Editor’s note: Less than two weeks ago our “JUST SEND IT” BATWoman teammate, Hannah Allen, departed for an exciting opportunity with ON Footwear in Melbourne. With just four days notice, she packed her bags and her bike, hugged family and friends goodbye for (what we hope) will be an 8-week assignment Down Under. If she kills it, she’ll stay longer. And as our teammate Rachael commented sadly “well, then, she’s never coming back.”
None of this surprises us. Hannah has more energy than nuclear fission and a proclivity for embracing life at warp speed. In her first ever 70.3 last year, she not only won her age group and qualified for Worlds, she was the first non-pro woman to finish, beating the rest of the amateur field. She brings it at full volume to every training session, complete with music playlist and an infectious energy that drags everyone along for the ride. Hannah will be racing at 70.3 Worlds in South Africa in September and hopefully either Victoria or Whistler as well. Here is Hannah’s first report from Oz...we miss you H!
“Hey BATWomen! Here is a recap of my first ten days…
Work- I’m juggling both US and AUS responsibilities, I am currently cranking out 12-14 hour work days. The past week and a half I have been swamped with AUS warehouse tours, dealer meetings, account introductions, plus jet lag. I am loving every minute of it and I'm finally feeling like I'm falling into the swing of things.
Training- As typically happens when the work / life / training balance goes askew, my training has fallen off a bit. But I have been fortunate to catch glimpses of future training opportunities and venues.
Last weekend I snuck out on a 40 mile ride along Beach Road. As the name suggests, it is a coastal road that follows the line between the Port Phillip Bay and the Southern Australian coast. The road itself is smoothly paved with rolling undulations that provide an unexpected elevation gain. In the near future, I intend to do a point-to-point ride from Melbourne to the end of Beach Road near Rosebud (roughly 100 miles).
This week I discovered the Royal Botanical Gardens of Melbourne and ran along a famous running path called "The Tan." The Tan is an approximately 4 km loop bordering the Botanical Gardens made of gravel and sand. Olympians of the past and present have raced around this track and their finishing times are posted along the way to provide you with a vanity check. I'm looking forward to racing my way around this track in the near future!
For now, I am exploring with short runs/rides/swims until I am settled at work and can venture out on longer adventures. Here's to replacing physical stress with mental stress! Hazzah!”
