And so the running begins!!

After sitting down with Andrew (Triathlon & Multisport Coaching) last Thursday and getting my new program, the running has just began.

Yes, sure I have had reasonably sized run weeks before, however this is a continual block of running which really started 2 weeks ago. This means that the riding really backs off, which is no concern to me as I have not done any significant k's on the bike all year. The most that I have done since resuming training is just under 300k's with the average being under 200k's currently. The swimming is still there, and they will stay a constant for now as we have discussed a new training schedule for the swimming which already seems to be paying off at this early stage with distance being consistent and times reducing.

Back to the running, by the end of this program, I would have pounded the pavement for approx 500k (predicting future distance is hard) in the 6 weeks at an average of 80+k's per week. This I know is not a lot for some people, however for a 90kgs guy who weighed 125+kgs couldn't run around a football oval 4 years ago, this is big. Throw in a few days of double runs and a 1/2 marathon or 2 and I will be really happy to see the back of this program. The only thing once this program is done, the new one begins and the k's rise again!! But I am really enjoying it, from the easy sessions to the more challenging ones.

This Sunday I am running in the Geelong 1/2 Marathon, a race that I did in 2008 and ran a 1.29.50 which at the time I was really happy with. Looking back at the race and the condition that I was in, I probably ran outside my ability at that time. This Sunday will be a different story, my running started 12 months ago when I joined TMC and have not looked back. I would still be happy to run outside my ability and produce a time which will surprise me. We have discussed a race plan, one which raised my eyes, however with the trust that I have in Andrew I am sure that if I run the race correctly I will achieve the goal.

The goal of running 10min faster than previously. Yes, this means breaking 80mins for the 1/2. A time that if someone would have asked me 6months ago, or even 3 months ago, I would have told them that they were dreaming. At this stage, I still have to do run that time, however with times that I am doing in training and sticking to the plan, it is well and truly within my grasp. This means running at an average of 3min 47sec per k. WOW, when you put it like that, going to be a tough ask. But I love the challenges in this sport and am always out to get over the bar, no matter how high it is raised. Who would have thought that I would have gone 9hr 6min at Ironman? The answer: Not many.

It is the same with this situation.

At the end of the day, the result is only a guide as my main goal is Kona in October. In saying that, every race that I do, no matter the discipline or distance, I am there to compete at my best and go as fast as I can at the time.

So with that I will finish with a quote that continually runs through my head when the training becomes more challenging:

"To get where you have never been, you have to do what you never have"

For now...

X-Man

* A side note to congratulate a friend of mine who got a Kona Lottery spot, Pete Coulson, well done and I look forward to the next few months with you!!

Right things going up, right things coming down!!

It feels like an eternity since my last post, but I must say that I have to be in a certain mood to want to sit down and blog.


A quick round up of the last race that I did: Triman Triathlon (Teams), we finished 2nd in the teams section and a very creditable 6th Overall.

James (3rd Fastest Overall) was out of the water, not far behind John Van Wisse which enabled me to ride with Tristan Parker, although I knew that for us to win I had to put some time into him, I did try this around the 40k mark and at the 1/2 way mark did have 100m on him, but giving credit where credit is due, Tristan reeled me back in and we exited the bike together. ( I was 4th Fastest Overall, 1st in Teams category, Ave 40.1kph).

Poor Cam had to contend with Magnus Michelson (Marathon/Ultra Marathon runner with several wins under his belt). We decided that we were only competing for 2nd and had over a 15min lead on third off the bike.

Cam ran a very creditable 89mins for the 22.5k course (1km long) and held his own for our team to take 2nd in the teams. Magnus went on to run a smoking 75min for the 22.5k and had the fastest run split by 4mins on the day. Their team was first overall by 7mins and deserved the accolades by putting together a great team. A job well done to our guys (being the underdogs, we did push them a long way).

Since then the training has been going along quite well with the quality & quantity increasing and the times decreasing. I am due to meet up with Andrew this week to start planning my Kona specific training which is going to be exciting and scary all at once.

I have managed my weight and am currently 2-2.5kgs lighter than my last Ironman race and have tried a few days of being 4-5kgs lighter with some good success. The below pictures show the gradual decrease over the last few months.



This picture was taken mid feb, giving me 1 kg lighter than Ironman weight.



This picture was taken Mid March, showing 1.7kgs lighter.



This picture was taken 17th April, albeit post run, however did start the session at 89kgs. I am currently hovering around the 90kgs mark, some days just over some days just under. I am also coping with the weight reduction very well as my body is not under as much stress especially running or climbing those hills, hey Jas?? I also don't have a goal weight in mind, just a matter of seeing where the weight goes and playing by feel.

For Now...

X-Man