I am THAT person...



Forever Young - Sixty Minutes shown 27th May 2012



Last night (27th May 2012), the show 60 minutes broadcasted a story about mid life crisis and endurance sports titled Forever Young.

It was a look into the uptake of endurance sports such as triathlons, cycling, open water swimming, marathons and the age group demographic who sign up to do such events (majority happen to be 40+). Some reasons why I personally think this is true include:

• The need to tick off life goals
• Being pulled into doing it as part of your work's corporate involvement - BRW/Nissan triathlons, corporate games, work sponsored runs, tour de cure cycling and MS Gong cycling rides etc etc
• DINKs - Double Income No Kids - married but with no kids - you are able to afford the gear and no need to be home so you can be out there training
• Taking up these sports to (lose weight to) keep up with their kids (as couples are having children at a later age)
• Taking up these sports as the kids have grown up - middle aged people who have teenage kids who don't require 24/7 supervision
• To lose weight
• The social aspect of doing triathlons - training with like-minded people (very different in my experience compared to going to a gym)

Apart from the being married and with kids part, I saw similarities of myself in the show last night (albeit 10 years earlier than what they termed a mid life crisis). I took up triathlon (seriously) due to the "turning 30" life crisis. I was single at the age of 29, I was not happy with the way I looked (I weighed around 65kg, a BMI > 30% when you are only 156cm tall, not good news) and I started to morph into a size 10/Medium in my clothing. I was not fit, felt sluggish and I was unhappy. The previous year, I was in an unstable, emotionally draining and unsupported relationship which played havoc on my eating as well as setting time aside to take care of myself and doing things for me. The year I was turning 30 (in 2010), I decided to change my life for me.

Having being exposed to triathlons for several seasons (I supported then partner for his training and supported his races) and I did my first race in 2008. It was only in 2010 (4 months after the break up) that I joined Tri Alliance and routinely started to include training in as part of my lifestyle and defined who I am today.

I reflected on my lifestyle whilst I drove the car at 5:30am to my 6am swim session this morning. I pondered upon the whole image of being a triathlete and the lightbulb moment came to me whilst I parked my car. Yes, I became that person:

• I am that person who wakes up at 4:45am to swim at 6am at a pool 25km away from home.
• I am that person who trains after work and doesn't get home until 9pm.
• I am that person who is unmarried and has no kids or dependants so she is able to train
• I am that  person who spends way too much money on the sport when she has piles of overdue bills to pay
• I am that  person who spends more time with her training squad than with her own family and friends
• I am that person who chooses to run in a singlet when it is 5 degrees in the morning
• I am that person who wears lycra 7 days a week
• I am that person who rides a bike in a pouring rain
• I am that  person who carries several bags in the car everyday to cater for training needs
• I am that  person who eats processed food so she can keep moving
• I am that  person whose friends finds it hard to have a conversation as they feel obliged to ask her about how her training is going
• I am that  person who enjoys sweating whilst swimming, cycling and running
• I am that person whose work colleagues marvel at her commitment level to this sport 
• I am that person who forgoes attending people's catch up drinks on a Friday night so that an early morning bike ride would not be compromised.
• I am that person who is no longer unhappy and uncomfortable about the way she looks
• I am that person who is comfortable about signing up to do events when others find it impossible to do in this lifetime
• I am that person who enjoys being exhausted after a big day of training
• I am that person who has never been more happier and can't imagine life without triathlon.
• I am that person who had a life crisis and made a change.

I wonder what I will be like when I am 39 (and turning 40), will I be panicking like I did when I was 29? Will I be sorting out some other challenge which appear to be impossible to do (albeit raising a family or doing an ultra marathon)? OR will I be THAT person, sitting on the couch eating bags of chips? I just hope that I don't become that person, as that person is not what this person aspires to be.

Stepping It Up!

It is only within this week that the long course training program has differentiated itself from the Short Course training. The last few weeks, most sessions were the same as it was about getting back into winter training and working on technique.

Swim

For the swim sessions as an example, I completed a 3.2km set on Wednesday morning (albeit nice and slow) - a step up from the 2km I was swimming in the first few weeks of May. I have also tried as hard as I could to keep up with the guys in front of me in the swimming lane, at the same time, making sure that I don't lose my technique when my arms and shoulders get tired. 

Bike

The core coaches have also started to split the windtrainer sessions into different groups - beginners/sprint, olympic, half ironman and ironman to cater for the different technique work (as required) and to cater for a longer time in the saddle for the long course athletes. 

Long rides have been split into five groups - advanced long course(long time half and full ironman athletes who can complete these races in a reasonable time), advanced short course (for athletes who are in the Olympic and Sprint distance races but are fast and generally place top 10), intermediate long course (for athletes like me who are doing longer distances for the first time or are slower on the course), intermediate short course (newer short course athletes racing olympic and sprint distances) and the beginners group who are new to triathlons and joining sessions for general fitness rather than in preparations for triathlon racing season.

Run

I have also stepped up in the run sessions (on Thursday nights) doing more longer interval sets. Like last night for an example - we did a 3km + drills as warm up, main set consisted of 4 x 1km @ T3, 2 x 500m @ T3-4 and 3km or so cool down. The short course athletes worked on their technique and did several short runs as part of their set.

Strength/Core

I have really noticed a change in the training load compared to the previous two years of training with Tri Alliance. For one, strength and core sessions are now included in my training and it is up to me to keep it as part of my weekly routine without relying on the coaches. So far this week, I have done two strength/core sessions with bands, weights and a swiss ball. Planking has become less painful on my lower back and I have also done some research into other exercises to do which strengthens the core other than planking.

Injury Maintenance & Prevention

I am also keeping a close eye on my legs and have been icing my legs after run sessions to prevent inflammation. I am on the rollers almost on a daily basis for my ITB, hamstrings, glutes, back, shoulders, quads and calves.

There is 177 days left until my first half ironman.

Time Trials (are painful)!

Time Trials

During the winter months, Tri Alliance conduct time trials for all three legs of the triathlon so we can monitor and gauge our (personal) performances. I have always believed strongly that these time trials are about monitoring your own improvements - Love it! That is why I have done all the time trial sessions since it started (except for one run session when I was with Tony Benson for run techniques).

For anyone doing a half ironman program, the recommended distances for time trials were:
Swim - 500m or 1000m
Bike - 20km
Run - 5km or 10km

Swim
I completed my first swim time trial for 2012 on Monday (14th May) evening. My swim TT was still 500m but will step up to a 1km over the next few sessions. On the side, I will time myself (or get some poor person to time and count my laps for me) to set a base. I was placed 10 seconds behind the person in front (and 60 sec in front of the first swimmer) but I could have overtaken her easily but there was just no space in the lane. I did start to lose my rhythm after about 300m as my breathing became a mess. Although I was breathing in, I felt I was not taking in any oxygen and my chest felt tight. Even though I didn't really have a goal time in mind to beat (as I had no idea how my swim fitness and technique was over summer), I did manage a personal best for the swim time trial but not < 10min.

Run
The run time trial happened on Thursday evening around the Albert Park lake. I ran the 5km time trial (and similarly) will step up to the 10km in a few months. My first 10km time trial will be done as part of the 10km Run Melbourne event.

My goal was to get below the 27min mark. I have been hovering above 27min for about 2 years now and it is getting frustratingly close but not close enough. Mind you, my times have improved but I am still to manage a consistent enough pace for the entire 5km. I actually started the time trial in the middle of the pact this time rather than being right at the back. The first 1-1.5km was good and I was actually comfortable at this point - nothing is hurting, breathing is still good and I was able to hold a pace of < 5:15 min/km. From 1.5 to 3km, my pace got slower and hovered around 5:30min/km. The last 2km was where my body started to fall apart. My quads, knees, calves, chest (pretty much everything) started to hurt. I tried as much as I could to stay positive and reminded myself that I must push through this pain to achieve my goal (to get a time < 27min).

One of the guys who is tapering for his Great Ocean Road half marathon on the weekend ran next to be during the last 1km of the time trial. When I couldn't keep up and let him passed, I then realised his pace and he just looked like he was out on a Sunday stroll - God Damn! Here I was, huffing and puffing in a world of pain but compared to others, I was like a sloth.

I managed a PB (Personal Best) but still not below 27min. It was a bittersweet achievement.

Ride
To be honest, I was very nervous about the ride time trial. I didn't sleep a wink the night before and had several small nightmares about it. The small nightmares were about being late and the reasons ranged from being caught up whilst I waited for a train (?!), not setting my alarm properly and just not turning up as I thought it was next week. The nervousness about the ride did not subside with the noise of the rain which started around 4am.

When I finally woke up at 6am, I thought to myself, "This is another day, its only a time trial." I completed an entire warm up lap before heading off to the carpark to meet up with the rest of the Half Ironman people. There are Paul V (one of the Try the Tri guys who is doing Shepparton and just bought a new Specialized - same as Lisa D's), AC, Lidia, another newbie, Coach Daz and myself heading off for the official warm up lap before the start of time trial. I thought we would have had a bigger group but only 6 people turned up for the half ironman group.

I did two laps of the teardrop loop before the start. I applied on my brakes as I wasn't too sure about the speed and how much I would need to handle the bike around the sharp turns. I was seeded at the back of the group and aligned with Lidia. This was the first time I had used my Garmin so I could actually keep count on how many loops I had done. As I had mentioned previously, I lose count after 2.

I didn't go as fast as my 10km time trial knowing that I had to double the distance compared to previous attempts. I pushed myself all the way through and didn't take it easy throughout the whole 45min+. I stood up when I rode up the hill, took a small sip of water/food with one hand and changed to harder gears with the other and rode down and around the loop with speed, increased cadence and clenched teeth.

Coaching
After the time trial, I stuck around to see how the timing was conducted (as I was taking the beginners TT group) for the Olympic Distance athletes and then rode to the carpark to meet the beginners. Only one girl turned up for the beginners group and we rode up Studley Park rather than towards Chandler Fwy as the warm up was only 20min and with beginners, they would be slower on the hills. During the warm up lap, the rain picked up too and it was a very wet warm-up, not pleasant at all.

There was only two athletes for the beginners time trial so it was easy to keep time for them. After the TT, it was a ride home, thawed out in the doona before stroke correction in the afternoon with Coach Ryan.

Thoughts moving forward...
Next time trials will be around the 9th July. Will do the 1km swim time trial and the 10km run (as part of Run Melbourne). Hope to get a base 1km done within the next week or so to set a benchmark standard. 20km ride time trial will most likely be the week after.

My Other Family...

I have a great family. My parents have been married for over 35 years and I also have two younger brothers who are smart, athletic, creative and handsome. My family are close and we have never had a feud that has ever torn one of us apart from the other.

My other family is my Tri Alliance family whom I am in contact with every single day. During the training sessions, I get to catch up and train with an awesome bunch of people who have similiar interests and goals as me. During the non-training hours, I keep in contact with them through phone calls, facebook, coffee catch ups, having meals and twitter.

Words cannot express how much I love both my families but this entry is dedicated to my triathlon family (obviously, as this is my triathlon blog).

On Saturday 12th May 2012, Tri Alliance held their annual End of Season Presentation Night (EoSPN) at Ormond Hall in St Kilda. This is the 2nd presentation night I have attended, I missed out on the 2010 one as I was in Perth watching Hawthorn (lose to) the Eagles at Subiaco.

As part of this evening, we had some speeches from the coaches, annoucements, awards then the party.

Awards were split into three main categories - the serious ones:

• Best Short Course Female - Lisa Dominguez who podiumed (or top 5) for every single one of her races.
• Best Short Course Male - Brad Campbell who podiumed (or top 5) for every single one of his races for Clydesdale.
• Best Long Course Athlete - Marina Jurjevic who won her first ironman IMWA, came top 10 for IMMelb and is off to Kona in 2012.
• Best Newcomer - Shane Buntman for his dedication and enthuasm (he is also my oesteo).
• Team Player - Sarah Lausberg - all round supportive person
• Coaches Award - Dan Brueckner - all round nice guy

Oesteo Shane, Drunk Dave and I

The more social awards were:

• Cab Charge - the athlete who has required the most lifts home from a bike ride due to bike malfunctions - Jay Mueller.
• Bribery and corruption - Nola MacGregor for her baking and generosity
• Facebook addict - Dave Nealon for Sober Dave, Drunk Dave, Hungover Dave and facebook accounts for this dogs - Bronte and Sandy
• Zoolander Award - Brinn Tavener for a memorable photo finish.

The last award was the JC Memorial Scholarship. The description of this award is taken straight from the Tri Alliance Wrap Up Page: "The formal part of the evening finished with the most prestigious award of the night – the John Cornish (JC) Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship was formed by JC last year, originally named the Tri Alliance Scholarship award. However after the passing of Coach JC on 22 July 2011 in a tragic bike accident, it was only fitting that with JC’s family’s blessing, we renamed the award and dedicated it to JC in his memory. The recipient of this award receives full support from Tri Alliance including coaching, consultations, training camps plus more. To receive this award is a huge honour amongst Tri Alliance athletes"

The trophy (the big one) was carved by JC's dad out of Tasmanian Oak (where JC came from) and has 20 plaques on the wheels, which will have the name of each of the recipients on it. Each recipient will also receive a pewter award too for them to keep. Last year, the award went to Dan Weekes who represented Aus at the ITU World Champs in China where he decicated his race to JC. This year, the award went to Marina.

Marina (winner for 2012), JC's sister, dad and mum, Dan

The picture above signifies everything I love about triathlon and Tri Alliance - FAMILY AND THE LOVE FOR A (SOMETIMES CRAZY) SPORT.

The JC Memorial award demonstrates how much we love what we do and make us grateful of the people we take this journey with.

Being Mother Duck....

Ever since I became (an official) coach with Tri Alliance since February 2012, the sessions I coached were set by the feedback I gave back to Sarah and Ollie:
- Try-the-Tri group
- Windtrainer
- (Shadowing) swim sessions

Not being a real great/fast runner and confident enough on the bike (amongst traffic), I hinted that these sessions would not be my preference but I am willing to take beginners out there and teach them the basics if needed.

On Thursday of last week (10th May), one of the coaches was not available for the run sessions which meant that I took the beginners run session for the first time. The group had 5 girls and we did a 2km warm up run + drills, 3 x (500m T3, 500m T2) with 30s rest in between as the main set and then a cool down jog up Anderson St. I taught them about technique and everything I had learnt as part of Tony Benson's program. This included a comfortable upper body, holding core, the way your feet landed, looking above the horizon, smiling, elbows bent < 90 degrees and thumbs over tits. As it was a cosy group of ladies with similar athletic and fitness capabilities, we were able to stay as a group as much as possible and gave each other encouragement and feedback throughout the whole session.

The second coaching session was on Saturday when Des (another assistant coach) and I took the lower intermediate group out on Beach Rd for our Long Rides. It is hard to ride as a group due to the traffic lights, varied levels of bike skill(s) and confidence in riding in the group. As we had some beginners in our group (who would have benefitted more in Group 4 who rode laps around Albert Park lake) - I stayed back to guide them through and made sure they rode from point A to B safely.

I tried as much as I could to ride at the back of the group, ensuring that all of my riders were visible and that they were doing the right thing. I rode on the right side (to protect them) as we were passed by groups of aggressive cyclists. As I held my line, the other cyclists were forced to ride around me as to not edge themselves around my group who were not the most confident. Looking back 2-3 years ago when I first started to ride amongst traffic, it was the pelatons that scared me more than cars. Some cyclist are not aware of themselves and passed other groups really close, close enough to scare them.

I was very protective about my group, I reminded the other cyclists out there to be mindful when passing and made sure that everyone was ok by riding up and down beside them. I also taught a few of the beginners on how to use their gears as one of the girls had never been on her large chain ring before and had never adjusted her left shifters. I taught her about riding in the large chain ring (whilst not being on the hardest gear at the back), changing to the small on when going up hills (only when required) and changing between the gears at the back depending on the terrain and when we are nearing a set of lights. I will give further feedback to Sarah & Ollie regarding bike handling skills as it is fundamental for these beginners to have them before they take the bikes out on the road. When we finally rode back to Elwood, I was so proud of my group as they had accomplished something which they didn't think they could do (for some, it was their furthest ride - 56km) and all this within 2.5 hours. I felt like Mother Duck - keeping her ducklings close and ensuring that they are safe and learnt a thing or two about the sport.

Strength and Core - the good, bad and the ugly!

Strength and core work is something which I have been neglecting ever since I started doing triathlons. I use to go into the gym at least twice a week for 30-45min and use the machines there to work on strengthening my arms, shoulders, legs, glutes followed by core work on the floor as part of a cool down (as instructed by the gym PT).

I stopped my gym membership after joining Tri Alliance as the weekly gym membership was no longer affordable and I just didn't have any spare time in between training, working, sleeping and eating to head into a training environment I don't enjoy.

Due to my flexibility (I am hyper-mobile) - I actually need to do more strength work so that I am able to hold my body properly through swimming, cycling and running. The other reason (and more important one) is that I need the strength training is so that my joints don't pop out as I have seen recently - my shoulders due to swimming, my knees and my hips due to cycling and running. The ligaments have been stretched and grinding against other joints - causing pain when I am in the pool and over long runs. I have a few things at home such as bands and some hand weights which may be able to help but I think in the long run (and for Shepparton preparations) I will have to join a gym again *hesitation*.

Core work is also important for a triathlete. It helps us hold our posture properly and it also helps with our technique. I admit upfront that I don't know much about physiology but I know that for me, I really have to work hard at my core strength so my abs and back are able to support my spine and keep my body stable and balanced.

 My Transverse Abdominis (TA) muscles (the ones which you don't see) but are one of the most important muscles - helps with stability and protects the spine. One (ugly) exercise which I have been doing (whilst watching TV or browsing on my iPad or phone) is lying on my back with my knees bent (neutral spin position) and drawing my belly in and doing a holding my pee action. The other exercise is to do planks. I have been doing about 2-5 reps x 1min planks per night.

I have pretty good External Obliques and can hold side planks more comfortably than front ones. The Rectus Abdominals are the front muscles commonly known as the six-pack and this comes with a reduction of body fat. This won't happen for me as my stomach area is where I store my fat. I am satisfied that if I get strong TA then it will help me with my training. Having a six pack is more for the image that you are lean but I never show off my stomach area anyway.  

I just have to remember to do these exercises on a daily basis - that is the hard part.

SKULL-ING....

......No...not that skulling, we are talking about sculling (in swim training). For this morning's swim session, it was all about sculling. I have mentioned previously in my posts that I am not a fan - because I don't know what I am doing really. This morning, it was all to do with feeling the water:

WU - 2 x (100 free, 50 kick, 50 back).
MS - 4 x (50 fists, 50 palms, 100 free), 200 free, 4 x (25 front scull, 25 free, 25 back scull, 25 free), 100 pb touch.
CD - 200 back

Ryan gave an option to use fins as part of the fist/palms/free set but using fins didn't help me feel the water as I was rushing through the water too quick. I decided to opt for the pull bouy (pb) instead. I must do more of these sets so I am able to push through the water more with my forearms. The technique I would have to keep in mind is the high elbows as part of the catch phase as this helps with the whole resistance in the water.

On Saturday, there was a semi-planned memorial ride from Black Rock to St Kilda which started at 8:30am(Not part of Tri Alliance). The difference between this memorial ride and the one we did as part of JC's was that ours was a controlled group. We reminded everyone about the road rules, we stated that it was a slow memorial ride, we planned this ride on a Friday (during business hours) so it wasn't part of the usual weekend cycling chaos, there was to be no "over taking", we rode in pairs, we all were signalling and if you didn't want to abide by these rules, you were to go home. Unfortunately, we saw all the rules broken on Saturday. It only takes a few idiots out there to ruin what was meant to be a good ride to pay respects to a well known cyclist.

As part of the Tri Alliance scheduled training ride, we were all to meet at ELSC at 7:15 for a 7:30am roll out. I rode from my house at about 6:30am, with fatigued legs I arrived at ELSC at about 7:10am. The group was pretty big but we were eventually split up into groups with traffic lights. From ELSC, we rode up to Port Melbourne then we headed towards Mordialloc.

On route to Mordi, we witnessed so much ill behaviour from cyclists. There were just too many out on the road (partially due to the semi-nice weather). Many rode more than two abreast and had cyclists (riding more than 2 abreast) over taking these groups - this meant that at some places, cyclist took up more than a single lane and not allowing a space for cars to move through. The mood on the road was tense. I had cars tooting their horns at me for no apparent reason but just being a cyclist. It wasn't pleasant as situations like these lead to more tension on the roads as these motorists will talk about moments like these to their peers and spread their bad experiences. I was shaking my head through the rides as I witnesses so many people just not obeying road rules. Many people don't know how to hold their line in a pelaton, swerving from side to side erratically, riding too close to the wheel in front, braking sporadically. I couldn't wait for the ride to finish just so I could get off the road.

Sunday was a planned long endurance run. I wore my new trail running shoes and did a steady 7km run around Lysterfield Lake. I really enjoyed the run as I was surrounded by trees and dirt rather than bitumen, cars and dog poo. It was a planned slow run as I really wanted to wear in the shoes and get my technique right. The Liquid hydration pack I received as a gift was not good for running as the plastic parts of the straps were digging into my back - bad design! Will need to trial the profile drink belt next week to see if it is any better, if not then I will have to invest in a good hydration pack like a Camelbak.

The first week of training started off great. This coming week will be week 2 - similiar to last week.

As I swam this morning, I am planning to ride home on Squeeky tonight and riding back to work in the morning as the Tuesday run sessions don't start until June.

You know you are a triathlete when....

This first list is what I wrote for the Tri Alliance newsletter around May 2010:

1)    You would rather spend $100 on a pair of 2XU compression pants than a “3 for $100” shoe sale at Tony Bianco.

2)    You chose to run near Beach Road....yes....in public – just so you can perve on bikes that ride along that road

3)    You wear your compression pants under Bettina Liano jeans as you did a run session the night before and your muscles are still recovering.

4)    On the kitchen bench - the coffee, tea, sugar are replaced with protein powder, recovery powder, isotonic powder.

5)    Christmas is when your (online orders) arrives

6)    Your hair/skin constantly smells of chlorine - no matter how well you shower after the swim.

7)    You run out of towels, always.

8)    You constantly have gear in your car – a bike, towels, swimming toys (paddles, fins, pool bouy, goggles, cap), runners, spare socks, running vest, arm warmers...

9)    There are plenty of drink bottles in the car and you find yourself drinking (Water/Gatorade) whilst driving all the time.

10) You would (happily) go to sleep at 9pm on a Friday night whilst all your work colleagues are moving on to the next bar/pub as you have a 7am ride on Saturday morning

11) You slow down when you drive past a bike shop and try and look at the latest bike they have at the shop front and go “phwoar!”....then speed up to the legal speed limit as the cars behind you honk their horn...

12) You love gels and we are not talking about hair products

13) You rather wake up at 4:30am to swim 2-3km (in an outdoor pool) before work than being tucked in a warm bed.

14) You are always eating, non-stop

15) You can never finish watching a DVD as you fall asleep after the first 10 minutes, no matter how good the movie is.

16) You see your “squad” friends more than your school/uni/work friends or family

17) You would rather do a “Sweat Session” on a Tuesday night during windtrainer than sweating it up on the dance floor on a Saturday night...maybe because you have an early morning run session planned for Sunday too.

18)  A sleep in.....what was that again?

19) You can’t decide between attending a friend’s wedding or entering in a triathlon/running event which falls on the same day!

20)  Your “search words” on You Tube are: Ironman, Kona, championships, transition, triathlon...

21) You can never have enough layers which you put on as it is cold, take off as you get too hot when running/riding, put back on when you are stationary.

22) You wear a (Garmin) watch that is too big for your wrist

23) You would rather spend $225 on a RETUL bike fit than paying off your mortgage earlier

24) You laugh to yourself when someone (who doesn’t train with the squad) has a bad technique when they swim, ride or run...because you can recognise a “good technique” and they are doing what you were doing before you joined Tri Alliance.

25) You would rather spend a long weekend training (at Lorne) than spend it with a partner, loved ones or friends...

26) Your water bills sky rockets from the amount of laundry you do and the number of showers you take within a week.

27) Your friends have replaced “What did you do on the weekend?” with “How much did you train on the weekend?”

28) In your lunch break, you visit CBD Cycles and Evelyn Faye rather than Myer or David Jones.

29) You have triathlon/cycling/running magazines next to your couch/bed/toilet

30) You can’t wait until you recover from your cold/flu so you can get back into training again!

I have since added a few things on this list - May 2012

31) You tell your friends dates to put into their calendar of your races and ask them to plan their important dates around them 

32) You think you know how to run - this is until you attend a Tony Benson run session. 

33) You think you know how to swim - this is until you attend a Coach Ryan swim session.

34) You have more than one bike (says me who has six).

35) Your teeth and guts hate you from the amount of gels and processed energy food products you consume during training and racing

36) You have an excess of competitor/finishers towels, bags and shirts from all the races you have entered.

37) You get to see the sights of greater Melbourne on a bike as part of training, which you never would have before triathlon (in a car).

38) You get helmet hair

39) You can't wait for recovery week to have a sleep in and give your body a chance to recover.

40) You have your goals posted on the fridge door/toiletdoor/car/work computer to remind you why you train so much.

 

Its all about technique!

The reason why I love May is that we get to work on our technique for Swim, Bike and Run before we load up the hours and distance.

Tuesday night's WT Session was a prime example of working on the basics of bike riding. Having been through 2 winter seasons already with the club (this being my 3rd), I was very familiar with what the program entitled. We did a basic warm up set followed by some single leg work. You will be surprised that many people can't/don't ride single leg. This is the ability to not only push down on the pedal but also to pull up on the stroke. The placement of your feet angle is also important - you should be riding in a J curve. This gives us the skill to be able to ride on the road. When we are about to ride off (at the lights for example), we have one foot in the pedal but the other is used for support. Once we push off the pedal foot, we need to be able to balance and cleat the other foot in. You will have some moments where you can't cleat in properly but you will need to keep the momentum of the bike (up and going forward) - you will need to ride single leg.

The second part of the windtrainer was working on increasing the gears. As my Squeeky only had 8 speeds, I had to ride the hardest gear 3 times (it was a 10 gear set).

As it is Build month, we only had to do a 10min cool down after the build set and that was it! - sweet, finished in 40min! We did a good stretch session and some core work. The core work proved to be good as my abs were sore on Wednesday! Planking = Love/Hate

I also did the Wednesday evening swim at MSAC.
WU - 2 x (100 free, 50 breast, 50 back), 2 x (100 sculls)
MS - 6 x (50 fingertrail, 50 free), 6 x (50 pb, 50 kick)
CD - I only did 200m back.
Total distance of 2km

I really have to add that I am so bad at skulling! I don't know if it is my technique or my small hands and arms but I was just getting no where! Must seek advice on this. I am also hopeless in breast stroke too.

Tonight is a run session at the Tan and I am also coaching but it will be a small 8km set but we will include core work with it. Legs are starting to fatigue. My guess is the amount of kicking we did last night as part of the swim set and the lack of movement over the month of April.

You want me to "Monkey Scratch?!"

This morning, I decided to do the beginners swim session at MSAC instead of the intermediate swim session tonight. This month is all about working on technique and the load is "back to basics".

The beginners swim session is in the indoor 25m pool (which annoys me) but at least the group is small and it gives Coach Ryan a chance to coach us properly.

Monkey Scratch - Note the fingers to
armpits and high elbows

We started off by doing a warm up - 100m free, 4 x 25 kick, 100 back. The main set was all about working on specific techniques. We did 4 x 50 shark fins (swimming with arms down the side and turning our shoulders upwards to breathe and at the same time, forming a shark fin with our elbows), then it was 5 x 50 monkey scratch (a step up from shark fin where we drag our fingers up the side of our bodies and give ourselves a little scratch on our arm pits before dragging our fingers to the front), then it was 4 x 50 fingertip drags (with pb). We ended the main set with 100m back before the cool down which was 4 x 100m free. All in all, the set was only 1.45km - it was a pretty easy set compared to the 3.5km I was doing at the peak of the season. I guess the set would be close to the 2km mark if I was doing the intermediate swim sessions but I will play it by ear. I really want to work on my technique this year and get that down pat!

I have also signed up to do the 5 week Swim program with Ryan too to work on my technique. These sessions will be on Saturday afternoon which means that I may miss out on the Hawthorn v Richmond game on the 26th May. Carn the Hawkers!

My first MTB session - Face still intact.

So today, I tried out mountain biking for the first time...

My bike's name was Tyler

For Tri Alliance's Sunday Funday for the month of April - today was a mountain biking session at Lysterfield Park. As I don't have a mountain bike (many people are very surprised that I actually don't own a MTB) I had to hire one from TrailMix. For $30 (2 hours), I was able to ride a mtb on a pretty good bike. My bike's name was Tyler.

Instead of riding with cleats, I only had runners on. After today's session, having cleats would serve as an advantage as I could distribute weight around the bike better without the feeling that I am going to slip off and cut my legs open on the chainring.

The easy group (which I was part of) did a 14-15km loop around the National Park. We didn't attempt the part of the course which included the Commonwealth Games course as we would be out there forever. The more experienced group did that loop and made it back nearly the same time as the beginners.

Mountain biking skills is something which I don't have. I was the last person in my group as I couldn't descend properly. I put it down to my anxiety, fear, not knowing the terrain and not knowing how to use the bike. I learnt from others to never touch the front brakes as this will cause you to fall flat on your face as you go over the handle bars. I don't know if it was the bike I had or just a general mountain biking thing but my back brakes kept locking and I was skidding whenever I applied them. Before anyone tells me about how sensitive they were, I knew that already, I was only feathering the brakes and my back wheel was sliding from side to side. Going uphills was good and when I got the hang of the gears, I could ride up the track easily. I felt my seat was pretty low and at the same time, I struggled to ride standing up as I only had runners on and I was scared of slipping off.

When descending, it was hard to gauge 'what to do' and at what speeds. I walked my bike down some of the paths as it was the safest thing to do.

To be honest, today was not my best day. I was left behind a lot. I was walking the bike and stopping at sections where people were literally flying down the tracks, I was falling further and further from the group. The group did stop half a dozen times so that people can catch up so we don't get lost in the National Park. It was a good thing as I had no idea where I was going and it was good to know that we would ride as a group as much as possible.

I am going to see if it is possible for me to do the Mountain Biking skills course on the 27th May to learn how to use the bike. We didn't learn any skills today as it was just a ride the bike session. It cost about $180 for the lessons but I think it would be good for me to do this course before I go back to Lysterfield again to ride by myself. It would be good to be able to do a trail run and ride in one day as part of my training. Lets see how the lesson goes first.

The Month of May

Next week will be end of recovery month and the start of build phase of triathlon training. Training will most likely ramp up to 6 days a week with no Tuesday or Thursday morning sessions yet.

Monday - I will have to decide if I am to do my swim sessions in the morning and do strength and core in the afternoon or the other way around. Swimming in the morning will be at MSAC with Coach Ryan and working on technique (beginners) or in the evening which is at more of an intermediate level. I have to join a gym so I can work on my strength and I decided to go with MSAC for its location and I am already training there 3 days a week. An added to cost to being a triathlete.

Tuesday - Morning run sessions don't start until June so Tuesday evening (6:30pm) will be the windtrainer session which will be at MSAC until further notice. Tuesday AM strength and core could be an option for the month of May.

Wednesday - This will be similar to Monday morning except swim will be in the evening (7:15pm - late!) and morning will be S&C.

Thursday - No Thursday AM Windtrainer session for the month of May so Thursday night will be run session at the Tan starting at 6:30pm (warm up must be done before 6:30pm). These sessions will be Run-Play, Fartlek, Intervals rather than endurance.

Friday - No Friday AM swims for the month of May. I can chose to have this day as Rest Day.

Saturday - This will be the long ride session. The first few weeks will be along Beach Rd so that people can determine which group they will be more comfortable over the coming months as the location and distances will differ between different athletic levels. Rides start at 7:30am. I suspect for the first month or so, I will be in the intermediate group.

Sunday - Long endurance run session. Depending on what I am doing - this can either be with Tri Alliance meeting at MSAC at 8am, or around the Tan at about 8:15am...or do own run but in accordance to the my program. I am adding a few trail runs to my schedule just to break things up a bit and run on different terrains to strengthen my legs and feet muscles.

We will be starting the Time Trials in the month of May as well which will be exciting. Not sure if I will be stepping up to the Long Course distance of 1000m swim, 20km ride and 10km run instead of my previous 500m swim, 10km ride and 5km run.

Long rides will be along Beach Rd for two weeks and then it moves to Studley Park-Kinglake and North Rd - 1in 20. later in the month.

Count Down to Shepparton - 207 Days.

Flow & Affect...

This post is slightly different to my previous ones as it doesn't relate directly to my training but it does impact on the sport of triathlon.

As a triathlete, I personally have spent several thousands of my income into this sport. This includes several bikes, wetsuits, clothing (swim, bike and run), shoes, bike parts...the list goes on! When I first started in the sport, I use to buy all my items online. I am sure that anyone who reads this post would know the websites so I wont be mentioning it as I am not trying to advertise for them in anyway. I use to buy my things from these websites as their prices were a fraction of what we (Australians) would pay from buying retail. I am no expert in the logistics of what gets shipped in by whom and then gets distributed by whatever company but I know that retail shops don't earn much of the money because in between the item being manufactured and the reatil shops, there are several middle man who also need to earn a buck. The price of something from a factory can be multiplied by a factor of 3 (up to 5) which finally ends at the RRP which you and me hand our cash over for.

Sometimes I would be saving over a thousand dollars (bike), others I would be saving $2. But because I am able to save some dollars, I chose to shop online. Several years later, I met someone in the bike shop industry who has opened my eyes to the impacts these actions had.The best way to explain the impacts is to use several examples:

Say I need to buy a bike. It cost $2000 in Australia but only $1500 online. A saving of $500 is a pretty big deal. I will save $500 on my bike if I went online but I just sent $1500 overseas. That money is now circulating overseas. The flow on impacts which many people don't realise is that that bike which was in the shop is now a loss if it doesn't get sold, the next day, the manager of the shop is not able to pay for some repairs as the cash flow is low. A (local) contractor who was suppose to be fixing part of the shop floor is not called into the shop even if he/she provided the shop with a quote. The local contractor's income is low for that period because people just cannot afford his service. Now I can go on and on about the next person in the chain which it impacts but I am sure that you get the point.

Another impact about spending the money overseas is the service and warranty you would of received if you purchased locally. The bikeshop manager I know says that he can recognise when an item has been purchased online. No amount of bullsh*ting people do about how they bought it from a shop but lost the receipt can be used for you get local service. Because people can buy parts of the bike online, they expect that a local bike shop is just going to put it together (for free or a minimal amount) just because they stock the same bikes. The local bike shop cannot honor the bike frame or parts warranty if they touch them nor are they going to act as an agent if your bike fails. If you purchase a bike from a local Australian bike shop, they will often do the first service free (tuning) and provide you with a discounted service (maybe for a period of time). Your bike does need maintenance and unless you know how to do it yourself and know what to do without voiding the warranty, a local bike shop is your best bet. Other people don't realise that the bike mechanic is also earning an income, they are paid by the hour and it does cost the bike shop to build bikes or even to look at faults. People think that just because they purchased a bike cheaply that they are entitled to cheap (but quality) service too from a local bike shop.

Bike shops do like to build a relationship with you. Not because they just want your money but they are often interested in your biking. They will often ask about why you want a bike, they will often ask about your latest riding experiences, they are genuine people. It does take people like that to work in a bike shop. They love cycling. If you build a close enough relationship with a bike shop, they will often go out of their way to help you - it includes sourcing something you need (even if it is a brand they dont carry), provide bike maintenance service when urgent or even just letting you know what is on the market if you asked them to keep you up to date.

One incident occurred recently which demonstrated this. One of our squad members drove into a car park with the bike on the roof of a car (this happens so often it is not funny), this occurred the day before a triathlon race. As we have a good relationship with CBD cycles (our sponsor), the guys from the shop came and helped this person out (after hours on a Saturday) and had the bike ready for the race on Sunday morning. This member had a prior relationship with this bike shop as it is where they purchased their bike from, brings it there for its servicing and also visits on a regular basis for all their biking needs. You will not this type of (emergency) service from any bike shop no matter how much you called around pleading.

Many (ignorant) people out there think that bike shops are just out there to make millions, well let me shed some light onto this. Bike shop owners are not millionaires. They are often also the managers of the shop and they have opened these shops because of the love of cycling rather than making a buck. You don't see bike shop owners drive around in fancy cars or have flashy houses. They are often the last person to be paid and if the shop makes a loss for the month, they don't have an income. They are not out there to rip off Australians, think of them as providing us with the means of a healthier and active lifestyle. They only want to do whats good to us. As a bike shop manager, the person I know will tell you what bike you need for your activity and will not sell you something which is beyond your needs.

Is a set of (good) bike lights just a means of ripping you off? No, you need a good set of lights to be seen and it is for your own safety. Buying a cheap set of lights from Kmart, it is just that - cheap lights which glow like candles and you will not be seen properly.

I can't change people's behaviour from this entry - people choose to spend their money however they wish. We are all programmed to buy things on a bargain, never pay full price but I guess I just want people to think outside of the savings they make and keeping dollars in Australia as much as they can because we all know that triathletes spend money! I know things need to be done to bring prices down in Australia but where possible, buy locally. People don't realise the impacts they make when they send dollars overseas until it hits them home (i.e. job loses in Australia which we are seeing recently).

Make a conscious decision.

Recovery Month of Fun!

The month of April is commonly known as "Recovery Month" for Tri Alliance. It is a rest period after 6 months of racing over the warmer months of the 2011/2012 season. There is a few who are still racing (Port Mac IM, Busso 70.3, IM St George, Cairns 70.3) but for the core athletes, we take it nice and easy. This month not only gives a chance for our bodies to rest and recover, it also gives our minds a rest from the OCD routines of training.

As you may have read from my previous entries, I timed my tonsilectomy in recovery month so I am able to take a break from training without compromising my build to Shep. My first training session with Tri Alliance started on Saturday when I joined the group for Tour De Latte. This is a fun ride which gives the newbies a chance to learn how to ride in a bunch, use your gears and ride a bike on the road with the protection of Tri Alliance. I remember doing this ride in 2010 when I first joined the squad and these rides were priceless. I learnt the meaning of drafting, sticking to someone wheel and more importantly, signalling. One thing I want to see more as part of buying a bike is that people need to learn about signally before they ride their bikes. It doesn't matter if your bike is only for the neighbourhood bike paths, you still need to learn signalling.

On Saturday morning, I left the house at about 7am and rode up to Elwood Life Saving Club. I knew that this ride would be a slow one and there is a chance that we will be riding on the small chain ring so I used the chance I had (as I was riding by myself) to ride at my own pace and time trial where I could. I ended up reaching ELSC in about 30min. The ride from ELSC to Mordialloc was a good one. Nice a easy 20-26km/hr pace so that we could ride in a group as much as possible. Greg made us pair up with a beginner so that we could teach them about signalling, bike safety and how to use their gears at different sections of Beach Rd. When we reached Mordialloc, we had a coffee and cake stop before heading back towards ELSC. I decided rather than riding straight home, I would ride up to the Black Rock roundabout so I would total about 60km in the ride which was not a big deal. I didn't track my calories, cadence or speed. This was just to tick the legs over. Riding for the love of cycling.

On Sunday, it was off to the Dandenongs for the 1000 steps session. I have been to the steps on several occasions outside of Tri Alliance and this year was the first with the group. I decided to try out using the hydration pack (rather than bringing a water bottle or waist belt) as I am still sorting out my gear for my trail runs. The hydration pack, I have to admit worked a treat! The only down side is that my back did get sweaty.

We did 2 reps of the steps with the 2nd rep down the trail rather than the steps. Rather than running down the trail which is what I usually do, Darren wanted us to walk down the trail as much as possible as it works your calves, core and quads more and boy it did! As I am typing this entry, I am still wearing my calf compression leggings under my pants for relief.

Tri Alliance @ 1000 Steps

I have to admit, I didn't feel too exhausted from the steps and surprisingly I was able to walk up the steps without stopping, taking a break or running out of breath. It was a lot shorter than what I remembered ths steps to be too. The scenery was beautiful and it will definitely be something I will do more often for fitness and to break up the (sometimes) boring routine of running on bitumen.

After the session, we headed over to Darren (and Kylie's) house for breakfast. It was a chance for the newbies to socialise with the core athletes and learn and thing or two about the benefits of training with a great bunch of people.

Next weekend will be another ride and fitness session. The ride will be from ELSC to Williamstown. I might add a bit more and ride from my house and ride back (it may add up to 90km). Sunday is a mountain bike session at Lysterfield and it will be my first session on the mtb. If I like it, it might expand my multisports to off road events.

Who inspires you?

A conversation with a good friend of mine is the inspiration behind this entry. She is a wife, she is a triathlete, she is a monther of an autistic boy, she is a carer for a father with cancer.

She is optimistic, she is a go-getter, she has goals yet she is realistic about what she can achieve. She is smart as she also has a plan.

Juggling between taking care of her work, immediate family and her dad is not an easy task. Yet she manages well and at the same time, her improvements in triathlon training and racing has increased exponentially. She soaks up all the training in like a sponge and applies them when needed. She is consistent in her training and barely has any excuses. She is far from lazy and she doesn't blame others when she is having a bad day. I think many people need to learn from this incredible person.

What she is doing is inspirational. She does not ask for hand-outs. She does not ask for acknowledgment. She does not seek approval from anyone for her achievements. She is dedicating her 70.3 Shepparton Race to her mum (who passed away a few years ago) and her brother (who does marathons). What is your inspiration? For me, it is her.