IMNZ 2010

i think i am staying a small hotel called "absolute lake view"

Well they did give me a late check-out - until 3pm, so I have about 20 minutes! I've still got 38 MB of data space to use - that's nearly 2 MB a minute!

Ego - that probably means if you crane your head out the window and look to the right, you can see the lake between the smoke strack of the local chinese takeaway and the 10 storey building site to the left.

The meeting went ok, but did it have to be so early!

I'm digressing away from matters IM here...

Barley your always welcoime here mate!

Ok, I REALLY will be on UK soil next time I post.

SP - its funny, I am thinking the exact same thing!!

hope everyones training is going well.  its 4:30am in dubai and i am getting ready for a 4 hour brick.

have a good sunday

I hope that's not the case Ego!  How was the 4-hour brick? No way I could train at those early hours - does it get very hot during the day there? I'm hoping we don't get it too hot in NZ - a bit if rain for the run would be welcome!

Well now, I arrived home yesterday morning after an 11-hour flight from summer into winter and no sleep, followed by a 2 hour drive from Heathrow. Was a tad tired, but in the afternoon sun I decided that no matter how tired I was I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to get out on the bike.

Managed 20  miles, with a few hills thrown in for good measure, in around 1hr 10 ,but was completely knackered at the end! I had to try hard to keep it all in context in my mind! This morning I did a 1/2 marathon and posted a PB time of 1hr 42mins. Evidently I had recovered some! It wasn't my plan to "race" it, but I am competitive and between 7 & 8 miles decided that if I paced up a bit, the pb was on. It was flipping cold 3 or 4 deg C and the back markers really suffered as it seemed to be getting colder!

Was going to do a swim this afternoon, but that might have to wait until Tuesday. Haven't swum now in 3 weeks, so may have to go some to get back to where I was in the next 2 weeks or so.

Have a great week of training folks - we're nearly there!

Welcome back to blighty, SP and well done on the PB! 

Egoman, as always, your regime puts us to shame! You're going to be so strong on the day.  

I've been on a recovery week this week, which has been wonderful and relaxing, just the 14 hours of training I'm feeling very strong and this afternoon's long run flew by.

 I'm a bit worried about this coming week though as I am starting my new job, have to spend 2 days away in Birmingham and my coach has informed me that it's my last BIG week. I'm too scared to look at the programme she's sent me as I just don't know how I'm going to fit it in! 

<deep breath> I can do it, it's the last big push. Boyfriend is also working away, so I can be selfish and make work and training the priorities. It's worth it. 

Happy training all!

when is everyone arriving to NZ? (i hope i didnt miss that thread)

I am staying at the "absolute lakeview" hotel.

 i am flying emirates from dubai to aukland on Monday, March 1st and then will rent a car and drive the 4 hours.

my email address is csr@naseba.com

i look forward to meeting you all soon!

trogs ... are you doing IMNZ?  or are you from NZ and did IMNZ before (forgive me if you said before in a previous thread)

how many of us are doing IMNZ (from the RW thread)?

Did it last year Egoman and will probably go back and do it again sometime.  Gives me a good excuse to visit some very good friends who live in NZ

First swim in 3 weeks this morning - managed 130 lengths (appx 20mts/length). It could have been far worse.

PUP - I don't know about Ego's regime - your coach seems to have you on a tough regime. I think you will be the best pirate as your training seems to have been more consistent. As it is I struggle to get to between 10 - 12 hours a week in and following a schedule can be a bit difficult. Still, I managed IMCH on less than 8 hours a week, so I'm staying the right side of positive! As with you, my work is getting in the way again next week, I have to go to Edinburgh for 2 days, which at best will mean I only get a run in (and a swim if I can get a hotel with a pool), though I have booked 3 days off next week also and hope to get some last minute (read, panic) training in!

Thanks for reminding me Ego - we need to book a car also. Hopefully get a good deal as we're there for three weeks but we'll be flying out of Christchurch so we get to see some of the South Island.

3 weeks in new zealand ...i am jealous. this is my first IM and my goal is to finish.

SP you win the award for dedication -- very impressive how you have kept on, considering your work in SA.

looks like I will be coming to this race alone. sophie has to go to china.

might need mrs. P or PUP to take my picture when i run through the finish....

PUP will have collected her medal, will probably be all showered and cleaned up and eaten a meal, called the family, taken a nap and had a coffee by the time I come through.

 We'll take you piccy don't worry - you also get official one taken but you have to pay for them, but they are nice.

 would you believe we have the bleeding snow again down south - have NZ marked up on the calendar and can't wait to get away from this weather we're having over here this winter.

I'm sure I don't really have to go for a run in this, nice large white wine seems much more appropriate

hey all <shuffles in, knackered> Can I have some of your wine, TL?

 you are very kind to say that about my training, but you will be waiting for me at the finish, I guarantee it!  I will get the boyfriend to take your pic ego. 

I am so so tired. Been in birmingham for two days for new job and had a total training washout. 5am start to get down yesterday, which ruled out training before work. Then had a horribly frantic day running around trying to meet people and take in information, finished about 6 and went to find my hotel. Got lost - I don't know Brum AT ALL. I did find the hotel in the end, only to find they had no record of my booking, and were full, so I had to call the work travel agent to find me somewhere else, which took another half hour. Trailed round to new hotel, who did thankfully have my booking and finally got to my room about 7. I was starved and knackered but thought I should try and do a bit of training,  i am trying to be an IRON woman, so I TTFUd and off I tooled down to check out the "fitness suite" (no way was I running outside when I'd already got lost once ) only to find the code didn't work. So instead of getting changed and working out, I cried and went to the pub instead. I felt a lot better after a bowl of chilli and a glass of wine. 

Woke up  this morning at 5.50 determined to fit something in before work only to find I had packed neither socks nor sports bra. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! So instead of training, I went back to bed and read my book.

I got back here in time to fit in a 1.30/30min brick, so at least I've redeemed something, but I am pretty strung out. So much for the bigweek, eh?

To finish me off this evening, I am doing the race in aid of cancer research and when I went to check my page just now, my good friend, whose father died of cancer only last week, has sponsored me £100. I'm blubbing everywhere

 Gonna do this.

Now, bed, I am clearly as over-tired as a tantrumming toddler! 

Hey PUP its all sent to try us, you've done great and you will be an IRONMAN (even though you're female  )

Take it you're back home now?  SP has to go to Edinburgh next week for an overnighter, but has booked the days around it as hols so he can try and get in some training.

hi there

dont come onto the website very much now, but something just triggered the date and made me realise the IM is coming up very soon.

cant believe its nearly a year that we were there on holiday and managed to get to Taupo to watch the IM and support the pirates racing.

its an amazing place, so good luck to all of you, especially SP, from IMCH days, cant believe that was almost 5 years ago

have an aesome holiday all of you, it will give you itchy feet to go back

xx

Hi Jellybabe

Just had to help SP get his bike gear of as his come back frozen ( fecking snowing down here again), his just got changed to go for a run.

I will be glad to get to NZ for some warmer weather except got to do some marathon training out there, never had to train whilst on hols before.

Have to catch you at some event sometime.

Take care

x

Hey all,

 Well, my prep for the ironman very much took a back seat this week. Basically, my house burned down on Thursday night   The outline of the story is that I had gone to bed about 9.30 on Thursday night, read for a while, then turned out my light to go to sleep. I was expecting boyfriend back about 10.30, he'd been away on business in Tunisia, so I left the light on his side of the bed on so he could find his way in. About 10pm, the light suddenly went out, as did my clock radio. I thought it must be a power cut and lay there for a couple of minutes feeling pissed off and waiting for the lights to come back on. I started to hear some noises from the stair and my first thought was that I was being burgled, however when I got out of bed to see (sometimes I really wish boyfriend didn't work away as much) I had barely set foot on the landing when I saw that the cupboard in the bathroom where the washing machine was was on fire.

I ran for it - I could see immediately that the fire was going up into the ceiling and there was nothing I could do to stop it so I just grabbed my phone, my coat and some shoes and got the hell out. THe fire brigade were there really quickly, however the fire was extremely fierce and it took them many hours to put out. Luckily it didn't spread to neighbouring houses (we live(d) in a terrace in the New Town of Edinburgh) however, the roof was destroyed and half of the celings in the house came down with the water. The fire inbestigators initial impressions are that it was caused by faulty electrics, however we haven't had their final conclusions yet.

We don't really know what we have left,  as we need to go through everything with the loss adjusters this week - we have managed to rescue some essentials and things like photos etc seem to be OK, so the irreplacable stuff is OK, as are we and my cat, which is the main thing. However, we are now effectively homeless and living in a hotel while we think about our next move. My bike is fine , as are my cycling shoes and running trainers, and though I haven't found my wetsuit yet, I think it should be OK. Most of the kit I was intending on wearing on the day has been burnt or smoke damaged, but I will be able to replace it. So I will really be embracing the pirate motto of always trying something new on race day!

Mentally, I'm feeling very vulnerable and haven't been able to train or give any attention to ironman stuff, but I am still intending on being there and competing - I've worked too hard to let it go at this stage. I just need to get back on an even keel as soon as I can.

Ho hum. Would appreciate your kind thoughts at this very difficult time.