Rest for the wicked

I was forced to have a little more rest this week then I would have liked due to work, family and a few moments where I just couldn’t be bothered. I worked almost 70 hours this week so I had to do some training sessions around work.  I would ride to and from work (I work 35km from home) or I would park my car at a mate’s place and run into work.  Now I have got to the end of the week, a quiet week of training may have been just what the doctor ordered.

Even though this week I only managed to clocked up 8.5 hours of training, I still managed to lose 2kg and I still ate for 10 men throughout the week. My 6 year old girl Anara told me this week “Dad, you’re a chocolate eater” I don’t think she has ever seen me without a chocolate sticking out of my mouth.

I have arranged with a mate to begin motorbike pacing as from next week. This will be a new experience for me (apart from tailgating slow moving cars) I haven’t done anything close to pacing behind a motorbike before, can’t wait.

I have started reading Joe Friel’s book “Your best Triathlon” I was of the hope that if I brought the book and read it, it would make me a better triathlete but according to the book, I have to get off my arse and train and train hard for that matter. Apart from him making me do something, it is a really good book and I would recommend it to any triathlete who has the time to read.

This Week’s Training:

·         Swim: 3 sessions

·         Bike: 3 rides

·         Run: 4 runs

·         Yoga: 3 sessions

·         Gym: 1 fully body

As you can see from this pitcher, I am all about quality training and getting every bit out of each training session.

Looking like I know what I am doing.

Point of view, I was shocked that I could ride and take a photo at the same time.  If I new how, I would of photo shopped it and made the speed look like I was doing something.

What are sport we are in......

I have dipped my toe in a number of sports over the years (Rugby league, basketball, cycling and a few others here and there) but nothing comes close to triathlons. The people in this sport make the sport so enjoyable.  Over the past year or so, I have asked a lot of people a lot of questions and everybody has been more than happy to help. Even the pros who have gone out of their way to give me advise. People like Luke McKenzie, Peter Jacobs were more than happy to help this poor broken down old man. And the amount of age groupers who have given me a lot of advice has been unbelievable.

Richard Whitefield who finished 16^th at Kona 2010 and who could easily go pro, has been an awesome help. I have been communicating with Richard via Twitter over the past few months and last week I asked a typical silly questions (I am famous for asking dumb questions) and the amount of help he has given me, I feel like I should be paying him.

Another huge help came from Scott Hunter who have given me endless advice and just today went out of his way to help me with my swimming (I swim like a retarded lizard) This man should become a triathlon coach. He is a skin filled of knowledge. He also has a blog http://www.scott-hunter.blogspot.com

Last week was all about creating some hurting bombs on the bike and really focusing on endurance strength. I am now back on the time trial bike (thought I should give the new road bike a rest) and dug in for a nasty 180km. I had the computer on the bike for this ride and I became a little depressed when I looked at my average speed. luckly chocolate got me out of this depression and back to it again. 

Training at the moment is defiantly more structured then it ever has been. I seem to be a lot fitter and stronger then this time last year, but still way, way off from where I need to be (I still have over four months till IMWA).

I now have approval from my physiotherapist that I can now add one more run session into my weekly training program.  My right calf is becoming bigger and stronger and it almost matches my left calf.

Last week’s training was just under 15 hours.

·         Swim: 4 sessions (with one being a personal best over 1km - woo hoo go me)

·         Bike: 4 rides

·         Run: 3 - slow but enjoyable (not the brick one but the other two)

·         Gym: 2 sessions

·         Yoga/stretch sessions: 2 sessions.

About to giving everyone at the gym two tickets to the gun show. (maybe I should of took this photo next to some BIG weights so I can look awesome)

At Low Head, part of my 180km ride. rode from Launceston up to Beauty Point then across the river to Low Head, then back across the river and back to Launceston.

At the light house at low Head - best roads to ride on in this area, so smooth and flat.

Week Four

It just so happens that I do enjoy writing about myself……

I came across a really good line this week that describes base training, “base training is training to train not training to race” I thought how good is that line. All my training over the past month has been without my heart rate monitor or bike computer. I have just been going completely off time spent training.

Last year when I was training for IMWA, I knew nothing about base training (or triathlon training for that matter) and so I went balls and all into race training and wondered why I suffered two knee injuries, shin splints and basically a poor overall fitness due to poor education into training for something this big. Most free time I had this year has been spent searching the internet and trying to learn as much as I can about what we do.

After killing a small part of myself at the gym early in the week, I decided that this week’s big ride had to be something hardcore (I was thinking of you people reading this blog).  On Wednesday I took off from home on the road bike and headed up to Poatina and climbed the mountain caked with snow. Unfortunately I could only ride 7km up as the road was covered with ice and became too slippery to ride on. It was a disappointing moment when I had to turn around.

Due to working a little over 60 hours this week (bloody bills, mortgage, etc), I was very lucky to scrap in about 10 hours of training.  It is something that I do struggle with family, training and work. It really helps that since my training load has recently increased, my wife has been very understanding and supportive. She is really keeping things together nicely around the house and I often forget to thank her for all her hard work (I generally go around telling smartarse jokes instead)

Training Week

Swim: 2 sessions (I know, poor)

Bike: 2 sessions (yup again, poor)

Run: 3 sessions (slow build up)

Gym: 2 strength sessions (Spot on)

Yoga: didn't have time (Shockly poor)

My Wife Renee is just the way I like her.

Just after I turned around due to ice on the road. There was snow from about the 5km mark up. looked awesome.

Week Three of Base Training

Yes I am doing another blog and no I didn’t spell check this….

Well it turned out that I have the motivation to post another blog a week after my last (yay go me).  I really thought it would be a year or so before the next. I am looking at this blog thing as motivation for my training as it drives me to find new and interesting things to do in my little life so I look exciting, cool and awesome on your computers as you read this.

I have just finished my third week of base training and I have come to the conclusion that if I swim, bike and run a lot then I am going to get better at this self mutilation we like to call Ironman. 

This week started off differently than any other as Monday I got my grubby little hands on a new Focus road bike from Geard Cycles in Launceston. Even though I wasn’t due to ride a road bike for three week as I am spending my life on the time trial bike, I just couldn’t wait. I jumped on it four times last week. (a very nice ride)

As it is getting bloody cold in Tasmania, I do struggle with the bike in the cold mornings.  I have been thinking to myself if I climb up one of these mountains caked with snow then this should help me mentally but then I stop and say to myself “what are you crazy” and then I am fine and I get on with my day.

Saturday I was to head out for a 160km ride with three mates but on the Friday, Tasmania was issued with a weather alert and all three mates pulled out of the ride and decided to stay home and try on their wife’s skirts (hopeless).

As it was going to be extremely windy, rain and very, very cold, I decided to ditch the 160km ride and head out to Scottsdale and back. For the people who doesn’t know much or nothing at all about Tasmania, Scottsdale is about 130km round trip from Launceston and it is very hilly (my God is it hilly).  There are hills on top of hills with one hill about 10km long. In the off season, you will see pro cyclists Richie Port, Wez Sulzberger and pro Triathlete Joe Gamble riding it (I don’t know about the other pro cyclists that live in Launceston).

My way of thinking was that if I rode to Scottsdale, the bush lands will shelter me from the wind and the hills would help build some much needed strength into my bright white legs that look like that haven’t seen the light of day in years.

All in all my training is going well and I can feel a big difference on the bike and in the pool. My Run is as good as can be expected but still have a long way to go.

My new Focus Bike

I'm about to head out for a run. Anara (my little girl) took this photo as she was going to bed

I am in Scottsdale and for anyone who has been there will know that Scottsdale is home to the worst building in Australia (Yup that is it behind me)

Took a pic of myself in action on the way out to Deloraine.  It was a sad moment as these $5 sunglasses were in the bin not one hour after this ride.I thought I could get a little longer out of them but they did last 6 months.

I'm Back

When I first started this blog, I thought it would be an awesome experience jotting down what is going on in my little life just to relies that I really can’t be bothered in continuing after the first day.  I seem to do this often. Start something like a bullet to gate and then close it down quicker then I started. I guess I could dedicate a weekly blog to what irritates me about myself. (could be never ending)

Of late, I have been thinking more and more of having another dig of the blog thing and the idea of ‘will anyone read it’ is always at the front of my mind but then I think who really cares, as long as I have had fun along the way.

I am now within six month of doing Ironman Western Australia (IMWA) for the second time and I would be lying if I didn’t say I think about it all day every day.  Last year I completed IMWA in a time of 14:15 and this year I would like to take a minimum of one hour off my time. I am also booked into Ironman Australia (IMOZ) and would love a time of 12:15 for that event. I could just be dreaming that my bright white chubby legs could travel me to the finishing line in that time. 

For the past six month, I have been just having fun with my training. I wouldn’t head out on any big training days or weeks but just a lot of small sessions throughout the week.  I have just started to string together some big training sessions and I now am two weeks into proper training.  It helps when I have a friend that is into big training sessions and is a lot fitter then me as it keeps me motivated.

I am just concentrating on base training currently and getting my shins right.  I have had to pull out of the Ross Marathon in September as I do not want to push my body the hard that quickly.  Lisa from Physio Fit has got me running just three times per week and only for 3km reach run with every week increasing it by 10%. Not ideal but I have to do what she tells me too. The reason for my shins always playing up and causing my training to derail is that my right calf muscle is smaller and weaker then my left.  I am doing strength training on it every day and I will find out how I am looking this Tuesday when I go and see her again.

Business seems to be going well. Valiant Security is still paying the bills and securityjobs.net.au has just completed its first year in business. I still don’t know if I should go ahead with firsttimeironman.com as I haven’t had a lot of interest from others triathletes who have completed an Ironman before and are interested in writing about their experience.  I am still in two minds weather to continue and see what happens or sell the site and count my losses.

Well that is me done for now, we will see if I will do another blog in the next couple of weeks or will this be it. If anyone does care, I do a regular blog on securityjobs.net au about the security and the employment industry.