2010 season has begun

The season has begun.!! Exited to be back after 6 weeks of no structure.
Pretty much since Mechelen 1/4tri I've been either swim/bike/run 'ing only when I wanted and felt like it.
Today started the base kilometers. HR zones 2-3.

I'm even more exited since I have a new ride to get me through the winter time.














Fat tires will help keep the bike under my body in the wet conditions and will also help keep the race gear in better shape come the race period.

2 hrs of base running today - and more of the same tomorrow

Too little too much

Too much work to do and too little time to train properly left me ending the season right here.
Florida 70.3 Worlds - and qualifying for it - is from now on on the 2010 schedule.
Training is done for the year, so the blogging is on the down-low....... Things will get going again on November 1 for the 2010 season. Off season has officially started!!
In the meantime I'll break out the mountainbike. And even some sails maybe....

IM70.3 Antwerp

One year ago I did my first triathlon. Now was the time for a reality check: did I make any progress over the last year?
With Brasschaat - where I blew up horribly during the run - in my mind I was eager to rectify some mistakes made. Especially nutrition wise.
The day started windy, rainy and chilly. Nothing that us sailors aren't used to.




















This year start was in waves according to age group - waves being seperated by 3mins each. I was in the 5th and one but last wave. Waves make life easier in the start (140 starters instead of 1100). But only a few minutes into the race you swim up the backs of the slower swimmers from the previous wave, and still a few minutes later you might get swum over by the quick fish from the wave behind you... There's a positive to each negative and vice versa...
In the end I finished the swim in 32min - feeling fresh to push it on the bike.



















Bike course had the breeze against on the way out, and tailwind coming back towards the city. The wet roads in the harbour area - with loads of railway crossings at about 45° angles to the road direction - called for extra attention. Easy to wipe out on those.
I managed 1h23min over the 90km course without blowing up and feeling ready to go hurt on the run.




















The first few km's of the run did not really feel great, but I pushed through and got into a rythm that I thought I could keep till the end. I took 1h32min to get the 21k over with. Not super, but solid.
























Overall I finished 123rd in 4h32min (36min quicker than a year ago - that's progress I think). On top finishing 13nd in my agegroup earned me a slot for the IM70.3 World Championships in Clearwater Florida coming November 14th. So the 2009 season is not over quite yet! But the snipe nationals will have to wait another year though...

smashfest

waiting for the start


I'm the one with the yellow cap













the usual chaos at the gun..













almost finished the 2800M swim leg













I then hopped onto the bike feeling fine and ready to push it for 80km - which in al my enthousiasm I did...



















and then add a 20k run



















Do all the above in +30°C and whilst not drinking more than 1 bottle in the process, and you have the perfect recepy for some major dehydration. Carnage, it wasn't pretty. My face in the pic above says it all. Lesson learned.... (the hard way).
This was not the race that I had aspired to have, but it was just one of those days where just finishing had become enough of a challenge in itself; so in doing that a bit of my performance related disappointment diminished.
But I'm not hurt and I'm not broken either. I'll do all I can to have a good recovery this week and then start over a new training cyclus towards the following races with all the determination that I can fit into my pocket.
I've got another half ironman over the next month, and I expect to remedy some mistakes over this time!
cheers, B

Brasschaat Long Distance race coming up.

Got the bike all tuned and after the bikefit it just feels like a completely different machine. No more hurting involved - well not the kind of hurting that is holding up production. Thanks to Robyn and Henk at www.body2bike.com for that!

Now Brasschaat is a magnificent race - with a looong swim course.
I want to do it justice . So there's my approach:
My first competition there will be me against the course .
I have to make sure I dont let it beat me .
Once I have defeated that, I can go hunting

2 out of 3

3 races in 3 weekends...
Last week was Hamme 1350/35/10 (in the pouring rain)
Yesterday was Brugge 1000/45/10
Coming Sunday is Brasschaat 2700/90/21

Hope I survive the swimming - Hamme and Brugge both got me all tangled up and nearly drowned in the washing mashine start.
Have to learn to choose a side of the line. Let's just say the swimstart is a work in progress...

geez louise

Isn't that picture great? Seriously, this is exactly how I feel! Things definitely are crazy in my world today. I am so far behind on everything and trying my absolute best to catch up. Do you ever have days like that. Sheesh!
Even in the outside-work department things are hectic. 3 races in the next 3 weeks...