Big ticks

There it was another week and little time for blogging. On the positive side, I managed to keep track of the final races for many, and the comebacks of another few athletes.


In my plate there is still some uni stuff to sort out and that has eaten a rather big chunk of time. There was space for training and I’m back into training mode. There will be no programme for the next couple of weeks, because I prefer it that way, just training and taking every day as it comes.

On the weekend it was time to do long stuff, so I re connected with some old good swimming mates that have done another back to back season of swimming. One of them is training for the swim of his life, a 26km trek joining the north and south islands of New Zealand. When he finishes that he’ll be the older person to have done it at age 60.

I figured he would be starting to do some serious mileage now that the water is a warm 15 degrees. Indeed, when I emailed him on Friday he said he would be doing 3 3km laps. I said I’d commit to go with him on one of them, because the first one was too early for my liking (7am). I ended up going for a second lap and was surprised at how much of a difference it makes to keep swimming in the open water once a week. The second lap left me wanting for more, but there was stuff to do. And another big day ahead.

Sunday was time to cycle, this is the third year in a row that right before the start of all the swim-run, triathlons and other running and swimming races we get together with colleagues, training buddies and other mates and cycle from Auckland to the Coromandel, about 200km.

It is a social thing and the pace is a controlled, we stop at several points for pies and coke, and the only big hills of the ride are at the very end just when we had enough of cycling for the day.

It all ends with a ferry ride to town, and a quiet beer. I made my mind that from now on it will be tied up to the big race @ Kona. I’m not gonna name it yet, but I’ll think of a good way to blend both events in the naming.

The logic would dictate a big running day for Monday, but I am not such a kamikaze as to put a marathon in the mix just for the sake of it. So Monday was back to normal and a moderate/hard week of training ahead.

Congrats to you all racing out there, and keep training!