ON HOLIDAYS

So we are going to write off June and now think about the future.

First day of July and all in front of us to combine both life, work and training in a sensible balance.

In Noosa this week with the view from the lounge looking like this

Long Time Between Posts

Wow time flies with work and life.

Haven't done a lot of Tri-related things lately and have been taking full advantage of some downtime to relax, have some fun with friends and just keep fit. Lisa has actually had to restock the wine fridge after it lay dorment for a good 6 months.

New jobs also keeps you busy big time which has really cut into training time.

In saying that, both of us have been doing regular running and biking. Lisa doing a lot of running, as I am still coming back from my earlier shin splints and I am doing a lot of riding. Have been consistent enough to keep my average km's per week on the bike around the 250 mark, but only low intensity work at best most of the time.

With 10 weeks till Yeppoon though, we plan to get a bit more focussed.

This weekend just gone was Lisa's Half Marathon run debut with a 1:46 effort that was quite a bit quicker than her previous best. A good confidence booster and places her well if she can continue to keep her long runs going and build on this. Her weekly long runs at the moment are on the 2hr range and considering her next big race is over a year away, that places her in a good spot.

Lisa's Holiday, my struggle

So we got back from Airlie after being drenched with rain all weekend only to come back with a cold. This effectively blew the door handles off the weeks training and Tuesday and Wednesday just turned into 'survival' days when your head just felt like it was going to explode at any time.

Started to come good around Friday and have been able to get a bit of cycling in over the weekend, although the sessions felt tougher.

With a new job has come the opportunity to meet some new people who cycle so this mornings ride was probably the biggest Moranbah 'group' ride I have ever seen. 6 in total and with a few more I know of out there that ride, we could almost put together a peleton one day.

With extra numbers comes a bit of extra speed with the drafting effect so the 60km's seemed to fly by.

I will let Lisa explain how the diet challenge went, but she died last night sinking her teeth into some Rocky Road.

Decided to take on the challenge eating only real food to kick start my new direction and commitment to adequately fuelling the body.

What's on the menu....

Breakfast
Banana / 4 Strawberries / 2 Pieces of pineapple

Lunch
Cos Lettuce / Capsicum / 2 Eggs

Snack
Dried apricots / Dried apple / Almonds

For Dinner tonight we will have...
Roast veges.... and some type of meat

Dessert will be...
Fruit salad

Happy Easter

Well how the year flies by.

Took the opportunity to have a long weekend away from Moranbah for a change, so packed the bikes up and headed for Airlie beach. But as has been the usual for our recent trips to Airlie, yet again it has been a wet visit to this area. That makes the last 3 times here, wet visits unfortunately.

Had this plan to really take advantage of the 4 day weekend and rack up a bunch of miles on the bike, but alas it has turned into another rest week. Woke Friday morning with a really sore LH shoulder and also a sore throat. That combined with the rain has meant no swim or ride training to talk about :(

Resting when you are injured and sick is bloody hard on the head and as I have easily given this advice out to others, I decided to listen to myself and enjoy the weekend away, sans no training. Hopefully, I will see the benefit of this decision in the weeks ahead. :)

Transition Week

This week has really been a crappy week when it comes to training. Was meant to be a transition week where I did some unstructured training to keep the body ticking over but less overall volume. What it ended up being was a week of nothing, feeling tired and lethargic throughout. Hopefully, the rest is what my body needed and I can get back into it this week.

The even better news however is that with Easter next weekend and 4 days up in Airlie Beach that small break will do my body and mind the world of good.

Lisa has it even better with school holidays next week so she is really looking forward to them.

IM Australia was run and won today and it never ceases to amaze me how fast everyone is going these days. My AG was sizzling with the TOP 10 and I suspect all the Kona slots being taken with times better than 9:27.

9:27, can you believe that and how fast that is. Certainly makes my goal of getting a qualifying spot a long off dream considering I would need to go an hour quicker.

The other challenge for this weekend has been the requirement for me to be on call for work all weekend. Means no drinking or being to far from the phone at all times since Friday night until tomorrow. Inhibits your movements a bit, especially when Lisa wants to go out partying Friday night. I suppose the upside of that was she had the hangover Saturday and not me

Happy training, ciao

Mooloolaba Tri

So its the weekend of the Mooloolaba Triathlon and after being there for the last number of years (3), we chose to give it a miss. For me this niggling shin splint injury wouldn't have made the race any fun at all and work commitments for Lisa make it hard to get away for just a weekend.

Funny how things work, as good friends were actually down there at the same time which is somewhat disappointing. In total 4 Moranbah locals doing the race.

Life is returning to normal for us, other than Lisa not training, so I suppose nothing like normal. She isn't taking well to the idea of actually doing nothing and relaxing and letting the body recover. She now has a plan to start using her gym membership and get up there 3 times a week to do some strength work.

For me, I am doing a heap of riding and having good and bad days with it. My body doesn't really seem to like the extra miles that much, but while the running and swimming is not happening, it is a good opportunity to build some base for later when those come together.

Easter is the next thing on our list of things to do and we are both looking forward to some downtime then. Hoping to get up to Airlie Beach across the break and with some luck will get some good weather unlike the last 2 times we have been there and it has rained. Will bring some pics back from the Lagoon!!

What's Next

Lisa has pulled up ok after initially doing it a little tough post race. She has been dying to get out and do something, but I have had to be stern with her to ensure she has a break, even to the point of not putting her bike back together so she couldn't come riding with me.

Training for me has hit a big hole, but that always occurs when you travel and hopefully the week ahead will allow things to get back to normal. Did however take the opportunity to ride up to the Coppabella Telecom tower when we got back. Not many would know it is there and have you have to get off and trek in with your bike before you can do the climb. Once there it is a bit of goat track but there is some resemblance of a bitumen road and it is damn steep. Not that long, but it certainly toasted my legs and the ride back to town was slowwww.

So IM NZ is all over and done, so what will this adventurous pair do next you might ask?

Well we have a cunning plan and entails some rest and then hoping to gain entry onto IM Germany in July next year. The hard part isn't getting ready for it, but rather the ability to gain an entry spot.

Last year, the race supposedly sold out in an hour, so will have to man the internet and try our luck in July this year to try and get a spot once race entries open.

We chose this event for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it fits right in the middle of school holidays for Lisa, so getting time off is easier, It is the second biggest IM event in the world behind Hawaii and it is overseas which is always good for a break and something new. More details here: http://ironman.com/events/ironman/germany or
http://www.ironman.de/english/

In the mean time there is always the Mackay Half Marathon, Yeppoon Half Ironman and Busso that we are considering also.

IM NZ Race Report

Well Ironman New Zealand has come and gone and with it that awful feeling that comes after any great journey. The inevitable hollow feeling that it is all over and where to from here. But alas, lets recap what has occurred over the last few days.

Saturday dawned cool and crisp with a hint of wind, but overcast and the sort of sky that hinted at rain ahead. We got up at 4:50 not in a great deal of rush, as a 7am race start was pretty late by our usual standards but still go there and into race numbering by 5:40 and out of transition by 6:15. This part of the day went smoothly to plan and after a couple of nervous trips to the toilet we walked down to the swim start area. We probably got here a little later than we had the year before but that may have been more a reflection of more people racing this year than last, but the start area was really crowded. There was excitement in the air but that nervous hush was also present with a lot of faces showing the strain or tension of what was ahead for the day. Into her wetsuit without issue and then with a kiss she was into the crowd to get warmed up and started.
Swim went ….
At the swim start I felt quite relaxed and ready the cannon went I found myself in the thick of it but everything was going okay. I appeared to get my rhythm rather quickly and got quite comfortable possibly too comfortable. At about the 2km mark I started swimming a little off course and tried to correct this and unfortunately swam right across the path of another swimmer putting additional strain on my right shoulder as I tried to pull through the water. After this collision I found myself not pulling through the water as efficiently. In hindsight I would have to say I stayed too comfortable in the swim. Out of the water in 67mins which is my worst ironman swim time but hey the swim is now behind me time to get out and ride.

T1
The 400m run was fine possibly helped get the legs ready. Out of the wetsuit without a hitch cycling pants on, socks / shoes next, grab gloves and glasses, helmet on and off I go.
Bike
I immediately got straight into my nutrition plan taking in a gel. Taking in a gel every hour, and drinking every 5 minutes. By the top of the first climb I had settled into the bike leg. I focused on keeping low heartrate (140-145) which felt a little too comfortable. Heading out towards Reporoura I was starting to develop stomach cramps and wasn’t sure if it was from a too concentrated Opti mixture (5 Scoops for 750ml) or the last minute option for going lemon / lime powerade either way I was increasingly losing concentration and as a result losing power. On the second lap I could no longer tolerate the cramps so I decided to stop for a toilet stop just after collecting my special needs bags. It was at this point I opted to ditch everything and take only coke and water but continue with the gels. I perceived but realised I was just turning the legs and my goal for a 5:30 bike was now becoming a …lets just get through the rest of this bike leg and hope we can run.
T2
Coming into T2 I was glad to see the back of the bike. The cramping had settled with another toilet stop. Time to run. Heading out I took in a rocket fuel and reminded myself of my mantra for the run…SMILE and Let It Be Easy

Run:
I set off ensuring my heart rate was below 140 for the first 5km. I then allowed my heart rate to creep up to 145. This is where my heart rate stayed for the next 12km. At each aid station I was taking in coke and water and this appeared to be working well so I ditched the excess weight of the fuel belt. I was pleased I was able to maintain a smile and concentrate on letting it be easy. It was about 17km mark when my body started sending me some not so pleasant messages. Initially I thought here we go the diarrhoea has reared its nasty head, lets hope I can make it to the toilet in time. But I was sadly wrong for the next period I was vomiting and I couldn’t control it. It was at this stage that I started walking and the smile was off my face. My stomach was cramping everytime I vomited. There was a couple of times towards the overbridge as I was heading back to town for the first lap that I had to take a seat while I vomited. At this stage I was getting rather cold and was starting to doubt my ability to finish this race considering I hadn’t even completed the first 21kms. The winds picked up and the rain was making me colder so I stopped at the aid station and asked for a poncho. It was there one of the medical staff personnel ask me to have seat for a while so he could check me over. It was then I realised it had been a while since I had put any nutrition into my body. He offered me everything from electrolyte drink to coke and water. I couldn’t bare the thought of putting anything into my body for fear I would only bring it straight back up. The medic reminded me that if I stop fuelling I am going to have to seriously consider calling it a day. This was not what I wanted to hear so I said "Thanks… I’ll see how I feel at the next aid station." It was then I developed a dependency on barley sugars for the next 20kms after the medic got me to at least suck on a barley sugar so that at my body will be able to absorb some sugars through my gums. My walk was getting slower, my body getting colder and my mind had gotten lost. I had decided to DNF and just walk home. I was just under 2km from the house when I was shivering uncontrollably and decided I need to get warm so I thought before you throw in the towel and DNF give it one more effort at running. I began to run and thought I don’t feel too bad and definately don't feel any worse so I kept running. I then told myself if you can run all the way back to the house you can keep going. I got back to the house and I could see the disappointment in Wayne’s eyes when I told him I have been vomiting and have just started running in an effort to get warm. Seeing Wayne definately me a lift as he reminded me that I have come too far to give up now. Not mention how I would feel the next day. This also got me thinking how am I going to tell the kids at school that I DNF when I am always encouraging them to challenge themselves and reminding them on the importance of finishing what you start. It was then I refocussed, brought back the smile and I decided I am going to finish. Today may not have gone as planned but one thing is certain I will get through this and with a smile. I felt I got my confidence back and I am glad to say that I ran the rest of the way setting little mental challenges along the way. I only wish I had gotten the mental strength a little earlier. Seeing Wayne for the last time before heading into town for the finish was huge relief. I was pleased that my mental strength allowed me to shift my mindset to a more positive head space and allowed the run to be easy. Wayne was surprised when he saw me smiling. I was heading home. My nutrition plan of sucking on only barely sugars and sipping on water at each aid station for the past 20kms was not what you would call ideal nutrition. Today’s journey was tough physically but mentally I feel I made a huge shift in controlling my positive headspace. The finish:
To say I was physically relieved was an understatement. Not achieving my original goal “Sub 11hours” was disappointed so letting the clock tick over to 13hours didn’t bother me as I wanted to make sure I took the opportunity to find Wayne thank him for helping me to get not only to the start line but remind me of the importance of staying positive and in control mentally. His positive guidance and tough love is a pillar of strength. Mentally I am now so much stronger. Some days things don’t go to plan and I need to remind myself to stay composed, refocus and be prepared to take new risks. Today was one of those days it just took me a little longer to refocus!!! One thing is certain …”Some Times You Have To Have The Race You Don’t Want To Get The Race You Want!” I feel I got more out of this race mentally than any other race.

The aftermath:
The body and mind can be strong for so long, but once you reach that finish line it is sometimes unpredictable as to what will occur next. So often we have seen footage of athletes running strongly to the line and then collapsing just metres after it. I wasn’t one of them, but soon after when I was in the recovery area, the toll from the previous 13 hrs soon came to bear upon my mind and body. To say the time in the medical tent was pleasant would be far from the truth. In total I spent 4 hours from the time I finished till walking to the car with Wayne either in the recovery tent or medical area. The verdict, hyponatremia, or low levels of sodium. This had the effect of nausea, extreme shivering and high body temps, but the care and attention of the medical staff was excellent and with some drug injections and time to recover I soon felt well enough to get home. The next 24 hrs hurt, with a combination of aching muscles and still not feeling myself inside and ingestion of food was still really difficult. Upon reflection, this is the worst I have pulled up after a race and really shows the importance of getting the nutrition just right during the day.

Where to now: Well this is the 64 million dollar question. Lots of thoughts run through your mind after an experience like this. They range from “lets for IM Oz n 4 weeks time to get some redemption” to “I really need a break from this journey”. With a couple of days to muse over things, I am still very focussed on succeeding in my goal of reaching Kona. It is achievable and I will get there, but, and there is always a BUT, I need to take a step back and let my body recover for a while both in physical and mental aspects and then have a good hard look at what I need to work on moving forward. In Wayne’s words, I really need to go back to basics and learn how to run, so maybe that is as good a place as any where to start.

For now though, I think I may actually take the time to enjoy some the wine sitting on the top shelf of our fridge that has sat there idle for the last 4 months, anyone care to join me for a quiet drink?

The Spectators View (by Wayne)
To say I had high expectations for the day would be an understatement. I suppose once you get a taste of success you love to bath in it. I had in the time leading up to the race really focussed on being as positive about the outcome as possible and all the little things like motivational signs and quotes were my way of helping to build in mental toughness that, for mind, is one of the keys to success in this type of racing.

Even went to the trouble of putting up a few signs around our house, directly on the run course and also at one other key strategic point on the run course that Lisa and I had talked about as being something to focus on. Things like:
Champions expect pain, endure pain & never complain
There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs
It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves
If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it

In hindsight the day didn’t go to plan as I had hoped and in some ways this was disappointing but I was proud that Lisa made the commitment worth her efforts by finishing something she had started even when at one point it didn’t seem worth it. I believe that this will play dividends somewhere down the track as it is from these low points that we gather some of our biggest gains. The following comes to mind and is apt for this situation:
· Your greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up everytime we fail

Even with the setbacks of the day for Lisa, spectating is truly a privilege and I can highly recommend it to anyone keen in the sport. The day always has its ups and downs and Saturday was no different, but getting out there in the rain and wind and trying to cheer on every competitor is really great fun and fills your body and soul with great energy. I feel invigorated by the experience yet again and when you get a thank-you from complete strangers it really is a satisfying feeling.

Nearly there

Well we have made it to the night before the big day. Everything is set, bike is in T1, race bags have been given in, all the race drinks are made, even have the little lunchbox of food for after the race done. Now time for a nice warm epsom salt bath and that is it.

The finish line starting to take shape and that 'magic' blue carpet

From the expo, this is the new Cervelo P4. Supposedly designed in the wind tunnel and meant to be the most aerodynamic bike out there. At $9,000 for the frame alone, it would want to ride the bike course for you.

Also had to leave you all with a picture of my race plan proudly hanging up here (courtesy of Lucy)

Wayne also did a bit of a video blog here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egcKIKQePdc

Special Memories

Wanted to show some special momento's from some special friends.

Have placed these around our house and are good for motivation for the day ahead.

Weather has turned

Yesterday started out as a cool windless day and made for a nice training session in the morning. Unfortunately the weather started to turn in the afternoon with strong winds blowing into town and the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

My morning session of a swim, run and a bike was really good and was nice to do it with the other Cyco's members that are here in Taupo.

Had the chance to meet up with a bunch of other Transitions members which was good to put a face to the name.

Registered and checked out the expo and then just relaxed for the rest of the day.

Wayne went for an afternoon ride with Mercury from Transitions and he came back fairly toasted after riding in the wind for 3 hrs. He has been playing with Youtube and hopefully the attached link shows some of the bike course.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPY3RV9HFn0

Went to the Carbo Party last night and as usual was a good night. Highlight was the presence of Paula Newby Fraser and Greg Welch, who are here as part of the 25th Year anniversary celebrations. Greg was particularly funny when he got up on stage and fits the mould well as a genuine Aussie larrikin.

Was woken during the night with heavy rain and this morning it is cold with gentle rain steadily falling. Braved the conditions and got out there and have been and done a small swim and run, which felt great and again is always easier when your meeting a group, be it rain, hail or shine. Here is the swim start today

Warm shower and now just about to head off for the official competitor briefing. With the weather the way it is, will spend today inside and warm and just get myself ready for a big day tomorrow.

We Made It

Everyone can now stop laughing, as we finally got here today. And what a beautiful day to be welcomed to NZ with. Nice clear sky, calm and a ma of about 20.

Arrived in Auckland at 10:30 last night and was through customs and into the rental car by 11:15, which we thought was good timing. Stayed at the Novotel next to the Ellerslie Race Course, which was packed. Auckland Cup all this week, which is why it was difficult to get accom in Auckland.

The drive was non eventful and arrived in Taupo at 11:30. Did make one stop which was at the 'corrigated iron' town (Tirau) where they have a lot of corrigated iron things to look at, even a corrigated iron Jesus:

NZ looks a lot 'greener' this year and is a little different scenery wise than the drive from Moranbah to Mackay. And there is nothing like a good 'hedge' for privacy round these parts to.

Once arrived got the bikes together and got out for a ride to make sure everything was working fine. There was a fair amount of breeze once we got out, but still a nice day for it. 2 more days to race day, so basically just taking it easy, registering and making sure we have everything.

Oh nearly, forgot, but a couple of pics of the place we are staying in

When Travelling Overseas Always Take a Passport!

Today has been what most people would call "Not Ideal". The day itself was going well, we made good time travelling into Mackay, first leg of the journey completed! Now it was time to check in and board our plane! WRONG!!! Things started to sprial out of our control at a rapid rate when I pulled out my drivers licence for ID (at the Qantas Check in Counter) and instantly remember "Oh Shit!" I need a passport to travel to NZ! Panic mode set in and the harsh reality of it that there was no way on gods green earth we were leaving the country today! Thankfully my sister Fiona presented a few options for us and Qantas were great in reschedulling our flights to leave tommorrow.

Now with this little road bump behind me I still have plenty of time to regroup and focus on Saturday!

7 Days to go

or more precisely, about now next week Lisa should be finished.

Starting to get a little nervous now as race start is fast approaching.

Taper is going well, with no tantrums yet. Really just ticking the legs over in each discipline although tomorrow a 80km IM hitout on the bike will be interesting.

Just about all set and will be setting sail for Taupo on Monday morning.

In other news, I fulfilled a fantasy I have had for some time, of riding from Moranbah to Mackay. An early start in beautiful conditions this morning soon turned into a slog when the wind picked up and unfortunately not in the direction I was going.

Got there in the end, but the last hour was really challenging. Longest ride for me in over 2 years, but can now cross that off the list of things to do. All up 195km in 7 hrs 5 mins, with a few stops along the way.

Kona Map

So with only 15 days to go it is pretty clear I had a slight miscalculation of the number of sessions left leading up to IM NZ.

Doesn't look like we will finish it but it is starting to look pretty cool.

Will get it right for the next campaign.

Taper Time

Well We have hit taper time.

All the major work has been completed, now just to put the icing on the cake with some faster stuff and a lot of rest.

Racer # 485

Ironman New Zealand is getting close when you have your number.

Lisa is Racer # 485 officially and all systems are go now.

56 other girls to beat in her AG and anything is possible when you put your mind to it.

Top class field has nominated for the race and from a spectating point of view is going to be fun to watch.

6 time winners Jo Lawn and Cam Brown are going to have their hands full if they want to retain their crowns and I think a new winner could be named this year personnally.

Quieter week this week after the Monster last week and I have jumped into overdrive thinking of slogans for race week. I hope to make our place a mecca to positive thoughts in the time leading up to Ironman and then likewise the house over in Taupo.

"I LOVE TO RUN" being the theme song for this year.

And have decided Lisa will race on her usual steed for the race. Why change what has worked thus far. Plan to give her a tuneup and clean and give her a blessing. She should look like this:

Wow, what a week

Well, have made it through this week and still alive to talk about it.

Ride today was a little tougher than I had hoped but the bright side of things is that my run off it was fantastic. Tried some things with nutrition in particular salt tablets and more fluid during the bike. Hoping that had something to do with the run, fingers crossed.

Was really lucky this weekend with floods north of here and heat waves and bushfires down south ,to get 2 relatively pleasant days. Today especially, was very mild and not that hot at all. Good to have Wayne and Wade as riding partners for 5 hrs, but that last hour alone tested my mind.

So looking back at the week, ended up knocking over 20 hrs of training, with 4 rides, 4 swims and 2 runs. Glad that is over but at the same time looking forward to there only being another 26 days to the race.

The BIG Week

This week was always going to be challenging.

To name a few things, work, accumulated fatigue from the last 10 weeks of training, having to look after Wayne, but then the coach goes and adds these 3 workouts, not to mention the others:

- 3 hr run Wednesday
- 5.2 km swim Friday
- 6 hr ride Sunday

Run down and I Love to Run

Another Week Down

Well have got through another week of training and slowly ticking off the sessions as they occur. Less than 6 weeks now and into the really big weeks.

This week was tougher than the last 6, as it was my first week back and I can tell you combining training with work is really tiring. Every day it felt like I had to drag the body out of bed to get going and by days end I was like the walking dead.

Not the biggest bike week, but still 10 hrs in the saddle. Nearly 4 hrs of running and 3 swim sessions. The Sunday 4 hr ride and 15 km run off it, was the toughest of the week. Luckily it wasn't that hot, but the humidity and strong wind still made it pretty tough.

Still have problems with my stomach and hoping that this is just a phase my body is going through as it is making the longer session that much tougher.

After the testing the previous week I am now on a 'wheat free' diet and having eaten a lot of bread each day previously, this is presenting a challenge. But I am giving it a go and hoping that I will notice a difference to my performance.

Big week ahead with my longest run of the build planned as well as my longest ride. Be interesting to see if Wayne can keep up with me.

Give it a name and let it go

Well today was a bit of a let down from a performance point of view. Lisa for whatever reason really struggled through it and today just didn't happen. But as the title suggests you give it a name and let it go.

At worst it was a good workout, with 2hrs of riding and 2hrs of running.

The bunch ride was a first for both of us, with at least 40 in the group and we circumnavigated all over Brisbane, even through our old neighbourhood and past my Dad's old house at Riverhills. When Lisa went running I went on and did a 'River Loop' with 5 others and really enjoyed the ride. My borrowed bike (thanks Scott) was good to ride and was remarkably comfortable considering I had only jumped on it the day before.

Again, met more Cycos today and some really nice people and some good chats along the ride. I had a great time.

Training with the Cycos

Well we made it through our first session with AP's group.

Lisa has been very nervous all week and the thought of training with others, let alone ride on roads with traffic and lights etc, seemed to be a little daunting. But with not a lot of fuss and only a few minor issues, we made it through safely.

Set off before light and had an easy stroll along the river to meet up with AP at his house and then over to the pool. Stretching and some core work and then into the pool. 8 per lane was different to Moranbah where we usually may have 8 for the whole pool somedays. Interesting swim set and finished with 20 x 50m swim then 50 runs back to the other end of the pool. Was different to what we usually do and pretty tough actually.

I did the silly thing of going to fast and slipped hitting my leg on the pool edge which has given me a nice bruise on the middle of my shin. This goes nicely with the sore LH shin which after seeing the physio today appears to he the early onset of shin splints. Watch this space for more updates.

Really good to train in a group for a change and had a good opportunity to talk to others, training for the same thing as Lisa and with plenty of valuable advice. Funny how a lot of the things I had been saying all along, were echoed by others that have already been there and done it.

Another big session tomorrow which we are looking forward to with them.

Well it is only a couple more days and school holidays are over.

The test of my preparation will truly come once the big hours have to be done when doing a full day at school. Touch wood I can keep it together.

Travelling to Brisbane this weekend to train with my coach, so a little nervous about meeting unknown faces and training in a squad but will hopefully have Wayne with me. He just needs to get over a sore leg which has slowed him down this week.

So after all the morning sessions were done and dusted was time to play with all the new bike configurations we now have.

Got the P2C set up in race mode and weighed in at 8.5kg vs 9 in training kit. This feels positively heavy when you then grab the Soloist. It comes in at 6.6 kg in race mode and 7.4kg in training mode. These are measured with our dodgy scales, but give a sense of the relative weights. Now have to do some research and see if it is possible to get the P2C in the same ball park. I think I am turning into a Weight Weenie, lol.

So, 47 days to the big day and another major set out of the way.

3 hr ride and 20 x 1km run efforts. Not quick enough to get the camera out to show her form, but was the best I think I have seen her do that set thus far. Had one of her students ride her mountain with her the whole way which helps the mind. First time she has tried a different type of nutrition today and it wasn't the silver bullet, but worked with what she already using, so may be an option for race day.

New Toy

So a bit late in posting, but got a new toy yesterday afternoon. After the freight company trying to lose the box as best they could, it was a big relief to see it arrive safe and sound.

Now to work out which bike to race at IM NZ. I think Lisa has quickly grown attached to the Black Beauty!!!

All up, she weighs in at 6.6 kg, so I can now officially be classed as a weight weenie.

Road to Kona

In an effort to maximixe motivation and continue the journey on a session by session basis we came up with a 'roadmap' which will hopefully be full of swim, bike and run symbols by the time Lisa gets to Ironman New Zealand.

Hello and Welcome

Finally after much talk and lots of posts on Transitions and emails direct to friends, we have decided to let rip with our very own Blog of our adventures.

Hang on, hopefully this will be interesting!!!!