Iron Jack

Great quote today from a work colleague, and very applicable to how I’ve felt about training in the last couple of weeks!

Training has certainly been very up and down for a little while - since the triathlons stopped actually! Its getting colder, work has been busier, the days are shorter and I have to pack more into every day. I went on a bunch ride that not only threw my confidence - but threw out my whole training week because I couldn’t move for three days!

I was missing more and more sessions - and starting to feel worse and less confident as every week went past.

“I think we might need to peg it back a bit before we move forward,” I said to Coach while propped up on the physio table one day. “I feel like I need to have fewer sessions where I hit every one, before we build up again - and I get some confidence back.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Coach.

Pardon? You agree with me doing less? That’s a first!

“Let’s drop the swimming for a month. Swim squad is on hiatus for a month anyway, its your strength, so the obvious break for a few weeks.”

Fantastic. I felt better immediately.

And I’ve hit every training session since, so it was obviously a good idea.

Saturday’s session was interesting - and challenging - and fun! A RATs triathlon club group session at the Blue Lake to do hill reps. Now doesn’t that sound like fun?

I literally dragged my heels out there because I knew it would be hard going. We did two laps of the field as a warm-up, with me bringing up the rear. Then the hill reps started. Ten of them up to the top of the paddock. I headed off at a fair pace, and just about threw up by the time I got to the top!

“PUMP THOSE ARMS JACKY!” yelled Coach. “Power your way up the steep bits okay?”

“Okay,” I grimaced.

We jogged back down. I did the next few at a slightly slower pace. And the last few slightly slower than that. But I still did them. Very satisfying! I was always well behind the rest of the pack - but it was a completely supportive, friendly and “safe” environment. As I said to Lawrence later:

“I don’t mind being last as long as you don’t!”

After all, he’s the one who reminded me not so long ago that this is my race, my finish line and my Ironman. That is my mantra and I repeat it nearly every day.

So following on from the challenging but satisfying hill reps on Saturday, I had a FANTASTIC run home from work tonight. I was feeling very nervous about running home tonight actually. It was meant to be an hour at L3 heart rate zone. I knew it would take me a bit over an hour and involved some long, slow uphills. I decided I’d do a L2/3.

But I didn’t need to! Level 3 all the way! The first 20 minutes flew by and I was a third of the way home. I didn’t even look at my watch for the rest of the run. One hour, eight minutes later I was walking in the door having run 8.5km - feeling very relaxed and comfortable.

Its getting easier and its an amazing feeling!

And apparently, according to the expert, I’m doing very well.

Being Auckland Anniversary Weekend, this weekend marks the annual Blue Lake Multisport Festival - one of the highlights on the RATs calendar. It includes a reverse Aquathon (run around the lake followed by swim), the Hinemoa Swim (2km from one side of the lake to the other) and a sprint triathlon. This year also includes a 750m swim and a fun run. The event plays host to individuals - young and old - and families from Rotorua and beyond.

Last year it was one of my first forays into the lake for an open water swim as I completed the reverse Aquathon in a team with Mike. I’m not competing in much of the festival this year as I’m getting ready for my first sprint tri at Kinloch next week. But at the last minute my friend Mary Ann and I joined forces in Team JackMAP to take on the aquathon. Like everything we do, its serious - but with a whole lot of fun!

The runners headed off with some of the fastest (including Lawrence our coach) whopping around the lake in what seemed like no time at all. Mary Ann had estimated 35 minutes, but I suited up as soon as we got back to the beach after the runners headed off. Just as well I did, a very quick 30 minutes later and we were swapping the timing transponder and I was off.

Mike, Lawrence, Kevin (Mary Ann’s husband) and the rest of our support crew were all cheering us on at this stage, so I thought I better put some of our open water swim course skills into practice. I ran in to the water (yes ran!), doing the high-knee sprint, and then dived in. It was text-book. Apart from the bit where I lost my goggles!

But, once the goggle situation was fixed, I was off. And I had a great swim. I thought I was going quite slowly, but I did think I was going smoothly, and I was trying to focus on “catching” the water. Rounding the buoys went smoothly as well. I passed a few people on the way out, but no-one passed me. I headed into the beach for the run-up before rounding the flag and back into the water. I had finally remembered to start my stopwatch when I started and I quickly glanced down at my watch (never easy without my glasses on!) But it quite clearly said just over six minutes - for 400 metres! Significantly faster than in the pool.

I was absolutely blown away.

“Wow! I am having a fantastic swim, I better keep it up,” I told myself as I went back into the water.

Second loop, same as the first - except for the unexpected chop that had come out of no-where. After the first few mouthfuls of water I tried to breath on the other side, but in the end just opted for a higher breath on my preferred right side. Buoys - all good. Into beach - all good. Run into finish line - fantastic.

All up, 13 minutes 43 seconds for 800 metres. As long as their distance was pretty accurate, that’s a fantastic swim for me and one that bodes well for Kinloch next weekend.

You can check out the link to the Blue Lake Multisport Festival here http://www.rats.org.nz/eves-blue-lake-multisport-festival/

I’ve been a bit up and down lately about my ability to complete the Tauranga Half Ironman on January 9. Its now very nearly only a month away. I nearly spammed the email from the organisers informing it was just weeks away - immediately before nearly throwing up with fear!

My training has been sporadic to say the least over recent weeks due to a combination of illness, work and family commitments. I have been dreading every weekend that goes by and actually completely freaking out about the whole thing.

But this weekend I’m on an up and my level of self-belief is on the rise.

Yesterday Mike and I ran for 1h45 minutes non-stop (alright, bar two toilet stops but I stopped my watch during both so that I wasn’t cheating on my time!).

This is a huge milestone for me. The longest I have ever run was for an hour, and the last time I did that was months ago. This time not from bailing on training, but because we have been focusing on the bike and swim.

I’ve been dreading this run every since I got my new programme at the beginning of the month. I don’t know where Lawrence got the idea I could run for that long, but I certainly didn’t think I could.

Mary-Ann told me to have faith on Friday.

“It will be all good. I have found everything Lawrence has given me has been achievable, even if I didn’t think so before I began.”

And as usual she was right.

The babysitter arrived and we high-tailed it out the door before the kids realised we were leaving. We arrived at the Redwood Forest and hit the track before I could change my mind. We had mapped out a big loop before we left, and figured that we would probably do it twice.

The first loop took 45 minutes. It was very comfortable and actually very enjoyable. Loved running with Mike. He’s faster than me, but just ran about 20 paces ahead and I toddled along behind. Toilet and carbo stop and then back out onto the track again. Still feeling very comfortable - and very surprised!

My knees and ankle joints started getting a bit uncomfortable about two-thirds the way around, but I was still feeling great. So great that we actually did the second loop faster than the first, and ended up tacking on another 2km in the forest to make up our 1h45! And I actually felt like I could have done another round. Its difficult to map the distance due to the forest and stream tracks, but it would have been between 12 and 14 kilometres - half my Half Ironman run distance!

I was absolutely stoked - actually over the moon. Who would have thought that 12 months ago I would be running that long. Certainly not me. I couldn’t run 10 minutes to save myself. To be fair, I was running fresh, without a 2km swim or 90km run beforehand, but just to get that sort of distance and duration under my belt is a huge boost.

Turns out Lawrence knows what he’s talking about - and Mary-Ann was right. It was completely achievable.

It was a cold, crisp evening as about ten of us lined up our bikes and wind trainers facing Rotorua’s Blue Lake. It had been a stunning day, warm in town, and I’d been looking forward to the season’s new brick training session all day.

RATs, our local Tri club, has spent winter Wednesday nights spinning in a local gym. Its usually packed with up to 40 plus people lined up with bikes, wind trainers and extremely loud music doing super-efficient spinning sessions with Lawrence. With the onset of daylight savings, and the 2009/10 tri season, winter Wednesdays have made way for outdoor brick sessions instead.

You couldn’t ask for a more picturesque setting. Rotorua’s Blue and Green lakes are located about 10 minutes drive from town, and are renowned as one of the must-see tourist spots in New Zealand. When you stand at the lookout in between, one lake - the Blue or Tikitapu - looks electric blue to the eye; turn around and you take in the Green lake or Rotokakahi, which looks a sea-green.

In summer we use the lake for open water swim training, we run around the lake on a 5.5km forestry trail, we bike on road and in forest across the area. Its an amazing outdoor wonderland and its right on our back doorstep. Lucky? You bet.

So anyway, we line up on the lakefront on our stationery bikes. Yes I am the first to admit that we must have looked like a bunch of idiots. A cold bunch of idiots at that. My day-long daydream about how we would be sitting in the sun, in front of a still, crystal lake was rapidly blown as soon as I arrived. It was blowing hard and straight into shore. So we’re sitting on our stationery bikes, with five layers on, and blue fingers and lips.

And we’re off. A very intense spin session (approximately 10 minutes), designed to mimic a hard road ride. A loud shout from Lawrence and we’re jumping off the bikes, into our running shoes, and taking off up the hill on the first of two laps. I thought I was going to be sick. I reached the top of the hill, rounded the cone and honestly thought I was about to keel over - this is, of course, on the back of a serious tummy bug where I had lost five kilos in four days. But I made it back around the bikes, and around again for the second lap.

Back on the bike for the next spin session. Long and hard. And off again for another two laps. And then the next spin session and off for a three lap run. And a final burst and then cool-down.

It was the hardest training session I’ve ever done. I hurt everywhere. And I LOVED it! I was on the biggest buzz and am still buzzing today, over 24 hours later. Of course I can’t walk properly because I hurt so much, but I’m already counting the sleeps until the next one.

I’ve been for a training run with my Dad. I’ve been for a training run with my sister. And now, finally, I’m proud to say that I have been for a run with my husband!

It’s been many many years since I attempted to run with Mike. He’s quite fit and fast and “springy” when it comes to running. When we used to run in Auckland, well before children, it never used to work. I couldn’t run fast enough to keep up with him, and if he tried to run slower with me, he would either end up walking, or over-heating and with a migraine. So we’ve pretty much just run our own separate ways every since. Until now.

My new job means training has to fit around work - rather than work fitting around training as it has been for the past six months. It also means we have to take every opportunity we can to actually see each other! Hence, a joint running session that would achieve both. With the boys in daycare, it was an opportunity not to be missed.

So on Monday we met on the corner halfway between our offices and drove to the pool. From there we headed out running. The aim was to do 30 minutes easy.

“Woah, this is hard going today,” I managed to gasp.

“That’s probably because you’re going much faster,” says Mike.

Turns out that he was only going a little bit slower than he normally would - not a whole lot slower like he used to.

“Cool,” I gasped back.

So with him just going a little bit slower, and with me actually going quite a bit faster, we got through our 30 minutes and then carried on a bit further. We ended up with a 40 minute run and a 5.2km distance completed. About five minutes faster than usual for me. Fantastic. And it was a good run too. I actually managed to have a conversation most of the way around as well.

We grabbed a quick shower at the pools and then headed back to work. A good run done well. Nice.

I can’t believe its been over a week since my last blog post - compounded by the fact that when I eventually did sit down to write I discovered I had forgotten my password. Back on track today. 

Last week was one of the busiest work weeks I’ve had for years - and professionally hugely exciting.

At a client meeting on Monday I was given a tentative timeline of a week (or so) leading up to a major announcement. A phone call halfway through the meeting changed that to a longer timeline of approximately two weeks. Two days later I received a phone call to give me two days notice. I spent the next 48 hours literally hunkered down at Rotorua Airport putting all the pieces in place. At exactly 11am on Friday we went live and the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since.

So what’s all the excitement about? Rotorua Airport will be Trans Tasman by December, with Air New Zealand offering direct flights from Rotorua to Sydney, twice a week, from December 12. This is probably the single most significant development for Rotorua, its residents, its industries and the wider economy for more than a decade.

For those not so familiar with our part of the world, Rotorua is approximately two and a half hours drive from Auckland - New Zealand’s biggest city. Rotorua is traditionally the home of tourism in New Zealand - we are the cultural hub of the country, and we have been hosting tourists for more than 100 years. It is home to most of NZ’s iconic tourism attractions - Maori culture shows and dinners, gondola, Agrodome, trout fishing, a huge variety of accommodation options - the list is literally endless.

But for all Rotorua’s success as a tourism destination, it was missing the one key link that would take the local tourism industry (and thus the supporting economy) to a whole new level - an international air link. Now we have that link, the opportunities to grow and develop as a community, a city and a sector, are massive. It is that significant.

And it’s hugely exciting. Not just for Mike and I professionally, but also for us as a family. We left Auckland nearly four years ago to offer our kids a better lifestyle and environment. We have very quickly embraced everything that Rotorua has to offer and we are very passionate about the region and its potential. The future growth of the region offers even more to our children as they grow and find their own pathways. And the fact that the direct flights offer me a quick route to my best friend in Sydney is an added bonus!

So it was a huge week but massively exciting and it was a privilege to be part of it.

It did impact on training to a point - more about the when and how, as opposed to the what. The highlight of my training week was a great bunch ride on Sunday with the Tri Club - in the fog, where I could barely see the rider in front of me, but that’s a blog post for another time.

So exciting times ahead, in every way.

I had an outstanding 60 minute run in the Whakarewarewa Forest yesterday - a massive improvement on my 60 minute run in Auckland City last week!

It was a gorgeous day, clear blue skies. Absolutely freezing, but warmish in the sun. I hadn’t been running in the forest for a while. I’ve had quite a lot of work on so have been trying to be efficient with my time and just running around the streets of Ngongotaha. 

But what a difference. I felt like I was skipping off into the forest. The air was fresh and my feet felt light. And my ear phones stayed in - also a major improvement on last week.

I find it difficult to run without my MP3 player. I don’t have any problem riding without it - and I feel safer not having anything blocking up my ears while I’m riding on the road. And obviously I don’t wear it in the pool! But I do need my music for running - and the louder and harder rock the better. Much to Mike’s disgust!

Without any fore-planning, the music that came on randomly yesterday couldn’t have been better. A variety of different Live songs (my favourite band), U2, Pink, Daughtry, Stone Temple Pilots, a bit of REM, and then some odd Simon and Garfunkel and Nina Simone for good measure. It seemed that every time I hit a hill, the beat would pick up and I would sail up the hill. And just when I needed some slow relief as I went down a hill, I’d get what I needed. Perfect.

I don’t expect that everyone can run to a mix of hard rock and jazz, but it seems to work for me!