Opps I did it again.

So, the 70.3 Cairns Ironman and I has some unfinished business.  To say; to actually get to the start line this year will be a feat in itself.  But again my finger quivered over the final registration page on the Ironman rego page and hit enter for 2015, did I mention, AGAIN?

Yep, I know you'd think that mid-life crisis of doing the Point to Pinnacle (P2P) would have got all this out of the system.  But, alas, it has not.  Mind you it may have, for the P2P, I look at a wee hill now and I'm still scarred......

Now the training begins, got the all clear from physio to "go hard" with training.  It has all begun again.  I'm really hoping that I get past 14th February 2015 this year, and anything after that should be a bonus.

Woot woo :)

Here is to fun 20 weeks of training.   Oh man, did I just say fun....nuts, nuts is what I meant.

Safe training

Shell xo :)

70.3 Cairns Course Change

(18th March)

Last year the swim leg was in Trinity Inlet.  Off the wharf of the marina in the heart of the city, where boats head out to the reef, sea planes lay anchor oh and the occasionally a snappy hand bag is seen.  But hey, they are further up the inlet, apparently. 

The whispers that were filtering through the tri world, ironman land, and local cairns channels where confirmed.  The course has changed.  Dant Dan Dahhhhhhh.

Change; some people embrace it, some people it scares the shite out of.  Depending on what it is.  The later is generally me.  However; at the moment, I’ll be happy just too bloody compete.

Oh the drag of swimming in waters off Palm Cove.  Yeah, sure there are still snappy hand bags, it’s the tropics.  But the probability of one snapping at your heals, is lower.  Gotta love odds.  It is going to be a bit rougher and more head winds on the bike.  Everyone will be in the same boat, so maybe it is a solider on moment.

At this stage like I said, I’ll be happy to just compete and I like the new course changes.  But I’m no expert so will see what happens there.

Embrace the change

Shell xoxo :)

Insanity button hit...

Emotions of waiting to register...

As I sit here and wait for registration to open for Cairns 70.3 Ironman.  There are all sorts of gobshite floating around in my head.  The number one being, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?  Then, you are bloody nuts?  Who thinks, swimming 1.9km in Trinity Inlet with the snappy hand bags with 3,000 other people is fun?  Who then thinks riding 90km along one of Australia's great coastlines, is fun?  And then, why not, throw in a half marathon because you weren't having enough fun already?  Nuts right.  Yep.

The onset of midlife crisis has well and truly hit, leaving me doubt whether all my hormones have taken away my ability to make sane decisions. In all the crazy stuff and challengers I've done, this is one way out of the comfort zone.  So why do we make these (at this point) stupid, crazy decisions.  First and foremost I blame it on Coach M.   It is well and truly all her fault for planting the seed and making me believe I can do this.  Then, the crazy people I train with for also, making me believe I can do this.  My amazing husband for all his support; "give it a go Smash". 

Said list, could go on, but do you see the pattern and key ingredient.  Surrounding yourself with people that believe in you, even when you don't.  It gets you to start to "believe anything is possible", and hey why not give this crazy, foolish, idiotic, daft, unwise, outlandish, peculiar, eccentric....ok the thesaurus is running out of words now, thing a go. 

So, while I feel absolutely nauseated at having to press that button for rego.  At the same time;  Wow this is really happening, buggar me, and back to the WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING, train of thought.  It's a bit like training, a roller coaster.  One minute you have had awesome swim session, run, feeling very "Olympic".  Next swim session you feel like you are drowning doing catch up drills and chicken wings.  I keep coming back to that feeling of crossing the finishing line last year, totally amazing and out of this world of happiness after all the hard work and smile.

Now; tick....tick...tick.....waiting for 11am ....

All done and still feel sick...

BOOOOMMM.. the bell has rang and rego is now complete.  I don't know whether I want to scream from the top of the Pyramid (although that would involve a 1km walk up hill, pass) or dive into the ocean avoiding all stingers and scream there.  As hubby always says; what's done is done, now get on with it.

That is the plan, with a lot, and I mean a lot of help from my crazy coaches, crazy training partners, who most are having same crazy thoughts together right at this time.   

As my hands shake typing this, because it is a nutty real, moment in time.  The ultimate choice to do this was MINE, so here goes I'll leave the final words to Eleanor Roosevelt and let's get this party started. 

"You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.
Eleanor Roosevelt"

Happy training crazy ones

Shell xo :)

Lets get the party started crazy ones....whoot woo :)

Kick off...

Well yesterday was "officially" kick off for 20 week programme.  Starting on the path to finishing the Cairns 70.3 Ironman in June 2014.  I'm not sure yet, whether to smile and jump around like a Mexican bean with happiness.  Or find a corner and assume the foetal position, whilst rocking in said corner.  The jury is out.  Like my level of mid life crisis sanity, at the moment.  Then again, hey, you gotta be in it to win it.

 

So, yesterday, day one.  I woke up and said; "motivation, motivation where for art thou motivation."  It was left back in the calm of the weekend, with giggles and laughter.  Finally, got to the pool, pushed off from the edge and through my head was running; buggar me, it's all started now.  Then I discovered I've actually taken off 14sec of my 50m laps from 12 months ago.  I'm still no fish and I really would prefer to do it all breaststroke but I'm getting there.    Woot woo.  Thanks to coach la frog :). 

The night finished off with my grandma shuffle with team mates at the Esplanade.  Little thing called 1km and 2km time trials.  With 1km recoveries.  Isn't that nice to have a wee breather in-between all that goodness of running. Then I thought, hey 18 months ago I couldn't jog a 1km, now I'm doing 2km with help of teamies.  Another big, Woot woo.

When I got home I had the same feeling as the Jamaica Bobsled team of Cool Runnings; "I am feeling very Olympic today".  :)   Even though everyone passed me.  I didn't care because I remembered, hey before I couldn't do this and look what I'm doing now.   

Today's adventure however; was 30km on the bike.  I'm a total newcomer to the bike.  I just got it at the end of last year, and well if I had of ridden over the festive season.   I reckon it would be a close call with the man in blue.  (The sacrifices you choose to make :).)  Anyways, today's task is done.  Not pretty.  No "Olympic" feeling, jelly legs, speed wobbles trying to get water bottle because so bleeding hot, nearly fell over in my street trying to unclip...blah blah blah (ramblings of old duck continue).   You may have gathered; not my favourite part of training, yet, but will get there.  I may need to remind my legs of that tomorrow too, when I can't walk and have to hit the bike again.  :{

In a nut shell, though I think the really important thing and Coach M tells us ALL the time.  Take it day by day.  Don't forget to look back and see how far you've come.  Sometimes I think we are all guilty of not being fulfilled of what achievements have crossed our paths, in life, family, job, training.  We are too busy trying to get to the end, instead of enjoying the ride.  Well, what a ride this one is going to be, is all I'm saying.  I might even beat Big Dog (Newcastle thing) to bed tonight, the eyes very heavy and body just wants to be horizontal.  Ha ha.

Safe riding

Cheers

Shell