SIX is the magic number for champion Warrnambool triathlete Kris McCartney.
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McCartney yesterday added another chapter to his glittering career when he was first across the line in the Warrnambool Tri Club’s foreshore triathlon.
It was the sixth time McCartney had won the race but he revealed afterwards that at age 38, he now puts in only a sixth of the training time he once did.
“I used to train 30 hours a week but now it is more like five hours,” he said.
“It is a bit more relaxed and I train when I feel like it, not because I have to.
“Sometimes for that 50 minutes you are in the race you wonder why you are doing it, but I still enjoy it and at the end of the race everyone has a smile on their face, so we obviously get something out of it.”
The triathlon course included a 500-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike ride and 5km run, with McCartney the first home in 53 minutes and six seconds. Rohan Creed was second in 55:10 and Jade Frankel was third in 57:42.
McCartney said the conditions had been challenging and the focus was on producing a solid effort rather than achieving a certain time.
“It was hot and windy and you have to put a bit more than thought into keeping your fluids up, but everyone was in the same position,” he said.
“Times are not something I focus too much on because the conditions are so different every time you go out and compete.
“I think I was pretty consistent today in the three legs without feeling super at any time. I thought I struggled a little bit but did enough in the end.”
The first woman across the line yesterday was Lisa Worrall in a time of 1:06.26. Angela Cook was second in 1:07.43 and Susan Pettigrew was third in 1:07.46.
It was a breakthrough win for Worrall, who had previously come close to victory in the event.
“I’ve had a couple of seconds in this, so it is good to win it,” Worrall said.
“It’s a great course and a really good field.
“The swim is my weakest leg but I did OK with that and was second out and that allowed me to get in front on the bike, which is my strength.
“The run was tough but you just keep as focused as you can and head towards the line.”
Worrall credited the training she did for the Shepparton half-ironman event last November for conditioning her for the race.
She will head to Geelong this weekend to take part in an Olympic-distance triathlon, an event in which she finished fifth last year.
The foreshore triathlon was a family affair for Worrall, whose son Eddie won the junior triathlon on Saturday. His siblings Darcy and Tess also took part.