I want to Understand ....

My Training has started slowly. The way I like it .I have no specific priority race in the horizon and I have decided not to do the Australia day Tri ...Its a great work out but at $60 I have decided to ride with the boys and have a good coffee at the end of the ride .

On Monday , I slept in , great start but it was hot .I did do my thread mill run for 1 hour with 10 x 30sec ( go as hard as you can ) which for me was 15kph and the warm up and warm down was at 10kph for an overall 8.5km .Even though it was in the gym it was quite warm .

Tuesday was my first ride back in the group .We were riding out of Shelley and as I wasn't sure how to access the shower in my building I parked at Beatty Park pool and rode to Shelly which was a 15 km trip and a nice warm up .Met up with Jamie and T and a new guy joining the group .We rode out on the freeway cycle path to Mt Henry and I led the way and got there a good ten minutes early. Ross grouped us up and as it was pretty warm the last few days , it was decided we would do 45 min hard ride. My group of 3 started off with the girls but we moved ahead averaging 35-40kph .The Shelley loop is flat and fast . We had a near collision with a corgi type dog walking on the road but managed to avoid hitting the dog .Eventually we were passed by the fast group and merged with the girls .I took my turn at the front and we were rotating smoothly for the first lap . Jamie in the fast group clipped the front rider and went down but was unhurt and the bike was OK but for a bent rear wheel.

The ride was hard but I was happy I hung in there taking my turn at the front without missing a turn for the whole duration. I had averaged with the ride out to Shelley and the 2 and half loops in Shelley approximately 32kph and I had done over 43km .All up I did 60km and had averaged 30kph for the 2 hours of riding. It was a good start but my legs were sore.

In the evening I did a 45 min gym work out with the emphasis on the arms and core strength. I slept well that night. Wednesday was a light day with a swim in the evening .As Ross is still off at least from the swim , Luke ran the session. I did about 2.5km . A 300 m warm up and 400 drill and then 10 x 100 free plus 50 breast /backstroke.I had a cramp doing the backstroke so I just did the breaststroke and free.

Finished with a cool down and swam with the PB and avoided the kicking.

I have sorted out the showering facilities in the building and so I will start to ride to work at least once a week as it is so much quicker despite the firm providing parking at some expense.

These last few days I had an interesting discussion of sorts on facebook about Triahlons and why do we race and train. It must surely be for the love . I found Chuckie V comments on his blog a great delight and inpiration:

The athlete who knows "how" will always compete. The athlete who knows "why" will always perform. The athlete who doesn't worry "how" or "why" but does what's needed will always win. Winning is NOT a science. It is an art that uses science. And there are very few artists who understand that. And those who do generally ...kick ass. CHUCKIE V

Well I do the sport firstly because I love it but the training is hard and I wished I had a little more talent .Ultimately , I do persevere because I enjoy it , I get an adrenaline rush testing myself and I do want to get better and beat a few people .
It is part getting to that perfect race , part ego ...and I want "to beat the guy next door" attitude and finally achieving those goals , chasing the clock.

Most of all I do want to understand.

Starting Slow

The weekend started with a slow ride to South Perth to meet up with some North Coasters riding the Freeway.My first ride since Boxing day and the weather was going to be hot.

There were about 10 of us and after approximately 8km ,past mt Henry bridge , the group broke up a bit and Lee was pushing the pace .I managed to hang on and it wasn't too bad .We cycled approximately 40km down the freeway before turning back.Quite a few cyclist jumped on our train and there was a group from Freo Tri Club cycling down to Mandurah some 90km from S Perth (the narrows bridge). I only had 1 bottle of electrolyte and one nut bar. Big mistake as on the the return leg I was really feeling tired and my quads were hurting especially after the gym session on Thursday night . I was still sore from the gym work. I managed to hang on till the end and drifted in a few minutes behind the main group. My legs were completely shot .

On the way back we passed a few North coasters training for IM China . I posted a quote from Commander Collins , the founder of Ironman racing which I think is apt :

“Ironman has always been about finishing what you have started. About being able to do what you have set out to do. Maybe not as fast as the person in front of you but certainly faster than the person that never started” - John Collins, Founder of The Ironman Triathlon.

For those who were out on the freeway including that very nice Freo tri club girl .

And one of the comments on facebook following the quote :

Thanks John. I think you were inspired to put it up for me too - REALLY doubting myself today and my decision. Honestly, thanks. I am going to steal it :) Keep smiling, it was great to see it today :)
Yesterday at 17:31 ·

Which made it it all worthwhile , the ride , the pain and seeing everyone on the ride.

Once we got back to mends Street Jetty in S. Perth , everyone did a short run off the bike while I had a nice cappuccino at the Dome cafe . It wasn't too hot and with the slow ride to the start point approximately 15km , I had averaged 31 kph for the 95km . I managed to get a lift from Lee to Wanneroo Road which was approximately 7-8 km from home and cycled the rest of the way back . My legs were quite sore and it was pretty hot by the time I got back (over 30C ).

Sunday was even hotter 42C but i got my hour run in early at about 8am .It was over 30C and there was no one on the streets .I did several hill repeats on a slight gradient about 6 degrees .I tried my best to keep my cadence at 96 per minute but found that incredibly hard even with smaller strides.I will just have to keep at it.It was easier on a thread mill.

I spent the rest of the day resting and in the arvo working on the Clubs survey.

I have finalised the races I will be doing :

THE 2010 Triathlon Racing Calender

1) Jan 26 Australia Day Triathlon ( I have decided not to race Aust Day )
2) Feb 14 Hillarys Triathlon
3) March 14 Champion Lakes Tri
4) April Point Walter OD Tri
5) May 1 Busselton HIM 2010
6) August Painathon (if it is on )
7) Aug/Sep City to Surf marathon
8) October Bunbury OD Tri
9) December IMWA 2010

The core races will be the Half and IMWA.

I may also do some running races along the way .

The training has begun.

The Painathon

Painathlon 2009 from Michael V on Vimeo.

A video clip of the Painathon which I had a go at last august and will be one of the races I will attempt this year .

As a friend said these races are there to test the competitor and I have unfinished business .

I received a short email from Rod and Julianna who are about to start their epic bike race from Cairo to Cape Town :

Hello

We have made it to Cairo and nothing was missing or broken. This is a crazy town. We have been out riding twice, once for 30 minutes and today for an hour. The police have "escorted" both times for the entire ride. Cairo is unlike anything we have seen before, imagine London (England) but built by Mexicans.

We do not have our race numbers yet and are hoping to send out another email before we leave Cairo.

Ross - thanks for the email, we like your style.

Rod and Juliana


Best of luck to them as they make final preparations before the start. I will be following them on the website through their journey.Somewhere each day someone else is racing or doing the hard yards necessary so I feel a little guilty for sleeping in today and missing the bike ride .

The beginning

It was a hard and slow start to the week.I overslept so did not make swim training but did do 45 mins in the evening of a slow easy warm up and running on the thread mill for 10 x 30sec hard sprints at 14kph with 1 min rest in between and then a warm down. It was a slow and easy introduction back to training .

It is approximately 18 weeks to the Half Ironman and I have sufficient time to get in shape for the first race.

I attended Wednesday evenings swim and did 2.5 km with 7 x 200 m made up of 50 m drill and 150 free. Do feel a little rusty . Saw a few of the guys back at training and will start my cycling this weekend .

Been pretty busy at work and sorting out the quickest way to work.If the building had shower facilities I would commute in once or twice a week.I am planning on checking that out as I think it would be faster than driving in.

I skipped my morning ride and did a core workout at the gym instead .It was a relaxing change .I feel sluggish but I am slowly getting back into the routine .the emphasis will be slow and steady .

Good Luck

As the year begins , the adventure starts for a few of my friends. Rod and Julianna who have been riding on Tuesday Mornings since December 2008 and training with Ross start their African Adventure ...riding from Cairo to Cape Town . Good luck to them and may they have a safe and fulfilling adventure of discovery .

The Tour Organiser's link :

The Tour features 96 cycling days or stages, averaging 123 km (77 miles) each, broken up by 22 rest days and 2 days of ferry boat travel for a total of 120 days in traversing Africa from north to south. Stages range from 80 km on rough terrain to more than 180 km on the best paved roads.

Traveling through 10 countries in all, you will cycle along the Nile past ancient temples, through the Sudanese desert, and up and down the biblical landscapes of Ethiopia's rugged Simian Mountains. After crossing the Equator in Kenya, you will pedal past legendary Mount Kilimanjaro, to Lake Malawi, Victoria Falls, and along the edges of the magnificent Kalahari and Namib deserts, en route to the finish of your epic journey in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa.

http://www.tourdafrique.com/epictours/tourdafrique/in-depth

And Amanda heads to Challenge Wanaka .... Good Luck .

A Holiday Postcard

The Kecak Dance at Uluwatu on the Island of Bali , January 2010



At Ibah hotel in Ubud with Jonathan


It has been a while since I posted . Unfortunately not being internet savvy did not help but it has been an enjoyable holiday away from training.I have done absolutely nothing other than walk alot .

Having said that it was great to just relax and do nothing physical. The holiday in Singapore and Bali was refreshing and puts alot about how we live our lives in perspective.Whilst on holiday I did set out my training objectives for 2010 and the races which I will be competing all of which I will put up shortly more as a record of where I end up this year and one of my resolutions is to be more systematic in my recording of my training .One factor that I believe has reduced the effectiveness of my training.

I have the opportunity to reflect on 2009 particularly in respects to my races and whilst it is so trite it is the journey rather than the end that becomes the valuable lesson.

I have to admit I have become increasingly frustrated at the results from the past year but and it is a big but , 3 years ago I would not have dreamed of ever doing a triathlon let alone an Ironman .I now do not feel that anything is impossible for anyone who is prepared to put in the time and effort to conquer any challenge .

It is all about breaking down the task and preparation.Having moved on , the issue now is realising my potential. I have had the pleasure of meeting many individuals who are my source of inspiration and generally I feel I hang around a great bunch of people .It is a very myopic view as in all societies there will be the "partypoopers" as my son describes them. I just see the nicer side of triathlons.At dinner last night I met two such such inspiring individuals . But despite their experience , the one lesson learnt is that there is no one cookie cutter plan or strategy for success , it is the journey of trial and error but it helps to persevere.

So the year starts with a plan and trying bits of everything . The first major race would be the Busselton Half in May 2010 .It sold out in 3 weeks a first for the Triathlon community in WA and really just reflects how fast this sport is growing.

I have enjoyed the journey of self discovery so far and clearly endurance races have hit a nerve with many .It is amazing even in the club to see those who are just buzzing after their first IM race. It again sounds so cliche but it has become more a lifestyle / religious experience .

But putting everything in perspective , the time away from the sport has been cathartic and life does not revolve around one activity.It is getting that balance that is part of the journey . I continue to strive to want to improve and doing it efficiently in a life of hectic schedules and work , family and other commitments is the Holy Grail for me.Beating a couple of guys I know is just the icing on the cake .

But there is a whole different dimension to our sport . It is selfish and absorbing but many use it for good . Enrico Varella is doing Ironman New Zealand and raising money for Cystic Fibrosis in New Zealand .If you wish to help go to his website:

http://lead2tri.blogspot.com/2010/01/leadership-by-charity.html .

or directly at his fundraising webpage:

http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/EnricoVarella/


A small but important step. I plan to do the same in future. There are many in the sport who are putting in the effort to help others less fortunate. The journey begins with the first step ... let the journey begin today.

Happy New Year ...here I come 2010

Happy New Year and today is a good time ,in planning for the future year with some optimism ,I look back at 2009 with its mixed bag of results.

From a professional perspective it was a reasonable year .I leave my employment to commence a new start in a firm optimistic and preparing for a year of consolidation and more responsibility.

The triathlon year was more varied.After a PB in 2008 at IMWA 08 I continued to improve with a 5.15 at the half in Busso but with Austria and Busselton in 2009 I again was not able to get past putting together a solid ride and run .A lot came down to the training regime and the lack of analysing my rides closely ,working on building strength in the early part of the season.Having said that , I am a stronger rider compared to a year earlier.

Despite the results a 13.43 at IM Austria and a 12.31 at IMWA , it has been a fun year of training with a great bunch of cyclist on Tuesdays and lots of lone long rides. I have blogged my training for approximately a year and will plan my 2010 racing year better.I will now endeavour to apply what I have learnt from myself and my fellow triathletes to other aspects of my life.

Uppermost is continuing to strive to be the best I can in 2010 , set realistic goals and applying what I have learnt in 2009 . I feel that setting goals not only in my triathlon life but in other aspects of life will be very worthwhile.

I plan to draw up my training programme and my race schedule this week as I relax on my holidays .I have already entered the Busselton Half Ironman in May and probably will do a few marathons this year with the Busselton IMWA in 2010 a definite race.

Best Wishes for a great 2010 to all fellow triathletes and friends.Stay tune for another enjoyable ride in this craziness we call a sport .