Big smiles - just add water.

This past week has seen all three disciplines of training for a triathlon involving some degree of water - Brisbane has been drenched! The same cannot be said for the motivation of many of the people around me, as they continue to slug-it-out regardless. It's inspiring to see others turning up to sessions or running alongside the road even when it is pelting. And you know what's really interesting? When it is pouring during a session and you're soaked to the bone the size of the smiles on faces is HUGE. People almost seem happier training in the rain. Granted I can't comment on what goes through their mind initially, when they are warm in bed with the rain singing on the roof and they are trying to convince themselves to get out there. But when they are going for it with mud-soaked shoes or coping a face-full from the wheel of the bike in front of them more often than not the grin is from ear to ear. Over the years you tend to become used to this sight (people actually enjoying thrashing themselves in the rain) but I can only wonder what it must look like to the couch-potato who takes the weather as a reason to hibernate. 

Personally, I love training when it's raining. Sure, there are a few cons (such as the constant smell of damp running shoes or bike shoes) but the pros far outweigh them. For starters, I have been able to get a whole lane to myself at the pool. That was unheard of a few weeks ago during school holidays when the lane represented a mile-field of bobbing heads. Also, it find some sense of connection with nature when I am running a trail and it's raining. The smell of the rain, the mud, the solitude, the sound of the water hitting the leaves... Perhaps a bit hippy but it's true. And what about that inner smile that seems to blossom out of nowhere? Last week I was riding the Riverloop and just as I came onto the path along Coro Drive the skies burst open. The rain was falling so hard it was stinging my face. It was like a wall of rain. I was drenched. Yet I actually started laughing. "I'm alive!". What kind of idiot would be riding a bike in this weather? Ha! This kind of idiot. The kind of idiot that tends to race triathlons. In those moments I find you tend to appreciate yourself a bit more, your ability to persevere, to push the boundaries, and to let loose. 

With that being said, I hope it's not raining on Sunday at Caloundra! Two years ago it was not only wet but freezing cold! I remember being huddled under one umbrella for 3 of us thinking, are we really going to do this? We did in the end, and had a ball, but waiting for the start was less than enjoyable ; ) 

I also want to mention briefly some nutrition I've been trying out. About 6 weeks ago I was lucky enough to chat with Nick from Endura and he put together a package of some products that might help me perform and recover better. 

 I wanted to give the products a good trial before commenting on them. The Endura sports drink is one that I have been using for a while and have found it to do the job - it tastes great and seems to keep me hydrated. The gels I have also tried before and I'd say they are neither better nor worse than the other brands I've tried. They are not as thick as the GU's, so if you like a runnier consistency these might be for you. They pack a little bit of caffeine (although not as much as the Torq brand) and have a range of flavors. 

The stand-outs for me so far have been the Optimizer, Endura Over Training (a Ginseng formula) and the Q10. I increased my weekly training load by a good 25% over Christmas, which in the past has resulted in me getting sick. Not over-the-top sick, but a cold or blocked nose. I can honestly say that this has not happened over the past 6 weeks. I have found the Opti to be a great recovery drink post-session as it contains so many useful things for your body (carbs, protein PLUS essential vitamins and minerals). I know it's difficult to pin-point which one specifically is having the biggest impact; I could always stop using everything except one and see how it goes. But, if it's not broken why fix it, right? The big test for these supplements will be next week / weekend as I load up for the Falls Creek Long Course National Championships. Nick has given me some advice on loading using the Opti and Magnesium supplement. So if I don't bonk-out or cramp during the race, and feel fueled enough to perform well, then job done. Check out Chain Gang Performance Bikes or Active Stride to stock up on your Endura gear. Actually, check out the video on Chain Gang's home page... I hear there is a real spunk-monkey in it.

There are a few other Endura products that I've tried that I'll comment on down the track. Overall, I am very happy with the stuff I've used and it seems to do what it says on the sides of the bottles. That might sound funny but you can't always say that is the case! 

Last note, you know how you can tell if you've put in a good day of training? You're ready for bed at 7pm and could fall asleep anywhere. That's how I feel right now! 

It's like listening to myself talk...

I saw this and thought it was too good not to share. New to the world of triathlon? Then this is a great way to catch up on the lingo and what to say to fit right in. By the way, I get the irony that you are watching this on my blog! (That will make sense if you watch the clip).

Hello space? It's me, I've been brought back to earth.

Remember the scene in the original Matrix movie where Morpheus offers Neo a choice of pills: if Neo takes the blue pill he can remain and live in the deluded world of the matrix, enjoying blissful ignorance of the truth, while the red pill open his eyes to the illusion of the world around him but in doing so brought with it the sometimes painful truth of reality. Well, I think today at Race 4 at Robina I accidentally took the RED pill. The silky-smooth transitions and great race strategy from Race 2 was nowhere to be seen, instead being replaced with clunky-technique and poor transitions!

With an 8.56am start I was expecting to be punished by the heat that we sweated our way through last week. Not the case today, as the sunny skies were replaced with clouds, rain and a hint of coolness in the air (only a QLDer would say that, to anyone south of the border it would have been quite warm I'm sure!). With rain about it made for a 'wet track' and even before I made my way to the swim start I watched two people come off their bikes as they tried to negotiate the round-a-bout turn with too much speed. I made a mental note to take it easy on the corners, which there are quite a few of on the L-shape bike course.

While it was a bit cooler than normal on land, it was still nice and warm in the water. Just under 27 degrees in fact. I jumped in for my pre-race warm up and it felt great (other than the usual barrage of sea weed to get through before clear water). Bobbing up and down in the water, I took the moment in as I looked around and saw so many smiling faces of people about to do this thing they love - race triathlons! Without a doubt the combination of today's race doubling as the State Club Championships as well as being the the first after the new New Year's resolutions to get fit, brought out competitors in droves. This was pretty obvious when the line up to get into transition spanned almost 200m long! To their credit USM Events seemed to be handling the overload of competitors well as we all shuffled in to rack our bikes.

A bit of friendly banter before the start, with Brad Dalrymple (BD) 'foxing' us that he had a sore ITB (I think he was foxing us anyway ;) ) and before I knew it we were heading down the ramp and into the water. I found myself a nice spot at the front and was really happy with my positioning. This is probably the last place I was happy with my positioning all race though!

When the gun went off I took off and felt like I got into a nice rhythm with my stroke, I followed my own line to the first buoy and seemed to be amongst it. But after that I seemed to lose the plot a bit. I think after a couple of good swims in races lately I had changed my approach a little; today I thought I'd follow my own line as in previous races there was a lot of zig-zagging and wasted swimming. Turns out following my own line and not drafting off quicker feet doesn't work. Or didn't today anyway! And I sensed it as the swim progressed, which didn't help. I think I became less relaxed as I worried about the guys getting away from me in front, which doesn't help swimming technique as I become tense and most likely started to shorten my stroke.

Today I swam like a rock, not The Rock (he'd probably have gone quicker than me!)

I ended up waddling out of the water at least 45 seconds down on where I could have been ( in fact I was 3:49 behind superfish Peter Court!) and began the biggest challenge of the day - the mental battle. I know that in such short races you can't afford to give up too much time, so I felt like I was on the back foot already. "Get over it man. Yeah but I could have gone faster. So what? Look after your own square meter. I'm not feeling it today. Keep pushing. Can't wait to have a beer this afternoon". I'll admit the inner dialogue was pretty loud coming into that first transition. You know what happens when you lose a bit of focus? The gremlins creep in. I went to put my helmet on and the strap twisted. So it took two goes instead of the usual one to get it on. 50m down the road as I tried to put my foot in my shoe (already attached to the bike) and I just couldn't get it in. In frustration I reefed the strap to open the shoe up, too much it turns out as the strap came completely off! So, almost rolling along on my bike at walking pace now, I had to thread the strap back through, ease my foot in and FINALLY I was off! 

From swim exit to this point was probably no longer than 1 - 2 minutes. So that's about how long my brain-fart lasted. Once I was settled on the bike I gave myself an uppercut and got on with it. After all this is what it is all about, all the training, stretching, massages, it's all about racing and getting amongst it! I soon realised that the stretch of road coming south to north had a great tailwind and I was able to push up to 50kmhr. BUT that meant going back down that way was going to be pushing into the wind. Ouch. Love it! I soon picked up BD's bright red helmet and was able to check on each lap whether he was getting away or I was catching. Unfortunately the distance seemed to be pretty constant (in the end we had identical bike splits). I was riding like an old man on each turnaround which took the sting out of my time but at least I stayed upright. My biggest concern was that before the first lap was up Paul Jamison had caught me - he put 1 minute into me on the 4km run here last time! So if we got off the bike together I was going to be in trouble! We rode at a similar pace for a bit and then I gritted my teeth and drilled it into the headwind. In the end I had 34 seconds on him heading onto the run course. Enough? Hhhhmmmm...

You'd want a head-start too if you had this chasing you!

Having composed myself on the bike my second transition was much quicker and smoother. Bike on rack. Helmet off. Shoes on. Go. Heading onto the run course I had no idea where I was in the placings. Again, with a few turns on a two-lap course there was a bit of time to check out who was in front of me. I got into my stride and tried to relax. While I prefer racing in the heat I must admit the cooler weather made it a bit easier out there. I had a lot less fluids than I normally do, as history has shown me that there is no point drinking a pre-determined amount of sports drink. When it's cooler, I sweat less. So I need less. Easy. In the past I have ended up with a lot of slooshing around in my stomach because I've drunk too much.

I passed Ewan Larson at the start of the run, who had a stellar ride (fastest of the day in our category) and began my chase. The Reddog tent was at the start of the run and I don't think they stopped cheering once all day! It was great to have them pushing their athletes when we needed it the most, deep in the hurt-locker of the run! By the turn around of the first lap I had seen a few of the top contenders and guessed I was in 4th place. Pete was way in front, with BD and Ricardo Barbosa (you could set a metronome on them - they are a couple of very consistent racers) between him and I. Once I had an idea of where I was in relation to everyone, I focused again on my square meter and ploughed through the rest of the run. At about 2.5k's the inevitable happened - Paul had caught me and was off! I tried to hold his number belt to get a tow but it didn't work. I found my character was tested a bit here as I was tired and disheartened, but I thought "bugger it, you're racing for yourself mate, if you quit now you'll regret it". So I kept the effort and pain turned up and focused on going as quickly as I could.

For those who have done Robina you'll know that you are running for about 1k straight home, which is blocked for a bit with the rise of a bridge. I focused on running hard to the bridge, as I knew that when I went over the top and saw the finish it would offer new motivation and I'd be able to keep running hard to the end. Back past the Reddog tent and over the line. Aaaahhhh, it's done! What a hard day at the office! Persistence pays off though - it turns out that I passed a guy in my category in that last 500m and beat him by 6 seconds (he had demolished me in the swim) to get 5th. If I had of given in I would have lost that spot and finished 6th.

Today was one of those races that can teach you something new again. That's one of the things I love about racing triathlons, the constant growth and experience. If you look for it and make the most of the challenges, you can really learn something about yourself as well. It reminded me of that cartoon with the frog about never giving up. It also reminded me that there are some uber-quick guys and gals out there. A quick look at the open category and they are putting another 3 minutes into the guy who won our category by 2:28!

Back to the drawing board now. Caloundra is 3 weeks away, home court for me in a way as my family live on the Sunshine Coast. After a splurge of a few beers, a massive burger, chips and ice-creams (yes two ice-creams) I may need to do some training just to burn all of that off anyway!

A big congratulations also to Reddog Triathlon Training - we managed to keep the trophy for the second year in a row! If you measure success on team spirit, then I think we are in for a lot more wins given the atmosphere under the tent today! A cook-off complete with post-race carrot cake was the real winner today I think : )

Robina Clubs Champs - have I done enough?

This weekend is Race 4 of the QLD Gatorade series. The place for battle: Robina. What makes it extra special is that the race doubles as the Club Championships, which means tri clubs from around QLD will be getting every man and his dog to dust off their racing flats so they can rumble. My club, Reddog Triathlon Training, are the carryover champs and we are keen to hold onto the title. What also makes the race interesting is that it is the first one after the Christmas break. Which means many will have either over-indulged and enjoyed the feasts, while others will have taken the opportunity to log in even MORE k's in the pool, on the bike and by foot. While I thought I was somewhere in the latter part of that continuum, I did run into a few guys over the holidays who were putting my numbers to shame (someone knocked over 620k's on the bike in one 3-day period, another spent the week doing altitude training and over 9000m in accents at Falls Creek). I guess as long as you can hold off the injuries (and keep your relationships happy!) then go for it. 

With some time off I was able to sneak a mountain climb in at Byron Bay before my wife woke up and realised I was gone ;)

So my prep has been fairly consistent, which as I mentioned in my 'New Years' post consistency is my creed for the year. Coming off a calf injury that kept me out of Race 2, I have been able to do some steady training for the past 3 - 4 weeks. I have had a great build up in terms of periodical training: starting the week of 19/12 each week I have done 14.5 hours, 16.5 hours, 17 hours and then this week will be down a bit (to let the body recover and to taper for the race on Sunday). That doesn't include the stretching and stuff like that, although if you start adding all that then why not add 8 hours sleep as part of your training - recovery is just as important as the sessions, right? Ha! I also managed to spend some time with family and my beautiful wife - I think I struck that illusive balance of training and family time. I think so anyway... ; )

This week got off to a frustrating start - after a HARD spin and 1km run repeats on Sunday (a group of us had set up windtrainers at UQ for the spin, then ran 1km efforts up and down the dirt track near the river - great place to train) I had a swim set for Monday. I got to the pool at just after 7am (the squad finishes then so extra lanes become free) thinking I'd have a bit of space to follow the black line. WRONG! School holidays still. It was chock-a-block! I fought my way through, quickly having to ditch my planned set and 'fartlek-ing' my way through whatever I could fit in between people (someone slow in front - 1 arm drills; a bit of space - 50m hard). I ended up giving up after 2km and went back at 6:30pm hoping that it would be better. WRONG again! I can say it did ease up at about 7:10pm... 4km of swimming all up, split over 2 sessions. I also managed a technique and recover spin on the windtrainer that afternoon (about 40 minutes, mainly including some one leg drills and efforts of high cadence over 120rpm). 

My bike torture chamber - when I'm not using Zone5 at ChainGang, this is where the sweat-fest happens!

Tuesday morning was the Reddog track session, which is one of my favorites of the week. There is something about running on the track, and I don't seem to get bored of counting laps. In fact, I kind of find it meditative. The main set this week was 4 x 1500m efforts, with the first and third building to 80% and the second and last full-tilt boogie. Great for some speed work and training at race pace. In the evening I did the Reddog swim squad, which was great because we have dedicated lanes! No fighting for space amongst little kids duck-diving!

Wednesday was a long ride, on the road for 3 hours and I included some Coot-tha repeats just to keep it interesting and to build some strength in my legs. With Falls Creek only 4 weeks away this Sunday I need to keep working on my climbing as there is a bit of it in that race. I'm lovin' the bike at the moment, being outside and feeling free (holidays will do that to you I think!). I finished the day with a light 30 minute jog, just to get my legs used to running when they are tired.

One thing that has made training motivational - different locations. This is at the Glass House Mountains, spectacular views!

Which brings me to today; this morning I did a moderate run with 5 x 2min quick efforts (at a bit above race pace). Again, I'm just trying to get some speed back into my running after having the time off. I've teed up a light Riverloop with our coach this afternoon (just to add some k's to my endurance for Falls) and tonight will be another squad swim, which is good as I need to build up some time in the water. A ride - run tomorrow, massage in the afternoon and light spin on Saturday and BOOM! It'll be time to race. Have I done enough? I'm not sure. I know that I have logged in some high quality sessions over the past 3 weeks. I'm feeling fit, feeling light and think that I may be at the highest point I've been in a long time. As long as I race hard, smart and can mentally keep myself in the 'hurt locker' as long as it takes, then I'll be happy. If others go faster, then my hat goes off to them for putting in the hard yards to get there.

Hopefully my massage will help me out. I always like to get a massage in the week before the race. I find it flushes out some of the 'heavyness' from training and makes me feel fresher for the race. I try to get one either Thursday or Friday, bearing in mind that the closer to the race it is, the less pressure you should get. Try to find a massage therapist that knows their stuff as you don't want to be sore from the massage on race day morning!

With the heat cranked up to FULL it will also be important to not only hydrate well on Sunday, but also in the build up. I would suggest starting to think about this sooner rather than later. Make sure you are getting enough fluids over the next few days, consider having a sports drink (such as Endura) on Saturday and remember that if you feel thirsty you are already well and truly behind the eight-ball. If you're running short I know ChainGang Performance Bikes  and Active Stride both sell Endura products. Also, check out USM Events as wave starts have been posted. As I am 'kicking off' at 8:56 I know I will need to have extra fluids with me just to get me to the start line in the morning! If you have a late start like me, try to find some shade once you have set up in transition.

A good sign of dehydration!

Have fun out there guys, it should be a great day with an electric vibe given all of the triathlon clubs that will be there competing for the title. See you at the start line : )

For a quick start on Sunday, pretend you're this goldfish with the mysterious figure looming behind you!

GoBandit GPS HD Action Cam Review

At the end of 2011 the team at Active Stride were kind enough to lend me a piece of new technology to try out: the gobandit GPS HD Action cam. Ask any of my friends and they will tell you that I can be a big kid at times and this was not going to be any different - a new 'toy' to play with! I walked out of the store, box in hand, with a grin on my face from ear to ear. This was going to be fun!

Billed as 'the coolest new tool for recording your adventures and sharing them with others', the new action cam from GoBandit not only records HD quality video but by all reports is the world's first helmet cam to include GPS technology. The idea is that the adrenaline junkies out there can have their top speeds, altitudes and other performance data recorded and displayed in the action video footage.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the size (or lack of size) of the camera - it's sleek design brings it in at a mere 145 grams and it measures only 105 x 62 x 34mm. I found it's compact design fit easily in my hand, with two mounting brackets included to make it easy to attach the action cam to your helmet, goggles, bike, surfboard or other sporting equipment. While the camera is compact, it also feels very durable and gives you the confidence that it can handle the rough-and-tumble world it is likely to encounter if you use it the way it is intended.

 

While I didn't have time to play around with the software, the GoBandit action cam comes with video editing that enables you to enhance your video with a variety of skins. The skins display information that was recorded such as location, altitude and speed, directly overlaid on your video. You can then upload your videos to any social networking site such as YouTube, Facebook, even the GoBandit website. No longer will your friends doubt your 100km/hr descent down the hill on the Noosa triathlon course!

In the time I had to play with the camera, I definitely did not use it to it's full potential. No motorcross riding, downhill skiing, skydiving, or surfing happened. From my experience using the action cam, I think that it has the potential to really excel in these areas. I did use it to record parts of a track session with my triathlon squad, and found it fun, easy to operate and unobtrusive. The record button requires a firm press on top of the action cam, so you know when it is on or not. I also like the wider angle lens (135 degrees) and the picture this produces - quite fitting for action shots and capturing the big picture. 

Overall, I enjoyed using the camera and would definitely recommend it to those who do chase the adrenalin in their sports - what a great way to capture the day and relive it later on. For those who are chasing a camera that doesn't need to record speed and all the extras of a GPS camera, I would say consider this camera. For me, I think I'd prefer a camera without a GPS but with an LCD screen so I can see what I've recorded and delete / retake on the spot if I need to. I'm yet to embark on my skydiving career so I feel like I'm letting the camera down by not maximizing its features!

What you get in the box:

• GoBandit GPS HD Action Cam
• Quick start guide
• Product information guide
• 2GB SD card
• Lithium-ion Battery
• USB cable
• Flat-surface / helmet mount
• Goggle mount
• Cleaning cloth

Some of the pros:

• Good quality HD recording
• Durable, rough-and-tumble body
• Built in GPS offering time, speed, distance and altitude
• Good software which enables you to add data to the recording, plus an interactive map
• Water resistant: can be immersed in water to 1m for up to 30 minutes
• Slim, sleek and lightweight
• Rechargeable battery
• Rotatable lens so you can always align the optics to get the perfect picture

Some of the cons:

• No LCD screen
• I found the 2GB SD card filled up quickly
• The sound quality was sometimes of a poor quality

 My attempt at using the camera... 

The 'pros' using the camera...

Click on the 'Active Stride' logo on the top right of this page for more information.

New Years Resolutions (aka your plan for the first week of January)

With a tic of the clock we find ourselves in a new year. 2012 in fact. Some of us may be quite content with the tide coming in and washing away 2011. Some of us may be happy thinking about how good 2011 was. Either way, there is nothing like the 1st of January to remind us to get off the roller-coaster for a few minutes and put some ideas together for the road ahead.

Ok, so it's not a 'blame game' where you look back and shake up your whole life. They say looking backwards can be depressing, and looking forwards can make you anxious about what's to come, so living in the 'now' is the way to be. Fair enough, but without a bit of reflection, evaluation, and shaping of goals I think you'll be lost in the cosmos of life. Looking back doesn't mean you need to change everything you did, or be too critical. For me, 2011 treated me fairly well. Some things happened that bit-the-big-one but in terms of training and racing I seem to have dialed in some kind of pattern and routine that is giving me some solid results in races (the next step may be to organise some hit-men to look after a few fast people). I have had a few injuries and got a few colds along the way, so I think there is some room for adjustment there (nutrition, rest, wash my hands more often maybe!).

Looking forward, I am really excited about what this year has in store. I have some lofty goals and ambitions to conquer the world (maybe I'll start with the 30-34 year category). Granted I have my green and yellow hat on at the moment (check out De Bono's hats) which is the best way to start a new year I think. I've entered the Falls Creek Long Course race in February, which doubles as the National Championships. I'm a big fan of the longer distances and am hoping to do well there. I have also been lucky enough to speak with Nick from Endura, who gave me some great advice and product support leading up to the event. I'll talk more about that later in the week. I'm also keen to do well in the Gatorade series, especially since I missed Race 3 with my calf injury. Time to get some more runs on the board there.

The thing about triathlons is that it is easy to measure how you're going against yourself - everything is timed! So do the same event the next year and see how your times compare to last year (obviously things like weather can impact this but you get the idea). So another goal for this year is to crack 2:05 at Mooloolaba and the top 5 at Noosa (I managed 6th in 2011, slowly creeping up there!). Two of my favourite events and ones I am looking forward to tackling again.

With this thought in mind, some things I'm dreaming past 'impossible' and into 'possible' are:

• World Age Group Long Course Championships (Spain - July) or
• World Age Group Olympic Distance Championships (Auckland - Sep)
• Ironman Laguna Phuket 70.3 Asia Pacific Championships (December)

I've got a few friends who are giving Ironman WA a bash in December and if they qualify for Kona I don't want to miss the boat! So Phuket has a few slots for the big dance in Hawaii as well. If everything lines up, I could qualify and they could qualify and LOOK OUT 2013! Hawaii here we come!

So there are some of the end results. The next step is to work backwards and figure out how to get there. How much money do I need to save? How much time do I need to put in each week? What am I willing to sacrifice to get there? I want to have a happy balance of work / family life / training, so I need to factor all of these things in.

Back to De Bono's hats, and maybe time for the white and black hat... I know for starters that CONSISTENCY will be my motto. No point having huge weeks if I don't make it to the pool for the entire next week.

So to give you an idea of the steps I'm taking to hit my 'ambitious' goal of taking out the overall leader of the 30-34 category in the QLD Gatorade Series. Looking back at my races from 2011, there is an obvious weakness in my repertoire - my swim! So my immediate goals are to do 3 squad swims per week, plus at least 1 more of my own. 15+kms per week. That is something I can measure straight away - did I hit 3 squad sessions, or not? Also, I have had a few niggles and injuries at the end of the year, so another sub-goal is to do things to look after my 'rig'. As Trent says, you wouldn't put crappy fuel in a Ferrari or take it to a dodgy mechanic, so why treat your body like a run-down old Datson? So for me, I will see a nutritionist to re-evaluate my eating plan, stretch for more than 15 minutes at least 3 times per week (going to a yoga session with my wife counts as one), and getting a massage once a fortnight. All measurable things.

I've started the year well (it is still the first); 3.5k's in the pool this morning. With a few days at the Glasshouse Mountains I am planning to tackle a few challenging trail runs and climb some of the mountains with my wife. Look out 2012, here I come!

2012 is yours for the taking. You can set some goals, break it apart into smaller milestones that give you a more frequent feeling of satisfaction (for me it might be hitting 3 swim squads each week) and enjoy your life. Or you can always buy a bigger basket (or bigger pants). One thing I will be doing though, is setting goals in all important areas of my life: career / education, leisure (such as triathlons), relationships (friends and family) and personal growth.

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily" - Zig Ziglar

Enjoy the public holiday tomorrow : )