Stats - 2007 v 2009

Comparison of IMWA 2007 v 2009 times
				2007		2009		Diff.
Finishers				900		1121		25%	increase
DNF's				29		110		279%	increase
% of DNF's				3.22%		9.81%
Avg Swim Time		Overall		1:10:33		1:11:07		0:00:34	slower
Avg Bike Time		Overall		5:56:40		6:02:33		0:05:53	slower
Avg Run Time		Overall		4:39:57		5:10:32		0:30:34	slower
				11:47:10		12:24:12		0:37:01	slower
Avg Swim Time		Top 33%		1:00:50		1:01:30		0:00:40	slower
Avg Bike Time		Top 33%		5:13:07		5:17:56		0:04:49	slower
Avg Run Time		Top 33%		3:45:06		4:05:06		0:20:00	slower
				9:59:04		10:24:32		0:25:28	slower
Avg Swim Time		Top 50 finishers		0:54:16		0:54:23		0:00:06	slower
Avg Bike Time		Top 50 finishers		4:45:50		4:51:23		0:05:33	slower
Avg Run Time		Top 50 finishers		3:10:51		3:24:03		0:13:12	slower
				8:50:58		9:09:49		0:18:52	slower
Avg Swim Time		Winner		0:48:32		0:48:33		0:00:01	slower
Avg Bike Time		Winner		4:29:02		4:36:25		0:07:23	slower
Avg Run Time		Winner		2:48:24		2:49:00		0:00:36	slower
				8:05:58		8:13:58		0:08:00	slower
Darins
Swim		Time		1:06:38		1:02:33		0:04:05	faster	6.0%
Bike		Time		5:58:28		5:18:18		0:40:10	faster	12.6%
Run		Time		3:58:03		4:08:28		0:10:25	slower	-4.2%
Overall		Time		11:03:10		10:29:20		0:33:50	faster	5.1%
		Place		332		181		151	places
Note:	In 2007 - T1 & T2 were both included in bike splits
	In 2009 - T1 was in the bike split and T2 was in the run split

great quote

"...but when pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure...."

Apparently by Jane Austen.

A fitting quote for me and my Ironman campaign!

Photos

A few happy snaps (purchased) from the day...

Final Word

As I and the 1200 others who took part in IM melted back into the real world - I thought to myself 'this really isn't such a big deal'. But it is. It has really dominated my lifestyle for at least the last 13 weeks. The 13 weeks of truth. I gave it all in my dedication to training and I certainly gave it all on the day. But I must say - like the TdF - it is actually a team effort. My team of family and friends who supported me were invaluable. Thanks to you all. My lovely, very patient and understanding wife Lisa who has made my life so much easier for me over the last three months and my 4 great daughters who I haven't seen enough of - are all part of Team Dunstan. Lisa has been awesome. I hope she understands I have to do this again! My folks who came down to support me on - Happy Birthday Mum - sorry Sat was all about me! Also, all my mates at RW who always ask hows training going and take an interest in what I'm doing. Too many to mention. Weatherman Butch, legend. Thanks guys. And of course Phab Phil and the RW folk who keep me and my bike going. Specifically though - The Rat - aka Paul who would not let me slow down on the day when it was almost overwhelming and hurt so much and for his and PJ's massive ongoing support throughout the months. Always encouraging me and revving me up an listening to my dribble - thanks heaps.

I was in the best shape of my life - at 41 years old. I was prepared for a big day. I finished in 181st position. Which I am fairly proud of on reflection. But - I know I can go faster! I know I can put together a better Ironman triathlon - all 3 legs. So I'll be back. Not next year though...

IMWA - Pt 4

This was the leg I was looking forward to doing my best work on. This is the leg I visualised in my mind was going to be when I made my big move. Well things don't always go to plan...

I set off with a plan to run 5:30 min kays for the first 6km and then faster after that, maybe 510-5:15's. Well the first few km were at about 5min pace, despite my best efforts to run slower. People were passing me at regular intervals but I tried hard to slow down to the race plan pace. I eventually got to the run turn and then 'allowed' myself to pick the pace up. Well That last a few minutes only. It was soon evident to me that it was going to be a really long day and this was going to get really hard. My HR and pace data shows that my HR went up and my pace gradually went down all the way back to transition. So I was working harder but going slower! I saw some messages in chalk on the road that Rat and PeeJay and left me that made me laugh to myself. I had never seen chalk messages for me before - and was quite chuffed! I got back to transition and there were the whole family on the path and the boys too. It was really really good to see them, hand out a few high fives and say hello. I could tell from Rat's face that he could see the trouble I was in. But he stayed super positive and ran with me for a few metres and encouraged me. I couldn't fathom how on earth I was to run the next two laps. With rats words ringing in my ears I got my 1st scrunchie and headed off again feeling like I could do it! But my avg pace had been about 5:47 min/km. Those aid stations really knock your avg speed down a bit!

I managed a slightly quicker pace for 2 aid stations. Then I couldn't sustain it. I was now running from aid station to aid station and walking a few metres to get my drinks in and ice in my hat etc. It had come to survival. It was so hot and the heat seemed to be sucking the life out of my legs. After my little Paulie inspired effort I now had a new problem. My feet. I could feel blisters forming up nicely on the bottoms of my feet. They had just started to become painful. I new they would get worse - but what are you to do? It was the soggy socks from all the water I was throwing on myself and all the great locals with hoses squirting me. My feet had softened up and now were blistering in my shoes. Oh well, the pain in my feet gave me something to take my mind off the other pains! I passed Scotty goin the other way for the 2nd time and he looked strong and relaxed. I was wishing I felt like he looked. I caught up with James from work and ran with him for a while until he waved me on. I saw Marko pushing over a few trees trying to stretch out a bit of cramp. He always seemed so positive and encouraging. In fact he seemed to be too relaxed and even enjoying himself?

I got back to where the folks, the girls and PJ & Rat were and was very relieved to be nearly finished a very, very tough lap # 2. My avg pace overall was now about 5:51min/km. I told my Mum that I was "on struggle street" and she apparently was a bit upset for me and seeing how much it all hurt. I was so much looking forward to that 2nd scrunchie! Paulie really gave me a really big talking to this time and ran next to me for about 50m and shouted in my ear. He revved me up and told me I could do a sub 10:30. As I had asked him what time I was on. I couldn't do the maths in my head now. I passed the very rowdy North Coast tent and the even louder Stadium tent, where I got great support all day and dug deep. 14k to go. I could hardly stand it any longer. But I was determined to. All my training and all those time being absent from home, with Lisa being an Ironman widow and now out here all afternoon with 4 kids in the blaring sun. I WAS NOT GOING TO EVER DARE LET THEM DOWN AND STOP OR EVEN WALK. I was just hanging on throughout that middle lap and so I lifted again. Ah yeah - the 2nd scrunchie was mine!

By now, at each aid station I was downing Coke and High5 and water and tucking into a bit of water melon too. When the gear was real cold it tasted so much better. I was putting ice and ice water on me, in my tri suit and in my hat. It was some relief. I now walked the full length of some of the aid stations. I finally had to have a 2nd wee for the day. But it was more an excuse to stop I reckon. Although I did produce a fair bit again. I was now just in my own little world of pain. I was looking into the distance and not seeing anything. I just wanted it to end. So many people were walking. I saw one girl just sit down in the middle of the path, facing back towards the way she had just come! I was hoping something would happen to me so that I could not continue at all - like a broken leg! My pace dropped a bit more but I didn't walk! Then at last I was nearly there. I skipped the last two aid stations and just dug as deep as I could. I don't think I have ever been that deep before into my mental reserves. I was telling myself never again. I am cured! I finally got to the 1km to go point and started to come out of my self induced fatigue stupor. I tried to soak it all up and look around me and notice stuff. I smiled and I anticipated the best and most important thing in the world to me at that point - stopping and sitting down. Each step for the last 14km had been painful as my blisters turned the soles of my feet into a mess of pain. knew I had given all I had out there and unlike last time, there was no fast finish. I cruised into the finishers chute and there was everyone cheering for me. I heard my name called out and I blew a few kisses and I really enjoyed the moment. The family were all there on the right had side and it was such a relief to be done. I crossed the line and the clock stopped at 10:29:21. My slowest ever 42k run - 4:04 hrs. My last lap had avg'd a pitifull pace of about 6min kays. But I was so glad to stop. The catchers gave me my medal put a towel round me and half carried me to the recovery area in the big tent. I sat down and I was totally spent. There was nothing more left. I did not finish with anything left in the tank this time. The heat had been diabolical. I had rolled the dice and paid the price. I was so happy to be finished.

IMWA - Pt 3

I headed out of T1 feeling pretty good (besides a bit of chaff) and then when I hit Geographe Bay Rd there was Mum, standing there cheering me on. So I was all smiles at that point. 3.5km later I turned onto Guerin St and there, out the front of our villa was Lisa and all the girls. It was great to see them and I felt on top of the world! This IM gig is easy! I think I blew them all kisses and cruised past. I then started my nutrition. Eat every 30 min, drink every 10. That was my regime for the next few hours. I had a plan for the bike. Easy as for the 1st hour, with an avg of 32. Then pick it up and slowly increase the avg speed to 34.9 by the end. That was the plan anyway.

Well it was fairly windy, with SE winds of between about 5 and 20 knots, depending where I was on the course. That also meant the wind was from all points of my compass depending where I was. I had to use a heap of self control to let stacks of people blow by me as I stuck to me plan. This is the single biggest time in an IM when most people blow it. I was not going to be one of them. The first 1-2 hours of an IM bike leg your legs feel great. So you go fast. Then you go slow. Then you have blown it for the run. I got to the one hour mark and picked it up. I straight away started hunting down packs and pace lines and slowly passing them. My legs did not feel great, but not bad either. I hoped they would come good in due course. I ate and drank and it got warmer.

By the 2nd lap I saw Paul & PJ near transition cheering me on and also the whole family back at the villa. Going through town with all the people clapping and cheering really does lift you a bit. Seeing people you know is even better. I was still feeling Ok but just working away at the job on hand. I started to use the aid stations as cooling stations, by tipping a bidon of water over my self. Sometimes, when they were real nice and cold it felt great as you squirted it into your helmet. I would be dry again 10km later. I lost count of what I was drinking but continued to eat as per the plan. It got warmer and I continued to pass a few people with just the very occasional person passing me. Drafting was never an issue by then, as every one was spread out pretty well. I looke d out for people I knew at each turnaround, but never saw anyone I recogniced coming back the other way. Scott's girlfriend Erin was out a the T-junction and she cheered me on. It was great to here a familiar voice way out there. It all is a bit of a blur now. It went by pretty quickly. I do remember applying some sunscreen from a sachet at some point during this lap. That worked pretty well, as I didn't really get burnt.

Then I was onto the last lap. I felt just fine and really started to reel in other competitors as they slowed down and I kept my pace going. I was flying along at times and passing some other riders, even team riders, like they were going backwards. I was pumped. The more people I passed the better I felt. It was now pretty damn hot. I saw some people stopped and actually drinking standing at aid stations. I couldn't quite finish my last Shotz bar - as solid food was too hard to get down by now. Plus I think I had probably consumed enough carbs with all the sports drink I had taken in. I kept going hard until a few km's to go, then I started spinning a bit more and stretching my hammies out. It turned out I had passed about (net) 100 people overall since my swim finish. I was 299th in the swim and after the bike about 205th. I had finished the bike in about 5:15hrs and avg'd about 34.3kmh. Not quite my plan, but it was hot and windy. I was only 5 min down. So I felt pretty happy about that.

I jumped off my bike and heard PJ and Paul yelling encouragement to me. I was kinda focused on the job and didn't actually see where they were standing exactly. But I did here them! I ran into the tent, feeling a bit stiff but Ok. The volunteer that looked after me was great. She basically covered every part of my bare skin in sunscreen as I put on fresh socks and my running shoes. It was like a mini massage! I did have one thing I wanted to do before I started running - I really needed my 1st wee for the day and pretty urgently now!!! I stopped in a port-a-loo and stood there for what seemed like ages. My bladder holds a fair bit I reckon...especially since this was 'breaking the seal' so to speak! Then it was off and onto the run.

IMWA - Pt 2

The swim was a real bun fight at first. But it was a bit calmer than the Half. I got clobbered around a bit and copped a good whack to the side of the head. But nothing too bad. the 1st 400m I hated. I concentrated on keeping my breathing deep and regular and did not panic as a mass of bodies all converged into a narrow column next to the jetty. The crush didn't last too long and I then I started getting some space and a little open water. I think I zig zagged a bit on the way out as I tried to find some feet to follow. By the time we all got to the end of the jetty I had a good rhythm going and felt great. I glanced at one of my two watches and it said 28min! I was pretty happy to see that. But I did have to remind my self that this was not the half way point. It was hard to tell how fast I was going, but I was certainly swimming within my threshold pace. I started giving it a bit of a nudge and to generate a tad more pace on the way back. The competitor traffic was still solid and I sensed that others were thinking the same thing as me.

The next km went pretty quick and soon we were almost at the marker buoy that indicated a left had turn towards the swim exit. We went over a shallow bit that made me think we were closer to the shore than we actually were. It was a false surprise, as it was still ages to go and the water got deeper again. I could feel a little bit of chaff under my arm, particularly my left arm. This proved to be an annoyance for the whole race onwards. My tri suit was rubbing on my 'lats' (I think thats the muscle group) I swam over a small marker buoy rope and got a bit entangled at some point. In the effort to get free I got a bit of cramp in my left calf. It was quite painful and I had to try and pull my toes back to make it go away. I lost a few seconds there.

As I got towards the end I used my legs more to try and get some blood flow to them. Other swimmers seemed to be accelerating also! I swam until my hand touched the bottom and then jumped up. (Most seem to stand to early in my opinion). Then a few big strides and I was on the beach I couldn't really see anyone or hear anything as I focused on pulling ,my wettie down to my waist and getting swim cap and goggle off. Dad was there somewhere but I had no idea. My watch said 1:03 hrs - that was good - 3 min better than last time. My actual swim time was 1:02. Which I was pretty happy with. Then as I went under the shower and across the road, I saw Paulie and PeeJay there cheering me on. A few high fives and on I went into the transition tent. It was great to see a few familiar faces. I ran with my bike bag and found an empty seat. A quick change and some sunscreen from one of the very helpful volunteers and I was off to find my bike. It was easy - same place as last time really. 2nd rack up towards the end on the left. I felt like I had done this plenty of times before...

I grabbed the P2 and headed out to the mount point and was off on the longest part of the day.

Race wrap up - IMWA 2009 - Pt1

Well, December 5th has come and gone. It was a big day for all. Here are some of my thoughts as my day unfolded with a 10:29 Ironman race. This may take a while!

Pre-race
My Polar RS800CX heart rate monitor watch decided the day before race day to run low on batteries. I was spewing because I wanted to monitor my HR (with the weather forecasting wind) and particularly my run pace with it. Anyway, I rang Phab and he spoke to Roddy who was down promoting SRG at the Expo and so I ended borrowing Rod's Garmin 405Cx watch (with GPS). So that was great. I did feel better about it and Rod showed me how too use it. It was pretty good and I was impressed. So I decided to start with both, just in case. More on that later.

The weather was warm and windy and Butch gave me the latest forecast and with his spin on it. Max 31 deg SE winds shifting S about 20 knots. Butch reckoned lighter in the morning. Well that was going to make my 'best case scenario' race plan tough. Anyway, I was still prepared to roll the dice and see what happened.

I got a lift into transition with James, a mate from work, who was staying in the same joint as us. Bussleton Beach Resort was awesome - right on the bike course and with a great kid friendly playground and pool and nice big spa. Great joint to stay at. We got in there around 5am. The next 45min just flew by. I set up my bike with my bidons and nutrition etc checked everything over and before you know it it is time to put on my wetsuit...

I met Scott at his bike and he was his usual bundle of nerves. But seemed OK. We got lubed up and sun screened and headed down to the water. On the way down to the start, John MaClean was rolling on down to the water as well. I don't know exactly why - but he looked at me and said something like "good luck mate" to me. We were surrounded by 100's of people and he picked me out to say that to! I luckily recognised him instantly and said "Thanks John, you too" or something. That spun me out. A good omen I thought.

I went for a short, very short actually, warm up swim. The water was lovely. Very flat and not cold at all. It felt great. But then couldn't find Scott on my return. Just as I was about ready to give up, he appeared by my side. That was comforting. Even though I knew I would not see him again until the run, it was good to start with a mate by your side. We have shared a fair few hours together in training and many conversations and emails about IM and training etc etc. So there we were, a couple minutes before the start. Our destiny in our hands. I felt calm but very keen to get going. The atmosphere was electric though. I knew exactly what I had to do and was very focused. It didn't seem like such a big deal as last time though. I think I knew it would hurt a lot more! I gave Scotty a hug and then the gun went off. We walked through the waist deep water for a few strides and wished each other well and the dived into IMWA 2009.

Highs and lows

I'm still to do my race report and wrap up of the race, but today started with a bit of a surprise.

I was made redundant as my role is moving to Sydney (HO). So I'm out of job on Jan 29th. I'm fine with it all. It wasn't a complete shock. But it kind of caught me on the hop a bit and I have no idea what I want to do next...

Then I discovered that I had lost Rod's Garmin HRM / GPS watch and it will cost me $500!!!

What a bummer of a day!

My results - race day provisional data

Full detailed results are not yet available. But from the web site I have got some key provisional results. I am fairly happy. But is was so hot out there, especially on the run. It was carnage. I will write my race report later on.

Swim 1:02:33 - 329th out of the water. (56th in AG). 1:38 min/100m.
Bike 5:15:07 - 209th overall to that point. (31st in AG). Avg speed 34.3 km/h.
Run 4:04:46 - 181st overall at race end. (25th in AG). Run pace avg was 5:48 min/km.
T1 - 3:12min, T2 - 3:42 min. (I had a really long wee at T2 before starting my run - 1st all day!)
Total 10:29:20 hours.

In my age group (M40-44) only 4 people (the 1st 4) were able to run the goal time I had set myself as my best case scenario (sub 4:40 hrs). So I don't feel too bad about a run time that is slower than last time (2007). Every thing else was an improvement. 4min quicker out of the water and about 34 min quicker on the bike.

Full race report to come...

Official IMWA wrap - from web site

Crawford and Vernay win at Ironman Western Australia
Hot conditions greet over 1,300 competitors for sixth edition,
Published Saturday, December 5, 2009

New Zealand's Gina Crawford became the first person to win back-to-back Ironman WA titles when she took today's sixth edition of Ironman Western Australia. In the men's race 2007 winner Patrick Vernay (New Caledonia) claimed his second WA title and fifth Ironman victory on Australian soil.

Held in Busselton, just over two hours south of Perth, today’s race reached temperatures in the mid 30s, making the 3.8km swim, 180.2km ride and 42.2km run all the more daunting for the 1,309 individual and 110 team entrants. Of the 34 professionals who set out at 6 AM this morning, just 20 completed the course.

International competitors Lawrence van Lingen (South Africa) and Scott Neyedli (Great Britain) established an early lead in the swim, followed by the main group which included defending champion Tim Berkel, Vernay, Jimmy Johnsen, Ollie Whistler, Timothy Marr, Josh Rix, Courtney Ogden and Chris Dmitrieff. Van Lingen exited the water just ahead of Neyedli, in 47:21, with the chase group around 40 seconds behind.

Following a lightning fast transition, Denmark’s Jimmy Johnsen was first to hit the bike course. It was well known going in to today’s race that Johnsen was carrying an achilles injury which had flared up following his recent win at the Shepparton Half Ironman, so no-one was surprised by his strategy of employing his superior bike strength to give himself a significant lead in to the marathon.

With no male competitor able to match Johnsen’s scorching bike speed, he spent the entire 180km riding solo. By the mid-way (90km), Johnsen was more than three minutes ahead of the main chase group, led by Vernay. The only surprise at this stage was that two-time winner and course record holder Jason Shortis was more than twelve minutes behind the leader, setting himself up for a huge challenge if he was to have yet another podium finish in Busselton.

Johnsen completed the bike course in 4:31:38, giving himself a six minute lead over his nearest competitors. Meanwhile, the chase group had been unravelling as the winds picked up, and it was Vernay, Neyedli, Berkel, Ogden and Matty White who set out in hot pursuit of the Dane.

Vernay took the lead at the 15km mark, and shortly after Neyedli also passed the determined, but clearly hurting, Johnsen. Vernay loves Australia and loves the heat, and once he hit the lead it was clear that he was going to be very difficult to beat. As many of their opponents began to suffer from the heat, the two continued to run strongly all the way to the finish, with a brave Johnsen rounding out the placings.

Vernay said at the finish, “Australia is my country. The people are so cool, it’s so beautiful, I love it here. I would like to thank the crowd, they really helped me”. He then stated that he would be taking the year off from his teaching job in 2010, to focus on achieving a top three finish in Hawaii.

An ecstatic Neyedli was almost lost for words at the finish. “I had a really good day. I had seen this race on television before and it was always a race I wanted to give a crack.

“Patrick was always going to be the winner to me. During the race I just tried to always make sure I was there. I was running fast and thought some of these guys are going to drop like flies, and sure enough they did”.

While disappointed that his injury had affected his run, Johnsen was thrilled to finally achieve an Ironman podium finish.

Last year’s top two finishers Tim Berkel and Jason Shortis once again demonstrated great comradeship, motivating each other to make it to the finish in spite of their disappointing days. Following a rough swim, Berkel was sick throughout the ride and run legs. He said: “I am very disappointed. I was walking along (on the run course), nearly tearing up, and Shortis came up alongside me and gave me some inspiring words (which helped me get to the finish).”

For the second year running, Gina Crawford dominated the women’s field from start to finish. She exited the water alongside Sarah Pollett, and from there it was a matter of “catch me if you can.” By the end of the bike leg, she had established a lead of more than 11 minutes, and she was able to maintain this lead to win her second consecutive Ironman WA.

Crawford paid tribute to the Busselton crowd, saying “I don’t know if the spectators were Kiwis or not, but they were amazing all the way.” She intends to return to Busselton in 2010 to attempt a hat-trick of wins.

The surprise of the day was undoubtedly Christie Sym, who finished second behind Crawford in her first Ironman. Sym comes from an adventure racing background, however following a series of injuries she recently decided to try Ironman racing for a change. Her finishing time of 9:20.42 in such difficult conditions indicates that she would be a force to be reckoned with should she choose to pursue the Ironman challenge.

Today was Pollett’s first Ironman podium finish. She dedicated her race to her close friend and Ironman athlete Tavis Johannsen, who died suddenly at just 42 years of age earlier this year.

Men
1. Patrick VERNAY 8:13:59
2. Scott NEYEDLI 8:17:47
3. Jimmy JOHNSEN 8:21:11
4. Courtney OGDEN 8:22:06
5. Matty WHITE 8:35:03
6. Jason SHORTIS 8:37:20
7. Timothy MARR 8:40:35
8. Luke WHITMORE 8:56:04
9. Matt STEPHENS 8:56:25
10. Petr VABROUSEK 8:57:08

Women
1. Gina CRAWFORD 9:16:52
2. Christie SYM 9:20:41
3. Sarah POLLETT 9:21:33
4. Charlotte PAUL 9:33:05
5. Kate BEVILAQUA 9:45:53
6. Linda O'CONNOR 9:50:10
7. Rebecca EVELEIGH 9:50:55
8. Dianne EMERY 9:54:27
9. Katie KENNY 9:57:01
10. Nera JAREB 10:00:00

The last post

Well today is my last update before we head down to Busso this morning. It has been a roller coaster of a week. And nearly 20 weeks of hard work!

From feeling great and strong on Sat during the RW ride to feeling like crap on Sun/Mon with a cold. I got heaps of sleep on Monday night and went to bed at 840. Then had a pretty good interval ride / brick run on Tuesday. Felt heaps better, maybe 95%. Had a pretty long day at work with end of month to do and all. Got up early on Wed and got to the pool at opening time (530). Felt like I was pretty much over the cough and cold. Had a great little swim where the main set was 20 x 50m as hard / easy with 10' rest after each 100. Did a total of 1.9k and felt great.

By last night however, I felt about 90% healthy again and was pretty tired. I had to do some running around and pick up Greg's trailer to cart all our stuff down to Busso in. By 9pm I was ready for bed. Hopefully I can be close to 100% by Sat at 0615hrs! So we will finish packing up and cruise down at about 10am today. Checklists have been written and ticked off, bike checked and cleaned. I feel nervous just typing all this down now!

The last 20 weeks have seen me swim 104km, ride 4,582km and run 849km. That works out at an avg per week of 5.5/229/43. Now all that counts for nothing if I don't execute race day correctly. Race day is all about proper pacing and nutrition. It will be even more important with the weather forecast being hot and windy. The current forecast is a top of 29 deg with SE to S winds blowing all day. That means off shore for the swim and cross winds for most of the ride. It will be pretty warm on the run, but at least some breeze to dry the sweat off!

My stretch time based goal is 9:59 hours. But that is dependant on weather and some good luck (eg no kicks to the nose during the 1st 400m of the swim!) Realistically more like 1010-1015 I would say. But my real goals in order are;
1. Finish the race
2. Run without slowing down
3. Finish in the top 20% of the field
4. Enjoy the day - this is very important
5. Crack 10 hours

Well the 13 weeks of truth is almost done. I will update this on my return on Monday after the race is done and dusted. I have done all the work and now all is left, is to actually do the job on race day. Race day is a celebration of all the training and the culmination of all those hard sessions, early mornings, cold starts, early to bed nights and sacrifices made by not only me but my family, especially Lisa. So I want to make it really count for something on Saturday and give 100% of what I have and lay it all on the course there at Busso. It's a long day, anything can happen, but no matter what I will never give up until I cross that finish line - or I get taken away on a stretcher!

"...It never get any easier - you just go faster..."

Bit crook...

I have gone all year without so much as a snivel, cough or cold. Now in the middle of my taper I couldn't quite fight off a bug that came through the Dunstan household. I have a real good cough and have been feeling well less than 100% for a couple days. My heard hurts and I generally feel like crap. I skipped my swim tonight in favour of some rest instead. I have 4.5 days to be 100%, so hopefully I can shake this thing and get back to my normal self soon.

The weather forecast looks a bit ordinary for race day - with SSE to Sth'ly winds blowing all day and a top of 29 deg. Better than northerly winds and 39 I guess...

6 days to go

Well actually 5 days, 20 hours and 30min! Thats the first full taper week done and dusted.

It ended up being a pretty cruisy week overall with only 7:16hrs of training. I skipped one run and only did 2 proper swims (4 last week) for the small totals of 3.4/97/35.

Yesterday I rode with the RW crew and Phab set the ride for my benefit! It was just a 'round the river' with some all out efforts at Burke Drive, Left bank, Leighton, Victoria Ave/Jutland Pde and Mounts Bay Rd. It was just the ride I was after too! Perfect little hit out one week from IM. Big Greg and I got to the coffee shop at about 8:05 where as the main group did a Kings Park loop! We'd had enough. Also, I wanted to check the calibration on my bike computer, so we went down to Terrace Rd and ran our wheels over those 500m survey markers (All good). PJ rocked up for brekky and most of the usual suspects were there too, so that was great. I haven't been able to sit and have a coffee and breakfast there for ages. Everyone was really nice and was asking me about the race and my prep etc and all wished me well. They are a great bunch of people that RW crew.

Then it was home and flat out getting ready to go up to Lake Leschenaultia for a big Xmas picnic with all our good friends with kids. This proved a to be a very expensive day. I think the transmission is blown in the Commodore. We got about 2k up the road before it crapped itself and would hardly move. Not happy. I am in denial, as for the 2nd time in a few years - a transmission is going to stop me upgrading to a new telly! Bloody cars. Anyway, I put it mostly out of my mind and we enjoyed a pretty relaxing afternoon at the lake with a bunch of great people. I went for a swim of around 400-500m out into the middle and back and I felt good. The reed type things growing on the bottom were a bit annoying as they kept brushing my arms and even my body as I swam, even out in the middle where it was a bit deeper. We BBQ'd some chicken and had dinner before we tipped everyone into the car and headed home.

3 more swims, 2 more rides and 2 more runs in the next 5 days...then the big one. Bring it on

Taper isn't that good

Day 4 of the full taper. I have been feeling pretty crappy on and off all week.

Had an 45min intervals session on Monday morning - ran 2 x 1.6k at an avg pace of 4:03 and 4:06 min/km. That went OK. Then Tues was bike intervals with a hard brick run. I did about 29km in 54min which included 4 x 6min hard. I wore my new Jaggad race kit (which I probably won't wear in IM) and so jumped off the bike at work and headed straight out the door. Straight into 15min of Z4 (4:00-4:15 pace). Then Z2 for 10 min on the way back.

Later that day I felt a tickle in the throat and my glands were up and felt like I was fighting something off. Legs felt Ok, left foot was a bit sore. Woke up on Wed after 8 full hours sleep and still felt ordinary. Very lethargic. Went to the pool on the way home from work but could only manage 1km. I forgot my pull buoy and I felt like crap. My breathing was laboured and my arms felt really heavy. Seeing how it was taper - I pulled the pin and cut my losses.

Today was my 'long' run. 70min. That went pretty good. I wore my Jaggad tri top so that I could utilises the back pockets for keys, glasses, phone etc. Had two pieces of work - 15' @ Z2 and then 10'@ Z3. The Z3 stuff was really hard - as it was mostly up hill. I had to really push it hard. Left foot is sore still and my left calf and lower quad are a bit tender. Luckily I have a massage tonight. I still feel a bit below par, but will hopefully come good soon.

I have settled on several of my goals for IM - to run without slowing down (even or negative split), a 5:10hr bike leg (weather permitting) and Top 20% of the field. Total time? We will see about that one. Only 8 more sleeps!

Week 18/20 done!

Today was supposed to be a rest day, but I snuck an extra swim in. Scott and I did the City Beach groins (x4) which is about 4k. It was my first wettie & ocean swim since the HIM in May. The water was pretty good. Not cold at all and pretty flat. There was a decent little offshore wind blowing and visibility was OK, but not great. We met just before 7am. It might seem like I always record great rides/runs and PB's in this blog/diary. Not today!

I was looking forward to it, as I would rather swim in nice ocean conditions than a pool any day. We took off together, but soon Scott eased away from me. I never felt good from the first 50m to the last. My arms felt tired and I had no power in my stroke. My forearms especially just felt plain tired. It took me nearly 1km to get into the groove somewhat, but I just couldn't get a consistent rhythm going. Scotty and I popped up near each other a few times at either end of the course, but we basically swam on our own. Then after half way, I swam into some stingers - about 6 times in 1km. Face, neck, arms and underarm all got mild stings. I was not happy. As if I wasn't swimming bad enough, to get dropped by Scott (he is probably faster than me normally) and then stung made me feel like throwing in the towel for the day! It was my 4th swim in less than 7 days and I had a hard swim on Friday night. So I think it had kind of caught up to me. No excuses though, I was just crap! Anyway, I couldn't quite bring myself to quit, especially since Scott was there. So I banged away for another 16-17 min and finished the set. It was about 4k, probably a tad less, more like 3.9k for me though. Ended up doing 1:07 which isn't exactly slow, but it certainly ain't fast.

Anyway, thats week 18/20 completed and now for the full taper to begin! My week ended up being 14:00hrs - made up of 12.7/237/39. Probably one of the biggest swim weeks I have ever had. Next week drops back to 9-10hrs. Focus for this week is recovery & sleep! Time to get my bike serviced and buy all my supplies ready for race week...

Almost done

This week has flown by. It has been a pretty successful week from a training perspective. Today was an epic day. My 2nd and final Race Rehearsal brick session. It went something like this...

Had a sleep in (5:30) as I didn't fancy wearing my tri suit in the forecasted 11 degree air. Hit the road at about 6:10 and headed south for the end of the freeway bike path. The pacing plan was the same as 2 weeks ago. 32.0 km/h for the 1st hour and then lift it up to 34+ by the end. The legs didn't feel real flash early, or in fact for the 1st hour or so. the forecast was for SE'ly winds - and that was indeed the case. I think they increased in speed over the next couple hours too. I got the 1st 30k done at about 31.2 It was hard work. I passed a small group just past Roe Hwy turn off and one of them was Marko! He caught up to me and we had a brief chat. Then I kinda cut him off a bit and accelerated away. I was trying to sit on 34 by now. I past a fair few people and started seeing others on their way back. Lots of IM'ers out there! Before I knew it I was at Safety Bay Rd and turned in to the servo for a quick pit stop. 58k @ 32.8k. I was behind on my nutrition and hydration, so I made a conscious effort to pick that up a bit. It had started to warm up a bit now and the clouds had all but burnt off. the next bit is the tough bit mentally - 32k out and back on some super flat long straight bits down to the end of the path. I couldn't wait to get to the half way mark. The head wind was pretty awful now. I got down there in 57min. Stopped for a few seconds and then headed back.

Wow! The wind was so good coming from over my right shoulder! I love a tailwind. I was sitting on 40-44km/h most of the way back to Baldivis. So the avg for that 32k was 39.4! It was fun. The legs were feeling pretty strong and I was flying! I made another quick stop at the servo, refilled my bidons etc and headed back out to the path north bound. The breeze now was in that phase when it changes from SE to SW, so it died off a bit. All this fast riding started to effect me now that I hit the small undulating terrain. The next 18km were completed at an avg of 37.4. I still felt pretty good, but some fatigue was creeping into my legs now. The sea breeze picked up a bit but had a fair bit of westerly in it and so was a cross wind at times. I was passing people all the time, but by now the numbers were thinning. I kept pushing and when I hit the Narrows my overall avg was 34.9. I was spurred on by this with visions of glory to be had on Dec 5!!! The bit from town home was pretty slow, due to having to stop and cross road etc and then the sea breeze became more of a headwind as I headed west through Floreat past Bernie's house etc. I finished it off with a blast along Weaponess and hit 180k just before I crossed Scarb Bch Rd in 5:10hrs. Home and of the bike in 5:12. So overall a 34.7 avg. I am pretty stoked with that. Especially since there were quite a few small hills to ride and 90k of headwinds. But I still had to finish it off with a 10k brick run.

How would the legs feel now? Well I soon answered that question as I headed out and down to the coast. They felt pretty damn good - all things considered. I ran up the coast to Mettams Pool with a honker of a seabreeze blowing me along. Turned around in 24:34 and then had to push into the wind. My legs started to feel pretty tired now. I went for a gel, but to my disgust I had one that was definitely off. It was a bit fermented like. It was gross. So no more carbs for the trip home! I felt good, but could just sense, as I ran up the big hills from the coast to home, that my legs were slowing down a tad. The terrain is way different to race day and I haven't tapered, so thats OK. Finished in 50:35. So just over 6 hours of exercise and about 4300 calories burnt! It was a bit of an epic. Glad to have that one in the bag. A new PB for 180k too!

Last night I went to the pool after work and did my 3rd and final 3.8k non-stop pool swim. I was very pleased to have knocked a minute off last weeks time. So my times for these swims (with pull buoy) were 1:09, 1:08 and now 1:07. Things are headed in the right direction...

My long run this week was down to 1:30. There was a good chunk of work in it though (2 x 20min) Which felt very easy compared to 2:30! I also did an interval run and ride. Both went well. Full taper now kicks in for the next 13 days as I wind it back. I will probably do an ocean swim tomorrow morning with Scott. As I haven't tried the wettie on sim the Busso HIM in May!

The hard work is done!

This is the end of week 17/20 weeks in my IM program. 8 weeks of general prep and 9/12 weeks of race specific prep. 3 to go. Next week is an easier week and then 2 full weeks of taper. I clocked up 17:49hrs this week - that means it has been my 2nd biggest week ever! I have swum 9.6k, ridden 304km and run about 64k

Today's plan was a 3hr ride/6k brick run. I slept in a little (5am) but was on the bike by 5:28. I headed up to Yanchep on Marmion Ave. The first 30min of this ride is all up hill. Well it has a definite uphill trend from a low point of about 5m above sea level to a high point of 60m. After that I settled into a steady rhythm. The legs felt a bit fatigued from yesterdays hard ride but OK. It was dead calm initially but by about an hour into the ride there was a just noticeable SE'ly blowing over my right shoulder. I got to the roundabout in Yanchep in about 1:19hrs (avg 33.2) stopped for a quick pit stop, ate a muesli bar and head back towards home. Straight away I could feel the increased headwind and it was much noisier in my ears. This was going to be hard work. I was in ABP mode (always be pushing) but I could feel my legs getting weaker after about half an hour. This was when I hit civilisation at around Brighton. I pushed on and it got harder and harder. I kept drinking Powerade (one bidon per hour) but couldn't help the slide in pace. With about 10k til home I popped a gel and that combined with the downhill trend of the last bit picked me up a tad. I got home with a 6min positive split at an avg of 31.1 for the 44k return leg.

After a quick change headed out for my brick run. The legs were feeling pretty ordinary, but I managed sub-5 pace for a run down to the coast and up the bike path to around Contacio's break and back.

Very glad this week is over. I think my body has adapted to the work load better than my mind. I was kind of on auto-pilot for the last few days to a week. Besides yesterdays ride, I just keep on absorbing the work. I get a bit tight in the shoulders/neck and the odd niggle, but generally these old legs just keep going! I am getting a bit fed up with not enough sleep and not enough time with the family though. But hey, the end is nigh! Then it is the festive season and I will relax a heap...

20 days and counting!

Well today, in 3 weeks, will be race day. I am nearly ready. I think my mental reserves are getting a bit low. If I was a motorbike, you'd switch me to the reserve tank! Only a few more big/tough sessions to go.

The week has gone pretty well, with all target sessions achieved. My last big run was on Thursday and I managed a bit over 32km in 2:30hrs. I ran down the coast from home to Eric St in Swanbourne and then around to Christchurch school and then followed the normal bike route around the river until just above Warrawee lodge, where I went down to the river and ran past all the yacht clubs. When I got to Matilda Bay, I bumped into Scott coming the other way. He was doing exactly the same thing as me (2.5hr run) so we ran together for about 35 min, which was good (and hard). It was really humid and drizzled a little. I lost a bucket of sweat. Was a bit dehydrated later in the day despite a decent effort at drinking heaps all day.

Last night I had my 2nd of 3 weekly Friday 3.8km non-stop swims. It was a bit easier mentally than last week. I also took a full minute of last week and posted a 1:08. Still a long way off race pace hopefully. But in a pool - turning every 50m, with no wetsuit and using a pull buoy, I was fairly happy. My laps were very consistent at just under 18min per km.

Today was a very tough ride. I was up and on the bike at 5am, rode about 28km in 55min to Runners World. A really good group was there today. A few people who haven't ridden much all winter rocked up. Like Rat and big Andy. Most notably though - Bernie. He was looking pretty good. He has finished his chemo for now and was on his new Merkx bike. It was really good to have him in the bunch, even if I didn't see a lot of him. Anyway, Spider, Spud and Big Greg were all keen to give it a nudge at various times and so I had some other riders to play with! We did Circuit # 2. The tone was set early when we headed up Hale Rd (east side) and I pulled out of the bunch and blew up the hill and past Spider (who was a bit in front) in the 'big dog' all the way to the top. I was deep in the red by the time we got to the top and my HR had hit 88% of max. I'm not sure what I was doing - as I didn't plan it. I just felt the need for speed! Well Spider jumped on my wheel and followed me to the top and then it was on! Every hill was a test in who could hurt the most! I think I hurt the more - as he is still a level above me in bike fitness and I was on the TT rig - which isn't the best climbing machine. But it made for some lively riding as we did Rebold hill, Mosman Pk golf course, Reserve St etc. Spud and Spider egged me on when we were on flat fast and sometime windy bits. So I towed them at various times and loved it! Spider took a dare from Butch that he couldn't ride one legged up Reserve St - twice! He took it and did it! Amazing! I couldn't believe it as he went up with one leg unclipped!

We then got to the coffee shop at about 8:35 or so. It was real hard to just stop for a pit stop and refill a bidon. I really would have loved to stay and have coffee and eggs and toast. It was hard to leave as I would have loved to catch up with everyone. So I jumped back on the Cervelo and headed back around the river the opposite way to what we had just ridden. East Perth, Burswood, Sth Perth , Como, Canning bridge and back down to Port beach. The WNW'ly had picked up a fair bit and my plan of a nice steady cruise home was out the window! I had to push into it for about an hour. I got home and had done 153km in 5:03hrs

A quick change of gear and I ran out the door for a brick run. 30min/6km later I got home and was feeling pretty shattered. But mostly hungry!

One more big ride (next Sat) and taper begins next week. I can't wait. 20 days to go.

My late swim

Yesterday, I forgot to throw my swim gear in the car before work. When I discovered this (after parking my car in town) I was spewing. I usually go straight to the pool after work. So, this meant a trip home before I could go to the pool. So the plan was to go home, help out at 'feeding time at the zoo' for a while, see all the kids and catch up with their day, then drive back to the pool. Well that went pretty well, besides it being a bit of a struggle to sit and watch everyone else eat! It was good to catch up with what all the girls had done that day.

At about 645pm, I headed off to the pool for about an hours swim. The Bold Park pool closes at 8pm. Anyway, I had just jumped into the water and a voice from the next lane said 'hello Darin", it was Sam, Johns wife. Without contact lenses in I never notice people I know at the pool! So we had a quick chat which was cool, but I started to get cold standing there and kinda cut the conversation a bit short. Time was ticking away also.

I got into my session with 4x100m warm up, but was having a few issues with my goggles, so i stopped a few times to adjust etc. Then I did 10x150m & 15" rest, as 100m hard, 50 easy. I find it is very easy to lose count of these laps, as you end up at the other end of the pool every 2nd rest. Anyway, got through those and then noticed that the pool had thinned out a heap. In fact I was the last one there. I didn't look at my watch, but decided I best haul arse and finish ASAP. I was supposed to do 3x200's and 200 c/d. But made the decision on the fly to just swim 800m as quick as I could, without blowing too hard. I new I was running out of time, but kept swimming and counting down the laps. I tried not to look up when I got back to the start end of the pool, in case someone was there and told me to get out. I noticed that they had moved some of the lane ropes, in preparation for the pool covers to go one. I ploughed on, really wanting to get the last few laps completed, as I hate not finishing what I planned.

I was on my 2nd last lap, heading back to the start when I saw a pool attendant standing on the edge of the pool waiting for me! Doh! Busted! So I surfaced and stopped the clock. I then just more or less blurted out "One more lap" and she said "you are kidding..." I said "just give me 100 more seconds - I don't need the change rooms or anything, what the time?" She said 8 o'clock and didn't really wait for a further comment and took off, as fast as I could go! Well I powered up and back, stopped my watch then jumped out of the pool. The time was 8pm and a few seconds on my watch (which is almost spot on to the ABC radio news). I don't think I as very popular, as they were wheeling the big covers up to the end of the pool as I was drying myself! I thanked them and was real sucky and then took off! Opening hours say until 8pm, no where does it say you have to be out of the pool before 8!

Anyway, was a good swim - 2.8km in 50min.

Race Simulation # 1

Today the program said a 2 hour - optional - ride was on. I took the option of skipping it. After a 3.8km non stop swim on Friday night - my first since IMWA 2007 and a big Sat, I deserved the rest! Yesterday was a BIG day and a little extra recovery at this point in the build up is just fine. Yesterday was a race simulation ride. Scotty and I drove down to Busso and rode the IM course. This is how the day unfolded.

Up at 4:05am. Breakfast of cereal and a banana. Half asleep still (after a crappy 5hrs sleep only), toilet, contact lenses in and then grab all my drinks and into the car. I took 6 x 750ml bidons, 2 x 500ml, plus water, plus Coke and 2 x Up & Go's for recovery. Got to Scotty's place just before 5 and then hit the wide open road. We got to Busso at about 7:15, both busting for a pit stop! We parked just near the bike exit from transition. This was a race simulation brick, so it was on with race gear, race wheels, race nutrition/hydration plan and most important of all - race pace. So at 7:45 we hit the road on the pushies. The plan was simple - 1st hour @ 32 avg, then end up with an overall avg speed of 34 km/h for the 180km. Then run hard off the bike for 10km (over race pace). I had been having an easy week, Scotty had had a pretty big week. But he is 10 yrs younger than me and should be able to absorb the training better! He was however, not 100% at the start of the day though - and was a bit crook.

Well we started in great conditions - cool, overcast and nearly dead calm. As the day progressed it got warmer, more sunny and more windy. Scott and I alternated between riding 2 abreast and single file (no drafting) for the whole day, depending on the road and where we were exactly. The 1st hour we finished on about 32.7km/h avg, a tad faster than plan. But we both felt OK in the legs, although Scott was sweating a lot and clearly not quite right. We then upped the pace for the rest of the first lap to finish with an avg speed of about 33.3km/h. There were a lot of locals out and about riding, mostly roadies, but some triathletes. We saw quite a few groups or pairs etc. Back to the car and my speedo said we had done 64km. So obviously we had done a few extra kays at the far ends of the course. We grabbed some new bidons, had a wee and headed out for lap 2.

On race day, I usually find lap 2 to be the toughest mentally. But this time, in training, it wasn't so bad. Having Scotty along for company was a big difference I am sure. The time went pretty quick. The number of riders out there decreased a fair bit now, as it was 10am by now. The road kill count was pretty significant - birds, possums, bobtails and other unidentifiable mammals at regular intervals out in the Tuart forest. The breeze picked up a bit, but was shifty and hard to pick the direction, as we rode in all directions of the compass at various times on the course. We got through this lap a bit quicker and our lap avg had lifted to 34.9 for 61km. Another pit stop and fresh bidons and we were off for the last lap.

By now the legs had a bit of fatigue in them, for me, my left leg around the lower quad/outside of the knee was a bit sore. It felt a bit like ITB. My neck and shoulders were OK, but getting a bit uncomfortable. So I popped my Nurofen and things improved not long after. Scotty was a bit worse for wear and tear now, but was digging deep and not letting anything slow him down. He took plenty of turns at the front setting the pace (not that we were drafting at all) and ploughed on. I felt pretty good and was glad I at least had had an easy week. I felt quite strong throughout but was sick of being in the aero position. We both couldn't wait to get off the bike, especially after the last big effort into the wind on new Layman Road - which is very exposed to the wind, which had picked up to be fairly painful now. We finally made it back to the car and had done 59km (@ 35.1km/h) with the overall avg now finishing at 34.4km/h. That was my fastest ride ever (over 100km), by a long shot. Total = 183km, total time 5:19hrs. That would mean about a 5:15hr ride on race day (assuming my bike computer is accurate) which would be superb!

So we had a quick transition and pulled on the running shoes, threw the bikes in the Commodore and headed off in a westerly direction on the IM run course. This was my 1st run in a new pair of Kayanos, so my foot pod needed calibrating. It was reading about 5-6% fast/long I later determined. We ran at about 4:30 pace for a bit over 5km and turned around at the Mandalay caravan park resort. Scotty ran with me for most of that time and then after getting rid of some excess gas build up in his guts, was able to slowly pull away from me on the return trip. I ran the last 5km at 78-80% of max HR, so I couldn't really do anymore. I was very happy with that. It was a lot faster than I would have run on race day, especially the first 10km, so it was a good test to see if the bike leg was too fast or not. I was really only limited by my lung capacity and not my leg strength, so that is a very promising sign for race day. So I ran about 10.3km in 46min which is about 4:25 pace overall. Total training time 6:05hrs. I was glad to stop!

We then drove over to park near the jetty and the Equinox cafe to go for a recovery swim/stand in the water. That felt really nice. The onshore breeze had whipped up some wind waves and it wasn't real warm. But once you got used to it - it felt great. We stood around for a while and then had a bit of a swim/float in the water for about 10min. Amazingly, there were heaps of crabs around - and decent sized ones at that. Glad none latched onto my toes!

After a shower and then a burger, we jumped into the car and headed for home. The analysis of the session revealed we both would not do much differently. We would both put on more sunscreen and tweak our nutrition strategy a little, and thats about it. But it was a very successful session. I can now start to lock in my race day pacing strategy with a high degree of certainty. A 5:15-5:20 race day bike split is a reality now.

Anyway, it was a massive training day and Scott and I were able to push each other to both achieve some good results. Hopefully race day will be even better in 27 days time. I got home before 6pm just in time for dinner. It had been a long day and by 930pm I was asleep in bed!

An easy week this week - totals were 8.5/242/35 in about 12:30 hrs. Next week is the last big one before the taper begins...

Training peak reached

Well, with merely 33 days until IMWA, my training peak workload has been reached. This week, with my 2 days off, I clocked a huge 25:22 hours. That included 7km of swimming, 564km of riding and 58km of running. By and far my biggest week ever! I feel surprisingly good after all that too!

Yesterday for my 4:30 hr ride, I joined the Runners World crew for some hill repeats. The numbers were down a fair bit, with a few people away and a few 'CBF's'. But Big Greg, Hue, Nick, Greggie and Phab set out and did Ewen St, Hale Rd and Rebold Hill repeats. One trip up Ewen St (I think Phab and Greggie skipped this one!) then 5 x Hale Rd's. These were relatively easy, as we turn around about half way down the steep or Western side and the Eastern side is much more of a gentle slope. I felt pretty strong and stayed in the tri bars for most of the time. Then over to Rebold hill where we were to ride until a bit after 8am. I lost count of these, but after looking at my HRM graph later, it was 8 repeats. That pretty much took the edge off my legs! I managed to lap everyone at least once. Not that says much! After a spin back top the coffee shop, where I topped up my bidons and had a quick pit stop, I was off for another 2 hours.

There was a strong southerly blowing, so I rode RTR via East Perth and Mt Henry bridge, which ensured I had a tail wind to come home with from Port Beach. On the way down the Kwinana Fwy path to Canning bridge I passed Scotty and gave him a wave. From Freo home I had the wind behind me. That was great fun. I love going fast. I think I probably averaged 45 all the way up the coast. Total distance ended up being 132km. By the time I got home, my neck and shoulders had had enough. That 564km of riding had taken its toll there.

Today I had a 3hr ride and 30min brick run. The legs were certainly feeling the effects of all those hill repeats today.

This next week is an easier/race rehearsal week. I will re-test my 5k TT instead of my long run. Then I hope to ride the IMWA course next Sat. Then one more big week before I start the taper...I can't wait! Bring it on!

Using the Polar software, I pulled together a few stats. In comparing my training in 2007 to this year. In the 161 days to 1/11 (23 weeks) here are some key numbers;

Total training time 229 hrs v 288 hrs (26% increase)
Cycling Km's 4096 v 5026 (23% increase)
Running Km's 632 v 963 (52% increase)
Swimming - the same, except avg velocity has increased 9%

For an 'avg' week (km) in 2007 I did 3.4/178/29 and in 2009 it is 4.9/218/42.

What these numbers don't show is the quality of the work. The avg velocity of the avg week of running and cycling is up 7% and swimming 9%, but thats just stats. I have been focusing on doing more intensity each week in all 3 disciplines. So hopefully come race day it will all pay off!

One more long run left

Today was my 2nd last long run in my program. 2:30hrs. Ended up being about 31km. It was a pretty good session, made up of 75min easy, then 2 x 20min @ marathon pace (Z2) with 10min reco. By the end of the 2nd effort, my left foot felt a bit ordinary. It was more the strapping than the foot itself I think. So I need to strap that better next time, as I only did a half arsed job this morning, as I was in a hurry. I nearly didn't get up on time, as I stuffed my alarm setting (didn't set it!) and luckily woke up 5 min after I was due to get up anyway, at 4:50.

The weather was nice early and coolish but then the sun broke through some clouds and it become a bit hotter. I ran down the coast from home to Swanny and then along the train track bike path to Claremont, past Christchurch school and then followed the river around Victoria Ave & Jutland Pde. I then ducked down to the river near Warrawee lodge and ran along past all the yacht clubs to Matilda Bay etc. It was a fairly picturesque run - beach and river views most of the way. I think we get a bit blase about how lucky we are to have such a nice place to train - it so beats what a lot of people have.

The last bit was hard, as I got to Barrack St and had another 15min to run...so had to keep running down towards the Causeway for a while and then back to the office. That last 3-4km was getting hard, the legs felt somewhat drained. I was glad to stop. Next week is an easy/testing week, so no long run. Just a 5kTT instead. So after that there is only one long run left

Big Tri Weekend Pt 2

The final part of my BTW was another 'century' ride today. 160km.

I am seriously out of ideas for where to ride. So I basically did Saturday's ride again! Boring. But it is 99% on bike paths & pretty flat. So from a race prep point of view it ticked the boxes. Well, just like Monday, there was tail wind as I headed south! Doh! It wasn't as strong, but it was there, just.

As I started back from the end of Roe Highway, I came across a cyclist who looked fairly good. he had the 'Live' sponsored kit on from that bike shop in Leederville and was on a decent Giant bike, with carbon wheels. Anyway, he looked to be taking it fairly easy. So I passed him at about 33 or so. Well he promptly jumped on and sucked wheel for the next 12-13km. Lazy prick! I pushed it a bit and sat on 35-36 constantly, with my HR sitting on about 75% of max. Then when we got to the South St flyover he went down to the road and I kept on the path. He didn't even say thanks for the tow as he went by! Not that I wanted to sit on anyway...

Well I continued on my merry way, glad to spin for a few minutes, and jumped back on the freeway south path. Before I new it I was at Baldivis and buying, for the 3rd time in as many days, 2 Powerades for $5.50. (One is $4.20!!!) They are always very friendly to me at that servo too. Well, I scoffed my lollies, filled up my other water bottle and head off. Into a headwind. Again. Deja vu or what. It wasn't quite as bad as yesterday, but enough to be a pain. I tried to fire up the MP3 player on my phone - but I think the phone is on it's way out. It keeps losing the memory card (where I have 1.4Gb of songs) and AI couldn't get it to play without jumping around! That pissed me off no end. So i shoved it back into my jersey pocket and took out my frustration on the road. I put in a solid effort for about half an hour or so. By now my neck and shoulders were very tight and aching a bit. This is the worst part of 3 big rides in 4 days.

The last hour seemed to take forever. Especially since I had to go a slightly longer way home from town to get it up to 160k. That took a lot of effort. I really wanted to cop out and get home 10k earlier. I was pretty hungry when I got home. I just wanted to east savoury stuff. So I devoured 2 meals that were leftovers - a bowl of lentil & tomato pasta and chicken curry & rice. That filled a whole. Very nicely. I had burned nearly 10,000 calories in 2 days of exercise (not including swimming)

So BTW summary looks like this: Swim 8.6km, ride 577km and run 31km for a total of 24:05 hrs. Hopefully that will stand me in good stead for IM in 38 days time!

Glad thats over...

Well my BTW is over. And I am very glad. My shoulders and neck are very sick of being in the aero position on the Cervelo. The legs are actually fine. In fact I reckon they feel stronger, but still a bit tired. The other thing I am over is gels and bars and Powerade. I am sick of sweet stuff!

Yesterday was the Epic Day and it went something like this. Up at 440am, in the pool at Bold Park by 535. A cruisy 8x500m with the pull buoy for my 4k swim at about 18:58 pace. Then jumped in the car and zoomed home, whilst consuming 500ml of Up & Go. I then scoffed a big bowl of cereal, got organised and grabbed the bike by about 750am. Off I went headed for the very end of the freeway bike path. The weather was mild and overcast with no discernible breeze. But after about an hour & a half or so, I started to notice that I was cruising along, soft pedaling, doing 36km/h and my heart rate was about 55% of max. I looked for signs of a tail wind, but could not really make out any movement of trees or other flora. So I dropped it down a couple gears and lifted my work rate. I was soon flying along very easily at around 38-40km/h and my HR was still below 60%!!! A lot of fun. It was at this time I did start to see signs of a northerly blowing. So I thought I would make the most of it. I was not seeing too many other cyclists about (seeing how it was mid morning on a Monday). I did come up on a bloke riding a Giant wearing sneakers who was doing perhaps 35. He was a bit of an odd bod and jumped on my wheel and started to rabbit on a bit from behind, where I could hardly hear him. He was probably 65+ not out and fairly fit. I don't know why he didn't have bike shoes on though? Very strange. Luckily we got to the turn off at Safety Bay Rd soon enough, where I had to stop at the servo for some additional hydration etc. I think he was a bit disappointed as I had earlier told him I was going to the end and now I turned off!

Well I didn't see anyone else for the next 60k. The new part of the path is a pretty lonely place on your own. The breeze had picked up a little, so I made good time. I got to the end (92km) in 2:47hrs or about 33km/h. I called Scotty to say hello, as I had a quick break and he said it had just rained in the city. That would explain the increasing NW'er blowing. That weak front the weather man predicted was here. Well seeing as I was 75km from the city, it was still a ways off. So with some trepidation, I mounted my stead and headed north for 3 hours of slog into the wind. The first few km were terrible. I was doing 27-28 and working pretty hard. The sky had got darker to the north and that rain was coming. The wind was gusty and it started spitting right on cue. It was like that for ages. By the time I got back to Baldivis, the path was pretty well soaked and the rain was bit heavier. I was getting covered in sand and dirt from the path as my tyres flicked up the water. My nice clean bike with a new chain was getting filthy! Anyway, kept pushing on and slowly the Km's past. My neck and shoulders were tight and my bum was getting a bit uncomfortable now too. I hate out and back rides where you have to push into a head wind coming home! I kept my cadence up as the next part of my day was a run. I finally got to the city and the breeze had moderated by now somewhat. It even started to get a bit sunny (and steamy too). I finally got home with a split of 3:08hrs. Avg speed overall had dropped to 31. 183km done.

I was so filthy with ride grime and heaps of sand that I had a quick shower straight away, sculled some water and pulled on the running gear. It was off for a one hour run. I felt pretty good and after a couple of km's got into a rhythm of sorts. My cadence would drop if i didn't consciously keep an eye on it though. I ran down to the coast and headed north. I turned around at 6k and headed home. My left arch had been giving me a bit of grief since about the 2-3k mark. It felt worse going up hills, as I pushed off. This is a bit concerning, given my history of plantar fasciitis. Anyway, it settled down a little but by the end. Amazingly, my splits were exactly the same for each half (30:18), even though the return leg has some big uphills at the end!

Well I got home about 330pm and was pretty stuffed after nearly 11 hours since I got out of bed. The Epic Day was finished and so was I! I iced my foot, drank a litre of coffee chill, took some anti-inflammatories and felt a great deal of satisfaction in what was my biggest ever training day. The only day bigger will be Race Day, which is now 38 days away.

Big Tri Weekend Pt 1

3 days down, 2 to go! The hardest day(s) are in front of me!

Last calendar week was one of my biggest ever - 17:13 hours. I feel like it right now too...pretty tired and some muscle soreness. I managed to do 9.2k of swimming, 277k of riding and 65k of running. I did skip a few optional sessions in my Big Tri Weekend. My weekend continues on Mon/Tue - as I am off work and training. Tomorrow is the Epic Day and another big ride on Tue. So my totals at the end of next week s/be big too.

I had a great ride on Sat. Joined a mate & fellow IMWA entrant, Scott, for the middle part of a 165km ride. It was pretty windy with strong and gusty E-SE'ly winds. We rode down the Freeway bike path south and did Roe Highway as an out and back, then continued onto Baldivis and back. I ended up with a solid avg of 31.0. I later had a good 2.6k swim at Challenge. The water was lovely and I had a lane to myself. very nice.

Todays key session was an 18k run. Which I felt very strong for throughout. I then went to watch the LC Worlds for a couple hours. It was hot and windy. I was amazed at the low standard of some of the age groupers. Some bikes were not even TT rigs and some body shapes were more suited to shot put than triathlon! But that's what the AG'er thing is all about - participation. I just thought that the standard would have been a bit higher all the way through the ranks seeing how it was a World Championship... I then hit the pool on the way home and it was hard work. I could feel yesterdays session in my arms and shoulders. Funnily enough, the water felt quite cold today, 24 hours after it felt real nice and warm! I guess it's the difference between air and water temperature on a hot day (32.7 degrees)...

Critical period

The next 12 days are probably the most important of my build up to the IMWA race. Although I will have more important individual sessions (like race rehearsal rides) these next 2 weeks are where I do my biggest mileage. I really need to put a concerted effort in to get as much sleep as I can and eat well too. Right now I am feeling fairly weary. Yesterday, I left the office and headed to the pool for a few laps. By the time I got there, I was feeling very tired and somewhat sleepy. So I parked the car, turned the radio down a bit and had a kip for 20min! I dozed on and off until about 6pm, then got up and went and hit the pool feeling somewhat better! Managed a fairly big main set of 10 x 150's (100 hard, 50 reco) and 3 x 200's (steady) for a total of 2.8km.

Yesterdays interval run was hard work. It was just the normal 1 hour with 3 x 1.6k Z4 efforts (4min pace). But I pulled up a bit sore. My feet feel like they took a hammering. I have been getting this 'hot foot' sensation on my left heel when I do intervals lately and the arches of my feet are feeling a bit niggly. I hope that my old issue of plantar fasciitis stays away for the next 45 days! I may need to go see the podiatrist to make sure things are all OK. I have been strapping my feet most runs as a precaution. My shoes have done about 450k, so maybe I should replace them a bit earlier than normal and then I can wear them again after IM when my mileage is lower?

I see from an email today that there are 1181 registered competitors for IMWA, with a little over 3 days until entries close. Looks like it will be a new record start for sure. But right now I just want to get through the next 12 days, injury free and still motivated! This weekend is my BTW and I would be less than honest if I said I was a just a little apprehensive. I think I will be tested mentally more than anything else - as most of it is at an easy aerobic pace. Anyway, I'll just focus on the process one session at a time and I am sure it will be fine. Today is a my easiest day of the week - just a 2k swim almost all with the pull buoy. So I will enjoy the day and rest my weary legs...

7 to go

Week 5 of my race prep period is over. 7 to go. I was pretty happy with how the week went. Hit all the targets. Swim 7.0/ride 275/run 59k for a total of 15:30hrs

I rode up to Yanchep again today. It's an 88km round trip. I had a 3 hour ride scheduled, followed by a 30min brick run. So I got up nice and early (445am) and was on the road at 517am. The hot weather of yesterday had disappeared over night and had been replaced with a cold front. That was good - except for the strong NW'er blowing. So I headed into and up Marmion Ave. The legs took a while to start working and I could feel the residual fatigue in them from yesterday. But I put my head down and tried the ABP approach (Always Be Pushing) after about 30min. It was slow going and much harder than yesterday. But it was good to be out at 1st light. Anyway, to cut a long story short I got to Yanchep in about 1:33hrs (avg 28.3) and boy did it feel good to turn around. I instantly picked up the pace a heap and hurtled myself back down the road. I spent large amounts of time at 45-50km/h. It was a LOT of fun! I got home in 1:08hrs - a massive negative split of 25min. By the time I pulled into the driveway, my avg speed for the trip had jumped up to 32.7 - which means the return trip was done at 38.8km !!!

Next weekend is my BTW - Big Tri Week. Where I a do a heap of kays! I am sort of looking forward to it, but also can feel how tired my legs and neck and shoulders will be!