Hi Everyone

Anyone CRs out there thinking of or have started training for Busselton half ironman in May 2007 because I am doing it! Flights are booked, support crew organised (my sister - she only agreed if she can go to the wineries at Margaret River first) and entries open 1 Feb. I am 2 1/2 weeks into my 18 week training program and so far so good.

But it is my first go at a half-ironman distance, having only done one Olympic distance, but I am doing some sprint/longish tris as part of my training, so hopefully I will be ready come May but if anyone wants to chat or throw some advice/encouragement my way I would appreciate it!

Hi runitloveit,

Good on you, the HIM (70.3) is a great race. Whilst I am not going over to WA I am doing the Port 70.3 and maybe the GC 70.3.

Keep focused on your training and your plan to go in shorter tri's is a good one because you can focus on the feel of each transition and working on any bugs you may identify in the shorter races.

Good luck with your training and enjoy the race - its a great feeling coming into the finishing chute!

Danny

PS: if you haven't already, join a triathlon club - its a great way to meet people in your local area with the same interest as you and most have a club race. Mine puts on a sprint distance every month which really adds some race experience to your training!

best of luck runitloveit. Haven't been there myself - the bike course is TOO flat to tempt me. I find it nice to have some hills so you can actually coast for a while . Mind you, the swim (when the weather's good) looks spectacular.

just a point of clarification on Danny's post. The "70.3" is a specific licence, or branding if you will, that only applied to the Port Macquarie Half Ironman in 2006. That race served as a qualifier for the 70.3 World Champs in Florida - no other race in Australia did. The other races were just Half Ironmans. Obviously, the race distance is the same whatever the race is called.

Incidentally, there is strong talk that the 70.3 "licence" is moving on from Port in 2007, and will be attached to another Half Ironman in Oz.

In Australia that is. There are lots of 70.3 races worldwide.

I heard this also last week. Do you know why?

Hi Miners,

Notwithstanding the licencing issue is the HIM distance race still going ahead up at Port??

Danny

So 70.3 is the half-ironman distance? Is this some American reference to distance (70.3 miles I'm guessing). Is Port HIM on the same time as the ironman race?

Danny - good luck with your training - I'm a member of the triathlon club here in Canberra, but of course with the race being in May it is kind of in a funny timeslot as the local season here will be over, so I am building while most people are peaking - which is why I am using the local races as training sessions rather than trying to improve my times etc. Just using them for experience, and to help me with learning how to control my nerves before the race! Also practicing my transitions which I am gradually getting the hang of. I am thinking for the half ironman I might need to add in a few things, such as socks for the ride and run (normally I don't bother with socks on the shorter races).

Miners - I'm with you on the hills - call me a sadist but I actually enjoy a good hill climb, but I actually hate the descending. I know I should train for the course, so I am thinking I need to do some long flat rides to get used to that feeling on the bike. I do a session a week on the windtrainer rather than the road, so I am hoping that helps me get ready for the flat ride?

I still need to get a wetsuit for the swim, I am presuming it would be silly to not use a wetsuit as I am a slow swimmer - actually I am a slow cyclist and runner as well!! But I am very excited about the challenge of completing this distance.

I'm thinking about going over for this, but since I can't drive need to organise a lift down from Perth.

If anyone wants to split petrol (and car hire if you're flying in to Perth), lettuce no.

Unc

Uncle Dave - I'm hiring a car in Perth and driving down to Busselton on Thursday 3 May - you are welcome to grab a lift with my sister and I if that fits with your plans - going back to Perth on Wednesday 9 May (couple of days R and R after the race)

Hi runitloveit,

Check out the Spinervals range of DVDs. I use the Spinervals Time Trial special DVD when I am in competition mode. Its tailored towards getting leg speed and strength for triathlon/time trial and is a great way to make the wind trainer sessions interesting (and leg burning!)

http://www.everestsports.com.au/brandsrch.php?brandID=SPIN

I bought mine here and have seen some great improvements in my bike time since incorporating it into my training.

Danny

Hi Danny

Great news, my friend has one of these DVDs that I can borrow - should make the windtrainer sessions a bit more interesting! Thanks for the tip.

If anyone coming over for the event needs any help with accommodation, transport, etc., let me know. I live fairly close by - and while I'm not competing (don't float, hate bike seats), I'm more than happy to help any visitors.

- AndrewC

Hi Andrew

Thanks! I haven't booked anywhere yet, so suggestions regarding accommodation would be great. It will be myself, my sister and my trusty road bike! I'm planning to stay for 7 nights, so a flat or something with a kitchen would be ideal. I also want to be walking distance from the start (if that is possible) so I have one less thing to worry about on the day.

Any help greatly appreciated.

There's quite a range of accommodation in Busselton - you could take a look at this site for a start. If there's anything that interests you, let me know and I can advise if it's near or far, reasonable or not. Also, if you'd rather stay a little further out of town, even as far afield as Dunsborough, where you might find nicer places to stay, I can organise a shuttle on the day to get you to the start and home again.

- AndrewC

Hi runitloveit,

If you are looking for a killer brick/interval work out, try this one:

5min hard on wind trainer;
800m - 1km race pace
2min recover on wind trainer

4 sets of above!

It has a number of good points in that it bounces your heart rate up, gets you used to running fast off the bike and is a good transition practice at race pace too! Just remember to throw in a good warm up and cool down.

Give it a go!

Danny

Thanks Danny - that looks insane!! Can't wait to give it a go, will see if I can fit it in mid week. I did some BCR hill intervals on the bike on Wednesday - was great, I'm actually enjoying mixing up the bike workouts. Long ride tomorrow - going out for three hours. I'll report back on how the interval set goes.

Practicing my open water swimming as well, so hopefully by the time I make it to Busselton I will be relaxed in the water.

It was one of my big hesitations about Busselton - the open water ocean swim, but I am hoping (fingers crossed) that it is pretty flat and calm.

Thanks Michael as well for the accommodation suggestions - Busselton looks so beautiful I can't wait to get over there. I've emailed a few places so will let you know when I hear back from them.

Danny - I did your suggested interval set the other day - very nice! Enjoyed that burning leg feeling. I've also been doing some one leg cycle drills to improve my pedalling, and found I am very lopsided once I got to the left leg. I also 'stomp' down on the pedals, so I am working on peddling using round circles.

I must have looked like a bit of a fool as I was practising these out on a bike path near one of the main roads and a car full of guys drove past and yelled out to me 'why don't you buy a car!'. Got to love the P Platers.

So I might stick to doing those on the windtrainer!

Rest of the training is going great.

Michael - I booked a place called Rose Cottage which is 800m from the jetty - should be close enough to walk down there in the morning. The race doesn't start until 8.30am!! I am sure I will be up much earlier than that trying to keep my nerves under control!

Hi runitloveit,

Great stuff - good luck with your training!

Danny

Great to see the training going so well for you loveit! Keep working on those strength sessions for your bike leg. Obviously I'm assuming you've ditched the downhill cycle reps?

Soory it's taken me a while to respond to questions over here, but yeah Danny's heads-up in regards to the Spinervals DVDs was perfect. They do you a HEAP of good!

Howdy Guys,

Just putting in my 2 cents worth, I am planning on competeting in the Bsn HIM in may, should be a good turn out.

Quick tip for people on the Bike, yes the coarse is very flat but also very open to very strong winds that can be like riding a massive hill. So if your training for it get outside in the wind, because it can be very strong or very nice, last year's Ironamn had both from what I seen, if you were lucky enough to be of the bike before the strong winds came in in was a great ride unfortunatley unless you were Mitch anderson you more then likely were not so lucky.

See you all there.

runitloveit
Good luck with your training for Busso. I did IM there in Dec and it's a great course! Flat and fast. The swim this year was calm and clear the whole way. The bike was quick (apart from some wind on the last lap) and the run was also flat but a bit exposed - lots of sun - but quite scenic! Busso is a beautiful spot and make sure you check out "The Goose" restaurant by the Jetty....fantastic food and a wonderful wine list (for after the race)!

Gday AndrewC
one of the Six inchers (45km offroad run on Darling Scarp south of Perth ) here...
(did it again December 2006 Dave did a fast 3hr 42 to win that one)...

Ive thought about doing the Busso Half IM...
went down there to watch the Ironman with Dave and Nathan for the first two IM's
a few runners in it...I see Shortis was back to win it again last year...

My swim very slow though, but itching to try out a new bike i recently got...
still hoping to make it to Meelup in a few weeks time for a 1k/30k/10k Tri.

Stayed at Broadwater Busselton and Dunsborough last year...mate of mine went a bit further south to Bunker Bay...

Also planning to be at Bunbury 6 hour race on March 3rd...
Dave and Nathan doing the 12 hour race...

If training well may line up for Busso Half IM its a beautiful part of WA...not far to the caves or the good surfing beaches from there also....or the Cape to Cape track...(as Andrew would know)

Hmm, will have to wait for a windy day so I can practice riding in strong wind. We don't really get many windy days here, well not until Spring normally.

Well we had gale force winds here yesterday, but I chickened out of riding in it and did a windtrainer program instead!

Training is going well - have been sticking to the plan of 3 swims a week (1 open water), 3 cycles (long, strength with intervals and recovery) and 2-3 runs (intervals and long with the occasional tempo or easy run), plus pilates and weights. Have been building the distance of the long stuff, with some recovery weeks as well. Also have been running 15-20 minutes off the bike, particularly after the long ride.

Also did some races in the lead up to practice all the logistical race stuff.

Only five weeks to go until race day. Starting to panic that I haven't done enough (a common fear I am hoping).

Have written out my race plan, and hoping to get myself to the finish line (number 1 goal) in good shape (number 2 goal) and wanting to do another one or maybe even wanting go back in December for that really big race (I'm not mentioning it until after I have finished the half).

Aiming for a steady pace the whole way through - thank goodness the run is my favourite part, so hopefully I will enjoy that at the end, well, as much as you can enjoy a 1/2 marathon after a 90k bike ride.

Any advice from all you triathletes out there about what I should be thinking about/working on in these last couple of weeks, besides trying to keep positive and my nerves in check?

Hi runitloveit

I am following your thread with a lot of interest as I have targeted that "really big race" in Busselton this year. It will be my first "really big race", so I am interested in your feedback on the course, environs, accomm, etc.

I am also aiming for Gold Coast HIM as a tune up event in September before heading over, but like you I am attacking lots of smaller tris such as OD, club and sprint. I am trying to do 2 a month at the moment, including my club ones.

We also had gale force winds and rain here yesterday, and I wasn't going to hammer my nice clean bike in it after running a 34km longun the day before.

Oh, and before anyone says anything - no, I haven't thought about Port at this stage, because going to WA will give that added sense of "big adventure". Much more so than driving an hour up the road!

Hi Muzman

Wow - great news - so I will have a virtual trainer partner for that big race! So I will let you know about what the half is like. I was also thinking about Gold Coast, but I am going to New York for two weeks at the end of September, so may need to find another one to do in the lead up.

Like you, most of the appeal for me is to have that sense of travelling somewhere for a big race, and having the whole experience that it entails. And I must say (I might get shot down for this), but now that you don't need to qualify for Port it just doesn't appeal to me as much!

Have you seen the DVD of the 2006 Busselton Ironman - it is awesome. If you haven't let me know and I can lend it to you. Seeing it helped me with my decision to aim for the December race.

Hi runitloveit!

I first decided I wanted to do an IM 20+ years ago when I saw my first one here in Forster. It was called the Tooheys 2.2 Ultra then, and no-one had a clue! Since then I have been a volunteer for every Ironman in Forster except one, and was pretty cut up when they moved it to Port before I could do one in my home town! I have lost over 40kg and changed my life around in the hope I could one day do one.

Well, that day is nearly here - no-one is telling me I CAN'T do one - and every tri I do i feel closer to my goal.

Just make sure you have good support at home and at work (if you have a full-time job) because speaking to my peers, those are the areas that take a beating when you commit to something like this.

And yes, I did see Busso 2006 on DVD, and yes, again I cried at the shots of elated, exhausted age groupers crossing the line. I'm such a softie!!

The only advice I can add to this is that the bike course is sooooo flat it is actually difficult. I revised my position on the bike after IM there as I was too steep with too much drop. I had done a few 5-6 hour TTs on the flattest course I could find but nothing prepared me for the flat there. I know it sounds wierd but that is actually very hard. I ended up 20 minutes slower and in worse shape than my practice runs Fast, but hard. I have raised my bars about an inch from what they were. Perhaps a few big gear out of the saddle 1-2 minute efforts on the trainer for practice then use these to 'rest' on race day.

Thanks Plazbot, I have been doing some BCR out of the saddle efforts on the trainer. Difficult to know what a flat course will be like because we just don't have anything really flat here to practice on. I have been advised that it is hard and relentless because of how flat the course is. Not really sure how to deal with that.

Muzman - part of the reason I want to go for it this year is that the timing is right with regards to home and work commitments. I have the time available to totally commit to the training 100%. It is like everything has fallen into place to give me this opportunity, so it is now just up to me to take it! Plus I am the fittest I have ever been and injury free, and have what I think is a solid 12 month base on which to build.

I'm a total sucker for crying when watching people at the finish line of any race! That DVD gets me everytime, it is fantastic!

runitloveit sounds like your training is coming along very good. My training is not cmoing along as good as I hoped, mostly due to work and other team sport commitments but hey I have already paid my money so I will be there regardless in 5-6 weeks. Like yourself and I thihnk most people, My aim is to finish in a semi alive state, so we will see how I go there.

Good luck to everyone doing Busso HIM, and lets all hope we get good fine wheather for the day.

Bumping because I've just agreed to do the run leg as part of a team in this year's HIM(3rd May). Anyone else going to be there?

i'm doing the cycle leg for my wifes team.
she wanted to start swimming and though a HIM team event would be a good goal. my bro-in-law is using it to do his first half marathon. and filling in between.

had only ridden 90km once this year. geelong HIM, so did a 100km ride, just to remind myself what it was like..
but really this is a vacation for me. kinda nice to participate, do a hard workout with a whole lot of buzz going on around, but feeling no pressure.
hope its a good day out.