Pete Jacobs: Professional Triathlete

Hello Everybody,

 

I am very happy and pleasantly surprised to have come 2^nd to Patrick Vernay, yesterday at Ironman Australia. I was the first Aussie home, and enjoyed enormous support throughout the race.

 

I was undertrained, and held no expectations whatsoever, except that I really wanted/needed to get a Hawaii spot. I had worked out that top 8 would probably be good enough, maybe even just top 10 (it rolled down to 11^th place).

 

The swim went to plan, I opened up a small lead which forced the others to chase, and then that strung out the packs and dropped more people. I am also happier out in front on my own where I can focus on technique, and not on following feet or getting elbowed or pushed around. I have hardly swum the last month (maybe 10km in March), so I was never going to be able to open up a big lead, so I was happy to get the small gap I had planned.

 

Onto the bike I took it easy, and then Simon Thompson caught me, soon after 3 others also joined us. It was a very easy pace, but Mathias Hecht was in our bunch and I know he has been training hard and rides well, so I just followed his lead. Cameron Watt went off the front, but he has had a running injury so would have been saving little for the run.

 

I was surprised after the 1^st of 3 laps when another 6 riders caught us, among them, Vernay. I sat at the back of the pack, drank on schedule, and followed the pace. At 145km my legs went numb! I couldn’t get up any hill, and I dropped a couple of hundred meters behind the pack. I told myself not to let this happen, to work hard downhill and catch back up. I took a caffeinated High 5 gel, and instantly had strength back. I went through to the front of the group, got my special needs I had missed on lap 2, and felt really good.

 

Into the run I was feeling good, but my plan was to start a little easier than normal and just relax into it. I left transition in the front half of the pack, which spread was spread out over about 1 minute. As I jogged along ii was overtaken by Vernay, Jimmy Johnsen, Maik Twelsiek, then Mathias ran past and I went with him. We are good friends and relaxed into a good pace and chatted a bit. Then Simon caught us and was running a little quicker than Mathias. I’m good friends with Simon also, and I picked up the pace, chatted and relaxed with Simon. Then it happened again, with Tim Deboom catching us, and leaving Simon, I ran and chatted with Tim, who I had never met but was great to run and chat with a two time world Champion.

 

I was having such a good time. I loved the crowd support, was feeling really relaxed, and had nothing to lose. So shortly after the second lap started, I made a move to try and catch Vernay and Tim Berkel, who had started the run at a very fast pace and were 1min 30secs up the road. It didn’t take too long before I could see Berkel, who was having bad patch, and then I heard Vernay was only 45secs ahead, also struggling.

 

I kept pushing, knowing it was early, still, with about 17km left to run, but I just went with it. I caught Vernay right at the start of lap 3, in the middle of the crowds, and took the lead with 14km to go. It didn’t take long before I had my bad patch and Vernay was too strong in the lap.

 

I was so happy with 2^nd place, with my race, with the crowds, the experience, it was just amazing. I was in shock to have done so well again, on so little training, and having worked several hours last weekend landscaping.

 

There were many factors that helped my race. The non-sponsor factors are, my girlfriend, Jaimie, who makes me so happy and cares for me so well. Mum and Dad, Jen and Geoff, who have always supported me so much. My coach Alan Pitman, who tells me what I need to hear. And my friends, who don’t do anything. Haha. Just jokes.

 

My sponsors definitely made a big difference yesterday. JR Pharmacy Accountants, which is my good friend Bruce, has supported me for years and was the one who got me to work with Al Pitman. Paul Brandon was out there racing a tough race with injury, and he has supported me for years through Brandon Building Newton Running shoes are amazing, there is no way I’ve done the training to run a 2:50 (so I’ve been told yesterday) marathon, but I’ve never felt better running than I did in a brand new pair yesterday. High 5 products felt great (I finally used as much as I should have). A new Azzuri Bike, from Pedals Plus, felt so smooth, I hardly had to pedal. Coupled with Hed wheels it was the smoothest, most powerful bike I’ve ever ridden. And my new Suunto Heart Rate watch, with bike pod, and foot pod, has so many advantages and features, I can’t wait to download and look at the race in such fine feedback.

 

Thank you so much to all the factors that helped me have a great race yesterday. I enjoyed it more than any race I’ve done.

 

Take it easy, real easy.

 

Pete