Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Lack of posting..

Well there has been a serious lack of posting on my behalf over the last few weeks after the Gold Coast and I apologise.

It seems as though i have lost my mojo after the GC and have been struggling to get it back! The week following the race i had to physically hold myself back from doing any training, and let myself recover properly. However after that week and for the past two weeks i have struggled to get any real consistency in my training, the odd swim ride and run but nothing really structured.

I've put this down to uni, work and my body telling me i need a little more of a break. HOWEVER that is all about to change with this weekends Endurance Fitness Systems Ironman training camp in Busso!! I cannot wait! There are a few real good athletes going down and it's going to be just what i need to get me raring to go again (i can feel it in my bones). The only negative being my best mate Andy T has had to pull out due to other training commitments :( BUMMER!

Through the last few weeks i have been quite moody and most probably annoying, so thank you to Mum, Dad, Lisa and Kate for putting up with me at home. Seano, Scotty, Benno, Todd and Andy for putting up with me whenever i train with you. Finally Paige for putting up with me during all the time i spend with you. Although it is impossible to get shitty when i am with you, if i have been i apologise.

However i have found time over this break to do a few things i never usually have time for which has been really good for me. Sleeping in, getting drunk (once - 'rebelll'), camping, bush trekking, rock climbing, swimming in dams, mini road tripping, going to a party or two and spending time with people i like/love. I think as obsessive compulsive athletes we don't take enough time out to appreciate and take stock of what we have. I have over the last 2 weeks and certainly feel better and refreshed for it :). My advice, do the same ;).

So back on the horse and into some training!! Woop woop cannot wait! Can't wait 'till i can write a solid training blog!

Cheers people

Markussssss

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Race Schedule

I have thrown an extra page up on my blog with my race schedule attached...*look up, up, up, to the right, right, no to far back left, yep there it is.

It's just a tentative schedule and as it reads, if anyone thinks there are better races to be doing, let me know! As for training, i hit the run track yesterday and felt pretty heavy, but ok. I'll be hitting up a swim this arvo and will be chatting to my coach about my plans for the next few months. Can't wait!

Train hard

Markus

Sunday, October 10, 2010

A week of rest..

Well, what an incredible weekend for our sport.

You would have to have your head 6000 feet under to not know our sports biggest race was on the weekend, the Hawaii Ironman World Champs and boy, it did not disappoint. With so much talk about prep and favourites it is such an amazing part of the year when this day finally roles around.

I'm sure everyone knows how the race went, but just in case a short recap. Potts (surprise surprise (ex collegian swimmer)) led the boys out of the water in a slick 48.48. However the introduction of the new swim skin rules didn't break the front pack up nearly as much as some thought it might. Perhaps a sign that the pro's were more concerned about loosing time due to the new rules?

Onto the bike and here is where the decisive move was made - or perhaps not made?? Lieto as expected went out like a bat out of hell with an eventual 4.23, but the big moves came from Macca and Raelert, who put 8 mins into crowie by the start of the run.

From here it became an eventual ironwar between Macca and Raelert. With Macca running a 2.43 for the win, Raelert for a close second and Marino for a strong third. The champ Crowie ran an incredible 2.41 for 4th, he couldn't quite make up the time he lost on the bike.

Call it a bold statement, but i believe today's race has changed the future of Ironman racing forever, for the better. No longer is it safe to swim in the pack, ride the bunch and run away for the win. And before i continue i do not condone this as a bad way of racing, Crowie had a perfected Kona formula with a strong swim and a solid ride where he all ways rode his part, all ways backed up with an incredible run. Crowie is in fact my hero and i absolutely respect the way he races, however it seems as though things have changed.

Macca and Raelert today showed, that wow things are about to change. A ride off the front and a 2.43 marathon!? That is the kind of direction the sport needs to head. If you look at the history of the world champs, it is all ways won by a runner with a stupidly fast run split and a pack bike time or biker who breaks the group and holds on in the marathon, rarely, rarely do they win with a move like today. I am very excited for the future and can't wait to see where the sport heads. Where, we can't be exactly sure but i am sure it will be a positive direction.

As for my week/weekend. I was shattered mon-thurs, before i finally started to come round Fri. Just a lot of feeling sorry for myself, before i snapped out of it and got excited about continuing to plan my season :) after a week off (and a few more days) i am motivated again and am raring to go :) I spent a really good weekend watching big andy t race the sorrento challenge and the champion lakes duathlon, well done mate (videos and photos up soon). I also managed to spend lots of time with my girlfriend, which, i believe was good for the soul :).

Hopefully the next blog will be filled with more training related updates, so until then, stay classy :)

Markus

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Gold Coast Race Report

Well, you can't win 'em all...why not??

Thanks to my new iPhone and its ability to turn off alarms for no reason, as well as unsigned road closures, we were slightly late arriving on race morning. However we got there with just enough time and i managed to get my transition set up...just. I then had to try and put my wetsuit on in the rain...bloody difficult! Oh rain? It rained for 6 hours....straight, honestly not one second of relief! Very interesting conditions.

Before i knew it i was on the front line of the deep water start ready to roll...the horn went off. I lead to the first can where three or four guys in my age group proceeded to come around past me. I tried to jump on their toes however couldn't quite get there, a little disappointing, but i was still swimming ok. The rest of the swim, myself and another guy led the rest of the "chase pack" around the course. I came out of the water 30 mins flat, slightly slower than i expected but more importantly i was feeling excellent and raring to go.

As i ran into transition i saw Seano standing next to my bike (he should have been well onto the bike as his wave was 30 mins before mine). It turns out in his rush to get to the start he had jumped into the water, straight onto a rock and severely bruised his heel :( an unlucky start and premature end to his day. I had a usual blinder transition and was onto the bike into the pouring rain and occasional tough winds.

From here i settled into a nice rhythm and made sure i was careful about where i was riding, the conditions led to carnage everywhere. I was riding excellently, exactly on required race pace. I was feeling extremely comfortable, keeping my nutrition on track and just feeling great. I was really happy and confident. That was until 75 k in - psshhhhttttttt. Flat on my front tyre. A lot of profanities came out in the next 30 seconds but i realised i had to get into action.

I pulled of the front wheel, got out my can of pitstop and filled the tyre up. I looked up at the tyre, the hole was so big the pit stop was flowing out, dammit!! I looked up and there were two people 100 meters up the road, i ran up to them and asked if they were out and if so if i could use their front wheels? They were waiting for a mechanic so it wasn't to be, but a really nice girl there helped me change my tub. After close to 15 mins after i originally got my flat (pitstop, running up the road, changing the tub), i was finally off again and with a vengeance.

I looked down and was cranking 47 kph on the flats. I told myself that this was stupid and settled into a more reasonable pace of 40kph for the last 14 k. I rolled into transition with a 2.28 bike time however with the flat it had been stretched out to a massive 2.44 :(

I ran out of transition and onto the run, feeling really good. I settled into 3.50 per k pace and set in. Before i knew it, i had completed the first lap of 3 and i was feeling good! I set out onto the second lap, with renewed confidence. Here i was joined by a fellow age grouper who wanted to stick with me. However i wasn't in the mood to help pace anyone else so i put my foot down for 2k's and dropped him, quite satisfying. I started to get a few little spasms etc through my calfs and thighs about 10k in, but i wasn't worried and continued to take in electrolytes and water, as well as my gels.

Bam, 7k to go. Well this is it i said to myself make it hurt, make it worth it. I held my pace until about 2 k to go where my body decided it had had enough and started to shut it self down. This was extremely painful but i was determine not to drop under 4 min k's for the whole run, and i didn't. I crossed the finish line extremely happy but massively exhausted.

The next thing i remember was waking up in the medical tent, which is a little embarrassing to admit. I had horrible cramps in my legs and jaw (in my jaw?! why??) and was pretty dizzy. After half an hour in there i checked myself out and met up with seano.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing and it has been really interesting to look back at this race. I now know what i need to do in the future to get my race up to the next step and beyond. More wetsuit 'race pace' swims are required. It was really nice to see my bike split (with out the flat time) go well under a 2.30, on a tough day on a tricky course. Not only that but i felt extremellyyyy comfortable riding at that pace, a really good sign. I'm glad to see my extra winter riding is really paying off.

Finally, for me my run was excellent. Not once did i dip under 4 minute k's and ran really solidly for a 1.21 a top 20 time overall!!

I am still extremely sore and tired but can't wait to get back into it!! About a week off to let my body and blisters recover and i will slowly start to get back into it. Thank you everyone who has offered me support during the whole experience, with out that it would have been a LOT tougher. (Mum and Dad, Lisa, Kate, Paige, Andy, Seano, Dan and so many others, good on you all).

Keep training hard and see you on the track!