Getting worryingly close to the end of my trip here…wont bore you with various adjectives to describe how much I:
-Love this place
-Loved the last few weeks
After the disappointment of the Boulder Peak Triathlon it was time to put my head down and re-focus on why I was here….to train. Friday marked 100 days until Worlds in Auckland (can’t confirm or deny that I have an iPhone App counting down to the exact second the gun will go off).
On Advice from my coach I visited a doctor. It turned out I was carrying a sinus infection, once treated the difference I felt in training (and recovery) was very marked. Finally I was able to put out some decent sets in the pool.
Swimming
To a certain New Zealand double Olympian I sincerely promise that I am not stalking you at the pool, being in the lane next to you eight out of the last ten days is pure coincidence. Moreover would I really want to mess with someone who looks like this?
Regardless of location, there is always bound to be a diverse collection of strange pool denizens. This weeks mob included:
- The ‘overly competitive guy’ who decided that since he was unable to ‘beat’ me (whilst I was doing some easy pull sets), he would employ every aid at his disposal to rectify that situation. Paddles and Flippers attached he managed to ‘beat’ me. I’m glad it made him feel ‘special.’
- For a country where the mere glimpse of a female breast means a movie is rated ‘R’ (unlike the UK where they frequently showed male full frontal nudity on primetime TV) it is astonishing how…..ummm…comfortable certain (normally elderly) people are with their naked bodies. One man, feet up on a bench to clip his tonenails (all whilst stark naked) decided to have an in-depth conversation with me. His ability to ignore my undisguised awkwardness was commendable.
- The man who had a collection of beeds at the end of the lane and at the end of each 50m lap (up and back) would move one to the other pile. Once all the beads were in one pile he hopped out.
Flatirons
Bike
For the first time in a very very long time, I was actually jealous of the long course guys. Living on the Beach Road of Boulder (massive disservice to Boulder when I say that…less MAMILS i.e. middle-aged men in Lycra and more legit pro’s), with the Tour De France on the TV in the morning and my Pink Bike sitting about 2 meters from my bed, it has been quite a challenge to avoid hopping on the bike and heading to the hills each morning.
My key midweek ride was again back to Ward (altitude 2700m, 1000m higher than the highest point reach in this years Tour De France) fortunately (for my pride/legs) Nick’s program had a different emphasis so we parted ways early into the climb.
Sunday marked my longest ever Brick (bike followed by a run) session. With temperatures hitting 36c it was a hot, but very enjoyable one. The first two hours were spent with some of the local guys, and my first (of two) climbs to Jamestown ended up being quite ‘spirited.’ The second half of the ride was solo, climbing over Old Stage Road (the scene of much suffering during the Boulder Peak Tri) and then back to Jamestown. The climb is about 10k’s long with 350m vertical gain. The Church was in full swing on my second visit there, it was clear that some people had cycled up for the 11am Mass, quite a nice way to start the day.
Due to phone bill (Telstra kindly didn’t remind me that I had hit my overseas plans limit) my phone has been switched off for the last few days (to avoid more gouging at their hands) hence no pictures. However the link below (‘A Day with the Bennett’s) shows where I do 90% of my runs, where I swim and also pictures them doing the same climb I did (to Jamestown).
Run
Runs this week: A Lot
Runs with shirt on: Zero
Times told to put a shirt on: Once
The area around Wonderland Lake is incredible (and fortunately, snake free……so far) with trails going off in every direction. Its made running very enjoyable, and the legs have appreciated the lack of concrete. Had a great run with one of the guys I raced against, a Columbian (didn’t know there was a big triathlon scene there). He had a pro license but USAT wouldn’t recognise it, hence he raced in the Elite Division the week before.
Saturday was my longest ever run (excluding certain off-road running events) hitting 2hrs and 25K’s. Made the mistake of not loading up the iPod before I went out, and had inadvertently Sync’d my ‘Chillout’ Playlist to the iPod Shuffle. Gotye and the like are not the best running songs, especially for two hours!
Other
Went out on Tuesday night with Nick and Scott. To anyone who visits Boulder (more so if you are a single male) Pasta Jays is a must, the food was good but the….um….view was even better. Not only is Boulder rated the fittest city in America, I was told by a guy at my local Cafe that it was rated the ‘Most Attractive City in America’ 7 years in a row. Couldn’t agree more! The owner of Pasta Jays gives the impression of being quite the perve. Only one of the 15 or so staff were male, all of these females were stunning! Scott was the big winner of the night picking up our waitresses number….seal the deal mate ;)
On arrival back from any overseas trip, almost within the same breath of saying ‘welcome home’ comes ‘what did you get me.’ Overseas trips come at their price, and that is good presents. To say I’ve been suffering mild anxiety trying to find something in Pearl St is an understatement. My mum is completely incapable of feigning any gratitude for presents she dislikes. Attempts at ‘fun’ presents in the past have brought about rather disastrous results. One such occasion, buying a book called “What Does it Feel Like” (where the book interviews people who have been: Shot, died and come back to life, been in a car crash, had their parachute fail to open, been in an Orgy etc describe what it feels like), it was met with a tirade of abuse for a hapless 14yo me. To say that future trips to Boulder rest on the outcome of my family presents would be an understatement.
All in all another awesome week in Boulder, 7 more days here, not looking forward to the return trip, all four flights!
Washing on the cheap
