Low Key, Obscure and Unconventional

Low key, obscure and unconventional. These three words would generally grab my interest, especially since I'm about to apply these three words to a race held last Saturday at Redcliffe, just north of Brisbane.

The format: Swim 600m, run 3k, swim 600m, run 3k.

This event, aptly named the Splash and Dash for Cash has been on the cards for a while. I love a good splash and dash, and in continuing fashion from the nostalgia of previous posts, I grew up doing this stuff in many puddles, pools, lakes, creeks, rivers and whatever other body of water permitted so. I missed last years splash and dash ritual due to stomach cramps, so I was extra keen to start it this year. It's quite a low key event with about 150 entrants all up throughout the categories. It's held along the picturesque Scarborough esplanade, which is a wonderful local with a long jetty for us to swim around, and intimate bike paths to hammer along in the run. Mother nature made herself aware, and greeted us with chop to the face in the swim, and a solid wall of wind on the run. Nevertheless, this made for a deceptively hard race! I would do this kind of stuff every weekend if I could.

Quite a few internationals were on the start line, of which I'm guessing are here for the World Cup this weekend. With mostly local athletes though, Dave Dellow and Josh Maeder were always going to be tough to beat, and both proved elusive, outrunning me on the final run leg. Our little trio led off the front the whole race, with the race stringing out mostly in the choppy swim conditions. The hard training never let up after Wellington, and tired legs got the better of me as I happily finished third rounding out the generous pay checks. Well done to Ash who finished 1st in the females, and 1st overall after we all failed to catch her with her 4minute handicap. She is very fast at the moment!

So my LP is on it's last grooves, which means I'm diving into bed to begin my decent in comatose. Below are some picture from the race!