Packing…….

24 October 2012 – Busselton foreshore, April 2010

One suitcase, one large Nike sports bag, one backpack, a cooler bag, wet suit bag and one bike…….I think I’ve packed everything. Well the bike isn’t packed – it’s still sitting on the wind trainer. Note to self – don’t forget bike tomorrow!

A batch of banana muffins made, tomorrow’s lunch prepared, snacks for the trip – all ready to be packed.

The car GPS (Garmin Nuvi) maps updated and charged. I have finally figured out where I was going wrong when trying to update (previously unsuccessfully) the maps. Tonight I figured it out! Yay for me!

Chargers for the iPod, iPhone, iPad and Garmin watch – packed.

Checklist for son #2 who is staying at our house while we are away to babysit the cat – done. Food to feed him for 12 days – bought.

Have I forgotten anything? I have been through my checklist several times. As long as I don’t forget one of my bags I’m right!

I’ve rung and double checked our accommodation booking – I’m not taking any chances!

All of this busyness actually serves another purpose – keeps my mind off the upcoming event!

I very nearly slept in this morning. Mr N has already started his holidays but I had another day of work to get through, plus one last training session. When the alarm went off this morning I had forgotten that Mr N did not have to get up for work. Twenty minutes later I realised that no, there was no coffee on my bedside table, in fact no-one else was up, except the cat who was becoming increasingly irate that no-one was up feeding her, given the alarm had gone off earlier.

I had a good session in the pool this morning. Amazing how focused you get in your training, the closer the event gets! Knowing this was my last swim session here before we leave tomorrow definitely ensured that I put all my effort into the ‘hard’ sections of the session.

Tomorrow we leave on our road trip and big adventure!.

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela

7 weeks & counting

Another training week ticked off. Only 7 weeks to go until the big event. Yikes!

I really enjoyed the lie in this morning and felt absolutely no guilt whatsoever at missing the Canberra Times fun run. Mind you, it was perfect weather for it this morning – clear, blue skies and no wind. Why couldn’t it have been like that yesterday morning?

We managed to get caught up in an evacuation at the Mall this morning. There was confusion as people didn’t know what to do and shops in parts of the mall couldn’t hear the warnings coming over the intercom system and so had no idea what was going on. Fortunately all of this happened after we’d had our coffee 😉 Apparently smoke had been detected and there were fears of a fire. It seems the smoke was generated by an overheating motor in a plant room.

After some fruit and vegie shopping at Belconnen markets I met up with Ruth and Dave for coffee at Beppes before heading home and out for a 10km run before lunch. It’s really nice to be able to run in the middle of the day wearing shorts and singlets, and not the usual multiple layers that’s required when running early in the morning. I was also happy with the time it took me to run the 10km: 50.38min.

Tomorrow: the plan is to do a weights session in the morning and an intervals session on the treadmill after work. I have changed things around this week mainly to see if I can avoid the crazy crowds in the pool that we get on Mondays and Wednesdays. So this week I am swimming on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

“We are not creatures of circumstance. We are creators of circumstance.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Winter’s revenge

We have not seen the end of Winter – today is testament to that! Bitterly cold, windy, sleet, rain, we’ve had it all. Its beanie, gloves, scarves and coat weather. There has also been a Severe Weather Warning out for south-eastern NSW, including the ACT district. There is a vigorous cold front moving across, generating gale force west to north-westerly winds. We have seen people outside battling with their upturned umbrellas in the wind – it’s really a lost cause when the wind is gusting as it has been. And then every now and then there are glimpses of blue sky, just to taunt us I think. However, we’d be lucky to get to the forecast 13 degrees today.

Anyway, fortunately, today is my rest day so the only times I have had to venture outdoors have been to get to and from my car for work. But I am praying (yet again) to the cycling gods to give me decent weather tomorrow morning – no wind and no frost. What is it with Fridays lately? The weather for several Fridays recently has been abominable – sleet, wind and freezing temperatures. Tomorrow’s ride is bothering me no end as it is – I don’t need inclement weather to make it any harder than its going to be. The thought of tomorrow’s ride is hanging over me like a big black heavy cloud, consuming all my thoughts and energy today. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic but that’s the way it feels. I’m really starting to worry freak out about the cycle course at Port Macquarie – it sounds really hilly and tough. I got some advice today from a friend who has done IM there a couple of times, as well as a long course event, and instead of easing my mind, it’s made me even more nervous. I’m just putting it out there – I suck at cycling, and I suck even more at cycling hills. However he has also offered advice about where to ride to prepare for the event.

So….drum roll….the plan for tomorrow’s ride is to do Coppins Crossing (this alone could kill me – it has a nasty hill), followed by the Cotter –Uriarra Rd loop. Then it’s back along Coppins Crossing (again) and up William Hovell Drive, before heading home. Not an easy ride and I also get really nervous about traffic when I’m on those roads. And if I should survive all of that, then I have to get off and run 20 mins including 5 x 30 sec fast efforts. Holy crap – tomorrow is going to be a doozy. And then let’s not forget the 10km fun run on Sunday.

See you on the other side……I hope……

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.” – Walter Bagehot [or, what you think you cannot do – my words]

Counting down

Its nine weeks today to Port Macquarie 70.3 triathlon. 2 months, 1 week. 63 days. Whatever way you look at it, time is marching on. And between now and then there is still a lot of work to do. And I’m trying not to stress about it too much.

Which is why it was great to catch up with Jen, my wonderful coach this morning. To touch base, to talk about the course (ie the hilly bike course), and what is in store over the next 9 weeks (hmm, a lot more time on the bike and something about introducing intensity on those…ahem…runs off the bike). Besides it’s always nice to catch up with Jen, just because she is a lovely person 😉

And of course we had to have a macaron with our coffee 🙂 (as you know this is all part of my finely tuned, nutritionally balanced triathlete’s diet).

And later in the day, I did a 10km run which was not only highly enjoyable (did I really say that?!) but also invigorating. I really do love running the day after the long bike sessions. I always expect that I will be tired but I find that I run strong, that my legs feel really good. I can’t explain this phenomenon but enjoy it nonetheless. Now if can get the same effect from those runs straight off the bike I’d be a very happy woman 🙂

Last night’s dinner at The Hungry Buddha in Curtin was great and really tasty. For entrée, I had pakora, followed by Khasi Ko Masu (curry of tender boneless goat flavoured with fenugreek, cinnamon, tomatoes, coriander, bay, ginger and garlic) and pulao rice (saffron rice spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay, cashew nuts and peas), and Kheer for dessert (rice pudding flavored with cardamom, raisins, saffron, cashew nuts, pistachios and almonds). There were lots of gluten-free dishes to choose from.

Tomorrow: the plan is to swim in the morning and then run intervals on the treadmill after work. It’s the start of my recovery week which can’t come soon enough!

“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can.” – John Wooden

 

Let’s see how far we’ve come

So the training roller-coaster starts again for another week – another week which takes me closer to the main event – the Port Mac 70.3 triathlon in October. Its 111 days away (15 weeks yesterday). Seems so long but I know from experience that the time will fly and before I know it, I will be standing on the starting line early Sunday morning, 28 October. So much to do, so little time!

Actually that’s not quite right – I have the time and I am following a program and each week brings me closer to being event ready for the big day. Even just looking back over the past 2 months of training I have improved. Two months ago I hadn’t ridden my bike in over a year, nor had I been in a pool for that length of time. Now I’m cycling 40-60km outdoors plus doing a couple of sessions on a stationary bike each week. Each week I’m swimming a couple of kilometres. And my running – well that happens regardless. I’m also doing 2 weights sessions a week for strength and endurance. Sometimes it’s good to look back to see how far we’ve come because it’s so easy to get bogged down in training day after day after day.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

 

Decision time

I had been tossing and turning all night and it wasn’t just my running wounds that were keeping me awake. I had been playing with the insane idea of doing another triathlon, and not just any tri, but a half Ironman. Part of me (the sensible part) kept saying you don’t have to, you’ve already done it, no need to prove yourself, think of all the training you’ll have to do through winter, remember those horrible swim starts……Then the illogical, sometimes silly, totally mad part of me (the part that really should be committed) would pipe up and say, time to push the boundaries, get out of your comfort zone, maybe you could do another Ironman, you can do this……..

And as a couple of people will attest, I asked for advice as to whether it was possible to train for a half Ironman in 6 months from no swimming or cycling base………..and goddam, they said yes! What’s a girl to do?! After thinking about it a bit more today, I finally came to the conclusion this evening that now is as good a time as any, and all going to plan, maybe, just maybe, I might aim for the Ironman again next year. There must be one more in me! And there is only one way to find out. So JFDI!

And also I won’t be alone. I have friends doing this event as well. And girls (& guys), we’re gonna rock Port Macquarie! 🙂

Two more sleeps and I’m heading off to WA to spectate at the Busselton half Ironman so that should get me in the right frame of mind. Because when I get back, its training time!

And yes, I did do run #154 this morning – a 10km easy run.