Rain Rain go away..

Rain, Rain go away ... I wanted to go for a long ride today!

I'm one of 'those' people!

This morning I had a goal of running 10km before work. I have never been one of 'those' people before. 10km seems like an exceptionally large number for me.. After hitting the snooze button twice and hearing Coach Crealy talking very loudly in my head about consistancy I got myself up and dressed, shoving a museli bar into my mouth as I head to the car.

I had planned a run at the inlet (same place we did the Women's Fun Run). The inlet is a 5km loop so I didn't need to worry about measuring my distance... I could just run. The sun was shining on the water, birdlife swimming.. rowers getting out on the water, loads of people walking, riding and running ... just like me.. I had forgotten my watch so decided to just run... enjoy the time to myself. I thought about Sarah and her friends in Brissy who are having trouble finding places to run.. I couldn't believe just how beautiful it was. I completed my two laps... yes that is 10kms in 1hr and 4mins... going by the car clock.. WWWWOOOOOOOHHHHHOOOOOOO! Now I am one of 'those' people.

With my house being very empty and quiet over the last two weeks... I have had plenty of time to train and think. Much time has been spent cleaning out cupboards, moving furniture... can you believe it the children actually have carpet in their bedrooms.. Aaron comes home tomorrow and I feel for him because I have moved everything around that he will be lucky if he can find anything. heheheheehe!

Training has been going full steam ahead... twice daily with Amanda (shall be known furthermore as Superwoman) Just to give you an idea here is a summary of the last week;
Monday:         Rest Day
Tuesday AM: 30km bike ride with Gail @ 30km per hour. Love this group ride
Tuesday PM: 5km Run with Amanda along the beach front.
Wed AM:       36km bike ride with Amanda @ 30km per hour
Wed PM:        1km Swim Squad - with some girls from Womens Tri (some lovely muscles swimming in the next lane....)
Thursday:       3km run with Runners Club.
Friday:            30km Hills Ride with Gail and Tuesday Girls ... If I say so myself I smashed the hills..
Saturday:        70km Natural Tempations Group ride @ 25km per hour... Went pretty easy on this ride... stayed at the back of the pack and took things easy and thoroughly enjoyed the morning.
Sunday:           Short Course Tri 250/10/2  - The Tri was called off due to an accident during the bike leg.. I had done 7.6kms and then we all went for a run together to finish off the day.
Monday:          Rest Day
Tuesday AM:  30km bike ride with Gail @ 30kms per hour... Love, love, love
Tuesday PM:   9km Run with Amanda along the beach front.

Really watching what I am eating at the moment to make sure I am getting the most out of my training.. so much to learn. I have also thought alot about the long course Tri I did a few weeks ago...I feel like my confidence has been shaken some what from that experience so I am now working with some great people here to try and get that back.

Training, Training, a little Event and more Training

Now I know it has been a long while since my last confession.. however I have been extremely busy training. One day I will get myself organised enough to train and blog on the same day. Here is what has been happening since my last confession.

Our Christmas trip to Northam was soooo much fun... not only did we get to see Aarons family, kids swam in the pool but I went out for a really BIG ride on Stella. I got up on the Saturday morning @ 5.30am.. the house was very quiet, no one was stirring not even a mouse. Stella and I hit the road and I have to say it was the best feeling. The early morning sun was shining, sheep in the paddocks, birds everywhere and not a car in sight. I was flying along, at one point I was doing 37kms per hour. I felt like 'BABE' letting out a La La La as I was riding along.. My aim was to ride Northam to Toodyay and back, along the back roads that we have driven so many times. I had a little drink stop at Toodyay before setting off on my way home. This is the point I realize that the reason my trip to this point was easy was because I had a tailwind and most of the trip was down hill.. yep now I have a really strong headwind and the entire way is UP HILL.. Not La La La ing anymore.. This is now possibly the hardest ride I have ever done. I make it home in just over 2.5hours ... 58kms later.. and still loving Stella.

Sunday: I head out early for a 5km run along the same road as yesterady and I seriously feel like I am in heaven.. sheep, birds, long stretch of trees shading the road... I just run, not thinking about anything, just run.
We head home from Northam on the Sunday evening, bellies full and feeling all Christmassy..

Monday: My long run day... Today I am combining my 3.7km loop with my 6km loop to give me a long run. I love getting out in the early morning. Gives me a chance to clear my head.

Tuesday: Is my 30km ride into town with Gail & Sharna.. I love this ride.. It is a totaly buzz to be riding with these ladies and being able to keep up with them.

Wednesday: 6km Run today. I no longer feel like I am having to push myself out of bed for a run... It definately feels like I am getting my running mojo back. It has been a long while since feeling this way about running.

Thursday: REST DAY! Woohoo! Now for anyone that doesn't know me, I love rest days.. however I think I am going to have to rethink my rest day.. I spent this rest cleaning out the pantry..

Friday: 30km Hills ride with Gail, Amanda & Sharna... Today the girls have decided to switch to a ride through town, as we are all feeling a little weary with Christmas coming and all.. 1hr @ 30kms per hour still ain't bad.

Saturday: Another REST day.... biiiiigggggg Triathlon tomorrow.. I did however go into town and have a coffee with the usual Saturday ride crew.

Sunday: Triathlon Day... I am totally terrified. Doing 750/18/5, the longest distance I have completed yet. The swim is to be in the ocean... Oh my, can I change my mind now is all that is going through my mind. The swim is actually quite beautiful. The ocean is very flat after a week of easterly winds, we swim over a reef full of really gorgeous fish. I am totally last out of the water, even the trystar kids finish before me but I still have done the 750mts myself, without the need for rescuing. Onto Stella, and the headwind... My mind instantly goes back to last week when I was riding back from Northam, I knew that ride would come in handy..We have 3 laps on the bike, heading out of town into a fiercly strong headwind and back into town with a worlds best tailwind. I am the last out onto the run but still going, this is the hardest run I have ever done with two really nasty hills, the sun is out now and I am feeling the heat. Two laps on the run and as I am running down the hill to the finish line with the girls holding my hands, someone asks over the PA' if competitor number 1 could return your timing chip'!'I am competitor number one and I haven't finshed yet... As I cross the finish line I realise I have done it. I have actually finshed this distance.. Courtney has timed me unofficially of course and I have been out on the road for 1hr 40mins... not bad for a newbie. Badly dehydrated, and under fuelled.. Thank you my darling girls for supporting, cheering and feeding your old Mum.

After a race debrief with Coach Crealy I now have some very good information about nutrition and hydrating. which I have been testing out this week during training.

This grasshopper has much to learn... xxxxx

School's Out... Thank Heaven

OMG I am soooooo over dead boring school assemblies, badly organised final awards ceromonies, Carols in the Park, Christmas Parties and anything else that someone thinks is a good idea to organise last minute.. People I have a tight schedule, I am in training for a huge event, I cope with my life when it is organised well... Don't expect me to rearrange my life last minute...and then to smile about it... I don't want to waste 2 hours of my sleeping time listening other people children singing badly.. Bah Humbug is all I have to say about that.

Aaron is home again and life again is rosy. So off with Gail for a ride in the Gelorup hills this morning. I have decided I am facing these hills with the wrong attitude.. I am negative about them before I even start so this morning I decided that no matter where we go I will do so with a good attitude and enjoy all my training rather than just the fun stuff.. I had a really good time... This morning it was just Gail and I and we talked and talked and talked... before I knew it we had done all the big hills and were at home... No time to dread 'cause I just did it and then it was done!'

We are headed to Northam this afternoon (such a very very long story) for the weekend so I am heading out early tomorrow morning for a ride on Stella (she is coming on our long trip... hope there is not too many bugs) and will go for a run on Sunday morning before we come home again.

See you all back here on the other side of the weeked... Happy training! xxxxx

Training Schedule Sorted

With the Busso Half Ironman looming in a short 21weeks, it was time to get a proper training schedule together. Written with someone who knows what they are doing and how to put together a schedule that will have me ready and in good form for May 7.

So as of this week I will be swimming twice per week, running three times per week & cycling three times per week. I have a certain number of klms to achieve, but now knowing what I need to do has made it easier somehow. Amanda has written this program with me, to fit in around all the other things I have to do (kids, Aaron & work) so I am feeling confident that I can fit it all in. Amanda is also going to schedule some of her training on the same days as me so we can train together... fitting in a couple of rides to Busso and bike (130km round trip) while the girls are away over the christmas holidays.

Today I went for a 8.5km run and did that in 1hr 5mins.. beautiful time of the morning in my little neck of the woods.

Happy Days!

Enough Wooohooooing - Back to Training!

22 weeks until Busselton Half Ironman... I need to pull out the proverbial finger and get running. I need to be really ready for this event. 21.1kms is not going to be easy. However between now and then I have alot of events to do.. Tri's & Fun runs, chasing kids.. So I don't have time to stop really.

Monday: Feeling very weary after the Tri on Sunday. Mum and I head to the beach for a swim. We swam from one set of stairs to the other and then walked back in the water. It was lovely to laugh so much with Mum.. Lots of potholes hey Ma! hehehe!

Monday Afternoon: I went to Koombana Bay with the girls and a girlfriend for yet another swim.. We went fairly easy as my friend was getting stung by stingers and I was pooped to say the least.. We finished the evening with a sausage sizzle by the beach.. so much fun.

Tuesday: Out on Stella with Gail. It was a beautiful morning and I thoroughly enjoyed being out and ticking over the legs. I did struggle a little on the hills but still enjoyed the 30kms. Poor Aaron, long gone is the Rachelle that liked to stay in bed all morning.. Sun is up and I am awake awake awake.

Wednesday: Had planned to go for a run.. But my lazy butt stayed in bed. Why do I struggle to get out and run at the moment..? You would think that the panic would have me running all the time. Lets call this the rest day.

Thursday: I did it.. I got up out of bed, dressed and out the door for a run.. Still not feeling like doing it at all. But I just started to run, not hard or fast, just a comfortable cliffy shuffle pace. You know what I actually started to enjoy it and feel good about what I was doing. In total I did 8.6km in about an hour, must start to watch the clock a little closer.

My next event is a Triathlon Club Tri on the 19th Dec (2.5weeks away OMG).. 750 Swim / 20km Bike / 5km Run.. I am a little terrified of this event as the swim is in the ocean. So the plan for the next couple of weeks is this.. 1. Take the kids to the beach for a swim at least 3 afternoons per week. 2. I have the bike under control with 2 x 30km s rides and 1 x 50km ride per week so will continue with this 3. Run 3 x times per week. 1 x short & fast, 1 x Med pace (including hills), 1 x long and slow.. 4. I need to include a couple of brick sessions ie going for a short run after a bike ride..Not quite sure where to fit this in but will need to find a way.

Cliffey where for art thou?