Back in the Gym

Very happy right now. I'm back in the gym. It's been at least 18 months since I have been in a 'proper' gym. I gave up the gym just after I signed up for my first Ironman in 2010 as I didn't have 'time' with all of the other training I needed to do. But to reach my current goals I realise I need to get back there. I have a gym at home, but the motivation I need right now is going to be at this purpose built gym.

 

I went back for the first time yesterday. It's a new gym so I did the whole ....."Yeah I'm as cool as cat shit!" look as I hid in a corner pulling out my ipod shuffle and scoping the equipment with my lazy eye.

 

I spotted the rowing machines and headed for the safety of the rower and while I warmed up for 5 mins I looked in the mirrors at the rest of the machines. They all looked familiar thank goodness. Not much has changed over the 18 month absence in the way of gym advancements. I wanted to start off with chest and triceps as the legs I needed to save for a ride I had planned to do today (which didn't even get started due to the winds).

 

I did the cruise over to the free weight area and lay out the towel. Checked a barbell loaded with about 10kgs and then found a pair of 8kg dumbells. Ok I was set to go. By the end of the session I had felt the muscle burn again. I hadn't felt that sensation in a very long time and today as I write this I can feel the DOMS even though really it was such a light weight set from what I had been used to previously. BUT! We gotta start somewhere and the beginning is about the right place I reckon.

 

After the weights I found a quiet spot on the carpet and did some ab work before heading for a 5min walk on the treadmill. I hate navigating new treadmills but I managed to find the start button and before long had cranked it up to 10kmph and had knocked over a half hour of easy running. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily I ran. I remember the last time I run on a treadie I could barely run 10mins at 8.5kmph. But the half hour was done and dusted before I knew it and my breathing was easy throughout with just a light sweat under the bra line.

 

It's times like these that I enjoy a lot. Being able to recognise how far I have come in my fitness. It reminds me that I can improve despite getting older, but also it's a time to reflect on how far I have come and how much I have achieved. It's a good feeling indeed.

 

Heading for home I felt really happy and positive about the 12wbt ahead. I have signed up with Michelle Bridges who has a 12 week body transformation program. I feel certain that I can make the next 12 weeks really make a difference. Also, I feel I can't really fail to improve hopefully to the next level as I have those all important elements in place....

 

• Accountability - Coach
• Triathlon Program - Coach
• Diet Program and accountability - Michelle Bridges
• Time - no job (just casual work that I can do at home at midnight if I want to)
• Drive - ME!

Bring it on!

 

The Latest Crazy Plan

Sooooooo I have a new toy........

Hardly a Time Trialler. This little guy is destined to get mighty dirty. Yep Adventure Racing in the Triathlon off-season is the crazy plan for the moment.

We (Hubby and BFF) have entered an adventure race. My girl and I have been a part of a team for an adventure race before but this will be the first time hubby is doing an adventure race and the first time the team has done one together.
Team name: PolyVentures.

So as usual we don't do things by halves. Rather than enter a nice little tickler of a race to see if we can hack it as a team....noooo we enter this bad boy.

August 26th

1. HARDCORE COURSE
2. This course is for adventurers who are more experienced and want a bit more adventure on the day. The Hardcore Course is longer and the navigation and terrain is more challenging than the Raw Course.

• Average teams in the Hardcore Course will take approx 4.5 to 7hrs to complete. Faster teams usually complete the course in approx 4 to 5hrs. These are estimated times and will vary from event to event.
• The Hardcore Course includes:
  • Up to 35km of Mountain Biking
  • Up to 15km Trail Running / Trekking
  • Adventure Legs which could be anything from Kayaking, Canoeing, Tubing, Rock Climbing, Abseiling, White Water Rafting, Canyoning, Archery and much more.
  • Intermediate Navigation

Truthfuly the thought of hurtling down a track with trees and rocks jumping out from either side of me scares the begeebers outta me. I'd rather take my chances on the road. But I like the idea of rogaining, orienteering, kayaking, canyoning etc and rock climbing....to easy as we have all climbed before.

So I will have to get over the heeby geebies on the bike and get into it. I am sure it will be fun and also good cross training during the winter months. Otherwise my little toy will be on ebay very soon.

Also, it means no more excuses when it is too windy or cold or wet to go out on my time trialler. Get on the mountain bike Sammi and work hard. You'll come back even stronger.

I'd Much Rather............

Well, this weeks bike sessions are an easy 40km bike ride, a 2hour wind trainer session and a 100km hilly aerobic session.

Let me tell you I'd rather be doing this...........

View North of Windang Island

View South of Port Kembla Beach

Coffee Stop at the SeaScape Cafe Port Kembla

View East of Masters Hill



Than this.................

Some Random Weirdo!
I at least have a TV in front of me and the music blaring

That's Coach and his Fiance Megzy

But at the end of the day; the wind trainer session worked me hard and I feel like I got a lot out of it. I haven't done too many 2 hour sessions and the grind was as mentally hard as it was physically hard. But I got it done.....Here's what it looked like.

• 20 min warm up (1min fast spin, 1min easy)
• Main Set 1
• 8 x (2min normal gearing, 2min hard gearing, 2 min easy gearing, 2 min normal gearing) all maintaining the same effort with a  2min recovery spin
• Main Set 2
• 4 x (4min Olympic pace, 1 min easy spin) Comment from Coach was 'Dig Deep'
• Warm down
• 10mins easy spin (stretch and roll)

Towards the end of the Oly efforts I was having to dig deep. Luckily the music lifted and the legs held and time passed (as it does) and before long I was on the OtherSide!!!!

Now let's hope the weather holds for the 100 clicker on Saturday (30min run off that bad boy too).

May 2012 to May 2013 - The 12 Months of Ironman



I'm In !!!!!

Ironman 2013

 

Me aka (Sammi, Mumma Bear)

Big Gazza

Baby Bear

The Onion Man

Roberto

Pete the Physio

Coach

Megzy

Ed

Jamie

Bobby

Hammells

 

It is going to be huge so strap yourselves in peeps!

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!