Still.....

As Charlie would say....

So after a public commitment to get the training in for the next weeks in, I am 3 days in and going well. A 2hr run tonight with the feet pulling up well wraps up another solid day for me.

Swim squad was once again enjoyable, however it astounds me how I am always last in the drills, by a long long way (like 15-20m over a 50m pool) however when it comes to doing freestyle sets, I am leading out my lane and coming in a good 5 sec ahead over 100m and can hang onto the fast lane with these sets. So am I doing the drills wrong and not getting the benefit or are they doing them wrong? Unsure of that answer!!

The run tonight was just what I needed, I even managed to put in a few 4min k's mid run which put a smile on my face, I know that I am still a long way from where I want to be, but I also know that I am making inroads fast.

Even my weight is headed to the right direction, getting on the scales at 88kgs this morning means that I am not far from my Kona race weight and aren't the legs enjoying carrying a lighter load!

Now to just get through to the weekend and know that I have had a great week will propel me through to the next weekend where it will be Lionel!

I have a wedding to go to in Perth, which will cost me a day or so, but I think being Lionel will more be the factor. Being a groomsman in one of my best mates wedding is an honour that I don't take lightly and will be over there enjoying every moment of it.

Anyway, the challenge for me is to get up in the morning and run again, build some more fatigued in the legs and then a solid M/T session tomorrow night.

This one is for you Mum..(25/12/53 - 25/03/07)

I know you are watching me know as you have given some serious drive and motivation. I will do you proud!

X-Man

Gaining a little bit.

Another couple of ticks today. A short sharp treadmill run this morning, followed by a solid 1hr wind trainer session tonight!

It was the first mid week ride I have done in 3-4 weeks, my mid week riding has been null and void of late, and have been surviving on the weekend sessions (when they are done). I actually enjoyed the wind trainer tonite and found a fair bit of motivation from it..

I have decided that small steps are going to make me BIG gains, so the plan is to tick off a minimum of 2 sessions per day with the odd day where I am feeling up to it, throw in a 3rd.

Back into the water tomorrow morning, was going to go this morning however after going to bed at 9pm and waking at 9.30 wide awake, I struggled to get to sleep before midnight. Now for this little black duck, I am a 9hr sleeper minimum to get everything in that I need to. So when the alarm went off at 5am, I decided to have a solid day, I would let the swim go and focus on the run & bike. Was probably the best decision that I could have made.

Anyway on that note, it is time to retire for another night.

This one is for you Mum..(25/12/53 - 25/03/07)

It has begun!!

Day 1, both morning and evening sessions get a:

This morning was a swim, Mondays is a technique session for me, got just over 2k's done in the mornings swim. Happy with that, feel like my swimming is going quite well and not far off where I want it to be..

Tonight, I added in a treadmill run, was supposed to have the evening off, however after only the sprint distance race yesterday and a really GREAT chat with Coach Andy today, we have changed a few things up for me. More time management vs training volume during the week and volume on weekends. This appeals to me as I enjoy early nights and weekends where I can get out with the boys and have some serious fun. As Andrew told me, the base that I have built in the last 18months will be there and we just have to tap into it.

The other thing that I have in my favour in a BIG BIG way, is that I know how to get the result I want and I really know how to dig deep and hurt.

This will be another string to my bow come Melbourne, even if I am not in the shape I want physically, I will be mentally.

Apart from this, I have started a new nutritional plan. Only in the first day, so will see how that goes. Happy to try something new to aid with lower training volume and see if I can achieve a similar result.

So tonight's treadmill run was 1hr starting at easy and finishing at Max effort (or as fast as the treadmill would go) which I think is 16kph. Not as fast as what I can run during a short race or even a fully blown 1/2 Marathon but after an hour in the sweat box as I make it with the hardest incline on the treadmill, it hurts. My HR reached just under 190bpm, I was working, sweating and loving it.

Tomorrow is a new day and another day in which I am going to apply another tick to. Run, Speed session in the pool then M/T.

On another note, 2 of my athletes are embarking on Ironman New Zealand, first timer (great mate also) Tom and Ol' Mate Benny. This is exciting for all three of us, me as I get to witness the guys in action and for them to achieve something they haven't before (in their own right). Another shout out the Scotty and Steve who are also part of TMC and also great mates, both these guys are headed to IMNZ. I am sure all 4 guys will tick off the box they want and come home happy campers.

A motto that I have found and am going to stick to until Melbourne is the following:

This is so true for the sport and also for me, not by time, but by determination. I ticked a major box in Phuket 70.3 where I was forced to walk most of the run due to my feet but I still managed to finish and was very satisfied with that.

This one is for you Mum...(25/12/53 - 25/03/07)

PS. A monster effort by little brother Nathan for finishing his first triathlon on the weekend also!

Great Little hit out!

So this morning, I headed down to do a Sprint Distance race 700m swim, 20k bike ride and 5k run. I had no expectations apart from having a decent type of race. Putting my feet through some intensity was also the plan to see how they would react post race.

The weather was quite warm and with the wind picking up, I was rather happy to have a choppy swim as as most of us know, Melbourne weather is likely to throw up conditions like that for IM Melbourne.

In and out of the swim in 4th in my Age Group was pleasing although I did manage to get held up when passing the groups in front. Although the swim was short, the further it went the choppier it got. So exiting the water, my body knew that I hadn't raced in some time as the lungs were screaming at me by this stage.

The run to Transition at Sandringham has to be the longest run b/t swim and T1 that I have been in. The only run that compares is the run from the swim to T1 at IMNZ!

The bike conditions seemed to get tougher throughout the 2 laps also. There is one thing about my riding, regardless of Sprint to Ironman distance races, I seem to average the same speed every time...I think today was around the 39kph mark. It was also the first race where I didn't have any speed measuring devices on me, which was quite pleasing on the mind, just worrying about how I was feeling was enjoyable.

Off the bike a onto the run, I was very curious how the feet were going to hold up. Ticking over the 5k's in 20mins was also pleasing as I have had no speed work in my body for some time. Recovering after the race was very quick apart from my feet which have been giving my grief all afternoon.

I managed to jag a 2nd in my a/g which topped off a nice day.

Tomorrow I am back in the pool with a M/T session in the evening.

This one is for you Mum (25/12/53 - 25/03/07)..

X-Man

Operation Accountability

So, after having a frustrating last few months with injury, I have started to find some good motivation to get going again. I am hoping that I can regain some of the form & fitness that I had leading into Kona.

The feet are still troubling me and I am unable to get though every session, albeit, I am starting to feel like I am starting to move a fair bit better on the run. The ride has been very spasmodic also as I am finding that this has been the hardest of the three to stay motivated for. (Who would have thought I would be typing that a few years back??) Definitely not me!!

Anyway, things are on the improve in lots of aspects in my life. However as the race is drawing closer, the emotions are building as it will be a special day for me at Melbourne. My goals have changed significantly with originally I wanted to go and win my A/G for Mum, now after realisation that I am no where near that shape, I am just hoping to capture a slot for Kona. After having a near miss a few years back then jagging my spot, I am very aware of the difficulty in just doing that.

So, into my my heading for this post.

Accountability:

"responsibility to someone or for some activity"

For me, I am going to be accountable to no-one else but myself and my motivation. As stated in previous blogs, my motivation will be drawn from the missing link in my life....My mum!

Although I might not be in my best shape, the inspiration that I will draw from racing for my mum will be my driving force in ticking off my goals.

So, as of tomorrow...(4 weeks til race day) I am going to blog at the end of every day to become accountable for my training. To get out there no matter the conditions, no matter how I am feeling and no matter the session. I have been really inconsistent up until now and I know that the next 3 weeks before taper can make a big difference.

Seeing everyone else become excited about their up coming races has helped me snap out of my rut. A few home truths from a few close friends (you know who you are!!) has also given me the drive to get back out there and return to the mind set that I had leading in Kona. And although the time frame is a lot less to go, I know that I can get through the next 3 weeks without fail.

Something that I received during the week was from a very close friend of mine, whom I just loving hearing from and travelling with was this, so a BIG BIG thanks for your kinds words:

"Hi Xman - here is something I learnt on Monday (at a very special day) - "desire with the heart - not want with the mind" - I would think that it is reasonably self-explanatory for you"

Being more organised is going to be my key to achieving this and I have given myself a solid "game-plan" to tick this box off also.

As they say, words are just that, and they mean nothing until they are turned into actions. One of my favourite motto's is: ACTIONS speak louder than words. So it is easy for me to sit here and write what I have, however for those that know me closely and well, you will know that my actions will kick into play very soon!

I have already started putting processes in place for post Melbourne to change a few other aspects in my life which will be discussed once they are implemented.

On that note, I had better start getting organised for the rest of the weekend and into the week.

This one is for you Mum (25/12/53 - 25/03/07)...

X-Man

PS...A BIG Happy Birthday to "Fos"...

Let's talk the p's!

No, not the toilet stop variety.

The 5 p's as Fos (aka Dad) would say.

Preparation

Prevents

Piss

Poor

Performance

The biggest factor in doing what we do (endurance sports) is preparation! With preparing properly for the race you are targeting, more often than not you will achieve the goal you set out to achieve.

Over the last few weeks, the talk of Ironman Melbourne has been massive around these parts, but also the excuses about not being able to train have followed.

It is too Hot.

It is too Windy.

I hope it is not this hot at Melbourne

etc

etc.

Now, I understand that Melbourne can get quiet hot & windy, but what I cannot understand is why people shy away from the fact that they have to train in it. To be successful at the race you are aiming for, you have to be prepared for the potential conditions it will throw at you.

Other Ironman & 70.3 races around the world are far harder than what Melbourne can provide and these races sell out just as fast.

In the preparation, with what I found out whilst being in Hawaii for 4 weeks prior to the race was you need to suffer, hurt then suffer and hurt some more to fully prepare for the worst conditions on race day. I remember riding along the Queen K in training, hating the world at 15-18kph wondering what the heck I was doing here. By doing this, it still gave me the confidence to have a crack on race day and no matter what I was going to be able to get through. The end result....4hr 43min + change ride.

With the run, exactly the same. Why constantly run in the early part of the day when the sun is not as it's hottest when most of us will be running in the race from 1pm onwards right through until midnight. Surely this is when you need to be training, when you are racing. It will eliminate the reason why you didn't have a good race as you will be ready to run during that time. I can assure you that the race won't be switched around so that you can ride & run in the morning out of the conditions.

I did sooo many runs in the heat of the afternoon in Hawaii and once again suffered on many many days (just read my blog from September last year), but once race day arrived, I once again was ready for this and when the temp hit 53 deg Celsius along Ali'i Drive, I was ready for it as I had experienced it before. The end result....3hr 15min A pb of 5 min over the Ironman Marathon distance.

I am not one to give many of my training hints or secrets away, but this one, I just think that it is that simple that it is not a secret. It still just astounds me how many people shy away from training in the potential conditions that you could be racing in.

Make sure you are properly hydrated and carry enough fluid to keep you that way. Even plan your run/ride so that there are adequate stops along the way! I also noticed that my nutrition intake was so much different by training in the times that I am expecting to race in. Food for thought?

Just next time you think about avoiding the heat or wind, just ask yourself... What are the potential conditions for my race?

It might just change the timing of your training for the better!

The other part of the preparation is knowing the course, doing a course recon is also advantageous as you get to understand a whole lot more about it than looking at a course profile. Knowing what gear ratio to use, both for climbing and descending is important along with knowing road surface for tyre choice. If it is flat, undulating or hilly, how long the hills climb for. There is a whole lot more to preparing than reading the athlete handbook. If you know other who have done the course previously, ask them. You can never ask too many questions to get the most information for yourself.

Don't forget, doing the right preparation will lead to the right result!!

This one is for you Mum (25/12/53 - 25/03/07)...

X-Man

The Coach..

I know that I quite often talk about my program and my Coach Andrew Sinclair (Triathlon & Multisport coaching) so I thought that I would go into a bit more depth about this.

After my Ironman New Zealand 2010 not going according to what I was after (Kona slot) I researched no fewer that 10 coaches and contacting around 6 of them. Depending on the type of answer that I received I then followed up with a couple of them, Andrew included to decided which coach was going to help me reach my goal of getting to Hawaii.

After an hour or so phone call, Andrew was the guy for me. This was back in April 2010 and since then I haven't looked back. Andrew has got me to a 9hr 6min Ironman (WA 2010), 9hr 9min Hawaiian Ironman (2011), 4hr 11min 70.3 (Shep 2010), 4hr 8min 70.3 (Yeppoon 2011) & a 1hr 18min 1/2 Marathon (May 2011).

All of the above times with Andrew were an improvement of no less than 10min for each distance.

Where am I going with this?

Andrew is a very quiet guy who knows his stuff right down to the hour of training, takes every program seriously and ensures that he gets the program so customised for each individual that it would be almost impossible for that program to work for someone else. This has been the biggest thing that I learnt from Andrew as an athlete. I know that there has been no cut & paste, I don't have someone Else's build, just my own program that works for me.

So, back in May, I had a discussion with Andrew about going for my Level 1 Coaches accreditation and with the potential of working with him under the same principles to aid athletes that I could coach. A meeting was called and Mitch Pyers also joined the TMC coaching ranks and now there are 3 of us coaching many athletes from beginners to experiences athletes.

TMC has grown at a rapid rate from 15 odd athletes to well up near 40 in the last 12months. This is due to what TMC has been able to achieve.

Here are some examples:

2 x Hawaiian Ironman Qualifiers (2011, 2012)

1 x Hawaiian Ironman finisher (2011)

1 x 70.3 World Championship qualifier & finisher (2011)

6 + A/G winners over 70.3 distance

1 x Outright winner at Long course

Countless Pb's over all distances from top 10 age groupers to first timers.

2 x Top 50 overall at Ironman Distance

1 x Top 10 overall 70.3 distance

5 x sub 3hr Marathon Runners

Countless 1/2 & Marathon Finishers.

On top of these, multiple finishers across all distances ranging from sprint distance to Ironman distance racing.

2012 will be no different. Between the 3 coaches, we have no less the 10 1st time Ironman entrants along with a few trying their hand at Qualifying for Hawaii 2012 and I am 1 of them!

Triathlon & Multisport Coaching is growing fast and are gaining athletes on a consistent basis. If you are interested in contacting one of the 3 coaches feel free to contact here. One thing for sure, you won't be left disappointed regardless of your goal. I know I have been super impressed with TMC, hence why I was so keen to join the coaching and assist other athletes reach their goals.

Below is the "About Us" section from the TMC website:

WHO ARE TRIATHLON & MULTISPORT COACHING?

Established in 2008 and based in Melbourne, Triathlon and Multisport Coaching are a professional coaching group who aim to provide clients with the tools to achieve their athletic goals.

Triathlon and Multisport Coaching offer a variety of quality products and services to suit your individual circumstances, abilities and goals. We currently cater for beginner through to advanced athletes across all triathlon and multisport disciplines. Located in Melbourne's inner west, our coaches specialise in providing one-on-one style coaching sessions however with current athletes living as far away as Japan, coaching by correspondence is also an option.

Whether it is your very first fun run or your latest marathon, Triathlon and Multisport Coaching can tailor a program for you.

OUR COACHING TEAM

Over the past 20 years Triathlon and Multisport Coaching’s coaches have acquired a vast array of knowledge and personal experience as both athletes and coaches. Collectively the coaches at Triathlon and Multisport Coaching have completed multiple Ironman triathlons, including Hawaii and represented Australia at World Championship level. Coaches at TMC are still actively involed in triathlon & multisport events, this includes racing at all levels up to Ironman as well as event management. This ensures they are up to date with ever changing training requirements and techniques.

Click to view coach profiles:

Andrew Sinclair

Xavier Coppock

Mitchell Pyers

OUR ADMINISTRATION TEAM

Triathlon and Multisport Coaching are very lucky to have the support of a great network of administration staff who assist in everything from designing our clothing range to organising group training sessions. They are the behind the scenes people who often go unmentioned however at Triathlon and Multisport Coaching we are very proud to have Scott Harvey, Bill Sinclair & Megan Sinclairon the team, helping out when and where they can.

Feel free to have a good look around the site and contact TMC if you require any assitance.

This one is for you mum (25/12/53 - 25/3/07)...

X-Man

A little motivation...

I have seen this before, however I thought that I would add them as a constant reminder for motivation.

The best line in these is:

Knock Knock

Who's there?

The guy who finished 2nd

The guy who finished 2nd who?

The moral is, no-one remembers 2nd place, give it your all and leave nothing behind.

Hope you got a few goosebumps from these, I know I did!

This one is for you mum (25/12/53 - 25/3/07)...

X-Man

Back on program!

So, structure has returned. The Master Coach Andrew, (TMC) has been hard at it again with me. I say hard at it due to the fact that I am suffering a niggle that just won't go away. Through treatment almost daily and rest, I could not shake it. Next option??

Manage it the best I can and get on with it! Enter Andrew. He has the tough job of serving me up a program that will get me in the best shape to have a crack at Qualifying for Hawaii again at Ironman Melbourne. I have no doubt that this will be challenging for him, however I once again have no doubt that he will come through with the goods again.

So whilst this was happening, I set about ticking off my New Year's resolutions.

1. Join a swim squad.

2. Core work.

Well I have ticked off the first one, I have joined a swim squad and have committed to 2 sessions per week for now. Soon to be 3 once I am back going well.

The core work will kick in later this week, so hoping by the end of the week I have started the ball rolling to getting faster in the swim and stronger in the core.

Have you started yours?

I don't have much else to report at this stage, so won't bore you any more.

This one is for you mum (25/12/53 - 25/3/07)...

X-Man

2012 - Doing it for Mum!!

Yep, that's my motivation for 2012!

Why this year and not any other? Because this year is special, really special to me. By the time Ironman Melbourne comes around, it will be 5 yrs to they day that she passed away.

25/3/2012 is the 5th year anniversary that I have been motherless! Not only me but my brother and sister also.

The same lady that was proud of me turning my life around from being a 125kg unfit fat ratbag into a dedicated athlete who is loving life!

With this added motivation and the lost mojo that I have recently found, there will be:

I have started the year well with a pain free run (35min) and a 100k ride to date and later in the week I will commence swimming (more on that later!).

I get back on a structured program soon, however I know that the time this comes around I will be fit and ready to go.

The training has been fantastic right now, getting no less then 6 others to train with and I can assure everyone that the spirit has been amazing and the banter just as fun. Having guys travel from 100k's away and leaving at 4.30am for a 6am start just shows the company that I am with. I am loving it. When a few others get back from holidays, into the swing of it I know that there will be 10 or more for most sessions.

What more could someone want? To train with like minded athletes who not only can assist with training but create a moral that other can only wish they were apart of!! If you want to be, you can be!!

Now being the start of the year, we all make New Year Resolutions, many are unrealistic and unattainable, however mine are the opposite. They are simple and only be described as affective (if i can complete them regularly!) They are:

1. Join a swim squad. Already onto this and can't wait to get going.

2. Start doing some core work.

After the training camp last year, it was evident that there are few people around who have a strong core. This will only aid in my improvements for the year.

That is all that I have decided to do and having the drive that I have for the year, I will be happy to tick them off.

What are yours? Are they achievable? Or are you setting goals that you will be unable to tick off? If so, it is not too late to change them to give you something within reach to achieve.

I find that when you set the bar too high (out of reach) you only set yourself up for failure, lower the bar (in the short term) achieve those goals and then go get the higher bar. At the end of the day if you don't reach your goals, you have to ask yourself...why?

Or on the other hand:

And just go do it!

I am also going to change my sign off for the year as I have had the same one since I started. 2012 is the year for my Family as many amongst us have Big plans. I will have 2 more nieces or nephews just for starters! My year is going to be special and I can't wait to get it going, really going.

This one is for you mum (25/12/53 - 25/3/07)...

X-Man