Bribie Triathlon

Superstar staff member and triathlete Jack Neumann gives us the lowdown on the 2018 Bribie Tri.

The Bribie Tri is an event which had been on the bucket list for a long time. For local Brisbane triathletes it is an event that people find themselves re-visiting a couple times a year. NOW I KNOW WHY! My first experience at the Bribie Tri Long (1km swim, 30km ride and 8km run) in 2018 was a really positive experience for me, not only due to the awesome organisation of the event but also because I was able to tick off a couple of boxes for my own personal progression.

These local races played a vital role in getting prepared and testing out my gear and nutrition plans for my first Ironman. Even though they are much shorter than the Ironman, they are an awesome opportunity to simulate the race day experience as much as possible: closed roads, other competitors around you, nutrition stops and that giddy feeling of ‘race day’. No matter what anyone says, it is almost impossible to simulate race day out training by yourself.

Bribie Tri not only let me tick the event off my bucket list, but also gave me the chance to race against my brother Max Neumann, an elite triathlete who ended up winning the elite category that day. This was an opportunity I have never had before! Even though I was only able to keep up with Max for the first 100m of the swim, the chance to be able to line up next to him on the starting line was one I couldn’t get at any other tri but Bribie.

Onto my race! Racing in the elites category, I knew I was in for a hell of a fight (to not come last). The swim up at Bribie is a great event for non-swimmers as it is tide-assisted, which I loved! If you want to set a new 1km swim PB, then Bribie is the pace to go. I was 3 minutes quicker than my pool PB because of the tide.

Out of the swim and into my first transition is always my slowest. I’m that guy that stops to put socks on, but they are worth their weight in gold in my opinion. If you do wear socks or you find your self getting serious chafing and blistering from your timing chip and shoes, and don’t care about losing 5 seconds by putting them on, I would recommend using Steigen Socks. They are by far the easiest and quickest sock to get on in transition, are nice and thin, and I don’t get any blisters or hot spots with them. 

The bike at Bribie is a nice 10km circuit around the streets and along the water of the Bribie passage. I found it quite hard to adapt to all the turns and the short sprints out of all the corners, which is something I will really have work on for my next Bribie Tri.

Going on to the run, I really felt the short sharp 30km bike ride in my legs. I went out a little faster than I should have as I got little excited to finally get onto the run and see what I had. At about the 3km mark, I was beginning to regret the fast start. After a slower km I was able to get into a rhythm and finish well. It was quite a hot day out there, so I really focused on trying to keep by body temperature down during the run, which I am still discovering is a vital part of the run leg in Queensland. Keeping cool is often overlooked for keeping hydrated but is really just as important on a hot day. I now never run without my Buff Run Cap: it’s light weight and flexible and keeps the sun off my face, but still lets my head breathe and lets water through when I splash it over me.

Overall it was just a great day out soaking up the Bribie Tri atmosphere. It was also a successful day for me as I continue learn edand gained experience as I headed towards my first Ironman.

And one of the best parts? It was only a 45min drive home to Brisbane...just in time for lunch!