Thursday, January 27, 2005
Epilogue
I have now had a week to reflect on my experiences at Epic Camp and I have many different feelings. I certainly am glad that I had the opportunity to go on the camp and I thank Gordo for that. It was an experience I will always remember and treasure.
My overriding objective going into Epic Camp was not to fall apart and threaten the integrity of Epic Camp! I knew that I would be one of the slower athletes with one of the youngest 'training ages' and that I would be doing far more training that I have ever done before. I couldn't quite reconcile in my head how my maximum weekly bike volume of 415km (done a few times) could prepare me for 800-1000km in the first week of EC. Similarly, my maximum number of total weekly hours of 25 (done three times) was clearly going to be exceeded by a long way. What made me think I could do it? I comforted myself with the thought that I had been training consistently since April after 4 weeks rest from IMNZ and 7 solid months of training previous to that. Maybe that counted for something. Maybe if I suck wheel like there was no tomorrow, took it easy whenever I had the opportunity and slept more than I do at home, it would be possibe. As you can see there was a little bit of fear behind my thinking as Epic Camp
approached but, as it turned out, I met my objectives.
There are probably two ways to view Epic Camp. You could view it as part of the preparation for a specific race or you could view it as an experience in its own right. I know Scott intended it to be the latter but, to be honest, I went into it thinking of it as a key part of my preparation for IMNZ where I hope to qualify for Kona. Looking back on it now I can see what Scott means - it certainly is a unique experience and I am pretty chuffed that I have been one of the lucky few to have done it regardless of what happens at IMNZ.
I did 47 hours of training in the first week and about 20 in the second (5 days). The two weeks had quite distinctive flavours for me. The first was point-to-point, head down, bum up, just do it (JFT) feeling whereas the second included some down time, some time to reflect plus a little intensity. I must say I preferred the first week but I guess it couldn't last much longer than a week anyway. I did need a recovery day on the second Monday when I slept for 5 hours in the middle of the day. The second week also included more optional days/sessions and I don't think I'm good when I have a choice and I am tired. I usually chose the soft option and felt guilty afterwards. By the Friday I felt well and truly ready for another long ride and, fortunately, I got it despite puncturing early and nearly missing the time cut-offs. Strange but I would have felt underdone had I missed out on a long ride that day. So I was happy with my first week (16km, 954km, 84km) but not so happy with my last 5 days (10.25km, 391km, 29km). Going the wrong way in the triathlon (costing 4.5 mins) and puncturing in the duathlon (DNF) didn't help but c'est la vie.
I much prefer the point-to-point rides (as opposed to loops or out-and-backs) because it so rare that I get the chance to do them and they give me a sense of getting somewhere. I understand that they present a logistical nightmare for the support staff but they are easier for me mentally. I am sure they are also very rare for most athletes so this is one of the highlights of Epic Camp and if I were Gordo or Scott I would try to think of how to keep as many point-to-point rides as possible without driving the support crew into the ground. There must be a way. Maybe one van stays overnight at the destination and sets up then does the late support while the other does lunch. I would be prepared to forgo the first drinks stop (and replace it with a visit to a shop) than lose the point-to-point characteristic. Assuming one or two easier days were provided it would have been interesting to see how we (I) fared on one or two more point-to-point rides in the second week where there is a bit more of an imperative to get your butt into gear. I would have been prepared to give them a go and get in the van rather than have the option of doing an easy ride or no ride. Anyway - maybe I am alone in that.
I didn't lose any weight on the camp which is not surprising given the 3kg of peanut butter I ate. I think when we became stretched we were vulnerable and few of us were strong enough to resist the rubbish that seeped its way into the kitchen (at the request of the athletes). I know we are all adults but I don't think a few restrictions around food (not quantity!) is too outrageous to contemplate - to help us weak ones (although I did largely resist the crisps and corn chips). Maybe that is something that can be agreed up front with the athletes' buy-in before the training starts!
The point system was well thought out and it was interesting to see how much the point system actually influenced behaviour. I was torn between going for points and doing what I thought was an appropriate amount of training given the risks of blowing up.
Scott had a quick chat to me about my lack of power on the bike after the triathlon. I know I usually avoid 'discomfort' while training on the bike and in the pool and I think I need to address it. Gordo gave me a good structured plan for the lead up to IMNZ which includes some specific prep work so we'll see how that goes. Next year though, I think I must include more structure in my rides. I am not unhappy with this season's training as it is only my third and I am laying down a pretty solid foundation to build upon. But next year I should be ready to be a bit more focused on my rides while keeping the volume pretty much the same.
I have a nagging feeling of disappoiuntment after Epic Camp for some reason which I cannot pinpoint. I learnt a huge amount about many things but I don't feel as if I learnt much new about myself. Or more likley, I didn't like what I learnt about myself. If you look at Peter H, he came away with a HUGE amount. He found out (to his surprise) just how fast he was and I am sure that knowledge will help take him to a whole new level. Similarly, Dr J and Mike P probably surprised themselves. There were no such 'pleasant surprises' for me. I am exactly where I thought I'd be. I suppose that's important information in itself but I'm envious of some of the others!
Would I do it again? I'd love to. I very much doubt my wife will grant me another 12-day leave pass during school holidays but you never know.
My hat goes off to the support staff of Peter, Mark, Dave, Michaela and Darren who were saints. Thanks to the other athletes who were a pleasure to be around and with whom I feel a special bond now. And of course, thanks to Gordo and Scott for a million things including periodically providing a two man comedic routine.
Thanks for reading!
Cheers
Vernon
My overriding objective going into Epic Camp was not to fall apart and threaten the integrity of Epic Camp! I knew that I would be one of the slower athletes with one of the youngest 'training ages' and that I would be doing far more training that I have ever done before. I couldn't quite reconcile in my head how my maximum weekly bike volume of 415km (done a few times) could prepare me for 800-1000km in the first week of EC. Similarly, my maximum number of total weekly hours of 25 (done three times) was clearly going to be exceeded by a long way. What made me think I could do it? I comforted myself with the thought that I had been training consistently since April after 4 weeks rest from IMNZ and 7 solid months of training previous to that. Maybe that counted for something. Maybe if I suck wheel like there was no tomorrow, took it easy whenever I had the opportunity and slept more than I do at home, it would be possibe. As you can see there was a little bit of fear behind my thinking as Epic Camp
approached but, as it turned out, I met my objectives.
There are probably two ways to view Epic Camp. You could view it as part of the preparation for a specific race or you could view it as an experience in its own right. I know Scott intended it to be the latter but, to be honest, I went into it thinking of it as a key part of my preparation for IMNZ where I hope to qualify for Kona. Looking back on it now I can see what Scott means - it certainly is a unique experience and I am pretty chuffed that I have been one of the lucky few to have done it regardless of what happens at IMNZ.
I did 47 hours of training in the first week and about 20 in the second (5 days). The two weeks had quite distinctive flavours for me. The first was point-to-point, head down, bum up, just do it (JFT) feeling whereas the second included some down time, some time to reflect plus a little intensity. I must say I preferred the first week but I guess it couldn't last much longer than a week anyway. I did need a recovery day on the second Monday when I slept for 5 hours in the middle of the day. The second week also included more optional days/sessions and I don't think I'm good when I have a choice and I am tired. I usually chose the soft option and felt guilty afterwards. By the Friday I felt well and truly ready for another long ride and, fortunately, I got it despite puncturing early and nearly missing the time cut-offs. Strange but I would have felt underdone had I missed out on a long ride that day. So I was happy with my first week (16km, 954km, 84km) but not so happy with my last 5 days (10.25km, 391km, 29km). Going the wrong way in the triathlon (costing 4.5 mins) and puncturing in the duathlon (DNF) didn't help but c'est la vie.
I much prefer the point-to-point rides (as opposed to loops or out-and-backs) because it so rare that I get the chance to do them and they give me a sense of getting somewhere. I understand that they present a logistical nightmare for the support staff but they are easier for me mentally. I am sure they are also very rare for most athletes so this is one of the highlights of Epic Camp and if I were Gordo or Scott I would try to think of how to keep as many point-to-point rides as possible without driving the support crew into the ground. There must be a way. Maybe one van stays overnight at the destination and sets up then does the late support while the other does lunch. I would be prepared to forgo the first drinks stop (and replace it with a visit to a shop) than lose the point-to-point characteristic. Assuming one or two easier days were provided it would have been interesting to see how we (I) fared on one or two more point-to-point rides in the second week where there is a bit more of an imperative to get your butt into gear. I would have been prepared to give them a go and get in the van rather than have the option of doing an easy ride or no ride. Anyway - maybe I am alone in that.
I didn't lose any weight on the camp which is not surprising given the 3kg of peanut butter I ate. I think when we became stretched we were vulnerable and few of us were strong enough to resist the rubbish that seeped its way into the kitchen (at the request of the athletes). I know we are all adults but I don't think a few restrictions around food (not quantity!) is too outrageous to contemplate - to help us weak ones (although I did largely resist the crisps and corn chips). Maybe that is something that can be agreed up front with the athletes' buy-in before the training starts!
The point system was well thought out and it was interesting to see how much the point system actually influenced behaviour. I was torn between going for points and doing what I thought was an appropriate amount of training given the risks of blowing up.
Scott had a quick chat to me about my lack of power on the bike after the triathlon. I know I usually avoid 'discomfort' while training on the bike and in the pool and I think I need to address it. Gordo gave me a good structured plan for the lead up to IMNZ which includes some specific prep work so we'll see how that goes. Next year though, I think I must include more structure in my rides. I am not unhappy with this season's training as it is only my third and I am laying down a pretty solid foundation to build upon. But next year I should be ready to be a bit more focused on my rides while keeping the volume pretty much the same.
I have a nagging feeling of disappoiuntment after Epic Camp for some reason which I cannot pinpoint. I learnt a huge amount about many things but I don't feel as if I learnt much new about myself. Or more likley, I didn't like what I learnt about myself. If you look at Peter H, he came away with a HUGE amount. He found out (to his surprise) just how fast he was and I am sure that knowledge will help take him to a whole new level. Similarly, Dr J and Mike P probably surprised themselves. There were no such 'pleasant surprises' for me. I am exactly where I thought I'd be. I suppose that's important information in itself but I'm envious of some of the others!
Would I do it again? I'd love to. I very much doubt my wife will grant me another 12-day leave pass during school holidays but you never know.
My hat goes off to the support staff of Peter, Mark, Dave, Michaela and Darren who were saints. Thanks to the other athletes who were a pleasure to be around and with whom I feel a special bond now. And of course, thanks to Gordo and Scott for a million things including periodically providing a two man comedic routine.
Thanks for reading!
Cheers
Vernon
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Day 12
The final day involved us riding from Jindabyne to Canberra to catch a flight to Sydney. It was a no points day so the idea was to try to keep together and "play nice". I was really looking forward to this ride because it seemed like ages since I had done a long ride and I was starting to feel stronger again. Plus I felt a little underdone after DNFing the duathlon yesterday.
We had some time constraints on this ride because we had to get the bikes loaded on the trailer in Canberra at 1:30pm so they could be driven to Sydney. There was an interim cut-off of 10am at Bredbo, 100km into the ride. If you hadn't made Bredbo, which was also the lunch spot by 10am you would have to get in the van. Even though there were no points today, getting in the van was still "getting in the van". No problem I thought, as I felt good and ready to go at 6am when we set off. Little did I know....
The mechanic checked my tyre for any clues as to what might have caused my flats yesterday but couldn't find anything. You can see where this is heading. 4km into the ride my back wheel pops out and I get a flat tyre. Bummer. I told Scott and Gordo to carry on and I'll ride solo if I can sort out the tyre. They said to ring the support crew and get Mechanic to sort me out as they were only up the road (albeit very busy packing up). Through various communication stuff ups Darren, the Mechanic, didn't get to me for another 40 minutes. I was starting to get nervous about making the cut-off at the 100km mark at Bredbo. Darren went over the tyre several times and eventually found a little sliver of glass. So I was on my way at 7am, about 55 minutes behind the group. Could I make the cut-off?
I decided to ride like it was an Ironman race so I knuckled down and got stuck into the hills leaving Jindabyne. I was feeling pretty strong but I didn't know how long it would last if I kept this pace up. Once over the hills I made good time to Berridale then Cooma where I cam across Greg who had also flatted. I apologised and said that I was on a mission so try to hang on. I felt a little guilty when I dropped him on the next hill but Greg was clearly struggling and I didn't think he would make the cut-off.
As it turned out I made Bredbo at 10:05am but instead of having the fist fight I had imagined with the support crew as they wrestled me kicking and screaming into the van, Peter, the head support guy was in his cycle gear ready to help pull me to Canberra! If yoiu have read Day 1 you know that he is strong on the bike and is also racing in my age group in New Zealand so this could be interesting, I thought. He actually managed me really well. Just keeping me on the edge! I don't know if he intended it but he has done a good job of psyching me out for IMNZ but if he walks on the run for even one second....
Speaking to Bjorn later he pointed out that if you are not used to riding on someone's wheel it can be very tiring as you are constantly putting in little power surges to 'manage' the gap. Peter rode within himself and the distance to Canberra was slowly but surely coming down. I was looking forward to the end as we searched for the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where we were going to have our showers and recuperate before the flight. Surprise surprise it was located on the top of one last long rise.
So 193km today with a riding time of 6:06. Very pleasing. I couldn't help notice that my riding time to 180km was 5:44. I rode 100km solo then had Peter's help for the remainder and we made our destination in time to load my bike on the trailer.
So, back in Sydney we will have a final celebration dinner (in 10 minutes) then home for me. Most others are leaving on flights tomorrow or Sunday.
Stay tuned for thw wrap up and any reports of people falling asleep in their pasta tonight.
We had some time constraints on this ride because we had to get the bikes loaded on the trailer in Canberra at 1:30pm so they could be driven to Sydney. There was an interim cut-off of 10am at Bredbo, 100km into the ride. If you hadn't made Bredbo, which was also the lunch spot by 10am you would have to get in the van. Even though there were no points today, getting in the van was still "getting in the van". No problem I thought, as I felt good and ready to go at 6am when we set off. Little did I know....
The mechanic checked my tyre for any clues as to what might have caused my flats yesterday but couldn't find anything. You can see where this is heading. 4km into the ride my back wheel pops out and I get a flat tyre. Bummer. I told Scott and Gordo to carry on and I'll ride solo if I can sort out the tyre. They said to ring the support crew and get Mechanic to sort me out as they were only up the road (albeit very busy packing up). Through various communication stuff ups Darren, the Mechanic, didn't get to me for another 40 minutes. I was starting to get nervous about making the cut-off at the 100km mark at Bredbo. Darren went over the tyre several times and eventually found a little sliver of glass. So I was on my way at 7am, about 55 minutes behind the group. Could I make the cut-off?
I decided to ride like it was an Ironman race so I knuckled down and got stuck into the hills leaving Jindabyne. I was feeling pretty strong but I didn't know how long it would last if I kept this pace up. Once over the hills I made good time to Berridale then Cooma where I cam across Greg who had also flatted. I apologised and said that I was on a mission so try to hang on. I felt a little guilty when I dropped him on the next hill but Greg was clearly struggling and I didn't think he would make the cut-off.
As it turned out I made Bredbo at 10:05am but instead of having the fist fight I had imagined with the support crew as they wrestled me kicking and screaming into the van, Peter, the head support guy was in his cycle gear ready to help pull me to Canberra! If yoiu have read Day 1 you know that he is strong on the bike and is also racing in my age group in New Zealand so this could be interesting, I thought. He actually managed me really well. Just keeping me on the edge! I don't know if he intended it but he has done a good job of psyching me out for IMNZ but if he walks on the run for even one second....
Speaking to Bjorn later he pointed out that if you are not used to riding on someone's wheel it can be very tiring as you are constantly putting in little power surges to 'manage' the gap. Peter rode within himself and the distance to Canberra was slowly but surely coming down. I was looking forward to the end as we searched for the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) where we were going to have our showers and recuperate before the flight. Surprise surprise it was located on the top of one last long rise.
So 193km today with a riding time of 6:06. Very pleasing. I couldn't help notice that my riding time to 180km was 5:44. I rode 100km solo then had Peter's help for the remainder and we made our destination in time to load my bike on the trailer.
So, back in Sydney we will have a final celebration dinner (in 10 minutes) then home for me. Most others are leaving on flights tomorrow or Sunday.
Stay tuned for thw wrap up and any reports of people falling asleep in their pasta tonight.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Day 11
Scott designed a decathlon (with seven events…) to mix things up a little. None of the events held particular promise for me but I needed to pick up some points in the events involving running.
We started with a push-ups to failure contest. I managed 50 which placed me equal 7th I think. Clas won easily with 90. We then has a basketball free throwing contest – best out of 20. I slotted four, which I was chuffed with but the Americans predictably dominated.
Then a 1500m race on a track. I came 7th in 5:05 – Clas won again. Straight into a duathlon – 3/15/3 with the runs being on the track. I was 6th into T1 but Jeff beat me out of transition mainly because he ran with his helmet on and road with his runners! I was chasing hard but got a flat tyre. I changed it but it flatted again a little time later despite me checking for sharp objects. So a DNF for me. I knew it would be costly because the next events were in the pool and I was going to be a laughing stock. I was disappointed in not getting to see what I could do on the second run. I had a chance of a tope 10 which would have been good in this company – but we’ll never know.
First a 50m sprint (25m pool). I did 35.90 which had me well down the field. Bjorn won. Then a 200m kick with a board. This was new to me but I struggled through. Bjorn won again in 2:59! The grand finale was a 400m individual medley – involving three strokes I do not do….
I am pleased to say that the three nuff-nuffs in my heat provided plenty of mirth for those on the deck –particularly the butterfly. I came about 4th last – which was a victory of sorts if you look at it hard enough. Several (who had actually done a 400 IM before) did PBs and Bjorn won in 5:23.
I guess there are no easy victories when you have a bunch of A-type personalities competing. It’s not like school or a work off-site get together. Still we had some good laughs and some good workouts on a very rainy day. Clas won the decathlon overall. Of course, I would have included more events that involved catching and throwing because, as my cricket team mates used to say “Triathlon is a sport for people who can’t catch”.
Tomorrow we ride to 180km or so to Canberra to catch the plain back to Sydney. Because of the need to catch the plane we have to leave at 6am and there will be a cut-off time about 100km along at the lunch break! If you don’t make the cut-off…. You’re in the van. Something we have literally taken great pains to avoid.
One day to go.
We started with a push-ups to failure contest. I managed 50 which placed me equal 7th I think. Clas won easily with 90. We then has a basketball free throwing contest – best out of 20. I slotted four, which I was chuffed with but the Americans predictably dominated.
Then a 1500m race on a track. I came 7th in 5:05 – Clas won again. Straight into a duathlon – 3/15/3 with the runs being on the track. I was 6th into T1 but Jeff beat me out of transition mainly because he ran with his helmet on and road with his runners! I was chasing hard but got a flat tyre. I changed it but it flatted again a little time later despite me checking for sharp objects. So a DNF for me. I knew it would be costly because the next events were in the pool and I was going to be a laughing stock. I was disappointed in not getting to see what I could do on the second run. I had a chance of a tope 10 which would have been good in this company – but we’ll never know.
First a 50m sprint (25m pool). I did 35.90 which had me well down the field. Bjorn won. Then a 200m kick with a board. This was new to me but I struggled through. Bjorn won again in 2:59! The grand finale was a 400m individual medley – involving three strokes I do not do….
I am pleased to say that the three nuff-nuffs in my heat provided plenty of mirth for those on the deck –particularly the butterfly. I came about 4th last – which was a victory of sorts if you look at it hard enough. Several (who had actually done a 400 IM before) did PBs and Bjorn won in 5:23.
I guess there are no easy victories when you have a bunch of A-type personalities competing. It’s not like school or a work off-site get together. Still we had some good laughs and some good workouts on a very rainy day. Clas won the decathlon overall. Of course, I would have included more events that involved catching and throwing because, as my cricket team mates used to say “Triathlon is a sport for people who can’t catch”.
Tomorrow we ride to 180km or so to Canberra to catch the plain back to Sydney. Because of the need to catch the plane we have to leave at 6am and there will be a cut-off time about 100km along at the lunch break! If you don’t make the cut-off…. You’re in the van. Something we have literally taken great pains to avoid.
One day to go.
Day 10
The day between the competition days. I joined a few others for a morning wetsuit swim in the lake. The surface was like glass. I swam about 4km at a fraction below IM effort. I really should do more open water swims - they do feel different. I then went out for a 90km ride with four others. We went down the steepest grade I have been on which was pretty scary. Sometimes it felt like the brakes were not strong enough. It was about 3km long and there was a cattle grate at the bottom! Luckily I had managed to scrub off most of my speed by then. One of the guys heard a cracking noise half way down the hill. The bracket that was holding his handlebars to his stem had a crack in it so we called for the van. He was lucky it didn't give way completely.
We took it easy on the ride but I was pleased to feel that my legs had some strength back. I ran 12km off the bike and again felt surprisingly good especially up the hills. That made for a reasonable six hours of training although it didn't feel like a big day. Dinner, massage and a chat about anything IM related and I was ready for bed. I haven't always slept very well on this trip and I think it's been the same for many others. Not sure why - could be the new experiences every day making it hard to settle the mind.
We took it easy on the ride but I was pleased to feel that my legs had some strength back. I ran 12km off the bike and again felt surprisingly good especially up the hills. That made for a reasonable six hours of training although it didn't feel like a big day. Dinner, massage and a chat about anything IM related and I was ready for bed. I haven't always slept very well on this trip and I think it's been the same for many others. Not sure why - could be the new experiences every day making it hard to settle the mind.
Monday, January 17, 2005
Day 9
Race day. Scot and Gordo managed to concoct a real race atmosphere to provide us the opportunity for a little more intensity. We started with a wet suit swim in Lake Jindabyne. Predictably I was third last out of the water with Jeff getting a free ride right behind me. We had a little trouble finding the buoys at times and three of us would stop and look at each other and try to spy the markers with the sun in our fce. I spoted something and madea bee line for it and Jeff realising what was going on tucked in behind me. A little while later I almost ran into the buoy but just manage to veer around it. Of course, Jeff with his head down cosntantly tipping my feet to ensure a good draft smacked right ino it with his head. Never mind. He followed me around the next two markers and we exited the water to find a few others in T1 gathered around their bikes (which were all lying on the ground). Being the genius I am I roared off up the road to Thredbo then realised that that we were supposed to be riding to Charlotte Pass. So I turned around and road back past T1 losing 4:30. Bummer.
I caught Strawman who was more in need of sleep that a race after his last few days desperately trying to over haul me on the points table (which he did). Then I saw Jeff up the road and closed in. Unfortunately, Jeff proved to be a prickly customer. It took me ages to climb up to Jeff and when I did we had a little chat then I promptly fell back and watched him power away. I could see Mike P a long way in front but I couldn't make head way on either of them. I kept thinking "Surely some one has to crack" - then realised it was me. It took me 1 hour 50 to complete the 38 kms to Charlotte Pass with 95% of it up hill.
On to the run and felt OK. I passed KP within about 2km, then could see Mike P and Jeff running together about 500m up the road (and I mean up). My hear rate was climbing and the trail was getting steeper. I was starting to feel a bit well, stuffed. I passed Terry who was playing it cool but then actually decided to walk over the drainage humps that apeared evry 100m or so. The dan tral went on for ever. The finishers started trotting down giving us encouragement but I was hurting. I hate the high heart rate stuff - that's why I do IM. I managed to pass Mike P who even had a few encouraging words for me but Jeff hung tough.
I think I came around 14th which will do esecially after how I felt yesterday.
I caught Strawman who was more in need of sleep that a race after his last few days desperately trying to over haul me on the points table (which he did). Then I saw Jeff up the road and closed in. Unfortunately, Jeff proved to be a prickly customer. It took me ages to climb up to Jeff and when I did we had a little chat then I promptly fell back and watched him power away. I could see Mike P a long way in front but I couldn't make head way on either of them. I kept thinking "Surely some one has to crack" - then realised it was me. It took me 1 hour 50 to complete the 38 kms to Charlotte Pass with 95% of it up hill.
On to the run and felt OK. I passed KP within about 2km, then could see Mike P and Jeff running together about 500m up the road (and I mean up). My hear rate was climbing and the trail was getting steeper. I was starting to feel a bit well, stuffed. I passed Terry who was playing it cool but then actually decided to walk over the drainage humps that apeared evry 100m or so. The dan tral went on for ever. The finishers started trotting down giving us encouragement but I was hurting. I hate the high heart rate stuff - that's why I do IM. I managed to pass Mike P who even had a few encouraging words for me but Jeff hung tough.
I think I came around 14th which will do esecially after how I felt yesterday.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Day 8
The start of a new week although I was starting to feel a little jaded. I went for the early swim intending to do 4km but quickly realised that this was not going to happen. I re-adjusted my objective to a 2km swim then down to a 1.5km swim. My technique felt OK but I was tired. So I did my 1.5km and went to a cafe while the others finished.
I asked Gordo about my goals for the week and he said that considering my priority was IMNZ (as opposed to maximising my point score at Epic) that I could take it really easy on Monday (today) and Wednesday and do the racing on Tuesday and Thursday with the option of riding 180km to Canberra on Friday. So I got rugged up (it was cold) and headed out for a cruisy ride on my own - maybe for two hours. 5km up the road I turned around and went to bed and slept for 5 hours! My legs felt pretty ordinary and I think I needed a rest. There were some mutterings about photographic evidence of my length power nap so I better check the Internet later.
Many of the others just kept motoring. Mike P, the leader of the Old Fellas category, found a bike track (as in a velodrome) and rode 127km on it!
I have also decided not to run today. I hope I feel better tomorrow rather than becoming more tired. The race tomorrow is interesting. It will be a 1.5km - 2km wetsuit swim in the lake, a 40km uphill ride from Jindabyne to Charlotte Pass. Aparrently the elevation gain on the ride is 1800m with a main climb of 20km although it is not nearly as steep as Brown Mountain. Off the bike we run 9.7km up a path to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia. The elevation gain on the run is around 400m. So that should put some more hair onmy chest. If my legs felt like they did today I think I could be in a bit of bother. Stay tuned.
I asked Gordo about my goals for the week and he said that considering my priority was IMNZ (as opposed to maximising my point score at Epic) that I could take it really easy on Monday (today) and Wednesday and do the racing on Tuesday and Thursday with the option of riding 180km to Canberra on Friday. So I got rugged up (it was cold) and headed out for a cruisy ride on my own - maybe for two hours. 5km up the road I turned around and went to bed and slept for 5 hours! My legs felt pretty ordinary and I think I needed a rest. There were some mutterings about photographic evidence of my length power nap so I better check the Internet later.
Many of the others just kept motoring. Mike P, the leader of the Old Fellas category, found a bike track (as in a velodrome) and rode 127km on it!
I have also decided not to run today. I hope I feel better tomorrow rather than becoming more tired. The race tomorrow is interesting. It will be a 1.5km - 2km wetsuit swim in the lake, a 40km uphill ride from Jindabyne to Charlotte Pass. Aparrently the elevation gain on the ride is 1800m with a main climb of 20km although it is not nearly as steep as Brown Mountain. Off the bike we run 9.7km up a path to the top of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia. The elevation gain on the run is around 400m. So that should put some more hair onmy chest. If my legs felt like they did today I think I could be in a bit of bother. Stay tuned.
Day 7
We were greeted with much cooler overcast conditions today which started as a relief but brought its own issues. I managed my 4km swim and seem to get faster towards the end so that was pleasing. That meant I did 16.025km for the week beating my previous best of 16km!
The most direct route to Jindabyne was about 63km so, of course, most people had to find some more kms to at least get the first point at 90km. The most popular route was 106km which I took along with four others, KP, Strawman, Jeff and John. It was raining when we left and we cruised for a while before the Big Fella, KP, decided to wind it up on some rollers on a lonely road. There are a few things I need to learn on how to stay in touch with a fast pace line. The main risk I discovered is allowing too big a gap to form when flying down hill because once the road flattens out I had to bust a gut to get back on. Luckily KP's bladder seemed to shrink in the cold so we could all have a breather.
We came across a quaint cafe in a place called Dalgety. Dalgety was a small place and I think the cafe was the major employer. My normal chocolate milk was replaced by a hot chocolate as it was pretty chilly now.
We had a good ride from there to Jindabyne and there were some favourable comments about the town as we cruised through. We kept on cruising right through town and out the other side as we looked for our accommodation. As has become a tradition on this trip we had to negotiate a long steep climb to our accommodation before we could rest.
I had some recovery food and then went to get my 12.5km with Mike P and Mike R. Both had the new Polar pedometers so there was no cheating. We ran all over the county side, making sudden u-turns here and there to avoid the hills. Both Mikes were lamenting the lack of kangaroos sighted on the camp so far so I kept an eye out and spotted a bunch in a paddock (field) which was neat.
12.5km running which took me to 84km for the week. I was feeling pretty chuffed after a big week. 16km swimming, 954km riding and 84km running (many other guys did much more than this - I don't know how). The question was whether I could do this kind of volume and still feel strong for the next 5 days.
On Tuesday and Thursday there is some racing planned by Scott and Gordo so I guess I'll find out.
The most direct route to Jindabyne was about 63km so, of course, most people had to find some more kms to at least get the first point at 90km. The most popular route was 106km which I took along with four others, KP, Strawman, Jeff and John. It was raining when we left and we cruised for a while before the Big Fella, KP, decided to wind it up on some rollers on a lonely road. There are a few things I need to learn on how to stay in touch with a fast pace line. The main risk I discovered is allowing too big a gap to form when flying down hill because once the road flattens out I had to bust a gut to get back on. Luckily KP's bladder seemed to shrink in the cold so we could all have a breather.
We came across a quaint cafe in a place called Dalgety. Dalgety was a small place and I think the cafe was the major employer. My normal chocolate milk was replaced by a hot chocolate as it was pretty chilly now.
We had a good ride from there to Jindabyne and there were some favourable comments about the town as we cruised through. We kept on cruising right through town and out the other side as we looked for our accommodation. As has become a tradition on this trip we had to negotiate a long steep climb to our accommodation before we could rest.
I had some recovery food and then went to get my 12.5km with Mike P and Mike R. Both had the new Polar pedometers so there was no cheating. We ran all over the county side, making sudden u-turns here and there to avoid the hills. Both Mikes were lamenting the lack of kangaroos sighted on the camp so far so I kept an eye out and spotted a bunch in a paddock (field) which was neat.
12.5km running which took me to 84km for the week. I was feeling pretty chuffed after a big week. 16km swimming, 954km riding and 84km running (many other guys did much more than this - I don't know how). The question was whether I could do this kind of volume and still feel strong for the next 5 days.
On Tuesday and Thursday there is some racing planned by Scott and Gordo so I guess I'll find out.
Day 6
Today was an easier day. We were in Cooma for the whole day and I chose not to ride after being traumatised yesterday! I swam 4km then waited until after 6pm to do a 22km run. In between I had a 90 minute nap. It is still very hot here but the forecast is for cooler temperatures.
I felt OK on the run but my legs started to feel a bit weary towards the end so time will tell whether it was a good decision to go for so long. My goal is to equal my biggest weekly volumes in swimming and running while smashing my biggest weekly bike volume (already done). To achieve this I have to swim 4km tomorrow and run 12.5km. Should be manageable as tomorrow's ride isn't too long.
A couple of observations so far...
Food - the food is what I would call functional food. It meets the nutritional requirements of people doing these kinds of volumes but isn't gourmet. For example, Gordo sat down to breakfast the other day and I watched him heap some pooridge (oatmeal) on toa plate, cover it with scrambled eggs and tomato, smother it with salt then pour soy sauce all over it. This met his requirmenst for carbs,protein and sodium but didn't prompt me to replicate it. We always have protein and carbs in plentiful supply. I love the PRO4 recovery drinks because they just taste like milkshakes but I can convince myself that it is serious Ironman food.
Support
We have amazing support on this camp. There are five support staff )Peter, Mark, Dave, Michaela and Darren) dedicated to making our lives easy. We even have a full-time bike mechanic, Darren, who knows his stuff and keeps us rolling. Today he gave my bike a thorough going over because I was concerned about the buffeting it was getting from the rough roads. He instills great confidence in me which is important when trying to keep up with some of these bastards.
Nothing is too much trouble for our support crew. We are all very grateful for their efforts.
Aero
I have been surprised by how much time we spend on our aero bars. On most rides we must be spending more than 50% of the time on them even in pace lines with wheels inches from each other. It's good for specific training and once I learnt how to position my arm so my graze wasn't rubbing on the elbow pads it was great. It hurts a bit when I hit bumps but it's tolerable.
Gearing
I spoke with Darren the mechanic about my gearing after my 'experience' on Brown Mountain. I had assumed that I had a 23 tooth cog and a 42 tooth ring as my easiest ratio (650 wheels) and spoke to Darren about my options for getting a 25 on the back to make it easier. After servicing my bike he told me I had a 21 on the back! Bugger me! In some way that explains why I was almost motionless at some points on 'that climb' and made me feel a little better. Gordo had some spare cogs which I bought from him and Darren managed to put together a 11-23 cluster (losing the 16) which helped me sleep easier with the climbing to continue.
Points
The attitude to chasing points differs among the campers. I will take them when I can but my main aim is to do stuff that will help me go faster on March 5 in New Zealand. Some of the other guys are amazing. They will continue on the bike another 20km or so after a long ride to get the next point. Hats off to them.
Mental Benefit
Gordo talks about the mental benefit of getting through some very tough periods on this camp and I am sure he is right. When experiencing a tough period in an Ironman you can have the confidence that you have been through tough periods before and come through.
I felt OK on the run but my legs started to feel a bit weary towards the end so time will tell whether it was a good decision to go for so long. My goal is to equal my biggest weekly volumes in swimming and running while smashing my biggest weekly bike volume (already done). To achieve this I have to swim 4km tomorrow and run 12.5km. Should be manageable as tomorrow's ride isn't too long.
A couple of observations so far...
Food - the food is what I would call functional food. It meets the nutritional requirements of people doing these kinds of volumes but isn't gourmet. For example, Gordo sat down to breakfast the other day and I watched him heap some pooridge (oatmeal) on toa plate, cover it with scrambled eggs and tomato, smother it with salt then pour soy sauce all over it. This met his requirmenst for carbs,protein and sodium but didn't prompt me to replicate it. We always have protein and carbs in plentiful supply. I love the PRO4 recovery drinks because they just taste like milkshakes but I can convince myself that it is serious Ironman food.
Support
We have amazing support on this camp. There are five support staff )Peter, Mark, Dave, Michaela and Darren) dedicated to making our lives easy. We even have a full-time bike mechanic, Darren, who knows his stuff and keeps us rolling. Today he gave my bike a thorough going over because I was concerned about the buffeting it was getting from the rough roads. He instills great confidence in me which is important when trying to keep up with some of these bastards.
Nothing is too much trouble for our support crew. We are all very grateful for their efforts.
Aero
I have been surprised by how much time we spend on our aero bars. On most rides we must be spending more than 50% of the time on them even in pace lines with wheels inches from each other. It's good for specific training and once I learnt how to position my arm so my graze wasn't rubbing on the elbow pads it was great. It hurts a bit when I hit bumps but it's tolerable.
Gearing
I spoke with Darren the mechanic about my gearing after my 'experience' on Brown Mountain. I had assumed that I had a 23 tooth cog and a 42 tooth ring as my easiest ratio (650 wheels) and spoke to Darren about my options for getting a 25 on the back to make it easier. After servicing my bike he told me I had a 21 on the back! Bugger me! In some way that explains why I was almost motionless at some points on 'that climb' and made me feel a little better. Gordo had some spare cogs which I bought from him and Darren managed to put together a 11-23 cluster (losing the 16) which helped me sleep easier with the climbing to continue.
Points
The attitude to chasing points differs among the campers. I will take them when I can but my main aim is to do stuff that will help me go faster on March 5 in New Zealand. Some of the other guys are amazing. They will continue on the bike another 20km or so after a long ride to get the next point. Hats off to them.
Mental Benefit
Gordo talks about the mental benefit of getting through some very tough periods on this camp and I am sure he is right. When experiencing a tough period in an Ironman you can have the confidence that you have been through tough periods before and come through.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Day 5
We all knew today would be a tough ride but no one knew just how tough. I started the estimated 180km ride with KP because I knew he would start out easy. He is very powerful on the flats but his bulk makes it harder for him on the climbs. He's a smart cookie though. It was a beautiful morning to start with and we rode VERY easy. Sometimes I thought it was too easy but I had committed to taking guidance from the more experienced KP and knew we would have it tougher later. There were some very steep little climbs which came as a bit of a surprise but we were taking them all in our stride. I would ride ahead of KP on the climbs and he would come bombing past me on the downhills. I had no choice but to go a little harder on the steeper climbs because my cadence was getting uncomfortably low.
We rode down the coast then turned inland just before Bega. That's when we could feel the heat of the day really building along with the wind. 30km from the turn we had lunch and everyone was complaining about the climbing and the heat. We all knew though that we had Brown Mountain just ahead. A couple of people had warned me but I didn't think it was going to be as hellish as it was. Before we even got to Brown Mountain though we had to negotiate a really strong head wind which was hot like a hair dryer. We were going downhill at 18km/h. Then at about the 120km mark we got to the sign which indicated a steep climb for the next 10km which was the start of the toughest 58 minutes and 51 seconds I have ever experienced on the bike.
It was STEEP. My cadence got down to the 20s and my HR skyrocketed as I was doing my best to stay upright while weaving across the road with a frickin hot gale in my face. There was bugger all shade because it was 1pm. My throat was parched but I couldn't take a drink because I would fall over if I took a hand off the handle bars and if I stopped I would not have been able to clip in again. I was desperately looking up the road for signs that it would level out just a bit to give me some relief but all I could see was steep hairpin turns (switch backs). I felt trapped. Perspiration was cascading down my sunglasses which was a new experience for me. On the rare occasions when my cadence got into the 40s I could take a drink of very hot sports drink which didn't seem to help. In a flash of inspiration I decided to pour some water over my head but the heat of the water startled me and then I had to deal with the sweat and sun cream in my eyes with no way to wipe them (apparently you should not put sun cream above your eyes). The metres (never mind kms) ticked over soooo slowly I considered calling it quits. I wondered how the others were coping. Was anyone getting in the van? How was KP going? I had passed a couple of riders and then I passed a sign for a lookout 2km ahead which included the images of toilets so I figured there must be some water taps. I passed a late model car which had overheated and Bjorn Anderson who had punctured but was getting help from another rider. He later passed me saying "I don't feel too good." He has just come from a winter in Sweden and an extended break from training.
I eventually made it to the lookout (which I figured was 2km from the top) where Bjorn and another guy were resting only to find that the water tap didn't work. Then like a blessing from above, one of the support vans turned up. Talk about a life saver. Ice, cold water, Coke, fresh sports drink. I could have hugged them. I freshened up as much as I could then took off with some renewed energy. I crested the hill with a punch of the air and said good bye to that little nightmare but not with those exact words.
At the top I was greeted with more heat and wind but settled in for the next 25km on my own. I could see a couple of riders about 90 seconds up the road but I couldn't get to them. A group of five or six (including KP) picked me up as we stopped at a small shop/cafe with about 36km to go. So, more chocolate milk and we reluctantly headed back out for the last leg to Cooma. As it turned out it was fast with a side wind which had a bit of tail about it. I tucked in and hung on for dear life as the stronger guys were pulling as along and close to 50km/h at times. My HR was getting a little high for a camp like this so I knew I couldn't last all the way but then KP punctured with 12km to go. I figured I'd only be dropped so I took off alone to cruise in to town counting down the kms including the decimals.
Of course our accommodation was at the top of another nasty little climb at the far end of town. I ditched the idea of a run and just showered, ate and got massaged while comparing notes. Everyone was trying to verbalise their respective experiences but everyone made it which was pretty impressive. Bjorn was suffering from heat exhaustion but seemed to be feeling better a few hours later. The temperature on the road reached mid 40s according to several of the readings taken by the riders. What a day.
Swim: N/A
Ride: 180km, 8:03, avg speed 22.4! Ascending 2915m
Run: N/A
PS: My 'interval' up Brown Mountain was 58:51 Avg HR 139 max 155 which is very high for me.
We rode down the coast then turned inland just before Bega. That's when we could feel the heat of the day really building along with the wind. 30km from the turn we had lunch and everyone was complaining about the climbing and the heat. We all knew though that we had Brown Mountain just ahead. A couple of people had warned me but I didn't think it was going to be as hellish as it was. Before we even got to Brown Mountain though we had to negotiate a really strong head wind which was hot like a hair dryer. We were going downhill at 18km/h. Then at about the 120km mark we got to the sign which indicated a steep climb for the next 10km which was the start of the toughest 58 minutes and 51 seconds I have ever experienced on the bike.
It was STEEP. My cadence got down to the 20s and my HR skyrocketed as I was doing my best to stay upright while weaving across the road with a frickin hot gale in my face. There was bugger all shade because it was 1pm. My throat was parched but I couldn't take a drink because I would fall over if I took a hand off the handle bars and if I stopped I would not have been able to clip in again. I was desperately looking up the road for signs that it would level out just a bit to give me some relief but all I could see was steep hairpin turns (switch backs). I felt trapped. Perspiration was cascading down my sunglasses which was a new experience for me. On the rare occasions when my cadence got into the 40s I could take a drink of very hot sports drink which didn't seem to help. In a flash of inspiration I decided to pour some water over my head but the heat of the water startled me and then I had to deal with the sweat and sun cream in my eyes with no way to wipe them (apparently you should not put sun cream above your eyes). The metres (never mind kms) ticked over soooo slowly I considered calling it quits. I wondered how the others were coping. Was anyone getting in the van? How was KP going? I had passed a couple of riders and then I passed a sign for a lookout 2km ahead which included the images of toilets so I figured there must be some water taps. I passed a late model car which had overheated and Bjorn Anderson who had punctured but was getting help from another rider. He later passed me saying "I don't feel too good." He has just come from a winter in Sweden and an extended break from training.
I eventually made it to the lookout (which I figured was 2km from the top) where Bjorn and another guy were resting only to find that the water tap didn't work. Then like a blessing from above, one of the support vans turned up. Talk about a life saver. Ice, cold water, Coke, fresh sports drink. I could have hugged them. I freshened up as much as I could then took off with some renewed energy. I crested the hill with a punch of the air and said good bye to that little nightmare but not with those exact words.
At the top I was greeted with more heat and wind but settled in for the next 25km on my own. I could see a couple of riders about 90 seconds up the road but I couldn't get to them. A group of five or six (including KP) picked me up as we stopped at a small shop/cafe with about 36km to go. So, more chocolate milk and we reluctantly headed back out for the last leg to Cooma. As it turned out it was fast with a side wind which had a bit of tail about it. I tucked in and hung on for dear life as the stronger guys were pulling as along and close to 50km/h at times. My HR was getting a little high for a camp like this so I knew I couldn't last all the way but then KP punctured with 12km to go. I figured I'd only be dropped so I took off alone to cruise in to town counting down the kms including the decimals.
Of course our accommodation was at the top of another nasty little climb at the far end of town. I ditched the idea of a run and just showered, ate and got massaged while comparing notes. Everyone was trying to verbalise their respective experiences but everyone made it which was pretty impressive. Bjorn was suffering from heat exhaustion but seemed to be feeling better a few hours later. The temperature on the road reached mid 40s according to several of the readings taken by the riders. What a day.
Swim: N/A
Ride: 180km, 8:03, avg speed 22.4! Ascending 2915m
Run: N/A
PS: My 'interval' up Brown Mountain was 58:51 Avg HR 139 max 155 which is very high for me.
Day 4
Knowing it was going to be a long hot day I again chose to miss the swim and get away early. It was cool and misty when we left but that did change after a few hours. I left with two others, KP, and Epic veteran, and 'Strawman'. We settled in to a solid pace on easy terrain and and had a great first 2.5 hours to the first drinks break. After that we hit mile after mile of rollers. We learnt to dread the "Overtaking lane 2km ahead" because we knew that meant a climb.
We all met for lunch at Bateman's Bay but not before being caught by a flying Clas Bjorling. Scott Molina was cursing his two riding partners, one who he described as a Kamakaze on the downhills and the other as Billy Goat Gruff going uphills. More rollers after lunch and with the option of taking the a scenic route that was 10km longer Strawman and I went straight down the highway - no point in being silly about it. With about 30km to go we pulled in to a service station to feed my growing fetish for chocolate milk and a Paddle Pop towards the end of a long ride. I reckon it's got something to do with the alkilinity offsetting the acidity of the sports drink. We finally got to Narooma only to find the hotel at the top of a nasty little climb at the end of the main street. The ride totalled 207km again and took 7:17.
I ran off the bike and felt very strong actually.
Swim: N/A
Bike: 207km, 7:17, 1875m ascending (rollers).
Run: 12km 1:00.
We all met for lunch at Bateman's Bay but not before being caught by a flying Clas Bjorling. Scott Molina was cursing his two riding partners, one who he described as a Kamakaze on the downhills and the other as Billy Goat Gruff going uphills. More rollers after lunch and with the option of taking the a scenic route that was 10km longer Strawman and I went straight down the highway - no point in being silly about it. With about 30km to go we pulled in to a service station to feed my growing fetish for chocolate milk and a Paddle Pop towards the end of a long ride. I reckon it's got something to do with the alkilinity offsetting the acidity of the sports drink. We finally got to Narooma only to find the hotel at the top of a nasty little climb at the end of the main street. The ride totalled 207km again and took 7:17.
I ran off the bike and felt very strong actually.
Swim: N/A
Bike: 207km, 7:17, 1875m ascending (rollers).
Run: 12km 1:00.
Day 3
I did my 4km in the pool in the morning which consisted of 800m straight, 8x100 on 2:00, 8x50 on 1:00, three times through. It was pretty tough. In the lane of the "more relaxed pace" as Scott Molina called it, I was the lead out man and felt the pressure to swim a half decent pace.
I ran back from the pool with Peter (my competitor in IMNZ). He kept getting close to me and I eventually figured out he was reading my heart rate on his watch to see how I was going? He's marking me! He's a strong swimmer and biker but I should do a faster run. Should be interesting come March 5.
We were going to stay at Goulburn for a second night so we just did an out and back 90km. Well that was the intention but it was stinking hot (38-40?) and VERY windy. We were working out all the angles so we didn't have to ride home in a head wind. Most of us decided to ride to Crookwell and back but that would make it 110km. 20km too far in my book (1 point for 90km and the next at 125km). I dropped something early in the ride and went back for it and only John Newsom waited for me. He's an ex short course pro so I stayed on his wheel. As it turned out, there was a lot of climbing into the hot wind so we turned around at the 38km mark by which time we picked up the yellow jersey (Peter) who was experiencing some "personal time", and roared downhill, downwind back to Goulburn then sat in an airconditioned service station eating ice creams and drinking chocolate milk trying to drum up the courage to go back out. We bought a bag of ice and filled up our bidons with it, which worked well for 20 minutes before it became hot again. We tried to design the next 24km so it was as painless as possible but most of it was pretty miserable and painfully slow progress into the wind. Even though it was only 90km it was very tough mentally for me.
A group made it all the way to Crookwell uagainst the wind and came across a wind farm and one of the athletes from the USA cried out "They even grow the stuff here!".
In the evening Gordo warned us about the next two days. He said we'll have a long one tomorrow as we ride to Narooma and the day after will be the toughest ride of the camp as we go from the coast to Cooma.
Swim: 4km 1:23
Bike: 91km 3:22 avg 26.8 (730m of ascending)
Run 12km 1:00
I ran back from the pool with Peter (my competitor in IMNZ). He kept getting close to me and I eventually figured out he was reading my heart rate on his watch to see how I was going? He's marking me! He's a strong swimmer and biker but I should do a faster run. Should be interesting come March 5.
We were going to stay at Goulburn for a second night so we just did an out and back 90km. Well that was the intention but it was stinking hot (38-40?) and VERY windy. We were working out all the angles so we didn't have to ride home in a head wind. Most of us decided to ride to Crookwell and back but that would make it 110km. 20km too far in my book (1 point for 90km and the next at 125km). I dropped something early in the ride and went back for it and only John Newsom waited for me. He's an ex short course pro so I stayed on his wheel. As it turned out, there was a lot of climbing into the hot wind so we turned around at the 38km mark by which time we picked up the yellow jersey (Peter) who was experiencing some "personal time", and roared downhill, downwind back to Goulburn then sat in an airconditioned service station eating ice creams and drinking chocolate milk trying to drum up the courage to go back out. We bought a bag of ice and filled up our bidons with it, which worked well for 20 minutes before it became hot again. We tried to design the next 24km so it was as painless as possible but most of it was pretty miserable and painfully slow progress into the wind. Even though it was only 90km it was very tough mentally for me.
A group made it all the way to Crookwell uagainst the wind and came across a wind farm and one of the athletes from the USA cried out "They even grow the stuff here!".
In the evening Gordo warned us about the next two days. He said we'll have a long one tomorrow as we ride to Narooma and the day after will be the toughest ride of the camp as we go from the coast to Cooma.
Swim: 4km 1:23
Bike: 91km 3:22 avg 26.8 (730m of ascending)
Run 12km 1:00
Day 2
I skipped the swim and started the ride early with a group of six. This quickly became a group of four. We stuck together pretty well. I took my turn at the front but I have trouble figuring out how hard to ride when pulling. Gordo later suggested sitting 10m back from the group to get an idea. The only problem with that is this fear I have of not being dropped and 10m can be a big gap when the pace is on.
We got lost a few times as reality wasn't as simple as the map. After lunch (in Mittagong) we came across an intersection with the easy way straight ahead and the harder way to the left - which was the official route. We did the right thing and went left. We got a little depressed at one stage when we re-read the instructions to see that our accommodation was 10km South of Goulburn. The extra 10km didn't sound too appealing when you had been mentally preparing for getting to Goulburn.
We split up near the end and I rode the alst 30km alone which wasn't so bad after all. The ride ended up being 207km for me although others went further due to getting horribly lost.
I ran for 12 km with another guy who was struggling so it helped me take it easy.
Swim: N/A
Bike: 207km, 7:15, avg speed 28.7
Run: 12km, 1:00
We got lost a few times as reality wasn't as simple as the map. After lunch (in Mittagong) we came across an intersection with the easy way straight ahead and the harder way to the left - which was the official route. We did the right thing and went left. We got a little depressed at one stage when we re-read the instructions to see that our accommodation was 10km South of Goulburn. The extra 10km didn't sound too appealing when you had been mentally preparing for getting to Goulburn.
We split up near the end and I rode the alst 30km alone which wasn't so bad after all. The ride ended up being 207km for me although others went further due to getting horribly lost.
I ran for 12 km with another guy who was struggling so it helped me take it easy.
Swim: N/A
Bike: 207km, 7:15, avg speed 28.7
Run: 12km, 1:00
Monday, January 10, 2005
Day 1
Oh......dear. Today started off okay but got a little tough towards the end. We started at 5:45am with a 13km run (1 point) around the foreshores of Sydney Harbour stopping for a few photo opportunities before doing 4km in the pool. Of course I was in the slow lane but I was pretty happy. We did:
500m warm up
5 x 100 descending
10x50m (building going up, long strokes coming back)
2000 (27:00 for the 1500 and 36:21 for 2k - I caught the guys in front of me at the 1400 mark).
2x100m (50 backstroke, 50 breast stroke)
300 cool down
4k in total - 1 point
Then the ride. We had to negotiate busy city streets wih many traffic lights to get out of town. We crossed the Harbour Bridge and went up the Pacific Highway then on to the M2. After the frustration of the city streets the boys opened it up a bit on the motor way but one guy near me, Jeff, had a puncture. A few stopped and I was deciding whether I should also but one of the other guys who stopped was Bjorn so I though I didn't want to be part of that train coming back to the main group.
We then bridged to the M4 and then out to Penrith via a few back streets. We had lunch in a nice park after 98km and I was feeling pretty good. The lunch was an amazing spread of all types of food and drink. Our ride guide for the day was the General Manager of the Holiday Inn at Penrith Panthers (and Ironman athlete), Marcus Tait and he took us for anothe 65km loop to Windsor and back. It was on some quite country roads on this loop where it got tough. I was sucking wheels like there was no tomorrow but my intensity was a bit higher than I really wanted it to be. I had no choice but to hold on however because I had no idea how to get home. With about 10km to go a few of us fell off the back. I passed a few and thought about bridging up to the main group but realised that it would take too much out of me given the riding coming up in the next few days so I switched off and rolled into town with a couple of other guys, Mark and Kevin.
The ride was 161km all up (3 points) at 30 km/h which meant a 1 point SBR bonus for the day for a total of 6. The yellow jersey for tomorrow goes to my room mate and only other Aussie, Peter, mainly because he was the only one who stuck it out with Gordo in the pool for 6.5km - the longest swim of his life! He's confident it hasn't taken too much out of him...
So, I must say that I was surprised how fast the group was going on that 65km loop. It wasn't everyone however because several had dropped off earlier when they caught a red light getting out of Penrith. I only got back on because Peter O'Brien, the head of our support crew who had come for a ride, came back and got me. I was sitting on his wheel in aero with an HR of 141 for about 15 minutes. Pretty intense for me on such a ride. So the support crew feed you and come and help you bridge back up to the main group. Not bad. I later found out that Peter is racing IMNZ in my age group so we will be competing for one of the six Hawaii slots.
Tomorrow is 180+ to Goulburn and I understand it is a bit hilly. At least four of us will miss the swim (or do a shorter swim) and leave an hour before the main group. The faster riders are going to beat the slower guys by 1-1.5 hours so it seems smart to get away. My priority is the riding and it's going to be 33 degrees.
Swim: 4km, 1:20
Ride: 161, 5:22
Run: 13.5km 1:05
Cheers
Vernon
500m warm up
5 x 100 descending
10x50m (building going up, long strokes coming back)
2000 (27:00 for the 1500 and 36:21 for 2k - I caught the guys in front of me at the 1400 mark).
2x100m (50 backstroke, 50 breast stroke)
300 cool down
4k in total - 1 point
Then the ride. We had to negotiate busy city streets wih many traffic lights to get out of town. We crossed the Harbour Bridge and went up the Pacific Highway then on to the M2. After the frustration of the city streets the boys opened it up a bit on the motor way but one guy near me, Jeff, had a puncture. A few stopped and I was deciding whether I should also but one of the other guys who stopped was Bjorn so I though I didn't want to be part of that train coming back to the main group.
We then bridged to the M4 and then out to Penrith via a few back streets. We had lunch in a nice park after 98km and I was feeling pretty good. The lunch was an amazing spread of all types of food and drink. Our ride guide for the day was the General Manager of the Holiday Inn at Penrith Panthers (and Ironman athlete), Marcus Tait and he took us for anothe 65km loop to Windsor and back. It was on some quite country roads on this loop where it got tough. I was sucking wheels like there was no tomorrow but my intensity was a bit higher than I really wanted it to be. I had no choice but to hold on however because I had no idea how to get home. With about 10km to go a few of us fell off the back. I passed a few and thought about bridging up to the main group but realised that it would take too much out of me given the riding coming up in the next few days so I switched off and rolled into town with a couple of other guys, Mark and Kevin.
The ride was 161km all up (3 points) at 30 km/h which meant a 1 point SBR bonus for the day for a total of 6. The yellow jersey for tomorrow goes to my room mate and only other Aussie, Peter, mainly because he was the only one who stuck it out with Gordo in the pool for 6.5km - the longest swim of his life! He's confident it hasn't taken too much out of him...
So, I must say that I was surprised how fast the group was going on that 65km loop. It wasn't everyone however because several had dropped off earlier when they caught a red light getting out of Penrith. I only got back on because Peter O'Brien, the head of our support crew who had come for a ride, came back and got me. I was sitting on his wheel in aero with an HR of 141 for about 15 minutes. Pretty intense for me on such a ride. So the support crew feed you and come and help you bridge back up to the main group. Not bad. I later found out that Peter is racing IMNZ in my age group so we will be competing for one of the six Hawaii slots.
Tomorrow is 180+ to Goulburn and I understand it is a bit hilly. At least four of us will miss the swim (or do a shorter swim) and leave an hour before the main group. The faster riders are going to beat the slower guys by 1-1.5 hours so it seems smart to get away. My priority is the riding and it's going to be 33 degrees.
Swim: 4km, 1:20
Ride: 161, 5:22
Run: 13.5km 1:05
Cheers
Vernon
