SMASHED.

With 39 days to go till my first ever 70.3 I can safely say now that I am getting close to saying "I cant wait to taper". I am starting to get slowly more tired physically and things are starting to ache more than normal. My eyes are getting heavier and harder to open as that alarm goes off in the dark mornings and I wonder if it is normal to feel a little "I'm slightly over the early mornings".

I still enjoy the training and the feeling of getting better and better everytime I head out the door but I AM having to push myself mentally harder and harder.

Prime example - yesterday was my longest run to date and although I am happy about it I just wasn't feeling it at all. Right from the very beginning I struggled to get out of bed trying to find to excuses to stay in bed - too dark, too cold, didn't get a good nights sleep, felt smashed from the weekends training- it took so much mental strength to drag my sorry behind out of that warm, comfy bed.

Whilst sitting eating breakfast I called upon the collective strength and determination of my friends on DailyMile to help get me through this mental funk so I could do what is was my training plan called for - a 2hr run. The previous night I had a tonne of my friends on FB give me much needed encouragement too.

So as I headed out the door to quite possibly the most foggiest morning I have ever seen I really tried to stay focused. Focused on keeping my mind in the game and staying on track. The first hour wasn't too bad - it wasn't great great but it was ok. My legs did feel very heavy and it did take me a while to get into a rhythm but once there I held it for about an hour.

At about the 1hr 30min mark I started to struggle and it was then I wondered if I was hitting THE WALL. Not sure what that wall is exactly but I felt dizzy, really heavy legged, and slightly nauseous. It also coincided with this one particular hill that I even struggle to ride up. So I allowed myself to walk for 1min. No more, no less - once that 60secs was up it was time to get going.

Taking off again wasn't as tough as I thought it would be - I actually found it refreshing to have had a rest and then get moving. It was just what my body needed. I learnt something about myself yesterday even after all the lack of motivation I suffered before this run was that I am tougher and much more focused then I give myself credit for. It is so easy to just neglect things, to overlook them and say I will get to it at a later date. When in actuality if you miss that opportunity you may never get it back.

So I am really happy to report that in my longest run to date I completed 20.1km. And I did it not feeling the best too. Goes to show what your body is capable of even when you feel not your best. The human body is a resilient machine.

What can I say.

Wettie off.

Wettie on.

This is what I spent last Thursday doing. I made my way to the Aqua Shop at Gordon with the hope that I would come back with an awesome wetsuit and well, here it is. The gentleman who served me - Duncan - was an absolute gem. Talk about knowing your stuff. I had so many amazing recommendations from the boys at Panther Cycles, from Jodie & Chris at TopNotch, and Larisa the CEO of TriShave Autralia about The Aqua Shop, and Duncan lived up to them all.

If you don't have a wetsuit and you want one and you live in Sydney - then I suggest making your way to the Aqua Shop at Gordon. You won't be disappointed.

Then Friday morning I made my way to the Sydney International Regatta Centre to have an open water swim in my new wetsuit. Well, what can I say about it. Hmmmmm, different. I didn't dislike it nor did I like it alot. Let me explain. I am so used to feeling the water all over my body when I swim that this loss of sensation feels odd to me. Add to it the intense bouyancy that I got when I already sit quite high in the water anyway, made me almost feel like I had to much movement on top of the water. My body really felt each movement I made and intensified it. I also struggled a bit with the restriction around my chest and neck. I got to the 1km mark and wasn't sure if I was breathless cause I swam a little faster than normal or if I was breathless from the wetsuit. After speaking to a few of my comrades they each said that that feeling of breathlessness was quite normal and that I would get used to it. But with all this being said, I know that it won't take much time for me to get used to it. I don't regret it at all. Come May 1st I will have it mastered for sure.

So lessons learnt from Wetsuit Swim 101:

• Make sure when I put it on that I do so correctly or it pulls down on your shoulders and makes it harder to swim.
• Let the wetsuit guide the length of my stroke as fighting against it makes you tired.
• Make sure I wear BodyGlide near the zipper and under arm to stop chafing.
• Get in first and allow some water to enter suit then get out and squish water out of suit so it moulds to body.
• Allow the wetsuit to help with speed so then I can really focus on form.

After my 2km swim which by the way the first 1km was done in 15min and I felt like I wasn't really pushing the pace, I made sure I rinsed it well and dried it inside out and let it dry properly before packing it away. My husband said that he will take charge of the kids Friday morning so I can attend the next 3 Friday mornings before the Open Water swims end for the season. I should be able to get more accustomed to the wetsuit in 3 more swims - surely.

Then on Friday my best friend Susan wanted to buy me a birthday present - so we headed to Rebel Sport and she bought me a pair of these:

How comfortable are these. The compression factor around my upper legs and glutes feels really nice. And not sure if I am imagining it or not but it seemed to help with my ITB pain that has been emanating from my hip since last Sunday. It helped so much that I had the most awesome day of training yesterday.

I started the day off cycling with John. We did the Greendale loop and I managed to ride 52km in 2hrs. Not to shabby considering I really didn't feel strong at all on the bike yesterday. I was really struggling to get a good breath of air and couldn't hold a steady conversation. Thanks John for putting up with me. We also managed to gut it out in the rain.

When I got home it was time to put on my runners and head out the door for my 10 x 1km efforts. Here's my splits per km:

• 4:55
• 5:14
• 5:05
• 5:24
• 5:02
• 5:22
• 5:01
• 5:22
• 5:11
• 5:27

As you can probably notice every second one was alot slower - well I had a headwind to thank for that. Each 1km return hurt bad but I was still happy to maintain above the 5:30min/km for each which put me to a total of 51:20 for the 10km. I felt so good after this session, but I still could not rest as I had a swim set to do still.

Here it is - it was tough but good.

• 400m Warm up - 75m Fr/s, 25m backstroke
• 200m one armed Fr/s swapping every 25m
• 100m Fr/s scull
• Main set - PYRAMID
• 100m, 200m (3min), 300m, 400m TT (5:51), 400m TT (6:03), 300m, 200m, 100m (1:17)
• 4 x 25m sprints - this is where the cramping started.
• 200m cooldown.

Was I glad when yesterday finished. I was totally pooped. Had nothing left and all I wanted to do was eat and sleep, which is what I did as I knew I had to back it up with today.

Today was meant to be another century ride but with a 30min run off the bike. When I set out this morning to meet Sarah I knew we were in for a bit of a wet ride. I didn't have any wet weather gear so I was just crossing my fingers hoping it wasn't going to be too wet. Well, not only did i face sheer darkness when I headed out but it started to drizzle and then turn heavy about 10mins into my ride. I was half contemplating turning around and going home but I knew Sarah was already out on the road too so thought it best to stick it out. By the time I got to he truckstop it had stopped raining and held out for about the next 35mins for the first half bit of our ride together.

When we made our way close to my home it started to rain again and got progressively heavier as we decided to head back. By the time we got back to the truckstop we were drenched - like drowned rats, but we still smiled. Gotta laugh at the situations we get ourselves into. We decided to see if by heading to the Regatta Centre by car to finish our ride off would be less wet but it wasn't meant to be - even more wet. So Sarah drove me back home, we had a nice hot cup of coffee to warm our insides and she headed back home. I headed to the shower to warm up and then got on my indoor trainer to finish off what I had set out to do this morning. 90mins and 42km later on the indoor trainer - I donned my runners and was out the door for a 30min easy run. And wouldn't you guess, when I wanted it to rain to cool me down, it didn't. GO FIGURE.

In total I did 72km cycling but was meant to do 100km. Nevermind. The indoor trainer I find is more intense as you keep a really strong and steady cadence the whole time. So am I happy with this weekends activities? YOU BET YA. Port Mac 70.3 is looking set to be a really good day. I can now say that I feel confident in my abilities to complete it.

A royal pain in the derriere.

No, not a painting of my toosh, but a nice toosh nonetheless. Mine on the other hand as well as my hip are anything but. Seems I pushed harder than I thought on Sunday and now my glute and left ITB are screaming "Blue Murder" at me. Wish they would be quiet. I've kind of been there done that with them before and I am over it already.

I'm not quite sure what I am expecting though - after an AMAZING weekend I had also had my longest run to date on Tuesday. I managed to run a staggering 17.9km. And yes I am using the word staggering quite seriously, as this is HUGE for me. The whole run was perfect from beginning to end. I took off while it was still dark at 6:15am and under the direct instructions of my hubby I set out with my headlamp on. I thought it was going to be uncomfortable - but it surprisingly wasn't.

I wondered how visible I truly was, and it wasn't until later that I received a text message from a Alison who drove past me and said that I was light up well that I realised I made the right decision listening to my Stephen. Even he was happy that I listened for once.

As the run continued I found myself smiling - not a big goofy smile

But rather a smile of knowingness, that I had this run. I was going to own every ounce of it. And I did. I love this distance running business. I have so much time to think and hash things over in my mind, listen to cool music, smile at on coming traffic and chat to the workers near the truck stop as I run past. They totally crack me up. The last time one of them took to running with me in his work boots - dirt and all. He didn't last long but it did bring a smile to my face. Then yesterday the same young chap popped his head up from a trench like a Meerkat and smiled at me again - only when I questioned why he wasn't running this time - he said "no, not today, too busy".

As I finished the run I was slightly scared as to how my ITB would pull up. And well yesterday it felt ok, but this morning it is quite tender. Feels bruised, tight and painful to walk. So I went for a swim, physio and have since iced it more times than I would like to count. I missed out on track tonight not just because it stormed and the track was wet but also because I thought it wise to rest it as much as possible as I have a huge weekend in store in the training department which I don't intend on missing.

"Worry never accomplishes anything. When you have a problem, it is best to concentrate on the solution to that problem, not the problem itself."

~Thomas D. Willhite~

The end of an era.

It is time to bid a close companion farewell. Initially when I felt the first twinge of separation I was quite shocked, saddened, pained by what was happening as this had never happened before. You spend so much time together almost taking eachother for granted, that when the time comes to finally part ways - its almost as though you wished you had of paid more attention to them or atleast showered them with some lavish show of affection.

So as the colour drains from the once vivid friendship and is replaced with a dark reminder of what once was, and the pain dissipates to nothing more than a mere dull ache - I face the hard task of having to say my farewells much sooner than I had anticipated.

The future has yet to be determined, not sure when we will meet again. But I long for the reunion with bated breath. I hereby promise to pay closer attention to the rekindled friendship, shout them to a spa or massage and hope that they forgive my lack of attention.

To my dear toenail, I promise to take care of thee when ye returns.

TriShave Womens Sprint Tri 2011.

So I am finally awake and able to post my race report from yesterday. Boy was I smashed, headed to bed at 7:30pm yesterday and woke at 5:30am this morning. After all that nervous energy dissipated from my body - I was left feeling like a heavy wobbly lump on the couch.

The usual pre-race jitters are always there. I would love to say that I will try my hardest to get them under control but I know that's never going to happen - I have always been like that. As a child I would get that nervous before a race, that I would stand behind the blocks and then feel like I needed to pee. So for the next minute or so waiting to start my race would see me crossing my legs behind the blocks wishing I had of listened to my Mum's wise words of "go to the toilet" yet again. I don't do the cross legged thing anymore, but I still need to pee.

I headed off to the Regatta nice and early this morning with Elissa. She is such a great friend, always there to support me. Sadly she was not able to compete herself as she had hurt her groin but she still wanted to come and give myself and all the other PTC girls competing support. We are forever grateful Elissa.

When we arrived at registration I caught up with Larisa (CEO of TriShaveAustralia) whom was also not only organising this huge event but also competing in her first Triathlon too. If you remember a few posts ago I mentioned having had the pleasure of meeting her at the Homebush Aquatic Centre and how inspired I was by her amazing energy and vision. And might I add did absolutely fantastic on her first attempt. Her smile could be seen from miles away as she made her way to the finish line.

photo courtesy of TriShave photographers.

I also ended up catching up with Tracy, Kelly and Mel who were all competing in the Enticer event. You girls totally smashed it. We had the perfect day for it girls.

We had a few mishaps this morning I might add. Sarah got a flat tyre and in the process had a massive gash in the rear wheel. Lucky Elissa had loaned me her Zipp wheels for today so I loaned Sarah my rear wheel. Problem fixed. I forgot my race belt so out came the mobile to ring my dear hubby and he brought it to me - love you Stephen. Nikki did the same thing so I came up with the idea of using the elastic with the toggle from her bag to make that as her race belt - worked a treat I think. We all started laughing cause I said I could be the next Bear Grylls.

In amongst all of this I had the pleasure of meeting the President of TriNSW Steve Tudjman and World Champion Triathlete Nicole Hackett and her husband. What an awesome morning this was turning out to be.

Transition set up went smoothly, all us PTC chicks ended up racking our bikes in the same spot close to the bike entry and run exit. And then it was pretty much time to just try and chill and catch up with my family and friends before the race. Stephen, the kids, Mum, Elissa, Paul and Jennie and their gorgeous girls and each of the PTC girls - Sarah and her husband Mark and their 2 mini me's (so cute) and Nikki and Susan made for a very special morning. There was also another PTC member who I had met a couple of times before -Corinna taking part. Really nice catching up with her too.

So it was finally time for the race to begin. I could finally put all this nervous energy to use. I just wanted to get out there and see if I could atleast beat my time by 2mins.

I kept going over my plan in my head - not that it was a well thought out one, but nonetheless it was to hold my own in the swim, focus on technique on the bike and maintain good form and cadence on the run. And if all went well I should be able to knock off those 2 mins.

As we made our way into the water, even though I was all smiles, all I wanted to do was get a good posi and get this ball rolling. All this waiting makes me feel sick. In amongst all my nervousness I got to meet some great women in the water - all I'm sure with their own reasons why they have chosen to take part in today. Their smiles conveyed their feelings without a single word needing to be said.

As the countdown began we all wished eachother luck and then it was GAME ON. As the siren sounded I took off in my usual form but something just didn't feel right today in the water. I felt quite heavy and really tired in my arms. I was finding it hard to find my usual rhythm in the water and my usual stroke was becoming shorter and shorter. I found myself having to tag behind the second girl and then try to navigate through the previous wave when we finally approached them. Although my time wasn't crash hot I still managed to exit the water in a time of 8:17 for the 500m but actual chip time included the run to T1 so it was 8:56.

T1 went ok, it wasn't exceptionally fast nor too slow, it just went along smoothly and I was able to make my way to the bike exit without too much delay. I have to practice leaving my shoes on the bike so I can cut some time but it still feels so foreign, so will practice this for Port.

I felt so strong on my bike, such a total contrast to my last club race. I am so used to people totally smokin' me on the bike but yesterday was my day. I have never had 20km go by so fast without feeling too much distress either. I am sure the ZIPP wheels and my new fancy aero helmet and the fact that it was ideal conditions all contributed to this.

Here are my bike splits for each 5km lap:

• 8:29
• 8:07
• 8:15
• 9:03

I usually average above the 10 closer to the 11min mark for each - but not yesterday. It was nice to feel like those who I aspire to be like from my club.

Actual 20km bike time was 34:33 but with T1 and T2 included it was 37:20. Average pacing over the 20km was 34.8km/hr. Totally unheard of for me and I can not believe it. I do need to practice on my transition in making it faster and smoother.

As I racked my bike and tried to get my runners on, both calf muscles started to cramp. Everytime I tried to push down into my sneaker my calf would lock up so I just had to bite the bullet and get them on as quickly as I could. Then it was time to try and run on very very heavy legs.

I still, no matter how many times I run off the bike can get used to that odd sensation. It's like my legs belong to someone else and I have absolutely no control over them whatsoever. But it was time to try to focus on making sure this run was something I was going to be proud of. I really tried to hard to keep the beat in my head from last weeks track session. The beat of what I knew my cadence should be to maintain close to a 5min/km pacing. But that first 2.5km really hurt. Not just in my legs but in my lungs. I took a puff of my Ventolin and just hoped they would get accustomed to the heat out there - yesterday was planning on hitting a high of 32 degrees celsius in the west and I think it did. The sun was so strong and I could feel it burning my head.

Making my way out for that last 2.5kms for me was all about trying to catch the person in front of. Sometimes it worked, and other times it didn't. And even though the out and back x 2 for the run can be mentally challenging, it was good because I got to see all my friends out there going through and experiencing the same sort of emotions as I. We were High5'ing eachother and giving eachother words of encouragement the whole way through. PTC'ers rule. I managed to complete my 5km run portion in 25:26. Holding a 5:05 pacing. I couldn't be happier. All my training is finally starting pay off.

Running through that finishing chute I was none the wiser has to what I had just accomplished. So when I finally saw my friends and family members and they told me I had completed my Sprint Tri in 1hr 11min 43secs, to say that I was elated was an understatement. The 2min PB that I was hoping to achieve was squashed royally by a total of 7mins. I wanted to cry and laugh and jump around like a giddy child, and if my memory serves me well, I think I did.

I know that by training you are meant to do well, but I never in my wildest dreams expected to do this. The feeling is something I fail to find the right words for. All the PTC girls did great. Actually the 4 of us scored in the Top 9 for our age group. How cool is that.

I was so glad that one of my best friends was able to join me for the day and give me awesome words of encouragement throughout the run leg. Thankyou Susan.

How could yesterday get any better. I can't wait to do another one TriShave event. I am hooked, can you tell?

I came 6th in my age category. Last year I came 9th. I am so proud of me and all of my friends who competed.

Proud as Punch

Twas the night before his first Triathlon and Kurt was just chillin' in his room. I am sure he was feeling that dreaded anticipation that I often feel and just look for silence to help ease the nerves. We had already prepared everything and checked over it about a Gazillion times to make sure there was nothing missing.

As he headed to bed early after spending the afternoon celebrating my 37th Birthday with the family, I gave him a big kiss and told him that we will be up nice and early and we will be celebrating his first ever Triathlon accomplishment.

When my alarm went off and it was time to wake him up I half expected the usual teenage grunt and groan, but not this morning. He jumped out of bed and came out ready, but struggled to eat his breakfast. Nothing worse that that nauseatingly nervous feeling. But he managed to eat 2 pieces of toast with peanut butter and a banana. I was impressed, I think my first meal pre Enticer Tri was a few mouthfuls of Weetbix and a coffee. Before too long we were in the car and off to the Regatta Centre.

Transition setup went smoothly - Kurt really played a major part in setting his own area up and making sure that all his gear was in the correct order. I could really feel his nerves starting to increase and could see that the telltale dry mouth of nerves were getting to him. I just kept trying to reassure him and let him know that I was going to be there every step of the way with him. I was not going to leave his side.

This mornings time before the race went really quickly for me - but I think it may have dragged on for Kurt. I was so nervous for him and really was hoping that he would be ok and enjoy it. So as we made our way to the start I really kept trying to stay up beat for him.

The water was cooler than I had expected and it really affected Kurt's breathing right from the beginning. That has happened to me so many times. It was also very dark and murky - I think there must have been quite alot of rain the night before. As the starters gun went off - Kurt and I hugged the shore and took our time. Kurt struggled to get adjusted to the darkness within the water but wanted to forge ahead anyway. I asked him on numerous occasions if he wanted to stop and he said "No mum, I want to finish". So I stayed right next to him and kept talking to him the whole way.

One of the officials told us we didn't have to swim the complete course but rather make a B-line for the ramp - which we did. I know Kurt struggled with this as it is so different to swimming in a pool and placing your face in clear, clean water - but I am supremely impressed in my son's strength of character and fortitude to have finished. I had to try really hard to not cry tears of pride as he made his way out of the water. If he had of decided then and there that he did not want to do this anymore I would have still been proud of him.

But, my son kept going and once out on the bike he managed to settle his breathing and was able to enjoy the remainder of the race. It was really nice to watch him enjoy himself as we played cat and mouse for the next 10kms.

Coming out of T2 Kurt was focused on his run. He did get a stitch but we managed to get that under control at about the 1km mark and towards the end he had picked up the pace. Was he trying to race me? So I said, lets go and finish hard - which he did.

As we crossed the line everyone cheered him home. I could see they were all so proud of him for having overcome such a huge obstacle at the beginning and sticking it out to the end. I could not stop smiling the whole way - my boy is AWESOME. When we finished I asked him how he felt and although disappointed in his swim because he knew he could swim the distance but felt distressed by the open water situation, he was already looking forward to the next one so he can lay those demons to rest. I have promised him that we will make regular visits to the lakes and swim together with a spotter so he can become accustomed to the darkness and openness of the lake. By his next one - which we will do again together, I know for a fact that he will finish much happier within himself.

I love my son to bits, and know that he has overcome such a huge hurdle. I hope in the years to come that he can look back on this and know that anything is possible. He came across a mountain and hacked away at it till it became nothing more than a mole hill. Way to go Kurt.

You are my idol.

How cool was that.

Wow, is all I can say. If you have never been to a Velodrome I suggest you make your way to one ASAP. This was my first time at one and all I can say is "I want to have a go". It looks like so much fun - I think maybe my Grandad's genes have a little to do with my enthusiasm - you see he was a National Cycling Champion in his day in Uruguay.

Anyway, the reason I went was to support a friend Andrew Mclean aka Macca as he was competing in the State TT championships for his 1km. The kids and I went to Dunc Gray Velodrome and from the moment we walked in we were gobsmacked. I never realised how steep the sides of this velodrome were. I actually got a bit of vertigo as I looked down the face of that wall - huge.

Macca is such a nice guy, a real genuine soul. He never ceases to make me smile every time I walk into the bike shop - Panther Cycles. We could see his quiet/nervous disposition from the other side of the Velodrome as he was warming up on the rollers.

He spotted us and came over to say HI and thank us for coming to support him. State Titles in my books are a huge deal. I was so nervous for him but he seemed to take everything in his stride. I almost felt as though I was participating in this event and wouldn't have missed this massive event for anything in the world.

As he made his way back down to the centre of the Velodrome we all wished him goodluck but knew that he would totally nail it. I have never seen him ride but when you hear about his passion for indoor cycling it's not hard to tell that he was made for it. His face lights up.

Before we knew it, it was Macca's turn to get up on the start line (if thats what you call it in the cycling world). The kids and I were watching intently and the Velodrome became extremely quiet as the Countdown began - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. He was off.

I had been watching alot of the others start and their starts seemed a bit messy - almost like they couldn't quite time their exit from the start - but Macca's start was smooth. Nice and clean and powerful.

With each loop my nerves got bigger and bigger - not sure why, it's not like I was competing but I think I just wanted him to go really well. Not that he needed my help. Macca makes cycling look effortless - he has such a strong, powerful pedal stroke and a real easy look about how he holds himself on the bike. He is not all hunched over and gripping the bars tightly, but rather its like he and the bike are made for eachother - perfect fit.

When he finally crossed the finish line after a whopping 1km effort, this was his time :

1:10:30

That is so fast, I can't begin to tell you how fast he zoomed past us all - you can actually feel the floor beneath you rattle. That humming sound is just the best. This amazing time scored him a 2nd placing and a PB of .7 secs. How cool is that.

CONGRATS MACCA.

Awesome effort - we are all so proud of you. Look forward to watching you compete again and hopefully taking part in some indoor cycling myself.