Iron Jack

Set your calendars, book your accommodation, the date for the 2011 New Zealand Ironman in Taupo has been set:

7am, Saturday 5 March, 2011

According to the countdown, 366 days, 12 hours, 20 minutes and 33 seconds to go.

Hmmmm.

Now’s probably a good time to include another inspiration quote from Stu’s site:

“The purpose of the swim is to get you on the bike. The purpose of the bike is to eat for the run. The purpose of the first run lap is to put money in the bank to pay the monkey that will jump on your back the second lap.

“The Second Lap Monkey. He is very a big monkey. If this is your first Ironman, you have probably felt in your training everything that you will feel on race day, except the Second Lap Monkey. You can’t train for that. The Second Lap Monkey carries a big stick, and its name is Pain. Love it, hate it, get angry at it. Breathe it with every breath, feel it with every step and use it.

“It lets you know you are still alive, more alive than most people will ever be in their whole lives. The clock keeps on ticking and everything bad must eventually come to an end. All you have to do is keep running in a straight line until someone tells you to stop.”
(Anon)

Also, here is a link to my friend Stu’s blog about his incredible journey towards and through 2010 NZ Ironman. Its a fantastic read and very real insight into the journey leading up to the event - and more importantly, on the day. Hopefully he doesn’t mind me sharing!

http://no-more-shadows.blogspot.com/

Enjoy and happy training.

What an incredible weekend. Its hard to know where to start. Ironman 2010 in Taupo, New Zealand, was everything I thought it would be - and more.

It was exciting, exhilirating, nerve-wracking, exhausting and most of all, absolutely and utterly inspiring.

I think I’m still digesting the weekend and what it means for me, as I visualise lining up at the start line this time next year. I was completely excited about going to watch the event - but also completely petrified. I hoped it wouldn’t scare the living daylights out of me.

Well, most importantly, it hasn’t. If anything, I actually feel a lot more comfortable about the whole thing. Comfortable and confident that if I do the hard hards, I will be crossing the line to hear the announcer say, Jacky James, you are an IRONMAN! I can visualise the steps in my mind and how most of it will come together. There is still a massive amount to learn about training, racing and this particular endurance event.

I’ll probably download some more later, but here are some highlights:

• Coach won his age-group! Wahoo! And he’s qualified for Kona! Double wahoo! Absolutely incredible to watch him race - I don’t think I had quite warned him enough about my passionate sports supporting, but he certainly couldn’t have missed my cheering!
• A number of RATs members crossing the line, but most heartwarming for me was Clarrie - an “older” competitor, determined to do his Ironman. We used to be in the same lane at swim squad and he is the dearest man. He had a great race, finishing in just over 14 hours. Awesome.
• Ripping around on bikes to catch all our people racing and making sure we didn’t miss a bit.
• Finding an amazing kebab shop for tea!
• And along with Coach’s efforts, the biggest highlight for me was my friend Stu from Kapiti Coast - we met through the Twitter triathlon network, we both work for the same Government organisation and we’re both working towards Ironman after battling demons - Stu this year and me next. I’ve followed his progress with growing excitement and respect. Even with all is training and busy family life, he still finds time to shoot me his latest inspirational thoughts. Eight months ago Stu couldn’t swim. Today, he is an IRONMAN! I met his wife for the first time at the swim exit - and saw him for the first time then as well! We followed his progress throughout the race, and I even rode out to near the run turnaround because I thought he might need some support on the last stretch. He had an incredible race, finishing just under 13 hours - 12h53m. Awesome.

And one final highlight…Mike wants to do an Ironman now too and is talking about 2012! Wahoo!

This Saturday dawned bright and clear, and I felt absolutely miserable.

I was (and still am) completely full of head cold. I hadn’t been able to train since Tuesday morning - missing six training sessions as a result. And completely freaking out about how quickly the Tauranga Half Ironman is creeping up.

This was in complete contrast to the previous Saturday…which also dawned bright and clear. Don’t you just love the onset of summer after a long, cold winter?

Anyway, on the previous Friday night I was like a little kid the night before Christmas. Or a labrador puppy waiting to go for a walk. I was absolutely beside myself with excitement.

And the reason for the extreme excitement? The first triathlon of the 2009/10 season!! Wahoo!

It was just a little, informal triathlon organised by my coach. A short 300m-ish swim in the lake, a nine-km ride on the Okareka Loop Road (ugly) and a 5.5km run around the Blue Lake. But it was the first tri of the season and it was worth wagging my tail over!

I sorted out all my gear the night before. And double-checked it. And triple-checked it. I carbo-loaded. I got an early night. Honestly, you would have thought it was the Ironman the way I was carrying on.

I got up early, had the right breakfast, packed the car, cranked up the stereo, and headed off. I was halfway to town when I spotted some cyclists coming towards me.

“Bugger!” I screeched on the brakes and flipped a u-turn. All my early preparation came to nothing. I’d forgotten my helmet.

Back home, in the gate, run to the garage, get the helmet, run back, repeat the earlier paragraph. Am now running late.

Fortunately Lawrence’s little informal triathlon was very informal and the organisation was very flexible. I pulled up at the lakefront to find fellow RATs members in various stages of preparation.

I hauled all my gear out of the car and set up next to a fence. Still beside myself with excitement and suffering none of the nerves I had done with the start of the previous season. Not only was this the first triathlon of the season, it was also the first time I had ridden Dr Alice’s bike in an event, and the first time I’d done an event in my clips and riding shoes.

I peeled on my wetsuit - which I should note at this point fits me significantly better than last season and is no longer such a struggle to get on. Losing 10kg will do that I suppose!

It was only at this point that I took my first apprehensive look at the lake. It was a stunning day, but it was a cool wind, and I knew it would be freezing. That was to be the understatement of the year. I walked in to the water to try and aclimatise. Wherever the wetsuit covered was fine - wherever it didn’t was not! My feet were absolutely freezing, and my fingers went numb just from dipping them in the water. This was not going to be okay.

Race briefing. Very brief, very informal.

I whispered Lawrence’s wife - and Camp Mother, Lisa - that I might not make it all the way to the buoy, but I’d go as far as I could in the cold.

“No problem,” she reassured me.

Five minutes later we were off.

And it took my breath away. Quite literally. I managed to swim freestyle strokes with my head out of the water, putting my face in the water every few strokes. Then I tried a few breastrokes.

“This is ridiculous,” I thought. “Get hard.”

And that was it. I swam the rest of the way - all the way out to the buoy and then back in again. And I wasn’t last. And I beat a boy. Nice.

Peeled off the wetsuit, straight into the bike shoes and onto the bike. Nice.

Started the bike, slight incline, long downhill, long flat. Nice. Then up. And up. And up. And around a corner. And up. I had completely forgotten how hilly this very short loop road is. But I got up those hills very well - even though they lasted for about five kilometres. I even managed to stand up on my pedals. A lot. Very pleased with the effort.

I screeched to a halt (literally I think) in front of my fence post - remembering to take my clips out first! On with the shoes and off.

Feeling absolutely fantastic. Those brick sessions are really paying off. Had a fantastic run on what is a reasonably challenging route for me. I was about two-thirds of the way around when Lawrence flew past me like a lightening flash.

“Well done Jacky!” he yelled on his way past. I didn’t know whether to feel proud that he thought I was doing so well, or offended that he had expected otherwise! I decided on the former and let that carry me home.

I was on an absolute high - in fact I was buzzing the whole time, even going up the hills. I loved every second of it. That high carried me through the rest of the weekend - and my first three and a half hour ride the next day.

Which is why I was so gutted to come down with a cold the next day. But just writing the race report for this mini-tri already brings the buzz back. I can’t wait for this season. I will be slightly underdone for the Half Ironman, but I will be ready. Bring it on.

Lawrence’s Mini Tri race times:

Swim: 00:11:47

Bike: 00:29:54

Run: 00:49:55*

Total: 01:31:36**

* if I hadn’t stopped to go to the bathroom I would have done a sub-45 minute run - bugger!

** if I hadn’t stopped to go to the bathroom I would have done a sub-1h30 tri - bugger!

I’m sitting on a plane on the way back from a four day holiday in Queenstown and Central Otago. When the wedding invitation arrived earlier in the year for a wedding in the middle of nowhere – okay Glenorchy – it was the opportunity we needed to leave the boys in Auckland for a week with the grandparents, and take a much-needed break just for the two of us. 

The wedding was for my dear friend Jasmine – a friendship forged at Outward Bound, and then over many drinks during a weekend in Dunedin for me, and another in Wellington for her. She was the “baby” of our “tight five” at Outward Bound – a core group of us who literally got each other through – Stu, Kath, Pete, Jaz and myself.

I had been to Stu’s wedding in Dunedin in 1999, Kath’s in 2003, and she flew back from Africa from ours later that year. Kath and I – the two red-heads of the bunch – have remained close and in close contact, sharing births of children and other life experiences. I had lost touch with Stu and then Jaz, and hadn’t actually seen or talked to Pete since Outward Bound. Apart from Kath, we were all reunited at Jasmine’s wedding. And true to form for her, it was the most Outward Bound wedding of them all, with the ceremony in the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere, and the reception 30 minutes down a gravel road. And all the memories have come flooding back.

It’s now been 12 years since we took on Outward Bound, and I still carry it with me every day. It extended me in more ways than I could ever have expected or hoped for. And in fact I haven’t been stretched this far until my journey to Ironman began. When I was preparing for Outward Bound, I was living in Taupo, was single, a bit of a party girl, and had lost my way when it came to my career (hard to believe now!). At the time, I was often asked why I, of all people, was doing it.

Even my doctor expressed his surprise when he was giving me the medical all-clear to go.

“But you’re already such a strong, confident person, why do you need to go to Outward Bound?”

I’d also thought I was pretty good in the confidence stakes. I already knew I was assertive (my dad calls it bossy) and had a good level of self-esteem, and I was pretty fond of taking a leadership role (again with the bossy). I thought I was going to work on the fitness side of things.

Outward Bound certainly did stretch me on the physical side. I never realised what true exhaustion was and through aching and pain I found new muscles I never knew I had. I don’t think I’ll ever forget walking straight up hill, through solid bush, for four hours solid, carrying all our gear, running out of water and crying from exhaustion and effort. I didn’t think I could take another step further. But of course you do. And then you take another one, and another, and before you know it, four hours have gone by and you’re at the top. It’s an amazing feeling and one I’ll carry with me forever.

The day I arrived at Outward Bound I made a promise to myself that my low levels of fitness would not stop me achieving anything while I was at Outward Bound and it was a promise I kept. The rest of Hilary watch were much, much fitter than me. I was the slowest by far. But I kept plodding up the hill and used my mental energy to get me there.

Outward Bound pushed my personal barriers and took me to new levels. I found new limits, and I also found ways to push those limits and to take it one step further.

Twelve years on, I still apply these philosophies to my every day life. At work when I think I just can’t take anymore, I look back within myself and carry on going. I’m constantly setting new goals – both in my personal and professional life – and not a day goes by that I don’t think about Outward Bound and what it did for me.

I left Outward Bound an even stronger person than I was when I arrived. Sure I was fitter, but I was mentally stronger than I ever had been before.

As I think back on it now, I realise that Ironjack is my new Outward Bound. Its stretching my physically more than anything since Outward Bound. In fact, I’m fitter now than I was at Outward Bound. But its also about the mental game. Its all in my head. If I can beat that, I can do anything.

To the “tight five”, thanks for bringing back the memories.

Forgive me father for I have sinned…its been over two weeks since my last blog post!

But that doesn’t mean that the training has stopped - it just means that our lives are even more manic than usual, and that I may have even broken my own record in my level of busy-ness.

The new job is amazing - I’m in my happy place and I feel like its the job I’ve been waiting my whole life for. I don’t think many people get to say that about their place of work so I do feel very privileged. Its also regularly a manic adrenalin rush, which has taken me closer to my triathlon goals than I ever would have thought - and I mean literally closer, as in right on top of both the Ironman and the Half Ironman course!

With five minutes notice, last week I found myself holed up in the Mt Maunganui police station, overlooking the swim course and transition area for the Tauranga Half Ironman in January. If I squinted my eyes I could just picture the excitement and chaos of race day. And it only scared me a little bit!

The week before, work had taken me to Taupo. Rather than just drive straight down State Highway 5, I decided to drive into town on the Ironman cycle route - I’m still not sure if that was a good idea or not! The turnaround point for the Taupo Ironman cycle stage is Reporoa, a tiny country town that is home to a dairy factory, a school, a general store, veterinary clinic and not much more.

We’ve based ourselves at the turnaround point for two Ironman events so far - the first time to cheer on a close friend (and accountant!), and this year to see the leaders go around for the second time. That’s right. Its not just a long way into town - you have to do it twice!

Now that I’ve spent a bit more time on the bike, I’ve started looking at these roads in a whole new way. The route is certainly a lot flatter than I remembered it being the last time I drove that way. For the most part, its long and straight, with just a few undulating hills - apart from the climb out of Taupo township on the way out. It seemed to take a very long time to drive that day. And this time I’m not afraid to say I was scared just a little bit.

The main training highlights in recent weeks have been on the bike and in the pool. Apparently I’ve made a massive improvement in my swimming stroke, so hopefully that bodes well for improving my times. Swim squad at 6am is going really well. In fact I love it and I really struggle now to swim on my own.

And, the bike has indeed become my friend and I miss it if I don’t get out on it several times a week! Hills are also becoming my friend, and I’m getting much faster. I rode around Lake Rotorua on Sunday - 50km - and I did it 20 minutes faster than the last time, which gave me a huge boost.

The other big highlight has been the people I’ve met and the new friendships I’ve made just in the last couple of weeks. The online triathlon community just keeps getting stronger and is hugely supportive and motivating. At the same time, I’ve met many like-minded people here in Rotorua with similar goals and speeds and we’ve formed new little training groups for swimming and cycling. Its much easier to get out the door when you know you’re due to meet someone at Lane One! I’ve also met new people around New Zealand who are also working towards big goals. Its good to share the good times - and the bad - and it all helps make you feel like you’re not the only one slogging it out every day and weekend to get to the finish line. What a team.

The triathlon community on Twitter is an amazing thing, which has led to some fantastic contacts and connections for me around the world, and also a bit closer to home in New Zealand. Stu, aka @No_More_Shadows on Twitter, just sent me this from the Ironman website - I’m going to post it in front of my computer so I can come back to it every day.

The Ironman will try and psyche you out and wear you down over the course of the year. If you know what to expect then each swing Ironman takes at you will have less effect. The way ironman can beat you is with self doubt. If your self doubt gets to a point where you decide not to take on the challenge then Ironman has beaten you. This is where it beats most people even before they even get close to the start line. The first self doubt weapon is in the form of other people. They will constantly either tell you or imply that “you can’t do it” when they have no idea if you can or not. They will tell you “it is a long way” which is not rocket science. They will tell you they had a friend who has done Ironman and make them out to be much better than you. If they have done it themselves and are really self absorbed they will even imply how much better they are than you. The other even more deadly weapon is Ironman intimidating you directly. This will be you telling yourself you cannot possibly do something like that. What where you thinking? Are you insane? Don’t tell anyone or they will laugh, your not good enough, etc. This is all ironman trickery and not true at all. Be ready for it and know that this is what prevents everyone else from taking on the challenge.

A fantastic piece that I know will provide endless inspiration.

Stu’s on an amazing journey. You can check out his blog here http://no-more-shadows.blogspot.com/2009/01/journey.html He started riding in January 2005 after a health shock when he clocked in at 120kg. He’s now down dozens of major cycling events, including the Round Taupo maxi enduro and he’s on track for his first Ironman on March 6 next year.  And from the photos on his webpage, I’d suggest he’s probably half of his former self.

I can’t wait to be at Ironman to cheer Stu and all the other first-timers on. After all, it will be me exactly 12 months after that!

I’m going to do Ironman 2011.

Did that get your attention? It sure got mine!

I’m a 35 year-old, overweight, clinically obese, self-employed mother of two small boys. Surely I can’t possibly complete the Ironman distance of a 3.8 kilometre swim, 180 kilometre bike ride, and 42.2 kilometre marathon – can I?

I’m going to.

If there is anything that this 35 year old, overweight, self-employed mother of two knows how to do, it is setting goals – the bigger, the better. But even I have to confess that I may have outdone myself this time.

So how did I get to “I’m going to do Ironman 2011”? It’s actually been a very short two month journey from my first triathlon on January 4, to my fifth on February 15, to my big hairy audacious goal of Ironman in 2011.

I’ve also been “into” triathlons since I watched Hamish Carter and Bevan Docherty battle out it for gold and silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics. I was fortunate to be offered the opportunity to work with the sport shortly afterwards in my professional capacity and my fascination with the sport has continued ever since.

But it wasn’t until just before Christmas 2008 that I literally got off my butt and onto a bike, doing that first triathlon just two weeks later. I came last. The bike just about killed me. I had to walk the run. But I was addicted.

I did the next one two weeks later. Loved it, ran the whole way, beat my time by 14 minutes.

All of a sudden I had more energy. I actually wanted to run around outside with the kids. I found I didn’t want that glass of wine and I started eating properly. For the first time in many years, I felt alive. I feel alive. And I want that feeling to last.

So that’s how I ended up with the big goal.

The first step was talking to my doctor to see if I was medically able to do it. I am.

The second step was getting some new orthotics (the last pair were more than 10 years old!) and some new running shoes. Tick.

The third step was telling my husband. After a short discussion he joined the support crew – he’s used to supporting my mad-cap ambitions.

The next step was organising my trainer. Two years is a decent amount of time for preparation, but I’m going to need every one of those 730 days to prepare myself and there wasn’t a moment to lose.

A cup of coffee with Lee-Anne Wann (the dynamic trainer from TV3’s Downsize Me) later and our plan was underway.

I’m committed to achieving this goal, not just for me, but for other busy, everyday working mums (and dads) to prove that you don’t have to be extreme to take on Ironman – you just have to do it.