It's almost 10:30 at night (Saturday), 4 of my friends said "I do" today, beside me, asleep is the woman I said the same words to 12 years ago (and who will correct me swiftly if my math was wrong just now...) and I'm trying to work out how to start this thing. I'm not sure what is more daunting, the realisation that I am about to launch into the most intensive training period of my life, or that I am intending to document the journey and attempt to remain interesting for that amount of time...
I guess I should give a little background at this point. I am a triathlete although I don't fit the mental image you probably just conjured up. At a little over 100kg and standing only 5'10'' I'm an age grouper who has generally completed rather than competed. In the 2010/11 Gatorade Series I discovered there was a Clydesdales division for us, um, less svelte athletes so I switched from my highly competitive age group (35-39) and decided to give it a crack. At the end of the season I found myself in the same general category position I was used to, half way up the rankings, but, with a much smaller field I was eighth overall!
After the season wrapped I decided I was done with Clydesdales, I would train hard over the off season, drop the weight and come back next time to the age group competition and see what I could do. Several months later, time to sign up for the 2011/12 series and I still, comfortably, qualify for the big man's show.
Season 2 of Clydesdales and something has changed, my usaul 8th placing at each race is being filled by some one else, some one finishing several places behind me! Of the 6 races I competed in, I got 4th 4 times and found myself claiming third place for the series.
I decided some time ago that I wanted to take this thing to the ultimate distance, and over my time racing have come to the realisation that I'm more built for endurance than speed. My resume currently boasts 1 half Ironman (disastrous run leg!), 1 long course triathlon (disastrous dismount!), and 2 full marathons (disaster...no wait, they both went OK) so I figured it was time. Initially we (the wife and I) considered the Bussleton event as the goal race, then Melbourne was announced as the host venue for the latest edition to the M-Dot brand. Home town race trumps 6 hour travel time and 3 hour time zone shift!!
This year's event was too soon for me so, instead, I set my sights on the 2013 event. I still wanted to be a part of the race so, when my training club (Tri-Alliance) put out a call for aid station volunteers I jumped at the chance. Come race day I took my position at the 38 km mark and handed out water and encouragement to the athletes all day, from Crowie to Barney. It was an awesome atmosphere and the whole time I kept thinking how cool it would be to have been out on that course challenging myself to reach the finish line in St Kilda.
A week later, with a little over $900 earmarked in my bank account, 4 meeting requests cancelled and strict instructions to all that I needed to be at my desk for the 11am registration time I was on my way to the office, ready to do cyber battle with the thousands of other would be entrants. At exactly 9:04 as I was about to enter the building I got an awesome phone call, my name had been drawn out of a hat, I had scored one of two free entries to the 2013 Melbourne Ironman!!
So begins the story of this Clydesdale athlete on the road to a start line in the water off Frankston Pier and a finish line at the St Kilda sea baths. It is my intention to post some anecdotes, some interesting thoughts and experiences as well as track my stats and figures here to document my training and weight loss along the way. I hope you find it interesting, I hope I can continue finding the words to fill the horrible empty window that greets each new post and most importantly, I hope there will be some weight loss, because, 140.6 miles is along way to chafe...
I guess I should give a little background at this point. I am a triathlete although I don't fit the mental image you probably just conjured up. At a little over 100kg and standing only 5'10'' I'm an age grouper who has generally completed rather than competed. In the 2010/11 Gatorade Series I discovered there was a Clydesdales division for us, um, less svelte athletes so I switched from my highly competitive age group (35-39) and decided to give it a crack. At the end of the season I found myself in the same general category position I was used to, half way up the rankings, but, with a much smaller field I was eighth overall!
After the season wrapped I decided I was done with Clydesdales, I would train hard over the off season, drop the weight and come back next time to the age group competition and see what I could do. Several months later, time to sign up for the 2011/12 series and I still, comfortably, qualify for the big man's show.
Season 2 of Clydesdales and something has changed, my usaul 8th placing at each race is being filled by some one else, some one finishing several places behind me! Of the 6 races I competed in, I got 4th 4 times and found myself claiming third place for the series.
I decided some time ago that I wanted to take this thing to the ultimate distance, and over my time racing have come to the realisation that I'm more built for endurance than speed. My resume currently boasts 1 half Ironman (disastrous run leg!), 1 long course triathlon (disastrous dismount!), and 2 full marathons (disaster...no wait, they both went OK) so I figured it was time. Initially we (the wife and I) considered the Bussleton event as the goal race, then Melbourne was announced as the host venue for the latest edition to the M-Dot brand. Home town race trumps 6 hour travel time and 3 hour time zone shift!!
This year's event was too soon for me so, instead, I set my sights on the 2013 event. I still wanted to be a part of the race so, when my training club (Tri-Alliance) put out a call for aid station volunteers I jumped at the chance. Come race day I took my position at the 38 km mark and handed out water and encouragement to the athletes all day, from Crowie to Barney. It was an awesome atmosphere and the whole time I kept thinking how cool it would be to have been out on that course challenging myself to reach the finish line in St Kilda.
A week later, with a little over $900 earmarked in my bank account, 4 meeting requests cancelled and strict instructions to all that I needed to be at my desk for the 11am registration time I was on my way to the office, ready to do cyber battle with the thousands of other would be entrants. At exactly 9:04 as I was about to enter the building I got an awesome phone call, my name had been drawn out of a hat, I had scored one of two free entries to the 2013 Melbourne Ironman!!
So begins the story of this Clydesdale athlete on the road to a start line in the water off Frankston Pier and a finish line at the St Kilda sea baths. It is my intention to post some anecdotes, some interesting thoughts and experiences as well as track my stats and figures here to document my training and weight loss along the way. I hope you find it interesting, I hope I can continue finding the words to fill the horrible empty window that greets each new post and most importantly, I hope there will be some weight loss, because, 140.6 miles is along way to chafe...
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