THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF HUMILITY.

So it's all go for the 2008 season and I hit the road with all the enthusiasm that I could muster.It took me a couple of days to recover from my New Years Eve celebrations and so the 3rd of Jan was day one of my training.I took my MTB for an uphill ride in the hills behind Cairns.The out and back distance is 50-odd k's and there are some awesome views of Cairns and the Coral Sea as you climb toward the top before dropping down the other side of the mountain and on to Copperload Dam which serves as Cairns water supply.The road goes through some really thick rainforest and at this time of the year the heat is oppressive.I suffered a lot but was enjoying being on the bike again after such a long time being a lazy bastard.The uphill portion is about 16k but it felt like 100 as my zero fitness soon became apparent but if I an anything at all it is patient so I just spin my way to a slow ascent knowing that I would be treated to some great veiws and an awesome downhill coast back to town.
After getting home I (stupidly) decided to go for a run to test the old bike to run fitness.I parked my bike at home,slipped on the shoes and headed off down the Cairns Esplanade full of praise for myself for actually trying to run.My pride didn't last long as I could only manage one lap of the five kilometer cycle path that takes me downtown every day.With the humidity topping 90% I really began to suffer and limped home after a not so stellar 30min 5k.Lord I have a long way to go!!
The next few days I approached my training differently and just went out riding to various locations around the district(averaging 50k) during the morning followed by a short 2.5k swim session at my local pool.These swim sessions are all about getting used to being in the pool again and I spend a lot of time doing drills with my pull bouy,kick-board and fins.As has been the rule for all my swim training in the past I rarely ever stop between sets and use the kickboard and fins as active recovery instead of standing at the end of the pool chatting.I really love swimming and in the next few weeks will end up cranking out out about 25-30k a week.I'm going to spare you all the details of precisely what goes on at every session until probrably the end of Feb but if anyone wants to know what I'm up to just post a comment or email me and I'll let you in on my unconventional (read-old school)way of training.
My running is usually just a slowish trot around two laps of the flat 5kEsplanade loop followed by about half an hour of drills to get my legs used to a little bit of hard work.It is so hot here that I will soon restrict my running to late in the evening after I finish work.By the end of January I will beging to add some hills and we have an awesome trail here next to the botanical gardens where you can run heaps of stairs and rugged trails in some really dense rainforest.It's super humid in there but at least it's out of the sun.
For those of you who are into stats,the only ones I will be keeping are distance totals and some timing PR's.I'm not training with any powermeters or heart rate gear as one of the purposes of this whole year is to show that you don't need all that stuff to get fit and fast.I have no doubt that high end age-groupers and elite athletes will find the gadgets invaluable but the fact is ,in my opinion,beginners and slow to average ager's can do quite well without them.I have, in the last two weeks put in 8 rides,six runs and six swim sessions to help get my body used to the notion of training again.I'm sore and tired and I feel pretty pathetic but I made my own bed and instead of lying in it I'm going to get out and reverse the damage I have done.
Over the last three months I have managed to gain a staggering 25 pounds and that has translated to 5 extra inches around my belly as well as 2 inches growth around each thigh.At 5'7" that much weight means a lot and it is hard for me to go out and train in public as I feel like such a fat bugger.Stupid I know but we all have our vanity.There are bike clothes which I wore last season in Canada that I just can't get into right now.The up side is that I will be able to show you all that it is possible to lose weight and get in shape in half a year if you are willing to put the work in.There are no easy options in our sport.You can't buy speed!You can't buy fitness!You can't buy experience!All that is learnt and earnt out there on the roads, trails and in the pool and the gym.There is no substitute for plain hard work,dedication and sacrifice.Let's just hope I still have it in me!