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Showing posts from December, 2012

Karen writes: End of 2012

I'm pretty happy to see the end of 2012, it's had some high points and they have been pretty high, its had its low points, nuf said.   2013, the important question of course is not whether or not we will be Ironmen, but where to put the tattoo afterwards? Anyway, the normally outside dog has snuck inside and is quivering under the sofa so fireworks celebrations must started. I hope everyone has an excellent New Year and cant say thankyou enough for all the support, advice, and good thoughts in 2012.

Karen writes: Starting points

Now it is a difficult sort of decision I am faced with right now.  Do I get serious today, Monday, first day of a new week, or tomorrow, Tuesday, first day of the new year?   Being an expert procrastinator I find no real resolution works for me unless it starts on a Monday, but...its New years day tomorrow, doesn't that mean I  should take advantage of today being the last slack day of the old year?  I read Kate's blog, she is being serious about her training, but then her coach is tougher on her than mine is on me...well, my coach is me...I'm notoriously soft. I was actually quite pleased with myself having done a pleasant 50km ride in the wind this morning, until I read that Kate had done twice that.  But in my defence I did have an equipment failure, I was riding through Clevedon on the way out on the only patch of smooth tarseal in the district and I became aware of a funny kerthump (technical term) sensation coming from the back of the bike, I stopped and had a look,

kate writes: things we buy when out on the bike

My Challenge this week was to meet my targets with training. Sunday was a 4hour bike ride! the Daughter woke me at 5.30, as she was off to work to say it was not raining and I should get on my bike. 10 minutes later the heavens opened and down came the rain so I just pulled the covers over my head and went back to sleep. When I woke at 8am it was a lovely day and so a quick breakfast and off to Waiuku for a ride. I have a nice route that I like that takes in the back roads of Waiuku, about 20k into the ride I turn off to Otaua, long straight road. Saw a lady riding in an orange jumper. I thought that would be nice if it was my friend Barbara, who is also doing Ironman and it was. Great to have company and off we went. Much more fun with a friend. We went down to the mine with the wind behind us and then back up to Patamahoe. By this time we had run out of water. So the shopping in the corner shop was- 2 bottles of coke, 1 bottle of water, 1 bottle of power aid, bag of lollies a banan

Karen writes: Defeated the Lion range again

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I headed off for my Christmas hike over the Lion range (from Bream Head to Busby Head) then a run back to Mt Manaia with a degree of trepidation.  I’m carrying several injuries, the knee was worrying me most, I was planning around 5 hours with some very serious climbing, I kept asking myself was that a silly thing to do, or was I just getting on with what needed to be done? Anyway, headed along Ocean beach with the sun just bathing the ocean, the surfers were up early and out sitting on their boards waiting to catch a wave.  Up the hill towards the WW2 radar station is a slow slog, before I got there though I found myself climbing into the low cloud, what clammy enervating stuff that was, I stayed wet for another 2 hours of up and down and couldn’t see more than a few meters ahead.  I must have been the first person along the track, my face and arms collected the spider webs strung across the track and I kept expecting to catch the spiders too but fortunately didn't, perhaps th

Kate writes: Christmas presents

Its been a different Christmas for many reasons, but what is always good about Christmas is the presents :) . There was a theme this year. From my nieces a bedside light with tinker bell in it that lights up and from my friend Karen fairy lights. They both have special meanings and I cried when I opened them both. My daughter gave me a charm for my bracelet with a pink ribbon on, symbolising breast Cancer awareness. My Mum has been recently diagnosed with Cancer and its a reminder to enjoy every day. My Sister , who is away in the UK seeing mum, also gave me a charm of a heart with a koru on it.   Friends and family are very special and we need to let them know. I was out on my bike this morning in the rain! and 2 little boys shouted at me did you get your bike for Christmas, so I shouted back of course Santa was good to me. They laughed and told me that they also had new bikes. Its amazing what conversations you have even when out on your bike. Karen said that she was not doing much

Karen writes: The spectre of last year

Up north for Christmas with the whanau.  As usual it has been lovely to spend time with the my folks, brother, the niece and nephew.  Of course I have eaten far too much, not as bad as Christmas celebrations can be, but that little bit of trifle, a little bit of pav, a little bit of jelly, a little bit of cream...a little bit of each different type of chocolate revealed in everyone's presents...fresh plums, cherries, several khaki coloured cupcakes with splodges of green icing which were put together by the girls as this years version of a Christmas cake, all this can stack up on top of the healthiest of dinners.  And if you don't eat everything, there are leftovers to come so you just shift the problem. When I am here I like to run up my mum and dad's garden ornament, a small mountain called Manaia.  Usually I do it most days and push a bit, but this time I am pacing myself, my dodgy knee keeps reminding me that I should be a bit careful on the hills, both up and down.  

Kate Writes: Holidays

Its my first break from work in a long time. What shall I do? Train of course! but the storms coming so I can not go out on the bike. So off I went to see Norma for my feet and eyebrows to be done. I mean to say I must go faster with red toe nails. Training will start tomorrow :)

Kate writes: Poker run !

I had never been on a poker run before, so it was a new experience for me. We could run or bike. Well its only 4 days since the half, so I thought biking would be the best option. There were only 4 of us on the ride and about 10 runners. The bikers were fast or me that's slow. We rode for 10k and picked up a card, then again another 10 k and another card. the last two stops were with the run group so were not very far. It was a fun way to spend a few hours and took away the pain of the legs. But today the legs feel better so maybe it was for the best. I did not win anything at the poker though.

Karen writes: Don't!

DON'T... put a banana skin in a cycle shirt pocket on a hot day while bike-riding, then leave the shirt in a plastic box in the sun for hours, then pack the box into a car for a day, then get home and leave the box to be sorted out later...just don't!

Kate writes: trials and tribulations of a half

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Well what can I write about the weekend. It was Hard, Hot and Hilly. Swim: the water was still the buoys were big and I had a great swim. 48 mins a minute slower than last year but no panic attacks felt good. Bike: Weather hot, had a nice ride out, thought I was doing OK at 24k an hour for the first part out around the lake, then the hills and lack of energy. I had gels and sandwiches but no caffeine, maybe that's the problem!  Came over a hill and loads of little rocks on the road, thought I was going to fall but no, still on the bike. There were 10 bikes behind me but no one in front. It can be quite lonely out there. I averaged 22k on the way home. But it was hilly! Not happy with that, need to work on food intake and drink and keep the speed up. 4 hrs and 9 mins - 11 mins slower than last year. Run:  By now the sun was up. I had drunk all my water 3 bottles and had a 4th bottle of hot water to drink at transition. I really did not want to run! I walked up the first hill

Karen writes: Surviving the 2012 Rotorua Ironman

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Home, washing machine churning, suitcases being unpacked a piece at a time, sports gear box still unopened until I feel much braver. The event, wow that was so HARD!  The new course turned out to have a few more hills, great big ones and the run was a nice bush track which was also noticeably more...um...challenging (read 'hilly')...than previously, and throw in the wonderful sunshine especially down in the still gullys it was a kinda warm, enervating experience. We stayed in a neat old two story house in the heart of Rotorua as we have in previous years, it has lots of rooms and the kids enjoy the freedom of all that space after living in a shoebox sized house (less housework I always say) for the rest of the year.  Is it my imagination or does Rotorua have a lot of cockroaches? I've been evicting them from various boxes and there was even one which traveled to work with me on the car bonnet this morning.  Anyway, the night before the event we had a lovely Thai dinner,

Karen writes: 2 days before Rotorua half IM

I looked at the training plan, I looked at what I did last week, what do you think, was there the remotest bit of resemblance between what I was meant to do and what actually happened? Um, nope. Last week I took Monday OFF training, Tuesday 1500m swim and 60km bikeride, Wednesday OFF because of an evening meeting (I could have had a morning swim but found excuses not to...like not wanting to smell like a swimming pool and mess my hair up...yes...pathetic), Thursday 50 minute read on the spinbike, Friday OFF, Saturday 2km swim, Sunday 19km run.  Being my own coach I have to ask "where did 3 days off come from, they weren't in the plan?" and "what happened to the 'brick' or back-to-back sessions which were?" This week, Monday OFF, Tuesday 50km bikeride, Wednesday 8km reluctant run, today...a short sea swim. That makes 3 training sessions out of the scheduled 6 and not one was the right amount.  Oops. Tonight is is decision making time because for tri

Kate Writes: illness

I have a cold. Its lasted at least a week. Very little training has gone on. I now believe that I can not swim, the bike has disappeared into the garden and running has got to be a joke! Well that's how I feel. But tomorrow I need to pack for Rotorua half Ironman. the brain has got to get back into the I can do mode. The sunshine is helping, but then again will it be too hot! Watch this space.....

Karen writes: Vegetarian

I am a carnivore.  I have over the years had various 'goes' at being a vegetarian, but having usually taken the easiest route I tended to make my health worse rather than better.  I also came to terms with the fact that not having had the moral or philosophical drive to permanently swap such cultural treasures as bacon, roast beef, and cottage pie for tofu and lentils meant that the non-meat eating discipline was never likely to become a way of life for me. My most recent effort was a wee while ago now, spurred on by research suggesting that a mainly vegetarian diet has advantages for health generally and...bonus...sporting performance.  I purchased a vegetarian cookbook in a secondhand shop and sat in the car while waiting for an appointment, eagerly perusing the contents for irresistible recipes for meals to put on the family table to start our new healthier life.  Sadly there wasn't anything irresistible, there wasn't anything uncomplicated, there wasn't anythi

Karen writes: Anthony the running podiatrist

Anthony from the Whitiora diabetes service visited the team other day while I was out of the office to drum up support for his latest scheme.  Anthony is a specialty podiatrist and he wants to buy a piece of important equipment to help out with providing footcare for patients with diabetes, so he is undertaking an amazing challenge to raise awareness...and money.  When I first heard of his plan I thought I had made a mistake, he wants to run 1000km in 10 days.... no, cant possibly have heard that right! So I went over to his clinic to buy some of his raffle tickets and just check up on the facts.  Yes, he is running 1000km in 10 days, no, he doesn't think it is a big deal. Not...a....big...deal.  From my own perspective I couldn't cycle 1000km in 10 days!  It took me a whole 4 months to run 1000km according to my sportband thingy and I was pretty impressed with that. Some little things to consider...1000km is a long life for a pair of running shoes...running at 5 minutes pe

Kate writes: Inspiration

Is it inspiration or bl...dy mindedness that gets us through. I think its a bit of both. I am tired after 2 days of hard training. Do I give up or just keep going. I know I feel better for the workouts and I feel like I've done something when I get home and almost too tired to eat, but is it good for you! I think its all in the mind, mental strategy is so important. Believing that you can do it and can finish is so important. I'm having today off as I have a committee meeting to thank the sponsors for the recent Ironmaiden event that we ran in Waiuku last month. A few beers and meat sounds like ideal recovery food. Then back on track ready for the half Ironman.

Karen writes: Swimming pool blues

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I loathe the swimming pool.  With my severely cut down swim training I've been putting my effort into a few slow wetsuit swims in the sea, gently putting my dodgy shoulder under pressure to see how it copes with greater time in the water, not worrying about harder work just aiming to achieve the distance with a minimum of stress.  This week I just couldn't see how I could swim in the sea, the tide is way out in the mornings and evenings all week and it wont be possible to swim on the weekend. So I had to go to the Otara pool before work today.  Older daughter is off to school camp, tenting, so it was a bit muddly getting last minute items packed for her, is there enough sunscreen because its shaping up to be hot outside and what's the plan for the expected torrential rain?  Yep, good old Auckland smorgasbord weather, just pack everything.  Anyway, finally she was ready to go and I was too.  I had my togs under my clothes, wearing jandals, bag with undies/ towel/ toiletrie

Karen writes: Plan, what plan?

Last week was a funny week, it was recovery from the not-insignificant effort of riding round Lake Taupo, but it was also about ramping up the triathlon aspect of training to get ready for the Rotorua half Ironman which is now just 2 weeks away.  I ended up doing - Monday 20 min sea swim, Tuesday 30 min run, Wednesday 41 min swim/run (event), Thursday off, Friday 90 min hill run/30 min spin, Saturday 2 hr bike-ride, and Sunday 2 1/4 hour bush run. Not enough of the right things would be the way to summarise that effort. As usual the hardest part is fitting in what you need to do, and last week was a classic, things like meetings, children's activities, inconvenient tides, and trying to separate the longer activities out meant training didn't go as planned.  Take the bikeride on Saturday evening which was shorter than it was meant to be because of available time, it was nice enough but sluggish after a challenging mid-distance run the day before. Then I followed the cycle up w

Kate writes: wheres the helmet?

I have had a busy week, loads of swimming and feeling a lot happier about open water swimming. So Sunday arrived and I though I better get out and have a ride on the bike.I packed the bike into the car got all my stuff together and was just about to leave when I realised I had no hat to wear. I think its in the back of Karen's car, well I will have a look tomorrow. Lucky my brother in law had a spare one so off I went. I had a good ride 2 hours and back to Nicks for coffee.