.jpg "Rapid Personal Training")
I've been talking to a few people but the general consensus seems to be go practice trekking, in all your gear and in similar conditions so that you're prepared.. All pretty straight forward I guess, but if anyone has any helpful tips please let me know, it'll be very much appreciated! :)
In the meantime, a lot of my focus has been training for a Half Ironman triathlon in Batemens Bay - Tomorrow!.. Eeeeep
Good news is I don't have far to travel to the start in the morning :) Below is a picture outside our apartment door when we arrived at Batemans Bay. In the background (just over my right shoulder) you can see the transition area (start swim area is right there!)
This is the first time I've attempted an event of this kind. With a 1.9km swim, 90km bike ride and 21km run, I'm hoping to finish under 6:30hrs, but really I'm just in it to finish. I'm sure it will be an immense challenge and great cross fitness training for the Kokoda Track, although I definitely need to spend some time training in my gear.
Speaking of gear, I've just completed my preparations for the morning and I'm about to head to bed. Here's a picture of everything that I need. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to fit this all into transition, but I'm sure I'll be able to! :)
Well bring on the morning! Fingers crossed it's beautiful weather, the water temperature is cold enough for wetsuits and that it's all over in less than 6:30hrs.. The quicker and sooner this is all done the better for me! ;)
Batemans Bay Challenge Done!.. Well I must admit, I think that was the toughest event that I've ever had to endure mentally and physically, but I did it! and as a lot of things didn't go me way that makes it all the more special.
ReplyDeleteThe swim started off great (well as good as to be expected) - I got a better time than expected, but I think I may have pushed it a bit. Ended up with the wetsuit digging into my back, and also got a slight strain in my left hamstring.
The ride was next and after a leisurely change in transition off I set, overall I was slightly over the time I wanted. I got through the first set of hills outside of Batemans Bay okay, but about 20km in, my left hamstring flared up! From then on (which is ridiculously early) it became a mental, not physical battle. I couldn't get onto the aero bars as much as I would have liked and I couldn't get power from my left leg so I could only keep up and average of about 28km/hr.. I wanted more.. I struggled, especially with the laps! I hate laps! and there was a BIG one! and a few small ones.. throw in a 30km finish with head winds and all I wanted was to get to the run!
That's until I got there and it was laps too! 2 1/2 laps on the same course and past the finish line!.. Talk about mental torture.. I was also just outside the run time I wanted too, but not by much. By this time it was getting hot and I wasn't running as quick as I wanted, but quick enough.. Any slower I'd be disappointed.. I was stopping at every aid station for water and anything else I could get my hands on! I was definitely running on overdrive and 2 laps past the finish I had one more. When I knew it was getting there I picked it up and finished as hard as I could!
Mind 1 - Body 0
Time to celebrate and recover! Thanks heaps to my support crew Dawn and Peter as well as Angela and the Camerons for cheering me on! Finally thanks Michael the training was great prep and awesome and without it I would not have been able to push though!
— feeling tired at Batehaven Batemans Bay.