Week 11 & 12

Week 12 - Again a low key week as i felt very drained early on, Ran BMMC Tuesday and Thursday and Ride/swim/run block Saturday, Kayak 4 Kids Sunday.

Kayak For Kids - 16km Kayak Race

Conditions that met us on the morning were more friendly than a couple of weeks earlier and with half as many boats the event had a very different atmosphere, this one was for the life start foundation for the kids. The 3 person sit on tops set off first around 8.30 with us to depart 925am. I entered the water with a few wobbles as there was no beach due to high tide and ferry wash bouncing off the stone wall next door. With a hand of a follow paddler the new skirt sealed me, which later proved to be water tight! yippee.

They yelled out once the ferry passes we will start, and before the ferry got to us the honked and we were underway, this was a shock to most as we were all rafted up in the harbour chop. So by the time we let go and got away the skis were heading for the horizon. Luckily i had a gap and pushed through to get away clean, as usual around the base of the bridge it was a mess, back wash, forward wash, side wash and the token idiot who can not paddle.

By the time is settled into a rhythm, i got away clean and set about catching a double mirage which i could use to ride, rest and drink, about 3km in i picked them up and had a good rest for about a 1km as they brought me up to 2 other skis, they started to drop off so i pushed past as another ski came up on me. Around middle head (about 11km in) was fun as we hit manly ferry wash right on the point so we had about a 3/4m swell from front and side of the rocks, the race photographer as there so should be so good pic's. As i turned into middle harbour a ski shot past on a runner which i also got but i was in deeper water so lacked distance therefore giving him around 3-4 boat lengths. Into balmoral beech and along the beach and i was catching the ski as he was not going well into the wind, 1.5k to go i had him the water flatten out and i pushed on home. On the beach where we had to drag boats up 50m and run 75m to finish. I think top 10? 1st Sea Kayak 1hr 29min. Very Happy.

Week 11 -This week was every low key with plenty of rest as wifey was diagnosed with glandular fever, so if i felt tried i rested to ensure i did not get it a few weeks out, luckily she is now on the improve and has colour back in the skin.

Fitted in 11hrs with a lift in intensity rather than distance/time with a good mtb/run block session on Saturday.

Run 28.6 Swim 3.5 MTB 84 plus 2 morning run/walks pushing the pram as bubs would not sleep

Week 10

10 down and 6 to come, thus some nervous must do big days are coming, i am planning full race simulation block session at Easter.
This week was good as life has settled back down after travelling the country. Especially after a good result on Saturday.

Aroc Adventure Race - Nelson Bay
It started Friday night with a 3hr drive to Nelson via Maitland to drop off my kayak for a repair, this does not seem bad but i opted to leave late as wifey had been crock so i want to get a boys sorted for her. I arrived 11ish scrubbed the teeth and jumped on to the fold out which was a substitute for a bed for the next 7hrs. This bed was very hard, like sleeping on a table and i found out next day the carpet offered greater comfort, gutted!. So after getting around 3hrs sleep it was time to eat and prep (6am). To rego, got the maps and modified them due to strong easterlies they removed 3 x 8+metre cliff jumps into the ocean.
The weather was crazy with great sun shine then a heavy down poor and blistering heat again? everything was a little delayed as the buses did not arrive on time, due to this some teams started 15mins behind everyone else.
We started on the large stockton sand dunes 40min bus ride south of nelson bay with a aerial photo rogaine then a sand dune run to the waters edge, total run was around 6km but felt more like 8-9k we were lucky the last shower made the surface quite hard. The first rogaine (took 3mins) we made a hash of it and left that area in the bottom 25% of team, so we had to run ourselves back into it. Onto the bikes for a 11km blat through sandy 4x4 tracks, so we were regularly pushing bikes up sandy tracks. We made one nav error to put us back into the lead bunch. This bike finished with 2km riding along the beach, with a short hike-a-bike. We were all riding well and pulling away from the lead bunch. Onto a short run where i swam to an island to hit one CP, this was great to drop the body temp, but did weigh down the shoes.
By this stage it was down to 2 team, and we were one of them as we had cleared out from the bunch. A short ride to the start of the kayaks where we paddled across from Fingal Bay to the spit which we lead off the boat as we headed from the coasteer around the head land, by the tip of the headland after some crazy rock jumps we were both together. They were running better than us as cramps started to set in so they pulled away as were headed back to the boats. Given that we left the boats so far down the beach we opted to run ours along the shore as it was only about a 500m paddle where they went out through the surf. We came off the kayaks beside each and they were off on foot the a 1.5km beach run. Leg cramps set in so we backed off and cruised in as we were well clear of 3rd. Finish the run and a 500m ride brought us in to finish 2nd 1min 30 in 2:56:08. This was one of the most intense races i would have done, the pressure was on teh whole race. In the end the body felt good and i was running well thanks BMMC! i even went for a ride yesterday.

Swim 2.1k, Mtb 28k, Run 11k, Ride 20k,Paddle 8k (new PB) Race 3hr

Week 9

This week was 4 days is Adelaide, a good run mid week with the body feeling good (15km) followed by up tempo 5k the next day. Finished on a high with Harbour Bridge to Manly paddle, 1st Sea Kayak home 1:09, slower than i would have like but testing conditions when it was only my second time is the boat.
The race started before the gun with 300 boats entering the water and staging started (thus moving 100m every 2 mins) but everyone was edging forward so they just started the race. What a mess 25 boats wide and paddles touching and bumping boats in a pea soap of chop and wash from the rocks. We rounded the first point into 15knot head wind, chop and swell, so i quickly worked out my spray skirt was leaking, leaking bad! especially when the bow went completely under. so as the race went on the boat got deeper into the water and slower it became even when i tried to push on. Ended with around 30litres in my cockpit and the boat very heavy in the water. My time reflected it, but still happy

Swim 2k
Run 20
Paddle 11km Race

Week 8

Crazy week Return from NZ monday morning, straight to work, then Over night in melbourne and day trip to adelide for work but one highlight i got the new boat!! so got in 16k paddle and that was it. 3 starts this week before 4am.