Kayaking! Finally!

So I finally got on the water! It was great!

Mat and I went in our borrowed two sit on top 'leisure kayaks' and my cousin and his girlfriend paddled their Canadian canoe. Yes, that's what a basic canoe is called here.

Leisure Kayak - Wide and Stable

Canadian Canoe

I played around with the paddles and technique and really got the hang of making sure I swung the paddle high and dug straight down along-side the boat. This makes such a difference to your ability to direct the boat straight along the course. Wide and low paddling means swinging along in a big zig-zag pattern, which is inefficent and a great waste of time. I also discovered that the straight aluminium bar is not very nice to paddle with, and the one with the light rubber coating for hand grips was really great to work with.

I'm sure that's fairly common knowledge for those who have kayaked before, but I haven't! :)

We moseyed along at a reasonably leisurly pace. We stopped a few times so my cousin could drop his fishing line in, they could show us a few features, and we could chat. We took about an hour paddling against the current (though it was quite still) to go about 4km. My cousin decided to fish a few minutes, while Mat and I headed about 1km further in about 15 minutes. I decided to see how quick I could head back to the fishing hole. It took me about 8 minutes.

We cruised back, but then the sea breeze came in and it really worked against our efforts, and the last 20 minutes were pretty much like riding a bike uphill and into the wind. It was a real challenge, and made the last kilometer seem an age!

All-in-all we were out for about 3 hours, over the 10km. But there were plenty of rest stops, making our average speed only 3 or 4 kph. Certainly not fast. But I felt pretty strong at the end of it. Yes, the wind challenge sapped me quite a bit, but my back and shoulders felt fine! If I can keep up that 8-10 minute km pace when I was 'trying' I reckon I'll be able to do the paddle in under 1.5 hours. That is really on-par with my objectives, so I'm happy about that.

But what I discovered I *REALLY* want is a sit on top surf ski! It's a long and narrow kayak, that is easy to get back onto since it won't fill up with water!

Surf Ski - Add it to the wish list!

I watched a guy cruise past us in one of these. It just slips through the water. Because it's narrow it's going to be easy to keep a true course. But it's also going to be less stable and would require practice. I learned that you can hire these for the Blackwood (if only I had known!) but with only 5 days to go, it's a little too late now! I would not have enough chance to master the machine before the race and would probably end up losing time climbing in and out of the darn thing! Oh well, next year! hehe

And Mat had SUCH a good time on the water. He could have kept going! He was loving the day the weather, and he was so much quicker than any of us! We definitely have to move to somewhere with hills and trees and WATER! Even if I don't do the Blackwood again, I think a nice kayak would be a great investment, since it's something Mat and I can enjoy doing together.

We kayaked Sunday morning, and it's Monday night, and my shoulders are no tighter than they get from sitting at the computer for too long. I'm pretty stoked about that! That must mean that my paddling in the living room, as odd as it may have seemed, did pay off! I had so many people telling me I would never survive the kayak, but I felt confident in my upper body strength and in my dogged determination.

Oh, in other news, it looks like I don't have a strapper. So I will take my aunt through the process of dressing and cooling TK, and see if we can talk someone into doing the rundown with him.

More news tomorrow, with only four days to go!

And I feel GREAT!!

Mini-Marathon

I can't believe it's taken me so long to get to this point! But I did it, I organised and completed a mini-marathon!

I set up my gear so that I could have TK ready to go and hop from rower to horse. Here's how my place looked:

Rowing machine and horse gear near back door

My "kayak" in the lounge room

Bike, helmet, shoes, fluro safety vest at back door.

I went for my run, 5km loop in 29:56. Nothing interesting to report.

The transition from run to kayak wasn't all that impressive. Drink, stretch hamstrings, take off shoes, sit down and start paddling. However, it did still take almost 1.5 minutes. I have decided that I definitely want to take my running shoes off and go into something like a water shoe. Something I can move my toes in.

I paddled for 30:15 and found three things:

1) I wanted a towel to wipe my hands. The wet sweaty palms from running made getting a good grip on the paddle difficult and I kept wiping on my already moist clothing. Hand towel added to gear list!

2) My calves got really tight and flexing my toes helped make this more bearable, thus the desire to have shoes on that will allow me to move my feet

3) My right forearm got quite sore a few times, so not sure if I need to do more strengthening here or if technique is the problem.

Next step for this discipline: actually doing it on water!!

It took me 18 minutes to do the next change over. I was feeling quite good so only ate half a light museli bar, saving the other half for before the bike ride. I also washed my hands and I think this will make me feel more comfortable if I can do this on the day of the race. My hands really felt gross. I drank quite a bit of water, put on my bike shorts, caught and dressed the horse. 

My view from the rowing machine.

I could watch TK quite well from this spot, and I could see that being saddled and locked in the round yard started out fine for him, but his tension level built up as the minutes ticked over.

I rowed for my swim. I went 1km in 14 minutes on the dot, and then zipped out to do my ride on TK. 

This transition is quite challenging. My heart rate was racing, I was wobbly all over. I had a drink and tried to settle, but I was really coming at this with a lot of energy. I put on my pants and boots, and dashed out to put the reins on TKs bridle and tighten the girth one more notch. 

TK knew something was up. He was harder to get to stand to mount, and he went out in a very vigorous trot. He had a lot of energy and had a lot of fight for me today! We cantered and several times he gave me every indication that he was not going to stop, and I felt that if I had pulled on him we would have been positively flying. Transitions down from canter to trot took ages and they weren't pretty. But I remained calm, didn't pull (mostly) and worked on soft pulsing and even alternating see-sawing actions with lots of calm  "...aand woaah..."   statements. I gave him HUGE rubs when he'd come back to the trot or walk eventually. 

About halfway round the big outside track I decided that canter to trot transitions were not progressing well, and we would be galloping, and I was aware that I hadn't established the brakes in TK well enough to feel confident with bringing him back down to a canter or trot out of a gallop. I needed to take a step back, so worked just trot to walk transitions. This went a lot better, but transitions were still slow slow slow. I need to really work on dropping into my seat and stop riding when I am asking for a stop. I so frequently ask for a stop by rising out of the saddle and pushing me weight into my heels. This is the opposite of what I should be doing, as rising out of the saddle is a jockeys way of saying "time to go!" We rode for only 20 minutes, with one stop to re-tighten the girth, and we still came back VERY sweaty!

Hey, where's my rub down?

Honestly, TK stared blankly after me when I pulled the saddle off and let him go, and dragged all that gear back into the house. When I came back out with the bike he was still looking at me. But then headed off to scratch and roll.

In total, I spent 30 minutes with the horse, 20 of them riding.

The transition between horse and bike wasn't bad, fairly brief, but didn't get a time on it, approximately 2 minutes. Pull off boots, pants, change helmets, put on shoes and vest. Note to self: helmet should go on last, because you might have to pull something on over your head at a race.

Hopped on the bike and starting heading up the highway. Originally, I had thought 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back, but the head wind was quite strong and I wasn't making great progress on the hills, so I decided to try for 20 out and 10 back. I did alright, though did find a few of the new hills particularly challenging (I normally turn onto Trimmer, but just kept going down the highway today). I slowed to as little as 12kph, and managed to work up just over 30kph on one of the downhills. 20 minutes out I turned around ... and it was right at the bottom of a hill, so I had to climb back up from a dead stop. I didn't make it back in in only 10 minutes, it took me 16, but I did managed to get up to 48kph up on my big ring and screaming down one of the hills towards town. The tail wind certainly helped, but really, the main difference between out and back was mental! This will be an important thing for me to work on - the mental part of the ride! Although it was indeed physically challenging - I was labouring and breathing hard and my legs were really working hard - I think that because I believed it was going to be a difficult ride, it turned itself into a very difficult ride.

My bike ride was a total of 13.87km, 36:27 minutes, 22.7 ave.

Things to note for the bike:

1) I will need another water bottle holder

2) I also need a better water bottle! (Or two) The only one I have left is a flip top, and hard to manage one handed, on a bike, with the flip top lid blocking a portion of my vision while riding. VERY BAD! Where the heck are all my simple squirt top water bottles? You get enough free ones... where did they all go!?

Things weren't pretty after this mini-marathon. My house was quite littered with gear.

And then there was me! It's funny, I don't feel any fitter!

A shower and a meal afterwards made all the difference! I feel pretty good.

The most sore thing on me: my neck, upper back and shoulders! Until my shoulder heals I can't do a lot of moves that would be strengthening for my upper body. No pushups, lat raises, rear delt raises, etc. So I am going to have to come up with a few other upper body and shoulder strengthening exercises to help build resilience in these muscles, because they are really uncomfortable right now!

Anyway, in total I did this mini event in 2 hours 41 minutes and change.

It was challenging but doable. 

Next steps:

• I will focus on doing a few full-length block sections: 12km run and 1.5 hour paddle. Ride TK followed by hill ride.
• I will also organise to get out on the water and paddle this weekend!
• I would like to call Chris and talk to her about some suggestions for improving our 'stop' command.
• I should call Steve & Jan and speak to them about using their place as a launching pad for the day of the race.
• And I want to find out of Lauren will strap for me on the day of the race.
• I will work on upper body strengthening exercises, and think I should consider doing squats and lunges to build muscle strength for the bike ride.
• Oh, and it's already time again for the farrier to come out and make the boys feet look pretty! They are growing really fast now, I guess the feed is too good!

Time for a nanna nap, and if I'm feeling up to it, I'll learn the new Balance warm up before heading to work.

Have a great day!

Running Shoes and Other Musings

I'm not sick. I was sick last week, and the week before, and before that even! And now I am feeling physically well, but completely exhausted, as if working on a sick belly the last several weeks has taken all the energy out of me. This week I was just tired! Wiped out! But today I was feeling good enough to get at things at a little lower intensity. I'm on the mend!

Had a nice slow ride on TK today. A new friend, Mel, and I rode together. TK was sluggish, but not sore. Personally, I think his laziness knows no bounds! But he's probably still recuperating from his runaway on the weekend. It's alright, Mel's mare wanted to take it easy too, and she looks like one who can be a bit high strung, so probably best to go steady the first few rides.

It was really time for new shoes. I was poking a toe out the top end of one of my existing one, and feeling stress on my calves, shins and ankles, and my feet ached for a long time after every run. I wear my shoes EVERYWHERE: to work, for all training, cross training, and whatever else, because I am usually just too lazy or too busy to change into a different pair of shoes. So I really wear them down to the ground.

I bought new shoes, and went for a quick 5km run on the treadmill to make sure they were going to be alright. They are a different brand and style than I've worn before. Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8's.

Old and New!
The old look way worse in real life!

But anyway, as nice as these new shoes are, I think I got totally ripped off by our little local sports shop! I saw the same shoes as I wanted to buy but simply could not justify (Asics Gel Blackhawk) on sale at Rebel sports AFTER I got home for $130 LESS than I almost paid! Uh HELLO!?!

And the shoes I did buy I saw advertised for $40 less (they are last years stock) and the new shoes from this year were advertised for only $20 more than I just paid for last years model. Now I suppose that's not as bad of a deal, but it still made me want to take my shoes back!

It also makes me wish I lived near a big city! Sheesh!

But basically, now that I know that pretty much any shoe in the Asics Gel range (Blackhawk, Nimbus, Kayano) or Brooks Adrenalines in size 8.5 fit and feel great, I will never buy from the shop here again. I will order online or shop for them on eBay.

I also intend to wear these shoes exclusively for training, at least until the Blackwood is over to keep them strong and supportive right through to the race.

Do you have a particular brand or style of running shoe you are loyal to? Do you have a shoe budget? Where do you get the best deals? And are you an everywhere wearer, or are your shoes task-specific?

Trying to Decide...

I'm considering my gear for the event again. And I am debating a full length compression tight or a 3/4 length triathlon pant. Unfortunately, it's proving hard to find 3/4 tri pants (with minimal chamois lining, they all seem to have full cycling padding), and I might have to go with an above the knee cut.

The big pro of the full length tight is that I can wear them for all events, including the horse ride. The negative is that it has no padding, so not so crash hot for the cycle. I can cycle without the padding, but would definitely prefer not to.

The big pro of the tri pant is that it has the padding, though just the barest minimum (or the swim and run would be quite uncomfortable). The con is that I'll have to put on a pair of pants as I come out of the water and head to the horse. And we all know how hard it is to put anything on when you're wet.

Mat has suggested that changing gives rest time, and I argue that I'll already be slow enough!

If only I could find full length triathlon tights! That'd be perfect! But since that seems completely out of the question, what would you choose? I'm taking votes :)

... And Another Thing!

I posted yesterday about arranging my gear needs, and the very moment that I logged off I realised I neded to add something.

People!  I need people! :)

Supporters, cheer leaders, and most imporantly (and even more selfishly) people who will carry stuff around for me!

Since the race starts in Boyup Brook, and travels 57.5km via road, track and water, and finishes in another town, Bridgetown, I need people who will take my kayak to the start of the kayak leg, and then take it to ... wherever things go after they're not needed anymore!

I'll need someone to drive the horse to the start of the ride, vet him through, and hold him as I come out of the swim, then pack up all my gear and move to it to the end of the horse leg, where my bike gear will need to be waiting for me.  And I'll need someone who is willing to carry both me and my bike across the finish line.

:)  Fun!

Gearing Up!

So, after my little freak out, I sorted out my brain (more or less... probably less... ;)) and did some exercise anyway!

I started by paddling for 18 minutes.  That was the equivalent of about 1.5km. What I find interesting about this is that my whole body vibrates as I paddle.  I sit my bottom on a low stool and prop my heels up on a low chair or open drawer, so I am in the approximate body position, but elevated enough I won't bang the paddle on the floor. In the paddling position, with my knees slightly bent, heels on the same level as my butt, sitting very tall, I can feel my thighs, abs and back vibrate as they stabilise against the swinging of the paddle.  It doesn't feel like that when I put my feet down, and I don't recall ever feeling this way when I paddle in a kayak or surf ski, so I am guessing it's just because I am unsupported from hips to heels.  It doesn't feel bad, just kinda weird.

After my paddle I was feeling a lot better about everything, so I went for a run. I was scheduled to do 6km, but as I have a 10km race on Sunday, I thought I should probably aim for 10, but only got through to 7, then my knee said "nope".  But on the up-side, it was a personal best 7km run!  A good three minutes faster than my last 7km!  So will have another run on Friday, hopefully 8+ and then on Saturday, a brisk 5km, so that I am ready to go through the 10km on Sunday.

Following my run, I came in and did an hour of spinning.  Damn the good music I had going, because I was spinning like a maniac, and the last four minutes were absolute killer!  I got off and was shaking so bad I could barely keep my balance to stretch out!  And there it was, two hours of exercise pumped out after I chucked a sad and thought "I just can't!"

Well, yes, I can!!

So, anyway, I have been thinking (you have a lot of time to think when you spin, run, anything for long periods of time) about my gear situation.  So here's what I think I'll need to organise and prepare to do the day right, and maybe a few questions along the way:

Run: 
The event starts with a run.
Considering the condition of my shoes, I am going to need a new pair of shoes, and probably sooner rather than later!  My big toe is starting to poke out of the top of the left one!
As for clothing options, I'm not too worried about what I wear when I run, I have plenty of comfy workout clothes that I run in and will have something to suit most weather conditions.  However, I have been playing with the idea of getting a tri-suit or long skins bottoms to wear for the whole day.  If I have a base layer of long skivvies and a tri-top (just a crop exercise top suitable for swimming) then I can wear that all day and will only have to add a few items, like a longer sleeved shirt against sun, or wind or so on... then again, that's 8 hours in the same clothes and sweating like a pig for at least 5 and a half of them!  Piew!

Canoe:
The run leads directly to the river and you have to go down this steep and slippery bank to get into the water.  There is one obligatory portage, and more if it's a dry year (and so far it's been a dryer than usual winter in this catchment area) so there is the potential for more carry points.
So I need two things: a kayak or equivalent that is light enough for me to carry, or rugged enough for me to drag without getting damaged. I also definitely want shoes on for this leg, because you have no idea what's in the water. So my debate is whether I should take the time to change out of my runners and into some water shoes (I have a pair, but they are so worn from Aqua classes that I'll need a new pair), or if I just save the transition time and hop right in in my runners.
Downfall of the runners is that they will be wet and soggy by the end.  But if it's a hot day there will be time to dry them at the lunch break.
I will also want a small ration pack and an electrolyte drink on the kayak, and I will take a short break to refuel.

Lunch Break:
The lunch break will be 30-60 minutes, depending on how slow I am... chances are good it'll be 30 minutes, as there is a mass start 30 minutes after the last iron person finishes the canoe.  That'll likely be me :)
I will need to take this time to eat something really recharging.  Rice and veggies, which is something I can exercise on, and will be very nourishing, will probably be on the menu. I'll need to consider this carefully because I'll need to eat well, but not feel too gross to get in and swim a very hard 1km open water swim!
I will also need to find the toilets, because this will be my last chance until the end of the race, and that's probably 2-1/2 to 3 hours away.

Swim:
So, if I'm in a tri-suit or skins I can just swim as I am.  Though the water could be cold, and a wetsuit, even a shorty could be very handy to just keep the core temp in check.  Goggles will be critical, and a swim cap would probably be good too.  I do have a shorty and the goggles and cap already.  The swim ends with a run up a muddy slippery bank, done barefoot, and then you sit for the transition to the horse leg.

Horse:
If I'm in long tights the whole time, I won't have to try to dry off enough to pull on long pants for the ride, as I have seen some iron people do. I'd just have to dry my feet, put on socks and shoes, and I'm thinking I could go back to my runners if I get enduro cages on my stirrups.  Then pull on the bib, put on the helmet and mount up. I have a synthetic saddle, so my wet seat won't be an issue.  I'd like to have more food and water available on the saddle, and will need saddle bags that suit, so these will be a priority to purchase and test in the next little while. I'd like to also have a small first aid kit on hand, and a hoof pick, just in case something unexpected comes up.
This leg will be my best opportunity to be sure I have legs left for the bike ride.
Most importantly, though, with the horse leg, is my strapper.  I need one, possibly two people, that can tend to TK when I am doing all the other legs, who can saddle him, feed him, prep him, cool him, pulse him down, and tend to his needs while I am not around. Mat is an obvious choice, as he knows TK and the familiar will help with his pulsing down and vetting through cleanly. My cousin, Nell, has also offered to help with this, which is great, because then they can trade off and the horse gets constant attention. We will need to bring lots of water, sponges, feed, cooling blankets, a stethoscope, and possibly ice bags for the legs (though I don't anticipate riding him that hard).  The strapper will also be responsible for moving the horse float from one location to the other, and then taking TK back to his paddock to rest once through the vetting stage, so they'll have to be able to load him as well.

Bike:
I, on the other hand, will simply run across the horsey finish line, hand my boy over and hop onto a bike, and won't know if we vetted through until I cross the finish line in an hour and a bit's time!
For the bike leg, if I am already wearing my runners, I will be able to just change helmets and hop onto the bike and go for it.  I don't use toe clips, I use half-clips (like a cage), so I won't need to change shoes again.
My bike is well and truly due for a complete service, but once that's done I should be ready to rock and roll.
More water on the bike, and probably an electrolyte drink and a carbo shot would be good to have on the racks.  I need to reinstall my drink holder, and want to install a second one too.

Finishing:
I will really really want a toilet, and to sit down.
I think I will want hugs from everyone who is willing to hug a sweaty Iron Woman!!
I will have to remind myself to stretch or I will seize up!
Then I will want food. I'm thinking burger with the works, or similar.
SHOWER!
Then I think there will be some definite sleep required! :)

I plan to book a massage for Monday late morning, and would like to take Monday off work.  I think I'll also schedule a follow-up massage on the Wednesday.

I will probably be hurting for awhile, and will need lots of refuelling to keep myself sane and healthy!

And there it is, the start of the formulation of a plan! :)

And a bit of shopping to do...

But for now, off to Body Attack! Not going to miss it this week! :)

Sixty Kilometre Bike Ride

Wow, I'm tired!

As mentioned, I was talked into riding to Nyabing today.  I was a little intimidated.  Until now the furthest I've ridden is 45km.  And that's a fair haul on a bike, really.  As always, my biggest fear is that I am not going to make it or I am really going to slow everyone down.

We went out strong and I was delighted to have stuck with the pack - Helen, Carl, Amanda and Ian - at 35ish km/hr for the first 20km.  But then I ran out of puff and started to fall back.  Helen was great, and pulled the group up a little to keep me with them, and I did manage to stick with them at a decent pace through to the half-way mark.  We all stopped for a bite, a drink and a relief for 5 or so minutes and then carried on.

Carl stayed back with me (because he'd already done 120km earlier this morning!) and Amanda, Helen and Ian went out ahead.  I was sitting on a fairly steady 27-28km/hr, which was quite good and kept the other three in sight the whole time.  In fact, as we neared our destination, we actually gained on them and managed to keep up, so the five of us all rode into town together, which was really nice! We came in at just over 2 hours.  Including the ride from my house (about 2.6km) it was 2 hours 10 minutes.  Excluding that, it was 2 hours 3 minutes!  That's not bad, considering I was planning on needing 2-1/2 hours to complete the run!

Now, granted, we had a tail wind, and as I mentioned before, I love a tail wind, so I know that I wouldn't have done this well had we been working with a cross- or head wind, but I don't care, I'm still proud!

I completed the distance!  One more benchmark to tick off!

One thing that had me quite puzzled, though, is my speedo.  My bike told me I was travelling at 27km/hr, but Carl's said 30. However, our distances seemed to match: over 100 meters there was no difference.  So how could he be going faster than me when we are going the same speed?  It was strange.

As an experiment, I passed him and got up to 30.5km/hr and his speedo said he was going 30.7.  But I was passing him.  Figure that one out!  I worked out my average over the distance and the variation is minimal compared to my speedo: speedo says 27.7 and calculator says 27.87.

I am reminded of my rowing machine that always shows a heart rate while I'm rowing, even if I'm not wearing my chest strap, and I am always left to wonder if I can even consider trusting the heart rate that displays while I am wearing it. Should I bother to trust the equipment?  Maybe this is a sign that I should avoid getting new shiny toys, as they just can't be trusted?  Or maybe it's a sign that says I should get new toys because mine are old and breaking down, and new ones will be more accurate...

Well, now that I've showered, eaten and bragged, I need to go have a nap! :)

I'm a Magpie

I like toys and gadgets and nice things. I regularly deny myself these things, but it's fun to think about them, and maybe even save up and get one of them one day.  Here's a few items that I have on my wish list. Some of them in reach and others not so much!  Some of these might end up being reward items...

Bike:
Wind Trainer - so I don't have to ride outside
Lights  - so I can in safety
Also need a few spare parts, new pedals and some winter woolies, good gloves and a better helmet.

Horse:
Endurance Saddles - another custom made product that would be marvellous, but the $$ !!
Exercise Quarter Sheet - too keep the rain and the cold off us both in the winter!
Polar Equestrian Heart Rate Monitor System - just plain cool!
Saddle Rack - (I have four saddles and they all sit on the backs of chairs in the spare room... not a single proper place to hang one of them!)
Safety Reflective Riding Gear - just common sense really
Saddle Packs - there are a million styles, just a matter of testing and trying different ones to suit saddle and needs.
Saddle Pads - a semi-local lady who custom makes saddle pads.  I want the Endurance one near the bottom. Pricey though...

Running:
Treadmill - I'm not entirely fussed on the machine or brand, but do want one with a hill program.
Garmin GPS Training Watch - These are just the bomb. They tell you all sorts of stuff, from bicycle cadence, mapping your runs, and managing your workouts on multiple exercises (running, cycling, horse riding, kayaking, etc). Just the ultimate training toy, really!

Rogaining:
Hiking Boots - we have got to stop doing these events in our running shoes! They just don't cut the mustard! Both Mat and I need hiking boots. After that we can get a few other items.  We need a second camelback/daypack and maybe a waist pack for shorter events. A better compass for Mat, and/or a very nice luminescent night compass.  There are lots of great outdoor clothing items that are fast trying and tear resistant which would also be nice.

Paddling:
Kayak - it will be very hard to do this leg without a kayak.... this has to be a priority purchase. Saving saving saving!

Other gadgets:
Muve by Gruve - What a cool little gizmo!  Is there nothing that can't be computerised these days?
Kindle - I like books!  So I say that's my excuse for wanting this new and cool toy!

Anyway, feast your eyes on a bit of retail eye-candy!

What's on your wish list?