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!