Wow! Yippee! Wahoo!
Yes - I did it! Believe it or not, I got through the swim (yay!!) and of course, through to the finish.
To say that I was overjoyed that I got through the swim, is an understatement - as my supporters will vouch for. And, as amazing as it might be, it was probably the most enjoyable part of the day. How is that for a complete turnaround ????? Perhaps miracles can happen.
If you haven't seen me finish - click on the following link:
http://ironman.com//events/ironman/newzealand/?show=tracker&y=2008&race=/events/ironman/newzealand/&bib=1005
So - how did the day go?
I got up at 4.30am to get breakfast, which I took back to bed to eat. However, when I started to take the first mouthful, I started to feel very sick, and just couldn't eat my breakfast at all. The butterflies had started big time. So, not wanting to lose my breakfast as soon as I ate it, I flagged it and took endless drops of Rescue Remedy instead!
Then it was time to get ready, dressed and ensure I had everything I needed to take with me to the start. Kate (my step daughter) and I left our apartment at 5.30am and walked to T-1 to get body-marked, get the bike ready, then head to the swim start.
The lake was lovely and flat, calm - thank god! However the weather forecast for the day was NOT good ... But for the swim, it was ok.
While sitting by ourselves having a quiet moment, Tony O'Hagan and Liz Goer came past, and said to come with them to the swim start - so being a good student, followed obediently.
There was time to sit and try to chill - more Rescue Remedy. I was trying to not listen to the Maori challenge and the atmosphere around me and just concentrating on trying to stay as calm as possible (not an easy task, I can ensure you).
So, wetsuit on and the time to head into the water arrived .... it's now or never.
The cannon went for the start and everyone took off. I started near the back, and reasonably close to shore. For the first 10 minutes my heart rate shot up and I stopped a few times doing breaststroke to try and settle it down. A kayak came up beside me to check I was ok, and I said I was. Then, I somehow got into a calm frame of mind and started swimming, and didn't stop swimming.
I just kept focussing on each orange buoy ahead to get to, and when I saw the big yellow one at the end of the first leg, I knew that I could do it. I was so excited inside, but had to stay calm, as still had more than 1/2 of the swim to do.
Just past 1/2 way, my friend Pete Weaver, who was the Race Official on the water, came up alongside me to see how I was going. I told him to tell everyone I was OK and going well - he was texting some of my supporters with my progress (it helps to have an eye on the water!!) - so they knew how I was going.
Then, the final yellow buoy was in sight which was just before the end - wow - I was feeling sooooo excited. After scrambling over the rocks at the end, I was in cloud 9 when I ran through the exit. Most of my supporters were there - tears in their eyes - so happy and excited that I had done the swim. I hugged and kissed them all - I didn't care how long transition took - I wanted to savour this moment, as the swim has been my hardest thing to overcome (if you have read my earlier blogs) so wanted to celebrate it then with my friends. This moment is one of my happiest moments in my life.
So, off to transition, where another friend was waiting for me in T-1 and helped me change into bike clothes. Thanks Toni for the personal service.
The bike .... I don't want to dwell on this, as I was not happy for the entire bike ride. My stomach felt like vomitting for the whole time, so my time was slower and at times I didn't think I would make it, as I felt so ill.
The weather was also a nightmare. Heading out to Reporoa was a strong, gusty NE wind - so was a perfect head wind - YUCK! At least it was a tail wind back to Taupo. It rained the whole time, going between heavy rain, to light rain. The cloud also came down so low, that it almost looked like fog - so not great for the helicopters that were flying around trying to televise the leaders. At least it wasn't cold with it being NE - just windy and wet.
Somehow, I got to T-2, and took 23 minutes after talking to the medical team etc... about my ill stomach. I could have tossed it all in, and nearly did. But - got underway to see if the stomach would settle down. Thanks again to Toni (my personal transition assistant!)
Out to the run - the first 21kms my stomach didn't improve at all, and most of the time I had to power walk as the jogging motion was impossible for my stomach to handle. My legs felt great and strong though. It was very disheartening watching everyone running back into town with 2 armbands on, which meant they were heading for the finish, when I had most of the run to do .... not a great feeling at all.
At the 22km mark, the Medical Director, Lucy, was waiting with my friend Toni (from T-1 + T-2) with an injection to help with my nausea - it was great! Thanks guys!
Lucy said it would take 15 minutes to take affect, but it took about 1, and I started running - as I said, my legs felt good. Now my stomach was better (not perfect, but better was pretty fantastic) I could run again. Yay! So with feeling better and with a tail wind out to 5 mile bay, I took advantage of this to try and gain back some of the lost time.
Coming back for the last time into town, the wind had picked up to almost gale force (or it felt like it) with rain on and off. I did a combination of power walking and jogging - but knew that I was going to make it, so was very happy all of the way.
To say that I hadn't dreamed of how it would feel running down the finish shute, would be a lie. I had.
Now it was coming true. The bright flood lights and the huge crowd was just incredible. Most of my support team were there, high 5ing me as I went past. What a feeling. What an incredible experience. I never thought that I was going to achieve it, and here it was .... Raewyn Corser, you are an Ironman. Wow!
Now, I have to make a special mention to the fantastic support team I had on the course - who popped up endlessly around the course all day during the bike and run. Thank you doesn't seem to say enough - but thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
(in no particular order - as you are all so special)
- my sisters Penny and Judy
- my brother-in-law Roger (who videoed me the whole day)
- step daughter Kate
- Emily, Bronwyn, Natasha, Wendy, Fenella, Barney, Jason, Sharlene
- Jules, Judy, Rob, Pete
- Vern Colman
- Mark + Cam
- Tony O'Hagan - super coach
- and of course Steve Guy from Alpe d-Huez !!
Thanks also to my other supporters who couldn't make it to Taupo - thank you for your many text messages, phonecalls, etc.... I really appreciate all your encouragement, support and wishes you sent me.
A big congratulations to Kathy, Emma, Graeme and Kieran who are all Ironmen as well. Graeme - special congratulations for qualifying for Kona. We will all be following your training over the forthcoming months as you prepare for that. Well done!
Now for a bit of rest, but I am starting to feel lost with not having to train. I have been asked by quite a few people if I am doing it again next year ... The answer is I don't know - ask me mid year ...
Thank you again to everyone for your support of getting me through this journey to NZ Ironman 2008. It has been an incredible experience, and one I am glad I took.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
On my way to Taupo ....
The day has arrived for me to pack up the car and drive to Taupo.
It started off with trying to act normal so the cats wouldn't disappear on me, then put them in their cat cages for transporting to their home away from home which they just love - yeah right!
I am feeling refreshed and energised (thankfully) and ready to go. Just as well Ironman wasn't last weekend with the storm that raged through - phew! Please, please let us have nice weather with little wind next Saturday.
A big thank you for everyone that has been in touch, it is incredible to know so many people are supporting me. If I don't see you or acknowledge you on Saturday - it is not that I am being rude - but I will be in the zone, and just concentrating on using all my energy to get to the finish.
So, this is the last blog from me until after the big day .... thank you again to everyone, and to Steve of Alpe d'Huez. See you in Taupo.
It started off with trying to act normal so the cats wouldn't disappear on me, then put them in their cat cages for transporting to their home away from home which they just love - yeah right!
I am feeling refreshed and energised (thankfully) and ready to go. Just as well Ironman wasn't last weekend with the storm that raged through - phew! Please, please let us have nice weather with little wind next Saturday.
A big thank you for everyone that has been in touch, it is incredible to know so many people are supporting me. If I don't see you or acknowledge you on Saturday - it is not that I am being rude - but I will be in the zone, and just concentrating on using all my energy to get to the finish.
So, this is the last blog from me until after the big day .... thank you again to everyone, and to Steve of Alpe d'Huez. See you in Taupo.
Monday, February 18, 2008
The body seems to have hit the wall! All I want to do is sleep.
There were two highlights during the past week - well one was a highlight, the other ....
First, I had a one-on-one sea swim with coach Tony O'Hagan. Must say I was pretty nervous, as he can sure swim (and bike, and run ...). I just wanted to get a good sea swim with him to show him I can do it, and also give me some more confidence in the sea.
So, last Friday, Tony met me at Takapuna Beach. The sea was flat, as it was a strong SW wind, and this doesn't usually affect the beach too much. Tony decided on the course and distance and of course the time I had to do it in (no pressure!). The first 15 minutes I had to stop regularly to get the heartrate and breathing under control, but after that I managed to get into a rhythm and swim (yay!). We did about 2.5km in total, and Tony still reckons if I keep my head together, my swim time will be around 1:30 on Ironman day. I would be very happy with that.
One thing that did relax me, was watching Tony "try" to swim slowly for me - I was folllowing him (like a little puppy!!). But in order for poor Tony to swim this slowly, he floated on his back, did butterfly backstroke, breaststroke etc... This keep making me laugh which helped relax me too. When he was doing breaststroke - of course, doing it properly - everytime I looked up to sight him, to check I was going straight, he had disappeared. He was completely underwater, and then would pop up. So, it was a good distraction for me and made me keep going, as he wasn't keen on stopping! We even got a heavy downpour of rain which I haven't encountered before - I just laughed and thought, god, I wouldn't have thought 12 months ago, that I would be out here in the pouring rain swimming in the sea. It did feel good though.
Thanks Tony for your endless patience.
The other "highlight" which I was dreading, was the 90km TT on Cateye windtrainers Saturday morning. We all have to use the Cateye WT's so Tony has a constant measure - usually I use my own, and I prefer it.
I have no problem with doing time on the WT - but 90km??? I have only done 20km TT's before with Tony, and my head was not in the right place before this. Neither was my back which has been giving me awful grief all week. This is the first week my back has been so sore - which I am amazed about. I have had to rest it, and do lots of exercises to get it right, but has been a slow one this week.
So, back to the 90km TT. There were about 12-15 of us doing it at Westlake Girls Gym Hall, with a few others doing 20, 30 or 60km TT's as they are not doing Ironman.
Amazingly, I got through it. My back was killing me (despite dosing up on painkillers), and at the 20km mark I didn't think my back would let me do it - but I pushed through it, and just keep up a steady pace. In the end my time was 2:53:28. I am pleased it is under 3 hours, but with this being my first 90km TT, it was hard to know how hard to start without blowing up towards the end. So, thankfully that is out of the way, and I'm not keen to do another one, anytime soon!
Oh, I nearly forgot. I have been lucky enough to be loaned some wheels for Ironman. Jason from AvantiPlus, has loaned me his carbon Roval wheels. I took them for a test spin yesterday and they feel great. Thank you Jason, I'll try not to crash!
That's about all for the time being ... not long now before it's time to packup the car and head to Taupo.
There were two highlights during the past week - well one was a highlight, the other ....
First, I had a one-on-one sea swim with coach Tony O'Hagan. Must say I was pretty nervous, as he can sure swim (and bike, and run ...). I just wanted to get a good sea swim with him to show him I can do it, and also give me some more confidence in the sea.
So, last Friday, Tony met me at Takapuna Beach. The sea was flat, as it was a strong SW wind, and this doesn't usually affect the beach too much. Tony decided on the course and distance and of course the time I had to do it in (no pressure!). The first 15 minutes I had to stop regularly to get the heartrate and breathing under control, but after that I managed to get into a rhythm and swim (yay!). We did about 2.5km in total, and Tony still reckons if I keep my head together, my swim time will be around 1:30 on Ironman day. I would be very happy with that.
One thing that did relax me, was watching Tony "try" to swim slowly for me - I was folllowing him (like a little puppy!!). But in order for poor Tony to swim this slowly, he floated on his back, did butterfly backstroke, breaststroke etc... This keep making me laugh which helped relax me too. When he was doing breaststroke - of course, doing it properly - everytime I looked up to sight him, to check I was going straight, he had disappeared. He was completely underwater, and then would pop up. So, it was a good distraction for me and made me keep going, as he wasn't keen on stopping! We even got a heavy downpour of rain which I haven't encountered before - I just laughed and thought, god, I wouldn't have thought 12 months ago, that I would be out here in the pouring rain swimming in the sea. It did feel good though.
Thanks Tony for your endless patience.
The other "highlight" which I was dreading, was the 90km TT on Cateye windtrainers Saturday morning. We all have to use the Cateye WT's so Tony has a constant measure - usually I use my own, and I prefer it.
I have no problem with doing time on the WT - but 90km??? I have only done 20km TT's before with Tony, and my head was not in the right place before this. Neither was my back which has been giving me awful grief all week. This is the first week my back has been so sore - which I am amazed about. I have had to rest it, and do lots of exercises to get it right, but has been a slow one this week.
So, back to the 90km TT. There were about 12-15 of us doing it at Westlake Girls Gym Hall, with a few others doing 20, 30 or 60km TT's as they are not doing Ironman.
Amazingly, I got through it. My back was killing me (despite dosing up on painkillers), and at the 20km mark I didn't think my back would let me do it - but I pushed through it, and just keep up a steady pace. In the end my time was 2:53:28. I am pleased it is under 3 hours, but with this being my first 90km TT, it was hard to know how hard to start without blowing up towards the end. So, thankfully that is out of the way, and I'm not keen to do another one, anytime soon!
Oh, I nearly forgot. I have been lucky enough to be loaned some wheels for Ironman. Jason from AvantiPlus, has loaned me his carbon Roval wheels. I took them for a test spin yesterday and they feel great. Thank you Jason, I'll try not to crash!
That's about all for the time being ... not long now before it's time to packup the car and head to Taupo.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Almost there ...
Last weekend, 3 of us from Tony's group decided to head back to Taupo for our long training sessions, instead of attending the Auckland Ironman Camp. With all 3 of us being Ironman virgins, we wanted to train more on the course, so we could get familiar with it.
It was amazing just how many other athletes were there - more than 2 weeks ago. It felt good training down there, as it made you feel that you were already part of that special bunch of people known as Ironmen (or Ironwomen!).
So our weekend consisted of:
Saturday
35 min swim – OK, but not great – better than 2 weeks ago though!
6:10 cycle – 150kms
25 min run
The weather was lovely with the usual wind coming up giving us some grief on the bike heading back to Taupo - but you get to expect that. The cycle is getting easier with the greater familiarity of the course.
Sunday
50 min swim – did about 2km and was very pleased with myself. I stayed calm, and managed to swim along the buoys. Another friend of mine was down in Taupo doing some training for the Triathlon Nationals coming up soon, and was like a sheep dog and kept swimming in circles around us to keep us together and check on us. Thanks Bronwyn, I sure wish I could swim half as well as you! The water was lovely and flat – very happy with the swim overall. For the first time I thought to myself, YES I can do the swim. I relaxed, sang songs in my head, and just swam from point to point as I was told to do .... now I just need to do this in 3 weeks time!
1:30 cycle - just a short cycle on the course to get the legs turning over.
3:10 run – did about 27-28km. The first lap took 2:15 which is my half marathon pace, so pleased with that – the next 45 minutes was more painful. However, just as we got changed into our run gear and head off, the weather changed from being fine, to being low cloud and very light drizzle. How perfect is that? My perfect running weather!!
So a good training session – the weather was great with the rain coming through just as we started our long run – couldn’t have asked for more than that. We all felt sorry for the athletes that were doing their long ride today in the rain - not the greatest of experiences.
The body was completely shattered when I got home, as sitting in the car for 4 hours straight after a long run is not ideal. However, I had a massage booked for Monday late morning which was just what I needed and felt a lot better after that.
Overall, I have been pleased with my drinking and eating on the bike and run. My stomach seems to cope with the endless gels (very lucky) and I am a lot better at drinking than I used to be a year ago.
I feel that I am as ready as I can be for Ironman on Saturday, 1st March. I must admit that I am so "over" all the training, and just want the next 3 weeks to hurry by .... but I understand that is a natural feeling at this stage of the training. Now - the main concentration is staying healthy and uninjured ... do not trip over anything!!!
It was amazing just how many other athletes were there - more than 2 weeks ago. It felt good training down there, as it made you feel that you were already part of that special bunch of people known as Ironmen (or Ironwomen!).
So our weekend consisted of:
Saturday
35 min swim – OK, but not great – better than 2 weeks ago though!
6:10 cycle – 150kms
25 min run
The weather was lovely with the usual wind coming up giving us some grief on the bike heading back to Taupo - but you get to expect that. The cycle is getting easier with the greater familiarity of the course.
Sunday
50 min swim – did about 2km and was very pleased with myself. I stayed calm, and managed to swim along the buoys. Another friend of mine was down in Taupo doing some training for the Triathlon Nationals coming up soon, and was like a sheep dog and kept swimming in circles around us to keep us together and check on us. Thanks Bronwyn, I sure wish I could swim half as well as you! The water was lovely and flat – very happy with the swim overall. For the first time I thought to myself, YES I can do the swim. I relaxed, sang songs in my head, and just swam from point to point as I was told to do .... now I just need to do this in 3 weeks time!
1:30 cycle - just a short cycle on the course to get the legs turning over.
3:10 run – did about 27-28km. The first lap took 2:15 which is my half marathon pace, so pleased with that – the next 45 minutes was more painful. However, just as we got changed into our run gear and head off, the weather changed from being fine, to being low cloud and very light drizzle. How perfect is that? My perfect running weather!!
So a good training session – the weather was great with the rain coming through just as we started our long run – couldn’t have asked for more than that. We all felt sorry for the athletes that were doing their long ride today in the rain - not the greatest of experiences.
The body was completely shattered when I got home, as sitting in the car for 4 hours straight after a long run is not ideal. However, I had a massage booked for Monday late morning which was just what I needed and felt a lot better after that.
Overall, I have been pleased with my drinking and eating on the bike and run. My stomach seems to cope with the endless gels (very lucky) and I am a lot better at drinking than I used to be a year ago.
I feel that I am as ready as I can be for Ironman on Saturday, 1st March. I must admit that I am so "over" all the training, and just want the next 3 weeks to hurry by .... but I understand that is a natural feeling at this stage of the training. Now - the main concentration is staying healthy and uninjured ... do not trip over anything!!!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Ironman Camp in Taupo
Well, I survived my Ironman Camp in Taupo. Yay!!
As per my last update, I was feeling pretty lousy with a virus that got me - in fact, the Friday and Saturday (18-19th January) I feel like dying. I was laid up in bed and was really sick. My chest hurt like hell from the infection and pleurisy, and I was not sure if I was going to recover enough to head to Taupo the following weekend. But, I did - thankfully.
After religiously taking my antibiotics, and having to lay low for several days due to being sick, my body seemed to recover quite well. I got in a few training sessions before having to head away, so I was pleased that I was able to get back training again.
So, Friday I packed up the car (boy, what a lot of stuff!) with everything that I would possibly need - you never know what the weather will do in Taupo either, so had clothing choices, especially for the bike. Lots of gels, water bottles etc... I hope I had everything!!!
I headed off Friday late morning out of Auckland so I could have a leisurely drive down and got into Taupo feeling good. Time to unpack the car and get organised for the weekend ahead.
We were all staying at various places, with a group in one house - I chose to stay at my usual motel retreat, but we all met up for dinner at night.
Saturday morning 7am started with a 30 minute swim near the top end of the course (I didn't fear well, again), then we got changed by our cars into our bike gear and headed out for a 180km ride (2 laps of the Ironman course). The morning was lovely and sunny but the wind came up on the second lap just to keep us honest out there! Then straight off the bike for a 20 minute run. By now it was incredibly hot and all I felt like doing was jumping into the lake. My weigh in at the end was good - same as at the beginning, so fluid intake was good. Phew! Next on the agenda was a shower and a nano nap before dinner! Body felt shattered.
Sunday morning 7am another swim, this time at the start of the swim. The wind was up already and the lake was choppy (which I didn't like the look of). Again I freaked out in the swim (getting really annoying now!). Then a quick change and onto our bikes for a 90km bike (1 lap of the course), followed by a 10km run. Besides coping with the strong winds on the bike all went well and I felt pretty good. The run was again very hot - Taupo was sure turning on the weather! On the run back into town, the Offshore Power Boat racing was starting, so people had lined the street and it was crazy - just like Ironman Day! Then back to the motel for another nano nap before dinner.
Monday was a casual day - so I left the group and headed down for a swim by myself to spend some time in the water. This time was better. The morning was lovely and calm, the lake like a mirror - so perfect conditions. I just needed to stay calm and feel ok in the water - just for my head's sake! This weekend was the first time I have swum in Lake Taupo, and I must say, that is must nicer than swimming in the sea. It is "not" salty - Yay - and no currents and tides to contend with. It is also clear, so you can see the bottom which is nice - better than Takapuna which is murky. But somehow, I just need to find a mechanism to stay relaxed and calm in the open water.
So, overall, my body felt really good after the weekend which surprised me, especially the hours spent on the bike, as this usually causes problems with my back/shoulders - but it didn't this time, so I was rapt. Each lap of the course took around 3.5 hours which I was pleased with considering we were in a small group and we stayed together. At least now I know that I can manage the 180km without too much problem, even with the wind which is my worse enemy!
But there was still a few weeks more training .... I am really looking forward to getting this over, as I am getting over this training .... Perhaps I am getting grumpy - probably ...
As per my last update, I was feeling pretty lousy with a virus that got me - in fact, the Friday and Saturday (18-19th January) I feel like dying. I was laid up in bed and was really sick. My chest hurt like hell from the infection and pleurisy, and I was not sure if I was going to recover enough to head to Taupo the following weekend. But, I did - thankfully.
After religiously taking my antibiotics, and having to lay low for several days due to being sick, my body seemed to recover quite well. I got in a few training sessions before having to head away, so I was pleased that I was able to get back training again.
So, Friday I packed up the car (boy, what a lot of stuff!) with everything that I would possibly need - you never know what the weather will do in Taupo either, so had clothing choices, especially for the bike. Lots of gels, water bottles etc... I hope I had everything!!!
I headed off Friday late morning out of Auckland so I could have a leisurely drive down and got into Taupo feeling good. Time to unpack the car and get organised for the weekend ahead.
We were all staying at various places, with a group in one house - I chose to stay at my usual motel retreat, but we all met up for dinner at night.
Saturday morning 7am started with a 30 minute swim near the top end of the course (I didn't fear well, again), then we got changed by our cars into our bike gear and headed out for a 180km ride (2 laps of the Ironman course). The morning was lovely and sunny but the wind came up on the second lap just to keep us honest out there! Then straight off the bike for a 20 minute run. By now it was incredibly hot and all I felt like doing was jumping into the lake. My weigh in at the end was good - same as at the beginning, so fluid intake was good. Phew! Next on the agenda was a shower and a nano nap before dinner! Body felt shattered.
Sunday morning 7am another swim, this time at the start of the swim. The wind was up already and the lake was choppy (which I didn't like the look of). Again I freaked out in the swim (getting really annoying now!). Then a quick change and onto our bikes for a 90km bike (1 lap of the course), followed by a 10km run. Besides coping with the strong winds on the bike all went well and I felt pretty good. The run was again very hot - Taupo was sure turning on the weather! On the run back into town, the Offshore Power Boat racing was starting, so people had lined the street and it was crazy - just like Ironman Day! Then back to the motel for another nano nap before dinner.
Monday was a casual day - so I left the group and headed down for a swim by myself to spend some time in the water. This time was better. The morning was lovely and calm, the lake like a mirror - so perfect conditions. I just needed to stay calm and feel ok in the water - just for my head's sake! This weekend was the first time I have swum in Lake Taupo, and I must say, that is must nicer than swimming in the sea. It is "not" salty - Yay - and no currents and tides to contend with. It is also clear, so you can see the bottom which is nice - better than Takapuna which is murky. But somehow, I just need to find a mechanism to stay relaxed and calm in the open water.
So, overall, my body felt really good after the weekend which surprised me, especially the hours spent on the bike, as this usually causes problems with my back/shoulders - but it didn't this time, so I was rapt. Each lap of the course took around 3.5 hours which I was pleased with considering we were in a small group and we stayed together. At least now I know that I can manage the 180km without too much problem, even with the wind which is my worse enemy!
But there was still a few weeks more training .... I am really looking forward to getting this over, as I am getting over this training .... Perhaps I am getting grumpy - probably ...
Friday, January 18, 2008
Update on swimming ....
Ok, here is me trying to stay positive.... Beach Series swim last Tuesday night at Takapuna Beach. Lovely night, but sea a bit choppy (not ideal for me). My nephew Troy came as my swim buddy to stay with me to help keep me calm (that was the idea at least).
The start was delayed about 10 minutes, so we just paddled in the sea, as it was hot standing on the beach in our wetsuits. The water is also lovely and warm - almost like a bath.
The starter went off, and I am still calm(ish), hanging back to let most of the people go first, then wading into the water and starting swimming. I could then feel the anxiety start to rise within me - NO! Just stay calm, Troy is beside me, it is only 1km.
As the choppy nature takes me up and down, I start to think about that, and start to freak out - hyperventilate. After several stop/starts, I just can't breathe anymore due to hyperventilating and can it. Another trip in an IRB. Bugger.
So, it seems I can swim relatively calmly when the sea is nice and calm - but anything more, I freak out. It is all being controlled by my mind. I can tell you, that this is soooo frustrating - it is not an injury, or that I can't swim - my mind is controlling me.
A close friend suggested I try Hypnotherapy to help me relax and stay calm in the sea. She has used it several times mainly for business use, and has found it very helpful. OK - I'll give it a go as it may help me overcome this fear I have.
Yesterday, I had my first session with Dave Gilbert. There are no startling revelations yet as I haven't been able to hit the pool, or sea to practice. I have failed to tell you that Wednesday I woke up with a VERY sore throat which gave me a deep (sexy) voice. With my 3 hour run scheduled for Wednesday, I was determined to get it in, no matter what, in case the throat developed into something more sinister.
Wednesday night (waited until it cooled down) while running, my chest was incredibly sore - the only time I had experienced this type of pain was many years ago when I had bronchitis. So I keep telling myself, just finish this run (key session of the week) then you can get sick.
This is what happened. After getting home quite late from the run (11pm) I was definitely coming down with bugs. So off to bed. The next morning my chest hurt and if I coughed, it felt like it would split open. Luckily I could get into see the Doctor - can't afford to sit and wait - and she thinks it is viral, but have antibiotics anyway. She also feels that I have some Pleurisy which is causing me the awful chest pain. If I have no great improvement by Monday, I have to go back - fingers crossed I am well on the road to recovery by then!!!
Overnight, it has now progressed to head and nose - GREAT! So feeling lousy to say the least. Swimming is not on the agenda today - I somehow think that there is not going to be a great deal on the agenda today.
So more speed bumps along this Ironman journey, but as you can see, I don't give up easily. I think I need a coffee ...
Ok, here is me trying to stay positive.... Beach Series swim last Tuesday night at Takapuna Beach. Lovely night, but sea a bit choppy (not ideal for me). My nephew Troy came as my swim buddy to stay with me to help keep me calm (that was the idea at least).
The start was delayed about 10 minutes, so we just paddled in the sea, as it was hot standing on the beach in our wetsuits. The water is also lovely and warm - almost like a bath.
The starter went off, and I am still calm(ish), hanging back to let most of the people go first, then wading into the water and starting swimming. I could then feel the anxiety start to rise within me - NO! Just stay calm, Troy is beside me, it is only 1km.
As the choppy nature takes me up and down, I start to think about that, and start to freak out - hyperventilate. After several stop/starts, I just can't breathe anymore due to hyperventilating and can it. Another trip in an IRB. Bugger.
So, it seems I can swim relatively calmly when the sea is nice and calm - but anything more, I freak out. It is all being controlled by my mind. I can tell you, that this is soooo frustrating - it is not an injury, or that I can't swim - my mind is controlling me.
A close friend suggested I try Hypnotherapy to help me relax and stay calm in the sea. She has used it several times mainly for business use, and has found it very helpful. OK - I'll give it a go as it may help me overcome this fear I have.
Yesterday, I had my first session with Dave Gilbert. There are no startling revelations yet as I haven't been able to hit the pool, or sea to practice. I have failed to tell you that Wednesday I woke up with a VERY sore throat which gave me a deep (sexy) voice. With my 3 hour run scheduled for Wednesday, I was determined to get it in, no matter what, in case the throat developed into something more sinister.
Wednesday night (waited until it cooled down) while running, my chest was incredibly sore - the only time I had experienced this type of pain was many years ago when I had bronchitis. So I keep telling myself, just finish this run (key session of the week) then you can get sick.
This is what happened. After getting home quite late from the run (11pm) I was definitely coming down with bugs. So off to bed. The next morning my chest hurt and if I coughed, it felt like it would split open. Luckily I could get into see the Doctor - can't afford to sit and wait - and she thinks it is viral, but have antibiotics anyway. She also feels that I have some Pleurisy which is causing me the awful chest pain. If I have no great improvement by Monday, I have to go back - fingers crossed I am well on the road to recovery by then!!!
Overnight, it has now progressed to head and nose - GREAT! So feeling lousy to say the least. Swimming is not on the agenda today - I somehow think that there is not going to be a great deal on the agenda today.
So more speed bumps along this Ironman journey, but as you can see, I don't give up easily. I think I need a coffee ...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I have gone through many emotions since the Tauranga Half Ironman - ranging from giving up immediately through to yes, I can do Ironman.
The easy option would be to give up and I would be very disappointed with myself if I did that - if not now, later on. It's not in my blood to give up - so why start now.
So, after meeting with my coach to discuss what went wrong, and where to from now, I am back in a positive frame of mind. I have to learn to relax in the sea/lake and not let my emotions take over - easier said than done! So, more sea swimming on the agenda for me - damn!
Last Thursday was my first sea swim since Tauranga, which was with our group at 6.30pm at Takapuna Beach. During the afternoon, my anxiety returned and I began to fear it. By 5.30pm I started to feel sick, but got myself down there.
My swim coach, Liz was there, and I told her how I was feeling. She didn't say anything and we got into the water, letting the boys head off first, and disappear in the distance. We got to white buoy, then the next yellow buoy. Let's go to the next yellow buoy, Liz said - so off we went - all going well - phew! Once we got there, Liz said let's go a few strokes further (the furtherest out I have been along the buoys). Well, head down and off again, and I managed to be the most relaxed I have been to date, and when I stopped, Liz grinned - we were nearly at the next yellow buoy - so off we headed to it ... Yay - 4th buoy at Takapuna - wow!
We waited for the boys to return, as they had gone a little further out, and Tony my coach was very pleased and surprised to see me there. Looking back at the boat ramp, I realised how far we had gone, but it didn't seem like it.
Back we headed, and all in all, it was pretty good - a good confidence booster which I needed. The total distance was 2km.
Luckily the water was relatively flat and Tony thought that we had managed to get it on the turn of the tide, with a slight tail assistance in both directions! Now, that was great luck, wasn't it??!!
So, feeling a lot better about the sea again, I was feeling ok about the next swim on Saturday at Takapuna with the group. Well, that was until Saturday morning, when I got into the water. It was very choppy and there were waves breaking - oh great - there is a problem.
Now, by now you know that I have a fear of the sea. One of the big things is the moving water - waves and chop are a nightmare for me. Let's just say that Saturday's swim was awful and ended up with me giving up and heading out early. Doing beach starts through the crashing waves was very scary for me, and I just lost it. No amount of coaxing from Liz, or Tony helped - I was petrified. It seems I go 1 step forward and 2 back. Needless to say the confidence level plummeted again.
However, not giving in totally - I continued on with the rest of the session - bike + run/drills. The heat was starting to really build by the time we headed out for a run - this Summer is sure a hot one.
Tonight I have to enter the Beach Series swim at Takapuna Beach, which is a 1km swim. Yesterday it was choppy there due to NE winds but it looking good for calmer waters tonight (fingers crossed!). I have my nephew Troy who is going to buddy me to help me keep calm, and feel reassured during the swim. Troy's friend Ross Anderson competes in these, and usually does it in around 10-12 minutes - how, I don't know - maybe because he was an ex Olympic + Commonwealth swimmer for NZ! It is sure going to take me a LOT longer ....
I will keep you updated ....
The easy option would be to give up and I would be very disappointed with myself if I did that - if not now, later on. It's not in my blood to give up - so why start now.
So, after meeting with my coach to discuss what went wrong, and where to from now, I am back in a positive frame of mind. I have to learn to relax in the sea/lake and not let my emotions take over - easier said than done! So, more sea swimming on the agenda for me - damn!
Last Thursday was my first sea swim since Tauranga, which was with our group at 6.30pm at Takapuna Beach. During the afternoon, my anxiety returned and I began to fear it. By 5.30pm I started to feel sick, but got myself down there.
My swim coach, Liz was there, and I told her how I was feeling. She didn't say anything and we got into the water, letting the boys head off first, and disappear in the distance. We got to white buoy, then the next yellow buoy. Let's go to the next yellow buoy, Liz said - so off we went - all going well - phew! Once we got there, Liz said let's go a few strokes further (the furtherest out I have been along the buoys). Well, head down and off again, and I managed to be the most relaxed I have been to date, and when I stopped, Liz grinned - we were nearly at the next yellow buoy - so off we headed to it ... Yay - 4th buoy at Takapuna - wow!
We waited for the boys to return, as they had gone a little further out, and Tony my coach was very pleased and surprised to see me there. Looking back at the boat ramp, I realised how far we had gone, but it didn't seem like it.
Back we headed, and all in all, it was pretty good - a good confidence booster which I needed. The total distance was 2km.
Luckily the water was relatively flat and Tony thought that we had managed to get it on the turn of the tide, with a slight tail assistance in both directions! Now, that was great luck, wasn't it??!!
So, feeling a lot better about the sea again, I was feeling ok about the next swim on Saturday at Takapuna with the group. Well, that was until Saturday morning, when I got into the water. It was very choppy and there were waves breaking - oh great - there is a problem.
Now, by now you know that I have a fear of the sea. One of the big things is the moving water - waves and chop are a nightmare for me. Let's just say that Saturday's swim was awful and ended up with me giving up and heading out early. Doing beach starts through the crashing waves was very scary for me, and I just lost it. No amount of coaxing from Liz, or Tony helped - I was petrified. It seems I go 1 step forward and 2 back. Needless to say the confidence level plummeted again.
However, not giving in totally - I continued on with the rest of the session - bike + run/drills. The heat was starting to really build by the time we headed out for a run - this Summer is sure a hot one.
Tonight I have to enter the Beach Series swim at Takapuna Beach, which is a 1km swim. Yesterday it was choppy there due to NE winds but it looking good for calmer waters tonight (fingers crossed!). I have my nephew Troy who is going to buddy me to help me keep calm, and feel reassured during the swim. Troy's friend Ross Anderson competes in these, and usually does it in around 10-12 minutes - how, I don't know - maybe because he was an ex Olympic + Commonwealth swimmer for NZ! It is sure going to take me a LOT longer ....
I will keep you updated ....
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