Clare Hovey

I am a Triathlete!

Ultimately why I am doing this...

Goodness! after reading through last few blog posts - have I become a little on the obsessed side with this wretched training?  am a slightly boring all my friends? - I think so! I am racing next week in support of Eric who has started his long journey of treatment and in memory of Stuart the brother of my dear friends who passed away recently from leukaemia.  Their names will be in my swim hat.  I am doing this for those who can't - I'll try my best.

One week to go...

Bought a new Tri Suit - goodness it MUST make me go faster it has so much technology going on!  One week out and this weekend saw us do 750m swim at Shelley Beach yesterday morning.  Today was a brick session - Bike ride, run off the bike practicing transition dressing and undresssing.  Bike, run all over again! whew = glad that is done.....  Am quietly confident I can complete the tri IN MY OWN TIME but will need the mother of all nanna naps afterwards!  Am excited and terrified, daunted and sort of wanting to bring it on all at once...  will try and attach photo of the techno suit.

I'm Baack

Well, back from holidays and back into training with a vengence.   Training during the holiday was 'interesting' getting up at 7am and heading to hotel gyms with varying states of dilapidated/ high tech/space age equipment some treadmills were so complicated with so many variations that 'quick start' was the only option for me! so after doing my cycle - often on those odd reclinging cycles and a slow jog off to the pool I headed - hmmm  10m pools whilst trying to swim 1k is just rubbish so I didn't - I just went up and down a bit till dizzy and then headed off to buffet breakfasts!  Anyway I did keep the training going and that's the main thing.  Back on the bike tomorrow to do my first 20ks...  As 6.30am on Sunday we have something called a brick session.  20k bike ride followed by a cheeky 5k run - I'll still be going by mid-day I reckon! little voice in head keeps asking me 'what the...?'

Well That's better...

A complete sucker for punishment - I signed up for the Newport 800m Ocean Swim - the day after the not to be mentioned again Shelley swim...  I didn't come last!!! yay I was Second Last - there was one elderly gentleman who came in just behind me.  But I say that's a result :)

Hopped on the bike this morning (a  little bit frenzied with the training for some reason at the moment).  Anyway managed to ride the length of Lane Cove National Park and back again - 10ks - boom!  thank you very much.  Tomorrow I will do that circuit twice and knock off 20ks and therefore will have caught up with the rest of my tri group's training.  That's a relief!

Still not terribly sure how on earth I will have the umph to put all these three separate and pretty challenging individual disciplines all together in one loooooong loooong Event on 15 Feb.  SOMETHING will have to improve dramatically for me to do it at this stage under 2 hours 50 mins!!!

A bit of a mid-training programme wobble...

Well, not my finest swim this morning. Despite the sea being calm and the sun shining and being surounded by other Cantoo Swimmers - I had a wobble...  The aim for me was Fairy Bower to Shelly Beach and back.  It was all overwhelming for some reason.  I made it to Shelly - last as usual and it just overwhelmed me - a little teary and hyperventilating just a bit!  I don't seem to be improving, find it hard, find it exhausting when I shouldn't. ANYWAY in true Cantoo style - my beautiful friends rallied around me and encouraged me to get back in the water and do the return trip - they swam with me stroke for stroke and I made it back to Fairy Bower in one piece feeling a lot better.  

New Year's Eve reminded me of why I am doing this and why I wobble and get back up and despite finding this all very hard I keep going - I DO THIS FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN"T.  I met a lovely couple on NY Eve - who have just spent the last month facing the ultimate in horror diagnosis/surgery/lifestyle readjustment.  They are living the best the can doing the best they can and so I am doing this Triathlon Programme in the best way I can  in the hope that the money I raise will help people like Eric and Regina.  With Eric's permission I shall be doing the swim leg of my Tri with his name written inside my swim cap.  Go Eric and Go Us on 15 Feb.

I'm up and going on the bike!

Yay!  I had coach Bec with me the whole time today and managed a great distance, learning skills and getting my confidence up - I'll be able to do the 20ks at snails pace at this stage - plenty of room for improvement...  so training over the holidays includes ocean swim on Christmas Eve morning and bike ride on Boxing Day morning... excess food mitigation strategy!  Our Raffle is being drawn tomorrow morning - Monday - I wish you all good luck....

Amazing Raffle

Our Amazing Raffle...  being drawn 20 December... 1 ticket for $5, 3 tickets for $10, 10 tickets for $20.  Go on, have a flutter, be lucky!

Shelley Beach in Summer

Is there anywhere more beautiful than Shelley Beach in Summer - 8.30 finds the Cantoo Sprint and Olympic Tri groups training off of this beautiful Sydney beauty spot.  The swell has been very kind the last two weeks and lots of fish and divers (!) to see under the water. Best part of the training?  coffee at Fairybower cafe afterwards... maybe I"m still not quite as committed as I should be :)

I'm training for a Sprint Triathlon with Can Too!

Continuing my fundraising efforts for Cantoo - the next mad challenge is joining my daughter Olivia and Helen Adams in training for a Triathlon.  Our goal event is the Kurnell Triathlon on 15 February.

To raise our pledge of $2250 each we are holding a Christmas Afternoon Tea.  Everyone is welcome to come along for some Christmas cheer, mince pies, champagne and tea (if you HAVE to..).  Here are the details:

CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON TEA

Sunday, 7 December, 2-4pm

59 Owen Street, Lindfield

$25 per person

If you aren't able to come along but would still like to support our efforts - you can donate through this page (all donations are tax deductible). 

A huge THANK YOU to all my friends who have supported me through the years with this cause - I don't mind putting in the effort part when you are so generous with the money part! I love you all and appreciate your generosity and support.