Week ELEVEN - February 8th to 14th

Well, 6 weeks to go until Port Macquarie Ironman... the crucial training period is yet to come.

This week started like each week before, with a sleep in. I did manage a decent swim after work, with 40x 100m on the 1:45. Generally, for each one I touched in between 1:25-1:30, which is where I aim to be able to hold comfortably without the 15 seconds rest.

Tuesday AM - planned 2 hour run in the National Park at Glenbrook was changed last minute due to high water levels at the causeway. Made it back to the usual BMMC run with the boys, taking it nice and easy and splashing in a puddle or two.

Wednesday AM - Swim 3.5km; PM ride 30Km. Ride was mainly to get the bike out, the chain was in terrible condition after the weekend. Down to H'bury hill and back.

Thursday - Nil

Friday AM - Swim 4km, Ride 90km (Old Bathurst, Lappo, Hawkesbury x2); PM Run 10km - Sun Valley Loop, getting soaked in the downpour.

Saturday AM - Ride with P.I.S - 155km round Cobbitty + Lappo + 20km of Time Trial before heading out for what was supposed to be 10 1-milers along the river. Managed 4, but headed back due to blister forming on big toe and lack of water. Happy enough with the ones that I did, especially after the ride.

Saturday PM - Swim with P.I.S - first swim I've joined them for. Definitely a tough set, the plan was 10X300m on the 4:15 (essentially 100m on the 1:20 with 15 second break every 3rd one). This was a wetsuit swim. I never got started properly, and so was chasing the front runners the whole time. Switched lanes for more sedate pace.

Sunday AM - planned ride with P.I.S again. Expecting to do Bells line, but as it turns out the group headed south while I rode round Bells solo. I must admit I enjoyed my own company. The first 35km was spent chasing an imaginary peloton (as I had assumed they had left just minutes earlier), which isn't hard to conceive when you are riding at 5am in the morning at about 36km/hr straining into the darkness for a glimpse of a red tail light. By the time I got to Richmond, I was resigned to doing it solo, and backed the pace right off. Had perfect weather, not a single drop of rain with a great temperature. Funniest moment was a large truck pulling up along side me at the top of a climb a few kms out from Bell and a young bloke sticking his head out and asking if I had a pen. I must remember to pack one next time, maybe take some Sudoku. Rolled around without pause (excl. 1 toilet stop) in just under 6 hours. No gels and no energy drinks, just a snickers bar and the usual hydration. Felt lethargic to say the least by the time I got home. I might add, I was home by 10:30am, with still most of the day to enjoy.

Sunday PM - intended swim with WXS (to be now referred to as WES for simplicity's sake) at Glenbrook became a swim by myself due to change of plans brought on by the rugby union and a better offer from ST. Got 3km done, feeling alright.


Next weekend is Huskisson Long Course. Looking forward to putting some of this training into practice. A little anxious about the run, as calf has been troubling me. Usually the ride gets things warmed up though, so hopefully I can put the hammer down for 20km.

As an aside, any supporters who are keen to purchase an Ironman T-Shirt to commemorate their involvement, let me know what sizes you want and I will add you to the list. Mister G is getting some done up for us, around 16-19 $ depending on volume. You can get a plain cotton T or a coolmax one like the BMMC shirt ST has.