February 2020- Chipping Away.
Photo by: Stef Hanson for Witsup
Hey guys
Finishing training last week & reflecting on February, I’m very pleased to have another month of solid work under the belt here with ELOTIK in *Sunny* Melbourne! 😉
* I’m very quickly learning that Melbourne really does have 4 seasons in one day, & its bloody cold already in the mornings, but enough weather chat…*
I’ve well & truly found my feet & am starting to become savvier to the squad’s featured sessions of which I’ve heard snippets about from the crew as we lead into the first races of the 2020 race season. I enjoy speculating what we might have in stall each week, & a few of my favourite session staples reappearing a handful of times are; Wattle Park Run sets, our Wednesday night Men’s & Women’s only Hawthorn Cycling Club Crit Racing, the Saturday Brick sessions, & some testing swim sets throughout the weeks!
Oh & did I mention easy Friday... that’s a weekly staple that gives back, allowing our bodies & minds to refresh, plus time to recover & do those little life admin jobs for ourselves!
I’m lucky enough to live around Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs on the Bay. With 4 of us athletes living together, plus 2 fridges & a tonne of food! We’re well situated, close enough to the city, hills, beaches, & just an easy spin down to Beach Road- which is complete with its own cycle clearway in the mornings (Take note Sydney) Perfect for the famous North Road 5.45am & 6am stacked bunch rides & endless café choices on the way back.
I’ve become a big fan of my Sunday long run along the Bay & beachfront from Elwood up to Black Rock, cruising the coastal trails. We’re also lucky enough to live around the corner from Caulfield racecourse, a pitch perfect 3km grass loop open from 9am to sunset for runners alike, my main problem is not to get distracted by the horses galloping along on the inside! Half moon Bay is proving my favourite open water location & I’ve only scratched the surface of the impressive Dandenong’s up in the hills.
For those of you that follow along on Instagram, @emmajeffcoat you’ve probably seen a lot of my favourite Melbourne places to hang outside of just swim, bike, run & gym, as I slowly turn into a new local & coffee snob.
I’m quickly blowing my budget cafe hoping & coffee stopping my way around Melbourne! It’s hard to find a bad flat white around here, with my local winner being the friendly Citizen café & I can’t turn down The Hampton’s Bakery or Mister & Miss for food. Lucky enough to enjoy a few visits from Family & friends alike over the past few weeks & it’s been such a pleasure showing off my new “Home.” I find myself picking a new favourite Brighton Bathing Beach Box or hatted restaurant every time I take someone.
Unfortunately though despite all the hard work we’ve put in each day, some things are just bigger & uglier than us & not to mention completely out of our control!
I was honestly so excited & pumped to get back out racing this week for the First World Triathlon Series Event in Abu Dhabi. So I was disappointed & left feeling a bit “flat” after the appropriate decision was made to postpone/ cancel Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Series Triathlon. This was following an outbreak of Corona COVID-19 in Abu Dhabi on YAS Island, where we would have been staying & competing, picked up by some Professional cyclist team members following the (cancelled) UAE Pro cycle tour staged there the week prior. There was no “YAS” moment to boarding that long haul flight for the first Big race of the year. #NoCheers to Corona this time. 😣 🍻🦠
I’ve realised that’s a pretty normal reaction to be left feeling that way. It doesn’t stop my gratitude & appreciation for the people in charge; the Emirati Government, World Health Authorities, the Local organising committee & International Triathlon Union, for putting our health & safety first, for making the hard decisions under pressure & for making those tough calls still to be made in such an uncertain global period!
For us, sport is such a large part of our lives, we work hard day in-day out to step up & race on the world stage. That stage involves travel Internationally to come together & compete against the world’s best. But equally as a Nurse, I can see past the disappointment to the bigger picture, & that is you can never underestimate or take for granted your own health or that of those close to you!
So, I am very thankful to be writing you this February blog update safe, fit, healthy, and 100% ready to race when the time is right. Luckily that looks to be next weekend up on the Sunshine Coast of Australia at Mooloolaba World Cup, one of my favourite races!
Until then, let the hard work continue!
Em x