Calf tear makes Beau go slo-mo

Renowned as a great clubman during his decade as a West Coast Eagle, there were two clubs Beau Waters did not want to join after becoming a triathlete.

While Waters has not joined the “glowstick” group for those who finish a race after dark, at last month’s Cairns Ironman event he failed in his bid to avoid induction into what he described as the “infamous club” where the run leg is slower than the bike ride.

After finishing the 3.8km swim in just under 70 minutes, Waters had a typically strong cycle leg, completing the 180km in just under four hours and 52 minutes. But about 12km into the 42.2km marathon he suffered a significant calf tear and took just over five hours to finish.

“I had that in the back of my mind and really didn’t want to join that club,” Waters said, reflecting on his 11-hour-plus day on the Cairns course. “But unfortunately I did and I’m part of that illustrious group.”

Waters said he felt some irony after watching his former Eagles teammate Josh Kennedy suffer a similar injury a week earlier.

“I was just running along and it felt like I got shot out of the stands,” Waters said.

“It sort of emulated Joshy Kennedy ... the sympathy card. When I saw him go down I couldn’t believe he did it, then lo and behold I’m lying on the ground half way through an Ironman thinking, ‘That’s a bit of karma, isn’t it?’”

Waters was forced to walk the remaining 30km of the race, but said he did not want to quit.

“When you’re a recreational triathlete and you’ve booked your holiday and you’re over there competing, it’s as much about just getting to the finish line as it is starting and you learn a little bit about yourself in those moments where things don’t go to plan,” he said.

“It would have been easy to pull the pin and stand on the sidelines, but I wanted to get through it. I briskly walked as much as I could and just counted down the kilometres.

“Different angles and different foot strikes made it feel better at times. Sometimes it was dragging it or turning it inwards and it was sore without being excruciating, but I just couldn’t run.

“It was bittersweet because I’ve invested a lot of time to get right, but equally, there was an element of satisfaction crossing the line knowing it didn’t go to plan and I still managed to find a way to finish.

“It makes you appreciate the races where everything goes to plan.”

Waters, 31, said it was impossible to compare it with any of the tough days he experienced in his 120 games for West Coast.

“They are different, but both of them are similar in that you can’t really hide,” he said.

“But with football, the beauty of having a bad performance is that you’re only ever really seven days away from being able to rectify it.”

He said that after recovering from his calf injury he would consider the Busselton Ironman on December 3 and was also booked to compete in Germany’s Challenge Roth next July.