Entering some 2015 events while still recovering from some of my 2014 ones!

Maybe I'm feeling abit all at sea with the near ending of my 2014 season (especially as it was the year I became a half ironman) as this evening I entered race one of the portsmouth duathlon series 15/3/15, the winchester duathlon 22/3/15, the mayday tri 4/5/15 and the polsdon lacey 10k 14/6/15!

I'm now pausing to hear if I've got a place in the London marathon 26/4/15 before I sign up for anything else. Apparently I should know soon one way or another. If unsuccessful I'll have a chance via the club ballot (lordshill road runners) but I've also got a place in the new Southampton half marathon :)

Also registration for the inaugural Dublin half ironman 9/8/15 should open soon. It'll sell out in a blink of an eye so fingers crossed I get a place. I'm utterly sold on the half ironman distance. But still hoping to do the Wisconsin IM in September 2016.

And then of course I still need to share how I found the half ironman two weekends ago - fabulous fun, loved it.

As well as the last Eastleigh aquathlon 25/9/14, I also competed in the howsc 100 sprint tri on 28/9/14. Both events were great fun.

So loads to share and I'm obviously coming out the other side of my writers block so hopefully I'll have a frenzied flurry of posts and get you all caught up.

Finally though let me update you on my recovery from the half ironman and these last few events.
Well... Let's just say I'm perfectly aware that I am a forty five year old woman.

I seem to be in a constant state of aching abit all over. Yay, the joys of being an endurance athlete :)

Weymouth half ironman recovery - day 4 :)

Oh my good god I have eaten so much crap it's unbelievable! Biscuits, chocolates, crisps, pizza, chicken & chips, toast and marmite... You name it (as long as it has little nutritional value) I've stuffed it in my face.

Yes Suzanne, I really do need to go back to a no junk month except when training!

So... How has my recovery been going?

Sunday after the event - athletes recovery area, then tea and malteasers, walk to transition to get bikes, lovely shower back at hotel, pub dinner of chicken and chips with Suzanne, her mum and dad plus Stuart and Tamsyn then chilling in hotel room caked in deep heat from 10:15pm.

Monday - huge hotel bfast, we loved the Bournville hotel, Weymouth - the owners Mark and Pam bent over backwards to help us. Drive home had some snacks of crisps and last of the malteasers. Home just after midday. Watched NFL, had a snooze then cuppa tea at Red Hot Press and then round to Viks for cup of tea.
Walking was bit sore if I'd been stationary so getting up after sitting for awhile was tricky but honestly I felt amazing.

Tuesday - aaah, when I woke up it was as if the soreness dial had been turned up 3-4 notches. More deep heat was applied!!!! Wonderful massage at 3pm - wasn't too crunchy, still hurt abit but not as much as it would have done if wasn't as fit as I am :)
Then October books and A's for a cuppa. Home, ordered pizza. Telly. Bed.
I did sit on the stationary bike for about 30mins - 12.56km.

Wednesday - worked in morning so took in my medal to show everyone / show it off to everyone...
Spent afternoon watching Jesus Christ superstar the O2 version then pub cycle crawl.

Today - Thursday... I went to the gym and flapped about abit. Minimal sweat but did some stretches and weights. Met Katherine for lunch. So tired this afternoon. Yoga this eve - Wai noticed I was much stiffer than usual - gosh I wonder why?
Home, tired. Take away chicken and chips. Then had massive chocolate craving that I resisted for about an hour but then cracked (see photo!!!!!)

So recovery is going okay.
I'm resting, I'm eating what I crave although that'll have to stop soon otherwise I'll be back to Lizzie lardarse NOT elite athlete Carter pretty bloody quickly. Just sayin.

But I feel wonderful. I'll do my race report hopefully tomorrow but for now just know that the swim was bonkers, the ride was beautiful, the run was brilliant and the support from friends, family and complete strangers was amazing. I have already checked out next year's HIMs and am thinking of possibly doing Challenge Amsterdam on 12th Sept 2015 :)

I'm a half ironman!

The day after and it's just starting to sink in! I'm a half ironman finisher and in the grand scale of things there aren't that many of us about :)

Sleep needed now, will write more tomorrow.

Very very happy x

Half ironman is tomorrow!

Pub next door has kareoke on. Yay.

All sorted for tomorrow.
Gear laid out, alarm set for 4:55am. Will walk up to transistion - bout 25mins with bags. Fiddle with bike, hand over bags then watch some of the ironman before getting into my wetsuit and focus on my race.

I have no idea how I'll do. Maybe quicker than I think... I guess we will just have to see. Maybe I will finish by 4pm. Doubt it but you never know. I could have a great swim, smash the cycle and have no problems with my knees. That'd be fab :)

I did have a slight trauma when taking bike off the bike rack before heading up to transistion - puncture due to hole in tyre. Luckily expo going on so just bought new tyre and inner tube. Lovely chap sorted it so and Suzanne and I just popped it back on the bike. Phew. Fingers crossed no more traumas.

Slight headache, have taken paracetamol - I'm probably just tired and over excited.

Right, I'm going to bed.

Two sleeps to the half an ironman!!!

My race gear is all packed in my new sports bag :)

I've also packed plasters, paracetamol, deep heat, some freeze gel for sore muscles and a tube of arnica just in case - better safe than sorry and harking back to my brownie guide days as seconder in Gnome "be prepared".

Suzanne's picking me up tomorrow morning just after 10am, Mark at the Bournville Hotel in Weymouth is expecting us and various chums and family members will be there to cheer and collect bikes (yay Suzanne's dad). I really can't wait. It's going to be such a fabulous experience.

The challenge Weymouth website has a live tracker so you can just pop my number 1718 in the search box and then sit back for about 9.5 hours and watch me compete! Or more accurately see a computer screen refresh every 30-60mins as I pass over a timing mat either in transition or out on the course. Exciting stuff.

I should try and get an early night as I can't see me sleeping much tomorrow night. I'll then be up at 5ish Sunday morning, racing for 9.5 hours then eating and drinking for the rest of Sunday night while cheering home the full ironman finishers.

I have taken next week off work.

www.everyclick.com/halfanironman

NB - pics are of all my race gear first laid out on my bed and then all neatly packed away in my new sports bag.

I love my new sports bag :)

Four sleeps to go

Tired. Nervous. Excited.

Cleaned bike chain - a lot of crud has been wiped, scraped and scrubbed off, and the quick once round the block at about 8:40pm was lovely.

Didn't go swimming, just couldn't do it. Also, as Katherine pointed out, I have just done a non wetsuit 2k sea swim in 50mins :)

Sat on stationary bike:-
50:39mins, 25.41km.
Wore new shorts again, still fine.

Am now making lists of stuff to take, stuff still to buy for Weymouth, emails to send, jobs to do.

One more work day then Friday is annual leave for prep and chores. Suzanne is over Saturday morning and the event is this Sunday!!!!@

So excited. Bit terrified.

www.everyclick.com/halfanironman

Half ironman nutrition plans and guesstimate race timings.

I think I've got it nailed...

Well I figure mabes a peanut butter and marmite roll and a banana at whatever stupid o'clock we have to get up at - probably 5am.  Then I like the having a gel just b4 the swim plan.

I'll pop a water bottle in my T1 bag to have when changing out of wetsuit then my new snack box on cross bar will be chock full with power bars and solid food (fig rolls, malt loaf, jelly babies) with gels taped to the rest of my cross bar.

2 big 750ml bottles of water and then prob another bottle of water in run gear bag to drink in T2 if needed.

Then will snack my way round the run sampling the delights of most if not all the food stations. Sainsbury's Weymouth are providing additional nutrition such as flapjack, crisps, pretzels, bananas, oranges, coke and water at all the run feed stations. Plus loads of sports nutrition will also be available on the cycle course and run course such as gels, power bars, protein bars and energy drinks.

I'm thinking I should waddle over the finish line anytime from 5pm onwards - although after yesterday's sea swim...

2km pier to pier sea swim at southsea. 2013 in ridiculously choppy weather 64:42.
2014 in gorgeous weather (I have a swimming costume tan line on my back and shoulders) but still quite choppy = 50:48 and the female 45-54 age category winner :)

Absolutely delighted.

Sunday's new estimated times are now as follows...
8:05am start in wave 4, race number 1718.
1.9k swim = 50mins
T1 = 10-15min
On bike by 9:10am

90k cycle = 4-4.5hours
T2 = 5-10mins
Out running by 1:45pm

15k run while stopping at most feed stations to sample their delights = 3-4 hours (depends if knees play ball or give up the ghost and cause me to walk instead of run/jog/stagger)

Estimated time for lizzie lou to cross the finish line?

Any time from 4:45pm at I reckon the very earliest, to crawling over the finish line at 6:30pm.

The photo is this evenings lidls shop - the groceries of champions :)

www.everyclick.com/halfanironman

Great open water swim this eve.

Just a quick update

Was at HOWSC this eve with Katherine and Suzanne.

Three laps of approx 630-650m

14.30.28
12.53.71
12.41.28
01.39.44 - from bouy to quayside

Total distance = approx 1.9km
Total time = 41.44.71

I'm utterly delighted :)

The swim was okay!
Yes I was bored at first but then by the middle of the second lap I  started to feel all glidey and relaxed. And by the end of the third I did seriously wonder about doing a fourth.

I didn't.
But delighted to know I was considering it :)

Am I ready? Well I'm still planning on doing the half ironman and I've still got at least a week of training left (loads of swimming planned) so yes, I'm def getting there.

Maybe the gym tomorrow morning and boxing Tuesday eve.

Cheers :)

www.everyclick.com/halfanironman