The first Scorcher was a really good race for me, I had a nice solid swim, 34 mins, (including transition time) so that will be a sub 30 min swim. It is a time that I am really pleased with at this point of the season. My ride came in at 1hr 8 min bike (30km) which was good considering there was a dirty great big hill in the middle of the course - my new bike feels fast and I feel good on it. But best of all was my run at 40 min (8km) this was the thing that I was most pleased with really, I felt strong on the 2nd lap and brought it home stronger than the 1st lap which was my goal for the race.
Overall It felt like a good day in the office for me, personal highlights included, a sub 30 min swim out of the water, a strong bike, on a new bike and a solid run. On the need to work harder side, I felt really tired at the end of the training week after the race but I suppose that’s to be expected when I combine my current training load with racing.
With less than 2 weeks to go till the Taupo half Ironman I can't wait to go up there and put down some fast times, I will be looking for a 1 hr swim a 3 hour bike and a 1hr 45 run, so a 5:45 all up, that will be about an hour faster than last year. If I can do that I will be really pleased with my work. I’m certain now that we are heading in the right direction, with only days to go till the big season marker of the Taupo half Ironman. Will keep you posted as to how that goes...
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Mind body stuff
I had a really great session on the Saturday before by race with a muscle activation therapist called Lise Wollestenholm. Lise was recommended by my swim coach Ali. She was amazing, we spend about an hour with Lise - she was loosening up all the tightness in my muscles that I didn't know I even had, she even had my legs straight up at 90 degrees when I was lying on the bed, now that's never happened before, ever.
I think that she works by activating the contact point for the muscle to allow it to work as it should, naturally and the results are amazing, really natural muscle movement and great extension, far greater extension than I have ever got before.
Needless to say Lise is great. She works out of Tawa, and I thoroughly recommend her.
I think that she works by activating the contact point for the muscle to allow it to work as it should, naturally and the results are amazing, really natural muscle movement and great extension, far greater extension than I have ever got before.
Needless to say Lise is great. She works out of Tawa, and I thoroughly recommend her.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
the bigger picture
Last weekend I was invited to go to an event that Parafed Wellington put on. One of the things that Parafed does is to seek opportunities and facilitate participation for people with disabilities in sports. The event I went to was for swimming so naturally I had a connection to the event.
I found the event really great, it gave me the opportunity to talk to disabled people, both young and old about goal setting and achieving the things you want to despite the negative perceptions of others.
A common theme that emerged was that many people with a disability are told they cannot do this or that for whatever reason (usually linked to the able bodied person's fear or the unknown) and that negative feedback stops participation. This was part of my story in so far as my early swimming experiences went.
I tried to imprint upon people I spoke to at the swimming event on the weekend that I use other people's negativity to fuel my positive response. I say to myself I will do this, and I will show that person/s that it can be done
Parafed is a wonderful organisation whose main aim is to provide opportunities for disabled people to participate in sport. I am inspired by the people I meet at the Parafed events just as much as I hope they are inspired by seeing my example.
A key person at Parafed Wellington is the Sport Development Coordinator Michelle Laurenson. Michelle works tiresly to seek and provide opportunities for people with disabilities, she has helped me with my training and with preparing for Ironman 2010, she does amazing work and I am continually impressed by the work she does.
There is another event coming up this weekend, also run through Parafed promoting horse riding. I will be going to that as well talking to more young disabled people giving the same message.
I found the event really great, it gave me the opportunity to talk to disabled people, both young and old about goal setting and achieving the things you want to despite the negative perceptions of others.
A common theme that emerged was that many people with a disability are told they cannot do this or that for whatever reason (usually linked to the able bodied person's fear or the unknown) and that negative feedback stops participation. This was part of my story in so far as my early swimming experiences went.
I tried to imprint upon people I spoke to at the swimming event on the weekend that I use other people's negativity to fuel my positive response. I say to myself I will do this, and I will show that person/s that it can be done
Parafed is a wonderful organisation whose main aim is to provide opportunities for disabled people to participate in sport. I am inspired by the people I meet at the Parafed events just as much as I hope they are inspired by seeing my example.
A key person at Parafed Wellington is the Sport Development Coordinator Michelle Laurenson. Michelle works tiresly to seek and provide opportunities for people with disabilities, she has helped me with my training and with preparing for Ironman 2010, she does amazing work and I am continually impressed by the work she does.
There is another event coming up this weekend, also run through Parafed promoting horse riding. I will be going to that as well talking to more young disabled people giving the same message.
Crunch time in the training cycle
It's getting to be crunch time in the training cycle from now till the half ironman. Records need to be beaten in the pool and big weeks are needed from now. I've worked all year to get to this point and I feel confident that I came come up with the numbers on the day.
I'm working with my swim coach, Ali right now on being able to make the most from my kick to create more speed in the pool. When I take the pull buoy (which is a foam flotation device) out and swim in the pool it feels like I'm sinking and not going fast, I've been thinking about that sinking feeling and I'm sure its connected to the fact that I had a bad introduction to swimming. I went from not swimming at all to learning to swim to competing all within the space of one year. I skipped the stage where water is fun and you enjoy being in the water and feel safe. S every now and again when I am unsupported by the pull buoy I feel unsafe, like I'm going to sink.
I'm working with Ali right now on forcing my left leg to do more of the work and making my right leg not over compensate so much. With a smoother kick I should be able to swim even faster and I am already well under cut off time for the Ironman swim, right now.
I have a big swim time trial coming up, it will either be 1500m or 2km, if it's 1500 I will be expecting to finish in 46 mins and if its a 2km I will expect to finish in 61 mins.
It feels really great to be riding a new set of wheels,a big thanks to Nigel at Avanti. I feel like I am riding faster while exerting less energy which is a great thing. It's good to feel positive about every ride rather than feeling annoyed about riding a old bike.
My run is coming along really well, I am running for 2 hours comfortably in mixed terrain, up in the Karori hills, which is more of a challenge than on the pavement for sure.
I'm working with my swim coach, Ali right now on being able to make the most from my kick to create more speed in the pool. When I take the pull buoy (which is a foam flotation device) out and swim in the pool it feels like I'm sinking and not going fast, I've been thinking about that sinking feeling and I'm sure its connected to the fact that I had a bad introduction to swimming. I went from not swimming at all to learning to swim to competing all within the space of one year. I skipped the stage where water is fun and you enjoy being in the water and feel safe. S every now and again when I am unsupported by the pull buoy I feel unsafe, like I'm going to sink.
I'm working with Ali right now on forcing my left leg to do more of the work and making my right leg not over compensate so much. With a smoother kick I should be able to swim even faster and I am already well under cut off time for the Ironman swim, right now.
I have a big swim time trial coming up, it will either be 1500m or 2km, if it's 1500 I will be expecting to finish in 46 mins and if its a 2km I will expect to finish in 61 mins.
It feels really great to be riding a new set of wheels,a big thanks to Nigel at Avanti. I feel like I am riding faster while exerting less energy which is a great thing. It's good to feel positive about every ride rather than feeling annoyed about riding a old bike.
My run is coming along really well, I am running for 2 hours comfortably in mixed terrain, up in the Karori hills, which is more of a challenge than on the pavement for sure.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Count down to the tri season
Well its almost two weeks to go till the Scorching series starts, that marks the official kick off of the pre race season, that means six weeks till the half, time goes so fast, its amazing... I'm counting the days,
The first race is on the 14th of November, its a warm up race:
1km swim
30km bike
8km run
Still Scorching bay in November will be "fun" !!! hahaha
The first race is on the 14th of November, its a warm up race:
1km swim
30km bike
8km run
Still Scorching bay in November will be "fun" !!! hahaha
Winning the head game
This week my swim coach said something that has stuck with me, he said I should allow myself to celebrate the successes I have in the pool. It stuck with me for a couple of reasons.
As a para athlete I have always pushed myself harder,expected more of myself. And it stuck with me because of something that was said to me as a child I remember being told to never settle with what you have, always strive to improve. My coach has invested a huge amount in my success, I push myself harder for my own reasons but I am also very grateful for the efforts that he puts in to me personally that will allow me to swim faster and achieve my goals.
I also wonder if I was less focused on the minute details of each performance, scrutinising each performance in detail and focused more on the big picture whether my performance would improve. This week we have a time trial, its something we do regularly to measure performance. I will be looking at my performance to see whether I improve but this time I will allow myself to feel good about my swim.
As a para athlete I have always pushed myself harder,expected more of myself. And it stuck with me because of something that was said to me as a child I remember being told to never settle with what you have, always strive to improve. My coach has invested a huge amount in my success, I push myself harder for my own reasons but I am also very grateful for the efforts that he puts in to me personally that will allow me to swim faster and achieve my goals.
I also wonder if I was less focused on the minute details of each performance, scrutinising each performance in detail and focused more on the big picture whether my performance would improve. This week we have a time trial, its something we do regularly to measure performance. I will be looking at my performance to see whether I improve but this time I will allow myself to feel good about my swim.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
the toll of training
I wanted to spend a bit of time this week talking about how much of a toll all the training is having on my body and the great support I'm receiving to keep me going regardless.
At the moment it seems like I'm spending a lot of time in the physio, which is frustrating as its the last place I want to be right now in this phase of the training cycle. I need to thank Ben and Steph at VUW physio for giving me really fast treatment and putting up with me being a bit grumpy and apprehensive at the moment.
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/physio/
In the last month I have aggrivated both rotator cuff's, both left and right shoulders, hense the many trips to the physio.The annoying thing about all this is that while I am in the pool I feel fast and my times in the water confirm that feeling, I am swimming 6 min 300m which equates out to a 2hr pace for the 3.8km swim.
Another wonderful lady who is helping me with my recovery is Jin Ong, she is an Osteopath who is giving me a course of 'dry-needling' to encourage flushing of lactic acid. I see Jin every couple of weeks for treatments and she is great, thoroughly recommend her,she's very great.
http://theosteopathicpractice.co.nz/
Well its less than a month to go till the pre race season starts with the Scorcher Tri's starting on the 14th of November, can't wait, then its almost a month till Taupo half, I'm getting very excited about that...
At the moment it seems like I'm spending a lot of time in the physio, which is frustrating as its the last place I want to be right now in this phase of the training cycle. I need to thank Ben and Steph at VUW physio for giving me really fast treatment and putting up with me being a bit grumpy and apprehensive at the moment.
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/physio/
In the last month I have aggrivated both rotator cuff's, both left and right shoulders, hense the many trips to the physio.The annoying thing about all this is that while I am in the pool I feel fast and my times in the water confirm that feeling, I am swimming 6 min 300m which equates out to a 2hr pace for the 3.8km swim.
Another wonderful lady who is helping me with my recovery is Jin Ong, she is an Osteopath who is giving me a course of 'dry-needling' to encourage flushing of lactic acid. I see Jin every couple of weeks for treatments and she is great, thoroughly recommend her,she's very great.
http://theosteopathicpractice.co.nz/
Well its less than a month to go till the pre race season starts with the Scorcher Tri's starting on the 14th of November, can't wait, then its almost a month till Taupo half, I'm getting very excited about that...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
