What a day!

I woke up this morning feeling quite sore in the shoulders from yesterday's swim and was thanking God today was a cycling day. And what a day I was blessed with for cycling - blue skies and not a single cloud over the ocean. The kids had been begging us to go to the beach so we decided to go and enjoy some rays before I headed off for a ride.

I can't remember the last time we actually just sat around and played in the sand and enjoyed quality time as a family. It felt so nice to just sit back and let my feet soak up the yumminess of the cool ocean water.

Stephen and the kids played beach volleyball and it was fun watching the kids, who are now almost as tall as their father try to beat him. I really am blessed to have such a great family.
After spending a great morning at the beach we headed back to the apartment and Kurtis and I headed out for a bike ride to tackle some of these hills that engulf the surrounding regions.

After tackling about 6kms worth of decent hills Kurt decided to head back home and I ventured out on my own to see how I could tackle the hills behind the units we were staying at. These hills are unlike anything I have ever seen, suffice to say that if you are driving them in your car, taking it down to your second gear is what is needed to get up and over them. I wish I had of taken a photo of them to show you today but I am heading out for a bunch ride on Friday with some of the locals and will aim to take loads of pics for you then.

I will be aiming for a 70km ride with them and hopefully they will show this newcomer some mercy on the trip.

And so it begins.

Week one of my 70.3 has coincided with my holidays with the family. We haven't had a holiday for close to 2 yrs and the last one we had was an absolute shamozzle. So to say that we were in dire need of a holiday is a bit of an understatement. We decided to head to the coast and soak up the rays but as we were packing up the car the rain started and did not let up till yesterday.

It didn't stop us though from sneaking out inbetween downpours to visit the coast and see some of the sights.

The whole time we were out and about I couldn't help thinking about what I would do if the rain did not let up. I knew that there was a leisure centre, so the swim was covered and possibly the run but how was I possibly going to tolerate a 2hr ride in a gym. Oh, well I was just going to have to make do. And I thought if this guy could tolerate the elements then so could I.

So this morning, Monday 4th October, 2010 was Day 1 of my 70.3 training. Today was going to be the start of my quest in conquering my first ever 70.3. And I couldn't wait. So I headed to the pools and did my first session.

• 300m Fr/s Warm up
• 6 x 50m Drills 15 secs rest
• 8 x 50m Hard on 1 min
• 4 x 100m Tempo on 1:40
• 2 x 200m Easy on 3:30
• 1 x 200m which was meant to be 400m but started cramping.
• 2 x 200m Easy with pullbouy on 3:30
• 4 x 100m Tempo on 1:40
• 8 x 50m Fins (25m easy, 25m hard)
• 200m cooldown.

I felt strong in the water and it was good to just get in a decent swim. With my first session under my belt I got home, had a quick shower and we headed off to Minumurra Falls. An absolutely gorgeous spot and if I had the chance to retire in this location I would.




After a short but gruesome 2.6km undulating walk to the falls and back we headed home and I toddled off for my 4km run. It is such a nice change to run by the coast. I could feel the ocean spray on my skin and I love it. Not sure was was saltier - the spray or my sweat. My husband and son were watching me go for my run and said that I am running much better and I am definately alot faster than I was some 10 months ago when I first started.

I would say today was an extremely eventful first day of training. Tomorrow is a 2hr bike ride and I have no idea of where I should be riding around here. It's always a bit scary figuring out where to ride. I am sure the lady whom we rented the apartment of said there is a bike track around here but I am yet to find it. The hills around here are just absolutely spectacular, so steep in fact that you have to drive up some of them only in first gear.

May just have to do some research before I take off on my ride.

I conquered the hills. Yes, HILLS.

I kept hearing around the Tri Club circle about this route that has an exuberant number of decent hills and even though the thought of it was enough to make my blood run cold, something inside of me wanted to be part of that elusive group of individuals. I too wanted to say that I had ridden those hills and survived. I too wanted to fly the badge of bravery and feel that I can hang with the big boys.

So today I decided to do just that with a friend who has ridden it before. There are two areas with hills and even though I wanted to do both I knew it wise to tackle only one of those today otherwise it could have turned my ride into a century ride full of hills - not sure if I wanted to push myself to that distance just yet.

This route that we chose although not totally hectic with traffic can at times leave you a few inches away from some very big trucks. This is the closest I would ever like to be but am glad to say that they don't scare me like they used to.

The one thing I struggle with when doing hills is that although I don't find it hard in getting out of the saddle to climb, it's the length of time I can do it for. I seem to find it a bit easier to climb the hills sitting down. But over a long period it does fatigue my legs and my back starts to ache like crazy. So this is something I definately need to work on.

I'm getting there. I feel like I am getting stronger and more determined to succeed. I like this feeling.

Should I start the two a day today?

Of course. I wanted to take advantage of the yummy weather I was blessed with today. So I headed down to the pools and just did a nice easy 1400m swim. Can't exactly say why my swim was so short other than a coffee and my best friend were beckoning, and I thought that seeing as this is my last week before I start my training in earnest I would be allowed to make it easy. So I just did a few 100's, some kick with fins and some Bk/s mixed in for variety.

As I was getting changed I realised how much of a patchwork quilt my body looked like with all its tan lines. I have the cycling/tri short marks on my legs, a nice white belly, the swimmers "O" on my back and singlet marks on my shoulder. Not a glamorous look at all. So I was thinking in the name of beauty I had to get myself a cossie that I could wear for training as well as at the beach and hope that it would blend some of the lines.

I also decided to get myself a new pair of goggles as my last pair although totally awesome are probably a bit too dark for open water swimming. So I got myself the AquaSphere Kaiman. They have tinted lens but nothing like my Vorgee Missile.

I also received in the mail today upon my return from my swim my compression socks. Talk about impeccable service from EziSports. I put in my order and in less than 24hours it is at my doorstep. So I thought I would try my 3km run with them and see how the legs pulled up. They are so super comfy. Not too tight and not too loose. They are thick enough to assist in compression but light enough so you don't overheat. And my one concern was that they might slide down as I ran, but they stayed put.
I also wanted to see if it helped with my ankle swelling, and I am pleased to announce that my ankles came back from the 3km run this afternoon nice and slender, not an ounce of swelling was noticed. I did get some strange looks as I was out running. Not sure if it's because they liked my new socks or because I looked like a 70's basketball player. I like to think it's because I looked like a professional runner. A girl can dream.

BRING IT ON.

I received an email yesterday evening from my coach. This new email held the contents of the beginning of my new program to get me to the 70.3 next year in May. Am I excited? For sure. I actually cannot wait. Never in my wildest dreams some 18mths ago would I have ever contemplated being excited about a long arduous journey like the one I am about to embark on. But there is something reassuring and calming about having a program set in concrete to follow. I know that step by step, day by day, week by week and month by month I will inch my way closer to the my goal.

My new training works on a monthly basis with slow increments being made in the running department. By the end of October I will have made my way to running 5km which will coincide with my first ever Sprint Tri. Another goal I am looking to conquer. This months training program goes something like this:

• Monday: Swim/Run
• Tuesday: Bike ride
• Wednesday: Run
• Thursday: Swim
• Friday: Spin/Run
• Saturday: Ride/Swim
• Sunday: Off

Kind of looking forward to the 2 a day sessions as it will definately improve stamina. Must get really cracking on my vitamin supplementation and not forget any of them or run out, as it always takes me a week or so to get some more.

Today I had some more physio and I am pleased to say that my paraspinals have a little more movement in them. And why shouldn't they when I am getting a really good workout once a week. I haven't felt that horrible nerve pinch in a while so even though the pain at physio can at times be unbearable I will continue to endure it because the benefits are unreal. My back feels great.

Things are looking up so BRING IT ON.

Feeling good.

After Saturday's Triathlon and the euphoria that went with it subsiding, I decided to keep my word in going for the long bike ride on Sunday morning with the Panther's girls. I am happy to report that I rode a new distance - 64km to be exact. Not a great deal more but after Saturday's effort my legs were just about toast. Once again I confronted the motorway and on the way back I even headed back to my car on my own. I felt confident enough to be able to manouevre myself around a roundabout and when I got back to the car I was even tempted to ride straight past it and head home. And if my legs felt fresh I would have gone straight home and gotten Stephen to take me back to pick up the car. But I piked out and drove home instead.

Yesterday was a much needed rest day and I am really considering buying some compression gear for my lower legs. They felt so tight and full of fluid that I think my circulatory system needs some help in shunting it back. My ankles were/are also quite swollen and tight which seems to coincide with the warmer weather. I had much the same thing happen last year around Christmas when my ankles became cankles. Not a pretty sight at all.

But this has not put me off still getting out and keeping up with my training. I did another 3km run this afternoon and felt surprisingly fresh in the legs. I tried to pay attention to my form as I noticed in my photos that I am a real heal striker. It is not so bad when I feel good but as the run continues it just progressively gets worse. Have a look:














Atleast I am still smiling. It could be worse I guess.

Light up the Lakes Triathlon.

I woke up this morning to the best weather ever for the "Light up the lakes" Triathlon. Weather forecast was 27 degrees celsius with slight winds and some cloud cover. I could not have asked for anything better. I was excited and nervous but most of all just itching to head down to the lakes to get it started. But first thing was first! Anyone who knows me knows that my hair is probably as uncontrollable as a 2 yr old child who has just been denied a lolly pop at the candy store. It will not behave for anyone. So I headed to the hairdresser to get my hair braided into 2 cute little pigtails. I thought I looked neat, my kids thought I looked like a kid. I think it was because it was so tight I had an instant face lift - I wasn't complaining.

Once at the lakes I racked my bike in a fairly decent spot I thought, right on the end not too far from the bike exit and only a stones throw away from the run exit. I knew I could get to my bike without too much hassle. After that it was time to get suited up and head down to the water to get a bit of a warm up swim. I had to borrow a wetsuit as my new suit had still not arrived, but this suit was sleeveless and because the water was so cold - 19 degrees celsius I first had to dunk my arms into the water and get my face wet to acclimatise to the briskness of the water.
No sooner did I get my face wet I just dove straight in and tried to not let it affect my breathing. It was just so cold so I kept swimming to warm up. Before I knew it it was time for race briefing and then time to get back in the water and get ready to start. I was pumped, ready to just get this happening - my nerves were making me feel sick.
The starter set us on our way and I took off. Not quite sure what my speed was like but I did feel so much more tired. Not sure if the cold water and it's vasoconstrictive effects on the human body affected me but I got to the 200m mark and was pooped. I had no problem sighting but the tiredness I was feeling was little unnerving. Maybe the tightness of the wetsuit was another possible cause. I just couldn't get my breath properly either. Before I knew it I was turning at the buoy and heading for the ramp. Exiting the ramp was slightly difficult. Moss had covered a section of it so I couldn't actually stand. I had to grip and crawl up it.
However once on my feet I headed for T1 in a bit of a frazzle because I couldn't find my cord to unzip.


Once I found it I broke into a good stride and headed straight to where my bike was racked. Off came the wetsuit, on went the shoes and helmet and off I headed. Not a bad first attempt at trying to remove the wetsuit I thought.

The bike leg was great. I averaged about 30km/hr through the 10km ride. On one side it was slightly easier as I had a tailwind, however coming back saw a considerable decline in the speed, so I clicked into an easier gear and just tried to spin the legs. By the end they were hurting quite a bit.
T2 was alot easier and I think I dismounted my bike fairly well, atleast there was no wall for me to stack it into this time around. So off I headed for my hardest leg. The run! I was actually quite surprised how once I started running, my legs didn't feel too trashed at all. I was tired but not completely knackered.



So I headed off for my run and was just hoping to complete it without having to stop to walk for any length of it. What I didn't expect was to have PR'd in both my bike and run legs.

• Swim 250m - 4:06
• T1 - 30:12 secs
• Bike 10km - 19:33
• T2 - 18:81 secs
• Run 2.5km - 13:32

I have not gotten my official finishing time yet but I think just by looking quickly I have beaten my last time by about 3 minutes. When I get the official times I will post a comparison of the two. Should be interesting.

So now I can safely and proudly safe I am no longer a one time line crosser. I have just completed my second short Triathlon and loved every aspect of it. Can't wait for the next one.