Yeppoon 1/2 is 2 weeks away.

The main reason for this post is to just update where things are at. With my first race in 2 weeks and things going along quite well, I don't really have much to post at this stage.

I am looking forward to this race and the "real" training (Ironman training) that commences afterwards.

I headed to Brisbane for a day earlier this week and one thing that I noticed was the difference in climate, and why wouldn't someone want to move there ;-). So with Melbourne being deeply embedded with winter and Brisbane still being only 20deg, I certainly noticed a big difference.

This year, ol' mate Benny and I decided to cut the trip down to 4 days instead of the previous 6. We are flying up 2 days before the race and returning only one day afterwards. A few factors behind this, that have relevance to my post, so no need to go into them!! My main question is, will having one less day before the race make much if any difference?? I wouldn't have thought so, but with the total difference in climate, maybe so.

With conditions and climate in the following photos, I cannot imagine a better place to start the season and spend a weekend away!!

This photo is a view of the beach before the carnage occurs.

With being a beach start, as you can see below is will be fast and frantic for the run into the water and to the first turning buoy. This year, with the focus on my swimming, I am hoping to position myself well heading out the first 200m before the long swim down the beach adjacent the beach.

The ride is quite a funny circuit being 5 laps of an 18k loop. What's funny about this?? The fact that in those 18k, you encounter a fast surface which you can make up a lot of time, however for the other half of the surface it is granulated and zaps a fair bit of energy out of the legs. It is a very deceiving ride. However with 2 previous races here, I am very familiar with what is required to set the bike up well and how to ride the course.

The bike usually sets up the run, 3 laps involving a road run and a trail run. And once you've completed this, the below photo is your reward!!!

Well not quite the ladies, but the cold beer that awaits post race....And of course the cold water recovery in the Resort pool, below.

So for now, I have 1 1/2 weeks of solid training, then a short taper and my 1st of the year (looking forward to it also), a 1/2 Ironman then into the real fun & games.

For Now...

X-Man