Nearly there!

Phew, its been a long couple of weeks since my last blog. As my training gets longer and harder my blogs seem to get less frequent, while I am out on those long runs/cycles I think of lots of interesting things to say and by the time I get home I am too tired to blog it! Oh well, thems the breaks of playing in the big kids sandpit eh!

Soo, here we are, 2 sleeps out from the Ashburton Half IM, training is done, taper is happening, the carbs are being consumed and the race pack has been picked up! This time last year I was in a huge panic and feeling quite overwhelmed by the whole thing, this year it seems almost just like another race although I am sure once I start packing etc tomorrow it will all kick in!

It's been a funny week, although last weeks training was an easy week it was still pretty full on, apparently easy weeks now consist of 3 1/2 plus hour rides and 90 min runs in the weekend, I remember when that was a hard week! I looked back at last years program out of curiosity and was horrified at the difference, last year the weekend before the Half IM I had 45 min run and a 60 min cycle! Having said that I probably wouldn't have been able to handle this weekends training a year ago, it would have wiped me out! Taper has been entertaining, Carol (my massage lady) was nice and gentle this week, none of that hard deep stuff which was heavenly for a change! Tuesday was a 30 min swim, hard but quick followed up with an hour long cycle that evening. I headed out to Sumner and back around 6pm and it was a nice evening for a ride and I was seconds off beating my fastest ever Sumner and back time, silly head wind coming round the river on the way home! I was a bit worried I had gone too hard on the cycle, I did have a couple of intervals to do in there but I was really trying to crank it to beat my time, I checked my program when I got home and the ride was supposed to have a highish intensity so that was ok! Wednesday was just a 30min run with a few intervals again. I headed off for a lap around the river loop, the weatherman kindly decided it was time to rain just as I headed out the door, story of my life running in the rain! Had a great run last night, ran with my ipod on just for a change and I felt fantastic! Here's hoping that bodes well for Saturday! Now its just rest time, feet up, cup of tea, keep stoking the carbs in! Went to the nutritionist on Monday so am all sorted nutrition wise for carbo loading and on the day so that is good. Plus I am going into the race 6 kilos lighter than I was the same time last year so that is cool! Only thing to not go so well this week has been work, it's been flat out and I have got stuck there till 6pm a couple of nights! Grrr, its wrong that I am losing sleep about annual leave over Xmas! Never mind, its all sorted now! Kalina and I are heading down to Ashburton tomorrow afternoon so I get a nice sleep-in and will pick Kalina up from work before heading down. I have done no packing of any kind so tomorrow will be all about that and taking my bike for a quick spin, Geoff has loaned me his pretty race tyres and super-light tubes so best I have a wee blat on her tomorrow and see how they feel as they are less grippy than what I am used to. May go for a quick dip at Lake Hood tomorrow depending when we get there, it is the final of Top Chef so that may well take priority! Right, nearly time for sleepies for this kid and other than keeping a watchful eye on the weatherman its all over bar the racing! Bring on Saturday I say!! :)