Iron Jack

So what happened after I became an Ironman on a very, very wet March weekend?

In a nutshell:

• I started swimming again almost immediately
• I was deployed to Christchurch to do my bit for the relief effort just a week later
• I religiously started attending the RATS twice weekly spin classes
• I had a great ride at the Sarah Ulmer ride in Cambridge for Mothers Day

And then I came to a grinding halt.

First up came a spectacular flu - “true flu” as Dr Alice said and ordered me off work for a week. And I literally spent a whole week in bed. It was about this time that it started getting really dark and a lot colder in the mornings so I made the very sensible decision to give up swim squad until August. I’d missed most of last winter and started again in August and I’d done okay so I quite happily justified the break!

I got in a ride or two, and one run (yes, one run since Ironman!). We had a series of bugs through the house, including Toby with two bouts of a tummy bug and a couple of colds and Oli who ended up with sick in hospital with a stomach something. Mike even got sick - which is just unheard of. I had a couple of work trips to Wellington and then I got absolutely flattened by a tummy bug.  

It seemed that every week I’d start with the best of intentions - running gear in the car, calorie tracker on my phone, programme worked out for the week. And then every week - yes every week - something would go wrong.

Suddenly I’ve found myself nearly 4kg heavier and the fitness level of a sloth.

The life change I’d fought so hard to achieve had been kicked for touch with just a few months of normal, everyday life.

To say that I’m disappointed in myself would be the understatement of the year. I thought that I could continue with my training and nutrition without a big hairy audacious goal like Ironman. But it’s become very obvious that I need these goals in my life to keep myself motivated and honest. And that’s okay - if that’s what it takes, then that’s just what I’ll do!

So, as I was drifting off to sleep one night last week I was suddenly hit with a lightning bolt of inspiration…

I could enter all seven races in the 2011/12 Contact Tri Series series. Yup, all seven. Rotorua, Whangamata, Christchurch, Wanaka, Kinloch, Takapuna and Wellington. And not just the 3:9:3 - although that would be fun! There will be a combination of sprint and standard distance events (carefully selected depending on the flatness or hilliness of the bike courses!!), culminating with a fair effort at the standard distance Wellington event in March. And then in a perfect position to head into 2013 Ironman training.

As soon as the thought entered my head, I was instantly excited and motivated and planning. I had my goal.

So with the support of my ever-patient husband, two gorgeous boys, mentor Ironman Mel, and armed with Alison’s triathlon textbook, the next Project Ironjack is born!

I hope you’ll join me for the ride!