I leave in a week. I'm nervous, but excited to be doing something I never oimagined would be possible.

My aim is to only conquer the course this year. If I do that within the 7.30 allowed well and good, if not, doesn't matter. (well it will, but I won't allow myself to stress too much)

For those that don't know I weighed over 100kg only a year ago. Got down to 80kg in April this year and have since gained a couple of kg's since begginning training and I am like a vaccum cleaner with food.

So this year I finish. Next year I hope to go sub 6 hours.

So hands up who's in.

Ronnie

Congratulations Ronnie - it's fantastic to hear that you'll finally be there toeing the line in a few days. You've come such a long way, and have put in a huge training effort. You'll do great.

Wish I could get up there and catch up with you again - it might have to wait till Port Mac in November? I presume trish and pretty boy are planning on putting you up again?

I know of at least 1 or 2 other CRs who are heading up, but I wouldn't dare out them yet. Hopefully they're just as confident as I am of them having a great race. You know who you are guys

No more Port Mac for me this year Miners. Will have to wait til April. Give my love to Trish and Trev. Tell them to get that new pc soon. I miss them.

I know of one other CR'er that will be in Yeppon. Will try and get a pic and use it for an avatar.

mmm... well yes I will be there, flying up Friday morning & hoping for much warmer weather than dreary Sydney Town.

I'm really truly looking forward to this event.

My first ever Half Ironman & with everything going on in my life at the moment it will be a welcome relief to get this thing done....i'm excited

Miners - thanks!!

Ronnie38 - C u there.

Cheers, AK

Can I ask I really dumb question???? Where is Yeppoon? Some of the tri people from Newcastle are going and I have heard it mentioned quite a few times lately but have no idea where it is.
Good luck to the CR's taking part. I will be cheering on competitors in the Gold Coast Half in October and taking part in my first half in Port in November.
I hope you come in under your time Ronnie. From the sound of things your achievements to date are amazing and I think you are great for even entering a Half Ironman.

Yeppoon is on the Capricorn Coast just east of Rockhampton.

Here's the official site for the race

thanks Miners. It looks like a gorgeous place, may be one to keep in mind for next year. Hopefully I will be an experienced competitor by then!!!!!

I'll go for a trundle. Great story Ronnie 38. I wish you the best of luck. You have chosen wisely for your first HIM. This course is very competitor friendly. You will finish within the cut -off for sure.

we'll be there,
Run67 will be doing the whole event whilst I am running in a team, it will be lots of fun if I get to see someone I recognise on the run, be sure to say hello if you see you see my white cap
Best of luck to everyone, you Sydney siders will surely love the weather up here in Qld, it will be a great holiday

I'll be wearing my Tranny's cap with my name on the back. Pink Jagged Cycle top and black bike nicks.

Is that too much info?

Aunty K and Ronnie38 ~
I'm sure that you'll enjoy your first Capricorn Coast Half IM!

I did it in 2000 and enjoyed it, although the sea can be choppy and the bike course windy! It was delightfully hot (hard to believe sitting here in Canberra at the moment), and there was ice on the run course which was really welcome.


My other half, Bob (a.k.a. the FlashDrake) is going up this year for his first time - more a training event for the Long Course Worlds than to race.

Enjoy it everyone, whether as an individual or in a team.

Flashduck - thanks for the tips on the event.

karisma - will keep a eye out for you, i'm really looking forward to the warm weather.

Ronnie - i'm not sure about what I'm wearing... i will try to locate that CR Cap of mine, I can't remember where I put it.

Cheers, AK

I'm bypassing Yeppoon for the first time in several years to do GC24.

Nick organises a top race at Yeppoon, with fast and safe swim, and a bike & run designed for maximum spectator support. The bike is flat but a little slower than you'd expect due to the granular road surface. The bush area on the 3 loop run is pleasantly shady and if the aid staions aren't frequent enough, you also run past the resort bar a couple of times. So Ronnie and Auntie K, make sure you tuck a bit of $ in your shorts for the unofficial aid station.

Enjoy your day in the sun, girls. Oh.......that reminds me. Auntie K, the sun up there has a real sting to it. Even when its only 22C, it fries! Lots of southerners get caught out up there each year and lobsterise themselves. Screen up REALLY well.

Not doing it but have only heard great things about it and one day will get myself organised to go there….

Good luck to everyone doing it, especially Ronnie, have “watched” your journey over on Transitions and you have come such a long way, what an inspiration. You have done the hard work, the race is now the fun part. Enjoy and savour every moment, time is irrelevant - and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

Aunty reporting from Yeppoon:

Hi All,

Just wanted to thank everyone for the well wishes, SMS & emails I've received supporting me with this event.

Just one year ago I couldn't swim a lap of the pool without Uncle pushing me along & always giving me fantastic encouragement. Thanks UNCLE!!

Yesterday was a long day for me, but I achieved the goal... that was to finish the event that I started.

My overall time was 6:58:** .

I decided on Saturday morning to test out the water at the Resort & check my wetsuit was ready for the event. When I arrived at 8am to see a extremely choppy ocean I was beginning to think that i'd bitten off way too much & my nerves would get the best of me. You see I've never swum in open water EVER!!!! and I was shit scared about it. So I tested the water for about 10 minutes and that was enough swimming for me the day before the event & now I had to hope that the water would calm down by tomorrow.

Next thing was to test out my bike on the course.... a fairly flat circuit with a fair bit of wind... no probs I thought. I then did a short run & well I'm as ready as ever.

Turned up at the Resort Sunday morning at around 6:00am to a bussling transition area. Had my numbers written on my arm & down the side of my leg. Checked my bike & gear into transition & now it was the waiting game till we were underway. I quickly put on my wetsuit & waited around with a whole lot other fairly anxious people. We were then given direction to head to the swim start. This meant walking up the beach heading south for 1.7k's where the start line was. We had to run into the water swim 100metres, turn left, swim 1.7K, turn left and head for the beach again. How hard could this be??? Well, the waves to me were huge & I was being told by everyone that the current would assist me. The only thing the current did was keep bringing me close to shore. So my wave started at 8:07am and we were away. At this moment I thought about pulling out of the event... I thought I couldn't make the swim... then slapped myself & thought I've come too far to let a few waves scare me. I swam to the first buoy turned left & I was away... rocking & rolling in the water, feeling as though I was in a washing machine. I had a boat come up beside me to tell me to head out further & look for the buoys. We were told there were 19 buoy's, I only saw 2.... the first one & luckily the last one. I did get swum over by the wave of swimmers behind me but thankfully didn't panic and kept swimming the course and made it out in one piece. I couldn't believe i'd done it!

Now, to the bike... Jumped aboard and headed out along the course. It was a circuit of 5 laps of 18k's/lap. My first 60k's were brilliant, I couldn't have asked for a smoother more comfortable ride.... unfortunately I got a flat and then the wind tooks it toll. I also started to get shakey & my butt was sore. I rode in with a couple I met on the course and the 3 of us kept each other company.

My run leg started badly... I had a stitch & the heat of the day at 1pm was bad. I was already dehydrated & realised I hadn't needed to go to the loo since I started (not a good sign)... I decided on the run/walk approach and chatted to lot's of people along the way. I've suffered badly from sunburn & stupidly didn't put sunscreen on till it was way too late.

I finished the course with a big smile & said I'd not do that again EVER!! but since yesterday and speaking to James.. i've decided that I cannot let the Half Ironman distance beat me.

Thanks to Darren for his support along the way.
Thanks to Uncle for always helping me out.
Thanks to Rooster(for his ever helpful tips)
Thanks to QB (more respect to you then ever to complete a Ironman)
Thanks to the CR Strider chicks who keep checking in on me... you know who you are!
Thanks to Plu for your kind words always.
Thanks to Eagle (I know you are out there).
Thanks to James for putting up with me... i've learnt heaps this past weekend

See you all back in Sydney.

Cheers, AK

Aunty

You are one of the most courageous women I know . You are an inspiration to me and give me hope each time when I go to the pool that it can be done - you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Congratulations for an amazing effort - you must be thrilled.

You have to do another half ironman because you will need to show me the ropes. I will not let you quit now.

See you for that swim when I get home. I will need to show off my tan

Wildthing of Borneo

Originally posted by Aunty Karin:



Wouldn't have thought that threatening to drown Aunty K unless she did "another lap" (put on tape recorder and played over and over until the batteries wore out) consitituted "fantastic encouragement" but hey...it works for the kids!

Well done Karin. Glad to see the hard work paid off.

Unc

Out of everybody I know, you are the one that, once they set their mind to something, you become totally focussed on achieving that goal.

I know that it is only a matter of time before the full Ironman is firmly in your sights again.

I just hope I can keep up with you.

A bottle of celebratory wine awaits you.

Darren

Aunty,

I am so proud of you. Congrats on a huge effort and the beginning of another journey. Your race report is inspirational when you consider how tough the day was. I had a similar experience to you doing my first HIM back in 2003. I was within seconds of curling up into the foetal position but like yourself carried on. The experience will make you stronger in everything you do. Keep up the good work and I cannot wait to race at Port Macquarie with you (both the half and full ). It has been my pleasure helping you out and hear all about your progress. Take care and enjoy the rest.

Congratulations on your latest successful adventure. You may have found it horrible at times but what you have learnt will be invaluable to your next set of goals and besides , could you have really faced the Unc if you'd given up

Really pleased for you,

TA

Great job Aunty K and well done.....BUT we both know this is the first step on a bigger goal!! I know from a reliable source that your agreed goal with the coach is to finish Ironman and so it will be(you can't leave a job half done?).
Plenty of people on this site and in your life believe in you and that you can acheive what you set your site to. So enjoy your success and bask in the feeling of completing a very significant acheivement, but Port in April still beckons.
So I think Darren, Uncle, Plu, those CR chicks, Eagle, the other significant people in your life and yourself all deserve to see the goal completed
SWIM 3.8KM, RIDE 180.2KM and RUN 42.2KM...........BRAG THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

So lets slay the dragon.......... I'm in if you are?

congratulations Aunty - bring on Port Mac now

Thought you might also be interested to check this thread from transitions regarding the swim leg up there.

Congratulations on a fantastic achievement Aunty K. Rest up and enjoy the recovery before you start to think about preparing for training for the big one.

Like others have said, we know you can do it because you are one strong woman!

B+ - I'm in!! if they will have me

Wildthing of Borneo - anytime for that swim & thanks for your kind words.

Thanks to everyone for thinking of me.

Cheers, AK ;)

Aunty Karin,

You are an inspiration to a lot of budding triathletes out there. Congrats on completing your first half, we're very proud of you.

Roll on IM!

Karin,
we knew you'd do well
"you are one strong woman!" I agree with Horrie...I found it tough out there just doing the run leg at midday

Sorry we missed you at the end. Hope you had some icecream and fruit salad...that was worth running for

Best of luck for your future goals, sure we'll cross paths again soon.

Rumour has it that *Archie* had a good day in the sun and qualified for IM. Woo hoo!

Congratulations Aunty K on getting through your first Half IM. Onward and upward! Bigger fish to fry. Chase Miners and Uncle at IM. Yeehah!

Now you know what I go through when I do an ocean surf swim. Washing machines are us!

Get back on the bike and keep going. Cheers mate.

Flakey - any tips on ocean swimming would be much appreciated.

Thanks to the others for your kind words.

Karisma - you looked fantastic as you flew past me on the run... I must admit to not eating the fruit salad & icecream, I just couldn't stomach it.... but the champagne at the end went down a treat.
Will I see you guys on the Gold Coast for the HIM in 6 weeks??

Cheers, AK

Well done Aunty K, I was so moved by your race account. I can't believe you entered without ever doing an open water swim. What an awesome time you came in on. Sheer guts and determination pushed you through and that makes you an Ironwoman in my books. I am looking to do my first in 6 weeks on the Gold Coast and reading your report has inspired me even more. The self doubt lurking in my head (especially about the open water swimming) should be silenced every time I remember your post. Thank you and well done.

Tips Aunty:
As I don't do ironman's I assume you do deep water starts most of the time so getting through a surf break is not needed. Correct?

During the swim you should constantly be checking your position in relation to the buoys(even if you are behind the pack: they may be off course). Many races have been lost by swimmers going off course. The best time to check your navigation is when going over a wave or swell. This takes practice.

What you should never do is break your stroke, just lift your head out of the water and continue to swim.

A good rule is" follow your own race" not the pack, they maybe off line.

Around the buoys:

The size of the group you are in will determine whether you take the turn wide or sharp.
Getting caught in a thrashing bunch can do wonders for the lungs capacity to absorb water. Generally it is often better to take the turn wide as you can keep your stroke consistent and there is less chance of being swum over by the pack.
If there is a big swell from behind you should be looking behind every so often(under your arm) checking for approaching waves. Nothing worse than missing a wave that can save you some energy and copping a mouthful of water if you don't see it.

The best practice is practice in the surf. Ocean Swims draft calendar 2006/07
Sorry long post.

Flakey - I'm such a beginner when it comes to ocean swims. I swam by survival instinct... if that makes sense. I was actually pleased when I got swum over the top by other swimmers because this actually meant I was heading in the right direction.

Ok, thanks for the link to the Calendar for Open Swims... it seems that I will have to get out there and practice more.

Jodie - thanks for your kinds words, they mean alot to me.

Cheers, AK

Wow..........you are too amazing! Well done Aunty K! I also cannot believe you had not done any ocean swims before the day - had you done any other OPEN water swims?

What were you time for the different legs? Not that you probably care too much - you finished in a great time. It sounds like you did very well on the bike - after having a flat too - oh, no!! I better start learning how to fix a flat before December having read that!!

You are an inspiration to all - especially those of us still heading towards our first half ironman!

Aunty K that is great news!!!

I am so happy for you. I am sure if it was me and I got a flat tyre after all the effort exhausted in the swim I would have sat on the side of the road and given up.

You have done yourself and the CR community proud. Well done.

....btw if the bottles are going around I guess that means Tess and I will have to reserve one with your name on it for when we next meet



So are there any other race reports from the top north? Karisma how did you and Run67 go??