Well I decided that today deserved it's own blog entry because it was a bit of a monster! I pushed out a 5.4km swim, cycled the Ironman course (180km) and then had a 15 minute run off the bike to finish the day! Statistics for the day.......Zero Sugar Daddies, 4 Drafters - 4 Dropped, 10.5 litres of fluid consumed, 3800 calories eaten, 700 grams lost and 2 x Mary Poppins moments!
So the day started bright and early with a 6am swim start in the local swimming pool which is 25 yards - that pretty much gave me a serious brain strain yesterday trying to figure out how many lengths I needed to do to make my swim sets in metres! Today I was onto it....more minutes than I would care to admit to spent last night calculating yards, metres and send off times meant I was ready to rock my sets out in the correct 'currency' minus the brain injury! I managed to get through the entire 5.4km set in my own swim lane and also added a few more zebra tan marks to my back!
Once out of the pool it was back to the Condo for a quick porridge fix before taking on the bike course! First 45km was an absolute dream - the winds were on my side and I made good time to the first pit stop where I could re-fill my drink bottles......I had decided today would be a bit of an experiment to see how much fluid I could take in during my ride....last year on race day I lost 5kgs during the race so this year I really wanted to nail my fluids which would mean 3 scheduled stops out on the course to get the fluids in.....you can only carry so much!
Once out of my pit stop I began to feel the force of the Island winds and they seemed pretty angry! For the next 90km I got well and truly battered! Crushing side winds that blew me out of the shoulder and over the centre line and a couple of gusts that I swear left me airborne with both wheels of the ground at the same time! These winds are like nothing I've ever experienced and they are incredibly hard to read.....just because you hit a wall of wind one way does not guarantee a tail wind on the other. I knew the best strategy was probably to keep the momentum going and keep pedalling - easier said than done!
When I reached the tiny township of Hawi which marks the turnaround I tucked into my emergency snack pack and hit the local cafe for water! I was asked if I was a space cadet on entering the cafe by the owner - I quickly realised this was because I still had my aero helmet on although to be honest after dualling with the winds I felt a little low on energy and my face probably gave the impression that the lights were on but no-one was really home! Once back on my bike I sensed that the winds were going to be equally fierce until I got back to my first pit stop and they didn't disappoint! Scary factor was now well and truly in the red zone as I was now cycling next to the coastline - instead of a centre line to blow across the prospect was now a cliff! Thankfully I managed to avoid plunging into the sea and it wasn't too long before I was back at my first pit stop and inside the last 45kms - condo bound!
I felt strong on the final leg so knew that I had got my fluids and nutrition pretty much spot on - perhaps helped along by the large muffin I had bought at the cafe in Hawi! Well every space cadet needs a secret weapon! By the time I hit the condo I was feeling pretty pleased with the days events - I can't remember the last time I had a cycle that was so challenging - both technically and physically! A quick run along Alii Drive and then it was time to stuff my face! Perfect end to a tough day!
So the day started bright and early with a 6am swim start in the local swimming pool which is 25 yards - that pretty much gave me a serious brain strain yesterday trying to figure out how many lengths I needed to do to make my swim sets in metres! Today I was onto it....more minutes than I would care to admit to spent last night calculating yards, metres and send off times meant I was ready to rock my sets out in the correct 'currency' minus the brain injury! I managed to get through the entire 5.4km set in my own swim lane and also added a few more zebra tan marks to my back!
Once out of the pool it was back to the Condo for a quick porridge fix before taking on the bike course! First 45km was an absolute dream - the winds were on my side and I made good time to the first pit stop where I could re-fill my drink bottles......I had decided today would be a bit of an experiment to see how much fluid I could take in during my ride....last year on race day I lost 5kgs during the race so this year I really wanted to nail my fluids which would mean 3 scheduled stops out on the course to get the fluids in.....you can only carry so much!
Once out of my pit stop I began to feel the force of the Island winds and they seemed pretty angry! For the next 90km I got well and truly battered! Crushing side winds that blew me out of the shoulder and over the centre line and a couple of gusts that I swear left me airborne with both wheels of the ground at the same time! These winds are like nothing I've ever experienced and they are incredibly hard to read.....just because you hit a wall of wind one way does not guarantee a tail wind on the other. I knew the best strategy was probably to keep the momentum going and keep pedalling - easier said than done!
When I reached the tiny township of Hawi which marks the turnaround I tucked into my emergency snack pack and hit the local cafe for water! I was asked if I was a space cadet on entering the cafe by the owner - I quickly realised this was because I still had my aero helmet on although to be honest after dualling with the winds I felt a little low on energy and my face probably gave the impression that the lights were on but no-one was really home! Once back on my bike I sensed that the winds were going to be equally fierce until I got back to my first pit stop and they didn't disappoint! Scary factor was now well and truly in the red zone as I was now cycling next to the coastline - instead of a centre line to blow across the prospect was now a cliff! Thankfully I managed to avoid plunging into the sea and it wasn't too long before I was back at my first pit stop and inside the last 45kms - condo bound!
I felt strong on the final leg so knew that I had got my fluids and nutrition pretty much spot on - perhaps helped along by the large muffin I had bought at the cafe in Hawi! Well every space cadet needs a secret weapon! By the time I hit the condo I was feeling pretty pleased with the days events - I can't remember the last time I had a cycle that was so challenging - both technically and physically! A quick run along Alii Drive and then it was time to stuff my face! Perfect end to a tough day!
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