Well it’s almost here. It seems like yesterday I caught up with my new coach Grant to plan my start to 2012. I had been training with him for about 2months at that stage and seen my flat mate finish off an Ironman block and lead 90% of the men’s race at Ironman Busselton. I had severe race envy that day tracking friends through that race and also Phuket 70.3, which is probably my favourite race in the world. So I set about thinking which Ironman I would make my first. I didn’t have a lot of racing planned for early 2012. I thought that racing multiple heavy weights in the sport at Melbourne would leave quite a bitter taste in my mouth so looked abroad. New Zealand was first up on the IM calendar. Close to home, relatively cheap to get to and at almost the most ideal time of the year for me to race and recover from an Ironman in the lead up to my 70.3 season.
Grant was enthusiastic that it was realistic, only ever giving people a 9 week ironman block- which meant starting exactly that 3 days later. I picked 2 long course races 2 and 4 weeks out from NZ which I wasn’t to back off for but use as purely prep for NZ. That was hard- one- putting the ego in the cupboard and not performing to the ability I know I have and two- physically so tough when you feel sub-average at trying to push through a 4+ hour race. However two 3rd places and a little coin still weren’t bad results. If I can keep my run of 3rd places through to Saturday I’ll be more than chuffed!
The block has been ideal. I think I called it quits during only one ride where the weather conditions of torrential rain became dangerous and sketchy. Aside from that and many other wet rides, exactly like what Taupo can put on race day, my training hasn’t missed a beat. Sure there have been days where I’ve been in a foul mood and rather than jump out of bed with a smile on my face, drag my tired, resisting body to Geroge my nesspresso machine, to push me out the door. A lot of the training has been egged on purely by scaring the hell out of myself of what’s to come this weekend.
This time last week I was on an emotional and mental rollacoaster, finding myself in the middle of my last long run in the cane fields screaming at the top of my lungs. It’s funny how all those feelings of apprenhension, nervousness and worry can be shifted in a single second.
So out riding with the crew on Saturday morning- last longish efforts/ longish ride before the taper. I had been training a lot with one of the other blokes; Luke, as him and his partner were both booked in for NZ IM too. Having raced it himself last year and done a few IMs before (and very well at that!) he’s been a great source of knowledge, encouragement and advice in the lead up. So we’d finished our session and were rolling easy for a little longer around the riverbank. It’s a narrow one lane road, but relatively quite with minimal traffic. We did however this morning encounter a big bus oncoming but as traffic doesn’t move quickly around here we were able to go single file onto the grassed shoulder to pass the bus. The boys manoeuvred around the bus a bit faster than me leaving a 10m gap. As I tried to close the gap up ahead a dog ran out between them and ran straight into Luke sending him over his handle bars- him one way, his bike another. I dodged the crash and stopped thinking that he’d landed on his back and seeing him get up straight away I thought- oh he’s ok, until he said ‘my shoulder’s gone’. A very large AC- joint disruption (well actually a grade 3 which is in turn a dislocation) and what I thought was potential a clavicle break (how it wasn’t I’ll never know) and all he could say was ‘there goes 10weeks of training’. In that second my fears were replaced by the appreciation of the privilege that I still get to race this weekend and how unfair it was that someone who had trained just as hard as me (if not harder as Luke holds down a full time job as well!) as well as safely and cautiously, doesn’t. So since then I have wrapped myself in cotton wool and changed my mental state within my race prep.
I know Saturday will be the hardest race I have ever done, although let’s just say I’d much rather be doing an Ironman than racing that Abu Dhabi race again. There will be a point I’ll reach which will be the most further I have ever swam, ridden and ran before- this will be my first marathon too! So aside from finding some deep down inside to get me through it, I know someone will be spectating that would have given anything to have been out there as well.
So that’s about it. I’m at Wellington airport en route to Taupo to stay with a home stay Anna and Jon Winn, thank-you for opening your home to me. Tomorrow is a pretty busy day with training, massage, rego, briefing and trying to get some recovery and sleep in there. Friday a little bit of moving and racking the stead and then all set to go Saturday. Only 8 pro girls on the start line, but a pretty stella one at that. I am the last seeded pro- being the rookie! Prefer to fly under the radar.
New race suit printed and ready to go, however with the wet forecast with a temperature range of 9-14 degrees it may be covered most of the day so I don’t freeze!
So I will report back when I am an ironman (hopefully!!!!)
Oh and thanks G-banger! Game on ;)
Rachie xo
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