Well since the Worlds I haven't been doing any real structured training- only going to swim squad. But we have been doing lots of other things....I had high tea at the duxton, have been shopping, Jason and I have enjoyed eating out, going to the movies, taking long beach walks and racing local open water swim races. Its nice to do what we want and enjoy a few things that we wouldn't usually have time to do while I am training.
High Tea at the duxton was really nice and a real indulgence. We were all treated to 4 types of sandwiches (smoked Salmon with Lemon and Rocket, Ham with Brie, Goats cheese, Basil and Cherry Tomato and Egg with Saffron Mayonnaise). Other treats included scones with strawberry jam and double cream, rich dark Belgium Chocolate Tarts, vanilla shortbread, strawberry custard tartlet, and hummingbird cupcakes with creamed cheese icing. To top this off we had a glass of sparkling wine and a pot of tea. What a great way to spend the afternoon... great food and company!
Last weekend Jason and I also raced a local open water swim race- 2.5km in Rockingham. Jason won his age group (18 - 34) and I came 4th in my age group. It was nice to just do a swim and not have to ride and run afterwards for a change.
Unfortunately my camera was stolen recently so I have no way of getting new photos for a while so this blog will be a bit boring for a while.
Till next time.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Third in the World...
Last Sunday I again had the opportunity to represent New Zealand and wear the silver fern. This was my fifth world championship for Triathlon and the culmination of a three year plan to podium.
This World Championship was different to most that I have competed in. The race was at home... this meant that there was no added stress of packing my bike, flying somewhere, not knowing where a supermarket is, not having a car etc. It was great staying in my own bed and being able to keep to all my own routines.
I took a whole week off work before the race and although it was as boring as hell it was really beneficial for me. I was relaxed, de-stressed and had time to plan for my race.
Monday was busy, it started with swim squad which was the first session in a long time where I have not felt great... I was sluggish and felt out of sorts.... but my times were still better than ever which was the main thing. Then I was off to the bike store for a bike service, grocery shopping and later in the day a massage.
My masseuse was very impressed about the state of my muscles- he said that I was pretty well balanced and was confident that I was in great shape for a good race... this was a nice confidence boost.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were all pretty similar days, very light training sessions and the lots of DVD watching and book reading (oh and checking out the Perth weather website consistently)... Friday was a full rest day for me and all I needed to do was set up my bike.
Saturday was a final swim/bike/run, bike check in, transition familiarisation, race briefing, carbo loading and sorting out my race day nutrition. I managed to get a great sleep as well which is unusual for the night before a major race...
Sunday morning I was up and eating my porridge at 5am... its still hard to get food down at that hour! No matter how many races I do. It was a later than usual race start (8.13am) so we had plenty of time to set up transition, familiarise myself with the swim course, get away from the comings and goings of the race start and then do a warm up.
The weather was extremely windy- perhaps the windiest that I have seen Perth since living here. This meant a very choppy Swan River- this didn't faze me as i wasn't anything on Wellington on a regular day (let alone Wellington on a bad day)....
Here I am deep in thought waiting for us to be called into the race pen before our race started.
As you can I see I was at the front of the compound so that I could get into the pen first, therefore allowing me to get to where I wanted to start in the swim (which was on the far right).
Here we are- the first two into the race start compound... it looks like we are walking to out execution :-)
Here are starting our line up... its funny- when we were in the water it looked like we were in line with the two buoys... obviously not. Apparently the starters hooter went off about 5 times but none of us heard it out there in the water.
Once we did hear the start signal, we were off. Its always a big melee at the start of a triathlon but I had a pretty clean start and I was pleased to get away from the crowds and get into a good rhythm pretty early on. The water was really choppy- it never looks that way on photos though.
On the first leg of the swim (1800m) we were heading into the wind and waves but had the tide/current with us. We then turned around and the wind/wavers were behind us but then we were swimming into the current... so all in all it was a tough swim. I had a reasonable amount of trouble sighting the buoys as well so at times I was going on a bit of hope and prayer that I was heading in the correct direction.
Here I am on the return leg (which seemed to last forever)... I was by myself here but near the closing stages of the swim caught up to a couple of swimmers in my category. Check out the splash from my kick...
Here I am at the swim exit. Thank goodness for that... I was pleased to get away from all the jellyfish, waves, yucky dirty and salty water. We all exit with the green "Swan River Moustache" as well... hmmm very attractive.
Hmmmm get out of my way :-) I was itching to get past the swimmers in front of me.
Heading up the steps out of the Swan River and off to transition we go. It was a reasonably long run from the river to the bikes and I took it at a pretty steady base so that I could get my breath back.
After the 3km swim we were off onto a 4 * 20km lap bike course. The first leg was thankfully with a tail wind, which gave us time to get our cycling legs.
Here I am leaving transition.
After the tail wind assisted leg down Mounts Bay road we turned straight back into the head wind, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but it was still a grind. During this part of the bike course I tried to eat a little but I was feeling very nauseous. I must have swallowed some river water I think as I feel sick for a lot of the ride. Even so, I think that I followed my nutrition and hydration plan well and set myself up for a solid run.
Once we headed back in from Mounts Bay road we cycled down the freeway and back with wicked cross winds the whole way. So the ride, just like the swim, presented some interesting challenges.
Here I am heading back into town following the first lap on the bike and it is heating up. I emptied the majority of a water bottle over me, partly to clean myself up from the river crap, but mostly to cool myself down.
And here I go... heading out on the second lap.
This was probably the hardest part of the ride for me... the Kwinana Freeway on ramp. But it was short and sweet.
The race had a 12 * 3 m draft zone with a 5 min drafting penalty... and to be honest this was the cleanest race that I have ever raced in... no drafting at all and I wasn't ever in a compromising position at all. Check this photo out... all by myself and loving it. Riding the freeway, the smooth roads and not having any pesky girls using me for my cycling strength!
Sucking in the air on one of the laps.
So the ride took 2 hours 15 and little did I know, by this stage I was in third place in my age group.
The other change was that the wind had totally dropped by now and this meant incredible heat!!!! Arghhh... the trying conditions just kept on coming. Not sure that I liked it that the spectator looks faster than me :-)
The run was a 4 * 5km lap route, and it was HARD. AT 5km I wanted to give up to tell you the truth. At 10km I was certain I couldn't finish another 10km, at 15km I was starting to feel better and then the last 5km went really well for me.
Here I am heading down one part of the course and the aussie girl almost opposite me was the eventual winner in my age group.
Its getting hot now, but I was stoked to be passing lots of racers- male and female, this included passing a professional male as well- he ended up finishing slower than me!
This is it- the last part of the run for me and I am stoked to nearly be over.
Well the day was tough, my times were slightly slower than anticipated but the conditions dictated that. When I finished I had no idea where I was in my age group and by process of elimination I worked out that I came 4th... I was really happy with that and after a little bit of catching up with friends Jason and I headed home via the ice cream shop.
However, I couldn't get over the feeling that I needed to find out the results so I went back to the race site... and low and behold I got THIRD.... a BRONZE medal!!! and I was by myself and couldn't get hold of Jason to tell him.... I was going CRAZY!!!!!!!
My first medal at a World Championships and I was by myself! But still- I was stoked with the result.
Check out this article: New Zealand Age Groupers Stun at World Champs.
So now upon a few days of reflection I am still very pleased with my result and I have no idea of what my next goals is going to be. For now, we are happy just to have a casual few days with no scheduled training.
This World Championship was different to most that I have competed in. The race was at home... this meant that there was no added stress of packing my bike, flying somewhere, not knowing where a supermarket is, not having a car etc. It was great staying in my own bed and being able to keep to all my own routines.
I took a whole week off work before the race and although it was as boring as hell it was really beneficial for me. I was relaxed, de-stressed and had time to plan for my race.
Monday was busy, it started with swim squad which was the first session in a long time where I have not felt great... I was sluggish and felt out of sorts.... but my times were still better than ever which was the main thing. Then I was off to the bike store for a bike service, grocery shopping and later in the day a massage.
My masseuse was very impressed about the state of my muscles- he said that I was pretty well balanced and was confident that I was in great shape for a good race... this was a nice confidence boost.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were all pretty similar days, very light training sessions and the lots of DVD watching and book reading (oh and checking out the Perth weather website consistently)... Friday was a full rest day for me and all I needed to do was set up my bike.
Saturday was a final swim/bike/run, bike check in, transition familiarisation, race briefing, carbo loading and sorting out my race day nutrition. I managed to get a great sleep as well which is unusual for the night before a major race...
Sunday morning I was up and eating my porridge at 5am... its still hard to get food down at that hour! No matter how many races I do. It was a later than usual race start (8.13am) so we had plenty of time to set up transition, familiarise myself with the swim course, get away from the comings and goings of the race start and then do a warm up.
The weather was extremely windy- perhaps the windiest that I have seen Perth since living here. This meant a very choppy Swan River- this didn't faze me as i wasn't anything on Wellington on a regular day (let alone Wellington on a bad day)....
Here I am deep in thought waiting for us to be called into the race pen before our race started.
As you can I see I was at the front of the compound so that I could get into the pen first, therefore allowing me to get to where I wanted to start in the swim (which was on the far right).
Here we are- the first two into the race start compound... it looks like we are walking to out execution :-)
Here are starting our line up... its funny- when we were in the water it looked like we were in line with the two buoys... obviously not. Apparently the starters hooter went off about 5 times but none of us heard it out there in the water.
Once we did hear the start signal, we were off. Its always a big melee at the start of a triathlon but I had a pretty clean start and I was pleased to get away from the crowds and get into a good rhythm pretty early on. The water was really choppy- it never looks that way on photos though.On the first leg of the swim (1800m) we were heading into the wind and waves but had the tide/current with us. We then turned around and the wind/wavers were behind us but then we were swimming into the current... so all in all it was a tough swim. I had a reasonable amount of trouble sighting the buoys as well so at times I was going on a bit of hope and prayer that I was heading in the correct direction.
Here I am on the return leg (which seemed to last forever)... I was by myself here but near the closing stages of the swim caught up to a couple of swimmers in my category. Check out the splash from my kick...
Here I am at the swim exit. Thank goodness for that... I was pleased to get away from all the jellyfish, waves, yucky dirty and salty water. We all exit with the green "Swan River Moustache" as well... hmmm very attractive.
Hmmmm get out of my way :-) I was itching to get past the swimmers in front of me.
Heading up the steps out of the Swan River and off to transition we go. It was a reasonably long run from the river to the bikes and I took it at a pretty steady base so that I could get my breath back.
After the 3km swim we were off onto a 4 * 20km lap bike course. The first leg was thankfully with a tail wind, which gave us time to get our cycling legs.
Here I am leaving transition.
After the tail wind assisted leg down Mounts Bay road we turned straight back into the head wind, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but it was still a grind. During this part of the bike course I tried to eat a little but I was feeling very nauseous. I must have swallowed some river water I think as I feel sick for a lot of the ride. Even so, I think that I followed my nutrition and hydration plan well and set myself up for a solid run.Once we headed back in from Mounts Bay road we cycled down the freeway and back with wicked cross winds the whole way. So the ride, just like the swim, presented some interesting challenges.
Here I am heading back into town following the first lap on the bike and it is heating up. I emptied the majority of a water bottle over me, partly to clean myself up from the river crap, but mostly to cool myself down.
And here I go... heading out on the second lap.
This was probably the hardest part of the ride for me... the Kwinana Freeway on ramp. But it was short and sweet.
The race had a 12 * 3 m draft zone with a 5 min drafting penalty... and to be honest this was the cleanest race that I have ever raced in... no drafting at all and I wasn't ever in a compromising position at all. Check this photo out... all by myself and loving it. Riding the freeway, the smooth roads and not having any pesky girls using me for my cycling strength!
Sucking in the air on one of the laps.
So the ride took 2 hours 15 and little did I know, by this stage I was in third place in my age group.The other change was that the wind had totally dropped by now and this meant incredible heat!!!! Arghhh... the trying conditions just kept on coming. Not sure that I liked it that the spectator looks faster than me :-)
The run was a 4 * 5km lap route, and it was HARD. AT 5km I wanted to give up to tell you the truth. At 10km I was certain I couldn't finish another 10km, at 15km I was starting to feel better and then the last 5km went really well for me.Here I am heading down one part of the course and the aussie girl almost opposite me was the eventual winner in my age group.
Its getting hot now, but I was stoked to be passing lots of racers- male and female, this included passing a professional male as well- he ended up finishing slower than me!
This is it- the last part of the run for me and I am stoked to nearly be over.
Well the day was tough, my times were slightly slower than anticipated but the conditions dictated that. When I finished I had no idea where I was in my age group and by process of elimination I worked out that I came 4th... I was really happy with that and after a little bit of catching up with friends Jason and I headed home via the ice cream shop.However, I couldn't get over the feeling that I needed to find out the results so I went back to the race site... and low and behold I got THIRD.... a BRONZE medal!!! and I was by myself and couldn't get hold of Jason to tell him.... I was going CRAZY!!!!!!!
My first medal at a World Championships and I was by myself! But still- I was stoked with the result.
Check out this article: New Zealand Age Groupers Stun at World Champs.
So now upon a few days of reflection I am still very pleased with my result and I have no idea of what my next goals is going to be. For now, we are happy just to have a casual few days with no scheduled training.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Update from WA
So last week I mentioned that I had a foot/ankle niggle. Well I saw the podiatrist and I have tendonitis in my posterior tibialis tendon, which is located on the inside part of my ankle just behind the bony knob. Apparently this tendon is the one responsible for raising the arch of the foot, so for those of us out there like me who's feet collapse in (over pronate) tend to be susceptible to tendonitis in this area. Its not incredibly painful, but it certainly isn't comfortable at all and I can feel it every step of every day.
So I have a regime of daily ice, massage, anti-inflammatory meds, taping and stretching. Along with this I am not allowed to wear thongs (ahahaha I thought that I would slip an aussie slang word in there), unstructured shoes or use fins while swimming. Anyone who knows me will realise that the last one will be the hardest for me as I LOVE my fins while swimming.
The podiatrist said that training on it will make it worse but that with two weeks to go I am allowed to keep my training as normal and we will sort out the issues after the race. I am sooooo pleased that the podiatrist is realistic with athletes... I wouldn't have stopped running this close to the race if he told me to.
Other news from the WA front, Jason has started his summer season of water polo, enjoying his first proper league game for his new team (and getting second in the player of the match competition). The canoe polo boys want him back as well but the league nights clash!
Perth is starting to heat up now, it was 17 degrees at 7am today and peaked at 29 degrees, its gonna be 34 degrees on Sunday as well- so back to it with a bang after a mild and cooler that usual WA winter!
We also want to say Happy Birthday to ALL the October birthdays in the family: Camille, my Mum and Dad, Leza and Summer! We wich we were able to celebrate with you, and hope you know we are thinking of you on each day.
The next time I post I will be in my week off work before race day. I hope to have some more photos by then as I realise all text updates are very boring.
So I have a regime of daily ice, massage, anti-inflammatory meds, taping and stretching. Along with this I am not allowed to wear thongs (ahahaha I thought that I would slip an aussie slang word in there), unstructured shoes or use fins while swimming. Anyone who knows me will realise that the last one will be the hardest for me as I LOVE my fins while swimming.
The podiatrist said that training on it will make it worse but that with two weeks to go I am allowed to keep my training as normal and we will sort out the issues after the race. I am sooooo pleased that the podiatrist is realistic with athletes... I wouldn't have stopped running this close to the race if he told me to.
Other news from the WA front, Jason has started his summer season of water polo, enjoying his first proper league game for his new team (and getting second in the player of the match competition). The canoe polo boys want him back as well but the league nights clash!
Perth is starting to heat up now, it was 17 degrees at 7am today and peaked at 29 degrees, its gonna be 34 degrees on Sunday as well- so back to it with a bang after a mild and cooler that usual WA winter!
We also want to say Happy Birthday to ALL the October birthdays in the family: Camille, my Mum and Dad, Leza and Summer! We wich we were able to celebrate with you, and hope you know we are thinking of you on each day.
The next time I post I will be in my week off work before race day. I hope to have some more photos by then as I realise all text updates are very boring.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Countdown to Perth World Champs race...
16 days to go until my second World Championships of the year, the Long Distance World Championships which are being held in my new home town Perth. For more information check out the website: http://www.ldworlds.org.au
The race distances are 3km swim, 80km cycle and a 20km run. All based in and around the CBD of Perth.
During this most recent training block my body clock has changed considerably. As we get up three days a week for swimming at 5am, my body seems to think that it should wake up in between 4am and 5am every day of the week. The upside of this is I get a lot of my training done in the mornings. The downside of this is being practically asleep by 6pm each night. Poor Jason, I think I have kicked him out of the computer room (part of the bedroom) at 7.30pm for the past week so that I can go to sleep...
In terms of my training my swimming has recently had a massive boost. I am swimming like I never have before, I have been promoted to the fastest lane at swim squad and I just feel so strong in the water right now. My lane at swim squad practically kicked me out as I was too fast for them... I love swimming right now and can't seem to get enough of it at all.
I have been having a bit of a love hate relationship with the bike recently. I am not training very well on the bike and I hope that it doesn't impede me in the Worlds. I just am not motivated for the hard work on the bike right now.
Running is generally going well apart from a small ankle/foot niggle... I am seeing the podiatrist tomorrow so fingers crossed I can still run etc for the next few training sessions.
This weekend is my last big weekend of training with a 5 hour ride, 5km run and swim squad (total 5km) on Saturday. Sunday is a 2 hour ride, 90 min run with intervals and a open water swim. Next week it starts to taper down to freshen up the legs before the big day.
The race distances are 3km swim, 80km cycle and a 20km run. All based in and around the CBD of Perth.
During this most recent training block my body clock has changed considerably. As we get up three days a week for swimming at 5am, my body seems to think that it should wake up in between 4am and 5am every day of the week. The upside of this is I get a lot of my training done in the mornings. The downside of this is being practically asleep by 6pm each night. Poor Jason, I think I have kicked him out of the computer room (part of the bedroom) at 7.30pm for the past week so that I can go to sleep...
In terms of my training my swimming has recently had a massive boost. I am swimming like I never have before, I have been promoted to the fastest lane at swim squad and I just feel so strong in the water right now. My lane at swim squad practically kicked me out as I was too fast for them... I love swimming right now and can't seem to get enough of it at all.
I have been having a bit of a love hate relationship with the bike recently. I am not training very well on the bike and I hope that it doesn't impede me in the Worlds. I just am not motivated for the hard work on the bike right now.
Running is generally going well apart from a small ankle/foot niggle... I am seeing the podiatrist tomorrow so fingers crossed I can still run etc for the next few training sessions.
This weekend is my last big weekend of training with a 5 hour ride, 5km run and swim squad (total 5km) on Saturday. Sunday is a 2 hour ride, 90 min run with intervals and a open water swim. Next week it starts to taper down to freshen up the legs before the big day.
Monday, October 5, 2009
It's wildflower time...
I think I have mentioned in another blog post the huge difference between seasons in Western Australia. During the summer months it gets very, very dry and dusty. From January through to may I think there was only 1mm of rain this year. Winter is so, so different to this. It rains a lot here, not as much as Wellington last winter. The good thing is it seems to rain a lot at night and stay reasonably dry during the days which I am happy with.
The upshot of all this rain is the awesome difference in the seasons. Everything is pretty and green right now and then there is the wildflowers. Mention wildflowers and most people in Australia think of Western Australia. There are up to 12,000 wildflower species found within the state, and Western Australia’s wildflower season draws visitors from all over the world.
We haven't managed to do a drive out to the most spectacular wildflowers due to training commitments, but we have seen some of the local highlights. Jason is really looking forward to our wildflower trip next year (hehehe). I want to do a 2- 3 day trip to see the best of it.
Here are some of the shots that I have taken locally:
Everlasting daisies facing the sun...
The fields are full of them... they go on for ages...
From the WA Wildflower website: "The wildflower season ranks as one of Western Australia’s most fascinating and precious natural treasures. For several months of each year wildflowers are scattered across 2.5 million square kilometres of terrain. As diverse and colourful as the locals, the uniqueness and natural beauty of the wildflowers attract thousands of tourists and scientists every year."
Close up of the kangaroo paws...
I may try and head out for a day trip a little further afield to check out the wildflowers after the Perth World Champs race... maybe it will be my birthday treat :-)
The upshot of all this rain is the awesome difference in the seasons. Everything is pretty and green right now and then there is the wildflowers. Mention wildflowers and most people in Australia think of Western Australia. There are up to 12,000 wildflower species found within the state, and Western Australia’s wildflower season draws visitors from all over the world.
We haven't managed to do a drive out to the most spectacular wildflowers due to training commitments, but we have seen some of the local highlights. Jason is really looking forward to our wildflower trip next year (hehehe). I want to do a 2- 3 day trip to see the best of it.
Here are some of the shots that I have taken locally:
Everlasting daisies facing the sun...
Most Western Australian wildflowers bloom in late winter or early spring, from July until November. Some species require more warmth for growth and therefore bloom in late spring during the months of October and November.
The wildflower season, beginning in the Pilbara in July, commences slightly later as you head south, concluding in the southern regions in November. The season is subject to weather variations, but generally wildflowers can be seen in profusion in Western Australia from July until November.
The fields are full of them... they go on for ages...
From the WA Wildflower website: "The wildflower season ranks as one of Western Australia’s most fascinating and precious natural treasures. For several months of each year wildflowers are scattered across 2.5 million square kilometres of terrain. As diverse and colourful as the locals, the uniqueness and natural beauty of the wildflowers attract thousands of tourists and scientists every year."
Close up of the kangaroo paws...
I may try and head out for a day trip a little further afield to check out the wildflowers after the Perth World Champs race... maybe it will be my birthday treat :-)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
One year in Perth today
Wow, we have been in Perth 1 year today, 1 October 2009. I can't believe how fast the year has gone.
Having been here a year it is a good time to reflect on the year that has been. The first few weeks here were really, really tough. We were totally shell shocked and really surprised at the culture difference between NZ and Perth. But after a year things are starting to seem normal for us now- even the odd shopping hours.
We are starting to get a good routine now and Perth is slowly starting to feel like home for us. Even the reasonably slow to come around Western Australians are starting to be a bit more friendly towards us.
I think that I initially underestimated the upheaval that comes with shifting countries and jobs all at once. Having had some time to reflect lately it is no wonder that I have really struggled with my training this year. Everything has seemed harder training wise than it used to be. Its no wonder though, doing on average 20 - 25 hours training a week by myself has taken a toll. But just recently I have managed to do a couple of training sessions with others (including a 170km ride/10km run/3km swim day) and it makes such a difference. I do miss the local triathlon hangout at Freyberg Pool in wellington still and all my training buddies.
Jason has started Water Polo again with the Melville Water Polo Club and he is really enjoying it. They play each Wednesday night. The club has its very own pool and after games there is always beer and a bbq. Its good to see Jason out and about.
We both miss family lots but have been lucky to see Jason's family in March, May and September and my family in June and September.
We both agree that the move has been the right one for us though. Jason's work opportunities have been broadened, my work is challenging and expanding my abilities, financially we are better off and the lifestyle here is great (even if they don't have shops open on weekends and public holidays and voted against daylight savings).
Interestingly enough if we had the time again we would have chosen different things to bring with us, but other than that we are happy with our decisions to date.
We are now on the cusp of our second hot season starting and hopefully this year we are better equipped for it... hmmm not sure I'll ever enjoy the 30 degree nights.
So that's about all for now. Till next time (I promise to be more regular in my posting).
Having been here a year it is a good time to reflect on the year that has been. The first few weeks here were really, really tough. We were totally shell shocked and really surprised at the culture difference between NZ and Perth. But after a year things are starting to seem normal for us now- even the odd shopping hours.
We are starting to get a good routine now and Perth is slowly starting to feel like home for us. Even the reasonably slow to come around Western Australians are starting to be a bit more friendly towards us.
I think that I initially underestimated the upheaval that comes with shifting countries and jobs all at once. Having had some time to reflect lately it is no wonder that I have really struggled with my training this year. Everything has seemed harder training wise than it used to be. Its no wonder though, doing on average 20 - 25 hours training a week by myself has taken a toll. But just recently I have managed to do a couple of training sessions with others (including a 170km ride/10km run/3km swim day) and it makes such a difference. I do miss the local triathlon hangout at Freyberg Pool in wellington still and all my training buddies.
Jason has started Water Polo again with the Melville Water Polo Club and he is really enjoying it. They play each Wednesday night. The club has its very own pool and after games there is always beer and a bbq. Its good to see Jason out and about.
We both miss family lots but have been lucky to see Jason's family in March, May and September and my family in June and September.
We both agree that the move has been the right one for us though. Jason's work opportunities have been broadened, my work is challenging and expanding my abilities, financially we are better off and the lifestyle here is great (even if they don't have shops open on weekends and public holidays and voted against daylight savings).
Interestingly enough if we had the time again we would have chosen different things to bring with us, but other than that we are happy with our decisions to date.
We are now on the cusp of our second hot season starting and hopefully this year we are better equipped for it... hmmm not sure I'll ever enjoy the 30 degree nights.
So that's about all for now. Till next time (I promise to be more regular in my posting).
Thursday, September 17, 2009
2009 World Triathlon Championships- Gold Coast
Last week I was lucky enough to represent my country for a 11th time (fourth for triathlon) at the 2009 Standard Distance World Triathlon Championships on the Gold Coast. Representing your country is a great honour and each time I represent New Zealand I learn something new about myself.
I now have 6 weeks till my main race for this season which is exactly twice the distance that I raced at this worlds... time to go off and work on that run!!!
All week it has been a toss up whether it was going to be a wetsuit swim or not, I was in the pro wetsuit camp as I am faster with one on. The ITU cutoff is 22 degrees, anything above that wetsuits are prohibited. 2 days out from race day the water temp was 22.1, the day before it was 21.7 so it was anyone's guess. At 6.15 on race day they took their final reading and yay- it was 20.5 so a wetsuit swim. I was so pleased. It just goes to show how much it can vary day to day- especially in a tidal area like the Southport broadwater.
My race start was at 7.17am. The start positions were self selected and I chose on just slightly to the left of the main buoy. This was to take advantage of the slight current that we had. Before I knew it we were off. After about 100m I had clear water which I was pleased about and when I did my sighting for the second main buoy I was stoked to see that out of 90 starters in my age group there were only two in front of me. It stayed that way the entire swim. So I was out of the water in third place, my highest ever placing in a world champs swim and I was so excited (I have come a long way from coming out of the water in 61st place in my first world champs).
My race start was at 7.17am. The start positions were self selected and I chose on just slightly to the left of the main buoy. This was to take advantage of the slight current that we had. Before I knew it we were off. After about 100m I had clear water which I was pleased about and when I did my sighting for the second main buoy I was stoked to see that out of 90 starters in my age group there were only two in front of me. It stayed that way the entire swim. So I was out of the water in third place, my highest ever placing in a world champs swim and I was so excited (I have come a long way from coming out of the water in 61st place in my first world champs).
On to the bike and I was working hard, I have lost a little power lately with losing some weight so I wasn't sure how the bike was going to go. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was pushing 220watts plus for most of the ride. The reason I was working so hard was that there was a massive bunch of girls forming behind me and I didn't want to get caught in that. We are not allowed to draft but for some strange reason the draft busters left this bunch alone- could be something to do with the 80% of aussies in the bunch (my cynical side says). Anyway, about halfway into the ride I had cycled my way into 2nd place and I really thought this was my year. I was stoked. But with triathlon anything can happen and 500m from the end of the cycle the 30 strong bunch caught me. In it were 8 girls from my age group and as I wasn't wanting an accident I was cautious heading to transition (the whole bunch- me included hit the mount dismount line together). So in the space of 45 seconds I went from 2nd to 10th!!!!
The other annoying thing with this is as I rode by myself I had ridden a lot harder than the girls in the bunch, a bunch gives any riders in it a 30 - 35% energy savings.
On to the run and I knew within 25 metres that my legs didn't have what it was going to take today (that is the downside of triathlon- we strive for the illusive perfect race), plus it was HOT and HUMID. I had worked so hard and possibly not taken in enough calories on the ride. I initially persevered strongly running my sub 4 min/km goal pace for 4 km and then I hit the wall. The next two km were torture, I wanted to pull out and was passed by a couple of girls in my age group. By 7.5 km in the run I got a little energy back and started running strong again, but the damage was done... I finished 14th overall in a time of 2.15 (which is a personal best for me over this distance). It was a tough, hot day out there but I was glad to finish strong- although it took a lot out of me.
Here I am trying to do everything I can to cool down...
I now have 6 weeks till my main race for this season which is exactly twice the distance that I raced at this worlds... time to go off and work on that run!!!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Married 5 Years!
On Saturday last weekend Jason and I celebrated our fifth year wedding anniversary. Unfortunately for us it coincided with a very big training weekend for me (about 6 hours both Saturday and Sunday) so there really wasn't much opportunity to have a major celebration.
Given the major training weekend and the short lead time until the World Championships on the Gold Coast Jason and I decided to leave the festivities until after both World Champs races, when we can really have a proper break away. So this year's anniversary treat is on hold until late October/early November.
Anyway, anniversary weekend I woke up on the Saturday morning and I was feeling pretty fatigued, I wasn't sure how I would get through my training. Sometimes it is just really tough to get out there and do the hard yards on your own. Well this was one of those days. It started with a bike ride which should have been easy enough but my power meter was not working properly. This really started playing on my mind- I really don't like it when my gear plays up and I don't know how to fix it. Well, given that I hadn't wanted to train to begin with the gear failure just made it so much harder.
I made it through the bike ride but I really was just going through the motions of training to be totally honest with you and myself. So off the bike and then I had a 60 min run with 4 * 2km hard run intervals. Given my fragile state of mind the run needed to start well. Hmmmm unfortunately I didn't hit my pace target within the first minute and I just gave up. It doesn't happen often but this day I didn't have anything in me to give. I drove home and as I got closer and closer to home the more mad I got at myself.
I got home and Jason could tell something was wrong so being the ever supportive and loving husband put on his running gear and off we went to do my run session.
Well poor Jason, the run pace was hot and its been months since he has done any running. He started each interval with me, and it was enough to get me going through the whole session. Jason's heart rate was up near 200 beats per minute and he said that he was near vomiting a few times. So after all my difficulties at the start of the day I got through the training and did it well. Sometimes we need a bit of a push to get going.
So Jason gave me a pretty good anniversary present this year :-) he paid for it later in the week as well, he could barely walk for 4 days or so!
Later that day both Jason and I were pretty tired so our 5th year anniversary dinner was pretty dismal to say the least- Jason had baked beans and bacon on toast and I had porridge, berries and yoghurt.
Watch this space for more info on the real wedding anniversary celebrations.
Given the major training weekend and the short lead time until the World Championships on the Gold Coast Jason and I decided to leave the festivities until after both World Champs races, when we can really have a proper break away. So this year's anniversary treat is on hold until late October/early November.
Anyway, anniversary weekend I woke up on the Saturday morning and I was feeling pretty fatigued, I wasn't sure how I would get through my training. Sometimes it is just really tough to get out there and do the hard yards on your own. Well this was one of those days. It started with a bike ride which should have been easy enough but my power meter was not working properly. This really started playing on my mind- I really don't like it when my gear plays up and I don't know how to fix it. Well, given that I hadn't wanted to train to begin with the gear failure just made it so much harder.
I made it through the bike ride but I really was just going through the motions of training to be totally honest with you and myself. So off the bike and then I had a 60 min run with 4 * 2km hard run intervals. Given my fragile state of mind the run needed to start well. Hmmmm unfortunately I didn't hit my pace target within the first minute and I just gave up. It doesn't happen often but this day I didn't have anything in me to give. I drove home and as I got closer and closer to home the more mad I got at myself.
I got home and Jason could tell something was wrong so being the ever supportive and loving husband put on his running gear and off we went to do my run session.
Well poor Jason, the run pace was hot and its been months since he has done any running. He started each interval with me, and it was enough to get me going through the whole session. Jason's heart rate was up near 200 beats per minute and he said that he was near vomiting a few times. So after all my difficulties at the start of the day I got through the training and did it well. Sometimes we need a bit of a push to get going.
So Jason gave me a pretty good anniversary present this year :-) he paid for it later in the week as well, he could barely walk for 4 days or so!
Later that day both Jason and I were pretty tired so our 5th year anniversary dinner was pretty dismal to say the least- Jason had baked beans and bacon on toast and I had porridge, berries and yoghurt.
Watch this space for more info on the real wedding anniversary celebrations.
10 km (well actually 5km) race and Araluen Botanic Park
This weekend just been I had a 10km race which didn't turn out so well. It was up North at Lake Joondalup (about Upper Hutt in NZ terms). It was my first chance to show how my running has been going. Well unfortunately it wasn't a very good show. I ended up just doing the 5km race as I really wasn't feeling all that flash! Hmmmm will it come together this season I ask myself. But that's life with training and racing. Some times are good, some times things are tough. But I have always said if it was easy anyone could do it and that toknow the good times, you have to go through the hard times. At least I still did a good 5km run on a tough undulating and windy course.
After the race Jason and I headed off to Araluen Botanic Park to check out the tulips, but there wasn't that many out unfortunately. We did have a good wander round though and as it has been really wet lately there was lots of water in the streams and it was really green and lush. So not what I would ever have thought I would see in Western Australia.
There was a cute little bridge and water fall. Good for practice photos with the water. This is probably the best one- check out the ray of sunlight coming through on the right of the picture!!!
The same bridge in colour. I reckon that this would be great for wedding photos.
It was really nice to get out of the city and into the open and peaceful outdoors. Especially as our flat is pretty noisy being on the main road and all. Its been a while since I haven't had a massive training day on a Sunday and it was great just hanging out with Jason and not having to worry about any training. Sometimes a good wander around a pretty garden is good for the soul I tell you.
The bridge at the park.
We were lucky enough to have just one garden of tulips out. Nice and yellow ones. Another cool thing was that the bees were so busy around them that we could practice taking some close ups of insects for the first time. I do wish that I had a macro lens though as the photoswould have been way better.
Check out the bees...
We call this one the tulip highway. With the busy worker bees coming and going.
Here's a close up on the bee...I love seeing the detail in the wings. These shots are pretty cool in higher resolution as well.
Well after the gardens we were both pretty tired (it was a 5am start for the running race) so we headed home for an afternoon of DVDs. Nice to relax and not have much to do. It was good to get out and try to put the race out of my mind for a few hours.
That's about all for this week. Till next time.
After the race Jason and I headed off to Araluen Botanic Park to check out the tulips, but there wasn't that many out unfortunately. We did have a good wander round though and as it has been really wet lately there was lots of water in the streams and it was really green and lush. So not what I would ever have thought I would see in Western Australia.
There was a cute little bridge and water fall. Good for practice photos with the water. This is probably the best one- check out the ray of sunlight coming through on the right of the picture!!!
The same bridge in colour. I reckon that this would be great for wedding photos.It was really nice to get out of the city and into the open and peaceful outdoors. Especially as our flat is pretty noisy being on the main road and all. Its been a while since I haven't had a massive training day on a Sunday and it was great just hanging out with Jason and not having to worry about any training. Sometimes a good wander around a pretty garden is good for the soul I tell you.
The bridge at the park.
We were lucky enough to have just one garden of tulips out. Nice and yellow ones. Another cool thing was that the bees were so busy around them that we could practice taking some close ups of insects for the first time. I do wish that I had a macro lens though as the photoswould have been way better.
Check out the bees...
We call this one the tulip highway. With the busy worker bees coming and going.
Here's a close up on the bee...I love seeing the detail in the wings. These shots are pretty cool in higher resolution as well.
Well after the gardens we were both pretty tired (it was a 5am start for the running race) so we headed home for an afternoon of DVDs. Nice to relax and not have much to do. It was good to get out and try to put the race out of my mind for a few hours.That's about all for this week. Till next time.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The countdown's on...
Well the year seems to be flying by and without really knowing it, it is nearly September and the Standard Distance World Champs on the Gold Coast!!! Just 28 days to go and I will be competing again. For more information on the race see the website: http://www.worldtriathlongoldcoast.com/
Well the last few weeks have had their ups and downs training wise. I have had some brilliant sessions, but then some sessions have been really tough! Some of the highlights have been:
* 5 hour ride, with 3 hours in the hills, followed by 5 * 6km intervals on the flat then a 45 min run at moderately hard pace (half marathon) pace.
* 1 hour 45 min run (at an average of 4.28 per kmh!).
* 4.5km swim set, including 400 tempo then 4 * 100 hard, 300m tempo then 3*100 hard, 200m tempo then 2 * 100m and 100m tempo then 100m hard.
* 2.5 hour ride after work with 5 * 10km intervals at 88%.
* 2 hour aero bar ride at 80% with a 50 min run off the bike which included 5 *1km intervals at sub 4 min km pace.
* Massive swim set including 6 * 200m with 50m kick, then 150m max pace (all no fins).
As with any training regime some of the lowlights have been:
* Ongoing stomach issues while running, I have had 5 run sessions in a row where I have had to have numerous toilet stops... not sure what's causing this.
* Getting dropped on a group ride for the first time in my life and then getting lost out in Armadale and having to flag down a highway cop to give me directions home.
* 5 hour ride where I just totally hit the wall and didn't think I was going to make it home, needed to stop at the garage 4 km from home and just eat and drink until I had enough energy to make the last 4km.
* Being attacked by Bogans out at Midland while riding.... they threw a full bottle of beer at me and hit got me in the middle of my back. It totally felt like I had been smashed in the back with a rugby ball from 2m away. I got such a fright and cried on the side of the road for about 5 minutes.
* Being hailed on while swimming backstroke at 5.30 in the morning.
So its not all been smooth sailing, but training in Perth has its up sides. I have only had to train in the wet four times in the fast 5 months, most days I can ride with just a cycle top and a vest and I never have to run with more than a singlet top on. Perth also has a number of awesome events- cycle time trials, triathlons and running races.
For the next three weeks of training I am going to be taking a day off work each week. This will really help with my recovery as well. I still have some pretty big sessions to go as the Long Distance World Champs are 6 weeks after the Gold Coast race.
I will leave this post with a couple of Perth sunset shots... pretty awesome...
Well the last few weeks have had their ups and downs training wise. I have had some brilliant sessions, but then some sessions have been really tough! Some of the highlights have been:
* 5 hour ride, with 3 hours in the hills, followed by 5 * 6km intervals on the flat then a 45 min run at moderately hard pace (half marathon) pace.
* 1 hour 45 min run (at an average of 4.28 per kmh!).
* 4.5km swim set, including 400 tempo then 4 * 100 hard, 300m tempo then 3*100 hard, 200m tempo then 2 * 100m and 100m tempo then 100m hard.
* 2.5 hour ride after work with 5 * 10km intervals at 88%.
* 2 hour aero bar ride at 80% with a 50 min run off the bike which included 5 *1km intervals at sub 4 min km pace.
* Massive swim set including 6 * 200m with 50m kick, then 150m max pace (all no fins).
As with any training regime some of the lowlights have been:
* Ongoing stomach issues while running, I have had 5 run sessions in a row where I have had to have numerous toilet stops... not sure what's causing this.
* Getting dropped on a group ride for the first time in my life and then getting lost out in Armadale and having to flag down a highway cop to give me directions home.
* 5 hour ride where I just totally hit the wall and didn't think I was going to make it home, needed to stop at the garage 4 km from home and just eat and drink until I had enough energy to make the last 4km.
* Being attacked by Bogans out at Midland while riding.... they threw a full bottle of beer at me and hit got me in the middle of my back. It totally felt like I had been smashed in the back with a rugby ball from 2m away. I got such a fright and cried on the side of the road for about 5 minutes.
* Being hailed on while swimming backstroke at 5.30 in the morning.
So its not all been smooth sailing, but training in Perth has its up sides. I have only had to train in the wet four times in the fast 5 months, most days I can ride with just a cycle top and a vest and I never have to run with more than a singlet top on. Perth also has a number of awesome events- cycle time trials, triathlons and running races.
For the next three weeks of training I am going to be taking a day off work each week. This will really help with my recovery as well. I still have some pretty big sessions to go as the Long Distance World Champs are 6 weeks after the Gold Coast race.
I will leave this post with a couple of Perth sunset shots... pretty awesome...
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