What are some of your pet peevs?

I do alot of reading. Heck, the one thing I have learn't since becoming a member of the Triathlon world is that "the more you learn, the easier things will become for you and others around you". There is always a wealth of information at your fingertips in cyberspace, some things that are useful and other things that are down right ridiculous.

Whilst on FB this morning I came across an article posted by active.com in regards to Triathlon Etiquette. The Top 10 list is awesome, simplistic yet so common sense it's not funny. The Triathlon I competed in in March was by no means a massive event and so I did not experience the flailing arms and elbows in the swim component - mind you I am lucky enough to be a good swimmer so I was out the front. But it got me thinking about when I was younger and doing open water swims with the Surf Life Saving Clubs and how it used to get a bit aggressive in the water. My strategy was to swim on the outskirts even if it meant swimming a little extra. It did save me a black eye, squashed nose, cracked rib.

I can understand how things get a bit CRAZY in the water. There could potentially be 100's of people all hoping to get prime position, clusters of people who have the same swimming ability, a swarm of arms and legs all moving in the same direction trying to get to the one exit point. But after listening to one of my friends who is a middle of the pack swimmer say she was struggling to get air as she was systematically grabbed at and dragged under - I think some people just don't think about their fellow competitors welfare. I am all for trying to do well but not at someone's expense.

SO, I would have to say that even though I am a total novice, my one pet peev would be unsporstman like behaviour. When I was doing the bike leg I was smiling at everyone, encouraging, letting people know I was going to pass them. I feel better knowing I have gotten to the finish line without having intentionally hurt anyone along the way.

Whats your PET PEEV?

For the past couple of months my husband has complained on/off of not feeling too crash hot. But like most men he just put off going to the doctors. For one reason or another it was not really a blip on his radar to get it looked into. I love my husband dearly but working is his number one priority (apart from us) as is bringing home the "bacon" so we can all enjoy life. Like I said, I had been on his case for months about getting a blood test. Well he finally succumbed to my constant ranting and raving and thank goodness for that, his cholesterol is through the roof.

I have somehow taken this as a bit of an attack on my expertise in the kitchen. I know, silly, but I am the one that cooks in our house. I always thought I cooked healthy food. I only use olive oil - and sparingly at that, I don't cook with salt, I only ever buy wholegrain bread and brown rice. I need to sit down and go right over the household menus and go right through the pantry with a fine toothed comb as the doctor said he has 3 months to try and lower it. Time to get supremely focused.

If it does not lower then possibly it is genetics. I think his grandfather passed away from a heartattack and I don't want the same thing happening to my husband. So, if medication is what he needs than so be it, but first things first - DIET. And exercise - yes, he will get cracking on some exercise. Daily, regardless of the whinging and whineing, I will get him walking or running, intervals on my bike trainer - whatever it takes. At the end of these 3 months if it hasn't budged, it has not been through lack of effort.

Yesterday my daughter woke up with an inflammed right middle knuckle - sore to touch. She hasn't hit it, knocked it, there are no bites on it - nothing I could see. So I took her to the GP today and he is testing her for Rheumatoid Factor due to my history with arthritis. He is not sure what it is and feels it could have been a bite from something, but just to be on the safe side he ordered bloods to be taken. I have just about everything crossed on my body for it to just be nothing. My heart would just break into pieces if it shows up with something. My kids are my absolute life.

Anyway some news just given from physio is that I can get back into walk/running. I will start this Sunday as my introduction into getting ready for this Half Marathon. I can't wait - but believe me I will go into this with the reigns on. No sprinting, or galavanting around like a prancing pony. Nice and slow it will be.

I CANT WAIT

Reminder to self: Check pool program

I am keeping up with my swimming as you all know, and have been really lucky to almost have the pool to myself on most occasions. There has been "maybe" 10 people sharing it with me which has meant that I have been lucky to get a lane to myself . Last night however was a different ball game altogether. Club Championships were on as well as everything else you could think of.

The main pool was a frenetic hussle and bussle of parents, children and time keepers. It brought back a tonne of childhood memories - some good, some not so good. There were learn to swim classes in progress as well as aqua aerobics enthusiasts splashing away to "I feel like a woman" among many other tunes which added to the buzz in an indoor pool. I could hardly hear myself think.

As I was getting ready to jump in my lane, one of the timekeeper/parents said "I'm sorry but we are closing lanes 1 through to 6, you will have to jump into either 7 or 8". That was fine until I realised how many of us were expected to jump into 2 lanes. I have definately been spoilt and was a bit "miffed" I had to share. Not that I showed it - I politely smiled, and inside said everything I wish I could have said outloud. But I quickly slapped myself upside the head and reminded myself that this is a "public pool" and I HAVE to share.

So, I started swimming and soon realised that the program I had set for myself was going to be difficult to say the least and I should just "go with the flow" today. So I did a 1km warm up and the rest was broken up into sets of 25's and 50's. Some with flippers and board, others without. Some of it butterfly and others breatstroke. All in all I totalled 2.5km and got out of the water feeling okay about what I had achieved despite the circumstances. I would have much preferred to have done my set session but I had to make do. And once again I finished off in the spa/sauna. The cold water thing isn't bothering me at all now. I jump under like it nothing at all and I come out feeling absolutely revitalised. You should give it a go.

So another thing I realised yesterday is that I have less than 300 days to go to my Half Ironman. I am officially in the "200's" and when I saw this my stomach did a gut wrenching somersault. Holy crap, you would think I would be more scared about the fact that I have less than 80 days till my Half Marathon and I am so going into this undercooked, but 200 and something days till my HIM gives me the jitters. I mean it only feels like yesterday that Michael Jackson died and that was a year ago.

All will be good. SETTLE PETAL.

My butt feels good.

I did another naughty but it's all good. I am just checking to see where I am in my recovery process. I don't like tempting fate but I do like to see where I am so I can feel like the rest I am having is not in vain. So I got on my bike trainer and just did a real easy 20 minute spin. And by EASY I mean super easy. There was nothing fast or hard about this spin and it felt great. I am so "hanging" to get back into some form of routine, it's driving me nuts. But I can understand why I needed this rest.

That afternoon I invited my best friend Kimberly to the spa/sauna and we both enjoyed a full hour of just relaxing and cooking/basting ourselves. I think she really enjoyed it as her last year has been tough and it was nice just to see her sit back and just think of nothing other than herself. It was nice to just sit and talk about things other than Triathlons and injuries. We spoke about the old days when we were studying nursing back in "94" and how our lives have changed. About how much our kids have grown and whats next in our lives. I had a really enjoyable time. Kimberly and I are never short for words or laughs.

The following day was a total rest day, the kids and I slothed around in our pyjamas all day and just watched DVD's in a pretend campsite we had set up in the study. We ate yummy popcorn and drank loads of fizzy drink and I totally disregarded anything healthy for once. I was licking the salt off that popcorn one grain at a time and just relishing every morsel. Delicious. We ate lollies and chips - my favourite Salt n Vinegar could not go down quick enough. For lunch though I made a yummy tuna, egg, snowpea and rice salad with whole egg mayo. It went down a treat. The kids and I had a ball and later that night I dumped the comfort of my bed and my husband and slept out with the kids. Well, I didnt actually get to sleep, I cuddled the whole night with all my kiddies.

Saturday morning after practically zero sleep I put on my swim cossies and went to the pool for a swim session. 3km to be exact and I must admit I NAILED IT. I felt so strong and invincible. Every stroke I took came through that water with intention - a sheer feeling of power. I felt myself gliding through the water like it was nothing and it felt great. This session I planned on giving it my all - my head was clear and focused and I knew that I needed to harness how I was feeling and make the most of it. So I did.

• 1km Easy Fr/s Warm up
• 10 x 50m Fr/s kick with flippers on 40 secs - 15 secs rest
• 8 x 100m Fr/s on 1min 20sec - 30 secs break
• 8 x 50m Br/s at 80% effort - this was tough
• 300m cool down

And of course I finished off in the spa/sauna again - I swear by this treat.

As I was walking out of the pools one of the lifeguards whom I see all the time gave me a nice compliment and I walked out feeling really good about myself. I still had it. I don't often get compliments like that from strangers and it made me feel nice. Thankyou Mr Lifeguard.

I did a sneaky...ssshhhhh

I know I said I wasn't going to run for 3 weeks but I couldn't help myself. It wasn't anything historic nor anything we should alert the media about, it was a mere 600m but I just wanted to see how things felt. Nothing hurt - nothing at all. Zip, nada, niet. I do believe things are mending nicely and I couldn't be happier.

Now this doesn't mean that I am going to get back into running straight away, it was just a taste test of the wonderful meal to come. With all the strength work I have been doing, stretching I have been enduring and swimming I have been loving, it has allowed things to net together nicely and there is no way in the southern hemisphere I am going to jeopardise it.

It sure felt nice though to loosen the cobwebs. My brain however went into overdrive analysing every movement, stride, pace. And I made sure to make this run as slow as I could, a bit hard when my legs are quite long, but I think I accomplished it. The one thing I did feel strained and that was my breathing. Not sure if it was the cold air or that I have become that unconditioned to running already. I hope it isn't the latter.

Before my small running comeback I went back to the pools in the morning and completed 600m of a aqua jogging as well as the spa/sauna again. Things are feeling awesome, I am so happy. I also completed my strength workout written up by Sandi, a good friend on DM.

This was my session:

• 20 backward leg swings (R & L)
• 20 sideways leg swings (R & L)
• 20 backward lunges swinging leg forward when coming up

• 3 sets of 15 of the following using 3kg dumbells
• lateral arm raises
• bicep curls
• shoulder press
• tricep extensions

• 3 sets of 20
• ab curls
• bicycle crunches
• standard situps with 3kg weight

• 3 x 1min planks

I have made it my goal to stick to this session 3 times a week as it will give me much needed strength when I well and truly get back into the running and cycling full swing.

One thing I have noticed since not running or cycling and focusing on my swimming and upper body is how tight my shoulders have become, so I am now off for a massage. Can't wait.

Brrrrrrrr - but I got in.

This morning was absolutely freezing. A suburb not too far from home recorded -1 degrees celsius overnight. And I would say where I live it was not too far off. We had severe frost all over the lawn and on the cars again, enough frost that even the morning sun was not melting it and we needed to get the hose out. And I half started to contemplate going back inside, putting on my PJ's and getting back in bed. That thought was far more logical then going to the pools for a swim, but logic was not going to win this morning and I was going to get in the pool regardless of the external temp. I can't pike out when the going get's tough in my races, this training in adverse conditions is what is going to make me tough.

Heading into the pools my car thermometer recorded 4 degrees external ambient temp and as I reached the pool I could see the steam coming off it like some beautiful blanket. I was lloking forward to getting into a nice bath like pool. HAH, bath like, what a joke. This couldn't have been further from the truth. I jumped in thinking it was going to be like my last swim - 28 degrees (almost too warm to swim in) and what I was met with butt freezing, breath taking, just tepid water. The lifeguard took one look and said "The boilers can't cope with the cold and are struggling. Water temp is 26.3 degrees celsius and dropping". Great. Oh well, I'm in, time to get cracking on my session so you can get out quicker.

Here's how it went:

• 700m Fr/s Warm up
• 3 x 100m Bk/s kick with flippers
• 3 x 100m Fr/s. Easy 50m increasing to sprint in 2nd 50m
• 4 x 200m Fr/s turning at the "T"
• 12 x 25m Fr/s breathing every 3,2,2,3
• 8 x 50m Easy Br/s up, Fr/s sprint back.
• 200m Fr/s cooldown.

By the time I finished water temp was 25.1 degrees celsius. I was kind of lucky in a way that I was staying warm by swimming and working hard otherwise there is no way I would have gotten in. This poor old lady jumped in and almost backtracked instantly and all she kept saying was "oh dear, oh dear", I would have found some other choice words to use.

It took me a good hour to warm back up again, even after a hot shower. My toes were burning, it felt like they were on fire. When I got home, I got changed into my PJ's and some nice fluffy socks and veged on the couch. Ah bliss.

Aqua Jogging - not easy my friends.

My recovery has been going really well, sufficed to say that this morning for the first time I have zero pain. I keep waiting for the twinge in my groin to grab me or the the pain in my butt cheeks to come back but so far so good. It is such a welcomed start to my day and I can't help wondering that if I feel this good now then in 3 weeks when the kids go back to school I should feel awesome and ready to go again.

To add to my collection of rehabilitation exercises I went Aqua jogging yesterday, harder than it looks. Reading an article yesterday morning in "Triathlete" April 2010, it stated that deep water running was an effective way to recruit all your running muscles in a non-impact way but still effective in eliciting a good VO2 response. Although this intrigued me what really got me was the part where it stated that this one women "Kathy Winkler" crossed the finish line second in an Ultra Marathon last year and ranked Top 10 with the fastest splits and had done most of her longer runs in deep water due to chronic hip issues. Now I was really intrigued. So I packed my sports bag and my Aqua Belt - not the one pictured above, mine is slightly different and off I went.

I must admit, I felt slightly awkward at first, I felt like an big kid with my oversized floatie but this awkwardness was shortlived when I got going. It is quite a challenging activity to run and not have any point of impact to gauge where your feet should be. Your body also wants to instinctively lean forward and start pulling water with the hands to help. I found I really had a need to want to see myself move forward and make some ground, but the aim of Aqua jogging is to mimic form not propulsion. So I set myself the task to complete 4 sets of 120m. The length of the pool was 20m so I ran 20m nice and slow and 20m at race pace (or the equivalent) in stride tempo.

My heart was absolutely pounding after each set, I didn't care anymore what I looked like. I set set myself a goal to accomplish and I was determined as hell to finish it. I am sure to everyone else I looked like a tiny head just slowly gliding along the waters surface, but underneath it was a flurry of activity - much like a duck I would think. Good thing was nothing hurt in my hip, groin or butt during this activity but I did have soreness just due to the drag effect of the water on my muscles. It is an awesome activity, I would suggest this to anyone - injured or not.

After finishing my sets of 480m in total which took me about 30mins to complete, I did my spa/sauna combo again with the cold showers inbetween. Absolutely the best way to finish off any activity I would think. My muscles felt relaxed and invigorated, ready to tackle another day. Life is good.

"Challenges are what make life interesting;
overcoming them is what makes life meaningful".