This week was supposed to be a rest week and so I'm not too worried that I only got four and a half hours training in BUT I'm not sure I like the fact that I didn't get out on my bike once. That hasn't happened for a while.
My big plan for the week was to ride the Rotorua Half Ironman bike course on Thursday so I took it fairly easy at the start of the week to keep my legs fresh(ish). Monday and Wednesday were just swims with the kids so nothing too strenuous. At one point I took myself off and did 5 x 100m. The times were between 5:10 and 5:20, getting slower as the set went on. Lot of work to do on the swim. Plenty of time though.Tuesday I ran my standard 10K course. I was quite nervous before I set out as the previous 2 runs had been 'weird' and I hadn't felt comfortable at all. I can only describe it as a muzzy head and the feeling that I couldn't 'get er done'. I took the 10K easy and didn't try to push the pace at all. It felt like old times and I didn't have the muzzy confused head of the previous runs. I was very relieved.
So the big day (Thursday) rolled around and I put my plan into action. Up at 4:30am (I was as excited as race day), had breakfast, took care of business and drove to the start. Unfortunately ... the road up to the Blue Lake had big patches of black ice. The car slipped a few times on the turns and I thought that I would definitely have to be careful on the downhill. When the car slid again in the car park and I nearly fell @r$e over t!t as I got out of the car I realised that it would be very foolish to try to ride on it. I did think about driving to the flat bit but the course goes back up again and I presumed there would be ice around there as well.
So, what to do. I had a licence until 2pm and it was only 8am. I was originally going to run off the bike around the lake (5K) and I knew that it would be muddy so I brought my old old trainers that I was going to use for gardening. There was only one thing to do.
I set off on the Half Ironman run course, promising myself to take it very easy and not try to beat 2hrs and to walk back at if any time my calf started to hurt. I kept my HR in the 130's for the first lap and if you know the course you'll know that you have to run sloooow to keep it there. I felt good though.
The hardest part of the course was the stairs to nowhere that go up to the lookout as you come off the basetrack. It wasn't that I had to climb stairs, it was that the top of the lookout was like an ice rink. I slid for effect across the top like a big kid. Down the other side was OK and then it was onto the roads. The sides were covered in ice and so I had to run on the frosty grass. I don't usually like running on grass but this was quite good. It was definitely easier on my knees.
Running up the gun club was just a case of dodging the iced over mud and water filled holes. It looked like there was glass everywhere but it was just shattered, scattered ice. I wished I had had my camera. The effect was cool.
The rest of the run went really well. The sun was out the whole time and if I had had feeling in my fingers I could have persuaded myself it was the middle of summer. The last lap around the lake was great and I allowed myself to go for it a bit. It was a great feeling running through the mud, knowing that I was going to complete this long run after starting the week being so worried about my loss of run 'form'. My HR hit the 160's and it felt OK.
I finished the run in 2:01:01. Would have been nice to have finished Sub2 but it didn't matter. I don't think I covered the whole 21.1K because again I stopped at the gun club gate. It was open so I could have run to the car park but there were still signs up saying trespassers will be shot (or something like that) so I didn't. Rather a short run than a bullet to the brain I always say.
Friday was a visit back to Rotorua but this time for the kids to ride the luges down the mountainside. Me and Jo just drank coffee and explored the walking tracks, which we found out, are extremely steep in places. Jo snapped this shot that sums me up as a triathlete ... or is that just in general.
Unfortunately the kids had been kind and considerate at the bottom of the luge and helped the bloke loading the luges because there was a back log. You try to bring your kids up to be selfish and ruthless and to look after number one but sometimes they just let you down! Outcome was they got a free ride on the luge each and my dinner was postponed for another 45 minutes! I was NOT happy!
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The kids come back from yet another ride!
Saturday I was suckered into an internet 'improve your mile time' challenge. I have never run a timed stand-alone mile and so I thought I'd give it a go. I did a bit of a warm up and then went for it. I was still a bit stiff and achy from Thursday's run but I managed a 6:50 which I was pleased with. The challenge is about percentage improvements so I have no way of winning it but it'll be fun to see if I can get that time down a bit. I was afraid it might cause a reaction in my calf but all was OK. Phew!
Sunday was again supposed to be a long ride but I wimped out when I was kept awake from 3 till 6am by a storm that was raging outside and threatening to come in through the windows. I could have gone on the wind trainer but I knew I'd have to change the back tyre and I sort of convinced myself I'd go out later (which I didn't). Not to worry though. It's rest week.
We took the kids swimming though and I did a bit of proper swimming. I actually kept going for a whole 250m in 5:27. I'm almost motivated to get in the pool next week and do a bit of proper swimming. Maybe.
On the weight loss front ... it's not been a good week. I've been off with the kids and there have been meals out and treats here and there. I didn't weigh in on Wednesday (that's gonna cost me $5 for a missed weigh in) but I'm sure I would have gone up. I am going to have to be a saint for the 3 days before Wednesday's weigh in. There will probably also be a last chance workout on the wind trainer. I'll take $10 just in case.
Back to work tomorrow. Boo hoo hoo (that's me crying by the way) ... when's Christmas?
