"Congratulations, you're going to Kona"
That was the email I received from the CEO of Ironman Asia Pacific about a month ago. I read and reread that email several times and each time I noted it was addressed to me and included a badge reinforcing the claim of the message's opening line.
It was a shock as I hadn't recorded a finishing time to qualify for the World Championships and, though I had entered the lottery for a spot, that raffle wasn't due to be announced for another four or five days. I still have that email in my Inbox and despite its lofty claims, it's a fallacy. A glitch somewhere in the system meant that the congratulatory emails were sent to the wrong distribution list, the apparent awarding of my Kona slot was a clerical error. From visiting The Wife's desk and excitedly sharing my news and trying to work out where the how to manage the airfares and accommodation expenses in the morning to realising it was likely not to be as more and more people I know reported getting the same email in the afternoon.
On Saturday night just gone, Tri Alliance held the End Of Season Party and Awards night and I had been looking forward to it a little while. My race season had included two half Ironman races, a Challenge 70.3, the Sufferfest and Ironman Melbourne and was awarded a Silver All World Athlete status by WTC so I thought I was half a chance a scoring a nomination for the Male Long Course athlete award. (I say nomination because I knew, after the amazing season he'd had, Jodi had this one wrapped up).
Happy to report I got that nomination and cheered Jodi's victory, the second nomination for Team Spirit award was a complete shock (but I correctly called Suzie for the win of that category as well) so I was happy to call it a pretty successful night.
For the big award of the evening, the John Cornish Memorial Scholarship, head coach Ollie had us all upstanding, glasses charged. As he described the attributes of this year's recipient and then announced their name I had a flash of deja vu, surely someone had made a mistake. The previous three recipients of this scholarship have represented Australia and I count at least five times qualifying for the Ironman World Championship, so why was I moving through this crowd to accept it this year!?
Whilst winning the Kona slot was false, the fact of the second, more stunning win is proven by the JC Scholarship trophy currently sitting in prominently in the centre of my display cabinet. (I know it's there as I just rechecked and it still has my name etched there)
People who know me will attest that this was the first of two amazing things that happened that night, the second feat was, I actually made a fairly ok speech. I have always found public speaking difficult and I can struggle to communicate what I am trying to say. So, now with the filter of time and the power of review and rewrite, I want to take another stab at it.
I have tended to be a bit overconfident in my abilities to dig in and push through to the finish line, I was never fast but I knew I would get the job done. I completed my first half marathon without taking a drink because using the supplied cups always caused my to choke and splutter so I just did without. My first first marathon was done without nutrition, water and Gatorade got me to that finish chute (and walking the last couple of aid stations). I was the veteran of four triathlon seasons, twice enticer and twice sprint distance. Regardless of what endurance challenge I had embarked on, I had completed it. To say I was confident I could step up to the half Ironman distance would have been an understatement, so I signed up for the Shepparton 70.3 race for the first time.
In the lead up to that season was also the first time I heard the phrase "you have to respect the distance". These words of wisdom were spoken by Coach JC and taken from his personal experience of racing long course triathlon. I doesn't matter what level you are racing at, the leap to long course triathlon is large and the race demands that respect.
Shortly after that meeting I found myself completing the bike leg of the Shepparton race and feeling great, I'd had a decent swim and smashed the bike leg and just had a run to go - and that was where the problem lay. Leaving transition two I noticed me knees didn't want to bend properly, then my quads began to seize. Less than a kilometer in and I was walking and just worried about meeting the final cut-off time. Hindsight shows clearly I had failed to meet my nutrition needs in the early stages of the race and I had paid the price, I hadn't respected the distance. I was a tough lesson but one I think I had to experience to really learn.
Since my first long course race I have been ever mindful of the message Coach JC spoke that day and have respoken to others on several occasions. Not always a direct quote but the intent remained true ("dose your effort" anyone?). John Cornish was a young, bright light who lived to the fullest and he was taken from us too soon. In the time he had he achieved so much; he raced as a professional cyclist, was a successful long course triathlete. In his newer role as a Coach at Tri Alliance, he was a friend to all he met and mentor to many of them. Not content to simply chase his own goals, JC shared his experience and passion and was keen to give others the tools and support to required go the next step. I still can't believe the program he launched will be backing me and I can't wait to begin this journey.
Thank you to Ollie, Sarah, and the rest of the Tri Alliance leadership group for this unbelievable opportunity, to my wife and family for allowing me the freedom to chase my goals and the support to achieve them.
Finally, thank you John Cornish. It was a privilege to have known you and I feel proud and humbled to have been given the honour of carrying on your legacy this year.
That was the email I received from the CEO of Ironman Asia Pacific about a month ago. I read and reread that email several times and each time I noted it was addressed to me and included a badge reinforcing the claim of the message's opening line.
It was a shock as I hadn't recorded a finishing time to qualify for the World Championships and, though I had entered the lottery for a spot, that raffle wasn't due to be announced for another four or five days. I still have that email in my Inbox and despite its lofty claims, it's a fallacy. A glitch somewhere in the system meant that the congratulatory emails were sent to the wrong distribution list, the apparent awarding of my Kona slot was a clerical error. From visiting The Wife's desk and excitedly sharing my news and trying to work out where the how to manage the airfares and accommodation expenses in the morning to realising it was likely not to be as more and more people I know reported getting the same email in the afternoon.
On Saturday night just gone, Tri Alliance held the End Of Season Party and Awards night and I had been looking forward to it a little while. My race season had included two half Ironman races, a Challenge 70.3, the Sufferfest and Ironman Melbourne and was awarded a Silver All World Athlete status by WTC so I thought I was half a chance a scoring a nomination for the Male Long Course athlete award. (I say nomination because I knew, after the amazing season he'd had, Jodi had this one wrapped up).Happy to report I got that nomination and cheered Jodi's victory, the second nomination for Team Spirit award was a complete shock (but I correctly called Suzie for the win of that category as well) so I was happy to call it a pretty successful night.
For the big award of the evening, the John Cornish Memorial Scholarship, head coach Ollie had us all upstanding, glasses charged. As he described the attributes of this year's recipient and then announced their name I had a flash of deja vu, surely someone had made a mistake. The previous three recipients of this scholarship have represented Australia and I count at least five times qualifying for the Ironman World Championship, so why was I moving through this crowd to accept it this year!?
Whilst winning the Kona slot was false, the fact of the second, more stunning win is proven by the JC Scholarship trophy currently sitting in prominently in the centre of my display cabinet. (I know it's there as I just rechecked and it still has my name etched there)
People who know me will attest that this was the first of two amazing things that happened that night, the second feat was, I actually made a fairly ok speech. I have always found public speaking difficult and I can struggle to communicate what I am trying to say. So, now with the filter of time and the power of review and rewrite, I want to take another stab at it.
I have tended to be a bit overconfident in my abilities to dig in and push through to the finish line, I was never fast but I knew I would get the job done. I completed my first half marathon without taking a drink because using the supplied cups always caused my to choke and splutter so I just did without. My first first marathon was done without nutrition, water and Gatorade got me to that finish chute (and walking the last couple of aid stations). I was the veteran of four triathlon seasons, twice enticer and twice sprint distance. Regardless of what endurance challenge I had embarked on, I had completed it. To say I was confident I could step up to the half Ironman distance would have been an understatement, so I signed up for the Shepparton 70.3 race for the first time.
In the lead up to that season was also the first time I heard the phrase "you have to respect the distance". These words of wisdom were spoken by Coach JC and taken from his personal experience of racing long course triathlon. I doesn't matter what level you are racing at, the leap to long course triathlon is large and the race demands that respect.
Shortly after that meeting I found myself completing the bike leg of the Shepparton race and feeling great, I'd had a decent swim and smashed the bike leg and just had a run to go - and that was where the problem lay. Leaving transition two I noticed me knees didn't want to bend properly, then my quads began to seize. Less than a kilometer in and I was walking and just worried about meeting the final cut-off time. Hindsight shows clearly I had failed to meet my nutrition needs in the early stages of the race and I had paid the price, I hadn't respected the distance. I was a tough lesson but one I think I had to experience to really learn.
Since my first long course race I have been ever mindful of the message Coach JC spoke that day and have respoken to others on several occasions. Not always a direct quote but the intent remained true ("dose your effort" anyone?). John Cornish was a young, bright light who lived to the fullest and he was taken from us too soon. In the time he had he achieved so much; he raced as a professional cyclist, was a successful long course triathlete. In his newer role as a Coach at Tri Alliance, he was a friend to all he met and mentor to many of them. Not content to simply chase his own goals, JC shared his experience and passion and was keen to give others the tools and support to required go the next step. I still can't believe the program he launched will be backing me and I can't wait to begin this journey.
Thank you to Ollie, Sarah, and the rest of the Tri Alliance leadership group for this unbelievable opportunity, to my wife and family for allowing me the freedom to chase my goals and the support to achieve them.
Finally, thank you John Cornish. It was a privilege to have known you and I feel proud and humbled to have been given the honour of carrying on your legacy this year.
