IMNZ is this weekend and I have dusted off my wetsuit and my Cervelo and will be giving it a crack.
After a dnf at Challenege Wanaka just 7 weeks ago, I need to finish to be able to take anything from this season.
As a founding member of the “Balanced Lifestlye Triathlon Team” I am going into this race with absolutely no risk of being over trained! Sure, I’ve been doing the workouts, with some fairly regular long rides and runs, but have fitted everthing into some semblence of a normal lifestyle. That has often meant weeks of 17-20 hours of training, but not in the anal retentive OCD manner I’ve done in the past. And I’ve managed to get this close to the starting line without any real injuries. (just a few niggles in various spots from time to time)
The big impediments for me were a wrist reconstrution surgery in September that had me completely off training for 2 months and then the next 2 months of gradually getting back to IM type workouts. My fitness isn’t where I would like, but it never is, so that’s not a surprise. A past broken neck has given me some grief with nerve impingement and radically reduced right arm mobility. This was reflected with a bit of a shocker of a swim in Wanaka. 12 weeks of anti-inflamatories, and best of all, some major improvement from massage has got me back to a whisper from 100%. I’m still weak in the shoulder muscles but at least I have my range of movement back.
10 days ago I had a good long ride, and managed to ride off the front, from a training buddy who has never let me get of the front ever before. When I stopped and waited for him, he arrived shattered and wondering how I was so frisky. I just felt good so even at the 6 hour mark, managed up my pace and average speed! Just this past weekend I went for an easy spin and managed to go just 2 min over a personal best for that course, even though I felt really flat and un-frisky. I guess my steady build up and injury free buildup has paid dividends afterall.
I’m going into this weekends IMNZ with no real expectations, but a few hopes. The long range weather forcast is for mild temperatures, with little wind (and probably from an ideal northerly direction) but possibly rain most of the day. Of course the weather in this country is notoriously changeable, and after IMNZ 2006 anything can happen, but at the moment, it all looks like it could be a day well suited to my lack of strength, skill and speed. I fully expect the day to be a howling headwind all the way on the bike, and then turn to a scorcher on the run. Anything less will be a blessing.
I hope for the best and am prepared for the worst. I’ll let you know how it all goes. Have a great week and talk to y’all after the race. TTFN