I'm impatient

I'm feeling incredibly impatient at the moment.

• to pay off the mortgage - sep/oct can't come soon enough


• impatient to have a tentative go at investing - I've been doing at lot of reading on the topic but I'm the sort of person that learns best by doing and learning things as I need them.


• for my race - so I can see if my swimming has progressed. At present I'm not sleeping well the night after a swim session- swimming has always been such an anchor for me I'm full of self-doubt. Yet I know I have worked so hard to relearn how to swim. In my mind I know this and I know that there is lots motre to do. I also know I have a plan but it requires patience


• I want to be a swimming sensation - first out of the water - WE CAN ALL DREAM


• to start training for next season when I plan to do more races - I know that this year was a stepping stone and I need to build up my volumes of training - as I see so many people do when they simply decide to ironman with hardly any fitness.


• to buy a new wetsuit - which I can't for a few years if I am to make all my financial goals happen


• the tomatoes aren't ripening fast enough - we are eating some but I want more


• the peppers aren't ripening fast enough - we are eating some but I want more


• no aubergines despite there being lots of flowers

PHEW!!!! That's it for now and it feels good and cheaper than therapy.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 19Jan- 25Jan

I have been winding down my training because I am really feeling the almost 11months consistant without having any breaks for racing. I have my one race on the 8Feb my first olympic distance race since 1996. I was enjoying the decreasing miles in running and cycling and enjoying my new confidence in open water because of having had at least one open water swim for the 7 weeks and had 2 last week and because of my improved swimming which also has improved my navigation and breathing. In fact I might go so far as to say I am enjoying swimming in open water and enjoying swimming full stop.

The bad news is that I have picked up a running injury. I ran 10miles Tuesday and on Wednesday I was carrying out some ankle strengthening exercises, that have cured my persistant right ankle niggle, I somehow managed to hurt the left side of my lower left leg. I ran 9miles Thursday morning, started out feeling a niggle and thought I would just run it off. However I don't think I can run in the last weeks before my race. This is a nuisance but not a right off I know if I rest it I have done enough running to do the as I have in the past run really well off very little running. It is just a small dent in my mental preparedness. My only real doubt is that it might still be sore come race day. If this happens I won't enter (you can enter online upto 3 days before) save my money for a full season of races next season when my swimming will be even better and we will still have our 2 days away in Taupo (our accommodation is paid for).

Swim

total: 5600m

Bike

total: 64.78miles
I did 36miles on Middle road and found it really easy I was swooping down the downhills singing songs from Mama Mia, we bought it Emily for Christmas and she has been playing it none stop and it just got stuch in my had. But if you can't descend at dangerous speeds singing Abba hits when nobody else can hear when can you.

Run

total: 19miles

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Competition winners

Emily and Cameron have been taking part in a summer holiday reading program at the local library. They entered a colouring competition - Cameron won the unders 5's category and Emily was second in the 5-7 category. There were 350 children taking part in the reading program called Superheroes read.

I an currently reading several books by Martin Hawes a New Zealand financial/investment expert- I am learning how to invest for income which I want to be doing by the end of the year. I am also reading The Snowball which is about the life of Warren Buffett one of America's richest men and one of if not the best investor on the planet.

Our mortgage will hopefully be paid off by October. I came to the conclusion that the bank is stealing our money because on top of interest we pay them, they start adding all sorts of penalties if you try and pay it off quickly.

I am also reading loads of graphic novels (they used to be called comics). Teresa and I are watching less and less tv, most of it just a load of boring crap.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Garden update

Couldn't resist the other variety of Pepino.

When we went for the Pepino we came across a solitary blackberry. We didn't hesitate it brings back childhood memories of blackberrying with family. We thought we couldn't get them in New Zealand.


We have also been eating home grown courgettes(zuchinni), cucumber, tomatoes,lots of basil, mint, oregano,thyme, beans and lettuce,the first 2 blueberries, and peppers (we're trying to leave them alone to turn red)

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.

Weekly training 12Jan-18 Jan

Took another easy week missed one of session of each. It was more of a mental break - I had a couple of strong ales Fullers London Pride (vegan friendly)and chips Friday night and planned to miss Saturday's run.

Swim

total: 4400m

I confirmed a suspicion in the pool this week - I swim 7x100m with just the ankle band after swimming 5x300m with ankle band and holding balls. My suspicion was that I was swimming them in 1min 30 sec. And I was I am swimming them in 1.25 and 1.30 on 2 minutes with the ankle band all technique I'M BLOWN AWAY!! It is the sort of improvement I have been working very hard for, I couldn't do that before with such little effort . I need to keep at and build on this and hopefully keep improving and maybe I'll achieve my goal of turning my biggest weakness into my strength.

Bike

total: 56.87miles
One turbo session and 41miles to Waimarama beach and back. This included some climbs that I was nervous about. As it happens they didn't trouble me at all.

Run

total:2x10= 20miles
I have been feeling very good and can feel the improvement.

Join the movement and we'll start a revolution - stop all unnecessary shopping - seperate your needs from your wants.