Managing "Team Toni"

Yes at last I get the time to write my first contribution.

As self appointed manager, chef, motivator and house keeper (yep I even do the ironing - not sure how I delegated myself that task but only for another 208 days... Yes I am counting :-) ), I get to make the decisions for the week.  But only after I check with Toni...!

I see the focus required to obtain Toni's goal and, yep, sometimes it is like I do have 2 full time jobs, but it is all good.

The training volume is slowly increasing, as can be seen by the previous posts.  Yesterday was an example of the focus required to achieve ironman status.  Our regular club run with the marathon clinic took us over a hill course that included a herd of cows and a very muddy track, from the club base to Victoria park and back via the main roads.  While others turned back at the first sign of cow poo and mud, Toni led the way showing her commitment to the programme.

Today, on the other hand, while it was blowing a southerly gale, heaps of rain and only 6.5 degrees Celsius, the Ironman-in-training did a 2 hour tour de lounge bike while watching a dvd.  Meanwhile I braved the elements and did a 20km run, in sub 1hour 54.

Umm does that mean that ironman competitors are soft (oops, not sure if I should have said that out loud)?!! To be fair, though, it would have been no fun biking into that headwind - running was bad enough...  But we did receive a text this morning from Dave the coach saying enjoy the wind-trainer, so it must be an ironman thing...

In a previous post, Toni mentioned the 1/2 ironman in Ashburton as a training run and the option to pull out after the swim and cycle.  From my perspective I can't see my Ironman-in-training doing 2/3 of an event and stopping... it's just not in her makeup and, as team manager, stopping is unacceptable!!!

Well I'll finish here for now, that ironing pile is growing bigger, but may wait for tomorrow or even next week...

Pete
(Team Manager - what I say goes, but only when Toni's not within earshot)

208 days...and counting!