Checking the Rear View Mirror

Every now and then I find it beneficial and very satisfying to take a look in the rear view mirror of my life. It's a good way of taking stock, seeing just how far I have come and appreciating what I have achieved. It is also a way of staying grounded. Remembering that once it was all I could do to muster a run to the corner of my street. That riding a bike was something that I did in my childhood with a basket on the front of my bike and spoki-doks making my wheels make a happy tune. Swimming was with a bubble on my back, totally humiliated in Primary school.

My parents aren't sporty. They don't even go for evening walks. The thought of sweating is insane and only happens while you are at work. Not that mum worked. She stayed at home and took care of us kids while dad brought home the earnings and handed over her housekeeping money on a Thursday night when he got home from the pub. We loved when he came home from the pub. We would be sitting on the floor eating our fish and chips and he would come in with a packet of beer nuts for us to share. It was a typical Aussie household, 3 bedroom house, white picket fence, 3 kids and a dog scenario. Hobbies were horses for the girls and football for my brother. Mum and Dad did the dutiful drive us everywhere job. But never participated. 

So sporting endeavours would have been supported if I had have chosen to do running or netball or something other than ride my pony. But it was never role modelled. I have never seen my dad run.

Where the joy of triathlon came from I am not sure. Finding the pleasure of training and being active and being a part of competition is foreign to my family but it is something that I really love. For me it's all about seizing life by the throat and running like hell! And Triathlon is just one of the ways I can validate myself and provide to the judge (whomever that may be?) the evidence that yep, I grabbed every opportunity in life to be the best of my ability and gave it a bloody good crack!

So here is my rear view mirror shot of the moment.

3 x running photos taken over the course of the 7 or so years I have been doing triathlon with a goal of improving my overall health, adopting a healthy active lifestyle, eating healthy and moving ever increasingly towards a plant based diet. (But that's another blog at another time :)

Left - 70+kgs. I had stopped weighing myself. Pinkies triathlon 6 years ago. Trying to finish 3kms and struggling big time in the heat. I realised at this point that just running, swimming and biking occasionally was not the end of it. Other things had to change too. Diet, attitude, training.

Middle - 65kgs. Port Mac 70.3. 2 years ago. I was training but not consistently. Sugar, V drinks, chocolate and the whole "I train therefore I can eat what ever I like" mentality still strong. I did my run in 2hrs and 40mins. I walked some due to the ITB issue. But mostly I walked because I wasn't fit enough to run the entire distance.

Right - 59.3kgs. Last weeks Port Mac 70.3. Done in 2hrs 15mins. Ran the whole way except to walk the aid stations. Could have been faster if not for the blister on the arch of my foot. But most importantly is recognising that so much has changed for the better. My diet, my attitude, consistency in my approach and training.  

There has been a constant need for adjustment, attention to detail, commitment and reaching a realisation that being fit and healthy is so important and integral to me leading a happy and fulfilling life and I believe that those people who I love and have in my life are better for it as well.
I am soooooo less grumpy lol.

Ok It's Goal Setting Time

So it's 7 days to Ironman Australia 2012. Hubby is entered this year and as I sit writing this, he is in a quiet frenzy packing his bags, writing out his checklists, cleaning his bike, checking his nutrition and fluffing about Oh and asking a million and one crazy questions like "Sammi do you know where my goggles are?" Where they always are babe! I answer and return to my writing. It's his first one. Yes my man is an I.M Virgin and it shows. Ha, all the angst and nervousness of the unknown. Trying to predict everything that may or may not happen on the day and hoping he has considered and prepared himself for it all. That was me a year ago. And I remember it like it was yesterday. Except I wasn't anywhere near as anxious as him. Yeah I know I'm lying!

In 7 days and at this time he will be out on the run. It will be dark and the street lights will be on. He will be running and it will be cold and silent perhaps in his head and the inner drive to bring him home and into the arms of loved ones (me) as Mike Riley calls his name is all he cares about right now. Times can go to hell. It's his first I.M and finishing has become what it's all about.

As I watch him titter about I chuckle and know that this time next year, it will be my turn again. Number 2 for me. My I.M cherry was taken last year and now I want to do it again just to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

Dear Mike, this is a personal invitation from me to come back to Ironman Australia in 2013 to say my name again. Hope you can make it. Cheers Sam

So, how to get to the starting blocks come May 2013. Goals, got to write some quantifiable goals.

So here they are (repeated from my Goals page) with a few extra details:

2012 Goals

01. Sign up for Ironman 2013

That's pretty important. This could all come undone if I can't get in. Last year the event filled up in 2 hours and the site went down 6 times. It's tricky. But hopefully now that I.M Melbourne is a goer it might be a little easier to get in.

02. Complete the 12 week body transformation diet in June, reach my race weight and with good nutrition and maintain it.

Currently hovering around 64kgs, I have done the calcs and I need to be (would love to be) closer to 57kgs. Less weight to carry over distance x power to weight ratio = a faster Sammi (and a cuter butt to look at for the dude running behind me).

03. Follow Coach's weekly plan for reaching the Ironman May 2013

Sammi got Coach! Yep Alex (AP.10) and I have been working together since before I.M 2011. He is a physio and helped me get back on the road after a series of ITB issues. Now he is signed on for Coach responsibilities (poor man) but its a great combination and I have loads of respect for the guy. Consistency is key! and it's often where I fall down. It's up to me, Coach can write all the plans he likes. It's me who has to get the work done! I'm up for it.

04. Compete in a race each month as listed in my race schedule

I guess this one is up to Coach as well, but I would like to use this goal as a gauge for my progress and also to get rid of the nerves a bit. Nerves manifest in me as "I don't want to do this race, let's just stay in bed" Pretty lame. I'd rather be feeling nervous but thinking "Let's just get this started already I'm good to go"

05. Compete in at least one sprint, oly, and half, throughout the year

Again I think this one is about judging progress and getting the heart rate up a few times. Improving previous times, and having some critical events to lead into I.M.

06. Compete in the half marathon in Sydney and finish it under 2hours

This one is going back for improvement on a previous race. To run the race more controlled, deliberate and thought out rather than getting caught up in the crowd on the day. Its about controlling the nutrition also and looking for a better time over the hills. No walking!

07. Participate in the KTC Duathlon series (if there are no other critical races on that day)

Every club race I opt out! I find a reason, marshaling, injury, sleep in. I never seem to get there. Its about consistency, setting goals and meeting them. Making a commitment to myself and keeping it.

08. Run 5kms under 24mins consistently and work on getting faster

This one is about upping the speed to a point of comfortable consistency and being able to achieve a predicted and desired outcome. So I know I can do 24mins occasionally. Fastest time to date is 23mins and some change. I want 24 mins to be the norm.

09. Run 10kms under 1 hour consistently

Same as above for the 10. Consistently faster over time with the norm being a sub 1hour (these aren't off the bike btw, but I would also like to aim so that they are off the bike)

10. Stretch and do my core/strength exercises

Recognising that Sammi doesn't work without this. I want to be stronger, leaner and fitter, but I want also to be defined (muscular in a girl way) and un-injured. This means consistent rolling, stretching and taking care of the "just as important" stuff too. Core and clams Sammi....core and clams...get it on.

11. Do more brick sessions

This one came about after last race. I came out of the water in top 10. So the swim is improving (even though I felt like I had no power in the water) so I can do a good time amongst my peers. BUT by the time it came to running up the bank, along the grass and over the blue timing mat I had been overtaken by 7 (yes count em folks!!! 7 other girls in my age group WTF!) Obvious answer here....more brick sessions.

12. Ride more hills over winter - need to get stronger on the bike

                      Climb Matthews Drive (Port Mac I.M course)

                      Climb Stanwell Park Hill

                      Climb Macquarie Pass

                      Climb Gun Club Hill

                      Climb Rec Park Hill

                      Climb Kangaloon Tourist Road Hill

This goal is all about getting stronger on the bike. I want to be stronger. I want to ride with the boys (in my gang) and keep up comfortably. I can keep up now but it's a hard ride. I want it to be the norm. In my limited understanding of strengthening on the bike I know you have to ride the hills. There could be other strategies also. But I'll check this with Coach. But for now I have a bucket list of hills that I would like to conquer. So the hills are listed also. Most importantly is the I.M course hill done twice in the ride. It's a BITCH! with a Pinch at the top. Last time I had to walk it twice. I am not sure if I will gain more by riding it twice or getting off again and walking up it as it was a chance to stretch for a moment. But knowing I could ride it if I chose too is the point!

13. Increase my average riding/cruising pace from 28 to 31kms per hour

Again it will be a good indicator of my strength improvement on the bike if I can ride consistently at this pace. Also it would increase my time over the I.M course.

14. Attend run training to improve run form

The girls that I do run training with have arranged a new run coach to train us. He is a level 4 run coach and his son went to the Olympics so he knows his shit! I have run twice with him so far and he says I have great form and so I am sold. Flatery will get you everywhere. Better run form means less energy over distance means Sammi can run faster and longer. Let's get it done peeps.

So those are my goals to get me to Ironman 2013. I might add to these over time and I have a coffee date with Coach to discuss my goals vs his goals for me so some may get deleted or modified and I'll add his when he tells me.

Do you have any goals?

Please feel free to share them with me/us. Inquiring minds ned to know, and if I have missed details or something in my goals please feel free to drop me a comment.