May 2011 already

The grass car was part of a promo for something or other at the Beach when we wandered down for a post workout coffee. There's always something unusual going on down there . . .

I calculate there are 30 weeks to the Iron Man in Busso. My training is steady but not brilliant.  Today I rode 93km to Kurnell and surrounds and then back to Centennial Park where the girls were running. Pretty sure I saw Mitch whipping around the Park on his bike looking strong and fast and he's not training for the IM! Last week I rode 85km on the Saturday and in between have ridden three mornings during the week with two runs on the other mornings.  Only one swim this week but will be fitting in three swims next week. After the ride (3hrs 15mins so I've got a lot of improving to do) I went next door to Enda's and met the girls for a big breakie. He'd pulled a muscle in his back so was out of action, but managed to cook breakfast. For me it's always the best meal of the week.

The knee is holding up OK at the moment and I'm booked in to have an MRI week after next, then back to the specialist to get an update on how much running I can do. We're doing the Sydney Half Marathon next weekend which'll be a good test of the knee. I've been taking it fairly easy on the runs until I know exactly how much things have improved.

The training has been interrupted by trips to Canada, Ireland and England which meant a little swimming in Canada, along with some running and then running only in England.  Hats off to people who train in the Northern Hemisphere: heading out each morning at 5am in Preston (near Manchester) in the drizzle and cold was not my idea of fun, which is probably why I seemed to be the only one out doing it.   I'll be back and forward to Brisbane and Cairns in the coming weeks so will be taking the bike to keep the riding happening.

Of interest my mate Richard from Vancouver was here to work with me for the week and has just returned home. While he was here he went to Boot Camp with Gene and Ange on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and barely managed to scrap through, finding the hour long workout way too much. He's a guy who's been super fit in the past and lately has struggled to maintain that fitness. It makes you realize that we're probably fitter than we think and certainly the team who train for triathlons and marathons are probably well above the fitness of the general population. Not a bad thing.

It's Mother's Day tomorrow so will be exercise free I assume (a surf/swim aside). Happily for me I married Gene who enjoys every little thing about being a Mum and is being rewarded with a home cooked meal by Etienne tonight.

That's it today.  The count down to Busso has begun. J