Iron Jack

I am an Ironman! At 11:46pm on Saturday 5 March I crossed the line at Ironman NZ in Taupo. I had expected to finish sometime between 11:30pm and midnight (the cutoff) - so I was pretty close to my estimations!

It was an amazing, incredible, very wet and very long day, and while I wouldn’t say that I loved every second of it, I certainly enjoyed it and I’m am absolutely thrilled to have achieved my goal of finishing before the cutoff.

The recovery has been pretty good this week - the last of my muscle soreness went yesterday - but some major fatigue set in instead. As a result, my brain is a bit mush-like and I’m not quite up to writing a full race report! However, I just got into trouble with my Dad for not having a blog post so here are the key facts and a photo instead! The full blog post is coming I promise!

Swim
Swim Time		01:25:46
Swim Rank		1110
Age Group Rank		62
Averages
Average Swim Time		01:10:04
Average Age Group Swim Time		01:12:41
Average Female Swim Time		01:13:57
Speed
Km/hr		2.6
100m Average		0:02:14
750m Average		0:16:46
1500m Average		0:33:33
Swim-Bike Tran
Swim-Bike Tran Time		0:12:23
Swim-Bike Tran Rank		1124
Averages
Average Swim-Bike Tran Time		00:07:56
Average Age Group Swim-Bike Tran Time		00:08:43
Average Female Swim-Bike Tran Time		00:08:34
Bike
Bike Time		8:14:00
Bike Rank		1234
Age Group Rank		67
Averages
Average Bike Time		06:07:26
Average Age Group Bike Time		06:35:23
Average Female Bike Time		06:37:49
Speed
Km/hr		21.8
45km Time - 23.0Km/hr		1:57:24
90km Time - 23.5Km/hr (+ 2%)		3:49:09
135km Time - 21.3Km/hr (- 9%)		6:20:15
180km Time - 21.8Km/hr (+ 2%)		8:14:00
Bike-Run Tran
Bike-Run Tran		0:11:13
Bike-Run Tran Rank		1193
Averages
Average Bike-Run Tran Time		00:05:03
Average Age Group Bike-Run Tran Time		00:06:05
Average Female Bike-Run Tran Time		00:05:40
Run
Run		6:42:44
Run Rank		1217
Age Group Rank		67
Averages
Average Run Time		04:35:44
Average Age Group Run Time		04:50:50
Average Female Run Time		04:53:45
Speed
Km/hr		6.26
Minutes/Km		9.34
12km Time - 7.82Km/hr		1:32:39
32km Time - 6.68Km/hr (-15%)		4:47:01
42km Time - 6.26Km/hr (- 6%)		6:42:44
Total Time : 16:46:04
Averages
Average Total Time		12:08:19
Average Age Group Total Time		12:55:37
Average Female Total Time		13:02:31

I’ve had a nutrition backthrough - or more precisely, a gel breakthrough!

I’ve been feeling really good about my nutrition programme for a while. Rachel Scriven from FoodFX in Tauranga has been sorting me out on this and it has largely been working very well. I know what I’m meant to be eating and drinking and when. As they say, nutrition is actually the fourth discipline in a triathlon so its critical to get it right.

However, there has been one slight issue. An important component of my nutrition plan is gels for quick, easy and effective carbohydrate consumption on the go. They are light and easy to use, and pretty much are a must for the bike and the run.

Except they weren’t working at all well for me.

I suffer badly from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). At times in the past it has kept me closeted inside and unable to leave the house. It has also left me very depressed. Specialists had always told me that a good diet, exercise and reducing my stress levels would help my IBS significantly - turns out they were right! I have had minimal problems over the past two years on my journey towards Ironman. The training not only helps my body keep fit and well, it reduces my stress levels as well so its a win-win situation.

The only time I was having a problem during training was with the gels. I was using Leppin which is one of the old Kiwi favourites. My tummy would tolerate them - just - on the bike, but not at all on the run, always leaving me caught out and desperate to find a bathroom. They didn’t agree with me at all.

The Half Ironman was getting closer and something had to be done. I couldn’t run the risk of having a major tummy problem on the bike or the run. It was going to be enough of a struggle as it was, without the added pressure of tummy problems.

So I tried some GU. They are an American product which I started seeing around the shops, and an American friend also recommended them. Perfect. Absolutely no problem - no twinges, no cramps, nothing. I thought it was a fluke, so tried them again, and again. Ever since switching to GU, I haven’t had any problems with my tummy. I couldn’t work out why - surely it couldn’t be this easy? Then I checked the packaging - contains chamomile and ginger - problem solved! When things have been really bad with my tummy, I always turn to ginger and chamomile and it always does the job. GU might only have small amounts in them, but it is clearly enough to do the job for me. It is a huge relief.

I’ve now used them throughout the peak summer training and they have been awesome - I’ll be strapping eight to my bike on the day!

So, do you GU?

Given I started writing about the Ironman Training Camp, I thought I better finish it off with the grand finale!

The final day of Ironman Training Camp (Sunday) was to be the big one - the 180km ride. To say that I was completely petrified about this ride would be the understatement of the year!

I did end up having some great conversations with other like-minded women on the camp about the cycle leg, the fear of not finishing and the Ironman challenge about to be embarked on. They had done Ironman previously and it was completely reassuring to know that I am not alone in my fears and concerns - everything I have been thinking and going through - they have been through before. Those conversations gave me a great deal of comfort and reassurance heading into the penultimate day.

The night before I decided that I should treat the big training ride in the same way I would a big event - with a full race plan - yes the dreaded spreadsheet has already made a comeback and we’re not even in race week!

I took some time out on my own to put a plan together. Essentially I broke the ride up into eight parts - each of approximately 20 to 25km, but based around milestone stages in the ride, as opposed to fixed kilometres. These are:

• Taupo to the bottom of the hills (some climbs out of Taupo but mainly downhills and fast!)
• Bottom of the hills (the plane paddock) to Reporoa
• Reporoa to White Road
• White Road to Taupo
• And twice!

This allowed me t0 not only break the ride up into bite-sized chunks, but also allowed me to plan my nutrition and fuel into these sections. I know I don’t eat or drink much in that mainly downhill section - I’m either climbing the Napier-Taupo hill (where its impossible to refuel) or I’m speeding downhill at 60 km per hour (don’t fall off your chair Mum). Because I am slow going up hills, and only moderate on the flats, I have to make the very most of my “speed for free”! It’s the only time where I have weight on my side!

Breaking the ride up in this way also meant I planned all my stops, including my “special needs” bag stop. After the first 90km loop, our aid station was located on Crown Rd - exactly where it will be on race day. I knew exactly where I was going to stop and what I was going to do - reapply sunblock, reapply chafing cream, refill water and Replace bottles, renew fuel and sandwiches.

The plan worked perfectly, and it took all the guesswork out of the ride. I knew exactly what I was going to do and where - just like I will on race day.

The first 90km went perfectly. I was riding more conservatively than I did on Friday, but ended up doing about the same time as I had when I was riding more aggressively! An interesting revelation! I had also deployed the “bottom preservation strategy”. A key concerning factor for me was the state of my very very sore and wounded bottom. It had been agony on the 90km ride on the Friday, and I was incredibly apprehensive about how it would hold up on the longer ride. As a result, I decided to protect it as much as possible, deliberately choosing to ride upright on the very rough sealed parts and not on the aero bars. It worked. I remained relatively comfortable (as far as my bum was concerned anyway!) until approximately 140km - and let’s face it, your bum would hurt after six hours in a car so its understandably sore on a bike after that long!

The fifth and sixth stages back out to Reporoa got harder, but were manageable. I was still in good spirits and riding the uphills and the downhills well, and still managing to crank along on the flats - albeit slower than the first lap, but still at a decent speed.

The turnaround at Reporoa was painful and I had my first moments of self-doubt. Could I really ride another 45km (two hours) back to Taupo? I had never ridden that far before and I was sore and tired. Could I do it?

Fortunately, Kathy was at the pitstop to give me a boost.

“Your time doesn’t matter today - the objective is simply to get it done. You will go faster on race day with fresh legs, so the time just doesn’t matter today.”

Okay, I can do it. Let’s go.

So off I went. It was absolutely stinking hot by this stage. I was sore and I was tired. But I was still moving. Loved going up the hills, loved the downhill into Taupo (apart from nearly being collected by a glider!) and loved pulling into the camp house.

I did it. 8h21 - in my dreams I’d hoped for eight hours, but I was thrilled with 8h21. I know I can ride 180km and I know that all going well, I will ride faster than that on the day and will make the cutoff for the bike. A huge confidence boost.

I was shattered, but stoked.

The 180km ride - done!

I’ve seen this a number of times, but Coach Kathy gave it to us in a folder at the weekend and I’ve just cracked up reading it again! Its even more relevant now than it ever has been!

Twenty five ways to tell if you’re a triathlete:

25. One of your goals this year is to be faster at getting out of a wetsuit.

24. You talk about a “hammer” and “brick”, but you’re not referring to construction

23. You spend seven days going to eight stores in four malls before buying a pair of running shoes. But you take one afternoon to go to one car dealership and walk out with a new car four hours later.

22. That charming cologne (or perfume if you’re a girl) you wear to work is chlorine.

21. You have more water bottles than glasses in your cupboard.

20. You have enough pairs of old running shoes sitting in your closet to open your own shoe store.

19. You immediately bow down before someone with the Ironman “m dot” tattoo. (Is it really tragic I’ve got one of those?)

18. You have NO idea what to do with yourself on your off day. You mowed the lawn, cleaned the house, washed the car, and there’s STILL four hours of daylight left! Aarrgghh!

17. You often show up to work in the morning with goggle imprints around your eyes

16. You have so many tan lines you look like a zebra Running socks, bathing suit, jersey, biking shorts, tri shorts, sunglasses, gloves, watch, etc. (This is really nice at the beach.)

15. The first three items on your grocery list are Gatorade, power bars, and gels. (Make that Horley’s Replace, gels and pasta - power bars do not have a good effect on my body.)

14. You get funny looks when putting on Body Glide on your neck because people think it’s deodorant.

13. About half the shirts you own have at least a dozen logos on the back of them.

12. You wait a couple of days to take your car in when the check engine light goes on, but when your bike needs a tune up you take it right away.

11. You refer to the front hall of your house as the “transition area”.

10. The one “suit” you own has ORCA on the chest. (Or Ironman. Though I really, really want one of the new Orca suits.)

09. When you get home from a training session, the newspaper is just being delivered to your house.

08. You consider work regeneration time between training sessions.

07. Your bicycle is in your living room. (Or bedroom.)

06. Your car smells like a locker room - and you are the only one who doesn’t smell it.

05. There’s a separate load of laundry every week that is just your workout clothes. (One load? I should be so lucky. Try three or four.)

04. When asked how old you are you answer 35-39.

03. Your first thought when you wake up is how high your rest HR is.

02. Your spouse cried during Terms of Endearment; you cried during the television coverage of the Hawaii Ironman. (Every time. And inspiring triathlon videos.)

01. Most of this list doesn’t seem like a joke to you!

There are just 32 days to go until Ironman NZ in Taupo and right now my biggest concern and fear is avoiding injury or illness (and making the cutoffs but that’s a whole other story).

The past few weeks have been huge on the training front, clocking up some major kilometres in the pool, on the bike and on my feet. As a quick summary, in short it has been going pretty well. There have been highlights and lowlights. There are days when I am full of positivity and optimism about my ability to complete Ironman within the time limits. And there are days, particularly when the wind is really blowing, that I fall into a complete panic attack about the cutoffs. Largely, if the weather is generally fine or overcast, with some wind (ie. not blowing a gale) I will be able to do it. And if not, well the weather is completely outside my control!

But my major preoccupation at the moment is about injury or illness.

Every day I do a bit of a body check - legs? sore but fine. Quads, tight, need some stretching, but fine. Ankles? all good. Arms? Bit fatigued from swimming, but otherwise fine. So far I am holding up okay. I am trying to take good care of myself - getting lots of rest (well as much as I can with two little boys running around on school holidays), a now-weekly massage with Heidi to make sure my body is as well-tuned as it can be, lots of fresh fruit and vege and watching everything that goes in my mouth and making the right decisions about activities ie. shall I run around the Blue Lake and potentially roll an ankle - no, I don’t think I will thanks, a 5.5km run on smooth footpaths will do instead!

I find I am constantly questioning my health. Is that a sore throat? I feel like I’ve been fighting off a cold since the day before the Taupo Half Ironman to be honest. Again, lots of good food, vitamin C and rest will help.

I’ve also f0und I’ve become a lot more superstitous than usual! I never have been able to walk under ladders, but that’s always been the extent of it. Not so at the moment!

I’ve been wearing a Power Band since about October or November. No I haven’t noticed any major improvement with performance - although it may be helping with recovery. Latest media reports are that the band is completely useless - but I can’t possibly take it off now until after Ironman - something might go wrong without it!!

I’ve been taking Olive Leaf extract for about a year. Again, I’m not completely confident that it’s actually doing anything for me, but everytime I run out I get a cold, so after realising I had run out again, a late night trip to the supermarket was in order to make sure the regime wasn’t interrupted!

Yes I have lucky togs, goggles, socks and cycle pants. I won’t travel without my Maori bone carving either around my neck or in my toilet bag. And yes, if I haven’t freshly painted my toenails before an event, I simply won’t perform!

Whether these things physically help or not - they certainly help the head. So I’m going to keep on with them until after March 5 - after all, they can’t make me go any slower can they?!

I’m moving a bit gingerly today - and no that is not a pun about the colour of my hair!

Yesterday, a group of us (including Coach Kathy) headed out for a big bike ride aimed at simulating the Taupo Half Ironman and Ironman course. We had originally intended to ride the actual course, however, this was stymied by some major roadworks just by Broadlands School!

So instead, I headed off early from Ngongotaha to meet the Tauranga group on the Old Te Aroha Rd, just outside Matamata. The forecast was for fine, warm weather, however it was misty, drizzly and cold when I joined the group. Once the tyres were pumped and the fuel loaded, we were off.

The initial route was a bit hilly, but then we were on long undulating flats - very similar to the Taupo course. It was a great chance to practice a number of aspects. I spent a lot of time on the aerobars - Jamie’s words ringing in my ears about trying to spend as much time as possible on the aerobars, including for hill climbs. It was great practice and I came away with a lot more confidence on them. I was also trying out my new riding glasses - with prescription lens’ inside - and some new Specialized riding gloves - sorry Clay, not sold on them yet!

It was also a fantastic opportunity to keep testing my nutrition for these big sessions. I was fully equipped with:

• 5 Leppins (only used two in the end)
• 10 jet planes (gummy lollies)
• 2 peanut butter sandwiches (only had one)
• 1 banana
• 1 bottle of water
• 1 bottle of Replace (which was Replaced - every pun intended - at Te Aroha)
• 1 Ballance protein bar - chocolate berry - yum!

When I first started eating on the bike I found it really hard, but now have a lot more confidence and am much more practised at remembering to stuff the food in. I actually found I was quite full at the end of the ride, and after a recovery protein drink, I didn’t actually need anything else for a few hours. I certainly had the energy I needed to get through the ride.

My war wound also held up okay. It was a bit niggly at times, but largely survived.

So, back to the ride. It was a long way on very long flats and in very misty conditions. We didn’t ride as a bunch ride, but more so that everyone got the quality training session they needed to do. Once again I was tail end Charlie, but tried not to let that get to me and instead focused on maintaining the average speed I needed to.

I did quite well heading out to Te Aroha (a gorgeous little town that I never thought would arrive!) and went just a bit further than there to get my time and kms up. I turned around and headed back for Te Aroha and to refuel my bottles.

Then the really hard yards started. It did feel like it was quicker heading back then going out, but I had underestimated how much extra distance I had gone and ended up riding for longer than I thought I would be. Then I hit the hills which signified the last 10km stretch before the cars. I never thought I would be so glad to see hills as I was then - the flats had really taken it out of me. I managed the hills pretty well, right up until the last killer - I rode the whole way up, but I did suffer from a combination of feeling like I was going to fall off and fainting!

Fortunately, I managed to survive and finally made it back to the car. It was a hugely challenging - but incredibly satisfying - ride, with a great group of people. Thanks everyone.

And the stats…93km in 4h20.

Mike and I were lucky enough to receive a free entry to the 12km City to Surf run two weeks ago - thanks to our good friend Alison King, and the awesome team at Events Promotions.

My training programme included it as a training run only - my long run for the week - however, due to the little incident with my bottom (see previous blog post!) my buildup was far from ideal and it turned out to be the only session I did for the next week! I actually wasn’t sure if my wound would hold up as it was only three days after being under the knife - as it were. After a bit of extra padding and chafing cream, I decided to head for the start line after all.

Fortunately my folks had been down for the weekend, so Dad left for Auckland with the five year old, and Mum came to Tauranga with us with the toddler. So nice to have a babysitter and supporter on hand - and Mum is the kind of supporter you want around - she’s awesome with the camera, and makes sure she gets to as many vantage points as possible along the way. And Toby loves her so that’s a bonus.

So, childless we numbered up and got ready to go.

Along with about 2000 other people!

Really well organised event. Event Promotions have taken over the event this year, changed the start line, changed the course and changed the finish line. They are a very professional outfit, super organised and everything is thought of. Lots of volunteers and marshalls and most importantly…toilets! And Char from RATs works for them too so they must be awesome!

I wasn’t quite sure how the run was going to go - I’d only done close to that distance twice before - and that was without a 2cm wound on my bottom! The weather was gorgeous though, I had great music on my MP3, fuel and drink tucked in my back pockets, it had all the signs of a good day.

And it was. Great course, loved running over the Tauranga Harbour Bridge. Lots of people of all shapes and sizes and speeds. It was a good test of downing my electrolytes and Leppin on the run. I felt I was a bit slow at the half way point so tried to pick it up for the second half - which wasn’t very sensible because it was the harder half going around the base of Mt Maunganui! But I still made some headway. I was slower than I expected, but it was a challenging course.

I came around the last stretch of the Mt and was looking forward to a sprint finish down the road to the finish line. And that’s where things came a bit unstuck! The last 300 metres was along the sand! What the…? It was hell. My legs were already hammered from the hills around the Mt and now I had a sand run as well? Nuts. It seemed to take forever and I know it wasn’t pretty! But I got there in the end. Shade over 1h30 - 10 minutes slower than I’d hoped for, but Mike went 10 minutes slower than he should have as well and that seemed to be consistent across the board.

Thanks Ali and Event Promotions - it was a fabulous event and we’ll be back next year!

Its been a busy month in the Ironjack household, with lots of news and more than a few changes. More on all of that later. In the meantime, as I was preparing to go for a ride this morning, it struck me that I’ve had a load of good advice lately, which has made a huge difference to every element of my training.

So, things I’ve learnt lately:

• Boydglide is the absolutely, only, bloody brilliant chafing cream around - GET SOME TODAY!
• If you have a wee sore on your bottom that’s not going away and hurts a lot when you ride - go to the Doctor and get some antibiotics and it will be gone in less than a week!
• The second part to this lesson is to make sure you have the best Dr in town who “gets” what you’re on about and who will actually loan you her beautiful Specialized bike so that you can do Ironman, thanks Dr Alice - again!
• If you can have a free and frank conversation with your friendly bike shop about the state of your bottom - you will end up buying bike shorts that actually fit and fit you well and all of a sudden you can ride for a whole hour longer on the bike before you get sore - Cyclezone, you still rock! Thank you!
• Nutrition is absolutely key - all of a sudden I have energy to train and am having quality training sessions that I actually enjoy and I’m recovering better as well - thanks Rachel!
• If something’s not right, and it’s really not right, change - don’t be afraid to make that really big decision - Kathy, welcome to the Ironjack team!
• If something’s broken, get the professional help you need - within just a few weeks I’m back running again after hurting my foot/ankle thanks to my physio, Corey

And finally for today, you cannot underestimate the value of your different support crews - in this case:

• my family/old friends support network (especially Mike and the boys, thank you!)
• our new friends support crew (and I’m not going to name everyone because I’ll miss someone out but you know who you are!)
• the triathlon club support crew
• my online support crew - including Ironman Stu, Donna_de, Toni_Knowles and many more, this is just a few of the people who keep in touch and keep me going

So thanks everyone for the support and advice. Things are going well and I’m feeling very positive right now. I fully expect that to change with the ups and downs that is training for Ironman, but I’m definitely in the right space.

Kia kaha.

A key development in the Ironjack journey was a trip to Tauranga last week to meet a sports nutritionist – Rachel Scriven from Food FX.

I’ve always battled with my weight. I’ve lost a lot several times, but always put it back on very quickly. My most famous example was where I lost 11kg over 18 months before our wedding in 2003 – only to have put so much back on during our honeymoon that I couldn’t fit my jeans to wear home on the plane!

Sadly, the Ironjack journey has been no different. I have lost 10 kg over the past 12 months or so, and don’t get me wrong, that’s a massive achievement for me. However, it’s been achieved simply because I have started exercising and training – a completely new experience for me and my body. Now that my system is used to training, I haven’t been able to lose any more, plateauing at around 91kg, give or take 500g.

So the time had come to take action. If I want to get faster on both the bike and the run – but especially the bike if I am to make the cutoff time at the NZ Ironman – I need to lose a lot more. Probably 15kg more.

I knew there wasn’t a specialist sports nutritionist in Rotorua, so Google’d “sports nutritionist Tauranga” and found Rachel. As soon as I saw that she supported many Academy of Sport carded athletes (including triathletes), as well as the Bay of Plenty Steamers rugby team (my team) I knew was onto a good thing! A very quick phone call later and I was booked for my first appointment the following week.

Armed with five days worth of food diaries I walked in her door. We had a good talk about how I felt about my eating, training, health and wellbeing. She immediately recognised that IBS is a big issue for me – and in fact it wasn’t until I was talking to her about it that I realised that it is still a big issue for me. The amount of exercise I’m doing, combined with a much less stressful job and daily medication, means that it is much more under control than it ever used to be, but it is always still in the back of my mind, never quite knowing when I’m going to have a bad episode and what will bring it on.

She did all the tests and measurements and agreed that 15kg was a realistic, achievable and appropriate target – not just for Ironman, but for my future health.

One of my biggest concerns was around whether I could eat enough to fuel my training, while still losing weight. Rachel assured me I could.

Within hours my personalised plan arrived, complete with all the current stats and guidelines for nutrition for training as well as living.

It’s been just short of a week now, and it’s going very well. Part of my brain does wonder if I can manage to lose weight when I’m eating this much food! But the other part of me has been incredibly surprised by how much more energy I have for training. My bike around Lake Rotorua on Saturday was hard work, but I felt I had the energy for it – and I had the trust that I had consumed enough to get me around. And I’ve had three fantastic spin sessions where I’ve pushed myself far more than ever before, and felt great. So that’s an immediate benefit. I’m trying very hard not to get on the scales until I see Rachel again in four weeks time – if the scales don’t go my way, I don’t want to jeopardise my commitment to the plan. Watch this space!

Initial Goals (4 weeks)

Lose 0.5 – 2kg body weight

Lose 0.5 – 1kg off body fat weight

Lose >10mm off skinfolds

Lose 1-2cm off girths

I am incredibly lucky to be supported by Reebok and Speedo - brands owned in New Zealand by a company called True Alliance. Thanks to Lee-Anne, they have been on board since early in the Ironjack campaign and I’m very grateful for their support. Their clothes are designed to fit “real” women, and their running tights are quite simply the best thing ever invented!

So it was with much excitement that a care parcel (or three) arrived from them at work last week. Some great new T-shirts and running shoes, but the absolute highlight was this incredible pair of togs. As anyone who knows me will tell you, I am a passionate New Zealander - and I’m even more passionate about NZ sport. These togs carry the Silver Fern…and…KIWI written in capital letters on the bum! They are SENSATIONAL and make me feel amazing - and very fast!

I will wear them with pride.

A massive thank you to Reebok and Speedo.