Iron Jack

I am officially entered in the 2011 NZ Ironman. Am really excited and completely petrified at the same time.

But at least I’m in, unlike many other people who have missed out.

For the first time ever, the NZ Ironman event has reached capacity and it sold out in just 13 days! It caught many people out, many who will be first-timers whose goal was only ever going to be doing “an Ironman”. From now on, if you even think you’re going to want to do an Ironman, you’re going to have to be ready to enter as soon as it opens - you won’t have the luxury of waiting until October (or even later) to decide if you’re ready or if you’re injury free.

It’s going to change the nature and culture of the NZ event forever.

Approximately 800 entries had been filled in the first five days, with the vast majority of those going to Australians who had already experienced their two Ironman events selling out - one sold out in less than 24 hours. So there may well be more Ozzies than ever before, and potentially, less of the average back-of-the-packer who simply wants to survive. Those people have always been at the heart of NZ Ironman so I hope that doesn’t change too much.

It also means that relatively new, local events like Challenge Wanaka are also in for a sudden increase in numbers, as those who seek to simply complete an Ironman look for a new event to enter. Challenge Wanaka sounds like an amazing event in stunning scenery, but how will its unique experience be impacted by a sudden influx in numbers?

At the same time, setting early goals and planning to achieve them isn’t a bad thing. Surely there’s nothing like the motivation of being entered to keep you going?

So I do have mixed feelings about what this means for the event.

But as a result of entering, I am living, breathing, eating and freaking out about Ironman more than I ever have before. I dream it - or rather I have nightmares about it; my training programme has gone up a huge level; I’m reading everything I can get my hands on - and unfortunately I’m not sure that is helping! I’m also sick and have already missed three days of training which doesn’t help!

I’m sure this panic phase will pass. There are still 287 days until the start line. How bad could the training possibly be?? Yeah right!

Anyway, I’m lining up alongside some fantastic friends and training buddies for next year’s event. Here’s the list so far:

Mary Ann Patterson - my fairy god mother and constant motivator, supporter and friend. She may have moved to Palmerston North, but that hasn’t stopped the banter and phone calls and us giving our coach grief!

Alison King - the journalist I was never going to be, fellow redhead and training buddy. 2011 will be her fourth - yes fourth! - Ironman and she’s after new times that shes not yet ready to share - I know she’ll get them too.

Ben Shaw aka Binga - one of the key people in the whole Ironjack journey. Ben did his first Ironman in 2005 and was meant to do his second in 2006 - the year the swim was cancelled. He’s been battling injuries and babies ever since but is determined to get back to the start line. He’s always been my inspiration to do triathlon, and then Ironman, and I’m stoked we’ll be lining up together next year. He’s also married to one of my closest friends.

Ingrid Tiriana - one of the first people I met at RATs - and quickly discovered we had a common friend! Ingrid is a true Ironman inspiration (I say that a lot don’t I? I guess its because pepole who do Ironman are completely inspiring!) Anyway, Ingrid did her first Ironman in 2009 - after suddenly discovering a random heart problem during her training for 2008. Despite this, she achieved her goal of finishing in 2009 and now she’s back for more!

So the countdown is now well and truely on for 2011 NZ Ironman. Even though there are moments of real panic, I am also extremely excited. It’s time - bring it on!

Start line 2010 Ironman

I will try and constrain my use of superlatives, however, the Bayfair Triathlon at Mt Maunganui yesterday was absolutely sensational! I could also say fantastic, brilliant, rocking, outstanding and bloody awesome! Loved it, absolutely loved it, from start to finish.

We arrived at the Mt about 7:30am after leaving Rotorua bright and early at 6:30am. I’d been craning my neck the whole way waiting for that first glimpse of Mt Maunganui on the Tauranga Direct Road. The Tauranga Half Ironman in January at the height of summer had been windy and brutally cold. I was hoping that wasn’t the swim I was about to be in for.

When we crossed the harbour it looked like absolute glass. Sweet.

We arrived in the race area, found a park and made our way to transition. Bugger. Not so glass-like after all. In fact, quite lumpy, breezy and building.

Transition was busy, and cramped. I found a spot to squeeze into and set up. I’m definitely not one to muck around in transition - why prolong the suspense? Once you’ve double checked everything its just best to get out!

We found Mike’s swimmer, listened to the briefing, and then it was time to get into the wetsuit and head down the beach.

I was determined to have a bit more of a swim before the start in this race. I’d done a fun quadrathon with work on Friday and, even though it was just a short 300m swim, I’d really struggled to get comfortable in my suit. This time I decided I’d get those things sorted well before the gun went off.

The water was absolutely freezing! Much colder than the Blue Lake on Friday. Nothing for it but to get swimming, and then get lined up at the start line. To start with I made my way to the back lines, as I usually do. Then I suddenly decided that I’d had enough practice and it was time to start lining up at the front. I made my way into a spot and got ready to go. The gun went and I was off. All the open water swim practice really did pay off and my beat my way out of the flurry to find my own space.

The swim went as expected really. Not great, not bad. A highlight was being able to sprint out of the water and through transition, and another highlight was finishing about halfway through the field on the swim. A definite progression. And the good news just continued really.

Really quick transition and out onto the bike. On the way over to Tauranga I’d decided that a small goal for this event was to spend a lot of time on the aero bars. I’m not completely comfortable on them yet, but I knew it would pay off on this flat course. I’ve also trained on this course a few times now so I felt like I knew it. And it was time. As soon as I got onto the main road I went down onto the aero bars…and I just stayed there!

I had hoped to do the bike in 45 minutes. I reached the first turnaround point in just over 10 minutes. Fantastic! You should have seen the smile on my face, I was grinning from ear to ear. I knew if I could do that time in a strong wind I’d be looking at sub-45 minutes. I even managed to wave to Mike as we went by in the other direction.

I stayed strong on the bike on the next three legs and clocked the bike in just over 42 minutes. Stoked!

Heading into transition I had a small panic that I might have killed my legs on the ride and wouldn’t have anything left on the run. I’d done a trial run at the Mt two weeks ago and while I’d done a decent time, it was a hard reminder that its a challenging run. Heading out of the transition I had absolutely no idea how much I had left.

My second wee goal for this race was to wear my heart rate monitor so that I could pace myself on the run. I knew where I’d been sitting on the trial run, so used that as a benchmark. It took me a little while to get comfortable in the run. I knew I’d come out well on the swim, and that I had passed quite a few people on the ride, however, I knew that I would lose that on the run - I’m still a plodder.

The run went pretty well really. In fact I did the same time as I did on my trial run (44min), and that was adding a swim and a bike into the mix!

My third wee goal for this race was to finish under two hours. I’d gone well over two hours at Kinloch and I wanted to beat that. I was feeling so comfortable on the run that I actually had time and space in my head to start working out how far I had to go and what time I needed to be off the mountain in order to reach my goal. Unfortunately my stop watch hadn’t started for the swim so I had no idea how long that had taken. But I did know how long the bike was. By my calculation, I had to be off the Mt by 1h22 (bike/run combo).

When I hit the road off the Mt at 1h16 the grin came back. I knew I’d do under two hours. The challenge now would be to see how far under I could go.

I knew I had about 1km to go. By monitoring my heart rate, I knew how much I had left in me. I picked up the pace. By the time I hit the straight I was starting to speed up significantly, another few hundred metres and I was at my max. It felt absolutely fantastic to sprint the last 500m through the finish line.

1h49. Unbelievable!!

I knocked 21 minutes off my Kinloch time. Obviously a completely different course, but a sensational result even so. Absolutely stoked.

PS: Mike had a great ride and run as well. The James Triathlon train is underway.

It didn’t matter that I came last. It didn’t even matter that by the time I finished the race organisers had finished up and I had to get my own souvenir towel and take my transponder off. What mattered to me is that I had a sensational race at Takapuna on Sunday for my second ever sprint triathlon!

I had been hoping for a much better race than at Kinloch two weeks previously. I know the Takapuna course well - I grew up in Takapuna, I learnt to swim at Takapuna Beach, I did the short distance there last year and the transition is even behind my old office building! As a result, I knew exactly what to expect, where the problem areas might be and how I would run the race. We even had a good trip up to Auckland on Thursday with the boys so I was in a really positive frame of mind.

That all changed, however, as I watched the Mens sprint distance race before mine. Firstly, most of them were wearing wetsuits, whereas I hadn’t even brought mine up from Rotorua. The sea water is so much warmer than the Rotorua lakes - and its even warmer than usual so I didn’t think anyone would be wearing a suit! And then I watched the men race around the very tight cycle course - with more than a few nasty spills. I had run the short distance last year, but I didn’t remember the course being so fast or so tight. I turned to Mike.

“I think I’m too slow for this event, I’m going to get in people’s way.”

“No you won’t,” he reassured me. “You’ve done the training, you’re really fit and you know the course. You’ll be fine once you’re on it.”

I then proceeded to work myself into a complete state - completely unnecessarily as it turns out.

I finally headed into the water - without my wetsuit - for a quick splash before the briefing.

Fantastic. The water felt amazing, my stroke felt amazing. Everything changed.

“Its going to be just fine,” I said to Mike before heading to the start line. And it was, right from the gun.

It was a very busy start, with people swimming all over and around me. But having done my open water swim course I was ready for that. I got to the first buoy in no time and feeling great. The second buoy down I was heading for the Shore. A great swim!

Exiting the water after the swim leg.

The walk/run from the beach to transition is nasty - up a very steep hill. I took my time, knowing I’d need my legs on the bike. I arrived in transition to find myself far from the end of the swim group - there were still plenty of bikes on the rack. I reached my bike to find someone sitting on my towel and gear while she changed shoes! Unbelievable, a few choice words were said under my breath!

I quickly pulled on my bike shoes and helmet, unracked the bike and headed for the mount line. I was about to face the bit I had been having nightmares about - clipping in on a slight rise. I have honestly been lying awake at night dreading this part of the race. After just one false start I was off and away and out on the main part of the course.

The bike/run course for Takapuna is a very tight 1.6km loop around the streets of Takapuna. Its also draft legal and it was a completely different experience watching people tuck in behind others as they made their way around the course. Counting your laps is vital in this race - some of the elite racers got into trouble last year and I was determined not to make the same mistake. I started my bike computer as soon as I got underway, and decided I wouldn’t even bother counting but measure the distance instead. Just as well I did, on one loop I asked Mike how many I’d done, and we both thought I had two to go. I was just finishing the second and realised I was still another 1.6km short - around I went again. I noticed quite a few people coming off the bike much earlier than I thought they should - I had passed quite a few people and I’m sure they should have been out there for a bit longer. At least I know my race was honest.

The other amazing thing about this course is that its fantastic for spectators because you loop the course so many times. I had a fantastic support crew which amazing everytime I came around. It really kept me going and I felt like I was whizzing along. Thanks everyone - and Mum for looking after the kids while we were out there too!

Came into transition - successfully getting out of my clips - and headed out on the run. I knew I’d passed quite a few people on the bike, but I knew they would pass me on the run. It was around 28 degrees and quite a difficult run course with lots of long uphills. I knew it would be hard work and it was. But I felt pretty good and knew I could sustain my steady, slow pace.

I finally came home in 1h33 and I was absolutely stoked. It was a sensational swim, great ride and acceptable run in intense heat. Very very happy.

Final times:

Swim +T1 14:16

Bike +T2 40:51

Run 38:00

Finish 1:33:07 (once again, if I hadn’t stopped for a toilet stop I would have gone under 1h30! A goal for next time!)

The muggy humidity finally broke today. What a relief. I don’t mean that it was cold - it certainly wasn’t - but it was cool enough to go for a run without swimming in sweat. The drop in temperature, combined with a cool breeze and light drizzle, meant it was perfect redhead running weather!

Unfortunately I am a true redhead when it comes to getting hot and bothered! Yes I have a mighty red-hot temper (which my children have also inherited!), but I also turn as bright red as a tomato when I do the slightest bit of exercise. The Indian summer and recent muggy weather have meant every training session (including those in the pool) turn me into a beetroot for hours.

So after work I headed out with my fellow redheaded runner - Alison, triathlete, Ironwoman, journalist and friend. We both embraced the cooler weather as we left her house and ran into the forest. I was on a Level 3/4 heartrate zone run - slightly faster for me, and slightly slower for her. We ran the “flats” which lie behind Scion and adjacent to the forest. Its an area I know well as I used to take the dog there when I worked at Scion, and its a very pleasant run.

We ended up with a slightly longer run than I’d planned - 45 minutes instead of 30 minutes, but it was a great run - slightly cooler, slightly faster and I managed to talk most of the way around! That’s definitely a breakthrough for me - and an improvement! If I can talk while I run, I’ve come a long way!

Just one spin session tomorrow, one swim on Thursday, rest day Friday, short ride on Saturday - and then the Takapuna Triathlon! Cant wait!

The Kinloch Triathlon finally rolled around last weekend - it had felt like a long time between races…and more than a few gaps in the training programme! My 393 event at Kinloch last year had been a highlight - and my finish photo is the one gracing the home page of the Ironjack site.

I had been looking forward to Kinloch for a number of different reasons:

• it was going to be my first sprint distance tri (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run)
• it was in Kinloch, Lake Taupo, a stunning location
• it was a fresh water swim
• our wee family was going to make a weekend of it in Taupo

And finally, two of my training buddies were going to be staying with us for the event. Mary Ann, Nina and myself regularly make up the three musketeers as Coach calls us (actually he also calls us the three monkeys - as in see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil). I think he calls us a few other things under his breath as well but we choose to ignore that!

I was also feeling quite confident about it because I had a great swim at the Blue Lake Multisport Festival just two weeks before. But, doesn’t pride always come before a fall???

I hasten to add that I didn’t literally fall off the bike or down a hill, but my confidence quickly went out the window as soon as I took my first strokes in the swim. I felt like my arms were lead and that I was swimming through jelly. Whereas back at the Blue Lake I had felt strong and lean and that I was cutting the water like soft butter, this felt like I was just a large lump of lead. My strokes were heavy (and splashy) and my breathing was all over the show. Before I had even hit the first buoy, I had started to think about pulling out afer the swim.

Making my headspace even worse was the fact that I knew the bike was going to be very difficult and I was absolutely dreading it.

Somehow I made it around the course and out of the water - with only a few people behind me. I had hoped to finish the swim at least halfway through the group. I do believe I may be caught on video saying “well that was suck!” Charming!

I had a good transition though - wetsuit came off like a dream, I took on some water, got my bike shoes on and headed out of transition. I also managed to get my shoes into the clips onto the bike without falling off - that has been the cause of a number of nightmares in recent weeks so it was actually a huge relief to get through that okay!

The first quarter of the bike was lovely. Smooth roads around gorgeous new subdivisions with stunning views of Lake Taupo and its mountains. I finished that short loop and headed out of town. Back on a rough road and up a slight uphill I was already puffing badly. And I got passed by a “older” woman who was in the 60 - 65 age group! Ouch!

I turned onto Whangamata Rd and the challenge really began. I had planned on riding or driving the bike route so I knew exactly what I was in for. Unfortunately Oliver had become really unwell the day before and I had to take him into Taupo township to see an emergency doctor - a diagnosis of tonscillitis and some antibiotics later we were on our way back on to Kinloch, but I had missed my chance to see the route.

In hindsight, I’m not sure if that was a good or bad thing, however, I was completely unprepared for the quantity and quality of the hills! It would be completely accurate to say that I absolutely slogged my way up and down those hills. At one point Mary Ann went whizzing the other way, yelling over her shoulder as she went:

“Flat course my arse!”

At that point I seemed to recall talking the girls into it by saying that it was a “relatively” flat course. And in the 393 event it is! Turns out the Sprint distance is quite different!

I finally reached the turn around and made the much quicker return. Another suburban loop and I was back at transition. Of course I had taken so long they thought I was in the next event and were directing me to do a second suburban loop. In no uncertain terms I indicated that I was indeed finished my bike and I was getting off!

Into transition and onto the run.

And…feeling GREAT! How did that happen?

By this stage it was nearly noon and it was extremely hot - baking hot actually. I kept taking cups of water at the drink stations - to pour over my head! I headed out onto the second lap and was still feeling surprisingly good. I wasn’t breaking any land speed records but I knew I was going to finish and that I was going to finish in good shape.

I scrambled up the bridge for the final stretch and turned the corner into the home run. There were people yelling for me from all directions and for the first time in an event, I nearly burst into tears. It was a very emotional finish.

Certainly it was an incredibly hard event - and a big step up from the baby tris I’ve been doing. But its under the belt now and I can move on to the next one - Takapuna in less than two weeks. And yes, it is a much flatter course!

Final times, Contact Trophy Race, Kinloch:

Swim +T1 21:13

Bike +T2 1:06:57

Run: 43:21

Total: 2:11:31

Unfortunately I’m still have problems loading photos into my blog posts, but you can check out some photos on our RATs Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotorua/Rotorua-Association-of-Triathletes-and-Multisport-RATS/205232939327?ref=nf#!/album.php?aid=184886&id=205232939327&ref=mf

My race preparation for the first official triathlon of the 2009/2010 season wasn’t ideal.

I drove out to the Blue Lake with Mum and Oli to register and collect our race packs. The only downside to living in semi-rural Ngongotaha (which we love) is that we are now on the absolutely other side of town from the Blue Lake – and on the opposite side of Lake Rotorua! On a good day it’s at least a 25 minute drive – which, when everything else is only five minutes away, it’s a bit of a pain. I know, all you city folk, we’re lucky!

Anyway, we rocked up on a bit of a timeframe. It was Mum’s birthday – a bit of a milestone for her – and we were due out to dinner. The boys were both fractious and we needed to hurry. We collected Alison on the way, who had brought her wetsuit with her for dipping. I hadn’t. I had read on the race instructions that all the wetsuits would be dipped before racing to prevent the spread of a noxious weed, didymo, to our beautiful North Island lakes. However, I completely missed the bit where it said that you couldn’t collect your race pack until your wetsuit had been dipped.

Bugger.

No amount of begging and cajoling the DOC warriors would convince them to let me through. They informed me I could just dip it and then collect my race pack in the morning.

There was absolutely no way I wanted to do that. I have enough problems with my stomach on a normal day, let alone with pre-race nerves, so I didn’t want to add to that pressure.

We drove all the way back to Ngongotaha, I got dressed into my party clothes, and then Dad and I drove all the way back to the Blue Lake again. And then back halfway to home to go out to dinner.

Dinner over, it was home to prep the race bags, get the number onto my race belt and spend two hours looking for my tri pants. Then off for a semi-early night.

Alarm went off early, and Mum and I managed to get out the door early. And arrived at the Blue Lake to find ourselves the only people there. We had taken the concept of “being prepared” to a whole new level.

Actually we needed to be. In my infinite wisdom, I had told the folk at TriNZ that Mum and I were doing this triathlon together for her big birthday – they thought it was a great story and lined us up for interviews for TriTV which screens on TV One later in the season, and also Sky Sport. We were followed by cameras for most of the event – a hilarious feeling, we felt like real sports stars.

At least it distracted us from the fact it was pouring with rain and the lake was bitterly cold.

Finally the pre-briefing was done and we suited up and headed for the start. After testing the water I had thought it was slightly cooler than two weeks before. Wrong! It was freezing. Really took my breath away and made it very difficult to swim. I felt like I barely made it to the other end and the whole way, all I could think about was finally getting out!

I eventually rounded the buoy and headed for the beach, knowing it had been an average time to say the least. The cold really took its toll and it was a long walk up the hill from the beach to transition. I only broke into a run once I could see my bike!

Really quick transition into my cycle shoes, out the gate and off. I felt great on the bike. It was pretty warm. I had decided to just wear my Reebok singlet with my tri pants and it worked really well under my wetsuit. Really comfortable and dried quickly.

The route out to the turnaround point went pretty well, hills included. I was actually enjoying the ride and went absolutely whizzing down the hills, passing lots of people. I made a good turn and started for the return leg. And promptly lost my drink bottle. Bugger. I’ve been having quite a few problems getting dehydrated lately and this wasn’t a good start!

The hills back up felt much longer and harder than they had previously. I eventually got there though and headed back to transition. By this time most of the RATs club had arrived at the Blue Lake to help marshall for the next event. Everyone was cheering for me – it was absolutely awesome. Mike was also there with both the boys, and Dad yelling from the sidelines:

“Come on knickers!” Well no event would be completely without that from my Dad so it was all good.

I’d also been keeping an eye on Mum and she was doing really well.

Transition into running shoes and off. The 3km run leg was up for 1.5km and then down. Its quite a challenging run as I know from experience. I couldn’t wait for the turnaround, and then I couldn’t wait to get back.

I had quite a strong finish, but got passed at the last minute which was gutting!

The highlight, however, was a big hug from World Champion Triathlete Sam Warriner at the finish line. Absolutely awesome. I’d also caught up with her earlier in the day. That will have to be the topic for the next blog post because this is already the size of a novel.

I grabbed a jacket and headed back to meet Mum. She wasn’t that far behind and had run the whole way. She had an awesome event and loved every minute.

So overall, a good first hit for the season, but I felt like it was really hard work – much harder than the short one I’d done with Lawrence just a few weeks ago. I felt like I hadn’t improved much over the year at all.

Until the next day. Mum charted our results against the one we did in January, and there were some definite improvements! Then I asked her to chart it against all my results from earlier in the year and it turns out I knocked two minutes off my previous best time – and on a much harder course. So eventually I was stoked!

So, results from the 3:9:3 – 300m swim, 9km run (except it was 10!) and 3km run:

Swim including T1:     10:38

Bike including T2:       29.43

Run including T3:        22:30

Total:               1:02:51

First race of the season…done!

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!

“Are you going riding tomorrow?” I asked a colleague at a posh do on Friday night.

“Nope,” he grimaced. “Bad back. You?”

“Yup, tomorrow I’m riding the Tinman course at Mt Maunganui,” I boasted proudly. “Its completely flat, the Mt to Papamoa, really looking forward to it.”

“Oh bugger about the flats,” he said. “You want to ride around the lake here, at least its undulating.”

“I’ve been around the lake here,” I boasted again. “And I’m over the hills and looking forward to the flats.”

After he left the table I leaned over and whispered to my husband, “why on earth wouldn’t you want to do flats?”

He shrugged, agreed he was mad and got on with the show.

Well, aren’t I just eating some humble pie now?

Yesterday Oli and I drove over to Mt Maunganui - its a coastal surf town attached to Tauranga City. I’ve been holidaying there my whole life, as my grandparents retired there when I was about five. Every school holidays was spent at their house, hanging out at the beach and walking up “the Mt”. Now we live in Rotorua its only 45 minutes away. I’m sorry to say that we still don’t get over there often enough, but we try to make the most of it when we do.

My folks were going to visit my Nana for the weekend. So I thought it was the perfect opportunity to ride the bike leg of the Tinman, which I’m racing on December 6. I’m doing the Standard distance - 1500m swim, 40 km ride and 10 km run. It will be the longest distance for me yet, and hopefully good preparation for the Half Ironman almost exactly one month later. According to the Tinman website, www.tinmantriathlon.co.nz its 104 days, 13 hours, 47 minutes and 48 seconds and counting until splash off.

The forecast was perfect, so for the first time all winter I didn’t need to wear my long johns - good bye to the stripes! It was fantastic to get out in shorts and a T-shirt, summer is coming! I planned to ride from my Nana’s house into the Mt - the opposite way to race day - and from there out to the turnaround point at Papamoa and then back to my Nana’s.

I pedalled off, successfully negotiating the traffic lights at the end of the road and managing to unclip my bike clips with plenty of time before the red light. A good start.

After just a short while I ended up on the long straight road into the Mt. Riding along I could see the Mt ahead of me, looming in the distance, and to my right I could see the beautiful blue sea, with crisp white surf banging into the beach. Loving it.

I was managing to keep my cadence up in the late 80s and 90s for most of the way, every now and then breaking over 100. My legs were spinning well and I was loving it. I also thought I was going really fast. Funny how pride always comes before a fall - not a literal fall - but a knock to the pride regardless. I got to the foot of the Mt in what I thought would be record time.

I should know better, turnaround points are always a mental problem for me. I always think I’ve gone further than I actually have, then I realise that I’ve got even further to go, I get despondent, I slow down and it all turns to custard. Need I say more. I’d done the 12km in 33 minutes - just a fraction faster than standard times on undulating roads. Gutted. I thought I had gone a lot further, a lot faster.

So I turned around and started heading out to Papamoa. My legs were starting to get really tired and I was really annoyed with myself. And then I realised what Greg was meaning about the flats. You don’t get any break from them. Your legs need to keep spinning all the time. At least with hills and undulating ground you get to rest on the way down. Not so with flats, major reality check. Something Lawrence said about “hills being my friend” also started to tick away in my mind. Okay, thanks guys, I’ve got it now.

By this time I was feeling thoroughly annoyed with myself and fed up. All of a sudden I came up to the turnaround point.

“This can’t be right,” I thought to myself. “It’s not nearly far enough.”

I suddenly had this sneaky feeling that perhaps the route required two laps. Two laps of the flat, straight, ‘never-get-a-break’ ride. Bugger.

I went a bit further than the turnaround point, mainly to get some more time on the bike, because I knew I didn’t have time to do two laps. The first thing I did when I got home was check the site, yup, two laps.

There are a number of positives to take from this ride - despite the disappointments.

(a) it was a beautiful day and I was out in it, exercising, and lots of other people were just standing in line for ice-cream

(b) I can easily ride 26km just like that, when in January I struggled to ride 10km

(c) I now know what to expect for the Tinman and Half Ironman (same course) so I will be mentally prepared

104 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 10 seconds until splash-off…and counting.