Ticking along

Well this has been a good week of training.

I managed to get on the bike before & after work on Wednesday & was riding till about 6:45pm. Something I'm not used to riding in the dark. Before Taupo I'll have to get up in the middle of the night & go for a ride just to see what it really is like. Will also need to practice eating pies at 5am in the morning.

This week I've managed a small run of 5km, as well as my 2 swims totalling 5.5km & bike rides which totalled 253km in 9.5hrs.

Health wise I'm good & not to tired. Am really having to start seriously thinking of what I'm eating during the week & on the ride. It's alright at the moment but will have to start stopping at the pie shops soon as I can't get that much food & drink around with me.

Oh well that's enough from me this week. Keep training & have fun.

Back on the horse

Well not quite a horse but after 4.5 hours on that saddle it felt good to get off.

Yes I seem to have got over the ankle injury ( just a ligament strain ) & got back on the bike Saturday morning. The plan was for 110km. I did the Welcome Bay loop with 3 hill climbs up Reid, Rocky Cutting & Waitao Rds.

Now I haven't ridden this distance since Lake Taupo Challenge 2007 so by the end I was begining to struggle, especially into the headwind. It felt good just to have done the distance though even if it wasn't fast. We have to remember that 320km round the Lake aint going to be fast, just Loooong. So the plan from here on is to increase the long ride by 35km for 2 weeks then halve it for a rest week. So next the next 2 weeks will be 145km then rest week of 70km, following 2 weeks 180km, rest 90km. This will get us through to 2 weeks of 250km rides then a couple of weeks of taper rides. Sounds mildly mad.

I did manage a short 10min run off the bike just to see if it was possible & I felt no pain so hopefully I'm all good.

This week will hopefully see me getting out before & after work on Wednesday's for more biking. The plan is 1.5hrs before & 2hrs after.

Now it's only 3 more weeks till the Jamis Day Night Thriller in Taupo, so all of you that are thinking of entering do so & we'll see you down there for a great day.

Great day..... but Ouch !!!!

I'll start with a quick update on this weeks training. My running has been a little slack over the last few months so I thought I should start increasing my long run. So this week I did if only by 1.3km, to a huge distance of 6.3km. I had a good windtrainer session & hit the gym twice & a good solid swim. All things going good !!

Then along came Saturday & the Waikato Draught Tough Guy & Gal. I ended up going to the event alone as our friends had a funeral to attend & as it was hiffin it down with rain, Kathy decided to stay home & study. For those that don't know this event is a 6km or 12km run through mud, swamps, bush, over slippery farmland & taking in some manmade obstacles. I opted out of the 12km & just did the 6km. I thought 45 - 50 mins in the rain would be enough.



11.10am & off we went. I had alot of fun & it was a great to be finished. Through the finish chute & collect your cold Waikato then off to the water truck to get blasted. Then down to the not so hot showers changed & ready for prizegiving. Now don't worry about being last at this event as there were people finishing after 3hrs.

Now what did happen during the race was as I jumped down from one of the climbing obstacles, I felt some pain in my right ankle. I think the fact that you have your shoes taped on it gave my ankle some support & I was able to carry on without any difficulties. That started much later.

A quick drive home, shower then off to Kathy's dads for dinner & a beer & that's where it all started to turn to custard. My right ankle just started to lock up with immense pain. I started to get the shakes & we needed to get home. I could barely get out to the car.

Once home I iced it & had some drugs & hit the sack, a little pissed off that there would probably be no training for me for a little while.

Well 24 hrs later I can atleast walk on the ankle but still sore. Might be a trip to the physio come Monday. Hopefully will be back into it soon & back on the bike especially. Running can wait till later.

An observation

Now as you know I went to Auckland this weekend.

I had a great 90km ride, but I'm not going to bore you with any details. What I am going to say though is after riding on Saturday & being out early Sunday morning taking Kathy to Uni, is how little amount of cyclists in Auckland wear bright fluro jackets. Is it still not cool to be seen wearing clothes like that. Do the jackets mean your just a commuter or recreational cyclist.

Do the jackets clash with upmarket brands of bikes or do you have to be seen in your bunch with a bike shop's kit on. I thought getting home in 1 piece would be of more importance.

I know for sure that more & more people in Tauranga wear them & that's probably to do with the Safe cycling promotions we always have.

Anyway I've had a good weekend & have caught with my cousin & an old school/work mate so now it's home & more training.

Got the Tough Guy race on Saturday so that's going to fun??

I think Spring is in the air

The days are getting longer, warmer & the blooms are coming out. This has to all bode well for training. It's so much more enjoyable running in the mornings with no ice & cycling without the thought of black ice around the next corner.

This week has seen me get back into training after having a week off. I have taken it easy & just got back into it slowly.

Now the latest on the Taupo Cycle Challenge is that I've been asked to reconsider doing the 320km Enduro. My old work mate from Akld & fellow triathlete is keen to give it a crack & thinks it would be more enjoyable to ride at Taupo with someone else. Remember that the 320km race starts at 1am, so riding round the back road by yourself could be very lonely. Yes you do have a support crew but you can't talk to them. So the next steps from here are to get up to 150km by September 5th & assess how we are both going.

If it's the go ahead then I'll have to put some serious k's in. I might have to team up with Mike Kelly who's training for Kona & hang on his wheel. The plan will be to build up to 2 rides of 250km. So this week I have spent some more time on Google Maps looking at potential rides I could do. These rides would take in places like Tokoroa, Putaruru, Rotorua, Kawerau, Whakatane & maybe even Taupo. The last thing I want to do is get bored riding round & round Tauranga. I may even take a ride to Auckland.

Obviously as a result of this I won't get alot of time for running, but I feel that so long as I keep doing 1 10km run a week then I'll be able to stuggle my way thru the 1/2 IM in Rotorua. It won't be fast or pretty but just a steady IM pace. Remember this is all part of the big picture some months away in Perth.

The family are heading to Auckland this weekend & yes Saturday afternoon I'm planning on riding from West Harbour, thru Albany to Dairy Flat, then over to Helensville & back down to West Harbour. Should be a good 90km ride.

So things should go well & we'll be signing up for 320km. Sounds scary but a great challenge. People have asked me why???? My answer is that it's there to be done. I've done the 1 lap race once. Yes I could go back & get a better time, but that just means getting in a faster bunch & hanging in there. I want a challenge!!!!!

So I think I have now talked myself into doing 320km.

BRING IT ON !!!!!!!

Rest week

This last week I have been resting. All my week consisted of was 2 gym sessions & a swim Thursday morning. All this rest is meant to get me on the right path mentally & physically for the next 17 weeks as I build for Taupo & 20 weeks till Vegas 1/2. On the Taupo race I have now been asked by a mate if I still want to do 320km's. I'm leaving it up to him to decide. If yes then 320km it is!!

So in anticipation of the go ahead I've been on Google maps measuring rides all over the greater BOP. Rides through places like Rotorua, Kawerau, Tokoroa.

This morning I had a good 80km ride then a 5km run off the bike. First time this winter I have been rained on whilst riding so have done fairly well. Next weeks long ride will be done up in Auckland as the family goes north with Kathy.

Just to show it's not all triathlon in this household this afternoon I've watched a couple of NPC rugby games & it 's been great to see the big unions getting beaten. The best result had to be the team from my old stomping ground getting up to beat Canterbury. Go the mighty Harbour.



Yes it's a long season but you take the wins when you get them !!!!!

Anyhow might go watch the Warrios now, then get up & watch the AB's whilst other bloggers are preparing for a Half Mary in Taupo.