The kids go head-to-head

Apologies for not posting up an entry for a while, we've had quite limited access to the internet here in Sunshine Beach, but fortunately this weekend have been able to use a neighbour's broadband, so thank you Piet.
As I type the sun is beating down, we've just returned from the beach and Ozzer is doing the washing up. Not a bad little set-up I have here! ;-)
Training has been going well and it feels like we've really settled in to the Aussie way of life. Like with most things, it can take a little while to get the lie of the land, and now we have, it's certainly going to be difficult to leave. For me, leaving the Noosa Aquatic Centre - the outdoor 50m x 25m pool where the sun always seems to shine - is going to be damn tricky. Barton Pool is nice and all that, but it won't quite cut the mustard compared to Noosa's jewel in the crown.
This morning, Ozzer and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 5am (damn crazy Aussies do insist on doing everything at silly o'clock) to take part in the Noosa Tri Club's monthly race. Each month it arranges a race of some kind, be it a full Olympic distance tri or a Christmas mystery race (next month is reportedly going to be swim-drink beer-run). Today it was the Enduro Race which sees competitors do a 150m swim, a 6km bike and a 1500m run. Before you complain that's far too easy, I'll tell you that you do actually have to do it three times through non-stop. Cue comedy scenes for us two Poms who just aren't used to swimming off the run. At one stage I realised I was heading to the water with my Oakleys still on - what a donkey!
With Ozzer and I having different strengths and weaknesses over a tri, it was really good fun racing each other (oh, and the fact I beat Ozzer at the Noosa Tri meant I think he really wanted to stamp down some authority!).
I was out of the water first, but he soon caught me on the bike and a few of us ended up getting clustered together a little over such a short bike course. On the first run, Ozzer spanked it down, putting a fair bit of distance between the two of us - but I knew I should be able to catch him in the water as we went into the second set of swim-bike-run. I did, just about (!) but the little blighter kicked my ar$e in the next transition and that was the last I saw of him. I think there was about a minute between us by the finish line, so I'll have to work on my transitions to make sure I don't lose him next time...
All in all, it was a great race. The Noosa Tri Club has a brilliant set-up with its own mini clubhouse set in the park where the Noosa Tri was held earlier this month and laid on a great post-race brekkie as well as a raffle in which everyone seemed to win something - not bad! After the race, everyone waded into the water to cool off, although I can't say I was too keen on hanging about in there, given the fact there have been numerous bull shark sightings. I have to admit, they were on my mind as I was racing through the swim. When I later admitted this to Ozzer, he said he hadn't even thought about it, but would have only been worried had there been crocodiles in there...this then opened up the debate: which would you prefer to be eaten by - a croc or a shark? Answers on a postcard please...