So after returning from the Worlds in Rotterdam in September, I was looking for a new challenge for 2017/18.  What could be new and challenging?  Off road triathlon!

So I bought a mountainbike, and signed up for several off-road tri’s (crossTri) and started training in orfder to try and qualify to make the Australian representative team for the Multisport Worlds in Denmark in July 2018.

EVENTS:

Bendigo (Vic States) CrossTri – finished 2nd

Crackenback Nationals CrossTri – finished 3rd,  and Aqualthlon – finished 2nd

Hobart (Tas States) CrossTri – finished 1st!  and Aquathlon (4th)

Needless to say, I made the team!  So I will again be pulling on the green and gold to represent Australia at the Cross Tri and Aquathlon World Champs in Denmark.  Wacko!

      

2018 –Multisport Worlds in Denmark

I had a couple of weeks before the race again, so rented a car in Copenhagen and drove around Norway and Sweden.  What a ripper!

Arrived in Svendborg to my hotel, and received my race rental bike.   Not a good bike. I did a couple fo tester rides, including most of one lap of the bike course.  It was to be challenging, but not dangerous – just a few spots I’d get off and walk.

The swim was challenging, with swarms of jellyfish.

The bike?  Well, I had a couple of whoopsies, and my left pedal sheared out of the crank – so I had to pedal home with one foot!  And JUST made it in under the cutoff.

The run was great – with some really challenging parts, and some cliffs so steep they dropped ropes down so we could help pull ourselves up.

I was chasing the race cut-off the whole way (they pushed out start back by 30min) and made it in with one other runner, with 2 min to spare!

The AQUATHLON was led dramatic, over in Middlefart.  Still swarms of jellyfish, but a good swim, and a flat warm run.  Cracker of a way to finish up.

       

 A couple more days to chill and sightsee, and it was off again home.  

Next?  Hmmmm…… I think I need a few more years to get better at MTBing – or to get my distances back up for the Long Course.  

So maybe next year, back to OD – over in Switzerland!  Lets see how that goes.