70.3 Busselton and Port Macquarie May 7 2017
A group of very fit women and one young man represented Wellbeings out on the track this weekend.
In Busselton, the day started with a very light easterly wind and it was cool and dry. Pretty much perfect for a big day out. Conditions remained good throughout but did heat up a little during the latter stages of the run.
Some of the Busselton Gang: looking good on Saturday.
Note: glass of wine was mine!
Here’s a quick look at how everyone went.
Katherine Ryan 1st 45 – 49 year age group. In a time of 4:43.17, not a PB but comparable to previous best. She had a seven minute margin over second place so wasn’t pushed by her 
competition. It was a nice way to finish a fabulous season of racing.
Sarah Young 5:15.57 Finished 19th out of 80 in her age group (25 – 29 years). A super-fast group it is, too. Sarah’s gain in the cycle and run legs from last year gives her an 18 minute PB. A very pleasing result.
Dianne Oliver blitzed the 60 – 64 year age group in a time of 5:42.40. Each leg was consistently good. As Di commenced the final 7 km lap of the run she stopped and asked Sarah and I if she could afford to walk and maintain her position. We had no idea as the Athlete Tracking system was not keeping up. The advice we gave was, “NO!”. And so, on she went. With a 12 minute winning margin maybe she could have had a little walk. A super campaign, a super race and a fantastic result.
Yvonne Rash after finishing her tenth 70.3 in Busselton last year, she wasn’t going to do another. However, Yvonne loves the training with her mates so much that she decided to go around again
for # 11. Not a PB but a creditable performance none the less. Her time of 5:45.36 placed her 8th amongst 49 registered in her group (50 – 54 years). Well done, Yvonne.
Na
ncy Warnock is our remote representative. Living and training out of Bunbury. Racing in that super-fast age-group of 55 to 59 years, Nancy has finished in 6th paces out of 23 registered starters in a time of 5:48.14. Nancy is 59 years old and has maintained her form over the past few years, which is a credit to her consistent application to training. Just like the rest of you Chicas, Nancy is already planning her next campaign.
Ann Menkens – another one of our podium winners! 
Finishing in 3rd place in the 60 to 64 year age group in a time of 6:02.21. Just a bit slower than her previous outing at Busselton. Ann is the most social triathlete I know, works in a full-time role in a demanding job and travels quite frequently. Despite this, Ann had a solid swim and a super bike leg. Some injury concerns in recent months meant her ability to complete all the run miles was compromised. Another good result and a happy finisher.
Robyn Scott is part of that 55 to 59 year phenomenon – we have the best in the world in this age group. She finished in 3rd place after a strong swim (31 minutes), great bike (2:45) and finishing off with a total of 5:29.46.
Olivia Howarth (pictured with Ann and Yvonne) hardly trains! Despite this she managed a strong cycle of 2:50 and got through the rest on memory, I think. Well done, Liv. It’s brave to enter these events under-done and still managing to get through it. Hopefully, next time around your schedule will be more friendly towards endurance training.
Jenny’s boy, Daniel Bobridge swam with us throughout the summer. He really is a bike / run kinda guy. Strong cycle (2:45) and fast run (1:34) he ended up with a fast time of 5:08. Well done, Dan. You’d crack that 5 hour mark if you wanted to go around again next year.
PORT MACQUARIE 70.3
Mandy Coles – we haven’t got the full story yet but we do know that Mandy got through a tough one. The cycle leg had a few challenging climbs and the road surfaces are not like this side of the country. No pictures to show you either. Will let you know more when it comes to hand.
All in all it was a great way to wrap up the 2016 -17 triathlon racing season. Thanks to Sarah Hunter and Nardia Smith for their excellent contribution to the programmes of our athletes. Very much appreciated by me. Don’t forget May 20th for our Mid Year Hoo Haa and we can plan for the next 12 months.