Half Way!!

This week's blog is being compiled with the help of....drum roll..... the sweetest punnet of strawberries and the yummiest yoghurt around!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow ... I can't believe it, 9 weeks done and another 9 to go. Who was it that said "How time flies when you're having fun"...ha ha!!!

This week has been good to me. I feel alot better and have been sleeping a little better than usual. Monday was a public holiday for the Queen's Birthday ( God Bless the Queen!!!!), so I did a little re shuffling of the program , switching Monday and Tues around. That way I didn't have to get up early to do my usual Tues ride. However I was not to know that I would wake up Monday morning with a not too good stomach so had to give the ride a miss till the afternoon when I jumped on the windtrainer for 60km's. This meant I had another sleep in , oh how I love these.

Tues morning headed off to the pool for 3k's up at Craigie . This was to be my last swim on my own as I was heading back to squad training tomorrow. The afternoon was a 15km run. I have been happy with the fact that I have been able to maintain a constant pace on my runs of late instead of going out fast and then dying.

So as just mentioned it was back to squad training Wednesday. It was good to see everyone again. The pool was beautiful and warm and Ross took it easy on us for a 2.7k session. He assured us this was only till next week..MMMmmm something to look forward to. I had a windtrainer session in the afternoon (90mins) and with Anna away on holidays at the moment had to do this on my own. This is fine but company always seems to help these sessions go just that little faster.

Thursday was double day run again. I have only done one of these before and don't mind them. The idea is to do 25km with the morning run being greater than 10k and then making up the rest of the distance in the afternoon session. The weather here in Perth , although a little windy of late, has been just beautiful. So running in the morning with the moon and in the evening with a gorgeous sunset couldn't be any more special.

Friday was the day I have finally moved over for good into lane 2 at squad training. I managed 2.6k before having to jump out to get ready for work. I managed to stay with the group but drop right behind as soon as Ross throws in some fast laps. I know it will be hard for me to keep up with these guys but I know it will push me and in the end that's what I need.

I had been a little anxious about this weekends sessions. Every weekend has been a challenge for me with distance and this weekend was no exception. I was really happy though as I managed to stay with the group without being dropped...YAY!!! We even had a kangaroo jump out just in front of the riding group on our way out just before Yanchep . A beautiful animal but boy wouldn't like it to hit you. They are one built animal.It was tough on the way back heading straight into a head wind for 65kms. So all up 130kms today...

Sarah was meeting me today,Sunday, at my house so we could ride down to Fremantle to do the Freo Half. We took it easy, distance about 32k from my house . It was another stunning morning , this time with hardly any wind. Poor Sarah is struggling with her ITB so was unsure how she would go. My legs were tired from yesterday but I knew this was just another training session. Well I ended up doing a PB time!!!!! Who would have thought . Very happy finishing in 1hr 48mins...woo hoo. To her credit Sarah did the first lap of 10k and then had to pull out. Lucky her fiance had come down so she could get a lift home. I still had to make my ride up to 90k so after a nice coffee sitting in the sunshine on the lawn ( thanks Sue), I headed off.

Sue and I at the Half Marathon

I am tired but I feel happy with this week's achievements...

As you know last week I was having some trouble downloading my photos. That's all sorted out now, so while this photo belongs to last weeks blog I just couldn't not put in a photo of my lovely friend Leanne. Will and I spent last Sunday with Leanne and her husband Steve down in Mandurah and had a wonderful day!!

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be"

Abraham Lincoln

Weight 63.7 kilo

Body Fat 25.1%
Muscle 45.3 kilo

Swimming....8.5kms....3 Hrs

Bike..............323kms....11 hrs 18mins

Run.................61kms.....5hrs 14 mins

Total this week 19hrs 32mins

A Few Tears!!

This weeks training
Bike...257kms.....8hrs 54 mins
Run...41.5kms....3hrs 53mins
Swim..9 kms......3hrs 30mins

Total for the week 16hrs 17mins

The weight loss thing is just not happening. I really thought with this much exercise I would have dropped more weight by now, but I'm feeling good so that's the main thing.
Weight....64.8 kilo
Body Fat..23.4%
Muscle ...49.8%

Today is Monday and to be honest I don't know if I'm coming or going. Still feeling quite shattered after the weekend. I was supposed to get up this morning and do a 30km recovery ride on the windtrainer. In my program alot of my sessions are colour coded. RED is priority , then there is BLUE and then GREEN. If any session is to be dropped it's a green one so Monday morning was the perfect time to drop a session. In the afternoon I had an 18km run which felt like 30!!!! My legs felt heavy and just didn't seem to have anything in them. Was surprised I actually made the 18k.

Tuesday morning saw me back on the bike for a 50k ride and then the afternoon intervals up at the arena (total of 8kms). It was a packed track with alot of kids there practicing for their sports carnivals. Hopefully next week it won't be so bad. Today is the day I kind of fell apart!!!! I was still feeling really tired and leg weary. While having a chat to my brother/coach I just burst into tears!!! Unusual for me as I am usually fairly even keeled. It's not something I make a habit of doing. I think it's probably the first time I have put myself in a position of just being so physically and emotionally drained. Well I can attest to a good cry being therapeutic..It was short lived and I think it actually helped with me as I did feel a little better after . Tonight I also headed off to the Fig Restaurant for my friends Nicki and Michelle's birthdays. It was a lovely evening. Nice to just sit and catch up with the goings on of some lovely people.
Wednesday morning was back in the pool (2.8k). I am now doing most of my swims on my own and am really noticing the difference between this and squad swimming. Although I am really trying , I don't think I push myself to the same level and I feel my swimming has dropped off a little. Brad joined Anna and I this arvo for as usual a hard, sweaty, windtraining session (51k).
Thursday morning I switched my sessions around. I am finding it increasingly hard to get up at 3 am to ride so thought I'd try a different tack. So getting up at 5am instead I headed off for a 14k run which ended up being 13 as I ran out of time. With a spectacular full moon as my backdrop I headed off. I was to include 4 hill repeats up Hepburn Hill. Not sure what's harder, riding up a hill or running!!!! Will was to join me on my ride this afternoon but ...wait...another distraction.. Total Triathlon, a store in Claremont , were having a sale on carbon race wheels and I really wanted to check it out. So now I am the proud owner of a set of race wheels (50m ). Can't wait to try them out. I have had to order a new cassette so as soon as that arrives I can take them for a bit of a spin. By the time we hit the traffic and got home gone was our window of opportunity to hit the road on the bike.. bugger!! So after getting dinner organised it was on the windtrainer (again) to get my session done. By the time I got 60kms done it was well past 8 o clock and very close to my bed time.
Lucky Friday I just had a swim (2.6k) to do with a free afternoon which I used to catch up with a girlfriend of mine I hadn't seen for awhile.
Saturday I joined the Ironman group for my long ride. The morning was eerie with a very thick blanket of fog which didn't clear for a couple of hours. In fact it was so thick I had very little vision driving to the ride even with my high beam on. Today I had to do 100k with a 2km run which was a nice drop in kilometres after last weekend. I am still a little worried about my averages on the bike though. I know I still have time and hope that over the next month they start to pick up, even if its just a little, I will be much happier. While the Football Grand Final was on I wanted to hit the pool. Most mornings I am always rushing to get the session done so that I am not late for work so thought today would be a good opportunity to get in a longer session. It was an absolutely stunning afternoon . The pool was a beautiful temp and although not as quiet as I had expected I ended up sharing a lane with my friend Nat. I got a good distance in of 3.6k which is the longest I've been able to do since I started training for Ironman. Hopefully it's not the last.
Sunday is REST DAY!!! I have something like 4 or 5 rest days over the whole 18 weeks so really try to enjoy them and make the most of them when they come around. After a sleep in till 7 we headed off down to Mandurah to meet up with our good friends Leanne and Steve. We met these guys about 10years ago while travelling around Australia in a campervan. They were doing the same and our paths crossed in the Gold Coast. We have been friends ever since and although we don't see them as much as we like , we try to catch up when we can. They live in Bunbury so the decision was made to meet half way ..hence Mandurah. We always manage to pick up where we left off. Over firstly coffee, then lunch a nice walk and then ice-cream at Simmos ( my favourite), we spent an absolutely gorgeous Perth summer with good food and great company. I totally chilled out and didn't think of training at all!!!!
I have some lovely photos to post and for the life of me can't seem to find the cable!!!..How frustrating.
While doing something like Ironman I have come to realise how important it is to be surrounded by positive people and friends. Leanne and Steve have a wonderful outlook on life and I always come away from them with a renewed energy for whatever is happening in my life at the time. It gives you a renewed strength when you know you have the support of others.
So for those of you who remember Winnie the Poo....this weeks quote

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

Christopher Robyn to Poo Bear

TRY AWESOME!!!!

Your probably wondering what the heading has to do with this weeks blog...well you'll just have to keep reading and find out won't you!!
A gain this week on the weight side ( must have been that pie I ate in Lancelin .. ha ha) but might start recording muscle and see if that is changing at all.
Weight...64.3kg
Body Fat% ...23.4

Sessions for the week

Swim .... 9.6kms....3hrs 30mins
Bike......302kms....10hrs 50mins
Run.........52kms......4hours 37mins
TOTAL....18hrs 57mins

The program has started to change slightly which is nice and it breaks up the the monotony of doing the same thing on the same day all the time.

Monday was Swim in the morning and run in the arvo.

Tues was morning ride and intervals in the afternoon. I am supposed to be doing hill repeats up Reebold Hill but just refuse to go there so early in the morning as there are no lights up the east side. I mean what if I fall off!! You may laugh but just ask my husband, I have a habit of falling off the bike . So.. I found out last week that High St in Sorrento , which is just up the road from me, has the same profile as the west side of Reebold Hill so from now on its High St here I come.

Wednesday was just a swim....nice!!!

Thursday was something I had never done before and that's a double day run. The 2 runs had to total 25kms with the morning run being more than 10k. So I did 11k in the morning and then Sue joined me for a 14k run in the late afternoon. I actually felt quite good and managed to hold a 5.12 pace which I was happy with.

Friday was swim in the morning and a Recovery Ride on the windtrainer for the PM session. It was 40kms but all done in the small chain ring with high cadence.

Saturday morning I was to meet Anna down at the Surf club for an open water swim in our wetsuits. The two of us sat there looking at the ocean with the easterlies just howling...it was freezing. And as all good ironman would do ..... we decided not to go in. I know, I know, I can hear your comments, but it's too late. We left the beach and high tailed ourselves to the Craigie Pool. With wetsuits on ( i am sure there were people thinking what are those girls doing) we started our brick session. So 30min swim including 5mins at threshold and then out, dressed and on the bike for 80k. Will had ridden down to the pool to join us which was great. We headed to Freo and decided to just keep going. I think Anna and I were feeling a little "precious" as we really didn't want to turn around and face the head wind... i mean we had a big day of training the next day, well that's what we were telling ourselves. So on thru Freo, past Henderson to Rockingham, then east till we got to the freeway. Another 25km on the freeway bike path to make up our 80k and there ... finished .. we ended up at Maccas, the Golden Arches. Anna had been talking about how she was craving a hamburger 10k into the ride and giving us a running commentary of all the beautiful food smells as we rode thru Freo, so we just had to get some food!!! With our bellies filled with some not so healthy food and a not so great coffee we jumped on the train and headed home. It actually was quite an adventure as we had no plan on where we were going and it all just kind of happened and fell into place. With a busy afternoon there was no time for a rest and that evening we were off to a friends engagement /housewarming. Sarah is also doing the ironman but works away (refer older blog posts). It was a great party and the food was exceptional. So thanks guys for a great night out!!

Sunday.. another big ride. This time just Anna and I off to do 120k with a 7k run off the bike. We headed out towards the Gravity Centre. I really didn't enjoy the majority of this ride at all. The roads for a large part are rough and the section along Lancelin Rd has so much traffic I just hang on for dear life! And I think the Perth winds are here to stay...unfortunately.
So needless to say I feel slightly shattered. I am trying to get the washing done and everything ready for work tomorrow AND get my blog post up for the week before I try and get a little Nanna nap in for 30mins.

So getting back to my "Try Awesome" heading. This all came about while sitting on the windtrainer. I have a tv set up and often watch television or a video. This week I was watching the Hawaii Kona (2008) I think. They had a young guy on there who had been involved in a very serious accident which left him paralysed from the waist down and in a wheelchair. His parents hooked him up very soon after the accident with a friend of theirs who was an athlete and also in a wheelchair.When they met he sat down with him and just said to him I want you to "Try Awesome." He wasn't asking him to BE awesome.He was letting him know that just because he had physical restrictions it didn't mean he wasn't able to get out there and live his life, he just needed to put himself outside his comfort zone, to be different, to try "different." It was almost like he was giving him permission to do things. This doesn't just relate to Ironman. You can adapt this to any part of your life. Maybe cooking freaks you out... try some 'awesome ' cooking. Just put yourself out there... If you find yourself saying "I could never do that" rewrite the script in your head and just have a go. I did this week . I have never ridden this much before in my life and didn't think I had it in me...I had been pretty worried about the back to back rides all week telling myself subconsciously that I couldn't make it. I certainly surprised myself when I did.
So that's this weeks quote ...Try Awesome.... I dare you!!!!

First Sleep In!!!!

Its Saturday night as I sit down to write the weeks goings on and I am very tired but also very excited. Tomorrow morning I am sleeping in... that's right you heard correctly ..sleeping in. So if anyone out there thinks it might be funny to ring me in the morning, think again, you will certainly find yourself off the Christmas Card list that's for sure. I would not be a happy vegemite.

It's been a busy week , not just with training but my husband Will has been away and you forget how much we do for each other while we are both home. Little things but things that you really notice when the others not there. He is working up in Newman and was really looking forward to heading out to Karajini National Park this weekend but its raining quite heavily and they have been advised not to go...quite disappointing for him. I miss him and look forward to seeing him Monday.
Today was the Club ride up to Lancelin. Just short of 109km and from memory the longest I have ever ridden. With a 6 km run off the bike I now know why I feel tired on top of an already busy week. The club has been doing this ride for a number of years and every year a different charity is selected. This year it was the Salvation Army . Hopefully we will have some substantial food hampers and blankets to hand over to them come Monday.
This week saw me hitting the pool for 8.3kms (3hrs 10mins), just over 48kms running (4hrs 36mins) and 254ks on the bike(9hrs 8mins)
All up 16hrs and 54mins
Weight 63.9k
Body Fat 23.7%

Short and sweet I know but didn't want to bore you too much. With Will taking the camera with him up north I have no photos either so hopefully next week. Next week picks up even more with a few more big rides but will fill you in on that soon.. so with this week over (nearly after my sleep in tomorrow ) I leave you with this quote from George C Marshall an American General (1880-1959)

When a thing is done,its done.

Don't look back.

Look forward to your next objective.

So that's what I'm doing . A big week but its over and we move on to week 7.
Take care out there everyone!!!

A little late note..... Its Sunday and I would like to thank everyone for not ringing me!!!!!! I had a magical sleep in. It was raining outside while I lay in bed reading my book..sheer bliss. Later on in the afternoon my gorgeous friend Meredith and I headed off to UWA where they were holding some markets. Had a not so bad coffee, a fabulous roast pumpkin and fetta salad with the most amazing aranchini balls. Then managed to do some retail therapy , purchasing 2 tops and a hand bag. So all in all a wonderful,NON TRAINING, Sunday..(there is a God!!)