A Tumultous week

Perth was the centre of attraction for the past few days with CHOGM .It was over before it started and I am still not sure what was achieved other than a great get together of Commonwealth leaders and the Queen came to Perth  and we all had a traditional sausage sizzle on the front lawn of the city.

The weather was good as well . I had a good break from training .By Sunday , Australia was in the grip of the QANTAS debacle. Everything in the world today is escalated manifold by the manner the press reports and re -reports everything instantaneously .We don't get news once but a multitude of times and versions.Every iota of information is squeezed out of a story and with it peoples sense of perspective. We are jaded with death , war , casualties , disease and famine because we see so much of it everywhere. Same for the QANTAS lock down and stopping its service.

I enjoyed the Chasers QANTAS parody put up on face book again even though it was from the series Chaser 4 years ago. Very apt.



Monday: I slept in as usual but did my long run in the evening.It was pretty warm at about 5.15pm and I ran to Nedlands about 11km and ran back. it was undulating and managed a 5.30 pace for the first 11km and then got a little slower as it got darker .partly as I did not drink anything till the 17 km mark . but the legs held up and managed a 22km run. The longest since the marathon. I just need to focus on keeping the pace steady . I was a little erratic with my mind wandering and the pace dropping off.





Tuesday : Always a hard day following the long run .I was up and out of the house by 5am .I had a 1.5hr hard speed work ride at Nedlands. Did not quite do 1.5 hrs but overall did just under 2 hrs of riding with most of it at speed. I averaged just under 32km overall and probably was just above 33 kph for the nedlands loops. I managed 57kms. The legs were sore at the end. As everyone else had an easy week I was alone doing the loops. Tried to chase down some cyclist and I managed to catch up with them before they would take off up an incline and leave me behind. But is was good to be doing some speed work finally.

In the evening , I had interval sessions with Brad at the WA Athletics Stadium. It was a warm up and then 3 , 4, 5, 4, 3 min intervals at "I "pace which was now 4.12 for me with the same amount of recovery accept with 1 minute of the recovery time spent in the Plank position to strengthen the core . I was OK for the first 2 interval sessions but struggled with the next 3 recording at  just above I pace of 3 secs ,9 sec and 6 secs  for the last 3 intervals. It was then a slow cool down .I ran a total of 10kms. I was tired and my throat was very sensitive to the air and I was spluttering and coughing a bit.

The Home Stretch - IM Programme for NOVEMBER



BUSSELTON JETTY BEFORE THE START



FINISHING IM BUSSO 2010

How good are you

Lance Armstrong ,once said that endurance triathletes are always running away from something. not necessarily true . they may be running towards something.

It is nice to be able to have taken time to reflect and sit back. This is my easy week. I get to take it easy and recover .

I rode on Thursday and Friday and it was easy rides with a bit of heart pumping bits in it. A little different to the programme .but I kept to much of the core work outs. Saturday was a rest day as I rode on Friday and I will swim tomorrow as well.

The next 3 weeks will be the next hard block of work and then it is the Taper. It is great to reflect back on a not so perfect preparation but see the pit falls and issues of the past 6 months of preparation. Primarily it is a long training year for me with other stresses and I have had to dig deep for motivation .But I have kept to my core work outs and I have been fortunate to have had only a few near misses with accidents and injuries but survived so far.

I don't think I   am running away but always towards something....chasing a goal  and a destination. I haven't quite arrived.

It is to have prepared and raced the perfect race . And the journey there has been to learn , to absorb and to try and help where I can. Hence this Ironman at Busselton is for a purpose . To help the group I am involved with  EDAC and I will be making another push in the next few weeks to fund raise again.

The long weekend has been a great pause in the preparation. The question is Not How Good YOU ARE But Are YOU Prepared to Step Up and be Counted.

Economy

The Economy of Happiness

I have an easy week of training this week . Thankfully . I needed it .Although on Sunday as we relaxed after the swim and joked about training I recall my wife berating me for being a gym junkie and spending everyday at the gym doing classes. In those early days of working out,  it turned out the maximum amount of physical training I was doing was a whopping 5-8 hours a week .Nothing like the 15 plus hours now and certainly not the 27 hours a week in my first IM programme.

The easy week is not such a feature in many programmes and for me the only real difference will be the long run and ride are dropped. Otherwise it remains just as heavy. The only difference this week is with the wet weather we are having I  may miss a few sessions and move them around.

On Monday it was a light day with a swim in the evening. I did a 2.4km swim with 600m warm up followed by a 600m, 500m, and 400m and medium pace and then 300m cool down . I did not swim with the squad today as I started early.On Tuesday it was a wet rainy morning so I skipped the ride and ran in the evening. I had a hard session with a lot of coughing from the chest probably from the hay fever and lingering infection. We did a warm up and then 1 km , 2km and 3km at threshold pace of 4.38 min/km . with a 1,2,3minutes recovery after each run. I did about 11km all up.

This week Perth is the centre of attention with the CHOGM ( Commonwealth head of States meeting) Lots of dignitaries and the city in lock down. There are lots of activities being hosted and I may go to the barbecue for the Queen on Saturday if the weather holds up . But I will be working my training schedule round the activities .

Having said that , After today's session , as I listened to the radio discussion on the economy and Australia, in particular the protest in New York and Europe , we do have a lot to be thankful for. The uncertainty of the economy in the United States and Europe will impact on the world and these next 6 months can be a significant turning point of how this whole sad situation will play out.

What is evident and is reflected in training for endurance sport. ,sometimes being frugal and economic with your energy is critical to performance. It is not the biggest engine that wins but the most efficient engine that wins. Similarly , why work and why have debt. The crisis we see unfolding in a simplistic way and I have stated before is a combination of greed , lack of regulation, and living in a state of accumulating debt or simply spending more than we have. In some situations that is necessary.

I am not an avid fan of pure market capitalism with no regulation. The unevenness of information demands state control of the capital market to make it work properly. The lax regulation and the many countries like the United States and some European States having huge deficits will and does come home to roost.

Only 50 years ago ,  in my parents generation , it was never the norm to be in debt and whilst the past 25 years has seen significant growth in the value of housing , I somehow don't see that happening in the future and so our main asset is not going to keep up with our rising depth if we spend more than we have.

Which leads to the question why train to be economic with energy because by being efficient one can complete the race with the least amount of energy. (which is a finite resource in a race) Similarly why spend more than you have ? Why do we work and live a stressful and unhealthy life.? If we have no valid response , we really are not living an efficient economic life.

Should we measure the State of our lives like the Country of Bhutan , a happiness meter .Although Bhutan is not a model country of happiness with its share of a dark history of  treatment of Nepali speaking Bhutanese.

How happy are we each day and more importantly what makes us happy are the questions. Somehow how wealthy we are or how many worldly goods we have may not really cut it.

I work and train and spend time with my family because I am passionate about what I do. I enjoy it and the money is important but secondary. I strive to be good and to achieve a good result. It is a race , a race to win. Winning is measured not by finishing first but having done the best I can. That in turn makes me happy.

Fortunately , a lot of what I do does not cost  a lot relatively. Well the bike does but when I take the number of hours I use my bike it is actually very economic.

What is the point . Simply , in the turmoil of modern life with competing pressures and the huge gulf of wealth between rich and poor, learn to distill what makes YOU happy and strive to achieve your true potential .

For me it isn't about the dollars , it is about satisfaction and the moments you cannot buy, the memories of collectively what we call your life. The more it is filled with these treasured moments , the happier I believe you will be.

There are somethimg's money can't buy
For everything else there is......

Week 12 - 6 To Go

3 Shark Attacks in 2 months of the WA Coast ?



Week 12 draws to a close with an easy ride of 35plus km with Kings park thrown in for good measure. The legs did not feel as sore accept on all the climbs between home and Shenton Park. I had a good dead tired sleep but got up at 2 am and then went back to sleep for a few more hours .It was another early rise and I left home at 6 am to cycle to Tony's place. The news this week like 2 weeks earlier has been the death of a diver off Rottnest island due to a suspect shark attack . Despite the fear of swimming in the ocean , we had all decided to get back in the water .It was decided we would swim at Coogee beach .A little further than Cottesloe but a sheltered shallow bay with 2 jetty's exactly 1.5km apart.

I rode to Tony's place via King's park , doing a loop and a slow hard climb on the City side of King's Park. It was a great Perth morning with little traffic about. Just did not like the hills dotted along the route. Got to Tony's place and with Hanna drove to Coogee about a 30 minute drive.


Trevor was not swimming with a sore back and so it was just the 4 of us.Tony , Les , Hanna and myself. I had issues with my new goggles not getting a seal and had to stop several times to adjust the goggles. The others were moving further away. I did eventually manage to fix the goggles and claw back into the group and finish past everyone . We then decided to swim back at least as far as we could go .Hanna swam part of the way and the rest of us swam back . It was pointless getting out so I swam all the way back. I hugged the shoreline and it was really shallow. The Coogee Beach Life Saving Club were running the children's training sessions on the beach so it was looking pretty active by the time we got back. I felt better swimming back and it was the first 3km swim in the ocean since Lanzarote.


We headed to Daisies at Cottesloe for the compulsory Coffee and Muffins. The cafe at Coogee unfortunately did not have muffins. It was then back to Tony's place and my cycle home. The legs were really hurting on the short climbs.


I take away some comfort in the last 3 weeks of training with some steady improvements despite the mental motivation roller coaster.


The positives are:


I have managed to compress 3 days of nearly cycling 250kms this weekend and my legs feel better than last year.
I have not been too rigid with my training and not felt too guilty. Life is too short to stress the small stuff.
I have had a few good solid runs and feel much better running off the bike.
My weight is hovering at 70kgs.


With 6 weeks to go , I am comfortable with progress. I have lacked the structure and speed work on the bike but it has been a long season and I think the body was just getting a little worn down. I am looking forward to the easy week and hope to consolidate the small gains.

Week 12
Bike : 249km or 8.28 hrs
Run: 50km or 4.35 hrs
Swim : 8.6km or 3.35 hrs

Total : 15.98 hrs

Life is a Lottery

My last hard week before a break and I have shuffled my programme. Monday was a complete rest day as I was just sore from the weekend workout. I have learnt to not fret when I drop sessions. There is a fine balance between gritting your teeth and getting on with the training and just giving the body a rest.

I continue to grapple with the push and pull factors of training and racing Ironman  .It is tiring but rewarding . Full on and inspirational . The latest impetus had been the preliminary announcement that World triathlon Corporation (WTC )will be giving priority to triathletes who have done 12 or more races a chance to race Kona with those who have done the most getting a slot and then those who have entered the lottery getting the number of entries for each year they have entered. I have 5 more IM to complete before I have done 12 but it is something to aim for.

Life is a lottery in many ways . But don't hang out for the luck. Make your own. and where it is an unfair hand , make the best of it. As they say , corny as it seems , when you get dealt lemons make lemon juice.

This week has been no different. Monday was an off day .Tuesday it rained  in the morning and I am paranoid about falling off the bike so it was a non starter .I did my run training in the evening and It was a good easy session. I did a long warm up of 5km and then had the usual build session and  4 x 800m at " I  "pace of 4.21 min/km .We had the same time for recovery between each 800m.

On Wednesday , I swam in the morning at started a little earlier and swam 3.1km.With a 700m  warm up followed by a long set of 200m , 400m and 1000m , 400m and then 200m and then a cool down . At lunch time i ran 10km at a rather slow 5.30pace and in the evening i ran with the Running Centre group although it was mainly just me on my own. i did 13 plus km and really ran harder .The legs felt a lot better than at Lunch time . I managed a faster pace .



Thursday turned out to be a rest day s I was just feeling tired. I decided to make Friday a more solid training day especially as I felt rested .

I rode to swim training and did a solid session of 2.5km.A 900m warm up with drills and then 150 easy, 100m medley and 50m fast x 4 and 50m x 2 fast and a cool down. I then rode to work and in the afternoon at lunch I ran 8km .At 3.30 I rode to my Fremantle office and then rode home in the evening from Fremantle.There was lots of wind about so there were parts where I was flying and other sections really working against the wind .Rode a total of 65km

Saturday was a struggle and I started late but once out on the freeway bike path , I settled into a good pace. There was a detour in place because they were rebuilding a section of the bike path so I got a little lost but once on the straight sections I managed to keep at the pace and build .I kept my nutrition regime and had 2 Bidons and lots of dates and lollies and 4 gels.





The legs were tired from yesterdays ride but I managed to keep at a comfortable pace without getting the legs too tired. The wind was pretty favourable today and so that helped.The rain didn't .I got caught in a light shower and then towards the end a really heavy shower with lightning in the distance. I felt pretty cold and tired at the end of the freeway but I had no choice but to ride back. I forgot my toolkit and spare tubes so I rode the whole way without any repair kit. Although not my fastest effort , I was largely alone and even spent a few kilometres talking with Richard Kelso-Marsh and on a few occasions got stuck behind groups of slow riders. I passed 5 riders on the way back and one cyclist training for the IM on a Felt caught up with me 30minutes after I had passed him and I managed to pass him again . The legs felt pretty good at the end. I did get passed in the last 4 kms by a rider on a fixie but he was doing 37kph . I hung on for a short while but after 140km I decided it wasn't worth the effort. I got the bike back in the car and off for my 30 minute run along the river. Again felt pretty good and managed a good pace for the 6km.

WHY TRI

Ironman Busselton 70.3 2011

There are as many varied and different answers to this question as there are individuals. I ask myself this question from time to time as I struggle with my self imposed regime for training for an Ironman.

But at the core there is really one real answer. Like no other sport , it is more than an activity . Firstly it is 3 sports rolled into one and therefore takes up much more time. It is an outdoor pursuit and requires time and effort outdoors. It does attract a different type of person. One who wants a challenge and it fills in most a need , a desire , a demand , or a thrill.

The stock answers are :

Because I can

It keeps me healthy

It relieves stress etc

These are all reasonable explanations but as Ben Greenfield in a piece on his website ponders , the true reasons are irrational fears if we are brutally honest (Ben Greenfield )

“You do triathlons to prove something to other people. I really am that good, that fit, that motivated, that focused. If my neighbor did it, I can do. I’m better than them. I’ll beat them this year.

You do triathlons because you did just one, this one time, and then you got sucked into the vortex and you had to keep coming back and trying to beat your performance from the previous year. In other words, you want to prove to yourself that your body is getting better, not worse.

You do triathlons because all your friends are doing it and who will provide your social support if it’s not the triathlon club?

You do triathlons because running is boring and you don’t have that kind of attention span.

Dare I say, some of you do triathlons because you want to look good naked?



What are some types of irrational and emotional motivators for triathlon? Here are some examples:

Being able to wear your Ironman or triathlon race t-shirt in public to impress people.

Wanting to be able to eat whatever you want, but not having the control, so finding a sport where working out too much is OK.

Being able to fit into whatever style of clothes you wish.

Having nice legs and feeling confident when you put on spandex.

Telling people at parties that you’re an athlete, maybe even an Ironman.

Comments like, “You’re really slim. Do you workout?”

Not dying early so you can travel with your grandchildren.

Having an honorable excuse for not doing yard work on the weekends because of your “training”.

Contrast these with logical motivators for doing triathlon:

Improve your health.

Less stress.

Good role model.

Balanced lifestyle.

Clothes fit better.

More energy.

You see the difference? Sure, the irrational wants (compared to fears) are conceited and superficial. I get it. But guess which individual gets better results? The person motivated by irrational motivators or logical motivators? Irrational, hands down every time. The secret to achieving success in these type of sports is to figure out the true WHY – which is some always an irrational desire, fear or want.”

It is important to know as unlike any other sport I know it is a life changing exercise.

From a personal perspective , my lifestyle and the way I live changes. My perspective changes , my friends change and my routine changes. Training is more a meditation , an exercise in learning to conquer all my fears. Fear of losing , failure , overcoming the unknown , anxiety and doubt.

I have seen more sunrises and sunsets as a triathlete than in my previous 20 years . If anything there is an appreciation of being out in the open. There is the enjoyment and the sociability of training in a group .

I like many stumble into this sport. Sports generally teaches us and test us over and over again. Triathlons and its training has many life lessons .

I have learnt many life lessons from triathlons and training . As well and foremost it makes you feel so alive.

You learn Time management ,Commitment and most of all Enjoyment and fun.

Sally Edwards a great Triathlete and Triathlon Hall of Fame inductee  , in her book on triathlon wrote:

"It hasn’t happened often


It doesn’t last long


Sometimes it last no longer than a lingering moment


Sometimes days


If it were to last forever it would not be sweet


It is the sweet spot in sports


It is a rare feeling of being alive in every cell of your body , in every corner of your mind , in every sense and sensation."

For me that is the experience of competing in a triathlon for the first time.

It was the sense of crossing the line and finishing something I never thought I could do.

My experience is a common emotion for the average triathlete.

My first triathlon was in 2006 at the Corporate Triathlon at Fremantle.My preparation comprised a few swim sessions at the Bayswater pool and riding my brothers mountain bike. I had to be rescued from the wave pool when they turned it on in one of the practise sessions and I could barely swim 25 m freestyle. I breastroked the 250 m swim . I had huge panic attacks. To the point that I sought help from a friend who was studying psychology . The ride round the Fremantle Esplanade was slow and I finished the 5km run utterly exhausted but something got me excited about the sport.


I got a bike on eBay ( a Raceline ) with ultegra gears and probably not quite the right size. I started riding round the river and around my home. I fell off a few times as I could not unclip in time much to the amusement of motorist coming to a stop at an intersection.

I then signed up to join a club.I picked the North Coast Tri Club because someone suggested I join them as they did Aquathons and I knew I needed to swim. I joined a swim class. And I began to ride with the North Coast group on Tuesday's, Thursday's  and Saturday .

By 2007 , I had signed up to do the Half Ironman and got a Programme. I went on to race the inaugural Half Ironman  in Singapore and did my first Ironman in 2007.

In that period I have become fitter , I have made lots of mistakes, and I have learnt  a lot .

Great experiences and not so great experiences.


1. My first flat tire . I did not know how to change a tire and fortunately I was on the coast a few kms from Sorrento and Mark Hoffman was running by and he helped me change the tire

2. Crashing into the side of the road with no vehicles in sight

3. Crashing into a parked car whilst training (more tired than training)

4. Standing at the start of Ironman Busselton

5. The friendships I have made in the club and the sport

6. Trip to Ironman Japan and Austria and Lanzarote

7. Riding in the hills on a Saturday or Sunday morning as the mist rises in winter

8. Sunrise over the river on Tuesday mornings

9. Swimming at  Cottesloe on Sunday mornings



If anything triathlon is a sport that encompasses life . In Japan as you race the spectators shout

Gambarre which means Fight On or Do your best .

The first kanji, 「頑」, means 'firm' or 'resolute'. The second part, 「張る」, means 'insist', amongst

other things. So the whole word literally means something like 'be resolute' - hence 'do your best'.



So whilst it may for many be truthfully irrational and emotional motivators , why do I do triathlons. Simply because it is fun and IT is to find that sweet spot in sports.
I hope you find it as well.