My extrordinary journey has only one day left

Well I have just woken up on the morning before the big day here at Kona. I really can't believe it is finally here. It sunk in for the first time as we were landing on the big island and I got butterflies in my stomach. This week has been absolutely amazing; the buzz and the hype around town is just unbelievable. I had imagined what it would be like but I could have never imagined just how amazing it has been. I think one day I might have to come back when I’m not competing so I can fully enjoy it all without having to worry about wasting energy.

The first few days here the weather wasn’t that hot and muggy and I was actually doubting all the hype about how bad the conditions are here. Boy was I fooled the weather appears to have gone back to normal over the last couple of days and is now extremely hot and muggy. Sweat starts pouring out when you are just standing outside without doing any exercise. I have done a couple small runs and a ride in it and whilst it wasn’t nice it didn’t totally floor me; so fingers crossed I get the nutrition right and it is just very uncomfortable but tolerable.

Race Week

Swimming for the last week has been the most enjoyable training I have ever experienced. The course is 1.9 km out and back along the shore line. The water is crystal clear and as you swim it is like snorkelling along the Great Barrier Reef; so a little different to open water swimming in Shepparton. I was a little worried about swimming with no wetsuit but the water here seems to be very buoyant so it has been a lot better than I expected.

The bike course is on an extremely smooth road. I guess that is what happens when you build a highway through a Lava field on the road to nowhere - not much traffic. I have driven the whole course and I think it suits me pretty well. There is no flat at all just constantly rolling with no serious hills to speak off. The main obstacle is going to be the wind; the bike is essentially straight out and back with the possibility of a head wind for 90 km on the way out or 180 km of cross breeze. Bring on the wind I say let’s smash up the legs of some of the super lightweight runners.

The first half of the run course is around populated area but at around the 16 km mark some bright spark decided it would be a good idea to send us back out on that highway to nowhere in the middle of Lava field with no shade in sight. I have done a couple of runs here along Ali’i Drive and one down in the Energy Lab; after hearing these names on TV it was the biggest buzz to be here and actually running along them.

The Journey

This journey has been totally amazing. I had expected to get here this week and feel out of place with all these super fit athletes walking around town. Most of the people that know me though triathlon have met me in the last 12 to 18 months. I think they probably think like I did, that any person that goes to Kona was born a naturally gifted athlete and that everything they do is easy for them. I thought of people that qualify for Kona as freaks; and I don’t think of myself as a freak at all. I had thought that I must have gotten lucky when I qualified in New Zealand. After this week working around and mixing it with all the other athletes here I don’t believe that anymore, I’m just like most of the athletes here. I finally believe I should be here and I’m not intimated; I actually feel like I really fit in for the first time.

My journey started nearly four years ago now after retiring from football two years before hand. I weighed 95 kilos and went to the gym a couple of times a week thinking I was in reasonable shape, probably carrying a few extra kilos but didn’t think was too bad. It all started with a trip to my Doctor. He asked me a question which I will never forget. He asked how much I was drinking. I replied not too much maybe 3 or 4 beers a night and at least one big night on the weekends. He asked what I meant when I said “one big night”. I replied “maybe one bottle of spirits”. His reaction shocked me as I thought this wasn’t too bad. He seriously couldn’t believe it and said to me so you want to have muscles with a brain that has been killed by alcohol. It was the first time I had actually ever thought about alcohol affecting your brain; I knew it wasn’t good for you but thought some exercise would make it ok. So from that day on except for maybe a handful of occasions, I never drink more than 3 to 4 drinks at a time but basically don’t drink at all.

I had bought a bike and had been riding for about a month when a couple of old football buddies thought it would be a cool idea to do the Shepparton 70.3 Ironman as a team with me taking the bike leg. Just completing just one leg sounded like a ridiculous idea. We completed the race in a time of 5 hour and 45 minutes. I did the ride in a time of 3 hours flat. We were all so proud of our efforts. After the race my mate Justin Torney said “next year we will train up, we could go alright at this”. I turned around and said “yeah but I’m going to do the whole thing myself”. Everyone’s initial reaction was laugh I was still probably 90 kg with a long way to go. Little did I know that this was going to be the most life changing decision I ever made. It was my new passion, my new drug, all the old habits, the late night drinking everything that seemed so much fun had been replaced.

In the next 12 months I did a few short triathlons where I did ok, I finished around mid-pack nothing to

exciting but I fell in love with the sport. I had done pretty well, had lost another 10 kgs and thought I was in pretty good shape, probably the fittest I had ever been. I returned to the Shepparton 70.3 Ironman very excited and had a great day for my first half ironman. I did 4 hours 38 minutes over an hour faster than had done as a team the year before. I was so excited and at this point my dream for Kona started.

One month later I entered my first Ironman at Busselton WA. Once again everyone thought I was crazy and there were a lot of people doubting my decision. The next 12 months were full of problems with overuse injuries. First I had a total ankle reconstruction in May, after finally getting back to running I started having problems with my knee and could not complete more than a 5 km training run for the three months before the race. I made it to the Busselton Ironman and had low expectations, without having done any running training I just wanted to finish. I came home in a time of 10 hours and 30 minutes after having to walk 12 km because of my knee I was so happy. This was the day I said next Ironman I do I will qualify for Hawaii. Once again I was asked if I was crazy and how was I going to go one whole hour faster to qualify.

I entered Shepparton 70.3 and Ironman New Zealand and as the year progressed I was finally able to put some good training blocks together and realised consistency is the key, not how much you smash yourself in one session. Five weeks before Shepparton 70.3 I hurt my calf and couldn’t get it right. This is when I was introduced to and started working with my current physio Katie Flatters. After 2 weeks we got it right and I raced Shepparton 70.3 with a really good results 4 hour 20 minutes this gave me a lot of confidence as I was on the right track going to New Zealand. I was down to 75kg now and was aiming for 72kg for New Zealand. Over the next three months I kept the consistent training going and everything went exactly to plan and I came second in my age group with a time of 9 hour 37 minutes - I’m off to the big show ‘Kona here we come’.

This brings us to today, the day before the race. I’m sitting here feeling extremely good about tomorrow. I have worked as hard as I possibly could of in the last six months. I have ticked every single box that I wanted to which included getting down to 70 kgs for race day. I have left no stone unturned and have no regrets about my preparation. Working with Katie Flatters and Polly Dhar (Physiohealth) and Mat Tippett (ETPA) I have turned this weak 95kg body into a lean strong racing machine. There is only 1 thing left to do and that is get out there tomorrow race my own race and enjoy the hurt. The only thing I know about tomorrow is that no matter what happens it is getting everything I have and more. I’m ready to go to a place I have never been before and this place is going to be very similar to most of the scenery here, I think it will be as close to hell as you can get. Hopefully there will be light at the end of the tunnel and it will be the most rewarding experience ever when I cross that finish line.

I now believe anyone who thinks the people that qualify for Kona are freaks and gifted athletes are people that want an excuses for themselves. I believe if you really want something you have to be willing to sacrifice to chase your dream. If you are willing to do everything possible to get there you can. Stop making excuses, stop calling people freaks, stop telling them that they are living the Ironman dream and start creating your own Ironman dream. I’m sure if you do this I believe anything is possible. That is why the Ironman motto was created.

There is no possible way I could of ever done all of this progress in the last six months by myself. I really need to thank everyone that has supported me along the way:

Without Katie Flatters (Physiohealth) I would still be in Shepparton scratching my head and wondering why I keep getting injured. Before meeting Katie I didn’t realise the importance of having a strong core and glutes - I thought they just looked good but that was it. Now I have realised they stop you getting injured and do look good as well. Also the last week I have felt like a pro; how many amateur athletes get to travel with their own personal Physio! So thanks to you Katie and the team at Phyiohealth.

Mat Tippet it has been an extreme pleasure to work with you. You have made me set my bar so much higher than I imagined I ever would be able to do. You have helped me improve my mental strength as well as my physical strength. There have been plenty of times you have broken me but you have always found a way to keep me moving forward. A big thank you for the last three weeks; once we started getting closer you really helped get me through all the hard days, of which there were a lot with plenty of conversation on the phone and words of advice.

Leigh and Hilly (Leigh Egan Cycles) you guys have supported me from word go and I will always remember that. Leigh was the first people to give me the confidence to get out there and have a real crack and push my limits on the bike. As well as the service and support you have given me along the way it has been a pleasure working with you both.

It has been great to start mixing with the S.T.C. For the first two year of this sport I did everything alone and kept to myself as I didn’t see the point of joining a club as this is an individual port. In the last 18 months I realised I was totally wrong and the feeling of being with liked minded people is a great. So thanks guys for the support and look forward to doing a lot more with you all in the future.

Finally I would like to thank my wife Jae Min. Without the support she has provided during this journey there is no way I would be where I am today. She has been amazing with her support the whole way. No matter what she has been there for the good times and bad times, during my grumpy and happy times. Especially the last six months which have been so challenging physically and mentally. I don’t think most wives would have put up with what she has but we both have the same goals and we are finally and hopefully we will achieve it.

No matter what happens tomorrow I know I will give it my all. Hopefully it will be an amazing result for me but at the end of the day if I don’t get the result I want it won’t be from a lack of trying. Either way as long as I cross that line it will be an amazing day and I just can’t wait to get out there and give it everything I have and a lot more.

My extordinary journey has only 1 week to go

It’s the day before I head to Melbourne to set off for the Big Island (Kona). It’s been 29 weeks since all my Ironman dreams came true in New Zealand qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman World Championship. At that time little did I no really how big this really is. Guess it was just a dream I wished for now it is a life I’m actually living. I have been told by many people I’m living the dream of every Ironman athlete. The reality is I’m living my dream as an Ironman athlete.

My Bags are packed and the reality of this whole adventure is really starting to sink in. It won’t be long till I’m in Kona looking around at 2000 other super fit athletes. I think this will be the first time I will really understanding what I’m about to do. There is sure to be plenty of super ripped fit looking guy walking around with there shirts off veins popping out saying look at me. I don’t class myself in that category all though I am pretty happy with my body transformation in the last six months. Most people that see me would just think he is in reasonable shape, not he looks like he is one super fit human being. I have learnt though over the years that looks can be deceiving.



New Kit Front



Back



This week after a nervous wait my new race kit with all my sponsor finally arrived. Ventou have done a fantastic job and it has come up even better than I had ever imagined. It is my own version of a merger kit between Shepparton Tri Club (S.T.C) and Elite Triathlon Performance Australia (E.T.P.A) and looks like they were always meant to be merged together. It also shows of my other two sponsors Leigh Egan Cycles and Physiohealth. Without all the supports from all of these four sponsor I wouldn’t of progressed as much as I have in the last six months.



Taper

S.T.C ergo session

Over the last three week my volume has been tapering of slowly to where now finally all the work is done it is sit back get the legs up and rest and recover. In these three weeks there was still plenty of quality session and a four day training camp with the E.T.P.A crew. The camp was very mentally refreshing after basically 24 weeks of training alone was great to train with so many like mind and friendly people. Also in this time the S.T.C has started up Ergo session of which I joined in the last three weeks. The first session I did with the club was probably on one the most mentally tough days I had in the journey and really found it hard to get the motivation to do a session. After joining in with the rest of the S.T.C guys I came home feeling 100% better which was exactly what I needed.



Swimming over the last three weeks had got really tough. Wasn’t that the set were getting any harder was just the build up of fatigue was really taking its toll mentally and every session felt hard just to turn up and do it. Finally in the last week as fatigue is slowly going away and Katie at physiohealth gave my back and shoulder 30min of torture with her elbow. I felt loose and free again when swimming in my last few session. Even though open water swimming has been cold in the last month it has been a good changes from constantly swimming laps of a 25 m pool.

Final service on the weapon

On the bike I think in the last few weeks it has finally clicked and Im engaging my glutes and core a lot more. I don’t seem to have the roar power at the moment I probably did but the power I have I can sustain for a really long time and Im a lot more comfortable on the bike and not having as much shoulder and back pain that I have in the past. So now when I have been doing my brick session I have been getting of the bike and been a lot more loose and free when I start the run which as we all no is the key to a good race.

I am super happy with the way my running is going and the all the strength work on my glutes and core defiantly has been worth it. I completed three weeks in a row of around 55km in a week which is huge for me. To back it up I never do long run without using a run walk strategy. On the last run of my third 55 km week in a row we did a two and half hour run at the E.T.P.A training camp. I had never ran over 26 km in a single session before this. We ended up running 34 km straight no walking at a cracking pace chasing Darren Franken one of the coaches at E.T.P.A that is also heading to Kona. This run has given me a lot of confidence now that I don’t have to totally tear my legs to shreds on the bike. I think I can still ride fast but still have the confidence I can get off and run with some of these better guys.

T

All in all the last three weeks have been an emotional roller coaster. The fatigue has been so high that some days I have been just totally floored and it has been hard just to think about lifting my head but then other days I have come out and done a training session and felt amazing. Each day now as I get into the taper Im starting to feel fresher and fresher and I think we still 9 days to go come next Saturday I will be jumping out of my skin. The biggest factor I believe on how I go in the race is going to be how well I adapt to the heat. I have done everything possible I could do in the last few weeks to help. I have done many session in my little acclimatization sweat box I have made. Also been really strict with my diet to try and go in a light as I can to help with the over heating. Now I will have seven full super exciting days to adjust to the conditions and I cant wait. It is one of the most exciting but yet nervous time I have ever experience in my life but finally it is time and I’m heading to Kona tomorrow. Game on I’m off to the Big Show Kona Bound.