SO the big day is over, it came and went it what now feels like a whirlwind of swim, bike and run with a concoction of calories, caffeine and h20 thrown in to keep us going. The months, weeks and hours of prep, pain, sweat and endless changes of lycra paid off. The goal was to finish high enough in our age group, on the podium to grab a Kona slot, your golden ticket to race in Hawaii at the Ironman World Champs. You cannot pay to enter the World Champs you have to earn your right to race with the best.
As alluded to a few lines above team benben rocked it, nailed it, smashed it no matter how it’s written the results speak for themselves. Ben pulled out the most impressive debut ironman performance finishing 2nd in his age cat with a sensational 9 hours 25 mins. As usual the other half, this half of team benben bought up the rear a little later! My little legs bagged me the number 1 spot in my age group, crossing the line 1 hours and 12 mins after quick boy, 10 hours 37 mins for those who do not like math’s!
It still has not quite sunk in what we achieved on that day and what lies ahead. 12 months ago Hawaii was the stuff in dreams, today it’s a reality. We are now enjoying a few weeks of down time to give the bodies and mind a rest from our usual rigorous routine. Our rest period is being shared with my mum who made the journey over to be of our big day out. Talk of my mum she has also put pen to paper to make a guest appearance for the blog………….
Race day write up by our guest “author”, Mummy Benger / Jenny B / lead cheer leader
Back in December 2010 when Catherine and Ben decided to take a year out in Australia to become real athletes and train for triathlons it gave me the perfect opportunity to see them and visit the country.
Having arrived in Cairns on the 30th May 2012 and bought even more rain to have the sun shine on race day (3rd June) was perfect. It was decided not to watch all the bobbing caps in the swim, to pick out numbers 103 and 877 was near impossible. Just to add to all the “excitement” of the day I did not feel 100% about the recent crocs or shark sightings in the area, but I felt the Queensland Government had a duty of care!!
I was there at the beginning of the bike race, the male half of team beneben came into sight at 8.15am giving me a wave and looking confident in his sailfish outfit. Following up not so far behind, Catherine in her new Soas kit came into view concentrating very hard on the road ahead. Talking after the race she confirmed she heard me shouting her name before she saw me. It was about another 6 and a half hours before I saw Ben with his bright orange shoes running a steady pace on his 1st lap of 5 down the Esplanade. The atmosphere was amazing with hundreds lining the road, some in their fancy dress but all were shouting, clapping and giving encouragement to the runners. It was fun to watch the runners come through the aid stations grabbing their drinks or trying too! The aid was used to quench their thirsts and cool down their bodies.
Catherine passed me for the first time on her run at approximately 4 pm looking very serious. During those last 5 laps I did all I could to jump, wave and shout. As I walked down nearer to the finishing chute I saw Ben on his final few hundred meters looking happy with a look of relief as the end was in sight. I was there at the finishing line to see Catherine with her trademark sprint to the end.
It was an amazing day well worth the 10,300 miles / 16,500 km’s to be there and to be part of their day if only in a very small way. To know that they both have achieved their places at Kona was the crowning glory to the day. All their hard work and dedication got the results needed. It was a privilege to be there, thank you both.
Mummy B / Jenny B / lead cheer leader.
PS will I be at Kona?? Sadly not without sponsorship!!!!
Ben has written from the heart his version of events as the day unfolded, this day also marked the occasion of where he lost his ironman V plates. Damm no more jokes that he is only a half ironman!! His story telling can be found on his blogspot:
www.bwebeck.blogspot.com
Our break from training has not entailed sleeping and eating instead a whirlwind tour of Aus with the majority of time to date being spent in our “Jazzie” car. The Jazz has safely transported us (team benben, my mum, the bikes, the luggage etc) down the coast from Cairns to Coff’s Harbor. A few nights back in Coff’s with Ben’s mum and dad gave us just enough time to essentially unpack and re-pack! Giving mum a quick tour of what has been my home for the past 7 months, shopping for the next trip and eating lots of yummy food and dinners Ben’s mum had so kindly slaved away in the kitchen was also squeezed in to our pit stop. Fed, watered and the thermals packed we were back in the Jazz:
1st stop The Hunter Valley as per the request of my mum for wine tasting!!
2nd stop Sydney to do the sights
3rd stop Alice Springs to witness the Red Centre and see Ben’s sister Kimmy. This is where the thermals are required, it can hit a chilly -5 overnight bbbbrrrrrrr!!
As I type we are in our cozy cabin hidden amongst the trees in the stunning Hunter Valley. We have just enjoyed a fun day out of wine tasting and touring. A bottle of a favorite, a cabernet merlot from Piggs Peake was purchased to sink with what’s on the menu tonight, steak served with onions, mushrooms and garlic sweet potato mash. On that note I must attend to the wine someone needs to open it to let it breath!!!
Friday, 15 June 2012
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Cairns - Lead up to the BIG one!
It’s the final countdown…..i cannot quite believe the BIG race, our LOONNNGGGG day out is nearly upon us, Ironman fever is starting to grip North Queensland, Cairns and team benben! The wait is also nearly over for support crew aka my mum / Jenny B to join us Down-Under for a month.
We have now been up North for about 10 days and this stunning part of the Aussie coastline needs “biggin up” (in my opinion)!! Nestled between the ocean on one side and rainforests to the other Cairns is like a hidden gem, (again in my opinion). With the absence of a beach in the City Centre mega bucks have been spend on the “Esplanade”: a cool boardwalk promenade, picnic areas, playgrounds, free bbq’s and a saltwater swimming lagoon lining the foreshore. The promenade will be part of the stomping ground for our marathon on Sunday. If I thought the run course was spectacular my eyes had seen nothing until we hit the bike course. The route follows the dramatic coastal 60km drive or cycle which winds from Cairns to the “glitzy” Port Douglas. The swim is in “Sailfish Quay” alongside all the signs that say “Achtung, Crocodiles”! Lucky I made it to my early German GCSE classes, “Achtung” means warning!!
Training is Cairns has been in the taper phase of our IM journey which means a little less volume and intensity as race day draws closer, this also means more time to be horizontal and get in bucket loads of essential quality rest. To ensure our bodies didn’t go into total shut down we snuck in one last race! Nothing near the distance of the IM but a classic OD (Olympic Distance) tri which consists of a 1.5k swim, 40km bike and a 10km run. The race also gave us the chance to:
Have a hit out swimming in the sea
Ride and race on the bike course we will cycling on come the 3rd June
Get to see the Cairns’s posh neighbor Port Douglas and the stunning 4 mile beach, the setting for the Coral Coast Tri.
The race was not or meant to be about OD, in this case “over doing” it! Words from the boss, “swim hard, bike hard and settle into a good rhythm running, remember the bigger picture you have an ironman in a week’s time”. I will leave it up to you to decide just how much we pumped or eased off the throttle, Ben took top honors winning the 25 – 34 age group. I was knocked off top spot and claimed a silver medal for the same age category. Another great day at the office for team benben.
If you have been following our journey on the blog, as a reader, follower or blogger you will be aware our overseas trip has provided us with many things:
Endless memories, live away from home and experience life down-under for a year, spend quality time with Ben’s parents, the list is quite simply endless. At the heart of our trip was the opportunity to live life for a year as athletes or should I say triathletes or simply put . . . . “doing what I love with who I love”. Or as Ben quoted on his blog spot, “it was our mission to have a year out from full time work and train our butts off in Australia and do what we love”.
If living like a pro was at the heart of our trip, the ironman race in Cairns on June 3rd can maybe described as the heartbeat. All the hours of training, scheduled racing, cups of coffee, increasing calories, wake up calls at 3.45am have all been part of the complex formula to ensure we hit race day in peak condition and on top form. A few more hours of training, a few more cups of strong coffee, carbs and no more wake up calls at stupid o’clock, I reckon we will be there.
Physically our journey to date has allowed us to get fitter, faster oh and drop a dress size or 2, Ben is that one relevant to you too?!
From a mental perspective it has allowed us to really, really test ourselves, take our minds and bodies to places (and I don’t just mean geographically!) and highs we had never even been near or once thought never even possible. Without wanting to sound like I am at one with myself and tie dye clothes will be my must have next season, what can be accomplished whether dreams, goals, targets or PB’s, the list again is simply endless, as long as the mind is simply limitless.
Regardless of the results achieved as we take our last few steps down the finish chute and over the finish line to the booming sound of you are an ironman, nothing can alter the fact our time out so far has in the words of Tina Turner been “simply the best”. Of course as competitive athlete’s team benben will be looking for a podium finish within our age categories and the ultimate for any long course triathlete a slot and chance to race at Kona, Hawaii home of the ironman World Championships.
On that high, I will sign off, put my feet up and start dreaming of grass skirts and pina colades!!!
We have now been up North for about 10 days and this stunning part of the Aussie coastline needs “biggin up” (in my opinion)!! Nestled between the ocean on one side and rainforests to the other Cairns is like a hidden gem, (again in my opinion). With the absence of a beach in the City Centre mega bucks have been spend on the “Esplanade”: a cool boardwalk promenade, picnic areas, playgrounds, free bbq’s and a saltwater swimming lagoon lining the foreshore. The promenade will be part of the stomping ground for our marathon on Sunday. If I thought the run course was spectacular my eyes had seen nothing until we hit the bike course. The route follows the dramatic coastal 60km drive or cycle which winds from Cairns to the “glitzy” Port Douglas. The swim is in “Sailfish Quay” alongside all the signs that say “Achtung, Crocodiles”! Lucky I made it to my early German GCSE classes, “Achtung” means warning!!
Training is Cairns has been in the taper phase of our IM journey which means a little less volume and intensity as race day draws closer, this also means more time to be horizontal and get in bucket loads of essential quality rest. To ensure our bodies didn’t go into total shut down we snuck in one last race! Nothing near the distance of the IM but a classic OD (Olympic Distance) tri which consists of a 1.5k swim, 40km bike and a 10km run. The race also gave us the chance to:
Have a hit out swimming in the sea
Ride and race on the bike course we will cycling on come the 3rd June
Get to see the Cairns’s posh neighbor Port Douglas and the stunning 4 mile beach, the setting for the Coral Coast Tri.
The race was not or meant to be about OD, in this case “over doing” it! Words from the boss, “swim hard, bike hard and settle into a good rhythm running, remember the bigger picture you have an ironman in a week’s time”. I will leave it up to you to decide just how much we pumped or eased off the throttle, Ben took top honors winning the 25 – 34 age group. I was knocked off top spot and claimed a silver medal for the same age category. Another great day at the office for team benben.
If you have been following our journey on the blog, as a reader, follower or blogger you will be aware our overseas trip has provided us with many things:
Endless memories, live away from home and experience life down-under for a year, spend quality time with Ben’s parents, the list is quite simply endless. At the heart of our trip was the opportunity to live life for a year as athletes or should I say triathletes or simply put . . . . “doing what I love with who I love”. Or as Ben quoted on his blog spot, “it was our mission to have a year out from full time work and train our butts off in Australia and do what we love”.
If living like a pro was at the heart of our trip, the ironman race in Cairns on June 3rd can maybe described as the heartbeat. All the hours of training, scheduled racing, cups of coffee, increasing calories, wake up calls at 3.45am have all been part of the complex formula to ensure we hit race day in peak condition and on top form. A few more hours of training, a few more cups of strong coffee, carbs and no more wake up calls at stupid o’clock, I reckon we will be there.
Physically our journey to date has allowed us to get fitter, faster oh and drop a dress size or 2, Ben is that one relevant to you too?!
From a mental perspective it has allowed us to really, really test ourselves, take our minds and bodies to places (and I don’t just mean geographically!) and highs we had never even been near or once thought never even possible. Without wanting to sound like I am at one with myself and tie dye clothes will be my must have next season, what can be accomplished whether dreams, goals, targets or PB’s, the list again is simply endless, as long as the mind is simply limitless.
Regardless of the results achieved as we take our last few steps down the finish chute and over the finish line to the booming sound of you are an ironman, nothing can alter the fact our time out so far has in the words of Tina Turner been “simply the best”. Of course as competitive athlete’s team benben will be looking for a podium finish within our age categories and the ultimate for any long course triathlete a slot and chance to race at Kona, Hawaii home of the ironman World Championships.
On that high, I will sign off, put my feet up and start dreaming of grass skirts and pina colades!!!
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