Five Peaks

Black Mountain, Mt Stromlo, Red Hill, Mt Pleasure and Mt Ainslie.

My small chain ring isn't very small and Mt Ainslie is steep enough for the department of road security (or whatever they might be called) to put up warning signs. Descending in the rain is also interesting.

My plan for a long flat ride was replaced by a moderate length (78 km) hilly as it gets ride. For one simple reason - I wanted company and the peleton was going this way ...

After coming back from swimming in the lane and chlorine free pool, aka the ocean and running on unknown windy island roads I am now back to turning every 50 m and running around the all but crystal clear Lake Burley Griffith. I am also off the pizza and tiramisu diet. Eight weeks to go. With less hours in the office and no travels booked in it will be easier to stick to the program, making sure that the performance on dec 6th will be one I can be proud of.

Nicolas is currently driving from Alice Springs to Darwin with his parents. And his bike. The ride from Kata Tjuta to Uluru was a nice one. The run around the Rock however was a disaster. His knees are far from ok. A new doctors appointment and a scan is awaiting when he returns next week. If there is anyone out there saying prayers, please include Nico's knees and the hope that whatever is wrong will be fixable.

Today's swim

Not complaining about the Civic pool or Lake Burely Griffin, but ...

Tourism and training

Being social and a tourist isn't the ideal combination. But hey, life is more than just an Ironman. Right?

In between watching whales, laying on the beach, trying new coffees in Jervis Bay and socialising with our prominent french guests we have at least been able to fit in 120 km on the bike and a modest 30 min run.

Not to worried about the running though. Next week will be a bikeless one in New Caledonia. I intend to run daily. Long.

A better week

Tuesday: long morning run in Red Hill (no kangaroos!)

Wednesday: 55 km ride

Thursday: 2.9 km swim with the Bilbys (can definitely feel that one in my shoulders today)

Friday: cruise run around the lake

The intention was to go for a ride this morning but yesterdays restaurant visit was telling me otherwise when the alarm sounded at 5 this morning. Maybe it was just the one kg of melted butter in my risotto, maybe the bastards used chicken stock in their vegetarian dish ... Still not completely recovered.

Nico was running on land today and his knees seem to hold up pretty well. Good.

Not sure that we are doing as much as we should right now. But I do think we are moving in the right direction.

More arms end less legs?

2.5 km in the pool this morning. 200 m pool buoy/200 m pool buoy with rubber band (aka bicycle tube) around the ankles, times ten plus warm up and cool down. Thats the training for today. Need to grow some shoulders. And arms.

I tried Nico's new super training watch this weekend. GPS, heart rate, speed, distance, altitude, cadance (when you're on the bike that is) calories and probably liters of sweat loss calculation - I just didn't find the button for it. And of course you can sync it with google earth to know exactly where you got lost ... I think I need one too. Really.

Nico was actually running on the ground on Sunday. His knees were not impressed. Hopefully he will get his finger out and go to see a specialist soon before he becomes a duathlete.

I tried to buy a pair of really cool pants in Sydney. My calves told me to get out of that change room and to stick to lycra and other stretchy materials.

It's about time

Next week. Next week I will get with the program. The program that will rule my life until the 5th December.

I went from not doing much at all for about a week to cramming in a run, a swim, a ride and a second swim Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday this week. Today I am back to doing nothing ... Going to Sydney for the weekend (picking up Nicola's parents arriving from France) so there won't be any riding until next week. Hopefully i will be able to do a long run. Need it - for body and mind ...

Heja Sverige

Surrounded by fit people in lycra I am nursing a biscuit addiction that may prove hard to shake. This week my training consists more of piling paper coffee cups on top of each other than swimming running or riding.

The 30-40 min ride I do most mornings and evenings keep me relatively sane. A ride in the dark after a 12 h shift has a cleansing effect of the mind.

Tomorrow morning I will try to fit in a reasonable long run (more than the 10 min on the Stromlo track I had so far this week). Running is an essential part of my well being. I can feel my nerves starting to twitch. Need. To. Run. Now.

Nico met the Swedish team when he was riding up Mt Ainslie two days ago. They are a small but quite strong team. One silver medal in the women under 23 XC, a fourth place in the XC team relay and a fifth in the men juniors XC. So far.