What a week! Ironman training is officially kicking in & taking its toll on my body! I've done 15 training hours this week but somehow, the intensity has definitely left its mark.
I had a relatively low-key start to the week, as I was doing an overnight babysitting gig in Lindfield from Monday to Friday, which made it hard for me to fit in training. I would go to work at lululemon, come home & look after the kids & when they went off to school the next morning, I had to go straight to work or only had 30-60 mins of training that I could fit in. It gave me a bit of an idea of how people juggle work, life and family commitments & I have a greater appreciation for people with kids who train in this sport. I am lucky in that I have no other commitments except for work & that I get to do what I love when I can.
My ankle has been holding up pretty well lately but I am being very cautious at the moment as my achilles is extremely tight & its always bit uncomfortable when I first start running, mainly due to the lack of flexibility from when I had ankle surgery. I have been conscious of stretching every morning & night, as well as before AND after all my runs, which has helped a lot.
On Friday, I taught my first Body Attack class in two weeks. I felt good at the time, until I had to do a swim/run that afternoon, resulting in ridiculous muscle aching the following morning! All good pain though & part of the "journey!" I just wanted someone to walk all over my body with their heels though! On Saturday, I did a 90 min ride & 25 min run off the bike around Mosman (more hills). It was a very slow cycle as I had to do it on my own with the company of my iPod on loudspeaker. I need distractions :)
View from Georges Heights, post-run
But the highlight of this week was definitely today: the Balmoral Triathlon Club race at Chowder Bay, consisting of a 400m swim, 15km cycle & 4km cross-country run, followed by a long ride. I went out to dinner with friends the night before the race & didn't get to bed til almost 11pm, so when my alarm went off at 5am, it was quite a rude awakening. Now I understand why people don't go out & have a social life during Ironman training! Here is a great pic, shared by my friend Dani which was taken at the start of the swim today:
The swim was two laps, starting with a beach sprint along the sand. As soon as the horn went off, it was on. I don't remember any point in the race where I wasn't out of breath. For those of you that aren't familiar with Obelisk Bay, its a long, uneven & steep climb up to transition via some sketchy steps. Everyone walks it because by the time you get to the top, your lungs feel like they're going to regurgitate out of your chest. Definitely an honest way to start a race! I had a fast transition (quote of the day from Nicole Pollitt about having my cleats already clipped in from the start: "Oh, so you're one of THOSE people!"), and I sprinted out of T1. Had some issues getting my feet into the shoes but once I was in, I pelted the first couple of laps (it was a 5 lap course), but I struggled afterwards & got overtaken by a few people by lap 4.
My goal was to run hard off the bike but in short races like this, you are firing on all cylinders from the word go. There was no time to "settle in" or catch a breath. But I was really happy with my T2 (once I racked my bike, I was out in about 15 seconds). It was then 2 laps through bushland (which in some parts felt like we were running in sand, the grass was so long) & thanks to the amazing marshalls who cheered me on, I managed to hang on for dear life & not get overtaken, resulting in 4th female, behind Fleur, Nicole & Jill in a time of 58.05. Only 37 secs slower than my best time which I did in March last year. And even better, I won some socks & a gel in the lucky draw! Definitely made the pain worthwhile.
After the race, I was scheduled to do a 90km ride. My legs were trashed from Fri/Sat training sessions but thankfully, some of the BTC crew were heading out for an easy roll & I had somehow convinced Mary & Joe to join me for the whole ride (they've just returned back to Sydney from the States & are training for Busso IM). We started at Avenue Rd in Mosman & headed towards West Head via the Northern Beaches. Most of the others turned back after an hour when we got to Mona Vale Golf Club but Mary, Joe & I made our way towards West Head (Kuringai National Park). I hadn't ridden there for a while (was trying to avoid it for as long as I could!) & I knew it was going to be tough. That route is hard on fresh legs, let along lactic ones! There were loads of HTFU moments & at the half way turnaround (the Lookout), I felt like crying & calling a cab home. At one point, I was cycling up the steepest hill at 4.4kms. Yes, FOUR POINT FOUR kilometres! It was so embarrassing. My grandmother could WALK faster than that. The ride home was undulating too & by then, all I could think about was getting home & sitting in a bath full of ice to numb the pain.
Sarah had dropped my car to work so I could drive home from Mosman & the only thing I had in my car to eat post-ride was a gel or white bread which was leftover from the BBQ that morning. To the disappointment of my nutritionist & naturopath friends, Terri (http://www.ahealthyview.com.au/index.php?page=about) & Cat (www.catherinepritchard.com.au), I was so hungry that I smashed down 6 pieces of bread. Yep, six. I had left my wallet at home so I couldn't even buy anything on the way. So operation PRP is back on from tomorrow! Although I may rename it to Operation MBA - Michelle Bridges' Abs. Lunch was followed closely by a long afternoon nap & couch time with the remote control. God bless Sundays.
Before I finish off, I just want to give a shout out to everyone at Balmoral Triathlon Club (including all the volunteers at the race today) for their encouragement & support, especially over the last few months. Its so great to be a part of a club that is so welcoming, friendly, but most of all who believe in your ability. I love triathlon so much because of the people & without training partners, it would definitely be one a helluva lonely road. There's always someone around to kick my ass & stop me from giving up. So, massive high fives to BTC. You rock my socks off.
Speaking of socks, I am going to give lululemon a plug here. I bought a pair of their padded run socks & wore them running yesterday AND cycling today. You need to get your hands on these babies. They seriously feel like you are slipping pillows on your feet. The cushioning is unlike any other sock I have worn. And they are SO comfortable. I cannot recommend them highly enough (and I am not just saying that because I work there. They really are amazing). I feel like I can run forever when I wear them. On the bike today, everything on my body hurt...except my feet. True story.
50 days til the Sydney ITU Olympic Distance race & 69 days til Ironman!
Thanks for reading my blog! Until next week, happy training & remember to HTFU,
Bel
I had a relatively low-key start to the week, as I was doing an overnight babysitting gig in Lindfield from Monday to Friday, which made it hard for me to fit in training. I would go to work at lululemon, come home & look after the kids & when they went off to school the next morning, I had to go straight to work or only had 30-60 mins of training that I could fit in. It gave me a bit of an idea of how people juggle work, life and family commitments & I have a greater appreciation for people with kids who train in this sport. I am lucky in that I have no other commitments except for work & that I get to do what I love when I can.
My ankle has been holding up pretty well lately but I am being very cautious at the moment as my achilles is extremely tight & its always bit uncomfortable when I first start running, mainly due to the lack of flexibility from when I had ankle surgery. I have been conscious of stretching every morning & night, as well as before AND after all my runs, which has helped a lot.
On Friday, I taught my first Body Attack class in two weeks. I felt good at the time, until I had to do a swim/run that afternoon, resulting in ridiculous muscle aching the following morning! All good pain though & part of the "journey!" I just wanted someone to walk all over my body with their heels though! On Saturday, I did a 90 min ride & 25 min run off the bike around Mosman (more hills). It was a very slow cycle as I had to do it on my own with the company of my iPod on loudspeaker. I need distractions :)
But the highlight of this week was definitely today: the Balmoral Triathlon Club race at Chowder Bay, consisting of a 400m swim, 15km cycle & 4km cross-country run, followed by a long ride. I went out to dinner with friends the night before the race & didn't get to bed til almost 11pm, so when my alarm went off at 5am, it was quite a rude awakening. Now I understand why people don't go out & have a social life during Ironman training! Here is a great pic, shared by my friend Dani which was taken at the start of the swim today:
The swim was two laps, starting with a beach sprint along the sand. As soon as the horn went off, it was on. I don't remember any point in the race where I wasn't out of breath. For those of you that aren't familiar with Obelisk Bay, its a long, uneven & steep climb up to transition via some sketchy steps. Everyone walks it because by the time you get to the top, your lungs feel like they're going to regurgitate out of your chest. Definitely an honest way to start a race! I had a fast transition (quote of the day from Nicole Pollitt about having my cleats already clipped in from the start: "Oh, so you're one of THOSE people!"), and I sprinted out of T1. Had some issues getting my feet into the shoes but once I was in, I pelted the first couple of laps (it was a 5 lap course), but I struggled afterwards & got overtaken by a few people by lap 4.
My goal was to run hard off the bike but in short races like this, you are firing on all cylinders from the word go. There was no time to "settle in" or catch a breath. But I was really happy with my T2 (once I racked my bike, I was out in about 15 seconds). It was then 2 laps through bushland (which in some parts felt like we were running in sand, the grass was so long) & thanks to the amazing marshalls who cheered me on, I managed to hang on for dear life & not get overtaken, resulting in 4th female, behind Fleur, Nicole & Jill in a time of 58.05. Only 37 secs slower than my best time which I did in March last year. And even better, I won some socks & a gel in the lucky draw! Definitely made the pain worthwhile.
After the race, I was scheduled to do a 90km ride. My legs were trashed from Fri/Sat training sessions but thankfully, some of the BTC crew were heading out for an easy roll & I had somehow convinced Mary & Joe to join me for the whole ride (they've just returned back to Sydney from the States & are training for Busso IM). We started at Avenue Rd in Mosman & headed towards West Head via the Northern Beaches. Most of the others turned back after an hour when we got to Mona Vale Golf Club but Mary, Joe & I made our way towards West Head (Kuringai National Park). I hadn't ridden there for a while (was trying to avoid it for as long as I could!) & I knew it was going to be tough. That route is hard on fresh legs, let along lactic ones! There were loads of HTFU moments & at the half way turnaround (the Lookout), I felt like crying & calling a cab home. At one point, I was cycling up the steepest hill at 4.4kms. Yes, FOUR POINT FOUR kilometres! It was so embarrassing. My grandmother could WALK faster than that. The ride home was undulating too & by then, all I could think about was getting home & sitting in a bath full of ice to numb the pain.
Sarah had dropped my car to work so I could drive home from Mosman & the only thing I had in my car to eat post-ride was a gel or white bread which was leftover from the BBQ that morning. To the disappointment of my nutritionist & naturopath friends, Terri (http://www.ahealthyview.com.au/index.php?page=about) & Cat (www.catherinepritchard.com.au), I was so hungry that I smashed down 6 pieces of bread. Yep, six. I had left my wallet at home so I couldn't even buy anything on the way. So operation PRP is back on from tomorrow! Although I may rename it to Operation MBA - Michelle Bridges' Abs. Lunch was followed closely by a long afternoon nap & couch time with the remote control. God bless Sundays.
Before I finish off, I just want to give a shout out to everyone at Balmoral Triathlon Club (including all the volunteers at the race today) for their encouragement & support, especially over the last few months. Its so great to be a part of a club that is so welcoming, friendly, but most of all who believe in your ability. I love triathlon so much because of the people & without training partners, it would definitely be one a helluva lonely road. There's always someone around to kick my ass & stop me from giving up. So, massive high fives to BTC. You rock my socks off.
Speaking of socks, I am going to give lululemon a plug here. I bought a pair of their padded run socks & wore them running yesterday AND cycling today. You need to get your hands on these babies. They seriously feel like you are slipping pillows on your feet. The cushioning is unlike any other sock I have worn. And they are SO comfortable. I cannot recommend them highly enough (and I am not just saying that because I work there. They really are amazing). I feel like I can run forever when I wear them. On the bike today, everything on my body hurt...except my feet. True story.
50 days til the Sydney ITU Olympic Distance race & 69 days til Ironman!
Thanks for reading my blog! Until next week, happy training & remember to HTFU,
Bel
