Written by Ironman Wisconsin Champion Hillary Biscay

Last Thursday Coachie sent me over a gift from the States: a brand shiny new . . . training partner! This was very nice of him considering that I was going to have to say goodbye to training partner, etc etc extraordinaire this Tuesday. Yes, Dougie is on his way home to the States now, and Eric Bell is now on swim and track duty.

Eric is a former standout collegiate runner and has won pretty much every short course age group title one can win, including his age group at the world championships last year. He would like to race as a pro and has qualified to do so, but Coach has said that runner boy must get his swimming skills up to scratch before racing the big boys. So he is here in Noosa for 12 swim sessions per week–and a few other workouts–as well as to see if he is cut out for the life of a pro. Thus far he is becoming acquainted with realities like the Friday and Saturday-night 9PM bedtime, and a kitchen stocked with only “bird food.”

So Eric has to suffer a bit of culture shock while I have the benefit of a new training partner (I should add that my other “other half” is also away this week, as Belinda is racing Ironman Malaysia this weekend.). I would feel sorry for him, but we have all been through this essential part of the process.

In Dougie and Belinda’s absence, after last night’s running intervals, I was reflecting on the value of my training partners. Possibly my least favorite type of training session is a track-type running session. Everyone knows how much I love to run; I know it is not pretty or fast, and thus this statement might be perceived as sarcastic, but it is not. I am probably an anomaly: a former swimmer who loves to run. My favorite running-related activity is running at a cruisey pace for many, many miles–five-hour runs, for example. My least favorite is the opposite: short, fast, running with lots of stop-and-go. I don’t even mind running hard on a treadmill for a couple hours at a time; but running even harder for a minute or two, when I have to break my rhythm in between, but yet hardly have time to catch my breath . . . This is one of my least favorite types of training. I am not good at it and it hurts–badly. Of course these are two big reasons that I need to be doing this type of workout!

So although I dread Tuesday night run intervals (especially following the morning’s smashfest brick session), I also look forward to the feeling of satisfaction I derive from putting myself through them every week. If they weren’t such a challenge for me, I couldn’t be so proud of myself afterwards.

Last night I got some payback from Runner Eric for some of our recent swimming excursions when he joined me for the Tuesday night intervals. I should add that we don’t have a track here, so run intervals also involve using a Garmin to measure off an accurate distance–thus giving me another reason to hate them. Luckily, Dougie, Mr. Thorough, gave Eric a lesson with the Garmin, including a walking simulation, before he left. Thus, in order to avoid my head exploding before the session even started, Eric handled course-measurement duties.

Then we ran the same “track” session, although I couldn’t even run the speedster’s pace for one step. It was the massive difference in our speeds, however, that got me to thinking about how much it helps to have someone there to keep these intense sessions at an honest effort. I had my best interval session of the past three months, and it didn’t matter that Eric was miles ahead. When I see someone there pushing himself as hard as he can through the same session, it is impossible to back off.

Tomorrow morning I will have to re-establish my dominance in the water .

Week one in Noosa!

Well the start of my new week has arrived. It was a long trip. It took me 34 hours from the time I left my door till the time I walked into my new living quarters for the next month. I am living with Hillary Biscay, Ironman Wisconsin Champion, and Doug Friman, who has raced ITU for the last ten years, competing for USA. We live in this two bed/two bath house, which is just a 7 min jog from the beach. The pool is about a 20 min bike ride to get there, and everything else we just walk out the door to do. Little strange for they drive on the wrong side, or I guess they think it’s the right side of the road. It’s a bit strange and if you're not careful you can easily get taken out by cars; funny how much you just take for granted walking across the street. Here in Noosa, this is a beach holiday spot for a lot of Australians, and a lot of surfers and backpackers seem to come here and do their thing as well. As for the training, well there are group swims and rides almost daily. A lot of long course athletes are training here, a few to name: Belinda Granger and her husband, Jeremy, Luke McKenzie, and then a few of the best short course athletes in the world: Greg and Laura Bennett, plus a host of foreign athletes, all wanting to come and train in paradise. Jet lag took its toll on me, haven’t been able to get a full night of sleep yet and on top of it was feeling a bit run down and got sick over the last 4 days which really drained me of my power. It will take a bit to get adjusted, but seem to be coming around. It's great to be around all these professionals and see the way they handle business; this sport is not for the weak and your mind plays so many tricks on you. It's really an amazing thing. I really look around and search in my life and there are so many people who are always there to help, I am so thankful, really. I nor anyone else in this sport can do it alone. There are those who pick me up, lend a hand, put a hand on me, talk with me, love me. To all of you, I will never be able to repay all for what you have given me. To all of you, I THANK YOU! What you give me is not taken for granted. I am so blessed to have this opportunity to come here and train, while many are laboring back home to help me put on this mile race I have dreamed about for so long. To all of you, Thank you! My 3 board members, guys I love you and this trip and my dream to be the best in the world would never be possible without you guys. You never really know what you got till you leave for a bit to see what it is you miss. My family, what a ride, mom, you’re the best healer ever and fan I love you. Well there will be more updates to come from Down Under. As they say Good day Mate. And this will never change, Dream Big!

Noosa!!!

Australia here I come! Well, there is a lot to do before Tuesday at 3:30, when I leave for a long 29 hour flight to get me to train with the best in the business of Triathlon. How did this all come about? I was supposed to train in Florida with my boy Scott, who got an invitation to train with Brett Sutton and team TBB, what an opportunity! So, my coach Brent Lorenzen and I had to come up with a plan. Do we go to Cali, Florida, or Australia? I never thought the last would be the place. He called Hilliary Biscay, Ironman Wisconsin winner, for she is there training with Belinda Granger, Luke McKenzie, Greg and Laura Bennett, and a host of others to see if there was room for me to come train, and within 24 hours there was a place to stay and the ticket was booked. This is going to be an amazing journey for the next 6 weeks! I will update as much as possible. My training will still be an intense focus on swimming and will start to add the running and biking into the mix. My first race looks to be the 2012 Talent ID race in Lubbock, Texas in April, with St. Anthony's to follow, but not before putting on the Dogwood mile in downtown Knoxville on April 24. Well, as I always say if you can't Dream Big what is the use in dreaming? This trip is proof, dreams come true, but you better get to living!!