Lessons from the Great Brisbane to Mt Coot-tha Bike Ride

Sunday 21st March 2010
(Photo of riders exiting Clem 7 tunnel - not me)

There’s no doubt about it— riding hills is totally different from riding the flats. After completing today’s 80km Brisbane Mt Coot-tha Bike Challenge I have a whole new level of respect of all the Kings of the Mountain/s. I struggled through 4 hours of grinding myself uphills, then scaring myself going down. I’ve learnt hill riding is hard and it requires a different riding style, a definite mental approach and different strength and fitness.

Lance Armstrong’s ability to crush the opposition via a sustained high cadence of pedalling (for him, over 110 spins per minute) comes at a high cost to the body, and is only suitable for people with the specific DNA for the task. That’s not me. However, I know it is possible for mere mortals like me to climb hills effectively. And although I’ll never be fast uphill there is much I can do to make the hills an enjoyable challenge. I know this because today’s challenge was not fun, it was just hard- but with the right training I reckon it could be fun AND challenging.

It should have been fun. The day started at Southbank Cultural Precinct with a few thousand other riders watching the sun come up over the Brisbane River/ Brisbane City on a beautiful autumn Sunday morning in the sub-tropical capital city. A cyclone to the north had sucked all the inclement weather away and the day was clear, cool and perfect for riding.

The organisation was brilliant- event staff, police and volunteers were stationed throughout the whole route to provide an enjoyable and very safe ride and from what I saw, the event flowed beautifully.

From 6.30am onwards we were released from the starting gate in groups, in order of our riding speed. My group – the 20-25kph average riding speed- was the largest and the first few minutes were a bit hairy until we had a chance to spread out and ride at our natural pace.

After winding our way through the inner city, we turned suddenly onto a freeway and rode into and then through the newly opened Clem 7 tunnel, Australia’s longest road tunnel, under the Brisbane River. It’s a very rare occasion for the authorities to close the tunnel for cyclists so we were very lucky.

Well, kinda lucky..... If you get the chance to ride it, no doubt you will have great fun. But be aware, it’s hot and humid, it’s smelly and it’s long. There’s an awesome, fast downhill entrance into the tunnel followed by a long flat and then, inevitably, a long slow climb out. Bugger! And then there is an even longer and slower steep overpass that takes you onto a suburban highway that leads you up and over a series of rolling hills and into the entrance to Mt. Coot-tha. So the tunnel ride is a fast buzz that is paid for by multiple steep slow hard hills. Worth it! but only just :-) lol.

Mt Coot-tha is the tallest hill in the Brisbane area, with a 2.35km 9degree constant incline. I walked part of the way as my mind told me I wasn’t able to ride it. In hindsight, if I’d been more mentally resilient I probably would have made it, I was just impatient and did not have enough confidence in my ability and capacities. I will learn from this, and I’m sure I will be able to ride the whole way next time. (I’ll try again in a couple of months, just for fun). Interestingly, my hiking fitness is such that even when pushing the bike uphill I was still walking fast enough to overtake quite a few slow riders.

At the top there are a series of small rolling hills that are a surprise (more up hills damn it) and then there is a long downhill run starting at the City Lookout. With the road closed to all traffic it’s possible to ride safely fast although I rode the brakes all the way down. Again, my lack of confidence on the road bike came through- I’m sure I would have gone faster on the MTB with its wider wheels. Still I was hitting speeds of 60kph so parts were fast!

Finally I was at the bottom of Mt Coot-tha so I could relax and enjoy an easy 50km ride back to the start.

Nope. A good ride back but certainly not easy. Brisbane is built on a river (the Brisbane River) and today’s course meandered through the river suburbs, or more accurately up and down the river suburbs. It was fun having a full police and volunteer support through the streets (much safer) and it was great seeing the varying Brisbane home architecture- including awesome Queenslanders AND it was fun going through suburbs I’d only heard of. But what was not fun was the constant grind up hills for four hours. Why are the up hills so much longer than down? Why have I not trained for this?

Actually I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Not fun, but enjoyable. Although I was slow, and walked a bit, I realised I was much fitter than last year, and my riding skills have improved immeasurably. With one ride under my belt, and a bit more specific training I will be better next year.

I’m glad I did the ride, I saw lots, experienced the Clem 7 tunnel on bike and saw a great Brisbane sunrise. I enjoyed the full ride- even Mt Coot-tha and all the other hills, and I learnt a lot about hills and my current fitness level.

So all up, a very good day out. I'm looking forward to putting the lessons I learnt into practice and doing it much better next year. I'm also looking forward to boringeveryone I know with tales of the Mt Coot=tha Challenge of 2010. Be warned! lol.

More later, journey on
James




Word Count = 942

Good Motivation

Written Friday 19th March

Today was supposed to be an ‘easy’ day to get ready for Sunday’s Brisbane Bike Ride. I woke up with a head full of sinus so I walked the hills and felt much better. I stuck to my plan and resisted the urge to run home, and just enjoyed a brisk morning walk. I spent a few hours in town with Shirl, including a big lunch of veal scaloppini and when I got home I had a nice sleep on the lounge. Quite a deep sleep that lasted about an hour – a result of too big a lunch, I think; big meals sap your energy, as the stomach demands lots of energy to process the food that’s just sitting there.

Anyway when I woke up I was really sleepy, hot and sweaty and cranky. Everything was annoying me and I thought about cancelling the planned afternoon stepper session and continue to ‘lounge on the lounge’. Eventually I realised I would probably feel better after a hard gym session. It was a little hard to convince myself but eventually I got up and got dressed.

So I went to the gym, did a really hard workout and felt much better afterwards. My instincts were right and I must remember this- If I feel cranky or out of sorts, go for a hard session, and my attitude will improve.

Two other things occurred to me during this session =

I thought I was working hard on the stepper at a steady pace on Level 10 until some-one got on the stepper beside me and went faster than me, so I went faster to keep up. I ran out of breath but I realised I wasn’t working hard enough. In future I need to go faster, at least for part of the session (ie interval training)- find my threshold level at least once each session, and spend most of the session in Zone 2 (slightly breathless)

The other thing that came to mind was the idea of ‘just do it’ – when feeling unmotivated, just go do the session even if it’s not as hard as planned. When base training, it’s better to do something than nothing- the key is consistency. What’s more, when you are out there doing your session, what starts out as easy quickly reverts to the usual intensity. (This happens with my weight sessions regularly)
I’ll be interested to see how today’s session affects Sunday’s ride – my plan was to have an easy day of exercise but I think I went harder than I should have. Never mind, some good lessons were learnt so I’m happy with the results.

More later, journey on
James




Word Count - 439

Country Bike Ride- Oakey

Written Sunday 21st February 2010









A most enjoyable day.

One of the great benefits of this adventure is the way my employment and my dreams can work together. My dream is to travel to places all over Australia for my work, and while there, to enjoy a training run or ride. I've already done this in many places and I love the variety it adds to my training. I also love what I get to see and do. If life is a combination of experiences then I've led a full life! The opportunity to travel through some magnificent country inspires and energises me and I am constantly looking forward to, and planning, the next 'event'. I've run through the canefields in Childers, the arid zones of Charleville, ran to the top of Castle Hill in Townsville, hiked around Dove Lake in Tasmania and ridden the back roads of NSW, NT, the country roads of the Biloela valley and ridden the steep hills and gorgeous scenery of East Coast Tasmania. I'm a lucky man. And there's more to come!

Today I had another opportunity. I'm delivering two days corporate training at a minesite in Oakey in country Queensland tomorrow and Tuesday so I drove to the town earlier today. I took the bike and enjoyed a lovely ride around the outskirts of this small mining town in the western foothills of the Great Dividing Range. I could have gone for my usual Sunday morning ride around home but why not spread my winds a bit?

Beautiful countryside after recent rain, with not much dust and plenty of great rural scenes to enjoy. The town is in a small valley on the west of the mountains so the roads either look over a huge flattish plains towards Dalby, the Darling Downs to the south or back towards the mountains in the East and the North. Its cattle and farming country so lots of farms, gum trees, country fences and ploughed fields providing patchwork vistas.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, quiet, with a nice air temp and not much breeze. Well, at least for some of the time.... At one stage I was 'flying' down a country road, the slight uphills were not trouble, the view magnificent, and the downhills fast. Boy was I flying, must be getting really fit. Eventually I decided I'd gone far enough so I turned around to come home.... and hit a solid headwind. Where did that come from? Explains why it was so easy going out- I'd been getting the free ride from the wind. Bugger!

So the ride back was not so fast but it was still good, and the whole experience was invigorating. There's nothing quite like being on a quiet country road with just the sound of the bike and the occasional half-awake bovine to keep you company. Sounds corny, but the wind in your hair (?- helmut??), the sun on your face, the wide open spaces- they make for a very special ride. Inspirational. Mother Earth rocks!

Got back to town, and still feeling inspired, I rode around and checked out the homes and other points of interest. An old town, a small town and a specific purpose town (accommodation for the mine, a nearby military helicopter base and a power station) so not much to see but still- an interesting and different way to spend a Sunday afternoon training. Fully pumped by the time I got back to the motel.

Dinner in the nearby pub afterwards - a excellently cooked locally grown steak with soggy steamed veges. After a great ride, everything tastes great.

The ‘Improbable Dream’ adventure is not just about completing challenging events to prove my fitness to myself and to find myself through difficulties. It’s also about enjoying myself as much as possible. Days like today are highlights of the journey. I love them, they make me feel alive, close to nature and inspired. To use a much used cliche, they are truly 'AWESOME!!!!!'.

More later, journey on.....
James




Word Count – 661

On the way to the first major goal

Written at 20th February 2010

I‘m happy. Today I did a half marathon on the treadmill within the required time of 3hours. It’s a start – still a long way to go but it’s a start. And it’s a good feeling.

Surprisingly it’s not as boring as I expected. The gym’s got new gear so it’s possible to watch TV – both cable and commercial- and to also keep yourself amused by checking heart rate etc. My interest changed a bit over the three hours. Sometimes I listened to the news on Sky Channel, at other times to triathlete podcasts or music on my i-pod. But after a while, when the going got tough I tuned out and went inside my body and my own head. Tried not to think too much, just tried to find a meditative zone. I repeated my usual mantra; one word for each footfall - ‘relaxed, smooth, every- step-counts’ and just tried to get into an unstoppable body and mind set. It didn’t work but it was interesting trying. I’m sure I’ll get better with more practice.

Towards the end of the 3 hours I again found out how the body can achieve a lot more than we realise. For a while I was thinking about stopping at 2 hours, then 2 1/2 hours. I actually found all sorts of crazy reasons to stop, including the most ridiculous- I really really really have to get to my mother-in-law’s for morning tea. Bloody hell, my mind can create some weird thoughts when it thinks it’s tired. On reflection, I probably should have re-fuelled at this stage; perhaps a carb gel would have made me feel different.

Found my second wind when I realised I was not far off 21kms. And that’s the thing –I got worried I wouldn’t get to 21ks in the regulation 3 hours so I pushed the kph up to 8kph and finished the sessions really strongly. Much stronger than 15 minutes earlier. At the 2 ½ hour mark I thought I was done, and then I found a new source of go-juice within me. Go figure!

It’s all in my mind. After thinking about quitting, my mind found a new way to frame the challenge then found a whole lot of new energy within. So once again I learnt the body can do a lot more than the mind thinks it can. (Training Principle #3) A very interesting and satisfying session.

I also think there’s some things I should learn about what I need to do to get stronger and fitter. Now that I know I can do the distance within the regulation time, I need to get more consistency to my run/walk training (a combination of short and hard, and long and slow) and also more speed (increase my total running time using fartlek concepts). After that, I’ll have to bring on hill work to increase my aerobic capacity and my ability to complete a half marathon in road conditions.

In short, my plan for improving my fitness for the half marathon needs to include –
• Short regular runs to build running aerobic fitness – eg. plan to run every day, using fartlek concepts ie some running some walking over 2.5ks then 5ks until I can run the whole distance fast.
• Regular long workouts on the treadmill again using fartlek principles to improve speed over the distance; probably one long session each week.
• Do some hill work occasionally to start preparing my body for real life road half-marathon
• Occasionally get outside and do the distance in ‘real life’
• Work out how to fuel my body properly over 3 hours.

Lots to do, and as always, lots to learn

More later, journey on
James





Word count - 611

Weight Training Plan starts to show results

Written 16th February 2010

My new weight training regime is working well. Initially I was doing low weights and high reps with the goal of just getting my body used to the resistance training. Now I’ve moved into a more ‘Body for Life’ process –

• a warm up set of reasonable weight 12-15 reps
• a middle set of high weights 8-12 reps at maximum effort then
• a third set of a weight that is currently too heavy- its my aspirational set, designed to shock my muscles into growth. This last set is often only a couple of reps or even ½ reps but involves an all out ‘exhausting’ effort. It feels great every time!

I’ve been increasing the weights for each set quite quickly over the last few weeks and it’s starting to show results, on paper and when I look in the mirror.

The other thing is I’ve been nice to myself. My commitment to my Weight Training program is to go and do a session even if I don’t feel like it. I’ve written previously that I will do a set even if it’s not a hard one – If I’m tired and unmotivated, I do an easy session just so I stick to my commitment.

This is working- I’ve completed my sessions regularly and even the ones where I don’t feel like doing them usually ends up being a good session once I start. Once I get into it, it feels a bit silly to waste my time on a soft session so I generally end up going quite hard.

I’m sure it will be a while before I start seeing really good results from my weight training, but I’ve started – and I’m pleased.

More later, journey on...
James

Word Count - 284

Struggling to get my weight down

Written 16th February 2010

One area that still needs work is my Diet and Daily ‘Fuel’ Intake. Today was my usual weigh-in day and the result was not good – I’ve put on 0.4kg in a week. Admittedly it was the Easy Week but it’s still annoying. It is taking forever to get my weight down to the target 83kgs even though I’m sure my overall plan is working. With a week of home cooking and lots of exercise I’m sure I will lose the extra weight this week.

But I think I need to be a bit smarter about it all. In particular, I need to think about ‘Cause and Effect’. Lots of issues come to mind but one that highlights what I am talking about is; what effect does my lunch consumption have on my day. i.e. what am I doing at lunch (cause) that results in me being so hungry at 4pm (effect). Am I not eating enough at lunch or am I eating the wrong stuff? So I need to not only think about what I am eating at 4pm but also at 12.00. And this Cause and Effect thinking is a key part of every meal. Is my overall eating plan ‘adding up’ to success throughout the whole day. I don’t know the answer but it is something to think about and resolve.

A couple of high level thoughts that I need to remember –
• Weight loss comes from daily calories expended exceeding calories consumed.
• Protein fills you up
• Good Carbs give you energy
• Avoid empty calories
• Delete trans fats from the diet totally
• Small portion sizes, regularly consumed is the key

Perhaps lunch should contain more protein and a whole heap of salad or veges. Maybe I need more of a ‘meal’ at lunchtime? Certainly all exercise sessions should be high energy to consume calories.

As I say, something to think about. A lunch meal is worth a try, I think.

My main approach to food remains ‘Paleo’ – Raw and Small. (Raw means close to the source i.e. very little processing between the food growing and being consumed. It doesn’t mean it can’t be cooked!!).

More later, journey on...
James




Word Count - 360

Motivation brings success

Written 16th February 2010

Today’s Exercise notes - Great two hour non-stop steady treadmill. Completed the time with a total distance of 15kms for an average of 7.5kph. This is pretty much the minimum average kph for the 1/2 marathon so a pleasing result with room for immediate improvement.

A very enjoyable journey today. I love this challenge!

I woke up realising I had a time trial ahead of me; how far can I ‘walk’ in two hours on a treadmill. My plan was to set a high average pace and do my best to maintain that pace over 120 minutes.

I was excited about this..... and then it got even better! Over a great breakfast of muesli, seeds and yoghurt I watched some You Tubes of endurance races in the UK. By the time I got to the gym I was visualising myself completing them, and I was ready for anything. Endurance James was ready to cut loose.

It worked. During the two hours on the treadmill I visualised various mountain courses, and this helped me to power through the hard parts.The distance covered is my best 'fast walking' distance so far.

It worked so well it’s now a tactic I might employ often; from what I can see, there are lots of videos on You Tube to watch over brekkie. Hopefully I will find them equally motivating. I have a lot of improvement required in my running and cycling so any help will be most welcome, especially in my motivation during the coming cold winter months.

Anyway it was great fun ‘seeing’ myself powering up and down the mountains of Europe and then it was fun enjoying the results of the workout. I feel confident my times and distances will improve quickly so overall, a most enjoyable journey today.

More later, journey on...
James




Word Count - 283

Thoughts on Motivation and Physical Strength

Written 14th February 2010

What an usual week; It was an 'Easy Week' of exercise; I prepared for and participated in an important work-related phone interview for a potential large contract that will be life-altering if I get it; and we had a wonderfully relaxing surfing weekend away. Certainly a different week from normal.

Anyway, it all combined to give me plenty of time to reflect on the journey so far. And I can tell you - It's been a rollercoaster ride.

With no training to eat up the daily hours, I started the week by driving to the Mt Coot-tha Lookout overlooking Brisbane to suss out the upcoming Mt Coot-tha Bike Ride, an 80km bike ride around-the-city including a 2.3km 9% timed climb up to the Lookout and down again. It's a steep climb and it was quite depressing to realise how far my fitness still has to go. I saw lots of riders struggling on the way up (but getting there!) and a few coming down looking very much like 'real' bike riders. I doubt I could do it and that shocked me- I felt shattered to realise how far I have to go before I am at a starting point of endurance riding and other such events. All sorts of people ride and run this hill and I am a long way behind them; and that's after three months of consistent training. Bugger!

On the good side, our weekend surfing showed me how much fitter I have become. And when I weighed myself, I had lost more weight. All good.

Also on the positive side my motivation is high and I am committed to my goals. I have stuck to my new eating plan, I have trained consistently and I have worked hard ; All things to celebrate. I have to remember the small steps forward that I take and celebrate the small wins. I also have to realise my age, and my former life stlye are issues that will take time to overcome.

So, a roller coaster ride of emotions. On reflection, it's a straight forward case of being a long way from 'fit and strong' but closer than I was a month ago. So I need to maintain a positive attitude. As the Buddha says, a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.

This week its back to training so more 'small steps' each day/ session. I must stay positive, and believe all these small steps will eventually add up to a strong starting point for becoming an endurance athlete. I just need to be patient. And consistent.

Overall, when you add it all up, it's all good.

More later, journey on.....
James




Word Count - 395

A Weekend Away during Easy Week

Written 13th February 2010

My wife Shirl and I are in Caloundra, staying at a flat overlooking the surf beach, and we are having a ball. It’s been a great day.

We got up earlyish- about 6.00 – and took a long walk along the coast as the sun came up along Kings Beach. Took some photos, had a chat and a nice time. Afterwards had a body surf (sore arms after yesterday’s surf) then enjoyed a coffee at Happy Valley that seemed to me at the time to be the best coffee I’d ever tasted. We watched the surf, the boats and the early morning crowd while lazing over our brilliant coffees. OK, so perhaps I was just in a ridiculously good mood but who cares. It was a good coffee and a spectacular start to the day.

The day didn’t stop there....Back to the flat for a quick shower then down to the Kings Beach for an awesome breakfast of corn fritters, green tomatoes and creme freche. Yum. Brilliant. RAving about how good it is... Obviously still in a great mood but it does raise the question- Why is a damn good breakfast so rare??

Another long surf after brekkie, including catching some surprisingly good waves (for someone who hasn’t surfed for over a decade!) and showing off to Shirl who spent most of the time sitting on the beach, doing her 'beach babe' thing. It was good to realise how much fitter I am now. I still need more strength in my arms and my overall aerobic fitness needs more work but there’s no doubt I am fitter than before.

Another great meal for lunch, this time in the town square helped the day just get better – Fresh made tuna burger with fresh salad and a ice-cold Berry Smoothie, some easy company an a relaxed read of the local paper was great preperation for a lazy snooze back at the flat.

In the afternoon I went for a long easy walk along the riverfront and enjoyed the laid back coastal ambience and the spectacular views of the river and the mountains (it really is a gorgeous place) while cruising to some Marley regaggae on the i-pod. Everything was just great. I occasionally thought happily of my last few weeks of training and what I had achieved. The whole walk was relaxing and frankly, invigorating. Certainly a nice change from the usual long Saturday bike ride.

Sunset drinks on the balcony overlooking the surf, a walk along the beachfront and a chinese meal of Schezuan Prawns, Scallops, Pork Ribs and Duck for Chinese New Year 2010. I even broke the drought and had a few beers and a couple of glasses of wine. The company was great- our friends talked about their trip through China in the early ‘90s and made us laugh.

It was a wonderful night to finish off a great day of relaxing during my Easy Week. Best of all I lived the ‘Easy Week’ dream and this made me feel good about myself and my achievements to date– some good food but not too much, a lot of enjoyable and not taxing cross-training, a heap of relaxation and a bit of celebration. It seemed like just rewards for the hard work of recent weeks.

I reckon I should do more of this! Can’t wait for tomorrow.

More later, journey on
James



Word Count - 517

Learning to enjoy the Easy Week of training

Written 8th February 2010

After weeks of hard training, it’s a time to rest my body AND my mind. It’s time for A Week Off.

The base training phase is a time to push myself, a time to find new limits. This means it’s necessary to have a week off occasionally to rest and refresh. These so-called ‘Easy Weeks’ are also a good time to reflect on what I am trying to achieve and how I am going.

From what I’ve read, ‘Easy Weeks’ are important. As pro-triathlete John Hirsch says about training plans on his blog “We are a pool of gasoline and with a spark of motivation we can burn ourselves up pretty fast. I keep telling people to relax, be patient and let it come. Our fitness is thin this early on, and we often can’t do what we wish we could do…just yet.’ So we must let our body catch up every now and then. We need the body to relax, to rest, to rebuild and to refresh. A good week off training is critical to this process.

There are a few things to keep in mind during Easy Week. Firstly, any exercise
should be for fun only. No timed runs or rides, no demanding workouts, no scheduled commitments. The only exercise is relaxed cross-training, just for fun.

Secondly, with little exercise each day, the total food intake must be controlled- or even reduced- to ensure body weights doesn’t blow out. This is not the time for lots of food and drink. Some, yes – just not too much.

Despite this, it’s also important to find ways to ‘celebrate’ throughout the week. The best way to do this is to reflect and enjoy what has been achieved over the last few weeks, to reflect and enjoy the journey so far, and to just enjoy not having to exercise for a week. It’s time for fun, for rest, for doing different stuff from the normal regime. Yep, it’s party time.

More later. Journey on...
James



Word Count - 347

Training for the 1/2 Marathon in July

Written 7th February 2010

A key goal this year is to complete a half marathon. The cut off time for the 21kms is 3 hours. This is good news because I’ve walked this distance many times in around 3 hours so I am sure I can complete the challenge by fast-walking. But that’s not good enough- I have to train myself to run it.

I’ll have to do it in an organised way, and to build up slow and steady yet deliberately. My plan will have me peaking at just the right time for the Gold Coast Half Marathon in July. Like I did with the bike, I will have to run and walk lots of miles and be looking for constant improvement- consistent, constant improvement, patience but always pushing forward.

I have to be careful of my damaged knee so I think the gym is the best place to start. Hard fast bike riding will also help my breathing and my endurance. And the cross- trainer will take my legs and my lungs to new levels. I also need to add progressively longer road runs to my schedule.

This is not all. My other goals for this year include the 220km bike ride ‘Around in the Bay in a Day’ and a short triathlon in the Spring or Summer. So I need to do run training while still maintaining/ improving my bike fitness and also working on strengthening my core. Talk about the time management issues of distance athletes!

According to Triathlon and Cycling magazines and books, the fitness required for these goals is varied. Triathletes need aerobic endurance, explosive power (to respond to the needs of steep hills, normal demands of racing, big finishes etc) and core body strength. Also needed, especially for the long endurance events, is good body balance and coordination. And it’s important to think about the areas of the body that are most prone to injury during endurance training and events. These areas need to be strengthened not only to improve performance but also to minimise the risk of injury. This includes the core body, the back and the key muscles involved in running, swimming and cycling.

So I have to balance a whole range of training requirements – weights, fast bike, long bike, interval and fartlek runs, long hikes, Step Machine, Rest and Recovery and Diet. Quite a challenge.

Here’s my initial plan for managing all these requirements. As much as possible, I will train twice a day, with a day off on Fridays. I will also continue to work on losing the extra kilos I am carrying by aiming for a daily maximum of 8,500kilojules intake against two hours of hard exercise.

Mon – Fast Bike/ BRICK in morning then Weights in afternoon
Tues – Interval Run on treadmill in morning then Hills or cross trainer in afternoon
Wed – Long Bike then Weights in afternoon
Thurs – Interval Run and cross trainer in afternoon
Fri – Rest Day
Sat- Long Hike
Sun - Long Bike (or race where possible), Weights in afternoon

What a good plan.

More later, journey on...
James




Word Count - 500

Managing food and exercise at work

Written 2nd February 2010

Damn, a tougher day today after such a good start yesterday.

I now realise I must plan my food intake for the whole day, otherwise I end up eating crap. I work as a Corporate Trainer so there's lots of food provided on each work day; food like scones, jam and cream, fresh-made biscuits,sausage rolls etc etc. All the stuff my sweet tooth LOVES to eat.

I need to plan every food break, especially morning tea which is when I got the most hungry, and therefore tempted. I think the best thing to do is to take nuts and seeds to work, or maybe peanut butter sandwiches. Basically good stuff that's easy to eat and is as appealling as the yummy stuff at work.

I didn't do the hills this morning (as planned)because I was tired after yesterday's first day back. I was worried about falling asleep at work. It seems it will take some time to work out how to balance work, exercise and diet.

A tough day but lots of learning.

More later, journey on....
James



Word Count - 181

Mixing work and exercise

Written 1st February 2010

I'm very pleased with myself today. On my first day back at work I still managed to exercise twice- once before, then another great session after work.

I also resisted the standard 'corporate training' food and had a good day of calorie intake. It will be interestiing to see how the motivation holds up as the year progresses but it sure is a good start!

I also weighed myself today. More good news - now down to 92.6kgs (from 108). Still >7kgs to go but its going well. Plenty for me to be happy about.

More later, journey on...

James




Word Count - 95

The Trouble with Rest Days...

Written 31st January 2010

Lots of things on my mind today. Total rest days are like that- too much time on your hands. Its a forced rest. I’m off to work tomorrow after a few months off. For the last few months I’ve been focused on improving my fitness but now I have to turn my mind and energies to my ‘other’ passion. I’ve decided to rest all day today to ensure I am ready to earn a quid tomorrow.

So work is on my mind. I have to admit it’s a little hard to start thinking about anything other than exercise, diet, recovery, my goals etc. but alas, it has to happen. After all, it’s important to keep a good balance in life.

Actually I think this is a key aspect of being an endurance athlete. I need to keep a laser-like focus on my endurance goals while also keeping a good balance between work and exercise. Now that it’s time to go back to work it will be interesting to see how successful I am at balancing the different expectations. I’m sure this is a key part of the overall jigsaw of the life of an endurance athlete; not just the time management, tiredness and motivation aspects but also the ability to truly balance two competing goals. I will look forward to learning how this will work in my life. In Buddhist terms, I will need to be ‘mind-ful’ of my thoughts and actions to ensure I achieve a true balance. Should be fun!

Also on my mind is food. Daily Calorie Intake to be exact. When I don’t have scheduled exercise time in my day I tend to fill in the hours by eating more. But this is not good. On ‘normal’ days I have to be vigilant and focused on total calories consumed, and I need to be even more careful on days when I’m not burning them off. All this extra time makes it hard - especially when I go to the movies and get tempted by lots of yummies. (Thankfully I resisted!)

I saw the film ‘Invictus’ today and two great quotes struck me –
- I am master of my own destiny and
- I am master of my own soul.

Apparently it’s what Nelson Mandela kept in his mind when he was incarcerated for all those years. These thoughts have big implications for distance athletes, and therefore for me. These simple statements bring lots of thoughts, for example it says to me ‘if it is to be, it’s up to me’. It also says ... It’s all in my mind, it’s an attitude thing, no-one else can or will determine my fate, what I can conceive I can achieve etc etc. I know, I know there’s a heap of clichés here but I’m sure they will ‘all ring true’ when ‘the going gets tough’ Oops, can’t help myself, ‘I’m on a roll’. Enough, stop it. :-)

My thoughts also turned to my performance in my training lately. I’m still in a base training phase yet I can feel what’s happening. It’s obvious from my previous athletic attempts (or whatever they should be more accurately titled) and from my current performances that I will never be a world beater, even in my age group. But I need to ignore this and stay clear in my own mind of what I am doing – and it’s not to be a world beater.

This journey is a very personal journey, a voyage to experience life to the full, to find a better world through endurance, and to find the real me by pushing myself beyond my limits. It’s not about beating records, or beating anyone else. It’s about finding myself.

It’s easy to get side-tracked – and even de-motivated- when I compare my current performances with the racing times and achievements I read in magazines. I need to see those times as benchmarks only, and to focus on what’s important. That is, my physical, mental and spiritual strength, and the development of personal skills in each discipline.

So, far too much on my mind today. Good thoughts, yes- but I think I prefer the training days.

More later, journey on

James




Word Count - 697

Updated Training Plan 28 Jan 10

Written 28th January 2010

It started in January, and stopped in March! I was so inspired by my efforts in last year’s 100km Brisbane to the Gold Coast bike ride I started to put long ks on the bike to prepare for the annual 100km Glen Innes Mountain Sportif . Now that it’s less than a month away I know I have not done enough hill work to do it justice. So I’ve decided to forget it for now. Maybe next year.

Actually I think this is good because I am starting to worry I am not putting enough in to prepare myself for my major goal of the Gold Coast Half Marathon in July. I am still recovering from last year’s knee disaster so the truth of the matter is I am less ‘run-fit’ than this time last year. I can hike a long way but running is both slow and short.

What to do? Well firstly, I can’t lose what I’ve gained. I need to maintain my bike fitness by continuing the twice-a-week 90 minute fast ride/ BRICK sessions designed to improve my average kph. The numbers are straight forward – If I can average 30kph I will ride about 45kms in 90 minutes. I also need to continue to put plenty of long Ks in each week so I’ll have to put at least one long ride each week.

But I need to do more than just work at improving my bike average and logging long rides. I have to start putting some serious work into my running fitness, and I need to prepare my total body for the stresses I will be subjecting them to.

This can’t be a ‘hope and pray’ plan. I need to ensure I have specific targets that provide the base for the long term journey. Not sure what the targets are yet but these are the areas involved –

1. Bike riding - base training for ‘Around the Bay in a Day’ and future Triathlons. Maybe find another bike ride locally to complete and train towards it.
2. Weights – build an overall strong body using the ‘Body for Life’ system to guard against injury and to prepare for future swimming and kayaking requirements.
3. ½ Marathon Running – build leg strength, aerobic endurance, distance running technique. Again, maybe find a couple of local runs to complete – perhaps 10kers or something.

Every training session will have to address at least one of these issues. As well, I need to develop clear goals and a specific training plan.

The one question that remains is – how will the knee hold up?

Lots to think about.

More later, journey on....
James




Word Count - 464

A wannabe Endurance Athlete....

Written 25th January 2010

Today’s stats on bike riding – 55.52mins, 24.13kms, 25.9kph.

Thanks to my current work situation, I have regular days off during the week for the next couple of months so I’m very lucky – I get to live the life of a pro athlete for a bit longer. haha. Kind of true I guess.... really its just the way you look at it. :-)

One things for sure - At the moment I have the opportunity to exercise twice a day, relax and recuperate in between training sessions and spend the balance of the day learning how to fuel my body correctly. I am immensely thankful for this rare opportunity to build a solide base level of fitness without having to fit it in between heavy work commitments. I'm going to make sure I use this time wisely.

Today was a good day- A really fast bike session as part of a brick session then in the afternoon, a hard and honest weight session. A good food day too. How good do I feel!!!!

Today's results build on the hard work of the last few days so the plan seems to be coming togather - From what I can see from the stats and with how I feel it seems I am really am getting fitter and stronger, if ever so slowly. Still a long way to go but getting better.

Best of all, its nice to know I am using my time as a ‘pro-athlete’ wisely and effectively

More later, journey on....

James



Word Count - 193

More insights into the mind of an Endurance Athlete during ½ marathon hike

Written 23rd January 2010

Today I power-walked/ ran 21kms, the distance of a ½ marathon. Left home on a hot summer’s morning @ 5.30am to beat the heat and completed the course in a non-stop time of 2hrs 58mins, a very pleasing average of 7kph. I went from my home to Cleveland Point and back – an out-and- back, mainly flat course.

My goals for the sessions were –
1. Continue to prepare my body for 3 hours continuous exercise
2. Convince myself I could complete a half-marathon within the required time by power-walking (as my fall-back position during this year’s ½ marathon)
3. Get a starting point for my marathon training.

I achieved my goals and I was very happy with the outcome. I ran 5 minutes each ½ hour then walked the rest. Pace was up and down but this will improve as fitness increases. I’m also pleased how well the body pulled up – no problems at all! (note –very tired the next day after a hard week of continuous training)

The big lesson I learnt from this activity was once again about the mind- what some people say is the most important muscle. And I agree!.

So what did I learn?

Well firstly, everything is relative. When I first walked to Cleveland Pt it was a really long way. Now, after hiking 46kms twice recently, 21ks is just a training run. Lesson – To put distances into perspective, train for higher kilometres than the event; Convince the mind the distance is not an issue.

Secondly, pain is largely in the mind. During the run my knee hurt and, interestingly, for the first time ever, the pads on my feet hurt.( I guess this will happen as I run more Ks). I also felt very tired during the second hour. Yet when it was all over, my knees and pads felt fine and my body was not overly tired. So despite what my mind was telling me during the session, I had plenty left within me. Lesson – don’t listen to the mind when it tells me of minor irritations and discomforts or when it presents excuses disguised as pain. I should however, be aware of real pain. I think it’s a case of listening to my body and understand what it’s telling me.... and NOT listening to the bad voices in my head.

So today was a good day - some good lessons learnt, and one very pleasing training outcome achieved. I am happy.

More later, journey on.....
James




Word count - 432

Negative Splits on the bike/ The BRICKS continue

Written 22nd January 2010

A good, short yet fast road bike ride this morning, followed by a run. The ride was 30 minutes with the first 20 minutes very fast. At one stage my average was above 27kph and I had visions of finally getting to an average of 30kph one day. Rode hard around Wello Point and along the waterfront until just around the bend on the Keys, had a short breather up to ‘Woolies’, then home. Eventual average for the short course was a Personal Best of 25.8kph over 31 minutes.

A good place to start working on my overall average. One thing I need to do is think about ‘negative splits’. This is when the second half of the ride is faster than the first half. I also need to ride fast for 90 minutes, not just 31 minutes. Both issues are fitness related and will come in time if I continue to push myself hard over these short rides.

So from now on, for the fast bike session/ BRICK sessions I will leave nothing in ‘the tank’. Exhaust myself, to build speed and distance.

For the Fast Rides it will now always be a simple case of ‘Go hard, or go home!’

After the bike ride I made a quick transition to a new shirt, no cycling nixs and the right shoes then out the door to do the 4 Hills. This was great – ran freely off the bike for 2 minutes then power walked for 27 minutes (including bounding up the hills) then ran the 5 minutes to home. How powerful is that! Awesome effort, felt great!!

What’s more, another practice run of a BRICK session. A very powerful day although tired afterwards. An hour of high energy, sport–specific training. Good!

More later, journey on.....

James




Word Count - 287

When it comes to weight sessions, ‘just do it’.

Written 21st January 2010

First weight session for ages today, mainly due to a sore back last week. This is not good enough. At my age I need to be constantly strengthening my core and my other muscles to minimise the risk of injury and to provide a good physical base for achieving my goals. I also need to tighten everything up so it looks better, and doesn’t sag quite so much.

So I have to find a strategy to overcome my soft mind when it comes to weight sessions. Here’s what I will do.....

Every time I have a weight session scheduled, I will complete at least one full circuit, and I wont worry about the heaviness of the weights ..... that will be my only commitment to myself. I will physically go through the motions even if I don’t do anything hard or worthwhile, light weights are OK if I don’t feel like pushing myself.

This is not a great solution, but the mere effort of going to the gym and doing some weights will be enough to get me started. The fact I will allow a soft effort will eliminate whatever excuses my mind can devise for me to not go in the first place. It will become a habit and from there, I can start doing some good work on the weights.

So there you have it- no more excuses! Time to do some weights.

More later, journey on...

James





Word Count - 258

Mindful Thoughts on a 100km Bike Ride

Written 20th January 2010

Training Log 20/1 – Mountain bike, 99.72kms @ 20.6kph, 71rpm average- a long slow tough ride with poor fuel intake, including several unhelpful sugar highs. Some energy sapping sprints early in the ride. Very hot, physically draining. A dumb day of riding, but achieved the 100km goal.

This journey is as much about the mind as anything else. And today was a hard day in my mind.

The good news is I won, I beat my mind. Or perhaps more accurately, I didn’t let the bad voices in my head beat the good voices. Here’s what happened and what I learnt.....

After the social and emotional excitement of my birthday yesterday, I woke early with lots of doubts in my mind; all the usual – work, customers, money, whether I was ever going to get fit enough, and (of course)... should I go for my planned long ride. The last two were doubts encouraged by sore legs courtesy of yesterday’s BRICK training/ fast ride.

Anyway I had a coffee in bed with Shirl then talked myself into going for the ride. All this procrastination meant I went for the ride without a decent breakfast (just an apple and a coffee). It also meant I started out with two thoughts in my mind; one, I’m scheduled to do 100ks today and two, I may only go for a short while, we’ll see how it goes.

Surprisingly, the first two hours went really well – Along the foreshore of Moreton Bay; Wellington Point, Cleveland Point, Victoria Point for an average of 23.5kph including a long fast energy-draining but exhilarating blast into Cleveland Point.

That’s when the trouble kicked in. I’d exhausted myself with the fast blast and it quickly became difficult to finish the long ride. I couldn’t get the legs to go fast, it was bloody hot, I kept stopping to get food and Staminade into me (I was hoping sports drinks would re-energise me). No luck. I was so tired, for the first time ever I walked for a while a couple of times. I stopped and rested more often than previously, which made me feel unfit and fat, and added to the voices in my head.

Anyway, despite all this I eventually convinced my mind to keep going, and even to ride past home and add another 20ks just to achieve the 100k target. So despite being slow, and with lots of stops and rest, and without proper nutrition, I eventually completed the 100ks, and in a reasonable time overall. Good on me!!

So what does this teach me? –

1. Use my mental strength and a focus on my goals to stay positive when my mind is being negative. Trust in the good side of my mind, and recognise the bad side for what it is.
2. When in doubt, just go out and do it. Some days will be strong days, some weak but whatever don’t let the bad voices win. ‘Just do it’!!!
3. Always prepare / consume proper nutrition. Don’t rely on sugars/ lollies or even Staminade.
4. Set strong goals for each ride –try to avoid soft options like “I’ll go for as long as I can today”
5. This is a long long journey. Some days it will feel like I am tilting at windmills, and other days I will see real progress. Regardless, all of it makes up the journey, and so it is there I must focus- find the fun, search out the lessons, enjoy the small and the large incremental increases, and learn to use my body and my mind to achieve strong goals. Learn from everything.

The main overall lesson from today? Enjoy every moment within the journey, love both the good and the bad, remember to enjoy the whole experience, and respect my body - prepare the mind and body properly before long rides.

And never, ever listen to the bad voices in my head.

More later.... journey on!
James





Word Count - 673

Timeline of this blog

I started writing entries into a notebook a month or so before deciding to post them to a blog (this is my first ever blog - see original post). Over the last month I have been trying to 'catch up', to get all my previous thoughts entered but as of today (1st March) I am still only up to the 20th January. It means I often want to write about what's happened today, yet think I can't because I'm not up-to-date yet. It's starting to get frustrating.

So here's what I will do. I will enter my thoughts in 'real time (ie whenever they enter my head basically :-)) and I will catch up on previous posts whenever I can. This will mean some ideas and 'lessons learnt' will be out of order.

My apologies to anyone who finds it confusing. (if anyone is actually reading these meandering thoughts and trying to make sense of them lol). To minimise confusion, at the top of any 'delayed' posts will be the date I originally wrote it. I hope this helps. Eventually (sooner rather than later hopefully) I will be up-to-date and it will no longer be an issue.

This blog is really for me - it chronicles my own reflection and learning of my journey. If it helps anyone else, great. And sorry for the confusion.

More later, journey on....

Word count - 225