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Friday, June 10, 2011
Cuttin the mustard?: After the excitement dies down
Cuttin the mustard?: After the excitement dies down: "Its been some time since the initial excitement of taking my spot for Kona and its 17weeks and change before the big day in Hawaii. Winter h..."
After the excitement dies down
Its been some time since the initial excitement of taking my spot for Kona and its 17weeks and change before the big day in Hawaii. Winter has hit Melbourne Australia with the month of May just gone being the coldest May for many years. Sub 5degree mornings, and the days getting darker earlier, and its still 9weeks before my first real hit out at Yeppoon 70.3.
This is the time of year when motivation needs to come from within, and nothing motivates more than the World Championships of Ironman in Kona. The distant memories of Hawaii preps past training in the wet of Winter, when most others have taken the foot off the pedal and are doing easier base work is now a reality again 8years later.
The last time i was in this position was in 2003 when I had qualified for the Big Show for a third time, this time as a Professional at Forster-Tuncurry, Ironman OZ. I had a great marathon run of 2:55hrs off the bike and a top ten finish overall, but i never made it to the start line at Hawaii that year.
I had done a very hard block of training under the guidance of my old coach, but unfortunately succumbed to a stress fracture in a small bone in my foot 10weeks from raceday. A subsequent 8weeks rehab in a Cam Boot and my dream of a 3rd Hawaii finish was over, having raced there in 99 and 01.
I was shattered as it was a classic case of overtraining and pushing too hard. Just prior to the injury, i was flying, but my body just broke from the strain. Unfortunately the plan i was following was going to either make me or break me, and it ended in the latter. So its been a long time between drinks to get this opportunity again nearly a decade later, after declining Hawaii spots due to a lack of time and will to prepare.
Back to the current prep, over the last few weeks i have set myself some long sustained efforts at ever increasing uncomfortable intensities, and being a coach means most of these sessions are done solo.
I'm having to do them at unusual times of the day when no one else is training, with some of my easier runs done with my faithful training buddy, Bill the Dog.
This i don't really mind as race day motivation has to come from within, so its good mental conditioning to harden me up, and my strength is my strength so these sessions play to that.
I do tend to be able to push myself harder when hurting solo anyway, and not having to be concerned with what anyone else is doing.
Looking forward, it will be some time before my Hawaii buddy Kristy and i can hit the sun of Yeppoon in August. Following this we will have some acclimatisation time closer to race day in September, but that is something to work and look forward to.
In the meantime, its about slowly turning up the wick, completing the sessions and chipping away. I may do some duathlons and runs around Melbourne, but mainly am looking forward to smashing myself in the sun of Yeppoon, far north Queensland during acclimatisation, and then in Hawaii.
Chat soon
Foz
This is the time of year when motivation needs to come from within, and nothing motivates more than the World Championships of Ironman in Kona. The distant memories of Hawaii preps past training in the wet of Winter, when most others have taken the foot off the pedal and are doing easier base work is now a reality again 8years later.
I had done a very hard block of training under the guidance of my old coach, but unfortunately succumbed to a stress fracture in a small bone in my foot 10weeks from raceday. A subsequent 8weeks rehab in a Cam Boot and my dream of a 3rd Hawaii finish was over, having raced there in 99 and 01.
I was shattered as it was a classic case of overtraining and pushing too hard. Just prior to the injury, i was flying, but my body just broke from the strain. Unfortunately the plan i was following was going to either make me or break me, and it ended in the latter. So its been a long time between drinks to get this opportunity again nearly a decade later, after declining Hawaii spots due to a lack of time and will to prepare.
Back to the current prep, over the last few weeks i have set myself some long sustained efforts at ever increasing uncomfortable intensities, and being a coach means most of these sessions are done solo.
I'm having to do them at unusual times of the day when no one else is training, with some of my easier runs done with my faithful training buddy, Bill the Dog.
This i don't really mind as race day motivation has to come from within, so its good mental conditioning to harden me up, and my strength is my strength so these sessions play to that.
I do tend to be able to push myself harder when hurting solo anyway, and not having to be concerned with what anyone else is doing.
Looking forward, it will be some time before my Hawaii buddy Kristy and i can hit the sun of Yeppoon in August. Following this we will have some acclimatisation time closer to race day in September, but that is something to work and look forward to.
In the meantime, its about slowly turning up the wick, completing the sessions and chipping away. I may do some duathlons and runs around Melbourne, but mainly am looking forward to smashing myself in the sun of Yeppoon, far north Queensland during acclimatisation, and then in Hawaii.
Chat soon
Foz
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