble! I was leaving with a bit of Whittaker's chocolate to take home...  (the best chocolate ever....) Winning!

Settling home, struck with a cold type flu bug for the week, which I felt creeping in over in NZ meant I took the week off & was able to pack my bags at the end of the week & jet off again, but this time minus a bike. Oh the ease travelling.... lighter!

I was off with the HPT squad to watch the Olympic automatic selection event for many countries, including Australia, as part of the Jewel Gold Coast ITU World Triathlon Series Event. Such an awesome energy in the air on race day, this carried through as Emma Moffat & Ryan Bailie qualified automatically for Australia with top 10 positions.

Great, strong, & dominant racing by both fields at the top end. Always a pleasure to learn from the best, but hard to stand still & watch as any athlete knows its always better out on course!!

Cheering on the gang at Luke Harrop Tri the following day before heading back home & into training to lead into my last race of the Domestic season- Penrith Oceania & Australian Elite & U/23 Sprint Championships.

I was lucky enough to have my aunty & uncle & cousins who live in the Blue mountains open up a room like many time before for me to stay around race day, with the added bonus of them & Mum out to support me on race day, its always a pleasure being able to race in front of your family & friends, setting out to do them proud!!

I wanted to finish what had been a brilliant 2016 domestic season on a great positive note & put to work the hard yards I had done through training. With the likes of Dani De Francesco,  Jaz Hedgeland & Sophie Malowiecki there it was going to be a very quick day of racing.

Dani & I hit the swim & got a gap on the rest of the field, always a pleasure working alongside one another. The pace was on from start to finish on the flat & fast 20km bike around Sydney International Regatta Centre & the front pack of Dani, Jazzy & myself took strong turns working efficiently together to continue pulling away from the rest of the field.

Getting off the bike, it was Jazzy & I who headed off toe to toe.

We settled into a great little battle, to Jaz's credit she put in a great surge over the hill & pulled away, & on the day I didn't have right reaction & I let the elastic band "snap" as they say. With a strong run to finish from the both of us, Jazzy took the win & I would finish my 2016 domestic season with a Silver medal in both the Australian & Oceania Sprint Championships in both the U/23 & Elite category.

How's that for confusing, put it this way  it was a fun little medal presentation walking away with 4 medals & a fair few step ups onto the podium haha.

I earnt myself that great positive ending to my Domestic season that I was after. I said to Mum that if you had of told me back in Feburary that I would walk away from my busiest & most exciting racing periods to date with the many Oceania & Australian titles, my first two World Cup series races, & plenty of positive outcomes (as a result of plenty of hard work, process focus & drawing from lessons learnt along the way) than i would have probably laughed it off, & said soemthing like "Oh i wish." So to be able to look back now & reflect on this block of racing is very satisfying as an athlete & leaves me super excited to contine to develop, challenge myself & keep enjoying the process of chaisng my dreams!!

Bring it on!!

A massive thanks to Mick my super coach, My training group at HPT, Triahtlon Australia for their support & the NTA program, my sponosors who I wouldn't have ben able to fo it without & my beautiful family & friends who don't forget me despite rarely being home for 48 hours at a time.

So back to the present, the start of another month, time to settle back down to training with a bit of time off racing! It will be no time at all before the International Racing season kicks off for me in Europe & later in America ending with the ITU World U/23 Chamoiiosnips in Cozumel Mexico.

Thanks for the read legends,
I hope you enjoyed keeping up to date over the last few cazy months!!

Time to swim, bike, run, nap & grab a coffee!

Em X

March 2016 Blog Update - Plenty of racing, traveling & some favourites!

Hey Legends,

Hope you had a wonderful Easter break, with family & friends to enjoy some down time & chocolate (my 3rd favourite day of the year... A holiday where eating chocolate is a necessity- brilliant) 

Where do I start? I spent my Easter up at Seal rocks Sugarloaf lighthouse with my family, our holiday house escape where we retreat to often. It's one of those places that leaves you refreshed, relaxed & appreciate- my second home (& second favourite place in the world!)

On the drive up, kicking off 2 weeks uni break, I couldn't help notice the smile stuck on my face (inbetween sing alongs- personal favourite car trip artists: Florence & the machine or Counting Crowes)

 I started to reflect on the past month. I know I said last month  that March had a lot to live up to, well it's done that! 

I started the March with my first AIS NTA camp (Australian institute of Sport National Talent Academy) down in Wollongong training alongside fellow NTA Aussie athletes & the renound World Class/ Champions of the Wollongong Wizards, under head wizard Jamie Turner. Over the week we were able to experience/ learn valuable lessons in & out of the training environment- doing everything with intent & purpose. Reiterating the process over outcome mind frame & working on aspects that sit outside the swim, bike run box: strength & conditioning, personal excellence, hydration, media work, goal planning, athlete management & the odd Masterchef competition. Along with daily training we were lucky enough to have Q & A sessions with Aaron Royal, Australia's only male currently qualified for Rio Olympics & Gwen Jorgensen from the USA, 2015's undefeated World Champion, also headed to Rio! 

Soph Malowiecki & I also had the pleasure of being asked to dinner by Gwen & Pat. Enjoying a home cooked meal, prepared by the man behind the champ, Pat Lemieux, aka Master chef. Sitting down with the humble & down to earth Idol of mine for dinner was surreal & a night I won't take for granted as I know how much others would love to have had the same opportunity! Chatting away & walking away learning that in this pursuit like most their is no secret to success, it involves a journey paved by hard work, persistance, personal growth, highs, lows, times of self doubt, & a love for what we're chasing all the same. 

We ended the camp with the Wollongong Oceania Continential Cup event that weekend. I had my first live press conference, answering some questions for my 5 minutes of fame on NBN 9 news haha. 

Going in as the highest ranked Aussie athlete & a fun, technical but tough course I was looking forward  to racing in a field with many international athletes, all here to gain Olympic qualification points & use the event as a good hit out leading into the World Triathlon Series & World Cup season openers. I was pleased with the tricky ocean swim conditions & was proud to have the world champion Gwen consolidate with me pre race on swim tactics & starting positions, a factor that helps set up a race!

 Leading out the swim & forming a front pack on the bike of 3 Aussies, Gwen, another fellow USA  & Japenese athlete. I got carried away, feeling great but as a result overworked the front on the bike, still running strong off the bike to come home in 4th, in a hot international field, but my time on the front of the bike may have cost me a spot on the podium. 

Lessons learnt, none the less I was  pleased with my race, loved my first NTA camp. Loving even more having my mum & Aunty down to watch, my HPT training squad & the big surprise of having my second Quinn family there to yell & cheer me on all the way to the line, making them all proud! 

Onto week 2 of uni, still no class attendance, (whoops) because I was on my way to the Sunshine Coast for my first World Triathlon Circuit Race - Mooloolaba World Cup! Lucky it's all available online these days, although this isn't the most ideal for a Bachelor in nursing (I'll do the catch up later don't worry NSW Health)

Before I left I was treated to an AMAZING brand new 2016 AVANTI CORSA DR TEAM Di2 Dream road race bike!! Im in carbon fibre heaven! With a brand new Giro black, orange & blue to match & a new kit! Wow the bike of dream, sure left speechless! Thankyou to the team down at Avanti Narrabeen & the Avanti Australia Rep! 

Mooloolaba is always a favourite race of mine because:

 1. Mum travels up with me & we are able to enjoy a day in Noosa with best family friends a few days out from the race.. & this year I even flew a plane with my Best pilot friend Molly!!! Surreal experience & one for the bucket list!!

 2.the Sunshine Coast is just beautiful & Mooloolaba provides a great race atmosphere & ocean swim too yahoo. 

3. This would be my first World Cup, adding to the fond memories of this place now. I had no external or internal pressures on myself leading into the race & after chatting with my marvellous coach Mick I was able to go out there with the objective of learning tonnes & having a blast doing it! This is the next level! 

The night before the race Dad flew up, which would be his 3rd triathlon he has watched me at ( he has good choice) & to my surprise Mum & Dad had organised "operation Emma" to fly my sister Meg up from her new town at Uni in Wagga to come watch my first World event! They got me a beauty, pure joy turned to a stream of tears (of happiness) an overflow of emotions. My family are just beautiful! I would be racing with pride knowing they were watching me do my best on the world stage. 

Ranked number 42, I got to experience the torture pre race heart beat music, getting off to a great start I expected to be thrashed around in the Swim but instead used the surf  to my advantage & got out & around the swim course in the lead.

Getting away on the bike quick with the resulting front pack of 10 girls. Mixed in was Aussie Olympic medalist Emma Moffat & Aussie Gillian Backhouse, Olympic Silver medalist Lisa Norden & Jodie Stimpson who was coming off a win at WTS race 1 in Abu Duabi. Making a similar mistake to Wollongomg I overworked the bike & did a large chunk of the work on the front & into the wind for the girls, earning street credit but similarly stinging my legs. But as mum said, hey at least I got all the TV air time for 2/3 of the race haha thanks Mum. 

My first World Cup run & I experienced that next level on the run, a work in progress for me now so that soon I'll be able to stick it with the world's best for 3/3 legs! Finishing in a battle to the line to take 23rd.

I was very pleased with my first World Cup race, proud but also knew I had made errors in hydration with the temps around 40 degrees out on course & some race tactics. Take one example of my now world famous T2 run into transition off the bike, a photo that has run a caption contest all over news feeds for a World Traithlon. You can give it your own caption, I know what I was trying to say.... Haha. ( see Below) 

World Triathlon Mooloolaba World Cup Highlights

Home from Mooloolaba with the family, managed one day at uni, before packing the bags & heading across the ditch to Gisborne NZ, travelling through Auckland & then flying south to the East coast. A lovely town on the ocean providing some swell, yahoo, a flat bike/ run course but beautiful classic NZ scenery! Fun fact- Gisborne is first town in the world to see in the sunrise of the new day ( as it is the town furthest east in NZ which is in the time zone that starts the new day first- scientific enough?) 

Gisborne would be host to the Olympic Oceania Elite & U/23 Championships & would also double for the Olympic Oceania Region Qualification race, meaning whatever country won the Elite men & woman earnt their county  a third spot at the Olympics. A big event! 

Racking my bike in transition next to Emma Moffat I had a proud smile on my race & was ready to race, little did I know it may have been a sign? Emma & I were able to work the swim well, using surf skills to body surf in after lap 2 of the 1500m swim, pulling a considerable gap on the field & chasing Kiwi's. 

We started the cycle & quickly chatted together about what we wanted to do over these next 40km. Emma is a lovely athlete & one I admire in our Australian history of triathlon for us women, it was a real buzz each lap to have commentary marvel over the "Emma train"BOr "Emma & Emma show," a name that has a long standing elite top of the podium history for Australia in Triathlon (Emma Snowsill, Emma Jackson, Emma Moffat just to name a few) & a legacy I dream to carry on! 

Without getting confused (haha) Emma & I  worked great together, sharing the work load & got off the bike having put 3:50 mins on the chasing field. I wanted to produce a solid 10km & did this, a step forward for me- proud to have the 2nd fastest run split of the day & crossing the line in second (behind Emma who got the job done for the Aussies) & the first U/23 Elite- earning myself a Oceania U/23 Olympic Distance Championship title to match just perfectly with my Australian National title in Devonport last month. Like I said, the smile wasn't leaving my face too soon!

Some moments never lose their spark no matter how much you experience them- podiums, watching your national Flag being raised & singing the national anthem is one of these! Standing on the Dias I was a very proud Aussie, a clean sweep for us, Olympic qualification spot secured & great day in the office for me to finish a busy month of racing! Not the mention the bouquet of beautiful sunflowers wasn't too bad!! 

Able to enjoy a rest/ recovery day in NZ at the Rere waterfall & Rock waterslide was brilliant, awesome old school fun, thanks coach & bus driver... We know you weren't all that certain it was a good idea but hey, that was an adventure I'll remember, I think I'm still laughing ( the smile Continues)

And so that takes me back home, a few days of madness seeing friends, riding my beautiful horse Cherokee, training & actually attending uni (it's only week 4....)

Now I'm sitting up on the balcony of our Lighthouse head keeper cottage, watching the sunset. Having enjoyed a glass of Moet with mum & dad to celebrate & reflect on what has been a brilliant month!! ( I am now number 89 on the ITU World Rankings... Having moved up from 119 into the top 100, another goal ticked yahoo) The smile won't be leaving over Easter... That's if the Supa Easter bunny finds us up here .... 

Next stop-April & New Plymouth World Cup back across the ditch in NZ to kick off another busy month! Bring it on I say!! 

Thank for sticking out the longer read... If your still here! 

Until next month, 

Em X