Contributor: Kim Beckinsale, Tri Adventure Coach

The first round of the In2Adventure TreX Australian Series was held in Queensland at Murrenbong Scout Camp on 19^th September. The format for the main event was an Enduro format, which means that competitors complete two laps of the 350m Swim, 10k Mountain Bike and 4k Run course.

Unfortunately I was unable to race the course this year as I was still recovering from knee surgery so I have highlights from some of the Tri Adventure Crew – Gina Dunsdon, and Steve Wise.    Gina finished 1^st female overall and 1^st in the 40-45yrs; Gina did this race two years ago and is looking to try to qualify for the World Championships next year. This was Steve’s first time on this course, but he has plenty of experience at this type of racing, having competed at the ‘TreX – Back to Back’ in February, as well as four Xterra events one being Maui World Championships 2014. Lucy Shewell is very new to this style of racing having just completed the Gold Coast Adventure Race a few weeks ago, so was pretty excited to finish 2^nd in the Open category and 3^rd Female overall.

What aspects of the course did you like the most? Steve loved the run course because of the running through creek beds and so much single track running. Lucy enjoyed the run course the most because it was challenging yet fun at the same time whereas Gina liked the technical aspects both on the run and bike.

What was the hardest part of the event for you?   Gina thought the hardest part of the course was getting caught behind riders on some of the pinchy climbs which are sometimes unavoidable. Steve though the hardest part was the rutty single track corners and little hill pinches. As Lucy has only just started mountain biking, so she found the mountain bike the most difficult – especially the first lap. This was her first experience encountering other riders overtaking her during a mountain bike event, so this slowed her down having to pull over to allow others to pass.

Did you like the enduro format? Gina really liked the enduro format because the swim was really enjoyable the second time round. Gina also mentioned “You also get a good feel for the course and know what to do better the second time around.” Lucy though it was a good challenge, she said “the second swim gave me an opportunity to cool down and relax my breathing before the second mountain bike leg.” Steve thought “you need that first lap to familiarise yourself with the course then second lap is race on!

They all said the race was extremely well organised and well run by the organisers and they would definitely be back to do it again……so a few training tips for the next one!

1. Practice your transitions – The enduro format style of race is great as you get to practice your transitions twice, so you get a second chance, but for the qualifying races you only get one go, so you don’t want to be trying new things on the day.
2. Get out on the Mountain Bike – Practice passing others and being passed, and getting through those little pinches! If you can’t ride them, practice getting back on and going as fast as you can!
3. Practice running on single track – This is quite a bit different to running wide open easy trails, there tend to me more significant changes in terrain and lots of corners!