In case any of you fancy joining Denis on the training camp to slot in some serious IM training with the experts you can find out more by following the link. Sadly I can't join as Santa's money won't extend to the trip :(
NO this isn't me, I wouldn't waste so much chocolate, but the tummy is pretty spot on!
In case I don't post tomorrow, Merry Christmas, drink, eat and be merry. Training starts again only on Saturday...or...Friday?
ANYWAY, it was fun, Denis mentioned that he doesn't think he has seen me smile in a race before! This is proof that I do, I can but only once a year :)
Maybe I should try this to take some relief off my legs?
If I was sending Christmas cards - this would be it. For EVERYONE!
And so Thursday nights are starting to get turbo'd up. With the help of Junior Drill Sergeant Daniel, TBB was host to some lactic legs for IM Langkawi prep. I myself had to do my turbo solo this morning at home to Tom Jones! Oh well. After my run last night I popped over to TBB to snap a shot of the guys in action and then we all went for a noodle supper. A great way to hang out after a tough workout I foresee in the future the rooftop pool playing host to the turbo sessions once numbers swell, this is partly to accommodate more people and partly to prevent flooding TBB out!
Couldn't help myself, it is another Kitten. Ooooo he is sooooo sweet isn't he? Would love to unwrap a pressie with this little ball of fluff in on Christmas Morning, don't think my mad physco cat Coco would appreciate it though!
Numero UNO! All together....Ahhhhhhhhhh
Sunday was my first day back of proper training. Yesterday was my first full day albeit the new plan is giving me 3 weeks to eeeease into it. This mornings swim however was full on. No short cuts or reduction. A new session, I have to say I can hardly lift my arms up. Is it because of 2 lightish weeks pre and post race OR is it the new sets that Sadistic Santanna (aka Coach Vinnie) has devilishly devised. Won't complain though, that is not my style. I will just do as I am told, some days with a smile, and some days (most days) with a grimace.
The deed is done. I have been thinking, pondering and more importantly calculating whether or not it would be wise to do Aviva 70.3 in Singapore. No going back now the credit card is charged! So exactly 3weeks after IM Langkawi I shall be carving up the pavements of Singapore (in my dreams). Mad? Perhaps. BUT. Dave Spence is also doing it (he signed up first). AND I have been told, wait for it you're really gonna laugh at this...doing an IM is actually really good training and you gain a lot of fitness over the race that will help in the 70.3! Hmmmmn, I shall name no names, yet.
Congratulations to Carmen who defended her biathlon title on Sunday. Sam came in 2nd after Iwata. I heard from Sam before he left on the night flight to gale force Blighty that it was a great event and even over subscribed! Never have done a biathlon myself, must try it one day but sadly Sunday required a long lonely run and very little else!Courtesy of Ironguides/youtube
With just one weekend left before Christmas, husbands, partners, boyfriends - basically the male variety of our species will probably have left buying a gift for their 'loved' one until the last possible minute - and then it will be too late, they grab at whatever is left on the shelves and on Christmas morning you end up putting your man in the doghouse for daring to NOT think outside the box.
Let this little vid remind you men-folk out there what NOT to buy your loved one! ENJOY.
y food and can tuck it away even when full! This is something I really have to rectify as coupled with my pre-race tension; I seem to suffer with a lot of bloating 3-4days before a race. This could be due to extra fluids onboard, but most of it is jittery nerves with my stomach telling me it is full when it hasn’t even had a meal. So once I do put food in the feeling just gets worse! Still, you can’t afford not to eat so I guess I will have to put up with the bloating for now and just try and curtail my habitual ‘picking’ when not full-on training to at least try and go into a race at my magic number. We all have a magic number we want to be for a race and I have tried to get to mine all year and it has not happened :( 
Pictures (unsensored) on the way and once again courtesy of our official Team pic taker Ivie but for the moment here are 2 from my phone a little hazy but rather interesting!!!!
Once back at the house and once Sam, Carmen, Bee and I had bagged our rooms and taken in the gorgeous surroundings I set to work making a marinade and preparing the food for the evening with Carmen and Ivie. Known for my colorful language, Hell’s Kitchen is a scenario that came to mind! Sergeant Sam and Bee set up the bikes while Randy went over to the Laguna to pick up the Cross clan and bring them back for an evening of relaxation and indulgence.
Earning my keep doing the cooking
Up bright and early with my bed head still on. Sam and I sipped coffee looking out to the lagoon enjoying the serene tranquility of an early morning in paradise whilst waiting for Randy and Bee. We met Simon just outside the entrance to Laguna a little after 7am, and the five of us then set about for a leisurely ‘stretch the legs, warm up and then turn on the lactic ride’. Sam and Simon both kindly slowed down as we approached the HILLS and forewarned us again of the task we were about to tackle. I was visualizing falling off and not being able to turn the crank. Oh well, at least today wasn’t race day, screw up and there were less people to make an arse of myself in front of.
We went over to registration for 11am and also checked out the competitor board. Never have I felt so little. There are expats everywhere and they all look really BIG & STRONG. My confidence was starting to take a steep nose dive and even with Randy telling me they probably just look good and have nice clothes and gear it still didn’t help. I thought I was fit and strong well if I was – what the hell were these tanned goddesses with 6packs on display? On seeing that last years winner in my age group was there some of the pressure went away. Unless there were any other dark horses or she had a bad day, I didn’t concede the race there and then, but she was an element out of my control so I just tried to forget about it. 
After registration a dip in the ocean and then the lake was the order. I got attacked by sea lice in the sea and then algae in the lake. Felt ok, not that pleasant but I have put up with worse things in life.
Back to the house, out for Lunch, back to the house again for some faffing about and then out to the race briefing. I met Coach Vinnie for the first time. Afraid I didn’t have a lot to say; if not antsy before, now sitting in the briefing I was getting really wired. Straight after briefing we walked over to the carbo loading and although not really hungry the food was very appetizing and I managed a couple of plates. That however is a drop I the ocean compared with the 5 that Bee tucked away. I say tucked because after spending quite a lot of time with our very own Gadget girl this year I still to this day do not know where all that food goes. She eats like a horse and yet stays as slim as slim can be. AMAZING BEE. I am very jealous.
We met up with Carmen and Ivie and John on the beach, they snapped photos and gave out good wishes, I tried to stay calm but really at this point I was not doing well. I went off on my own for a dip, collected my thoughts and then went and stood in the pen. Sam wished me good luck as we stood waiting for the gun. Just as well my goggles were on otherwise he would have seen me tearing up!!! YES I was emotional, on tenterhooks and basically just trying to keep it all together and focus in the job in hand. I walked away and stood on my own. Ivie actually got a few pictures of me at this point and I think they perfectly show how I go into my own little world. Thanks Ivie.
The SWIM – 0:38:07
The first Litmus test of my swim, I had spoken to Coach Vinnie at the carbo loading about my reservations regarding how to approach this. "Stay left, hang back a bit, and get them in the bike," he said. I probably didn’t stay as left as I should have but as each race has passed I have noticed I panic less and less about been knocked about. I felt strong in the swim and sighted ok. Exiting going up the mound and ducking into the lake was not pleasant and there was a traffic jam on entry. Once swimming I took probably the straightest line I have taken all year. It was that straight that as I kept sighting the sailboat. Yup, there it is, stroke , stroke, look up, yup there it is and repeat and repeat until I looked up and was about to hit the bloody thing smack centre – opps. I could have swum underneath (haha) but decided to go left and round!
On approaching the finish of the swim the algae and slimy weeds were everywhere. I kept swimming as long as I could whilst stroking through the muck. When I finally exited up the ramp I probably resembled some sort of green sea monster. DID I CARE? NO. Did I stay and wash it off under the shower like all the other wusses? Do you really need to ask that question? I actually finished the race with seaweed still attached and stones inside my suit – don’t mind the seaweed but how the stones got there I do not know!
T1: Into transition and out again. It is never going to be great until I sort out the shoes on pedals thing. So let’s leave it at that for now.
The BIKE – 1:42:47
The hills are all done and dusted by kilometer14. My dilemma was, do I take it easy out and up to the hills making sure the legs have plenty of power?, OR, do I warm up a bit and then just get in my stride and go and not think about it?? Hmmmn, well once I got on to the road George stayed in the small chain ring for all of 2minutes. I didn’t kill my legs at all, on the contrary I am so used to pushing big gears now and having a slower turn over I just don’t think about it. This style allows you to naturally go faster on the flats and rolling stuff. When I got to the hills I dropped the ring went into the smallest gear and over took a bunch of women and fit looking guys. It was fantastic, I am pleased to report NO ONE overtook me except for the last k coming into transition where I start to slow down and think about the next leg.
I lost a whole bottle of hydration on one nasty bump that someone with a load speaker was supposed to be warning us about it. He though was having a nice chat and forgot to warn me. Over the bump and out pops my Gatorade in my nice hammer drinks bottle! This was at K 15 or 16. Luckily it was a cool day and already very well hydrated I knew if I just kept calm I would be picking up two replacements in less than 10minutes. At the time I wondered if the mishap was going to be the start of some nasty bad luck to come but I am pleased to report it wasn’t. The bike leg went beautifully. Coach Vinnie sought me out on the airport road with motivational shouts, (thank YOU). I loved it, the road was fast and I felt fast. And my legs felt fresh as a daisy. My heart rate was the lowest it has ever been when pushing hard and my cadence was very low….Avg 79!!!! It worked for me.
As mentioned already the weather was very kind to the athletes. The heat doesn’t really bother me; searing heat would slow me down but not as badly as others. I saw Simon, Sam and Randy on the run. And only Sam I thought was in chasing distance. Covering mixed terrain of tarmac, trail and a golf course the run was scenic but personally not something my legs enjoyed. I DO NOT like running on grass. The first one k stung a fair bit but once into my stride I realized after so many weeks of running with no knowledge of distance that I was punching out a pretty good pace. On target for 51mins at the half way point I have no clue where I slowed. As I say – not liking the grass. I overtook one more lady in my group on the run – did not realize this at the time until coach Vinnie informed me after crossing the line.
Results:
The all too familiar Simon Cross post race finish pose - is he an attention seeker or did he TRI-HARD!
Randy’s race, absolutely fantastic – I could not catch him today: 3.15:46 as Swim 0:30:36, (2:03) Bike 1:45:35, (1:19) Run 0:56:15
BIG THANKS to everyone who yelled out my name and cheered for me. I know I don't acknowledge it on the race but I do hear you and it helps! Thanks also to Ironguides and Coach Vinnie for his support over the weekend. Didn't get his picture but he is real and his instructions DO WORK! Also to TBB for sorting George out and teamTBB for there ongoing support. Cheers, GUYS. 80days to GO.
