The big day...

Friday afternoon before the race and I am feeling a bit better, so there is hope that I can at least start. Friday morning I don't think I could have made the swim. Race morning rolls around and I feel better than I have, but still not great. I lay in bed and contemplated my options for around 10 minutes. I felt good enough to "do a swim", and eventually decided that was good enough to pack the gear up and at least start. So into race morning preparation it was.
I had a couple of small bowls of coco-pops and a couple of small cups of coffee (still around half of what I thought was "normal" - you have to love motel kitchenettes!). I put the gear I had set aside as "race gear" the day before into the car, and a slightly nervous toilet stop and we were off to the race start at just after 5:30am! Went into the first tent and got numbered and dropped off the special needs bags. I had a few gels as "top-ups" and a few extra salt tablets for the run - in case I made it that far. Into the main T1 and pump the bike tyres up and put drink bottles on the bike. Tyres up to pressure and first hiccup of the day! No drink bottles for the bike - they are still in the motel fridge! Damn! OK, no panic, Liz runs off to get her Sister to whip back to the motel and get them, and I pump up Liz's Tyres. As a back up I put the bottle of drink I was to drink in the next 45 minutes (pre race) on the bike and fill up a spare drink bottle at the transition aid station. Find Liz, and the drink bottles are not going to get here - technical difficulties with cars. No problem... Last nervous toilet stop to go and down to the start. Not too many porta-loo's and the queues are quite long - I don't need that, so off to find a "secret loo" that not too many know of. Perfect, nice loo, and 3rd in line! Down to the start with 30 minutes to go. Plenty of time, and I actually feel quite relaxed - but still pretty unsure about what I can do or what lays ahead. Liz is also pretty relaxed for her, and we get into the water, wish each other luck and head off for our warm-ups. There are a few waka scooting around and you can hear a bit of chatting going on too. Then the Pro start heads off - so that means 15 minutes to the start for us age group Plebes! 
I lined up as far to the right as I was allowed - basically hanging on the right side start line buoy! I have Brodie Madgwick on my right, who is a similar swimmer to me, look behind and there is Deno with a big grin on his face, and Hannah lurking just beside him. He better not try and come over the top of me! The cannon (literally!!) goes off, and we are off for the 2009 Ironman New Zealand! I started strong but a little less than normal, and I am swimming beside Brodie quite comfortably - so I decided to just stick there rather than try to find a bunch and get in to the thrashing crowd, as we were the outside right swimmers. After a hundred meters a bit of a bunch started to form on the right side, so I jumped on some feet that presented themselves in front of me. No one was bashing me for them, so I sat there quite happily. I think at this stage there were a few off the front and this was the first "main bunch" so that was a good start. I hung there quite happily for around another km, and felt the pace drop a bit so started to pay a bit more attention to what was going on. All seemed OK, then I saw a bit of a split from the main bunch, so I scooted around the two swimmers in front and got back onto the back of the bunch, and felt quite comfy again. Then not much later I had a big slow down - just me, the body just slowed down! I was then promptly dropped! Oh well, it was good while it lasted. I plodded along and then a green cap came along beside (a female I presumed!), and I though, I might as well just on her feet, so I did. That was all good until the turn around, and we were still only 30-40m off the back of the main bunch, and she put a burner in to catch up, but I was firmly in first gear, and the gear lever was very jammed! So back to on my own. Next group of 4 cam along, so I jumped on to them, that was good for another km, and then with around 500m to go I just had a really big tired-on, and though I was almost gong to stop moving! So managed to watch all in front really zip away and tried a few mental games with the buoys to try and make time move slightly faster, but it dragged! Hauled my sorry ass out of the water, and started running. The clock said 1:08, which I figured was the Pro-time, so that should be a 53 minute swim - which is fine. The crowd was pretty awesome so that lifted my spirits quite a bit. I rolled through transition with not too much fuss, until I realized that I had left my arm-warmers at the motel along with the drink bottles. The vest would have to do for the warmth factor! Grabbed some food and got my bike and headed out. As I was doing the transition I did hear a few other names of note, so the swim was probably not too bad.
On the bike and I cruise past a few early on, but kept the effort quite controlled. This included passing Creampuff - and managed to give him a good slap on the ass as I went past - I know he appreciated that! After around 10km I saw a group of 3-4 a few hundred meters up the road, and decided to put a little effort in to catching them. So with those guys and the ones I had dragged along there was now a group of 6-7 riders. There were a few handy athletes in this group, so I decided it was time to sit in and conserve energy as much as possible. There were were two in particular pushing the pace, and I was happy with that, and I sat at around 4th position. at around 35km the guy in front of me let a gap develop (50m or so) while he was eating/ drinking. He then struggled unsuccessfully to close the gap over the next few km. I sat and watched. Someone behind then came through and tried to close the gap, struggled, and again could not close the gap, which was now growing. I waited a little longer, then pulled out and put in a strong effort and quickly closed the gap in 20-30 seconds, making sure I took no one with me. So there was now 3 and around 6 chasing. At the turn around at Reporoa, there was still around a 200m gap, and we could see a few age groupers still ahead, but mostly riding alone. I continued to sit and watch, and eventually the chasing group caught up again. We swallowed a few more of the faster swimmers. The group started to get a little scrappy from around 60km, with riders coming up and chopping in, surging and dropping back, which was beginning to annoy me as it was making the effort more difficult with the changes in speed, but I kept patient and sat in and conserved, eating and drinking as much as I could. At around 70km there is a gentle climb with a reasonable pitch for a few hundred meters then a gentle/steady again, but you have around 10km or so or false flat or somewhat up hill. The group was starting to get pretty messy at this point, so I decided some of those that were hanging on and riding far harder than they should be, needed to be dropped from the bunch. On the steeper part of the climb I put in a solid effort, still controlled, but went from toward the back of the bunch to the front and kept the pace solid. I kept the pace up until we turned of at the motor racing circuit and headed back down hill into town. The group of around a dozen was now down to 3, although one was a female Pro (Meshi Holt who had punctured), and was not sure if she would be much use. So I kept the pressure on back into town and along the flat, and continued on back up the hill out of town. I felt pretty good at this point, while I was going at a solid effort, I still felt well within myself. Climbing back up out of Taupo we passed a few more of the leading age groupers, but they did not hang on. By the time we were back on the road out to Reporoa, it was now two of us - and young Michael Kelly was keen to put the pedal to the metal! I was not so keen on doing half the work for the next 90km, but thought that was better than in the group of a dozen that was getting pretty messy. We also passed Fossy, who was the leading age grouper, so now we were in the front of the age group race! We rode very well together, doing nice long laps (5+ km at a time), and keeping a nice steady pace. I continued with the eating and drinking. The main hiccup being the gels that I put in the flasks for easier consumption were way too thick to get out through the lid! After the turn at Reporoa for the second time, young Michael realised we were leading age groupers, and that we had a couple of minutes on the chasing group, and again wanted to wind it up for the journey home. I tried to calm him down a little, as I was feeling a bit of a pinched nerve in my butt - which was worrying me a little, but felt comfy with the effort and pace we were holding. We pretty much kept is steady all the way back, and it was just a matter of knocking off the km's and keeping the food and water going in. With around 10km to go, youthful enthusiasm informed me that we were going to do a "cracking time" for the bike, and wanted to push the pace home. It was around this point I started to feel a bit average. It was pretty much all down hill back to transition, so getting there was fine, but I was feeling a bit fever-ish and I was having major chaffing issues on the under carriage which was not helping! So I spent the next few km's pondering my options. Go to the medicals and see what they think, call it a day, or bolt out on the run and see what happens.
We rolled into Transition 2, with a bit of hype as leading age groupers, which was all good. I decided to make myself a good goodie bag to take out on the run and see if I could chip off a few km's at least. Even if I walked 42km, I have plenty of time to get to the finish. I just needed to be careful that I didn't have a strong fever coming, and that I avoided dropping dead from the effort and the bugs putting too much stress on the old(ish) body! A quick chat with Jerry and Liz in Transition, and then Greg Welsh as I went over the over bridge on to the run course (until he told me to move my ass). I kept the running as easy as I could. I definitely felt a bit flu sick and my left hip/glut was killing me. "just get to the next aid station" was all I focused on, and keeping the HR as low as I could. Just before the aid station I dug a gel out and a few salt tablets, down some water and cola, and decided some vitamin C was in order as well - so downed oranges like they were going out of fashion. A few deep breaths and off running (sort of) again. The crowd is pretty impressive through the first 3-4km, so you do have to be careful not to get carried away! Neil yelled out " I thought you couldn't run" and I replied "I can't - this is obviously not running!". Nothing like a few laughs to lift the spirits a little. I managed the slower jog to aid stations and walk the stations, plus walked a few of the up hills - just to keep the HR low, out to the first turn around (approximately 11km). The flu/fever feelings were getting a little less, but my left achillies was starting to tighten up, which worried me, so at the next aid station I got someone to swap the timing chip from my left ankle to my right (I was not bending down unless I REALLY had to). 500m after the aid station, left calf goes -DAMN! It was very unhappy, and was not going to be run on at this point! So we are very much down to walking!
At the next aid station I got a compression bandage on my calf, and wobbled off. On certain camber and slight down hill I could start a bit of a shuffle going so ran when I could. Any up hills and the calf protested in no uncertain terms and walking was the only options. Did not really like a right sloping camber either, so when that arrived a walk often did too. That is pretty much the way the run continued until back to the far turn-around again (around 32km). Then the legs were just stuffed! I saw Reuben as I approached the turn-around, and he had passed me at 1km, and he was running, and had only put about 400m on me in 10km! So I threatened him, and carried on - perhaps anger was also an option here. The mental battle then became "if I walk from here it will take around 2 hours - that is a long time on these legs" verses "if I run, even stride is agony but I will be there much sooner, and the pain will be over far sooner". That was quite a delicate balance, so to get running when I used the maths option - to work out that if I ran around half the way back, I could still get in at around 10 and a half hours! Still pretty respectable. So I carried on with the running where I could! That was also helped by seeing half the athletes I coached breathing heavily down my back as well!
Finally got to the finish line in 10 hours 36 minutes. Just over my upper time bracket of what I thought I could do. But with all that had happened, I really felt that that was the best effort that I had in me. I would not have done anything differently in the swim -that was all I had. The bike actually worked out very well for me. It felt like the most conservative ironman bike leg I have ever done, and still came out with a good result. The calf popping in the run was a pain, literally and figuratively. Overall happy to get finish number 10 at Ironman NZ, although after, that did not feel like a big deal, and before, that was what was mostly driving me. I am a bit disappointed I did not get the chance to see and show how fit I had actually got. I think I was actually in quite good shape.
I still probably need to do another - just to see that I can still put out a good time - next up will probably be world long course champs in October...

Plans C, D, E and F...

I was thinking that I had almost got my taper the best I had ever done, with a good balance between volume and effort and I felt I was getting fresher as I progressed. I was feeling a little over done, or on the border of that a couple of weeks ago, but that may have been more lack of (good) sleep rather than too much on the training side - and did not worry me at all. I did change my running a little from what I was originally planning, basically due to the Friday run intervals going far better than expected. So I dropped the second run planned for Friday and made the run for Monday shorter and easier (more like a normal taper).

Well that all turned very pear shaped on Tuesday night. The bike intervals - last harder session went well, and felt very comfortable, and I managed to control my effort to what it should be, and it felt very controlled, bordering on easy. I did have a bit of an itchy throat, but that had come and gone regularly for the last 2-3 weeks. Around 11pm, I am very uncomfortable, and feel like someone/something in my head is trying to kill me. Damn it! Sinuses are going to explode, head is going to explode and I feel like crap! Not what I need 3 days before attempting an Ironman.
So going from a solid Ironman, to getting through on a very limited (injured) run build-up, to now being sick - I am chewing through the plans and options quicker than the chewable Vitamin C tablets! First priority is to look after myself the best I can and try to get to the start line, and then to try and get though each leg - if possible. Plan "smack it out for the first leg or two" is long gone...
A little frustrating to say the least, and I am not sure how I even managed to get sick! I really do want to get through this one, without a huge struggle - but that is starting to become a bigger challenge.

On a good note, being down at Ironman I do get to catch-up with old friends. Special Note to Li and Jerry Ranger. Liz took me under her wing 20 years ago and helped me through my first Ironman. They are the true spirit of the sport and the nicest and most genuine people I have come across. Great to see them again!

back running...

Well D-day is closing in! With the calf injury a good result in Ironman has passed - I am being realistic! After the Tauranga half Ironman I was planning on a good nudge on the running and to be honest, I needed it! However the calf took 4 weeks to get over, and it really needed to be sorted in 2 weeks. The last few weeks the running has been coming back on - and the injury has settled (touch wood), although the legs are pretty hammered after each run now, that is just due to lack of fitness. 

Plan B for the running started with the run-walks, and that went quite well. Then came the two shorter runs in the same day, and then struggled through an hour and a half (couldn't walk the next day, but the calf was fine). Stuck to 3 runs days per week, to make sure I did recover. The cycling took a bit of a hit, and with the school training starting up swimming has also taking a hit (two mornings a week gone). So this week would normally be a shorter easy run, but I pushed out the longer continuous run to 1 hour 40 minutes - bit snail pace at the end I have to say (really an hour 15min that took 1hr 40min). I also gave the run intervals a bit of a go this week. It did not go too badly I have to say. The faster running was actually easier on the legs than the slower running (probably a bit less time in "stance phase"!). Didn't set the world on fire, but it certainly went OK. Still, 42.2km is a long way to run after 180km of cycling, on essentially 2 weeks training...

It is a little hard to judge how performance is going at the moment. Taper has started, so effort is down a little and performance is too, but is that just because I am going easier?! My fitness profile has definitely change in the last 2 months, and the bike is easiest to quantify, as I have the best data. My threshold data (power output I can maintain for 30-60minutes) has not increased I suspect, perhaps even gone down a little, although I think it is more likely that the harder sessions have been done in quite high temperatures where I have struggled to dissipate heat. I suspect this is the case, as I have not actually tested it - that is just from training data in general. What has increased is the comfort with which I can ride at steady power outputs - more like Ironman pace. For me this is 240-260 watts, and it is a comfortable aerobic effort, where it did feel like a more solid steady effort - hard to differentiate from 270-300w. Given I am racing more in that range - that is probably a good thing!

Swimming is a little more difficult to get a handle on, as the squad sessions have changed, mainly by those that I swim with. The pace has just gone up to a new level! I tend to get lapped a little more regularly which makes knowing how things are going a little harder! I am pretty sure I am swimming similar speeds to a month ago, or two months ago, just I am a little further behind with that some speed now. It does play with the mind a bit, when you go faster and are further behind than usual. Keeping an eye on the clock for split times has helped keep my sanity somewhat in the pool.

I also need to start coming up with a race plan! Given the run is going to take a while, I have a couple of options race wise. Take it steady and just race the race as I intended, and pretty much go for the best overall time, or smack the swim and bike, with no regard for the run, as the run is going to take a heap of time and involve a fair amount of walking anyway! The second option does allow me to stroke my ego a little and say "look what I can do". But you do look like a bit of a plonker when the run takes longer than the bike. This is what happened last time I did Ironman WAY under prepared - and swore I would never do that again! I haven't totally made my mind up, but I am 90% sure it is going to be a steady roll through the day and try to enjoy it as much as possible. I don't feel I need to prove anything, apart from finishing it! I also need to reassess what I can do for the day, and estimate my time! 

Training camp- yeah baby!

Over the last few weeks we have had a couple of training camps. First was a long weekend in Taupo - 4 days with some pretty solid training sessions (with a 2 day option in there too). 

But first a slight back track and I will go over the training post half Ironman. The recovery post half was very good, certainly the least fatigued I can ever remember feeling after a half Ironman. However there was one major hiccup, the torn calf. A month after the half, and I have managed 5 runs in total (I think), and 3 of those have ended in failure and have been less than 15 minutes. Yesterday was the most successful, with around 40 minutes of 3min slow jog (not sure it was really running) and a 1min walk, which I did cut down to 30sec a few times. I got through that no trouble - the first "no trouble run" in a month. So Deno and Bevan have managed to help get it right, but it has taken time, and time is not a plentiful resource unfortunately. This has sort of put a fair few nails in the Ironman coffin unfortunately. I don't see anyway to resurrect even a moderate level of run fitness between now and Ironman - well not without serious risk of injury (I see the risk as far greater than possible benefit in going full out run training wise as well). The best outcome will be the the run-walk taking slightly less time than the bike (which I am not counting on). While it is a little disappointing - I don't see it as the end of the world - I have really enjoyed the journey back to Ironman this year, and I am sure that race day will be a celebration of that journey, what ever the result it! 

On the plus side, with no running, I have been doing 4-5 swims per week, and the swimming is solid now. and I have done a few weeks or 5-6 rides per week. I have to say that the riding has come to a new level, and I definitely have a better fitness profile on the bike than I had a month ago. I have added in one very easy ride, one moderately easy ride per week, and have done a couple of solid steady rides in the last month as a substitute for run intervals. So the main change is the volume of easy riding. Although the lower volume (ie zero) or running maybe enhancing recovery and adaptation - but I am not really sure that is the case. 

Back to the training camp. I have been on a few training camps over the years and have certainly heard many tails about many camps. We had a great turn-out with around 25 people at "camp Taupo" at any one time This is how the first camp went:
Thursday: this was an easier day, with a 45min swim in the lake, with a few re-groups, really just to test the water out really. After a leisurely change over, out for a 2 hour easier bike. The route we went was pretty hilly, and Ideally this would have been flat - but we would be riding on the flatter roads a fair bit in the nest few days, so a change of scene was in order - and it was nice and quiet traffic wise! Off for a 45min run after, and a few went for a dip in the lake to finish the day off. all in all, a nice day out, and just good to be away from the hussle and bussle really.

Friday: this was not a huge day, but it was solid. Off to the pool first, and a big steady state set. Warm-up, then between 20 and 25x200m reps on the best send-off time you can maintain (between 4min and 2:50 was in order). So everyone should have got in at least 4.5km, and up to 5.5km. This went pretty well I thought, and everyone now knew they could do the Ironman swim at a good steady pace! A bit of a refuel, then down to the psuedo-track - where we used the perimeter of a cricket field - which turned out to be 405m (cricket appears to over run the Taupo running track!)! Now it was time for a track session running. Three sets of 1600m steady, bit of easy, and 800m fast, and a bit of easy. It was getting nice and warm at this stage (around mid-day), with very little wind - just adding to the experience. Most got through that session pretty well - a few of the injured brigade were just doing the jog-walk scenario watching all the others flog themselves around the track! Back to base, and some food, and off for an easy bike, which was a little optional. We actually road around the back of Taupo, and in to the Velodrome. Did a few laps and even did a couple of individual pursuits. A few found that riding at 60kph on the track is a little harder in reality than what it looked like on TV! Overall it was a bit of good fun rather than an epic session. good to freshen the mind, even if 3km hard on the track gave the lungs a bit of a burning sensation!

Saturday: First big day. short swim (20min in the lake), then off for the big bike. Everyone was to try to get in at least 180km (full Ironman course), and the faster riders were expected to do over 200km. I threw in a few steady efforts, just to break the ride up a little, and show that a change of pace is possible on a long ride. Not all in grouppo 1 were that happy with my "steady efforts" though. The written complaints that were submitted were subsequently filed in the circular filing cabinet (well - looked more like the rubbish bag actually). After returning from the long ride, a short run, just to try and find the run legs was in order. A few run legs were lost, and hydration strategies were questioned!! There were a few hiccups - punctures and slipping seat posts, but those that got through were now happy about being able to do the bike for IM as well!

Sunday: Sort of a half Ironman simulation - with a 40-45min swim, another lap of the bike course (with a few solid efforts) and then a lap of most of the run course. The swim was fine - with the water being very pleasant - even on the tired bodies. Although instructions were starting to be short-cut, with turn-around points a little shorter than they were suppose to be! On the bike, and with a few moans and groans things go underway. I suspect there were a few tender backsides from the previous days! the first steady effort certainly sorted a few people out. A few who were a little light on the food side were changing gear - into creeping mode - and I am sure just getting back home was the only objective! With the steady efforts I had a little advantage in that I did not have to worry about running after - so was quite happy giving everyone someone to chase. From a training perspective, I would have loved to be able to run, as that was a key run session in the Ironman build-up. But that was not to be. Most did get through the run in some shape or form. It was quite warm as well, so great confidence for those that did find their run legs after my best attempts to destroy them after a couple of very solid days of cycling.
After all packed up and heading home, I think most that did at least some part of the training camp come away feeling a lot more confident. The thing with camps is that with a heap of other people doing the same thing, it is much harder to "pull the pin" and take the easy option when everyone else is suffering through the hard parts. When you are training on your own, it is much easier to justify in your own mind that a slightly easier option is the better option -when in many cases it is just an easier option! The main trick for these types of training camps are to make sure you recover after, so you can actually get fitter, and not just stuffed! :-)

Tauranga race report (finally!)

It is D-day - it is all up to you now big boy!!


Well a few week since the half, so better get my race report in! Tauranga half Ironman was one of the 2 big goals for the season. That said, I did plan to build through the half rather than build up specifically for the half Ironman - which is what I would have done previously. Still I did want to give it a good nudge! In the week before I was not 100% sure how I was going to race, as the form had changed a little. Originally I was quite happy to run in the training shoes, but as my running sort of took a bit of a jump improvement wise, I had thoughts of using "racing flats". The benefits would be slight faster (being lighter), but they also usually "feel" good, which might help with motivation. The down side is a bit more injury risk certainly for what is only going to be a small time gain (seconds rather than minutes). In the end, after a bit of procrastination, I went and got some new shoes - no hard core race shoes - more lightweight trainers. They did fit a differently in the practice run on Thursday, but they did feel great, and felt much more lively. Unfortunately after around 20 minutes my calf "tweaked" with a strain/minor tear. Not part of the plan - and in hind sight, I would have keep with the training shoes! But what is done is done! 

time to check the swim course the day before - check out the retro togs - no budgies were harmed in this photo shoot!

As usual the day before is a lot of catching up with old friends and competitors. It usually takes around an hour to get through the expo/registration tent - but it is all good fun. Being an Anniversary race, there was a little extra pomp-and-ceremony, and being a past winner, I even had a TV interview! With the bike checked in I was sort of looking forward to seeing how I would go, although still very nervous about the calf. Things were about to change! I started to feel a little queasy at around 9pm, and was a bit picky with the dinner. After I had put all the race gear out, I tried to go to bed, but when I lay down I really felt bad. After a bit of pacing around it all came to a head. Off to the loo and hugging the bowl empting the stomach in a very violent manner. I was not sure if I had lost any internal organs, but there was certainly no contents left in my stomach!!! Liz was kind enough to get up and check I was still alive and inform me that "well you wont be starting". Racing was not on my mind, just keeping insides inside was really the only thing on my mind. On the couch and did get a couple of hours of sleep. When the alarm did go off, I did not feel as bad, but was certainly feeling very fragile. I got a bit of breakfast in, and could only stomach half a glass of fruit juice and half a coffee. I thought getting through the swim was a possible, and maybe able to get on the bike, but that was about all that was possible - and it would only making up numbers. Gathered all the gear and headed down to transition. I set everything up and was ready in plenty of time. 

I wondered down to the water quite early and gently immersed myself in and went for a gentle warm-up. I was still feeling very fragile, and went for a longer easy warm-up rather than including a few solid efforts. I did do one steady effort, just to see how it was - and it was not flash. I did manage to see a few Jelly fish, but they did not bother me, so I didn't bother them. I had entered Pro, so managed to be in a nice small wave start, and knew I would not be last out, so I was happy with that. The gun went off, and I went out pretty hard - but no full noise. Not much jostling at all, and quite happy sitting in the main pack. This was a bit better than expected, and found some nice feet to swim on, and still feeling comfortable at around 3-400m into it. Sweet! Then some turkey starts swimming over my back - what the hey??!? I tried to brush him off and see who it was, but he was determined, so I swam across the pack and up through the middle (there were sort of two pace lines going) - I don't really need that. 10 seconds later he is all over me again - get off damn it!! I finally manage to fight him off and then jump on to the back of some feet and try to settle down again. Look up, and darn-it, the feet I am following have fallen off the back of the pack! I go around and try to bridge the gap, get about half way and no more progress, and the way I feel I don't really want to put in a huge effort - so settle in to a steady pace, and decide to sit back in. Get back on the feet - pretty sure it is Walter Thorburn, so that is OK. It is nice and relaxed on the feet, and I am thinking of another effort around the next turn buoy, as the bunch is still within reach. Then the person in front manages to swim over a nice big jellyfish and kick it right up into my face. So a nice big face full of jellyfish, which happens to be of the stinging variety. A bit of burning and tingling on the side of the face and lips, and even on the tongue - bugger! The rest of the swim is pretty uneventful, as I just sit in until around 4-500m to go and we start lapping people. Taking my own line through the obstacle course feels like a better option. So an OK swim, a little annoyed I got thumped off the main pack, but not a disaster. 

Not the fastest transition, but I have everything and settle into a comfortable pace early on, quite happy to do my own thing. I pass a couple of people, including Walter, who had a better Transition than me, then go past Jo Lawn like she is standing still - wondering why she is going so slow! Coming to the first turn-around and I see how the front of the race is panning out - pretty much as I expect - a couple of fast swimmers out the front then a couple of smaller groups of solid riders that will no doubt come together soon, and then a few stragglers. After the turn I see those I have pasted and then a solid group of 6-8 riders 2-3minutes back - being led by a couple of strong riders. Next turn around and the groups in front are combining - so the race is going to be a running race! still a couple of stragglers just in front, and the group behind has swept up those I pasted and gaining momentum - with around a dozen riders - that is not good for me! Next turn around I see the following group is going to swallow me, so I just sit up and wait for the inevitable. stretch out the back a little and get some food in. At this point I thought I would get a drafting penalty - not because I was drafting - just had a sinking feeling in my gut (but that may have been a side effect from the night before). I weaved my way to the back of the pack, just so I could see what was going on from ticket collector position (back). Jo lawn was trying to protect that position, but she and Walter had been given a free ride up, so they would have to take what they were given!! My decision to sit back and watch was a good one, as a draft buster soon arrived, and there were going to be penalties! I don't envy their job, and as drafting is a judgment call, you just have to take it on the chin a bit when the wrong call is made. Walter got busted, and he really deserved it, as he was blatantly drafting (as he admitted), and the penalty he got was far less than he gained riding in the group (by about 10 minutes!). A few others also got busted, some fair cop, some a little dubious (including Mr Gardiner). So the group got culled down a little. The presence of the draft marshal also made riders leave bigger gaps and ride a little differently, and I used this opportunity to go to the front and put the pace on for a wee while (5km or so). Than ended up shelling out a few of the weaker riders that were really getting a free ride. With a couple of short laps to go I alternated between sitting at the back (comfy position and eating/drinking) and going to the front at a steady pace. The end result was a group of 12-15 riders was now 4, mostly old campaigners! Excellent!

Now it is time to run - the great unknown. I took my time easing into the run just to see how the body was. I had mostly looked after myself on the bike, and had gone a fair bit easier than planned - due to the vomiting and the way the ride had panned out. I felt fine in the first km, much to my surprise. Then at the first aid station, my calf went - completely locked up! OK - so this is going to be a long walk. Tried to get some ice for it, but there was none, and gave it a bit of a mild stretch. Then started shuffling along - you might call it a run, but that is probably a little optimistic, as walking would have been quicker. I was running and the calf was tolerable rather than comfortable. It then eased up a little on the camber on the first turn around and I was almost running - still pretty slow. After the turn around and the camber was the other way the calf really complained again, so it was back to creeping along. A few others went past, but far less than I was expecting. I have a little battle with Wayne Shackleton - someone who I have raced against for nearly 20 years - some things change and some things stay the same! The run around the mount was just survival. back on to the road and the second lap the calf almost freed up and I ran OK, until the mount base track again, and back to surviving. I think I ran the second lap around 4-5 minutes faster than the first - so that was good. I finished feeling the best I ever have. Probably because I couldn't really push much on the run, and that ended up a bit of a cruise. Finished with 4 hours 19min and top 25 - a great result with all things considered. Stoked with that! I think it is my second slowest, but just really happy to be out there in the end!

Old timers get special race numbers!!

Congratulations to anyone who made it through all that!!!

first biggie coming up

This is what I wrote before the half - but didn't get around to posting before I went to the Half Ironman... If you are bored, a read while I write up the race report!

Another couple of weeks have flown past, and the first real test of the season is looming - the Tauranga half ironman. I am not sure what to expect or how I will go, which is a little unusual for me - I generally know where I am at - for better or worse! The last few weeks have certainly been a bit funny, and the indicators for my form have been sending very mixed messages. I guess I will know for sure in a few days anyway! 

The long rides and the longer runs are definitely getting better. I feel better and far more controlled during the sessions, and much better after (ie not devastated!). However, I do think the longer rides are knocking me around a little more than I feel they are. I do feel OK the day after, but I have been quite flat on the Tuesday after, and the bike intervals on Tuesdays have been a fair bit down on where they should be - at least where I think they should be! On the other side the run intervals have been getting progressively better. Last week was 7x1km, and they were the fastest and felt the most controlled so far (for over a year at least). That is definitely a positive. They are still a very long way from my best (over 40 seconds per km!), but improvement is good thing! It does not feel that long ago when I did a set of 1 km reps and realized that I had run a marathon in an Ironman at a faster pace than I was doing my 1km reps at! 
I also had a crack at a 90km TT a couple of weeks ago (on the trainer). I deliberately started a little conservatively, which ended up being about the right pace. I also deliberately sat up from on the aerobars regularly to stretch out a little - before "I needed to". It was all going well until around the 40km mark, and my butt (glut muscle) started to scream! so I sat up a little more, which relieved it a little but it was certainly not going away. So I have a few choices, pull the pin and call it a day, solder on a bit slower and roll through the 90km at a pretty leisurely time, or try to keep the pace up reasonably well for a bit longer and at least get a 50 or 60km TT done. I Kept going and got through the 50km, then the 60km. I was still holding the same speed/power, and was managing the glut issue OK. I then made a decision to forget about the speed, and make sure I focused on the things that would get me to the end of the TT well - a few gels, a few salt tablets, drink more, and try to relax as much as possible and maintain good form. I really avoided focusing on the glut and the discomfort it was giving me. Figuring if I focus on the pain, it was just going to be painful! Well - it worked! I made it through the TT, not much of a drop off in pace at all, although when I did get off I was not sure I had made the right decision, as my left leg was not working at all - a run was out of the question... It was a solid time, but around 8 minutes off my best time (I think). Power was OK (averaged a bit over 300w), but not a world record. The pinched nerve in my butt was a concern! 

How is the half going to go?? I am not sure - a couple of hiccups, with a pinched nerve, and feeling a bit chesty are not helping. My prediction - the swim will be the swim, a solid steady either back of the second pack or in the middle of the third pack, around 4 minutes down on the first bunch - well probably. The bike - I will probably hold a steady pace rather than go for it on the bike - for two reasons - my pinch butt nerve and my poor running (relatively) fitness. The run is really a big unknown for me. Three weeks ago I would have said around 1 hr 40min would be good, now I think if I have a good day I can perhaps give 1hr30min a nudge. The conditions will play a big part - if it is hot I will suffer and be slower... If I have a good swim, I will probably have a good bike too, as I will be around better riders rather than riding on my own. 4 hours 15min will be a good day in the office (my best is 3hr50min), over 4hr 45min and I am having "issues"!!! 

First I have to sort my stuff out and find all my gear. Then I probably need to tell myself what I have been telling everyone else all week - be positive and give it your best shot, with the cards you are dealt on the day...

race number two...

This is what I wrote a week or so ago - but was a bit tardy in posting...
Another couple of weeks have passed. A couple of landmarks in the last two weeks of training have been a descent long run and long ride, and another race. My first proper two hour run was completed last week - it was just over 2 hours, and reasonable running all the way. Ideally at this stage I would have 10 or 12 of those under the belt, but we have to start somewhere. I have done a couple of runs with the watch ticking over two hours, but those were really 1 hour 40min runs that took 2 hours to get through, including a long walk up the short driveway at the end. We also got in a good solid long ride in last Sunday. The weather was not looking that promising, but managed to hold off, and the wind was threatening to be pretty miserable, but also relented a bit. A few punctures on the way sort of took the edge off, and a few people making wrong turns did not help the cause either - but you get that. Good money in the training bank. I think the long run took a bit out of me, I did feel a bit flat for a few days after, which unfortunately included the race. I did feel good after the long ride, although in hindsight the fatigue might have been a bit delayed, as three days later and I am pretty toasted! But performance in training was good for a few days, and then I think it caught up with me a little, or I have a bit of a bug lingering in the background. What ever it is I feel a bit average (understatement) at the moment. 
The second triathlon of the season was a week and a half ago. It was just done as a training race (training wheels, no rest up for the day). It was a bit windy, but not too bad a day- well that is what I thought until I did a swim warm-up. The water was a fair bit rougher in the water than it looked. But that was good for me. It was a quite a big field for a more "fun" event, with a couple of other big events on the same weekend (two half ironmans). The gun goes off, and into the water - with a good start. No getting knocked around, although I could see a couple of bigger groups on each side. Round the first buoy, and it is quite "busy", but no majors - all good. Then things thin out quite a bit. On the second of two laps I recognize I am swimming with the main competitors. I try drafting a little, but it is harder to try and follow with the rougher water than it is to take your own line. So take my own lines as I feel I am swimming straighter and feel pretty comfy in the water. On the third (of 3) lap heading for shore, the others head off way left, and I am darn sure I am taking a really good straight line in. I put a bit of a burner in and get around 20m ahead of the others around me and am quite happy with that, given they are also going in the wrong direction. Out of the water, and on the bike, with an OK transition, not the fastest, but don't lose any time either. It is a flat bike, with drafting, and a short run to the first turn-around. Reuben was cleaning my toes in the swim, which I thought was good for the bike, as he might prove helpful on the bike - at least a little. The first turn-around is where you find out just where everyone is. Bugger me- those that I swore were well behind in the swim had somehow managed to get a lead by the first turn-around, the second bit of bad news is Reuben has had a shocker transition and is way behind. I am on my own, with a group of 4-5 up the road working together. I still backed myself to do OK, at this point. Although I am sure those up the road thought it was game over. 20km later and it is pretty much the same situation. No in roads, but they are not taking big time out of me either. And no threats from behind. Then two get dropped from the front group and I catch them. I sit on them for a couple of km's which is good, just to bring the HR down a bit and relax somewhat. Now the waterfront bike course is not really technical, there are a few corners, but nothing you have to really slow down for. Coming into a corner and there is some braking by the two in front - well I don't need to do that, so I keep pedaling and ride around the outside. Look back after a few hundred meters and I am 100m ahead. So they are no use anymore! Head down again and just ride steady. Off the bike and there are 3 well up the road, and the two I passed with around 10km to go on the bike look like they are 2 minutes back. Steady out on the run and see what happens. Status quo. Apparently I make up well over a minute on the next two ahead in the second 5km of the run, but I am still well short by the finish. Feel OK at the end. I think I could have gone perhaps 50% longer at the same sort of speed, but did not have much more speed to give on the day. If it was shorter I doubt I would have gone faster. A good hit-out, and good to see where I am at with a race pretty much on my own. Time is OK for the conditions, so all in all a 6 out of 10 day I think (slightly above average).