It's all about me

It's all about me!

Last weekend I went head to head against the Half Ironman course in Shepparton, the very same race that had me battling just to finish. This time around, it was me that came out victorious as I crossed that line and stopped the clock almost an hour sooner than ever before. There was much celebrations following my achievement as everyone made efforts to congratulate me.

Not one to rest on my laurels, I prepared for my next race. Something a bit different this time, Dragon Boat racing. As a member of a corporate team, and only the second time I'd actually been in one of these boats, we raced in 3 heats on Saturday. At the end of the qualification rounds, the Taladega Knights were undefeated and found ourselves into the first elimination round. When we crossed the line for the fourth time of the day we found we'd actually clocked our fastest time of the day! Unfortunately, three other boats also had a great race and we were out. We finished eighth out of 32 teams in our first ever hit out (we actually could have placed as high as fifth but the team declined to race the petite final in favour of heading to the pub) Another great day of racing were I celebrated my efforts.

One day later, I was back on the track, this time in more familiar conditions, for Race 1 of the SuperSprint Gatorade series. Again, today was all about me as, during the week I had been named the Pro For the Day recipient. Early on race morning I moved about the venue collecting free products from sponsors and congratulations from friends. My bike had been specially prepared, I had a separate space in transition with the other pros and there was a bit of paparazzi action as well.




Coming out of the water from the swim I heard my name called over the PA system as the commentators were following my progress and reporting it to the crowd. Felling pretty special, even as it was noted publicly that I was getting a "a little caught up in his <my> wetsuit". On the bike I quickly got down to business and noted how comfortable I was on the bike. This should not have been the case as I was on a brand new triathlon bike, bent over in an aggressive aero position that I had only received two days earlier and never actually ridden. I put this down to the care put into the brief bike fit that had been done for me when I picked it up.
It was all about me as I transitioned onto the run and accepted the cheers from friends on the track and from the sidelines. Even though I was supposed to be in the middle of a recovery period, had competed in a long course race, dragon boat rowing and now two thirds of a sprint triathlon, my legs were feeling fresh. When I passed under the inflated finishing arch in Catani Gardens I had clocked a sub 24 minute five km run. Another achievement of mine we celebrated

Yep, it's all about me
...And has been for some time now.

If that is the case, there's a very good reason that came in the form of a Kinder Surprise which I bought 17 years ago.
I was living in a small bed-sit apartment in Elwood with my brother and girlfriend. I had visited our local supermarket and bought one of those triple packs of Kinder Surprise eggs. I had been collecting the toys and, it had been a year since my girlfriend and I had gotten together. In the ultimate act of sharing I gave up my prize to her. I'm guessing she was rather surprised when she unwrapped the first one from the sealed box to find it contained an engagement ring instead of a toy.

Five years later, on this day, my girlfriend became my wife.

Our reception was held at the Elwood Sailing Club and was nearly a disaster. We'd been unable to get the cars across Beach Road to set up the venue because the road was closed. Some idiot had scheduled a triathlon on my wedding day!

Since that day my better half was denied a crappy plastic trinket we've had 2 special kids, many arguments, 4 addresses, and countless happy moments.
When we said our vows, I weighed roughly 130k and fairly happy on the couch. When I first decided to buy a bike to begin riding to work, it was she that supported this crazy idea. She also didn't mock when I decided to try a 10 km run, even though I hadn't done anything to indicate I was capable of doing it. When I decided I needed to be a part of Tri Alliance, she fully endorsed the decision, even though our budget didn't really allow it.
Since then, she has supported, encouraged and made every effort to make possible all of my athletic aspirations.

My wife has sacrificed a lot of time, many early mornings and a little of her sanity in following me as I reach for my goals. She has driven me to events, made round trips to training sessions to drop me off/pick me up, and has had to go out of her way to save "my sorry ass" when plans have gone awry (including one impromptu pick-up from Marysville one evening...). Last week, when it looked like I wasn't actually going to make the start line in Shepparton, it was my wife that was most upset.

So, as I approach the pinnacle of my adopted sport, if it appears that it is all about me, it's only because my wife makes it possible.

Thank you Jo-Ellen, today, it's all about us.

Shepparton 70.3 - The rematch

It's race day, Shepparton 70.3 is here.
We have risen before the sun, breakfasted, packed and hit the road early. My bike sits ready in transition, waiting it's turn to be unleashed, my mind is focussed, and my body is ready to rock, it's time for redemption.I have been waiting for this day for just over a year.
But, none of this matters because we are sitting on the side of the road, 35km away, the car is overheated and race I've been working towards for the past 12 months is slipping away as each minute passes.

You see, my first assault upon the Shepparton 70.3 course was less the spectacular. Back then I was overconfident, and ended up humbled by the third discipline. A failure to consume enough during the ride meant that a run off the bike was not going to happen. Barely a kilometre into the half marathon and it was over. I went from racing to surviving, no longer a battle against the course and myself but instead, against the final cut-off time limit. After three and three quarter hours of competing and nearly another three hours of enduring I crossed the finish line and collected my medal and finisher's towel, and also set my sights on finishing the race next time.

We've moved further up the road now, maybe another ten km before being halted again by that bastard dial on the dashboard. Normally it sits happily just below horizontal, however, today of all days, it has again risen sharply to the vicinity of 11-o-clock. Fortunately, we've arrived at a truck rest stop and I'm able to fill a couple of drink bottles with non-potable water. They will no longer be useful for keeping me hydrated, but the car instead. Unfortunately, you can't refill the radiator until the engine is fully cooled and we don't have nearly the time to wait - these bottles will only be used in the last resort.

Time is ticking away, the km are as well but not nearly as fast as I would like. Many other cars are passing us by as we limp along, all heading to the same destination. I try not to get caught looking at the clock on my phone, the wife is stressed enough and does not need to worry further. It is "only a race" I reassure her.

Finally, we arrive at the final intersection before the race venue, a quick scan off traffic ahead, lining up to enter this final stretch of road and we quickly realise, this would be one hurdle too many. There is no way the engine would survive that stop/start queue. U-turn and into the service lane and the car's job is done. Somehow, the wife has nursed the vehicle that whole way, whilst battling her fraying nerves to get us here. Now, it's up to me to repay that effort with some of my own. I had planned this day to be successful, now it has to be!

The hour I wanted to set up transition and chill out has been reduced to 15 minutes but this proves to be plenty as somehow I'm able to efficiently set everything up, re-inflate the tyres, set out my nutrition, sunscreen and even find time to offer advice to a fellow competitor. The journey here was long, and so too is the line for the bathroom. Luckily I find the "staff" facilities behind the registration tent before they realise non-staff members are using them!

Wetsuit on (it's been a while!) swim cap, goggles, bag dropped off and I'm in the water awaiting my wave start. Haven't even had time yet to be nervous.

Shepparton is an interesting place to swim, there is zero visibility below the waterline, and for roughly 40% of the swim it's the same above the waterline due to having to swim into the rising sun. I had seeded myself fairly aggressively in the middle of the pack and spent a good portion of the time fighting for my racing line. Messy as it got, I was able to hold a fairly steady stroke rate and exited the water in 42 minutes (a little slower than last year).

Onto the bike I quickly got down onto the aerobars and settled in. The screen on my Garmin displayed my cadence in large font. My plan was to maintain this value as close to 90 throughout whilst holding a medium/hard effort. Another field on the display was telling me that my speed was down (averaging 25km/h) but I was still passing more people than were overtaking me so I dismissed it as just being a tough day for everyone. Every 350 calories an alarm told me it was time to eat and I followed this instruction diligently. Mindful of the past, I was constantly leaning forward to sip from my hydration bottle and during the course of the ride I refilled it twice from the aide stations. Ironically, this diligence almost proved my undoing as one volunteers grip on the offered bottle was firmer than expected and when he failed to release it, my front wheel was pulled sharply to the left. A brief wobble and a sigh of relief the moment was past.

Toward the end of the cycle the questions began.

• Is that my leg beginning to tighten up? 
• Have I fuelled correctly this time? 
• Did I go out too hard again?
• Will the wife let me back into the car if I am forced to walk again this year?

Back into town, spinning an easy gear and feet out of the shoes I'm just hoping there are no nasty surprises lurking in my legs. Safety first, I dismount conservatively and well before the dismount line and run the bike into transition. That's right - run.

Bike racked again, running shoes on and food stuffed in the back pocket I'm ready to go. I'm hearing people calling out my name, the cheering seems to come from all sides and I'm running comfortably towards the lake and the start of the 3 laps. As soon as I hit the run course I see my name in chalk on the footpath and as I stride over it, I know this is going to be a good day.

I have my nutrition plan in mind and I stick to it, every aide station, grab a water - sip and tip over head, then grab a sports drink. Every second aide station, also grab a gel. Most importantly, this year I was able to enjoy it as well. So many familiar faces and, whenever possible I'd call out names, give and receive encouragement and I made sure I didn't miss any requested high-fives with the kids. 

Each time around the track the crowd was great and the volunteers were excellent.

Just over half way, my left calf begins to bite, a bit of a reoccurring issue I have. Backing of the pace and focussing on technique proves an adequate solution to manage it this time.

Before too long, I've collected my set three silicone bands and am able to turn right onto the red carpet to stop the clock.

A year ago, I had run this same stretch in pain, gritting my teeth against the threatening cramps shooting through my fuel starved muscles, this time I was jubilant. 

In the recovery tent I checked my watch for the numbers. Turns out I had actually averaged over 30km/h on the bike as that split was under 3 hours, and I had also broken 2 hours for the half marathon (a feat that took my 3 years to achieve in a stand-alone race) and, overall, I had beaten last year's time by almost an hour!

5:3.2:37

Shepp - 1; Me - 1

Next year must be the tie breaker I guess!

ps. got the car home with no further incident, slowly and with many a scheduled rest stop, and since, that temperature needle on the dash has not again strayed North of horizontal...

Going into the Red?

Scrolling through my Face Book feed and doing my best to soak up some of the excitement and atmosphere from the recently completed Noosa Triathlon. Though the race is over, the atmosphere is just beginning to escalate. From the numerous posts I can see several PBs were achieved, goals realised, a little gravel rash due to some wet roads and at least one who pushed their boundaries to complete the run course even  though injury prevented him from racing today. Amazing work every one, hopefully next year I won't have to rely on electronic means to share in the fun!

Reading about all of today's success leads me to thinking about my next dance. In the latest newsletter from Shepparton 70.3 it was announced that they will be handing out coloured wrist bands on the run course. There will be three bands, each of a different colour to signify the completion of all three laps. It might sound fickle, but I am really looking forward to collecting my set. This time, two weeks from now I'll either be celebrating or ...

I guess time will tell. 

In other news, there is a fun run I was planning on entering as part of the Movember fundraising this year. The Melbourne edition of the "Running of the Mo's" is the City2Surf and it's set for next Sunday. As I was completing my entry during the week I got to the section about expected run times where they delegate the wave starts. As I scrolled down the list of options I noted that, following the elite and preferred runner's starts was a group that required validation to enter. What's more, the time to beat to be eligible for this group even appeared achievable. 75 minutes for 14km, I'd done that once before during the Run4Kids a couple of years ago. And the qualification times listed for the half and full marathon distances were ones I had recently broken as well. Since none of my previous times were on their systems I had to send links to my official results and fill out a form to be granted access to the Red group. It was on Friday that I received my invitation to take a spot in the faster runners' wave start. Mixed emotions, proud to have earned my spot, worried that I may not be able to run on the day...

It seems that I have picked up a little niggle in my calf. As per usual, my injury has not come from some epic sporting achievement that would make for a great story, but instead, whilst doing the cool-down from an easy recovery run. (my last injury came from watching television...)

During the run my left calf began to tighten up, it's done this before and I can generally run through it. Thursday night was different though. On the home stretch, my calf finally seized up and my run was over.

Been here before though, a few days of recovery, compression, plenty of stretching and rolling and I should be right to hit the track again. Last time I suffered a calf strain my first tentative run after a week proved a complete recovery of the injured leg, however, the other calf went out instead. This time, I am focussing on not favouring my good leg to prevent a little deja vu.

Currently my leg is feeling pretty good and I am walking freely without much discomfort. I don't think my stride is being effected and it has given me no problems during cycling (I had been worried so my long ride this weekend was moved to the garage windtrainer so I didn't get stuck out on the road somewhere far from home) The plan is to reassess is a day or two to see if I need any treatment on it, and secondarily, whether I can run on it by Sunday. As much as I'd like to show my support for Movember and take the wave start I've earned, there is a little loop of coloured silicone that I mean to make my own, and that's waiting for me after around 110km of racing.

As it stands now, I'm not sure whether I'll do the run next weekend, and if I do, whether you'd find me in the Red Zone at the start line..

I guess time (and a pinch of common sense) will tell...

Noosa Baby!

This weekend, the triathon world revolves around one small stretch of coast land in Northern Queensland and one phrase is continually echoed over the various social media outlets:

Noosa Baby!

The massive festival, the warm weather and water temperatures that leave you wandering if your wetsuit will be required (or even legal to use) and the sheer spectacle of the thing is amazing - as I am lead to believe.
Unfortunately, with such a popular event, you need to be quick on the button to secure your spot, and you have to do this almost 12 months in advance. It also helps to have the entrance fee handy, this part was my downfall last year. Oh well, someone's got to keep the home fires burning! (especially when Melbourne turns on its cool charm)

So, news closer to home, the first race of my season is almost here. It doesn't seem too long ago I was filling out this dance card and the time has just flown by since. Yes, I have been pretty consistent with my training and a good hit out at the Melbourne Marathon and Genovese Kinglake ride confirmed the body has held up over the build and pre season training blocks. However, it is still a little bit of a surprise that the music is about to begin already, Shepparton is just over two weeks away.

I am looking forward to this rematch, actually. Last year I arrived as a long course first timer, full of nerves but brimming with confidence. When the "gun" went of and I got under way from the deep water start the nerves disappeared. Out of the water in good time and onto the bike for my favourite part of the race, everything was humming. Off the bike and into transition for the last time, the confidence disappeared. Running out of transition I discovered my knees no longer seemed to bend. Confused, and a little worried, I pressed on, trying to warm into some form. Perhaps just 2km into the 21.1 required was where the muscle cramping began and I was reduced to walking. For the next two hours, 45 minutes I worked my way around the run course three times, running when able, walking when not, with one eye on the clock and just constantly moving forward. I had considered trying to break my half marathon PB with this run, now I was just trying to beat the cut-off time. After a solid start and with the bulk of the work done, I had been undone due to a lack of nutrition on-board.
About four months later, at Portarlington, I took on a similar distance race but on possibly a more hilly course. Despite my spectacular dismount, this time I had leant my lesson, and ran out the entire 20km course. I did slow towards the end yet did not walk, did not break.
Another year wiser, game on!

Good luck to all those racing this weekend, may you race hard and stay safe, remember to enjoy, thank the volunteers, high-five the kids and, most importantly, zip up your race suit for the photo!