HK Plover Cover Race Report

Got up this morning and heading downstairs for a short run. On the building door it says *#1 Typhoon Warning Has Been Hoisted*...hmmmmmmmm

#1 is the lowest typhoon warning but nevertheless a typhoon. High winds and rain woke me up pretty quick. Breakfast, tatoos on and out the door to plover cove to race.

The swim was in a cove as you might have guessed. The ocean felt great, warm but not too warm and seemingly bouyant. It was raining pretty hard at the start but i like racing in the rain

One false start and then the real thing. We are off , head down, great start pull over to my right and get on some fast japanese feet. First bouy was about 350m. Between 200m to 350 i lost some position and was about 10th into the first bouy. 200m to 400m is an area i need improvement on, threshold swimming. At the first bouy i accidently almost dunked a guy but backed off from doing it...then this guy grabs the back of my suit, pulls me back and dunks me, i proceed to get swam over by 2 or 3 guys from behind and a lung full of water...should have dunked that mother. Get going again and now there is a gap to the pack. I put my head down and tried to bridge up but could not. I swam the remaining 1km on my own with two other guys on my feet. I came out disappointed i wasn:t in the mix but freaking angry and ready to rock the bike.

Out on the bike and straight up the first hill i could see a grp probably 30s ahead on the hill. I caught up to them after the climb on the technical downhill sections...turns out it was the lead girls pack....geeez! After the first 5km of me and a Jiang from china we got caught by a pack of about 8 from behind. THe remainder of the bike went well, felt good on the climbs and it was an incredible course to ride. I think coming in T2 we were about 2:30 back of the leaders.

Good fast T2, thats something i have done well at this year, and out onto the run. Flat run of four laps. Jiang and a kiwi ran about 20s ahead the entire time and i couldnt get them back. Now on to the battle between me and Nikitenko (KAZ). We had a good battle...he was about 10s ahead going into the last lap as i slowly closed in. I am not kidding when i say that Borats anthem...

...Kazakhstan greatest country in the world. All other countries are run by little girls. Kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium. Other countries have inferior potassium Kazikstan...was singing in my head as I chased this guy.

The last lap had this extension of about 1km and with about 300m left i moved past him... but he hung on....and it came to a sprint finish.

I think i was just telling steve the other day that i hadnt been in a real sprint finish this year and perhaps ever. Well i started to sprint and could hear him coming...the crowd picked up and we ran stride for stride to the tape, he took me...by a nose length. Good battle. It turns out that Nikitenko is ranked 206th in the world and i am 207th. He races on a completly different continental series than i do yet the rankings speak for themselves...pretty darn accurate!

That is it for my racing this season. I think it has been a great season for me with many improvements and good results. Time for some down time and then begin focusing on building from this season.

Thanks for everyones supportive emails and encouragement they give that extra push when im battling it out on the course!

12hr flight home to Good old Canada.