Ironman Melbourne: 5 Sleeps - Making a List & Checking it Twice

Packed yet? Are you organised or not so? Do you pack last minute or make a list and check it twice (or three times) ?

I have to admit that Ironman is looking more organised than me this time around - maybe because I'm thinking it's only Melbourne and I only have one child in tow...

However, I need to remind myself I ended up buying warm clothes last time so maybe I need to be bit more prepared (I should really be packing not writing) - then again Melbourne is the shopping capital!

But, it's not about me... and the most important luggage is the bike and the kit of course!

To help you in your packing endeavours, here are a few tips to avoid suitcase and travel disasters when travelling by plane to a Triathlon:

• Don't pack C02 cartridges (and don't forget to buy at other end!)
• Make sure you double seal the electrolyte powder (pretty sticky stuff if it leaks!) Ditto with gels. I use snap lock bags then plastic Decor container to double seal.
• Lots of plastic shopping bags are useful to pack dirty shoes and smelly lycra
• Don't pack too many t-shirts - you usually add 2-3 new Tri ones to your collection each race.
• Use a Decor  container to store all the little stuff like bike tools and salt containers.
• Take race kit for all weather conditions.
• Pack the expensive stuff like watch, SRM and iPod in your carry on.
• Take wet weather gear for supporters - and a good back pack (you will be walking far)
• Don't forget the camera, charger and connector cords. Video camera?
• Triathlon ID required for check in

All I can think of for  now. Very useful that we are heading to Melbourne since you can get most things there if you forget :-)

Any more tips you can add?

For some more packing and travel tips - check our PJ's suggestions here.

Ironman Melbourne - 10 Days to go...

So I just screen shot this - are the nerves setting in? Excitement? Apprehension? Sense of urgency?

Here's another one...

This is the day we arrive - as many from interstate and overseas will. We have all been watching the weather forecasts and hearing about the longest sequence of 30 plus days Melbourne has experienced  ever! So what will happen next weekend?

We have been remembering last years weather. It was so cold that I had to buy a jacket and scarf. I just didn't expect it. Peter froze in the swim on the day and didn't have warm gear for the bike. By the time he hit the run, it started to heat up but really conditions were such (and we were lucky) that it ended up being a fast race as not too hot and little wind.

Peter's feelings on next weekend - 1% chance the conditions will be as good as they were last year. 

In the couple of days we were at St Kilda pre-race last year it was so windy with waves hitting the bay that they cancelled the swim practice and it looked like if conditions remained there would be no swim - and a very tough run into the headwind.

This year,  if its really hot and there is a northerly blowing the Melbourne Ironman course will go from being one of the fastest Ironman courses to one of the slowest.

Be prepared!

For competitors take gear for all conditions. It could be cold and rainy or hot and sunny so take wet weather kit, warm kit  - take it all. At least it seems the water will be barmy compared to last year.

For supporters - same goes. It's long day out there and quite a way to travel between start and finish, so will be no fun at all on a wet, windy or very hot day  - especially with kids! (more about spectating on the course another day).

So start the packing list and lets do a little weather dance :-)

IRONMAN CHALLENGE DAY 10/11: Essentials B4 you leave

Now we are entering the final two weeks before Ironman Melbourne - the lists need to be made. 

Here's a simple check list of mine for this week to make sure bookings are in place and we don't miss out.  Hope its a good little reminder for you too!

• Flights and extra baggage
• Accommodation 
• Transport to accommodation and back and/or car hire
• Bus tickets for travel to and from Frankston
• Bike transport for Ironman's bike to check in
• Bike hire (in St Kilda)
• Welcome and Awards dinner tickets (for partners/family/friends)

Did I forget anything?

Packing lists is a whole other ball game - will leave another post for that one!

IRONMAN CHALLENGE DAY 9 - A Balancing Act

Are you travelling to Ironman Melbourne from another state or country? Are you taking family and friends? Are you planning a holiday around the race?

My post title is A Balancing Act. Why? Because thats how I see it when organising yourself to travel to a race destination.

Travelling to a location for an Ironman event requires balancing a number of things:

1. Get to destination with all equipment required.
2. Manage your week so the triathlete rests up and is prepared for race day.
3. Settle and sort so that you know where to get the right food and other essentials for race day.
4. Make time to register, walk around expo and attend events that happen pre and post race.
5. Organise yourself for race day as a supporter (and of course triathlete enters The Zone  - as I call it)
6. Be prepared for post-race recovery and celebrations.

To add to this, is the balance between the above race related activities and enjoying your new surrounds, being with family and relaxing.

Travelling for a triathlon is not a holiday.

Lets be truthful here. You have probably taken time off work and spent lots of money on air travel and accommodation (as well as triathlon related expenses) and getting away from routine is a nice break but it isn't a true holiday in the sense that there are no plans, no commitments and lots of time to lie around and do nothing!

You are travelling for an experience which will certainly be memorable but you will probably need a holiday after it!

So the point of this blog is to say, try and get the balance right.

Yes you need to be prepared for a big race like Ironman. There are certain things that have to be done. BUT make sure you allocate some rest time. Wander around the local area, visit a cafe or restaurant with the family, play with the kids, give your spouse some time to do what interests them, and try not to talk triathlon 24/7.

Taking this balanced approach will keep the family happier and help to make your trip away feel a bit more like a holiday for all.

Aloha!

Monday 9th October: 

Here I sit on our hotel balcony at 9.30 at night looking out over the Kailua-Kona pier and bay, as palms trees sway and waves lap at the shore. Flame torches light the paths, fairy lights surround the diners by the beach and a sweet smelling candle in a coconut shell flickers by my side....it's pretty magical and very calm. The calm before the storm!!

It's hard to believe that in five days time this place will be swarming with people, lots of noise and many memorable moments with 1,800 Ironman triathletes fulfilling their dreams of completing the Hawaii Ironman.

Kailua-Kona Pier. Tents beginning to appear. A calm night but in a few days sure to be swarming with people!

So what is it like to experience a week in Kona in the lead up to Hawaii Ironman?

Throughout the week I plan to combine my love of Instagram and insistent Tweeting (which may drive some mad), with my amateur (yet improving) photography and as many blog posts as I can manage to grab the time for, to give you a feel for being a part of this amazing race.

It's the perspective of an Ironman wife (without kids this time) not a competitor or expert on triathlon - but I hope you enjoy and are inspired to come and experience it one day (if you haven't already!)

Day one of Hawaii Ironman week...

We arrived two days ago which gave us time to acclimatise and settle. Today the atmosphere ramped up one notch. There seemed to be more people in the town, the finish line chute is starting to take shape, tents are being built in the recovery area and companies are setting up their stands for the Expo which opens tomorrow night. The build up is beginning.

This morning, Dig Me beach was buzzing early.  Every morning this week, competitors and onlookers flock to the swim start to try out the swim course and size up the competition! There is a coffee boat to swim to and IMTalk radio will broadcast live from it on Thursday and Friday. It's a small area but its the place to be seen. If you aren't competing it's still worth donning googles and getting amongst it especially to see the beautiful fish below.

Dig Me beach swarming with swimmers and onlookers. It's where the Hawaii Ironman starts and finishes. It will be transformed in the next few days!

If you are not swimming in the morning, then you should be out running or cycling (you certainly get the urge!) Since it's still early in the week, competitors along with other fitness enthusiasts are all hitting the roads - either in fancy (and very bright coloured) runners or on their expensive bikes (aero helmets a must!). They are familiarising themselves with sections of the course and testing the body in the heat.

The hype and the nerves seems to get the competitors firing when they probably should be resting more - but thats all part of the experience!  It's great to get out amongst them but beware that when out running along side some of the fittest people in the world, you do feel slightly self-conscious!

Ironman hubby and I ready for a run and lapping up the Dig Me beach atmosphere.

I'll sign off with a couple of the many branded signs (some with great quotes and sayings).

Back with new report soon xx

PS. Apologies for delay in posting 1st report from Kona (few online hiccups) - more stories and photos from today (Tuesday) tom come....

The Hurdles Before The Destination....

Was thinking this week how strange human nature is when a single event or activity can mean so much to us that it literally takes over our lives on so many levels.

It's different for all of us and changes as our lives take on different directions.  It may relate to a family occasion, a sporting event, one of lifes' milestones, achieving a goal or just getting over a hurdle at work. Where ever you are at, it seems that that one thing starts to take over daily life - a wedding, a baby, a new job, a Grand Final.

In our lives at the moment, it's heading off to the Hawaii Ironman.

We are counting down the days (13). We are discussing it with family and friends. Travel arrangements need to be checked and locked in. Work load has increased and school holidays need to be managed. Kids scheduling needs to begin (in our case since kids aren't coming)  - and at the back of the mind the thought of what to pack sits hovering. A lot of lists need to be made!

Of course the actual event and all the hype surrounding it is the key topic of conversation. It's a big event with top athletes from around the world competing so there are articles to be read, social networking to be kept track of and my Ironman's excitement needs to be kept contained! It can get overwhelming!!

I'm not complaining (far from it), just illustrating how life can be taken over by the next destination on your calendar.

On the flip side, we all need something to work towards. We need to set goals, follow our passions, celebrate life's milestones and escape from routine. Human Nature thrives on this and in the Western World we can get so busy with daily living that we forget to look at the big picture, appreciate the world around us and step out of our comfort zone.

We need the goals,  the hurdles to jump, and the event to work towards  - otherwise life would be pretty boring. These challenges make our lives richer.

So, whether it's the last few weeks before a holiday, a wedding, having a baby, a Grand Final, achieving a goal, moving house or whatever it may be that has taken over your life - remind yourself that you set the goal, you have put the plans in place and once you have ticked all the boxes, you will eventually reach your goal and reap all the rewards! It's worth it.

What's keeping you busy? What's your next goal?

Ironman on the agenda again!

I realised today that it's the 9th of November - exactly a month since we were standing on Ali'i Drive experiencing out first Hawaii Ironman! I also realised that I have not written a blog post since this experience - although keeping up my tweets :-)

The day was quite overwhelming and exhausting for not only the competitors but also the supporters. I was literally triathloned out! We took a week of R&R still in Hawaii and then returned home for some more time off work and easing back into routine. We took a break from living the triathlon lifestyle :-)

We have a lot of memories and I have a lot to write about Kona and our experiences which will fill a few pages on my new website www.tricrew.com.au - promise it will be soon!

My Ironman has been on a interesting journey post-Hawaii. It has been like this:

• Day of race, exhausted back in condo, IM exclaims "Mission Complete. I am content. No more Ironman for me" My response (as after every other IM he has raced)  "Talk to me tomorrow!"

• Week after lying around Hawaii Resort which gave us time to contemplate our experience and the race, questions arise - "What do I do next? What goal can I have now?"

• Back home in Australia amongst family and friends who want detailed account of race and experiences, excitement builds again. Suddenly Ironman website is being perused again and discussions being had with friends on what races they are planning next. 

• Still on holidays, long discussions are being had with other IM friends including ones who were in Hawaii and they are trying to get answers on when training will begin again and what for - like me they don't believe the new talk from IM "I may do it again one day (I knew that ) but I need a break from the full on training for a while..."

• Back into busy corporate job dealing with back-up of 1000plus emails, Ironman now regularly running and riding and watching past IM races. Thoughts on a huge sea change results in realising that if we did not have the busy lives we do we would not have the money to spend on all the tri accessories or to go on holidays overseas to IM events. 

So, we arrive at tonight -   it is official, my IM is back on the Ironman bandwagon! This time, trying to convince me that Cozumel is the perfect destination for a romantic getaway for my 40th birthday next year - fact that the Ironman is on same time is just by coincidence!

None of this surprises me! When I first started this blog and wrote My Story I wrote that once someone starts racing Ironman, they tend to get addicted. I have accepted that triathlon will always be in our lives.

So, we decide on the next race which is hopefully at a new and exciting destination (not yet convinced on Cozumel), save the money, fit the training schedules into the daily routine and hope that the next Ironman experience we have will be as amazing as the last!

Anyone else relate to this? What race are you next heading off to in support of your Ironman?

The Day Before

The day is just beginning and kids are still asleep. I don't find it easy to sleep in this heat. The sun rises early and IM seems to be up. Now he has headed off for to Dig-Me beach for a final stretch of his swim arms, some ART (active release technique - whole tent of practitioners here to work on athletes every morning) and soak up the the tension filled atmosphere. I sit and contemplate the day.

The day before is one of organising and planning for the support crew. IM needs to be well feed and hydrated. The race bags need to be packed and often you can help by talking thru what is needed and rechecking before they head off for check-in. They need to rest, ideally stay off their feet and start to focus on the big day ahead.

At the same time, you may have kids who need to be entertained and other family and friends who want to be organised for race day -  planning view points, meetings points, and cheer squad essentials!

When you have young kids, these days can be stressful no matter how much you organise but you do just need to take a deep breath and go with the flow.

Our kids - aged 4 and 7 - are at age where unfortunately they just don't quite get it. They are on holiday and just want to chill out, while mum and dad drag them off to expos and parades and shops and dinners which mean late nights (and often grumpy kids). They do have fun most of the time and they are having experiences you hope they will cherish but what I have rediscovered this week is that you can't fit it all in and you can't always be with your IM soaking it all up as it just doesn't work for the kids. Ideally, with kids this age, having other family members with you helps to manage this, but it's not always possible. It's also great if you have other families you know nearby with kids of similar ages, so together you can manage the kids and give each other some adult time. So you work it out as best you can.

Come race day, kids also require planning. Waking them up early for swim start can be tricky, too much time out in the sun and on their feet results in moody kids, the crowds can be overwhelming (and the stress of thinking you might lose them!) -  so there is a lot of coming and going and making sure you have food, drinks and entertainment (apart from the crowds and the race!)

Today, we will think this all through. Work out best viewing positions, head down to the expo to make supporter signs, iron-on names and numbers for our supporter tees, take kids out to write colourful chalk messages on the roads, and keep IM as calm as possible. Head is spinning but it will all fall into place and I just remind myself that at least I am not racing! There is a lot more for the IM to think about today in preparing themselves to tackle one of the toughest races on earth.

So now I will get stuck into my supporter role, knowing that for all of us -  the wives, kids, families and friends, as well as our IM - the day that has been planned for for so long is finally upon us, and I am sure it will be filled with memories that we will cherish in our lifetimes.

Entering the Race Zone...

Well here we are in Kona with just three sleeps until the Big One! I can now say we are officially entering and experiencing the Ironman Race Zone.

I wrote a while back about my IM entering the zone - the zone of serious training, watching what he eats, thinking about the race and planning the road to Kona. Now that we are here and so close to race day, a new zone is upon us.

This is the period of serious focus and planning. Final short taper sessions in all three sports, checking and rechecking race kit, registration, the hype of expos and race banquet, a fair bit of pro-spotting, relaxation when you can get it and a lot of thinking through the experience they are about to endure. The hype, the talk, the build up - it results in an energy around town that is hard to describe and a focus on one day not like any I have experienced before.

As I heard a Pro say today, your race year all comes down to your performance in Hawaii - and I think the age-groupers probably feel just the same.

You hear it all - it's like no other, everybody suffers, it will strip you down to your core, you need to focus to go beyond the pain, you may go to where you have never been before, leave your time expectations on the pier....yet the competitors are saying just Bring It On!

I can't even imagine what I might be writing about come Sunday. In the meantime, we are trying to remember to soak it all up, take it all in and get all we can out of our first Kona experience because as we all know, the first time is always the best.

See our latest snap shots from our day in our Flikr Album

Aloha!

Well it still seems like a dream but we are here! -  and today it all became very real. It's hot and humid, there are fit bodies riding and running everywhere, Kona is swelling with people and the atmosphere is building. Today we had the Athletes Parade and opening of the Ironman Expo. I will write a more detailed post soon of what is happening in Kona and what we have been up to, but in the meantime, check out my photos of our first few days in the new TriCrew Flikr Album.

Hawaii Ironman Tips Required!

Have just posted a new page. Now I need your help!

Have you been to Kona? Have you been to Hawaii IM? I want your tips. Please add comments and pass on to friends who are in the know also.

My aim is to build a thorough report for friends, family and supporters on travelling to Kona for the Hawaii IM. I am a newbie - all I have is a few tips form friends - but I want more!

I don't want to know about the race and training - I hear enough about that!

I want to know about the town, where to shop, where to eat, what to see, what is good for kids, what secret locations we should know about, what fun things there are to do during IM week, how we should manage race day, what resources and assistance there is for supporters on race day, what we shouldn't miss - and what sight seeing we will drag our competitors to pre or post race so we don't feel like we have visited but not experienced it all!

I look forward to all your comments  thanks!

Can't Sleep...

Woken by kids and high winds...now mind is racing about China! What am I worrying about since I don't have to race?

9 sleeps until we leave and I my thoughts are jumping between what has to be done for work and home before we go, schedules for kids while we are away, packing list to make sure we are all organised and there is no last minute panic and what will we do while we are there?

I did quite a  thorough Google search earlier tonight and was shocked by how little information there is to help us with our planning.

Ironman China website has all the race info and some basic travel details, sponsor hotel website has usual hotel stuff, TriTravel who we have booked with (great idea for travel company) really does not provide anything other than bookings and essential travel documents, not found as yet any good Hainan tourism information websites and all the blogs found are focused on the race!

Makes me even more determined to provide a thorough report on this trip and my experiences as a supporter so I can help others who go through the same next year and beyond!