Wish I had of known sooner.

Tri bars make you faster. Or atleast they make ME faster. I cannot believe how much of a difference it made. If I had of known how much more powerful I felt in this position I would have purchased a set with my bike. I am still no Pro on the bike, but even a couple extra km's an hour works well for me.

I must admit though it took me a bit to get used too, and by a bit I mean maybe all of minute. If I could try and describe the feeling - I guess it's like trying to balance on a tightrope. If you lean either way a little too much you find yourself totally going in that direction. Engaging my core was of absolute importance to maintain a balanced posture on the bike.

There were a couple of downsides to being in this position:

• Sore shoulders
• Stiff neck
• Sore under-carriage
• Dribbly nose......++++

The positives:

• Increased speed
• Reduced pain in my back
• I finally felt Tri worthy
• Love the power in my pedals - could feel the bike surge forward with each downstroke
• Reduced fatigue

I spent most of my 55kms today in that position, apart from the occasional "butt in the air" stretch. That always feels nice to do but not sure if it looks good from behind. Who cares anyway, my poor little toosh needs a break every now and then.

I remember back to when I first started riding my legs and butt would get super sore after 5km, now it's closer to the 50km. Everyone was right when they said it takes time in the saddle.

All in all, today was a good day. Glad I got to practice on the Tri bars before Sunday. Now I can really attempt to push hard on the bike leg. This is going to be fun.

I'm in love.

Yep, you heard it right here. I have found another love - my bike set up. Wow, is all I can say. I woke up so excited this morning because I knew today was D-day, the day I would have "Aaliyah" set up like Xena warrior princess ready for my first sprint battle.

Before I put up some photo's I must own up to another day of rest first. Last night I woke up with a real attack of the butterflies and couldn't sleep for ages. I kept going through the race a hundred times in my mind. This is what was going through my mind:

• What would my set up look like.
• How would I tackle the swim.
• Should I have my shoes on the bike or on the ground.
• What sort of speed should I hold on the bike.
• Do I aim to run the first and third 1.25km slightly faster then the second and fourth.
• Or should I aim to just make it to the end.

I finally fell asleep but woke up this morning excited about my bike but feeling a bit seedy. So I opted to just take it easy today and make the most of my outing to Panther's Cycles.

I wish I would have taken a snap shot of my excited face, I am sure it would have looked like this:

Thank god the guys at the shop are used to it by now and they just go about their merry way.

So here it is: DRUM ROLL PLEASE............................................................................

I noticed too that everyone's TT bars are wrapped. But I had forgotten to ask if the guys could do it at the shop, so I rang hubby and asked if he had any wrap left from the one's he used to wrap the kids tennis racquet handles. He said he did so I set about wrapping it myself after searching for it on YouTube. I know, there is not art or science to it, but if I wrapped it the wrong way it could come undone. And i can't have that happening. What do you think?
I know the wrap says "Wilson" on it, but beggars can't be choosers. Feels nice to the touch, just like the white wrap that is on my drop bars. I think Aaliyah looks the part now.

So tomorrow is my 2hr aerobic ride. Perfect timing, can practice riding using the bars and checking on my cadence too. Have to keep it at 90. Can't wait.

Week 3 totals.

Swim: 8.5km in 4hrs
Bike: 70km + 1hr spin class in 3hrs 43mins
Run: 15.63km in 1hr 36mins

Good news is I have more kilometres under my feet in the run department and I hit a new distance for my bike leg even though I had an off beginning of the week. Things are definately looking up in Barb's training world.

I often wonder if people look at me and wonder why I get so excited about the little things that I accomplish or do, but I just keep going back to what I was like at the end of 2008 - 2009 and how far I have come and cannot help but smile.

I forgot to mention yesterday too that I used a new cream on the Chamois of my cycle shorts.
Chamois Butt'r is really nice. It's easy to apply (not thick at all), has no smell to it and it washes out super easy. I took this 9ml satchet with me on my ride but was not able to re-apply on my journey as there was no-where for me to hide and do it. I knew far too many people out on the road yesterday.

I was sent these satchets by my friend Denise whom I met out on my Kiama ride a couple of weeks ago. Go to the website and check it out.

Also looking forward to tomorrow. I get my Tri bars fitted, my new seat post and my new bike computer. I feel like a kid in a candy store. Stay tuned. Photo's will be in abundance tomorrow.

Oh yeah Baby!!!

What a stark contrast from the beginning of the week to the end of the week. Could it get any better at all. For the time being - I don't think so. I am so proud of me and this post is all about sharing it with YOU.

Yesterday was my first modified brick session. Modified because even though I rode a bike, it was stationary. I attended a hardcore 1 hour spin class that left me dripping with sweat from top to bottom and then followed it with a 4.8km run (meant to be 5km).

This new series at spin is a doozie. From the moment that first song starts to the very last cord of the last song you are working hard, hard, hard. And I LOVE IT. There are times it's so hard I find myself closing my eyes and imagining myself at the 70.3 and feeling this feeling and wondering what exactly I would do. And I always come to the conclusion that I will succeed at pushing through whatever wall/obstacle comes before me. It always feels good to come out the other end knowing that you are strong - not just physically but mentally as well.

So when class ended I swallowed a Gel (disgusting), dumped my bag in the car and took off for my first run off the bike in a training session. It wasn't as bad as I imagined. Even though my legs felt heavy and still tight from Wednesday's track session - within 1 kilometre they felt really nice and loose. I chose to run around the local football field and pretty much just guessed my distance by time. I chose to do 12 laps of the outer perimeter of the field and did it in 27 minutes and thought it felt about right. The only thing that made this run hard was that the sun was fully out and it was HOT. After finishing I drove around the perimeter to see if I guessed right and I was only out by 200m. I am getting better at judging my pace.

So this morning I backed it up with a 70km bike ride. This is a new distance PB for me and I am stoked. The time wasn't crash hot - 2hrs 43mins but I just wanted to make sure I could go the distance. I stopped once as well to take an Ibuprofen and have something to eat with it as my back was hurting a bit. I couldn't have chose a nicer morning to do this. Blue skies and full on sun. Totally the best. The only down side was that I couldn't share this ride with anyone as my program has me riding on a Saturday. Next program though I am back with the girls.

I was totally smiling the whole distance - lucky there were hardly any bugs or I would have looked like this :

Have a great weekend everyone.

Nailed it.

I totally nailed it in the pool today. I can't really explain why I felt so strong in the pool today other than it was just meant to be. I guess all the planets were in total alignment for me today, pushing me forward to a much stronger, relaxed and more graceful stroke. I really felt like for the first time in ages that my swim is 70.3 ready.

My arms were just cutting through the water with minimal effort. I had a total feel for the water that I have not felt before. Could this be the beginning of an awesome 6 months of training. I think so. This is going to be so exciting. Even though I had 1 1/2 days off for rest I still think I am making really good progress and this is only after 3 weeks on my program.

As per my Set B program, it called for a 3.5km. This sort of distance doesn't really bother me anymore. It's almost comforting to know that I can knock these sets out without too much effort now.

• 400m Warm up
• 6 x 50m drills with 15 sec rest
• 4 x 500m - 1st 100m hard (I did them all between 1:15 & 1:17) the following 400m aerobic.
• 8 x 50m (odds hard, evens easy)
• 400m cool down

I had a really nice compliment today from a friend of mine in the pool. He said " I know you could swim Barb, but I never really knew how well until today. I had real trouble trying to keep up with you". What a sweet heart. It's not until I hear stuff like that, that I feel really good about myself. I see him as a good swimmer, so to know that I can swim faster than him makes me feel strong.

I survived.

Thank goodness I have done nothing but rest over the last day and a half as this evening was reserved for my track work with Panther's Tri Club members and TopNotch coaches. I must admit I was extremely hesitant going into this for numerous reasons:

1. Never done track work before
2. Feel self conscious of my running dis/abilities
3. Worried I would get injured
4. Hate feeling out of my depth

I tried to keep my self defeatist attitude in check by repeating to myself that this is what was going to help me to get better and faster and fitter. By doing this I was going to finally get my running under control and I would be able to hold my own in the run leg instead pulling all out on the swim and bike and dying a slow painful death on the run. I was hopefully now on my way to becoming a worthy competitor.

When I got down to the grass track as usual I was early. This is another unmistakable Barbie trait. If I am not there early at any training or meet then there is something wrong - so come looking for me. Within 10 minutes the coaches pulled up and shortly there after other members started turning up one by one. Always nice to see familiar faces who can share in the joy and torture.

We started off with a 1200m warm up - nice and easy we were told. Running on grass is so very different to bitumen. It's uneven and really soft underfoot so I really had to focus where I was placing my foot. The lines on the track have no grass so it kind of hollows out inbetween lanes. I found myself running in these grooves just trying to find stable footing. When we finished the warm up it was time for some dynamic stretches. We did a couple 20m high knees, kick backs, and some side running where you kind of do a zig zag with your legs (not sure what that's called), sorry for the lame description.

We got to have a bit of a rest and then I got hit with our main set. I nearly keeled over - 10 x 400m continuous done as 200m race pace and 200m recovery run. Never ever in my wildest dreams did I think I would be asked to do this. I was having trouble digesting that piece of information until it finally hit me - I was going to have to run that oval 10 times. Did they get me confused with some All Star track athlete? My name is not Florence Griffith Joyner, it's more like Elmer Fudd!!!!

After procrastinating like a big girl, Chris the coach said to me "it's only 4km, you have run 4km". He was right - I had, it was just the way it had been presented to me that scared the living daylight's out of me. So, I finally sucked it up and started.

As usual I went out too hard and did my first 200m a bit too fast and knew that I would not be able to maintain that tempo for all of them. The recoveries felt really nice and it's funny cause after you have run a race pace 200m when you get to go slower it feels like you could almost walk faster. As each race pace 200m went by I could feel myself getting slightly slower but not by too much. What was really starting to show was my lack of form.

I think I have described my running style previously as a bit of an Olympic walker, well it showed again tonight. So what Chris got me to focus on was trying to place my feet on either side of the track line versus on the line - which is what I was doing. It seemed to work but it was not an easy thing to do. It really took all of my concentration to master. As did relaxing my shoulders and pumping my arms in a forward motion versus swinging them from side to side.

In saying all the things I did wrong, I did do alot of things that I am proud of:

1. I didn't quit
2. I smiled and laughed ALOT
3. I attempted everything
4. I ran faster than I ever have before

Am I looking forward to next week? You bet your bottom dollar I am. I had a ball. I can really see how this is going to benefit me. I am already sore in my glutes, hammies and quads. But not a bad kind of sore - more like a 'your muscles have been lying dormant kind of sore'. The only thing that is sore that I am now icing is my left Achilles. It is not horribly painful but rather a bruised sort of feeling. Other than that - I am on top of the world.

40 Winks

Think I have had about 100 but who's counting? I'm certainly not. My body has never required so much rest and sleep, it has actually taken me by surprise.

I thought last night after going to bed at about 7:30pm and leaving hubby with the kids that I would have a decent night's sleep and I did up until 11pm. And then I kept waking up crying. Not just a little boohoo kind of cry, but a full on wail. I can't even remember what I was dreaming about to make me cry like that, the only thing I remember is waking up and being all chocked up and my face was wet with tears. This happened about 4 times and it would take me a a while to get back to sleep and then the process would begin all over again.

But when I finally got up this morning I surprisingly felt refreshed. My eyes didn't have that burning feeling anymore and I was feeling slightly back to my usual self. So I took full advantage of what energy I had and did the usual morning routine with the family, did the grocery shopping and then came straight home and rested some more.

The couch and I have had a close relationship over the last day and it's not often we spend quality time together - so it was nice to snuggle and just be at one with another whilst the kids were at school. Once again I found myself dozing in and out of blissful sleep and making the most of this recovery process. I must have really needed it.

So as I write this post I find myself feeling sleepy again and know that I should really get a set of fasting bloods done tomorrow. A good set of baseline bloods will pick up any deviations in blood chemistry, and it will help me in the future should I start to feel fatigued again. I need to pay close attention to my body inside and out.

Tomorrow is also my first Track Session with TopNotch. Should be interesting to say the least. I am afraid that Chris will have his work cut out for him. It will be like trying to teach a giraffe to run like a gazelle - never going to happen. But maybe this giraffe could get close.....

I also want to give a shout out to one of my blogger buddies Dawn at Puzzle Pieces, her postings always put a smile on my face. She has such a unique way of viewing the world and life in general and as such pieces it together beautiful in the written form as well as visually through her pictures. Jump on over and enjoy her blog.