Kieran Roche

Age 15
Sport Played Triathlon
Years Played 2 years

Tell us about yourself

i am an up and coming junior in the world of triathlon. Currently competing in the NSW Pro tour where i am up against guys a lot older then myself. Also, i race in the Australian Junior Series, which is under 19 (currently aged 15) competition Australia wide. I love the sport of triathlon! I currently train 13 sessions a week (and am still in school). When i train, i am usually always with a bunch of people and always get noticed. During the race season i would probably race every fortnight, however i do still compete in the winter fairly regularly.

Proudest Sporting Achievements

My proudest sporting achievements would be getting a third in the nsw allschools triathlon this year, and racing in the Oceania Championships where i was cycling in the front pack of the under 19 race (aged 15), placing 26 out of 75, and 2nd out of the boys my age.

What are you hoping to achieve

Currently i am looking at gaining experience in the big national series races. When i am older i want to use this experience to qualify (from the national series) for the Australian team to compete at world championships. I also want to achieve a NSW Institute of Sport scholarship.

My Blog

07/08/10
We have our HSC trials on at the moment which are very important. I have needed to modify my regular training program for study, which isn't what I would prefer to do, but has to be done The countdown till the end of school is on, with the HSC exams finishing early November! After school I will have the time to train a lot more which I am really excited about. As I look toward the season ahead, I will have no expectations for the first two months of the triathlon season due to losing a bit of fitness during the last few months of the HSC, but after that I am looking forward to some big races!

I have been a bit injured from running, in the shins and achilles which have forced me to have a few weeks off running. This upset my Cross Country season a bit, however I still got a good win in the NSW CCC cross country at Eastern Creek, and got a 5th at the NSW Short Course Cross Country Championships held at Up John Park in Dundas. Unfortunately due to the injury i had to withdraw from the Allschools Cross Country which was very disappointing.
I also raced in the first race of the Western Sydney Duathlon Series. I finished 3rd against some tough competition in the Opens. I was not that happy with how I performed in the race, but was still fatigued after travelling to Nowra for a 6km Cross Country the day before! I raced the Duathlon in the LineBreak long sleeved top which I love! It is very comfortable and racing early in the morning in Parramatta, kept me from freezing up!

Also I received great news earlier on this week, I have been selected in the NSW Performance squad again for this year. I am happy with this news as the squad proved to be very helpful to me last year, so I look forward to the benefits they have to offer again this year.




26/03/10
I'm now back from the national All Schools Championships held in Adelaide. I was extremely happy with how I went! I placed 5th in the seniors (17 and 18yrs), but was the first 17 year old over the line! (I think I can claim 17yrs Australian All Schools Champion!)
I then raced the relays the next day. I started with the guy who won the individual the day before (18 years old!) and outsprinted him at the end to win with a 12.00 minute 4Km! Things are looking up for next season!!
I have one more race this season on the 1st May: NSW Club Champs. I will be looking for a good last hit out for the season.

RACE REPORT: National All Schools
Adelaide, 16-19th March
After racing at the NSW All Schools, I qualified to race at the Australian All Schools in Adelaide. This race was draft legal for the senior race and I was really looking forward to it!
The swim was a wetsuit swim, which allowed me to use my brand new wetsuit! I couldn’t believe how buoyant that thing is! I felt like I was swimming on top of the water! The swim was a 750m swim in a regatta lake. The first few hundred meters were pretty rough but that was to be expected. I swam focusing on my stroke technique and rating which I have been really working on in training. I got out of the swim quite comfortably with the front pack. Had no troubles in transition getting the wetsuit off and jumped on the bike in the front pack.
Our pack cruised around for the first lap (out of two). The chase pack was closing down on us so we worked a bit harder. Another NSW rider and I tried an attack off the front halfway through the bike. This didn’t last very long and we were caught back into the bunch. I didn’t want to work anymore then I needed after that attack as I was looking for a solid run off the bike. The chase pack caught up with about 4Km left to ride. The front pack now had about 30 riders in it. It was all pretty sketchy fighting for positions at the front of the pack coming into transition. I got off the bike in the middle of the pack. After a dodgy transition, I started the run in about 15th position. I worked the first lap hard and made my way up to third! I sat there for a while until the guys behind me kicked. I couldn’t go with them after my effort to catch up to them! I was then running in 6th. I tried to build the second lap of the run (out of two laps). I caught up and passed one athlete and crossed the line 5th. I felt I put a good run together, technique wise, holding a good body position and working the arm drive. I always like to take something away from each race. Today I experienced just how important it is to get off the bike in the first couple of riders, as it sucks playing catch up from the start of the run! Especially now at the higher level of racing where it comes down to a matter of seconds in the end!
As the seniors are 17 and 18 years in the one race, I came 5th overall and won the 17 year age category! I was very happy with this result!
The next day we had relays. I slept in my Linebreak compression wear and was feeling very fresh to back up again the next day. I was running for the NSW Senior Boys team. Our swimmer got out of the water towards the front of the pack. Our rider got off the bike equal with the Victorian team. The run was 4Km and I started at the same time as the Victorian runner, the same guy who won the seniors the day before! The pace was very fast from the start, and it didn’t slow up much! I stayed with him, then at 3.5km decided to surge up a little hill. With 400 meters to go, he then surged past me. The next 400 meters was a flat out sprint to the line!! I got in front of him with 100 meters to go and kept the lead to win! I thought it was a pretty fast run and the results confirmed that … 12.00 minutes for 4Km!
Overall was very happy with my racing and had a heap of fun. Got to use the new Orca 3.8 wetsuit for the first time in a race which was awesome! Thanks must go to Chris McCormack for this wetsuit. Chris is always willing to put whatever he can into the sport of triathlon and is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet! I gained more experience from this week and found some skills to take home and work on.


16/03/10
I raced in Victoria at the end of last month. This was to be my last national series race for this season. I had one of my better races there.
The swim was jellyfish infested! That didnt stop the race so we got down to buisness. I had a decent swim, coming out about 15 seconds back. There was an unusual 800m run to transition (all uphill!). This put a bit of burn in the legs and you couldn't afford to take it easy! I got onto the bike at the front of the second pack. It was annoying as no one was willing to work to catch the front pack. Another NSW rider and I tried breaking off a few times but couldn't close any gaps. I was really happy with how I rode. I was feeling really good in the pack. I have been working on my positioning in the bunch all this season, and this worked well in the race, usually being in the top 5 riders around the hairpin. I had a solid run but felt bad. I had troubles breathing but hung tough. (I have recently been to the doctors. Turns out I have sports induced asthma. I have been given puffers and instructions so I should be able to run to my full potential off the bike from now on! Exciting to know I will be able to run faster, however annoying that I only found out at the end of the season!!). I finished 18th in the national Under 19 Championships. Fairly happy but know I need to be running a lot faster next year!
For those who don't know what ITU racing is like, a video was put on youtube of our race. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyeJLPwuY_8.

I then raced the NSW Allschools Championships a few days after returning from Melbourne. The race was to be held at the Penrith Regatta Stadium. Unfortunately, due to the recent hot weather, there was Blue Green Algae in the water. This forced the swim to be called off. Instead we did a duathlon: 4.9m run, 20Km bike then 100 M run. The top 30 athletes were then bussed to a local pool to do a 750 meter swim TT, and then the swim and duathlon times were added together. The top 6 placegetters qualified for national allchools in Adelaide.
It was a pretty crazy start to the run, but I ran well. I was in the lead group with 3 other boys. We pushed the pace and opened up a gap on the field. The bike was draft free, however our little group didn't get seperated. The positions getting off the bike and transitions was where vital seconds were gained. I finished the duathlon 10 seconds back from 1st and 2nd. Very fast race.
We then went for the swim TT. I was looking for a good swim to try move up a on the podium. Unfortunately I had nothing in the swim. Swum very slow and was very disappointed! I managed to pick up 5 seconds on second but the guy in 1st put time into both of us. Overall I finished 3rd, about 5 seconds behind second. This still qualified me for national allschools to be held in Adelaide this week, from the 16-19th March. Looking for a big race here!!
Results can be found at: http://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/RaceTecResults/Results.aspx?CId=1&RId=392&EId=1




22/01/10
Last weekend I raced my last pro tour for the season at Kurnell.
I was in the middle of a 2 week training camp with the development coach in Southerland, training 20 sessions a week, so I wasn't in the best form for the race!

I was looking forward to putting all the skills I have learnt from previous training camps into practice. I was looking for a strong swim start, after really working on my rating for weeks. This worked like magic for me as I was the first to get to the first turning can. I ended up getting out of the swim first and put some time into everyone running to transition. This gave me time to relax at the start of the bike leg and be ready for the bunch to catch up.

A decent sized bunch of about 20 riders formed and I sat in quite comfortably. There was only one attack and breakaway which lasted about 5Km. I have tried attacking in the last couple of races, and have paid for that on the run. This time I tried sitting in comfortably and rolling a few turns. The bunch were all together at the end of the bike. I took my feet out of my shoes early before jumping off the bike. This worked well and allowed me to make my way to the front of the bunch and get off the bike first.

Transition was a bit dodgy and I got out mid pack. After a while, my calves started flaring up. This was due to working largly on toe drive the whole week before. I ran solidly but feel it could have been quite a bit faster once I fully adapt to the new running technique I have been working on this past month.

Overall, I finished 5th outright in the open pro tour (the guy who won is 27 years old!) and was extreemly happy with my race. This was the first time I have led the field out of the swim, the bike leg felt really comfortable, and my run was pretty fast with fatigue kicking in.

Race results can be found at: http://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/RaceTecResults/Results.aspx?CId=1&RId=373&EId=1

This weekend I race the second round of the National Series in Canberra.

Major Races Coming Up: I race the third round of the National Series in Sandringham, Melbourne on the 21 Feburary. I race the Oceania Championships in Wellington, New Zealand in March 11-14.

27/12/09
I'm back from Runaway Bay (well, my first visit!) and am buggered! What a weekend!
The sprinting format didn't totally suit my style of racing but I gave it a good crack! Again, this weekend was aimed for building experience and confidence at the top level in Australia.
I wasn't very happy with my overall performance. I was really tired from very late nights the whole week before the weekend trying to finish the terms demands of year 12 a week early (I missed the last week of school due to the Camp). This didn't help very much! Oh Well, only 3 terms left of year 12 then its all over!!
After the racing weekend I qualified into the B final. Again, a little disappointing as I was looking to get in the A final. Anyway, I raced the B final, got out of the swim fairly comfortably in the top 3 guys. On the bike I really tried breaking things up. Another guy in the NSW squad assisted me with this. We attacked countless times but apart from some short breaks that didn't last long, we couldn't get away. I was happy with my cycle in this race. I went into the weekend knowing how important bunch positioning was from previous experiences, and with 3 tight hairpins in the race I knew positioning would be important. I worked this aspect and led the bunch around all 3 hairpins, hitting it hard out!
I wasn't running at my best all weekend (Although, I did make the final for the 1 Km run TT, placing 14th overall (under 19s - aged 16) out of the 55 men racing. I also scored big points in the swim events.
In the final, the run wasn't all that great. With the plan of getting away on the bike, it would either give me a good chance for the win if we got away or stuff up my legs for the run! I think we hurt everyone else's legs as the pace at the front wasn't flash hot! I was closing onto the leaders after a dodgy transition but when the pace picked up for the finish, I was stuffed!
I finished pretty decently in the run after going nuts on the bike! Not a bad race to finish a hard weekend!
After the racing I stayed for the camp. This was a very valuable experience which I am so happy I qualified into. I learnt soooo much!!!! There was one of the best run coaches around, who taught us how to run! There was soo much drills and skills I have taken home to work on it's crazy! I'm really working on my running technique and am sure it will make a difference!
The bike sessions were all just skill based. It's amazing the lack of skills some of the other juniors have! Swimming was pretty similar working on technique. I picked up a valuable point in swimming which has made a huge difference to my swimming! Can't wait until the start of my next race as my top end speed has improved greatly!
Not only did I pick up valuable points on technique and racing, but developing friendships with the 'big dogs' of junior triathletes has taken away any of the daunting and frightening ideas I got in my first year of racing at this level. I now know what to expect from the top guys and they are taking notice of me also!
Other lectures on the camp were on anti-doping (run by ASADA) and 'Toughening Up' run by Loreta Harrop!
Overall, it was such a valuable experience that I'm so lucky to have been a part of!
 
Upcoming Races/ Camps:

• Camp with Triathlon NSW Squad 1-4 January at Runaway Bay, Queensland
• 1-2 Week Camp with the development coach in Southerland (6th Janurary - ?)
• NSW Pro Tour Race, Kurnell 17 January
• Canberra National Series race 2: 23 January

19/11/09
Last weekend I raced round 3 of the NSW Pro tour. This was held at Forster and the race was an Enduro triathlon, which means 300m swim, 8 Km bike, 2 Km run ... x2!!!
The top guys were out (the pro tour is open age catagory) and it was a really tough day of racing. It didn't help that the race started at 1.30 when the day was at it's hottest!
I had a really good first swim, getting out with the leaders. The bike course was a tight 1.3 Km 'L' shaped lap ... lots of spikes and positioning was vital! I rode well in the first bike leg. There was a large pack at the front. I tried a little attack (planned in my head before the race, just to see what would happen and how the big boys would respond). This didn't last too long, a little under a lap and myself and the guy who went with me were back in the pack.
On the bike, I could feel my cadence drop a little, and this showed in my run. Although not very slow, I felt I could have run a lot faster if the cadence was a bit quicker. Some guys really hit this run, and everyone really strung out.
The second swim was a killer! Although I swum well and picked up a couple of positions. This put me into the third pack on the bike (the packs were really small the second time round!) Again the cadence was a little slow, but I pushed out the run enough to finish in 10th position.
Fairly happy with the result. I was treating this race, being so early in the season, as a little learning curve, and I feel I have picked up a lot from this experience.
I have worked on my cadence a lot this week, so hopefully it shows for round 4 of the Pro Tour, next weekend at Kurnell!
 
Upcoming Races:
NSW State Relays (athletics) 21/11/09 (wasn't planning on racing this event, but the athletics club just put me in the relay and now i can't let down the team. Racing an 800 and 1500 relay - hopefully it doesn't take too much out of me for the following day!)
22/11/09  Kurnell Pro Tour Round 4
5/12/09 NSW State Open Water Swimming Championships: 5 Km
11-13/12/09 Round 1 National Series (Under 19) Runaway Bay - Gold Coast consists of 7 events over 2.5 days. Going to be a tough weekend but I loved this race last year!
13-17/12/09 National Development Camp, Runaway Bay (I was selected into this squad containing the top junior athletes across Australia)
1-4/1/10  NSW ITU Squad Camp, Location still undecided

6/11/09
Today I raced at NSW Allschools Athletics Championships. Although they didn't have a 5Km race as I would have liked, they did have a 3Km. I raced that this afternoon, in a pretty hot field. For the first 2 - 2.5 km I was running really easily, everything was under control and I was cruising in the lead pack. After this, people started to drop as the pace started to wind up, and I learnt that positioning is quite an influential and important factor in track running. I stayed with the lead pack, sitting in sixth heading into the last lap. It was then that the attacks started. I made my way to fourth, closing in on third position, but the finish line got him before I could!
I finished 4th in a time of 9.09. I was very happy with the time, and position as I have not done a heap of track racing and I was racing the top runners in the state (who I bet would struggle swimming and cycling!! hehe). I also qualified for nationals for the 3Km by 21 seconds. They are in Hobart, but I don't think I will go.
Anyway, I am looking to be back on track at the moment.
Next weekend I have the third round of the NSW Pro tour at Forster and the the following weekend is round four at Kurnell.

27/10/09
I'm now back from Gunnedah, unfortunately getting sick wasn't the secret recipe! But it was a very promosing weekend none the less (for the first race(s) of the season!) Now I am super keen for the upcoming races!!

RACE REPORT:  NSW Pro Tour Rounds 1 and 2, Gunnedah
Gunnedah was always going to be an interesting weekend of racing. Not only was it to be my first triathlon(s) for the season, but being sick for four weeks and starting to get better the week before the race would definitely make things challenging! However, after looking forward to this weekend for the whole winter season, I was definitely going to give it a go!
After a 5 and a half drive up on the Friday, Saturday consisted of three time trials: a 1Km swim in the morning, a 20Km bike at midday, and a 5Km run in the afternoon. The Sunday was a sprint Triathlon (750/20/5). The races were also rounds 1 and 2 of the NSW Pro Tour. So you know, no race times or splits have been put out on the internet which makes things hard!
Saturday’s swim was pretty ordinary. I swam a 12.28 which was pretty disappointing for me, being so far off my PB, although even with such a bad swim, I placed equal 3rd which wasn’t too bad.
The Bike Time Trial was run at the hottest part of the day! As well as that, having no definite race times meant we had to get there early just in case.  After well over an hour sitting around, I could finally start warming up. By this stage, I knew the heat of the day was going to play a big role in the race … It was absolutely Stinking Hot! My riding was going pretty well in training the previous week(s), so I was looking forward to giving it a good hit out! Shortly after I started, I learnt that not only would the heat play a role, but so would the wind! I rode hard and was happy with the effort (I didn’t get any time for this though … the one leg I wanted to get!!)
The run Time Trial was run at a circular track, a bit different from then what I’m used to, but this played little part in the SHOCKER of a race I had!! I felt smashed when warming up and this only got worse as the race progressed. No doubt the flu/virus took its toll on me during this run. I was hearing the lap splits thinking “This wasn’t what I was role playing in my head weeks before the race!” The time was horrible and I was shattered with the result. 
However, I had to get prepared for the triathlon the following day. Staying in this negative frame of mind would do no benefits for me! I decided I wanted to get out, really enjoy the race and give it everything. I went back to our accommodation, put on my LineBreak compression gear and had an early night!
The swim for the triathlon was very different then usual, swimming in a pool without lane ropes. I started next to who I thought was going to swim well (the winner of the previous days swim TT), and, after the initial push and shove at the start, I found myself swimming well, sticking on the feet of the leader, feeling comfortable and really loving it! The LineBreak compression gear worked wonders last night because I was feeling (and racing!) really good today! I was able to back up after a hard day at the office and start this race off really well. We made a break on the field and got out a good 15-20 meters ahead of the next guys.
The bike course was extremely technical, with 10 laps of a 2 Km circuit. I started the bike in the little breakaway that formed from the swim, but the packs forming behind us did catch us pretty quickly with the locals smashing the corners to make up any time possible. After a solo breakaway from one of the local competitors, I was in the chase pack of about 8. I decided that because I had already worked hard at the start of the bike in our little breakaway, and after yesterday’s terrible running performance, I was going to play conservative on the bike. This involved me sitting on the whole way, without taking any real turns at the front, in an attempt for a solid run. This worked well and I got off the bike with the chase pack, with the leader a little up the road, feeling fairly fresh. I was feeling pretty good for the first half of the run. I made my way into fourth and was feeling good. The second half of the run though, was not as good. The sickness played its part again and my stride started shortening and my breathing was not controlled. I lost a place during this time but held on to fifth for the finish.
I was much happier for the triathlon, both because I really enjoyed it and I raced a lot better. Also, a 5th place in the Pro tour (which is opens age group) when not in the best of form wasn’t too bad. I now have three weeks until Round Three of the Pro Tour at Forster (14 Nov) and then Round 4 the following week at Kurnell (22 Nov)



18/10/09
Back from that weeks training with the development coach. That was a good experience.
Unfortunately though, my flu which then developed into a bacterial virus still hasn't passed! I have been able to continue training, but have got an extremly sore throat at the moment. That's the last symptom from the flu, so hopefully when the throat is gone I will be good again! I went to the doctors and have got some fairly strong antibiotics to help get rid of this as soon as possible, as the first two rounds of the NSW Pro tour start next weekend in Gunnedah (24 and 25 October) and, although I do not expect any super, flash hot times, I would like to be able to give it a good hit out! In saying that, training has not been too bad, so it will be interesting next weekend!

2/10/09
I think I am almost over this flu which is good. It's going to be a struggle getting back into everything though! I learnt that at swimming this week!
Next week I am staying with a coach in Cronulla/Southerland. It is school hollidays and i'm sure (as long as the flu is totally gone), it's going to be extreemly hard! As well as really fun!

27/9/09
Although I had a poor race, and at the time I couldn't see why I felt soo bad, I think now it could have come down to the flu I have been suffering from all week. It is very annoying for me when I got to such good form to come down with the flu and be forced to take a week off, but I guess I can say 'such is life' and at least I got it a month before the start of the season, and not smack in the middle of it! I had to pull out of the time trials that I was looking forward to, but they were for the Sydney Junior Triathlon Academy and now that I'm in the NSW squad, I didn't really need to attend.
I have three weeks of school holidays now so hopefully it doesn't take long to get back where I was at!

RACE REPORT: NSW State and Western Sydney Duathlon Final Round
After having a solid month of training under the belt I decided to head down for the last Duathlon of the season and have a final hit-out and a bit of fun. I went into the race pretty trashed and with no taper, so I wasn’t expecting to post any flash hot times.
Shortly after race started, I was in a little pack with two other guys in the first run leg. We were running pretty solidly. With this I got excited and the pace was on! By the end of the run we had a 30 sec lead on the next guys behind. After looking at this first run split, I can see my progression over this short duathlon series, where in the first race I had a really good first run but that was 25 sec slower then today! On the bike was where the months training finally hit me! Unlike in previous races, I could not get into any sort of bunch and I was well and truly down Struggle Street! The legs didn’t have much left as I approached the end of the bike and got onto the run. I was just looking for a solid run for how I was feeling, and I don’t think I did too badly. With the day now warming up I just wanted to get to the finish!
I was happy with the performance today, especially that I could pull out a very solid first run split, considering where I’m at with training.
I also won the 15-24 age category which was nice. I would have preferred a top 3 in the opens but it was not to be today.
From here, I’ll take a few days of what I think is some earnt recovery. I then have little under a month to prepare for the first two rounds of the NSW Pro Tour held in Gunnedah on 24-25 October.




22/9/09
Just got a very nice email tonight... I qualified into the Triathlon NSW ITU Under 19 Squad!
Really happy about that!

22/8/09
I'm back after a trip to Port Macquarie with a heap more experience whilst having a great time! I went into the State Championships with no expectations and looking to learn more and experience new things. The Port Macquarie tour consisted of a Time Trial, Criterium and Road Race. I used what I learnt at Canberra and knew what to expect. I believe I improved significantly from Canberra to Port Macquarie and have grown out of sight in confidence, experience and passion as a junior triathlete.
 
At the moment, I have no races for about a month, which will allow me to fit in a solid month of training without disruption. Training is going really well, and I am feeling super keen for the triathlon season to start! I recently applied for the NSW under 19 squad and expect to find out in the coming weeks, the result.


7/8/09
Just thought I might let you know, on the weekend I had a bit of a spill! I was doing a Time Trial on the bike and came down, mainly due to over excitement! I cracked my helmet and got a bit of road rash down my arm and hip, as well as small bruises on my shoulder and knee, and a bit of damage to the bike, but other that that I'm fine!! I was able to finish the 25km TT and then ride 40km back to the car (so it proved not to be serious!). I went for a slow 70 min run on Monday and was very stiff! Tuesday I rode a session on the indoor trainer and I was starting to feel better, and Wednesday it was back into the usual (minus swimming!) I will be hitting the pool for the first time since the weekend, bright and early tomorrow morning!
The road rash is healing well and I can't wait to get back into my compression wear!!
 


31/7/09
Also I had the State Cross Country race today at Eastern Creek. Came 9th. Happy with that. Its always hard trying to compete with the pure runners!! Just missed the front pack of about six runners at the start, and with the wind blowing strong, it was very hard to bridge the gap! I was running in the second pack, and after a few surges, broke it up a bit, so happy about how I raced.


27/7/09
Had the Sydney Junior Triathlon Academy camp all weekend. Very happy with how I went. Got massive PB's for both the 1Km swim and 5Km run Time Trials whilst there and also picked up the Athlete of the Year award!


19/7/09
I raced the second race in the Western Sydney Duathlon Series last weekend:
 
Rain threatened on race morning the race continued as usual. I was feeling the effects of the Canberra tour from the previous weekend during training but was starting to freshen up towards the end of the week. I started the race well, sharing the lead with another runner during the first run leg and opening up a 10 second lead from third. A nippy transition saw me first onto the bike. After cycling by myself for the first two laps, two guys came from behind and so i stayed with them. We had a significant lead on the chase pack. We stayed in front for the remainder of the bike leg. On our last lap, we started to see runners who were behind us already on the second run! We had miscounted our laps and did 7 rather then 6! This extra 3k on the bike was too much to catch back up on the second run. Although devastated, I pulled it together and aimed for a decent second run leg. I was passing people the whole way and, as a positive, crossed first out of our group of three that cycled extra. Although very frustrating, I have learnt another important lesson to, as simple as it sounds, COUNT THE LAPS! And trust myself when I think I have finished as it's no fun doing extra!
 
Anyway, in my defence, it's better to stuff up now in this relatively small event rather then in the big important races like NSW Pro Tour and the National Series! I also think I will be looking at getting a speedo to help me in the future!
 

I also had a camp with the Triathlon NSW squad this weekend. I think I performed well. I came third in the hill TT and fourth in the duathlon in the under 19 squad. Squad applications open at the start of next month and so I hope I left a good impression! I was very happy seeing as I had no taper before the camp (I had a 2km swim TT Friday night before the camp!)
 
Coming up I have a camp with the Sydney Junior Triathlon Academy this weekend, the state cross country the following week, and the Port Maquarie State cycling championships next month.