Starting from scratch

After another 2 weeks of R&R due to the flu and few days taken out for the Melbourne cup i almost feel normal, so it is official i am back into the swing of training, I do not think i have taken this much time off ever, but next year is a be a big year as entry for the world champs gets put in this week so bring on NOV 2011 in Tasmania.

But before then we have a lot of other races, including hopefully a few Lawson races, Club tri's, Ski races and once 2011 starts and the new addition to the family arrives i would like to complete at forester again in May, otherwise Geoquest, Kathmandu 24hr, then the big finale in Tasmania.

The body will hopefully never again feel like it does now, or the pain to get it back in condition as i need to drop 5kgs and spend a lot of time on the road or track.

Life back to normal

After a month from the spot light (thus meaning any training) i almost have a body that feels normal agian. Blood work showed i just had a very bad virus, but you get these thing when you sit in the airport for 8 hrs when virgin cancels flights.

Big weekend last week approx 5km run and 2.5km swim (not back to back), that is about the extent of my fitness so i have a steep hill to climb to get back to anywhere near i was in may for Anaconda.

I have had to withdraw from up coming races as the body would not cope? so the wife is happy as i am around the house more, taking care of the kids! i am sure i will get sick of that.

Any way thats a sumary of 1 months training. now back to work

Go Natural multi sport

After a extensive 16 day build up the body was ready to fire, or this is what i hoped!.

4am alert screened out in disgust, food in and gear in and on the car and off to pick up super mark (crew). Arrived to heavy fog and nice chill at Akuna bay at around 6am, i recalled the car telling me it was 6 degrees. Very fresh. registered and poured a hot cho

colate down the throat in an attempt to warm the cockles.

Gear all sorted i jumped on the bike for a 15 mins pre race.

Ride dropped a chain just before the turn around, so the bunch dropped me and worked to hard to get back.....

Paddle...toes were numb off the bike and could not get them into me booties, so lost time, on the water happy but should have pushed more, new boat was great.......

Run the legs were wanting and had to stop for a leak loosing time...... ran 12k

m no socks wore the skin of the top of toes!

Finished 20th 3hr 27min very happy

4 sleeps to go

A productive weekend of bashing the body on the bike and around the river as i attempt to get settled on the new ski. Did a hard 6km paddle yesterday and touch rugby last night and the body felt good (surprisingly!). Now after a few sessions in the boat i am starting to get good pace from it, but she can be a twitching bitch sometime.

Ran this moring with sleep train in the rain which i do not think helped my head cold pre race. But oh well can not change that now. Legs stiffened out towards the end ofhte run as they were getting cold, and the touch rugby did not help the quads coming up sun valley.

Doom Day

After almost 3months is the training abis i got an email from Max Adventure offer me a last minute spot due to a withdrawal. 16 day until race day. Given i can not turn down a challenge i took it with open arms and parted with my beloved $100.

This being last Tuesday i have since been out a about testing the body to see what state it is not, it is not where it should be but i still have not peaked, i now have 11 days to peak and taper my training. Thats right i need to train to have a peak or taper? While the body contemplates how to get fit the mind has been working on the body can gain mechanical advantage over the opposition. Race wheels, aero helmet, quicker boat, shave legs, loose weight, load with caffeine these are all things which may gain me seconds after loosing minutes due to fitness.

The plan is to enjoy race and push the body until it blows up.

Got the new ski on Sunday, very happy and will give me a little more speed. Mchanical tick number one.

Training is still light first five day

Run 28

Bike 62

Paddle 18

Anaconda Forster!

It took 17weeks of training and a supportive family to get last weekend, plus Dr Phil and Family as support crew which was greatly appreciated especially in the rain of Saturday.

We arrived to Forster Friday arvo 30 degrees no swell, stunning beach weather, settled in, starting checking gear, but one thing was wrong my gut! for the previous few days leading up to now i was off colour, cramps, the runs, head arches etc... so once race brief was Done at 7pm it was dinner then bed. but given the small apartment we have bubs in the same room with us and he was off colour also, therefore after restless night with around 3hrs sleep, i was up trying to eat in prep for the race, (which could not really do) as it was now 6am. i had had 3 toilet stops by now!

4am a storm front came through with rain and wind.

DAY 1
Completed gear drops cold and wet rain, the swell was coming up with the tide, so things were going to be interesting.
8am start with a 3km run in a wetsuit to the swim start, this saw me overheat and given my condition did not set me up for a rough swim (1.9k - 500m run - 500m). The run took us around the shore line cliff and down a massive sand dune into the rolling surf, then all we had to do was swim back. Given the cliffs there was alot of re-bounding surf, so about 1km in i was getting sea sick as you were pitching sideways the whole time, got to the 500m run (very slow) mid swim. This settled me a little to jump back in to last drag home.
Out of the water very light headed and green (see pics on web) and was about to through the towel in, i battled to stand no balance, while getting Pfd / skirt on, perfect for paddling, but dr phil pushed me out to sea in my boat. Tried to settle in (13ks) with eyes set on the horizon in an attempt to settle the stomach but again alot of side swell, chop, rain and fog. But i was going better than other so picking through the pack. Half way i got spot in my vision, which did not help reading waves for runners. At the last can as we turned into the beach a jet was running around trying to guide people in as i could see this was going to hurt (1.5m swell pitching straight on to the beach). I picked a runner and headed for shore, trying to pick the rip so i move up the beach, the guy in the jetski saying go now you have a lul. So in i went, first wave popped my skirt so i was out of the boat near the beach, i was up the beach as Dr Phil grabbed the boat from the surf, i was happy to survive, later to discover the boat got beaten up with a couple of large fractures.

Happy to be on dry land and onto the bike (19k) to try to claw a few back, we road over roots, mud, rocks grass, mud and it went well as i picked up 12 places, but the gut was still not good. In a couple of the descents i could not see a thing, mud and rain filled eyes! On the bike i tried to force food in but it would not go! 3hrs in i had not eaten any solid food or gels, not good just liquid.

Off the bike for the final run home (11k), i keep telling myself get to the paddle board, then see what is left, the run was around a shore line of a lake with was alot of shallow mud and drain crossings waist deep, so got a bit of a wash. But made the legs burn after pushing on the bike. Still getting stomach cramps!
The paddle board was tough even through it was only 100m or so, the arms had shut down after the swim and paddle, so the triceps hurt, but this distracted me from my gut.
From here i was on 5-6k away from finishing a tough day, so pushed on with a pace that which was well below where i should have been. when a guy yelled 300m to go and got excited, turned the corner and it was straight up and over a large hill, 150m each side. but got there 32nd overall 10th in Category at the end of day 1.

DAY 2
A better health day 6hrs sleep, got to enjoy breakfast, sunshine, light winds. The drive to Seal Rocks via a bike drop was relaxed as we were early and organised, surprising what sleep and food will do for the mind.

After a stroll along a magical beach to the start line, we were off with a swim, straight through out into breaking waves, which i enjoyed and others did not. Got into a rhythm and got away clean, the water was clear and i caught myself taking in the scenery rather than swimming. we hit the beach around a can then back out around a head land, 2 can and back to the beach (8th quickest individual swim time 33:23). This transition was a mess crews and supporters all in the way gear spread everywhere. but Dr phil had me organised, wetty off and shoes on but no fuel belt and i started to swear! as i thought some one had pinched it! so i was not looking for to a 16k run without liquid. luckily someone had just moved and Dr Phil found in time before i ran away. I did not realise i had that good of swim until a few of the leaders started to run me down about 3k into the run, the legs were heavy as i did not recovery them after Saturdays effort. But settled in the best i could and start to run a few down. Just over half away we had 2 very large and vertical sand dunes to climb to take more sting out of the legs. Again just before the finish another climb but alot of the guiding tapes had been removed so it was hard to navigate, and time was wasted finding the right tracks (this was very common over the course, staff replaced some signs 3 times).
Off the run on to the bike (30k), and the body was firing. As i jumped into the saddle i just want everything to work as it had been filled with mud yesterday. Quickly i started to pick through the teams, this was a great ride, plenty of challenges, especially big deep puddle, with one he stopped us riding and we had to walk through as it was knee deep and rocky. 20k in the legs started to slow and then a group of us got lost and the signage stopped again? or was removed. a few guys in front of me went 2-3k up the wrong track, and we were only a 100m up when they came back. But this cost me 3-4mins. Disappointing when every minute counted to get me back into the mix.

Into the taped up boat for a 13k paddle home, the water was mirror flat, blue sky and sunshine, therefore tough on the body after running and riding now sitting the legs still for just over and hour, 10mins in the cramps start, and start to drink plenty to try to off set them, it did help. Against the tide and negotiating the oyster farm and dodging sand bars made for an interesting paddle. I rode others wakes and rested for a few k's, then when they slowed i went past, very happy with the paddle.

Out to and excited Dr Phil yelling i had a great paddle, shoes on for the last 15mins of fun, 3k run home, the toughest part was 50m up main beach in soft sand, but was greeted with a smiling OJ which took the pain away for the final 30m. The end to a enjoyable day.

23 overall, 7th in Category for day 2, 5:27:55

Results
Total Time 10:27:34 14th individual 7th in Category

First protest for kayak

The day following the kayak for kids, there was a offical protest about the new baby due to its pace, the protest was based around my boat not being a Sea Kayak but being a multisport kayak. The organiser told the person to bugger off, check the regulations and that I would out paddle him anyway!

Love it

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.

Week 6 & 7

A good week for week 6, but dropped the ball week 7 as the family headed to NZ for a weddings and week 8 has not started well with work bunting me around the country, now wednesday and have not had a chance to do one session this week, hopefully tomorrow. Then full day in adeliade on friday.

Week 6 the usual distances
Week 7: Run 41km plus a surf and dive

Week 5

A light week with crazy weather so missed all my ride sessions due to various reasons and took a rest day yesterday as the boys were starting to drive the wife around the twist as they had been trapped inside all week.

The first twilight club tri was attempted on Friday night and it was an experience. We were all geared as the lightening and thunder hit the blue mountains. The organisers advised the rain should miss us as they had just checked on the web but they were wrong. They pull the plug on the swim due to OH&S and set us off on a 2.5km run, by the end of this the drizzle started. On the first lap of the bike the weather deteriorated further and by the end of the first lap it was heavy rain, paddles and flowing water, and i was expect to be waved in and the race cancelled. But no, we were waved through, down the back straight we had gusting cross winds and torrential rain. It was falling hard enough i could only just see and with a tail wind it was easy to get the bike up over 50km/hr which made everything interesting. When we turned into the wind and driving rain into the face it was blinding, quite a few had got off their bikes and were walking back to the start /finish. We were waved in and sent out on the run, at this stage there was water sheeting across the tracks and ankle deep puddles, i through off my shirt as it as it weighing around 8kgs and i could not move. Given the condidtions i was happy with the body performance.

Then the drive home in the rain, flooding at blaxland, and accident at the speed camera and no power at home. A fun night had by all.

Swim 8k, Run 20k, Paddle 8k, attempted club tri 2.5/10/5

Week 4

Solid week again and body is starting to feel good with old muscles starting to wake up agian especially in the pool and boat. Australia Day i clocked the longest run ever for these legs 25.5km, the bike the next day was tough but glad i did it to blow cobwebs out.

Swim 6.5k, Mtb 45k, Road 25km, Run 51.1, Kayak 12
92kg

Week 3/ 13 to go

A light week with rest day monday after 2 days of racing last weekend. Ran well Tuesday morn with BMMC. But had a lack of sleep forced rest day thursday with childern misbehaving in the early hours of the morning over a few nights. Tried to get it back over the weekend but failed. Introduced a night Mtb friday night which was fantastic but it put me further into the lack of sleep basket. Strained shoulder swimming a last week, so no swim for me this week.

Swim 0, MTB 57, Ride 25, Run 20, Paddle 10

Week 2

Good Week : Run 20km, Mtb 15km, Swim 5.5km, Ride, 25km 2x races

Get the new kayak this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Club Tri

The day started with my wife telling me i was stupid for doing two races back to back, but it was a good way to test the body. Given the body was stiff from yesterdays effort i was happy to sub 70mins which was the goal.

The strained shoulder held up for 3/4's of the swim then i had to back off, on the bike i felt strong for the first lap or so then started to cramp yes 25mins in cramp. Pushed on and was not looking forward to the run, 4 people passed before i had one shoe on as i used laces! but i did run 3 out of 4 down. Yes the running is improving thanks BMMC! a good benchmark to monitor progress ver the coming weeks.

68min05sec 750/20/5

BMMC Keeps the trophy

After all the media hype over the week the mountains were alive, could the SUMMIT GEAR BIGFISH team maintain its hold on the Kathmandu sprint race in the Blue Mountains????

Myself and MH were as ready as we would ever be heading in well feed and watered.

The race commenced with a short rogaine around euroka clearing where we had to collect 5 out of 6 check points in any order, given MH's research midweek we pretty much knew where we were heading. We lead out of here under the 5mins.

Into the saddle and we had to climb our of Euroka up Bennets ridge up the oaks and down to red hand caves car park. In the climb up one team went past but at one of the check points near the top I could see & hear he had blown a lot of juice to catch us, and before we got to red hands cave we had them back.

A quick change of shoes and out on to the run, we started the run with 4 or 5 teams around us as they did not have to change shoes. we ran out hard to disappear out of site. We picked up 2 check points and started the climb back out of the creek, up the ridge to our bikes. A this point i was feeling strong but i could not say the same about MH, his legs were not firing. Therefore in the quick march up the steps we dropped the 4 spots before the transition back to our bikes.

Back on the two wheels beast and yet another climb, We had been going just over the hour and covered a 3km run, 10-12km bike and 6km run, so the pace was up. MH legs still did not want to fire so i had settled on trying to get us into 3rd given we could pass one team on the single track and one in the kayak. We pushed on and i gave assistance to MH when i could, drafting or pushing.
We hit the single track and we let rip, MH's focus went from his legs to the track and pace came up, there goes one team flat tyre know in 4th, 2 cp's and across Ironbarks and down the ridge, we could see another. So we pushed like crazy mountain men. They beat us to the cp so it was going to coming down the pace. It would take my a few second to clip and by this stage MH was in front of both of them so i had all the work in front of me as i wanted to lead through the gate into Euroka to the next cp as i knew they would not pass us on the kayak. Passed one of on the inside and the other in the air over a water channel, but this left me with to much pace and i could not get it off, as i had to go through between 2 metal posts less than a metre apart, it was to lead to the next cp, i could not do any thing so i lined up the best i could and slid through sideways, i do not know how i missed. But we lead to the cp and up to the transition. (thanks to the BMMC cheers squad)

We asked how far in front the leaders were, the reply we got was 'you are it' to our surprise 2 teams were MIA. A quick 1 km run to the river and into the boats, at the turn of the kayak leg we could see we had a few hundred metres on them and in these boats this was alot. Marched up out of the river and 1 cp and trotted for home, cramps just starting to set in but we knew it was only a few more minutes.

Done 2hr 32min 1st Male, 1st Overall

1 down 16 to come

Happy with a solid start but was lacking condition so hopefully in a couple of weeks i willl be able to push harder in tough sessions. No paddle this week as i sold my baby but the new one should only be a week or so away!

Ride 85km
Mtb 52km
Swim 9km
Run 30km
13hrs
92kgs

Week 1

Today it all starts, 17 weeks until Anaconda Adventure race 1-2 May, but saying that i arrived to the tri club swim session this morning straigth into a 6km session (note i have not completed a swim session for 3 months). I got through about 5.8 of the 6 which i was happy about with fatigue was setting in. It can only get better from here.

Last week i completed the biggest run week for a long time (55km) with 3 long runs with the BMMC, and the ankles and knees knew about it. Hopefully new shoes will help?

My week plan
Monday Morn - Swim / Arvo Run
Tuesday Run (Bmmc) / Off
Wednesday Ride (hills)/ Paddle (8km race)
Thursday Run (Bmmc)/ may Swim?
Friday Ride (easy) / Run (recovery)
Saturday Ride (long), swim / off
Sunday Paddle (long), Run / off

92kgs