A few of my favourite things

A recovery week & long weekend; a nice combination given that we've been away the last 3 weekends in a row & are away again next weekend.

Monday
Rest day :-)

Tuesday
AM - 50mins pack walk (4.71k) including 3 x hill reps.
Reduced the pack weight down to 10kg this week; its amazing how light 10kg feels after what I've done over the last few weeks.
PM - massage

Wednesday
AM - 41mins bike session on the trainer while watching Rocky Balboa including 2 x 10min AT efforts. Good session. Felt really strong.

Thursday
AM - Easy 30mins run: 4.25k, av. 7:05/k; av. 139BPM
Had company for once which was a very nice change ;-)

After reading Hamburglar's story, I was inspired to dust off my HR monitor & dig out the well known article by Mark Allen on HR training. I've read the article numerous times but never got around to applying its principles. In fact, I've never used my HR monitor while running. The only time I use it - and not particularly effectively - is when riding on the trainer.

I had an easy 30mins run on the plan so thought I would take the opportunity to keep my HR below 147. And no, I haven't done a max HR test; just based it on the generally accepted yet flawed Maffetone calculation. There are few flat places near my house so I had to walk most of the hills to keep my HR down. It will be interesting to see how the experiment goes...

AM - 60mins strength session with PT:
- 10min bike warm up
- front squats: 12 reps @ 20kg / 20kg / 30kg / 30kg
- dead lifts: 15 reps @ 30 kg / 40kg / 60kg
- leg press: 8 reps @ 80kgs / 60kgs
- core (20 x double leg extensions/plank/20 x crunches on swiss ball)
Holy. Moly.

Friday
Rest day :-)

Saturday
AM - easy 45mins run: 6.45k; av. 6:69m/k; 144BPM
My legs wanted to go too fast today; I had to stop & walk (if only for 10-20sec) soooo many times as my HR inched over 150. Still I can almost recognise when it does from a slight but perceptible change in my breathing. My legs are certainly feeling fresher after both runs. We'll see...

Sunday
AM - 2:11 hike (10kg pack) around the Grand Canyon
It was supposed to be 90mins & this perhaps was not the best route for a recovery week - 5.3k took me 2:11 !! - but it was worth it.

Words can't describe how beautiful & incredible the canyon is. This hike had lots of favourite things: lots of ups & downs...



...kangaroos - rainforest - walking through a (dark) tunnel craved into the rock & behind a waterfall....



...mud - rock hopping across creeks & spectacular views...





Of course I couldn't help but take a silly self-potrait at Evans Lookout -



You were right 2P ;-)

MTD*: HWP - 45.4k* + B - 19.3k* + R - 42.83k

*Hiking with pack >10kg; bike total is long rides only

On a clear day you can see forever

A short & sweet update (unlike last week). A crap week at work meant late nights, early mornings, minimal food, minimal sleep & even less training. I've missed three sessions this week; all I've done is -

- 45mins run (7.03k) on Tuesday morning including 5 x 1min pickups with 1min easy recovery. Had to walk the recoveries so clearly I ran them too fast. Given that I haven't done any speed work in about 3 years, that's hardly surprising I suppose.

- easy 40mins spin on Wednesday morning - probably should have skipped this session after getting home from work late but didn't.

- 2.5 hour hike with 12kg pack from Kiama to Saddleback Mountain & return on Saturday morning (11.6k). This was a beautiful hike & well worth the (bloody hard) effort. The view was outstanding; from the Illawarra escarpment to the north, Seven Mile Beach to the south, surrounded by lush green rolling hills, the colours of which changed constantly due to the cloud coverage & stormy skies out to sea. Have to admit that at times I was thinking to myself that I couldn't imagine carrying up to 30kg...one kg at a time I guess.



Spent the afternoon at my niece-to-be's first birthday party (*waves*). I ended up having a nana nap after the birthday cake was cut. Must have been tired as I managed to sleep despite the noise being generated by about 15 kids under the age of 10.

I could have done with another nana nap today but spent the afternoon in the office (which really sucks when it's a 3 hour return trip from home to the office). A much needed recovery week is ahead; I'm feeling really tired & run down at the moment. Hopefully I can get through the week without getting sick & then recharge my batteries on the long weekend...

MTD: HWP - 35.39k* + B - 19.3k* + R - 32.13k

Hiking with pack >10kg; bike total is long rides only

Let's resume our usual telecast

Very long post. My apologies. What a week it's been!

Monday
Rest day. Unplanned but hey, why run when you can drink coffee & discuss your fiance's sensational IM debut :-)

Tuesday
AM - 51min run/beach walk (6.76k) in Port Mac.

Decided to launch my IM 20xx campaign with what turned out to be a trail run & beach walk! I really enjoyed this "run"; I started running south from our resort at Flynns Beach along Pacific Drive, taking a few small detours including a short trail near Nobby's Hill. Somewhere around here it started raining heavily & stayed that way for the rest of my outing. On Lighthouse Rd, I found a trail & off I went running in the direction of Miners Beach. My calves were feeling a bit tight by this stage - too much hill running I think since my arrival in Port Mac - so I walked the length of the beach. The view was stunning; fortunately it was too cold & rainy for any nudists to venture out. The ocean was rough; the white water contrasted beautifully against the rest of the ocean & the sky, both of which were dark. Bewdiful.

Back onto a trail at the northern end of the beach which I quickly worked out was the infamous Minersrun! After the trail, it was time to walk again, this time the length of Shelly Beach. Up some stairs, a bit more trail running & I found myself back at the carpark at Nobby's Hill for the short run home.

The excitement (!) didn't end when I got there. After I stopped & stretched, I was walking back along the footpath in the resort to our room & "did a CJ". The surface was very slippery due to the rain & down I came, landing heavily on my left hip, ITB & glute. Nice.

Wednesday
AM: 60min strength session with PT.

My first PT session with the change of focus towards increased strength rather than endurance as per my training regime over the last few months. So I'm using weights that result in failure around 10 reps (rather than 20) & longer rests between each set. My left shoulder was very funky - I think I jammed it during my fall on Tuesday morning - so we just worked around it & stuck to movements that caused no discomfort:

* multiple sets (4-5, I lost count) of bent-over rows (10 reps each) from 22.5kg to 40kg
* 3 sets (x10 reps) of lat pulldowns @ 41kg
* 3 sets (x10 reps) of leg press;- 1 set @ 55kg; 2 sets @ 110kg!!

Stretching & I was ready for a nap. Shame I had to go back to work. Oh well, at least the boredom was broken up by having a mid-morning coffee with a spunky Ironman I know ;-)

Thursday
AM - very easy & ugly 25mins run (4.03k)

Just wanted to get the blood flowing through my very sore body. My PT warned me I'd be very sore; he wasn't joking!
PM - massage

Friday
Rest :-)

Saturday
AM - 1:55 hike with 11kg pack (8.29k) - including my first summit; Mt Majura, LOL!

R & I headed to Canberra on Friday night so my pack & I took the opportunity to climb Mt Majura. After a long & slow slog up hill, I was rewarded with a stunning view of much of the Canberra district on a clear, still morning. On my way back to the car I took the long way around the horse paddocks, along some of the equestrian trails that the Bush Capital marathon is run along. Nice.

Sunday
R & I skipped the CR dinner in preference to a cook-up at R's sister's place - dark, sticky stew (Jamie O recipe) followed by home made (made by R in fact) sticky date pudding. Couple of bottles of wine and it was tough to drag myself out of bed to get to the race start. We were however rewarded by the sight of a beautiful double-rainbow over Black Mountain (our second double-rainbow sighting in 2 weeks).

After the start, TA & I set out for a run together. Thankfully we've previously arranged it as the idea of wrapping my cold hands around a coffee was honestly much more tempting. We ran parts of the course back in the opposite direction of the runners so we saw - and cheered - on the runners for much of our run. Finished with 64mins & 9.84k; my longest run in 10 months! Thanks TA

MTD: H: 23.79k* + B - 19.3 + R - 25.1k

*hiking with pack > 10kg

Ironman Australia 2008

I struggle to find the right words to describe my day. I don't think I can.

I have never felt more anxious, nervous or excited when cheering.

I have never felt more joy, nor more proud or emo for that matter, when cheering than at the precise moment that R emerged from the dark of night into the 'bright lights' of the finishing shute with 5mins to spare to achieve his goal of a sub-12 finish.

I've tried to write a post about my day several times but can't. Words, for once, fail me.


T1 in the pouring rain at 5.15am


Our reward for the rain; a double rainbow




Sunrise


And they are off!


As Nemo would say, "just keep swimming"...


A very happy Mango back in T1


What a spunk!
(C) Nealo


Mini Mango practising her cheerleading skills




Mini Mango in her "Team Mango" t-shirt with her mango ice cream!

Post race celebrations -


With Brother Mango


And most of the team..

Stop press: official Team Mango supporters apparel unveiled!

Much to Mango's surprise, I had conspired with the balance of Team Mango for two surprises for him today. Firstly one of his sisters & her family arrived today (he did not know they were coming); their arrival brings the total of "Team Mango" to 16!!!! Secondly the balance of Team Mango arrived on our doorstep this afternoon dressed in the official Team Mango supporters apparel! He might deny it but he was very 'emo' and it was captured on film :-) :-D









Another good day today. Portrunr picked me up at 6am for a trail hike (for me) and run (for him) around the Queens Lake Nature Reserve south of Lake Cathie. A lovely undulating fire trail with a few sharp climbs just to make sure I was awake. I ended up at the Queens Lake picnic ground overlooking the lake before turning & heading back to the car. Pleased with my pack (which probably weighed at least 11kg with water + goretex), my boots & the ability of my legs to carry them. Finished with about 9.92k in 1:55.

The memorial service for Green Machine this morning was brief but very touching; his beautiful widow Mrs Chat is a tower of strength.

Off to bed; the cheersquad - and R - have a big day tomorrow! :-D :-D

Greetings from beautiful Port Mac!

Edit: How re-miss of me! R wanted me to pass on his sincere thanks to everyone for the comments they have left here or for the emails & SMS he has recieved over the last few days. I know he truly appreciates it; it means alot to him.

I love it here; such a beautiful part of the world. Today, the sun is shining, the sky is clear & there is IM-fever in the air!

Team Mango has been established & is now fully operational in a gorgeous unit at Flynns Beach. R thinks he spotted Chrissie Wellington (the World Champ) staying at the same resort as us so Mini Mango & I are on a stake-out, trying to find her & get a photo. Fingers crossed! R & Mini Mango arrived on Wednesday. My mum (otherwise known as Mother-in-law Mango) & I arrived yesterday as did the balance of Team Mango. R seems to have settled in; he isn't pacing the halls (yet) but is a bit quieter than normal. Right, 'nuff about him;-)

The focus of my training has now shifting away from my tri's & towards getting this old bod ready to carry packs weighing up to about 20kg up one really big hill in Sth America. To this end, I need to increase my weight bearing sessions while not breaking myself. Easier said than done no doubt! So for now, I've dropped my swims & my long ride. Instead I've added 2 walks/hike/treks (whatever you want to call them) with a pack, the weight of which will increase over time. One session mid-week will involve hill or stair reps and the other session on the weekend is basically a long trek along undulating trails for a couple of hours. Throw in an extra rest day to aid recovery & it actually brings me down to 7 sessions each week (down from the current 9). I've learnt, thanks to TA, that less is more and to ignore that little voice in my head that wants me to do 'too much'. I'll certainly be paying close attention to the body to see how it responds to this rather dramatic change in focus. It will be an interesting experiment if nothing else.

Tuesday
AM: 55min walk with 10kg pack (5.?k)
Took my new 70L pack (which is massive by the way) for a spin around the hood at 4.30am. It's the first time I've used it; although it needs a few minor adjustments, I'm happy with it. The weight was a bit of an experiment to see what it felt like. Interestingly the weight was actually easier to get used to than wearing my trekking boots again.

Wednesday
Unscheduled rest day. Had planned a strength session but work was feral; didn't home from work until after 10pm & still had to finish my packing.

Thursday
AM: 30min run (4.47k) hilly run around Port
Brother Mango, Mini Mango & I headed out about 5.30pm for a run. Mini Mango is fast & strong on the hills; flying up them with Brother Mango & I breathing heavily & trailing in her wake. One tough session!

Had DOMS in both tib ants after Tuesday's pack walk but they are fine now.

Friday
AM: 55min ride (19.3)
One hilly ride! Headed out the back of Port Mac then turned & headed back into town. After a lap of the flat part of town (what little flat there is!) I headed up Ocean Drive from Oxley Beach along the IM course to the Lighthouse Dr turn-off & back to the hotel (taking a work-related phone call along the way). Beautiful ride but bloody hilly!

Miners joined Team Mango for lunch today. Afterwards most of the Team headed for the expo where I think the non-competitors spent more than the competitor! My purchases included a Pearl Izumi (sp?) jacket and 4 more cow-bells, raising the total in the CR cheerleaders-bag-of-tricks to 6 :-)

Tomorrow my pack & I are meeting Portrunr at 6am (OMG) to head out for a trail run (for him) and a trail hike (for me), before I meet R down at Race HQ to attend a memorial for CR & Trannie Green Machine who passed away at last years race.

MTD: H - 5.?k + B - 19.33k + R - 4.47k