Friday, March 6, 2015

Ironman New Zealand 2015 - Set to be Another Unique Adventure

Well this is it - 1 sleep to go and we'll be back on the start line of another fantastic Ironman New Zealand adventure.

And despite this being IM #9 for me, this one will be no carbon copy of any before.  


The build up has been unique. Last year I did three ironmans, culminating in the granddaddy of them all, the World Champs in Kona.  And whether it was the accumulation of all three, or simply the effort and timing of Kona, I felt like I was still actively managing my fatigue levels up until a month ago. In other words I feel like I've had maybe one month of solid quality training!  Sub optimal in most people's books, but on the upside it does also feel like I've come back stronger.  We'll see tomorrow!

The other unique experience has been the prep since arriving in Taupo.  With St Pete in Sydney race week is always a little more hectic, but last year I proved it was still manageable.  This year, though, there has been the added complication of bike issues and then an unexpected and very unwelcome scare this morning that has ensured when I toe the start line in the morning I will have had the least amount of downtime leading up to the race ever.

A couple of weeks ago Specialized issued a voluntary safety recall of Shivs with a certain Aerobar setup.  Unfortunately this affected Black Beauty, as well as over 100 other Shivs racing tomorrow.  All credit to Specialized, though.  They mobilised their engineers to figure out a solution and this week they have had a team of mechanics in Taupo working literally night and day to get our bikes on the road again, safely, tomorrow.  It's meant that I've had a total ride of 15 minutes on Black Beauty since arriving ... but we are such a great team I have no concerns she'll be amazing tomorrow.

And then our scare.  The worst possible news that could come through the day before a race is when someone close to you (and will be racing with) is involved in an accident.  Coach Dave came off his bike this morning when a car pulled out in front of him. We all had a tense few hours waiting to hear how he was and it was great to see him back on his feet and to join him for bike racking this afternoon.

So with all that happening my usual zen routine was completely out the window.  However that may not be a bad thing!

Before I sign off for the night, though I want to make mention of the real highlight for me this ironman. Not only will this be the first time I am racing alongside my coach, which will be pretty special, but it will also be a race that I will share with three good friends, who will all be doing their first ironman.  

Andi, Craig and Lisa - I have never doubted for a minute that they would one day take this on and it has been really rewarding watching their journey and sharing some of their highs and lows.  You've done the work guys, now get out there and soak up the experience. The entire town of Taupo will be right behind you!

Oh, and I probably will be too :). Kia kaha - stay strong.  See you all at the finish!







No comments:

Post a Comment