24 Weeks to Kona

This week started off well with a continuation of the solo swimming, riding and running. Did a solid strength session on the bike Wednesday morning with some big gear riding on Beach Rd.

Thursday was ANZAC Day which is normally reserved for the dawn service at my old unit (1st Commando Regiment) or the Shrine. This year I decided to train. Did the 5:45am North Road Ride which I haven't done for about 8 months since I started morning swimming. Started with only 6 of us rolling which dropped to 4 at Black Rock. Bit of a non-event with most people going long (straight on at Mordi round-a-bout). Ended up with a 2hr 20min ride and followed it with a 90min run. Did 20km which was good.

Lauren took Stirling to Auskick Saturday morning which enabled me to do a Kinglake hill ride with the Red Bear.  Unfortunately came down with a cold this week which hit me hard on Friday...then again on Saturday's ride. I was in struggle town the whole ride. Pushed it hard from Eltham to St Andrews, then got dropped at the start of the Kinglake climb. Never really recovered from there. I hit the wall big time. 

Riding home was pure survival hanging onto the wheel in front. Was ok on the flat but had no strength on the hills. Had to apologise to the Red Bear for having to tow me home. Managed 115km and saw a few MTC riders out there doing their own thing.

Took the route past the footy oval so I stopped by Auskick to catch the last few drills with Stirling and Lauren. Then rode home to do a 45min run. This turned into a 10min cramp fest walk. Had to call it quits for the day. Got home then went back to bed to try and sleep off this illness. 

At that point I messaged the boys to say I won't be joining them for Sunday's run. Needed to rest instead. This worked out well as we went next door that night and knocked down some wine with the neighbours, but not too much. Couldn't manage a late night.

Glad I didn't run Sunday, felt lethargic all day. Got the gear out to ride Monday morning so I'm hoping I'll kick this cold soon. Not such a great end to the week.


166 days to Kona.

25 Weeks to Kona

Just finished the first week of training after Ironman Melbourne (Ironman + 3 weeks)...and I got MTC New Athlete of the Year!!!!

Thanks to all who voted for me and to the athletes I train with who got me through all those sessions. The award is very much appreciated.

 

Last week was week 1 of a 7 week bike & build phase. Got the program late Tuesday arvo which called for a 4 hour Dandenongs ride Wednesday morning. As I had a 8:30am meeting it resulted in a 3:30am alarm. What a killer way to start! Took me 2 days to recover from the sleep deprivation, was in bed at 8:30pm the next 2 nights. But I saw a deer in Sassafras! 

(Not the actual deer. The one I saw had antlers!)

Found the running hard. Just wanted to be as fast as I was 3 weeks ago but knew it wouldn't be the case. I started commuting to work on the bike the week before but my first run was on the Tuesday. Found myself running slow with a high heart rate. You get that after 3 weeks off.

While the weekday training was slow, I came good on the weekend. Felt stronger on the bike getting some good pace. Sunday was a good day - 2 hour ride then smashed out a 20km run in 90 minutes. Probably went a bit harder than I should have but I felt good so I went with it. Legs are sore now so I've been working on the roller and stretching.

Running is what I can improve on most and will get the biggest bang for my buck in Kona. Running on fatigued legs is where it's at.

A 17 hour training week was a good start. 173 days to go until the big island!

Post Ironman Blues

Is there such a thing? How could there be when completing an ironman is such an achievement? And when there's the next event to look forward to in 6 months, surely there's nothing to get 'blue' about?


It appears there is....I'm going through it big time!!!


Here's an extract from an article* coach Foz posted this week:


Triathletes also commonly suffer from a malady known as the “post-Ironman blues” in the weeks after an Ironman. It is likely that such mood depression is to some degree just another symptom of the general overtraining syndrome that commonly affects endurance athletes after such a test. Overtraining is known to disrupt brain neurotransmitters that influence mood. It has been hypothesized that as a symptom of overtraining, depression is your brain’s way of discouraging you from overexerting yourself again—in this case, doing your next Ironman—for a while.
 

I was told about "post-ironman blues" by other athletes. I was of the opinion that as I knew about it I could expect it and control it when it comes. Like my first ironman there were/are things happening that are our of my control.

I understand that my body needs rest. Went for a 20 minute power walk yesterday morning (ironman + 2 weeks). Basically did a fast walk to the train station rather than taking the tram. This proved that my body still needs rest. There were some deep niggles that suggested I'm not ready to run just yet.

That's fine, the body needs rest and as I've just moved into the 40-44 age group I now need a bit longer than some. Might turn a 3 week break into 4. No problem.


But why am I so 'sad'? What is going on with all this emotion? I can't actually pin point it. I can't find the reason. I'm a bloke in the construction industry! I deal with hard issues every day! And show no emotion doing it! GET OVER IT!!!


Admittedly the last week has had additional challenges due to a most tragic incident which had significant publicity. But there's something else...


I reckon I have a slight 'mood depression thing' going on. I've got the body recovery on track, but the mind is a little more challenging. Maybe like the body it's going to take an extra week. Just want to get through it.


Rode the bike to work this morning, an easy commute, enjoyed the scenery, every other rider passed me. All part of getting some normality back into my life. It's a great de-stressing tool that really hit the spot.


Also enjoying the therapy provided by Peroni's and single malt Scotch.

  +

 =

Now it's on with life. Post IM blues...your move!

185 Days to Kona.



* Read the full article here (A Physiological View Of What The Human Body Goes Through In An Ironman):

http://triathlon.competitor.com/2013/04/training/a-physiological-view-of-what-the-human-body-goes-through-in-an-ironman-2_46170

Ironman Melbourne 2013 Race Report

I’m going to the World Championships in 2013
The Hawaiian Ironman!

Result:

Overall Time – 8 hours 53 minutes

Category Rank – 14^th from 404 finishers

Overall Rank – 107^th from 1,837 finishers

Swim            00:25:58            1:43/100m            31^st in category

T1                 00:04:45

Bike              04:51:59            36.99km/hr           13^th in category

T2                 00:02:41

Run              03:28:31            4:56/km                27^th in category

But do I deserve the Kona slot? This was my first Ironman. Was it just a lucky year? What about the more deserved athletes who have been doing it longer? Did I simply “buy” a Fluid Movements winning training formula?

These are the questions I asked myself when the euphoria dissipated and the “post Ironman blues” set in.
The answer…

For everyone who is working towards an Ironman, it means juggling work, family and training. I was out of bed early, well before anyone else in my household was awake. My wife would often comment that it would be nice to have one morning where we could all wake and have breakfast together. I had to explain to my son, Stirling, that his Mum will have to take him to... because I won’t be back from my ride. And when I got back, I was too tired to chase him, kick the footy, keep a conversation or go out with friends. It's not just the early mornings, at least two nights out of the week I'd arrive home around 8.30pm after work and a run. This along with long work hours, meant I often missed putting Stirling to bed in the evening. I was left with about an hour at home to eat my dinner, say hello to my wife and then hit the sack around 9.30pm because I was exhausted. It's a juggling act and Lauren was the one taking care of all the details behind the scenes.

I sacrificed for it, my family sacrificed for it. I did the training, my family put in the alone time. I put in the hours all week, every week. I pushed myself outside my comfort zone…..and I qualified for Kona!

 Training in the rain at the Tan

THE RACE REPORT
In this race report I've tried to articulate what I was going through and thinking at notable times throughout the race. This was my first Ironman and one thing I learned was that nothing can fully prepare you for this event. It might be a bit long in some areas but that's how it felt. At one stage in the run I never wanted to do another Ironman, but like many others athletes, I got through it.

What inspired me? 
To participate in a competitive sport. Greg Welch's win in '94 [very cliche]. To compete in one of the toughest one day events in the world. To do an Ironman. To win a spot and compete in the Hawaiian Ironman... All of the above.  

THANK-YOU’s

Thanks to my intelligent, witty, strong and creative wife Lauren [description by Lauren] and the centre of my world, our son Stirling . Your sacrifices were incredible and you made this all possible. It broke my heart to see Stirling's sad face when I told him "I can't because I'm training...". Lauren was there to hold the fort. 

Thanks to my training mates, the athletes, Ironman and sprinters for pushing me on the days I didn't want to be pushed. Publicising it on Facebook when I missed training. Giving me their advice on what works for them. Making me ride hard when I didn't want to ride. Making me run when I didn't want to run. Sharing the feeling of fatigue when I thought it was just me. Sharing that moment when we became an Ironman.

Thanks to Ben Street for his swim coaching. For teaching me to 'churn the butter'. His pool side butterfly kick demonstration still haunts me at night.

Thanks to Steve Davis for his winter run training that helped improve my running 10 fold. "If it's not raining it's not training."
Thanks to Richard Squires for punishing me with his remedial massage, kept my body alive and recovering through all the tough weeks.

Last but not least, thanks to Sean Foster the awesome head coach, with the experience to deliver a winning Ironman formula. Thanks Foz for the program, the advice, the planning, the comments, the kick in the ass and the encouragement.

Let’s do it all again!

PRE-IRONMAN

Throughout school I was a swimmer, although you’d never pick it. I did a few triathlons but never really too serious. Spent 10 years in the Army Reserve (1^st Commando Regiment) and did triathlons to keep me fit. After finishing up with the Army I focused on cycling. Enjoyed the week by week racing and Beach Rd smash sessions but after a big crash in 2010 (right in front of Lauren and Stirling) my heart was never really into it.

While I was living in Ararat during 2011 for work, a local triathlete (Cam Evans) got me into the Gatorade series. We drove 2 ½ hours to Melbourne from Ararat to race then drove 2 ½ hours back. It was a long day but I actually started enjoying this multi-sport stuff. Meanwhile, I was still cycling at Ararat doing the rural winter road series and track (velodrome) summer series. After doing the Portarlington long course we decided that an Ironman was on the cards. 

Melbourne Ironman here we come!

In 2012 I moved back to Melbourne. I had the entry, I had the bike (which got me the entry), all I needed was the training program. I searched the internet, downloaded all these training programs that I was going to put together in the ‘masterplan’. Then it dawned on me. This is not a weekend criterium or local graded bike race, this is serious! I need a coach.

I started ringing around then got Sean’s name from a cyclist I knew. Looked him up, yeah he’s done ok. Gave him a call and got on board in May 2012.

At that stage I could sprint really well on the bike but swam like a rock, ran like a cyclist and had very little endurance. So the run phase training started. This was the best thing for me, I just started running. I also started swimming again. I thought that because I was a former swimmer this would be easy. Not so!

Knowing the task ahead I put in a hard winter’s training and came out of it feeling great. The group training sessions were awesome. By spring I actually felt like a runner. My swimming had also improved.

While the individual elements had improved remarkably, I struggled to put them all together in a race. I needed race time. Did Hazzelwood Olympic and a Gatorade race. Didn’t smash them as far as the result go but did well. Kept on training.

Geelong was the real test for me. Did it in 4:23 which was 15^th in my category (35-39). 

I’m now a triathlete! I’m the fittest I’ve ever been and I’m ready for Melbourne.

 The finish line

KONA?

Prior to December 2012 Kona was not on my horizon for 2013. I just wanted to train hard, do really well in Melbourne in order to set a base for maybe qualifying for Kona in 2014. But then training was coming along really well – by December Kona 2013 was on my list.

I discussed it with Lauren…”I’ve got a chance here, want to go to Hawaii? It will be a great family trip” or something like that. It worked! Lauren was on board! So much so that over Christmas she announced it on Facebook by posting “Here we come Hawaii”. I created a monster. "Lauren, tone it down, it's harder than you think."

This was great until March 2013 when things became real. No more training would change the outcome of the race. This event I’d been training a year for was now here. I had friends, family, neighbours, work mates, acquaintances all coming to see me race. This was a really emotional time for me. What if I fail?

THE RACE

Although it was the right decision, shortening the swim disappointed me. The whole ‘not a full Ironman swim’ didn’t bother me. My first thought was all the better runners in the field are going to catch me. I wasn’t so sure that this shorter swim would really suit me. Foz spoke to me just before the start, gave me the last piece of advice....and then it was time to race!

SWIM

It was a tough swim. Got kicked in the face, I kicked others, goggles got kicked off and kept filling with water (will put them under the cap next time) swallowed heaps of water. Couldn't see any buoys, just swam with the pack. As it was I was going in the right direction. Got to the turn around, time to get on top of it! I slapped, pushed and climbed over anyone in my way as I turned at the buoys. I was now on top of it…Then swam back into the head on traffic. What a shambles! This is Ironman.

Saw Gra Gra on the beach. We exchanged words about that being shocking swim. Then proceeded to run back up the beach after being taken away by the current. Grabbed my bag in transition and ran into mayhem. Transition 1 was full! The volunteer tried to help me pull my wettie off but just managed to pull me off the chair. "Don't worry, I'll do it" I said.

A bit slow getting the gear on but ok. Bike was in an awesome position – second from the end of the rack right near the exit. Took on a gel and grabbed the bike waving to Lauren and John (father in-law) as they yelled out. What a rush!

Jumped onto the bike inspired by all the people yelling “go Dale” and rode right into a traffic cone – one of the BIG one’s! More embarrassed than anything, no harm, didn’t fall off, kept riding over it and got going acting like it never happened.

BIKE

My heart rate skyrocketed as I knew it would. Time to take it easy and bring it down. Stick to the race plan – 78% MHR until the 20km mark. I planned a steady start.

Got passed by a heap of riders. Am I going too slow? Am I dropping too far off the pace? Steve Natoli passed me and said “don't do anything stupid”. Good words. I stuck to my plan, let them all go, I’ll see them later.

The head wind was tough, this along with the shorter swim made it hard for riders to get away. Lots of packs formed. The officials had a hard time, but I saw a lot of yellow cards and a lot of people in the penalty box.

Got the first cheer from family and friends just before the tunnel. Awesome. Cleared the tunnel, the Ringwood turn around and the tunnel again. It was now back to 'Frankytown' with the wind behind me. Waved to my supporters and headed back at speed. Averaged 45km/hr and passed a lot of riders. They were no longer in packs. Ran out of gears in a few spots (knew I should have got a bigger chainring). Started feeling good, like I was doing the pace I should.

Into Frankston and saw Foz. He told me to “...think” (that's all I heard as I rode past). Ok!

Down to the round-a-bout and the Melbourne Triathlon Club (MTC) crew erupted. Heard my name called over the speaker so I saluted the crowed. They roared! It was awesome, felt great.

Turned at the round-a-bout and headed out for my second lap. Waved and acknowledged the MTC crew who made some noise. Sabina waved her pom poms. What a crew! Back out onto the freeway I powered back into the headwind, this time with a much higher heart rate, but not too high. I was always conscious of the run and didn’t want to smash myself. While the ride was my strong leg I wanted to leave something in the tank.

Started passing pro women and a stack of guys that passed me on lap 1 - 'remember me?' Feeling good all the way to the Ringwood turn around. Passed my supporters again, gave them a big wave and took off at pace. Started feeling tired on this lap. Lowered the heart rate at around the 150km mark but still kept a solid intensity. Up until now I was setting my own pace and always passing. I now started 'sharing' the lead (maintaining a 15m buffer to be safe). My heart rate really dropped so I picked it up again until the 165km mark.

I forced down an extra gel at this point which was uncomfortable but I wanted to stock up for the run. My stomach felt full for the whole bike leg. I had 1 energy bar and 1 gel per hour up to 120km mark then did 3 gels per hour. On the ride I ate every 20 minutes all as per my race plan. I did feel like I ate too much as I felt "sickly full."

I took a salt tablet at the 170km mark as the legs were feeling tired. I'd never had cramps before riding or running so this I saw as being a precaution. Pretty much took it easy all the way back to transition. But was it enough to hold off the runners? Should I have pushed harder on the bike leg?

Got off the bike ok, through transition no issues. Grabbed my bag of gels and read my message on the bag - "run like you stole it". Then I started running.

RUN

On the Frankston board walk I saw a lot of MTC athletes. I was amazed how close we all were off the bike. I had only run about 2km when I knew this was going to be the toughest run of my life. 40km to go and I was already feeling it. The soles of my feet started to hurt and my legs felt tired. But the crowd was great. Saw plenty of familiar faces. And plenty of strangers that read my number tag and yelled my name. Got out of the main street and found some rhythm. Got passed by a couple of runners, I passed a couple of runners. Then got a pinch from behind, Steve Natoli passed me. We yo-yo'd during the bike leg but I knew that’s the last time I’ll see him this race.

Saw the Tokyo Smack Down funky trunks of Travis Tremayne. He was very popular with the crowd.

Took on 'water in a bag' at the aid station. What am I supposed to do with this? I drank it - It tastes disgusting but easier to hold and run with than a cup. I could feel myself gradually slowing earlier in the race than planned. I wanted to keep a higher pace but struggled. I was struggling getting the gels down. As with the bike leg I planned to take a gel every 20 minutes. It was 45 minutes before I could force a gel down.

Ben Street and film crew drove past tooting and cheering. Thanks guys!

Ran as close to the cones on the right hand side as possible to even out the camber in the road. Was around Chelsea when my feet really started hurting. But that had nothing on how the legs were feeling. Richard Squires road past with some encouragement. Once again it was great to see a familiar face. “Good running Dale, you're just out of the top ten.” Right, this could mean I'm somewhere between 11th and 15th (I was actually 13th at the time). Right then I knew I was running for Kona! What an inspiration that was. Time to keep my form, run strong and hold my position...but can I keep the pace? The legs were starting to really hurt.

Got past Mordi - 20km done, what a milestone. Heard my name called over the speakers as I ran through the crowd. Picked up the pace as everyone cheered, but then felt a sharp pain in both hamstrings that came on all of a sudden - cramps! This was something I've never experienced. And not even half way through the run. I was concerned. Backed the pace off to keep the cramps manageable. I took a salt tablet to try and hold them off.

This is were the run started getting 'lonely'. The crowds from Nepean Hwy were behind me and I was now on the running path. This is where the mind games started. I made it to the 21km sign. Half way and it was hurting. This is where everything I trained for started/needed to kick in. Time to start on the cola. Probably should have started earlier, it gave me the boost I needed. Still struggling with eating gels.

Now the 'hills' started. I was running kilometer by kilometer counting them down and ticking off aid stations. The cheering crowds were no more, just sporadic groups offering occasional encouragement. No family, no friends, just me, the pain, the sick stomach, the cramps and my mind telling me there's still a long way to go. Never did I want to stop,  I just wanted it to end, but the end was so far away. That was the hard part. If I felt this bad now how am I going to feel as I go further? This is Ironman.

Tried to hold form. Got to 30km. It was hurting. 12km to go, not far. I’ve run that distance plenty of times. It's easy. Just not now.

Passed Sandy footy ground. Another milestone in my race plan. 10km to go and the hills are almost over. Still trying to hold form. Got to the 35km mark. Aid stations consisted of 2 colas for the mouth and 2 waters for the head and body. Maybe only had 1 gel from here. Relied on the sugar from cola. That stuff is magic!

Cramps had really set in. Was taking more salt tablets but it didn't seem to be helping. Ran a pace that was just keeping them on the edge. My feet felt wet and blistered. One voice in my head was telling me it's not far, the other was saying it's a long way feeling how I feel. Then another was asking me if I could make it with these cramps. Runners around me were stopping grabbing their hamstrings. Is this going to stop me? Could this be the beginning of my race being ruined? “No!” I was telling myself. “Push through, push through, push through!”

I turned a corner, saw a friend from work. A person I know!!! YES, I'm back in the game! Slapped his hand and said “thanks mate” as I ran by. What a boost. Around the next corner and I saw all my family - mum, dad, my sister, the in-laws, aunty, uncle, cousins...Stirling and Lauren. Their faces were bright and wide eyed. What an inspiration. High fived all. Stirling was so happy, the smile on his face made it all worth it. Hearing him say “go dad” while wearing his 'run dad' tee shirt made me pick up the pace. Lauren ran beside me telling me I'm doing great. All I could say was “it hurts” as I grabbed my hamstring. By this stage the cramping set in because I was running faster from everyone cheering. Had to slow it down again.

Saw Geoff White who offered some awesome encouragement. I told him I never thought it was going to be so hard. Right now I never wanted to do another Ironman...it was just too much. I’d forgotten about Kona, I just wanted the finish line, the end.

37km mark, 5km to go. Just over 1 lap of the Tan, a warm up distance, not far at all...but this was the hardest 5km of my life! I was running a trail I'd done many times before in training. Glad I made the effort to St Kilda SLSC. Then I heard someone yelling at me from behind. “GO DALE, JUST LIKE THURSDAY NIGHT TRAINING....” It scared the hell out of me! I thought Geoff White had came back to give me a serve. No...It was Red Bear!!!!!! G'day Bear as he passed me. What a run he was having! It felt like everyone was now catching me. This hit me hard. Are they in my age group? When is this last 5km going to finish?

I reached the 40km mark, only 2km to go. Saw Foz, he yelled “Kick now Dale! Don't leave it to the last 100 meters!” Tried to push harder, geeeze it hurt. Leave nothing on the course! Kona was back on my mind.

Ran past The Great Provider restaurant where the Giant Bikes supporters were. They erupted, cheering, ringing bells closing right over the path. The noise was deafening. They opened up just enough to let me through, it was awesome. I've made it! I'm home! I ran onto the foreshore. The finish line was just ahead. The cheering spectators were back. I've made it.

I picked up the pace. It hurts, but I've made it!  Ran past the MTC tent where the cheering team was. Zipped up my vest and slapped my chest as I went by. What a feeling. One more U-turn and I'm there. Saw my family again. High fives as I went by. They've been great.

Turned the corner into the finishing chute...WHAT A FEELING!!!!!  All eyes were on me, the camera followed me, everyone was cheering, the noise was deafening. I heard my name over the speakers “DALE MARTIN YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”. This was EPIC!

I crossed the finish line...I made it. At that moment I felt great...

Then the hamstrings cramped!!!!!! I stood up straight and grabbed then both. 2 'catchers' grabbed me, one on each arm. “You ok?” One asked. “I’m cramping, I'm cramping!” I said. Just then I saw a guy who finished behind me being trolleyed off to medical. Then another being dragged by 2 catchers, he was on his knees and couldn't walk. Red Bear came running up. All I could think was don't jump on me, I'll fall over. We shook hands and hugged...or was it more of a 'manly embrace'? Who cares, we've trained hard together these last months. Great to celebrate.

The volunteers took me to medical. “Sorry, but medical is full and so is massage, you'll have to wait” they told me. “I'll be ok, I just need to stay standing” I said. So I hobbled off with straight legs and went over to the fence where my family was waiting. Showed them my medal and celebrated through the fence. Found out I placed 14th which I was confident would get me through to Kona. I said to Lauren “we're going to Hawaii!” This was a great moment. Security let Stirling through the fence and I placed the medal on him. He loved it, I loved it. 

Stirling and I at the finish line

I returned to the athlete’s recovery area. My initial impression was carnage, like a war zone. There was a queue to massage, people were lying everywhere, people covered in space blankets shivering, not many smiling faces. This is Ironman!

Athlete's area with Nick & Gra Gra. "That was tough!"

THE AFTERMATH
It was great to celebrate finishing with all the Fluid Movements athletes I'd been training so hard with leading up to the event. Many of them first timers like me. What a moment, congratulations and thanks to you all.

The next day we returned to check the World Championship Kona Qualifiers. It was official, I qualified! We're going to Hawaii! 

It's official, I've qualified!

I now look forward to 3 weeks off before embarking on the next phase - training for the World Championships. 

To the other Fluid athletes that qualified, lets make it happen!

Kona here we come!