Another Monday

I think the crazies are taking over. Went for a swim today and my first crazy was this female who shared the lane with Adam and me. For some reason she wanted to use the middle of the lane. Let's not do what everyone else is doing and share.  No that's all to hard.  Even when I swam close to the middle and waved my arm at her. She stopped and looked around but continued to use the middle. Adam and I also passed her on both sides at the same time but she didn't get it. Oh well just one of those people.

Then crazy number two was the guy I saw riding his bike home with his helmet hanging from his backpack. Now as a young kid I was not one to wear my stack hat if I could get away with it but if you are going to carry it why not just use it. At least some part off his backpack will be safe when he falls off.

The official aquathon results are in. Not to bad for me.  I was feeling it a bit today. Even had a little sleep on the train today on my way home from work.  :)

342 days out

I seem to be back into training. 5 day training week was not all that bad. Should have done something Thursday but hey I was lazy and it was raining.  The weather is taking a turn for the worst of late and its making it hard to get excited about getting out there.

Wednesday was lap swimming and I completed my usual technique session. Not a bad session really. No one else was in the pool which was kind of strange. Maybe they knew something that I didn't. But I didn't see anything floating so what I don't know will not hurt me. I think that's how it goes.

I have started the search for a coach. Mike who made me a plan for the last year will be busy training himself so I should get myself someone to make me a plan and maybe do a few group sessions. I know there are a heap of things I can do better especially for the run and ride which I have never been shown the correct way. We will see how the search goes. I signed up for the Wollongong splash and dash on Sunday so I can meet a coach I have been told about.

Saturday I went for a ride on the tri bike. It start ok but I heard a noise coming from the bottom bracket and only got worse as I went. 20km in I stopped and called for a lift home. I thought I better stop before something really bad happened. On further investigation I found that the left crank arm had some movement in it. I called the bike shop and its booked in to get a service and be looked at on Tuesday. Just hope that it is an easy fix and will be fine for the club champs on the weekend.

Sunday I headed to Wollongong for the splash and dash. 650m swim and a 5km run. What a wonderful day. The sun came out for the first time this week. I was worried it might be a wet race. Felt a bit strange not having a proper transition area and no bike. It was a no wetsuit swim but it was flat in the ocean today. My timing was 13:23 for the swim and 21:49 for the run with a 29sec transition. I will have to wait for the real results to know how close my timing is to the real thing. I think I got 6th in the 30-44years category.

I did get to meet John the tri coach. I didn't get as much time as I would have liked but as he is going to be at club champs I am going to catch up with him again and ask a few more questions.

I did have a nice chat to a guy at the simple cycles stand about their bike fit service. It sounded pretty comprehensive. I think I am going to get booked in for both the Tri and road bike. Something I need to do before I get into the long miles of training.

Some people

Went for a run today. Nothing to hard or long. But I don't get some people. What a jerk. Running on the path on the correct side heading towards 3 people taking up all the path. They have a heap of time to get out of the road. Its not a corner or anything just nice and straight. The guy I am heading towards walking in what will soon be in my road looks at me. You can't miss me I am not a small person. Anyway after making eye contact he turns his head and starts looking at the water and buildings to make out that he didn't see me. I mean come on your acting was not even convincing. So I had to break my stride and squeeze past them. As I said what a jerk. Thinking back on it I am bigger than he and I should have just run over him.

I might have to head out that way more often and hope we run into each other again.

A new week

So Sunday turned out to be a none training day. I didn't really know what to do after the brick session Saturday. So I took it easy. I ended up going for a ride with my son the crazy indoor child. For some reason he has started riding around the estate most afternoons. He goes alright for someone that doesn't get outside much. I joked with him about needing to learn to swim 300m so can do an enticer and to my surprise he actually seemed interested. I think I almost fell off my bike. So I might have to take him to the pool soon and work on a few things with him. It shouldn't take long and he will have that distance sorted.

So what else does a nerd do when not training or working. He makes hot wire cutters and rc planes etc.

I didn't get to go out for a fly as I have a couple of cables to solder connectors onto but its pretty close. I might go and look for some later today.

Monday was a swim day. Had a nice 2.2km swim session. Not an easy one today but that's good. I think I needed it. The swim was filled with alternating easy and hard laps and not much break in between the sets. Best part about the swim was I didn't get rained on walking to and from the pool.

349 days, 21 hours

Well yesterday was not a complete loss. I did get to go to lunch but I had to have a long drawn out fight with a server that didn't want to play nice. Sometimes they can be a pain in the behind. Oh well such is life.

Today has started out not to bad. Morning was not to hot so I went out and did a brick session. 32km ride and a 9km run. I was going to make it a 10km run but I was running past home and thought that would do. I haven't been on the Giant for a while so I took that out instead of the tri bike. Wow its a lot harder than I remember. I don't know if its the seating position, the wheels or a combination of both and other things but it really took it out of me. Also the seat is not the most comfortable. Even coming up to the 30km mark my taint was feeling like it had taken a pounding.

I did see a heap of tri bikes out today. I think they must all be training up for the club champs in a couple of weeks. Usually I only see a couple tri bikes and a heap of road bike but not today.

The run was better than I thought it was going to be. It was pretty well paced for me. The sun started coming out near the end so it did get a little hot but nothing to bad.

I have to congratulate Camden council for there wonderful work they have done to the northern rd. A road that had a nice breakdown lane all the way along it so riders can safely use it. When they added the new Oran Park estate entrance they took a good 200m of breakdown lane away. Replacing it with gutters and rocks so all riders now have to ride on the road with the trucks. Great job... Lets see how many people get run over in that section.

So with training out of the way for today I think I might play some xbox and fly the rc tricopter and planes a bit.

Rest day

Oh Fridays are a great day. Rest day... Not that I have been doing a lot of late. I like to call Friday's eating day. Chinatown for lunch if work doesn't get in the road. Have my fill of sizzling baby octopus or something similar. That plan is not looking good so far but you never know.

Well yesterday I got a ride in but not a long one. Went to north Sydney to look at a second hand bike box. Was the right price and seems to fit my bike in it. Hmm tight squeeze but maybe... I will not really know until I take the peddles, handlebars and seat off but that's not going to happen until after club champs as I don't want to bugger the setup right now. Either way it was cheap enough that I got it. I can cross that off the list of stuff I need to get.

Tonight will be a roller session and some stretching before I find something longer to do tomorrow. Maybe a ride and run brick session.

Living Dori's dream

Was hard to get out and swim today. I don't know why but once I was there it was all good.

200 continuous warm up
1 x 100 Building – start slowly and increase speed over each of the 4 laps.
1 x 100  Go hard on every 4^th lap.                       10 secs rest
2 x 200  Go hard on every 2^nd and 4^th lap            20 secs rest
4 x 100  Go hard on every 3^rd lap                        30 secs rest
5min continuous cool down 

I forgot to take the session details to the pool and looking at it now its differs a little from what I did. Looks like I got off easy today. :P Maybe I am more like Dori than I think.

Fun in the sun

Went for a 10km run Tuesday and look what Adam finds...

Mike would be so proud. Adam is trying to make out that he is going to run past but we all know he took a sharp left and got himself a flake cone. :)

Not to bad a run really. Basically around the water which leads under the bridge and over to the opera house. If there was less cruise ships and people it would make it even better.

Time to get back to it..

The water was calling today. I think it was saying come on fat boy stop eating ice cream and get in here.

Doesn't it look nice. Well it wasn't. Stupid swimming. I am sure it will get easier.

More things to spend money on

So I found some more ways to spend money.  Yes I still have 51 weeks to go but there is no time like the present to think about it.

Flights to Auckland
A bike bag or box to fit the specialized shiv in
Car rental
Accommodation. Although it seems we might have a house booked already.

Planning this is going to be better than the training. Also I think I need to spend some time working out how to strap my shoes to the bike and mount the bike on the run.  Maybe this weekend. Let's see how many times I can fall on my head.

The last club race

What a day for a race. The sun was out when I left home. Put our gear in transition and down comes the rain. It flogged down. Portable shelters were flying around, lightning and thunder. I didn't think we would get a race in but it cleared up as quickly so all good.

Race was shortened by 5km on the ride and 2.5km for the run due to light issues being an afternoon event but that just means it was going to be faster. Averaged 35km/hr on the bike and 4:20min/km for the run which is quick for me but still couldn't catch Mike. Damn it. I will have to wait for the official timings as for some reason it seems I can't press my watch buttons properly. What a fool. You would think I would have that sorted by now.

On a brighter note my new tri bar mounted drink bottle holder worked well.

Adam came up for the race. Looks like we put on a good show with the weather.

Well its on...

Well its done. I have finally decided that this is the ironman that I will do. I thought about it for a while. 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42km run is not something that you jump into just for the fun of it. Actually I don't think anyone does these for the fun of it. I don't think that any part of it will be fun. But just doing it once is something that I hope I can do.

So why this one. Well Mike and Jacinda are doing it and I am not getting any younger. While it is an individual sport it will be good to have someone I know going through the same training and pain as I am. Also the trip to NZ will be more fun as well. 

Hmm well the signup is done. I aced that part. So now what..

1. Need a trainer and plan
2. Get a proper bike fit.
3. Find a better way to carry all my equipment on the ride

I guess that's a good start. What else do I have planned.

• Club sprint today
• Club championships (5th April)
• South western Sydney Ironman 70.3 (30th Nov)
• Ironman NZ (7th Marh 2015)

Looks like a nice buildup to the big day. I assume I will be doing more but lets see what the new coach says.