16 weeks out - update

Again, i've been a bit slack in updates.

However, with only 16 weeks to go until race day, i'm thinking a weekly update will be pretty easy from here on in.

The last month or so has been a little all over the place.

November was supposed to be a big month, with Noosa Oly distance, followed by Shepp 1/2 IM 2 weeks later and Mornington 1/2 IM two weeks after that (yesterday).

Well, it didn't quite work.

Noosa was a great race, as it always is and I was pretty happy with my time.

And here's a few happy snaps from Noosa ...

During the swim - (centre of shot, left arm out of the water)

Heading out on the ride

Heading out on the run - with my now famous turtle hat

But after that i needed a break and mentally couldn't get up for Shepp. I gave myself 2 weeks to get back in the right headspace and was going well. A solid week of training done ... then boom!! Injury!!

So yet again i'm missing race through injury. After chatting with my physio, I could have done Mornington, but it would have risked a month of training. Pretty easy decision really!!

So now here i am 16 weeks out, injury pretty much ready to train on and about to enter the Christmas Silly Season. I'm just going to get through until Christmas, doing as much as my life allows.

Following Christmas, i've got 11 or so days at home. I can see that time as a great chance to get some solid sessions, as well as quality family and sorting the garden time in.  Then it's away with some friends for a week holiday...YAY!! That week might be a little light on, maybe a good recovery week.

From there it's 10 weeks ... It's getting scarily close!!!

Anyway, i best go clean up from dinner, so i can get to bed and get some zzzz's before the alarm goes off at 4am!

Cheers Tim

The Hazelwood Hardman... My First Long Course Triathlon.

I haven't been updating this page as frequently as previously, mostly because i've been using my Facebook page -->> https://www.facebook.com/TheJourneyToBecomeIronTimbo as i find it accesses more people.

But i thought last weekend worthy of an update, as i finally completed my first long course triathlon, the day after an Olympic distance. So here are the write ups from my FB page.

Cheers Tim
 

Update from Day 1 of the Hazelwood Hardman.

Today was the (almost) Olympic distance race - 1.5k swim / 36k ride / 9k run.

My plan for today was to race comfortably; not dig too deep at any stage, not look at the watch and generally just get around, so i don't pull up sore for the longer race tomorrow.

I was hoping that on both days i could just blend in with the crowd doing each of the events - but nup, that wasn't going to happen. We arrived to find a separate (pro style) transition for the 14 people entered to do the Hardman, complete with carpet and name plates in transition! We also had different colour swim caps and an "H" on our numbers to distinguish us as insane!!

I was pretty happy with how the race went, for a nutritional, pacing and energy expended point of view.

The swim was about 5 minutes faster than i did at Noosa last year (which was the last Oly i did), and i felt comfortable the entire time - except for my right calf, which cramped as i tried to stand up at the end. It's still a bit sore now. Hopefully all's well in the morning!

The ride was a little interesting at times. I was umming and ahhing about which front wheel to use - as i'm still a bit uncomfortable with the 50mm carbon in a breeze. The breeze wasn't too bad today - but came in a few times, which made me a little nervous. I may have been a bit too conservative on the ride - but wanted to make sure i would be ok for tomorrow.

I was really pleased with the run. Again, i didn't put any pressure on the run, stayed in control in 1st gear the whole time. The hill on the course is a nasty little rise - averaging about 7% for 600m, because it's a multi-loop course, we had the pleasure of doing it twice...i'm really looking forward to doing it 4 time tomorrow...

All being said, i'm really happy with the day - hopefully i'll wake up tomorrow ready for Day 2!

Also a massive shout out to Mick from Back In Motion in Patterson Lakes, for opening late on a Saturday to give my legs and lower back a going over in prep for tomorrow.

 

Ok, it's time for the Day 2 update of the Hazelwood Hardman, which is almost as long as the race itself!!

Today (or yesterday, or whenever it was relative to when this is being read) was the Long Course triathlon, comprising a 2km swim / 81.5km ride / 17.5km run. It was to be my first long course race - why i chose to do it after an Olympic distance is one for a psychology class

As one of my fellow competitors told me just before the race, how i would go today depended on what i did last night.

After i finished the race on Saturday, i made sure i refueled and hydrated, but also had a massage. Yep, i made my physio open late Saturday arvo just for me (thanks to Mick from Back in Motion http://www.backinmotion.com.au/practice/patterson-lakes). I was quite glad he did, as i had a massive knot in my calf.

I woke on race morning feeling pretty good, but really nervous. I knew i hadn't gone too hard on Saturday, but nonetheless my legs knew they'd raced the day before.

My plan for the race was quite simple ... don't go too hard, if it starts to hurt slow down, walk the steep pinch on the hill on each lap, and FINISH!!

The start of the swim was quite uneventful, it was only a small crew going around, so it was easy to find your own water and get into a rhythm. My shoulders felt a little sore from the day before, but nothing that caused any distress. I managed to get around the swim at about the same pace as the day before. Again nothing quick, but i felt relaxed and comfortable.

Exiting the water, my spot in transition was quite easy to find, as most of the Hardman rack was empty. Taking off my wetsuit turned into a chore, as my calf cramped as it was half off. So i finally managed to get ready and off on the bike i went!

I was pleased with my ride. My legs were tired, and i had to not force the issue to hold pace up the little rises, for fear of not being able to run. I managed to hold pretty much the same pace for the 5 laps.

I haven't decided whether i like the 5 lap set-up or not. From a negative point of view, it was kind of depressing being lapped (by the winner) on my first bike lap! (But in my defense he swam a 25min / 2k, and then smoked the bike course averaging 42k/h for the 81.5k!) On the positive side, it was great to have the continuous support of people each time round, and it's great for the spectators not to have to move. It was also good in the fact that for most of the time there were other cyclists around (most of whom were flying past me...but that's irrelevant ).

So onto the run...

This was always going to be interesting. The run was a short dash to a 4 lap loop, then back to the finish. Another indication of how i was placed relative to my chances of winning... As i was about 500m into the run, pro tri-athlete and race winner Tom Rodgers, ran by the other way to collect the win!

The 4k run loop can be broken up as follows... 2k flat, aid station, 1km long hill - directly from hell, nice 1k roll down, aid station, repeat. Mentally, i set myself to run to the top of the hill 4 more times. After the first cresting i told my self i'd gone up 3 times this weekend, so i was half way there. Claire and the kids and my sister in law Prue were at the aid station at the bottom of the hill, and it was great to have that support! After the second lap Claire had to leave to catch a plane, so there was a pause for a 'G-Rated see you on Wednesday night kiss and cuddle' then back to the run.

By this time the run started to hurt. A headwind had popped up, making the 2k long straight flat mentally tougher than the hill... this wasn't helped by fresh roadkill baking in the midday sun - the stench was fairly ordinary!!

By the 3rd time i hit the aid station at the base of the hill i was struggling, i wasn't totally done, but i was fading. I've read numerous times, that flat cola is great for the back half of the run in long course racing. It didn't give me an energy boost, but i think the sugar and caffeine may have just switched my brain back into gear, this allowed me to regain focus and get up the hill!

The last time up the hill was still hard, but i with my brain buzzing from caffeine, i knew i just had to get up and then it was all down / flat to the finish.

And what a welcome sight the finish line was!!

So after 2 hours 28 minutes and 55 seconds on Saturday and 5 hours 12 minutes and 27 seconds on Sunday i was done!!

It was a great learning experience, both in terms of advice from more experienced athletes, and what i found out about myself mentally, physically, and nutritionally (I should take this opportunity to thank Steph from The Natural Nutritionist - http://www.thenaturalnutritionist.com.au/ who i've been working with for a month or so. The changes definitely worked ). I was also very happy with my bike set-up - thanks AJ! Just a few minor tweaks to do.

I've also realised which bits of my game in need to work. Now that i know i can get around a long course, i want to know how fast i can go... i think this may started some form of addiction (Sorry Claire what was it you said on Saturday night ... triathlons for Tim = diamonds for Claire)

It was a great weekend of friendly, yet competitive racing, and i would thoroughly recommend to any way of any standard (this is just my way of saying, would a few more back of the pack athletes join me next year )

One last comment. Thanks to Noel Fenn,the LV Tri Club ( http://www.lvtriclub.com.au/ ), and the volunteers for putting an such a great race! Grass roots triathlon at it's best!!

Playing support crew for the day ...

Last Sunday i played support crew / child-wrangler, as my wife, and several hundred other women swam, rode and ran around MSAC and the picturesque Albert Park Lake, in the annual Pink Triathlon.

This race was my wife's first triathlon. Like a lot of people she never considered doing a triathlon because of the open water swim. But this tri was different - it had a pool swim!!

I think it's no secret, that she was still slightly terrified of the swim, but she got through it! And once she got on the bike she even began smiling and ended up thoroughly enjoying the ride and run!!

She did an awesome job, and i couldn't have been prouder :)

Best part is, she's talking about her next triathlon, upgrading her garmin and bike...