Numbers for Trophies

Not sure where I heard of Steve Abraham first; somewhere between my Youtube TV Shows & various cycling & running podcasts I became interested in the idea of 'volume' the question of how many miles/kilometers you can do in a single moment, streak or even within a year.

Steve Abraham is attempting to ride the most miles by a cyclist (over 75,000) the record is still held by Tommy Godwin from his 1939 attempt. Now before my wife reads this and thinks I'm going on a quest so as to get out of doing the dishes, its ok I have no interest in this sort of challenge. 

Yet with my new look at swimming, cycling & running, coupled with my philosophy of not training for events. Let's be clear when I say 'not training' I am just not buying into a set schedule, instead just getting out and moving. The reality is my volume of work means I will always be fit enough to complete most events with a good time; by taking the pressure off following a training plan it means I'm working more on feel.

Today I feel like intervals or today my body is telling me to rest, or most likely today my kid has some kind of rash, the wife is at a work event & the cat just puked on the floor.

To match this distance/ time training attitude, I started to look further into the the numbers I have done in the past and studied what these days would be described as 'old school' training methods; and the reality is before cycling Team Sky and the phrase 'marginal gains' the tried and true method of finishing a marathon or climbing a mountain was to put in the kilometres. Eddy Merckx the famous all winning cyclist training rides were legendary, not for the complex programs but on distance! Finding his sweet spot in cadence and just spinning those wheels over and over again.

My goals for this year based around numbers are quite conservitive but I feel like the winter could effect them, with no training pressure I"m already feeling more mentally relaxed and enjoying moving again so I have set myself what is generally called a 'stretch goal' this a target to aim for if I feel like its within reach for a little bonus kudos!

Distance Goals:
Cycling for the year 4,500km (stretch 5,000km)
Running for the year 832km (stretch 950km)

Cycling is averaging around 86km per week, which at the moment I"m on 100km average but I have a overseas trip with no bike! and the wet winter may hold me back a little. I'm hoping by racing it will help me stay motivated as well.

Running is averaging 16km per week, I think this goal is pretty obtainable and maybe even the stretch goal. I normally run more on holidays and have been making a habit of taking the dog for a short run most mornings. With me thinking about attempting a Marathon - just the word makes me shudder a bit, it's true I will happily ride 100km in one sitting but 42km on my feet scares me. Plus some on going pain issues from my accident has certainly slowed my running ability at present.

So that is the plan from here to the end of the year, eat up some pathway & chew on some roads. I'm going to still manage my data using Strava as they have a lot of distance trophies to help me stay motivated and monitor my progress in more depth with Training Peaks program which I have mentioned in previous posts, this program will help me adjust my volume so I'm well rested in the lead up to events and hopefully peaking at the right time.

Next up 1st of April is my first cycling road race should be interesting seeing how I've regained my fitness since the accident.

Now I must go, my leg is being licked by the four legged daughter who clearly keen for me to add more KM's to my Strava account and go for a run!

My Strava profile link is below:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/5534790

An embarrassing legacy

Post Race chuckles at Active Tri in Brighton 2016 always my first event of the year,
and the water is always cold & choppy 

Having a child gets your brain over thinking, you certainly start to worry more, you turn concern about nothing into something. You lock the door twice at night, you check on them when they stir and if they are awake and not making noise you wonder why. You try to avoid risks, you try to be more organised and you sacrifice so your child can do more or have more, maybe you cancel that night at the pub because you didn't read to them the night before, or you hold back on the 100km bike ride instead to spend 4 hrs with them down the beach on a less than ideal day because you promised them.

You can't be with them every waking moment, and that's why it sucks when you drop them at day-care, or leave them an in-law as you ride off to work, or traffic is bad on the way home and you miss putting them to bed, and I guess at some point you question your on immortality. It's a heavy thing to think of, I'm not a thinker of death everyday sort of guy (that is no way to live) but what if? and when if? 

Stephen Covey of 7 Habits of Successful People book fame famous line:

Begin with the end in mind

That famous self help role play of pretending you're at your own funeral and imagine what people would say about you, it's a pretty heavy and self involved thing to think about. We have all sadly attended the funeral of someone at some point and the truth is it's not nice to hear any of it. Z-Girl has got me thinking about it more and more, what is my legacy going to be.

I had the unfortunate circumstance of being knocked off my bike and suffering what can only be described now as a small inconvenience of an injury; two cracked vertebra in my lower back (L4, L3) and a the tendons of my shoulder busted up a fair bit. At the moment the car turned into me I had no life flashing before my eyes moment, no chance to think about my wife or kid, friends or family; it just struck me and I yelled out 'F#$K' (censored encase Z-Girl reads this) And then I spent 6 weeks in a world of pain, frustration and regret.

That injury gave me one thing I haven't had the past 3 years, time.

Time to think, time to pause & time to work out where I really am at 35 years old. I'm no longer an athlete, and any of my athleticism I did have I think got robbed that morning between the curb and the wing mirror. I'm not going to Kona, its a nice idea when you start Ironman races and its talked about a lot everyone knows someone who has gone or is going to Kona; at 5hrs 20min I'm no threat to the Hawaii Island. I will most likely never ever win a race of any kind ever again in my life time (last time I think was in high school swim sports) So why with all this mind have I entered triathlons at all, and why did I let the convincing of a good friend make me sign up to a Cycling Club for purpose of racing my bike?

It’s the vibe, and…no that’s it…it’s the vibe. I rest my case. - Dennis Denuto (The Castle, Movie)

That's really it. I just like the vibe of it all. Appreciating the effort of the Professionals, the Top Ranked Amateurs. I like the steak dinner & beer after the race, waving at my wife and child on the run leg, the hugs afterwards, the funny stories of things I've forgotten. The effort needed, and dedication to stay fit and be ready for the event. The finishers medal, and sometimes just the free massage & sports drink at the end. I like the smile my wife gives me after the race & I like riding my bike fast even if it's not as fast as the next guy, and I enjoy the occasional PB in training, or finding a new running route on my local trails.

The race really is just the excuse I give my brain to wake up early and suck in the morning air.

My wife when our daughter was born created a email address, and she wrote to her in the early months about things she had achieved and when she is 18 she will look back on it and smile at the things we loved the most about her when she was little. Its amazing how those things start to fade.

I've reopened this blog after almost a year in hibernation as to be exactly that. A place that Z-Girl can turn to and laugh, giggle or smile at her Dads obsession with moving constantly, maybe it inspires her to move, and maybe she wins a race one day or she looks at me, and in that classic teenage tone and just tells me.

''Dad you're so embarrassing''

And I'll take that as a small victory among the many honourable losses.


Off the back of the above I'm going to attempt some weekly journal style entries, maybe on a Sunday evening as a decompression of my week, less training advice as essentially I'm 'training' less and 'moving' more. Will try and get up a few my monthly events schedule. Glad you read this one, no feel compelled to read the rest.

Window of Opportunity

Redundant. That's it. Redundant in my job and feeling redundant in my life. And then that fog showed up, the one that seems to tangle itself around my internal thoughts. It's a fog that only affects me when I'm standing still. Luckily I can out-swim, out-run and out-bike it. In fact playing sport has always kept the fog from floating in, but this time it just sat heavy, like a wet coat. What am I going to do now? I have no job, no payout and the job market in the sports industry was thin to say the least. And the more I thought about it the deeper the fog got.

I spent most of Z-Girl's first birthday (good timing for redundancy) smiling on the outside and feeling ripped in half on the inside. Looking at my house from the park across the road, all I could think about was my bills, my daughter and how the hell am I going to start again. I am tired of starting again, work has always been the area of my life where I have struggled to find my niche. I have never been unemployed for long because apparently I've got a talent for the hustle. However the hustle has a tendency to keep you busy but will never make you happy. 

Seven years ago I completed some certificate studies in Personal Training and Gym Instruction, it was part of a master plan that never got going. A move to England and back with multiple employment changes over the following by years had made me risk adverse and the thought of running my own business made my knees shake. I focused on getting the steady job the one that puts money in my pocket but then I would get frustrated and go looking for something else. 

"You can go on doing the same thing and you'll always get the same result," Super Wife stands and corrects me in the kitchen, "You won't be happy until you control what you do." 

Sometimes in life you need a jolt, something to make you sit up and rethink everything and look at what you have in front of you. I have me, my mind, my body and my health. I have years of experience playing sport at a high level which has given me the opportunity to see the best and in some cases train with the best athletes. I have also coached kids, women, men, amateurs and semi-professionals.

I stared at the job sites and figured it was worth seeing if anyone was after an ex-athlete, with two years personal training experience running small boot camps for a group of mums. My only real selling point is my passion, but I'd have to get an interview to show it. 

I breathe training and coaching, I love getting and seeing people get the most out of themselves. When I knew I couldn't go any further with my chosen sport (basketball) I turned to coaching but sadly 15 years ago coaching basketball in Australia didn't put food on your table. I like to instruct, but more importantly I like to guide. Despite the fog that chases me I feel a personal joy in the radiance of peoples love for moving, whether running a marathon or doing a fitness circuit. I'm the guy that stands on the side of the road at running events and cheers everyone! Not just the person I came to see. So I wrote my resume and started sending it out. And you know what, this ex-athlete with a little experience but a lot of passion was soon running around to interviews.

And now I'm in control, and I've left the wet coat on the hanger. I'm getting out on my own, hoping to help others to train for their shining moment, to create lasting change to someone who wasn't sure they had the guts to do it. Like I didn't have the guts to do it, but now I am. Maybe I've gained more internal courage from my swim/bike/run mentality and so this triathlon 'phase' continues to make me a more positive person and gives me the spark I needed to light the fire, or maybe I just needed Super Wife to tell it to me straight! 

Thanks for reading it's been a tough old time personally and took me a while between key strokes to get this one out, I'll be working for Jetts Fitness in Northcote and also independently as a Personal Trainer. Happy to chat about setting up programs for weight loss, event goals or just wanting to flick a switch and get better. 

Ironman 70.3 Dad Tips or Rookie Errors

My feet have healed, and I won't lie my activity level dropped off dramatically, people were calling me thinking I had died due to a lack of strava updates. In fact my new hashtag which is not really trending at all #gettingfat is how I have been thinking, tackling chocolate muffins in my morning break, the odd beer and meaty snack. Reflecting on the event I have some rock solid Dad Tips for anyone thinking of taking on a 70.3 or just a major triathlon event.

These tips are more errors I made that I'm turning into tips so I look like I know what I'm talking about.

#10 Book your hotel Saturday/ Sunday 
We drove in Friday night which was nice and waking up Saturday in the race town was certainly helpful, but not essential. Come Sunday afternoon the last thing my burning hamstrings wanted to do was pack a car up to go home. Thank-fully super wife drove home.

#9 Make sure it has a kitchen
Self contained. That's what it is all about! I don't care much for baby wrestling at restaurants pre-race or any night for that matter. A place with a cook top and good size fridge means you can BYO the food you love, and more importantly trust prior to the big day.

#8 Pack Everything
If you think you need it, pack it, why not you've got a boot full of baby stuff an extra pair shoes or spare bike helmet stuffed in next to the 3rd Bunny Rabbit toy might be just the thing you need or missing.

#7 Family Time
Spend that morning the day before checking in with family and do something non-triathlete, I checked in had a look around the expo for a few moments and then went to the local swimming pool with Z Girl & Super Wife, nothing takes your mind off a big race by playing 'shark' in the swimming pool with your daughter.

#6 Eat A Big Lunch/Small Dinner
I worry about over eating at times, and when I'm less active on a pre-race week I find my food levels can sky rocket (boredom eating) Smashing a large Cesar Salad for lunch left me just needing a small bowl of pasta in the evening.

#5 Water and Hydrate
I cheated, I used hydration powders the day prior to my race, sipping on these helped keep my levels just right. I even toned back my coffee in take. For some it doesn't matter a glass of wine in the week leading up, for me I wanted to feel prepared so I left the booze alone since Christmas.

#4 Have a spectator plan
It was a hard day on the wife, with lots of spectators coming to see me race (super grateful) meant she became the ''communication center'' which can be tough when you're juggling a baby, Z-Girl slept for the bike leg (I wish I did!) and Super Wife found it hard to spot me on course, I suggest having a spot on each leg where you will see your loved one/friends etc almost like an ''encouragement corner'' you know they are there and they will just stay there and look out for you. Seeing Super Wife as I entered the finishing chute was the best, I don't normally celebrate finish lines but her face certainly dragged a fist pump out of me.

#3 Go to bed when you normally do
It was a short walk to the transition from the hotel, but when you say the words 6am check-in you automatically feel like you need an early night. I went to bed to early, I tossed and turned and over thought everything. Just go to bed at a good time, as an evening sports watcher I should of sat up and watched the end of the match before bed.

#2 Lay it all out
Have it all there, the bag the gear, the shoes, the hat, the creams the tablets. The lot! I had it waiting for me on a chair ready for the morning, I even had my bottles filled, my coffee in the mug and my breakfast in the bowl just needing milk. Make it easy for yourself, just get up and get it on.

#1 Socks
Who knew. I had always done sprint triathlons, socks are optional. Despite watching video after video of Ironman Athletes to look at technique and what they do training wise nobody mentioned socks, or did I look at what they had on. My feet were cut up! I just made my goal time, imagine if I only had to fight mental demons instead of bloody feet next time around, who knows how fast I could of run. Socks, have them, wear them! Tip #1.1 Side note not once did my training partner Ivan bring this up, so get a training partner that will remind you of this sort of stuff.

Bonus Tip
Be calm. Be methodical. Be in the moment as they say, I didn't charge into the water as the gun went off , I jogged not sprinted out of the water to T1, I ran with my bike with purpose but not with a sprint. It's a long event, with lots of changes work with them not against them is my best advice, and just slow down when you need to think. Don't try to do everything flat out, that 15 seconds I lost leaving Transition with my bike in a jog, actually gained me 2 mins as my feet were in my shoes correctly and ready to pedal hard, I saw too many people rushing and slipping, falling or having to stop. Enjoy the challenge you don't do it because you have to, it's because you want to.

The longest day - Geelong IM70.3

This kid, leaves me speechless Photo: Selina Reid

40 weeks of preparing, 14 weeks of hard training, a new bike, wetsuit and running shoes. Forget the Sprint Triathlons or the half marathon during the year, this was like nothing else.

I booked accommodation in Geelong for the Friday and Saturday night prior to race day, we were able to get a late check out which certainly helped out post race. I may have left the booking a bit late... so we ended up in your standard 1980 motel with 1990's reno work done to it, but with a kitchen for a meals, TV and a location ten minutes walk from the finish line, we weren't complaining.

Official Wetsuit zip support crew Photo: Selfy by Me!

Pre-Race Day was all about family and not freaking out, checking my bike into Transition and walking around the expo with Z-Girl and Super Wife meant I was less focused on the event than if I was on my own. An afternoon swim with Team Reid at Eastern Beach was the best bit of the weekend, just a moment where you felt like it was a family holiday not a march into the unknown.

I am sure I don't get nerves, but I do start to over think. The night before I was never going to forget a thing, in fact I was going to take items I didn't need on the grounds I had them, the bag was packed and repacked, and everything double checked. Sleeping was an issue, between Z-Girl and I, we tossed and turned so much in our sleep we forced Super Wife to the couch, my head was not acting in fear but instead was planning the event in full in my head, and I mean everything:

Get out transition Olly and put your right foot in your shoe first, energy bar then water, then another chew of the energy bar, remember light feet on the pedals, hard legs on the hills.

SHUT-UP BRAIN I'm trying to sleep I have 5-6hrs of hell in the morning!

I never waited for the alarm at 5am, I just got up, fixed myself some breakfast chomped down some extra magnesium pills to avoid cramps and walked my lonely butt down to transition, so far the hardest thing I had encountered was attempting to peel the plastic seal off my IM race number temporary tattoo, I just couldn't find the corner and almost resulted in waking the wife to borrow a nail. Geelong at 5:30am on a race day morning is eery. Zombie like Triathletes all walking out of the shadows, reserved with no noise, headphones or just walking with dead straight eyes, nobody dare mention what is about to happen, the silence was calming to me. Focused on my race, my plan I had gone over 20 times in my head last night was now right in front of me.

Tools set-up in transition, bike hadn't blown a tyre over night (my biggest fear) and the air was warm and the water was calm. Perfect conditions to get this show started. Listening to my music I sat on my own waiting for Super Wife, and just as I was watching Craig Alexander be the first one in the water on race day, there she was right behind me. Never too sure how the day was going to play-out I wanted to make sure I saw her and Z at my two calmest moments of the day, the beginning and the end. Everything in between is just a bonus. With baby in one hand Super Wife zipped up my wetsuit, something I am yet to master on my own and is a good reason to start my own club or employ a coach if she couldn't be there.

Verge Race Team buddies showed up, a rag-tag bunch of cyclists and triathlete friends I have somehow aligned myself with over the past year, but it sure made me smile and little more to see them, Ivan (Captain) making sure branding was all perfect and photos taken, Faz asking me questions I didn't have answers for, and Daz with his GoPro I'm positive he is involved in a reality TV show with that thing but my suspicion is yet to be proven.

SWIM

Just thinking 'don't drown your family is watching' Photo: Ivan Dennis

200 + males 30-34 years of age all bunched into a start line for a 5hr + race for most of us, and somebody always wants to push past me to the front! Seriously. I'm a comfortable swimmer and find it less than comfortable having to swim over people who for some reason feel the need to flex muscle early to their friends/ family my standing at the front.

Gun goes and I walk into the water, they all run and dive in like this is going to be over quickly, I find a nice line, a good early pace and move over those two that just nudged past me, open water swimming is perfect like this, long course, big opening straight to shake out the weak swimmers and allow everyone plenty of space. My pace was above my average, I hit the turns gaining 2 minutes at each one, glancing at my watched I start to feel even stronger and push hard to get to the finish and out of the water.

As my ears clear the ocean its a wall of noise, and the full support group were right on the turn into transition, yelling at Ivan (Captain, Mentor, and non-paid coach) that I'm 8 minutes up,  I think he thought I was grumpy, I was pumped. A good start and I haven't wasted any energy.

BIKE
Get in my shoes quick! I had 400m to play with out of transition before you're hit was a nice hill to get the show started, racing up and out of Geelong and onto the main stretch it was time to think of my plan, I had ridden the road the week prior knew where the fast spots were, worked out the best part to eat while coasting without dropping below my average 30-32kmph, I drank water/calorie drinks on turn around points while I had already slowed down, and eating 1 bar and drinking 1 bottle per lap, finishing with a gel just prior to the run.

Big turn down the hill, light on the breaks love that Verge Kit Photo: Ivan Dennis

Smooth, happy but tight, I was right on time with my first lap and going to get just under 3 hour for 90km at pace, my hamstrings were tight I started to try and stretch them out on the down hills, but that hill in the middle of the ride was a quad burner and really hurt the second time around. Heading back towards the centre of Geelong I was excited for the run feeling that this race didn't have long to go (how surprised I would be) Flying down the hill I caught plenty of positive noise as I un-clipped and headed into transition.


RUN

Ok, it was a controversal choice and I will admit one made without really thinking too much about it. No socks! I don't wear socks for sprint triathlons, and I get a dizzy head if I bend down too long to put my shoes on, socks would have delayed more and I just wanted to get out and run. Bad move.

7km in and my feet are tearing, I can feel them just starting to lose skin and the heat stronger than I thought when on the bike was now zapping my body of sweat and speed. I move my stride to being short and sharp and kept a nice 5/5:30 pace going. The aide stations are nicely spaced out but I struggled to grab the water and ice on the move. My body is starting to ache, and is craving anything and everything at the aide stataions, ice, watermelon, water, sports drink you name I grab it and either throw it on myself or stick the ice down the front of tri-kit (this worked well and the ice settled on my thighs cooling them off)

The brain is starting to melt. The two and half lap course gets serious down the back end as it ramps up onto a hill and I have now resorted to walking the aide stations and running the rest so I don't drop any fluids, a energy gel seems to have little influence and as I come towards a hill at the 14km mark my body stops!

I start walking, I  couldn't stop walking, it was like my body had enough and wanted me to throw in the towel. I swear loudly at myself, and really only me and random spectator who seems to think my toerettes is playing up. Somehow I start moving again, slowly this time, my legs are moving against their will and I have given up any chance of making my goal time of 5hrs 30min; as I stare at my average pace on my watch I see it creeping up and I can't seem to go any faster only slower, it feels like I'm moving in reverse as if the finish line is getting further away not closer.

Should of worn socks Photo: Selina Reid

Struggling like this for the next 5km I reach the aide station at 18km mark, 3km to go I gather some water and I'm feeling dejected, like I failed before I finished, I'm being hard on myself but I felt I had put the effort in and done the right training, I didn't cheat things and to not reach my goal felt like a failure. I flick my watch to check my total time status; during the race I had made a point of not looking at total time and staying focused on the individual swim, bike or run. As I see the time come up my brain gathers itself together. 18 minutes, I have 18 minutes until the 5:30 mark and just over 3km to go! I can actually do it!

The finish line in sight and so was my goal time Photo: Selina Reid

The legs got moving almost automatically, I jogged, and then I started to run. I ran not fast but fast enough, I was now staring at my watch as the numbers ticked over, 5:25, 5:27, 5:28. I'm not sure how much was in the petrol tank but I mustered it all, the feet were stinging (in fact the back of shoes were filled with blood much to my surprise when I finished) I hobbled in a jogging pattern down the finishing shoot, family waving and my wife cheering loudly with my daughter in hand, I was excited, pumped, happy it was over I couldn't help it, I punched the sky! I double fist punched the sky! 5hrs 30min 22secs I DID IT!


My medal dropped over neck and finishers towel around my shoulders, I was moved to the chute to have my timing tag removed, and I stumbled. My body was shaking and my head couldn't make the English language work, I had spent everything. Moved by the helpful staff to a chair and given some cold drinks in the shade, I just sat staring at my blood stained shoes and for the first time all weekend I was blank in thought, I just didn't know what to think, I was stunned.

Post race was difficult to explain, I was quite more emotional than I thought. Won't lie I may of leaked a tear while walking back with my wife. There was a level of sacrifice required, with my training, with my time and with my wife. She supported the effort assisted me with the change in lifestyle and was right there when I said I was going to take it, and she stood at the finish line when it was all over.

This journey started when I watched roadside as long time high school friend sped past me during IM Melbourne, I just fell in love with the idea of testing your body across three different events, in a sport where medals are great but finishing is greater.

One is such a lonely number

Three days out from the season goal; I signed up to this event 39 weeks ago my Instagram account tells me. In the beginning I was hoping just to finish, after the 3 triathlon events I did the year before in 2014, I doubled up with 6 events this year (two more left after Geelong) the rugby player to endurance athlete sometimes catches me looking at my weight loss of almost 15 kgs and wondering how I ever packed down a good scrum. My mindset has changed dramatically as I monitor everything I do pre training day and post training day to make sure I'm getting the hours and efforts in, without forgetting my No.1 responsibility and that's being a Father/Husband.

Three days away from what I feel will be the start of bigger goals and quests. I have fine tuned my training, working harder and smarter to improve some weakness in my running and riding. My times have gotten quicker and I don't think I have ever been this fit in my life! Considering I have played sport all my life that is a surprise.

With only a handful of days to go I am more excited to get to the start line than concerned, I was happy for the gun to go off on Wednesday and get this race started already; but it would be remiss of me to think I did it all by myself. This individual sport needs more than just you, a pair of googles, a bike and something to run in that won't scare the locals. Lot's of people have given me advice or helped me up to this point but three stick out pretty clearly.

#3 The Companies; brands rule sports. Working in sports marketing I know all too well that companies supply and support. Physiohealth have covered my entry fees for Duathlons and Triathlon Series this year along with kitting me out. Verge Sport AU have not only kitted me out in great cycling gear to train in, and now my fabulous Tri-Kit is also done by them! 

#2 The People, I train alone a lot of the time. I don't have the ability to get in on 'club rides' or group fitness sessions. And when I have some free time I'd rather spend it at the Zoo with Z-Girl and Super Wife or maybe getting brunch somewhere. The people I've been in touch with so far have been great, from National Champions, former champions, Ironman Finishers, mates that ride bikes and people from the parkrun running community have all been great. I have shared my training openly with them, talked running, cycling advice. The people I meet while competing in triathlon are the ones that inspire me to keep training, 

#1 Team Reid, it's a small team just three key players but it's the greatest sporting cliche, without a strong family you can't achieve what you want. Super Wife has spent many a solo night on the couch as I duck out at 8pm for a long run, or looked after Z while I trek far away kilometers on my bike, or she is the wife that brings the spare clothes to the family event as I race her there on foot or two-wheels. Z-Girl is the best cheerleader, I'm starting to be concerned she only recognizes me in lycra, or thinks dad wears chlorine aftershave 2 days a week. She has grown up so much in what is close to a year since I started training, and I hope in the years to come we can share more swimming, running and riding days.

Three seems like I'm leaving people out, but I think those that know they have helped or spent some time riding next to me in the lead up to this know who they are. There is going to be lots of people on Sunday cross the finish line that are parents; so I know I'm not creating a miracle by jumping in the water on Sunday, but I think when you take on a substantial challenge in life the important people around bring themselves to the forefront and that has certainly been true the past 39 weeks.

The facts in the figures

I went out and had a little shopping splurge; I was after a heartrate monitor (HRM) to assist further with my training and who doesn't want to know if your HR rises after Z-Girl leaves a strong deposit in the down stairs department, or the potential that slow walking tourists in the city do actually make my blood boil.

It was a mighty big purchase, a Garmin 910xt it was more dollars than I thought I was going to spend but I saw it as a gift to me, I like gifts! And calling it a gift can justify the purchase to the family financial planner (super wife) Quick product review if you ever wanted to know information about your training you never knew, then this the watch for you! It has settings for riding, running and swimming can be set to give data updates for all 3 during a triathlon and your transition time along with I  am hoping it may also feed the cat and take out the bins if I press the right buttons.

In short by measuring my HR and coupling this with the Training-peaks program I am entering the murky waters of being a serious triathlete not some old guy that dusts off his bike for 3 months a year, my limited training can now be measured so when I get my window of opportunity I don't waste it. And I think deep down I am a quality of quantity type guy, and with a little one you don't get more time you get less.

I will admit, I was a record everything guy, you name it I put it on strava, short run to pick up the car, made sure I had it on Strava. Commute ride at a leisurely pace, yep make sure it was on strava. I measured my training success on the kilometers per week rather than the effort. Don't get me wrong I think if you're looking to get fit clocking KMs is the order of the day, but my competitive mindset has now been stoked and I want more than just to finish, I want to finish well, I want to finish in front of that guy!

I rode home the other day, at a good pace taking roads I didn't normally take. And this time I didn't wait in the work carpark for my gps to locate the satellite before setting off, I just clipped in and rode. And you know what it took the time that it took, Z-girl smiled even without knowing my max speed down Wellington Pde. We have schedules for everything in my house, meal plans, sleep plans (Z-Girl don't like to sleep to much) training plans, weekend plans. Numbers and data tell us where to be and when to eat, which is a must when trying to keep a house level and pretend to a be normal (what's normal anyway?) family in the community, I mean don't all Dad's do the daycare drop off in lycra?

In 2016 I am going to worry about the data that matters, and let that infiltrate my lifestyle, treating the data like people and experiences. Going to fill the basket with the numbers that mean something family, friends and good times. Count the numbers that count for me and hopefully by the end of this summer I can look back and see the improvements.

Childcare pick-ups are a rare thing, like sleep filled nights but the response is worth it!

It was back in early December, shopping centers are already full of Christmas decorations and we had picked up our Christmas Tree the day before, I was driving to the last Triathlon for 2015 a short punchy sprint event as part of the Physiohealth Team at ActiveTri Series Race 2. The last few months have been a hard slog, new job, coupled with Z-Girl and general life swirling around making training tough.

No support crew this morning, so it was a solo drive down to Mordialloc Beach to set myself up, I started reflecting in the car my 2015 and the birth of Z-Girl and how with no knowledge what so ever I have somehow made everyone think I can handle this Dad/ Athlete/ Husband thing pretty well.

Let me just say I have NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING

The truth is in my list of what I thought this year was going to be like

1. My wife and I will still go out for dinner and grapple the odd wine post work, are you serious? maybe the training, maybe the lack of sleep early on but sometimes at 5pm on a Friday I needed a coffee over a beer. And the truth is on a Friday I just want to get home and hang out with my little girl for the slender 45mins before she falls asleep in my lap.

2. I can still train early in the morning or even late at night. Motivation is not something I always lack, but staring at a training plan that calls for an 1 hour run after a day in the office, returning home to pasta being used as a weapon and a home that look's like we've just been robbed means sometimes I just go for 30 minutes, or maybe I do intervals on the treadmill instead and some cases its a functional strength routine of cleaning the house.

3. Will be great to take Z-Girl to events and share the fun. Kid's like fun, kid's like attention. Z-Girl doesn't like sitting in her pram or being held, and neither would I if I spent most of my time in a brace, she wants to behave like a free range chicken so waiting for a sluggish Dad to get over the finish line sometimes means my wife has completed a Mom-Tri herself, babysitting- feeding - amusing a baby, the third leg always being the hardest!

4. I'm setting a great example for Z-Girl with my commitment. I want my triathlon quest to be noble and despite keeping my competitive juices flowing I want to show her that health & fitness is a great building block to life, REALLY all she'd rather know is "where did Dad go when he put his hands on his face?'' and "Can I have a another piece of banana to chew on?"

5. My weekends will be great family adventures. Fact going anywhere requires a plan, timing to include a sleep for Z (and sometimes us) we need to remember which family members we haven't caught up with and see them first, then maybe stay in touch with mates we don't see too often, make sure I have clean underwear, have we fed the cat? Did you clear out those weeds from the garden? What time is it? Oh ok, don't worry we can have an adventure next weekend.

6. Triathlon training will keep me fit and healthy. It is the start of summer and I have a head cold. I have had two bouts of gastro, constant runny nose and a cough that seems to arrive every 2 weeks. and that's just me, should see Super Wifes checklist. Childcare is the biggest biological threat to every family member and extended connections that meet with us. Z-Girl is sick during the week, gets better on the weekends and sick again come Wednesday afternoon. No immune system is spared.

2015 has seen a whole warehouse of changes in the Reid Castle, from our routine to our way of thinking, right down to what and where we eat. Kid's change you! FACT. And some will say it's for the worse but I ask if they are looking at it from their point of view or mine.

I did so much thinking on my own that morning that my head cleared up and I posted an 11th place finish, a touch outside the Top 10, putting in my fastest 500m swim for the year. In fact I wished I did have my wife there to celebrate, instead I went home and bored her with the numbers while we discussed how much play-dough our daughter ate earlier that morning and if it contains calories.

The fact is in 2015 I have spent three quarters of it having no idea what I'm doing, and the other quarter I just figured if she doesn't cry everything must be alight. I have had to shift the balance and make some tough calls as to what's important to me. This little kid by 13 years old will know everything and think her Dad is major dag and so I won't be in the spotlight, but until then I will keep convincing her I have done this before until she works out otherwise.

I have no idea what I'm doing

Childcare pick-ups are a rare thing, like sleep filled nights but the response is worth it!

It was a back early December shopping centers are already full of Christmas decorations and we just picked up our Christmas Tree the day before, I was driving to the last Triathlon for 2015 a short punchy sprint event as part of the Physiohealth Team at ActiveTri Series Race 2. The last few months have been a hard slog, new job, coupled with Z-Girl and general life swirling around making training tough.

No support crew this morning, so it was a solo drive down to Mordialloc Beach to set myself up, I started reflecting in the car my 2015 and the birth of Z-Girl and how with no knowledge what so ever I have somehow made everyone think I can handle this Dad/ Athlete/ Husband thing pretty well.

Let me just say I have NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING

The truth is in my list of what I thought this year was going to be like

1. My wife and I will still go out for dinner and grapple the odd wine post work, are you serious? maybe the training, maybe the lack of sleep early on but sometimes at 5pm on a Friday I needed a coffee over a beer. And the truth is on a Friday I just want to get home and hang out with my little girl for the slender 45mins before she falls asleep in my lap.

2. I can still train early in the morning or even late at night. Motivation is not something I always lack, but staring at a training plan that calls for an 1 hour run after a day in the office, returning home to pasta being used as a weapon and a home that look's like we've just been robbed means sometimes I just go for 30 minutes, or maybe I do intervals on the treadmill instead and some cases its a functional strength routine of cleaning the house.

3. Will be great to take Z-Girl to events and share the fun. Kid's like fun, kid's like attention. Z-Girl doesn't like sitting in her pram or being held, and neither would I if I spent most of my time in a brace, she wants to behave like a free range chicken so waiting for a sluggish Dad to get over the finish line sometimes means my wife has completed a Mom-Tri herself, babysitting- feeding - amusing a baby, the third leg always being the hardest!

4. I'm setting a great example for Z-Girl with my commitment. I want my triathlon quest to be noble and despite keeping my competitive juices flowing I want to show her that health & fitness is a great building block to life, REALLY all she'd rather know is "where did Dad go when he put his hands on his face?'' and "Can I have a another piece of banana to chew on?"

5. My weekends will be great family adventures. Fact going anywhere requires a plan, timing to include a sleep for Z (and sometimes us) we need to remember which family members we haven't caught up with and see them first, then maybe stay in touch with mates we don't see too often, make sure I have clean underwear, have we fed the cat? Did you clear out those weeds from the garden? What time is it? Oh ok, don't worry we can have an adventure next weekend.

6. Triathlon training will keep me fit and healthy. It is the start of summer and I have a head cold. I have had two bouts of gastro, constant runny nose and a cough that seems to arrive every 2 weeks. and that's just me, should see Super Wifes checklist. Childcare is the biggest biological threat to every family member and extended connections that meet with us. Z-Girl is sick during the week, gets better on the weekends and sick again come Wednesday afternoon. No immune system is spared.

2015 has seen a whole warehouse of changes in the Reid Castle, from our routine to our way of thinking, right down to what and where we eat. Kid's change you! FACT. And some will say it's for the worse but I ask if they are looking at it from their point of view or mine.

I did so much thinking on my own that morning that my head cleared up and I posted an 11th place finish, a touch outside the Top 10, putting in my fastest 500m swim for the year. In fact I wished I did have my wife there to celebrate, instead I went home and bored her with the numbers while we discussed how much play-dough our daughter ate earlier that morning and if it contains calories.

The fact is in 2015 I have spent three quarters of it having no idea what I'm doing, and the other quarter I just figured if she doesn't cry everything must be alight. I have had to shift the balance and make some tough calls as to what's important to me. This little kid by 13 years old will know everything and think her Dad is major dag and so I won't be in the spotlight, but until then I will keep convincing her I have done this before until she works out otherwise.

Gatorade Elwood Sprint

Sometimes the week of an event rolls around and  I start to think what I'm going to write to you lovely folk that read this, and I start to worry that I haven't done much exciting except ride, swim and run. But silly me life in The Reid Castle always likes to throw up something special on a race week, in fact now if something doesn't happen I'm almost disappointed.

GASTRO!

Baby gastro, that mighty stomach bug that zaps the body in an instant, I roll in from my group ride Sunday week prior feeling good and full of coffee ready take on a great Sunday with the family, super wife turns to me with the look of I need a couple more hours sleep. No worries I say taking Z-Girl downstairs for a bit of playtime, I hear the toilet flush not once, not twice but it's a hatrick inside 30 minutes. Oh no. Sunday Family Day just ended right there.

Monday comes around and poor Super Wife has recovered slightly to get herself to work, I'm feeling like I may of dodged a bullet. Z-Girl is still not 100%. 3pm Monday afternoon and I feel like $hit, my lunch smells awful, the coffee tastes bad while the computer screen begins to pulse at my eyes, the drive home is a mixture of cold sweats and trying to down some water. It was straight in the house kiss the wife, cuddle the baby and straight to bed.

By Tuesday morning I felt much better, a little empty on the inside but some water and plain food had me right again, in fact I was back on the bike by Wednesday morning. My training week had been disrupted but a light swim on Thursday night felt great, coming into my last lap of my session I got a cramp, the lifeguard laughed at my antics but I was in a fair bit of pain so much so I pulled the muscle a little and it was tender the next morning. Two days off for recovery, no real activity except a slow ride to work, the calf was still quite sore but I figured come race day I would just ignore it and hope it goes away.

Sunday morning and the AM Family wake up call begins, first I get in my kit and prepare breakfast to get out the door, next is to nudge the wife who always seems to negotiate another 20mins and finally leaving Z-Girl till the last minute so she is well rested.

Love the big event nature of  the Gatorade Series Events, but it's not super friendly for families with super young kids and sleepy wives, the early cut off for Transition had me at Elwood for 7:15am which is mighty early considering I wasn't due in the water till 9:40am! It makes a for a long morning and staying focused and not drifting off with everything going on around you, can find yourself becoming a spectator and forgetting you too are diving in the water.

Hooter goes off and I rush into the water, the group has a nice pace about it and I settle into an ok rhythm, with a habit of getting a little lost in open water recently staying with a couple of swimmers meant hoping they had better internal GPS than I do. All goes well I make the turn and my swimming gets better, getting out of the water I don't feel like I have spent all my tokens.

A bit of yelling from Team Reid as I make my way up to the transition, which by the way at Elwood is almost as long as the Run leg! The bike, I was careful and maybe took 30secs longer than I wanted but it was a busy transition a bigger race and wanted to get it right. Hitting beach road I felt great and started to really pick up the pace, I ride this way to work most days and the wind wasn't blowing hard and my pedals were rolling nicely as I held my TT Position until the turn around points (my race goal was to stay locked in) The bike course was hectic! with cut down single lanes and a strong Elite group racing around us wanna be's made for some tight lines and I won't lie some drafting was involved but it was intended.



I heard post race of a terrible accident involving a spectator and cyclist from the super wife, I hope both came out ok, but my biggest concern for the organizers is cleaning up that bike course too many cars crossing the course as well as people was bound to be an issue.

Into the run and my time was looking good, under 4:30 km/min range, another race goal ticked. I really wanted to avoid the mid run slump and pushed mentally to stay focus on my stride, I started to pick up on a couple in my age group as I headed to towards the finish line, turning down the finishing chute I heard a couple of friendly shouts as I got to the line very well spent on energy, but a quick time check and I just knew it was a PB, I hoped for under 1:12 and started to dream of 1:08 but the reality was 1hr 10min 54sec not a massive PB but 1hr 10min had me feeling great! an almost 20 min difference from the same event a year later.


 Again this year I was able to share the result not just with my pregnant wife, but my beautiful little Z-Girl (who seemed more impressed by the colour of race hat) training buddies and triathlon friends. 1 year on and I certainly feel like I can claim the word triathlete, before I always felt like a guy who 'did' a triathlon, you know the guy who likes to go for a run now and then. When I get to an event I feel like I know how it all works, where to go and what to do as it becomes more comfortable I want to make it as uncomfortable for my PB's as possible.

Turn the volume up!

I like my music loud with a bit of variety, as a 1982 kid (happy to give up my age) I grew up listening to a lot great Aussie Alternative/ Indie Rock acts and tunes were generally around the punk rock against the world type of stuff; Nirvana, Lagwagon, Unwritten Law, MXPX, NoFX that type of gear and as I've gotten older I slowed it down to some more modern folk, and will dable in a little pop music on the drive home from work if anything so I keep up my embarrassing dad skills for when Z-Girl is older.

As you get older you start to know that there is more than one type of music to dance to, I am now 12 weeks out from the Geelong Half Ironman (currently it took me 4 weeks to finish this so now 8!), my Everest for this Summer and I started to worry. I was concerned about my training volume and was I training hard enough? It's easy for me to think I am training alot, with riding the bike to work the odd swim now and then, adding in a run when I can or feel like it. The reality is I move a lot! but I don't train a lot and there is a big difference. I found this out when I did a little weights circuit the other week, I blew up huffing and puffing.

So I did a little investigating; I don't have time for a Triathlon Club, in fact the non-club nature of the sport is why I prefer it over previous team sports I train when I can and shuffle the schedule to suit family life, sometimes a swim session is moved as the wife has a late night in the office or Z-Girl needs picking up, a club schedule doesn't allow that. I looked at coaches, I had spoken with people who had coaches but I feel again this adds a layer of cost (something I don't have) and also I'm not sure they will get my lifestyle, then I discovered the Training Peaks online software.

Promoted by Triathlon Vic it's a training software that can capture a range of data and process it, you have the option of setting up your own program or purchasing a program pre made by a coach. I like to see numbers and I like a plan of attack and 12 weeks out this seemed like the perfect time to check what I am doing against what a coach "thinks" I am doing. So I purchased a training plan, nothing crazy I selected it based on the hours a week I generally have to offer to training (8-10hrs) it was a 14 week program but I figured I already had a good base level and could skip the first two weeks. Cost of this was $25 I went the cheaper option as wanted to see if it was really worth it, I was very surprised.

Looking over the training plan with my sportsman eye it was pretty obvious the difference between what I have been doing and what I am now doing. Volume Increase, to put it simply I was doing the same thing over and over and expecting an improvement. The training plan slowly increases my running and swimming meters/km's along with the amount of running (2-3 sessions a week compared to my 1-2) Along with creating effort and easy sessions.

Screen shot of my plan 8-10 hours

Don't get me wrong it''s still hard to fit in all the sessions and I find myself shuffling them around on the dashboard interface to fit in with pick ups and drop offs, and sometimes getting in an hours run on a Tuesday night after Z-Girl takes an hour to settle and there is still baby dinner flung to all corners of the kitchen to clean up isn't that appealing, but even doing 30-45mins is better than nothing.

I must say I didn't think I needed a coach or a club, but having looked at this training plan and knowing I want to continue into 2016 and compete in more Endurance length events (I have caught the tribug!) Training Peaks really is benefit to me and the way I want to train.

• Clear planning board that can be adjusted with lifestyle changes (with added pretty colours)
• Emails and Phone App to track data
• Data can be updated from phone or garmin 
• Plans to suit build up 6 month, 12 week, 8 even 4 week plans
• Easy to use and quick to set-up 

Think of this as a Strava for those that REALLY care that's how I look at it, there is a share option but this really is a personal planing software not a facebook look at how many kilometers I did today social media boast. So 12 weeks out and I have a rock solid plan, I have a PB under my belt in Sprint triathlons and summer just kicked off with a 5 day run of cracking weather, Family Holiday/ Training Camp to the beach is booked post-Christmas and I am starting to strut around like I really am a triathlete rather than a guy that does triathlons.

A Year Later, thanks mate

The weekend just past I flooded up a few images on my Instagram of me and a great little crew of Sommerville Sports riders taking on Lake Mountain as part of the 7 Peaks Series. My love of social media is well known and the ''Your Memory"' function on Facebook flashed up a photo my wife took of the same event last year, it was a little wetter and much colder. In fact it was so cold I didn't even descend the whole way down due to it being slippy and worried about crashing.

Lake Mountain Circa 2014 look at the dress sense! 

Lake Mountain a year ago I was childless, my ever faithful wife followed be out to the hills to attend the Domestique Event, it was my first ''cycling'' event. Why she even came along I will never know, she just loves to support me in these things when I go solo and I must admit it's nice to have her there for a coffee and chat on the drive home afterwards. I knew not a lot about bikes back then, I still have the same bright white Bianchi, I bought it as I love the images of Italy that conjurer up in my mind when I think of the bike, the Giro, Pantani climbing hills and everything I love about Italy the food, the passion and of course the coffee. It's a 9 Speed, fairly light weight bike that I find suits getting up hills and is nimble enough for my then larger weighted frame.

I turned up to that mountain on my own, I said hello to a couple of people trying to make friends but in the end I road that hill solo for most of the journey in a mix match kit, I carried a few bits of food and jacket that was as drafty as a pair of saloon doors in Texas. It took me 1 hour and 35 minutes to reach the top and I was spent when I got there, I took barely a photo on the way up but when I reached my wife at the car I was so excited I had actually done it! I couldn't believe I had ridden a bike up a mountain a tough mountain, with my only training being a couple of rides to St Andrews. We drove back to Healesville and had brunch.

One year later .....

My wife is still by my side (surprisingly!) and seems to back me in all the crazy ideas I have when riding or running, but a year later as I woke up early doors to take the Bianchi this time to a friends house, to meet 2 other cycling hombres. Packing bike racks and stocking the car with goodies as this time around I was representing Sommerville Sports AU. I'm in matching kit and spent the road trip to Lake Mountain talking cycling, cycling style, new routes to take and just general stupidness you could never repeat on a blog post for fear of being institutionalized.

4 Idiots and a Mountain, newest Channel 9 Sitcom flop

The sun was shining which certainly makes a difference, but as the 4 of us head up the mountain we talk where we're meeting, how quick we think we can get to the top. I have ridden with these guys before I'd say half a dozen times now on various Sommerville Sports Rides, the days menu is always the same laughs, spinning wheels and coffee all mixed with not an ounce of negativity.

A rolled up Lake Mountain 15 minutes faster than last year, this time with a buddy rolling next to me, I descended the full length of the mountain this time with 3 other riders. In one year I went from lonely rider on a cold mountain to sun burnt rider with crew of laughter. Sometimes you can over dramatize change, sometimes you can make a change that was obvious and other times you just start something without actually knowing where it will take you or how the road will pan out. Buying that Bianchi didn't save my life, but it has enhanced it way beyond what I ever thought 2 Wheels and a greasy chain ever could, and I could sit back and thank the fine companies that support me but in truth it was guy named Ivan, who lives up the street. Just a guy who likes riding bikes who asked me to come on a ride on a wet Sunday morning and I haven't stopped laughing and spinning since.

Thanks Mate

Activetri Series: Race 1 Brighton

I received some great news in the lead up to my summer of triathlon madness; and that was Physiohealth were going to back me in again for another series this time a 5 x Sprint Triathlon Series run by Solemotive (new name on the event scene) and Active Tri.

I was keen to get some longer races under my belt in the lead up to Geelong IM70; but the opportunity financially to be covered for the summer out weighted being to picky on what races I enter, I will just have to make up the kilometers on my own in training.

The lead up to Race 1 had been a little rushed, new job (marketing manager) sick baby, sick husband, lack of swimming and little in the way of runs off the bike was a concern, the shining light being a new TT Bike to let rip on the course. I have always ridden a 9 speed, yes you read correct a 9 speed, I take that sucker up hills and have raced it everywhere so changing to a TT Bike kitted out for triathlons I was interested to see the time difference.

Team Reid Photo: Not sure why they make a bald man wear a swim cap! 

Race 1 was in Brighton, and something I will enjoy about the series is that the races are spaced out across different starting points around the bay; I must admit I found the Gatorade Series to be a bit 'same same' using just Elwood & St Kilda as the bike course overlaps and doesn't offer a different challenge on the run. From the outset the morning was going well, remembered my helmet (that old mistake) and the support crew of super wife and Z-Girl were on board bright and early.

Check-in at the event finish line was easy, and there was a great vibe as people get ready for the start of the season and being a little later than normal with an 8am start was quite nice compared to 6am kick-offs last year. Still no wetsuit for the swim leg, and the water was a little fresh but conditions good, gun goes bang and we dive in the water. It was a small starting pack in my age group (30-34) and I jumped on the heels of leading swimmers pretty quickly. The fresh water, a litte more chop than Ivanhoe Leisure Center threw my stroke count out and then my Man-Flu started to restrict my breathing, in fact I was gasping! chocking, looking for more oxygen as my nose just stopped taking any in, I had a little panic - just a little one as I slowly was spat out the back of the group on first turn of the swim. I felt embarrassed, I am a strong swimmer and I felt like an idiot getting out of the water on my own (a small pack was behind me)

Getting to the transition my body felt weak already, it was a long run up the beach and then up a flight of stairs! Who puts stairs on the course? My cold had knocked me around and I used a lot of energy just to finish the swim in a quick time (under 10mins) slipping my bike shoes on, I still am yet to master the flying transition maybe for the next event. As I looked down I felt a little light headed, stuffing a gel in my pocket I got moving.

Leaping onto the bike just in time to see the support crew look in the other direction, I yelled out but they missed me, typical. The course was set with a flat start and then it slowly climbed its way to Sandringham and then turned around the downhill section perfect opportunity to pump hard and gain some time back. I got my breathing right and settle my arms into the TT Position something I still find uncomfortable.


Gaining a few positions back I started to relax, and let my legs do the talking as I pushed hard on the final lap coming into the run, I knew my legs would be shot on the run so I had to get some distance on a couple of age groupers now. Getting off the bike I felt pretty good as started off, cap on and grabbing a quick water for the final 5km. A hallmark of my triathlons is the middle of the run, I just lose time and I can't figure it out. The stats show it every time I set off good get into a good pace and then come km 3 or 4 I just slow down sometimes without knowing it and speed back up again for Km 5. This was the case again!


I put in a great 5km effort around the 22 mark, the course was a nice hard loop, but I felt a few getting me back as I got towards the finish, the small crowd made it easy to spot the Team Reid as I got towards the finish. My lungs were busted and the man-flu had almost beaten me.

The final lung buster

I finished 12th in my age group, 1:12mins. I knocked off a good 6mins from last year in the same distance and with such a poor swim and run I could have gotten closer to 1:10. Was AMAZING to have Z-Girl and the finish, full of beans with no idea I was spent, she just wanted to play with my running cap and drink all my water! I could have done just as well without them being there but it wouldn't be the same as sharing the event with my wife and Z. I'm looking forward to 5 more (I have one Gatorade Race I paid for before I got the Physiohealth help) races by the beach this year.

It was a quick dash back to the car and off to lunch; which was a shame as I wanted to to relax on the sand for a bit with the family, but a Dadathlons Life is never dull - on-wards to Nov 29th and Dec 6th Back to Back Race Weekends!

How to run 21km on 2 hours sleep

Team Reid all smiles after our run!

You know the feeling when you wake up in the morning after a heavy night on the gas, your brain isn't working, it feels to early and every simple task like pouring a coffee seems like the greatest mission since Armstrong (not the Lance one) stepped on the moon.

Well substitute booze, and add in 4 wake up calls on the hour every hour from 11pm the alarm being a small human that has no understanding that Mum & Dad really want to run well the next day day and we're starting to find comparable situations, throw a cat hair ball in the mix and the pressure levels go up a notch.

I know when I go to bed that sleep this week is at a minimum and all I really want is to hopefully get some shut eye at the back end of the morning, say between 3-5:30am; I know at around 12-1am Z-Girl is going to grumble, as mentioned previously her brace and boogers are not helping her sleep well, how long the grumble goes on for is based on how much I want her sleeping in our bed or if I attempt to re-settle her. I played the up and down settling game for too long, giving up and taking her to bed. But wow did that alarm hurt 1.5 hrs later when it rang. The cat meowed, as he likes to be fed instantly and is under the impression I keep his food under my pillow! the baby stirred, she was lying on my chest and the wife groaned and rolled the opposite way.

Walking down stairs to prep the bags, start the kettle and put Z-Girl on her play mat was met with a squelching feeling under my feet, I jumped back hit the lights to find a turd shaped item in the lounge room.

"Has the cat poo'd in the lounge? Are we serious, Z-Girl don't attempt to play with that"

I kneel down to sniff it, yes I now sniff things before I touch them I think it's a parent thing. I look around I notice nobody else is going to mop this thing up. Lucky or unlucky I work out its a fur ball and that the cat always produces these in pairs so where the hell is the second one? Oh its in kitchen.

Good start to the morning, and the kettle hasn't even started boiling.

We are both pretty blessed with good parents/baby sitters, and my Mum making the 30 minute early morning journey with a slowly recovering broken leg to get to ours at 6:15am was a super help to make sure we could both attempt to complete this half marathon. I know she loves supporting these events by being track-side or pool side in my swimming days, but a infant and a broken leg would have made for uncomfortable viewing, maybe next year Mum.

Out the door on time had the hallmarks of potentially being the biggest achievement for the day, the Metro Train system in it's wisdom was working on the tracks the day 30,000 runners were going to descend on Melbourne so getting in the car and heading to chase a carpark was my first minor stress. In fact I enjoyed the drive, I relaxed a little, ate a banana talked to the wife on our own, without having to sing 'ABC' to keep Z-Girl from jumping out of her car seat. The MCG Carpark was not as full as I thought and we got a spot easily, the wife was gesturing the need to get some pre-race jitters out aka find the toilets.

A quick call to my training partner and friend Ivan found that he had already got rid of his pre-race jitters, and was closer to the start line than us. After making our way down and powdering our noses we got in the line to get things started, a little national anthem sing song shaking of the legs and I suddenly remembered I never did a warm up? Eek oh well nothing like the first 5km to settle your stride. I kissed the wife and wished her luck as the gun sounded and I tailed Ivan as we weaved our way around the pack, I was looking for the 1:50 pace group, my goal was to run with them and hopefully leave them with 5km to go but the rush of people meant I couldn't spot the group and it was just too busy!

In fact it was so busy I lost Ivan and then just settled into my own pace, having to jump off the road and onto the footpath along most of St Kilda Road as I didn't want to slow down to much early on, I checked down at my watch and picked up I was on 4:57km/min and was starting to feel a rhythm, in my head I was worried I had planned to run between 5:15-5:30km/min and started to think I might blow up, but I just started to feel comfortable and my stride was short and quick reducing the bashing my feet with an internal thought of running with light feet I kept this pace going as we reached Albert Park.

Albert Park was the bit I liked the most, it's a nice place to run, the city on one side the lake on the other, the weather was just right and runners had started to thin out as we jogged in the middle of the Grand Prix Track, still I was thinking do I back off and get my pace to 5:10km/min but my body just seemed to ignore my thoughts and kept up the 4:56km/min it had dropped to (I was getting faster as we reached the 10km mark)

My nutrition plan was use all the drink spots on course, I only missed 2 of them and that was due to location of myself and too difficult to get across safely and the other one was on a uphill and I didn't want to slow down. I had a small bottle of mixed Tailwind calorie drink, a Endura Gel and my favorite Cliff Shot Blocs. The shot blocs are in a long packet reaching in after feeling the need at 10km to boost myself up I ripped the packet on the move shoved two in my mouth and thought 2 more when I get to St Kilda Rd would will carry me home, and then I proceeded to drop the remaining on the ground, looking back like a long lost lover at a train station I knew they were never coming back and hoped my gel would be the difference maker at the end.

On a little switch back Ivan saw me and gave me nice little helpful shout, the fact I wasn't too far behind him gave me a lot of confidence I was travelling well, he is certainly helps me benchmark my running, my wife even warned me not to try and beat Ivan on the grounds I would explode in a bonking mess. Getting up and out of Albert Park marked a milestone in my mind and I knew it was a pretty much a straight run home, ticking the legs I hit the 16km marker and reached to find my gel, dammit it tasted so good, sinful in fact considering I have cleaned up my diet. The placebo effect is amazing when you're running confidently and take an energy gel, my pace was still bang on 4:57 and I just spotted the 1:50 pace group! Praise be to the running gods, but like the rabbit in Alice and Wonderland I was late for a very important date, and I skipped past them.

I was now speeding up with 5km to go I was putting in a tough shift, my legs were really burning and I was worried I may of jumped to early, the Km Markers weren't coming as quick as I thought and my knee was starting to get painful, my head was playing tricks on me and I had drank all my tailwind, I was running on motivation only. The last drink stop told me I had still 2.8km to go, a splash of water shook me up and I kept trying to increase the load, I wanted to have nothing left when I crossed the line. I have a habit of holding back a little, just a little, pushing enough to do well but not great. Last years triathlon I finished but felt like I had something left, this time I wasn't going to doubt my effort.

Down the turn along the yarra and I spotted the MCG, I'm not a huge Aussie Rules fan but its a stadium that has the ghosts of athletic greats within its walls and if you can't shake a little tail for that then you shouldn't of entered, over the bridge that peaked like Everest and down to the final turns. My legs were becoming dust, and it showed in my time in the last km, it started to drop but clenched teeth go me in the stadium. You can't help but stare at the huge skyward reaching stands and rolling around the outside of the ground the finish line in sight, quick watch check and I was under, I was very much under 1:50, and I was spent.

The clock stopped at 1:42:45 - and my first Half Marathon PB, it would take some beating but I felt good for 90% of that run add in some Ironman 70.3 fatigue and I still feel I can run the final leg in under two hours come Feb 2016. I had done it, achieved a goal, the first goal of the year. Super wife followed in a time fit for Richie Benaud at 2:22 a women that has so much endurance she doesn't even have to train full time, a disrupted new job schedule along with childbirth recovery had her in 20mins slower than her previous at the Great Ocean Road Half, who knows her result if she trained!


You gotta look out and give the thanks when you get the result you wanted and some more, Super Wife is just ACE! I escape early mornings or lace up at 9pm for a run, she pushes me with her faith in me and unresolved nature to support all the crazy ideas, Mum for helping out with Z-Girl on race day, Z-Girl adding a layer of pressure and performance she is my little running partner, Cheeta Recovery for the running compression shorts and the recovery long pants post race, Tailwind Nutrition the science behind the best Endurance runners in the world for helping me out and those running buddies of mine Ivan for always getting more out of me and the group of buddies I have met at Westerfolds Parkrun.

To Taper, Train or Sleep.

Half a Marathon 21km and a bit more around Melbourne, I have not run 20km in fact I haven't even run past 16km, my training schedule and times has meant either I ride long once a week or run long and choose to ride the bike every time. Poor choice? I'm not sure yet. I have worked on Speed and Pace Setting, added some Hill Work to get my strength up and a lot of bike riding means I am confident I can finish. I have set a time of 1hr 50mins as my target, can I do it?

Prep in the lead up hasn't been great, I have read every article on tapering and they talk a lot of slowing pace down, or getting in a long run a week out, maybe adding in some sprint and stretching workout. All these were clearly written by someone without a child or a job or potentially both! Z-Girl is on a crazy week, a new tooth has been spotted along with an attempt by myself and super wife to get her to sleep more we've been letting her cry it out a little at night to change some bad sleeping habits that have come in since the brace was put on her legs.

The poor little thing just wants to hang out with Mum & Dad all the time, and seems to only sleep when laying on my chest as she snores with her booger filled nose. Her snoring is worse than my brothers, and especially loud when its 2 inches from your ear as she lays on you. It's cute, in fact it's like a small human water bottle. The downside, I can't roll over to turn off my alarm and if nature calls in the middle of the night (I drink a LOT of water) then I wake her as soon as I move.

Training has slowed down, I did some longer bike rides earlier in the week at a good but not heavy pace, I sneaked in a little darkrun after 9pm to get my pace right and feel confident; but then from Wednesday life got in the way and my last run Thursday was cancelled. The swimming pool midweek did help to loosen me out, but its my insane need to move that makes tapering difficult I want to go for 70km ride the day before race, not to help taper but to help not jumping up the walls. Breakfast with friends the day before the race helped me forget about any activity, but I did feel like I hadn't stayed fresh enough and from my running buddies it seems everyone has a different technique.

I'm lacking rest, I always lack rest. The Super Wife is also throwing her shoes on for this one and getting rest during the week just hasn't come easy. My parenting and functioning employee skills have been put to the test and in truth I've failed. I just am at a loss as to how to get my daughter to sleep after 2am I have tried all things and maybe that's the problem, I keep changing the plan and not sticking to a philosophy but it's been a "trying week" as parent types like to call it, I just call a "shit weeks sleep" I'm happy to admit publicly I'm a down hill skier when it comes to this Dad stuff, I'm good when it's good and useless when it's bad. I fumble and forget the process and with two parents doing two different things it hasn't helped.

Blaming the brace is an easy answer when it comes to Z-Girls sleep issues, but I wouldn't blame the rain on a race day for a poor result so I need to forget looking external and sharpen my focus to the points I can change. We don't like excuses in this family it's a long standing statement from my Grandfather all those years ago as kid, the super wife hasn't trained for 4 weeks in the lead-up to this event, but she isn't thinking of excuses only finishing.

The key to my taper is more likely the key my parenting, eliminate any excuses. Tick the boxes and be confident I know my way to run, take a deep breath and forget what "they do" and focus on what "we do" I haven't been nervous for a race before but having set this up as a marker for the IM70 pace for next year it has some baring on where I am in the scheme of my training. I've surrounded myself with good training partners and Tailwind Nutrition & Cheeta Recovery have set me up product wise  for a positive day in my running shoes.

I guess only the asphalt knows the answer now.

#melbmara #running #runblog #triblog #dadathlon

Get Busy, or get boring (and sometimes get sick)

It's getting a little crazy around here; and maybe I am the only one, but I'm starting to stress about my training and trying to see my family and it's not really working. Triathletes talk about it being a lifestyle, I think it's more of a circus that has only jugglers and the odd the clown ( that's me!)

Childcare is in full swing for Z-Girl, and like clockwork so came the 'sickness' not sure what it is, a cold, the flu, avian virus but she got it, I got we all got it! The whole house is sniffling, using any source of soft paper to remove boogers from faces and noses. I hate being sick, I make a point of avoiding it all year by eating well and staying fit, but you can't avoid the now aptly named Princess Booger, as she is too cute not to hang out with.

1 week in, 3 weeks later it's still here. It really smashed up my training leading into the final Duathlon of season and in the end I pulled myself from the race. I hate quitting anything, but mentally and physically I was drained and just not in the right head space. Lesson learned, slow down with illness - I kept pushing to find training hours when they just weren't there to be had for an event like this I should have just slowed down things around me, and not taken up extra invites and just rested.

The schedule in the house isn't clear cut, childcare have Princess Booger for 2 days and the occasional casual day (till next year) while Awesome Nan (Mother In-law) takes control the other days, I was worried about Awesome Nan getting burned out as Z-Girl becomes a handful, but I think she loves it more than Z-Girl! With this sort of routine the monthly training plans are out the window, it's down to weekly sit downs with Super Wife and pre-planning my week.

Planning in this way is actually more fun; it means Super Wife and I chat more, which can fade when you're running out the door in different directions and outfits; her's being more corporate, mine being of the Lycra variety. I set up a pretty simple template* of Morning, Noon & Night blocks during the week and just scribble in when works. I stick this up in the garage turn pain cave near my bike trainer so I can read it every time I leave the house.

As the weather heats up I'm keen to get out more, and the early morning rides I suffered in Winter now feel like a gift in the morning sun. Awesome Nan has not only been Awesome, but also pretty supportive of the whole bike, run, swim thing. Which didn't surprise me, but then kind of did. I've said it before I find Triathlon to be the most selfish team sport in the world, it's only you (unless you're in a club) carving out the kilometers, the sprints, the laps but in the end you need the support of your team at home, the wife, the kid and when you need back up support sometimes an Awesome Nan to be on sickness call if Z-Girl can't make childcare, as we head closer and closer to Geelong IM70 I know I will need it more than ever to keep me sane.

Melbourne Half Marathon is the next stop; under 2 hours is the goal. The training has been good to fair; I have lacked any runs over 15km opting for short multiple 5/10km instead. I'm positive I can crack the mark, but feel pressure internally - all the top age groupers in IM70 break 2 hours for the run, and that's after the ride & swim; and I know I will need to add 10 maybe 15 minutes to my time to factor in fatigue potentially.

They say pressure makes diamonds, well with the our schedule of Childcare, Grand-parents, the odd social and busy weeks/ weekends ahead I started to feel like I wanted to slow down; and then I remembered how bored I get when I have nothing on. So the new Reid House Slogan is "Get Busy, or Get Boring" and at least repeating that when I really want to sleep instead of going to a flower farm on a Sunday tends to do the trick to get me out of bed.

* Happy to share my template with anyone who interested, it's nothing whizz bang but does the job