They say that training for an Ironman is tougher than doing an Ironman. And even though I am yet to attempt my first one, at this point in time, I could not agree more. I am now heading into Week 15 of an 18 week journey to my first ever Ironman. Having begun the slow ascent into craziness on 1st January 2012, I cannot believe I have made it this far. The descent is now coming & I have never wanted time to pass more quickly than now!
Last week (leading into Easter), I felt completely unmotivated to train. Perhaps it was due to exhaustion but I didn't think I was THAT tired (considering the amount of sessions I cut short). It may have also been due to the fact that a very good friend of mine had been involved in a serious bike accident, resulting in her having to pull out of her first Ironman. She is so lucky to be alive & I really wanted to get out & train hard because I knew she couldn't. But instead, I let my mind give up. I really didn't want to get in a pool, get on my bike or go for a run unless I had people to train with. I know we can't always have great weeks where we nail every session but I was disappointed in myself for not doing what was required. And I was hesitant to train outdoors without people after seeing my friend recovering in hospital. All of these feelings I was having made me realise that I have no desire to attempt this ever again! I really don't enjoy training by myself. Training for an Ironman can be lonely & you cannot always expect that there will be people who can train with you all the time. I thrive on company & it makes me train harder. I was supposed to do 4 swim sessions but instead I did 2; one lasted 20 mins & the other was 1.5km! Pitiful. And on Saturday, I had to do 10 x 1km run efforts so I chose to do them down by the water in Kirribilli as it was fast, flat & relatively quiet at 7am. I got half way through, was going pretty well & finishing them on 4.20-4.30 but on the 5th one, I tripped on an uneven plank of wood along the path by Luna Park & fell smack onto the ground. Ended up with a bloody knee, bruised elbow, & grazed hip/leg. I got really upset for no particular reason, chucked a little tantrum & limped home before having to go to work. Boo hoo! Talk about your sookie-la-la moment of the year. I've put it all behind me now & am now ready to refocus, Fonginator style!
To all those coming up to Port Macquarie to watch Ironman Australia, after-party tickets go on sale next Monday so get in quick if you're going to stick around the night after the race: http://ironmanaustralia.com/2011/07/port-70-3-information/. Bib numbers for the event are also out: http://ironmanaustralia.com/athlete-information/participant-list/. You can follow The Fonginator on race day on www.ironmanlive.com. Bib #1316. This is what I plan to wear for Ironman:
Looking forward to recovery week this week. Then the countdown begins! Yeow!
Last week (leading into Easter), I felt completely unmotivated to train. Perhaps it was due to exhaustion but I didn't think I was THAT tired (considering the amount of sessions I cut short). It may have also been due to the fact that a very good friend of mine had been involved in a serious bike accident, resulting in her having to pull out of her first Ironman. She is so lucky to be alive & I really wanted to get out & train hard because I knew she couldn't. But instead, I let my mind give up. I really didn't want to get in a pool, get on my bike or go for a run unless I had people to train with. I know we can't always have great weeks where we nail every session but I was disappointed in myself for not doing what was required. And I was hesitant to train outdoors without people after seeing my friend recovering in hospital. All of these feelings I was having made me realise that I have no desire to attempt this ever again! I really don't enjoy training by myself. Training for an Ironman can be lonely & you cannot always expect that there will be people who can train with you all the time. I thrive on company & it makes me train harder. I was supposed to do 4 swim sessions but instead I did 2; one lasted 20 mins & the other was 1.5km! Pitiful. And on Saturday, I had to do 10 x 1km run efforts so I chose to do them down by the water in Kirribilli as it was fast, flat & relatively quiet at 7am. I got half way through, was going pretty well & finishing them on 4.20-4.30 but on the 5th one, I tripped on an uneven plank of wood along the path by Luna Park & fell smack onto the ground. Ended up with a bloody knee, bruised elbow, & grazed hip/leg. I got really upset for no particular reason, chucked a little tantrum & limped home before having to go to work. Boo hoo! Talk about your sookie-la-la moment of the year. I've put it all behind me now & am now ready to refocus, Fonginator style!
On Good Friday, Tracy & I rode out to Palm Beach & back for an 83km ride. It was hot & hilly, and I had to run 10kms off the bike straight after. But I felt ok going onto the run & was excited to have the whole day off to do nothing. I love Easter!
On Easter Sunday, I had to do 100km cycle/5km run so Toni, Mark & I drove down to Brighton Le Sands & rode out to Kurnell & did a couple of loops. It was SO nice to ride somewhere completely flat; a very rare thing when you live in Kirribilli, unless you want to do laps of Centennial Park. I felt fast & powerful for the first time in a long time! I came home absolutely smashed & ready to sleep for the rest of the day!
This Sunday (15th April) is the Sydney ITU (Olympic Distance) Triathlon (www.sydney.triathlon.org). I am SO pumped to race as I haven't competed since Husky Sprint in February, which seems like forever ago. My goal is to try & beat last year's time (2 hours 39 minutes; just made the top 30 females in 30-34 AG). It will be interesting to see how my body responds to a more faster-paced race than Ironman, considering all of the long training sessions I have been doing. This is such a fun event & I hope those of you who aren't racing will come down & watch (for the route map, click here: http://sydney.triathlon.org/event_information/age_group_information/course_maps/). The highlights for me last year were definitely swimming in the Harbour & getting to look at the Opera House every time I came up for air; riding over the Harbour Bridge that was closed to cars, and running through the city before sprinting to the finish line past hundreds of cheering spectators. Such an amazing experience. Look out for me in my Balmoral Triathlon Club gear:
To all those coming up to Port Macquarie to watch Ironman Australia, after-party tickets go on sale next Monday so get in quick if you're going to stick around the night after the race: http://ironmanaustralia.com/2011/07/port-70-3-information/. Bib numbers for the event are also out: http://ironmanaustralia.com/athlete-information/participant-list/. You can follow The Fonginator on race day on www.ironmanlive.com. Bib #1316. This is what I plan to wear for Ironman:
Looking forward to recovery week this week. Then the countdown begins! Yeow!
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