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!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment