Metaman Bintan - Racing in Paradise

In a bid to escape the worst weather on earth (i.e. winter), I grabbed the chance to head over to tropical Bintan, Indonesia, for the annual Metaman Race.

On the race website, Metaman is described as "a tough, honest iron distance triathlon".  This does nothing to describe the beauty of Bintan, the friendliness of the locals or the tropical paradise that is Nirwana Gardens, race venue.

In the build up to the race I was lucky enough to stay with Jeremy and Janet in Singapore. Not only were they feeding me very delicious meals, but Jeremy was an ideal cycling buddy (who also went on to win his age group in the half iron distance race). Without him I would still be cycling in circles around Singapore trying to find my way home.

After the concrete jungle of Singapore, it was bliss to arrive in Bintan where the most road traffic you would experience was a handful of scooters and a troop (?) ... herd (?) of monkeys.

From this:

 

To this:

 

 

 

Race morning dawned as every other morning - very warm. It was a nice experience to head down to transition without wearing layers of clothing and dreading the moment I would have to strip it all off.

Aside from a flat tyre in transition, which I quickly replaced, race morning was relatively relaxed and I couldn't wait to just get started.

 

The water was a warm 29-30 degrees for the swim. I lost the front pack before the first turn buoy - this is the first time I have been dropped for a solo swim in a race! I then aimed to stay steady and comfortable as I knew it was going to be a long, hot day. Before long I realised I actually had Bec and Jo swimming on my feet, which was some consolation that I wasn't the only one to get dropped. Plus if there were sharks (which there aren't), ideally they would sneak up behind me and eat one of the others instead.

 

I was quickly dropped on the first few hills of the bike!

 

At Ironman New Zealand I made the mistake of riding too hard in the first half of the bike, and then grovelling home a bit for the last 40km. Knowing it was going to be hot and not wishing to repeat this experience I started conservatively - in hindsight, too conservatively :-/

I spent much of the ride alone, with only villages breaking up the jungle around me. These were always a good source of motivation - the local kids lined the street and cheered for all they were worth. If you gave them one of your empty drink bottles (of which I seemed to have many), they acted like they had won the lottery.  It was very cool.

Most of the ride was uneventful, aside from a torrential shower of very warm rain for the last 20km, making peering out of my fogged up sunglasses a bit tricky. Luckily enough there were none of these on the road:

 

 

 

As they are the size of very short-legged dogs.

 

I hit the run feeling good, which lasted for 2km. Then the heat began to hit. Aid stations were about 1.5km apart, which I initially thought was overkill, but I soon realised that this was pretty much the distance you could run without going crazy in the heat. Each aid station was a welcome nirvana of drinks and ice cold sponges. My pace soon dropped and my race goal changed to merely finishing. I soon caught Bec, who had pulled a hamstring, and moved into 4th, where I stayed until the welcome sight of the finish line.

 

 

 

Although I raced slower than what I thought I was capable of, this was an amazing experience. I learnt a lot through the race, and met some amazing people, some of whom I have looked up to for many years.

 

A big congrats to everyone who finished a tough day. And to Gina and Cam who once again showed why they are such amazing athletes.

 

I have to say a big thank you to Jeremy and Janet for opening up their home to me and Roger, and to their two girls for putting up with Roger!

To the race organisers, for a well run and top notch race - this is definitely on my racing calendar in the future!

To the team at Bob's Bikes and Shoe Clinic for their continued support.

And to Rog, who had the very tough job of coming along with me - I know it was a hard place to be for a couple of weeks....

 

 





Rotorua Marathon Turns the Big 5-0!

There is something about the Rotorua Marathon. I just can't stay away from it. And every year, at the 26km mark, I always question my sanity in returning for another dose of hurty legs that this marathon serves up. This year I was back for more!

Winning this marathon last year was incredible. Going back this year my main goal was just to put together a good solid run effort, ignoring the super speedy elite field I was up against.
My build up was less than ideal. Since Ironman NZ I had managed two "long runs". The first was a good hit out at the Xterra Off road Half marathon, where I romped off with an easy win. Buoyed up by my trail running success I hit the trails of the Eskdale Forest on a running blind date with Kristian and Ruby (running blind date: when a running buddy sets you up with another running buddy for some running joy. The awkwardness is gone straight after your first toilet stop in the bush). We managed 28km of the coolest running I have done in a forest. I also managed to fall over the only pinecone lying on a dead flat gravel road, spraining my ankle. I knew things were a bit grim when I got out my car after driving back to my parents and my foot was already four times its usual size. It was only a 20min drive. That and the fact I couldn't push my clutch in (yes, I tried to drive back in one gear... damn you manual car!!). And it remained this size for nearly a week (complete with pretty shades of blue and purple). Cue not much running...

Two weeks later I was on the start line with a tender ankle and an uncertainty as to whether I would even make it half way around the lake. I decided to forgo my GPS watch, and basically just run on feel.
Coach Keegan had mentioned something about easily doing another sub 3hr run, I had dismissed this as another one of his crazy ideas...but somehow he always manages to be right.
No one was more surprised than me when I realised at the 26km mark I was on track for a good run. Yes I felt a bit terrible (everyone does at that point in this race given the slight uphill and headwind of the return to town) - but not as terrible as previous years. At the 40km mark I realised a 2hr55 was within my reach, and somehow lifted my pace to 4min/km's to bring it home.
Crossing the finish line in 4th place still felt like a sweet victory to me. I felt I had given it my best, and to finish in the front end of the field, given the calibre of the elite field, was a bonus.

My ankle had been tender to run on, but it definitely made me smart about my run form out there. One of my friends had also written on Facebook "heart> ankle" (heart is greater than ankle, for those who struggled with greater-than and less-than at school!!). Thanks Nathan, I will be remembering this next time I race!!

I also proudly got to watch Caroline, Heidi and Tarina finishing the marathon, after seeing (and writing up) all the hard work they put in to get to the finish line. Well done team!

A big congrats to everyone who finished the marathon. I believe it is the toughest onroad marathon in NZ. Much respect!
I must say a thank you to Tom for the company out around the back of the lake. Pity I dropped you buddy - next time you will definitely hang on for a sub 3!
And some nameless man who stuck with me for a few more km's with plenty of encouragement (until I dropped him too...).
Also to the volunteers for being so positive to sweaty strangers, and giving us smiles and encouragement with our drinks. And to Emma and the team at Event Promotions for once again organising a spectacular race!

Now time for some solid training miles again!

IMNZ 2014

Someone once told me Ironman would try break your heart.  I suspected they didn't mean this literally. Until Saturday's race.

Race morning dawned a chilly 2 degrees.  Anything less than 30 degrees is usually too cold for me. So you could imagine my joy at cycling around in dripping wet lycra in these conditions!
Hanging with the main pack of pro girls in the swim saw me get out the water in 59 minutes, which seems to be my go to swim pace at the moment. I was in and out of transition in a flash, mostly due to my lack of warm clothing to put on.
I had mentally prepared myself for a cold couple of hours on the bike; my upbeat optimism about freezing to death only lasted until the first descent from the motorsport park. I spent the next hour shivering uncontrollably. The only reason I didn't fall off my bike due to violent shivering was down to the fact I was actually frozen on my bike in the aero position. I could only console myself with the thought that the second lap could only get warmer.
The rest of the ride proved uneventful, as I seemed to spend the majority of it grinding it out alone. I passed a couple of other pro girls on the second lap before heading in to town to run a marathon.

I smashed out another speedy transition (the only thing I seemed capable of smashing out at this race) and hit the run course. I had been looking forward to the run here for months. I love the energy and support on the course in Taupo, and knew a ton of people would be out there cheering me on. My goal for this race had been to really enjoy the run. And I did. For 2km. Then I realised something was wrong.
I could understand if I had mucked up my nutrition, hit a wall, or simply burned my legs out on the bike. But I didn't understand why my heart didn't seem to be working. Everything else was!! Everything felt good, except for my heart which seemed to struggle to beat. My heart rate was pretty low, and it felt my heart was really working for every beat. Now I am not a doctor but I was pretty sure this was not a good sign with a good 40km left to run. I had a good debate with myself over the course of the first lap and decided to push on with the race. Even if I had to walk (which I did). I didn't want to see a DNF next to my name, and figured if I was going to collapse of anything, an IM course would probably be the best place to do it. The medics there are pretty good! So I soldiered on. By the last lap I was walking a fair bit to try ease some strain on my heart. There were moments I had tears behind my sunglasses, and I was so grateful for Roger's support out there - even when he saw me walking.

 

 

I made it to the finish in 10hrs02. Not quite the race I was after, but happy to finish. I made it in as the 11th pro woman out of a strong field of 20.

After finishing the first thing on my agenda was a chocolate milkshake, followed secondly by some tests with the doctor (priorities, right?). Hopefully nothing more serious than an undetected virus!

 

A huge thank you goes out to everyone out there supporting - it makes a difference when you are racing well, but an even bigger difference when you are not.

Also to the volunteers for spending countless hours looking after sweaty, smelly strangers.

To my coach Keegan at VO2Coach for the hours of training spent behind the scenes.

And to my sponsors Bob's Bikes for getting the Trek machine running so smoothly (next time I would like a seat warmer please), BSC and GQ Nutrition for supplying my race bars, gels and recovery formula, and Adidas Eyewear for the pink Evil Eyes.

I am definitely going to enjoy the break after Ironman before setting my sights on my next big goal.

 

A huge congrats to everyone who achieved out there - be it a Kona qualification, a PB, or simply just a finish.

Stay safe & see you at the next one!

 



 

Ironman Western Australia 2013 (said in an Aussie accent)

Four years ago I did my first Ironman.  I was woefully unprepared. I had no formal swim training and preferred to spend my surfing rather than counting laps.  I had just bought a bike but looking back I rode it like a bit of a clown.  You know, the ones on the unicycles, who go really slow so they can juggle (I can't juggle).  And I could run, but lets face it, evolution makes this happen to everyone (well, everyone who wants to stay uneaten).

Back then I remember looking  the pro's with awe.  Clearly they were some kind of superhuman with their freakish fitness and flash gear. 
Back then I never thought one day I would be lining up at the pro start.
Bearing this in mind, in Busselton I decided to be as down to earth and humble as possible.  This was largely determined by how broke I was.  I think I was possibly the only pro... in fact, the only triathlete there, who had to catch the bus.  Everywhere.  I had to time racking my bike on Saturday with the bus timetable.   Luckily we had a family friend come down for the race on Sunday (with a car, woop woop), otherwise chances were I would have had to have slept in transition overnight.
As a bonus though, the bus drivers were very friendly and chatty  :-)

After a win at the Karapiro Half Ironman four weeks prior, I was ready for another hit out over Ironman distance.

Race morning was pretty much perfect - the ocean was nice and flat with only a little swell out toward the end of the jetty.  And there were no sharks (well, none that I could see).
I had a pretty good swim, managing to hold on to Maureen Hufe's feet for a 59min swim.  Unfortunately she ditched me rather quickly on the bike, being the super cyclist she is.
Going in to transition I wasted a bit of time getting tangled up in my wetsuit.  Prior to leaving my Orca Alpha split a seam.  Orca were brilliant in repairing it, and sent it back to me with instructions for the courier to deliver it before Tues (when I flew out).  The couriers clearly misread this as "keep this as long as possible" as Tues morning they didn't know where it was, and then finally located it just after my plane took off.  So I raced in my old 3.8, which is only loosely classified as a wetsuit now due to it falling apart and sporting a massive hole on the leg.  The hole which I managed to stick my foot through trying to get it off.
Once I finished my own private wrestling match with my wetsuit in transition, I hit the bike.
The temperature was a cool 25 degrees with not much wind on the first lap. The course was a flat, fast 3 lap course.  Laps 2 and 3 were a bit more chaotic trying to dodge age groupers, and we had a nice headwind spring up too just to keep it interesting.
Came off the bike in 5hrs10.

I hit the run feeling pretty good, and tried to stick to my pacing.  I always get a little too excited about the prospect of running a marathon after 180km on the bike, so I tried to keep my pace in check.  I felt awesome.  Until the 20km mark, when someone clearly flicked the "feel sick" switch.  I slowed down a bit and soldiered on to the end.
Total run time was 3hrs17.

I was the 6th pro to finish, out of a field of 12.  I was pretty happy considering the quality of the pro field there.  In hindsight, there are things I could have done better, but this is only one step in my journey.

Congrats to the race winners, Elizabeth Lyles and Jeremy Jurkiewicz, and fellow kiwi athletes Michelle Bremer and Melanie Burke for their 4th & 5th placing.

A big thank you to Sandie for looking after us in WA, my sister Nadine for consenting to be dragged along as support crew, SkyCity, Bob's Bikes, Adidas Eyewear, coach Keegan Williams (VO2Coach.com), swim coach Cameron Stanley, Roger for giving me a leave pass, and the Busselton bus drivers for always being on time!

Challenge Penticton 2013

If asked to sum up Challenge Penticton in one word I would be hard pressed to decide between "beautiful" and "brutal".  But I think this is what makes this such a spectacular race.

I arrived in Penticton ten days prior to the race.  I got a bit of an opportunity to head out and do some training on the course, as well as scoping out some of the more challenging parts of the course.  I really must applaud the person who decided to include not one but two climbs over separate mountain ranges in the same race.  All before running a marathon, of course. 

Four days out from race day, while out riding and battling the winds at the back of the course (did I mention the wind??  As if the climbs weren't going to be challenging enough!!) I got bitten by a wasp.  Now this is something that doesn't really happen to me.  Enough so that I hadn't realised up until this point that I was allergic to wasps.  Being a trooper (and I didn't rate my chances hitch hiking), I rode another 70km with a throbbing leg.
I woke up the next morning to find from my knee down to my foot my leg was twice the size, very red and very hot.  Being a typical triathlete, I did what all triathletes do, and went down to the pool for a swim, ignoring the glowing red puffy thing attached to my knee.  Apparently this was the incorrect thing to do (as was finishing my ride the day before) as told to me by the doctor I then had to visit.  In short I was given some pills to take that "may cause drowsiness" (read: they knocked me out senseless every time I took them).  Additionally my appetite vanished - for those who know me, this is a serious thing as I am usually always eating.  Not ideal pre-race prep!  However after two days the swelling had reduced enough for me to put my foot into my bike and running shoes. 

Race morning dawned and for once I had no nerves.  This was either due to spending the last three days in a drug-induced fog, or due to the fact that everyone involved with this race was so supportive and friendly - it is hard to get nervous when everyone wants only the best for you.
The swim was rough with a lot of chop but I managed to settle into a small group with Jen Annett, Trish Deim and Janelle Morrison. 
Out of the swim I got on to my bike but soon lost Jen, Trish and Janelle who proved to be powerhouses on the bike.
I knew this was going to be a hard day at the office when 60km into the bike I began to feel like my legs were working really hard.  And I hadn't even hit Richter's Pass yet. 
Things looked up a bit when I caught sight of Trish on Richter's Pass proving I had made up some ground again, but I soon lost her on the long descent over the other side.  Note to self:  load bike with bricks for descending...
By the time I hit the final stages of the 20km climb at Yellow Lake I was concentrating very hard on not thinking about running a marathon.  My legs were hammered.

The final 20km of the bike had some good descents back to transition, enough for me to convince myself I actually wanted to run a marathon.
Off the bike on to the run course I couldn't quite seem to hit my targeted pace, so I settled for as close as I could and tried to enjoy the beautiful scenery along lake Skaha.  I managed to make up some ground, passing Trish a few km's out from the turnaround, putting me in 5th place.  I caught sight of Jennifer Luebke in the final 4km and I managed to gain some ground on her, but not enough to move into 4th.  Finishing 23sec behind her for 5th place with nothing left in my legs I could only be happy.

 

For my first pro race I definitely learnt a lot and was happy with the effort I put in. After talking my nutritionist Mel, I can see now that taking those pills a few days out interfered with my body's ability to absorb things.  Wasps are now my least favourite creatures!

Well done to everyone who completed the race!

I want to say a huge thank you to the team who put Challenge Penticton on.  I feel honoured to have been able to race in the inaugural race here.  The entire team, the volunteers and the community were just absolutely awesome.  In particular to Kelly Hall the pro coordinator for the fantastic job she did, and for opening her home to us.  I have never seen anyone work so hard but be so enthusiastic all the time!  She really made this experience very special for a lot of us pros.  Also to Judy Sentes who made us very welcome in her home and in her family.  Roger and I have gained some lifelong friends who we hope to see again next year!

Finally thanks to my sponsors SkyCity for getting me over to Canada; to Bob's Bikes for all the prep they put into my bike; to Saucony for my fast running shoes and racing apparel; and to Adidas Eyewear.  And to all my friends and family who provide me with so much support and encouragement.  Lastly to Roger who always believes in me, making pursuing my dream possible.

Winter Training - roll on somewhere warm!!

I would like to think I have survived my winter training this year with minimal moaning.  Some of my training buddies may beg to differ as I have probably assaulted their ears with my whinging about the cold without even being aware of it (I do recall standing in Keegan's garage next to my bike refusing to take my Ugg boots and puffer vest off not so long ago...).

The winter has seen some pretty solid training going into the bank.  Under swim coach Cameron Stanley I seem to have finally figured out how to move forward in the water (but still not how to dive in without my goggles moving).  Thanks to the purchase of a new Trek and a bike fit from David Bowden at Speed Theory I am starting to feel a lot stronger on the bike.  And thanks to some good old fashioned long run mileage my body seems to have discovered a very efficient way of running with what feels like minimal energy being used.  I also seem to have figured out how to run about 26km with no fluid or gels (thanks to Roger who got dropped carrying some vital fluid on the mountain bike one day...).  I am sure this may all come in handy for the inaugural Challenge Penticton in three weeks!

My winter training was rounded off with the Taupo Half Marathon.  A great race with a stunning course on the edge of the lake and some amazing views of a snow covered Ruapehu.  Despite having just completed some solid training over the last two weeks training buddy Candice and I managed to pull off a decent race, Candice taking the win with me not too far behind for second.  Overall I am happy with the progress I have made this winter and can't wait to test it out in Penticton on the 25th Aug!

Rotorua Marathon 2013

So this year saw me packing my bags (in my usual pre-race rush) to get down to Rotorua for annual run around the lake.  This is one marathon that is fast becoming an annual event on my race calendar.  Its a good honest course (i.e. you physically want to die in the last 5km), it has a brilliant atmosphere and the spot prizes offered here are out of this world thanks to some very generous sponsors.

I went in to this race with no big expectations.  All I wanted to achieve was to come in under the 3hr mark, preferably a little faster than the 2hrs59 I ran last year.  I was feeling pretty good - coach Keegan has had Candice and I doing some really strong sessions over the last few weeks; and Tanya Momo had given me a couple of legendary massages that left my legs feeling super light.

At the boom of the cannon we were off.  I always seem to have this habit of starting out a little too quickly, so this year I really made sure I stuck to my pacing plan for the first 5km, despite runners shooting past me at sub 4min/km pace.  I had to constantly check my watch, as I was convinced I must have been running 5min km's - I was being passed left, right and centre, and felt like I was running a tad slow.  But no, my pacing was spot on, so I made the decision to ignore everything and just stick to that.  My aim was to stay as comfortable as I could for the first half, and then wind it up a bit in the second.

I knew I was sitting comfortably in 3rd place, and was pretty happy to catch 2nd place once we hit the back of the lake.  Knowing Gabrielle O' Rouke was sitting in 1st place I resigned myself to trying to hold my 2nd place, happy in the knowledge that this triathlete could make it on to the podium amongst pure runners.
So you could imagine my suprise to catch Gabrielle on what is fondly called Heartbreak Hill, and pass her!  At this point I really had to discipline myself to stick to my pacing, instead of trying to race off into the distance, despite the fact I was sure she was hot on my heels.
While running I noticed a cyclist on a mountain bike in a high vis vest, who cycled along at a steady state constantly glancing back.  I ran along, thinking "wow, someone has the most awesome support person.  They are pacing them the entire way and making sure they aren't losing them.  That's commitment!".  It took me until the 32km mark to realise this was the "Lead Female" bicycle, and he was in fact, glancing back at me.  Yup, this is definately not a position I find myself in!

Once I hit 32km, my aim was to just run strong for 10km.  I met an awesome runner (Aaron) who was keeping pace with me for most of the run, and the encouragement he kept giving me was awesome.  Likewise Rog, who I had given permission to rant, rave and yell at me to get me through what I anticipated being the hardest part of the race.
I was convinced Gabrielle would run me down, I just hoped to keep up a strong enough pace that it would be closer to the finish than further, as I didn't know how I would have matched up in a head to head!  It wasn't until the last 2km that I realised if I wanted it, this race was truly mine.

Crossing the finish line was awesome, even if it was one of the slower winning times in Rotorua.  I was happy to see training buddy Candice cross in 3rd place not too far behind me, knowing she had completed this after a decent training week.
Gabrielle and Candice definately kept me working and I feel privleged to run against strong athletes like them.

A big thank you to the race organisers, Event Promotions and the Lion Foundation for yet another brilliant event.  Next year is the 50th anniversary race, a must do if a marathon is on your bucket list.
Also to Skyline for the excellent dinner they put on for the winning athletes, event organisers and associated VIP's - the meal here was definately worth running a marathon for!