World Championships Done. What's Next?

Me, racing the slippery wet roads of Hyde Park.

Well the World Triathlon Championships are done. That took a bit of work. I even managed to train with Aussie Elites in Spain, at their training base for the Northern Summer, before racing in (a rainy) London. I didn't win, but I did some personal bests. (I was initially elated then depressed then felt I had accomplished something.) It's a weird world, the head of an athlete. So I can tick that box. But what do I move on to? After full time training for a few weeks I was my fittest ever. It's going to be a challenge to maintain that leanness and eat everything I feel like. (The joy of 4-6 hours per day of training!) But I loved the training environment and the fact I didn't have to work or do anything much else. It did sap my creative energies though, hence a sparsity of posts here. I feel that coming back a little now. 

I was cycling with my brother today and he asked what was my next exercise goal, after the last I have race coming up in a few weeks in Noosa. I hadn't really thought much of it. I was contemplating doing nothing much at all, which for me is probably still more than most, but maybe it's time to think of something different. I'm never going to be a world champion triathlete for a host of reasons. So maybe look at something else? Persist just for the sake of it, and push my limits? It's certainly a great way to keep über fit. But maybe there's something out there that I'm missing that would be perfect for me... 

I'm open to suggestion.

It's not about P!nk

I've been gently reminded by a kind friend that I haven't posted here in a while. He's quite right. So where have I been all this time? 

I've been pursuing my own Olympic ideals, bumping up my triathlon training in anticipation of competing and actually getting to the finishing line for the Noosa triathlon in just a few weeks. And on from that aiming at qualifying for the world championships next year in London. People who know me well would be surprised to note that this training has included some regular pre-work cycling training through the absolutely serene Royal National Park. The surprise being in the early morning starts rather than the course of the ride. Mind you I'm not elite and not anticipating competing in Rio, but I am loving the feeling of getting faster on my feet and on the bike and aiming for a competitive result. Last year in Noosa I had trained well, and was in form until a few days prior to the race when a mild cold set off a chain of events that ended in me taking an Ambulance past the finish line, and on to 4 litres of IV fluids in Emergency. A fun experience on its own but not one I'd like to repeat. And so any patient arriving in my surgery with a cold or flu at the moment is finding me a little more distant (physically) and rapid than I'd normally be. I'm taking no prisoners. 

Similarly over the past year I've been sporting varying amounts of facial hair, and today experienced an unexpectedly cold face as I shaved it all off, matching my newly slick short haircut. I have to keep cool, keep hydrated and keep fast. I even took the opportunity in Samoa on holidays recently to run in the heat and humidity to improve my climactic conditioning. I have monitors checking my running speed, heart rate, run and cycle cadence... Obsessed? Almost. 

Jumping out of my skin? Totally. Loving it. 

Noosa Triathlon Chaos

Me - far left - at the bike-run transition.

Last weekend was the focus of my training for much of the year. The Noosa Triathlon.

And what a weekend it was to become!

The first thing one notices when you arrive in Noosa on this particular weekend of the year is the mass of bicycles EVERYWHERE. And they're not just standard bikes. They're the carbon fibre / time trial / über expensive variety in all manner of shapes, colours and weights.

While they may be the first thing you notice they are by far not the predominant feature. The hot, fit men that abound is enough eye candy to create visual diabetes. And while I'm tempted to say I'd be happy to made ill from the abundance, that's a little too close to the bone for me for this particular weekend.

Pre-race preparation is all consuming - a combination of physical preparation / equipment organisation / hydration and rest. I find myself phasing out of conversations as I focus on my race plans and preparation in my head.

But this year things, all kinds of things, go horribly wrong, from way in advance right through the weekend. We'll start with my brother having to withdraw as result of his bike-car crash earlier in the year. A fews days before the weekend I develop a sore throat and cough, this was not in my pre-race plan. As the weekend arrives we discover that my partner and his team are in fact not registered for their team event. A technical glitch that wasn't a fun discovery for the team especially for the cyclist who had her own newly purchased über bike all prepped up with no place to ride. On Saturday Qantas grounds its entire fleet and our exit from Noosa becomes uncertain. Not that I'm too worried as staying in Noosa longer is never really a problem.

But wait, there's more.

Sunday, Race Day arrives and at 5am I'm awake and in preparation, pre-hydration and setting up gear in the transition zone. My race starts at 6:52. The swim is good, but I'm feeling a little congested with the cold I've developed, so not perfect. The cycle is hard work, more than I remember, but at the same time I'm feeling pretty strong and confident and I push myself hard. My legs don't feel as fast as they have been in the past few weeks though, not the strength I'm used to. Transition to running is easy, but by 2km the run hurts and there's 8 to go. I know I'm in a good position though with one or two ahead of me. But each km feels harder and harder. I'm loving the hose spraying locals who rain on me but the rehydration stations aren't frequent enough. It's getting close to the end, just 3 km to go. I'm feeling a little faster, but it' still hard work and then the next thing I know I'm in an ambulance, sirens and all, what the hell happened?

The ambulance officer comes in and out of blur. He asks me if I can see clearly yet. I wonder if he can read my mind but realise this is not the first time he's done this. He tells me what's been happening, I've collapsed, dehydrated with next to no blood pressure but never unconscious, though I recall nothing. He updates me on what's happening next and I close my eyes because it feels better that way. But that prompts him to ask me if I'm okay , or "keep with me" which he doesn't actually say but I hear it, so I keep my tired eyes open as he buzzes around me keeping going. We shake and shudder and wind our way to the emergency department by which time I've had 2 1/2 litres of fluid and where I then have another 2 more before leaving later that afternoon, somewhat dazed and very tired but still a little bit thirsty.

My support crew doesn't hear about me nor my whereabouts until 2 hours after I was due at the finish line. They're accordingly freaked out, but happy to discover I'm alive and deliver loads of big hugs when I get back to Noosa. It's big Pizza dinner, a lot of fluids and early to bed. How we get home is something for tomorrow.

Byron

I'm hooked.

I've just completed my 4th triathlon and I'm already calculating how to better my times and be more competitive, even though I came home with gold.

It has been our tradition to head to Byron Bay to compete in their Ocean Swim race the first Sunday in May each year. It's usually a fun weekend and a last hurrah to summer as the heat disappears northwards.

This year it was a fun week, and a distinct end to summer. The triathlon follows on the next Saturday and this year I decided to hang around and do it. It was very worthwhile. While I used to enjoy the ocean swims because of the competition as well as the eye candy, triathlons have an exponentially improved eye candy quotient. Sometimes distracting but always welcomed. The race itself is a lot more taxing both physically and mentally, and I love it. My legs may hate me for it but I love the feel of getting faster and becoming the runner everyone thought I wasn't. Including me.

There are loads of interesting people in or passing through Byron and the beaches and surrounding hinterland. A week spending time watching the waves and turning off the world is an excellent option, even if there is some serious energy expenditure bookending it.

It also turns out there are a hell of a lot of gay guys getting into triathlons.

Who'll be joining me next year?

Smashed Sprint

I'm smashed.

Those who've been following superchilled will know I've been embarking fiercely into triathlon competition. This weekend was my second race 'TriTheGong', in my home town and a sprint distance triathlon - ie 750m swim, 16km cycle and 5km run.

I'm not sure I like the hellishly early starts (I was up a bit after 4.30am) as I'd prefer to be going to bed then than getting up, but I was up and racing by 7.30am as was my brother and primary competition. The race was hard - I pushed myself harder than my first race in Noosa and tried to increase pace to fit the 'sprint' title. It turned out that I did very well, managed a podium finish in my age category, beat my brother by 2 min (he beat me in the prior race) and had a great time.

I really didn't expect to be so high in the rankings, but it shows that when you tackle the areas that need work and persevere you can make progress. So right now I'm feeling shattered and contented all at once. I'm going to have a break from competition for a little bit now, but I'm loving it. There will be more.

Has anyone else tried triathlon competition?

Keen to try?

I'm curious.