01.01.10

First day of the year so I'm full of New Years 'resolutions'. Goals, ambitions, events to do, training to knock off.

Training wise, it's been very hard to get it in over Christmas and New Year. But yesterday I did a fantastic 2 hour tramp with my wife and kids at Owhango. It goes along the Whakapapa river in a loop through bush along a 'Hansel and Gretel' track. Awesome. Great family time and a good leg workout.

Sure, I could've 'negotiated' a long ride or run but what would've been the 'return on investment'? 1 or 2 minutes faster on my IM ride? I can buy that couple of minutes through using First Endurance. I can't buy time with my family.


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Location:Mackenzie St,Owhango,New Zealand

First endurance nutrition - secret sauce

In the search for 'best bang for buck' training and support for Ironman NZ, I've come across First Endurance Nutrition (www.firstendurance.co.nz). Why's it good? It's very high quality and looking at the nutrition gram per dollar, it's the best you can get.

I've been trying it for a week and I'm really noticing a mental and physical lift. First thing I've noticed is that if i take the multi v/optygen combo 90 minutes before a long session, I seem to have more energy and more alertness. I'm 'keener' to do the session and seem to have an extra boost to take the edge off that weary feeling you have in your body with Ironman training.

Next thing I've noticed is that the next day my legs and head are fresher. This is great for me and even better for my wife and kids 'cos I'm not 'snapping' at them. I'm thinking it's going to be great when work starts back too as I'll have the energy to get things done so I can get out training and earn a living.

If your investing a big part of yours and your families time and energy into Ironman training then making sure nutrition is making you strong from the inside out is critical.

Have a look at www.firstendurance.co.nz I went with the combo pack. My thinking was it's cheap insurance against illness, not performing my best and keeping me sweet with my wife and kids.

I'm going to use it right through to Ironman so I'll let you know how it goes.


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Location:Mackenzie St,Owhango,New Zealand

Family planning

How do you blend Christmas, family time, wife time and ironman training? It's tricky but possible. We're on our way back from Wanganui and spending a few days in National Park to walk the Tongariro Crossing (voted the best 1 day walk in the world).

I just need to work out how to slip some training into the mix. Here's the first of my Ironman 'family planning' training principles that I'm working on -

1: Quality is everything

I havn't got the time for weekly 6 hour rides and big brick days so faster, stronger, tougher shorter sessions are what I'm aiming for. It may not give me the deep physiological changes that long sessions generate but the upside is that shorter sessions are done at a faster pace and so prevent that 'robotic', unengaged pace that reinforces a slow pace as 'normal'. Why's this a problem? When it comes to race day and you try to lift your pace it feels tough because you havn't practiced a range of paces. Your body can't handle the pressure 'cos you havn't trained it to do so.

Also, I find I don't get injured if I use a range of paces. You limit the overuse injuries caused by using the same movement pattern with same muscles again and again. Varying the pace, varies the muscles used and spreads the impact forces over a greater range of motion and joint range.

Faster paces also increase effeciency of your movements so you use less energy to swim, bike and run.

So all up, quality rules. You'll be fresher, faster, less injured and more importantly, you can manage being a husband, Dad and Ironman.


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Location:Waimarino Tokaanu Rd,Owhango,New Zealand

How to cut minutes off your Ironman bike time

Ive got about 70 days to get fit and strong for ironman NZ so I've been hunting for the most effecient training and the best 'bang for buck' products to make Ironman easier and faster.

I've just put a SPM Glider saddle on my bike and so far it's pretty sweet. Plus I reckon it's worth about 5 minutes off my bike split which is the same you'd get from a $3k set of race wheels.

How can a saddle cut your ride time? Well 85% of drag when riding a bike comes from the rider. Only 15% comes from the bike. The biggest 'bang for buck' is going to come from reducing the impact of the 85%.

How does the saddle help? Most saddles will give you 1 - 2 hours comfort but after that, it starts to feel like you've got your entire genetalia riding on the edge of a metal ruler. So you stand up and shift around on the seat to relieve the pressure. After a while it gets really painful to hold an aero position so you tilt your pelvis to reduce the pain which raises your head and shoulders - up into the wind, which increases drag and slows you down (even with fancy race wheels!).

So if you can stay aero for as long as possible, you'll bike easier, use less watts, save your legs for the run and bike faster. Simple.

The SPM saddles are designed so you sit 'into' the saddle rather than 'on top'. Your tender fleshy bits that carry the nerves and blood supply to 'throbbing manhood' (as Mills and Boon would say) sit in the cut out so you can stay in the aero position for longer which equals faster.

I'm trying it out tomorrow on a long ride so I'll let you know how it goes.




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Location:Springvale Rd,Wanganui,New Zealand

Christmas training

Christmas training, I think that's what's called an 'oxymoron'!

Christmas eve training was 4 hours of strength endurance, core and flexibility work while loading 7 peopes gear into the car. Then another 6 hours of mental skills training, stress management and positive affirmations as we drove through Christmas traffic from Auckland to Wanganui.

I did however, manage to practice my carbo loading protocol for ironman on Christmas day - I'm thinking of blending roast chicken and christmas mince pies into my bottle for ironman - it's got everything, protein, carbs electrolytes and antioxidants (when washed down with red wine).

It's likely that even Cameron Brown might have a day or two off at Christmas so I don't feel too bad. Plus investing in the family means I might be able to 'withdraw' a bit later in January.

I did get a lovely present that'll help with 'family planning', a sweet SPM Glider saddle. It has a channel cut out down the whole length of the saddle to take the pressure of the perenium - the soft fleshy bit that covers the blood vessels and nerves. The bit that 2 - 3 hours into ride makes you feel like you're riding on the edge of a metal ruler, the bit that makes your knob go numb for a week after Ironman and gives you an insight to what it's going to be like living with a 75 year old prostate! Anything that helps this is a friend of mine.

I'm off to try it now....

Location:London St,Wanganui,New Zealand

I've entered!

I've just clicked the 'Enter Here' button at www.ironman.co.nz to join about 1300 rubber clad, wannabe Iron(wo)men on March 6 2010. Why? it's not my first time, it'll be number four. And I remember crawling, groveling up the airport hill saying to my wife 'never again, this hurts sooooo much' . But you forget - maybe it's like childbirth for men. There's a hormone women excrete during childbirth that helps them forget the pain so they do it again - maybe Ironmen have one too.

What's more is that I've given myself 73 days to be fit, strong, healthy and ready to do it. I know, it's not much and I'm getting some strange looks from the guys I've trained with who have been at it for 10 months or more.

So this time, it's part training, part experiment. I want/need to stay sane, pleasant, husbandly attentive to my wife and have energy to be a 'present' Dad to my 5 children. (yes, all to the same Mum!). So I'm going to hunt down the most efficient training, the best products that'll give me an edge and make up for the lack of time I have to train and keep me and more importantly, my wife, sane.

I've already found 2 things to help. I;m going to try them out over the next few days and let you know how they go. Both are about going faster, go easier!

Off on the bike now....