Friday, October 5, 2007

Caffeine rocks...

So last weekend I had a pretty big training weekend with a 3km swim, 2 hour ride (with intervals) and a 1 hour hills run off the bike on Saturday. The hills run saw us head straight up to the top of Mt Vic (tough at the best of times, let alone straight after a swim and bike!). Sunday was a 6 hour bike ride.

The weather forecast for last Sunday was not favourable to say the least so I wasn't really looking forward to the potential of sitting on a bike for 6 hours in the gale force winds and the rain. I am pleased to say that it only rained for about an hour all up (mind you the wind did not abate much at all).

The first two hours of my ride were pretty wretched to say the least and I wasn't even sure how I was going to get through the full day. I was really diligent with my nutrition and fluid knowing that there was a potential to blow up.
During the ride I had:
3 muesli bars
1 power bar
6 mini pikelets
2.5 * 500ml bottles of water
2.5 * 500ml bottles of replace (2 scoops per 500ml bottle)

I work my fluid and nutrition on a 20 minute cycle i.e. at 20 minutes I take a swig of replace, 40 minutes some food washed down with water, 60 minutes a swig of replace, 80 minutes some more food washed down with water.... I'm sure you get the picture. I do this right from the start of the ride and it really helps. It still doesn't seem like much for a period of 6 hours!!!

We started the ride at Freyberg pool, went round the bays, over brooklyn, up Aro St, round Makara, out to Porirua, around the inlet, over Moonshine, out to Te Marua, around Maymorn, back over wallaceville hill and back along the motorway to the pool to finish. We stopped at Caltex Rimutaka (I don't think I have ever been on a ride out this way that I haven't stopped here) and by this stage I was feeling a little tired (approx 4.40 into the ride). Kevin (my coach) bought me a can of sugar free V and after that all my pains and troubles went away. I love caffeine! It rocks. It gives such a boost. So I ended up finishing the ride and feeling pretty good (probably helped by the tail wind at that stage).

Also last weekend (while I was off cycling through almost every suburb in Wellington) Jason played at the New Zealand Inter Regional Canoe Polo Championships in the Central region senior men's team... AND the WON! This was totally unexpected and they are stoked. Its the first time in about 5 years that they have won this competition!! So he was stoked with the result!!!!

Jason's swimming is going well, he is up to 43km of swimming this week, and back to a light week next week. I have a light week of training next week as well and we both have Sunday off training... WOOHOO its not often we get weekend days off, and even less a day off together!

This weekend I have a 5 hour ride tomorrow with a 20 minute run of the bike and a 2km swim, 2 hour ride and 1 hour hills run off the bike on Sunday. Jason has a 5.5km swim this afternoon, a 5.5km swim tomorrow and a 7.5 km swim on Sunday (this is 75 * 100s on 1.30!). Those of you that swim will realise what a feat this will be.

That's all for now. Catch you next time.

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