Sign-up Day Approacheth!

So, things are ticking along here down under in the world of SammiVille. Getting the work done and ticking some boxes. Always seeking that illusive 'ticked every box this week' goal. Not quite reaching it but getting mighty darn close just quietly.

Big News on the home front!!!!!

It's visual, so here goes.....

           

is Sign up for............

One more pic til you guess it.......

YEP...........YOU GUESSED IT!.....THE 23rd OF MAY IS THE SIGN-UP DAY FOR IRONMAN AUSTRALIA 2013.....

And I have decided to do it all again. I am going to repeat the lunacy and have another crack at this thing called I.M.

Coach reminded me that this thing we do...yeah, this Ironman thing that we do is not NORMAL.
My response was....'Yeah no shit Sherlock!' Entries open at 11am. Computers/servers will probably go down at 11.05am as 1700 competitors try to enter at once. But I will be there along with a few other buddies of mine pushing the buttons and burning up the credit card. Yep, one word..Lunacy!

But, Hey, what else would I be doing with my time. I have had such a good week (even though I missed 2 swim sessions due to a stiff neck) I caught up with my running buddies and had fun doing an hour of hill repeats with them. Went for an hour Xcountry run with the dog, swam with a buddy and got that illusive left elbow to stay up, rode with 3 good mates for just shy of 90kms with a 10min run off the bike and then finished it off with a 60min run this morning nice and easy with a buddy and his wife.

Not bad hey!

Program is in from Coach tonight and it looks bigger than Ben Hur. A bit daunting and I can see some big efforts coming my way. A 2 hour wind trainer session, Yikes. But the best and I guess only thing to do is hit them one at a time, don't think to much about it or too far ahead and see how much I can achieve. Focus of course on quality. I have a 100 clicker on the bike on Saturday with a half hour run off. Noice! So let's see how we fair. I'll get back to you shortly.

I'm also hoping for a top week on the diet front too and water! Drink more water Sammi! Geezluweeez!

I hope you are all travelling along fine too and I hope to come stalk you soon and catch up on your blogs.


Cheers x

Hills Make Us Stronger

I had a top day today so I felt I needed to blog about it......

I met up with Coach this morning to discuss my goals for the upcoming 2012/2013 triathlon season.

Basically it's winter and a great time to do a reconnoiter and reassess goals and make sure we are headed in the right direction. Knowing I was having a coffee catch up with him I printed off my goals I had written in a previous blog and added a touch more detail by way of explanation of why I chose the goals etc.

But first it was a swim.

We headed in to the Uni pool and as I flopped into the water I was full of self talk. The water is going to be lovely and fresh, its going to wake you up and make you feel alive. It's great to be swimming early its a great way to start the day. In truth I was dreading the cold plunge and I was trying desperately to find a positive spin on the inevitable. And to my surprise, the water was refreshing and I was awake, but it wasn't bracing and so I feel my positive self talk had actually paid off.

Coach watched me over a couple of laps and gave me some feedback and things he wanted me to focus on with my stroke. My right arm (side I breathe to when I am swimming at speed or under load) is cutting across the front of me instead of landing in line with my shoulder and on the left although I have good rotation, I am dropping my elbow. I knew that already but I am having a real hard time finding the correct position and then practicing it until it comes naturally and is ingrained into my stroke.

After the swim set I headed for the showers and caught up with him at the cafe for a small flat white.....my attempt to cut back the coffee and watch my diet compromise.

We sat with my printed sheet and discussed each point in turn. Coach suggested a really good nutritionist he knows that I can work with to get my nutrition right, lose some weight and keep energy as well as race specific nutrition.

So anyway we discussed heaps of things so that Coach could get an idea of where my head is at. Of course this all comes down to me getting registered into Ironman 2013 Yikes!~

Anyway......after the chat I headed home full of positive talk, goals and a plan of how to move forward.

After lunch, still buzzing about the year ahead, I headed out on the road with the little Cervelo. The set was "60km ride, hilly course and stay aerobic" As the course is up to me to set I headed South for a steep hill that never seems to get any easier. Half way up I realised that the course I was planning was going to leave my legs thrashed for the weekend 90km ride that was planned. A quick re-jig of the plan in my head and I continued South heading for Kiama and another hill but not as big as the ones originally planned. As I rode the 60kms I headed for hills (or rather hefty bumps) and stayed aerobic. The legs eventually warmed up and the sting of some of the bigger hills seemed to ease a bit. Heading for home I was able to pick the pace up a little and finished with a happy time even though the hills were bumps. I was also pleasantly surprised to claim 2 QOMs on Strava and a host of other good scores. Sweet, that means I am getting stronger I hope.

Let the Healing Begin

So! life goes on and it moves forward and 'This too shall pass', as my Dad would say.

And indeed it has. I woke up this morning feeling more relaxed than I have in a good while. It was a lovely sunny day and there was nothing competing (for a change) with my training. No excuses. Sammi you are back out on the road. And so I looked at my program and Coach had written Ride - 50km aerobic/not easy, but not hard. Ok, a ride "You Beauty."

I had been on Strava and checked the segments available that other girls had ridden and picked a course that I meant I could have a crack at getting QOM (Queen of the Mountain) on.

So I headed out and very quickly found that the legs were heavy and unresponsive. Oh Dear..... Warming up didn't seem to ease the legs but the head and the determination to win a few max speed efforts was driving me forward. There is a thought that chasing Segments on Strava can de-rail your training and yeah, I can see how that could happen. But today I was chasing and rather than cut the ride short or just spin along, I was hungry for a few records. So I think it was a positive.

There were 6 segments on the course that I took and I registered top 10 on all. 2nd over one long time trial segment so I was very happy with that. A bit confused over 1 segment though. I hit 39kmph and thought for sure I would take the QOM for that but when I got home and uploaded that ride I fell a fair bit short. I will have to check again where the effort is so that I can have another go later.

The legs were still tired at the end of the ride. But overall I was happy with the effort, the results and most of all the fact that I didn't need a kick up the tush to get myself out the door today. That has been the highlight for today. The want to exercise and train is back baby.

Hell Yeah!

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.

Dextro Energy Triathlon - Sydney

What an amazing opportunity; swim the harbour, ride the bridge, run the city all thanks to a free entry provided by Dextro Energy. For me, my race didn't exactly go to plan. Basically when the gun went off I found there was no fuel in the tank and suddenly I was in Struggle Town population ME! I tried hard to focus on the job at hand, getting the nutrition in, not going out too hard, keeping the cadence high but in the end it came down to.... find a happy thought and hang on to it. So I settled for enjoying using Sydney's iconic Opera House as a sighting reference in the swim, ooo'd and argh'd over the view off the Harbour Bridge and soaked up the atmosphere from the crowd cheering the athletes on.

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Yellow arow = Me

At the end of the race I caught up with Alex and stepped into a scene from the movie Kungfu…. He asked me how my race was. I told him it wasn’t the best. Aah Grasshopper…. he said, you have had a rough month in other aspects of your life, emotionally, mentally and your stress levels have been through the roof. He then explained how all the bodies systems are inter related and that overall health and well being had a gigantic effect on how you perform as an athlete. This was a huge light bulb for me the way he explained it and made 100% sense…. Thanks Alex

So what did I learn from my weekend racing in Sydney…..(Zen moment here) that life and training needs to balance and if at some stage it doesn’t, cut yourself some slack there will be other races! And in the mean time, enjoy riding the ‘bridge’! 

The end of an amazingly inspirational and scenic ride over the Harbour Bridge

The run was so hard. Atleast the form is still there at this point.

All done.

Throwing your hands in the air doesn't mean you fail....right?

But I do feel like I have failed. I am walking out on 16 years of faithful service at work where I love my job and I love the people I work with. I have been in a position where I have helped so many people with their careers and all in the name of putting children 1st. See, I work for a large organisation who manages child care services. I head the HR department. I spent time working with the children too, but now I recruit passionate people to work with children

Now I am leaving and have made my decision. A whole heap of boring mindless crap is unfolding and it is such a sad way to say goodbye to a place I love. BUT that all aside.......this is effecting me more than anything ever has before.

So, today I threw my hands in the air and admitted that I needed some help. During my lunch break I found myself walking to a medical centre and taking a number. I spoke to a little Indian doctor who seemed to take a genuine interest in me. I expected some uncaring doctor who spends their day giving masses of scripts for colds to greet me. But here was this lady asking me questions, suggesting blood tests (in case menopause has begun - JOY!) 46..could be.

I ended up with a script for some anti depressants. So there it is. I fail.

I have always believed that when you have a flu, you should fight it as long as you can so that if you beat it then you get stronger and better able to fight the next cold. If you don't get better than maybe a course of antibiotics will act to help strengthen you and fight the illness and then you will fight on your own again another day.

For so long I have been strong and fought every hurdle that life has put up in front of me. Little hurdles and mountainous hurdles have, over time, strengthened me so that I have a strong coping ability. I have had people comment on how relaxed under fire I can be. Or if they know me better than they know the challenges I have faced and know that I am stronger for having faced them square on.

With all of that in mind........I still feel like I have failed myself. Anti-depressants! My sensible me knows it's just a moment in time and 'This too shall pass' as my tattoo on my arm reminds me everyday. But I still feel like a part of me has lost the battle and has curled up and is hiding in a corner somewhere. I am out of character, quick to temper, teary, unmotivated and tired yet not sleeping.

So as I pop the little blue capsule into my mouth for the first time ever in my life. I swear to myself that it is just a crutch, an antibiotic to help me strengthen my body, my mind and my emotions and find a way to get over this hurdle.

13 days to race day. I can't even guess how this is going to play out. But I am backing myself in racing and in life. I believe in myself and 'this too shall pass'.

The Stryda

Well just 3 weeks left of work and I am outta there. I quit!! Stress levels are at an all time high and basically I'm miserable. So I force myself to pull on my running gear and throw the collar on the dog and drag our asses out the front door. Still doing my 4min run/1min walk intervals so that I ensure I am keeping good form, I head down the road. As I cross the main street and head for the path that follows the water course, I spot my boss driving by. I affectionately call him boss. Boss with a small 'b'. He is such a nice guy. It's the dude above him that is the total wanker! Anyway, it reminded me of work. As I offered a halfhearted wave I set the timer on my Garmin Forerunner to do the interval 9 times.

I broke into a slow lope and my dog came to life and dutifully fell into step alongside me. I cruised down the road onto the bike track that led us to the ponds and pretty soon the 1st 4min interval chimed off. I slowed to a walk and chatted with my four footed buddy. He looked up at me with that typical dog look of......"Whooooaa we are out for a walk I love you soooo much I am having soooooo much fun woof!"

My running buddy - Australian Shepherd (Stryda)

The Garmin chirped to life and again we broke into an easy stride. I watched water foul poking amongst the reeds looking for dinner, saw flying critters set off small whirlpools on the still water of the pond as they touched down and heard frogs coming to life in the late afternoon cooling light. My mind seemed to still for the first time in weeks (maybe even months) and I became lost in the movement of my gait and the soft panting of my silent friend.

Even the 1 minute intervals didn't interrupt the space we were in. I nodded and smiled at locals out for their late afternoon walks, dodged stealthily around those walking their canines with limited fuss. My little buddy is so sensible and such a friendly companion, he happily ignored the interruptions seeming to prefer running with me than stopping for a sniff and a play.

We continued as the sun cooled and the street lights came on. A soft breeze picked up and soon I found myself at the turn around point and homeward bound. The last of the chirps from my wrist sounded the end of my run and for the first time I realised that I was having the best run I have had in years. I felt like I could have run forever, the pace was free and easy, slow at first but by the end of the run I had stretched out to a relaxed lope that I felt like I could have maintained forever.

Ha, go figure! I think sometimes being able to flick a switch and turn off the noise in your head would be a great invention.