a little swim.. good for the confidence

Jun14
2011 1 Comment Written by John

the strandwell the disappointment of last year is behind me with this event.. I remember sitting there, watching the race, and thinking ‘I should be doing this’. The Strand Swim is run by the Townsville Open Water Swimming Association every year over 2.5 or 5 km distances.

Obviously it is held down the Townsville Strand.. :-)

Well, I had my full wetsuit with me. This is generally frowned upon by the open water swimmers.. they treat it as a form of cheating in their circles.. They did not have to worry, I come last (except for one person that did not complete the distance). I have never been able to get the wetsuit on, but I have lost a little weight in the last couple of weeks, and it fit very nicely indeed. My wife described me as looking like a Teletubbie.. that’s ok I guess.. Telletubbies are cute, yes ?

Well, I really found myself very calm.. no panic. I tend to be like this when faced with actually doing something that scares me. Most of the fear happens in the days leading up to these sorts of things. The 5km swimmers were let go first, for about 10 minutes, then us 2.5km people were let go.

As usual, with any swimming race, I totally forget any form and just grind through the water for the first lap.. all I could think about for the first lap was ‘oh man, just pull out’. Luckily by the end of the first lap, I was starting to feel comfortable, and was thinking more about what I should be doing, rather than being shit scared and willing myself to fail.

My navigation was absolutely pathetic. I found myself swimming towards the island or beach.. both 90 degrees from the direction I should of been going.. I got a bit better towards the end, but of course, that is the wrong time to get good at it.

Last place.. thats cool.. I finished.. I was so frigging happy.. This big 130kg dugong in a rubber suit finished the 2.5km. I really feel like I have finally achieved something.

When I got to shore, I tried to stand up.. um.. no.. the sand was soft, and my legs had turned to jelly.. after a few attempts of standing up, I just give up and fell backwards into the water, laughing loudly.. I could hear people cheering.. so it was all worth it.

 

 

Posted in racing !

Best Pizza recipe I have found (so far)

Jun12
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John

pizza time !

 

one of my big goals in life (I tend to aim low), is to find the best pizza dough recipe on the planet.. So far, This would be the best one I have found.

 

 

 

 

400ml lukewarm water
14g fresh yeast or 1 x 7g sachet of dried yeast
15g caster sugar
700g “00” flour, plus extra for dusting
30g gluten flour, optional
30g table salt
60ml extra virgin olive oil
50ml milk

not looking pretty yet

Basically, I just put everything into a bowl. I use dry yeast and add a little water to turn it into a paste. (thats the brown blob on the top of everything else in the photo)

 

 

 

ready for a good massage

 

mix up with a wooden spoon.. it tends to bind together pretty well. I then tip it onto the bench.

 

 

 

 

looking better now

 

I tend to knead the dough a lot.. then knead it some more. You have to keep sprinkling flour onto the bench until it stops being sticky. Just form it into a ball and put it back in the floured mixing bowl. Cling wrap it, and leave for a few hours. It doesn’t rise a real lot, so don’t worry about how it looks.

 

nom nom time !

 

ok.. toppings time, you can work this out.

The end result tends to be nice and crusty with a chewy interior.

Posted in food

Broken Bike

Jun07
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John
Felt S22 2010

she broke !

Pretty depressing.. my TT bike is now completely broken.

Big crack going all the way around the seatpost.. bike is no longer safe to ride I would think.

Guess I am going to have to send it back to the UK.. serves me right for trying to save a few bucks sourcing a bike from overseas. Lesson learnt, time to move on.

First off the frame broke when I was tightening the seat post.. I wasn’t leaning on it or anything.. second thing I realised was that the small adjustment screws for aligning the rear wheel had been bashed at weird angles.. not too sure how that happened, as they do not support my weight or anything.

The bike company ribble have an alloy TT frame for around a hundred dollars.. I may end up getting one and changing all the bits over.. we shall see.

I was hoping to use it for the Saunders Beach Triathlon on June 19, but I am going to have to use the roadie. I had taken the aero bars off the roadie, and have been quite enjoying having just a plain roadie, but I think for the triathlon, I might put them back on.

Posted in bikes

diet modification is underway

Jun06
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John

Breakfast this morning

Yesterday was the first day of my big push to really try and do something about my weight. I think I have identified that I am well and truly doing enough exercise, but real change has to come from eating properly.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.. we all get told that through media and advertising, and I completely agree.

I find if I have eggs in the morning, my hunger is completely sated during the day, almost too much sometimes as I sometimes don’t feel like eating lunch.

I am following the Lee Labrada lean body system (loosely). The nutrition component is the most important, so I need to stick to it as close as possible.

Posted in losing weight

Thinking of my buddy in Cairns

Jun04
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John

So here I sit on the patio.. It is a lovely 19 degrees or so.. A little on the chilly side now I have had a chance to cool down. I did a training tri this morning. Only a short one to see if I was still up to it. I want to do a triathlon in two weeks time.. So all looks good.

It is only 500/20km/4km, so an ‘almost a sprint’ distance at one of the beaches north of here.

Basically got up around 5:30 am and very slowly rolled to the swimming pool. It is a little overcast today, so it was still pretty dark when I got there. Locked up, go into the water.. A little chilly, but not too bad really.

Didn’t stuff around, started the watch and started swimming.. Pretty happy with the swim.. 12:19 for 500 metres so about right for me. I can swim at this pace for pretty much any length of time. Got onto the bike and started the clock next to the pool..

Bike leg I had worked out on mapmyride.com and it worked out as exactly 15 km to the bridge near home.. Rode pretty strong, probably because of the group of about a dozen socials just ahead of me. I rode at around 37 km/h until I caught up to them.. Sat on the back and they were doing around 32 or so.. I could of happily bludged off them for a good part of my course, but I’m doing triathlon right ? Waited for a clear bit of road and passed them. It always intrigues me how these crews get enough exercise.. When you sit at the back of the pack you almost do not have to pedal.. They could of formed a pace line and smashed me.. But I am sure they do not want to be too sweaty when my have their first coffee.

Ended up doing about a 31.5 km/h average for the fifteen km, so happy with that. Got home and got the runners on.

Really only had one plan with the run.. Try not to walk ! I did a couple of loops around home, and took it pretty easily really.. High eight minute pace.. So a dawdle really.. On race day, I will hopefully push a bit harder, but we shall see.

The point of doing this thing this morning was less about me training for the triathlon in two weeks, and more about trying to make some amends for pulling out of challenge cairns which is today. My best buddy is doing the full iron distance, so he is going to have a very long day.. My thoughts are with him at the moment.

Although I am disappointed I am not there.. I really have no place there.. I am really only capable of a sprint distance.. Which.. I guess.. For someone weighting 134 kg.. I not so bad.. I thing if I could drop 30 kg I would be pretty damn fast..

Anyway.. The diet and lifestyle change starts tomorrow.. I will be watching the lee Labrada videos today to get my stuff together.

Posted in training

falling at the post

May31
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John

well.. I had good intentions this morning.. Was going to train with the local Triathlon Group. They have a ‘beginners’ riding group that is only around six or so people, so should be ok..

Well.. set everything up.. had the gear ready.. alarm set for 4:45

woke up.. stopped alarm.. closed eyes.. opened eyes.. looked at time.. 6:45

well.. guess I missed the ride.

I think ultimately the backend in my mind decided it wasn’t for me.. I mean who the hell wants to ride around in the dark anyway (I seriously don’t get this) . But when it comes down to it, I think it is more the fact that I am not a social person. Never have been really.. avoid social interaction as much as possible.

I like riding the bike.. mainly because it is true ‘me’ time.. noone to bother me.. noone to ask me to do something.. no hassles.. just ride.. swimming is even better, but it is becoming a struggle in the morning to get motivated to jump in the cold water.

Posted in training

Time to start the real turn around

May31
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John

So I have been stop starting now for a long time now with my what seems like forever.. Probably since I was 10 years old. There really has only been a couple of times since then where I have been what would be considered normal weight.. But these have been few.. Easily counted on one hand.. Missing a couple of fingers.
So I have been busting my ass now for what is around three years.. Doing a lot of exercise. Yes I have lost a bit of weight.. Yes I have reduced my fat and am fitting into clothes better, but what I have achieved in three years of supposed weight loss is pretty damn pathetic.
I have seen two people I know and know of lose upwards of 50 to 60 kg in the space of a year, where I have achieved almost nothing in three.
Well.. Things have to change.. And I think that the lean body program that ex bodybuilder Lee Labrada has been running for many years is the key.
More to come !

Posted in losing weight

Just trying a post from the iPad app

May29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John

Just writing this from my iPad to see how it looks.

Posted in Uncategorized