Min Dae

The days are starting to jumble together now. Less than a week left until we fly, and my lists are getting longer, the training sessions shorter and family time more precious.

My SA kit arrived on Friday - or rather, I went to fetch it from Post Net. Their "next day" service took from Monday when it was posted, to Friday morning when I collected. Well, it actually arrived on Thursday midday, but I was at work, presenting my board report, then on to the AGM and dinner. No time for collecting parcels.

So I ripped the parcel open on my way back to my car on Friday morning. I couldn't remember what I had ordered, so it was very exciting. Here it all is:





I tried everything on and modelled for my family on Saturday night - it sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine to realise that this time next week I will be strutting my stuff around the airports of the world wearing my South African colours, clearly identifying me as a South African Triathlete!

I'm having to take big gulps of air to keep my excitement at a manageable level!

Lets see if I can post from my cell phone.

I have been having a technology free couple of days - my ADSL line is down, so no computers, no internet, no email. Well, thats not strictly true, as I do have 3G on my phone. Training going well, more later; as its pretty tiring typing all this with my thumb! Just want to check if I can post from my phone, so I dont have to lug the laptop to Aus! Hold thumbs...

Compression Socks

Saturday morning was "Long Run" day. I thought it would be a great opportunity to test run in my new "sponsored" Rockets CompresSox. Big up to Jodie of Peak Performance Fitness, who was happy to arrange a pair of sox for me, told me all the science about how they would support my muscles as I ran, reducing vibration, improving temerature control and increase oxygen to the muscles as well as offer post exercise help in removing lactic acid from the muscles. They also help to prevent pooling of blood in the legs, which speeds up the recovery of damaged muscles.

I am really enjoying them for my calves! Now my hamstrings feel like they could use some extra help and recovery too!

I've been told they are also amazing for long distance travel, so I will definitely be wearing them on the plane to Australia.

Gotta go iron some school shirts for the boys for the week!

Ice Cream and Indoor Rides

Rio came back from the bike shop today, all serviced and spruced. She has pink handlebar tape! I think it looks so cute, like a giant strawberry and vanilla ice cream! I hope it keeps me entertained at Worlds, so I can crank out my best ever 40km bike!

Ran in the rain this morning, and saw a whale in the bay. It is so amazing to live in Fish Hoek - every single ride or run is along the most stunning coastline, and for the next few months, there will be whales cavorting all over False Bay.

My ride was an indoor one again - just an easy spin while watching TV with my boys. Justin is home from hostel for the weekend, and the family feels complete again. Dylan and I have great moments together during the week, and I am starting to get used to Justin not being here, but when he comes home for the weekend, I realise how much I have missed him. Some people think its odd that one of my twins is a weekly boarder while the other one prefers to come home every day. Its not odd to us - they each got to choose what was right for them individually, and watching them grow and mature, I am proud of the young adults they are becoming. They will be 15 on 28 September, just after I get back from Australia.

Sometimes I still can't believe that I am a mother to two real, live teenagers! Whats more, I am loving every moment! They are so supportive about triathlon, they are my biggest fans. The two of them are at most races, clapping and shouting, "Go, mom!" every time I come past. I wish they could come to Australia and be there for the race, as well as the holiday part of the trip.

Bring that scale!

Emails in my in box tonight say that my South African tracksuit and triathlon suit will be posted to me tomorrow! They are also very concerned about our weight - or rather, the weight of all our kit! Apparently, one of the SA team athletes left SA for Australia today 7kg overweight and they charged him R2500 extra! Eeeekkk! I'm going to have to find a scale and weigh everything! If I have to, I'll leave the underwear behind!!

Its a bit confusing gramatically, as they keep saying, "allowance is 30kg and 7kg hand luggage". then they say "Total weight must not exceed 30kg", "Bike and luggage must not weigh more than 30kg" and weird versions of this. So, does this mean that 30kg is THE MOST we can take, including everything we carry/wear/push? Is it, in fact, 30kg minus 7kg maximum for hand luggage? Why don't they just say that???

We are going to arrive in Australia after 2 days of travelling, at about 19:30. Then we have a 90 minute bus ride to our hotel in South Port. The email says we will have NO FOOD. We have been warned agaisnt trying to take any food into Australia, and definately no dirt or soil on bike tires or running shoes. So we will have the entire SA triathlon team on a bus for an hour and a half after 2 days of flying, with NO FOOD. Does anyone see the same problem that I do? We will end up eating one another's suitcases, for heaven's sake! (I know we will have eaten on the 'plane, but I fear it may not be enough!)

Our breakfast call is 08:30 for 09:00. Let me break this to you gently....

THERE'S NO WAY I CAN GO WITHOUT FOOD FOR THAT LONG!!!

We need a plan! A special "SA Triathlete nutrition plan". I will do some further investigation...

My First Time

I've been toying with the idea of starting this blog for ages now. Should I or shouldnt I? On one hand it seems like such a self indulgent thing to do, a bit narcissistic. On the other hand, I have been having so much fun with my "new" sport of triathlon, and am so excited to have achieved SA colours for the first time as a 40 year old athlete, that I really feel the need to record some of the experiences and emotions of this journey.

In less than 3 weeeks, I will be flying to Gold Coast, Australia, to take part in the World Triathlon Championships, as a member of the South African Age Group Team. This has been my dream and goal for over a year, and I can hardly believe that its almost upon me!

Today is a pretty quiet day, training wise. Only a swim, with some fast 100's as the timetrial part. Thats quite a good thing, because its still really cold out there, even though its not actually raining at the moment. Unlike yesterday. I moved both my run and my ride indoors yesterday, because it was seriously bucketing down all day. I got soaked just running into the gym, for the treadmill run!

I dont usually wimp out of rain running, but with our trip so close, and everyone around me so full of flu, I didnt want to take the chance of letting my immune system think there were gaps in the armour! So I figured that swapping sweat with everyone indoors would be a "better" option.

Its been a while since I've been on a treadmill, and I really hate those dreadful "touch" screens. I can never get the speed button to move up fast enough, and I end up swearing at the machine, while hanging on with one hand and using my towel over my sweaty finger to try and get the speed right. So, its even funnier when coach Claire gives me a hill repeat workout with one minute hard, one minute easy. Now I have to adjust the gradient button as well as the speed one! I've seen people do this fancy trick of jumping on the sides of the treadmill between intervals, and I was feeling brave, so I thought I would give that a go. It worked quite well for the first 2 or 3 intervals, and I stood safety on the side of the machine while I adjusted the speed and gradient down after the "hill repeat". Then I jumped back on, and had my little fight with the buttons to get up to 4 gradient and 14km/hr for a minute.

After a while of me standing on the side of the treadmill playing with thte buttons, the machine flashed me with a "workout interupted, user not detected" and slowed down and stopped! Which left me frantically pushing buttons to get started again. Eventually I worked out a way of slowing down and speeding up without it being too traumatic!

Its done, but bring back my real hill, please! My sympathies to anyone who has to play "Treadmill, Treadmill" often.

The evening workout on my Indoor Trainer was a bit rushed and distracted. I was thinking about dinner, and wet dogs, and making sure Dylan had done his homework. I was also stressing about my Anual Report, which still needs quite a bit of work, and is due on Thursday. Just never really got my head into it!

Taking Rio for a service today, and to get some sexy new pink handlebar tape! (Rio is my Scott Plasma - 40th birthday present to myself about a year ago, "midlife crisis toy", and the best money I have ever spent!)

The picture at the top is of her all racked and ready to race at 70.3 in East London in January. I really, really love my bike!