"The weight game"

As we move into summer, all my training and focus us on Pt Maq - April 2008.
So with the heavy amount of training it was time to really stick tight & true to my diet.
Of late I have been having a protein bar after training - as to do the right thing for my old body. From there I have been really strict about the amount of food that I'm eating and
If anything I have been under eating.
Here is the funny thing - since I have taken on the protein bars, I have put on weight ... what the!
Even though it's only 800 grams, I would have thought that my weight would have dropped ... which it was 2 weeks ago.
So here it is - from today, I'm going to consume only natural protein ( Fish, Chicken etc ) with NO artificial "performance bars" etc.
If anyone out there has a theory on this, please let me know
Caff

No race is Easy

Anyone who tells you that some races are easy just arent having a crack.
Tomorrow a few of the crew will hit the waters down at Elwood and race in the 2nd race of 2007 - 2008 Gatorade series.
500 /20 /5 is the distance and while the distance wont worry any of the crew, it then come down to what time we do for each leg.
With a long summer about to kick in, it will be nice to test out the new Gravity Zero 85/50's in a short race and have some fun along the way.
For me - I have no real expectations - Just a nice solid race and hope like hell that my back & hip get through - If they do, it will give me a massive amount of confidence as the body has been going through a tough time of late.
So to all those who are racing tomorrow, good luck - and keep out of the right hand lane as the K-Train will be giving you wind burn :)
Time for a coffee I think

ETPA Warriors go to War

As I sit here downloading Kona DVD's for my holiday to Bali, my fellow warriors are about to put all the hard yards of training into practice as for all bar 2 it is their first battle of the season and for some their first battle ever!
Yep, this Sunday is the Shepparton half Ironman and I wish all the tough nuts of ETPA every success.
Komo & I counted approximately 16 Hard chargers who are about to battle out the Flat, Fast but Hot course. No Half IM is easy however with the work that some of this crew has done, I have no doubt a few eyes will be raised when they see all the crew in NEW ETPA race suits punching out massive PB's.
As for me .... yep Jess & i are off to Bali to soak up the sun (and yes I has a few run sessions planned) for a week - then its all out PT MAQ for me with a lot of hard days ahead.
Back to shepp ....... I'm sure all the crew will have a great day and I will be thinking of you all (And texting like hell to get updates!!)
See you all in a week.
K-Train is out of here!!

HARD CORE

Today when nearly all of Melbourne were tucked up in bed due to the howling winds and torrential down pour of rain, the ETPA "HARD CORE" lads were smashing up a 2hr + ride / 1hr 40 run set.
These guys are now officially "Hard Core" (as we always knew they were).
The conditions were / are the worst I have seen for a LONG time so my hat goes off to these guys.
This is another feather in their cap and something they can draw strength from when racing the Shepparton Half Ironman in about 3 weeks.
I on the other hand needed to play this one a little smarter as I injured myself earlier in the week so it was off to MSAC (Melbourne Sports Aquatic Center) to punch out a solid swim set - which I did.
In signing off, a quick "Good luck" to those competing today up at Pt Mac in the Half Ironman.
I'm sure you will all have a solid race.
Caff

Working with the same Attitude

Time has come for a fellow ETPA athlete to finally live his dream.
Julian Wain AKA Captain is about to take the journey of what will be the most amazing day of his life
KONA - Yep, the Hawaiian Ironman 2007 is only hours away and the Captain has deserved the right to be with the worlds best.
So while Captain is slugging it out, a few desperates with the same attitude will be following him in my living room.
Yep, I have set up a live feed from the laptop into the Plasma and in the wee hours of Sunday morning Komo, Jimmy D, Damo & I will be smashing ourselves to pieces on the Mag trainer watching the live feed of Hawaiian Ironman 2007. At 2:30 am, we will be showing our respect to Captain and applying the same attitude as he has and hopefully give him that added "something extra" when "that" time comes.
I guess where I'm going with this is that it's great to be associated & surrounded by people with the same attitude and goals as I have.
This is 100% NOT the sport to have negative people and thoughts around you. You not only need to be fit & healthy, you need to be mentally strong and positive. Last week, I had a few days where I wasn't where I needed to be with regards to my mental thoughts ......... and it didn't take long to get back into the right frame of mind purely because of the people that I surround myself with.
You guys know who you are and I thank you for that.
So the preparation is about to start for me ... off to find as many towels, old sheets etc to lay on the floor to soak up the many buckets of sweat, make sure the coffee machine is full, drink bottles are full and most of all, a final check to make sure the live stream from Hawaii to Melbourne Australia is spot on (which it will be as I have checked it every night this week!!!)
I know all at ETPA wish the Captain every success tomorrow
I know he will SMASH it
Caff

"Building a bridge with some harden the F@#K up"

Well it's time that I put the tool belt on and start to build me a bridge!! ( and unnamed person told me that yesterday while riding !!)
So after a week of being hard on myself, I realize that there is nothing I can do about last weeks race other than learn from it and let it go!
I have decided that I will give todays run at the "G" a miss and enjoy the blue sky of Sunday, read the paper, drink COFFEE and just relax.
As tomorrow is the start of my training toward Ironman OZ ( with a few races in between being Geelong 70.3 and a couple of sprint distances)
So my mind will now focus on shedding 4 - 5 kgs, improving all 3 disciplines and building my mental strength.
I have gained a massive amount of information from last weeks race which will hold me in good stead for further racing ( Not all things go to plan as you want them too - Just look at the All Blacks - they have just lost the quarter finals to France in the Rugby World Cup and they were just about unbackable - proves anything can happen if you put your mind too it ..... or if you don't!!)
Geelong 70.3 is 126 days away and Ironman OZ is 154 days away so I have the right amount of time to step up, put in the additional hard yards and enjoy my days training.
Step 1 - the construction has started!
Caff

"Not the end result I was looking for"

The the Gold Coast HIM has come and gone and needless to say - I didnt rget the result I was after.
As the day panned out, the run took its toll on me - i'm still not sure whether or not it was physical or mental ... perhaps both!!
A little wrap up for you all

Swim : 400 grams of caffeine doesn’t help! Felt calm in the water however after about 900mtrs my arms & shoulders became very heavy and I didn’t feel like I had any power.

Bike : as soon as I got on the bike I felt happy. I knew I was moving well as no-one was passing me and I was picking up plenty of people.

Got half way and told myself to relax and get my heart rate down – which I did. I was continually telling myself to relax and be ready for the run. I span the legs for the last 500m or so at a high cadence and was getting out of the saddle when I could so to make sure to stretch my back.

Run :

I got off the bike feeling ok – ran off at some type of pace for the first few hundred metres. I got to the 1 k mark and spewed up but wasn’t feeling too bad.

Continued to spew for the next 35 minutes or so – at the same time I kept telling myself that my legs will come.- well they didn’t until I had a crack with 2 k to go.

Was it mental – Yes.

Was I tuff enough - NO!!

I wasn’t tuff enough to have a total crack on the run - this is something I need to learn

So for me - its back to the drawing board. With only being in this sport for 12 months now, I still have lots to learn and we all know that you can learn a lot from your mistakes!! :) ..... And plenty were made.

So no time to rest, back into it.

Until we next chat

Caff

"Now is the time"

Well the time has come to put all of the training into action.
Its time to remember all the cold mornings with the gang out at wildwood road climbing hills for hours, its time to remember all the hard yards running off the bike and many sessions in the pool.
My weight has been slowly (yes slowly) coming off which is the right sign! :)
So where am I going you ask ... The Gold Coast awaits!
Sunday 30th September 2007 - Gold Coast half ironman.
This will be the time for me to have a crack and give it all I have.
A big thanks to all of those that have helped me -

• Komo
• Damo
• Princess
• Jimmy D
• Archie
• Big Pete
• Big Boy
• Jess
• and many others ( sorry if I missed you)

• oh ... thats right ... and Matty Tippet ... you da man!:)

It's all up to me now
I'll let you know how I go
"Pain is in your Mind"

Caff

"Pain is in your Mind"

As for my previous "tough week", things became a little "tougher". I have had a tingling sensation on my ribs over the past 3 weeks or so and after a discussion with a couple of training mates, it was off to the doctor I go ... long and the short of it all, the Doctor tells me that i have "Shingles" .... Shingles???? what the????. Well as most of you may know, it's the adult version of chicken pox and comes to life when you are "run down". Tired / run down, we all feel this way most of the time due to training the way we do.
Does it hurt? Nah ... just read the title :)
Any way, enough about that and more about my prep for Gold Coast.
All flights are booked, I have arranged to borrow some race wheels from Komo ( Thanks mate) and I'm continually being told by all that GC is mine (well you know what I mean).
With only 18 days left, it's now time to consolidate all the miles that we have done, keep up the quality of work that Mat has me doing now and bring home the bacon (Thats a PB)
Unfortunately I have a work conference over the next few days which only slightly throws out my training - Maybe a morning off might be the best thing for me? only time will tell.
Like a training buddy of mine, the run has become a fav of mine hence the 5am start tomorrow before heading down to Torquay tomorrow at 7am.
It looks like a few additional runs will be coming my way!
To finish off with a fav quote of mine

"Pain is in your Mind"

Caff

"Tough Week"

Well it's been a tough week at work and training. As we know, work pays the bills and allows me to train & participate in the amazing sport of Ironman. This week has shown me that know matter what challenges I face, I can manage them in a way that delivers a successful outcome for all.
I have also shown myself that I can combine the two (work & training) when the pressure is on both and come out on the other side better for it.
With only 3 weeks from Gold Coast Half Ironman, I'm starting to get pumped up and it's now time to "switch on". This is what we all train for ...... racing!
I wouldn't call it luck, however I'm blessed to have an awesome bunch of training partners /athletes in the same corner that provide inspiration, motivation & most of all share the same hard work as we all do. Combine this with Coach Mat, and we as a team have a very successful formula.
The body is feeling ok - well a few sore spots are starting to appear but nothing that wont be ironed out over the next week or two
Today consisted of a strong swim session - this is just the build into tomorrow which for me is a "race day rehearsal".

I'm sure I'll provide you with a wrap up of the day
Until then, time for me to rest and maybe a BIG cup of Coffee
Caff

No hiding!

Well the Coach is back from a well earned holiday / honeymoon and I have no doubt he is ready to push us all as the 2007 - 2008 season of triathlon is just around the corner.
For me, my first race of the season is the Gold Coast half Ironman on Sunday 30Th September - Yes only 4 weeks away.
The past week for me has been a good one in terms of training - All boxes were ticked.
So now is the time for me to make sure that I watch my food, listen to my body, and train the house down so that I can achieve my goal - A PB of course!!
This will show me what a cold winter in Melbourne has done for me and all the freezing morning's that a group of us spent climbing "Wild wood road" over & over again has done for my strength.
I know my running has improved with a couple of results in a 10K & Half Marathon heading in the right direction (quicker)
For me, there is No Hiding - time to put my balls on the line, be tough & disciplined on myself over the next 4 weeks and bring back a positive result.
Too Late for a COFFEE now - I'm off to bed - a 5:30am swim awaits me!

Caff

"Treat your body like the Ferrari that it is"

If we all had a Ferrari, i bet we would wash it every week, clean the inside most days, be on time with it's service and love it like nothing else - and this is how we need to treat our body.
We should listen to our bodies and if required ( as none of us are the same) book in for regular massage, chiro, soft tissue treatment etc.
Personally, I see someone every two weeks ( soft tissue therapist & a myotherapist ) and boy has this made a difference to the way my body feels. This allows me to train the way I need to with no major side effects (injury prevention).
For me, I'm hoping to see this pay off with some good results over the next 6-8 months - PB's are what we all want.
Long and the sort of it all - Treat your body like a king as its the only one you have (too hard to get spare parts!!!) and all the training that you put in will pay off.
Once again, I'm off for a COFFEE

Caff

" Colder the Better"

After yesterdays 2 hr run & a swim to back it up, my left hip was a little sore last night. As I had Sunday off I thought I would go down to Altona and support / watch a few of the team compete in the local Duathlon. - So i thought to myself, why not bring your swim bag and do a cold water recovery and watch the race at the same time. Well I did and my legs / hip feel FANTASTIC. I have always rated the cold water recovery however I have been doing my recovery at home in the bath - well I can say (for me) that there is no comparison at all. The Beach water wins hands down! And as we know - the colder the better - Yes my feet & ankles freeze for the first couple of minutes but then its great. I had to walk a little further than normal as the tide was out, but I must say that the extra walking took my mind off the water temp!
So when your muscles are saying "ooouch", remember - COLD water is your friend - and at the time is your best friend.
Coach T told me that you need a minimum of 12 minutes for the water to "do it's thing" and 30 minutes is the cut off ( No benefit after that time)
If anyone has any recovery tips, please post a comment

I'm off for a COFFEE

Caff

VO2 - Yes it can MAX you out

Well I think I have just had a good taste of what happens (to my body) when I have a crack at my Thursday night Mag trainer sessions.
Last night we had a 13 minute race pace effort with all the bells & whistles at the end of the session. This is where I hit 98% of my VO2 max. I was feeling great - got home had a lovely piece of fish and some salad ( nice protein fix ) and as soon as I hit the pillow - GAWN - Good night me!!!
So there is the build up - what I'm getting at is my swim this morning - 16 x 200 with 15 sec rest - Not too hard I hear you saying - think again. I was smashed after 8 and the last 8 I must say weren't real quality - just hanging on - And I thought this was a recovery week. Well other than the past 12 hours, it hasn't been too bad. I can only see this as a real benefit to my swimming as I'm seeing very small signs of improvement.
The question that I pose is: When should we aim to "max" out and for how long in a training session?
"Train as you play" was always heard by the coach at footy training - If we maxed out all the time I would guess that most of us would crumble very quickly.
Interesting thought and if any of you have a thought on this please let me know.

I'm off to get a COFFEE

Caff

Your legs will love it

listening to Today's blog comes to me after my 5am run. For the first time in a long time I ran with my Ipod listening to tri-talk pod casts ( www.tri-talk.com) - The info on this site is pure GOLD
My run was at E1+ for 70 minutes - nice easy session - however listening to the podcast, my mind wondered from what is was doing and I did a little forest gump and kept running. 90 minutes later I though I should head home!!
Listening to my Ipod is something I wont do too often (as we don't race with one) however today was a nice break - and my legs loved it (Hence the title) as I wasn't too focused on running - I just hope my technique was OK!!!! :).
In case your wondering, yes I kept my HR where is was meant to be.
This now comes back to a lot of info I have received from my training mates telling me it's good to break things up every now & then.
A change of scenery whether it be in your mind or as a visual can be just what the doctor ordered.
And just whats needed for the next Ironman

The key that I have found when running with training buddies is that you will need to be a little picky as to who you run with. It can be easy to fall into a "slower" run than you would normally do if running with someone slower than you. luckily for me, most of my training mates are quicker than me so I work a little harder than I meant to which in turn has helped me improve my running.
Chow for now
Caff

OZ IM Pt Mac 2007

"Getting wet"

I'm finally starting to enjoy my swimming training - its only taken me about 10 months to get to this stage. I'm actually going to swim squad now and for some reason I'm looking forward to it!
Its not that I havent liked swimming - I love the water however swimming a mear 2 ks isnt as easy as it sounds - especially when you havent swam for 15 years +.
So to all you out there that have the little demon in your head saying .... DONT SWIM ANYMORE or THATS ENOUGH ..... tell the demon to go and get ....... well you know where I'm heading with that !!
I wanted to let you all know that yes it does get easier and yes you will start to become fun just like Mag trainer sessions and those long Saturday sessions that we do.
Personally, I'm finding that my new friend Mr Paddles have been a great help in building up my shoulder and chest strength.
As mentioned in my previous blog, my mate Komo has been a great help in picking up many of my flaws in this swimming caper - So the suggestion once again is to work with a mate as you will both help out each other regardless of your ability. You wont wake up in the morning and hit the snooze button because you have committed to helping out your mate- and yes it will be easier as we dont like to let our mates down.
I keep reminding myself that you need a minimum of 20,000 repartitions to create memory routine. Based on 40 strokes per 50 mtr pool, you only need 500 Ks before your arms know what the hell is going on!
Caff

The "Weight" Game

As we all know, a lot of this "triathlon game" is about what weight we can race at. A great new friend of mine "CrankITKomo " has been a great help in helping me train my mind to achieve the weight I need to be at so that my body is happy to race at. In saying this, I'm not there yet but come April 2008 and I intend on being super fit at 69.9 kgs - Well thats the goal - and we all know that we are goals setters in this caper!
I can only recommend doing with with a training buddy as they can be a fantastic influence in achieving your weight target - and along the way you learn so much.
One rule that I'm slowly starting to understand is that our body fluctuates with it's weight by both water retention and a bit too much food at times! For me, its about 1 - 2 kgs.
This also depends on where we are at with our training and what coach T has us doing.
I've started to cut down on my meal portions at night and if I get hungry - Watermelon is my best friend ! YUM
Q: What tips and tricks do you all have - Yes i know - Eat less & sleep more - Does anyone out there have a favourite food that gets them through a "time of need?"
CarnkITCaff