Shepparton 2013 was a “do-over” of my first attempt in Shep in 2009.  I was hoping for a better result, but also it was a great course that I wanted to re-visit.

In 2009 I was having some abdominal issues which affected my running.  This year, I managed to develop a nerve issue on the outside of my left knee, which affects, you guessed it, my running.  So……

The swim in Kialla Lakes is interesting.  Last time it was too warm for wetsuits to be allowed.  This year it was like swimming in an icebath.  And so murky you couldn’t see a thing.  An uneventful swim though, and I came out near the back as I expected.

Once on the bike, I was using a power meter for the first time.  Due to my leg nerve issue, i had decided to take it very easy on the bike in order to try and manage the inflammation to give myself the best chance at a decent run.

The bike course was good, and vollie and crowd support awesome as usual.

Once onto the run, I was pleasantly surprised that my leg wasn’t hurting as much as I expected.  I had seen my physio beforehand and he assured me that it was purely a nerve pain and I wasn’t doing any damage – it was just a matter of how much pain I could put up with.

The run went pretty well, and although my leg did hurt on the up and down bits, there were more flats than anything else and I managed my fastest (or least slow) half IM run at that point of 2:41.

As a sidebar, I had also been experimenting with HFLC and ketogenic diets.  I had decided to have a crack at this race using no external fuels  just water and electrolytes.  Felt great!  No bonking, no stomach issues, and the same level of energy throughout.  Amazing.