Travel:
I travelled form the UK and arrived in Perth 10 days before the race on Thursday the 27th November. I spent the night in Perth and got the South West coach lines bus the following day to Busselton. Half way through the journey I went to ask the coach driver a couple of tourist questions and got my first taste of how friendly the Aussie’s are. I spent the rest of the trip up front talking about everything from ‘Footy’ to the price of Iron ore. The guy even took down my race number and promised to come out to cheer for me on race day. Wow that was cool. And it was to set the theme for my stay in Australia. The people are just so laid back and friendly.
Accommodation:
I stayed at the Mandalay Holiday park which was about 5km from the Jetty and race venue. I picked the park from the positive reviews on Trip advisor and boy did it live up to it’s reputation. I stayed in an en-suite cabin and it was just perfect. The site was immaculate and had all the facilities you would need. It even had a swimming pool with a 20m swim lane which was awesome. The staff were only too happy to help and even better, two of the guys that worked at Mandalay were Ironman WA veterans and were able to give me all the advice and local knowledge I needed. Thanks Russ and Scott!! 
Location:
I’ve done Triathlons all over the world, but have to say that Busselton is the best venue I’ve been to. It’s just a beautiful location with white sandy beaches, endless bike riding routes through vineyards and forrest. My only regret is that I was in taper mode and was unable to make the most of the local cycling. The temperature in the week before the race was 24/25C during the day but it dropped to 12/14C overnight which was perfect. On my practice open water swims I got to sample the local sea life by way of a couple of good jellyfish stings to my face, but the local ‘stingers’ only give a mild sting similar to a stinging nettle. I had heard about the pesky flies before I went, and yes there were loads of flies, and yes they were a bit of a PITA, but really no big deal.
Australians:
They just deserve a mention all on their own. They are just so friendly and accommodating. The guys at the local ‘bottle shop’, the staff at Fat duck cycles, the Ironman event staff, the Mandalay staff. While I was getting on a local bus I was digging in my wallet for the right change and some old lady asked me if I needed some money for the bus fare!!! Every time I went running I lost count of the ‘G’days’ I received and even the local kids had time to give me some friendly banter as they cycled past. (Must have recognized a pommy Long before I put on my wetsuit for the race I was planning a return to Busselton.
Race:
I’d had an almost perfect build up to the race. My training had been consistent and everything looked good for a great performance. The only concern I had was how hot it might get. I had done some specific heat training at home, but I had only managed to fit in a couple of sessions. The week of the race the daily high was around 23-25C but I was told it could suddenly jump to high 30’s. As the week progressed the forecast for race day crept up from 25C to 29/30C. It was going to be hot.
Swim:
I got into the water and did my usual 10min warmup before lining up to the far right of the main field. I found a bit of space and waited. At 0545 the hooter sounded and the race was on. I let the first 3/4 lines of swimmers hit the water, looked for a gap and dived in. My strategy seemed to work as right away I found a clear line and spent the fist 10-15mins overtaking swimmers without any contact at all. The Busselton swim is fantastic. The course is so easy to follow as it’s just one lap around the jetty and you can see right to the bottom the whole way round. It seems strange but the clarity of the water makes the time pass so much quicker. Just being able to see bands of sand and kelp with the occasional school of fish makes it so enjoyable. I held a steady pace all the way to the end of the jetty, made the turn and suddenly it was choppy as hell, but once again it just took my mind off what can be a very boring start to the day. Half way back to the beach and the water became calm again as I tried to jump between pairs of feet to get an easy ride in. I stood up and saw 1:08. The time was nothing special but my swim fitness was such that I still felt fresh.
Bike:
I took the first 10-15mins of the bike to warm up my legs and settle into my power zone. I got into a good groove and started working my way past other athletes. The bike course in WA is pan flat with great road surface. I had been told that the road surface was variable with some patches of ‘rough’. The road surface did change but compared to what I’m used to, the whole course was on a fantastic surface. It varies between open sections and forrest. The new 2 lap course had 5 dead turns per lap but other than that it’s head down aero big chain ring all the way.
It’s worth mentioning at this point that right from the start I saw almost zero drafting. No packs and everyone seemed to be doing their best to maintain the 12m gap. If there were any groups or cynical drafting they were no where near me. Considering from the start to the end of the bike course I overtook about 350 athletes, the course being so flat and having so many out and back sections, I couldn’t believe how little drafting I saw.
Being so flat, the bike was just a trial of concentration. I stayed in my power zone, drank my nutrition, re-applied sunscreen, tried to hold the best aero position I could and grind it out. I completed the first lap in 2hr32min without incident and still feeling great. About half way through the second lap the heat started to build and I started to feel a little weary from the endless straight flat roads. For the last 30mins I had been jockeying back and forth with another cyclist and I was finding it a drag to hold my power so I got myself about 12m behind his wheel and just focused on holding the distance. I now know why the pro’s benefit from draft legal pace lines. Just following a wheel, even at a legal distance, takes so much less mental effort than following my power meter.
I was glad to see the end of the bike course but I was still feeling good. Swim and bike executed perfectly, game on.
Bike 5:09:22 Power 196Np/192Ap
Run:
I changed my shorts in T2 to my normal running shorts. I don’t know why but I just don’t like running in tri shorts. I made sure to get covered in suncream and jogged out onto the run course. The run course is 4 laps along the front with no shade at all. I could feel it was hot and there wasn’t a breath of wind. I walked through the first aid station to settle myself and get some ice. I jogged the first mile at what felt like a ridiculous slow pace but hit my first split in 9’15”. I was hoping for a sub 4:15 marathon so the pace was fine. I held my pace for the first 4/5 miles but could tell that the heat was getting to me. As I approached the end of the first lap I tripped on the foot of a metal barrier and went straight down on my face right in front of the crowd. Not cool!!
As I started the second lap my pace just started to fall with every mile until I was in that all too familiar Ironman shuffle. I was pissed off that once again it was just a test in survival, but this was to be my 10th IM finish so I put my head down and got into the mental battle of just putting one foot in front of the other.
Run: 5:00:42
Finish 11:26
I had a good swim and bike but it seems my viking blood didn’t hold up too well to the Australian heat. And it wasn’t even a hot day by Busso standards!
The Tuesday after the race I was very sad to leave Busso behind, especially as I was on a 48hr trip back to the cold, damp grey of the UK. But I will definitely be back. Probably not next year but 2016 is looking very good. If anyone is considering this race I would encourage you to go and race it. I had an absolute blast and loved everything about the trip. For reference I have done IM Switzerland,Lanzarote,Austria,Frankfurt and Canada(penticton). W.Australia,for me, was hands down the best venue of the lot.
A big thanks to Busselton and all the Aussie’s I had the pleasure of meeting.
Will