Only 28 days to go!!!

OMG!!!! So here i sit , its Sunday afternoon and I have just finished my last session for the week.This time in 4 weeks I ,and a couple of thousand others, will be out on the course racing. It's so hard to believe!!

I think this week has been a tough one for not just me but a few others in the squad. Trying to juggle work, family and training can catch up with you .. but.... like I said its only 4 weeks to go so we just have to hang in there!!

I woke up Monday just not able to get out of bed. I was so tired and my right shoulder was killing me. It's been good for a while now so it was a surprise to feel it so sore. Don't know whether I slept on it funny last night .. either the way I just didn't make squad. In the afternoon Will , Lisa and myself hit Hepburn Hill again for hill repeats,16k all up!! It was hot and muggy and the flies were out in full force..On the way back we ran past the surf club to see some of our crazy club members getting ready to do the Inaugural Zombie Run ( Halloween Night ). Everyone had gone to a lot of trouble and looked pretty awesome.

Dennis and Deb looking very scary!!!

Tuesday, Lisa, Will , Fiona and I hit the road for a 50k ride with 9 short hill repeats. It's getting so light now and just towards the end of our ride we saw North Coasters Tri Club heading out on their Tuesday morning ride. We were to later find out that one of the guys had come off his bike.. a broken elbow and broken knee cap. Poor Mike , just 5 weeks out from Ironman , and this happened to him last year on a ride with us where he came off and broke his collar bone and had to pull out of Ironman. Apparently he is in good spirits though so hopefully he'll be well and on his feet soon.

Then with heavy legs it was off to the track for a 9km interval set.

Wed..3.1k in the pool. After work it was straight over to the bike shop to get my new TT bike. I had ordered a Ceepo Katana a while ago and I was getting a little nervous about it not getting here in time so Ian ( the Ceepo Main Man) suggested putting me on the Ceepo Stinger which is of similar geometry . After a couple of hours of measuring , cutting and test riding I headed off home with my new bike... looking very much forward to riding it the next morning on the recovery ride.




In the evening it was our group windtrainer session. It was here at this session that the tiredness was obvious.... not in the session itself!! everyone gave 100% there, but normally everyone is a little more chatty and cheery and it wasn't quite that way tonight. But having everyone there to support each other was such a bonus and we all got thru it.

The forecast for Thursday was for rain and more rain and I really thought that I would have to do my 30km recovery ride on the windtrainier. I was disappointed as I was really keen to grab that short ride on the new TT bike before the long ride on Saturday. Well when I woke I was so surprised to see clear skies and ended up getting the ride on the Stinger in. It felt good but the real test will be Saturdays long ride.

Thursday afternoon and by this stage the rain that we thought was coming had arrived and had truly set in. Will and I were driving around trying to choose the paving that we wanted for the back yard. We were so lucky to see a beautiful Sandstone paver that we both loved AND was on special.. woo hoo!!! So with that done it was home to get my 20km run in. Now don't get me wrong , I actually like running in the rain , but this was heavy!! So we headed off to the local gym and did the run on the treadmill... sooo booooring!! I know you have the tv in front of you and all, but really for a long run not too much fun. Anyway at this stage I am just ticking off those sessions one by one , and that's what I did, 20km done, a big tick!!!!

Friday morning was busy with a swim and work and the afternoon with tradesmen coming over for quotes!

So Saturday finally arrives and its 170kms heading south on the freeway , straight towards the bad weather. ....... . . The new bike was feeling good but it was early days yet. About 60 to 70kms into the ride the rain started. It was heavy and quite difficult to see. But the rain was warm so at least we weren't sitting there freezing our little butts off. I was really making sure I ate and drank regularly and was feeling pretty good. In fact I came off at the end not feeling shattered at all which is really nice for a change. The bike was comfortable , and felt like it fitted me so much better than my previous one. From the ride it was off to my long time friends 50th lunch, then onto my massage, straight home and got ready for my brother in laws 50th birthday. With an early start in the morning I was off home at 10 to get ready for tomorrows run.

No sleep ins this week so it was up again Sunday morning at 4.30 so that I could be at Carine Open Space for our 34k run . Coach Brad was there on his mountain bike picking us each up for sections of the run. I did struggle today and didn't feel comfortable right from the beginning but I got thru it so am happy with that.

I'm trying to keep my eyes open long enough to write this blog and every time I re read over it I find a million different mistakes and errors!!! But I have to say its a good "tired ". A real feeling of accomplishment to have swum 6.1kms, ridden 300kms and run 79kms... throw an hour of core work in there for good measure and this week tipped over the 20hrs with 20hrs and 12 mins.

Continuous effort - not strength

or intelligence - is the key

to unlocking our potential

Sir Winston Churchill