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