Sri Chinmoy Triple Triathlon 2008

I first took part in this event in 2004 in a team of 9 girls. Back then just completing one 1km swim leg was a challenge for me. My team was disqualified for failing to make the first bike cut-off, but we still completed the course and I was hooked on the event. In 2005 I completed 2 legs in team of 8 girls, including the big swim. In 2006 I was in a team of 3 girls and we each did 3 legs. I was exhausted at the end of that day and still couldn't believe people did the whole thing solo. But soon after that a little voice inside me starting nagging "triple tri solo". I was overseas for work in November 2007, so 2008 was to be my year.

My training was mixed. I had a fun year, completing some solid hilly trail runs, including the 6ft track marathon and Oxfam Trailwalker 100km, and some good mtb training with the AROC Mogo 100km and the Scott 24hr. I swam consistently over winter and managed 3x per week most weeks leading up. I was fit and definitely had a good endurance base. But I had a dodgy knee in the 2 months prior, so I didn't do much running and no hills for that period. Then various factors (work, family, life) meant I did none of the massive weekend sessions that I had planned and thought I needed, for about 6 weeks prior to the race. I seriously considering not starting, or doing a team of 2 instead, but in the end I figured I had nothing to lose and would never know if I didn't give it a go.

Leg 1 - 1.5km swim

The 7 soloists (3 female and 4 male) gathered on the bank of Lake Ginninderra at 5.30 am just as the sun was rising. The race briefing was succinct: You all know where you are going and what you are doing, right? We wished each other well, the race director said Go and off we went. The water was mild and the smell of it very familiar from my childhood, so I relaxed straight away. I was surprised how quickly the 4 males disappeared but it didn't worry me. I left the water in front of the other 2 girls but lost a bit of time in transition and they both got away on the bike ahead of me.

Soloists start @ 5.30 am

Leg 2 - 35km mtb

Within a km or so we 3 girls were riding along together chatting. We all agreed that our primary goal was to finish. Kate from the US was backing up from Xterra World Championships in Maui, Hawaii a few weeks before and Laura was back for revenge after DNF-ing as a soloist in 2006. Talking to her I knew she would finish today. Just after the University of Canberra we passed my friend and fellow soloist Steve with a flat tyre. He had a support crew member with him and seemed okay changing it. Heading over the top of the first hill of the day on Bruce Ridge, Laura and I pulled away a little. We rode together until the infamous Push Bike Hill, when we did as the name suggests. Soon I was at the top of Black Mt and it has never before felt so easy getting there. I (shamefully) walked a steep section coming down off Black Mt. From then on it was an extremely lovely early morning ride over ridges, through paddocks, along bike paths, even along some single track. I arrived at transition 2 feeling great. Climbing up Black Mountain

Leg 3 - 20k run

I love this run. It goes straight up and over Mt Majura and Mt Ainslie then on to Lake Burley Griffin. I set off feeling good and soon passed Laura, who had again had a quicker transition than me. I walked some steeper sections but ran most of the way and was soon at the top of Mt Majura, another peak bagged. I ran down the road very cautiously as I didn't want to antagonise my knee. The course then passes through some of the Majura Pines mtb single track which is great fun to run, like being on a rollercoaster. I happily jogged along some familiar trails and was soon on the narrow track traversing the top of Mt Ainslie. I arrived at the summit, took in the amazing views, saw my dedicated support crew and started heading down the steep mostly paved descent. Again I was very cautious. I wanted to fang it, but I knew I had to look after my knees and quads to get through the next 2 triathlons. I was passed by a lot of team runners having a blast. From the bottom of Mt Ainslie to the swim transition is a couple of flat kilometres and I was soon wriggling back into my wetsuit for the big swim.

Somewhere on Mt Ainslie

Leg 4 - 3.5k swim

Solo competitors are allowed to have a kayak with them for the 2nd and 3rd swims, keeping a 5 meter distance. I recruited my Dad for this task as I was worried about cramping. The day was warming up and it felt so nice to be in the water and resting my legs. I never kick much and in a wetsuit I get away without kicking at all. I mentally broke the swim down into 3 sections - to the first bridge, to the second bridge and then to the finish. After about 2km a team swimmer passed and gave me a little fright, and one leg cramped. I rolled over on my back for my moment then breaststroked over to Dad in the kayak and hung on for a moment (this is allowed as long as the kayak is not moving forward at the time). The cramp passed straight away but I stopped for a gel and a drink, assured Dad I was fine and then pushed on. As I was nearing the finish I recognised another kayak nearby and knew that meant Steve, who is a strong swimmer, was passing me. I tried to hop on his feet but had no chance and by the time we got to shore he had put a good gap on me. I was excited to be finished the swim with no real problems and was looking forward to the ride. In transition I ate a fair bit (thinking of it as lunch) - a bread roll, chips, creamed rice and an energy drink.

Finishing swim 2 at Acton Ferry Terminal

Leg 5 - 40k mtb

This mtb leg feels pretty mammoth, as you ride over some good hills, down to Coppins Crossing, up and around Mt Stromlo and beyond. I was feeling good as I rode around the lake and passed some team riders. On the way towards Dairy Farmers hill (not summited this year due to road works) I caught up to Steve and congratulated him on a good swim and we chatted for a while. The climb up Mt Stromlo felt long and hard but I kept plugging away and got there eventually to some cheers and a kind offer of being 'sponged'! The trip down Mt Stromlo is on some fun single track that I was familar with from the 24hr race, so I really enjoyed this section. Soon after crossing Cotter Road I started to feel a bit sick and very bloated. I was aware that I had not eaten much for awhile but I didn't feel like anything. I had never ridden the last section along the back of Duffy and Chapman but I thouroghly enjoyed it - very scenic and easy riding mixed with memories of the devastation that the Canberra bushfires brought here.

Fuelling up before Bike 2

Leg 6 - 12k run

As I started this run Julie Quinn (female course record holder and helper to Kate this year) encouraged me and said this was leg was 'the hard one'. VERY TRUE. I hadn't run it before and naively thought - 'its 12km, how bad can it be?' Well, the start goes up and up and up Mt Taylor. I was quickly reduced to walking and started feeling pretty awful. Once I got over the top and started down I ran but my stomach hurt and bouncing up and down was making it worse. I decided to try and make myself vomit, having heard of this being a magic cure for others with tummy troubles. I stuck my fingers down my throat but to no avail. I plodded on and soon Kate came past and said Hi. This woke me up and I decided to try and keep up with her. So down the mountain we went and started along the mercifully flat bike path towards Lake Tuggeranong. Kate was feeling sick too but we jogged along together okay. In the transition I was stressing about what and whether to eat as I still felt sick and now I had to swim. I have never had nutrition problems before and didn't have a plan for how to deal with it. But I was through 2 triathlons now and starting to feel pretty confident that I was going to make it, so that cheered me up.

Run transition laid out and ready to go

Leg 7 - 1.2k swim

I don't think I have ever swum that slowly in my life. I felt so flat, and it almost I was going in slow motion. I couldn't kick at all for fear of cramps and had to really concentrate on keeping my legs relaxed. Fortunately I had Dad paddling again, though at one point it looked like he was having to paddle backwards to keep near me. I just kept stroke-stroke-stroking away and knew I would get there ... eventually. The ladder at the end out of the water was a challenge, but fortunately my legs and arms were still working just enough to get me up it. In transition I think I managed to eat a bit more but my tummy was still sore.

Waving to Mum before the last swim - yay

Leg 8 - 25k mtb

The first part of this leg was a long, flat bike path, into a headwind. I now concede that it wasn't gale-force as I thought at the time. A team female rider got on my tail and sat there the whole way along the bike path. I know this is legitimate and I would probably do it myself, but in my tired state I was so grumpy with her. I wanted to yell "what the hell are you doing? I am a solo - SO-LO, d'ya hear me? Get up here and take your turn". Once out of the wind she passed me and then she rode off into the distance. It broke my heart!

There are some fantastic views on this leg but you have to climb some nasty hills to get to them. I think I hit the wall here. It is a bit of a blur but I remember at one stage I was pushing my bike one or two steps, stopping, gathering all my strength, taking another 1 or 2 steps, etc. I was very tired and still feeling sick but I think the problem was more I had lost it mentally. I wasn't even trying to go. At one stage I saw my support crew and I could tell from their worried faces that I looked bad. Towards the end of this section there are some steep descents which I inched down on my brakes - shame. I wish I could ride downhill properly. Then I started riding behind a father and son team and that kept me motivated. The son looked about 8 years old - what a champ. Finally I reached the tunnel, which is one of the coolest parts of the whole Triple Tri, rode it sucessfully and emerged into the transition to the final leg. Yippee. This was probably my quickest transition of the day because I was so keen to get running. I decided not to take my camelbak because it was late in the day and I could do without the extra weight.

Looking better than I felt on Bike 3

Leg 9 - 13km run

It just wouldn't be right if this leg was too easy, so there were still some more decent climbs to complete. I ran, walked and shuffled over the hills. I felt very tired and thought I could easily lie down and sleep. A bus stop bench looked particularly inviting. But the last 5 or so kilometres are flat, lovely bike path and I can honestly say I enjoyed it. I was able to run and I felt good considering. The crowd at the finish was small but appreciative and I felt like a star being cheered by my family and triathlon buddies. As I crossed the line I unexpectedly started crying - just really happy and really exhausted.

Running on the last run leg

My total time was 13 hours, 59 minutes and 17 seconds. I didn't care at all about the time, but it was great to finish while it was still light and with time for a shower before the presentation started.

One of the best parts of the Triple Tri is the presentation. They put on a big spread of vegetarian pasta, curry, rice etc, with rice pudding, fruit, hot chocolate etc - heaven. Then when they give the awards they have each solo finisher make a little speech, which makes it special. I never dreamed that one day I would be one of those crazy people and I really enjoyed my little moment. Its funny because once you have done it you know its not that hard, but the uninitated don't know that.

I recovered really well. I was leg sore for 2 days and tired for about a week, but nothing serious. As soon as it was over I started thinking about how much I want to do it again and how I could improve. The training I did was enough to get me through but not enough to go at any speed. I particularly faded in the last triathlon and I am sure I could improve that with a better preparation.

In closing I highly, highly recommend the Triple Tri solo experience to anyone who loves going long and being off-road. If I can do it, you can too.

Triple Tri is GO!!!

I have entered and there is no turning back now - woo hoo! The last few weeks of training (or lack of) have not been perfect, but I am fit and uninjured and have nothing to lose.

My main concern has been my knee and I have done no hilly running as a result. But after a very painful session with Gary the massage maestro last week, I ventured out for 2 laps of Quarry Rd yesterday and had NO KNEE PAIN! I couldn't quite believe it, but that is the best I could have hoped for and gave me no excuse to not enter. This morning I did a 3.5k continuous swim in my wetsuit at the Dawn Fraser Baths and felt great, very comfortable. Sadly the Canberra lakes are not salty.

Highlights since my last post:

Forster Long Course Triathlon - good swim, good bike, crappy run, 4th in my AG. A fun weekend but the race didn't make me want to rush back to triathlon.

Striders 10k @ Lane Cove -I managed under 44 mins, just. Not too bad, better than the previous month at Homebush and considering the course, but I am a way from 10k PB form. But I was very pleased to realise that I have done 8 Striders 10ks this year.

Sydney to Gong ride - We started late and it was crazy busy and annoyingly slow, but we had fun and I really enjoyed racing up the hill out of the National Park. It was Tom's longest ride ever and he did very well. If we do it again I will force Tom to get up early and start at 6AM. (There is a photo here - $49 for a download, hmmm, love that value.)

I have also had a few good training sessions. A couple of times I have gone out to run the Bay 14km and managed to hold 5 min pace, which feels great. I have managed to ride with Group 3 at SOP. And I have ridden the MTB to work at Parramatta a few times, which makes for a solid 40k commute day.

Next time I post I hope it will be as a Triple Tri solo finisher.

Triple Tri Training - Week 5

This was another pretty light week, as I was 'recovering' from the 24hr, 'tapering' for the Forster long-course tri and travelling for work - phew!

Monday
Rest day - driving to Coff's Harbour. I did go for a nice 'stretchy' walk on the beach in the evening.

Tuesday
AM- 10km run. I was exploring new territory near my hotel in Coffs. Unfortunately I got a bit lost, on the Pacific Highway bizarrely enough, but it was good to be moving again.
PM - 3km continuous swim in the lovely CH War Memorial pool. I did the last 2k as a bit of time trial, finishing it in 38 minutes.

Wednesday
AM - Take 2 on my run. I still didn't manage to do the loop I had planned but I did run to the top of a really big steep hill, surrounded by bananas, with a spectacular view. On the downside, my troublesome knee was giving me lots of trouble and really sore by the time I got back down the hill.
PM - 1.5k swim - Back to the CH pool but it was closed for water hockey or something, so I had to go to the indoor 25m pool instead.

Thursday
AM - I spent the morning in Port Macquarie for work. I am really not going to mind hanging out there once a month. We had coffee at a cafe/bikeshop called Peloton and I eyed off some very nice pink shoes.
PM - I flew back home and did a 7k run with Tom. I did 2 x 1k efforts, each just under 4 minutes and I was feeling pretty good. But Tom beat me in the race home, damn.

Friday
Rest day - I drove to Canberra to get admitted, had a lovely lunch at Mecca Bah then drove back home.

Scott 24hr 2008

Seeing as how I have lots of blogging to catch up on I think I will let the pictures do the talking. Suffice to say that my 5th anniversary at the 24hr was great fun. I came, saw, rode abit, ate alot, slept none, hung out plenty.

From the CORC website:

6,396 Red Laps = 85,067 Kms
6,394 Blue Laps = 97,189 Kms
12,790 Laps in Total = 182,256 Kms
182,256 Kms = 4.56 Laps of the Planet

2,390 Riders Entered
2,146 Male / 244 Female
631 Riders on Track
142 Solos / 489 Teams

Awesome!

Triple Tri Training - Week 4 - 06/10 - 12/10

So this week was a bit of a fizzer because I was sick.

Monday

I had a sore throat so I decided (again!) not to go for a big mtb.

PM - swim at Olympic Park. I was supposed to do 3k continuous this week but the pool was closing at 7pm and I had paid for the sauna too, so I only had time for 2k - oops. It was the first time I have swum in the "competition" pool though and it was nice. The sauna afterwards felt very HOT, so maybe I was feverish.

Tuesday

I had a day off and so even though I was feeling a bit off-color, I wanted to get in a good brick session.

AM - 60km ride at SOP. Ummm, so, my return to group 3 was very short-lived. :( There were not many people there, probably due to the long weekend and I swear, those that were there were pouring on the speed. I got dropped after only 2 laps. I was a bit downcast, especially as I was planning on doing extra. So then I rode another 7 laps on my own, at a pretty slow pace. I tried to get down on my tri-bars a bit but it didn't feel comfy at all.

After I got home I headed out for a 14km run. I planned to take it easy and I felt good. I finished with an average pace of 5.15 which is good for me for an easy run.

Wednesday

AM - I was planning to get up and ride but I was extremely tired and decided to sleep in.

Today was my first day in my new job and it was great, though I don't much like the train ride. I found out there are no showers in my building which sucks, especially as there is a nice looking place nearby to run. Hopefully I will be able to sort something out with that. By the time I got home I was feeling really tired with a sore throat and runny nose. I conceeded that I was sick and needed to take some time off training.

Thursday

Feeling sick - sore throat, runny nose, light cough. Did nothing.

Friday

I am starting to feel better today, but am still not training.

This weekend is the Scott 24hr Mountain Bike Race in Canberra. I am riding it for the 5th consecutive year, which is amazing to me. I remember my first time in 2004. I was a late replacement in a mixed team of 6 with Jen and 4 boys. My mtb was brand new and had hardly been ridden. We had done 1 night training ride. I was very very nervous. On the old course at Kowen Forest a lap was >20km and took me well over an hour to ride. I was so scared before each lap and riding the switchbacks at night was particularly hard. But I loved the whole atmosphere and I got to ride the dawn lap and I had heaps of fun. The next day it turned out that the last lap was my turn. That meant I was going to ride more laps than anyone else and I fully expected one of the boys to offer to do it instead, but none of them did. I hadn't slept a wink and I was exhausted and delirious, but I didn't want to wimp out, so off I went. I remember the latter part of the course had lots of logs and I was so sore and so over it. But finally the end came. None of the boys came down to cheer me in and I remember being a bit disappointed about that. When I got back to the camp I expected to be showered with thanks for riding the last lap but they were nonchalant and drinking beers, which was the last thing in the world I felt like. But I was completely hooked on the race and SO proud of the 4 laps I rode - over 80k of mtb in 24hrs! The next day I could hardly walk and felt like I had beaten with a baseball bat.

This year is my second year in an all-girl team of 3. Last year I felt that 3 was the perfect number, with a good balance of riding, recovery time and hanging out. The forecast is fine and I am ready to roll for 'the Woodstock of mountain-biking'.

Triple Tri Training - Week 3 - 29/09 - 05/10

Monday
AM - Swim squad 3.9k.
PM - Hill session with Tom 11k run. My first time back to Lilyfield Rd in a few weeks and I was a little apprehensive, but it was great. My first rep was 1.17, which is the fastest I have ever done. After that it was 1.18, 1.18, 1.23, 1.24, 1.23. I felt good and pleased with my speed and form. I think the secret was being fresh, I usually do that session later in the week and more fatigued.

Tuesday
AM - Ride at SOP 45k. I decided to have a go with Group 3 at the last minute. I hung on for 4 laps but I got dropped on the incline on the 5th lap. But I was v.happy to almost make group 3.
PM - Pain in the Domain. This was the last time I will be able to go to PITD as I won't be working in the city from next week :(. So I tried to enjoy it. I went with Group 4, I felt okay but not great. We finished in 29.05 which is pretty solid.

Wednesday
AM - Ride at SOP 45k. This was the first time I have been on a Wed, when they do a recovery ride. It was looovely. A nice gentle pace and lots of chat. I could get very used to that.
PM - Swim at ITAC 2.8k continuous in 56.14. Another torture-fest for the mind. Bizarrely I think next week when I get to 3k it will be easier. There is no kidding oneself that its not long and boring.

Thursday
AM - Ride at SOP 45k. I gave group 3 another go and I made it! Horray. I was very satisfied with that, its been months since I rode with group 3.
PM - Run from work around CP. I didn't have my Garmin but I think its about 9k in 49 mins. I felt good and strong. We had a very nice dinner in town at Ramen Kan followed by Cold Rock icecream. Yum.

Friday
AM - 4k swim squad. I felt quite good this morning, and I think I might be improving a little bit. But I still need to develop/find/buy/steal some speed.

Saturday
AM - Striders 10k at Homebush. I was hoping to go under 43 minutes but it wasn't to be. I only managed 44.04. I felt like I pushed quite hard, so I was pleased with that, but was disappointed with my time. I think I have to chalk it up to having already done 9 sessions in the week.
PM - We were planning a big mtb, but Tom was feeling sick and the weather was crap. So instead I sat around feeling a bit frustrated and worried about my lack of long mtb at the moment.

Sunday
AM - A last minute invitation saw me getting up at 4AM (pre daylight savings time) and driving north to Cammeray to do the 3 Gorges Ride through Bobbin Head, Berowra Waters and Galston Gorge. I was a bit apprehensive about such a long ride (I have not done near 100k on the road since last year) but it was just fantastic. I felt great, loved the climbs, loved the views, loved rolling along in a bunch, loved the ferry ride, especially loved the coffee stop. It was my first time ever riding "north" and it almost enough to make me want to start road riding on the weekend again. We did 104k in 4 hours riding time.
PM - 14k run. I planned to go whatever pace I felt like and it turned out to be quite quick, with an average pace of 5.00 exactly. That is probably the fastest I have ever done that loop. I felt good but definitely spent by the end. After dinner I lay on the couch watching Australian Idol do ABBA and eating Chocolate Brownie icecream - both were great.

Weekly total
Swim: 10.7km - Good, I am happy as long as I am getting in 3 swims.
Bike: 240km road, 45km commute, 0km mtb - Very happy with the road kms, not great about the mtb but I will make up for that next weekend.
Run: 54km - a solid effort but no long run.

I finally made some real progress on the bike this week which was nice. I am running out of time to build my long run but everything else is going okay and as long as a I am running consistently through the week I should be okay. I am not sure how my knee would cope with a long run at the moment. Next weekend is the Scott 24hr mtb in Canberra and the following weekend is the Forster short-long-course event, so I am going to be busy.

This week also marks a possible major turning point in my training. I am starting a new job which I expect to be less flexible and more demanding on my time and energy. If this means that my training and racing suffers I think I am prepared for that. On the plus side its a 20k commute from home. ;)

Triple Tri Training - Week 2 - 22/09 - 28/09

Monday
AM - 10k run around Mt Ainslie in Canberra. This is one of my favourite places to run and it was a gorgeous warm morning.
I flew home to Sydney after work, the flight was delayed and I was sooo tired and grumpy. I must have been frowning and sighing rather prominently because the man sitting next to me on the plane actually asked me if I was okay.

Tuesday
Unscheduled rest day. I was planning to get up and ride but it was raining when the alarm went off at 5.00. I went back to sleep until 7, which felt good. I slept for 10 hours so I must have been buggered. I was also planning to run at lunch but I was busy at work and decided I probably needed a rest day anyway.

Wednesday
AM - Swim squad 3.8k. I felt good but I don’t seem to be getting to be getting any faster yet.
PM - 14k run with Tom. This was an amazing run for me. It started out really bad - Tom wanted to go quick and it felt too hard for me. We had run all the way around the Bay and were steadily getting faster and then Tom said we had to keep it up until we got to the netball courts. I protested but he said it was a good challenge. And suddenly I felt great. For the next 1km I ran so well and it felt so easy. I was imagining that I was running a marathon at my perfect marathon pace and each step was strong and controlled. It was a feeling I have never had before running - like riding with a big tail wind. To top it off I beat Tom on our 'race home' for the first time. I was on such a high after. :)

Thursday
AM - 45k Ride at SOP with group 4. I am still feeling heavy and slow on the bike.
PM - Lunchtime swim at C&P. 2.6km continuous in 51.39. Slow slow slow and it is so boring swimming 52 laps without stopping. I am so not looking forward to 2.8 next week.

Friday
AM - Swim squad, 3.7k. I was slow - I couldn't make 1.40 for 100 fast at the end of the set, even trying really hard. I guess 3 days in the pool in a row didn't work well but I was pleased to fit in 3 decent swims.

On Saturday we drove down to Fitzroy Falls for the Fitzroy Falls Firetrail Marathon 10k. I had kinda wanted to do the marathon but with a slightly niggly knee and other fish to fry I decided not to. I figured that I would get more benefit out of a week of good training either side than I would out of 1 42k long run. The 10k was good fun. I went out too hard and struggled a bit on the hills coming back. My time was 46.14 which is a bit slower than I hoped, but I scored a bottle of wine for 2nd place. It was kind of embarrassing because I was 10 mins (10 mins!) behind the winner. But it was still nice.

On Saturday night we camped at Wingello with some friends and had a really good night in the pub and toasting marshmallows on the fire. Then on Sunday we did a great ride on the 25k Red Loop at Wingello. I really enjoyed this trail - very smooth single track, nice native bush, fast and fun firetrails. I will be back to ride it again for sure.

Weekly totals

Swim: 10.1km - good.

Bike: 45k road, 45k commute, 25k mtb - not great but could be worse.

Run: 34k - low ks and no long run.

All up I was happy but objectively it was a pretty light week, especially the weekend. I really need to get in some longer mtbs. Mt knee felt fine running but I am not sure how it'll go with longer stuff.

Triple Tri Training Week 1 - 15/09 - 21/09

Monday

AM: LPAC Swim squad 3.7k. I am loving swimming in the morning. It makes for a lot of 5AM starts but it is so nice to be done with a long session by 7 in the morning.

Tuesday

AM: 45k ride at Homebush, group 4/5. I felt a little tired on the way there and consoled myself with the thought that my focus at the moment is on consistency. Just getting out on the bike consistently is going to make a difference, eventually. It was very windy and I hung on with some difficulty until the group exploded at the end.

PM: Pain in the Domain. I went with group 5 as its been awhile since I did anything fast. I felt pretty good except for on the long interval when I was slack. Finished in in 30.05 which is not bad.

Wednesday

AM: LPAC Swim squad 3.9k - a good solid swim.

PM: Lunchtime run from work around Centennial Park, 9k approx. I didn't have my Garmin on but I felt good and strong.

Thursday

AM: 45k ride at Homebush, Group 4. It was a better group than Tuesday. Got home and then ran to work, 7k.

PM: Ran home from work 7k. I was pretty tired and kept thinking how "hilly" the run is - but its not really :).

Friday

AM: 2.4k continuous swim in 48.14. I was going to go to squad but I could not face a 5th straight day of 5AM alarm so I went to C&P before work instead. I was a bit disappointed with the time as I did not feel like I was going that slow. I am planning to build my continuous swim by 200m each week up to 3.5k, hopefully it'll get faster along the way.

Saturday

AM: 9k run, 2 laps of the Pinnacle. This is a lovely off-road loop with a big mother hill. It was a beautiful Canberra morning and I felt good but a bit tired towards the end after the 2nd trip up HB hill.

PM: CORC 3 Hour mtb race at Sparrow Hill. I have not ridden at Sparrow for ages and was really looking forward to it. But I didn't enjoy the first few laps much. I spilled some blood on the first lap and that put me off a bit. It seemed like there were more aggro riders wanting to pass in an unfriendly way than usual, but maybe I was just being sensitive. After about 90 mins it got dark and I started enjoying myself a lot more. I had my new Ay-up lights, which were fantastic. I wasn't able to push hard, it was partly physical and partly not feeling super confident on the trails. Which was weird because it was not technical at all. I guess some days you have "it" and some days you don't. But overall I enjoyed it and it was a "good training" - my mantra at the moment. I think I was 10th out of about 20 solo females. This is from the CORC website: The 296 male and 41 female riders clocked up 1829 laps or just over 13,000km of Sparrow Hill trails.

Sunday

AM: 22k-ish long run with Tom. We did an adventurous route from Hawker, past Mt Painter, down towards Lake BG, past the Cork Plantation, over Dairy Farmers Hill and then off road back towards Hawker via many hills, dales, paddocks and fences. It was a lovely route but my running wasn't. I was okay on the flat but there was not much of that and I had nothing on the hills. The dominant theme for me was seeing Tom disappearing into the distance up another big hill, like some sort of energised mountain goat. I was a bit bummed not to run better, but it has been a big week.

PM: I was staying in Canberra for the night so I went to the AIS for a lovely lovely recovery swim, spa, sauna and plunge pool. It was faaantastic.

Weekly totals

Swim: 11.k

Bike: 90k road, 30k commute, 50k mtb.

Run: 63k

All up it was a good week. If I can put together a few of these I will be on my way.

Two centuries in ten days

Time flies, ha ha. The week after Trailwalker I felt great. I did nothing Sat and Sun, swam Monday, did nothing Tuesday, swam Wed and rode on Thursday. I was feeling so good that when I got an email from the organisers of the Angry Doctor 100k mtb saying there was an entry available (it sold out months ago) I was seriously tempted. It involved a slightly crazy plan of running the Striders 10k at North Head on Saturday morning, then driving 5 hours to Tuross in the afternoon, racing on Sunday, then driving 5 hours back to Sydney on Monday. But I had so much fun last year that I could not resist. And I didn't regret it for a minute. I had a great run in miserable conditions at North Head (just under 43 minutes) and then left the foul weather in Sydney behind and drove to the lovely South Coast.

I started near the back and tried to take it easy. I had a few moments early on of thinking it was going to be too hard to finish, especially after 10k and 20k, when I felt sore and tired and there was still such a long way to go. But I eventually found my groove and started really enjoying myself. I chatted to people whenever I could and enjoyed being in the bush, riding, eating, riding on and on and on.
At 30k there was a tricky narrow bridge which I rode (yay) and then a feed station where I stopped, stuffed my face with fruit bun and sports drink and then stuffed around for ages going to the toilet, due to poor planning and lost my glasses, bugger.

At 50k the course passes back through the start and there was a great atmosphere there, I dumped my extra clothes and food back in the car and got on my way again pretty quickly.

From 60-75k I was feeling pretty ordinary, moving slowly and had to walk a couple of the bigger hills. Then a friend Steve caught up to me and that woke me up. I rode behind him and another guy for a while and remembered that riding fast is MUCH more fun than riding slow and discovered that I had more energy than I thought I did. I stopped at the 80k feed station for just long enough to drink a Red Bull and left Steve behind.

From then on I could smell the finish and worked hard to keep up a decent pace. By this stage I was passing lots of guys that were obviously cramping - able to ride the downhills okay but nothing else. That was where I was last year and it was really nice not to be cramping, I think I managed my hydration better and it was cooler than last year too.
I got to this finish in 7.10 which is undeniably slow. But it was 10 mins faster than last year and considering I have done little riding this year and even less mtb, I was pretty pleased. There were not many women so I also got 2nd place in my age group (embarrassingly 30 mins behind the winner of the category and 90 mins behind the female winner, but hey) so I scored some very nice prizes from Netti too - a waterproof jacket and a new helmet, woo hoo.

I had sore and very tight shoulders for a few days but my legs were okay and I got back on the road bike out at Homebush on Tuesday with no problems. It was a great kick start and confidence booster for my mtb training for the Scott 24hr and the Triple Tri.

Sydney Trailwalker 2008

7am Friday at Brooklyn

1am Saturday at Mosman
Mission accomplished! :)

Willy to Billy 2008

Before I signed up for Trailwalker, the Mt Wilson to Bilpin 35k was a goal race and I was targeting under 3 hours. After joining my TW team I abandoned that plan, but the girls were all planning to do it, so we agreed that we would do it but take it easy.

I car-pooled with Keith, Simone, Geoff and Jocie. We left Balmain at 6.45am but after a scenic detour through Rooty Hill, we only arrived at Bilpin in time for the last bus to Mt Wilson. Fortunately there was still time to eat some of the famous scones. I've stared tapering for TW and had 2 complete rest days on Thurs and Fri last week, so I was feeling fresh on the start line. I also felt like a celebrity because we had our ACZD Girls team t-shirts on and got lots of photos.

I started out running alone and trying really hard to run "easy" - a bit of a contradiction. I didn't feel very comfortable for the first bit, I guess just trying to settle into a pace. Then I ran with Danielle for a while and that was good - we chatted and I started to relax a bit. There are lots of little ups and downs in the first half and it felt good to run and stretch everything and get rid of some nervous energy. At 22k there is a long gentle descent and here I was very conscious of going gently and not pounding the legs too much. It still felt fantastic to be running and the scenery was very nice. Then came the 6k gentle climb. I ran the whole way but I didn’t push. Just before the top I put on a bit of surge and then I ran steady along the road to the finish. It felt great to finish strong with plenty left in the tank. My finish time was 3.03. I am sure I could have gone under 3 if I had raced it, but I don't know by how much. Next time.

Keith had a blinder and finished in 2.41 in 11th place. Geoff, Jocie and Simone were nursing various injuries but ran together, had a nice social day and still did a good time. The other ACZD Girls all had very good days too. The organisation by the Rural Fire Service was amazing, including blankets and personal drink givers at the finish, wonderful hot showers and even towels provided!

On the nutrition side, I was not as regular with gels as I normally am, because I was not concentrating on it properly. But I had 3 in 3 hours, which is enough, and I stopped for water or sports drink and jelly beans at every aid station. On Sunday I was a bit sore but nothing serious. Tom and I went for a gentle walk at Kurnell and it felt good to be moving.

Now its 4 days till TW. My taper plan is pretty simple. I do nothing and sleep as much as possible. A swim or two and lots of stretching, that’s it. I don't see the point in trying to 'sharpen up', especially for 100k. I am really, really excited. I think we are a great team. Everyone has worked hard and is very dedicated. We have the same goals and intentions. No one is injured. We have done all the planning and have a great support crew. We are as ready as we can be.

City to Surf 2008

This is a quick report for City 2 Surf, so I remember it for next time. In 2007 my time was 71 mins, which I remember I was disappointed with and came off not much training. This year I wanted a big improvement, close to 60mins. But in the end I was not expecting a good time due to Trailwaker training (70k run the weekend before) and no speed work. I was hoping for under 65 mins but thinking it might be slower.

In the Red group Tom and I tried to get a good start position and lined up more than an hour before the gun. After an hour I was busting for the toilet but decided not to go. It only took a minute or so to get over the start line. It was pretty congested through the tunnel, but no walking at all unlike in previous years. I had planned to go easy till Heartbreak Hill, then try and run up hard. But I found myself running pretty quick for the first few k. Its hard not to with all the excitement and other runners. After 5k I knew I had to stop for the toilet. I found a port-a-loo right by the road with no line, so the whole thing was probably done in 30 secs to a minute. I felt much better after that and set out to try and make up the time I lost. I didn't feel strong on HBH (who was I kidding about that?) and just slogged it out along with everyone else. From the top of HBH I felt better and seemed to be passing people. I flew down the hill as hard as I could - I love that section of the course when you can see and smell the ocean. I died a bit in the last kilometre to the finish and I didn’t manage to hold my pace. But looking at my watch I realised I was going to be closer to 60 than 65, so I didn’t really care. So I finished with 61.xx gun and 60.40 chip time. I was pleased and surprised with this. And wondering how much better I could have gone with a more dedicated preparation. Now I at least want to go under 60 mins next year.

Trailwalker training

I finished my last post saying I was going to have a recovery week. And I did. I did next to nothing, just one ride and one run, for 5 days. Then I was invited to join a team for the Oxfam Trailwalker 100k. Its an all-girl team of experienced runners and I couldn't say no. So since then I have jumped right into training.

Last Saturday I did 40k with the girls on the trail, starting from Brooklyn and finishing at Mt Kuringai. It was a gorgeous day and I really enjoyed being out on the trail. But geez, its really tough, lots of up and down and rock scrambling. The team was doing 60k, but I decided that was too much for me. I finished up feeling like I could do more but happy to be stopping too.

During the week we did a great night run on the trail, over the last 20k from Davidson Park to the finish. It was heaps of fun. We got a bit wet, but I loved being out in the dark, it was a real adventure. I would like to do more night trail running, it feels similar to mtbing at night.

Today I am down at the coast and I did a 50k run on my own. Well, Tom came with me for the first 15k or so, but I was on my own for the rest. It was slow (average pace 6.30) but I was happy to make the distance. I was perhaps stretching the definition of "running" towards the end. Particularly the last 2k, it was along the beach on soft sand and was pure hell. I was singing ABBA songs out loud to myself just to keep going.

Together with a couple of other runs during the week, this has been my biggest (kilometres) week ever, at 90k. It'll be interesting to see how I pull-up, but I think it'll be alright as all the running has been slow or very slow.

4th in line to the throne

I can so rarely think of decent post titles, but this one came to me riding home tonight. Yesterday was the Shoalhaven King of the Mountain 32k race and I came 4th lady.

I didn't have any great expectations. I thought it would be nice to try and run an average 5 min pace, but I didn't want to spoil the fun doing it. I decided to start out conservatively and not try to stay with anyone like at W2G. This worked well and meant I gradually gained on and passed people all along the way, which was nice. At the half way point I realised that I was feeling really good and should go with the flow and not let any negative thoughts get to me. I felt really strong on the hills and employed my 6ft "power shuffle" to good advantage. From the top of Mt Scanzi there is a rather step descent and it was lots of fun fanging down it. From there it wasn't far to the finish and I tried to concentrate on keeping a steady working pace. With 4k to go I thought I could probably go under 2.40 which would be good, so I pushed a bit harder. The last section down the main street of Kangaroo Valley seemed to go on a bit, but then there were a couple of bagpipers there, "piping" us on. It was really cool.

I finished in 2.38, very pleased with the time and how I ran, both physically and mentally. Then there was scones with jam and cream and hot tea for the finishers. All in all it was a really great day.

Today I feel great, not particularly sore or tired. But I am going to have a recovery week anyway.

Go Cadel

The Tour has started and for the first time in 3 years we are not away on holidays and can watch every stage. I am excited.

It has been a fairly good week for me, training wise. Fortunate, otherwise I would have been miserable thinking about everyone running up at Gold Coast. I would have loved to be there but am commited to doing local stuff at the moment.

Monday
2k continuous easy swim at ITAC and 20 mins in the sauna, 10 in the steam room. Ahhhhhhhhh.

Tuesday
Pain in the Domain. I went with group 5, my legs were a little bit sore but not too bad considering W2G. I got around in 29.45 and it felt (almost) easy.

Wednesday
I had a real mental battle about running today. I wasn't sure what the plan was until I started running, but I felt quite good and did my 14k with 10k "tempo" at well under 5 min pace. I don't seem to be able to run 5min pace very well, I either go "hard" and its faster, or "easy" and its slower. I guess that’s the idea of practicing.

Thursday
Ride with LACC. I went with Group 4 and felt a bit wimpy, but I think that was a good call. Group 4 pace felt quite quick and I was really pushing on the last lap. Also a couple of the regular Group 3 girls seemed to get dropped. I'd like to get back to doing this 2x a week and Group 3 feeling easy. One day.

Friday
Morning squad at LPAC. I was pretty much "alone" again. Its still better than trying to swim 4k on your own, but I would so love to find a squad with lots of other swimmers at my speed and a dedicated coach. Still, 2 swims this week is good. And its winter.

Saturday - Striders 10k at Homebush. I had a reasonable run, doing 42.56. I actually thought I was going a bit faster than that and could get a PB, but nope. I was happy enough though, under 43 for the second time and that is where I need to be. I was pushed by a couple of other girls near me which was really good.

Sunday - I planned to do the STAR at Dee Why but the temptation of staying up last night and watching the first stage of the Tour was too strong. So I slept in instead and did a long run from home. The first 20k was a gentle pace with Tom and then I did another 10k by myself. I aimed to run the 10k at 5min pace (NOT faster). For the first 7k this was easy and felt quite slow, but then a started to struggle and I actually had to dig pretty deep mentally to keep it going. I tried to think of all the runners at Gold Coast and how they would be hurting but not giving up. I was quite pleased with myself for this run, but rather exhausted for the rest of the day.

Total running for the week: 65k. But it felt like more.

So this week Triathlon Australia announced the dates for the new National Series, now dubbed the Challenge Series, which will be the qualifying races for Olympic Distance Worlds at the Gold Coast next year. I was disappointed that there is no Nowra race, which has been a good race for me the past 2 years and lightly attended. All the races except one are in Jan-April 2009, with only Adelaide in late November 2008. The Sydney race is the day after the BMC Mountains to Beach, which I really really want to do. Perth, which is double points, is the day after 6ft. So some very tough decisions are going to have to be made.

Woodford To Glenbrook 2008

I targeted this race for a good solid run and a good time. I had heaps of room for improvement over last year's 2.20 (when I was underdone and recovering from a cold). After studying last year's results I decided under 2 hours should be achievable for me.

My plan was to take it steady for the first 15k and then put the pedal down for the last 10k. The plan went straight out the window with a sub 4 minute first k. Everyone seemed to be running really fast and I wanted to too. I eventually settled down to a more comfortable pace. I found I struggled a bit on the hills, and I walked some of them, which I am pretty sure I didn't do last year. Too much 6ft training! I really don't think its necessary to walk such short climbs in such a (relatively) short race. I think my problem was that I didn’t have a plan in mind as to how I was going to tackle them. It wasn't a big deal as there are only a few uphills, but that’s something I can improve next time.

I passed Geoff E at about 12.5k and the time was just under 1 hour. I commented to him that as long as we did a negative split we would go under 2 hours. But not long after that I had a small disaster when my shoelace snapped. I tried to quickly tie it back together but it kept coming undone. I eventually had to stop and fiddle with it for a minute or so. I was really annoyed to lose that time and set off to try and catch some of the people who had passed me. I thought I would have to push a bit more now to reach my goal. I felt like I was moving well on the gentle downhill and I tried to concentrate on good form and not slowing. I really enjoyed this section and the feeling that I was fit enough to run it "fast" and not be struggling in the second half.

With about 5ks to go I got sight of Geoff in front of me in the distance. He didn't look to be running particularly fast, but his legs are about twice as long as mine. I slowly made up ground on him, but I didn’t quite get there. A few runners came past me in the last k or so, really accelerating. The end was a bit different this year, down a steep grassy slope, across a bridge and up a small rise to the finish. I surged a bit to try and get Geoff but he crossed the line just in front of me.

I finished in 1.57 and 13th female. I was pretty happy with this. Maybe I could have run a bit smarter and pushed a bit harder, but maybe not. Tom finished in 2.07, enjoyed himself and easily beat his time from last year. I have pulled up really well this week. Tired and some soreness on Monday but nothing serious. I think the solid downhill running the week beforehand in Canberra may have helped.

Wordle

Computers are cool. I am still very much a gumby when it comes to this stuff, but I love trying new things. This comes from Wordle. I got the idea from Plu, thanks Plu. I just cut the words from the last few weeks of my blog.

Body training, mind wandering

I have had a good week, and recovered well after feeling a bit tired from the weekend. It was so great not to have it raining every day.

Monday
PM - Easy 2k swim followed by 20 blissful minutes in the steam room.

Tuesday
AM - Rode with LACC. My legs were feeling a bit tired so I went with Group 4 - a solid effort but not super hard.
Lunch - Pain in the Domain. I was anointed leader for group 5, which is fun, but it means I don't run as hard as I would otherwise. I got the group around in about 29:45.

Wednesday
AM - 14k run around the Bay. I just couldn’t motivate myself to do my <5mink>

Thursday
PM - 5k Bolt at the Bay with Balance Tri Club. I wasn't sure how I would go and so guesstimated 21:30, but I ran well. It was strange to be running fast in the dark, but good. I finished in 20:19. If I had been honest with myself and estimated 20:30 I would have won the handicap - silly girl. The course was possibly a little short, but now I can smell the sub-20 and will aim for that some time soon. 19-something sounds so good.

Friday
AM - swim squad 4k. It was quite a hard session and I was on my own, with the other swimmers being mostly faster and some slower than me. I have been thinking about finding another squad, with more people and triathletes. But there is really nowhere as convenient.

Saturday -CR 5k challenge. I planned to take it easy and ran without a watch. I think I did about 23 minutes. It was a lovely morning with great company and banana bread for brekky.

So this week I have been thinking I would like to get back to dedicated tri training. Its been 6 months now of just running. Yes, I swim and ride once or twice a week, but its not the same. The biggest difference I guess is not doing long rides on the weekend. And I must admit I don’t like the idea of going back to those. Its nasty road riding in Sydney and its not very Tom-friendly. I am really happy with my progress as a runner this year and there are lots more runs I want to do. But I do feel a stirring. Anyway, I am not going to make any changes right away, I'll just see how things develop.

Tomorrow is Woodford to Glenbrook. I am aiming for under 2 hours, which is a big step up from last year's 2.20, but I think I can do it. Last year I was sick and not as fit as I am now. We'll see. Its sure to be a great day out on the trail in any case.

Canberra Capers

We were down in Canberra on the weekend for little Miss Chloe's 4th birthday party.



But I managed to squeeze in some good running too. On Friday I did a great long run, in two parts. The first part was 20k with Tom. It was an adventure run around the back of and over the top of Mt Majura. We only averaged 6min ks, but that included lots of hills and some bush bashing. The second part was another 10k on my own. I wanted to go fast, so aimed to do a lap of Mt Ainslie in under 5min k pace. I really struggled on the up hills and had to fly on the downs to make up time, but I did it with an average pace of 4.59 and was really chuffed.

On Sunday was the 10k Canada Run for Cancer. I did this run years ago and fondly remembered the pancakes at the end, and Tom and family were keen, so we went along. I wasn't sure how I would feel after the long run on Friday, and whether a sub 43 PB would be on the cards. But once I started running I felt pretty good and thought I could do it. It was a gorgeous morning and the course is great, a gently undulating out and back. At the 5k turn-around the negative thoughts started to creep in, thinking lots of women would catch me on the way back. But I kept up a decent pace on the way back and none did. (A few blokes did.) I finished in 42.49 and 6th women, so I was really happy with it. Tom felt really sick on his run, but was pleased to finish in a respectable 46 minutes.

Now its less than a week till Woodford to Glenbrook - I can't wait! :)

Blue Gum Forest

Its taken me a little while to upoad these photos of our bushwalk on the long weekend. The weather wasn't great, but we had a great time.

Looking down into the Grosse Valley, where we were headed.

Looking up at Govett's Leap falls

Beanie weather down in the valley

Cooking lunch in the tent in the rain

The lovely Blue Gum forest

Climbing back up the Perry's Track

CoolRunning 5k Challenge and Great NOSH Footrace

It’s a bit late now but last weekend was blog-worthy.

Saturday was the CR 5k Challenge. This is a monthly time trial around the Bay, where the runners handicap their start times so everyone finishes more or less together. Then we jog the 5k back, have breakfast and talk about running (what else?) I have not been for ages and was looking forward to setting a new PB. I have recently run around 21.15 for the first half of a 10k race, so sub 21 was the goal. I started off with another woman who was also aiming for 21 minutes and we ran together for the first 3k, at a good pace I thought. She then stopped with shoelace issues so I had to slog the last 2k out alone. I forgot to start my watch unfortunately, but I think I did about 20.30 and was pleased with that. At brekkie I was seated at the 'ultra' end of the table, so I got to pick up some priceless tips, such as how it is important to be able to vomit while running without breaking stride. True.

Sunday was the 34th Annual Great NOSH Footrace. I have literally been looking forward to this for a year, since reading about it on CR last year, and I was not disappointed. I LOVED this run. It is 15k from Lindfield Oval to Seaforth Oval, mostly via bush tracks with some good hills. There was heaps of single track and I just loved running on it. It’s a narrow start with a few hundred runners and so I had to do quite a lot of passing in the first half, but I prefer passing to being passed. I went out pretty hard and was worried my pace was too fast to maintain, but I was really really enjoying myself, so I thought I might as well make hay. Over the last 5k I started to tire, but I passed a couple of women, so I was still going okay. With about 1k to go I spotted my friend Geoff up ahead in his lairy 6ft Track shirt and so I tried to catch him, but I couldn’t get him. The last 500m was single-track and very fun and challenging on tired legs. I finished in 1.20.40 - 3rd in my age group and 6th woman. :) I think the running gods might be trying to tell me something, because this year I have had 2 great runs off-road.

Which is a good segue way to what next? I feel like my running is going pretty well and I have been contemplating doing a marathon and trying to improve my "a bit soft" PB of 3.54. Gold Coast would be fun and fast, but its too soon now and would be expensive. At the end of July are 2 cheaper options - Cities, which is on-road and would be a reasonable prospect for a fast time, and also the Bush Capital Marathon in Canberra, which is off-road and would be slow, but very enjoyable and good training for other stuff. Or I could not do a marathon at all and keep busy with Woodford to Glenbrook, Shoalhaven KOM, City 2 Surf, Mt Wilson to Mt Bilpin, Striders runs and trying to get more time on my mtb - all of which I want to do anyway. But then I would be left wondering what time I can run a marathon in. Decisions, decisions!

Beyond that is definitely the Mogo 100k mtb in September, the Scott 24hr mtb in October, Triple Tri in November and maybe Canberra HIM in December. Beyond that is the triathlon season and the allure of the Olympic Distance World Champs on the Gold Coast and/or Long-course World Champs in Perth, both in 2009, but qualification details are not available yet.

On the more immediate horizon is a long weekend bushwalking in the Blueys and no running whatsoever.