Happy New Year ....and the Man Of Gods Peace

"It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realized, somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free: free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them. It doesn't sound like much, I know. But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when its all you have got, that freedom is a universe of possibility. And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving,can become the story of your life."


The opening lines to my holiday read , Shantaram ( Man of God's peace) by Gregory David Roberts.


I have never been captured by any other book then after reading just the opening paragraph of this book .I have not finished the book but it has been all it suggest and has been said by it in various reviews. I am not one for fiction but I seemed to be drawn to books with not only a story but a moral compass.There are many notable lines in this book and a website full of various readers favorites.


But the first paragraph encapsulates life's experience and how every decision we make has outcomes ...not all wonderful but we can learn to cope and move on or stagnate in the error of our judgment.Its a joy reading a book that opens up a part of life in the case of Shantaram , the underbelly of the city of Mumbai with all its interesting characters and the misery and joys of life.It has the philosophy gently massaged into the story and it makes you think. 


Why do we suffer , where are we going , what is the meaning of life. ...I haven't finished the book but it is a nice distraction on the bus , the train and just to pass the time away. What does this have to do with triathlons and training .Probably not a lot other than for two important lessons from my perspective.


One, learning from experience has no better teacher and being able to reach balance in one,s life is so fundamental to living life to the fullest but paramount to fulfilling ones true potential in anything. Like so many imponderables we face , we have no life's map to guide us ,we must find our way , make mistakes and live with them ,right or wrong . As with training it fits within the bigger me and my life and if out of kilter with my other responsibilities or if my mix of training is all wrong , the results will show .


It is a thought provoking book which kick starts 2011. Happy New Year and may 2011 be the realisation of many dreams.


Some further memorable lines in the book which I have listed below:


I know now that it's the sweet, sweating smell of hope, which is the opposite of hate; and its a sour, stifled smell of greed, which is the opposite of love.


“The truth is that there are no good men, or bad men, he said. It is the deeds that have goodness or badness in them. There are good deeds, and bad deeds. Men are just men – it is what they do, or refuse to do, that links them to good and evil. The truth is that an instant of real love, in the heart of anyone – the noblest man alive or the wicked – has the whole purpose and process and meaning of life within the lotus-folds of its passion. The truth is that we are all, every one of us, every atom, every galaxy, and every particle of matter in the universe, moving toward God.” Shantaram byGregory David Roberts p. 199




http://www.shantaram.com/




http://www.shantaram-forum.com/

Running in the forest

The last week of the year spent in Singapore has been relaxing yet hectic. Lots of walking and running every alternate day. Aside from running along the busy Singapore Roads I have done a run at the Dairy Farm Nature Reserve up to Bukit Timah Hill and this morning I did a run from Chestnut Drive to the Nature reserve then along a MTB trail connecting to a trail leading to MacRitchie reservoir .I got to 6km and then ran back via Bukit Timah quarry and the base of the hill to make it a 12km run.

There were a few riders and just 2 other runners for the whole 12km run .It was a relatively cool day with high humidity and I was sweating lots bit it was a really nice run with the muddy tracks and water on the jungle undergrowth .There was a lot more streams around than I expected .

Again it was just nice to be alone running in the forest with just the silence of the forest sounds and my breathing and heart pounding along. I had spent last night looking at running websites and Jeannette Wang's blog had a video clip of the barefoot professor which I watched and his explanation on the mechanics of running.

In the silence of running trails there is lots to think about ....my perfect bike case , bikes , races I want to do and following from Enrico's blog, my bucket list.i did one 20 years ago and I will dig it up to see what i can tick off .It would be nice to just check back. and possibly reset some of the goals .Life is very much like a race , there are lots of turns and changes which require adjustment to the overall strategy but it is always important to have a road map and a finish line ....and trying to keep to the road map helps.

http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=naturereserves&id=46&Itemid=75



the barefoot professor

Christmas work out

The month of December has always been a downtime for me after Busselton Ironman and the importance of rest was clearly demonstrated this year .

But I have tried to keep up doing some activity and running and swimming have been the main pursuits as I don't have a bike with me.After my first run ,I am not sure I will be confident riding on Singapore roads anyway. I saw a couple of riders gathering at the old fire station at Upper Bukit Timah Road on my run.

I had a few near misses , the worst was crossing a zebra crossing with one lane stopped and the other was stationary but as I was sandwiched between the two lanes, the van driver took off just as I was about to step into his lane.I had slowed to a walk and fortunately I was watching his reaction .Had I just run across assuming they would wait at a zebra crossing I would be history.

The run was slow and easy especially with the adjustment to the humidity.

<iframe width='465' height='548' frameborder='0' src='http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/60468173'>iframe>

I did a second run on Boxing day ,again just an hour but ran in the Dairy Farm nature reserve and then up to the top of Bukit Timah Hill ,Singapore highest peak but its more a hill.It was fairly steep and had to walk up the narrow steps . I ran from the Dairy Farm side rather than the normal walkers entrance on the other side of the hill. The track was very muddy and slippery so I went pretty slow and I had to dodge lots of walkers as well.I was soaking wet by the time I got home.

Nothing like a few hills to get the heart rate up . I enjoyed it and the running in jungle with all the eerie silence amidst the sudden crashing of branches as birds or monkey move high above. You hear your heart pounding and you feel the sweat tingling every pore on your skin. Doesn't cost anything but you know you are alive Pity that feeling can't be bottled.

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year

To everyone who has stumbled or followed my blog a very Merry Christmas , may 2011 be a safe ,healthy and wonderful year and all you wish it to be.

2010 has been a quieter year by comparison ,with one IM race , a half ironman and a half marathon race with the painathon . It has been an interesting learning experience.I have had 5 bouts of the flu despite the winter in Perth being the driest for several years. I have done less mileage overall but have had a pretty good IM race at Busselton. It is a journey with finding the Yin and the Yan of training and life in general.. Work has been a lot more eractic and hectic with more responsibilities and work .That overshadows  largely my efficiency in all other aspects o lie and my training .I think I have largely got it right accept that the bouts of flu are an indication that I am so susceptible to getting ill when juggling everything .

The second critical factor is weight.I have lost some but have a little way to go.This is the hardest to master as I am constantly eating at the wrong time and missing meals when I should not.With this comes the habit of eating right .How often is it said that you are what you eat. Its amazing i have managed to complete an Ironman on the stuff I have been eating.

Lastly my running .It has been a lack of  focus and emphasis which I have kept meaning to attend to but is just a lot of effort .I just have to make the effort in 2011 to get more efficient.

If I can make inroads in all 3 aspects and keep my swimming on track , I know I will  be able to improve.

If there was a Santa Claus or St Nick ,that would be my wish list .No need or the training and planning. Just come ready to race with all the attributes built in .Not to be .I have to work at all aspects.But yet again I know where I have started from and where I am going ,it makes it not only a journey but an adventure.

For 2011, I have as my next Goal Ironman Lanzarote 2011 hence my byline changes to " The writings of a triathlete wannabe training for Ironman Lanzarote "

wannabe:A "wannabe" (slang for "want to be") is a person with an ambition to be someone or something that she/he is not. The term is mildly pejorative, intended to convey the foolish nature of the desire due to the incompetence of the "wannabe" to accomplish the goal.

( from wikipedia)

Downtime

After Busselton Ironman I had  a nice break.Lots of sleep and rest.Spent a few days catching up with Enrico as he spent a few days after Busso in Perth. I had no injuries and made the quickest recovery from a race in my six attempts. By Wednesday there was no soreness in the legs and I had escaped any blisters or severe abrasions . I went out for a ride around the river on Saturday but it was a slow ride as I was racing on Sunday in the Inter-Club championships at Mandurah.

I had not done much for the week and I was looking forward to racing .I had the office Christmas function on Saturday night so it was a fairly late evening before the race. Got up and left for Mandurah at 5.30am and  It was an hours drive down the freeway.

Got there with a lot of time to spare. Set up my bike in transition and had a chat with everyone .It was already getting warm . It was a wet suit swim despite the water temperature being just under 22C .The girls started first and the men started 10 minutes later.The inter club race was a 750m swim , 17 km bike and 5 km run.

I had a reasonable swim but sighting wa difficult as my goggles kept fogging up .Did the swim in 13.50m and then had  quick transition and off on the bike although I had a difficult time remembering to press the buttons on my garmin so I could keep an accurate record of my transition times.










The bikes course was 3 laps and it was hard getting up any speed. It was quickly over . I managed to get on and off my bike without any difficulty and slip on my bike shoes without crashing. Dismounted quickly and did leave a shoe in transition . Got on the run course and managed a 24 min 5km run . The aim is to get my run time down.

I was shattered after the race and the rest of Sunday.The legs did feel heavy. I managed to do another PB with a time of 1hr 10min and was 4 minutes faster than my last outing at the inter club 2 years ago. North Coast Tri Club was 2nd overall for the Presidents Cup . (for the 2nd time in 2 years )

The rest of the week was pretty easy .I did no swimming and just rode on Thursday .

The rest of the time was spent catching up with life on the net ,work and more work. And starting preparation for the next race ...at least the logistics of it. I will begin my preparation in the New year and the title of my blog changes with Busselton done and dusted.

With the entries for Busselton 2011 becoming available on 15 December , I was at the computer at 7am and got my entry in without any difficulty .I assumed it would take a few weeks to sold out....it sold out in 4 hours. The sport or the marketing machine that is WTC rolls on.

Eneko Llanos IM Lanzarote

More Pictures Of Ironman WA 2010

Finish Chute Busso 2010



At Transition 5.15am




Transition area just before sunrise




Turn around at Busselton Main Street




Jonathon at Stop Just before we got to Busselton




Carbo Night on Friday 3 December 2010




Jonathan at a Busso Cafe on Main Street the day before the race



Coming into the turnaround on Queen Street




!km from the finish

 Video of the finish taken by Dennis T

RACE REPORT BUSSELTON 2010

Ironman Busselton 2010 has come and gone.Another chapter in life completed . I finished in 11.37 , a PB for me and I had a PB in my swim , bike and run . I can't be happier.

But there is always room for improvement . The weather was kind but for some winds on the cycle course . I arrived in Busselton with the family on Friday morning , the weather forcast was thunderstorms on Sunday and the winds on Friday in Buselton were gusting .It wasn't looking good. The new transition area was on the opposite side and the finish was now on the main street. I got registered and immediately got to the chalet at Mandalay Caravan Park and got my gear sorted out. Spent the rest of the day doing nothing.Went to the carbo night which was quite good .Mike Reilly was the MC for the night and there were no performing acts but just interviews wih interesting characters in the race and the pros. Food wasn't too bad . The company was priceless.

Met up with everyone , including Jeff and Debbie Smith from ironman Japan tritravel group , Shane from tri travel and now general manager of WTC Australia. Met marcus who was in tri Travel Japan in 2008 and Russel Cook at the transition on race day.

As Mike Reilly said at Carbo Night , when you do an ironman you become part of one big family . There is a binding spirit that ties everyone in this sport together.

On Satuday I did a short swim , ride and bike just to loosen the legs .I felt good and just a little nervous.Nothing like my first Ironman race .
I spent Saturday with Jonathan and we checked the finish line. Jonathan even got to run through the finish line before he got chased off by the workmen putting it up. he was most fasinated by the Portaloos and wants one ???? .He helped me check in my bike and the gear. It rained off and on during the day .One thing was sure it was not going to be a hot race day.
I had all my nutrition sorted out and salt and electrolyte.


Race Day .It was a calm and ver still day .I had an early night and anaged to sleep well .Got up at 3 am and got myself ready. Breakfastwas a bidon of gatorade and a slice of toast . I caught the3.45am bus put onby the organisers to the start area. I was early but with transition closing at 5am I wanted to get myself sorted out. The ocean looked perfect for the race and I have yet had a difficult start at Busso atleast weather wise. Got the tyres checked a bit late but paranoia made me pump them again. someones tyre exploded and I say one guy change his tubular . All nerve wrecking at that time of the day.

Got body mark ...F for fabulous as the body marker said ...not fast. Into my wetsuit and I was ready. Itwas a bit of a wait as the pros went off at 5.30am and we went off at 5.45am .

It was a washing machine as in all ironman swim starts .However , I managedto follow and draft behind someone for most of the first half of the swim.It was pretty rough with the number of swimmer around me but I felt very comfortable.I did not once get too exhausted. I had a twinge of a cramp in my left leg but it soon passed. I got round the jetty and then tried to find someone to draft off and found it more difficult and felt I did lose a bit of time just zig zagging the course. My sense of direction was always bad. Something to work on with my swim time.

I made it to the end in 1.20 a PB by 3 minutes . I had my garmin but unfortunately I thought it was on multisport mode but it was on bike so it
was just one big stopwatch for the day .No individual results of each segment.

I got to the transition running pass lots of people walking .It is a race guys. There was a wetsuit stripper which was great. Got my belt , jersey ,socks and shoes on and I was off.Forgot my sunglasses but it was a cloudy day.

Off I went 3 laps of 60km .Made good progress and I was feeling quite comfortable in the first lap . The only real hassle was having to back off slightly when someone overtook me. I was averaging above 34kph at the first lap and that gradually dropped off to 30kph for the last 20km . I was eating lots and my nutrition comprised :

1.5 bananas from the aid statios
5 bidons of water
gatorade concentrate = 180gms carbohydrates
gels = 6 x 30 = 180gms carbohydrates

Dates, 1 protein bar and allens snakes and gingered sugar cubes.
It was a feast. I felt a little sick but I had more than 450gms of carbohydrates and 1800mg of salt.

I managed 3 pees on the bike leg without stopping . I was glad to be off the bike and my garmin was at 7hrs 8 mins.

I was out of transition with a quick change of socks and top and a pee stop at the portaloo in 5.17min. Still a little slow. I had my gels in a bottle which I put on my fuel belt. Shades and cap on and I was off .It was nice to be cheered by everyone through the street every time we did a lap. I felt good for the first 5 km and then I just got tired and my legs began to hurt. I just kept moving as stopping would just make it worse. I held out on the cola till the 20 km mark and that helped.I had300mg of salt every hour and I was hoping I could keep up a 6min/km pace but by 20 km the pace was slowing to 6.30 and I held at that pace for most of the remaning 20 km. I finished with relief and I knew I would be able to complete my race in a new PB . There were lots of people who cheered me on from the club and whom I train with .I am grateful for the support. It was a great day out on the course and I even had a kind word of support from John McClean who was out on the run course. It made a great day even better.

The finish was a blur . I am glad and grateful for all the volunteers as well .especially those who held me. I was just dead tired. I had a massage , some chicken soup and then headed home. I got changed and some dinner and headed back for my bike and gear.

It was a great day and the weather was a lot better than last year . But an ironman is an ironman and it is never easy.

RAISE ME UP

Tapers are funny things , I never am able to feel totally comfortable as I drop the mileage down . I feel slugish but that may be th lack of caffeine kicking in.

I had a massage  today and did little else.I have just been running and biking this week .I was suppoe to swim n Wednesday but could not make the evening session. I have done 2 runs totalling 18km and 2 bike sessions of about 70km . the ride on Tuesday was fun as I just sat behind everyone and felt great. On Monday and wednesday I ran . This morning I did head out to Nedlands and did a short ride round the circuit before heading back to the city.It was an easy ride and I just jumped onto the back of groups . Otherwise I spent the time getting my gear together and making sure I have everything with me when I go to Busselton tomorrow morning.

The car is packed with my bike and all my bags . I am ready and looking forward to getting down to Busselton and racing . The journey starts with the first step and with each step I get closer to my destination , I learn a little more about myself , I learn a little more about the journey and I arrive at the destination. I don't know the number of hours of training on the bike , on the pool and on the footpaths I have racked up but I don't think it matters much .I have had good company and great solitude on those many training sessions and long rides .

Goodluck to all those racing this weekend.

Lifestyle

It is now Full taper week leading up to the Race. I had a rest day today but did a short 1 hour run . I have started to catch up with my Internet friends and activities. Lots to read and to be inspired about.

It was a hot day today and on Facebook , there is the commentary on the possibility of how hot Sundays race could be but at the same time there is the long term forecast of cooler temperatures and rain. So I am packing my wet gear in case.

I also have attached a link to Coach Jeff and the interview he gave to Lifestyle Podcast.He is a triathlon coach , whom I first met with his lovely wife Debbie at Ironman Japan  2008 .He is a character but loads of fun and embodies the true spirit of triathlons and just having a go.

Well worth a listen from someone who has been involved in Triathlons for 27 years .

LIFESTYLE Podcast -interview with Coach Jeff

The Triathlon Podcast

Do the Rest

It is a week to Busselton Ironman .I am excited but again Iam not. It will be my 4th Busselton race and familiarity breeds well familiarity. But never underestimate the race.Its flat but that throws up its own challenges.

I have had a very light week and overall it has been a very light programme that has suited me rather well.I have been sick a lot more this year .But there may be a number of variables that bring that about. The forced rest has been good.

Monday , I did a short 45 minute run in the arvo and then a straight 45 min swim .I managed a 2km swim and felt very comfortable .I did not go hard and the weather was great on Monday.

Tuesday , last hard ride but we did not do an hour on in Nedlands.Everyone did a draft friendly ride to the turnaround hard and than tapped back to start again . We managed 3 and I had my zipps on to test and hung onto Jamie ad Jason most of the 3 sprints. I averaged between 40 and 43kph for each of the sprints .It was short and sharp and there was no stress on the legs.



After the ride it was breakfast at Tiger Tiger. Wednesday was swimming with drills and sets .Did 2.5km and then at lunch time I ran a 1hour run at Yokine with 4 x 2min efforts.

Thursday was a 1.5hour easy ride and I rode to Nedlands and followed the Exceed  Tri club round the river. My chain came off at point Walter Road in Freo and I had to catch the group .fortunately Rod had gone off to drop his bag at his office  by the river and he found me and dragged me back . I was on my training bike and it was hard going . Once we grouped up it was a slow ride back to the city .

By Thursday evening I was getting a sore throat and on Friday I was down with another  bout of flu or cold.So I skipped my training and had a rest day.On Saturday I was feeling better and did my 2 hour ride down the freeway.it wasn't fast but I felt alot better at the end of the ride. Did hit the sand on the side of the path as I was busy looking at my garmin. Could have been a crash but managed to stay upright. Had to climb over a tree that had come down across the cycle path at mt Henry as well. But it was a rather normal gusty freeway ride .

I met up with the rest of the guys and Ross at Tigers . Michele , Alistair and myself got a special Rossco briefing for Ironman . Nice to get the dos and don't of race day retold. makes me revisit everything . I started my checklist and getting my gear together.

I will write a new nutrition plan as well . I will rehearse everything I have to do in Transition . (especially as I will be racing with my Garmin for the first time )

Cottesloe ..a lot busier this morning

On Sunday , felt alot better after the long nights rest and codral.The advantage is that with each bout of cold/flu the period of being ill has become shorter. I went down with Tony for a swim with Keith , Les and Trevor. Swam to Blue duck cafe from Cottesloe.my goggles were leaking so I got left behind but managed to catch up with Trevor.we then all tried to draft behind Keith but he was just too strong and everyone got dropped. I tried to stay on his feet but just could not .I was happy with my swim as I was able to stay on Tony's feet and feel very comfortable for all the period before I decided to try and jump onto Keiths feet as he pulled away. It was a short swim of 30 minutes but was good to be out for the last time in the Ocean  before race day.

Finally , a piece from Chuckie V I was reading and found very useful about resting but again in another of Chuckie V's enlightened piece he writes about the taper. it is more art than science and you have to have something to taper. I think I have got it right and this week I did :

swim 2.5hrs
run 2 hrs
ride 5.5 hrs
total 10 hrs

Do the Rest by Chuckie V

Preparation for an Ironman

Nothing prepares you for race day.Everyone is nervous and so many factors can determine the outcome. But despite all that ,  I don't worry . What I can do is to :

1. Prepare as best I can
2. Do not panic
3. Test and run though everything and anything I plan to do or use on the day
4. Never try something new on race day
5. Have a goal and or several goals
6. ask or seek advice well before the day and
7. Never listen to advice and suggestions in the week leading up to Ironman  or you will be breaking rule 4
8. make lists and get everything ready a week in advance
9. Have a nutrition plan for the whole race and keep to it
10. Enjoy the atmosphere , your fellow triathletes and the race
11. Be thankful ...for the experience , the training , the ability to do so , the support of friends and family

Those are my thoughts and below are some of the comments from Rossco each year.Not everything but the more important pointers.

SELF


You’re fit.

You’re ready.

You have done the right training.

It is time to race.



THE RACE

Rule 1 - At certain stages throughout the race it will hurt.
Rule 2 - If you are not or have not hurt it will at some stage to come.
Rule 3 - The pain and hurt will go away.
Rule 4 - It hurts more if you stop.
Rule 5 – Never give up. No matter how bad it gets. The best victories are the ones hardest earned.


OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT


Positive Thoughts leads to

Positive Actions leads to

Positive Results.

Day before stay out of the sun.

Be mentally prepared for the journey.

Enjoy it. It is actually fun.

Be smooth and quick through transition. Know what you want, get it and go. No use wasting 20 minutes at both transitions.
Keep it simple.

Sweet Dreams

The week has been a little tame after the harder sessions previously but I am not complaining. I managed to get to swim training on Friday morning and had a reasonable session.it was pretty crowded and I did a warm up with the pull buoy and skipped the medley. we then did a 100m easy, fast, medium , fast ,firm fast followed by a 50m set with the same format and then repeated with 100m fast,easy,fast ,firm and then a 50m set of fast , easy,fast medium ,fast and firm and then a cool down.I  did about 2.5km and I managed to stay behind Lockie for the whole set.

Managed to attend all 3 swim sessions this week. It was a relaxing week despite some hard sessions. The water was nice and cool with the temperature for Friday 19 November climbing rapidly to 38 by noon.I had breakfast after the swim and then at 12.30 i did my easy run.i ran for under an hour around Kings Park.It was 38 degrees and there was just one other runner about. It was hot but managed to keep a reasonable pace just above 5.30 min per km.

Ran just under 10 km .I must have lost a  bucket of sweat. There were no taps around so it was pretty hard going towards the end .





Saturday 20 November.....Last of the longish rides just 3 hours at sub threshold.I got my Zipps ready and the bike had been serviced and thought I will try  the bike out .Got to the Narrows by 5.45 am and started my ride .The wind wasn't bad and there were only a few cyclist about . I managed to get into a nice rhythm although the gears were not working at 100%.  The speedo was also causing some trouble .I had put my garmin on my bike bars using the garmin attachment so that was working well.

The weather was overcast and muggy but the wind was behaving itself . I got to the 50km mark after Safety Bay Road in about 1.25 and then had a quick stopover and thought the ride back would be tougher with the wind  but I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep up my pace and did the 100km in  2.53. I ran off the bike for a short 10 minutes and felt pretty good. As I arrived back at my car under the Narrows bridge ,  a cyclist rolled   in and was greeted by I presume his girlfriend who was waiting for him ...looked like it was a long ride by the welcome he got from her . They were still in a tight embrace as I drove  off.

The Cottesloe groyne where a shark was spotted last week

No wetsuit swim

On Sunday Morning had the usual swim but we decided to have a short dip as the sky was pretty dark with clouds although it was not raining. The water was absolutely still and the only thing missing was the Jaws soundtrack.

We spent more time at the John street Cafe . Just 14 days to race day .Sweet Dreams are made of this.

Losing My Religion

My week started off with a lie in . No swimming on Monday morning .I did do my run at lunch time and did a relatively fast 1.02 for 12.5 km .the first 5 km was at under 4.30 pace and then I slowed down to about a 5 min pace which i managed to hold . I felt pretty good especially after the ride and swim on the weekend. No fatigue in the legs but I did have alot of rest.

I swam in the evening and did about 55 mins and covered about 2.7 km . Again felt relatively good and did not push myself hard.

Tuesday ...Had to get up early for the Nedlands ride . But not as early as last week so i got to sleep till 4.50am . The small luxuries of life? I got out to the city and rode to nedlands .It was pretty nice day and we had a large group of atleast 15-18 cyclist.

We all started off in groups of 3 to 4.I was with Tarnia, Michelle and Juliana. Rode down birwood and after the short climb I managed to pull away from the rest , purely unintentional , as I saw the group in front and just had to catch them. Rod flew pass me and I got on to the back of his wheel and then got to the turnaround when we caught up with the front group  but I decided to wait for my group to catch up but it didn't happen and then Jamie , Jaason and Alistair came past so I jumped onto their back wheel and followed them back to the start of the loop and then waited and rejoined my group. Did 2 more laps and a short bit and felt comfortable .Averaged 33.8 on my speedo with my ride out to Nedlands which had my average speed at 28.2 so it was a fast ride today .Over the 37 km in the hour I averaged over 35kph.

Some of the guys were above 40kph . It was the final hard ride on a Tuesday for a while at least.




Wednesday 17 November 2010
Did my swim in the morning . it was just nice weather wise. Started off with a 500m warm-up.Lots of swimmers in the lanes today .we had about 8 in our lane. After the warmup we did 4 x 500 sets of medley , 100m easy,medium,firm and fast . It was a good set and I kept up with Lockie one of the swimmers in my lane but we were dropped fairly quickly by the otherf swimmers.Followed that we a cooldown of 200m .All up did 2.6 km.

In the arvo I had a meeting so I did my run at 4.15 and ran round Kings Park with 5 x 4minutes at pace..Did not have my garmin and ran on feel .it was nice and warm and I was the only one running around Kings park at half past 4.

Thursday was just a ride .i rode from the city to Nedlands and followed the Exceed group as they did a brick session riding round Mosman and running off the bike at 3 spots.i just rode loops till they got back on the bike.It was a high cadence ride and just kept pedalling in the small chain ring .It was hard work especially on the hills .

It was a fairly easy day . Feeling a little sluggish today.

Ironman Busselton is now only 2 weeks away and looking forward to the race. Getting my gear ready for the race and will start my preparation next week.

It's Taper Time



White pointer skull at the WA Museum ... the only place I have seen one


Sunday was and is my rest day . But as I have done for the last few weeks I have swum at Cott on Sunday morning. This morning was a great day to be out on the ocean It was flat and the sky was clear. We did a rather short swim past Blue Duck cafe and back.I took 38 minutes and lots of zig-zaging .I should have just stuck onto the feet of one of the swimmers.I even collided with a swimmer coming in the opposite direction . Big ocean but collisions will happen . The water was cold but it was good for the body. Feeling good after the ride yesterday and ready for the week ahead.



The final 3 weeks before the race and the taper starts. It is time for the body to recover .A short piece from Runners World on Tapering :

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244-255-5958-0,00.html 
 
Countdown to an Ironman: Dave Scott's 21-day Tapering Plan from Active.com
 
http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/Countdown_to_an_Ironman__Dave_Scott_s_21-day_Tapering_Plan.htm



The taper starts from Monday but there are still some longish rides and hard sessions . I have never completely dropped off my training although in 09 I was pretty tired at the start of the half as I did my full training session without a break and then went into the race with a days rest. Did quite well with my PB for the half distance at 5.16 so there is no real rhyme or reason for how it all pulls together for the race.

But overall I can't complain about how the training has unfolded. I would liked to have had more running and hill work but there are just so many hours in the day. definitely less colds and the flu next year.

Total workload for the week:
Swim : 2.5 hrs 6.7km
Bike : 9hrs or  280km
run: 5 hrs or 49km
total : 16.5hrs

Done and Dusted

The weeks are rolling on by quickly.It was only yesterday I was starting my Half Ironman training.

Well the last long hard week is over .It wasn't particularly hard in the end.

Wednesday , I did my swim in the morning and that was a hard session.We did a 800m warm up and 300 m drills and then 8 x 100 m easy and fast .I kept up with the group which was a bonus but I was tired by the end of the swim.I then did a 400 cool down. In the evening I got home pretty late and ran in the evening doing my intervals with 5 x 4min at threshold. I ran pretty comfortably and finished the run feeling  good.not fast but kept the pace at sub 5.30 per km .

On Thursday , I had a 2hour high cadence ride and rode from home at 5.30am .i got to Nedlands and decided to just ride around and do laps .Jeremy was out there and joined me.the rest of Exceed was doing a speed session to between the narrows and UWA .Did not see them at all. I saw Tony riding at Birwood so joined him and then rode into town and had breakfast at Tiger Lily's .The gang  were not there so I suspect they went off to another cafe.It started raining and fortunately I had done my ride.

Friday , I was feeling quite tired in the legs and I decided to skip my swim and just do my run in the evening .Could have just been lazy. But I was glad I had the extra rest in the morning . The run was an easy 1.15 and I ran to Light street reserve from the pool and then back and around Yokine reserve.

Saturday .My last long ride . I was pretty comfortable in bed and when the alarm went off at 4.30am I quickly shut it down and lay there and dozed off .I eventually got up at 5.15 and got myself ready.I was out and at the Narrows bridge by 5.40am as there was little traffic. Got everything ready and set up .My bike was serviced this week so it was feeling good.My gears were out of kilter but Phil had adjusted them.

I had with me 2litres of water. A bidon of Gatorade concentrate and a Kellogg's bar, hammer bar , 1 banana ,lots of dates and  4 gels in a flask.

All up I had about  330 -350g of carbohydrates , with 1800mg of salt and  some protein in the bars. I also picked up another 1.2 l of water on the way back.

the wind was blowing around the cycle path from the start but it was nothing out of the norm .It was always blowy . Just knuckled down and tried to stay focused . I did have some technical issues with the Garmin as it was showing a HR of 200 bpm which was not possible.So for the whole ride I just had to go on feel. I did 4 efforts of 30 min trying my best to keep at perceived threshold.

I managed to get to the end of the bike path in 2.17 hr and then rode pass Pinjarra Road across the river for a further 1.5 km and then turned back towards Perth to give me a 150km ride.The wind was tough at points along the way but managed to get my pace up. Had the usual magpie attack atLlakelands and about Baldivis I was passed by a younger rider training for Busso on a Look .I could not keep up and he was about 500m ahead of me. I passed him a few km later as he helped 2 girls with a flat. I stopped just before Safety Bay Road to get water from a guy whose son was doing Busso.He was selling drinks to the cyclist along the freeway bike path with his granddaughter. Had a quick chat with him and then back on the ride. The Look cyclist caught up with me and this time I managed to stay with him and hung behind his wheel and then drifted back to the regulation distance and then tried to catch up and repeat the whole exercise just to see if I could crank it up. I stayed with him till Murdoch and then passed him and headed back to the Narrows as quickly as I could. Did the ride in 4.38 and averaged 32.2kph so i was happy with that.

Got back to the car and did a quick change ,packed the gear .that took 3 minutes and then went for a run.I did approx 6km but again the Garmin was off with my HR . Averaged 5.25kph which was comfortable.

Homeward Bound

The last hard week and I am feeling Good. Pretty new feeling as I am usually exhausted but as i have commented this time round I have not stressed too much and I have kept to the programme and not overdone it.

Tuesday was the last long hard hour and half session. There was just Michelle and me.Alistair I think had already started his session.As I climbed up the hill onto Birwood I saw Michelle slumped on her tribars probably hoping I wouldn't show . I later learnt she had another accident with her sister Katy now out of the Busso Ironman with a second broken collarbone in 3 months when a car pulled out on them. Really bad luck .Michelle had some bruising but otherwise was fine.I didn't know this as I started my session with her. There is no small talk as we both know what the session is.It is 5 laps or 50km plus of hard work. I felt good but a little tired with 5 and a half hours of sleep .

The weather was good and it was nice and bright a far cry from the start of 6am sessions in the dark. It was light at 5am . Rode comfortably. Michelle and I took turns and by 6am we had done 2 laps and I tried to catch the groups but after the third lap and half the fourth lap we caught up with Tarnia and Meredith's group .It was hard going with only 2 of us and I manage to lead for much longer tracks of the ride . By the 5th lap I felt pretty good and in the last 3 km caught another cyclist and we changed the lead for the rest of the ride before she turned off birwood.I had averaged 34.3kph with my ride to Nedlands. The legs were fine as I did not have the build up of lactic I usually get. Although with the number of climbs there were moments when I was about to hit the wall. But according to Jocelyn Wong's blog ( the TBB Asian Pro Triathlete ) the
piece she wrote on How to be a Gun Biker in 5 Easy Steps"" included this advice:

If you don’t feel like you are about to vomit or cry while biking, then you aren’t going hard enough.
http://blogs.teamtbb.com/jocelynwong/2010/11/

Well I didn't feel like I was about to vomit so I wasn't working hard enough but I have had Tuesday sessions when I came pretty close to chucking . I went hard and after five laps felt pretty good . That is probably all I can wish for.

Sunday at the Beach

Cottesloe beach Sunday Morning

John Cafe after the swim



Sunday is a rest day and I usually just do a short swim of 35 mins .I wanted to do a slightly longer swim but everyone was pretty tired from their long Saturday ride. It was the tenth anniversary of ken crew's death at Cottesloe so there was a 2 page article in the west Australian.

As we approached the beach , the sky was overcast and the sea whilst quite calm with just a slight swell did not look inviting.It was typical shark weather. But we soldiered on. We swam a straight 16 minutes to the 2nd buoy after the Blue Duck cafe and then headed back .i managed to just pip Trevor for line honours , a first for me given that they were pretty tired from their bike ride of 170km and I had an easy week.

I was feeling very strong and did not feel uncomfortable in the water throughout. although it was a short swim.Ended up doing approx 1.6km although it was hard to tell as the Garmin isn't accurate.

<iframe width='465' height='548' frameborder='0' src='http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/55762825'>iframe>

On Monday morning it was the start of the last hard week before the taper begins .I had a long run but split the run into 2 hour long sessions ,one at lunch time in the heat of the day and the second in the afternoon at 5pm . Did 20km with the first 10.7km  a  little faster and the second 9.5km at 6min pace keeping my heart rate as low as I could .

Then did an hour swim , managing 2.7 km . It was a slow swim compared to my swim at the Cott but again felt good and did not push hard throughout especially as my legs were tired from the run.  

The rest  of the week will be hard but generally it has been less strenuous then previous campaigns. I am conscious that I do not overdo anything as it is easy to get an injury at this point. Will start testing out the equipment and getting the bike ready.

I am also planning on doing some fundraising .Details to follow and I hope as many people will give their support.



Whats so easy about easy week

Its about 4 weeks to Ironman Busselton and its my easy week before the taper begins although I still have a 150km ride next Saturday .

This week was relaxing. Wednesday was pretty hot and I did my run at 5pm and the temperature was over 35C I did an hour with 4 x 2 min efforts .Clocked about 11.88 km .



Then did my swim session of 2.4km Thursday I didn't ride but just did an easy run .



On Friday I rode to swim training and then to work .It was a good session but i got lapped . We did a 1000m , 600m and 400m set and a warm up and cool down.A total of 2.5km . Rode home in the evening but it was a short ride of 30km .

Saturday , I had a 3 hour easy ride so i left late and rode up the coast to the Northern suburbs .my old tramping grounds.Stopped by at MacDonald's Joondalup for coffee where all the NCTC members gather after their ride. I then rode back .It was a nice cool day but the wind along Marmion was quite strong at times . Rode back home in an hour to complete my 3 hour easy ride . did just over 88km .




Training time:

Run : 3 hrs or 32km
swim: 2 hrs or 5km
bike: 6hrs or 180km

The Perfect Race

I was glad this week is over and I am looking forward to a more relaxing week. I finïshed off the week with a swim at Cottesloe. The talk today was about the shark attack at Garden Island yesterday. A guide was bitten by what may be a whale shark or a white pointer .As we drove towards Cottesloe we could see the Island in the distance. The Swim WA open water swim at Rockingham was cancelled and there were  only a few swimmers in the water as we got suited up for our Sunday swim.

It was cold but otherwise the sea was flat and calm.Great for swimming .It wasn't murky as we got further away from the Tea House and we made good time to the Blue Duck cafe. There were only a few stingers around.We swam back and did the swim in 33 minutes. It felt good and I could have gone further but it was nice just to be able to relax .

After the swim at Tony's place the Subiaco local rag had a front page piece on the death of Ken Crew 10 years ago on 4 November 2000 at Cottesloe Beach. I didn't think much about it , it was a nice day and I probably would have a higher probability of being hit by a car then eaten by a shark.

Had breakfast at the usual spot ....John Street Cafe.

I had no swimming on Monday and so I ran in the evening .It was a short run and very slow but it did say easy run. Did about 8km in 50 minutes .I had the NCTC meeting on Monday night and did not finish till 10.30pm. Was a Long day and  had to get up early for the Tuesday ride.Thankfully this is an easy week.

Despite the less than optimal hours of sleep I got out to Nedlands early and it was nie to have an easy ride. ross suggested we just spin around behind the groups .I managed to catch one of the groups and rode with them for 2 and half laps .Felt very comfortable and it was the nicest ride for a long time .No discomfort as I took my turn at the front and I was not pushing hard. There were 7 of us so it was a large group but we managed to stay together till the end.

The perfect race ....there isn't one . Training to race is preparation for all the possible issues that could come up in a race. Being prepared and hopefully practice over the last few months would have been sufficient for all that can happen.It is a cliche but training is a journey of experiences and memories which hopefully prepares the body for the day. I feel strong and comfortable. My swim and bike are definitely better . My run is about where I was last year but I have had no injuries and I have definitely been able to hold a harder pace in intervals.

Mark Allen said in a piece in TRIATHLETE:
"The Perfect Race




I tell people all the time that there is no such thing as a perfect race, but you can run a race perfectly. What this means is that things happen in racing that are, at the very least, unwelcome and, at worst, unexpected. It’s how you handle each of them that can make every race “perfect.” You always try to visualize what your perfect race will look like and how you will deal with situations that are challenging. But the reality of racing is that usually you will encounter situations that you hoped you would not have to deal with and situations that can seem off-the-charts tough.



Racing perfectly means that you deal with difficult situations calmly. If you get a flat, don’t freak out, just change the tire. If you get kicked during the swim, just keep swimming. If you miss a water stop on the run, pick up some extra at the next one. Whatever it is, just deal with it calmly and move on. That is what having the perfect race is all about.



No Bad Races



There is really no such thing as a bad race. Certainly there are expectations that far exceed reality, and there are days where absolutely everything imaginable goes wrong. But there is really never a bad race—with one exception. That is the race where nothing is learned that will help you out in the future. Each moment in your race day is a chance to note something that will help you in the future. It might be a stark reality that tells you how to train better for the next race. It could be personal insight into a weakness that you become inspired to transform into a strength. The toughest races are often the ones that give you the pot of gold for the future. But this only happens if you reflect on them and learn something that betters you as a person and gives you insight that helps you race better the next time.



As for the ultimate race of your life? Well, it is only after the finish line has been crossed and enough time has passed to reflect back on the day that you will really be able to see how great of a race you just had. In the moment of having the race of your life, it will hurt, you might doubt your preparation and you could ask yourself a thousand times why you are even there. But between those moments of questioning and doubt, there can be magical miles where your mind is quiet and your body is working at its top efficiency, where you ignore the moment before that was tough or the next instant that is unknown. The best race of your life exists in the quiet beating of your feet on the pavement and the breath of air that is sustaining your efforts. That is the mindset that will take you from being a novice in the sport to having the best experiences you can.



Mark Allen is the six-time winner of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Based in Santa Cruz, Calif., Mark has a state of the art online triathlon training program at Markallenonline.com.

Wind , Freeway , Magpies and Madmen

Hold ON Tight - ELO

Saturday's have a sweet and sour taste for me. It is the end of a training week , the last big session of the week , the toughest session yet it is always satisfying to have done it. This Saturday was no different.

I was all prepared for the ride.Had all my nutrition , bike and gear packed .I got up early and got to the narrows by 5.30am .Still had issues with my gears but they were working.Went to the toilet at the Narrows before the start.A strange guy came out and wasn't too happy I was waiting .Probably had a few mental issues and I wasn't about to aggravate the situation so I didn't say anything . It is quite sad that we unfortunately can't help or reach out to such individuals. I eventually got started on the ride ....with this guy screaming as I rode past .(he had  a bike and cycled down the cycle path and saw me coming and decided to have a few more words ) It got my heat rate up and I just whizzed by. It was fairly cool and I just knuckled down to the long ride.

It was down the freeway. All 70 plus km and then back. Lots more people out there on their aerobars. The wind was everywhere and it was hard to know when it was favourable and when it was against as it kept changing. I did manage to get down to the end in 2.16 not including the stop for the puncture.I had one spare tiube and managed to change the tube and use my cannister. The tyre was under inflated so it was hard going for the next 3 plus hours. I had the puncture 70 muinutes into the ride and there was a piece of glass in the tyre which I could not remove so I was pretty lucky to have managed to ride the next 3.5 hours without another flat.

Two cyclist asked me if I was ok. That was nice.

Got to the end of the freeway. I wish there was more but it is just a footpath /cyclepath that ends in a conjuntion of roads.No parade , no signs , nothing to signify I just rode the most boring bit of cyclepath with winds , some cows , a few strange smells and nothingelse. When you ride it as often as most Perth based triathletes it does get a tad mundane. Atleast I now get a few hallos . That means somebody knows me in all that bit of bitumen I cycle on everyweek. I did see a group at the end and rode off before they did back to Perth .They caught up and we all turned off at Safety Bay Road for the petrol station at Baldivis .I had water and my Bar. I came prepared with a banana , 5 gels, dates and lollies , and gatorade .Over 400 Calories worth of sugar . I had nearly 4 bidons of water as well. My legs were sore from the very start but I still managed to finish. Unfortunately 3 -4 days of running and cycling with little chance to rest was not conducive to recovery. At lakelands before safety bay road , a magpie started swooping down on me.thank god for helmets .It did this for a km .Its magpie nesting season

After the short break , it was back onto the freeway cyclepath and I finished the ride in 4.46 and then it was then a quick change and a run round the Peerth foreshore . Managed 9.5km in 55 minutes. The legs were sore as but otherwise felt good . I had a gel before the run so I think that helped alot.



I was glad that was over and the angry guy wasn't around but I was beginning to wonder who was mad. My hair was wild , I was unshaven and burnt , tired and not thinking about much other than a good lie down.



JJ at Caversham Wildlife Park

 But the afternoon was spent with JJ at the Caversham Wildlife Park looking at Koalas and Kangaroos and Eagles.There is no peace for the wicked or anyone trying to juggle everything at once.I must say I did sleep very well that night .

Hard Week


After Tuesdays hard ride my legs were very much spent and I opted to rest in the morning and run at Lunch time . I  did a 1 hr session with 6 x 1km at threshold running around the river .It was a fairly warm day and managed to run about 10.5 km . I swam in the evening and we did the usual warm up and then a set totalling 2.5 km

On Thursday , I got up before 5 am but it was raining so I just stayed in bed till about 5.30 am and decided it was OK to ride .But about 20 minutes into the ride it started to rain and I just had to continue. I rode to Nedlands and did a single loop .There were only 4-5 cyclist about . I just did my high cadence ride  and then headed to Tiger Lily's where the few who showed up for transitions practice that morning were having breakfast.

I had a close shave on the way to Nedlands with a Ute towing a trailer squeezing me off the road .Luckily there was a driveway and I managed to turn in and onto a pavement although the vehicle clipped my handlebars. The guy didn't even see me and there was no reason for him to deviate from his line of direction instead of moving even closer to the kerbside.

Well lesson learnt , just try as much as possible to be in their line of sight.

I rode home without any further incident thankfully .Managed only 54km .

On Friday I swam in the morning and again did about 2.4 km . It was warmer swimming in the morning than in the evening. I then did a run in the evening ,I did 14.5 km over 1.25. It was an easy run and managed a steady pace of around 5.40 minutes per km. It was a windy evening and I ran to Matilda Bay and saw lots of Kite surfers  kite surfing around the river from Matilda bay. I then ran back to the office along the river. My legs were pretty sore by now . I was not looking forward to the ride tomorrow as I knew my legs were pretty fatigued by the last few days of training.

 

Terry Tyzacks Pool , Inglewood



Back In the Saddle

After the unplanned absence from training for a whole 4 days I started back on Monday with a revised run plan. The weekend was not a whole waste .I did all the things I do not get to do when I am training.First and foremost I rested .I makes an amazing difference to me. I got antibiotics and lots which really helped . I slept in on Saturday for the first time in months. But I did have an AGM to attend for the Ethnic Disability Advocacy centre which Iam acting President till the AGM . It went off well and I was glad I was not cycling down the freeway and then rushing to the meeting .

I dropped by Tony's place after the AGM and then went home and took Jonathan to the pool for a few hours and ran into Denise and Deb Kirkham both from North Coast .

I was contemplating riding on Sunday but the spirit was strong but the flesh was weak.I decided to just take it easy for another day.I was still wheezing and thought it would not help now if I got worse.

I spent the rest of the day at Whiteman park with Jonathan which was a really nice day but there were lots of flies about. It is summer when you know the flies are out in force.

I swam in the evening and ran at lunch time and after work .i did a 54 minute run and a 40 minute run respectively clocking 17.4 km I went a little harder at lunch time and ran round Kings Park and then to UWA and then back a long the river.I managed to keep the pace to just over 5.10  per km for the 10 km and felt good despite the difficulty breathing. After work I ran over the narrows bridge and did 7km in about 40 minutes , a little slower .

Went to the pool after the run and did my session with a PB as i did not want to get my legs any more fatigued. We did the usual warm up with fins and then some drills and then a 1400m set of 400m, 2 x 200m , 4x 100m and 4 x 50m. It was pretty good set and I stayed at the back . Got lapped by the front group but I was tired by the end of the session. Just need the lungs to get stronger after the flu and I should be fine.

Have had far too many bouts of flu this winter compared to just the one last year . Fortunately the last bout wasn't too severe and feel alot better now.

Heading to the pointy end of the training and my last hard week . Will try and make the best of the training session. Feeling a lot more relaxed about the training and comfortable. In the scheme of life , I am ahead when I get out of bed and can spend a couple of hours training but having some down time has worked wonders too. I used to get very anxious when I missed sessions as though a programme was a treasure map to Ironman Nirvana . It never is, there are too many variations in factors that can make or break the day . Training to the race conditions as best as I can  and just getting into a routine are probably more critical to race preparation. I plan to get my nutrition sorted out and just stick to a regime.



Tuesday as usual was the last hard session in the 3 week cycle and for everyone else at exceed it was an easy week with a ride round the river . There was just Michelle and me . i got there before 5.30 am and off we went .Five laps of just over 10kms of the same road with all the undulations. I managed to keep the pace up and at the end my garmin indicated an average of 32.8 kph with the ride out so it was about a km slower in pace than last week. But there was just the two of us . On lap 4 we passed a guy on a mountain bike who was pedaling with a very high cadence and then a km later he passed us in our carbon bikes .I managed to catch him just as he was turning off our route towards the city.  Michelle mentioned how she was looking forward to the easy week but I can't say I am exhausted as I had a break from training with the flu .It was good to be back training  and it was a good effort given how tired my legs were from the run the day before.

I did have a few mechanical issues at the start as my gears were not shifting as well . The bike gets serviced in a few weeks in preparation for Busso. Starting to check the gear including the zipps . The tires will need to be changed  as well.

Training Hiccups

This is the second week of a 3 week cycle .I have not been able to do a long run but I hope to make it up with a few shorter runs . I think if I keep up the volume overall it will help . It has just been difficult to squeeze so much training into a busy week.I have lots of work on and will miss a swim session this week because of my work schedule.

On a sadder note , Ross told me at swim training yesterday , jeremy got hit by a car last Tuesday evening as he rode home.The car apparently just pulled out without checking and got him . He has the usual scratches and skin loss and a broken leg.( Since writing this in the blog I was advised that it was not a  broken lg and he is hopeful about still getting to the startline ) . It always worries me when I am on the road that one second of inattention by a driver can cost me alot.

I hope to be able to catch up with him soon and hope he has a speedy recovery.

Yesterday I did a run in the afternoon and then went to the swim session in the evening .It was a good session and we did about 2.3km with 700 m of warm up and drills and then the main set was 50m , 150, 250 x 3 , 150 x 2 , 50 and followed by a cooldown of 300m. It wasn't too bad and I managed to stay with one of the swimmers in my lane as the girls just surged ahead but they did have flippers .Not that it would have made a difference.the hardest bit was swimming with bands.My legs just went straight to the floor. Ross said its because Iam from Singapore. Not very encouraging Coach ? So much for the encouraging and nurturing coach I have...LOL .

This morning , without the long Monday run , I managed a reasonable nights sleep and got to the city by 5.10 and rode to Nedlands.Michelle was the only one there and so we started out 1.5hrs session immediately. We rode pretty well keeping the rhythm and taking turns in front.In lap 4 Joe joined us and it was a little harder. I found the last lap hard but kept up my turn.There were more riders about so overtaking was just more work.
Ended up having an average of 33.8kph with the ride out to Nedlands so I know I worked hard. I calculated that my average speed for the 53 km session was 36kph . With the short climbs and  cyclist and council watering truck to contend with .So I was happy with that but my legs were a little jelly like for the day.
The rest of the group did a 20km time trial with Kenty doing a PB 27 minutes to be the fastest in the group.




Met up with everyone for breakfast and then it was off to work.

On a completely different note , I have watched 2 great video clips of Ironman Kona , one of Macca winning and the other Maccas and specialized summary of his preparation for the race.( all from you tube)

Unfortunately I have skipped training for a few days as I have come down with a cold or flu again.So  I will juggle my training around a bit but I don't want it to get worse. I am confident I will get over it quickly enough.