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.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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 ...
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