Day 7, Week 4

Sleep: 10 hours (always exciting to bag 10!)

Weather: raining, windy, humid

Main activity: training and rest

Training: 1 session - Long Run (30K)



Woke to rain which postponed the run. Finally got out to start at 10:30am which was much too late to avoid the midday heat. Unfortunately the weather cleared for most of the run keeping it nice and warm. Started on the Fernleigh Track out at Redhead and had intended to follow the track to the end at Belmont. Not the most clearly signed track at the south end and I managed to get on a different track which added a good few extra KMs. Got back on the FT and headed for home. Kept the fluids up through-out. After intending only 2hrs15 I came home just under 2hrs40 feeling pretty spent. See heart rate graph below. Felt OK through-out, just very hot. Recovery swim and skins on again, then out for brunch at about 2:30pm - as mentioned before, the best meal of the week! Home to catch up on some rest and listen to the cricket. By far the biggest week of training so far.

End of week training stats: 9 sessions (3 swims, 3 rides, 3 runs); 14hrs25min; 250K

Day 6, Week 4

Sleep: 7.5 hours

Weather: overcast, very humid

Main activity: training

Training: 1 session - Long Ride (130K) + recovery run (3.5K)

Got away soon after 6am for a long ride. Tried a new route up through Williamtown, Medowie en route to Karuah, and back via the highway. Came home into a fairly strong headwind which took its toll. Pretty exhausted by the end of 4hrs30. Quick transition after the ride to go for a short recovery run (17mins). Didn't feel that great on run, starting to getting very warm. Recovery swim and skins. Haven't been stretching a lot lately - need to start doing so regularly. Went to the movies to see Invictus in the afternoon - enjoyed it a lot. Would like to read the book it was based on. Out for dinner on the harbour in Newy - beautiful. Mango sorbet for desert and home to watch the tennis and The Bill - pretty wild Sat night...! Off to bed fairly early, planning long run in the morning.

Day 5, Week 4

Sleep: 9 hours

Weather: fine, hot, very humid

Main activity: work and training

Training: 2 sessions - Run (12K) and Swim (1.6K)

Enjoyed a sleep-in but experienced very warm conditions when headed out for a fairly easy run around Singlet-on (62mins). Home for brekky and then squeezed a swim (32mins) in before another work appointment. Feeling good about fitting training in around work commitments - not always easy. Happy to get to the end of another working week. Enjoyed a beer with dinner of veal and pasta. Talking up the usual Sat long ride in the morning.

Day 4, Week 4

Sleep: 6hours + 2hours

Weather: humid, overcast

Main activity: work and training

Training: 1 session - Swim (4K)

Alarm went off very early to drive to a mine to do a training session at 4:30am. Quite strange to be up at that time trying to make sense. Went back to bed to catch up on some more sleep afterwards. Back out later in the day to run a clinic. Back to town to head for a swim. Very happy to knock out 4K (1hr25).


Session 8 (4000m)
W/Up: 1000m steady
3 x 800m as 200 swim(15sec)/ 2 x 100m (rest 10secs)/200swim(15secs)/4x50m (rest 5secs)
Rest 1min, repeat.
600m drills


Felt good during session and took it fairly steady. First time swimming for that long since I was little fella at squad training.

Day 3, Week 4

 Sleep: 7.5 hours

Weather: Very humid & hot

Main activity: work and travel

Training: 1 session - Ride 34K

Woke up feeling pretty flat and lacking a great deal of enthusiasm. This feeling lasted most of the day. Not sure why - maybe getting a bit tired and a bit over early starts and plenty of driving for work. Hoping to change this mindset around very soon. Got out for a ride after work. A short, sharp hit-out on the Fernleigh Track/Dudley/Redhead loop 1hr20. Not sure I want to admit it but I had a good stationary stack on the bike while waiting to cross an intersection - took a bit of skin off the knee but all OK.
Barbie for dinner and travelled up to Singleton for the night for work in the early hours.

Day 2, Week 4

Sleep: 8.5 hours

Weather: fine, hot

Main activity: Australia Day celebrations

Training: 2 sessions - Swim 1400m and Run 11K

Happy Australia Day! Woke up and took the dog out for a quick run only to find a bunch of blokes setting up a slip and slide. Couldn't resist having a couple of test runs on it - looked like a good set up for the day. Lined up for the Newcastle Harbour Swim over to Stockton and back. Pretty rough going early on with so many people but settled into a good rhythm and felt good through-out. Probably could have put the hammer down a bit more, used to conserving energy for a ride and and a run after. Clocked 24mins34 which I was happy with. Out for a lunch and beer looking over the beach. Rest in the arvo before heading out for fairly easy run of 55mins. Still very hot. Entered a couple of local tri's which are on over the coming weeks.

Day 1, Week 4

Sleep: 7.5 hours

Weather: fine, hot

Main activity: work

Training: 1 session - Ride 34K

Woke early, reluctantly, to the alarm. Normal long Monday out in the Hunter Valley. Made it back in time to head out for a ride. Still very warm conditions but felt pretty good on the bike. Legs still a little heavy from a bigger week of running, 73mins all up. Vege burger for dinner from favourite burger house, Grill'd. Wild electric storm before bed. Firing up for Aus Day swim in the morning.

Day 7, Week 3

Sleep: 9.5 hours

Weather: sunny, very hot

Main activity: training and travel

Training: 1 session - Run (14K)

Enjoyed another long sleep-in but punished for it by having to run in the heat. Got out just after 9am which was probably a couple of hours too late as it was already very steamy. Legs feeling a touch heavy after a good hit-out yesterday. Also, feeling the effects of a few full-strength beers at the rugby in Lismore last night. (On that topic - I have comitted to going alcohol free for the month in 'Feel Good February'). A fairly tough and hilly course took 72mins. Enjoyed a cool-down swim after. Said goodbyes and flew back to Newy in the arvo. Pretty happy with the week's training. Ready for another big one conming up with a bit more swimming and cycling. 9 weeks to go...

Day 6, Week 3

Sleep: 8 hours

Weather: hot, humid, sunny (32 degrees)

Main activity: training, brunch, watching cycling and rugby

Training: 1 session - Run (11K) + easy recovery swim

Drove down to Ballina. Conditions very warm and sweaty. Pushed the pace fairly well through-out (51mins).
Quick swim in Shaws Bay after. Brunch at Shellys with all the relo's again. Home to rest and watch the live coverage of the TDU today. Entered the 2010 Ironman Australia so am now officially in. Not cheap at $675 - will certainly provide good motivation to give it a good crack. Headed down to watch the Waratahs v Reds trial game with seafood and beers laid on. A good night. Talk of a run again in the morning.

Day 5, Week 3

Sleep: 10 hours (yay!)

Weather: hot and sunny

Main activity: training, rest, catch up with relo's

Training: 1 session - Swim (2K)

Very well slept, definitely needed it. Short run down to the new local 25m pool. First swim in 2 weeks. Ear plug in and aqua ear at the ready. Felt good to back in the pool. Took it fairly steady but a good session (50mins). Ear held up well, it got fairly wet but dried up well after. Hopefully, am now over it all. Taking antibiotics still just to be sure.
Home for a rest and watch the cricket one-dayer in Brisbane. Out for a barbie and a swim with the relo's in Alstonville. Had a good crack at a few Hahn Super Dry midstrengths (the beer of choice in 2010). Good to catch up with everyone. Home to watch the TDU. Planning a trip down to Ballina for a run/swim in the morning.

Week 3, Day 4

Sleep: 8.5 hours

Weather: Warm, sunny

Main activity: Granny's 90th party

Training: 1 session - Run (12.5K)

Got out for a steady run in the morning before it got too hot. Went well - a touch over 1hour all up. Legs slightly heavy after run yesterday. Cool-down swim afterwards. Kitted up for the big 90th party in Ballina in the arvo. Dinner at Shaws Bay afterwards. Home to catch up on today's stage of the Tour Down Under. Off to bed early.

Day 3, Week 3

Sleep: 8.5 hours

Weather: Fine, sunny

Main activity: work/flying/driving

Training: 1 session - Run (16K)

Enjoyed a bit of a sleep in. At a training day for work in the morning. Left early to go catch a plane to Coolangatta en route to Lismore/Ballina for my Grandma's 90th birthday party.
Got out for a longer run in the late afternoon - beautiful scenery and great to back. Fairly warm but managed to keep in the shade mostly. Felt really good for the whole 1hr20. Hopefully a sign that the fitness is coming along. Barbecue for dinner. Catch up with all the family as they arrived and off to bed.

Day 2, Week 3

Sleep: 6.5 hours

Weather: Fine, sunny

Main activity: work

Training: 1 session - Ride (30K)

Still fairly tired upon waking early. Legs feeling good. Travelled back home after work in the Valley. Out for a ride for about 1hour. Riding is feeling stronger each week. Packed bags to get ready for trip up north. Mexican for dinner and off to bed early.

Day 1, Week 3

Sleep: 7.5 hours

Weather: fine, windy

Main activity: travel/work

Training: 1 session - Ride (43K)

Woke up with the feeling of needing more sleep. Drive out to work in the Hunter Valley. A bit flat today. Back to Singlet-town to check in then out for a ride. A bit delayed by needing change my back tube following a mystery deflation in transit. Very windy which made half the ride fun and half pretty bloody hard. Out for a bit under 1hr30. Cooked dinner and caught up with some of the fans on skype. Off to bed for a good sleep...!

Day 7, Week 2

Sleep: 8 hours

Weather: Fine, hot and stormy late

Main activity: training, rest and drive home

Training: 1 sesion - Run (23K)

Slept in longer than planned but needed it. Headed out for a long run (just over 2 hours), down around the water in Leichardt/Iron Cove. Was pretty hot and I wasn't feeling completely on top but got through it OK. A bit sunburnt - need to remember to pack sunscreen. Out for 2nd brunch of the weekend. Watched some cricket on the couch before driving back to Newy in the evening. Need to plan sessions for the upcoming week as will be up the coast from Wed on. Taking bike in the car go for a ride around Singo tomorrow.

Day 6, Week 2

Sleep: 7.5 hours

Weather: fine and warm

Main activity: training and down to Sydney for a wedding

Training: 1 session - Bike/Run brick (85K/3.5K)

Up early for this week's long ride. Went looking for some hills today which helped to empty the fuel tank. Got tough as it became hot as well. All up it took 3hrs40 for the ride and 17mins run after. Out for the best meal of the week - brunch. Drive to Sydney for a wedding. Had a few beers but nothing too crazy. Into bed by 0130.

Day 5, Week 2

Sleep: 7.5 hours

Weather: sunny and humid

Main activity: work

Training: 1 session - Ride/Run brick (27K/3.5K)

Very early wake-up before heading out to work this morning. Feeling the best I have all week. Spent some time in the office after lunch before home for a quick sleep while listening to ABC Grandstand call the cricket. Then out for an easy ride for an hour, the majority around the Townson Oval velodrome - a good spot to go and crank out a few K's away from traffic. Then ran for 15mins off the bike to get used to that feeling again. Felt pretty good through-out. Definitely need to do more brick sessions though. Off to bed early ready for another long ride planned for the morning. Reading a few posts on twitter from some of the Pros getting ready for the Tour Down Under. Wish we were down there again! Had a great time following it around last year. Very happy to learn that SBS are running live coverage of parts of the race this year.

Day 4, Week 2

Sleep: 8.5 hours

Main activity: Work

Weather: muggy, overcast and windy

Training: 1 session - Run (13K)

Feeling a lot better today. Can finally start to hear something out of my left ear. Fairly long day out at work in the Hunter Valley. Home in time to go for a run. Wanted to go for an hour and made 64mins. Didn't feel that great during but happy to be out exercising again. Veal and pasta for dinner. Early to bed as very early start in the morning.

Day 3, Week 2

Sleep: 7.5 hours

Weather: warm, with southerly change

Main activity: catch up on work, visit to Doctors

Training: 1 session - Ride ~40K

Went down to see the GP again who gave my ear the irrigation treatment which was productive and restored hearing to about 30%. Told to keep using the drops which completely clog it up again but I think the antibiotics are finally kicking in. Not nearly as painful any more.
Managed to sneak in a ride this afternoon - 1hr45 fairly gentle. Apart from not being able to fully hear, I managed OK. Out for dinner at a Vietnamese Restaurant, Le Dynasty on Darby Street. Rated it the best Asian meal I've had in a long time. Also, check out the Christmas present that arrived from the States...

Day 2, Week 2

Sleep: 3-4 hours

Main activity: rest

Training: 0 sessions

Another unsettled night. Ready to chop my left ear off. Think the antibiotics are slowly working but hearing is very limited. Feels like it needs flushing out.
No training again today. I guess the emphasis is on getting the health right before I worry about planning a ride or run. Caught up on some sleep again through-out the day. Hoping I can shake this thing in the next 24 hours. Considering seeing GP again and possibly getting ear flushed out with the giant water syringe. I seem to remember that giving a huge relief when I was younger.

Day 1, Week 2

Weight: 85.4kg

Sleep: very little ~2-3 hours

General health: well below 100%

Main activity: rest, trying to get better

Training: 0 sessions

Ear-ache still raging over night. Don't think the drops are doing much. Booked to see another GP this morning who gave me some different drops and some oral antibiotics - hopefully they go to work on the bugs which are having a great time in my left ear! Frustrating to be out of action for training but not much you can do. Caught up on some sleep through-out the day.

Day 7, Week 1

Sleep: minimal and disrupted ~4 hours

Weather: fine, hot again

Main activity: trip to the doctor/driving home

Training - 0 sessions

Total Training for the Week: 6 sessions; 10hrs19; 207.2K

Kept up a lot of the night contemplating cutting my left ear off. Very hot all night as well. Got up and looked at options to get seen by a doctor - not the easiest on a Sunday morning. Found a medical centre in Leichardt and after a 2 hour wait, finally got seen to. As suspected I have an infection, specifically, a case of acute external otitis or 'Swimmer's Ear' http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swimmers-ear/DS00473
Given a prescription for the old blue lid ear drops (the very same bottle I remember using regularly when I had problems with my ears as a young and frustrated swimmer). Told to keep the ear dry and that it should clear up in a few days. So no swimming for the next few days to a week. Hopefully get some relief soon.

When researching the causes of Swimmer's Ear I am putting it down to:
■Excess moisture in the ear — from a lot of swimming, trapped water or humid weather

Day 6, Week 1

Sleep: disrupted, ~6 hours

Weather: beautiful Summer's day, warming up through-out

Main activity: Training, travel and bucks show
Training: 1 session - Long Ride (116K)

Discomfort in my left ear had me up through-out the night. Tried aqua-ear drops, oil, heat pack and ibuprofen. Eased off a bit. Alarm had me up early to get out for a planned ride from Newcastle to Karuah and back. Misty start but good to get out early before too much traffic. Nil wind, good road surface made for good conditions. Kept a good speed for the entire ride, 32.4Kph (3hr36 all up). Energy levels were good along the way. Getting warm towards the finish. All up very happy with this session as hadn't spent this amount of time on the bike for several weeks.Cool off in the pool before off to Sydney for a bucks day at the races. Legs feeling like they've done some work. $5 steak at the pub for dinner. A few Hahn Lights through-out the day and evening. Ear-ache not really improving, starting to get very annoying.

Day 5, Week 1

Sleep: 8.5 hours

Weather: sunny, hot

Main activity: work (office)

Training: 1 session - Run (10.5K Time Trial + 3K warm down)

Took the hounds for session in the park in the morning. Finished work and completed a running route I've been wanting to try for a while (10.5K, mostly bush track and bike path, 47mins30). Felt good and able to keep a decent pace. Just very warm conditions so had to make a stop out the front of someone's house to use their tap. 3K (15mins) warm down after this. Cooled down with a swim at home. Noticed left ear feeling a bit funny after the swim... Out for dinner at Thai restaurant and off to bed fairly early in readiness for a long ride leaving at 5:30am.

Day 4, Week 1

Sleep: 8.5 hours

Recovery: feeling the legs after ride

Weather: overcast, drizzly and humid

Main activity: work (office)

Training: 1 session - Run-Swim-Run (3K-2K-3K)

Out with the dogs this morning. Majority of the day in the office. Ran to Merewether Baths, did 2K swim and ran home, 1hr 15 all up. Considering doing the Australia Day swim across the harbour and back, 1.4K:
http://www.stocktonsurfclub.com/index.php?pageId=955
Overall, starting to feel a little flat on the energy levels - the body is not used to exercising this regularly lately.
Lamb for dinner. Talking up a long ride early Sat am.

Day 3, Week 1

Sleep: 9 hours

Weather: fine, warm 30 degrees

Recovery: legs feeling slightly heavy

Training: 1 session - Ride (50K)

A big day of jobs. Walked the dogs after a much needed sleep in, mowed the lawns later on. Caught up on some work on the laptop and got the Aussies home in the 2nd Test vs Pakistan at the SCG - a monumental win!
Made it out for a ride in the afternoon in the heat and wind. 50K out and back, 1hr45 - felt good especially with the wind at the back. Need to get used to some longer rides again. Out for dinner - risotto.

Day 2, Week 1

Sleep: 6 hours

Recovery: feeling good

Weather: fine, warm 32 degrees

Training: 1 session - Run (16.5K)

Main activity: work

Another early start. Found it hard to get out of bed and get going. Big day on the road and working. Got home and headed out for a run. Still warm conditions. Ran 16.5K, 1hr20. Felt OK but haven't run for over an hour in a few weeks, which showed. Keen to get some running fitness and form back. Chicken shchintzel and veges for dinner. Skins and bed.

Day 1, Week 1

Weight: 85.4kg

Sleep: 7 hours

Weather: overcast, 26 degrees

Training: 1 session - Swim (3K)

Main activity: Work

Early start to travel to the Hunter Valley for work. Feeling very tired - maybe jetlagged after spending the last week in Darwin. Excited to begin training today. Body feels fresh. A little concerned by how I'm going to fit training in around work, some days will be harder to make time than others.
Using a combination of 2 training programs - picking out the best/most suitable parts of each.
Current level of fitness is OK but cerntainly need to ramp things up. Also, looking to get the weight down to make things easier, (target race day weight 77-78kg).
Today's session, a swim at Singleton pool. 3K in around 1hr24. Felt good through-out. Need to get used to longer swimming sessions up to 4K.
Happy with food options for the day. Pasta for dinner. Skins top on and bed to catch up on some sleep.

The Beginning

After much contemplation and deliberation I have decided to do it - enter an Ironman Triathlon. I guess I was always going to from the day I witnessed first hand, this remarkable event unfold in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 2005. Shortly after, I recall being questioned about whether I would consider one day giving an Ironman a crack. My vague reply hinted that yes, I would certainly consider it...one day. Putting some more thought into it, I then made a loose pledge that I would complete an Ironman within 5 years, before I turned 30.

So here we are in 2010 and that pledge has been significantly tightened to the point where a plan of action has been developed in order to reach the start line at Ironman Australia on Sunday, 28th March. I have decided to keep a record of this 12 week journey to help myself and others, better understand what goes into achieving Ironman success.