It's official...

I have just completed my race entry for Challenge Wanaka 2011... There's no turning back now!

What a weekend

All of a sudden I feel strong again!

Despite the ongoing tendonitis in my right ankle, things took a huge upward swing this weekend. I feel awesome (albeit a bit sore) after a simulation half ironman weekend. On Friday morning Geoff had me complete a 2km set in the pool after a 20 min/700m warm up. The 2km included only short rests (no more than 10sec) and took me 44 minutes.

On Saturday I did the bottom half of the Challenge bike course around Lake Dunstan. At just over 91km in 3:17 (plus a rest at 40km where I met Geoff), I was stoked with that time given that I wasn't exactly over doing it. There was a moderate southerly and the temperature was in the low 20s so the 40km from Luggate to Cromwell was a bit slow, but the 50km back was wind assisted and we were flying. I did draft behind Geoff for about 15km, but even when I was on my own I was able to get into a nice rhythm at about 34km/hour.

Then on Sunday, I entered the Cromwell Half Marathon (my 3rd time doing this event), even though I wasn't sure that my foot would last the distance. It was warm and there was a very strong northerly wind (as usual for this race). At the start line I set my strategy as a slower than usual start and remain steady. I also remember thinking that a PB wasn't on the cards so just go with the flow and at that point I resigned myself to the fact that I would be unlikely to ever break my magic figure of 1:45 for the half marathon.

How wrong I was! I smashed my previous year's Cromwell time by 6 minutes 50 seconds and my PB (set at Wanaka) by 4:06 and most importantly I broke 1:45 by almost 2:30 minutes. Even if you correct for the 350 metres or so that the course is short I was comfortably under 1:45 (approx 1:44:14 at my average pace). I averaged under 5 minutes per km (4:56) for the first time ever in a half and only the 3 kilometres into the howling wind and the second to last kilometre were significantly over 5 minute pace. I was placed 26th overall (up from 42nd last year and 95th the year before) and my time on this course has improved by more than 16 minutes in two years. I am absolutely stoked!

So my simulation times (albeit not all in one day and definitely not all in race conditions) are as follows:
2km swim 0:44
91km bike 3:17
20.75km run 1:43
Total 5:44

That all bodes well for the South Island Half Ironman in a few weeks and hopefully has me on track for Challenge Wanaka in January.

I also managed to christen my wet suit this morning (Labour Day) in Lake Hawea with a half hour play around (about 10 -15 minutes to get used to the freezing cold water plus 5 x 80-100m reps). Very refreshing on a beautifully clear and calm Hawea day. Absolutely out of this world!

New gear

I have just purchased a new wetsuit and a new bright red lycra trisuit. Neither of these are particularly flattering, given that they are made out of rubber and lycra and are incredibly fitting. So look out anyone that sees me at any races in the near future. My bulgey bits, lumps and bumps are going to be on display! Very sexy! NOT!

Worrying sign

Over the last few weeks I have been trying to manage a problem with my right foot. It's a repetitive stress injury to my peroneal tendon and I thought that I was getting on top of it. Geoff has been massaging it and I have iced it almost every day for the last week, but over the last 24 hours it has become more persistent.

I hope this isn't going to interfere with training. So far, its actually been fine most of the time that I have been training (as it warms up it tends to get less severe or even disappear altogether), so it was a worrying sign tonight when I couldn't really shake it while doing my run intervals. Any activity (even just standing) sets it off and it can be a very intense pain.

Time to up the frequency of ice treatments, etc and, fingers crossed, I can knock it on the head.

"Bonked" (almost)

Even though I have had to miss the odd session over the last fortnight with work commitments, it feels like I've had a pretty intensive period of training. I've also got a bit of a sleep deficit after the Commonwealth Games which had more than its fair share of post-midnight finishes and last night I didn't finish my work until 12:50am and then woke up at 5:50am and couldn't get back to sleep. Not to mention the fact that last weekend I had a 10km race and then on the Sunday just past I did my 4th fastest half marathon (1:50:43) on a tough off road course (Race 1 of the River Run Trail Series - an awesome race put on by the Challenge Wanaka crew).

As a result, tonight's ride was a complete disaster. The mind was willing (well actually it was tired from the lack of sleep) but (in the immortal words of Carol Beer of Little Britain) the "legs say Noooo". Another cold southerly blast had forced me indoors to the Moana Pool gym to use a spin bike and as soon as I started pedalling I knew that I wasn't going to make it to the 2 hour mark as per my schedule. I just had no energy, my glutes were sore and my current foot injury kept flaring up. So I cut my ride short by an hour and (rather than sit up late and do more work and get further behind on the sleep) I am heading straight to bed and will (hopefully) be sound asleep in no time flat.

I still plan to do the Cromwell Half Marathon this weekend, but have the 10k race as a back up plan if I am still feeling flat. I am pretty sure that I will be ok by Sunday if I get plenty of sleep this week and don't over do it in training, but I am not going to completely bonk just for the sake of a half marathon. Challenge is the ultimate goal and I want to get there in one piece, so I am taking Coach Geoff's advice to listen to my body and do what it says while still keeping as close as possible to the schedule. That means more sleep and dialling back a bit on the effort when I have an easy session like tonight.

Weeks 25-29 - Spring time(?!?!)

The last five weeks have been full of all sorts of weather surprises. I have trained in everything from glorious 21 degree days, to driving rain, heavy snow, 140km/h winds and even a short swim in the Otago Harbour (13 minutes was more than enough with the water just 10 or so degrees). I raced the Dunedin Half Marathon on gorgeous sunny, calm and warm early September day and today (one month deeper into spring) I ran in the Hill Free 10km in driving rain with temperatures barely above 5 degrees (snow falling on the hills surrounding the race).

There have also been a number of things that have distracted me from my training. Work has been busy and I have had a few days of meetings and short trips out of town that have made scheduling training difficult. The Commonwealth Games (especially the cycling) has also been a little bit of a distraction (but also a bit of inspiration).

Week 25 (6-12 September) - including the Dunedin Half Marathon (see All Hot and Bothered)

Swim: 4 session totalling 10.35km in 4 hours 59 minutes
Bike: 4 sessions totalling 165.1km in 6:28
Run: 4 sessions totalling 49.5km in 4:36
Total: 12 sessions totalling 225km in 16:03

Week 26 (13-19 September) - supposed to include the last of the Winter Duathlon series but cancelled because of snow.
Swim: 3 session totalling 7.3km in 3 hours 28 minutes
Bike: 4 session totalling 209.5km in 8:27 - including a 105.8km long ride on Saturday
Run: 3 sessions totalling 19.4km in 1:54
Total: 10 sessions totalling 236.2km in 13:49

Week 27 (20-27 September - 8 day week because did ride on Monday ) - including Sweat7/Challenge Wanaka Training Camp with Sam Warriner.
Swim: 4 session totalling 5.55 km in 3 hours 39 minutes - including a technique session on the camp.
Bike: 3 sessions totalling 188.1km in 7:20 - including two Challenge-course rides.
Run: 4 sessions totalling 54.8 km in 6:01- including a 24.4km run with Geoff on the day before the camp.
Total: 11 sessions totalling 249.55km in 16:55 (8 days straight without a rest day).

Week 28 (28 September - 3 October - 6 day week because of the Monday while on camp)

Swim: 4 session totalling 6.3 km in 3 hours 07 minutes
Bike: 3 sessions totalling 120.4km in 4:03
Run: 3 sessions totalling 39.4km in 3:54 - including a 2 hour run that ended up being exctly 21.1km
Total: 10 sessions totalling 166.1km in 10:94


Week 29 (4 -10 October) - Friday off with what I thought was a head cold, but probably turned out to be an extremely bad dose of hayfever.

Swim: 3 session totalling 5.65 km in 2 hours 31 minutes - including 28x100m in one session
Bike: 3 sessions totalling 203.2km in 7:45 - including a 105.4km (4:00) ride in a howling Southerly
Run: 4 sessions totalling 38.1km in 3:46 - including my first ever 10km race
Total: 10 sessions totalling 247km in 14:01

Today, I completed my first ever 10km race. I ended up doing about 1minute slower than I had hoped for(47:55), but still managed a top ten finish for my age group (10th of 19 in the 35+ masters males), in the top half of the men's field (25th of 54) and and well inside the top 20% of all runners (28th of 148). As I said above, it was barely over 5 degrees so not the best of conditions and I had done a 4 hour ride in the howling wind the day before. All in all a pretty good day at the office.

I have just finished watching the men's (cycling) road race at the Commonwealth Games (hence the very late posting). What a fascinating race and a brilliant tactical race by the Kiwis and Aussies. They ditched Cavendish with about 10km to go - brilliant! Aussie first and Hayden Raulston (NZ) second, Scotsman 3rd - well done boys!

98 days to go!

Holy crap! Less than 100 days to go! Where the hell did all that time go?

I know I keep saying 'bring it on', but the 100 day to go mark is a scary milestone. Before I know it race day will be here. Surely pre-race nerves don't start this far out from an iron-distance race!?!

A little bit crook

I have come down with a nasty head cold over the last few days. I was able to train yesterday and managed an excellent Ironman effort ride and easy 60 minute hill run, but this morning I woke up feeling like crap. I decided that it wasn't a good idea to head to the pool and that I should take it easy for the day. So the sofa became my friend for the day and I spent the day marking some assignments.

I must have been worse than I thought, as I almost fell asleep about 2:30pm. I was just completely exhausted. By 5pm I was feeling much better and this evening I feel like I ready for the weekend's training that's ahead of me.

On the evening of 30 August 2001 I was also feeling unwell, but this time it was much worse and I would not recover quite so easily.

30 August 2001 (9 days post accident)

Today was a bit of a milestone for me. I managed to clear the blockage and, with the help of that crane (see Help Needed), got the bowels in motion for the first time since the morning of 21 August. I'd like to say that it was a huge relief, but the fact is that it was extremely painful and I am not looking forward to having to go through it all again tomorrow.

At dinner time I wasn't feeling so flash and really didn't feel like eating. To be honest, eating hasn't been that easy anyway. The dietician came the other day as they are concerned that I haven't been eating enough protein. I need it to help maintain my wasting muscles. The only problem is that even the smell of cooked meat turns my stomach. So when I didn't feel up to eating dinner tonight, I didn't think much of it.

Carleen has just left for the evening and the change of shift has started. At the 9:30-10pm change-over the night nurse comes on for the half hour or so before the others leave. There is a new night nurse on tonight. She's a Russian-Australian and she's nice enough albeit a little bit of the sterotypical Russian. The afternoon shift have just have just left, the lights are turned down and the ward goes quite.

It's bloody cold in hear tonight. So much so that I am shivering uncontrollably. I am all hazy in the head too and I am not really sure what is going on around me. I can hear something going on out at reception, but can't make any sense of it. I press the nurse call button.

"Yes, dear?" she says in a soft soothing voice. "Can you please get me another blanket? It's really cold in here." She presses here hand on my forehead. "I think you have a fever," she says and she reaches for a thermometer and presses it under my arm. Then, whammo I get the most intense pain in my stomach and a massive pain down my right shoulder. This is different to the intense burning pain that I experienced from the accident. It's like wave after wave of unbelievable cramps. I want to bend double to help relieve the pain, but I am unable to becuase of my injuries and this seems to double the intensity of the pain.

The pain is all consuming, but I can just hear the nurse say "41" and she heads out of the room. She seems to be away for a very long time, but she returns and hands me some pills and a drink to wash them down. I take the pills and drink the water, but it just comes straight back up. She heads out again and returns with a small cup of a think white liquid. "Take this, it will stop you from vomitting", she says calmly. I get half of it down and then wretch it all back up. I can't stop wretching and, unbelievably the pain intensifies some more.

This isn't good. Something is seriously wrong. Why isn't she getting a doctor? I need help (again), but no one is getting it for me. Eventually someone comes to give me an injection and the vomitting stops, but I am still shivering like crazy and the cold cloths aren't making any difference. The pain begins to subside and I drift in and out of consciousness. Still cold and no very scared.

The pain returns over and over again all night and when Mary-Lou (the registrar) arrives in the morning my temperature is still hovering around 40. Mary-Lou examines my stomach and then heads out to call the surgeon in charge of my case. She seems very concerned and I can hear her having stern words with the night nurse.

When she returns she tells me that they are going have to urgently send me back to the Austin Hospital for treatment. "We don't know what is wrong, but they will be able to sort things out." Carleen has arrived and I am concerned that she does not get too upset, but the truth is I am shit scared myself. I thought that I had come through the worst of it, but this pain tells me that something is seriously wrong. An infection? Internal bleeding? Something much worse?

Within 30 minutes, after going through the agony of the transfer from the bed to the gurney on top of the on-going pain in my stomach, I am in the back of an ambulance and speeding my way back to the hospital I just came from a couple fo days ago. One step forward and two steps back...

I am still here

Just a quick post to say that things are still trucking along nicely. Its been a while since I've had the chance for a full update (lots of work, etc) and I will be on to that some time this week, but here are some recent highlights:

• Training weekend with Sam Warriner that far exceeded my expectations. The small technique tweaks that I was able to gather have already proved to be very useful. More about this later in the week.
• The weekend on the training camp was also hugely beneficial as I was able to spend for days thinking about nothing but training and with Coach Geoff along too, I was able to learn heaps more from him too.
• The last few weeks I have also been focussing on doing the trunk exercises that Geoff gave me a few months ago, but that I had only been doing intermittently. These are really starting to pay dividends, especially with my running. Having Coach there for the last 2km also was a huge motivating factor (Thanks Geoff, I really do appreciate it!).
• The start of an 8 week build in my program this week included a 2:45 Brick (2 hour bike to 45 min run transition). Using the stuff I learnt on the camp I was able to get off the bike and run at 5 minute km pace (30seconds/km faster than I have been able to do to date in training). Still slow, but a HUGE jump up for me. I then followed that up with a run the next day which ended up being exactly 21.1km in 2 hours.
• Yesterday I moved up to the 40-44 age group. Yep, I am officially 40 years old and in the best shape of my life.
• I have now started to loose weight again. I have dropped from 104 to 101.5 and I haven't yet completed all of the food diary stuff for my coach anmd therefore haven't tweaked my nutrition. I can't wait to see what happens when I do sort out my nutrition - I'd better get those diaries to Geoff.
• Motivation is still high. Bring it on!