Perspective..

Well this week (the end part) has certainly been one of the hardest in my short recent history. On a training front it has been really good but from a personal perspective, life altering.

Monday was a great swim in the morning. I backed it up with a great 17k run in the arvo. No pace or required time, i just cruised (just recently realising the importance of long slow rides and runs) and really really enjoyed myself.

Tuesday morning and it was the usual enjoyable river ride with Clarkys, Seano and Benno. Good times. The arvo was our last hills run with the squad before we head back to the track to build that speed again, so i really put the gun down and made sure i made the most out of our last set. Although, can't wait to get back to the track. And cheers johno for the lift home afterwards ;)

Wednesday was a short pool set as we had out farewell brekky for everyone heading off to worlds in a week, love those brekkys. Still backed it up with an arvo set so still a good swim day. Thursday was the old ride into work, with a lunch time run set with seano and a failed attempt to run 1k on 2.30 (amongst other sets). owie owie haha, (our egos that is..). Big Andy T met me for a nice ride home into the headwind and a good chat.

Friday morning was the usual affair, and nice swim set. Afterwards Andy and I FINALLY got to fit in a good long ride. From mine down the freeway, up Mundijong Road, up Jarrahdale Road and the same return route. I was a really good tempo ride, and i was keen to put the pace up on Mundijong Road (a personal thing...) and was successful. Good times :) Just chilling at the shack..




There is all ways time for a cheesecake stop...




Friday night my week took a turn for the worst, when i learnt that one of my closest family friends, Greg had passed in a car crash. I was/am still absolutely shattered as a result and made for a really tough weekend. Friday night was just terrible, but wow i realised i have some amazing people around me (thank you family, Paige and Andy).


Saturday and i was up early, and all though i wasn't in the mood i knew i had to pop out and get some stuff for my good mate Edwins 21st for Sat night. What a mistake that was, when i was finally finished on my way home I was cut off and my car totalled by a lady who cut across me. I was extremely shocked and shaken up but thank god ok. The lady was really nice and admitted her fault, but it didn't change the fact that Lenny (my car) was dead :( So many memories from awesome road trips, intercar food fights and my aerial all ways struggling to go up and down haha. As a result i was unable to make it to road racing or my planned open water swim :(


After a pretty hectic 24 hours it was nice to pick up Paige and head to Edwins to celebrate his 21st. It was a really good night with the highlight definitely being playing our own version of beer pong, less exciting was my loss to Paige :( i will never live that down haha.


I was up early on Sunday morning for the City to Surf Half Marathon. Before i left i decided to write Greg's Name on my shoe. We all ways use to talk about how much we loved running, and fitness in general, with him even buying a road bike before he passed. I really wanted to run the race for him and thought it would be a nice reminder.




We got to the city with plenty of time to warm up and were finally on the starting line. I was keen for a good race, but have only just recently picked up my running k's so wasn't expecting to much. Unfortunately the race went pear shaped all most immediately when the top 20 runners (myself included) were led the wrong way and was made to run an extra 3k. Not happy.


Although i was super annoyed i didn't let this deter me to much as i was feeling surprisingly good. I was also ok as i had my GPS on so i knew i could track my own 21.1k time. I was super happy and reallyyy comfortable holding 3.45-3.50 mins per k so....i held it. I ran through 21.1k with a time of 1.18. I was really psyched because i honestly felt really comfortable and good. I clocked over 21k and still had 3k to go, so i cruised the last 3k and ran in at 1.29 for 23.6k.


That brings us to now. This week, this weekend especially really put things into perspective for me. Family and friends are the most important thing, something that should never ever be forgotten. I've certainly learnt how lucky i am, to have my family and to have people like Andy and my training friends. Paige you are also the most amazing person ever and really really helped me through a tough time this weekend, i really really appreciate you and everything you have done for me.


Train hard, stay strong people


Markus


RIP Greg

By popular request..

Well i finally got my hands on the (just before) finish line photo! Here i am sprinting for the win - woot! Enjoy

Me on the left in the K-Swiss gear and Nathan on the right

Stay classy and train hard

Markus

Winna winna chicken dinnaaaaa!

Haha what a fantastic title...

Well another pretty big week this week and i am chuffed. Monday i was still in the pain box pretty bad, but made it to the Monday morning swim and managed to put in 100%, i struggled but i got the k's in :). Johno and i managed a nice few easy running k's in the arvo - a nice and very much needed recovery run.

Tuesday morning and due to some impeding potentially dannnngerous weather conditions Andy and I decided to hit up a good little interval wind trainer set, good work. Tuesday arvo was the usual hills set with the training crew - however we were cut one hill short as the ridiculous amount rain was actually making it hard to see/run. Wednesday and thanks to discovering the greatest swimming aid in the world (the forearm fulcrum) i was able to FINALLY get a double set in!! Super super happy chappy, and felt good to get two swims in in one day. Thursday and i got in a quick ride to and from work with a run off the bike after. Bricks are the best form of training, love them.

Friday and it was my usual day off work - yayzers! Up early for a good swim and some gooddd brekky with seano and scotty. Andy and I had planned a big ride but once again the horrible weather got in the way - we decided to hit up a well over 2 hour windtrainer set, the only reason we survived was thanks to Kona 08 and Ironman NZ 08 (the dvd's) and each others company.

We then went off to grab some lunch and after visiting the travel agent, i hit up the podiatrist to get the low down on my foot problems. The good news being (to cut a long story short) all good and i am clear to train - woot!! Afterwards Andy and I booked our tickets to NZ to race in Jan! Then it was off to jess' for her 80's themed 21st bday. T'was a good night, with the highlights being the inappropriate use of an airhorn and hot cross buns with andy and paige using beer bottles. Good times. And happy birthday jess, hope you had a good one :)

Saturday and after a nice sleep in it was off to Wandi for another Peel road race (not before spotting how amazing andy and i looked in thie photo...ok maybe just me...). I was feeling a little flat but looking forward to a good hit out. Just before we started Nathan approached me and asked if i was interested to mix it up with a bit of an attempt at a break early on. All ways keen to make myself and more so other people suffer i jumped at the opportunity.

We rolled out at 2pm and for 6 x 9k laps, it was windy as and the wandi course was quite undulating. On the start of lap 2 Nathan and I broke, we successfully got away, but wow, i blew up big time. We were eventually caught a few minutes later and i was suffering big time. I was honestly hurting so bad and was really struggling to hang onto the back of the group. I was really considering dropping out, but wow i am glad i didn't. At the end of lap 2 i was back onto the back of the pack when Nathan approached me again - "lets break again". Great i though, but was keen to at least help him out. The start of lap three and we broke again. This time with a third person, and this time it stuck.

The whole third lap we were working so hard, and just keeping the pack at bay. Then we got out of sight and broke them. However we didn't let up and continued to work, rolling through continuously for 4 laps. The way we were working was the best i have ever worked with anyone riding ever. We were all working equally and not letting up, it was awesome. By the end of the final lap, we had built up an uncatchable lead. I was gone and was just so so happy to have built up such a big lead. With about 300 meters to go the third person that broke with us lead Nathan and I out and let us sprint it out. Like i said i was gone and thought Nathan would have it but somehow i managed to find some sprint legs and get up and beat him!! I was super super happy and proud as we'd all done and equal amount of work so any of us deserved the win.

Afterwards i was toast but managed to make the drive up to Jarrahdale and head out for a short 4k run "off the (delayed) bike". Was nice but i was glad i got it done, because to use a phrase from last week, i was in the box, again haha. The rest of the night was filled with a couple of beers, some nice dinner, an intenseeee game of battle ships and a relaxing night on the couch :)

After a great "wake-up call" from paigey (a shove in the back and being dragged off the bed) i was up and ready for a nice cruisy 12k run through the Jarrahdale forrest with Todd, Elyse and Paige. Was a good run and a nice easy pace. The rest of the day was spent at Jarrahdale and then Murdoch open day with Paige...and me being an extremely tired sore little b*tch. Haha oh dear mark, how sad.

Well overall a really good week of training and other happenings. I am feeling good and looking forward to another week of tough training and my first proper running hit out for the season next sunday with the City to Surf Half Marathon on the weekend. Can't wait.

Keep training hard and stay happy people. I certainly am. :)

Cheers, markus.

in the box...

I am in the box, deep deep in the box, tough week!

After thursdays nice little windtrainer set with big t, it was up early friday morning for the usual friday swim, boy did i swim cr*p!! Gah i could not get going and felt like i was swimming like a sack of...bricks.. I still managed to get through the set but i was glad to be out of the pool. The rest of the day was taken up with personal happenings, so unfortunetly i didn't have time for another session.

Saturday morning and it was up early to the new Perry Lakes stadium for TEP running time trials. I picked up paige and she was pretty nervous, i was trying to tell her not to worry and it would be fine, that view all went to poo when i saw mike and kenji run past the car, immediately i became about 10 times more nervous and i was eating my words :/ (sorry paige).

We had a good warm up with some easy/hard laps and some run throughs. Brian and i decided i would run the 5k tt and if i felt good continue on for the 10k. We were off and we ran through the first k at under 3 minute pace..ekk. I quickly realised this and settled into a more reasonable pace (3.30's). With one k to go i quickly realised that i wasn't going to be able to crack the required pace for the 10, so with the help of craig i put the hammer down on the last two laps. I was hurting bigtime, but managed to cross the line with a 17.03. I was super psyched considering the real lack of running over the past couple of months. I was well under 3.30 pace and was super psyched.

After a couple of ice-cream sandwiches and a nap, i was off to Jarrahdale yay! :) Got there mid arvo, and paige, grace, todd and i were of on the mountain bikes for a good spin. Was a lot of fun, but mountain bike riding really makes me appreciate how easy road riding is haha. After having a nice feed and maybe a couple of beers, it was off for another night trek through the jarrahdale forest, where and owl and about 6 billion kangaroo's were spotted, good times with Paigey :D

Bam, up at 6.30am Sunday morning and Bruce and i had decided to ride from Jarrahdale to Rockingham to meet up with the training crew, for a 14k hill/beach run and ride back...heapppsss good idea :/

We got there a little early so decided to ride an old race route, and consequently got lost, but got back in time to start the run. I set off pretty quick and was quickly joined by clarky for a couple of k, we had a good chat, but i then lifted the pace to sub 4 mins k's and quickly found my self on my own. I ran the 14k super fast and felt real good, about the worst thing was my decision to jump in the ocean afterwards to cool down...oh my god it was cold, but good for the muscles! We popped of to dome afterwards and i filled myself up in prep for the ride home. Clarky and Clarky kept offering to give me a lift back to Jarrahdale but i was confident to ride home.

My god, what a mistake, 60k of pure headwind. Down Thomas and onto the freeway, but it got killer when i got onto Mundijong Road. I am seriously going to incorporate this road into my training over the next few weeks, there is no, hiding from the surface or the elements. I really suffered out there today and the worst part was the 9k climb to jarrahdale to finish. I was gone and was just spinning like a granny.

I was suffering, and with about 100 meters to go to "the shack" i saw a car pull up next to me...it was clarky!! She had driven the whole way home, seen the conditions, seen how hard i had run and driven all the way from theirs to Jarrahdale. I was so taken back by this and made me realise how lucky i am to have people like this. All she could say was sorry sorry sorry! for not making it in time and all i could say was thankyou thankyou thankyou for trying!! I was so happy that she did this and it ment so much to me. We chatted for close to an hour out the front of the house before i finally got the energy to jump in the car and drive home, not with out thanking her a million times again, you rock clarky :)

Just before leaving i also found the best note on my car that put a smile on my face the whole way home :) :)

Well, that brings us to now. Deep deep inside this box i am currently sitting. Happy as though, not only from the training but from the people that make everything, well, a sh*tload better :)

Looking forward to another tough week of training, hope everyone else is too :)

See you around, maybe?? :/

Marky Mark

mid week update!

Well its thursday night, boy i love finishing work on a thursday. :) Training training training!!!

Quick update, Monday good swim :) followed by a 5 k run, with some more foot pain :/ tuesday it was on the bike for the river loop then into work. In the arvo it was off to running for more hills! Less foot pain tuesday, but i was still cautious. Wednesday was a rest day and it was niceeee to get a sleep in. Wednesday night and i was off to the Raffles with the boys for a good night, well all most a good night untill someone ruined it...ahh well can't win 'em all, it was 90% good :)

Thursday night - tonight! Windtrainer set with Andy! Photos attached :)

Warming up with a bit of a chat

Big T getting into the swing of things

Pushing the pace!!

Overall a good little set, looking forward to 3 days of training training!

More updates soon, stay classy!

Markus

cycle-aing-ing-ing...ing

Found a few pic's from the weekend just gone, the Serpentine Road Race, run by Peel Cycling club. As i said in my previous Blog, i worked bloody hard in this race, it was tough as bro! But really satisfying/painful/enjoyable (i'm not sure that anyone has really combined those words before...). Have a peek.


Oh yea i am the one in the K-Swiss gear.. (front left)


Trying to push the pace (above a 39kph average) to drop the leaches...

"live your dream"...

And it's Sunday again, and well, as usual, tomorrow i am back to work :/

Another interesting week of, well you guessed it, ups and downs haha. Wednesday and it was at the pools for another morning swim, another close to 4k and a nice "t-shirt set". These are coming way to common with Brian but they sure are building strength!! Tough tough! Wednesday arvo was off as i was still letting my feet recover. Thursday morning i was up early for a quick wind trainer set - wow, jumping on the wind trainer is just SO unmotivating sometimes, or is that just me.. Thursday arvo i finally got an easy run in, with Paigey around the river. It was only something like 4k, but it was good with barely any foot pain. However i still felt as though my feet are on a tender edge so I'm not getting to excited.

Fortunately i was treated to a nice dinner there afterwards which topped of my night :) Friday morning was a nervous morning for me. I had a swimming tt for the TEP development squad. 1.5k in 19 mins, i was pretty fricken nervous to say the least and got there pretty early to get in a really goood warm up in.

I was off and the tt was a shock. I had never done any real serious swimming tt's before to be honest and for a 1.5k to be my first far out! Tough as bro!! Finally i touched the wall....GAH just short by seconds!!!

I'm not going to lie, i was pretty devo. Especially being so close. But Brian was really happy, saying that we hadn't trained for it (anything specific) and i considering how early i was in my build he was really happy that i had gotten so close, that changed my out look a little, but i was still pretty p*ssed during my warm down. Just my high expectations. Afterwards i had a good catch up brekky with Johno at a schweet little cafe down the road, was good to see him after be abroad for so long!!

We ended up meeting a few hours later for a nice easy 50k on the bike, up the freeway and around Kings Park and home. Was a good little warm up for Saturday. Friday night was topped off with a real nice night out with Paigey - dinner and a movie :) (where the guy behind us actually fell asleep during Inception - oh the irony).

Saturdays road race was killer, i mean i don't know how they keep getting harder and harder but they just do. It was back at the Serpentine course again and 7 x 9k loops. The pace went out stupidly hard, and honestly honestly didn't stop. I worked so so bloody hard during the whole race, and finished at the back of the main pack, which dwindled down to about 7 or 8 at the end. It was really satisfying at the end as i had a lot of people coming up to me saying how impressed they were with the amount of work i was doing during the race and the high intensity i kept. Made me feel real good, although i am there for training so it doesn't really bother me, but it is good now and then to hear people talking positively. I was so gone after the race and considered going straight to bed afterwards but it was off to the airport to pick up lisa and andy from their 10 week Europe adventure! Was very glad to have them back :) after picking them up and taking them home, i was off to a party with Paigey for a good night :)

Sunday morning and it was off for a brew ride with Big T!! About 10 weeks overdue! It was pretty cruisy and really good to catch up with the big fella!

Overall another pretty good ish week. But i am continuing to think positive :) and it's working for me. Tomorrow starts a TOUGH 3 week block, 1 week easy, another killer 3 weeks and taper then GC race!! :)

Something that really made my week was a gift i got from Lisa and Andy, a small bracelet from Europe, inscribed on it is "live your dream..."

A bracelet i think i'll be wearing for a while now, and who's mantra i will be following :)

I encourage all to follow that and continue to think positive. See you 'round the training track

Markusss

Another week of ups and downs

Well another week another late blog, this will be short and sweet.

A full week of swimming, finally and i'm really getting some good speed and technique back. Problem with swimming is it takes so bloody long tp progress! blergh but i am getting there! :)

Riding during the week suffered a little bit but i made up for it on the weekend. Killer killer road race on Saturday, back into B grade and it was a bloody tough! Ended up 4th overall chasing down the pack of three solo-er's to the line, was a really tough but a really good training set :). Sunday i had a 20k tt, down at Wandi. Seano and i met up rode there and hit it out. I wanted to average over 40kph, but just missed out 39 point something. Had to be happy though considering the effort i had put in on Saturday.

I had a couple of nice runs including and absolute smash-fest with seano on thurs midday, 10 x 1k repeats, i ended up doing them on 3.40's with seano hitting them up on 3.50's was toughhhh but so awesome. Unfortunately foot pain returned on Friday - in my fricken opposite foot, exact same spot and pain as the previous pain i was having. So i haven't been running since :/ just gotta be patient but the GC is getting closer and closer. I am confident though

Monday was back into the pool and a couple of beers in the arvo with one of my best mates Nips in the arvo, so good. Tuesday was a nice river ride in the morning, and some hill work on the bike in the arvo, so getting there gettingggg there.

Time to really start building and I'm pretty happy where i am headed :)

Keep smiling, keep happy, keep training, keep positive, keep it up right, keep doing what you want to do, keep it real

Oh and i have a new girlfriend, she's very pretty and she keeps me smiling :P

See you out there

mark ussssss

lying in my bed..

As i sit here lying in my bed, the same 'phrase' keeps running through my head, "life's too short".

Haha and you know what? For once i am right!! Life is too short. It seemed to be the topic of my last blog, so at the risk of repeating my self... (whoops to late).

Live life, woot! Tomorrow i will update with a training related blog, the week (just gone) started well, but yay! Another foot - running preventing - injury, super happy....*sarcasm*. But hey that's ok, a chance to continue to pick my riding and swimming up :)

I am really happy now, i am surrounded by an awesome group of friends, an amazing family, an amazing group of training people (young and older - but hey age doesn't matter) and an amazing girl :)

Seriously what else could i ask for?? Perhaps to be back in the mysterious and majestic cleared paddock of Jarrahdale - maybe, but for now I'm happy with what i have. Knowing new opportunities will prevent themselves. Can't let negative people bring yo down!!

:)

Update tomorrow, for now - stay classy, and remember..

"champions seize their moments"

(i think this can apply to any part of life...)

markus..