So when one of my running mates, Marty, told me that he was looking at doing an Iron distance triathon, my mind started thinking........
I have done many triathlons of various distances including seven Ironman races. I have had some success racing for New Zealand at the World Long Distance Triathlon Championships in Sweden in 1999 and qualifying and racing in the 2000 Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. So the seed of doing another one was planted and started to grow.
Marty was planning on doing the Challenge Cairns at the beginning of June. The Challenge series is over the same distance as the Ironman but is under the Challenge brand so therefore cannot be called an Ironman. All irrelevant really as it is only a name and everyone has to go the same distance, the only difference being the location. The main issue I faced was that the Challenge Cairns race was three weeks after The North Face 100 which has been my focus for so long now. I briefly considered doing both races but common sense prevailed and I decided to skip Cairns.
Unfortunately the seed had sprouted and I was looking at other Ironman's or Challenge races that I could do. I couldn't afford to go to Europe or America and the New Zealand race in March 2011 had sold out many months before. I found that entry to the Western Australian Ironman was opening soon and that it was likely to sell out in hours. I had already spent quite a bit of money entering and getting myself ready for TNF100 but started to work out a plan for WA. I made some inquiries and did some calculations before going to Mel and outlining my latest idea. Poor Mel has to put up with my brainstorm ideas that I jump around and get excited about. She has had to put up with it for years. I entered my last Ironman nine weeks before the race on no training and very overweight, I managed to finish but it was a far from ideal situation. Only a few months ago I had gotten excited about a plan for us to fly to Boston to run in the Boston marathon. I guess she is used to it by now.
Not having been to Western Australia before the idea of having another family holiday in a new part of Australia was very appealing to both of us. Mel agreed and I started to work out a plan. Entries opened and I got my entry in within the first 45 mins. I was accepted and the race sold out in 4.5 hours. The race was set for December 2011 and we booked our accommodation, all that I needed to do now was start swimming and cycling again.
I decided that I would suppliment my TNF100 training with some swimming and cycling in the early stages and back off until after TNF100. I began reading my old tri books, buying a couple of tri magazines and surfing through all the websites. I was hooked on Ironman again. I started swimming and cycling again in early January.
My swimming came back pretty quick and before long I was swimming 2.5km straight sets twice a week and putting in quite respectable times. My stroke was back and I was feeling fit and strong in the water. My cycling was not as good, I have had a few herniated disc's in my back over the years and it didn't agree with cycling. I was building strength nicely without trying to break speed records and alternating sitting up with being down in the aero position. I built up to about 80km for my long ride and was riding up to about 250km a week. I had been cycling regularly between home and work since we arrived in Australia, in August 2009, but after every ride my back was so stiff that I would need to sit down for a few minutes before my back would relax and I could walk normally again. I was starting to wonder if could run off the bike and was beginning to doubt my decision to return to triathlons.
The weather was starting to heat up with the mercury hitting the mid to late 30's every day and not dropping below 25 degrees at night. I was managing to fit in all my training around work but it was becoming a bit of a stretch and I was not doing as much running as I should. I was also not spending as much time with Mel, Holly and Ethan as I normally do with running only and I was starting to become disenchanted with my tri training.
I had been tri training for about six weeks when I made the decision to pull out of the Western Australian Ironman. I was not enjoying my training, had been neglecting my TNF100 training and had lost my drive and desire to complete another Ironman. I talked it over with Mel and agreed that withdrawing was the best option. Not only was I not motivated to do the race anymore but financially it was going to be a huge committment. Flights from Rockhampton to Brisbane to Perth and return for all of us were going to be quite substantial. The accommodation in Busselton was high and we would also need accommodation in Perth on our way home plus a rental car for a week. Daily expenses added to an ever increasing list. The potential for a family trip was overshadowed by the sheer cost of the trip and with my committment waning we cancelled the trip. I lost quite a bit of money on my entry fee, only being refunded a small portion. We cancelled the accommodation and will receive a full refund.
At first I felt like a bit of a failure as I had wasted our money and failed to follow through with a committment I had made. The next morning I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders and Mel and I knew that we had made the right decision.
I have had some time to reflect on my fleeting return to triathlon training and realised that that part of my life has run its course. I really enjoyed doing my triathlons and have had some amazing experiences, racing for New Zealand, visiting new countries and I loved it. I realised that I should celebrate what I have achieved but also acknowledge that I have moved on, that triathlons don't hold the same appeal that they once held. I don't need to look to the past to relive old glory, instead I should look to the future and be open to all the opportunities that are out there waiting for me. I am a runner now and am very much looking forward to The North Face 100 and the challenge and adventure of running 100km through the rugged Blue Mountains in New South Wales. Bring it on.
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